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Marcelyn

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Blog Entries posted by Marcelyn

  1. Marcelyn
    This morning (Thursday) our Panamanian gardener appeared at our gate on time for work  Bud told him no work now.  Poor soul thought he had been fired! Bud spent several minutes explaining coronavirus and how Panama is in total quarantine. Bud paid him his full salary then asked him to return to work when quarantine is over.
    Our great gardener left with a better understanding of the current environment.
  2. Marcelyn
    Silly me !!  I donned my mask and gloves to go shopping today (Monday, April 20) because I thought this was the assigned day for females to be away from their residence. Reckon not!
    I observed more males (in stores shopping, driving taxi, selling produce from back of their pick-up, walking along the street with shopping bag, numerous male vehicle drivers, etc.) than females during my quick trip downtown to buy groceries.
    Seems fines, taking away drivers license and car for 90 days, etc., is not a deterrent toward stopping people from doing what they want to do. Paying $100,000 penalty for holding a catered wedding or scheduling a birthday party during quarantine is 0.K.? I observed people walking their dog during last weekend shutdown days.
    Perhaps stiffer penalties are needed. Maybe these vehicles held for 90 days could then be sold at public auction or place offenders in stocks in the park.  
    What’s the answer?
  3. Marcelyn
    Gurrr........another day with electricity outage. Again, home laundry is not happening. So I discovered a nice full service laundry guy located behind Boquete police station. This place does a fast turn around of wash/dry and fold at a reasonable price. He only does wash and dry — no ironing, dry cleaning, etc.
    Happy clean day at our house.?
  4. Marcelyn

    The Big Bang

    By Marcelyn,

    Anouk and I are glad The Big Bang time during the recent holidays is finally over. Just noise. To me fireworks mean rockets shot skyward and the explosion of colored star designs high above the roof tops. Pretty to watch.....not just noise that frightens animals and interrupts conversations.
    Maybe next year we could have a fireworks display in a nearby field and invite everyone in the community.  I know Anouk would be happier. Me too.
  5. Marcelyn
    We had scheduled a grooming session with Casandra at Veterinaria San Jose for this morning. We believe it was the first time for Anouk to experience a grooming session. We had no idea how she would handle it. Getting Anouk into the car was not that difficult, but keeping her calm during the short 5 to 6 minute ride was a bit difficult.
    Bud took a picture of the ride just before departing our driveway area. He was to drive, and I opted to sit in the back seat with Anouk to help her through the car ride, her first in our car.
    Anouk really was dirty. We may have to burn the car now from the residue odors.   Strong is a gross understatement. I am going to put some deodorizers in the back of the car to see if that will help.
     
     
    And then here is a picture of the Veterinaria San Jose where the grooming took place. Casandra and Ruby took very good care of Anouk. Ruby speaks pretty good English, and Casandra only a little bit. Bud did his best with his Spanglish. Everything worked as described.

