A Christmas to Remember

We spent a lovely Christmas Day with new friends and old -- a scrumptious dinner, great company, and even dolphins leaping in the distant bay.....it just doesn't get much better!

 

Mary gathered us and two other couples (Ursula & Bob; Vonne & Ken) at her house for a traditional feast, followed by a fun gift exchange and good conversation.  We dined on the deck with the sunny rainforest surrounding us and dolphins jumping in the bay in the distance.

 

We missed our family and all our old friends this morning, but felt oh so grateful for all the new friends and wonderful experiences of paradise, and with the Vonnage phone we were fortunate to be able to call and talk to all the kids. It truly was...A Christmas to Remember.

 

love,

Norm & Nancy

 

!2 Days of Christmas

Yesterday we went to the first of the many Christmas parties we’re invited to, held in a lovely home built right out on the  water. The owner, an American businessman who only visits a few times a year opened his place to about 60 people, and he wasn’t even here to attend himself!  That’s just the sort of thing that is commonplace down here – neighbors extend themselves to neighbors to help in any way they can.

A great time was had by all.  The menu was Clam Chowder  and Lobster Bisque – both delicious - with lots of side salads and deserts as well. Everyone arrived by boats, of course, and soon the house was surrounded by boats tied together 5 and 6 deep. What a wonderful way to celebrate the season!

 

And now we’ve got five more invitations for parties this week. Whew!  We probably can’t keep up with this crowd, but we sure enjoyed ourselves yesterday.

Sending out all the blessings of the Christmas season: Joy, Peace, and, most of all….

  Love.

 

With turbo barking up a storm, Nancy went out to see what all the ruckus was about. OMG!  A SLOTH was climbing right next to the porch!  she screamed for Norm (who was in the shower) and he came running, his imagination running wild, as he wondered what the screaming was about.
What an amazing sight this guy was! We decided , if nothing else good happened the entire trip, just this sloth sighting was enough.

SLOTHS FACTS: On land, sloths' weak hind legs provide no power and their long claws are a hindrance. They must dig into the earth with their front claws and use their strong front legs to pull themselves along, dragging their bellies across the ground. If caught on land, these animals have no chance to evade predators, such as big cats, and must try to defend themselves by clawing and biting.

Though they couldn't be clumsier on land, sloths are surprisingly good swimmers. They emit a long, high-pitched call that echoes through the forests as "ahh-eeee." Because of this cry these sloths are sometimes called ais (pronounced "eyes").

Compared to most mammals, a sloth moves very slowly. Sloths can climb only 6 to 8 feet per minute. They grasp tree limbs with their sharp claws, which can be 3 to 4 inches long. Sloths mainly leave their tree to urinate or defecate about once a week. Leaving the tree makes them vulnerable to predators like the eagle or jaguar, or a barking dog like Turbo.

 

To Bocas To Bocas to Buy a Fat Hog

To Bocas to Bocas to buy a fat hog.  But, we didn't do any jiggety -jogging as it was actually a really smooth ride home under the brightest blue skies.  On the trip in we spotted a magnificent Blue Heron up close and personal , but my camera jammed so I had to "borrow" a photo from the Internet.  And, speaking of sights check out the three master that was in Bocas Bay!

Shopping in Bocas Town is an experience. You would think it would be a simple matter of getting to town (by boat) and going to the store. NOT!  The peppers I needed were at one store at the far end of town; flour and sugar at the little grocery in the middle; cake mix and yams at the other extreme end of town. And since both Mary and I wanted fresh salad greens that meant waiting until the ferry arrived at noon to be able to buy those from the Gourmet  Grocery Store. ( and yes, that is the name of it and it stocks small amounts of the sorts of things one finds in the deli back in the States). Prices are exorbitant, but like everyone else we pay because we just really want those Blue Corn Chips to go with our homemade salsa.

Oh, and then it's the drugstore for anti- itch Creme ( yes, the Chitras are still here) and a bar of sop and lastly the hardware store for my rubber boots for TROMPING about the jungle. Meanwhile, Norm has gone to two places for propane, because although the first place does have propane, they don't fill the brand of container we have - go figure!

