Showers Everywhere

I posted the spectacular sunset from last Thursday on Facebook and thought it would be the start of a nightly devotion to our Las Lajas sunsets. Unfortunately, the rainy season is being unreasonably persistent and that was the only good one we’ve had, until tonight. That was a fluke as well as there was only one break in the clouds in the entire sky and it was happily over the area the sun was sinking into the Pacific. We had a full crew for the sunset ceremony, the upstairs neighbors, Tia Loca and my Favorite Panamanian. The condo complex was as packed as I’ve ever seen it as well. The first weekend of the new year apparently means party time in Panama. I want to go on record as saying I am completely in accordance with that. The sun was just about to sink below the horizon when it started raining on us. I’ve never seen the Panamanians move that fast. The crowded beach was virtually empty two minutes later.

Pizza Group Last Night

Message Received

We had a great weekend with a First Friday of the Week pizza night in the village. In addition to the upstairs neighbors and our crew, we had the Canadians from down the beach and a friend of theirs. Earlier in the evening, during the Family Facetime call, the FBR gave me strict orders to communicate with the pizza place owner’s small dog. I was to inform him to not worry about the loss of his partner because she was coming in a month. I passed that on to the dog in both English and Spanish. It was a fun night with this eclectic group. I’ve said it before and this was prima facie evidence of it, when you put excellent people together, fun will be had.

Sunset Tonight

The Crew

Crowded Condo Complex

For lunch today, we traveled down the beach to my wife’s favorite beachfront restaurant, Plinio’s. We noticed from signage that he had moved in our absence. He was now in residence at the campground just down the beach from us that held so many memories. It was where I first fell in love with this beach. We had so many vacations there over the years before we had the condo. I remembered Toni’s overpacked small bus, laden with the entire family descending on it as we took up residence for a few days. It was where Wingman almost asked for my daughter’s hand in marriage until he figured it was safer to write me from Japan with the request. It is also an important historical site. It was the one place where Keene Friend actually danced. Tia Loca is the only woman in my experience able to motivate him to dance. I’m surprised there isn’t a historical plaque documenting this. I re-acquainted myself with the resident dogs, one of whom reminds me so much of Buddy the Wonder Pooch. That dog informed me I wasn’t through patting him by jumping into my lap.

Green Porch, Where Keene Friend Danced

Lunch at Plinio's

So Many Memories

Buddy and I

There was an important shower of another kind back in frigid New England. Great Aunt hosted a baby shower for Namesake Nephew’s beloved. She’s due to deliver Great Aunt’s first grandchild in about a month. Both the ABFA and my daughter traveled to be there for the event. I had to make do with the beach which isn’t halfway hard as it sounds. Great Aunt sent us their gift registry so that was taken care of. I worry about Providence as the husbandless ABFA and my daughter are free to terrorize it tonight. Pray for Providence.

Great Aunt with the Star of the Show(er)

Daughter and ABFA on the Loose Tonight

Tia Loca Cooking the Clams She Dug up on the Beach

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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 her single days in Brooklyn; Czech Connection – Czech couple who’ve become good friends along with their daughter (the Czech Shadow); 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; Seis Amigos - two couples from our condo complex and my wife and I; Soxfather – my brother-in-law (whom I miss more than I can ever explain); Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course