Evolutionary Plume

Leipzig, Germany and Die Feen at the Oper

We were slugs. We woke up slow and by the time we were dressed, we were hungry so on the advice of the staff at the Radisson Blu, we sought out Meredo near Nikolai Kirche.

We bypassed Nicholas Strasse because for once the area wasn't mobbed since all the stores were closed so we backtracked and I wanted to see a building so we came in by the side to where a man was playing songs from Fiddler on the Roof on an accordian. Turns out he played right beside the restaurant Meredo where we planned to eat, so were serenaded throughout ourmeal.

After lunch we ducked into the Nicholas Kirke to see the beautiful decor and as we left we spotted a display of pictures from the 1989 uprising that started in Leipzig and spread to the rest of Eastern Germany during the fall of the USSR, very sad.

Then we continued on the the Hauptbahnhof to get Bob some limes and while we were there, we found the reservation center open and so made reservations on the ICE trains for several portions of our trip.

Then since it was nearing our early ticket time and I needed to get ready, we returned to the hotel and just relaxed.

Die Feen  by Richard Wagner turned out to be a wonderful opera. We bought a brochure telling the story. During the first break, we ran into Mary, our friendly Englishwoman who we'd met the day before, during the second break we played around taking photographs. Afterwards, we went to our room and crashed because we were moving on to Dresden, Germany the next day.

Lutherstadt-Wittenburg with Side Trip to Worlitz Park May 23, 2014

Bob had read about Worlitz Park being a birding hot spot and oldest garden in Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage site so we wanted to go. We got up, dressed and showered and went for breakfast.

Afterwards, we hired a taxi that the hotel clerk called for us and we met it outside Luther's House next door (entry to the Best Western is a bit difficult) since there's no driving on the main street (although the rescue vehicle's can enter by lowering a post in the middle of the road, which is cool).

The drive to the park was spent discussing with our taxi driver whether he could move to the United States. I told him to look at the jobs pages for each of the states and check his qualifications and apply since he'd need a green card and that's easier done if he is hired somewhere, but Bob explained it isn't that easy to get a green card. The young man explained he had experience with electrician, mechanical and computer skills but not much about his education which I told him was in demand but Bob warned him most electrician jobs required an apprenticeship. He was working three jobs, his last position paid him 7 Euros and he wanted to know about the associated earnings in the US which we said varied, $40 an hour for electricians, $50-100,000 for computer specialists. We had a friend who had a PhD in Engineering who had moved to the US and continued to pay his German Social Security taxes because he wanted to return and retire in Germany. When we were let off, we arranged to have a taxi return to pick us up at the same spot at 5 pm.

Worlitz Park turned out to be a wonderful experience. It involved a long walk (with bathrooms located at three points inside the 700 sq. hectare property, over a large number of canals.

Many lakes were connected by the canals. The trees were a mix of deciduous and evergreen of many species, the walkways lined with wild roses, or grasslands mixed with wild flowers and even at one point a farm field of some cereal, a very bluish sort of wheat or barley, maybe.

 

On the property are a Castle House, a Castle, several houses, a building like an observatory with statues inside, many statues, and lots of decorative bridges.

We birded through the property finding many fun new birds. The Cuckoo enticed us on one side of a treed area where we couldn't find him until he flew over to the other side. His call is quite deep and resonant.

 

Later, I loved catching sight of the Great Crested Grebe found in the furthest part on the left side of the park (from the entry) in the lake. Their crests are raised and lowered and quite decorative. We searched through Scandanavia and England for these and it was fun to finally see them.

We had about an hour upon our return to town and we decided on drinks instead of touring the castle. We found our meeting point then walked a short way to the Landhouse Worlitzer hotel where we had Radeburger beer and a eis, apple strudel with hazelnut ice cream and vanilla cream.

The waiter had halting English better than our awful German and we learned the word for fork, gabel or kunchgable which is a dessert fork. Eventually, we were so humorous a man at the next table said why don't you speak English since I can speak both languages. He shared he was on vacation from Hannover and they were to take a dinner cruise through the park that night. He was surprised that with my family background I hadn't learned German and when I thought about it it was because German wasn't taught in our high school, we only had a French and Spanish teacher and though I wanted to learn Spanish, it was full so I took French.

We returned to the hotel and had dinner and another dessert and headed to bed.

Birds: Starling, Mallard, Wood Duck, House Sparrow, Common Blackbird, Great Tit, Willow Tit, Mute Swan, Hooded Crow, Pied Flycatcher, *Common Cuckoo, Blackheaded Gull, Rock Dove, Common Woodpigeon, *?Red Kite, Barn Swallow, *Mistle Thrush, Tree Sparrow, *Great Crested Grebe, Chaffinch, Green Finch

Trip to Germany 2014 Day 1-3: Reaching Berlin, Detroit, Boston, Paris, not Amsterdam

Everything went well until we were fully boarded on our Delta Airlines flight to Berlin by way of Detroit and Amsterdam. Due to the time delay involved, our heads are wavering about trying to discern whether it is night or day. The delay at Orlando was caused by a tire requiring replacement which held us out in the plane going nowhere for about 90 minutes. Beforehand, the pilot was bragging about he tail wind and how he could get us there well ahead of time. Afterwards, it was up to us hope. The flight gave us a few opportunities to get cloud formation photographs, along with underlying topograpy. We screeched into Detroit with minutes to spare, the flight attendents urging people with lengthy layovers or a final destination here to wait while we all dashed off.

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I kept up with my game playing and Quora and photo hits, until I installed a new Verizon upgrade and it wiped out my cities, restaurant, cafe, and pets. Where they went, and whether anyone is waiting for me is up in the air.
So what now?

I've started reading Friedrich Engels and Karl Marx's Marxist Manifesto, Parallel Text German Short Stories II ed. by David Constantine, and The Black Woman an Anthology by Toni Cade Bombara. I've also figured out how to use my new Merriam Webster Kindle Rhyming Dictionary somewhat (it is all based on vowels).

 

In Detroit, we ran to our gate, with several minutes before departure (4) and the plane sitting on the tarmack, only to have the stewards at the gate telling us we weren't allowed to board with 5 minutes to go. Too bad. Go see the help center.

Assuming that our seats were probably bought out by someone else, we trudged over to the help desk to find our solution.

What we were offered was a flight from Detroit to Boston to Paris to Berlin the next day. I asked, are you going to put us up for the night? The answer was, yes, we can give you a voucher at the Best Western and a cosmetic kit with toothpaste, floss, deodorent, a tee shirt, razor and shaving creme, and cotton swabs. After Bob bumped his hand, we also bought beer, gin, bandages, a vitamin water and laudry soap--we cleaned up a bit of what we were wearing to appear mildly fresh the next morning.

 

The Best Western's outdoor pool not in service yet, play area, and apple trees.
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Bob woke at 6 am and went prowling for three hours before I woke--we both slept restlessly, tossing and turning in the smaller bed. We packed up and went to the airport early thinking we'd eat lunch there. We dined at the Westin. We checked in at the Sky Priority desk because our flights were bumped up to first class on the way to Boston and to Paris. The young lady at the desk helpfully checked our luggage was with us, and printed out new boarding passes after moving our seats to be together on the first flight. We were also listed as TSA Precheck so we didn't have to removed our shoes, computers and belts during our security pass.

The take off from Detroit took us over Lake Erie.

The flight to Boston was smooth even though Bob worried about the 2-4 inches of rain expected along the coast.

Flying into rainy downtown Boston.

We were able to move down several gates and found our flight to Paris via Air France.

On the Air France flight to Paris we were offered our choice of drink on arrival, we both chose champagne. At our seats, large ones that reclined and had a foot rest, we found blankets, cushy head phones, pillows, and a kit which included lip gloss and face lotion, socks, an eye mask and toothbrush and deodorant. 

For dinner, I was offered a glass of lovely French Merlot variety wine, several prawns with pineapple, tomato basil soup with a roll, and short ribs with mashed potatoes. I remember well up to the tomato soup, the short ribs are pretty vague because soon I was dead to the world. Bob fussed to help me get comfortable ( I vaguely remember that) then I woke once needing the facilities and got a fresca and water. Then I was back asleep until breakfast arrived. I had a croissant and a dish of fruit.

