The Dogs of Celestún

one cat to rule them

2011-12-31T17:12:00.000-08:00

Even in a land of dogs a cat can be king.

From our pack to yours, Happy New Year!

November evening

2011-11-30T15:58:00.000-08:00

A few shots of Reggie, Mega and PuppyG:

crime wave

2011-10-19T08:48:00.000-07:00

This summer brought the real word a little too close to home. There was a murder nearby; a tourist was killed and her body was found in the surf. That might not be news in most of Mexico, but here it is virtually unheard of.
the police tape is still on the beach:

Why not in my back yard, I guess. I don't imagine the publicity will help those with houses for sale. "Safe" and "idyllic" are a local realtor's most overused adjectives (although generally truer than "city water available").
We are acquainted with the grandmother of the murder suspect. We've watched her dogs Bosha & Linda in the past and have taken them in while she has gone to stay elsewhere with family. The more the hairier!
Linda and the tribe:

Bald when we met, now she's the victim of a ridiculous (but practical) haircut:

she looks just like Ziggy:

still cute:

Our not-so-little-anymore Xmul will be leaving us soon to live with her other mothers for 6 months. She's an irrepressible and exasperating girl...we'll miss her!
being goofy with Daisy:

covered in sand and coming to say hi:

Poor Buddy had a few seizures and suffered a relapse. He had visited the vet for a skin problem and haircut a few days earlier and she was amazed to see how well he was doing -despite the brain damage. He still seems happy and has begun to slowly regain what was lost. He hasn't given up, so we'll see how it goes.
Buddy strikes a pose:

Buddy on the move:

What's new for Fall?

2011-09-30T14:09:00.000-07:00

Summer is shuffling off stage left and none to soon for me. The loss of Oscar & the saga with Buddy (hand feedings, sleepless nights and quarantine), coupled with a myriad of injuries and afflictions to both dogs and humans, have been exhausting...add insects, heat and humidity and I'm seriously ready for Fall.

Ball was all the rage this summer. Daisy is a big fan.

As are Monkey and Mo.

Reg is more of an observer, but Rufus loves ball!

Unfortunately, it hasn't all been fun and games. Buddy suffered brain damage from encephalitis. Now he's the anti-Zoolander, he always turns left. I'd love to call him Hansel, but he already responds to Buddy. He's enjoying life, despite its challenges.
His coat has grown in and he's soft as a plushie!

Through it all I'm lucky to have my faithful pals -my little band of loyalists, my shaggy entourage -the small, devoted, contingent of dogs that are my constant companions.
I move in a cloud like Pigpen, but of fur instead of filth (ok, some of it is filth). Reggie (nee Rumsfeld) is the most devoted.
There is no nap that can't be interrupted to follow me, a potent compliment!

He (like his 2 sisters) is a weird one.
He's the biggest dog here but he doesn't know it.
He thinks he's still a pup.

He's become a fixture on the small dog walk.
Reg & Tito.

He loves to dote on the other dogs; he keeps everyone's ears and faces clean.
Reg & Jack

Sometimes I get mad at him; he is often in my way and he's a damn menace on the stairs, but I love my Reggie.
Of course he loves puppies.

Yes, new faces! This tribe of 6 was under a bush on our little road; don't know if they were raised or dumped there. They're here now, all else is moot.
As you might well imagine, I hate puppies, can't stand the adorable little things ...what with all that joy and enthusiasm.
5 are boys -I've never been so happy to see 5 little wieners!
l-r: Zoot, Petey, Amber, Lex, Mega and Steve McQueen

Daisy isn't mom.

Steve McQueen and Lex.

Here comes Petey!

Amber, the only girl.

All hail Zoot!

We've tried out Hank and Po, but I think we're going with Lex.

Xmul doesn't care what we call them. She couldn't be happier.

Poor Xmulie -we thought she must have gotten bitten or stung by something, because she had a lump. We treated that, but it rapidly got much worse. The vet directed us to take a sample (with a syringe) and it turned out to be pus -that meant an infection. It was too late in the day to take her to the vet, so we had to drain it ourselves. Yoy. We drained about a liter of goo out of her! That was a new experience for us!
You can see the drainage incision on her chest

A course of antibiotics and a daily flushing for a week and she's fine.

For most of us though, it's been the same old same old.
Posey, Mo and Bette under the neem tree.

Linda (more on her next post) and Monkey seize the evening.

solemn note: 5.08.11

2011-08-17T08:43:00.000-07:00

Sean wrote the following on dogonomicon.blogspot and I'm reposting it here.

