ruthkennedysretirementblog

DIY Tables….and more tables.

We have a friend who had a very very large corotu tree fall down in his back yard. It damaged part of his fence and workshop. That’s a lot of wood to use up.

It took a while to get a guy with a six foot chain saw blade to come and cut the tree into slabs.

We decided to get a piece. My new preferred activity is wood working and what a wonderful opportunity to get a solid piece of wood to make a table 6′ x 3′.

Ours is somewhere in the middle of this pile. We will probably need a forklift to move it. It has a beautiful dark centre with light colour around the edges. There is also enough wood in the slab to make the legs.

The wood got a chemical treatment to keep termites and other creatures from eating it. Now it has to sit for a year or so to dry out. Then the real work starts. I am good with doing the table top, Daryl will make the legs.

We needed a regular height work surface as we have lots of work in our future. Somebody told us somebody (you know how it goes) had an old table with a separate tree stump base for sale.

The ‘stump’ was too short for a regular table height so we decided to shorten it and make a coffee table.

Even though it is in pretty rough shape, it has too much potential to be used as a work table.

We took it to the house and Daryl gave it the termite treatment. After a few days I decided it was ok to start the cleaning up process..

The sanding did not last long as there was too much chemical odor.

Both pieces are stored for completion in the fall. At some point we hope it will be a fabulous coffee table.

While we were at the lumber yard getting wood for the window trim, I saw an old piece of grey wood that could work as a work station. ‘The guy’ would sell it for $20, but first he would clean it up.

After being sanded and cleaned up, it was a very nice piece of wood and the perfect size for an end table. My plan was to use a block of wood for the base. But ‘the guy’ had a better plan, and only for another $20!

This table is never coming apart.

It would not have been my choice for table legs, however this man is an artist at work. This table only needs the legs stained and a clear sealer. The beautiful tabletop is all natural.

Now we have an outside dining table, a coffee table and an end table all in different stages of development. We ended up using a kitchen counter that needs replacing as a work station.

Cheers

Ruth

A Panamanian house. Almost DIY

Sometimes it is better to buy a ‘fixer upper’ than trying to build from scratch.

This lovely little gem was a new build that has been sitting empty for the last 10 years. It came with a good size lot. The location is also perfect, it is on the edge of town but only a two minute walk to main street. So we can walk ‘everywhere’.

Three areas needed to be attended to before we go home: a fence, security bars on all windows and doors, and a new roof.

This house had no water or electricity. Our neighbour across the street let us run a water line from his well and to hook up to his electricity. Both were run in ‘tubos’ under the street.

This all came together relatively quickly.

The electric wire had to be pulled through the pipe. It was not easy. I ended up standing on the pipe so the worker did not have to hold it with his feet while pulling.

Once we had water and electricity, the fence was next to get going. The process was a little different. The quote was in two parts: supplies and labour. Daryl went to the hardware store, the ‘ferreteria’, and paid for the supplies. Everything was delivered and work started.

It was manual labor for the most part.

There was a line of trees across the back yard that was in the middle of the property line. They were all removed with a machette and shovel, except one. That one needed a little help to get the root.

So sad to see all those lovely trees being chopped down. It’s a plus that vegetation grows quickly here.

We ended up with quite a pile of brush that will need to be removed.

Once the post holes were dug, it was time to get the posts planted in cement.

While the fence was going up Daryl and I started preping the windows for the security bars.

Daryl painted outside, I did the inside.

A big bunch of trim had to be stained and then window screens installed.

All 13 windows now have screens. It will be a couple of weeks yet before the security bars are ready.

There are about 8000 tiles on the roof that have to be removed. The workers sure know what they are doing.

A guy on the roof throws a tile and the guy below deftly catches it.

Over half the tiles have been removed. A long way to go yet, but that’s a good start.

Daryl is installing privacy netting on the fence. Eventually there will be shrubbery hiding the green.

It has been a busy couple of weeks.

Maybe some day we will even have furniture!

Cheers

Ruth

DIY: Making a Mandala

There might actually be something artistic in me!

Making the mandala was fun and not difficult, as long as you followed the pattern. The instructor suggested I take the beginner lesson first as I had no idea of the process involved.

I did (me and a nine year old with his mom). Basically we were taught how to mix the paint, follow the pattern and make the different size dots. The entire ‘painting’ is made with dots.

Mix the paint with white to make three shades of yellow and blue.

Start with a centre dot and work out. You need to follow the pattern pretty closely. However if you make a mistake, you can erase it if you are quick enough before it dried. A bit of water on a little brush and a Q-tip should get rid of the mistake. Then a dab of black paint and good as new.