I took a few pictures of the sunrise and Parisian are coastline and farms.

We hardly had to wait before our flight to Berlin was ready, standing around mostly after we went through passport control and security which was right up there with TSA Precheck.

The flight to Berlin was seamless. I noticed rural lands very much similar to those in France, although a few more woods and river area. The local towns appear to be built on high rises above the farmlands--some single units, some in the blockhouse style, others like a modern condo or apartment complex. In France, much of the rural life was along the rivers.
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Berlin at last! We found our luggage easily. I dropped my day bag inside, pulled it to the taxi with Bob following along with our reservation and loaded up. The taxi driver managed to get around a traffic accident and to the hotel on a rather twisty route. We noted some of the expected sites enroute. We checked into the Hilton with ease and went up to our room, decided to eat, then stripped, took another pill and crashed until about midnight.

When we woke up around 11pm we were both restless and not very ready for bed. Our legs felt atrophied, I wasn't sure I remembered how to walk. So we dressed and went for a block wide walk around the area. I got some lovely night time photos. Many were out and about, it being Saturday night, with ladies entering into a dance club, and groups waiting for a dining experience.

Day 8: Laundry, lunch at China Chef, Kingsbrae Gardens, visit to Katy’s Cove, St. Andrews, NB

We woke early, then went to the Laundromat where we did two loads of clothes. Excellent washers and dryers so the whole task took about 1 hour fifteen minutes.

Afterwards, we were parked right across from China Chef restaurant so I talked Bob into Chinese food. Most people here were eating breakfast. We ordered almond fried chicken, barbecue pork, vegetable fried rice, spring rolls, and wonton soup. The soup came with three wontons, cabbage, three pieces of sliced pork and had a lovely peanut flavor.

The barbecue pork was quite tasty, with a huge proportion sliced on a bed of cabbage.

The spring rolls were tasty and filled with pork, but I wanted more vegetables and less meat. It came with a lovely sweet and sour sauce made with orange marmalade. The almond friend chicken had a good beer batter coating that was very crunchy and the gravy served on the side.

After lunch we headed to Kingsbrae Gardens for a 2.5 hour walk through the gardens.

In the Kingsbrae Gardens Sculpture Garden, St. Andrews, NB in Canada

We walked through most gardens including the woodland garden where we partically ran over all the wooden bridges because of our familiarity with the bites of red ants and lots of posted signs.

On the edge of the Woodlands at Kingsbrae Gardens, St. Andrews, NB

On our way back to the room we stopped to check out Katy’s Cove and found it was a nice freshwater swimming hole.

Afterwards, we returned to the room at Tara Manor Inn for a swim (far too cold) and for me to do some work.

Isabela and Fernandina Islands, Galapagos, Ecuador

Today was a more moderate day,  waking up to spot seabirds and dolphins. We didn’t get up fast enough to see the striped dolphins but we did see bottlenosed dolphins and identified several seabirds. Most of the day followed easily with only a zodiac cruise, one hike and one snorkel session.

We were allowed to go on the zodiac cruise with the photography group and I had the chance to get many excellent p having ictures of rocks at Punta Vincent Roca—with birds, crabs, coral, and other sea life. We were treated with Galapagos Penguins and Pacific Green Sea Turtles in the area along with the Galapagos Fur Seal  and Sea Lions and fun. Here's my penguin video.

The formations at this end of the Isabela Island are spectacular geologically, with lava areas, sand stone, lava tubes, uplift and interesting erosion patterns and layers.  The guide was especially helpful suggesting different ways to view the area and encouraging us all to take more and more photographs. The Zodiac driver though was a real helper because he managed to give us all a look from many different directions. I managed to get several videos, Brown Noddy’s fighting over territory and sea action.

The snorkeling was an athletic event, tidewater pulling us into the rocks and a lot of murk in the water, plankton looked like snow (a later lecture showed us many different types). We saw a Galapagos Penguin shoot past, zooming through the water with ease. Sea Turtles chased us down—appearing in our faces and lying in the sand and zooming up from below us. We spotted the green sea urchins that are a specialty of the Galapagos.

In the evening, we took a walk on Fernadina Island at Punta Espinoza, the site of the most recent lava flow (2007?). The area has many, many marine iguana, who lie facing the sun to keep their body temperature at a minimum and spit out salty water they’ve consumed. The eat off the green seaweeds exposed by the tides, nibbling them in a dainty manner. The sea lions and fur seals had a lot of fun in the area body surfing in moderate surf that sloshed into bays and pulled them out. We focused on photographic techniques for a second time. The sunset turned the area steamy and dreamy.

Birds: Galapagos Shearwater subspecies of Audubon Shearwater, White-vented or Elliot’s Storm Petrel, Southern Fulmar, Flightless or Galapagos Cormorant, Galapagos Penguin,  Magnificent Frigatebird, Greater Yellowlegs

Black or Pacific Green Sea Turtle, Galapagos Fur Seal, Green Sea Urchin

Our Latest Garden Guest: Southeastern Shrew or Eastern Mole

Since we moved to Florida, we've begun collecting a long list of visitors to our yard including birds, butterflies, snakes, frogs, anoles, rabbits, cats, dogs, raccoons and now a new denizen.

Unfortunately, whoever our guest is, he or she is not quite visible. They are seen only by their tunneling that end abruptly at our pool surround/cement. So we (my husband and I) pull out our handy dandy "Mammals of Florida Field Guide" by Stan Tekiela. After paging through the descriptions of who it could be, we reach the conclusion that it is likely either a Southeastern Shrew (Sorex longirostris) or an Eastern Mole (Scalpus aquaticus). We believe it to be the Southeastern Shrew because it is only 2-3" in size and the tunnel here is about 2" wide. Also Southeastern Shrews are usually only noticed by their tunnels found in newly dug soil.

CulturewCamy and Weird Bird Behavior at Eastwood Golf Club

We played golf at Eastwood Golf Club today--more information on my new blog CulturewCamy Golf Society. And we encountered an Anhinga on shore with his wings spread like he was about to take flight and his beak stretched wide open.

I thought at first the bird was doing a mating dance or trying to chase off someone, but after I thought about it, I realized it wasn't so odd. He was probably just finished eating a fish. Anhingas eat whole fish, much like pelicans. It can be quite amusing when they catch too big of a fish because they can't actually swallow it and are usually hungry enough to try, try, try again.

Anhinga's (anhinga anhinga Family anhingadae) are also known as snake birds or darters because of their skinny necks that stick out above the water. This is probably a young adult--he still has some brownish tone to his neck rather than being entirely black. The anhinga is found in the Caribbean islands and on the gulf coast of America, throughout Florida and in summer along the coast of Georgia and S. Carolina. If I were to mistake them for another bird it would be a Cormorant, but the Anhinga's beak is sharper, they stand with their wings outstretched with the highly visible black and white pattern and their tail seems longer. They prefer freshwater. I've seen their nests in trees above freshwater in the Everglades--babies appearing in February.

 

Recent Visit to WA Brought Me Back to Old Friends

Mt. St. Helen's from the east side on our recent visit to Washington state. Mt. St. Helen's is sort of a muse in my writing because it blew up on my 21st birthday--I really did celebrate with a blast.

 

We visited Mt. St. Helens many time since, our last visit was when a friend came from Germany for several weeks. We tried to visit this side, but the snow pack was still to high so we had to head back to I-5 and then come in from the southern side.

 

Spirit Lake shown below was filled high. 

A sign explained it got so full that the state was worried it would flood down stream communities. To solve this problem, they drilled a tunnel through Harry's Ledge to let some of the water escape. Now they maintain the current level of the lake. It's problems with low oxygen and high acid content following the volcanic eruption were resolved after 10 years. Harry's Ledge was named after one of the elderly local residents that refused to leave despite warnings by the authorities.

Many organizations continue to study Mt. St. Helen's--they monitor earthquakes, the build up of the dome, the recovery of areas around Mt. St. Helens etc.

Lost in Memory Land on the Way to Bumping Lake, WA

How I got lost was I decided to repeat a trip taken with my sister Samantha more than 18 years ago since that's how long my husband and I have been together. I remembered we went up the road to Bumping Lake and then followed a forest road that came out on top of the Pacific Crest with views of Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Adams, Mt. Rainier, and Mt. Adams spread out before us in 360.  Oops, that was then.

