Our first holiday season in Panama has come and gone, and what a memorable time it was. With the loss of Maggie so fresh and painful, we found solace in nature and in the loving embrace of our wonderful friends here in Boquete. That meant hiking, hiking, and more hiking, with plenty of eating and merriment thrown in. First, a shout-out to Jere McCormick, leader of Boquete Nature Hikes. John has been doing Jere’s Wednesday hikes religiously ever since we got here, and I’ve joined in on a few occasions when I could tear myself away from work. On Dec. 23, we partook of Jere’s hike on the Familia Quiel Finca, a hillside property that has been owned and farmed by the Quiel family for almost a century. A short trek through a flower-filled rainforest leads to a lovely waterfall, El Tatica. The next day, Christmas Eve, we joined Jere’s group again.…