Living, and shopping, in paradise is exhausting!  However, we were in good company with our dear friends, Mary and Carl and the refrigerator is well stocked again. We came home and cooled down with fresh hand- squeezed lemonade and a sit on the porch. Life is good. ❤️

Livin large in paradise,
Nancy' Norm & Turbo

HAPPY BIRTHDAY !

 

 

On Sunday we celebrated Mary's birthday at a party over at Rana Azule's. You may remember that last year we were here in Panama on my birthday and Mary baked up a delicious chocolate volcano cake and surprised me 3ith it over at Rana's.  Today it was Mary's turn.

I would have whipped up a cake for her but I knew that the local ladies already had that covered. what I didn't know was how adorable it would be!  See, Mary is a quilter, so this was the PERFECT cake for her.

There must have been 100 people at the little cafe on the water that is only open on Fridays and Sundays. while Rana Azule is a gathering place for the local folks around both Dolphin and Dark Land Bays,(the pair of side by side bays here joined by a narrow cut in the mangroves), extra folks showed up on this day to honor Mary because she is such a special friend to all.

Both Norm and I have been impressed with the depth, and the width, of friendship among the folks who have chosen to come here to live. It appears they will do anything for each other and are constantly vigilant for those opportunities. They're even eager to help us visitors! It reminds me of small town USA. The difference is that here in the bay you don't have to have lived in one spot all your life to be deemed worthy of this sort of friendship; it comes with the territory of moving in.

I always try to take something back with me whenever I go off on an adventure - "a lesson learned". I think that being a better neighbor is my lesson this trip. I already know that I'm a very good friend - I would practically kill for my friends, and I like to think that I'm good about being there when they need me, but I need to work on becoming a better neighbor at home..  

I love it when I figure out the lesson so early - easily!

Hasta,
Nancy & Norm

                   Our birthdays are feathers in the broad wing of time.  ~Jean Paul Richter

And the Dolphin Did Dance

Mary gave us another Berberi fruit like she did last year.  What you do is peel it, squish it and mixed condensed sweetened milk. Then freeze and VOILA you’ve got ice cream!  Now I need to get some sweetened milk.

We spent most of the day yesterday at Mary’s house with her and Carl and friends here from Boqete.  Fabulous dinner – spinach manicotti, snow peas, tossed green salad and cheese cake for desert. Yep, we are living large in the rainforest this year. There’s been no rice & beans on anyone’s menu!

It rained all afternoon and while we played dominoes at Mary's we kept an eye out in case there was a break and we could "make a run for it." No such luck!  but, the good news is the wind wasn't blowing and the boat we are using is a good one with a strong motor so this ride wasn't even scary!  the GREAT news is that on the way home, just before we got to the "cut" in the mangroves that separates the two bays, a DOLPHIN jumped up right in front of the boat!  MAGNIFICENT and probably the closest I will ever get to one of those creatures. It was the topping on an already wonderful day! Of course, it happened far too fast to get a snap, not to mention my camera was stowed in double baggies protecting it from the rain, but here's one from the Internet of similar size and action to what we saw:

Today we spent a quiet day “at home.”  I went tromping behind the house to explore but didn’t go very far as the trail pretty much peters out quickly and there are too many things that slink and slither for my liking out there!

So, today was a quiet day, Norm is the Rummy champion so far…..but the day is still young!

Much love from the jungle,

Nancy & Norm

The Best Laid Plans Go Awry

So much for the best laid plans.  It rained with a vengeance yesterday, so we hunkered down and spent most of the day on the porch -  just enjoying listening to the downpour and reading.  But, when today dawned with a big, bright sun I just knew that I was going to get to go swimming!  I even had a "morning chat" with Turbo and he agreed to go with me, but first we needed to take advantage of this bright day and get the laundry done. (We're on Solar Power - on the gray, rainy days we run the generator.)