We met my 2 sisters, her husband, my mom at the road into Bumping Lake. After we reached Bumping Lake, we took a wrong turn, or maybe not, but we kept going uphill then downhill and staying in a valley when I expected to go steadily uphill. I didn't remember the dam. Anyway, after bumping along a forestry road and getting our cars all dusty we reached a spot that wasn't as easily passed and also ran out of time and gas.

We returned to Bumping Lake and decided to do the photo bit. Here's all of us hams:

Me, mom, my sister and husband.

The two sisters.

 

 

Panama Trip Day 18: Finca Lerida to Bocas del Toro via Ancon Expeditions Guide and Driver

This morning we woke up and dressed, went to breakfast, checked out and headed to David by way of the scenic route down to Boquete, heading south (I think) from Finca Lerida and heading toward Sendero de los Quetzales, then following the road along the river. It’s quite beautiful and this time I managed to get the pictures taken in bright happy sunlight.

When we reached Boquete, it was 10:00 and that gave us just enough time to make it to the airport in David where we turned in the car and met our guide and driver from Ancon. On the way, we passed through the massive highway contruction project (turning a two-lane road into a four-lane divided highway). It wasn’t very scenic but then again I hadn’t seen it before. Bob wanted to talk so I didn’t work like I planned.

At David, we found McDonald’s for lunch and filled gas and turned in the car at Hertz. Our guide, Sergio, and driver, Orlando (they both thought his name being the same as the city we lived in funny) immediately helped with the luggage, offered up water, and allowed Bob to explain we wanted most of our birding experience on the Caribbean side of the mountains. This matched their plans well.

Our route followed our previous trip to Gualaca, then turned toward Bocas. I got one picture of the dry cattle range lands and the hilly land formations. Our first stop was at Fortuna Dam which we were told was over 100 meters deep and quite wide. We picked up our first birds (except for the Caracara in flight) at the dam, although we were a bit slow and missed two birds (one a siskin and the other a wren). We then reached our first birding stop in the Palo Seco Protected Forest. It was raining very hard and though we both wore our Harry Potter plastic ponchos and hat’s, our legs and feet got wet, our glasses and binoculars speckled with rain so we gave up since the birds hate rain for the most part. We did get excellent pictures of flowers, one a native orange orchid that grows all along the roads. Our second birding stop was at the Anam station for the Palo Seco Protected Forest. The station is hosted and has a nearby coffee shop and lots of flowering plants. There’s no hiking trail like the path up at the top of the pass, but we walked along the road, across the river and spotted a white hawk, then tons of toucans. We didn’t see any lifer toucans but we did get other birds and it was an excellent experience to see the toucans in flight, hopping up and down the bare trees, eating and of course pooping. The lighting was pretty difficult to make out colors.

Birds:

Turkey Vulture, Black Vulture, Cattle Egret, Great White Egret, Chestnut-collared Sparrow, Blue-and-White Swallow, Yellow-faced Grassquit, Spotted Sandpiper, Montezuma Oropendula, Scarlet Tanager, Panama Flycatcher, White Hawk, Keel-billed Toucan, Chestnut-mandibled Toucan, Collared Aricari, Red-crowned Woodpecker, Broadbilled Motmot, Great-tailed Grackle, Crested Caracara

Animals:

Hoffman’s Gray Sloth—three-toed (all curled up in his favorite tree)

Panama Trip Day 18: Finca Lerida to Bocas del Toro via Ancon Expeditions Guide and Driver

This morning we woke up and dressed, went to breakfast, checked out and headed to David by way of the scenic route down to Boquete, heading south (I think) from Finca Lerida and heading toward Sendero de los Quetzales, then following the road along the river. It’s quite beautiful and this time I managed to get the pictures taken in bright happy sunlight.

When we reached Boquete, it was 10:00 and that gave us just enough time to make it to the airport in David where we turned in the car and met our guide and driver from Ancon. On the way, we passed through the massive highway contruction project (turning a two-lane road into a four-lane divided highway). It wasn’t very scenic but then again I hadn’t seen it before. Bob wanted to talk so I didn’t work like I planned.

At David, we found McDonald’s for lunch and filled gas and turned in the car at Hertz. Our guide, Sergio, and driver, Orlando (they both thought his name being the same as the city we lived in funny) immediately helped with the luggage, offered up water, and allowed Bob to explain we wanted most of our birding experience on the Caribbean side of the mountains. This matched their plans well.

Our route followed our previous trip to Gualaca, then turned toward Bocas. I got one picture of the dry cattle range lands and the hilly land formations. Our first stop was at Fortuna Dam which we were told was over 100 meters deep and quite wide. We picked up our first birds (except for the Caracara in flight) at the dam, although we were a bit slow and missed two birds (one a siskin and the other a wren). We then reached our first birding stop in the Palo Seco Protected Forest. It was raining very hard and though we both wore our Harry Potter plastic ponchos and hat’s, our legs and feet got wet, our glasses and binoculars speckled with rain so we gave up since the birds hate rain for the most part. We did get excellent pictures of flowers, one a native orange orchid that grows all along the roads. Our second birding stop was at the Anam station for the Palo Seco Protected Forest. The station is hosted and has a nearby coffee shop and lots of flowering plants. There’s no hiking trail like the path up at the top of the pass, but we walked along the road, across the river and spotted a white hawk, then tons of toucans. We didn’t see any lifer toucans but we did get other birds and it was an excellent experience to see the toucans in flight, hopping up and down the bare trees, eating and of course pooping. The lighting was pretty difficult to make out colors.

Birds:

Turkey Vulture, Black Vulture, Cattle Egret, Great White Egret, Chestnut-collared Sparrow, Blue-and-White Swallow, Yellow-faced Grassquit, Spotted Sandpiper, Montezuma Oropendula, Scarlet Tanager, Panama Flycatcher, White Hawk, Keel-billed Toucan, Chestnut-mandibled Toucan, Collared Aricari, Red-crowned Woodpecker, Broadbilled Motmot, Great-tailed Grackle, Crested Caracara

Animals:

Hoffman’s Gray Sloth—three-toed (all curled up in his favorite tree)

Panama Trip Day Seventeen: Finca Lerida, Boquete, Panama

Unsure that we’d actually see the Resplendent Quetzal, I tell Bob we should take a tour at Finca Lerida, just in case the guide can help us find one. After breakfast, we meet up with our guide,  Alberto. Alberto, it turns out, is quite knowledgeable about Finca Lerida operations and growing coffee, but less about birds.

From him, I learn that coffee trees can last up to 25 years, but if they start to look diseased, they plant a new tree beside and cut it down. Finca Lerida uses very few chemicals if none—I think they might use an anti-nematode chemical, otherwise nothing. The coffee plants sometimes get nematodes or another insect. To grow the new plants, they take a seed, plant it, when it sprouts, they move it to another container for 7 months, then transfer it into the ground. The coffee is picked and packed in 30lb bags by the pickers (mostly indigenous), who are paid a minimum of $425 for the season, $3 for each 30lb bag, and all of their housing and food supplied. Panama has a state medical insurance. The Panamanian President’s family owned Finca Lerida, but it was sold and placed under a non-profit management. The hotel was built in 2004, but an addition is being built now. At one time, Finca Lerida had a dairy operation, but apparently it couldn’t compete against Netherland butter (a possible exchange for all the Chiquita bananas we see shipped back?) and the area has been replanted. No more trees are cut on the property. The coffee is sort of shade grown—some large trees within the coffee plants provide shade to many plants, and the hedge row/forest fringe provides more. They often sees a light mist of rain.

After wandering past many coffee and other trees and a vine called “kill tree” that will cover a tree and kill it within 1-2 years, we reach forested area. We take a walk (missing most birds but surprisingly see the nightingale out in the open and then although we hear the song many more times, never see it again) up to several lookouts where we can see the Pacific Ocean and the farm operations on Finca Lerida and a neighbor that has truck farm operations—this is where the irrigation water flowing down the property in pipes goes partially.

