Water, or no water, or using what comes

Posted on March 7, 2014 by Kris Cunningham

It’s summer here, a time when water shortages are common. This summer has been much better than last and we have only had a few times without water for part of the day.

Tuesday was one of those dry days, and then it went into Wednesday. No one in the neighborhood knew what was going on. People in Boquete has been told there was no river rafting because of Carnival. The water people figured the stores were closed, everyone was at Carnival and the demand for electricity would be low, so they slowed down the flow through the hydroelectric plant which in turn decreased the flow into the river used for rafting. Since we get our water from the river, is this why we also didn’t have water?

Many things are a mystery in Panama. But, I also notice that these things are taken in stride with little complaining. People know it happens and have water set aside, and just patiently use the stored water as needed. I have found that it’s surprisingly easy to get by, and I’d much prefer problems with water than with electricity.

By Thursday afternoon though I was feeling the need for a shower about the time I heard thunder in the distance. Rainwater! Yes!

RainShower3514

It’s actually pretty fun bathing in the rainwater that runs off the roof, and I felt good after a nice shower and shampoo. And, wouldn’t you know, the water came back on in the house not long after. 😀

I’m also not sure what is going on with the rains. We had a couple downpours before this, and it rained some again last night. I thought it might rain this afternoon too but so far it’s just dark clouds. Some people think summer is ending and the rains are coming back, and other say it’s just something odd and the real rains don’t come back until April. Either way it’s nice to have everything turning green again.

It’s been an interesting week, especially the great day I spent with fellow bloggers in Boquete. I have lots of photos to sort through but I’ll get a post about that out soon.

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Summer Rains and Flowers

Posted on March 4, 2014 by Kris Cunningham

We’re in the height of summer when it is expected to be hot and dry, but we’ve had two rainstorms in the last week. What a welcome surprise, and it seemed like the lawns and fields turned green overnight.

It rained like crazy on Friday afternoon. I went out on my bike thinking I could beat it, but got caught on the way home. It was quite a workout fighting that wind and I was soaked. Thank goodness the rain is warm here and it doesn’t matter.
Yesterday, again, we had another downpour! I was home though and only had to worry about keeping things dry in my “outside office” because again, the wind kicked up quite a bit.

With summer comes changes in the landscape. Things that are usually only green burst into flower.

I first noticed this tree because it was buzzing. Then I noticed the carpet of purple petals on the lawn.
When I looked up to find the buzzing, I saw masses of beautiful purple flowers.
If you look closely you’ll see one of the bumblebees who were creating the buzzing. They would burrow into the flowers so you could only spot them when they were flying.
I also saw this tree covered with hanging somethings.
This is one of the “somethings”. What an interesting and different…. flower? bud? seed pod? I will have to keep an eye on it and see what develops.
There are a lot of these trees with yellow/orange flowers right now.
I caught a few of the flowers hanging in the sunlight.
When you get close you can see the details of the flowers.
Most interesting of all were these pretty trees.
When you look closer, you can see bits of bright red-orange.
They aren’t flowers, but some sort of seed pods. Today I noticed black seeds coming out of the pods. I picked up a couple and they are very much like olives – black, smooth, and firm but slightly soft to the touch.

and a few other random photos –

I have planted a number of pineapple tops in my yard, and now one of them has a baby pineapple!
I passed this beautiful horse yesterday.
The lot next to my friend’s house has an interesting new lawn mower.

Surprisingly enough, while this post was in progress this evening we had a bit more rain! Can the dry season be coming to an end already? Maybe it’s making up for last year when the rains returned so late it was a problem for the country.

Posted in Exploring the Area, Flowers, Panama, photography | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

A little bit of Carnival

Posted on March 4, 2014 by Kris Cunningham

We went to Dolega yesterday afternoon unfortunately just after the music and dancing ended, and before the nighttime festivities. But, at least we got a bit of a look at what was going on there.