     
    I posted this after we got her back home. Casandra did a good job. She believes Anouk is a bit younger than the other estimate. She thinks possibly a year to maybe 1.5 years old. The actual age is not that important; we know she is a young animal and a full life ahead of her. Anouk's hair did not need to be cut, but a lot of brushing was needed after the bath. Upon picking up Anouk after this experience, she seemed kind of okay with it. That is good because I think she will go through the grooming thing rather routinely.
  6. Marcelyn
    Anouk started chewing on our plastic flower pots, actually destroying them. Oh, oh, not good. I got Bud out of a sick bed (bad cold) and off he went to Romero's to purchase dog bones from the meat market. Cost of 88 cents per pound. He brought them home and I "cooked" a couple of the bones in the microwave for a few minutes. My vet from the US recommended this process.
    Believe it or not Anouk didn't know what the bone was. I've never heard of this before. Anyway after about 10 minutes Anouk took the cooled bone from my hand and started to gnaw timidly at the meat section.  After another several minutes Anouk stared to enjoy the experience and ate bone, meat and then wanted another. Nothing remained of her "treat" when she decided to nap.
  7. Marcelyn
    A short time ago I ordered jeans from an internet source. Quality was not very good. They were cheap; about half the price of what I could find elsewhere. Yes, once upon a time my mother told me “you get what you pay for”. 
    The color was O.K. The real concern was the length of the pant legs. They were seven (7) inches too long. Now that would be a heck of a roll-up cuff! What to do. I had paid for them; spent money to ship them here, and they were cheap.
    Off I went to downtown Boquete looking for someone with a sewing machine. Found him in his shop on the NE corner across the street from Farmacia Revilla. I had marked the desired length correction with big safety pens so not much Spanish conversation was needed.
    I’m hoping for a happy outcome and will probably never learn who or what was the model used by the manufacturer to make these jeans. But at least I know about the man with a sewing machine in downtown Boquete.
    His name is Domingo.
  8. Marcelyn
    Not long ago an acquaintance (maybe I should call him a “real character”) came to visit us. He needed a haircut...did he ever! But he claimed he didn’t have time or the opportunity for this. Too many other activities like Jazz Festival, Tree Trek, food to try, practice his Spanish, etc.
    Then one day after his spending the day touring around the Boquete area, I noticed his hair was neatly trimmed. Where? was my question. Bert explained he had asked friendly Panamanians standing near Romero’s. They told about a favorite shop close to the Melo store and across the street from Dr. Gómez. Of course Bert had to try this place. Said it was the kind of business he liked to explore and make new friends. Called it educational and the right price.
    Later I discovered this is Lasso Barber Shop. Mr. Lasso is a gentle and very polite man. I think he has been part of the Boquete culture forever.
    Now Bert is continuing his world travel adventures in other places, making friends, and learning. He probably could need another haircut. Maybe tomorrow or perhaps next week or?
    What a great guy! That comment applies to both Bert and Sr Lasso. They are both winners.
     
  9. Marcelyn
    A friend and I were enjoying a before dinner conversation last week when she inquired about who was listed as beneficiary on our bank account. I answered with certain names of people. And she said “are you sure, really sure?” Then she told me a scary tale. (This is a smart, clear thinking woman.) Recently when this couple visited their local bank and inquired about who was listed as beneficiary on their account, they were told two names of people they didn’t even know!
    So yesterday Bud and I went to our primary bank to check our account status. You guessed it. One listed beneficiary is deceased and another was someone that we don’t want near our financial matters. This bank charges $112 for a new beneficiary form but we agreed to pay — without a smile — because we wanted an immediate correction of this information. Decided not to delay this process while considering opening an account at a different bank. We also will be checking our secondary bank account in the next few days.
    How does this happen where names of people you don’t even know appear as benefactors on your personal bank account?
    Also learned that Bud is the “owner” of the account. Yes, I have check writing authority, but am not the owner, so settlement/change of ownership would eventually require probate thru Panamanian court system if there is no designated beneficiary.
    Note: My action item is every month check the paperwork data at the bank.
    Are you confident your bank account documentation is as you want it to be?
  10. Marcelyn
    Here is a picture of the before and after conditions for Anouk. The picture was provided by Javier and Magaly. They are super nice people. And thanks also for their volunteer helpers, Kirsten and Ray Quimby. (Ahem, Bud should have tucked in his shirt! )
    We understand that Anouk was kept on a short chain in her prior "residence". Now she has full run of the yard, which is obviously fenced.

