There I was. Here I am! What now?

🎶Weeelllllll, life on the farm is kinda laid back....🎶...that is as long as random critters don't wander through your property eating everything in sight! Yes, we live in the "country"! And we love it. Our road in is a bit on the rough side, granted, but....   No noisy neighbors; no cars and fumes; surrounded by nature....and cows. BIG cows! One never knows when a herd of cows will be literally in the middle of the highway being moooooved from one pasture to another. We just stop the truck and sit there as they flow around us. Very Wild, Wild West! The breed of choice here is a Brahma influenced breed that can handle the sparse grazing and heat. Definitely NOT Alberta beef! The calves are adorable with their big ears and curious eyes! I just love seeing all the new babies. All the local people run a small herd wherever they can find some pasture and strong fences are not a priority! So we have had a few run ins with some random bovines. I wish I had p...

Happy New Year to whomever is reading this! May 2019 be a blessing to you in all ways! Not just a New Year, but I have been seeing changes in myself. Eighteen months ago I was in my last 2 weeks of teaching at Prince Andrew High School in Dartmouth, NS, Canada. Since that time I have been in Kenya, Tanzania, NS. driven across Canada to Alberta, flew toPanama, Colombia, Panama, Alberta, NS, Alberta, Panama, Nova Scotia, Panama. Yah..time to take stock of what the hell has happened to me over all those miles. Somewhere in the chaos, I have found my authentic self. It's good catch phrase, what the fuck is my "authentic self"? Well, I think I know. Yesterday was January 1, 2019.  As I sat in the Caldera River beneath a natural hot spring, I felt a sense of unbelievable peace fill me. I allowed myself to breathe with the water flowing over me and let my eyes become unfocused as I observed the reflections of the sky and the trees in the ripples of the river. The qui...

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING??? YOU ARE GOING TO GET US KILLED!" the anguished scream was coming from our Costa Rican guide for the day, Ronald, who was white knuckling in the back seat. In hindsight, that was rich coming from a Central American driver! All we did was follow the (Canadian) law which dictates that when coming up behind a stopped school bus, all traffic must stop. Apparently, not in Costa Rica. When we explained why we stopped, he was puzzled; it made no sense to him. So we commented that is was to prevent children from getting hit by cars passing the bus. "That's crazy!", he said, "In Costa Rica we teach our children to look for cars!" DING!!! Darren and I looked at each other. Oh My God! Common sense is not dead; it moved to Costa Rica! That was the moment when we decided to move there when we retired. The 5 year plan was born. Yes, I know; I am in Panama. Bear with me! I am a Canadian who hates winter. Not a good combination and...

🎶 His name is Rio and he dances on the bed...🎶 Apologies to Toto (the band, not the dog!) NO MORE DOGS! PINKY SWEAR! Yes, that is what we both agreed on after having our hearts ripped out by leaving our babies, Charlie and Tessa behind us in Canada as we started anew in Panama. We got them when they were 5 weeks old and moving to Central America was not even a blip on the radar. Charlie was a patient, loving saint of a dog and Tessa was the boss...of Charlie and Darren....she and I had our battles and I assured her that there would only be one alpha bitch in the household and it was NOT going to be her. After a year, she gave in and decided if she could not be top dog, she would be my dog..lol. I love big dogs; I could never get into little dogs except for Corgis. Fast forward 10 years. We knew that these dogs would not acclimate well to a tropical climate; they both hate the heat and love snow, unlike me! They were both starting to show their age but otherwise health...

I like rocks. I always have. Geology fascinated me at a young age; I had little collections of minerals and semi precious stone chips. Every time I went to a beach anywhere, I came home with my pockets full of rocks and shells. I still do! After I began traveling in my late 40s, having a rock to remember special places by became a part of every trip. I have rocks and shells from every country I have been to, and they are all here with me in Panama. Yes, I shipped rocks to Panama; somehow they are the link between who I was and who I am. I also began collecting orbs: Lapis Lazuli, Machu Picchu stone, Quartz, Amethyst, Obsidian flecked with Mica, Carnelian, Rose Quartz. As time went on, I also began to collect more varieties: Jasper, Enhydro Agate, Snowflake Obsidian, Amazonite..and many others. One of the rocks that is visible in the vertical shot at 11:55 is an agate I found at Scott's Bay, NS during a rough time in my life. For some reason, it comforted me. I used to ke...

Christmas Eve, a glass of Scotch and a few pangs of homesickness. Thinking about my sisters. Yes, I said that I was an only child, and I am...biologically. But from the time I was 6, my life has been blessed with girlfriends who, to this day, are part of the fabric of my being. They helped to shape me, guide me, support me, get me out of jams...and sometimes into them. I would not be who I am today without them. I feel a bit guilty about singling out the ones I am going to mention here, but these 4 have been part of my life for over 20 years on the shortest end and 54 on the longest. Names I could add: Janet, Laurie, Betty, Bev, Suzana, Shelli, Marsha, Cindy Mc...all of whom were pivotal during various parts of my life. I love you all. But I am going to talk about 4 in chronological order: Pam, Cindy, Char and Shelley. In 1963, I moved from Ontario to Bridgewater, NS where I skipped Grade 1 and was put in with a group of similar students who became my "squad", as they s...