Then we head down the Cascades path—which is rocky and has some difficult places on the trail where one can slip. The trail leads eventually to a lookout of another waterfall. Then we start hearing the Resplendant Quetzal. We see three different males—what a treat. The blue tail looks turquoise against the native greenery, the red bright, the tail curls on the end. He’s simply stunning while his mate is just prettier than a Trogan. We hear the Bell birds and others see it, but not us.

After our return along the Cascades path, we take the el Roble trail which is much narrower and follows a huge number of old trees down to the coffee trees. The hike is a delight and we find others staying at the hotel sign up for a coffee tour.

After a good lunch, we return up to where we hiked in the morning with Alberto and bird the forest fringe in search of all the birds we heard and missed and find quite a few, but it rains, then gets chilly so we wear our ponchos. When Bob’s feet start hurting, we head back, finding the Acorn Woodpecker as a surprising close to the day—the picture in the bird guide is far too white compared to the yellowish faces we see.

Chestnut-capped Brush Finch, Ruddy-capped Nightingale Thrush, Black Vulture, Resplendent Quetzals (male), Yellowish Flycatcher, Green Violetear (hummingbird), Slaty Flower-Piercer, Rufous-collared Sparrow, White-naped Brush Finch, Yellow-bellied Siskin, Yellow-faced Grassquit (in nest), Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Slate-throated Redstart,   Flame-colored Tanager, Black-cheeked Warbler, White-tipped Dove, Acorn Woodpecker, Clay-colored Thrush, Blue-gray Tanager

 

Panama Trip Day Sixteen: Finca Lerida, Boquete, Panama

We woke up excited to look for Quetzals, not our first try by any means. We’ve looked for Quetzals in Mexico and Costa Rica and Peru, but they like mountains with cool tropical rainforest and apparently according to one of our fellow travelers, specific trees in flower.

We ask if it is safe to park at the trailhead next to the bus stop, but the office manager is unwilling to commit to potential liability and suggests we walk or take the local bus. We drive down (4km from the hotel) and pull into the trailhead, finding a place to turn around and park. The caretaker for the trailhead has us sign in and pay $3 each.

I didn’t believe that we would see a Quetzal—the trail starts through agriculture land, but slowly it begins to rise. Luckily, most of the trail is rocky so the continual rain hasn’t left the trail very muddy or wet. Soon we start spotting birds we found at Finca Lerida, then new ones—mostly warblers or warbler look-alikes by size. We miss one small bird again and again. Worse, while documenting a bird we’re viewing, people come up and start asking questions—a sure guarantee of failure. Then while we’re looking at a warbler, a group of three young guys approach and ask us about our birding—they tell us they’ve just seen the Resplendent Quetzal 100 meters up the trail. We decide to pay attention to the possibility we might actually see a Quetzal. We start hearing two voices calling back and forth but can’t find either bird. Finally, we pause and stand quietly a few places.

A female Resplendent Quetzal swoops up and lands on a tree branch above my head. I tell Bob, quick, get the picture.

He does so, approaching nearer while I stand back. I don’t realize he has seen the male until he’s taken several pictures then mouths to me, quick, he’s about to leave. Both birds swoop 100 meters away into the forest and I never do see the male, although Bob spots it twice more.

We continue to get what birds we can, telling others where to look and at what height. Most of the people we run into are hiking fast and hard. We spend 6 hours doing the trail up to the waterfall and then slowly back. What a delight to see the environment—so many old trees and blossoms and ferns and so much water as the trail follows the creek. Bob’s eyes get tired and he starts only wearing his glasses when I find a bird.

We return back to Finca Lerida well pleased at our day. But I have a headache from lack of food and someone sends me a message about a blog that had nasty things to say about me,  but no way to contact him, so I quit following this person. What a mean thing to do. 

 

Sendero des Quetzales

Birds:

Silver-throated Tanager, White-throated Mountain Gem (hummingbird), Flame-throated Warbler, Yellowish Flycatcher, Resplendent Quetzals (male/female), Three-striped Warbler, Slate-throated Redstart, Long-tailed Woodcreeper, Chestnut-capped Brush Finch, Common Bush Tanager

 

 

Panama Trip Day Fifteen : Boquete Area around Finca Lerida—Total Rainout

Yesterday’s storm continued today. We woke in not so bad drizzle, went to breakfast—continental with cereal, Passion Fruit juice, plate of fruit and homemade bread toast and jelly and coffee and tea for me. After breakfast, we decided to skip our tours due to the rain and try for Volcan Baru. The office gave us a map. We followed the road up as far as we could go, but the graveled part of the road looked washed out with huge boulders making it difficult to head straight up. So we continued on to Volcancito (the town) on the return loop to town.

Once in town, I asked that we head back to Finca Lerida via the road to San Ramon where there is rock climbing (in good weather).

The road there follows the river, shows many geologic formations—sediment layers uptilted I think. They look like hexagonal rods piled on top of each other with a bit of a twist upward. The river, too, is scenic, with many waterfalls. Lots of flowers in bloom now, but the birds are uncooperative disliking the rain.

We return to Finca Lerida for a late lunch (and beers for Bob although I have one two). We split chicken fingers and fries and Lerida Decadence – a mocha brownie served with carmelized bananas and cashews and a dish of rum raisin ice cream. Delicious all.  We meet Dave and Dave the boatmen traveling from Costa Rica south who are hanging in the region. Dave is from Princeton and the other Dave is from New York. Then we meet Woody who is beside himself and traveling from San Francisco area. We tell everyone we have been promised a bar with a wood fire tonight.

We take a nap while the rain falls, but as soon as it lets up, I urge Bob out to do the Misterio Falls road. Five minutes down the road, the next cloud hits and the rain is once more torrential. By the time we get to the Sendero de la Quetzales, we find too much rain but a Black Guan under the canopy posing for us. Great way to end the day.

Birds:

Silver-throated Tanager, White-Naped Brush-Finch, Flame-Colored Tanager, Rufous-Collared Sparrow, Panama Flycatcher, Common Black Hawk (Immature), Blue-Gray Tanager,  Buff-throated Saltator, Clay-colored Thrush, Tennessee Warbler, Slaty-Flowerpiercer, Black Guan, Cattle Egret, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Violet Sabrewing, Green Violet-Ear, Snowy-bellied Hummingbird

 

 

Panama Trip Day 14: Flight to David and Drive to Finca Lerida, Boquete, Panama

We skip breakfast, shower and pack up. No taxi is waiting so Bob sees a guy and waves him down. The cab looks dangerous to my health—bald, skiddable tires that are a bit low and very limited brakes. We get to the airport just fine, passing others wanting to flag him down. We ask him where to eat in David, but he tells us eat tamales, fruit and a special spiced meat. He tells us he goes swimming in the hot summers at the Grand Canyon and takes his young son and says, yes, there is crocodiles—his son fell into the river and they both got quite scared.

At the airport, I watch people sit near each other and share pictures of their families on their telephones. A lady asks me if we are going to David and I reply yes, she said, she had just come for the day to see her daughter. I ask if her daughter is married, and if she has grandchildren, she says yes. I tell her Bob’s kids haven’t given us grandchildren.

The flight to David is remarkable smooth via Taca Airlines Aeroperlas. Bob wasn’t able to get the Panama Airlines website to work. While we waited for out flight, many people arrived without luggage, bought tickets, then left again at the Panama Airlines ticket counter. Aeroperlas wasn’t as busy—they must be the late comers to town. The airport is expanding another wing and another floor.

The Hertz people are super nice to us and get us set up in a four-wheel drive vehicle and give us directions through town. They laugh when we verify the location of McDonald’s—we’ve struck out on the internet, and with three or four people asking where to eat in David. McDonald’s worked—while we ate, I convinced Bob to take the alternative road to Finca Lerida by going north from Chiriqui—it’s the same one to Bocas del Toro for a short time, but part of the way will be new since we’ll take the other route back to David.

The road follows Chiriqui River and eventually we come to a dam, muddy water flooding over the spillways. I think that’s highly unusual since this is the dry season. The road has several places where we could pull off and do a little birding. By the time we get to Finca Lerida, it’s raining quite hard—no wonder the water was rushing over the dam.

We found Finca Lerida with ease, signs pointing at the key places one might wonder. We check in wearing our Harry Potter plastic ponchos—the guy at the desk laughs at us, and haul luggage to our room wearing the same and using the umbrellas they provide.