Dolega is just a small town up the road from David. I’m sure the celebrations were nothing like Panama City or the famous Las Tablas where people go by the thousands, and planning goes on all year for the event. But, we at least got a taste of Carnival.

We arrived at the Carnival area after passing a lot of happy and wet people in the streets, and a number of vendors selling food and carnival related items – mainly sunglasses and water guns.
We found the music and dancing area. What a mess! LOL Everything was soaking wet and there were water bottles everywhere!
The music/PA area, and apparently the center of the festivities..
The cans collection – that is a LOT of cans!
There were many people busy cleaning up, including this guy who had the biggest bag I’ve seen.
We noticed many police and security people everywhere making sure everything went smoothly. (and for you guys – did you notice the police? Yes the Panamanian women are gorgeous! )
Back out on the street – more people enjoying the day.

We’ll have to go back again next year. I’d be interested to see the music and dancing, and the water cannons in action. This year we mainly saw a lot of vendors, a lot of very wet people, a few tipsy people, and very happy people with friends and family. There were also groups of people supporting various political candidates dressed in their matching t-shirts. There was a lot of security but I didn’t see anyone having or causing any problems. It was fun to see tipsy people hanging out of bus windows though, waving and shouting at people in the street.

There was a police checkpoint on the highway south of Dolega (we got waved through both ways). When we left I noticed they had some people pulled over on the side of the road. If you want to enjoy lots of cerveza (beer) at Carnival it’s probably a very bad idea to drive.

If you want to know more about Carnival, google should bring up a lot of information. Brazil has the biggest celebrations but Panama is right behind them. Not bad for a small country, eh?

Posted in culture, Miscellaneous, Panama | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Weekly Photo Challenge: Abandoned

Posted on March 3, 2014 by Kris Cunningham

Weekly Photo Challenge: Abandoned

For this week’s photo challenge, show us abandoned. You can go literal, as I have, and share a photo of ruins, a desolate place, or your idea of a wasteland. Or you can interpret it in other ways, from images of overlooked things to forgotten people.

There is the shell of an abandoned house near our neighborhood that I thought might be interesting.

In the second photo, you can see a mango tree growing inside the house, complete with fruit!

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Posted in Panama, Photo Challenge, photography | Tagged , , , , | 20 Comments

Snake on the Fence!

Posted on March 2, 2014 by Kris Cunningham

What a lucky day yesterday! We just happened to be finishing a late lunch on the patio and something caught my eye on the fence.

Parrot Snake on the fence

Parrot Snake on the fence

It was a parrot snake, and I think it’s the most beautiful snake I’ve ever seen. I was so lucky to spot it because if it had moved to the plants, it would have blended in so well I may not have noticed it.

The snake was very mellow and patient, and sat quietly while I took many photos.
What are you doing with that camera?
Joel brought out his tape measure to get an idea of size (over 3 feet)
What a beautiful snake!
We’re still looking at each other.
Posing for more photos.
Later the snake moved down the fence into the plants.
Look at the beautiful blue-green tongue.
The snake gracefully moved through the fence.
Then, it moved along the top of the fence wall.
From the wall, it made its way into the neighbor’s shrubs.
Going up the trunk of the bush was no problem. From there it went along a palm frond and we lost it within the palm tree.

I love snakes. I think they are beautiful and fascinating, and are part of the ecosystem that keeps things in balance. This snake is not venomous and is not dangerous to people. These snakes live mainly in trees and eat lizards, frogs, and small birds. There are a number of varieties of parrot snakes, all green and very beautiful, but if you look for more information you will also see some that look slightly different.

How lucky we were to have seen this beautiful snake, and many thanks to the snake for patiently waiting while we took multiple photos.

Posted in Panama, photography, wildlife | Tagged , , , | 12 Comments

Poison Dart Frog

Posted on February 28, 2014 by Kris Cunningham

I’m sitting here on the patio working on the computer, and out of the corner of my eye I see a tiny little thing hop across the patio. It’s no bigger than the last section of my thumb.

