Occasionally someone shares one of my posts to their blog or website. That’s fine. This is a public blog. Of course it’s good internet manners to give credit, which is done automatically with a reblog, and I don’t like people passing off my photos as their own (which thankfully has only happened a couple times).
This is my space where I post whatever I want to, and where I write in my own voice and my own style. Recently I have had a couple posts reblogged on https://financialeyeus.com/ I don’t know why since I never post about financial matters. But the most bizarre thing is the posts are rewritten using some very odd language, certainly not my voice and style. I do not want my name on this writing that is clearly not mine!
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For example, this is a bit of my writing in my last post “About the Comments” –
I really appreciate all of you who read my blog and those of you who take the time to comment. But, I’m sorry for the frustrations this has caused some of you!
I checked my settings, and if you have a previously approved comment your comment should go through immediately. The settings say you don’t have to be logged in, and you don’t have to put in your name and email address. But, if WordPress sees you as “anonymous”, which I’ve seen quite a bit, I’m guessing it won’t see you as someone who has a previously approved comment.
I actually recognize all of you who learn my weblog and people of you who take the time to remark. However, I’m sorry for the frustrations this has induced a few of you!
I checked my settings, and you probably have a beforehand accepted remark your remark ought to undergo instantly. The settings say you don’t must be logged in, and also you don’t must put in your identify and e mail tackle. However, if WordPress sees you as “nameless”, which I’ve seen fairly a bit, I’m guessing it gained’t see you as somebody who has a beforehand accepted remark.
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What the heck is going on here! It’s like they ran it through a bad translation program. But WHY? So, whoever you are reblogging my posts, please use my original writing.
Yes, I also wrote to them directly. Sometimes this world is a very strange place!
I really appreciate all of you who read my blog and those of you who take the time to comment. But, I’m sorry for the frustrations this has caused some of you!
I checked my settings, and if you have a previously approved comment your comment should go through immediately. The settings say you don’t have to be logged in, and you don’t have to put in your name and email address. But, if WordPress sees you as “anonymous”, which I’ve seen quite a bit, I’m guessing it won’t see you as someone who has a previously approved comment.
If your comment doesn’t go through, it is put in the cue and I get an email to go look at it, and manually send it through. This will take as long as it takes for me to check my mail and take care of it. I’m pretty good at checking my email a couple times a day, but it might be some hours before I realize there is something to do. So, if your comment doesn’t appear, don’t worry. It’s just stuck and waiting for me.
So, that’s all I know about comments. Good luck, and thank you so much for visiting my blog!
I ran across this video that make me think of water, especially clean water. If the colors are representative of what is really going on, a lot of people have contaminated water. You can read more about this art, and the shocking and deadly effects of lack of clean water at this link https://ofnotemagazine.org/2016/06/05/serge-belo/
We are used to having water. You open the faucet and clean drinking water comes out. We don’t even think about it until we open a faucet and nothing comes out. This happened to me within a few days of moving here, and I couldn’t believe it. I asked a neighbor who nonchalantly told me that yes, that water was out, but there is a river down there.
We soon became familiar with working around water outages. We stored water for those times. Sometimes we did laundry or showered at odd hours or late at night to work around water availability. Eventually, when we could afford it, we put in a water tank and pump. The tank would refill when there was water, and it would be there anytime we needed it. But, one time the tank did not refill and we were without water for a week, just us and the neighbor next door. The water company did nothing. Someone suggested we call our plumber who diagnosed the problem immediately. We are at the end of the water line, and our meters had become clogged with mud and debris. I was SO happy when he got everything cleaned out and we had water again!
I think it only happened once or twice in 11 years that we were without water for more than 24 hours (not counting the clogged meter), When that happens, they send around a tanker truck to refill any container that you provide. So, it’s not like we suffer much. It’s just inconvenient, especially if you don’t have a tank. It’s the end of the dry season now, and you can expect frequent water outages because there just isn’t as much supply, so they do something like rolling blackouts. When there are heavy rains, sometimes the inlets to the water plant become clogged with debris, and then they have to shut off the water to clean everything out. Sometimes after this, the first water you get will be full of mud, (though thankfully this hasn’t happened for a long time). Sometimes they are working on repairing or upgrading something. Most of the time though, nobody knows what’s going on and they just patiently wait for the water to come back.
