The Dry Season is Here

Mother Nature is right on schedule.  Ending the month of November, we’re enjoying clear skies with soft breezes and bright sunshine.  That means that our verano (Summer)  is here.  For the next four or five months, we will savor beautiful days, perfect to go out swimming to nearby rivers and/or beaches.

The dry season starts in Panama by mid December to mid April.  Days are perfect with blue skies and bright sun.  During the months of December, January and February there are soft breezes making the days nice and cool.  March and April are irritably hot.  It drives me crazy.  By mid April we are receiving our first showers and my gloomy characters is magically transformed into a great smile.    I embrace the start of the rainy season after a prolonged summer.

During the Summer days, it’s hilarious to see thousands of compact cars migrating from Panama City to the countryside.  The cars are packed with parrot cages, dogs, cats, mattresses, electric fans, sleeping bags, portable TV sets, suitcases and what have you.  Panamanians want to make sure they have everything they need to have fun at the beaches or rivers of the countryside (interior).  This scene is followed every weekend after weekend until the rains creep in.  Forget about inflation, budgets, mortgages and other financial obligations.  The immediate goal is to migrate to the countryside.  Debts can wait, plus  the pawn shops are always there with their doors wide open.

At 11:41 a.m. (-5 GMT) I went outside and took a picture, just to show you how the day looked like.  The temperature was 75° F.  The day was partly cloudy with mixed sun and clouds.  There was a soft breeze blowing North between five to ten miles per hour.  It just can’t get better than this.

This is how the day looked like at indicated time.  Here we go.

Photograph of our house at 11:41 a.m. on December 28, 2009 in Panama City, Panama. (Credit: ©Omar Upegui R.)

If you’re currently suffering from freezing temperatures, constant blizzards, no power, no operating phone lines and unending snowfalls; then it’s time to buy a plane ticket and head South.  Panama is waiting for you with clear skies, bright sunny days and beautiful beaches.  Go ahead and take the plunge.  Good Day.

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Joke: How It All Started

In the beginning God created the heaven and the Earth. And the Earth was without form, and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Devil said, “It doesn’t get any better than this.”

And God said, “Let there be light” and there was light. And God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit,” and God saw that it was good. And the Devil said, “There goes the neighborhood.”

And God said, “Let us make Man in our image, after our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air and over the cattle, and over all the Earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the Earth.” And so God created Man in his own image; male and female did He create.

And God looked upon Man and Woman and saw that they were lean and fit.

And the Devil said, “I know how I can get back in this game.”

And God populated the earth with broccoli and cauliflower and spinach, green and yellow vegetables of all kinds, so Man and Woman would live long and healthy lives.

And the Devil created McDonald’s. And McDonald’s brought forth the 79-cent double cheeseburger. And the Devil said to Man: “You want fries with that?” And Man said: “Supersize them.” And Man gained 5 pounds.

And God created the healthful yogurt, that woman might keep her figure that man found so fair. And the Devil brought forth chocolate. And Woman gained 5 pounds.

And God said, “Try my crispy fresh salad.”

And the Devil brought forth Ben and Jerry’s. And Woman gained 10 pounds.

And God said, “I have sent thee heart-healthy vegetables and olive oil with which to cook them.”

And the Devil brought forth chicken-fried steak so big it needed its own platter. And Man gained 10 pounds and his bad cholesterol went through the roof.

And God brought forth running shoes and Man resolved to lose those extra pounds.

And the Devil brought forth cable TV with remote control so Man would not have to toil to change channels between ESPN and ESPN2. And Man gained another 20 pounds.

And God said, “You’re running up the score, Devil.”

And God brought forth the potato, a vegetable naturally low in fat and brimming with nutrition.

And the Devil peeled off the healthful skin and sliced the starchy center into chips and deep-fat fried them. And the Devil created sour cream dip.

And Man clutched his remote control and ate the potato chips swaddled in cholesterol. And the Devil saw and said, “It is good.” And Man went into cardiac arrest.

And God sighed and created quadruple bypass surgery.

And the Devil canceled Man’s health insurance.

Then God showed Woman how to peel the skin off chicken and cook the nourishing whole grain brown rice.

And the Devil created light beer so Man could poison his body with alcohol while feeling righteous because he had to drink twice as much of the now-insipid brew to get the same buzz. And Man gained another ten pounds.

And God created the life-giving tofu.

And Woman ventured forth into the land of Godiva Chocolate and upon returning asked Man: “Do I look fat?”

And the Devil said, “Always tell the truth.” And Man did.

And Woman went out from the presence of man and dwelt in the land of the divorce lawyer, east of the marriage counselor.

And Woman put aside the seeds of the earth and took unto herself comfort food. And God brought forth Weight-watchers. It didn’t help.

And God created exercise machines with easy payments. And man brought forth his Visa at 21 percent. And the exercise machine went to dwell in the closet of Nod, east of the polyester leisure suit.

And in the fullness of time, Woman received the exercise machine from Man in the property settlement. It didn’t help her, either.

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Photograph of the Day: Winter Silence

(Credit: Pixdaus.com)

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