Horses and such

River


Jess pulling clumps of hair off of "Wolf Security"


Typical plate of food.



I woke up early (yes, it's different when you're 32, you don't party as hard on your b-day as when you were 21, ha ha) and got picked up by a new acquaintance, Jess. She found me on the Boquete website for gringos and dropped me a line because she was happy to find someone in our age group that enjoys outdoor stuff. There is a bit of a lack of resident outdoor enthusiasts under 55 that like to explore the jungle and get super dirty. So we went to her family's place where she runs a horse/rider training center. She wanted me to ride a horse in front of one she was breaking in, so of course I said sure. My riding experience is pretty much zero, so I was quite intimidated when she told me I would be riding the most enormous horse I had ever seen but Jess assured me it would be like riding a couch. It was something like that after the horse tested me for a minute or two, making me be kind of rough on the reigns. This horse was seriously massive and the same breed the Knights Templar used in ancient times. All went well and I can see why some people include horses in their lives. They can be amazingly affectionate, moody, and seemingly mind-reading. Smart animals for sure.

Oh, just a note, this was official business too, because the family wants to sell their property, so I needed to see it so I can help them find a buyer. In all seriousness, when I look back at what I have written on this blog, I definitely omit most of the work tasks I do each day...it makes for boring reading anyway.

After riding horses for a while, we went for a drive in the mountains, to the base of Volcan Baru, and for a preview (for Jess) of the climbing areas we will be going to on Sunday (weather permitting). We went to lunch at El Sobroson (huge plate of food for $3) while Wolf Security (the name of Jess's dog) guarded the open-door jeep.

A couple days ago, Jess killed a viper on her property with a weed whacker and, being a snake enthusiast in Central America for 10 years now, she realized it was unique. This snake has apparently never been found or reported to be living in Panama, so it may make it to the books. Jess currently has it in her freezer.