Finca Lerida has a bar, restaurant, café—all sell locally made gifts of jewelry, coffee, cosmetics, and cute mugs and other stuff with hummingbirds and toucans. Our room has a private porch with a couple of padded chairs that looks over the garden—we immediately get four lifers.  Then we check to see if the bar is open, yes, restaurant open, yes, and pick up a trail map at the office. We delay our tour possibly in case it is still raining in the morning. The man at the office helps us identify the tanager. The lighting is awfully weird tonight due to the rain and all the birds wet and low light.

They open the bar for us and we try to bird but finally it is too late. Then we try dinner at the restaurant. I have the pork chop and Bob the River Trout with cashews. Fresh made bread is a win. The meal tasty. The rum cake with strawberries and oregano and ice cream is wonderful. Our room is chilly, the rain mostly stopped but the wind is blowing quite fiercely even knocking the greenhouse roof over the coffee machinery off. There’s a spare blanket, robe and slippers, full screen tv, and the internet is accessible from our room. Pretty nifty.

Birds: Great-tailed Grackle, Clay-colored Thrush, Cattle Egret, Red-crowned Woodpecker, Blue-gray Tanager, Panama Flycatcher, Smooth-billed Ani, Fork-tailed Flycatcherx3, Variable Seedeater, Rufous Collared Sparrow, White-naped Brush-Finch, Violet Sabrewing (hummingbird), Green Violetear (hummingbird), Flame Collared Tanager, and Yellow-headed Caracara

 

Panama Trip Day 13 : Melia Panama Canal near Colon to Country Inn and Suites, Panama City

Today was a laundry day—everything we have is dirty. We wake up late, have breakfast, shower and head to Panama City. Bob skips any side trip. Instead we go to Amador Causeway and try the Buffalo Steak House. It’s okay—my fish comes with tasty stir fry but no garlic. Even the garlic bread has little garlic. Bob’s Brochette’s of filet, chicken and prawns is cooked just done, the meat tender, and he eats it with the grilled onion and is happy. We skip dessert until later.

We find that we can check in early by an hour and immediately set to work sorting laundry. Bob finishes all the loads while I work on this week’s essay—it doesn’t fit the assignment. I expect they will shoot me, just kidding.

(Gorgeous trees and views along the Amador causeway offer shelter from the intense heat, protection from the rain, introduction to unusual trees, and places to rest, fun.)

After the laundry is finished I cheat with peanut butter cookies, Bob with chocolate chip and then go for a walk up the waterfront and back. I write some more (mostly planning i.e. seeing how many word on how many scenes and adding scenes).

Then Bob is ready for drinks—I cheat and have the Ultimate Mud Slide, Bob is defeated by the bar being out of limon, so he settles for gin with a jigger of margarita juice.

Easy day, quick night to go to bed, we have a flight in the morning.

Birds: Cattle Egret, Great Egret, Great Blue Heron, Snowy Egret, Tricolored Heron, Spotted Sandpiper, Little Blue Heron, Great Kiskadee, Rock Pigeon

 

Panama Trip Day Nine : El Valle Canopy Lodge

Slow up for breakfast at 7:30. Then I worked on my grammar lesson until I couldn’t sit any longer, my cold makes my back ache. After lunch, Bob and I wandered the property, visiting many of the little nooks and crannies and finding the Toucans fun to watch.

Then we went on our tour. The guide took us up a back road along the edge of the crater where we picked up whichever bird happened to be in the area. When we returned, I took pictures of some of the many pleasant surprises on the property. Bob learned a bit about the Aristide family that owns the property and when the children quit using it, they turned it into a really excellent little resort. We had drinks then joined a new couple from Toronto and the New York couple for dinner and shared stories about whatever.

Birds:

Keel-billed Toucan,  Collared Aricari, Violet-crowned Wood Nymph, Clay-colored Thrush, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Common Tody Flycatcher, Boat-billed Flycatcher, Tropical Kingbird, Garden Emerald Hummingbird, Long-billed Starthroat, Black-chested Jay, Lineated Woodpecker, Rufous and White Wren, Rufous-breasted Wren, Rufous-crowned Warbler, Squirrel Cuckoo, White-winged Becard, Bat Falcon, Red-crowned Woodpecker, Tennessee Warbler, Blue-crowned MotMot now called a Whooping Motmot, Thick-billed Euphonia, Cattle Egret

 

Panam Trip Day Eight: El Valle Canopy Lodge

We wake, watch the birds at the feeder and rush down for breakfast at 7:30. Then we while away time writing and with my grammar class assignment. Bob showers and fights the cold water—I skip. We make it to the church in time for the 9:00 service. The music is provided by a band of guitars, drummer and acoustics, the singer sounded very pleasant. The service was entirely in Spanish. I could tell where we were based on our service at home but couldn’t understand much. I understood the priest’s sermon related to our chosen paths in life. I’m not really used to God being called Senor, but it is nice. The church was opened on the sides and back to let in the winds. The church grounds were planted with flowers and quite attractive. We realized too late we could have picked up the words to the service at the front door; we came in the side door.

After mass, we waited in line at their very popular banos, then found the youngsters buying ice cream bars and flavored ice cones instead of our more typical donuts.

Afterwards we parked across from the market and wandered through. There was a huge section devoted to plants for sale, another for vegetables for purchase, and a final section filled with artisan crafts. I bought a dolphin bracelet and a woven medallion.

At lunch, we shared our table from the two guides from the large group of I think New Zealanders who were here birding and had a nice chat. They let us talk primarily. After lunch, with an offering of chicken, vegetables and rice served in a soup, we passed time typing up our notes and writing. The afternoon was spent on our free guided tour –it was a real delight. We went to a side road and the guide called in a Tody Motmot. Then we moved down the road and wandered up and down spotting birds. The guide was very helpful, often putting the bird we were identifying in his scope for a closer look.

Dense forest found near Canopy Lodge, El Valle, Panama

Dinner found us sharing our table with a young couple from New York.

Birds:

Clay-colored Thrush, Chestnut-headed Oropendula, Blue-gray Tanager, Yellow-rumped Cacique, Palm Tanager, Red-crowned Woodpecker, Thick-billed Euphonia, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Crimson-backed Tanager, Great-tailed Grackle, Yellow-faced Grassquit, Lesser Goldfinch (f), Cocoa Woodcreeper, Tody Motmot, Long-billed Starthroat, Squirrel Cuckoo, Orange-chinned Parakeet, S. Roughwinged Swallow, Turkey Vulture, Gray-capped Flycatcher,  Western Wood Pewee, Boat-billed Flycatcher, Streaked Saltator, Rufous-capped Warbler

 

Panama Trip Day Seven: Panama City to El Valle Canopy Lodge

Today was a slow day, wake up, take a swim, eat lunch, then fetch the car at the airport. Turns out that the Hertz people only show up when scheduled so we had to wait fifteen minutes. During that time, the sweet lady from the tourism department offered us directions on how to get out of town and onto the C1 Panamerican Highway. She also told us how to get from Canopy Lodge, bypassing Panama City by taking the Puente Centenial instead of going into town. That sounded good. When we picked up the car, though, I found say a sign for Puente Centenial and directed Bob that way instead of following the buses to the Puente Americana. A quick U-turn provided the fix. The drive to El Valle was simple, only thing to watch for was a liquor store for Bob and the turn-off to El Valle.

We showed up and tried the internet, but found it only worked in the lounge area. Meanwhile, I found myself unable to hear anything. I’ve been joining Bob for drinks because lime in water is a sure safe way to have a drink without sugar. The gin acts like cough medicine and helps my achy muscles.

Canopy Lodge is a small place with very zen furnishings. Our room overlooks the bird feeders so we get to see plenty of action. Guides lead trips from the lodge—we received a free trip and will pay for one today. The meals are provided by the staff buffet style and dinner includes some really good wine.

 

Panama Trip Day 6 : Punta Patino to Panama City

I woke, got dressed and on my way to the pier, I spotted a coati walking up the river. I passed on and sat on the benches on the beach beneath the canopy. Bob soon joined me and we both noticed how the crab walk marks entirely covered the sand, crisscrossing and crossing many times. I was amazed how busy the little creatures were and how much territory they covered in just one night.