  11. Marcelyn

    Flower Pot Toy

    By Marcelyn,

    I'm looking for a dog toy in the shape of a flower pot. Why? Anouk is the owner of a variety of toys. Chew rag, ball, plastic bone, and the latest addition is a squeaky giant hamburger about the size of a dinner plate. All of these hold her attention for a few minutes, then off she races to tackle one of my flower pots. True, a couple are favorites but none is safe.
    Good food recommended by Dra Chely, freedom to run in a fenced yard, and medicine to cure her health problems seem to give her energy....and she has lots of it! 
    We gotta protect our flowers, especially the orchids. They don't have a chance with Anouk "playing" with them.
  12. Marcelyn
    Dra. Chely is amazing.
    This was the day for Anouk’s check-up which included worming pills and rabies shot. Dra. Chely inspected Anouk’s ears and did a thorough exam of our dog’s teeth and mouth condition. All good news now, but Dra. Chely pointed to enamel lost because of bad diet fed by Anouk’s earlier owners. (Remember Anouk is a rescue dog.)
    Fur condition outstanding — shines. Dra. Chely asked what dog food we are feeding Anouk and gave immediate approval of our selection. Should mention she said “no treats” because Anouk is overweight and cautioned this is bad for her heart. Longer walks needed!
    Except for a weight problem (my fault because I am the “food lady”), Anouk’s heart, lungs, feet, etc., are in excellent condition. 
    Dra. Chely kissed our dog, gave her a hug and said to me “Anouk has a good home now”.
    Everyone happy and home we go.
  13. Marcelyn
    When I was a young girl my mother would tell me that the older you get the faster time flies. I would laugh because I was too young to understand. Boy, do I now know what she meant. And I agree........time does seem to go faster as you get older.
    Anouk has been with us "and been our dog" for one year this month. Took her to the Animalis spay/neuter clinic, visit to Dra. Chely for check-up and shots, and of course a bath and trim. Then there was the dog obedience training. She has "settled in" and become our favorite (and only) dog. Even the neighbor cats (all seven of them) who arrive at our kitchen door for breakfast, lunch, and dinner plus snacks are her friends.
    With Anouk's long hair I need to brush her frequently. Takes a lot of my time and she really enjoys it. Probably more than sleeping in her new house.
    It's been a good, maybe even great year!
    My big scare yesterday was when I found a cane toad (wow, a big one) in our yard. I know these   are poisonous. My question is what should I do to protect Anouk. I will take her to the vet of course, but how can I give first-aid immediately if she gets into a disagreement with this creature? All available information I found was several years old and I want current instructions.
    Need help, please.
  14. Marcelyn
    As a dog owner, one of the "duties as needed" that comes my way is Yard Poop Cleaner. Doesn't take a lot of time and requires minimum training. These were the selling points to me.
    So here I am at my job last week when I walked right by a brown leaf...or so I thought. Circled back and took a closer look. No way! This was a cane toad in my backyard. The second instance of finding one of these critters on our property. I rushed to the kitchen. Searching for a weapon, I grabbed my spray bottle of bleach and returned to the toad area. Sprayed this creature several times as he jumped away from "my mighty weapon". Of course Anouk was trying to help my efforts with her jumping and barking.
    I could see my bleach wasn't working, so with my almost OK arm (earlier broken in a skiing accident), I lifted a sizable potted plant in container and dropped it onto the toad. 
    Now the rest of the story. After various suggestions and long consideration, the contractor is here today beginning the installation of wire mesh along the bottom section of our fence line. Hopefully this will keep out toads and any snakes that wander our way.
  15. Marcelyn
    Took Anouk for her physical check-up with Dra. Chely this morning. Remember when we accepted this beautiful Husky about one plus years ago, this rescue dog had some health issues including raw ears devoid of hair because of flea infestation. So bad that Dra. Chely was fearful the hair would never grow back! With the application of medicine and a lot of work on our part Anouk now has clean and "hairy" ears. Per Dra. Chely's instructions we bathed Anouk's feet daily in white vinegar and water to get rid of fungus and of course there was a problem with poor fur (matty and bad smelling).
    This morning Anouk got an A+ in all areas including her clean teeth. We give her a raw bone (preferably tan bone, pig) once a week plus dry dog food with a small amount of canned wet food morning and night. "0nly egg white" per Dra. Chely "not the egg yolk" is included at breakfast. Anouk enjoys chewing on a Nyla bone on a regular basis. "Excellent mouth, no dog breath" per the vet.
    Will admit that Anouk could lose a few pounds. Guess that means more walks and my throwing the ball for her to chase more times.
    Reckon I better get busy....rain or sunshine ?.
    She really is a beautiful dog and a major addition to our family.


