Farm Life Panama Sept 18, 2024

 I am awake. The sun is not yet up but I know it is 5:30a. How? Codi, our eldest dog and only boy, taps on the bedroom door to be let outside. Every morning exactly at 5:30a he does this. Tap, tap, tap. This is his time to make the rounds on the farm and bark at anything he deems out of place.

Ever since Lilly, Lila's daughter, was born Codi prefers to sleep in the living room away from the tangle of female fur that occupies our bed. He is smart to do so. Gary and I are allotted a very small slice of our king size bed while the girls stretch out in leisure. Marta, Lila and Lilly each have their preferred spots. We acquiesce.

I grab my cell phone and light the way to the front door for Codi's exit before starting the morning coffee. Flashes of lightning pop in the sky from a storm far out over the Pacific and a full moon lights the foreground. I inhale the intoxicating smell of freshly ground coffee and begin the brew.

The sky now yields a pale light announcing the impending day. Nothing on the calendar but I know better. Yesterday a bot fly had eaten a small hole in the neck of our pony. Caught early, the wound was cleaned and she was dosed with ivermectin to kill any remaining larvae. Two mares are still on the farm for observation of early pregnancy and construction on the outdoor structures of our new long term rental is ongoing. Both require some oversight. The coffee plants are receiving maintenance from our farm manager Alexander and two of his brothers are assisting. Supplies will be requested. And we need to make a run to PriceSmart in the city of David, a 40 minute drive downslope from our farm.

I sip the steaming coffee while observing the view from the sofa in the living room and listen for Gary to be awake. The girls now want out for their morning business and the mayhem begins. I open the front door and the pack barks and screeches as they run out into the cool morning air. The hounds of Baskerville. Their morning enthusiasm on display. The horses begin bucket banging signaling their desire for breakfast. I hear the pig grunting. The farm is now fully awake.

First up on our non-agenda today...exercise and yoga. And more coffee.