So, laundry it was, and done in short order! I rather enjoy hanging clothes on a line and this one from the deck works especially well! Plus drying in the sun helps remove that damp, musty smell everything seems to take on in the rainforest.We were done in no time.

I slipped into my swimsuit and waddled on down to the dock to go swimming. I was really looking forward trying out the new ladder Brent recently made and I'd already checked for jellyfish every time I was on the dock since we arrived, and I knew I was safe in the department. Norm didn't want to swim, but he came along to help me encourage Turbo into the water and take our pictures. DARNNIT!   That crystal clear water I'd checked just days before was now a greyish cloud with an oily film on top!  WHAT?!  The only thing we can figure out is all that rain yesterday washed a lot of stuff down into the bay.

But, it's a gorgeous day anyway. Now we're porch sitting and trying to identify some of the colorful birds, playing with Turbo, and doing a bit more reading...I'll wait a couple of days to go swimming. :-(

I'm disappointed, but still....It be a bright new day!

Nancy & her sidekicks: Norm & Turbo

From the Jungle

                                                       VIEW FROM FRONT PORCH
We've had a couple of days with Jan & Brent to learn how everything works at their place. I can't begin to explain the difference in ths house sit and the one we did down here last year. Definently NOT rustic here!  It's a very nice, modern "North American" house complete with well fitting screens. ( the most important feature, in my opinion) .  Norm has the basics of managing the Solar Power operations down and everything inside the house is pretty much like at home so this sould be easy-peasy.

ALMIRANTE

We took the Lewis's to catch the bus this morning in Almirante -  about a 45 minute boat ride from the house. They'll be go be a month.  Almirante is a scruffy little town with lots of garbage and not not going on, but  there are a couple small grocers and a veggie stand, so I finished my "provisions shopping." We should be set for at least a couple weeks now.

                                              A BIT of a GARBAGE PROBLEM

We boated back home in the rain, but that was okay because it cooled the day down a bit and now we're ready to hunker down and get some serios reading & writing done. It's been a bit hectic since we arrived. We've been out to dinner twice in two days and we have  a lunch invitation, a  ladies gathering for Majong, and friends coming to "our" house for lunch this week. Who ever said life can get lonely in the jungle?!

More about the area next time. For now....I hear a hammock calling my name!

Nancy


Hasta,
Norm & Nancy

The Real Obscenities

It's the city that is the true jungle.   And yes, NOW we remember....we DO NOT like Panama City! This is our third time passing through. The first was years ago while sailing with our cruiser friends, Jan & Joe. We stayed near a working marina as they were having work done on their boat. We thought maybe it was just "the part of town" that made us uneasy and choose not to be out after dark. The next time was last year on our way to Bocas del Toro. We stayed out of town near the little airport, but still did not get a good vibe from the area, so, this time I thought I'd spring for a more upscale hotel -- maybe that would give us a more positive view of this city. NOT!  All I can say is that the ladies of the night were dressed better than at the other places we stayed.

Now, I try do not judge. Everyone has to make a living. But, I will say that there is a palpable negative energy in  the city that I feel in the pit of my stomach and the hairs on the nap of my neck.  Places are like that, ya know? Without words, you just know.  So, I'm glad we made it to Bocas del Toro early this morning  where there's a "Bob Marley don't worry 'bout a thing" sort of vibe.

So, I'm slipping in to my swimsuit and putting on my water wings. Just as soon as Norm wakes up from a nap, (we were up at dark thirty to catch the plane and  didn't sleep well the short time we were in bed) we'll head on out to Starfish Beach!  Can you hear me humming? ......Don't worry, 'bout a thing, cuz every little thing's  goin be all right."

Hasta!

Norm & Nancy

THE TRAVEL SHRINE - PANAMA 2013

PANAMA.  Here we go again!  I just completed my travel shrine for our upcoming return to Bocas del Toro, Panama. As always, my shrine should represent the journey – actual and metaphorical. It should show what I hope and expect for the trip.  It should show how eager and excited I am to go. It should also show my fears and hesitations. Its core purpose is to help me see and understand all the issues that surround this journey. I love sharing my travel shrines, so if you’ve any questions at all please ask me!

