My Favorite Panamanian had just returned from yet another festival in the neighboring town of San Felix last night. She joined me for our daily sunset viewing ceremony when some incendiary viewing augmented the normal spectacular solar display. We were packing up our gear to head upstairs when we noticed there was still some unexpected light from the west end of the beach where the sun had recently departed. There was a huge bonfire burning. We’re at the end of the dry season which means it hasn’t rained since January and everything is bone dry. When we got upstairs it was obvious the fire had gotten away from whomever had set it as the entire wester horizon was aglow. Using binoculars, I could see flames shooting fifty feet into the air. Luckily the wind was blowing west and there was a handy river just beyond the flames. After a half hour it pretty much burned itself out, just as the Panamanian firefighters arrived (hey, it was Saturday night).
Not a Sunset but the Bonfire
My Favorite Panamanian was freaking out
a little bit about the fire. I assured her our building was made of solid
concrete and was in no danger although I didn’t mention the huge propane tank
just below our window. It turned out she wasn’t worried about the flames as much
as the wildlife the blaze would send our way. This, of course, includes snakes
and she wasn’t ready to host any more of our slithery neighbors. I took a walk
down the beach this morning to check out the location and it wasn’t as dramatic
as I expected. It was obvious where the fire had started but it hadn’t spread
to the nearby house. Our living room window view has changed. Before we could
only see the roof of that house and nothing of the river. Now we can see the
entire house as well as the river.
Western Horizon from our Living Room Window
Where the Fire Started
I didn’t accompany my Favorite Panamanian
to the San Felix festival because it was a church thing that featured a large fish
cookout. That made it a hard pass for me. She had a very cool moment at the
festival that I wish I had seen. She stayed around for the Folkloric dancers
and was surprised when one of the group leaders recognized her and came over. He
remembered her from her days dancing in a group that achieved national fame in the
1980s. When his group was introduced he took the microphone and pointed out my
wife and told the audience that she was a member of that famous group and one
of the best folkloric dancers he had ever seen. My wife can be frustratingly
humble so I’m glad she had this recognition. Who knew, I married a celebrity.
Our New View from Living Room of House and River (r)
Wife During her Dancing Days 
Yesterday's Sunset 
With my Partner in Crime
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 3rd 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
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