Carson-Magness Landscapes, Inc.

Hello my dear friends. I promised to post Why I Believe Living in Panama' isn't for Everyone!
Please come and visit, it's a Beautiful Place! I LOVE living here. I am happy here.
It is located close to Florida.
However, this is a tough place to live. This country is NOT as developed as Mexico, Colombia, Chile, or Argentina.
Many people seem to just MOVE HERE without doing Research and bringing Unrealistic Expectations.
Every Country in Latin America & the Caribbean is COMPLETELY DIFFERENT Cuturally, Economically, & Politically from each other. Many are not even Spanish speaking.
Expecting to live in Panamá with the SAME STANDARD OF LIVING as in the Developed Western World is COMPLETELY UNREALISTIC!!!
The aforementioned countries can offer you this in Urban Areas. IF you can afford it, Costa Rica & PANAMÁ CITY may afford you this. It will cost the same as LA, NYC, San Fransisco, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth. I have heard very good reports of Eastern Colombia, Medellin & the Caribbean Resort Cities.
I live in the POOREST Province (State) in Panamá. VERAGUAS with 40% unemployment. Very limited Medical locally..I drive 1-1/2 hours on a paved rural road to Santiago in order to see my Excellent Dr. , do my Grocery shopping, get tires- oil change- parts for my car.
Electricity has brown & black outs. Surges ALL the time.The large township my water is connected to had a 5 day outage this year. Other years this has happened repeatedly.
Schools: Mariato District (County) has 1 high school and a few elementary schools ALL are Government funded in Spanish and not on a US track style.
Private Schools are available in Panama City, David, & we have one in Santiago, our local city.The local Expat & Alternative population has started an informal Alternative School 3 days per week for the little ones and 2 days per week for older kids. Non-affiliated, parents directed democratically. They Do Not study the 3 Rs nor is that what the parents want. There are Private Affiliated Schools in Panamá City & other wealthier Provinces. LYCEE FRANÇAIS, OXFORD SCHOOL, British Etc.
Most roads in the area are well kept & unpaved. Our main rural highway is paved.
If you Do Not have an outside of the Area Income ie.; Internet, can fly to work periodically & work via Internet, Very good Pensión of over $36,000 to $40,000 annually, or are Independently Wealthy you will NOT be able to live with the amenities you had in a developed country.
The language is Panamanian Spanish. If you speak Iberian Spanish you will be understood. You will need to learn local vernacular and ask people to slow their speech. It's very fast like Caribbean.
Local produce is limited to wonderful fruits, vegetables are expensive also not much choice. Beef is tough, Chicken, eggs, & pork is tasty, Tofu dificult to come by, Fish is delicious & overfished. In Santiago there are Chinese vegetables! Every middle-eastern store in Santiago I frequented just seem to come and go. Looking to see if there's any new one now.
The Temple and Mosque are in Santiago. There are Catholic services and Panamenian Style Evangelical Services available. My area has Meditation groups.
All other Religious Practices are in Panamá City. 5 hours away.

