Farewelling

Silence has once again descended upon the condo with the departure of my hometown buddies yesterday. I waited to write to make sure they made it home safe, which they all apparently did. The Cantankerous Friend was up early this morning, driving to Connecticut to pick up his cat (I don’t understand that either). Keene Friend 2 sent a very funny summarization of the trip. Apparently, when they landed in Boston, because of pressure changes attendant to air travel, neither he nor the Cantankerous Friend was hearing very well (an endemic condition for the Cantankerous One). That meant they had to shout at each other to be heard. It’s probably a good thing airport security is understaffed because they made it through without problem.

My Buddies and I on Their Final 2026 Sunset Social Hour

We made the most of their last couple days in Panama. Keene Friend 1 finally felt well enough to join us for time under the rancho on the beach and the sunset social hours. The waves were huge and currents the strongest of the year which made for good, if exhausting, boogie boarding. Keene Friend 2 became quite adept with the board and acquired a beach-wide reputation as the hoodie wearing boarder and almost losing his bathing suit a couple times. The Cantankerous One’s development was slowed when he wore the skin off the bottom of his feet on the sand fighting through the currents to get out to the launching point. He had to sit out the waves for the last couple days but maintained his always vocal opinions on our performance.

Resort Dinner

Saying Goodbye at David Airport

It was so much fun having these three old friends to hang out with for the past week. There’s a shorthand to communication with lifelong friends. I was so happy to show them how beautiful Panama is. We culminated Monday night with dinner down the beach at the Las Lajas Beach Resort. This was followed by a very early morning trip to David to catch their plane. I was starting to get a little worried when we hit traffic in David but we pulled up to the airport and the check-in line was five minutes long. It was more emotional (for me) than I expected, saying goodbye to the nearest thing I have to brothers, was harder than I thought. After leaving the airport we took my mother-in-law out to breakfast and then some vegetable shopping. I was pre-warned so I had my trusty kindle ready to pass the time. That kindle came in handy later when my Favorite Panamanian and Tia Loca decided to hit the David feria in search of Columbian handbags. I waited for their return in the sweltering David heat with my kindle doing its usual yeoman work. I finally pried my wife out of David to return to the beach in time for the sunset social hour.

Yesterday's Sunset Social Crew

We were treated to a breathtaking display of Las Lajas at its best. There was a large cloud bank above the horizon and, as the sun passed behind, it created windows of what looked like molten lava in the clouds. We were given two sunsets, bi-directional, one when it emerged from the cloud bank and again as it went into the Pacific. We had a full crew as the Upstairs Neighbor’s brother and sister in law are still in residence. The Upstairs Neighbors had arranged for Sunset Pizza to remain open last night instead of a planned closing period because they wanted their visitors to experience the sublime Sunset pizza and, needless to say, gelato. I think a favor was done for the owner because the place was packed all evening and the service showed a marked improvement even though the owner still wasn’t present.

Pizza Time!

As you can see from the accompanying photos, St Patty’s day was in full swing back in the States yesterday. The BRS and BR3 looked smashing wearing the green, as did Great Aunt’s grandchildren. My daughter reported that the FBR wore her Fenway Green Monster t-shirt to school in New Jersey, the heart of the Evil Empire. My grandchildren rock. I provided a very unintentional scare for my Favorite Panamanian this morning. As I mentioned above, the waves and currents were strong all week. Unfortunately, on Monday, a visiting American tourist drowned down the beach from us, which we learned about this morning. If there is anything I can count on, it is my wife overreacting to such news and descending on me (she thinks I take too many chances in the water). Even though the waves were calmer today, she repeatedly warned me to be careful.

BR3 and BRS

Great Aunt's Crew

I came out of the waves in fine fashion and decided since it was hot and humid and I was soaking wet, it would be a good time to gather driftwood for an upcoming bonfire. I was less than merrily (again, hot and humid) going about my business when I saw my wife charging out onto the beach sobbing. She had been keeping an eye on me from our condo and when she last checked I wasn’t to be seen anywhere (I was down the beach and obscured from her viewpoint). She was convinced I had drowned and had rushed down to try and save me. I didn’t fully realize how scared she was initially but tried to assure her she wasn’t going to get rid of me that easily. I guess she really cares, who knew!

Yesterday's Amazing Sunset

The Molten Clouds

First Sunset

Second Sunset

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------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; Upstairs Neighbors – American couple and great friends who live in condo above us in Panama; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course