Not much is going on around here, which is a good thing. We read about terrible weather in the USA, travelers stranded everywhere, and some personal friends are having a very difficult holiday season. We count our blessings every day that there isn’t much going on here.

Volcan Baru is the highest point in Panama. I believe it’s considered an active volcano but thankfully, nothing has happened for 400+ years and there are no signs of trouble coming. I went out on my bike on Christmas eve and this was the view from down the street from our neighborhood.

I think I mentioned in the past that my avocado tree was flowering, but I didn’t think it made any fruit. I said that I am considering cutting it down if it doesn’t fruit this year. It must have been listening. My neighbor spotted this one solitary avocado high up in the tree! Maybe the flowers that are on the tree currently will result in more fruit in a few months. We will see.

Also, in the trees beside our house, I heard a laughing falcon. It seems like you can hear them calling to each other from miles away because they are so loud! I caught a picture of this one sitting on a branch just before he flew away. I also spotted a squirrel on a tree. Look for the black patch in the middle of the photo. Our squirrels are fairly large and black, though this one seems to have a lighter patch on his shoulders. When I first arrived, I bought them some peanuts which were totally ignored. These squirrels eat any fruit they can find. The birds are similar and ignored the birdseed I bought them. But give them papayas and other fruit and you’ll have many very happy birds.

It’s a dog’s life. ha! She used to be a street dog, but I think she prefers to being a family dog. When I go to my room to practice my bass, she’s either behind the door like this or in the closet.

Last, but definitely not least, I’ve never seen this, baby clothes drying on the other side of our fence! My neighbor has been really really excited to become a grandmother. Yesterday morning, as soon as I emerged from the house, she called me over to tell me the baby arrived in the early morning and to show me pictures of him on her phone. The excitement is contagious! I’ve been anxiously waiting for news also. It won’t be long before we’ll hear a baby in the house, and later on there will be a little boy running around. What a blessing for a baby to arrive in a family where he will be so loved and well cared for.

So, that’s the life of a couple old, boring gringos in Panama in the summer. I hope you all are doing ok out there and are having a good holiday season, as much as possible in whatever circumstances you find yourselves in. Take care of yourselves and each other!