A Day at the Beach

There is something about the beach that soothes the soul.

We picked up a friend and headed out to the beach...the good one 2 hours away. This beach is 20 miles long, very tame and safe with the warmest water.

We pulled into a Panamanian style beach set up. You rent a place the size of a single car garage covered with palm leaves for protection from the sun. It is right on the beach with sea breezes unimpaired and views to die for. $5 a day.

It was so pleasant. Cool in the shade and hot, hot, hot in the sun.

We hung around and talked for a while then I walked up the beach to a small resort with a restaurant to eat lunch.

I ate a Panamanian style lunch with grilled fish (Corvina (Sea Bass)) which included rice, beans and salad. It was delicious. The fish was perfectly done. With 2 cups of coffee and tip it was $8. Hard to beat that!

I walked back and got Yella for a swim. The water was perfect. Big enough waves to play in but no under current. I'm glad no one pointed out the jelly fish on the beach until after I got out. Jelly fish can really screw you up if they touch you.

We headed back about 3 pm.

Later that night, we watched a couple of TV shows, something new for us.

We both commented about how the day was perfect. Something we dreamed about when we were younger. Now, it is reality.

Tonight, we have a big party night.

Dinner with some new friends who we think will become best friends. Then am early party with adults and children. Finishing with a late night party (that means after 10 pm to me) to bring in the new year.

I hope I make it!

Tomorrow, Yella plays with the local jazz band in the afternoon. I look forward to kicking back and watching Yella work! Ha ha!

Ode to the TV

I didn't think I was a TV fan. I used to watch the news and football, and little else.

But times change...

We got US satellite TV on Monday. This is the east coast feed from New York.

We have been without "real" TV for the last year. What has been available is the Spanish feed which is mainly in, well, Spanish. And, it is weird because there was no advertising. The time allotted for commercials was filled with previews for their programing.

Sometimes, we watched the same preview for months and months. Very weird.

Plus, we have not had any TV for the last 3 months.

I have noticed a few things about TV...

If I am waiting to do something, I turn on the TV to fill the time.

If I am bored, I turn on the TV.

If I want company and no one is around, I turn on the TV.

HHMMMM?????

Oh, I also actually look for something to watch that I will enjoy. After the drought, this could be almost anything!

I can see that TV is the Great Mind Pacifier. I wonder, in the long run, what this does to us as the Human Race.

I know, many people don't have TV, but most do. Try traveling to someplace in the 3rd World, like Iran, and see who's watching.

I am very happy that we have "good" TV now. I do enjoy it.

But I am ambivalent about it's value to us.

An update...

Do you remember my hot water heater fix with epoxy? I was very proud of it.

It's leaking again!

The epoxy held for a couple of weeks. I am back to square one and I will have to replace it.

Damn! I thought I had it licked.

Grande fiesta!

We heard about the annual Christmas parade held on the day after Christmas. It was supposed to be a big deal.

I started asking around about it. I heard the usual stories about how the parade was always late and normally didn't start until 9 pm.

We shuffled into town at 6 pm for dinner with some friends. At about 7:30 pm we started walking up into town.

Wow! I have never seen this many people in the village. Most of the streets were blocked off. Full of people. Packed with people.

We got a perspective of how many people Boquete serves. The village is small...5 square blocks at the most. But, there are 15,000 people living in the area.

They were ALL out last night, plus some from David down the road 35 miles. I estimate that 20 to 30 thousand people were at the parade.

Most of the crowd were families with little drinking apparent. This is not the normal Saturday night...it gets very drunk out on Saturday night...but not at the parade.

It started about 8:30 pm. We walked up the parade to the start and saw all the "floats" in 30 minutes. If we had waited in place, I have no idea how long it would of taken but it would have been tedious. As in any small town, the floats were "charming" meaning pretty minimal but the spirit was there.

On our way home, we passed a community center about 1 mile from our house. There was a big party in full swing...this one was getting plenty drunk.

At our house, we could hear the music (remember, a mile away from the party) with the windows closed. It went till past 3 am.

In the morning, we drove past the party on the way to breakfast and there were still people partying.

You got to give it to them. They know how to party here.

An Unexpected Christmas Gift

I woke up Christmas morning feeling a little out of sorts. This would be our first one without family. We always have family for Christmas.

