Crab Herding

There’s an interesting natural phenomenon taking place on the beach. During my morning walks I see literal “herds” of small crabs scurrying out of my way. One of the cool things about Las Lajas are the omnipresent small crabs that lurk in small holes along the high tide mark but this was a quantum increase in the population. I figured it was the “outbreak” of what are called the Halloween crabs, because of their orange and black color. In a couple weeks they will be virtually everywhere. I once found one crawling along our third-floor hallway. This of course becomes a target rich environment for the pervasive bird population, so the next couple weeks should include finding lots of crab legs strewn along the beach. I tried to get a picture of the herds rushing around but they all look like a bunch of barren sand.

Sunset Watching with New Friends Yesterday

Only Photo I took This Morning Where You Cn See a Crab

Yesterday was a fun day with one of the PanaGals and her cousin’s family with us for the day. They showed up with enough food to feed an infantry company. The guy loved to grill and he was released onto the balcony where he spent the next three hours steadily grilling the mountain of food. They had a seven-year-old daughter which raised the specter of missing granddaughters more than the usual dull roar. After the very filling meal, we ended up on the beach until after sunset.

Pool After Sunset

Yesterday's Sunset

The guy demonstrated an uncanny ability to open beer bottles by using the edge of the table of the bohio we sit under for shade. He showed the marks from where this had been done repeatedly by people in the past. I, of course, had to try and only managed to severely bruise a couple finger tips. I sheepishly retrieved a bottle opener. We were blessed with the best sunset of our stay so far. We all ended up around and in the pool after the sun set. A good day. I hear it’s snowing up in New England. Just saying. Oh, and it just so happens to be Friday, the first one of the week!!!!

Beach This Morning with the Usual Pelican Patrol

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RECURRING CHARACTERS:                                     

ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete - my daughter in law; BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – granddaughter #3; BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; CRC - Connecticut Riverboat Captain – another close friend from high school, renowned sailor of the big river; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during him her single days in Brooklyn; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter; First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd Musquetera (musketeer); Namesake Nephew – son of Great Aunt and Soxfather named after me; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member; 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; PCR - Pittsburgh College Roommate– high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; PCR+1 - Pittsburgh College Roommate’s wife; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; Soxfather - my brother in law; Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course