And, it’s not just the people here. The last rainy season brought much less water to the area, and the Panama Canal has been having a very hard time. When they raise the water level in the locks, the water comes from Lake Gatun, and when they lower the level it flows out to the sea. The new, larger locks have a water conservation system in place, but it still takes a considerable amount of water to operate those locks. With water levels alarmingly low in Lake Gatun, they have had to restrict the number of ships coming through the canal. They have had to offload cargo to lighten many ships so they can make it through with the lower water levels. It has caused ship traffic to back up considerably and it’s just a mess.
I will never ever take water for granted again! It makes me think of all the people in the world who never have clean water, or they have to carry water sometimes at considerable distances. Now every time I open a faucet and clean water comes out, I give thanks. Now that we are transitioning back into the rainy season, we all hope we get plenty of rain, not only for us, but for many parts of the world that have been affected by low levels of rainfall.
Thank you for the clean water that we enjoy every single day!
We are in a transitional period right now. Dry season starts in December, and it’s OK. People can enjoy holiday festivities with little chance of rain. January is ok too, but by February it’s been dry for a while. Plants are starting to suffer and it’s starting to get too hot. March was pretty miserable even for those of us who like warm weather. The locals were even complaining that it was the hottest summer they remember. Now it is April and we are transitioning back into rainy season, but in stops and starts. We get a few days of overcast skies and some rain, and then we wake up again to hot sun, and wind. Then, a bit more rain, a bit more summer… Today it definitely feels like summer, and biking home in that strong head wind gave me some real exercise. It’s 10pm now and the wind is blowing like crazy!
When you are used to the distinct seasons up north, it can feel like nothing much happens here. But after a while, you become more aware of the differences. Trees burst out with flowers that you don’t see in the rainy season. Mango trees fruit, and now there are mangoes falling from the trees all over town. The bougainvilleas are spectacular! There are good things going on in the summer, but I still prefer the rainy season when everything is lush and green. Since we usually don’t have to be out in it, we can just relax on the terrace and enjoy the rain.
Pretty bougainvillea
Summer is less humid, but there is still humidity all the time here in the tropics. I am part of an admin team that manages some expat Facebook groups, and it comes up regularly – I want to live in Panama but I don’t like humidity. Where should I live? Well… nowhere here. It may be cooler in the mountains but if anything, it’s more humid. But, when the mist rolls through it can make for some spectacular rainbows!
even a double rainbow for a while!
The Azuero Peninsula gets less rain but it’s still humid there also. It’s just humid everywhere in Panama. Personally, I like it. I never need skin cream or Chapstick. We have had to take some measures to prevent mold. We don’t leave wet towels or clothes that have been worn in the shower/closet area, and we try to give enough space for some air flow in the closet. We also use air conditioning in the afternoons so that helps get some of the moisture out of the house. Overall though, the humidity hasn’t been a problem and I’m much more comfortable in this climate.
But, it sure is crazy tonight! That wind is roaring through the trees. It gets windier in the mountains so I can only imagine what it’s doing up there. What will tomorrow bring? What season will we wake up to? We shall see!
Yes, I am back here again. There have been many long absences, but I have more time now so I’m going to try to write more often. Without the constant responsibilities of the band, I feel like I can resume my retirement and I’m really enjoying it. I’ve been riding my bike almost every day and getting stronger, and taking longer rides. Rainy season seems to be coming back and the cooler weather really helps. We had a couple days of rain last week and then summer abruptly resumed, but this week we have been having more clouds in the morning and a bit of rain. Thank goodness! I like warm weather but March got really hot. The locals were even complaining and saying it’s the hottest summer they remember.
I’ve also been able to spend most of my time outdoors, which I really enjoy. My other granddaughter made some really detailed and challenging art to paint on my speakers, but I really enjoy the slow, quiet process of painting while I listen to books on my headphones. I’m making a bit of progress every day and I’ll be very interested to see how they look when they are finished.
Last week I mentioned a lizard that hangs out on our bathroom window, one who apparently lost his tail.
I’m happy to report that 8 days later, he’s making very good progress on regrowing his tail.
I also have a desk lizard. When I’m outside after the dark my desk lamp will be on, and this little guy has been visiting every night to catch the bugs that are attracted to the light. Isn’t he cute! Sometimes he hangs upside on the shelf next to the table, and when he spots something he’ll leap to the table. But most of the time he peeks from below the table, and runs out when he spots a tasty bug. It was interesting the other night when there was a little stink bug on the table. The lizard came out and stared at it for quite a while but wouldn’t touch it. He apparently knows that stink bugs aren’t good to eat.