Last night, fireworks were going off until 4 am. Panama loves noise and celebrates Christmas Eve with much noise and fireworks. We had to close all the windows to get to sleep. And remember, we live WAY OUT in the country. I can only imagine how loud it was in town!

We decided to eat a late breakfast, then open presents. We only purchased a few. After all, we have a new house, furniture and other stuff, so it seems a little extravagant to buy even more stuff.

And, we have US TV being installed on Monday.

So I was looking out the window...magnificent...drinking my first cup of coffee...some of the best in the world...and feeling at a loss on how to celebrate this holiday.

I looked out our door toward the road and see our neighbors standing there. I thought for a minute they were pausing to rest because it is a very steep road.

I yell a greeting to them and they hesitantly approach the house. I realize they want to see us so I called Yella and go out to the road.

They have presents for us.

You could have knocked me down with a feather. They have two bars of processed sugar cane and a bowl of dried beans. They looked like white to light green pinto beans with brown flecks in them. I have never seen them before.

All this is from their farm.

In a moment of shear brilliance, I invited them in for coffee. For once, I made more than I needed so I had plenty.

We sat on our porch for an hour, trying to communicate. They speak no English and you know how much Spanish we speak.

But it all worked out. It is hard work but worth it.

They invited us to eat, we think...hard to say for sure...but we have a party today.

These are the nicest people. The people are the best part of Panama.

I went and grabbed my guitar and we played them a song...a spur of the moment gift to them for including us in their holiday. Their hospitality was touching. And appreciated.

I forgot about being out of sorts on this Christmas without family.

This was a magnificent way to celebrate our first Christmas in Panama! I was so grateful.

We then ate breakfast and opened gifts.

A wonderful Christmas morning! Our first in Panama!

Tis' The Season To Be Partying

Well, it's official, my computer is dead.

Damn! That's a $1000 mistake. Hard to live that one down.

I am borrowing Yella's computer for the blog. I have to sneak it in when she's not looking...actually, she graciously let me use it.

The big news is that we are getting US TV through an underground connection. It should all be hooked up next week.

Even though I don't "think" I watch much TV, I am excited. I have missed a few things. At least we will be able to tell what movies are on. On the local Sky TV, all the titles are in Spanish and the translations rarely make any sense. It is like trying to drive without headlights.

We finished the last major repair on the house. The septic seepage pit is now installed correctly. That was a $200 fix. Big money for here but it would have cost 10 times that in the US.

Don't worry! We still have mucho projects, like landscaping an acre of jungle, to keep us busy.

Our main focus now is "how to get through the holiday period with all these parties?"

We had one today...fun. We have one tomorrow and Christmas. Then we get a break for a while until New Years Eve. A party STARTS at 9 pm. I don't think so...but Yella wants to go.

This party is hosted by the "younger" crowd, 40 something. And, there are many interesting people on the guest list.

But oh my oh my...9 pm start time?

On New Years Day, Yella is sitting in with the local jazz band for a daytime gig. This is always a good time. The band is very good and with Yella, a whole new dimension is added. And the damn thing doesn't start at 9 pm!

Oh, Yella found a dog she likes and the arrangements are made. We will be getting the dog after the first of the year.

Why am I not excited? I know how much work a dog is...and how limiting one is...you have to be there every day.

But the added security is a plus. This is the land of theft. And there have been frequent thefts in Boquete for the last 2 weeks. One house got hit twice in the same week by the same people. apparently they weren't done the first time!

Oh, the joys of paradise!

My computer Gets a Bath

Hm...Gr..!!!

I poured a full cup of sweetened coffee over my computer. It is now dead. I am using Yella's computer for this blog.

I thought I would have to get the computer to Panama City where I knew there was an Apple store and repair facility. But, lo and behold, Willy in Boquete is now a certified Mac tech.

That was great news.

However, he told me it is most likely that my computer is dead and will need replacing. Apparently, you can't have the computer on or turn it on after the spill. The mother board is very sensitive.

He will look at it in a day or two and I will know for sure.

Gr!!!!!!! I am not happy with myself.

Computers are very important when living in a 3rd World Nation! Most communication goes through the computer...email, social sites, international telephone, TV, movies.

You can bet I won't drink ANYTHING next to my computer again. This could be a $1300 mistake.

On another subject, our septic seepage pit is being repaired today. Our neighbor's will be happy we are no longer dumping raw sewage down on them anymore.

