Penny

Here's the notice from Ralph's son Louis is is here in Panama:

Quote

> All,
> It was such a pleasure to attend the Rotary of Boquete meeting this evening and to meet more of the wonderful and caring friends of Ralph. Immediately after the meeting, I headed back to David.
> You will recall I was enthusiastic about his discharge from the Chiriqui Hospital this Saturday.
> Unfortunately, there was a further complication and father passed away this evening at 7:25 pm.
> He thoroughly enjoyed his time in Panama in particular with his winged friends so I suspect he has now earned his own wings and will be among the angels.
> There will not be funeral services in Panama but I will return this summer to host a celebration of his life.
> Please excuse this mass mailing but rest assured I am most appreciative to each and every one of you for having made his time in Panamaso pleasant.
> Do not be sad, but rather think of a time he made you smile or laugh or admire one of the birds he was so fond of.
> I share this with you on behalf of my mother Carmen, and my wife Sylvie.
>
> Sincerely,
> Louis

Just heard of the passing of Ralph Desseau. Ralph was an asset to the community, an author, a Rotarian, a great story teller. He lived an amazing life.

Some of you know that my partners Hellmut and Linda are enjoying a much needed vacation touring around the southwestern part of the U.S. (110 degrees in Scottsdale, they write). Well, that leaves yours truly to run the flea market this Sunday. From what I can discern, we have quite a few new and different vendors. Lots of gringos selling out their surplus goods or paring down because they're moving. Also my (almost) famous hot dogs still only $1. I've started ordering the buns from the little bakery next to the Art Cafe. They're home baked and delicious.

Come on out. Theoretically the market runs from 10 until 1 but people start packing up between 12:30 and 1.

See you there ???

I've known several people who have gone there either individually or as part of a group. I have heard nothing but praise for the place.

I just looked at my check ledger for the account I keep at MultiBank. Basically, the only thing I write checks for is to pay my insurance premiums. I think it's not worth the hassle and fees to keep a checking account in Panama. Like Marilyn, I learned the hard way that there was a $25/month fee for low balance when $125 was deducted from my account before I realized it.

I love the one-way streets in David that suddenly become one-way going in the opposite direction. Here's a tip for newbies: if there's a yellow line down the center of the street, it's a two -way. If no yellow line, it's a one-way.

The two stop lights between the overpass and Price Smart need to be synched better. Returning from Price Smart there is often long traffic jams because of these lights.

And the overpass . . . what a waste of money. A traffic light would have been perfectly adequate and we could have turned left or right on the Pan American without going all around Farmer Jone's barn.

And don't even get me started on the totally inadequate number of turn-around or cross-overs on the Boquete-David four lane road.

Keith

If you read the linked article carefully you will see it talks about a new convention center in Chiriqui (not David). I would guess it's talking about the one in Alto Boquete. This convention center has been a dream of the past mayor Manolo Ruiz for many years.

It's wonderful how BCP has come alive and transformed into a true community center.

We have the Lovely Lucy to thank for much of that.

Thank you Pat. There have been rumors and rumors about rumors floating around since Manolo Ruiz was mayor Boquete. This was really his dream. The fact that this project has been funded is the news. Hopefully it will be built in our lifetime. I don't think it will be a mammoth convention center like Atlapa in PTY. Probably a building with a few meeting rooms and (hopefully) a large auditorium.

This is a 1753 sq meter lot with a beautiful ocean view and also a nice river view. It is located at the end of a dead end road. This lot is titled and has mature trees. Electricity is available. The price has been reduced to $62,500.

Call Penny at 6510-8934 or email pjbarrett@aol.com

This was a major undertaking by Bud and Marcelyn. Being local residents they know who to reach out to for the latest and best information. Unlike the other forum which has no "boots on the ground" in Panama

Save one for me !!!!!

I'll be there to get it.

They have these at the big Vivero (Santa Maria ??) in Dolega. Funny story, I went there about 10 years ago and asked for "Ayer, Hoy, y Manana". Apparently they didn't recognIze what I was trying to say because they took me to the office and pointed out their open hours sign.

As we say in Panama, ja, ja, ja.

This is going to be huge. To accommodate all the vendors with hot plates BCP has installed 10 new dedicated outlets each on it's separate circuit.