Speaking of wildlife, we discovered that there are porcupines in the area! Or, I should say the dog discovered it, and it wasn’t a good thing. Poor girl! She only had 18 spines but they hurt. She was very good but the last few were in her lip, and it took both of us and a pair of plyers to get the last one out. Thankfully she was fine afterward, no signs of infection and no problem eating her dinner that evening.
We are the last house on the street, and next to us is a large, wooded area. We had opened a spot in the fence where we could toss yard debris through the fence instead of over it, and I’m guessing the porcupine came through there. Joel let her out about 9am, and it was maybe an hour later that we discovered the problem so thankfully the spines weren’t in her for a long time. But still… poor girl. She’s all good now though. This beautiful husky lives a couple blocks away and always greets us when we go walking. We have all become good friends and she and Avioneta love to play together.
Yesterday when we were walking, we saw this really cool cloud formation.
That’s about it for now. By the time I get this published it will be tomorrow since it’s late now. I’ll give it a final proof read in the morning. You take care! The news says there is a lot of stormy weather coming up north, so I hope it doesn’t cause too many problems for you all up there. Hasta pronto 😊
Has it really been three months since I’ve been here?! Wow. Life happens. I think something would be interesting to write about, but I never get around to actually writing. Every day seems busy, though often I couldn’t tell you what I did all day. 😄 The band has been playing. There was another trip back to the US. The band took a break over the holidays because our drummer went back to the US for a while. That was the beginning of some positive changes. I don’t think we realized how hard we had been working until we stopped.
It all started with our friends in Dracma (a local band). They have an awesome drummer, and we thought we’d borrow him to cover while ours was out of town. (This video is by our band friends. She is also an amazing bassist!)
We were talking and it came out that they would like more work, and they live in Boquete (45 minutes north of us, where we were playing every week). So, we thought, rather than go through the process of getting things ready to take out with a different drummer, why not just give them the gigs. So, with the boss’s approval, they took six of our Sundays over the holidays.
That was six weeks of not driving to Boquete with our equipment, six weeks of not practicing for the gig while also trying to add some new material, and most important, six weeks of not driving back in the dark, late at night, when we were tired. The boss was very happy with Dracma and said they could cover for us anytime. Dracma was very happy with the gig. So, we finished our obligations, (until our planned US trip in February) and handed the job over to Dracma full time.
Another video by our friends –
There is a venue, Hops, just minutes from our house and we have played there a couple times. It went really well and we expect to play there again in the future, but definitely not every week. Not only is it close, they have an excellent PA which is all set up for us when we get there, and they have a wonderful sound man. How nice to have that part of the work taken off our shoulders, and the sound man makes us sound really good. It’s a fun place, comfortable, plenty of parking, good food and drinks, and a staff that makes you feel like you are going to Cheers (where everybody knows your name). We have been having a wonderful time going there every weekend to hear other music, to see other bands, and to watch other people work while we relax and enjoy ourselves. We’ve met new people, new musicians, and been exposed to music we don’t usually hear when we are busy doing our own thing.
I’m getting pieces of my life back that had gone by the wayside. I’ve been riding my bike more, and not worrying about getting home so I can practice. I’ve been spending more time with friends. And, I’ve been painting, something I haven’t done for a very long time. I loaned Cesi, (the Dracma bassist) my amplifier and speakers while I wasn’t using them. She sounded so much better that I wasn’t about to ask for them back. So, Joel built me new speaker boxes. He said they were mine to do with whatever I wanted. I could paint unicorns and rainbows on them if I wanted. 💡 Who likes rainbows and unicorns?? My granddaughters, of course! So, I have been putting my granddaughters’ art on my speaker boxes 😁 I may have the strangest, most unique speakers, but they mean a lot to me. I was with the girls when they created their art, so as I carefully copy it on to my speakers I remember the times sitting at the table with them watching them create. And, I will think of the artists every time I look at my speakers.
This is my 5 year old Seattle granddaughter’s octopus with fish. This is the front of the speaker. I have added more white because it wasn’t showing up as well as I wanted. This is my 8 year old Seattle granddaughter’s art. The black part in the middle is a handle, very useful for lifting the heavy speaker and moving it around.
I am working on the third side now which features my favorite drawing from my 8 year old granddaughter, a smiling unicorn. With no pressure to produce or finish anything (they work fine no matter what they look like), I’m finding I like the process more than I remembered. There is something calming and satisfying about working on something, bit by bit, and watching it all take shape.
The latest video from our friends. Can you tell that I think a lot of them? Not only are they outstanding musicians, they are the nicest people as well.
So, that’s a little of what has been going on here. Maybe I’ll even get back to writing in my blog more! It could happen 😁 I hope you all out there are well and happy.
The banner picture is a lizard than hangs out on our bathroom window. He lost his tail and we have been watching him grow another. It’s coming along nicely.
December seems to be a busy month, with a lot of things coming due for renewal, maintenance, or some sort of attention. One thing we needed was our drivers licenses. I’ve seen more and more technology being used to get things done, and now it is possible to do the drivers license renewals on line.
First, they sent both of us email reminders with the link to the website where we could do the renewal. Then, the next step was to go to the doctor. We are both over 70 now which means our licenses are only good for two years, not four, and you have to present a certification from a doctor that says you are in good physical and mental health. We went to Dr Euripedes Espino G, who had done this for us before. He took our ID’s, made the necessary document, and for $60 we were both good to go. He’s at Chiriqui Hospital and doesn’t speak English, but he’s a good doctor and a very kind man. (something about a previous experience with him – https://blog.thepanamaadventure.com/2021/12/31/a-bit-of-health-care/)
So, now, onward to tackle the website. There were a lot of instructions and explanations to read, so I was thankful for Google translate to ease some of the strain on my brain. You need to put in all your personal info, name, ID, location, phone number, etc.etc. I also needed to upload a picture of the document from the doctor, our licenses, residency cards and cedulas (IDs). It took me a couple starts to get them in the right order so they would land in the right places on the website. I’ll do my best here to remember the various steps and order, but it’s been a little while ago now so I could be off.
Then, you need your picture taken. You face the screen and try to get your face properly positioned in the oval outline until it turns green. For the first one I was instructed to smile, and when the system was happy the whole screen turned green for a moment. Then I was instructed to open my mouth, which took me a while to figure out. I finally got frustrated and just faced the screen and opened my mouth very wide, and on the way to wide the thing got happy and turned green. That was a weird one. Then, the last picture, look serious, that was easier.
Next, the vision test. They had a square on the screen with arrows top, bottom, sides, and corners. In the center was a very small red C. Your job was to figure out where the opening of the C was facing, and click on the corresponding arrow. I don’t know how many you were allowed to get wrong, but it kept going until I got eight right.
Then, it was back to the pictures, the same drill as before.
Next was the hearing test. I put in my earbuds and listened for various tones. My job was to click on right or left, depending on which ear heard the tone. I know I missed one when I heard nothing and just guessed, but again, once I reached eight correct answers, I was done.
I think that was all! At least the website didn’t ask for anything else and said I was at the end. It felt a bit uncomfortable that they didn’t email anything, no confirmation or any reassurance that you completed the process. But, a couple days later we got emails with instructions on how to pay for our licenses ($16/each). The instructions said it could be done at any ATM. I think you need a Panamanian CLAVE card though. We got nowhere with our USA credit card so we went to the office a couple days later (If you are retired, you can just walk in without an appointment!)
The office was very quiet, with only a few people getting things done. They found our info, asked for our ID’s and doctor documents, took our old licenses, and sent us to the cashier to pay. We waited a short while for our new licenses to be made, and the really nice, English speaking gal at the back had us check that our info was all correct, gave us something to sign, as we were done!
We’ve gone through this process at the office before and it was fine. But I liked doing it on line better, especially the vision and hearing tests. We could take our time, and didn’t have the distractions that come with doing things in an office.
So, we are legal to drive for another two years. And I made it through the whole list of other chores! We just have a couple more appointments this week to get it all wrapped up. And, we’re on a staycation at home. Our band gig was cancelled on Sunday because Boquete was essentially shut down for a Christmas parade. The venue owner didn’t think we could even get to the place, let alone have an audience to play for. So, now we’re doing our own thing until our next gig on January 28th.
Meanwhile, summer has returned and we’re having some fabulous weather, sunny, beautiful puffy clouds, light breeze, not too hot, and it’s a pleasure to be out. I’m trying to recover my biking muscles after being away for a while, and it’s getting a bit better every day. And, the dog is very excited that she gets to go walking with us every afternoon. Life is good, and especially at my age, I appreciate it every single day.
I hope you all have a good holiday time. It’s a hard time for some though, and I loved this video. This guy invited 50 strangers who were spending the holiday alone, and arranged a Christmas dinner and party for them. They had a total blast!