Those who followed Norm and me while in Panama last winter know that our stay in the bay of Dolphins turned out to be less than idyllic. You probably wonder why the heck we’d want to go again!  But, this house-sitting position was arranged by our good friend, Mary, who felt very bad about all our difficulties last winter and was determined to show us a more positive side to “her Panama.”  She hand-picked this opportunity for us, so trust me this winter will be far different from last!  No 106 steps to schlep the provisions; a boat we can count on to get us around; and probably most important of all- a well-screened, nearly chitra- free home!  It’s going to be fabulous!

Both Norm and I look forward to spending slow mornings over coffee watching for the amazingly colorful birds. We hope to get out more in search of the hundreds of butterflies Panama is known to have. I really look forward to spending more quality time with Mary, the neighbor last year who quite literally “saved our lives,” in more ways than one. I want to swim more; and walk the beaches a few times; and write some prose and some poetry, adding a few more to my “Gramma Collection."  And, of course, I’ll be writing a “dog blog” for the sweet pooch, Turbo, we’ll be caring for. Don’t you just love his name?!

 Only 22 sleeps to go! This year my theme for our time in Panama is, “Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.” ~ R. Emerson.

We hope you’ll join on this adventure!

Con mucho carina,

Nancy & Norm

Winding Down

We said good bye to the sweetest dog in the whole wide world, Indy,

 and to the gardener, Vincente, who helped us many times during our stay by schlepping heavy things up the hill for us. Our new friends Mary & Carl, took us to Bocas del Toro to begin the long journey home.  It was hard to say good bye, but, Mary will always be a soul sister and I’m sure our paths will cross again.

 We hired a water taxi and headed out for Red Frog Beach for the day. We hadn’t even seen a beach yet during our stay in Panama and really looked forward to a relaxing day being pampered on the beach by beachside waiters offering drinks in coconut shells and fresh fish dinner.

 

But, after wandering down the mangrove entrance to Red Frog, then taking "the short walk" to the beach 10 minutes away (that was more like 30).We found Red Frog was a very little used beach, at least the day we were there, with no services open save a tiny rustic cantina way down the beach, and another back inland on the way to catch the water taxi back to Bocas. So, therewereno waitersoffering fancy drinks, not a fresh fish dinner on the beach, but, the day was not a complete loss! 

 

The ocean was still the ocean and we lazed on the beach all day, in rented chairs, and watched the surf beat its way to the shore.  There is something about salt water, isn’t there, that heals everything? Already we were beginning to forget the many bugs bites and hot days spent at Cerro Velero. 

 

Norm and I played a “Pro-Con” game with him naming all the things we didn’t like about the past six weeks, and me naming the things that we did. He ran out of things before I did, so we decided it truly was a positive experience. We have learned the hard lesson, however, that although we will always seek “adventures,” we will no longer seek “really hard ones.”  We’re simply getting too long in the tooth for those.

 So, we begin our three day trip home. One night in Bocas, one in Panama City and the last one in Chicago before finally catching our last plane home.  Our friend, Bob, will be waiting at the Burlington airport with our warm winter coats in hand.  And home will have never looked so good. We leave paradise today as I click my red flip-flops together and chant…. 

“I want to go home.

  I want to go home.

  I want to go home.”

Nancy & Norm

 

No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow. ~ Lin Yutang

Bugs, Beasts and other Beings

Considering all the whining we’ve done about them, you might think that the bugs at Cerro Velero are a major bother, and, to be honest those darned little Chitras (noseesums) are, but the other critters are pretty fastinating.

Nearly every home here on the bay hosts at least a couple of Golden Orb Spiders. Since they are harmless, and eat the smaller insects, they are welcome. Large and fierce looking they can be intimidating, but their most interesting feature is their webs– spun gold! Bothersome to be sure, when I forget and walk right into one -- probably even more so for the spider than myself, but in the sunlight they are beautiful!