Soon, all our luggage was loaded on board and we headed off to El Morro (the snout?) which is a volcanic rock island broken off from the main coastline and which hosts many birding colonies. We didn’t see many birds home for the morning—I assume most were off finding breakfast. We first spotted a Bare-throated Tiger heron, then spotted Magnificent Frigatebirds, some with the red balloon just beginning to show their interest in mating. Around the other side of El Morro, a few blue-footed boobies had just taken up residence. Then we were off on the two hour passage back to El Quimbo, where we picked up the bus after waiting an hour. On the passage, I learned that Punta Patino had been a logging camp that was turned into a nature conservancy and logging banned. Punta Patino is a huge area, we were in just a small at the tip of a cone-shaped wedge of land set aside as protection.

The ride by bus back to Panama City has us all betting on our arrival time. Rachel and Dave kept up nonstop chatter about their visits to many people they knew in many parts of the world, with others interspersing their comments every now and then. I added a few tales with Bob supplying the words I couldn’t remember. We stopped once and tried to buy cachuatches but no one new what they were. We settled for potato chips and peanut M&Ms and Bob had a beer. When we climbed into the bus after using the bano, we found that Juan had pulled rank inside, talked to a manager and managed to buy Minas which is the local name for peanuts.

The Country Inn and Suites Panama Canal looked very safe and quite wonderful and I felt entirely miserable and ready for a steak. We went immediately to dinner and for once, I joined Bob in having several gins—I was never more ready to crash in my entire life. I took more pseudophed and Tylenol and by ten o’clock was dead to the world until morning.

Birds:

Bare-throated Tiger Heron, Smoothed-billed Ani, Laughing Gull, Blue-footed Booby, Sandwich Tern, Royal Tern, Snowy Egret, White Ibis, Tricolored Heron, Neotropical Cormorant, Little Blue Heron, Black Vulture.

 

Birds:

Clay-colored Thrush, Chestnut-headed Oropendula, Blue-gray Tanager, Yellow-rumped Cacique, Palm Tanager, Red-crowned Woodpecker, Thick-billed Euphonia, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Crimson-backed Tanager, Great-tailed Grackle, Yellow-faced Grassquit, Lesser Goldfinch (f), Cocoa Woodcreeper, Tody Motmot, Long-billed Starthroat, Squirrel Cuckoo, Orange-chinned Parakeet, S. Roughwinged Swallow, Turkey Vulture, Gray-capped Flycatcher,  Western Wood Pewee, Boat-billed Flycatcher, Streaked Saltator, Rufous-capped Warbler, Yellow-backed Oriole

Insect: Praying Mantis--two leaves connected? One to look up when I get home.

 

Panama Trip Day 5: Punta Pinato

Today was a good day despite missing out on the Harpy Eagle. We woke up late, dressed, ate breakfast leisurely, donned out gear and started out on a slow stroll.

During breakfast, the man of the house cleaned the upstairs, sweeping it thoroughly. When he reached a spot on the floorboards, I heard a clunk and went to look. There was a gecko on the floor—brown and black speckled with cool little buttons on his feet. He climbed up the screen and up headed toward the ceiling and on our return he was just plain gone.

 We first checked out the cabins, then the orchards, then the marshes, picking up thirty+ birds, 7-8 which were lifers. Before we took the long walk up the cliff, we rested by the beach to cool off.

Mangrove swamp at Punta Patino

Gyorgy, the cook, corrects Bob’s Spanish upon his request.

Then we went to chicken and rice and pineapple for lunch. Afterwards, the plan was going to be that I would write and Bob shower and write in his journal. Then a beach walk. Discovering his bird book missing, Bob woke me in the hammock and said no more writing, I need my bird book (he was actually going to go off without me). So I got into my swimsuit and said let’s do the beach hike. We walked straight down and found it on the bench where we had left it.

So then we took an hour and a half walk up the coast and back, spotting a few seabirds including a collared plover (potential lifer). The sand is black and slips below your feet if in the water and sticks and clings like weights if up the shore. Too far up the shore, the sand is burning hot from the sun. We sat and watched beach critters—probable crab of some sort, spiral out of their hole and leave tracks in the sand. Other crabs and jumped out of their hole as fast as can be, then spying us, zipped back.  The shore was much different from last night when  all sorts of hermit crabs littered the shore, all safely protected from predators, supposedly. Instead of the hermit crabs in their snail shells, today we had holes with dirt flung out in a scattering of balls. One species, thin and black felt secure without snail shells but hustled away from us.

On our return, we arrived just in time to see the property’s pet jaguarondi climb down a tree and dash away. What a beautiful black kitty he is, not that I would challenge his claws. Although only about 4’ long (not counting head and tail, and 3’ tall), he seemed more interested in departure then taking on the local dog.

The only bad part of the day will be the return of the crew and the fact I had to take two pseudophed for a clogged nose, and worse, the gunk is sitting at the back of my throat so I worry that I am getting what the woman and her daughter who were coughing and taking medicine at the airport had. I am praying it is allergies from the profusion of blooms, but thinking probably not from the slow way my mind and body are reacting.

Birds spotted:  Osprey, Willet, Collared Plover, Common Black Hawk, Northern Waterthrush, Blue-gray Tanager, Solitary Sandpiper, Red-crowned Woodpecker, Palm Tanager, Lance-tailed Manakin, Orange-chinned Parakeet, Lesser Nighthawk, Gray-headed Chachalaca, Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Gray-necked Wood-Rail,  White Ibis, Tricolored Heron, Brown Pelican, Buff-breasted Wren, White-tipped Dove, Western Slaty-Antshrike, Turkey Vulture, Streaked Flycatcher, Panama Flycatcher, Wood Stork, Humboldt’s Sapphire Hummingbird, Blue-throated Goldentail, Crested Oropendula, Great Kiskadee, Lesser Kiskadee, Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron, Spotted Sandpiper, Magnificent Frigatebird

Mammals spotted: Variegated Squirrel, Gray-phase Jaguarundi, Red-tail squirrel

Lizards spotted: black monitor with a narrow neck, triangular face, and white stripe down his neck, gecko, Bob spotted a lizard with red head and black body, Caiman

 

 

Panama Trip Day Four: Punta Patino

Woke up having forgot my patch; fell asleep trying to write, then tossed-and-turned, hopping twin beds, first Bob’s then mine with the air conditioner turned up. We figured we slept maybe 6 hours, after a 4 hour night, 4 hour night, 4 hour night. But 6 is better. Morning hike until lunch led us down through the woods, especially looking for Manakins. The guide was always well off in front talking with several of the people who really knew the birds of the area. I got irritated since the one’s up front hogged the front of the birding and then talked loudly and scared off the bird and wouldn’t allow anyone in for a view. If I spotted anything, they’d come crashing over pushing us out of the way. I hate competitive birding—it’s not good for the birds. The Anton Expedition Guide did point out a few birds with his laser pointer—this is a cool tool for telling people where to look. Deep in the forest, sometimes the only view was about a foot wide. 

The Anton Expedition Guide then started up about how impossible it was to see the Harpy Eagle and then telling us how fast he planned to walk, up and down ten+ 300 foot hills, over ten miles to and from, and how there would be no waiting or taking pictures or taking a breather. He made me feel extremely unwelcome.  We decided to skip the Harpy Eagle outing for the next day.

I couldn’t help feeling cheated by the whole place—they promised a beach side cabin, we’re up 300 ft through grounds that require protection against ticks—not exactly the walk out your cabin door to a stroll on the beach promised. Then they cancelled our night in Mogrebe and the outing to see the seabird colony (now rescheduled to make the day away from here longer).  

Hard to believe anyone can be crabby with Trogon's following you around the property at Punta Patino.

So as usual, I am anti-social and took a nap which made me far less crabby. Later, Bob and I walked down to the beach and shed about 20 degrees of heat and found company with the crabs who are cute as can be.