"Oscar died Friday night. We don't really know why. He had been weak and slow to recover from a bout of ehrlichiosis coupled with giardia, but the fact is that the treatment he received for heart worm two years ago had been very hard on him; the vet thinks it weakened him. I had just taken him to the vet yesterday and he was fine on the trip and with her; his blood-work had improved since last time but he was still very thin and weak. Late at night he took a sudden turn for the worse. There was nothing we could do. We both miss him more than I can possibly say here and feel his loss keenly. Everyone who knew him loved him. He is buried in our yard with all of our fallen friends. He was the best and we will always love him."

Que Linda!

2011-07-28T11:11:00.000-07:00

We have our neighbor Kiki's 2 dogs staying with us while she's away.
The little one, Linda, first visited us in June when she wasn't feeling well.
Linda was not having a good hair day.

Linda circa June.

Linda in July.

Linda loves Tito and he thinks she has fine taste.

She's a popular girl; Xmul thinks she's swell!

They do a lot of this.

Speaking of Xmul -she and the other pups are rambunctious and entirely sweet. Twiggy and Mo have been spayed and Xmul, Daisy and Luna will be done next month.

Sophia, it was great meeting and hosting you!
Thanks for everything, we miss you!

Humidity and flies rule the day -not great for getting out for photo ops.
Zasu doesn't mind. She looks cute with her muddy paws and gray eyebrows.
13? She doesn't look a day over 8!

Monkey and Henry are always great company!

Many sleepless nights recently. Sweet Oscar was scary sick from giardia. He's on the mend, but the poor guy can't catch a break; he's had one health problem after another this year.
To top it off, moments before leaving on a run, helpxer Jami saw "some sort of animal" dash past the gate.
We're calling him Buddy (Hugo didn't stick).

After a few weeks, he took a drastic turn for the worse. Long story short, he has idiopathic encephalitis and although we're relatively sure it isn't contagious, we've been keeping him quarantined. Our time since has been dominated by him (and the infernal washing machine, but that's another story!). We've all the necessary meds for him and, with the guidance of the vet, we're doing what we can.

Prognosis for recovery is uncertain, but he's getting stronger. He's been walking in circles for a week and there's no way to know if the neurological problems are temporary or permanent.
If he pulls through, he's going to be a cutie-pie (Well I think so, but I'm partial to redheads.)!
Pre-encephalitis nap.

Thanks to Jami and Ian, our most recent helpers!
Running with Floyd at sunset.

May days (& March too)

2011-05-29T10:53:00.000-07:00

Days are hot and the water is clear.
Mornings are great for swimming. Puppy G loves it!

Afternoons are made for relaxing.
Miles and Stella lounge on the porch.

Evenings are still cool enough for walks.
Tito on the move!

The pups are getting big -they'll have to be spayed soon.
Twiggy strikes a pose.

Helpxer Ilana will soon be leaving us.
An eerie shot at dusk.

Siblings Jack and Lily are beautiful and shy ...but not camera shy.

Better late than never, I want to thank Ashley for coming. I don't know how I didn't get your picture...but I'm glad your sister did. Cheers Ash! Come again!

The rest of these shots are from March and were taken by Emily or Ashley.
Miles keeps watch.

Three sisters.

Wee Xmul!

Xmul, Daisy and Mo.

Emily and Oscar

Ashley and Tito

Emily and Henry

Silly Archie making his favorite funny face.

Greta and Zasu

Bette!

puppy maneuvers

2011-05-08T05:15:00.000-07:00

Daisy is back to her happy, playful self!
She and Lucy love the beach.

Isn't Lucy a beauty? Checkout those lashes!

We had a visitor...I think it's called a mapache, but I'm not sure.
My first thought was rabies, but I think it was domesticated and dumped. It seemed inquisitive and wasn't afraid of dogs. I wish I had managed to trap it for a wildlife rehabber, but I'm no Steve Irwin. It had big teeth and I was more concerned about the safety of the dogs. I think this was what Gracie treed few years ago and she still has the scar on her throat to prove it.

If he comes back I'll try to trap him.

As for our own little beasties...
Xmul (pronounced shmool) is a riot and a handful!
Here she takes on Tuesday.

Xmul and Mo (I think).

Wrasslin' with her best pal Daisy.

Coming for the camera!!!

The beach is usually deserted this time of year, perfect for doggy sorties. Chester and Tito in the lead.

The dogs think the best thing about the beach is dead fish to chew on!
(notice Twiggy's cute broken tail in the foreground.)

Finding the fish is easy ...the hard part is keeping it; competition is stiff!