The materials were supposed to be delivered Saturday and they were NOT. This morning the crew arrived and started the preparation. I had to run into town to get the computer fixed. When I left, I had no idea how things would go. No materials.

On my way down our road, who shows up but the material delivery guy.

Sometimes...but rarely...things work out. I paid him and he delivered.

They are about finished with the job. This is a great crew. I really like their work.

So one thing went well today.

People, People, People

I left the house this morning, early, with the best intentions to ride my bike to Olga's for a quick breakfast, onto the gym and back home by 10 am.

People kept showing up at Olga's.

First some new snow birds from Washington. They needed a little help, so that took a while and was fun.

Then, my old friends from Holland showed up. A few minutes later, another couple arrived.

I torn myself away, after a leisurely conversation of course, and headed to the gym.

More people I know at the gym.

Then, onto my bike for the ride home. Along the way, I saw a new friend who runs a tour company, so we talked for a while. As we were talking, our banker went by, the more people from Holland.

I got home at noon!

This is new to me, all these people you know, everywhere. Some of you from small towns are probably sayings, "Come on Tom, this has been normal in small towns for ever."

But not for me. I like it. You get a real sense of belonging. Good stuff!

After lunch, a couple came to visit and see our house. We have enjoyed these folks several times and did again.

While we were visiting, Anel came by to bid a repair job on our septic system. This required much coordination. You got to remember, Panamanians don't have cars or trucks to haul materials so I have to do it.

After the logistics were handled, we continued visiting.

I am ready for a night alone with Yella, vegging out in front to the TV, watching a movie.

I'm worn out! And it is not even dinner time yet.

I'm Not Making This Up

While we were gone, a friend of ours experienced heart problems. She has had this in the past and it was serious enough that she called the hospital and they sent an ambulance.

The ambulance was brand new. Which is a good thing if you've seen the old ones.

They loaded her into the ambulance but they couldn't get the doors closed because she was too long.

She is a tall lady but no more than 6 feet.

No problema!

This is the Land of Work-a-Rounds. Two attendants held the doors OPEN while they raced to David, about an hour away.

Can you picture this? Like a Keystone Cops 30's movie. Guys hanging out of the ambulance, swinging on the doors, with a fretting nurse wiping the brow of the patient.

Then, you guested it, it started to rain.

She arrived at the hospital with wet feet.

I know, there are all sorts of things that could have been done to avoid this situation...but none of them were used.

On a more serous note, a guy was severely beaten in his home last week.

As it turns out, he withheld a lot of money from his builder because the builder was many months late on the completion of his house.

The court system is a joke but the vengeance systems is up and working just fine.

This is not an isolated incident with builders and withheld money. Several more happened in the last year.

It makes me grateful that Yella and I decided to pay our builder his final payment even though he had no right to it. He screwed us out many thousands of dollars.

I would rather have an empty wallet than a broken head.

Ah, paradise.

$50 Bills

Last week I went to the bank to get some cash, as I do every week. This time I got some $50 bills, a first here. I normally get $20's but I have some larger bills due, like taxes and insurance, so the larger bills made sense.

Never again!

I had no idea the rigmarole they would put me through.

I was standing in line at PriceMart...think Sam's or Cosco. Nothing was moving at the checkout. The lines were backed up. I was now thinking in geologic time about getting out of the store.

They were changing the shift. I will avoid this in the future. I would rather push hot pins in my eyes than do this again.

The guy in front of me has a $50 bill. Everything stops. The teller runs off, returning with a fist full of paper. She starts filling out I don't know what. It takes forever.

Eventually he is gone and it's my turn.

At this point, I didn't know it was the 50's that triggered this process. I pull out a 50.

Oh no! It starts again.

I move on to the next store. My purchases come to $95, I perfect fit for 2 50's. I thought it was just a quirk at PriceMart.

But noooooooo!!!!!!

Once again this ridiculous process starts.

I have learned that outside the US, 5% of 50's and 100's are counterfit.

I didn't know that.

So, remember, only 20's outside the US.

Let the Good Times Roll

I'm a little embarrassed. I re-read the last 2 blogs. Too much talk about my hot water heater repair. Sorry.

But it was such a big victory, I couldn't resist.

Control my self, you say. Ok. Enough of that.

Last night we had our first dinner party, the staple of entertainment in Boquete. It was a little one with 2 other couples. We aren't ready for the big time yet with 50 people.

