En Fuego Chapter 2

It has turned into one of the best weekends of the year so far. It all started on Friday, as weekends tend to do. The First Friday of the Week was significant as it marked the return of my Favorite Panamanian from her “Mom Week” back in David. While she missed the family Facetime call she returned in time for the Friday sunset which was marginally back up to Las Lajas standards after a grim week. She, of course, took credit for the return of the nightly light show. After the sun was adequately witnessed on its western journey, we amped up for the First Friday pizza in the village. Sunset Pizza is still closed for vacation (damn it) so we were back at Naturlamente, new home of Chow Mein the cat.

Friday Night Pizza

There was a nice addition to our usual crew as the daughter and son-in-law of the Upstairs Neighbors. Those new additions arrived after a truly epic journey across the globe, flying through Cairo, Toronto, and Panama City before arriving in David. While they had to be exhausted, they were still up for a pizza night proving their bona fides as worthy progeny of the Upstairs Neighbors. Chow Mein the cat made her usual appearance and seemed to have re-acquired her taste for pepperoni. She charmed the newly arrived son-in-law out of most of the pepperoni on his pizza.

Chow Mein in Begging Mode

As part of their visit, the Upstairs Neighbor had requested we do another beach bonfire, which we planned for Sunday. There was another huge piece of driftwood embedded in the beach near where our last conflagration took place. On Saturday I noticed that the tide, thanks to a new moon, was at its highest point since we arrived, including reaching our target. Since I knew the incursion of sea water would have a deleterious effect on any planned fire, I recommended we conduct the fire Saturday night before the next high tide.

Pool Time with New Friends

The target is a huge trunk of a palm tree that had been a resident on our stretch of beach for more than a year. For that reason, I expected it to go up as quickly as its neighbor in our earlier blaze. My Upstairs Neighbor and I had gathered a large pile of driftwood over the past week in preparation. We had to ward off a couple Panamanians who got their truck stuck in the sand nearby and saw our wood as the way to get out. They managed without it.

Saturday Sunset Crew

After the sunset ceremony and a brief break for dinner, I was back on the beach prepared to start the fire which I had prepped just before the sunset ceremony. Unfortunately I put the paper I was using to start it (yeah so what, I am no longer in the boy scouts so I had no problem cheating and using paper) in my pocket which was wet from the afternoon boogie boarding session. A quick trip to the social area bathroom provided enough paper towels to get the fire started.

Fire Prepped

It turned out to be a respectable fire which quickly claimed most of our horde of driftwood. I may have been a little energetic in feeding the fire. It’s what I do. I’ve written before about my pyromaniacal side which thankfully finds sufficient outlet in these occasional bonfires. A little while after we started, a group of Panamanians started some fireworks off just down the beach from us. We applauded the show at its conclusion and a little while later one of their group walked up to us.

The Pyro in Action

They are staying at the hotel directly behind the condo and wanted to ask a favor. Another member of their group was planning on proposing to his girlfriend and wanted to do it in front of a beach bonfire. We were more than willing to share the blaze in the interests of love. He had a small crew with him, and they started off down the beach to find more driftwood for the fire. They placed that in the fire and said they would return with the soon to be happy couple. While we waited, the Upstairs Neighbors’ visitors showed my Favorite Panamanian how to pair up her speaker with her phone and we finally had music for the fire (she had noticed we didn’t while I was blissfully unaware). Shortly after the music started, I found myself dancing in the sand with her. It’s what she does.

The Fireworks Show

New Friends Arrive

After a long wait, the soon to be engaged couple finally showed up, along with an entire troop of supporting family members. They threw some more wood on the fire and lit a couple torches, and the proposal took place. The whole group stayed around for a while and broke out some marshmallows to roast. Predictably, my Favorite Panamanian ended up being fast friends with them. They were a fun group and I eventually found myself in conversation with the newly engaged guy. He was a lawyer from David who now lives in Boquete. He turned out to be a Celtics fan and made a pilgrimage to Boston last January where he caught a game. He loved the game but had the usually Panamanian reaction to numbing cold weather. After my wife collected enough phone numbers to insure she could contact her new friends, they departed and we were left by ourselves to watch the fire descend into embers. A great night.

The Overdue Proposal

I had been suspicious of the target log all night as it didn’t seem to be burning along with the other driftwood. My fears were realized this morning when I went out for the morning boogie board session. The overnight high tide had stopped a few feet short of the site of the fire which was still smoldering. The target log had been reduced little bit but stared back at me with an unmistakable air of superiority. It had survived. I figure if it could put up that kind of fight, it deserved to be left alone; until next year, if it has the temerity to survive that long. So, a great weekend, and the best part, it hasn’t ended yet.

This Morning

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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