Ending Solitude

My self-imposed solitary life will end today with the return of my Favorite Panamanian. I spent a little extra time this morning getting things cleaned up, focusing mostly on the kitchen where she’ll look first and where I usually do the most damage. It doesn’t help that the power went out a couple hours ago and has yet to return. That ruled out the vacuum but it turns out I can still wield a mean broom when called upon. I am ready to be supervised again. I’ve missed the flashing eyes.

The Balcony Surprise

The sunset last night messed with me. I was set up in my usual location with a couple of adult libations to assist in the passage of time when an off shore rain storm moved in front of the sunset. Since we’re in the dry season it hasn’t rained since we got here and this thing looked like it was staying off shore but was positioned perfectly to obscure the usual stunning light show. I was a little PO’ed and gathered all my beach paraphernalia to move back upstairs. I had just completed that move when I walked out onto the balcony and was greeted with a view that almost took my breath away. While the sunset was still hidden, the entire horizon was aflame with some startling colors. The photo I hastily took does not do it justice. I counted this surprise as a win.

Sunset Interrupted

But on the Balcony

I was out on my early morning walk when I came upon a frenzied group of vultures devouring something. The buzzards are a constant presence in Panama, we used to jokingly refer to them as the Panamanian Air Force. I guess with the huge biomass and jungle that is Panama there’s always something dying and needing their attention. There were also a couple of what I call sea eagles looking on from the outskirts of the feeding frenzy. I walked up to the group and while most flew away, two vultures hung around and gave me the stink eye while they continued to feed on a fish carcass. I think the eagles had snagged the fish and the vultures took it away from them. This was kind of confirmed when on my walk back by the site the two eagles were now left to pick at the bones the vultures left. They were a little shier than the vultures and took off before I could get a picture of them.

The Vulture Feeding Frenzy

The Two that Wouldn't Move

I returned to the condo and my beach chair and decided to read a little bit. While I was reading I was approached by a Panamanian walking down the beach with his family who asked if we had electricity. He explained he was staying at the Show Pony Hotel down the beach and they had lost power an hour before. This is when I learned we were also without power. He explained he had three young sons who were extremely put out that their Wi-Fi connection had been severed. We talked for nearly a half hour and laughed that the boys could be mad about losing Wi-Fi when they were at this spectacular beach. This was the first extended conversation in Spanish I’d had with a non-family member in a long time and I surprised myself by holding my own. He even complimented me on my Spanish. He seemed like a hell of nice guy and not just because he complimented my fractured linguistic ability. He lives in a small village in the province of Las Tablas and comes to the Show Pony each year around this time. It was a very nice interlude and reinforced my thoughts on the importance of human connection I wrote about yesterday.

Beach This Morning

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RECURRING CHARACTERS                                           

BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – granddaughter #3, BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter, ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete = my daughter in law; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Soxfather - my brother in law; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; Pittsburgh College Roommate– high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd musquetera (musketeer); Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; PanaGals – female relatives /friends of my wife from Panama; Panamanian/Latin Mafia – inevitable group of Latino friends my wife accumulates wherever we have lived & their spouses; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member, Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during her single days in Brooklyn