We owe so many people for their hospitality that we had to get off to a running start. We are having 3 parties this week. And those are ours, not to mention places that we have been invited.

Last night we entertained our landlord and some other tenants from the same place. That's one of the connections. We also play music with one of the couples.

These are interesting people! One, by his own self description, is a F@#$%! Econo Nazi. He is full of energy, ideas and new construction and agricultural techniques, and, he will talk about them for days, unless stopped. I call him the modern Thoreau, read The Mosquito Coast if you are confused.

One of the people was a Chiropractor in Hawaii for 35 years. Now, that makes an interesting guy. He plays piano and is the musical director for the Boquettes, a female quintette. Oh, and he is a Libertarian, States rights guy, to boot. There is a lot of extreme politics down here. He will also talk for days, if not stopped.

Don't worry, we got them stopped before they dominated the conversation.

Neither lady was as extreme as these guys...is this not normally the case? But they are also entertaining, interesting people. I must say that when I get tired of the militant rhetoric, it is a welcome reprieve to talk to the ladies.

Anyway, it was a great night. We served them wine, which they didn't expect because we don't drink, but we wanted them to feel comfortable. It is amazing how normal people will have a couple of glasses of wine and quit.

Hmmmm???? I never did understand that!

One of the benefits of having a party is the motivation to get things done around the house.

Yella took on cleaning the windows which had not been cleaned after construction. A big thanks to our builder...not.

We also got a lot of stuff hung on the walls. This is a big job because everything is hung on concrete anchors which have to be drilled into the wall. A tedious task. Concrete dust everywhere.

Did I mention that nothing is easy here?

Well, it looks great! A home is shaping up.

Thanks, Yella!

Mr. Handyman

I'm not very handy around the house.

I know how to do some stuff but I don't do much simply because I don't like it. And, I have made a mess or two in my day.

So I hung up my tool belt.

That won't work down here. As you know, things break. And the Panamanian workers may make a worse mess of the problem before anything gets fixed.

So it is best to fix it yourself, if possible.

Now on to the Great Leaking Water Heater Caper in Boquete.

As I have mentioned in previous blogs, my water heater leaks. This is disappointing because it is only four months old and we have only used it for 2 months. Oh, the warranty is for 90 days so no luck there.

I need to get over my disappointment about anything breaking down here!

In the US, there is an expression, "shit happens." Well here it is, "shit breaks."

I was going to replace the water heater but I noticed that the installer had completely stripped the screw heads,making the screws very difficult to remove. Given my level of skill and my limited tool set, this was not going to work.

I didn't want to hire someone to remove it so I asked around.

A friend suggested that I braze the pinhole leak in the brass valve casing. That may work. But you have to have good access because of the necessary blow torch to heat up the valve. Taking it out is not an option. No good.

Then another friend suggested using AB Weld, an epoxy to seal the leak.

Ah ha! That sounds right up my alley...glue...I can handle glue.

Now, I need to find the epoxy. Not a simple chore.

Another friend gives me epoxy plumbers putty. It is old and hard to mix and doesn't work.

So on to another epoxy. I look around and end up buying 2 types of epoxy because no one selling it is sure if it will work.

Total spent...$8.

I select the epoxy scientifically. I pick the prettiest packaging. And apply it.

It works!!! I don't know for how long, but it works.

This might seem like a little thing to you. It is not for me. I just saved over $200 and all the hassle of hiring a local to fix it.

I can't believe it. Wow!

Now onto fixing the septic seepage pit.

I hired a local to dig it up by hand. No backhoe this time. Too expensive and, in the end, he would tear everything else up in the process.

We found the pit. That's a start. And we found the pipes from the house and the casita. That's good too.

This time, I will have to hire workers to mix and place the concrete cap on the pit.

But we are ready and I am hopeful.

Little by little. Poco a poco.

We are gaining on it.

How To Spend A Day In Paradise

Watching...

Watching what you ask?

I hired my neighbor to dig up our septic seepage pit. And, as you now know after reading many blog entries, you can't let a Panamanian alone to work because they will do the damnedest things unsupervised.

As a matter of fact, that is why I am now having the pit dug up.

We hire a backhoe operator to bury the construction brush. I showed him exactly where the septic pipe and pit where located and he, of course, went right to them and dug them up, destroying the sewer pipe.