Add a bit of yellow and a good three hours later it was done.

The next class had a bigger canvas and took closer to five hours to complete.

Starting to come together.

And finished.

All in all a fun couple of days, and something I would do again.

Cheers

Ruth

DIY outside seats

Once I realised how satisfing it was to take a raw piece of wood and change it into something useful, I was hooked.

Daryl and I went back to the same lumber yard looking for wood for another project.

I had this visual image of making stools to use outside, preferably under a big shade tree. I would do the seats and Daryl could build the legs.

With our broken Spanish we were able to communicate what I wanted to do. The people who work at this lumber yard were more than accommodating. A gentleman walked around the yard with me until we found a log large enough to be used for stools.

A chain saw and twenty minutes later we had six rounds a couple of inches thick. He was going to charge me $5 for four pieces. I made a deal to get six pieces for $10. I know! However it worked for me!

The wood was pretty rough, with some pieces better than others. We went out and bought a hand sander and I went to work.

As the only tool I had was a hand sander, I used the ‘grittiest’ sandpaper available, #40. Some of the groves were at least 1/4 inch thick.

It was so satisfying to see the grain take shape and each piece become smooth.

The sandpaper went from 40, to 80, to 100.

The edges were cleaned up and rounded off. The seats were as smooth as they were going to be. All six has a slightly different grain, and the one closest to the end had a crater in it, plus a hole straight through.

Enough sanding!

Mineral oil was used to bring out the grain. Three coats with a light sanding using #120 between coats.

Next the seats needed several layers of clear sealer. This will make them more durable to being outside and keep bugs from eating them.

And done. Daryl will make the bases and we are good to go.

Cheers

Ruth

DIY woodworking

A while back I needed a project. We are in a country with lots of beautiful wood. I needed something small and easy to make as I had zero tools.

Daryl and I stopped by a lumber yard to see what was available. The workers were more than helpful and we were given two end pieces of wood.

Both pieces were in fairly good shape, just rough edges, some saw marks and one had a big burl in it. With a bunch of sandpaper and a knife (to get rid of the bark and clean out the hole) I went to work.

I started with a rough sandpaper, #80, then #120, then #220 to get smooth wood.

At some point in the many hours spent sanding, our landlord took pity and loaned me a small palm sander.

Once the sanding was completed it was time to wet the wood, as apparently this helps the little ‘hairs’ stand up and when sanded off make for a silky smooth finish. When the wood was wet you could really see the grain.

The last step was oiling. According to google it needed to be somethong like mineral oil as the boards were going to be used for food. We ended up going to the next town to a bigger pharmacy to find what we needed.

As an aside, see the maracuya ripening on the table. They are a wonderful flavour for kombucha.

Three coats of oil and we have a finished project.

I have no idea what kind of wood this is, however the end product turned into usable boards, either for charcuterie, a cutting board or a trivet.

It has been a couple of months since those two pieces were completed. The colour has really toned down, but they get used constantly.

There is a good chance I might have found a new calling!!

Cheers

Ruth

Venao has both hiking and surfing

As a change from all beach days, we decided to do a small jungle hike. Eco Venao Lodge has a short hike we have done a couple of times. Thankfully for the most part there are shade trees.

Not long after crossing this stream we came across several howler monkeys. Pictures sure don’t do justice. There were two mommas with tiny babies on their bellies. So cute. And they make such a loud noise.

About halfway into the hike there are three plunge pools. A couple of months ago there was more water, however as we get further into the dry season there is less. The water felt really good after walking up a mountain side in 30C+ weather.

And what’s a hike without a snack. The locally smoked tuna was pretty tasty!

Later we went “across the road” in Venao for a bit of surfing. Unfortunately the kids only got to go surfing once as it was so enjoyable they spent many hours in the hot sun. That is a recipe for blistered noses, even with sunscreen.

Surfing is hot thirsty work.

Those crispy kiddie cheeks needed a day in the shade. Coucou Crazy in Pedasi has wicked craft beer, fresh roasted Panama coffee and kombucha. Something for everyone.

Having family visit sure is an opportunity to showcase some of the beauty Panama has to offer.

Cheers

Ruth

Sand, Sun and Waves

Family visits are a great time to showcase local beaches. There are so many choices and each with different highlights.

Cheryl, Adam, Hannah and Davis recently visited. They made it to Pedasi at 3AM, after two long travel days.

Our first beach was Playa Playita. Always a favorite for me as it has the most calm water of any beach around. It wasn’t very busy and we luckily were able to get a shaded area.