If you are tough and self sufficient and don't care about all the Stuff you are used to in a Developed Country. If you love Nature and don't need all the other stuff, there are a lot of Happy Expats. Yes mosquitos. I got used to it sort of.
Hiking, Surfing, Skate Park soon, Art, Nature Conservation are the main activities here. Also Socializing at the Expat Cafes & Restaurant which are offering Expat Musicians & alcoholic drinks.
Personally, I am more involved in the Panamanian Community than the Expat Community.
Other Provinces.offer a better lifestyle for Expats who are not so Back To Nature inclined.
That would be 2 bordering on Costa Rica: Caribbean Bocas del Toro & Pacific Chiriqui.
Also, Panamá City itself & "Panamá Oeste' beaches. These are more developed areas. Have many services & less frustration.
EVERYTHING in Panamá is Imported except food. Expect high prices.
Land Speculation has raised prices beyond farmer's abilities. Prices are outrageous!
It is easy to buy high in Panama' and very, very dificult to sell !!!!
Many, many Panamanians STILL believe that Expats from developed countries are RICH!
Obviously not educated middle class Panamanians. Most rural residents though. It's totally messed with Real Estate. There are a lot of Lawyers and Real Estate Agents who are unfortunately corrupt & take advantage. It's best to get recommendations from friends as we did.
The country is run by 4 very wealthy families and their buddies. They live in their own world. Their Country Clubs & Sailing Clubs & Horse Clubs. Unless you're Connected don't expect any help from the government.
THIS COUNTRY IS GORGEOUS, Mostly safe!! GREAT for Exploration!! Lots of surfing on both coasts! Indigenous Tourism. Less expensive than Costa Rica. Interesting Small Museums. Amazing diversity of species!
No Racism.
People here are a mixture of All who have come here Indigenous, African, Chinese, Arab, Europeans for the most part. There was no African slavery in this country ever. Indigenous slavery was Outlawed and made illegal before ANY SLAVERY in the Americas! Indigenous peoples own almost ALL of the Caribbean Coastline.
They are active.politically when it comes to protecting their forests and their Rights.
Even going to the UN.
Also, even if people may appear POOR to you, that doesn't make them STUPID. They know MORE THAN YOU about surviving in their Tropical Environment than you do.
DO NOT VENTURE East of Panamá City towards the Darien Region without a guide. On the Pacific there is a good fishing, hiking hotel. I wouldn't go anywhere else.
On the Eastern Caribbean there are Indigenous Tourist destinations, Islands, and hotels. AVOID the City of Colon...dangerous Port. Go further east or catch a Cruise / Ferry to visit Colombia.
O!!!! Panamá runs WEST from Costa Rica, EAST to Colombia.
NOT north - south. Also, close to Equator. Hot & Humid like Costa Rica. & very close to Florida.
Lastly, YES, there are BUGS!
Some absolutely fascinating! Some gorgeous Butterflys. There is a Butterfly park in Valle de Anton.
Spiders, scorpions, lizards, Iguanas, snakes...some poisonous. Best to hike with closed shoes, pants tucked in AND with a guide. Every Ocean Turtle species lives here. Birds are AMAZING!
Pine mountain tops that are cool, Coffee plantations...Panamá produces the most expensive coffee available for conosieurs...lucky for us the many coffee available to regular people is exquisite!!
Rain/Cloud forests, Tropical and Dry Tropical, NO Sub-Tropical.
PLEASE COME VISIT!!!
Living here is NOT FOR SISSIES....you really don't want to live in Veraguas Province unless you're willing to speak Spanish, Help & work with your neighbors of Both cultures, and /or want & are wealthy enough to fight for Mother Earth.

I'll follow up on living in Panamá. Why I think although it's a beautiful place to visit, it really isn't for everyone. Seriously.

About Panamá. We have noticed locally that tourism has dropped off dramatically this year. We'll it IS an election year in many countries, including Panamá.
Many people misguidedly believe that ALL Latin American countries are the same...violent, unstable corrupt...WRONG!...without looking into each country's individuality.
Many have expressed perhaps a fear of the much reported protests of 2022 & 2023.
Those were VERY SPECIFIC protests. 2022 about inflation & wages & fuel prices. ALL of which were resolved. Yes, this one had some limited violence in specific locations by both police & protestors. Prices capped & wages raised.
2023 was begun by the Indigenous population and supported by almost the Entire Nation! This was against the sale of extreme mining rights to foreign interests by a few corrupt politicians. These rights would have given pennies on the dollar to landowners. Were Unconstitutional as regards Indigenous land holdings. Would have been Open Pit mining destroying Panamá's ecology, polluting all of our water, possibly causing mass extinction events of animal species Unique to this country!
The One Copper Mine has already been been closed as a result of these actions. This one caused a grave reduction of Harpy Eagle habitat (the national bird), Leukemia in children, & widespread Cancers among adults in the region surrounding this mine.
The Supreme Court ruled the sale Unconstitutional. The Mining agreement was stopped!!! The copper mine closed. The Canadian(&Chinese) owned Company that was getting the contract: stocks plummeted and an Investigation was begun in Canada..they had already caused mass destruction in Africa.
The population used non-violent means. Young & old, Tribal & Panameño, Families with their children!, Laborers, ranchers, bus drivers, teachers medical people AND even expats...marching together ; with Permits and Announced Dates...in order to show their government Their Displeasure!
It worked!!! Everybody went home to continue their lives.
Panamá is a beautiful country with species unique only to it. More forests than Costa Rica. Outside of dangerous URBAN areas , it is safe and welcoming!! It is a very small country. Mostly rural. 1 million in the Capital, 500,000 in David the next largest city. The other cities are very small. Most people live & work in the countryside farming, fishing, etc.
I am VERY happy here!!! My life is rich in really nice people and beautiful nature. It has its problems with poverty and local politics. Yet it is SAFE and fun if you love nature. Not for people who want pristine, manicured resorts. It's definitely rustic. Lots of Freedom!! Worth a visit. If you have time combine with Costa Rica or Colombia!!!!

