paintball in Panama

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Stephen and I joined a bunch of his friends Sunday for a game of paintball.  Such fun.  Running through the jungle, slipping, sliding, (falling into the mud) and getting of popped with a paint ball made the day.— it was also just a little hot - no surprise there.

 Team "the City"   below — (that is me fourth from the left)— with the mask down --recognition of friend or foe was based on recollection of who was wearing what or the color of the arm band.  We wore blue.

Our team moving into position for a "second" or was it third game.  That is a slippery slope going down to that little creek.  Note the paint ball mark on Peder's back.  

Team "Casco" —  Stephen joined that team and the observant one will note their possession of the flag— it meant a lot to them.

 This would be me — note the orange blob on my right temple.  yes I was indeed glad to have the headgear with mask on.

 Now Darin here knew the exact moment he got popped.  Actually being popped or hit or stung are all good descriptive terms for being hit with a paint ball because it does sting a bit when that ole paint ball hits you.

You may also note that I am fairly muddy.  That would be an accurate observation.  Once you trip on a root, or slip in the mud and fall a time or two — actually slip and bust your ole butt would also be included as an action, you begin to lose interest in keeping real clean.  Once that decision is made, you can have more fun.  Stephen and I had fun.

Sidewalks of Panama City- and taking Raleigh grocery shopping

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I used to think sidewalks in China were pretty bad, I knew sidewalks in Bangkok in the early 70s were very bad - I feel into a hole in Bangkok during a flood and scraped my leg pretty badly.  I also think sidewalks in Panama City are pretty bad.   Stephen constantly says "watch where you are going" — "pay attention"  He is giving good advice.  Stephen also should heed his advice.  He feel into a hole and scraped his leg. 

The warning orange cone seen here in front of an open manhole is a exception.

 I saw a little boy of about 6 − 8 years old put his foot and leg into this one on a rainy day.  I was behind him and his mom avoiding traffic that day.

 This particular hole has a loose piece of plywood over it.  I did not step on the board and would not recommend doing so.

 Now this pretty sidewalk I walk on often - it is on the street between our apartments.  When it rains, and sometimes here in the City that is built where a jungle would exist if concrete was not present it does indeed rain — well when it rains, this is extremely slippery — as in walk very very carefully.

 and just up the street is a bit of an obstacle course.  You know, a successful lawsuit sure would help things a lot, perhaps give some incentive for fixing something.

 and further up the street is this delightful cut --

 with wicked metal piece that should be covering it angled for best messing up your shin.

a little drainage ditch is a nice attention getter

 as is a billboard

 my personal favorite, complete with approved warning device

 about 10 −12 feet deep, good thing it has a protective device (a scrap tire tread)

 just routine obstacle course.
not shown, cars parked in the sidewalk, - they look just like cars parked on a sidewalk

so lets push a baby carriage with Grandson to the grocery store. 

a drainage ditch is just a little hop  

 broken pavement a bit of a bump

 missing pavement 

and a good angle.  all in a short distance. 

a bit of an irregularity

one of my favorites - a billboard AND a bus stop

little rough patch

nice stretch here

the ever present curb cut for wheel handicap access - oh I must have missed it.

home free, the grocery store parking lot.  Raleigh slept, Jen took photos.
I was the model.

been doing some baby sitting

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Check this out.  Yep still got it.  I can flat out handle a baby bottle.  Raleigh took that ole bottle of milk like he was hungry.  He was.  These past few days I have been baby sitting,  providing child care, for Raleigh.  Jen is working part time all the way down the hall at Kooziez again.   I PASSED multiple tests to land THIS job.

 Raleigh is really tough to take care of.  Sleep is one of our activities — or rather one of his activities.  (I watch him Jen, I watch, I do not nap.)

 Though yesterday, sleep was not on the schedule, we talked a great deal, made cooing sounds at one another, hand finger held, smiled at one another and listened to classical music.  He prefers violin music and some oboe.  Full orchestra, not so much.

 We do a few push ups and a bit of exercise, primarily eyebrow lifting of the head.  A key muscle group in head lifting apparently are the muscles under the skin above the eyes for both of us.

 This morning however we were less energetic.  Primary activity consisted of sleeping.

Today's only real activity was Stephen changing of a diaper and Jen coming back to feed him mid morning and me watching him sleep.  Yesterday was more fun.

if it is Saturday and El Valle, we have a parade

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We are having breakfast at an outdoor area of a restaurant main street, El Valle, when low and behold, a saint is being honored and here comes a parade.  Musicians play horns and drummers beat drums,  children dressed as caballeros complete with hats, boots and toy guns, ride floats,

 and lots and lots of little caballeros ride stick ponies down the street with mom and dad close by.

 and bringing up the rear of the parade are two for real cowboys.  The skyline of El El Valle really is different.  This is main street.  This is Saturday.  This is El Valle.

 Below, This too is El Valle- a few tourists-   Left to right, Peder, with his two dogs, Jen and Raleigh and Stephen.  I have Deuce and we pretty much have made a parade of our own as we follow the parade route down the street.

 Unbeknown to us was the plan of the parade about to double back on itself and this time set off fireworks.  After all it is Saturday and it is El Valle.  Well the dogs and I are no fans of fire-crackers and bottle rockets.

 So we duck behind two buildings.  The parade marchers and attendants see us and this creates a stir.  photographs are made.  I reckon Deuce and I are in several hundred photos, but Peder and big ole Monty are in a couple of thousand photos.  Check out that little girl in the photo below.

 Then it was on the the center to see some of the exotic frogs that Edgardo and Heidi are working with.  Really amazing stuff they are doing and some remarkable frogs.

 Stephen, Peder and Heidi preparing batches of fruit fly breeding boxes for frog food.

then out to check on the jaguar

 equipment change

 a little story telling at lunch - again outside dinning-

 then back to the house where Jen documents that indeed Raleigh did take a nap.

 and I liked this frog.  I sorta identifywith him- he looks like I feel some days.

back in El Valle

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That mountain profile in the distance is quite famous and has been the subject of a prior blog.  It is The Sleeping Indian and Stephen and I hiked the entire profile a couple of years ago. (see February 2009 blog post for write up and photos) Yes, it is back in El Valle again.  Jen, Raleigh and I took a cab out here on Wednesday.  Stephen was off to Guatemala for an exotic work trip to Guatemala City and Edgardo and Heidi called to ask if we could come help get the frog lab expansion ready for a grand opening that was coming up on Friday. 

 Wednesday afternoon, showed that indeed work was needed and underway.

 Edgardo was putting together drainage systems and filter systems for the frog tanks

 and yours truly was being helpful.  Measuring, making and installing covers for the tanks, drains and plumbing systems and hanging lights and being somewhat useful was the order of the day.

 and the work site was properly set off from the tourists at the zoo.  Note to self - get some of that yellow tape.

 The skyline in El  Valle is just a wee bit different from Panama City.  Here is Jen and Raleigh our for an early AM check out of the day on the street in front of Heidi's and Edgardo's house.

and the big day came and at the zoo guest house

 Edgardo and others made speeches.

 while school children toured the zoo

 and then we went over to the frog center and cut ribbons and unveiled plaques and blessed things and such- note priest in foreground.

 and note clean plumbed covered frog tanks - ready for water and frogs.

 the press talked with Edgardo

 Elliot liked his Mom who now directs the center

 and Jen, Raleigh and I talked with some parrots who did the "hola" talk

 and some were really quite beautiful too.