Bienvenidos a Casa Ingaso, Altos del Maria, Republic of Panama

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SEPTEMBER 2008: “Now For Something Completely Different...”

(NOTE: Newcomers, who'd like to get an idea of what this site is all about, would be well-advised to click on "2005 Pages" and read that introduction. Enjoy!)

You know, life with TC has always been ...interesting, but her latest caper is odd even by her standards. It all started innocently enough: she and her friends discovered that aesthetically pleasing garden pottery was hard to find in Panamá. Oh, you could find some here or there, if you diligently searched, but you'd be limited to what's on hand, which was never enough for our "Constant Gardeners." Sooooo, what to do?
That's when TC and her friend, Connie, began thinking: "How about we import some pots?"
Okay, now you have to realize that I was not in the loop while these kinds of ideas were being floated about. Had I been, sanity would have prevailed...well, my version of it, anyway. But, I wasn't in the loop, and by the time I heard, it was too late: TC and Connie had decided to order a container's worth of ceramic pots, bird baths, pagodas and yard balls(?). And so, they found a state of Washington importer who would place an order for them with a factory in Vietnam! Talk about your well-traveled balls.
(You can click on the pictures for larger versions, but click on the highlighted words to visit the gallery. Don't worry, if you click through the gallery, it will bring you back here; and they're all fairly short.)
Meantime, they had worked out a deal with a granite-installation business owner in Bejuco, who agreed to let them store and display their wares for a percentage. He would also allow his office worker to handle day-to-day sales, which was the capper: neither TC nor Connie wanted anything to do with that. So, our girls are in the pot business. (You can send flowers and sympathy cards to the address in the sidebar; make them out to me...)
Pots not withstanding, everything around here hasn't been crazy lately. For instance, my grandson, Aaron, finally made his way to Panamá. (Although, his hat was a little crazy.)
We've been trying for a long time to get him down here for a visit, but one way or another, circumstances had always thwarted us. That is, until this summer when the stars aligned and he boarded a plane in Salt Lake City, eventually arriving in Altos at one a.m. on a Monday morning. Then, he proceeded to sleep until two that afternoon (TC and I took turns checking on him to make sure he was still breathing.)
Aaron's timing couldn't have been better: we put him to work moving pots almost as soon as he woke-up—there's nothing like free labor! Actually, he got off easy, because I'd planned to put him to work digging irrigation ditches, but that was before I heard about this crazy pot scheme.
At any rate, it was surprisingly dry for most of Aaron's stay (he kept asking about the rainfall, seemingly disappointed over the lack of it). True, we waited out a downpour in the city while TC got drenched getting the car, but that was his last day in Panamá. And even though that last day on the way to the airport we experienced the highest level of rainfall possible (you know by now: "Holy shit, build an ark!"), Aaron didn't see much rain the rest of his stay. But, all that changed almost as soon as he left.
Oh, we haven't been inundated here at Casa Ingaso, but most afternoons the skies darken and we get wet. And the usual scenario has TC and me eating lunch on the terrace, watching the storm advancing up the valley, gray veils designating downpours. If the rain is heavy, we can hear it coming, too. The animals also seem to sense it, well, except for Tipper.
Before the rain hits, Roxie and the dogs will be snuggling up some place warm, whereas Tipper appears to lack their precipitation radar. In her case, about five to ten minutes after the heavy drops start to fall, we'll see a white blur flash across the lawn, then virtually levitate itself up the stairs. For that reason, now, when I see storms coming up the valley, I call Tipper—her early warning system—and a couple of times it actually worked! Fortunately, however, Tipper doesn't seem to mind getting wet; she's the hot-blooded gatita, after all.
By the way, that wasn't the animal gallery, even though it seemed like it with all that Tipper talk. No, our fuzzy friends will be last. First, we have two rather short galleries for you to deal with...
Numero uno: yeah, yeah, I hear you wondering about our latest construction project. I wasn't going to mention it, allergic as I am to those kind of things, but now that you've brought it up, I don't have a choice, do I. Allow me to present La Casita.
Well, I presented what's been done so far. Purportedly, the casita is to be usable in January, when we might have two guests at the same time. Now, if it is ready to use as a guest room, and if we have two guests here at the same time, they'll have to flip for it—loser sleeps in the casita.
Meanwhile, numero dos: the rainy season doesn't just provide animal hijinks, it also ushers in crystaline air, which affords stunning views.
Recently, on a beautiful Sunday morning, we took advantage of the nearly unlimited visibility to four-wheel drive our way up into a newly opened section of Altos del Maria—4-wheel driving because the "roads" are only rough-graded dirt and, like most of Altos, steep as hell. TC drove while I did my best not to envision going over the edge accompanied by screams and flames...
Whew, now that you're back, we're left with just one more gallery, Dennis' favorite, as well as my own: Our Crazy Animals!
Now, I realize that not everyone loves animals as much as I do—"Dennis!" So, with that in mind, I've curtailed my photographic élan where they're concerned. I have included, however, some fun shots for those of you who do appreciate our furry little friends; this one of Tipper on her hind legs being the most unusual.
I didn't take this photo.
Two young daughters, Kira and Reyna, of our Canadian friend, Axel, were cavorting in the pool, and his friend, Tammy, was shooting pictures of them. Well, when Tipper heard all the commotion but saw all of us sitting on the terrace, she couldn't figure out what was in the pool. So, without getting too close to the danger, she stood where she was and took a peek. Tammy captured it, digitally. And I love it!
Okay, that about wraps it up for now. TC and I want to thank all of you who opted to stay on our email-notification list—you know who you are!, and we hope you don't come to regret your decision.
Oh, and if you're reading this and would like to be added to our email-notification list, just click HERE and send the email that comes up, no message necessary. I will only add your address to the list; I won't sell it or use it or send you obscene messages...well, unless you want me to send you obscene messages. At any rate, you'll receive an email whenever I add another home page or gallery. Don't worry, that's only about every other month or so.

“Hasta luego, Compadres!”

[click here for November's home page]