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How cool is that?! We saw a couple of these beautiful little frogs last summer too, and I was hoping to see another. Right now it’s hiding in the flower pots not 4 feet from my table. No, I didn’t try to touch him even though I don’t think he’s the very dangerous sort. I bothered him enough moving pots trying to get this photo. What an interesting and beautiful little creature!

Posted in Panama, wildlife | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

Doing Good Deeds

Posted on February 28, 2014 by Kris Cunningham

I recently met someone who takes doing good deeds extremely seriously. I met Tom McCormack and learned a bit about all the amazing things he does in Panama.

McCormack

Tom McCormack and Hydeé, discussing a wheelchair for her student.

It started with my good friend Haydeé who is a special ed teacher. She has a student, a young boy who is unable to walk and is carried everywhere by his mother. She asked me if I had any idea of how she could get this boy a wheelchair so he would be less dependent on his mother, and would then be able to attend school for more than a short time every day.

I remember hearing about someone from a video by my friend Ryan, and reading about someone on Chiriqui Chatter, and a bit of research led me to Tom McCormack’s WEBSITE. Within hours I had a reply to my email and an invitation to meet Tom at his warehouse.

When I arrived at the warehouse he and an assistant were very busy cleaning and repairing wheelchairs. He had a small wheelchair that looked right for the child, and after a short phone call with Hydeé to verify some facts the wheelchair was put in the line for repairs.

This morning Haydeé and I visited Tom in his office workshop. He has a small room full of prosthesis parts, a parallel bars, a work table, and a bit of space for a chair and his assistant’s desk. Tom was busy working on a leg prosthesis for a man, and another was waiting outside for an arm prosthesis. Tom gets donated parts that are the receptacle for the end of the limb, and I also saw some artificial feet, but he often fabricates a lot of the prosthesis himself from PVC pipe, metal pipe, and any other parts that will work.

Both times that I’ve seen Tom he has been a whirlwind of activity. He works harder as a volunteer than most of us work on our regular jobs! He told me that he spends half his time in the US, and half his time here. In the US he collects all the medical equipment he can find, loads it into containers and has it shipped to Panama. When he is here he works on repairing equipment and distributing it to people in need, usually the poorest citizens of this province.

He told me that right now his biggest needs are hearing aids and breast prostheses. He also collects glasses, wigs (for cancer patients), and any sort of medical equipment – prostheses, beds, walkers, wheelchairs, crutches, etc. And, of course, money is always welcome to help cover his costs of collecting items and shipping containers.

Tom first came here 20 years ago as a master beekeeper, to help Panamanian beekeepers be more productive. When he saw that things often discarded in the US would be so useful to people here he started bring clothing, and then medical equipment. From there is has grown to an organization of many volunteers both in the US and Panama, and at least a dozen full containers have been shipped.

I am looking forward to learning more about Tom McCormack and everything he does. Unfortunately he’s leaving for the US next week, but I know he’ll be back. Meanwhile, who knows. Maybe I can find some sources of donations among my US contacts.

If any of you want to support this very worthy cause with either donations or equipment, go to Tom’s website. His contact information is there, along with instructions on how to send money by either check or Paypal. If you support this effort you know that everything goes to help people who really need it!

Posted in health care, Miscellaneous, Panama | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

A Panamanian Farm

Posted on February 26, 2014 by Kris Cunningham

Yesterday my friend Cedo wanted to go up to her finca (farm) which is about 20 minutes south of Volcan, not far from Cuesta Piedra. I was curious to see it, so off we went. It’s a nice drive through a beautiful area, and she told me a lot about people in the area and what the farms produce – mainly dairy and cacao, and some fruit.

