There are two seasons in Panama, summer (dry and windy, Dec – April), and rainy (May – Nov). Right now we are in summer. It almost never rains, some days are very windy, a lot of the grass and plants are turning brown, and brush fires are common. But it is also a time when many plants burst out in flowers and fruit. I thought I’d share some of the treats we are enjoying now.

Bougainvillea are popular here, and they are covered with flowers all over town. They seem to love the sunny, dry days of summer and you can see them in a multitude of colors.

Some bushes are totally covered in spectacular flowers

I really like this color.

The side entrance to this house is really pretty

This is one of those interesting plants that has two colors on the same plant.

There are some fruit trees showing promise of yummy things to come.

These beautiful flowers are on a tree called mariñon corizon here, or perra in Nicaragua. The fruit is somewhat bland but when cooked, it tastes a lot like apples and can be used in the same ways.

The petals fall and make gorgeous colored carpets under the trees.

Some of the early fruiting mangoes have fruit that is getting quite large

A few other random photos of various things

This is one of many beautiful heliconias that thrive in this area

I put out some papaya peels for the birds, and this beautiful blue crowned mot mot visited. This is a visitor who can be seen throughout the year though, not just in summer.

Yes, it is windy. The banana leaves shred a lot in the wind but still seem to function for the plant.

Funny, as soon as I started to put a caption on the photo of the mot mot, one landed in the tree beside the terrace. They are so pretty and fairly quiet, just making a low key “mot mot” sound now and then.

The best, which I saved for last, are the trees that flower in the summer.

I think I prefer the rainy season when everything is lush and green. But, there are good things about summer too. Unfortunately in this El Niño year Panama is drier than normal and summer is expected to last especially long. You would think in this land of epic downpours there wouldn’t be water problems, but much of the country is having a severe drought this summer. They are especially worried about enough water for livestock, hydroelectric power, and the canal. As this country grows rapidly they are searching for ways to conserve and find alternatives. They have installed a lot of windmills in central Panama, and the new locks for the canal will reuse and conserve water. Carnavales, a huge, country wide party starting tomorrow, has water tankers that spray the crowds with water all day. Word is that this year, there will be a lot less spraying and it will only be for three hours, not all day to conserve water.

So, summer has its problems, especially this year, but we will also try to enjoy the good things that come with it. It’s also great for exercise. Biking home against this 25 mph wind today is a heck of a workout 😀