The Twitching Sailor

January 20, 2012

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
Hi All,
There is one certainty in the world of circumnavigating sailors; plans change. We had planned to transit the canal in mid-January and finish the circumnavigation this year, but one day during the first week of December we changed our minds. I should say I did and Gene was happy to go along. We're both very content here and I'm just not ready to leave the rainforest.

I knew Bons would be disappointed that we would be staying another year so we decided we would fly home twice this year for short visits. We figured the first flight home should be over Christmas and New Years. Our friends, the Lafitte's, have been hosting a boat parade party at their place on Balboa Island for over twenty years. We knew that most of my family would be there, so we decided we would fly in and surprise everybody at the party. We didn't tell anyone but Bonnie who picked us up at the airport and Mike and Rhiannon because they had decided not to make the long drive from San Diego and we wanted to see them.

We wandered into the Lafitte's living room and melted into the mob just as Raves came in from the kitchen. She was so shocked I felt bad afterwards for surprising her, but not before having a good laugh. She does like to be organized and have things planned just so! My brother, Jim, looked at me for a few minutes before saying anything. You could almost hear the gears going--"Isn't she in Panama?" Grandma and Grandpa weren't there because they had a bug.

Now we have a bug. We both feel pretty bad; coughs, snot and fevers. I have been out in the jungle twice, but we have not even given the boat a good cleaning since we've been back. We're just too weak. Gene did go into the grocery and all the people on the shuttle held up their arms in the sign of the cross. The Aussies on Virgo's Child gave him a eucalyptus lolly. Last night when I blew my nose for the eight hundreth time I got a bloody nose through both nostrils that lasted a half hour. I finally got to sleep at four. I'll give the cough a week to clear up and if it doesn't I'll make an appointment to see if we need antibiotics.

Sorry for this crappy post, but I feel crappy. I started it last night, worked on it while I had kleenex stuffed in my nose to plug the blood, and finally gave up when my eyes closed while shrinking the photos. I finished this morning, well, at 1:30 p.m. when I finally woke. The internet connection went off before I finished and didn't save all I'd added. I didn't have the heart or energy to make it right again.
Talk to you all later.
Sue

Some Balboa Island Christmas pictures

click to enlarge and see gallery:

My three year old grandson and six year old granddaughter having a go at the pinata.

Italy With Our Germans III: A Blessing from the Pope

A little Christmas flashback: Italy 2007

A Blessing From the Pope

Detail of the Trevi Fountain.

Click to enlarge.

Life ashore is so luxurious! I love that the shower is a few feet from a bed that doesn’t require a climb to get into. Going in and out is as simple as opening and closing a door and there is no gank plank at the threshold. Our mornings at the hotel were luxurious too. It became our habit to make our plans for the day over a leisurely buffet breakfast. On the 23rd we decided to go to the Pantheon and the German Pilgrim center to see if Ilka and Jurgen could get tickets for the Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. We had tried the center the day before in the morning and afternoon but nobody answered the buzzer/speaker that was mounted on the massive double green doors that faced the street. We decided to go to the Pilgrim center first. It was near the Vatican so we took the metro rather than walking all the way again. Gene was doing really well with his gimpy leg, but his feet were killing him. The last time he wore shoes was at our daughter’s wedding eight months ago. Before that, I think it was five years. We got to the Green Doors and Jurgen pressed the intercom; still no answer. There was another button and I reached up and pressed it. The massive doors swung open onto a courtyard. A line of doors ran along one side and the Pilgrim Center was one of those, it was closed. A small hotel was at the back of the courtyard and it was so charming that Jurgen and Ilka went in to inquire about room rates and availability (we were thinking about where we would stay after getting back from Florence). Communication was no problem because the manager was German. The guy looked like a movie star and was so aristocratic I wondered what he was doing there. He told them nothing was available but suggested another place in Vatican City. He called the other hotel and arranged for us to go and see it; and while he was at it made it possible for us to have cappuccinos on their terrace at noon. Ilka and Jurgen weren’t able to get tickets for Midnight Mass, but ‘The Count’ had arranged front row seats to see the Pope give his Sunday Blessing. It was very close to noon when we arrived at the second hotel. It had been an Abbey at one time and had been beautifully done up. Unfortunately, the only rooms available were about $1,000 a night! Bit much for us. Still, the clerk allowed us to go up to the terrace and said he’d send someone to get our coffee orders. We couldn’t believe it when we went out onto the terrace--the Pope’s balcony in the basilica was a stone’s throw away. Our Germans were turning out to be quite the tour guides. It turned out that the Pope wasn’t addressing from the balcony in St. Peter’s, he was addressing the crowd from his private offices. A carpet hung from the window to mark where he’d be. It was across the square from us and much farther than we originally thought, but still we were relaxing with cappuccinos and good views as opposed to standing with hundreds of others in the square.

Ilka and Jurgen waiting on the terrace for the Pope's appearance.
We couldn't see the crowd in the square below us, but could hear them cheer each time the Pope sent a prayer and blessing in a specific language.

Good thing a birder was in the group. Binoculars--don't leave home without them.Ilka got spectacular views of an exceptional Cardinal.

