Greta moved her flight home up by 3 days to Monday June 3, from her original date of June 6th because of my accident. I picked Greta up at the Georgia Ctr shuttle location at 6:30PM on Monday evening. I had mad a pasta salad which we had for dinner. I was starting to feel better but we still took it easy – here is a summary of her stay.

Tuesday, June 4 – we stayed around the house, rested and Greta swam in the lake. We had dinner at Kiques in Watkinsvile.

Wednesday, June 5 – we hung around the house in the morning then after Greta’s conference call with her book collaborators (Erin and Christine) we went to the farmer’s market at Creature Comfort. We bought some veggies, had a beer, listened to some live music before going to the Last Resort for dinner.

Thursday June 7 – we had lunch at Cali N Tito’s and did some grocery shopping because we wanted something we could cook on the Himalayan Salt tile that was regifted to me.

Friday, June 8 – we went downtown shopping at several of Greta’s favorite stores and had lunch at Big City Bread on their nice shady patio. Greta invited Haley over for dinner and we fixed chicken breast with piccata sauce – it was a fun evening even if Haley forgot and ended up an hour late.

Saturday, June 9 – Robin and Andrea came up Saturday afternoon and Greta made a lentil, salad with chick peas and grated beets for dinner – very good.

Sunday, June 10 – Sunday morning we had a waffles, eggs and bacon for breakfast then we spread Pam’s ashes on the property in some gardens. Sunday night we had a small bon voyage dinner party for Jen and Andy as they were off to Scotland on Tuesday – it was also a thank you for all their help after my accident. Greta and Andrea made a great taco feast and we had Pam’s easy blueberry cobbler for dessert – there were 7 for dinner Judy was also invited.

Monday, June 11 – we all went shopping at Costco, where Rob found a good deal on a Lego set, and then lunch at Marti’s at Midday. Robin and Andrea left for home around 2PM

Tuesday, June 12 – Greta and I went to Target where Greta helped me pick out a new pair of eye glasses. Then we drove over to Prince Ave where Greta had an 11AM appointment to get her nails done – we had lunch afterwards at the Farm Burger – it was very good.

At 4PM I took Jen and Andy to the airport shuttle at the GA Ctr for their flight to Scotland..

Wednesday, June 13 – took Greta to the shuttle at 8:15AM for her flight to New York where she was meeting Nick, who was flying in from Denver.

Friday morning, February 16 we drove about 2 hours and twenty minutes to Las Lajas on the Pacific coast to a house Kirt and his family had rented for the night.It was a lot hotter there compared to Boquete and hardly any breeze. the house was not air conditioned but the four bedrooms were.

Everyone disappeared into their air conditioned rooms except for Sela, Ariana and myself – we became Ariana’s gymnastic students and she was teaching us the balance beam as Sela shows below – basically Ariana tortured us for hours.

Arjelis’s friend Carolina, her son, daughter and daughter’s boyfriend joined us at the beach. They were a lot of fun to talk to and be around. Her daughter and daughter’s boyfriend were doing their residence at a hospital in Boquete. Carolina is also a doctor, but because she came from Columbia she can not practice in Panama.

It’s Saturday morning and we head back to Boquete soon – it was a good, fun trip.

Blacken Salmon

Creamy Grits
– 1/2 Cup yellow grits – I use the organic yellow grits from the bulk section of Earth Fare
– 1 cup of whole milk plus some extra for thinning
– 1/2 tablespoon of butter
– Pinch of salt
– a little cream cheese
Put the yellow grits, butter and 1 cup of milk in a small pot – slowly bring to a low boil stirring constantly.
Reduce heat to low and cook 5 to 8 minutes adding more milk or water if the consentience is to thick.
When the grits are soft and tender add the cream cheese and stir to incorporate.
Serve and enjoy.

Buckwheat Bread
– 250g of All purpose flour
– 50 g of organic buckwheat flour –
– 100g of Sprouted Spelt Flour
– 1 Tbsp – brown sugar
– 1-1/2 tsp salt
– 1 package of instant rise yeast
– 1-1/4 cups of water
– 1 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
Mix all of the dry ingredients together, add the tablespoon of EVOO to the 1-1/4 cups of water, stir the water and EVOO mixture with the dry ingredients – cover and place in a warm area to rise for 5 or 6 hours.
Pre-heat oven and dutch oven to 450.

We returned home from the Las Lejas around 1PM on Saturday and were expected at Rudy’s house around 2 PM for dinner. Rudy, a family friend, lives part-time in Boquete with his aging mother and part-time in New York. They have a small coffee plantation and a beautiful house high in the mountains above boquete.

We left Rudy’s house around 8:30PM and drove to Carolina’s house, that she and her, architect, husband designed and built. They were having a small party and had invited us – seeing the house with the meditative garden was a real treat – the house was beautiful.

The next morning, Sunday February 18, Sofia, Sela and I went to a meditative yoga class that was being held in the upstairs space of the Morton Bakery that we had gone to a couple of days ago. After the yoga class we went to the market district of Boqueta to shop – Arjelis father and cousins were coming over for dinner.

After we got home from shopping Sela and borrowed one of Kirt;s cars, the Nissan Pathfinder, and went out to lunch and procured 3 roasted chickens for dinner that night. On Kirt’s recommendation we went to this little place on the river – it was good.

Cenzio and Quetzal
The next morning Monday, February 19, Arjelis, Sela, Sofia, one of her friends, Cristhian, Roco and myself went on hike. This trail was full of pipes bringing water down from the mountains to a treatment plant for Boquete. Even though this is habitat for the Quetzal a sighting is rare – but Cristhian sighted one and pointed it out – what a beautiful bird.

Thursday, February 15
1.7 miles up and back – 1,062ft elevation gain.

After we got home from the bakery and shopping Cristhian, a distant cousin of Arjelis, with his girl friend, Rocio, and his brother Denzell stopped by the house for a visit, (They hadn’t been by in years). After talking for a while they asked Sela and I if we wanted to join them on a hike – and of course we said yes. We met them at 2PM and loaded into the back of Cristhian’s rustic Toyota Land Cruiser. After putting the vehicle into 4 wheel drive we managed to get up a very steep part of the road to the beginning of the trail – is was only going to get steeper from here.

It took Cristhian only a few minute to cut and shape trekking poles for Sela and I with his very sharp mascette – which helped a lot. There were however, certain points along the trail so steep we needed ropes to help us up – it was fun and exhilarating – and our 3 guides were very kind and patient.

The hiking trail was so beautiful – at times I felt like we were walking through an enchanted forest.