Ordinarily this wouldn’t be remarkable here in the land of epic downpours, but it’s summer now. We returned from the USA on Dec 2nd and it’s been clear, sunny skies since we have been back. We can expect dry weather from mid-December until mid-April but it seems like summer came a little early this year.
Myself, I prefer the rainy season but I don’t have to work outside in the mud, or do much of anything outside when it’s raining. Our only hassle is driving to Boquete and unloading band equipment in the rain. But usually, I can just sit on the terrace and enjoy the rain and the cooling breezes. It is possible to get some rain during the dry, summer season but this downpour is unusual. It’s been pouring like crazy for about 45 minutes now and it’s not showing any signs of stopping.
That’s the news of the moment. Other than that, I wrote a while back about the protests that were jamming up the country, and especially Chiriqui where we are. There were serious shortages of fuel for vehicles, gas for cooking, and many other things that couldn’t get through to us. Our produce and agricultural products couldn’t get east to Panama City. But, shortly before we left the USA the contract with the mine, the main complaint of the people, was declared unconstitutional and the unrest quickly subsided. Of course everything can’t be put to rest that easily. As far as I know the mine isn’t operating at the moment. I don’t know if they will work anything out in the future, or if it will be closed permanently. It will take years to restore the area if it is, and right now thousands of people who worked at the mine are out of work. There are far better sources of information than me, so go on ahead and research the subject if you want to know more.
Right now, except for the current downpour, things seem pretty normal around here. Streets are crowded and stores are busy because it’s Christmas season. We just passed Mother’s Day on Dec 8th, another major holiday here. I had fun confusing my mother in the USA with flowers and chocolate for the occasion. 😁 I’m not one for Christmas shopping and parties but I do enjoy the lights, and Panamanians put up some really beautiful light displays.
The band plays this Sunday and then we are on a break for a while. Our drummer is going back to the USA to spend the holidays with family. I’m looking forward to some downtime to work on new material, to get some things done around the house, to go out and hear other musicians, and to generally enjoy some relaxed time. Maybe I’ll even get out my camera and macro lens and look for bugs!
It always seems to take a couple days for me to finish something I start. I have to reread it, come up with a reasonable ending, rewrite some parts… It’s Sunday now. the downpour ended eventually, and we got some light rain last night. Today is gray and overcast, not summer weather but that’s fine. It’s afternoon and still pleasantly cool (for me, mid 80’s😁) It’s one of those Murphy’s law days though. The big car didn’t want to start until he wiggled some fuse/relay electrical thing, and we don’t want to get stuck in Boquete tonight so we’re taking the little car. My wonderful bass amplifier is making ugly, distorted sounds so I’m taking my back up amp. And, my set of microphone transmitters isn’t working so I’m taking my back up set. If it isn’t one thing it’s three🙄. When you go see a band you don’t think of all the many pieces of equipment that have to work well together (or all the many pieces of back up equipment we carry just in case). But, practice went well and we’re ready to go out and do our thing!
So, here is my less than graceful ending to this post, and I’ll just send it out there. I hope all is well with you all out there, and you are having a good weekend!
The entire country has been in an uproar for a week now. There is an excellent, nine minute video that explains the reasons for the protests much better than I can. The government signed a contract into law allowing a Canadian company to mine the land for copper and other minerals. People feel that part of their country is being sold to foreigners without their consent, foreigners who will take and take and ruin the environment.
These protests have seen hundreds and thousands of people marching in the streets all over the country, and people blocking the roads which essentially shuts the country down. This is typical of protests here, but this is on a much bigger scale than we have seen before.
There is one road through the country, and blocking it and shutting off the flow of traffic is a huge problem for everyone. 3/4 of the population lives in Panama City, to the east. The produce grown in our western province of Chiriqui can’t get to the city. This time, they have even blocked the road to the farms north of us, so we are having shortages here also. Gasoline and diesel can’t get to us from the city and as far as I know, there is none available here. Gas stations are empty. Stores are running out of eggs, chicken, rice, and other staples. Hospitals are low on oxygen and other supplies. It’s a mess with no end in sight.
Last week the president addressed the country and said the contract is a done deal. It was done legally and will stand. Needless to say, this did not calm down the people at all. Complaints have been filed with the supreme court that the contract is unconstitutional, but it will take time to go through the process this will require. Yesterday the president addressed the country again, saying the government has listened to the people and the issue will be put to a vote by the people on December 17th. Rather than calm the situation, it seems to have inflamed it further. People want the contract gone! now! Not something that will allow strip mining for more weeks and then maybe…
The people’s plan is peaceful protests, but there have been clashes with police and tear gas in the city which has impacted residents. Of course there always a few bad apples who take advantage of the situation and rob and extort money from people stuck at roadblocks, or commit other crimes. But this is not how the Panamanian people want things to go. They want to protest peacefully and have their voices heard, and they are committed to continuing the protests until they are heard.
