Rainbow, Plants, a tiny Bird and Jipijapa Hats

They say that April is the month with the most rain. It has been raining at least once and usually more than once a day. But it is still beautiful.

Walking to work, we saw this tiny humming bird on the sidewalk. I have never seen one holding still before. This bird must be very ill or he wouldn't wait around for us to take photos. He was trembling but his eyes were open. Poor thing.

The blue feathers are iridescent. Amazing.



Grandpa was bored one day and planted some pinto beans from the grocery store. He wanted to try sprouting them hydroponically. He created a system to support the seeds and allow them to grow and keep them covered in fertilized water. They sprouted, they grew and are very pretty. I don't think I want a large enough structure to support them while producing beans in the living room, but we shall see.

The plant in the blue cup is a cutting from the geranium plants that are growing outside the window. It was just a stick, grew roots, then grew leaves and now is flaunting buds for flowers on the top right.

In the office, I avoid calling participants as much as I can. I prefer to do the computer work rather than struggle to understand what someone on the other end of the phone is saying to me. But early this month I talked with a participant who lives in Jipijapa.

That is "hippy HA pa" to English speakers. Such a cute name. I googled it to find out where the city was located and found out that Panama hats are made from the fibers of the jipijapa plant and were first made in Ecuador. They are called Panama hats because all of the workers on the Panama canal wanted one to keep the sun off their heads while they built the canal. They are now made in many countries but they originated here in Jipijapa, Ecuador.

According to Wikipedia--A Panama hat is a traditional brimmed hat of Ecuadorian origin that is made from the plaited leaves of the straw plant. Straw hats woven in Ecuador, like many other 19th and early 20th century South American goods, were shipped first to the Isthmus of Panama before sailing for their destinations in Asia, the rest of the Americas and Europe. For some products, the name of their point of international sale rather than their place of domestic origin stuck, hence "Panama hats." The 49ers picked up these hats in Panama, and when President Theodore Roosevelt visited the Panama Canal construction, he wore such a hat, which increased its popularity. They're also known as a Jipijapa, named for a town in Ecuador, one of the centers of the hat trade.

Glorified during the 19th century, the Panama has since been considered the prince of straw hats. Ecuadorian national hero and emblematic figure, Eloy Alfaro helped finance his liberal revolution of Ecuador through the export of panamas. The reputation of the hat was established by Napoleon III, Edward VII, and some other aficionados.

Panama hats are often seen as accessories to summer-weight suits such as linen or silk. Beginning around the turn of the 20th century, panamas began to be associated with the seaside and tropical locales, such as Brighton or the Caribbean. They are usually preferred over felt hats in such climates for they are light colored, light weight, and breathable. The Panama is preferred for travel because its design allows it to return to its original shape after being folded in a suitcase.

Panama hat quality is a heavily disputed subject. There are two main processes in the hat's creation: weaving and blocking. The best way to gauge the quality of the weave is to count the number of weaves per square inch. Fewer than 100 would be considered low quality. There are many degrees of increasing quality, up to the rarest and most expensive hats, which can have as many as 1600–2500 weaves per square inch; it is not unheard of for these hats to sell for thousands of dollars apiece. Such a hat is known as the Montecristi, named after the Ecuadorian city that produces the best Panamas. The second best type is the Cuenca, again, named for an Ecuadorian city.

The quality of the weave itself, however, is more important. A high weave count, even an attractive-looking one, does not guarantee a well-woven hat. It is said that a Panama of true quality (a "superfino") can hold water and when folded for storage can pass through a wedding ring.

Although the Panama hat continues to provide a livelihood for thousands of Ecuadorians, fewer than a dozen weavers capable of making the finest "Montecristi superfinos" remain. The UK's Financial Times Magazine (January 7) recently reported that there may be no more than 15–20 years remaining for the industry in Ecuador, due to the competition of paper-based Chinese-made imitations, especially as a few hat sellers dominate and manipulate the market. Panama hats can take up to 4 months to weave. They usually take 2 months to weave.