Pope Benedictus XVI
The Pope has a marvelous voice and blessed people in I don’t know how many languages. I’m not religious but the experience was really very moving. Afterwards, we left our privileged seating and headed for the Pantheon. Ironically, the Pantheon was built as a temple for the ancient Gods. It was commissioned by Agrippa in 27 B.C. Today it holds the tombs of the likes of Raffaello and the kings of Italy.

The Pantheon

Inside the Pantheon

Fountain outside the Pantheon
Next stop, the Trevi Fountain.

We had dinner in a small family restaurant and were entertained by a loud disagreement that was being carried on in the kitchen. When we got back to the hotel we opened the adjoining doors to our rooms and shared a bottle of very nice wine.

Sue

A Visit to the Dentist

November 30, 2011

Hi All,
We had our appointments with Dr. Ida Herrera today and whe was great. She is a lovely woman and very gentle. I am a big baby when it comes to shots, and I didn't feel a thing. She did a beautiful job on my broken tooth and I recommend her to fellow cruisers who are in need of a dentist. The office is in Colon, but don't let the looks of the neighborhood worry you, once you are in the office, it's a different world. I have another appointment scheduled for next week for a few small fix-its. The hygenist, Nallie, was very gentle and did an excellent job.

Nallie

So, okay, Dr. H is a good dentist, but what I really like about her is that......She's a birder!! No kidding. She knows the Audubon Panama people and has an Eco-lodge http://www.sierrallorona.com/sierra/. She offered me the names of a few guides, but birding is a hobby for me and the 'hunt' is part of the fun. I have had the time in most places I've been to wander on my own. Later, I realized I should have gotten the names. Most birders coming to Panama to see birds don't have the luxury of time and need a guide to take them to the good sites and point out birds because they are difficult to see in the rainforest. I will get the names on my next visit and post them on my birding blog.

We got the car, but it was late and we were tired so we didn't go anywhere but the grocery store. Tomorrow....Achiote Road.

The Universe of Peregrine is Heading for Destruction

November 28, 2011
Hi All,
The universe of Peregrine is getting sucked into a black hole and things are falling apart as it disappears. My life in the magical and wonderous rainforest is scheduled to come to an end in about six weeks, my computer is dead, our sweet little geckos have turned cannibalistic, I am stressed about the transit, and my broken tooth started to really bug me so I made a dentist appointment and I'm worried about that. I decided that as long as I was going, Gene was too, so I made a cleaning appointment for him. The good news is that I will not leave Panama without birding the famous Pipeline Road. I figured as long as we had to go to Colon for the Dentist, we could rent a car at Budget in the cruise ship port and I would have a chance to see Pipeline and a few other top birding sites before leaving Panama. Leaving Panama. I am suffering separation anxiety and we haven't left.

My computer is dead because it fell of its cantilevered perch this morning and I can't re-boot it. My intructions tell me I don't need a disk to recover; everything is on the hard-drive. Simply click f11 and things will be fine. Right. I pushed f11 and got told to put the disk in to re-boot. It was cantilevered to try and keep it cool. It kept overheating and shutting off on me.

I'm using Gene's computer, but it's on one leg. Gene sneezed right after taking a swig of beer while playing Texas Hold Em and sprayed his key board. The beer shower put the keyboard out of commission so we have another keyboard plugged in. It's not as confusing to use as I thought it would be, but it messes with my mind and the blog is too big for his screen. I have to shrink it to 75% and when it's shrunken, it is hard to read. Under normal circumstances it really wouldn't be a big deal, just another punch to roll with. It's not as bad as some of the punches we've taken. It's not a rough ocean crossing or a mozzie virus or threatened amputation or a broken back or broken boom or a Tsunami. It's just a dead computer. So why does the punch feel like a knock down? Because the dead computer isn't the only thing. It's other things, too. Little things; but those little things feel like large beasts circling. I always get butterflies when it's time to cast off, so some nervousness or anxiety is always there. This time is worse because we've been connected to the dock for two years. This time it's worse because we have a long slog and the wind won't be behind us. This time it's worse because our journey is nearing an end and our life on the floating island will end with it.

I have been wondering what to do about the geckos. How can I get them off the boat? They need to stay where they belong. This concern has floated in and out of conscious thought for awhile, but it had been buried under other worries until two nights ago when an incident brought it to the forefront again. I was reading and heard strange sounds near the sink. I got up to look and one gecko had it's mouth over half the head of another. When I got near, they froze; one with his jaws clamped over the whole left side of the other's head. I ordered it to let go and it ignored me. I reached out and touched the end of the tail of the clamper and it let go. It ran down the slats of the louvered folding partition between the aft-cabin and galley and hid on the backside. The other seemed to have a tiny bit of skin loose above his eye, but was otherwise fine. What am I going to do with them? I thought I should make a terrarium of some sort with a small opening and something inticing inside. I would have to stand guard at night to wait for them to enter and then cover the opening, then take them to shore and turn them loose. I will have to do this shortly before leaving or they might come back. On second thought, I should try it asap to see if it will work. I hope it does because I don't have a plan "B".

November 29
We have the dental appointment and get the car tomorrow. We have had three or four people tell us that they really liked Dr. Ida Herrera and were happy with the treatment they received, so everything should be fine, right?

New Mini-Mart at Shelter Bay Marina

November 21, 2011
Gene went to do grocery shopping and I am below being lazy. Gene is buying stuff to make dressing for at least ten people. Chris, the chef at the marina restaurant, is roasting turkeys and the crusiers are bringing the side dishes. It will be like the real Thanksgiving; a pot luck. We are taking the stuffing and a relish plate. It should be fun.

The new marina mini-market is up and running. They sell some good Panamanian coffee and we decided we would get some of it when we ran out of the mediocre coffee we have. One morning when we had only two tablespoons left of the so-so stuff, I asked Gene to get some at the Marina store. The next morning I opened it and found the package was filled with sawdust; it was the display package. Texas boat, Liward, had the same thing happen to them. Luckily, there were only two display packages hiding in the stock, so no one else should get sawdust. The real stuff is excellent. I threw away the package, so I can't give the name right now, I'll edit this when I get the name. Since I am depriving myself of grog, it is nice to have a really good cuppa. Fresh veggies are available and that is a good thing. The veggies at Rey at Cuatro Altos are usually on the limp side and these are bought at the main market in Colon and the lettuce is crisp.The mini-mart also has ICE-CREAM!

The mini-mart is good, but the new laundry facility isn't; laundry continues to be a head-ache at Shelter Bay. The hours are limited and it's hard to get machines. I preferred doing my laundry at night when the crowd was gone, but the laundry room is locked at night now.

November 24, 2011

I failed to take my camera up, but we had a great turn out for Thanksgiving with all sorts of good dishes. We even had Pumpkin Pie(s). There were probably 80 of us and all the tables were full. Live music was provided by musical cruisers.

Mr. Toad

My Dearest Professor Lafitte,
I present to you, Bufo marinus or Marine toad, AKA Cane toad (the bane of OZ). This is a dangerous fellow and one should not kiss him/her lest death occur in 15 minutes time (not the toad, but the bestower). They have poison glands and aren't afraid to use them; even the eggs and tadpoles are toxic. The marine toad is the largest toad in the world and can be up to 9 inches long and weigh over 4 pounds. They are mostly noctunal. Their life span is 10 to 15 years.

Bufo marinus

I took this at night with a flash so the color isn't great.

Lafitte, I'm sorry about Elvira, but really, you should have known better than to take on the Queen of Tarts. On the matter of muses, Erato can be fickle, Calliope or Thalia might be better choices.

Your Wild (and crazy) Friends,

the Osierians

P.S. Sometimes on the comments, you just have to type in the comment and after you push publish, it will give you the goofy letters. Normally, it is the way I have written for instructions. Blogger seems to have trouble with consistency. I looked after I recieved your email and got the red 'x' in the goofy letter box. I posted a post and now all seems right again.

Butterflies of Fort Sherman, Panama

All of these butterflies have been seen in the Fort Sherman/San Lorenzo area. If anybody sees errors, or knows what the 'unknowns' are, please leave a comment and educate us. Thanks in advance for any help.
Below: Zebra-striped Hairstreak. It's about the size of a quarter. I saw flashes of electric blue when the wings opened but I'm not sure how extensive the blue was. You can see the color in the last photo where it is barely showing on the back of the butterfly.

click on photos to enlarge

Zebra-striped Hairstreak. It's about the size of a quarter. I saw flashes of electric blue when the wings opened but I'm not sure how extensive the blue was. You can see the color in the last photo where it is barely showing on the back of the butterfly.

Here is a 14 second video I took of a Blue Morphos Butterfly. It's hard to tell in the video, but this butterfly has a wingspan of 5 to 6 inches. It's big and beautiful:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QC5gJ8D9_pY

Very large, fat caterpillar.

Large skipper, about 3 inches across.

Sara Longwing

click photo to enlarge

Variable or Grey Cracker?

Malachite

I have told you about the giant, electric blue Morphos butterflies that 'bounce' around in the forest. I think I told you to google them because I couldn't get an image and had never seen one land. I have seen two of them land since being back in Fort Sherman. Yesterday I was able to get some good shots of one, but only with the wings closed. It landed on the asphalt of the San Lorenzo road where some fruit had fallen and it was eating. It opened it's wing a few times, but every time I tried to catch it with the camera, its wings were already shut! On one of the photos, you can see a sliver of blue and it will give you an idea of their color. There are about six inches across and even though I see them everytime I'm out, I still am amazed at their beauty.

Above and below: Ringlet Euptychia of some sort?

Little Banner

Veined White-skipper

Tropical Checkered Skipper (above)

I have identified the above as either Euptychia mollis or Euptychia westwoodi. Corrections or discussions would be appreciated so please leave a comment if you can add something.

Click photos to enlarge them.

The best I could do with this one is a Metalmark of the Detritivora species. Apparently there are a lot of ssp. I couldn't find an image exactly like mine.