How about that rain?

Man, it rains here. There was a saying I heard a long while back:  "It was raining like a cow peeing on a flat rock". It probably stuck in my head because it sounds dumb, but here.. it would be a herd of cows peeing on something. I wanted to find out how much water was falling per day. I know it's a lot, but how much?

Rain sheet off the roof.
Well,  It rained over an inch today. Over 106 inches this year.  Damn, that's almost NINE FEET OF WATER. If it wasn't for the incredibly quick run-off, we'd all be treading water, that's for sure. Compare that to Southern California, where it rains 10 inches a year on average. Rain was a special occasion there, celebrated with extra car accidents.

The down-spout from the neighbor's roof.
That's a really great site I'm linking to.. Boquete Weather. They have a really great explanation of weather in Panama. That's the info I used to explain to Peace Corps trainees years ago about tropical climate and weather.

Speaking of great links, here's the best compilation I've seen for Chiriqui. Kudos to Chiriqui Chatter, which is a class act. Here's their link page: which pretty much has it all.  I've got it bookmarked.

Progress

I've got my temporary residency now, at least a carnet that says that the paperwork is in process, so I'm not a tourist anymore. It's cost about $500, which is really cheap as far as these things go. It definitely helps to (1) be married to a Panamanian and (2) have a couple of lawyers in the family who of course, didn't charge. The Lovely Wife did all the talking, I just signed and posed for photos when needed. It took several trips to Migracion in David, which we expected, lots of those stamps (timbres) that you can only buy at Banco Nacional, and photocopies of everything, notarized, of course. It takes patience, but it can done with minimal stress if you're willing.

Since I got a card in hand once the residency paperwork was turned in, I was expecting the same for the work permit. Different Ministerio, mostly the same photocopies with timbres, but no work permit for a month or two.  I can't work for someone else.. I could work for myself, though. Decisions, decisions.

In other progress, there's a heck of a road project going on next to our house. Well, there's one house between us and the road actually. It's the new road between David, the capital of Chiriqui, and Boquete, the capital of.. coffee, tourism and the gateway to the highest point in Panama, Volcan Baru.

They're moving right along:

Lots of machinery, new bridges

Explosions that rattle the windows

Look out for those light poles! They build the road, then move them.

It's all good. Everyone will get wherever they're going quicker, safer and happier.

Signs of Something or Another..

I was looking for a "sign" the other day, and found several around the neightborhood.
You can click any of the photos to make 'em BIGGER.

Apparently, all signs along the Panamerican Highway and the road between David and Boquete are now illegal. It must be very satisfying to be the guy who slaps those big stickers right over the sign. If the sticker is bigger than the sign, the whole sign gets covered by a piece of sticker. The big, multi-story signs advertising major businesses get a piece of sticker wrapped around the post. Not a bad idea.

Other folks have their folksy signs.

"Don't throw garbage, pigs". Way to win friends and influence people. Too bad they misspelled Basura.

Balboa Beer "Conectado al sabor" has a lock on painting all the convenience stores in this area. Movistar, with the weird pukey green has all the bus-shelters. 

IDAAN is the water agency. They make sure to shut off the water at night, and often during the day on the weekends. Thanks for saving us money, guys. The water bill is only $5.00 a month, so if you could somehow save up some of that 20 inches of rain we get a week and keep the water on longer, we'd gladly pay $10.00.

Well, that explains the big BOOMS that rattle our windows once in a while. No complaints- the new David to Boquete road that goes near our house is making great progress just in the short time we've lived here. More on that in the next day or two.

Who knew that they still sold Royal Crown Cola? And who would have thought that some advertising artist would draw a woman with piercings and a tattoo in the 1950's pinup style to promote RC? I ponder that every time I walk into that store.

As the sign says "Good taste never changes!"