Birding

Black-chested Jay, Black-and-White Warbler, White-whiskered Puffbird, Thick-billed Euphonia, Red-Throated Caracara, Linneated Woodpecker, Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher, Acadian Flycatcher, Blacktailed Trogon, Purple-throated Fruitcrow, Yellow-rumped Cacique, Lesser Kiskadee, Panama Flycatcher, Yellow-crowned Euphonia, Turkey Vulture, Grey-cheeked Nunlet, Crested Oropendula, Orange-crowned Oriole, Red-capped Woodpecker, Wood Stork, Smooth-billed Ani, Palm Tanager, White Ibis, Brown Pelican, Black Vulture 

 

Panama Trip Day Three: Panama City to Punta Patino

Wake up at 4:00 was painful since even though we tried to go to bed early, we were both up at midnight. Bob gave me plenty of time to do my yoga exercises and finally my body seems to be settling outPacking was easily accomplished. Our pickup by Ancon expeditions was timely, our driver Eric was good-humored, helpful, and got us all the way to the boat with no problems. In our group is Juan, Issa, Carlos, Rachel, Dave and us. We’re a friendly bunch dedicated to birding.

Breakfast was a trial to me, I didn’t expect to have to order food and not really hungry then rejected the meal I ordered because I asked for tortilla and got corn cakes instead of the tortilla look alike which is more like fry bread and called olhabra by sound but maybe not spelled right. It is dough made of flour, salt, water and deep fried. I tried for agua but was offered unasked for coffee, then when asked again, received tea. Luckily, Bob order botille de agua, and that was delivered. Good thing because I finished it all. And my water bottle full, and some of Bob’s.

The drive through Darien was mostly agricultural land with many inspection stops. The cattle rangers have a breed obviously with some sort of mix with Brahmin beef. The fencing is done in a cool manner—live trees with barb wire stapled to them. Many places, even small towns, a show of firecrackers has declared this still to be Carnivale.  Music is played from speakers to keep areas bopping.

The drive was almost interminable and I found myself catnapping occasionally since the scenery was mostly unchanging. The Panamanians build in odd places and don’t seem to have a planning grid which they use. Sometimes homes are built with squared off houses, mostly modern places, but many are build following the line of coast, gully or hillside. Hunks of gravel from the roadside get dug up, with no sign of ownership but there are commercial gravel pits. The homes have the Spanish style with wrought iron over doors and or windows, red tiled roofs or metal, and cement block construction in many places. In some town, one guy is in charge of being the housing goods distributor. Many people seem unsure which style home they like, some with three on the same property, one built with thatched roof, one build modern and cinderblock and one built with sheet metal roofs. Most people look like they prefer sleeping in hammocks out of doors and cooking on outside barbecues. The people have all been very friendly. Grocery stores are widely used. Garbage is trouble.

Our boat trip goes down a large mangrove-fronted river to the ocean then in and around a bunch of islands until we reach Punta Patino.

Our Cottages at Punta Patino

 

Deibyus is our guide here at Punta Patino.

Birds:

Yellow-crowned Euphonia, Osprey, Blue Gray Tanager, Broad-winged Hawk, Black-tailed Trogon, Band-rumped Swift, Keel-billed Toucan, Crested Oropendula, Chestnut-headed Oropendula, Lesser-swallow-tailed Swift, Prothonotary Warbler, Great Kiskadee, Spotted Sandpiper, Greyheaded Chachalaca, Cattle Egret, Yellow-headed Caracara, Great-tailed Grackle, Black Vulture, Smooth-billed Ani, Tropical Kingbird, Tropical Mockingbird, Turkey Vulture, Magnificent Frigatebird, Great Egret, Brown Pelican, White Ibis, Red Crowned Woodpecker, Black-chested Jay

 

Chicken, goat, cow, dog, horse, and I saw many White Muscovy Domestic Ducks

 

4GL Phone Learning Curve and My Writing

I am having a mini-vacation from writing. Today, a story popped into mind on the golf course and I typed in my new Notepad app. Problem is, I am not sure, yet, where my SD card goes and I found the file, but am not sure if there is any word processing package that imports the file. The SD chip problem will be resolved easily by looking at the phone documentation and I think, by removing the protective casing. The import problem though is not as easily resolved. The email app didn't offer the ability to attach a file so just emailing it to myself isn't a very good solution, although I could do lots of cuts and pastes which may or may not be quicker than retyping it. 

The mini-vacation only lasts a few more days then I am back at school at UCLA Continuing Education taking a refresher on grammar of all things and memoir writing. I've been doing some articles in this mode--I've already sampled the class book which is very inspirational. My classes at UCF were a no-go this semester since I was going to be out of town and there weren't any available online classes. My writing mini-vacation has freed me from the write lots of articles mode to thinking about what articles I want to research and write. And to do other planning i.e. find my memoir outline and started articles that were in a notebook and get them online. And I found I had over thirty stories started and did some planning for the research needs to complete them. Most of the time, I get held up on a story because of the requirement to research then write an article, then go back to story writing. I think that if I just follow my own mode of working again that I will be more successful than flying off the cuff of my mind. I miss writing a new scene everyday and am held up by not knowing if I am accepted into any Master's degree program for writing and what will be expected. I guess I can write another dozen novel outlines since that is all I seem to be allowed to do to completion, lol, just kidding.

Getting Back to Blogging About Writing

Since I moved to Florida, my blogs have been somewhat in disuse and now that I am back working on fiction, I figure I can do some more blogging. I often get asked what it is I do since no one really believes that anyone just sits and writes day in and day out. It's true I don't. Often I know what I want to write but the right words aren't there for me so I play games while I think, then write when the words are there. Many times I make a rough start, run out of words, play games until they come back, edit, play games until I know how to fix the piece, etc.

When I am problem solving I need to detach my brain from thinking about anything but the problem. Often I think about the problem without thinking about the problem by playing a game. It's a trick I learned while programming. I often would run into a difficulty, but if I just went to the bathroom, halfway there, the answer would come to me. Your back brain computes on problems like "what was the name of that guy we ate dinner with last week?" Things that you can't google. Instead your brain looks for all the hidden references and eventually comes up with the connection. I don't learn any more, either.  I just learn where it is that has the information I need. Often in storing the connections I reach understanding about how the pieces fit together and so I remember it all in that fashion.

So in the past week, what I have been working on is planning mostly since I completed a large amount of work and needed to clarify what I thought I was working on and why and for whom.

I've been working on the last edits to my second novel. I had it edited during my move and I found that the editor introduced more errors into my novel than she fixed. Her premise was that it would work better as a young adult novel. Unfortunately, I wrote it as a novel about a community and for a slightly older audience even though I wanted it acceptable to young adults with permissive parents. Any one character didn't ever know what everyone was doing. The editor suggested deletion of important technology and setting. She did ask for a chronological story and the best I could do was two side by side chronologies, both going forward always from the beginning to the end. I did one whack at a fix and then my husband did a proofread and found a few typo'sthroughout here and there. The biggest change, though, that my husband found, was inconsistencies in my story dates and five chapters were out of order due to a number of reasons. How the story dates are presented has been an ongoing problem. I had them explicit, then made them implicit to work on an easier more flowing story, then made them explicit as a video collection, changed them to a news feed but both read more complicated so I am back to theoriginal explicit style and am finding the story reads without needing to look at the dates at all. Success, I guess.

I'm also working on short stories related to this second novel which may fit a number of calls for content so I've built a schedule for the rest of the month/year for that. These I've had to look for the research I did before and think about what the plot will be and how they should be built or revised. And did the research on some of the items. 

I have four separate novels in work at the moment, and one short story collection outlined and another collection being built. One novel is a follow on to the first novel I wrote so I am writing short stories in that story line, especially with the hopes it will get published. One is a children's book that is made up of stories so I have 3 or 4 short stories in rough stages from that book and an outline I am following and an outer storyline begun. The other two started from the idea that I was going to build a trilogy and so I have been writing short stories for that, partly to copyright the characters and some of the technology. And as I take classes, instructors often ask for a certain type of scene or have an objective for writing. I try to fit those in with my the novels by having a topic list and an outline and a set of research materials for everything I am working on. Often these become a short story as I flesh them out. And because I am applying for an MFA program, I needed sample material that I assumed would be from what I planned to write so I built some of the work for those. 

So my plan is to get the second novel out circulating to agents, publishers, and contests. And the short stories written to my schedule.

I also have three nonfiction books in work. My target was to just work the golf book this month but the wedding set me back two weeks. Oh, and do one sonnet a day since I am working on a collection of sonnets. I'm up to 8-10 and I need 20-25 but have another four in work at the moment and two I want to submit. I am also working on cleaning up my chapbooks as a potential book, and on two additional chapbooks, one on sffh poems, one on a reflective set of poems, one on teen trauma poems.