     
     
  16. Marcelyn
    A new experience at Tocumen last week. My one bag was stopped by a determined Custom inspector who asked me three times what food I had. Tried to assure “no food,” but she directed me to the inspection station where I had to open my luggage. Took her about two minutes to locate my bottle of water and a handful of candy mints I had dropped into the side pocket.
    The interesting part of this experience was my 50 minute delay caused by the lady in front of me. She had three suitcases all wrapped in plastic. The inspector used scissors and removed the plastic covering and proceeded to remove various items from the woman’s bags. Two rolls of sausage (about five pounds each), several bottles of wine (I think six total), and various types of snack foods...looked like crackers and dips.
    The inspector kept all the food. Needless to say, the bags were now pretty empty and the owner didn’t look happy. We wondered if this woman was headed to a party or had just cleaned all remaining food from a festival gathering!
  17. Marcelyn
    January is my birth month and 2019 is when I had to renew my Panamanian drivers license. Visited a lab here in Boquete for blood test. Then two days later, with blood result information in hand, went to doctor office for a physical exam and memory test. (At my age this exam has to be done by an internalist or gerontologist). Dra Díaz issued the “results” letter which I took to the licensing office the following day. (Glucose and blood pressure reading seem to be the primary criteria for consideration for license.) Also remembered to take copy of my cedula — instead of paying 10 cents for a copy at licensing office).
    The staff at the ATTT (Transito Y Transporte) office which is located in Chiriqui Mall (near PriceSmart) was polite and efficient. All instructions were in Spanish. I had to ask one female employee to repeat her information because I couldn’t be sure I had understood her very rapid Spanish!
    Passed all hearing and visual tests. Process was completed and license issued in less than 20 minutes from time we entered the building. With my jubilado discount, the cost was $16.00. 
    A happy experience.
  18. Marcelyn
    Every resident applying for a renewal Panamanian driver license (good for 4 years) must pass an eye and hearing exam. For people 70-85 years old, a certificate of good physical and mental health from a Panamanian doctor who specializes in internal medicine or geriatrics is required. All this plus an actual test in parallel parking and back-up maneuvers is required for residents over 85 years old. For us seniors the renewed license is valid for only two years.
    Since I meet the requirements for the actual test, I used my very small car (named Tiny Tim) and practiced for a week prior to my test date. Everyday Bud had me out doing the backing up and parallel parking drill. The word is that if your car even touches a cone on the driving test range then you fail. The cones are sometimes small and generally not visible to the driver taking the test.
    During my first attempt at test parallel parking on the actual license renewal day the inspector saw me turning my head to look out the rear window. Maneuver was successful, but he made me repeat the procedure and this time I used the vehicle mirrors only....instead of turning my head and looking backwards. Managed the back-up maneuvers, so inspector gave me a thumbs up and approved my drivers license renewal request.
    I understand that no one 90 years old or older is approved for driving in Panama. Individuals can try to renew a license at 89, but probably won't be successful. Everyone at the David Sertracen office was courteous. The only downside is the very rapid Spanish used by employees when giving instructions for taking the eye and hearing exams.
    Many people 85 years of age can't pass the health requirements... certainly can't perform the actual test maneuvers, so I'm celebrating my success. 🙏🙏👍👍👏👏
  19. Marcelyn
    What did you do with Anouk and who is this dog?
    A scare this morning. We took our two year old Husky to The Dog Spot for a bath and almost didn't recognize the dog Roberto brought out to us from the back room. Darker fur and several inches smaller. Oh no--what happened? Then Roberto showed us the fur he had combed from Anouk. I think it would be sufficient to stuff a small pillow. And her last bath was less than a month ago.
    She looked great and I believe our car seemed to handle better with the less weight of all that fur.
    Anouk really is a beautiful dog.
    P. S.  Anouk is wearing her new dog tag. The one we purchased at Mr. Dog; the  "I was Rescued" tag with her name and telephone on the reverse.
  20. Marcelyn

