that's Panama, under those orange rain blobs.

Musicians in town for Bocas Day

what to feed cats in the tropics:

Creature of the day:  Sepioteuthis sepiodea, Caribbean Reef Squid (latest sighting)

On Saturday, we saw eight of these swimming in a line, right in the middle of a high-traffic  snorkel spot.  They are fascinating to watch- they change color as they move over different surfaces.  And the name is irresistible.

We're getting some work done on the boat YES!  lots of scraping, a little painting, installing plywood floors, and whatever else we can think of.  Two local guys- Edilberto and Fidel- show up every morning to help, and so far, they've been wonderful.  For us, it just feels right to be living on a construction site.  Everything we own is right in the middle of the floor, weighted down with 300 pounds of cat litter to help the glue set.  It's the old normal.

The lovely town of David- a gritty downtown encircled by ever-widening belt of mega-stores.  Actually, it's fun- and a beautiful drive getting there.  We went for a couple of days to buy plywood and paint, and make a Costco run.  The entire community of gringos is dependent for its survival on two sisters, Lola and Toby.  They drive you around David, find the oddball stuff you want, bargain with the local stores, and truck everything back to Bocas on the ferry.  What is not to like?

Pizza-eating grins at Rana Azul, the Austrian restaurant everyone sails to on Sunday.