And other than the to-small-for-my–naked-eyes-to-see Chitras, all the insects here come in only one size – GRANDE. On a daily basis they surprise us with their shapes and colors. Daily the air is a-hum with freshly hatched life and, while these buccaneers of buzz can be irritating, they are also quite fastinating. One of daily Norm’s mantras (and he doesn’t just mean hear in Panama,) is “In the end, the bugs are going to get us all.”

My favorite “critter” seen while we were here though isn’t a bug; it’s a frog! The Poison Dart Frogs are tiny, but absolutely beautiful!  It’s almost like some kid took a set of Crayola’s and went wild with their imagination. Beautiful!

And, while we’ve been told we’re surrounded by anteaters, armadillos, and other rodents, the only animals we’ve seen during our stay is one Howler monkey.  We hear the Howlers in the jungle nearly every night – roaring  like lions -- but they haven’t come up close to our house during our stay at Cerro Velero.

And, of course, the forest is full of things that slither along the ground. Thankfully we’ve seen no Fer de Lance snakes like the one pictured (Pix from the internet) but, neighbors on both sides have killed them on their property, and that’s waaaaay closer to one of those deadly things than we want to get!  I did get surprised by  4.5 foot long black snake on my way to the outdoor shower the other day, but my Herpetologist, Carl, assures me it was harmless. I guess you just can’t live in Eden without snakes, right?  And after all, every day here is…

Just another day in paradise,

Nancy & Norm

When the moon shall have faded out from the sky, and the sun shall shine at noonday a dull cherry red, and the seas shall be frozen over, and the icecap shall have crept downward to the equator from either pole . . . when all the cities shall have long been dead and crumbled into dust, and all life shall be on the last verge of extinction on this globe; then, on a bit of lichen, growing on the bald rocks beside the eternal snows of Panama, shall be seated a tiny insect, preening its antennae in the glow of the worn-out sun, the sole survivor of animal life on this our earth -- a melancholy bug.
- - - William Jacob Holland "The Moth Book" 1903

Birds in Panama

 

 

Watching birds has become part of our daily routine. It affirms our connection to the earth and to nature in general. And, we couldn’t be in a better place to do it!
 

 Although less than half the size of Iowa, Panama has an extraordinary wealth of birds.More than total of 900 species has been recorded to date! This remarkable diversity owes much to Panama’s location at the juncture between N and S America. As a bridge between the continents, Panama serves as a route of passage for many migrants, and seabirds of both the Atlantic and the Pacific reach its shores. 

Although they are hard to photograph, we’ve been very lucky this winter to see many of the colorful birds of Panama. 

Some of the photos of this post are my own; the better ones I “borrowed” from the Internet. But we have seen each of these birds -- and more!
 

 

As our time here at Cerro Velero draws to a close we are have been discussing what we liked best about this experience. The many birds are among the list of “favorites.”  When your day begins with a cup of hot coffee on the deck and the trees all around fill with the cacophony, and the color, of the birds, we can’t help but know we are experiencing…..

Just another day in paradise.

Nancy 

Birds are a miracle because they prove to us there is a finer, simpler states of being whichg we may strive to attain. ~ Doug Coupland

 

Invasion of the Army Ants

Ants are our co-rulers of the land. An estimated ten thousand trillion strong worldwide, they weigh very roughly the same as all of humanity. From underground to treetops, they serve as the chief predators of insects and other invertebrates and the principal scavengers of small dead bodies.  A few days ago, a whole army of them showed up at our place, circled the deck that goes all the way around the house and then left. We’d been alerted by Mary that this phenomena could happen during our stay at Cerro Velero, so we were more excited than scared. It was like living in the middle of a National geographic show!

 

Forget lions, tigers, and bears. Forget even our own famously aggressive species. When it comes to the art of war, its army ants that will make you break into a cold sweat. Armored tough, with machete jaws, these masterful fighters hack and dice prey vastly larger than themselves by acting in numbers beyond easy comprehension. Imagine hordes of spear-wielding humans at a wooly mammoth's feet. That’s the scale of army ant operations when they're attacking a tarantula or scorpion.

