Changing of the Seasons

It's December in Panama.  Outside, it's raining.  A light, soft rain that I am pretending is snow as I watch our Christmas tree lights.

It's been raining for a week straight, day and night.  As Christmas comes closer, we are waiting for dry season to start. While in the northern parts winter is officially beginning, our "summer" is on the way.  When we feel those warm breezes and clear skies, it finally feels like Christmas time.

Unlike the coming of a northern winter, dry season here comes quickly, almost suddenly.  Today it is raining, but tomorrow it may stop.  We may wake to see clear skies, and not another rain drop for months. In a country that must give up 9 months of the year to rainy season, we cherish those short, dry months.

The countryside changes.  Trees, suddenly dry, lose their leaves, making dry season here feel like summer and fall rolled into one.  Grass and many plants die out, shocked by the sudden dryness.  Flowers bloom.  A good time for "spring" cleaning.

Now, as I look outside, the grass is taking over the grounds.  The countryside is so green that sometimes it hurts to look at it.  Impossibly lush.  The jungle out behind our house is constantly trying to take over our yard.

Princess, who will be starting preschool at home soon, will be learning about weather. I printed out a cute little weather chart that she can mark each day: sunny, rainy, cloudy, or snowy.  Only here, we won't ever use the snowy one.  Snow is only something she sees in movies or books.  She played  in snow when she was a baby, during a visit back to Oregon. 

Days like today, in the mid 70's, are as cold as it gets.  I put pants and socks on today, feeling chilly after hard rains, and breezes all night.  The windows are all open, as they remain every day.  The temperature changes more from day to night here, then from one time of year to another.

Here in the tropics, we are waiting for "summer".  Summer means Christmas, school getting out for the year, going to the beach, and painting your house.  And hanging your clothes on the line with no worries of rain.  I am ready.

Garden memories

Today was the third sunny day in a row, leading me to believe that dry season (what we call summer here) is just around the corner.  This sunny day found us out in the yard, replanting my garden.
For years after moving to this tropical country, I did no gardening whatsoever.  I was very busy, traveling all the time, and the whole YWAM property was under construction. So every time I did actually take time to plant something, I would come back the next day to find it under a pile of rubble.  Yes, that really did happen.

But now we have been in the same house for almost 6 years, and  I am pretty sure nothing will ever be built in our back yard.  So I have begun gardening.

Tropical gardening is still a bit new to me.  I have very fond memories of gardening with my mom; first in Montana, and then Portland.  I clearly remember at our little school house in Montana, my mom gave us each a little square of the garden to plant ourselves. I think that I planted it with one of those seed varitey packs, but maybe I'm not sure how acurate my memory is. I must have been about 4 or 5.

There was something that facinated me about gardening as a child: interacting with nature, seeing the fruits of my labor, time spent outdoors, the wonderful feel of dirt.  Now as a mom myself, I want my girls to have the same great memories. Maybe that is what has finally driven me to learn gardening here.

Only my little ones won't remember planting carrots and peas, like I do, but pineapples and papayas. Today we were out in the garden planting some bell peppers.  They love the hot weather.  So do sweet potatoes, tomatoes and basil.  Princess enjoyed making the little holes, and putting the seeds in.  Rose played with sticks and found a bug. 

Then we all played in the wading pool.  A perfect morning. I just hope that we don't get to many heavy rains and ruin all my plans.