Personally, we are just fine. We heard the warnings before the protests started so we have gas in the cars, food in the house, and we don’t need to go anywhere or do anything. Live music at the brewery where we play is on hold, and we couldn’t get to Boquete anyway because of the roadblocks. We’re spending our time biking, walking the dog, working in the yard, and working on some songs we want to add to our repertoire. But, it’s not so easy for the working people! When you can’t move around freely, how do you get to work? How do your customers get to you? And as gas supplies run out, how do you even get around within your own city or area?
This has been an interesting thing to observe, and of course we wonder how long it will go on and how it will finally sort itself out. The Panamanian people seem absolutely determined to stay the course until they get the results they want, so who knows how this will resolve. They are willing to give up a lot, a whole lot for what they believe is right.
Wow, I haven’t been here in ages! I don’t know why. The days go by. I keep busy, Writing just hasn’t been rising to the top of the list of things to do. I think about it but I don’t actually sit down and start anything.
Last week was eleven years since I arrive here to live. When I came, I never thought that far ahead. I was busy just getting settled and learning to live in my new adopted country. Everything was new, fascinating, challenging, and amazing. Now after all these years it’s just living our normal life. We’re still loving it here but it feels much more settled. I still enjoy the wildlife but there very little of “oh my! I’ve never seen that before!” We’ve gotten in a routine for daily life. I think the pandemic changed us too. We used to be out and about a lot. Then we were locked in the house for a long time and we were ok, and we got used to it. We’re still very content at home, and it takes more effort to get out of the house. We’ve also visited most places and done most things we want to do.
We’re still in the same house we started in. We were really fortunate that we got a house, neighborhood, and location that is just perfect for us. The landlord asked if we would be interested in buying the house, but we aren’t. We couldn’t get a mortgage (mortgages here have to be paid off by age 70), we don’t want the responsibility for major repairs, and when we hit the end of the road our will says the house goes back to the landlord as is, and my family doesn’t have to do anything.
What does life look like now? The band plays once a week which is enough for us these days. There’s always new music that interests us and I’ll probably never be fast at learning, so there’s daily practice. I’ve been trying to ride my bike more and get some level of endurance back in my lazy legs. We walk the dog every evening that we can. But it’s the height of rainy season at the moment and we are getting some impressive downpours! We haven’t had as much rain as expected this year though, and it’s been a problem for the canal. They’ve had to offload cargo to lighten the ships so they could make it through, which has slowed down the flow of traffic. Hopefully the rains we’ve had lately are helping. I’ve heard they are working on a long term solution, so maybe this won’t be such a big problem in the future.
I can tell I’ve been here for a while. The neighbor kids are taller than me, and they were just little kids when we arrived. Things I planted as little plants and trees have grown so much. I’ve also cut down on the things growing in the yard and causing more work. We’re older than we were so simplifying life is more of a priority. I’ve hired out the main yard work and the bigger things that need to be done around the house. I have a great driver for when I don’t want to hassle with traffic downtown, or we want a ride to the airport.
So, life is good, and it doesn’t feel like there is much to talk about. We’re good, family is doing well, friends and neighbors are fine and happy, and life is peaceful and contented. We continue to be filled with gratitude every day and wonder how we have been so fortunate!
And, to brighten your day I’ll share this this wonderful music with you. I happened to learn of another female bass player so of course I had to track her down immediately. She is Cesi, an outstanding bassist and a real sweetheart of a person. Pablo is her husband, also an outstanding bassist and guitarist, and a teacher (lucky me, I’ve had some bass classes with him!). You’ll see Jorge in the video, also a bassist and guitarist. Cesi has been writing music and doing a lot of the playing in the video, and this is the first song that has been ready to present to the public. This is really beautiful and I’m very excited to see and hear the songs that are coming.
If you are local, look for the band Dracma. Cesi is the bassist, Pablo is on guitar, Jean is an amazing drummer, and Angel is an energetic and charismatic lead singer. And, if Cesi is singing lead, you’ll see Jorge on bass. We’re lucky to have such great music right here in Chiriqui.
The Panama Adventure 