Savory Walk

I’ve reached my last full day at the beach for 2022 and learned that my doubts I would enjoy staying this long were completely unfounded. I could extend this three month stay another three months easily. The world, however, has other plans. We’ve received some strong signals that the totally tolerable weather of the dry season is about to give up the ghost and descend into the weather purgatory known as the Panamanian rainy season. Yesterday we endured, for the first time this year, day long cloudy weather. I know. Shocking. The waves were still there as well as the pools and 90 temperatures so we survived this challenging environment. In seriousness though, speaking as someone who had to live in the jungle for long periods of time with well-armed friends during several Panamanian rainy seasons, it is time to go. It obviously made a telling impression on me.

Pre-Haircut this Morning with my Barber

The biggest change will be the humidity which had been sneaking up over the past couple weeks. Last night we didn’t get a sunset due to Las Lajas being surrounded by potent thunder storms. I mean, I’m fairly certain the sun did set because it got all kinds of dark, but we were denied our usually dependable spectacular sunset. It was so cloudy that I had my first shirtless boogie boarding session of the entire year. My Favorite Panamanian snuck the accompanying photos. I usually wear a swim shirt on the beach because it’s a lot less hide to lather with Betelgeuse level sunscreen and I do have a dermatologist appointment shortly after returning stateside.

Heading into the Waves

Caught One

Coming Out, Still the Whitest Man in Panama

We drive up to David tomorrow, so today marks the last sessions of what has evolved into my beach condo routine. That includes morning beach workout sessions. I’ve noticed over the past couple days that two of the ever-present Panamanian vultures have taken up station overlooking my workout location. I think you need to have my accumulated number of years to wonder if they know something I don’t about how the workout will end. Fortunately, they were disappointed once again this morning. This morning also included my last morning beach walk. I usually spend a lot of the time walking day dreaming, completely disengaged from my surroundings. This morning was different. Last walks, be it on the beach or towards an execution chamber, is a time to savor what your senses are inputting. The waves, which I’ve taken for granted were recognized for their magnificence as well as the seemingly dozens of forms of life inhabiting the tropical surf line. Savory indeed. It’s really remarkable that, once again, I mad ethe entire 50-minute walk and didn’t see another human being.

Buzzard Overwatch This Morning

We’ve held off on the wifely administered haircut because this one will have to serve for the month until she re-deploys to the US. The delay has caused growth of some of the longest hair I’ve had in years and, with the sun and surf, my naturally curly has started to emerge. People I grew up with are always surprised that my post-Army acquaintances don’t realize I have very curly hair. I hated the curls growing up, mainly because of all the older people tousling my hair and crowing about how “cute” it was. The Army solved all that noise by requiring I keep it so short that the curliness never manifested itself. Win. My Favorite Panamanian, one of those post-Army “acquaintances”, saw the incipient curls and declared that it looked “cute”! I kid you not. Here we go again. She still cut it short but I think a fight looms on the horizon concerning spousal hair length.

Beach, This Morning

This will probably be my last post from Panama as the next few days involve a lot of moving pieces. Who knows? If I was a betting man I'm thinking the next post will emerge from the Man Cave on Sunday. If the good Lord is willing, of course.

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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; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during 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); 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; Pittsburgh College Roommate– high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; 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