Luna (I think) and her prize.

Xmul!

Luna, her fish, and Daisy.

Mo and Twiggy.

All pups present and accounted for.

puppy update

2011-04-17T08:50:00.000-07:00

Daisy was deathly ill and had to spend almost a week a the vet's. All 4 of the younger puppies suffered briefly from the same thing, but responded to antibiotics. Because she had ehrlichiosis when she showed up a few weeks earlier her defenses were already weakened.
poor sick Daisy, just home from the vet's:

After a week of injections and antibiotics here at home she's still a little bag of bones, but her white cell count is up, she's getting stronger and she's starting to play; it looks like she'll be ok.
feeling a bit better:

The four lucky pups are doing fine...the 3 black pups (initially fed by Cindy):

and little fawn colored Xmul (found by Nicole and Marie):

have had a better start than most...
with walks in the mornings:

and 24 hour a day doting by Emily:

Elewah insists there is no resemblance:

and Miles is not impressed:

everyone else thinks they're swell,
especially Stella:

We've gone through a few names and settled on
Twiggy:

Luna:

and Mo:

Xmul likes to charge at the camera, so most of her pictures look like this:

Xmul napping with Alice:

The newest dog pen is a huge hit! It's the dog's favorite place to hang out (unless we want to shut the door, then it's awful!).
Some random puppy silliness:

Enough puppy news; here's our beautiful Monkey:

and sweet Molly:

Floyd has been showing some improvement in his behavior, although we still keep him sequestered from the other males (except for Ziggy, for some reason he has no problem with Ziggy.). He has complicated life here at the dog ranch, but isn't his fault.
He loves Stella most of all:

Oh, yeah...and because life is a sit-com...our chickens...are roosters

...and scene!

Girls rule, boys drool!

2011-03-26T12:03:00.000-07:00

Come to think of it, these girls may drool too...'cause they're puppies!
Three beautiful sisters that are about 3 months old:

and a fawn colored girl of about the same age:

Thank goodness we've had a helper! Yay, Emily!

Reggie helps keep an eye on them too:

fascinating:

Daisy is doing great; she's having fun being bigger than the newbies!

Pretty Daisy:

A picture of each of the 3 sisters.
#1:

#2

#3

and three pictures of this little beauty:

Please don't count the daisies

2011-02-24T12:58:00.000-08:00

An infinite amount of thanks to Anna & Bogus, our first helpX-ers; because of them our property is tidier, our bikes are in better shape and my nervous breakdown has been postponed! A little help can be awfully helpful. More of Anna's pictures at http://kaniuta.com/

I do have my suspicions however that some counting of the dogs may have occurred... as those of you who've followed this blog already know, that just makes another show up...
We're calling her Daisy.
She intercepted Sean and his running dogs as they were heading home Saturday morning, just around the bend from our house.
She was covered in some kind of grease.

After a box of baking soda

and a couple of baths

it turns out she's mostly white,

is especially cute upside down,

and loves Tito.

Rainy season is over.

Days are getting warmer so, despite my pesky ankle problems and Sean's workload, we've been trying to get out on walks while we can. Soon only the earliest hours will be fit for man or beast (isn't that redundant?).

Elewah braves the frigid February waters (I kid, it's salty foam).

Elewah in action; she is an unbelievably fast little dog.

She strikes a pose while waiting for us slowpokes.

Tito swears that cow owed him money.

Otto and his brother doing what they do best.

Rufus is always ready to play.

He gets his toy, I get a face full of sand.

Rufus is a fun guy!

Alice and Shirley watch the sun set on another day.

let sleeping dogs lie

2011-01-02T10:05:00.000-08:00

...or the short, violent, life of a well-loved hammock.

Cool temperatures have made my hammock the place to be.
Tito and Shirley demonstrate how to get cozy in 3 easy steps.
1:

2:

3:

Henry likes hammock now that his fur is short (and he's much more pleasant company since having his teeth cleaned).
Henry and Otto are a light load for hammock:

Lucy joins Otto, the weight increases:

Lucy stretches out for a snooze:

Shirley gets rowdy:

She promises she'll behave:

Thleepin'.

Poor hammock, a hole means it's not much longer for this world.
Monkey's alignment is chaotic neutral:

Bette, Shirley and Tuesday form a solid lump of coziness.
Hammock is straining:

Valiant hammock has survived the year.
Tito and Henry join the girls for a nap:

a dog by any other name

2010-12-05T11:09:00.000-08:00

...would be as sweet.
I'd like to introduce you to the newest member of our family...but he doesn't have a name yet.
Ivan?
Beauregard?
Leroy?
Sam?
I'm long past hoping that he's lost or that I'll be able to find another home for him.
I try to stay positive here but, I have to admit, I find humans to be consistently disappointing -hamstrung by stunted imagination and conditional compassion.
Not worth the gunpowder to blow them up, as my dear Grandma used to say.
Conversely, dogs continually amaze me, this fellow in particular.