If you (the public) wants this market to continue on a once a month basis, please support it on Saturday. If we don't get the buying clientele, the vendors won't want to come back next month.

Hope to see you there. Bring your cooler in case there's stuff you want to take home.

So, I'm reading my email yesterday, minding my own business when all of a sudden up pops a window with the message that Windows 10 was in the process of downloading and please don't turn off my computer.

As I researched the advisability of changing from Windows 7 to Windows 10 I had accepted the wise advice of computer experts on this site to the effect of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

I immediately pulled the plug on the computer to prevent this "upgrade" which I hadn't asked for and didn't want.

Anybody else have experience with this stealth tactic being employed by MicroSoft???

So, I'm reading my email yesterday, minding my own business when all of a sudden up pops a window with the message that Windows 10 was in the process of downloading and please don't turn off my computer.

As I researched the advisability of changing from Windows 7 to Windows 10 I had accepted the wise advice of computer experts on this site to the effect of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

I immediately pulled the plug on the computer to prevent this "upgrade" which I hadn't asked for and didn't want.

Anybody else have experience with this stealth tactic being employed by MicroSoft???

Olga expects to be released today. Keith Cline will pick her up and bring her home. We need to start the "soup brigade". She was a picky eater in the hospital and needs to get some good nourishment.

This has got to be the "feel good" post of the year. I have 3 rescue dogs and they're a pain in the trasero but I would miss them terribly if they weren't with me.

Olga is due to be released on Monday. She is now getting intravenous antibiotics for a lung infection. The diagnosis of what is wrong with her has been all over the map. At first it was presumed she had a heart attack. Then there was some suspicion of complications from a recent endoscopy. Now a lung infection. In any case, she is currently pain free and really looking forward to getting home.

And one other thing. Boquete is nothing like where I lived in the states and nobody I know is is trying to make it so.

It sounds like you think all of us living in Boquete live an insular life in a gated community and and that description doesn't apply to at least 99% of us.

2 hours ago, JohnF13 said:

What I was trying to say, perhaps inelegantly, is that the Boquete expat group seems to me to be a bit closed and introspective.  If you are living within that community and not really interacting with Panamanians, then have you really left home?  Your comment is a perfect example, a passive aggressive response to a simple statement of our preferences.  

John -- do you have a Panamanian wife? I would guess that you do if you are interacting mainly with the Panamanian community and want to chide the rest of us who neither have married into a Panamanian family nor speak fluent Spanish. One of my best friends is my neighbor who is Panamanian. However, I know I will never be integrated totally into her social circle which consists mostly of family gatherings and celebrations. My language is different, my background is different, my culture is different. I know many, many Panamanians with whom I do a few minutes of small talk. However, for my social needs, I rely mostly on the English speaking community (some of whom are Panamanians).

If I was married to a Panamanian, my take on all of this would probably be different.

Is anyone going to David today who can take a small bag of personal items to Olga in room 12 of Hospital Chiriqui?

If that's you, please call 6510-8934

Olga is in Room 12 at Chiriqui Hospital. She continues to have bad pains under her left breast but this is a different place than the original severe pain. She and Dr. Anguizola are beginning to think it may not have been a heart attack but some kind of severe gastro-intestinal problem. They are doing a CAT scan this afternoon.

If anybody is going to visit later today (Thursday) or tomorrow, please stop by my house for a bag of her personal items she needed from her apartment.

2 hours ago, Bud said:

It is nice to read that some people do a fairly thorough due-diligence prior to transplanting themselves. My recommendation is to spend a minimum of six months here prior to making a big decision. But I also admit that I did the exact opposite. My decision was made literally on the same day that I saw Boquete for the first time back in 2001.

Like Bud, I too made a rash decision to buy a house in Boquete. Sometimes it's just love at first sight. Sometimes that works out as it did for me.

Most of you know that I took Olga into Hospital Chiriqui emergency in the wee morning hours on Monday because of severe chest pains. They diagnosed a heart attack and put her into intensive care. Today she saw her own cardiologist (Dr. Anguizola) who was more optimistic than was Dr. Adames. They moved her into a regular hospital room this afternoon and she can have visitors. We don't yet know when she will be released to go home.
Penny