The kids also got to see monkeys, toucans, large iguanas and a deer. All wild and free but sticking around, probably for the food.

Playita is a calm beach due to the ‘island’ windbreak. We arrived at low tide and you could pretty well reach the rocky bottom all the way across. The sand was so hot we had to keep our sandals on until we got to the wet sand.

As the tide came in, there were a few waves, just not very big.

The next day was again blistering hot. We needed to find the perfect location to enjoy the sun but not burn to a crisp. Our choice was Escondido. It’s not that far from Pedasi, however the last part of the drive is quite ‘bumpy’ so takes about half hour.

Here the waves were bigger for playing in.

And shade when you need it.

The third beach we visited was El Tigre. This one was quite isolated, pretty sure we had this kilometers long beach all to ourselves.

The waves were also considerably bigger and the kids were happy people.

At the top of the picture is Isla Iguana, a national park and a popular snorkling area. I have never been as the sea always seems too choppy for a small boat. It’s not. It’s me!

Looks like there is a wall of water comimg at you.

Again, we were here during low tide so had tons of beach.

The sand and rocks are black…ish.

Just three of the many beaches around Pedasi, all beautiful and different.

A great place to spend quality family time.

Cheers

Ruth

Ox Cart Parade

Each year Pedasi holds an ox cart parade. I did not have much luck finding out the history of this parade. Except that the carts are pulled by bulls and celebrates folklore history, and the different agriculture of surrounding villages.

The different parades follow a similar route, a big square that encompasses the town center and a section of the main street. We were able to get a shaded seat and order a cold beverage while watchimg.

The ox carts sure do clean up nicely. There is always so much colour.

The bulls were on a short leash but semed very well behaved, or managed!

There were the usual fabulously dressed ladies in polleras.

Even a puppy all dressed up.

Definitely not the Calgary Stampede, but sure lots of beautiful horses.

And whar would a parade be without fireworks off the back of a truck.

At the end of the parade this bull was released. We could not see much as we were behind the barrier. The cowboys quickly rounded him up.

Watching a parade for a couple of hours is hard work! It’t a great way to end a day with a nice beach walk.

Cheers

Ruth

The Parade of a Thousand Polleras.

What a parade! We watched for 4 hours and there was still more.

Las Tablas is the capital of Los Santos province in Panama with the city and surrounding area having a population of about 30,000. Every year Las Tablas hosts a parade celebrating the traditional dress (polleras) of Panamaians. This year the parade had more than 20,000 participants.

Generally the parades we have seen showcasing the traditional dresses have all the ladies wearing similar styles. They are absolutely stunning.

The parade in Las Tablas had many different colors and styles of dresses, most with the big pleated skirts. From what I have read, the skirt originally came from Spain in the 16th-17th century and gradually became integrated into the various Panamanian peoples.

The more money you had the fancier the dress and more expensive jewellry.

The dresses had a splash of different color in a pompom (I am sure it has a proper name) on both the front and back of the dress. Lots of ladies who wore hats had this same colored ribbon decorating it. And matchimg shoes.

There were people of every age taking part. The little kids were just as elaborately dressed as the big people.

Those dresses can be very costly, up to many thousands of dollars. They are all hand made and then embroidered or cross stiched (probably more techniques used but my sewing skills and terminology is lacking).

Every group in the parade also had men in traditional shirts. I think the groups are by town, but not sure. Each group had its own band. Most walked, some were on floats.

Some people wore incredibly intricate head pieces (tembleques).

Daryl read somewhere that generally 250,000 people line the parade route. We found a spot in the shade and stayed put. There were people as far as you could see.

And of course a little street food never goes amiss.

Such a vibrant, colorful day.

Cheers

Ruth

Alaya Panama, so much more than a restaurant

Daryl and I went for lunch at a restaurant in Cañas called A Taste of Alaya. It is so much more than an amazing restaurant. Its website describes it as “Panama’s first luxury glamping resort and retreat centre”.

It is perched on the top of a mountain. After entering the coded gate, we parked part way up the hill and walked a short distance to the top.

The restaurant is at the top of one hill but all around it are those geodesic domes. The luxurious glamping sites. You can even get a dome with a private plunge pool or a jacuzzi!

At the restaurant you have seating options. You can sit inside, although the sliding glass walls were wide open.

The middle of the display case opens to a wine cellar with a private table.

I liked the didgeridoo sitting in a corner. Ah memories.

We choose to sit in the outside dining/bar area as there was a good breeze and lots of shade. Also, with the temperature around 35C (feels like 39C) the wine cellar was freezing.

The bottles in the bar were a little wonky. Probably help in some situations!!