This yahoo did everything but bury the brush. He tried to regrade the ENTIRE lot but we stopped him after he only got part of it done. (We left him for a couple of hours and that's what happened)

Why did he do this you ask? Were our instructions ambiguous? Was the request unreasonable? NOOOOOOO!!!! Because he wanted to. He thought it needs to be done. When we told him that his little regrading project destroyed the septic system, he said, "build a new on." Like that was obvious.

Only in Panama.

But all is not lost. He did reveal that the septic pit was not installed properly. The contractor screwed it up. He swore up and down that he did it right but I can now say that he didn't.

A seepage pit needs a cover over the rock. No cover and the dirt contaminates the rock so it won't work properly.

So, today I have a guy digging up the pit so we can repair it.

Isn't that the way it goes here.

On to another fix...

I was going to replace the leaking hot water heater but the installer stripped the screw heads mounting the unit, so I can't get them out. I don't have the right tools but I shouldn't have to have these tools! Grrrrr! I should pull out my trusty screwdriver and EASILY get the unit off the wall.

But nooooo!!!!!!

I tried to epoxy the leaking cast brass valve but it didn't work. I will try another epoxy in a day or two and see what happens.

If it doesn't work, I am going to make the installer get the unit off the wall.

I'm going to have fun watching this.

Down With The Establishment!

You might wonder what people do in paradise, or maybe not, but I'm going to tell you anyway.

One good friend is a music fiend. He has an enormous collection of concert videos and a head full of trivia about rock n' roll. He posts YouTube clips on FaceBook every day.

The last clip was "My Sweet Lord" played by Billy Preston at George Harrison's benefit concert. A moving video...with Eric Clapton, Paul, Ringo and too many other people to mention.

That got Yella browsing through YouTube clips about that time period.

First we looked at all the children of the Beatles. Now they are all at least 35 years old, with some well into their 40's.

Are you feeling old yet?

As we looked, beautiful, haunting Beatles melodies were playing behind the pictures. A wave of nostalgia hit me.

Do you remember some of this...

"You can't trust anyone over 30."

"Down with the establishment."

And maybe the best one..."Peace, Love, Rock n' Roll."

What would this world be now if our generation actually remembered and lived by "peace, love, rock n' roll?"

I know, I've had too much coffee this morning and this blog has just stepped off the path.

But it all fits together.

How does an old hippy end up in paradise?

I don't know but I sure am lucky!

This is the logical conclusion to my life if viewed holistically, not paying too much attention to the big part in the middle where I focused on owning businesses.

After graduating from college, the next 10 years were spent wandering around, PARTYING!!! We played music on the road for 3 years. That's a bohemian lifestyle for sure. I hesitate to mention how much debauchery we engaged in...

Then I left that path and became "respectable." Well, not really, but I pretended. This is the big hole where I chased the Money Train."

I got off that train last year. Rolled back the need for so much denaro.

And ended up in paradise.

Wow!!! Feels like coming home.

Sunday at Olga's Restaurant

Here is another up beat blog entry. I hope you can handle it!

We went to Olga's for breakfast... so many cars parked out front. We went in and it was packed with no place to sit.

Damn!

Not to worry. A friend shared his table with us. We did have to listen to his "The World's Coming To An End" rhetoric for a while, until we could crank the conversation around to more satisfying stuff...who did what while we were gone...gossip.

Ah, much better!

It was fun to see the place hopping. There have not been enough tourist and snow birds to fill it since last March. She really needs the business after a brutal off season!

The place was at a dull roar. Full of energy and camaraderie. A fun place to be. We visited with several friends and eventually Olga came up for a breath and came to our table.

A huge hug, a glorious smile and Spanish from Olga is just the best! A great way to start the morning.

After lunch, we attended, for the first time, the annual fund raising auction. People have been talking about this all year. The Rotary and Lions club, in unprecedented cooperation, put on the big event.

There were numerous items and services in a silent action. A big live auction. And plenty of food from sandwiches to baked goods to sweets, plus of course wine and beer flowing copiously.

We met another bunch of friends, some of whom we hadn't seen for months. That was great!

As it turns out, friends sure do make life satisfying.

We returned home to continue putting up the Christmas tree...er...I watched Yella put up the tree.

The sun was starting to go down on a breezy, pleasantly cool afternoon...after a great day!

Are you tired of this happy horse shit yet?

