1. One of the workers had a big family party on Sunday - no show today. We are planting so every day off delays the process. Each worker is planting around 125 plants a day. It takes time to plant a coffee tree. Fertilizer and chicken manure soil and calcium all go in the hole in a precise order then the soil is compacted. Monday mornings are famous for no shows in Panama. So much so that if you have a string of missing Mondays you can fire someone without liquidation, one of the very few exceptions. A family member assured me he should be back tomorrow, bright eyed and bushy tailed?
2. Secondly, my Gorilla Gardening neighbors were out in force. These are folks who opportunistically cultivate vacant land with a view to obtaining rights which come with time. Yesterday, I stood in front of his weed whacker to get the attention of my neighbor 'friend' who is slowly increasing his empire along the river bank at my expense. As we live next to a river opportunities for Gorilla Gardening have been numerous over the years as the river moves back and forward and he has 30 yrs of experience and success in the art of land acquisition with weed wakers and herbicide. I have just about a year of paying attention and already I am about as angry as I have ever been about anything.
Unfortunately for him, on this occasion, I intend to exercise my legal right or at least put that concept to the test here in Panama and see if the law actually works. That in itself is a question worth answering as an investor. According to the law, I have the first right of refusal to use my weed whackers on newly created vacant land between my title and the river and intend to stand my ground. So off to the local land police today and lets see what they can or are willing to do? Our local government land policeman seems like a nice chap, I have high hopes.