I've also worked on a number of articles behind the scenes. Typically, any time we travel, I get photos of where we stayed, where we went, and visit places that are on my target list for research. So my visit to Boston for my cousin's wedding produced much of that. I have an assignment at Yahoo on China articles and have researched quite a few topics that I find interesting but they don't happen to be the news of the moment--just interesting knowledge about the country in a variety of formats that need more facts to be ready. I also have worked some on taking some of my coursework at UCF and looked at altering them to be a article, doing some of the preliminary research. Plus I just started in at UCLA Extension on a class on writing articles for print publications--so I've been through Writer's Market looking at agents, conferences, and article types, read the 8+ chapters assigned for both weeks and looked through my available photographs. I have probably a dozen article in work, I just need time to flesh them out.

I also started painting my house. It is a color I don't really care for and is quite depressing to me. I like flowers and we're currently more like hedge. So we had the colors  approved and I washed one side and began painting. My husband says we should hire it out and I think we may hire some of the work done. But I go crazy if I am forced to sit for endless hours and do nothing but write. So this is my outside work I get to do that isn't immobile. I want the house painted before I start a Masters degree because once I start I won't have time to do it. And I want some of this work that's been idling while I've been busy with classes at UCF to get completed so that I just package and submit until it gets accepted.

 

A Tale of War and Friendship

I had two friends who fought a battle against each other. They both wanted to be my friend. I said sure. When I realized they were at war, I acknowledged it by asking, "so is it war, then?" The answer was yes. During their battle, they both invited me to be friends of their friends. I accepted all that would be friend to me. Then I watched their actions. Those that appeared to give back what I gave, stayed in my group of friends. Those that disappeared, that's life. But I soon saw that my neutrality stance had a penalty. If I talked to one side, my income was threatened temporarily and my friends from that side quit talking to me. If I talked to the other side, my income was threatened permanently and those friends never talked to me again. I ignored this. Then I found out that some of my friends were using me as their punching bag. I decided they wouldn't be friends any longer if they persisted. Some of my other friends made me a soldier in the other friend's army and attacked me. Needless to say, I began to feel friendless and know for certain that anyone that attacks me is not my friend. Rather complex. 

~ So the tale continues, Sheri the Hermit, former Atlas that Shrugged, Sheri that follows Gandhi's way, do thy work and be self-supporting and peaceful--sooner or later these two friends will kill each other and life will be simpler for everyone involved.

 Hmm, more thoughts, the master instructing until the war is over, no space engine to be provided. The aliens that examine with the green shield.

Also, I seem to be writing in tell mode in my first draft of a first person piece -- this is annoying since I'll have to toss out sections and replace with the imagined space of show mode...

New due dates, since last one I was going for wasn't really on the 15th. Hard to stay focused on what I want to writer versus opportunities to write on topics.

Tightening and Fleshing Out Stories and Other Marketing Problems for an Author

Editing for me is very tense. Every paragraph is checked endlessly. I'm working three stories. One is a revision of a completed story to make it into a time travel / alternate universe story. This means that I've needed to figure out how to explain the time travel portion and put the main character's awareness of the change to his life in terms of historical props and news items. I've had to identify where the changes go, lay out time lines, and find historical and science facts to support it.

I've also taken the time to do the reading on time travel and a lot of the science that explains why it might work enough to know some of the parameters--mostly how E=MC*C is tested but then I realized I had to know more about the energy parts of the equation and more about quantum mechanics in order to write the article and book reviews.

The good thing about this research is I have 2-3 more stories where this research will stand me in good stead and have worked on the plotting issues involved in them.

The second story was well outlined and except for the end, is in pretty good shape. The verbs were rather over used and inactive and I have a lot of weasel words to remove. Plus, when I wrote it, I knew the "three or more" technological changes that would be showcased, but I hadn't done the indepth research. As I found the articles, I found more lifestyle issues that had to be found, and several NASA and other articles dealing with the same topic. This one is almost ready to go to Bob for an edit. I want to complete this one tonight. It's probably still flawed as a story entirely based on a scientific principle ... I may have to push the story a bit further in that area.

Both the second and third stories were originally envisioned as part of my trilogy but it may be that they will go into a simpler one novel book or just exist stand alone for awhile. For this reason, the third story has the story part complete but the technology / science works but I'm not sure that it is exactly what I want it to be. I need to do a whole lot more materials science investigation before I'm sure and meanwhile there are easier stories for me to complete, especially one where I have all the research spread over my office table waiting for the moment when I can go back to it. Mostly I've worked on the transitions between the scenes and further development of the overall metaphor for the story.

I also looked into some of the hoped for "buy" markets where I will send these stories for a read.

Meanwhile, Bob and I have been discussing agents, publishers, synopses, blurbs, credentials and maybe one more small revision of my second novel before I send it out. I was told the most likely audience for it would be young adult. I'm not sure I'm happy with that decision. The outer view of what the men are doing helps to balance out the story and make it less feminist, while adding more tension. We are also due in Houston on Oct. 8, so after I get the three stories out I want to do, I need to work the web page. 

I held off on the article writing because it seems to take on its own life and purpose so much so that I lose track of what I am doing and why I am doing all of this. I'll fit in articles when I get back to knowing what I'm working on--reading 40000+ words and knowing where I am going. I am trying to work for too many masters that want something different than what I want. I want my trilogy and other stories.

Also, we've taken some timid moves into finding more "community" in our lives. My mom plans to come for a visit and I need to plan that too. Bob is cheered by the idea that I might clean this "dump" of paper up. Meanwhile, I can barely see because my glasses are so awful. 

Floundering Through School Planning

Well, maybe found a school that will teach me geology online to help out my trilogy in work, found my transcripts, started the application. Yesterday, visited everyone then laid out the known parts of the space plan. Bob's been working on getting us set up for classes at the local Catholic church, that will be different and maybe fun, we've put it off for so long.  We're off to visit my mother-in-law and show her our Tanzania pictures. We did some planning for that, so maybe I'll have a stop and an article or two. I'll write book reviews on the way over and maybe study up on time travel on the way back--needed for two stories and for a book review. 

I'm weary and down--I'm not sure the hormone patches work as well after they were in the 90+ degree sunshine since they say to store them <88F. The new set should arrive in the next day or so. Started playing with MS Expressions to do my web page redesign. The program is not very intuitive and some things just don't seem to work, but I'm sure I'll figure out the trick of doing them.  I had to restore my previous web page to my laptop since it is one of the things that disappeared when the last laptop fried.

Joined Xomba... they're a Google Adsense program site.

Where Am I?

Hard to say. When you take a walk on a new route, you have to allow the path to teach you. This means much of my plans have bit the dust. As usual. I don't believe a conference is in the making until after May, so no CA in Feb or April or whatever date it was. Still hoping to do a writing conference (where I go and write) this summer and if I get time, I'll work on it.

Meanwhile, for today, I got the banking done, at least steps 1 and 2. Tried to make a doctor appointment and found out Friday office hours are till 2. Still have to locate another password hidden in my files somewhere--I moved them, unpacked them, but where did I put them? That pushed my tolerance for trivia for a good long while, Monday I guess.

Golf bit the dust on Sat because I needed to catch up, as if that will ever happen. And on Monday due to a cracked tooth. This weekend I get to do research and modeling and maybe install software. And hopefully time for some story and article writing. I only have about 20 more pages of reading to do.

Decision Making Complicated

"Await on the will of heaven" is always a nice policy but I have preferences, too. Openness of ideas and to outsiders is one. Another is prejudgment about someone based on how they look--vileness. Another is ability of organization to support a non-threatening aspect. Another is opportunity and liking. Another is the ability to communicate well and get support.

When I worked at Boeing, I had a flexible work schedule that responded to my needs and I had to map my schedule to what my customers needed. It failed only once when I had an autocratic boss that demanded control full time of everything I did. He drove me crazy. Lack of crazy making in life is a wonderful gift. Everyone should aspire to it.

"Know thyself" is one of Plato's commands. To know another is to love them. Without understanding / knowledge there can be no love.