I do prefer this life to one I was living last year!

But I could make some stuff up on the negative side, if you want.

A Schizophrenic Day

Ok, I'll admit it. Putting up the Christmas tree, sweating from the heat, in shorts and tee shirt with the ceiling fan spinning, all the windows wide open, is a little disconcerting.

It's hard to find a memory of the holidays like this!

I remember when we lived in LA in the 70's, Santa Claus was running around in shorts. Not right!

We were chasing another dream in an earlier time, becoming rich and famous as rock stars. That dream didn't pan out. I sure hope this one works better.

We did get to play music on the road for 3 years, a once in a life time opportunity. I would have hate to miss that.

On day two, back from the states, I am still in awe of this new life. The benefits of living here were obscured by calamity, turmoil, upset, topsy-turvy, disappointment, more disappointment, anger, rage and numerous other negative shit!

Hopefully having that behind us, our life is starting now. Many who came before us told us this is the way it goes. You have to pay some expensive dues, then you get paradise.

So, I am helping Yella put up the Christmas tree. Not something I did in the past but it seems right now.

Ok, she is doing most of the work. I help with the heavy stuff And, I am in charge of keeping the Christmas music playing. A burden for sure, but I'm not complaining.

We have Amy Grant's Christmas albums playing, a tradition for many, many years in the past. Very nostalgic.

Even in paradise.

Home!

Yella and I met a friend at Albook Airport in Panama City on the way to David. We learned that 2 people would be meeting us in David, one for him and one for us. All of us are friends. How did that happen?

It started to feel like home when we got in our car, the diesel beast, and started to drive through David. It sunk in a little deeper when we turned off the highway and onto the Wilson Bridge road to our house.

Surprise, surprise, surprise!

The potholes were patched. This is the second time in a year. Way over the top for here.

We got home and everything looked good. We fixed lunch and did a little unpacking. Then I was off to Boquete to go to the bank, find friends and pay our house sitter.

That's when it hit me.

I love this place! It is so warm, and fresh, and sunny and green and beautiful. I wanted to do a happy dance just for being home...in paradise.

I got, well, suppressed back in Colorado. I didn't know the full impact of this before, but being inside, with the windows and doors closed, the heat on, the humidity in the single digits is claustrophobic to my nature. I find it stifling. It's just not natural, for me.

I learn a little more each year how much I love fresh air.

I drove down the highway, with all four windows open. Wonderful!

It was so good to go to the bank, where the guard and I exchange greetings like old friends, the teller banters with me in broken Spanish and I know most of the people in the place.

Then on to Amigos to meet a friend and end up seeing a lot of friends. Then on to our house sitters, who is also a good friend. We sat on his deck, visiting with another friend, listening to a couple of parrots. One was bi-lingual. Go figure!

Then back home. I cut up a pineapple and papaya for fresh fruit smoothies tomorrow morning.

It is so good to be home.

Not to take away from the trip back to Colorado. It was wonderful, for sure! So many friends and family.

I am not trying to rub it in to those in northern climates. Just expressing my enjoyment of paradise. I know many people who love the cold, fires in fireplaces, snuggling on the couch and simmering soup. To each their own.

I sure hope the fun lasts...

Bitter Cold!!!!

It is cold...brutally cold. Only 20 degrees today and down to zero tonight.

Am I glad we are leaving tomorrow or what!

This morning, I parked downtown and walked a block. I thought I wouldn't make it.

A little wind and cold, brutally cold, temperatures made the walk almost unbearable. I will admit that I was unprepared with no hat or gloves but give me a break, one block! I shouldn't have any problem...but it was bad.

I forgot how cold real cold can get. Wow!

Bracing for sure but not for me.

I ate lunch at China Village. We have been eating there for over 32 years! I was glad to see that they had a healthy business.

This is surprising because there are better Chinese restaurants in town but this has been a favorite for many over the years.

It was nostalgic. I have met many people for lunch there. Many great friendships. Many endearing lunches. I returned on the recommendation of a dear friend. And, it was good.

We are now in a hotel in Denver and we're leave early tomorrow morning for Panama. I am ready. I am visited out. I am ready for some solitary time to recuperate from the trip.

And the trip was magnificent!

We experienced hospitality at it's best. And renewed friendships. And had a great time.

Thanks to everyone in Colorado Springs! You made us feel welcome and cherished.