I've put up a new album (Remodeling the Little Casa - Phase II) with some representative pictures of our efforts here.

We blocked in that front porch and incorporated it into the living room by removing the existing front wall. Windows have plywood over them right now but we're supposed to get some windows today (June 20th). They're being made. The now-enclosed back porch has been incorporated into the back bedroom with an archway knocked out to join the two.

I cannot tell you how thrilled I am with the new kitchen. The man who built these cabinets is also making a dining room table for us which will be situated, mounted on the wall on the living room side just beneath the pass-thru from the kitchen. It will be resting on metal cariolles mounted to the wall with no table legs to get in the way. He is also building open shelves for up above the kitchen counters for dishes. And a six-foot, 14" deep wall unit/pantry for the wall opposite the kitchen cabinets. And he is building chests and shelves for both downstairs bedrooms.

Originally, the bodega was our kitchen and the current kitchen was the dining room.

The bodega will now house the washer, dryer, laundry tub, water pressure pump, and an on-demand propane hot water heater mounted on the wall. There is also an inside stairway in there giving access to the upstairs so we were able to take down the old spiral staircase which we had at the front of the house.

Everything is in various stages of completion so it's still very chaotic around here. Concrete dust and grime all over the place. It makes it difficult to maintain some order in the activities of daily living.

If I owe you an e-mail or some other communication (which I probably do!), I apologize. Under the circumstances, I'm doing the best that I can. Eventually, we will finally have this project completed and I will be able to get back into my old routine. I hope....

Until later....

In addition to that, life is made up of small inconsequential events, which most would find uninteresting. However, I thought perhaps some might be interested in our most recent major endeavor: Doing some remodeling on this little house. This is only the first phase of it.

We have increased the size of the upstairs which makes a nice loft area. Wherever we can, we're replacing the old dark varnished wood which makes the place seem brighter.

We are also replacing the sheet metal roof. Most houses in Panama have this kind of roof or else clay tile. Composition roofs are almost unheard of. The climate just doesn't warrant it. This roofing material we are using is galvanized zinc which is the material that we, in the U.S., used on our barns when I was growing up. It actually goes on rather quickly but is a bit more difficult to apply on an A-frame pitch!

I will go now and put some pictures up so you can follow our progress. These pics are from Jan. 26th until today, Feb. 7th. We now have half the roof on. Saturday, Feb. 9th, we will begin to remove and replace the roof on the other side of the house.

Sunday afternoon, we had an appointment for her to be spayed at the SpayPanama clinic in Volcan. Vets come from Panama City, Costa Rica and the vet in Volcan about every three months for this clinic. There is a huge problem with unwanted cats and dogs in Panama and they usually just become strays. Tom has been in several Latin American countries and it is like that everywhere. In addition to the unwanted kittens and puppies, there is a rather vicious venereal disease which produces large painful tumors and eventually death among these animals. Kudos to Harry and Dottie, gringos in Volcan, who were instrumental in this effort to bring the spay clinic to Volcan. They shoulder much of the debt incurred in doing this. They request a $20 donation from Panamanians (for dogs), $10 for cats. Or whatever they can afford to pay. No one is ever turned away for lack of funds. Gringos are requested to pay $40 per dog. A very worthwhile cause. Except for the vets, it's pretty much a volunteer effort. Dottie told me this was the largest turnout they've ever had here. Lucy was #71 and the last one of the day. Their assembly line setup would make old Henry Ford proud. Three stages, three different rooms. Room #1 is an intake room for checking vital signs, weighing, shaving, Betadyne-the-belly, and anesthetize. Room #2 is surgery. Room #3 is Recovery. It goes like clockwork with lots of people pitching in. Great group.

We followed the instructions for post op care for Lucy as well as we could but when they were written, the authors didn't know "The Unsinkable Molly Brown" (aka Lucy). She bounced right back within about twelve hours after surgery and she hasn't stopped bouncing! She has a new lease on life!! A whole big yard to explore AND she can't get pregnant now. Life is good.

I've posted some pics in the photo album "Lucy On The Loose."

Of course, with every "plus" there's a "minus." With this new-found freedom, she has managed to rustle up some bones in the yard. I saw them when she "up-chucked" them on the foot of my bed during nap time yesterday. They looked like pork neck bones but I don't remember throwing any out there. I don't even remember cooking any. This morning I saw her carrying something around. It turned out to be a bird or chicken claw. Maybe she is going to start practicing Santeria. She'd better hope they continue sacrificing chickens and not little sassy black dogs!

Today I also found a critter head skeleton she'd brought into the back yard! Have no idea what kind of critter is is/was but with those teeth (see pics), Lucy had better hope she doesn't meet up with one of his kinfolks who is still animated and in the flesh. This thing does not look like he would ever be in the mood for "making nice."

I'll just be glad when she gets the yard all cleaned up and stops bringing these little "trash- sures" up to the house.

Early in the month, we purchased a car. Finally! It's a copper colored '98 Chevy Blazer, 2WD, 4D. Depending on walking, buses, and taxis has made getting around not so easy. Especially since we live up the mountain about 10 km from the nearest town of any size.

I also bought a Yamaha electronic keyboard and I'm enjoying that a lot.

At mid month, my son, Tom and his Significant Other, Kate visited her family's finca (farm) which is near Rio Sereno on the Costa Rican border. The day they went was "hog killing day" and they came back with chorizzo (sausages) and a ham which we cut up and put into the freezer. They brought back fruits and vegetables. Corn, green plantains, oranges, lemons and limes. Her family raises coffee too and I can hardly wait to sample that! The coffee from that area is supposed to be excellent.

Our little Lucy dog is growing by leaps and bounds. I've included a few pictures of her taken yesterday, 20 July. I only wish I had even half her energy! We were playing in the yard and she runs circles around me. With her leash and tether rope in hot pursuit. Currently she is on a course of worm medicine and is taking a vitamin-mineral formula. If she gets any more energtic, I'll have to take her off that!! She is wearing me to a frazzle. LOL

I've put this crop of pics in an album named "Misc Stuff."