I went out to investigate some canine goings-on on the beach. Occasionally the dog of one of our distant neighbors gets left behind on walks and has to fend for herself; I hate to see her get harassed by strays, so I go out and play chaperon. This time it wasn't her and instead I broke up a dog sex party...a bitch in heat and a few determined males. That explains all the noise at night lately.
I scooped her up (really she jumped into my arms) and headed home with her suitors in tow. She'll be going to the vet to be spayed just as soon as our truck is working.
After that I don't know.

Soon after she was taken out of play the males wandered off, but for one.
He sat at the gate looking forlorn and wouldn't be run off.
He's big, scarred, covered with bite marks, ticks and fleas
and is perfectly wonderful.

I went out to see him and fell in love. Seriously unbelievable...
intact, with a bitch in heat around and yet everybody liked him immediately.

Even Bosha, the weirdest dog I've ever met
(she's our neighbor's dog and is staying here while her human is out of town.).
Bosha and Maggie

We built a pen for him to stay in at night and when the bitch is loose,
but within a day or 2 he has taken to sleeping on the upstairs porch.
He hasn't ventured inside more than a few feet; he isn't sure about those ceiling fans.

He looks like a cross between a yellow lab and a pit bull to me.
Sweet, silly and slightly cross-eyed; you couldn't wish for a nicer dog.
Well... he is a little too interested in the chickens, but we'll work on it.

Update: We're calling him Floyd. He's a sweet, fun guy -an overgrown puppy with plenty of bad habits. He also seems to have some vision trouble that we're trying to understand. He's been neutered and blood tests turned up ehrlichiosis, a common tickborne bacterial infection that would prove fatal if untreated. So, a pill a day and lots of discipline for Floyd.

Final Update 10/11: What began so well has come to a sad end. Once Floyd was comfortable his dominant/territorial tendencies came out. We soon realized he couldn't be trusted around other males or too many dogs at once. Despite our best efforts over the course of a very stressful 9 months, we had to admit defeat and have him put down; we didn't have the space, resources or manpower to safely keep him.

for he's a jolly good fellow

2010-11-25T06:18:00.000-08:00

We may be in the middle of nowhere, but it can feel like the center of the universe.
A recent day began with a view of a full moon setting over the water

and the sun rising inland.

Happy news for Paco the rooster; he finally has 2 cute little hens for company.
They aren't quite full grown and they're all getting along fine.
I think his morning crowing has been more exuberant since we got them.
Between him and the lovely dawn, I just may become a morning person.

I think I'll call them Eddy and Patsy.

This shot of Truman reminded me of one of the first pictures I took of him.
He's three now and just as cute.

Thank heaven for little boys! He was the only one in a litter of eight.

Speaking of sweet boys and how quickly they grow up...I tend to take a lot of pictures of Rufus, the camera loves him and so do I.
This is already his 4th post (#1, #2, #3).
He's always so darned enthusiastic!

The rest of his litter-mates are feral; I'm not sure how he found his way to us, but I'm glad he did. He's such a fun dog. Thanks to this blog and a little math, I believe his second birthday is around now!
Elewah, semi-retired queen of the woods, hangs out with his wild siblings. It isn't a stretch to believe that one or more of them fathered Jack and Lily (they turned 1 last month). That means that Rufus is Jack's uncle.
Shirley, Jack and Rufus in profile.

There is an undeniable family resemblance.

They've become great pals.

¡Feliz cumpleaños Tio Rufus!

October ends

2010-10-30T16:58:00.000-07:00

Rainy season is coming to an end, the trails are reappearing
and the sky is full of dragonflies.

Clotheslines covered in dragonflies.

Sunny morning and calm waters,
Maggie takes a dip.

Henry and the ducks enjoy the day.

Swim you say? You'll get no argument from Henry.

Since Lucy was sick for a few days and missed out on her run,
we let her swim with the wee fuzzy dogs.
Lucy and PuppyG.

Lucy supervises.

Zasu, PuppyG and Maggie audition for the remake of Neptune's Daughter.

Can the beauty of Greta be captured by a mere camera?
I doubt it, but I keep trying.

Relaxing with Rufus and Henry.