 

The communication systems of ants are radically nonhuman. Army ants are also blind and have to use their antennae to sense smell and touch. Where we use sound and sight, they depend primarily on pheromones. As we watched the column chomping their way around the deck we noticed that most traveled in the same direction, but a few “sentries” went the opposite way and bumped in to all the others. We could only imagine what messages they were passing on.

 Army ants are quite unlike the ants commonly found at family picnics. They have what scientists call the "army ant syndrome," comprising three characteristics: the ants are nomadic, they forage for prey without advance scouting, and their wingless queens can produce up to 4 million eggs in a month. And, they don’t have a permanent nest. What they have is a unique way of forming nests, made up of army ants themselves! The ants form walls and fasten onto each other by using their mandibles. The nest is very structured, as it provides corridors within itself for transporting food and eggs throughout the many areas of the nest. Just how cool is that?!

Just another day in paradise.

Norm & Nancy 

All the facts and everything that sounds intelligent above was taken from various articles in the National Geographic magazine on-line.  

Turn on the prudent ant thy heedful eyes. Observe her labors, sluggard, and be wise.”  ~ Samual Johnson

Special Delivery

We finally got around to having our wonderful neighbors, Mary & Carl over for dinner. It was certainly long past due as they'd had us over several times during our short stay here, but I'd been slightly intimidated over fixing a meal for "company" in my easy bake oven.

But, like most things I fret over, it turned out just fine -- even though the cake came out slightly tilted. It's the company, not the meal that is important.

Once again, Mary amazed us!  She does nearly every time we see her -- amaze us that is. She surprised Norm with his very favorite thing -- fresh lobster!  She bought them from a local fisherman who came by her dock. Because  our house is so far up the hill, we miss seeing those local guys with their fresh gifts from the sea. So, we sure appreciated Mary's gift. What a treat!

Norm promptly pulled off the legs and popped them into a kettle of boiling water. Yum!  He'll be finishing them off for breakfast this morning along with fresh pineapple.  Such is life in the jungle where every day is....

just another day in paradise,

Norm & Nancy

Went to a Garden Party

Yes, we did - go to a garden party, that is.  Now mind you that the Garden Club of Dolphin Bay is not  a lot like the ones back home.  Or, then again, perhaps it is and I just don't know since I've never belonged to one. Anyway, here the club is a font of information and a monthly excuse to gather together with like-minded friends and share what you've learned about the flora and fauna of the area.

First a guy showed a cool "invention" made by using a 5-gallon bucket and PVC. It allows the plant inside to wick up only the amount of water it needs and the rest just drains right through. This gadget is good for garden growing down here because of the enormous amount of rain that quickly water-logs most vegetables.

Next several members too turns sharing a new "mystery"plant for information and also sharing plants and seeds they had surplus.

Lastly, the guest speaker, Carl, our neighbor next door spoke for about an hour about local snakes - poisinous and not. Carl is a retired college biologist with a real interest in Herpetology. What a treat to learn more than I ever wanted to know about snakes from him! I've a new appreciation for taking treks in the forest and will certainly NOT be going again without my knee high rubber boots! We learned that neighbors on both sides of us here have found and killed the deadly Fer de Lance on their property!

After the formal part of the meeting we enjoyed a feast prepared by Vonnie & Ken. Tons of snacks and  YUM! -- ham and bean soup that was to die for! :-)

Then, everyone went together and walked the grounds together - about 5 acres of lovely "groomed rain forest." It is amazing to see how this couple has carved out a park like setting from the jungle.  Their place is for sale if anyone is looking to move to Panama check it out!

It was a lovely day and though we intended to take Crickett around the bay for some exploring, by the time the party was over we were so hot and tired we just came back to sit on the porch and watch  the birds in the trees around us.  It was truly....

just another day in paradise.

Norm & Nancy

"I went to a garden party to reminisce with my old friends
A chance to share old memories and play our songs again
.....
But it's all right now, I learned my lesson well.
You see, ya can't please everyone, so ya got to please yourself. "

                                                                  lyrics from Garden Party by Ricky Nelson