    And Now I Know - Entitled People

    By Marcelyn,


    main thread
    Have you heard of the “entitled people”?
    Because of surgery on Bud’s hand and arm, we decided to fly first class on a recent trip in US. During our flight when Bud went to the toilet, a fella from economy section sat down in Bud’s aisle seat next to me. The flight attendant told him he couldn’t sit there. The passenger said that’s where he wanted to sit and started an argument with the flight attendant. I unfastened my seat belt and grabbed my cup of hot coffee because I could sense a fight happening, and I wanted to help the attendant. When Bud returned to claim his seat, the economy customer finally left and returned to his assigned area.
    On another leg of our travel the attendant requested three times that everyone be seated so the plane door could be closed. Suddenly the attendant from economy section rushed forward and said there was a female customer who didn’t like her seat and wouldn’t sit down. She demanded a “better” seat. The Captain announced “the woman can sit in the seat she paid for or get off the plane immediately”.
    End of discussion and plane was airborne.
    Our attendant rolled her eyes and said to me “some people sure feel entitled”.
  21. Marcelyn
    Our electrical service has been interrupted daily (sometimes lasting several hours), Netflix reception poor (maybe because of heavy usage by stay-at-home folks), long waiting lines at grocery outlets, more & more empty shelves in stores, restrictive hours allowed for necessary errands like medical consults, “cowboy” drivers on almost empty roads, etc., with no end in sight to the quarantine. Feel like we are “camping out” in our home. The next scary situation is I may have to start braiding Bud’s long hair because no haircut !!
    The good news is that we have our water supply back today. Also used FaceTime teleconferencing to contact our US doctor for medical problem.
    Question: is Panama losing its attraction for many gringos? If foreigners avoid this area, plus continued low water problems for the canal, how can Panama sustain itself economically?
    Wondering what’s next.
  22. Marcelyn
    Bought "Bags to Go" at PriceSmart yesterday. These are plastic bags where you can put your hand in bag, pick up waste, invert bag inside out, then tie. Dispose of bag into garbage. They work perfectly as described. Cost: $12.99 for quantity of 300 bags.
  23. Marcelyn
    Several weeks ago I purchased a purse from an indigenous lady at the BCP Market. Just the right size and color and I used it daily. Last week I was in a hurry, forced and broke the zipper.
    Tuesday I took the purse back to this family and asked if a replacement zipper could be installed. No problem and the lady would not accept any payment. I was so happy with the results and impressed with her “no charge” that I purchased a small purse as a gift for a friend.
    As I’ve thought more about this experience, I remember three friends in the US who would enjoy a hand-made purse from Panama, so next Tuesday, I’m going back to the indigenous lady’s booth at the Market and buy more purses as gifts for friends. 😊😊😊
  24. Marcelyn

    New toy for Anouk

    By Marcelyn,

    A friend suggested a new chewing toy for Anouk would be a twisted rag "thingy". Couldn't find one here in Boquete at the logical places to look, so I visited the garden section at Melo to make a substitute. The salesman got a big laugh about my 2 foot rope purchase ($1.00) and he helped tie the rope into a tight knot.
    Anouk enjoyed her tied in a knot rope toy. However, I think it lasted only about 15 minutes and then the rope was unraveled and in pieces.
    Yeah! We found the sought after rag chew in David yesterday afternoon. Of all places at El Rey. A monster of wrapped material with both ends of dangling pieces. About 18" long, and cost $7.59 (ouch). Anouk loves it. Maybe we should buy several more... this one is lasting longer than a few minutes, but it too will probably succumb to her energetic playing.
    Here is a picture of her new toy:

  25. Marcelyn
    Excitement in El Santuario this afternoon.
    We lost electrical service for a second time today (Friday, June 18th), with the first outage being scheduled maintenance. The first outage lasted about seven hours, ending about 2:00 PM. A second outage started about 3:15 PM, and a few minutes later a neighbor called saying a high tension wire was on the ground and “arcing and sparking” in front of his house. We alerted Rodny Direct, who called Naturgy’s emergency number. Rodny called back within a few minutes to report that two Naturgy repair trucks were Immediately dispatched from David to our location. As a sidebar, Rodny informed us that when Naturgy dispatches more than one truck to site that it is called a brigade. Bud alerted our neighbor then drove to meet and direct (using flash lights) the Naturgy trucks when they arrived and moving up the hill into El Santuario.
    A fire truck arrived in case a fire started, and also to block the area immediately around the downed wiring. That fire truck refused to allow a taxi driver and a few other vehicles from entering into the danger area.
    Naturgy arrived with two trucks and assessed the situation. Electrical power was shut down to the high tension wiring. Naturgy estimated three hours for the repair to be finished.
    Great job, Rodny.  👏👏  We’ll certainly renew our yearly subscription for Rodny Direct. This service is the best buy in town.
    Pictures available tomorrow after electricity is restored.
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