Yesterday I was thinking of Resurrection, a very ancient Spring Celebration and so I was posting about Rescues & Restorations, & Universal Love . A friend once taught me about the Power of Love as I began my own path of rehabilitation. (Thank you, Heldar. Miss you.)
I'm going to follow up with a message about Panamá that I hope you will all share.

It's official. Signed at 12:53. It even came on tv.
Mine really turned blue. Don't forget, the new Facebook rule starts tomorrow (aka... new name META) where they can use your photos. Dont forget the deadline is today!!! I do not give Facebook or any company affiliated with Facebook permission to use my past and future photos, information, messages or posts.
With this statement, I inform Facebook that it is strictly forbidden to publish, copy, distribute or take any other action against me based on this profile and/or its contents. The violation of privacy can be punished by law.
NOTICE: Facebook is now a public entity. All members must publish such a note.
Whoever wants can copy and paste this version. Failure to post a statement at least once will be tacitly allowing the use of your photos, as well as information in profile and status posts.
Hold your finger anywhere in this message and copy will pop up. Click the copy button. Then go to your page, create a new message and put your finger anywhere in the blank field. "Paste" will appear and click Paste.
This will bypass the system....
He who does nothing agrees.

I just watched a 2020 film called UNFIT on you tube. If you haven't seen it I highly recommend it. If you have, I suggestions watching it again.

Did you know that the roots of native plants can hold soil in place? That's right, small but mighty plants like Dudleya have a big impact!

“It's eroding like crazy but what's helping it stay up here? Beautiful California native Canyon Dudleya.” - Jessie Dickson’s (aka sacramentofoodforest)

CNPS Conservation Director Nick Jensen says, “If you remove dudleya or if you remove other plants… you can have erosion which otherwise essentially destroys the habitat.” Many dudleya have bright, attractive flowers and offer important food sources to pollinators. Be sure to add one to your patio, but know its source to keep wild Dudleya in the wild!

Read more here: https://laist.com/news/climate-environment/dudleya-are-gang-the-california-succulent-is-also-threatened California’s Native Plants Help Hold Up Our Hillsides — But Poachers Threaten Popular Succulents

Chalk dudleya (Dudleya pulverulenta) in San Diego; Image: James Connolly Davis (cc0)

Announcing the 2023 Pasadena Showcase House of Design 🎉

Welcome to Stewart House, a 1933 grand colonial estate with spectacular acreage in a storied Pasadena neighborhood.

Designed by Marston & Maybury, one of Pasadena’s most celebrated architectural partnerships, Stewart House takes us back to the days of gracious architecture and quintessential Showcase with over 11,000 square feet of living space sited on two acres of carefully landscaped and exquisitely manicured grounds.

April 23 – May 21, 2023

🎟 Golden Tickets are now on sale. Learn more at pasadenashowcase.org/showcase

The native plant revolution has arrived. Native plants for a better world with Bloom! California

Carson-Magness Landscapes, Inc. Is now located in Mariato District, Veraguas Province, Republic of Panama'. We continue to offer Design Services, Supervision, & Recommendations in Southern California. Our time is divided between both Panamá & California.

Home in Panamá just in time for November 3rd & 28th Independence Celebrations!

"Came home to this today. I only own the dog."

Let's #BloomCalifornia!