On the road in front of the farm are three little houses. Cedo’s son lives in one of them when he’s not in Panama City (where he spends most of his time). Another is rented to a lady from Mississippi who works from home on the computer. She’s been here about 1 1/2 years, loves it, and is trying to convince her mother to extend her visit here and not return to Mississippi. The third is rented to a lady from Spain who works for her church doing outreach and talking to people.

The farm itself has cows, chickens, and pigs and is cared for by an Indian man, his wife and three sons who live on the property.

The caretaker was roping the bull to the fence. Apparently he has a bad temper so he thought it was better to keep him out of trouble while the cows left the milking area. He was making quite a racket and bellowing loudly when we arrived.
The milking area, and the beautiful view behind the farm.
Milking is done for the afternoon, so the cows are starting to make their way back to their pasture.
Every tree is covered with bromiliads and other plants.
She has one of these interesting trees that makes big balls. I forget what it’s called, but people make water containers, cups, and bowls from the balls.
The chicken area. The rooster had some loud things to say, but the two geese were by far the noisiest.
It’s surprising how much racket a couple geese can make!
Cedo, the caretaker, and his son are discussing the chickens.
The baby chickens were small enough to get through the fence and run around.
The caretakers house. Two adults and three kids live here.
The back of the house – the kitchen and cooking area.
The pig enclosures.
Some of the piglets were running around and playing with each other.
This sow didn’t want to go back in her enclosure so she was squealing and protesting loudly! He just went on with his other work and managed to coax her in later.
Another sow with her piglets.

It was a fun and interesting afternoon. I enjoyed seeing what went on at the farm, and I liked meeting the people. Cedo says she is very happy with her caretaker and his family. He has a sweet smile and a very gentle way with the animals which made me like him immediately. I only met the one little boy but he is a cute as can be, and was right there with his dad helping with the work. He told Cedo that school started this week and he likes his class, and he promised to study hard and learn a lot.

After a whole afternoon with Cedo though, all in Spanish, my brain was tired of concentrating on understanding and communicating! She helps me a lot though, and corrects me when I need it which I really appreciate. Most Panamanians are too nice and won’t say anything even when you ask. I still have a lot to learn but I’m so encouraged that I understand a lot more than I used to.

Posted in culture, Exploring the Area, Panama | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Moving Abroad – Health Care – NY Times Article

Posted on February 24, 2014 by Kris Cunningham

I was contacted recently by Tim Gray, a writer for the NY Times. He’s an excellent journalist, a really nice guy, and I’ve enjoyed our conversations and correspondence a lot. He’s written an article about health care and insurance options that should be very interesting to those of us living abroad, and to those thinking of making such a move.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/22/your-money/the-dream-of-retiring-abroad-with-good-health-care.html?_r=1

You’ll also notice that Holly (a fellow blogger) and Scott were mentioned regarding their experiences with health care here.

You start writing a blog having no idea where it will lead and who you will meet! We have also had the pleasure of meeting quite a few of my blog readers who have visited the area, and we’ve had so much fun.

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Motmots and Tutarones, a bit of Panama Wildlife

Posted on February 23, 2014 by Kris Cunningham

We see so many birds here! A frequent visitor and one of my favorites is the Blue-Crowned Motmot. They are a bit larger than most of the yard visitors, very quiet, and usually visit singly or in pairs. Like all the birds here, they love papayas.

A handsome fellow on the orange tree.
Looking for papaya scraps that may have fallen from the bird feeder.
Notice the very interesting tail!
This is a typical look, sturdy with a flatter looking head than most birds and a thicker, strong beak.

It’s summer and dry season, and something interesting has returned. I’ve never heard anything quite like it. At sundown a whistling starts in the woods. The local folks call them tutarones. I believe they are a kind of cicadas, though I can’t find any information on line. I’m very curious to learn more about them.

This is a video with nothing to see but a view of the woods by our house, but turn up the sound so you can hear the whistling, and also some bird calls. There’s always something new and interesting around here!

Posted in bird watching, insects, Panama, wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments