Jokes, good ones or bad ones, help get us through the day

Love jokes.

Actually, the sillier— the better. Rhymes, riddles and brain teasers? Awesome.

And, yes, laugh at my own word play on display during this Feb. 5-13 trip to Costa Rica with STEMCivics Charter School students, a fantastic although tough crowd with an almost unmovable laugh meter.

We had mounted horses Saturday morning at Rincón de la Vieja National Park and waited for departure when I created this joke.

“What did the man saying as he petted the pony?” (Made a gravelly sound in my throat and said. I’m feeling a little horse).

Come on. Give it up. Show me some love.

Okay. We were at a monkey park when this one happened.

What did the screeching bird say when it flew into the tree trunk? (Owl).

“That’s so corny,” student Melonie Chaves judged. The affable junior did smirk.

Maybe my stand up routine needed an adult audience.

There we were in Rincon de la Vieja National Park situated in the northwest corner of Costa Rica in the Guanacaste province.

The 34,000-acre wonderland offers trails beautiful viewpoints, breathtaking waterfalls, hot springs and mud pots.

People enjoyed steamy baths and most of the Caucasian guests applied mud to their bodies and faces. Oh, what a perfect opportunity for the lone African-American.

“You guys would be in serious hot water if you were putting mud on your faces in Virginia,” I said, alluding to black face incidents involving Gov. Ralph Northam and Attorney General Mark Herring.

The crowd laughed. Enjoyed the joke.

“You had to go there “a man jostled. We laughed, all caught up in vacations, relaxed people enjoying the same mud, same steam.

Who needs STEMCivics Charter School students as barometers for laughter?

Ok. Big finish. Same monkey park crowd as a guide named, Nancy, showed us around. Most of the animals are either injured or rehabbed but could not survive if released back into nature. So, they have a lifetime home.

“Did you hear that?,” The students hushed and listened.

(I think that wild pig just said something). Dead silence. Their ears strained. What did it say?

“I’m boar-ed”. (Groans)

L.A. Parker is a Trentonian columnist. Find him on Twitter @LAParker6 or email him at LAParker@Trentonian.com.