David van Harn

¡Hola, mi amigos!

Although I prefer the format of the Ning forum platform over this Invision Community Software platform, now that I stop by every day, I am beginning to realize that the content here is much more relevant for me as a "settled in" expat who loves living here.  Plus, a lot of my friends hang out there

Although I still occasionally visit to read and post at Boquete.ning, that community forum website is a shadow of it's former self without a strong sense of connection to the core expat community of Boquete.  I am aware that many of you here were summarily excluded from ning, and the forums there now represents only a fraction of the community compared to the past.  Indeed, the forum there would be pretty dead without admin postings of new discussions, many of which are not even related to the community.  However, it does have a lot of informational content and links, and the word "Boquete" in the name will probably attract a number of people looking up Boquete for the first time.    

I look forward to contributing and participating more at Chiriqui Life. 

I agree about MeteoEarth, Mark.  It is a great weather tool for the general public. 

In trying to look for some details about that general forecast, I see a strong pressure gradient with higher barometric pressure in the northern Caribbean and a low pressure region near Columbia, but no evidence of anything that could be called a "storm." 

It appears that the cause of our persistent high winds is stronger than usual southern Caribbean trade winds enhanced by weather systems to the north.  The typical "dry season" orographic precipitation is being pushed over the Talamanca Mount Range from Bocas del Toro (the Bajareque mist/drizzle and wind), and it has been much stronger than usual lately.  That is what your map shows, and it matches the meteorology information sources that I use.  

Yesterday, on the other side of Volcan Baru, there was some heavy drizzle in Cerro Punta and Guadalupe - the lush green environment there is truly astounding.  However, it was dry and only a bit windy in Volcan.  

Back on our side of Volcan Baru, the drizzle seems to be reaching Brisas Boqueteñas in the morning, but was backing off to San Francisco Plaza at Palmira Road by afternoon when I drove back to Boquete a couple of times this week. 

This is my 5th "dry and windy" season in Boquete, and the past couple of weeks seems to be windier and rainier than I remember during the past four years.  I have a feeling that Alto Quiel, Palo Alto and Jaramillo are getting pretty wet, and I know that coffee growers - the smaller operations that don't have mechanical dryers - are taking their beans down the hill for outdoor drying

But the morning rainbows towards Volcan Baru, and evening rainbows towards Jaramillo are gorgeous every day. 

1 hour ago, JudyS said:

That's not me.  I owe the IRS money.

Lucky you!  :-( 

Have you contacted Intuit/TurboTax Tech Support?  I guess there's more than one issue that doesn't automatically generate an error message.

46 minutes ago, JudyS said:

I tried to access the IRS pin site through TurboTax.  I put in all the information, but it keeps rejecting it and won't give me a pin for e-filing.  Were you able to get a pin?

That is the core of my story Judy - the Intuit/TurboTax system didn't tell me why they my e-filing attempt was rejected.  It took a lot of Google searching to find out that my income was under the threshold for e-filing. I only had my SS and no "wages" income.  I wasn't issued a pin - and no reason was given. 

From the Intuit/TurboTax website: 

Quote

When seniors must file

If you are unmarried and at least 65 years of age, then you must file an income tax return if your gross income is $11,850 or more. However, if you live on Social Security benefits, you don't include this in gross income. If this is the only income you receive, then your gross income equals zero, and you don't have to file a federal income tax return. But if you do earn other income that is not tax-exempt, then each year you must determine whether the total exceeds $11,850. If you are married and file a joint return with a spouse who is also 65 or older, you must file a return if your combined gross income is $23,100 or more. If your spouse is under 65 years old, then the threshold amount decreases to $21,850. Keep in mind that these income thresholds only apply to the 2015 tax year, and generally increase slightly each year.

When to include Social Security in gross income

There are certain situations when seniors must include their Social Security benefits in gross income. If you are married but file a separate tax return and live with your spouse at any time during the year, then all of your Social Security benefits are considered gross income which may require you to file a tax return. In addition, a portion of your Social Security benefits are included in gross income, regardless of your filing status, in any year the sum of half your Social Security plus all other income, including tax-exempt interest, exceeds $25,000 or $32,000 if you are married filing jointly.

Heck, I can't even file a return with the IRS.  And I am amazed by the level of wealth among my Boquete expat friends and acquaintances. 

I tried filing a return my first year here, but the EFS (Electronic Filing System) ignored me without comment - I was actually rejected and ignored by the IRS. I was sooo depressed!

(Apparently those who live on a modest to moderate Social Security income, and have less than $10,000 additional income, cannot even submit a return electronically.) 

La vida es buena en Boquete!

Actually, the winter mid-latitude storm named Jonas (but called "Snowzilla by many in the U.S.) never came close to Boquete.  However, some jetstream-driven mid to high-level atmospheric moisture - not the low-level moisture that massively increases precipitation- was transported north from the tropics to the storm off the mid Atlantic coast.  That high-level moisture created the long plume (or streak) of water vapor in the above images.  The huge lazy, often slow-moving  loops of the jet stream that can cause severe winter weather are believed by many climate scientists to be result of global warming.  A scientific paper and comments by Dr. Jennifer Francis of Rutgers University is an important component of this area of intense study.  [LINK]

Our weather in Boquete has remained within normal ranges, although that may change with the coming La Niña this spring and summer.  Currently, I have seen no deviation from our typical dry-season strong trade-winds off the Caribbean driving low-level moisture over Panama's continental divide from the north.  This gives Alto Quiel, Los Naranjos, Jaramillo and other nearby north-side neighborhoods typical Bajareque rain and mist - and south of the rain line - lots of wind.   Here in Volcancito and next door in Alto Boquete, it has been mostly clear and very windy with the Bajareque mist occasionally reaching this far south, although the Bajareque was weaker and the winds lighter this season until about a week or so ago.  

At my rental house in lower Volcancito, it is noon and quite windy - 15mph with gusts to 30mph according to Lloyd Cripe's Palmira weather station.  The temperature at my house is 75°F both inside and out - just another day in paradise.  Today  is just a bit cooler than the low-wind days when it usually gets up to 80-82°F outside. 

---

For those interested in more information:

The moisture that fed "Snowzilla" or Jonas and created record snowfalls at many locations in the eastern U.S. is low-level moisture.  As the storm first developed in NE Texas, it drew moisture from the Gulf of Mexico.  It dropped rain as it moved across the southern U.S. and up towards the mid-Atlantic region.  Then the storm's core - a low pressure region - moved just offshore into the Atlantic Ocean, and stalled there for a couple of days.  The much warmer than normal waters there allowed the storm to pick up copious amounts of moisture.  Those high levels of atmospheric moisture are due to warmer than normal ocean waters that are caused by both global warming and climate change, and boosted by the current very strong El Niño.  The storm used the ocean's heat to re-strengthened, and delivered heavy amounts of snow to the mid Atlantic region, where they are digging out today. 

Winter storm Jonas finally left the region lastnight, and is now heading quickly across the Atlantic Ocean towards the British Isles.  When it arrives, it is expected to bring severe weather and more flooding to that already soaked and recently flooded region. 

(I get much of my information about climate and weather information from meteorologists Dr. Jeff Masters and his co-blogger Bob Henson, and from climate scientist Dr. Ricky Rood at Weather Underground.  I spent many hours the past few days following this significant winter storm at their blog - where many meteorologists, scientists, and weather buffs participate. [LINK]