She and Monkey are great pals.

Speaking of Monkey...

She's really good at standing on her hind legs! What a funny girl.

aw...

I've been adjusting to using a different camera and I need to practice,
so I've been pestering the dogs more than usual.

Elewah and her boy Jack have a wrestle...she's very dramatic.

Shirley and Reggie looking fabulous.

Posey from below.

Godzilla chills.

Archie, Oscar and sweet Zasu.

Señorita Rita humors me.

Tito rules us all with an iron paw.

Pretty on the outside

2010-10-01T07:25:00.000-07:00

Nothing in moderation, that's summer in the Yucatan.
Here thousands of flycatchers fill the sky and cover a nearby tower.
It lasted about 20 minutes and then they were gone.

The dog formerly known as Dolores is doing great.
She has been spayed and vaccinated and now
answers to Monkey (or Monkey Butt).
Monkey sleeping with Tuesday a few months ago:

She's pretty on the outside now too!
Her coat took about 6 months to grow back and is now silky and soft.

She's a riot -rambunctious, smart and vocal.

Monkey on the move:

Elewah retains her stray status, but just barely. It turns out that she does not like thunderstorms, or rain of any kind. She had been staying mostly on the ground floor and sleeping in the utility room, but when the rain came she relocated upstairs. We do still let her out to visit with the pack of strays that we call the Brethren, but she does so less often. I'm concerned that they'll find a non-spayed female to run with but there isn't anything I can do about that.
Elewah likes couch:

Sunny day shot of Frijolita. She and her siblings just turned 3.

The rain has submerged many of the trails, so walks have been difficult.
It was so hot the day of this walk that the puddle was like a hot tub.
Nothing can stop Tito.

These pretty girls are surrogate mom and daughter and were just spayed.
Teresa, the bigger dog, was a street dog and had just lost a litter when Negrita,
the little dog, lost her mom while still nursing. Negrita's human brought them together.
He couldn't watch them after surgery, so they recovered here with us.
They were perfect guests and our pack's behavior made me proud.

Don't look directly into Lily's eyes...you'll be hypnotized.

Just a whole lot of dogs doing nothing.

Brothers and bookends Oscar and Otto think we need to bring more color into the room.
They may be colorblind.

Paco de gallo?

2010-05-12T09:51:00.000-07:00

Yeah, so I love a painfully bad pun; sue me.
As a side note, I also love what is called salsa in the US and apparently pico de gallo in some regions of Mexico. The Yucatan (this region anyway) has it's own name for a mixture of raw tomatoes, onions, chilies and lime: Xnipek (pronounced shnipik, with the accent on the first i). I've been told it means dog's nose, because it's so spicy that it makes your nose run.

This is a rooster in a tree:

This is a tree with a rooster (he's way up there to the right):

This is the coop I built for the rooster:

This is the rooster in the coop:

Poor fellow must have had some close calls, he's missing a lot of feathers.
We haven't settled on a name. It could be Paco, maybe Hercules. I suggested Rocket. (I'm 12.).

In dog news, all previously infected dogs tested negative for heartworm(!)
and Ziggy got a haircut.
Ziggy post-bath:

and post-haircut:

25 seconds of space.
100 degrees Fahrenheit.
for Amanda:
((turn the volume way down!))

Pretty on the inside

2010-04-13T11:15:00.000-07:00

We try to avoid bringing more dogs home. Really.
but look what was sleeping under our truck:

We're not made of stone (Likely, something more akin to canned puppy food.).
Two days later, she decided to join the party. We're calling her Dolores.
the other side of the fence:

getting cozy after a bath:

poor girl, she'll be doing a lot of this:

She's young and affectionate and has absolutely no problems with other dogs.
Once we get her mange cleared up, she's going to be a pretty dog.
Dolores gives me a kiss:

Time flies when you're having fun

2010-04-04T10:00:00.000-07:00

It seems unbelievable that it's been one year since Maggie and April were dumped here. Happy anniversary girls!
They've made huge improvements in their behavior.
taken this evening:

That being said, they have a way to go.
Especially April:

Elewah, visiting stray and mom to Jack and Lily, has fully recovered from being spayed.
playing chase with her pups:

We had Bosha, the neighbor's dog that might as well be a stray, spayed as well. While recovering here, she made herself at home, so we'll see how that goes.
Bosha catches up to Maggie:

As for Ziggy. Ziggy, Ziggy, Ziggy. He had been bullying Archie and Truman (because they are bully-able) and starting fights with the Ernie, Chester and George. Ambitious, but not too bright. Between that and the constant barking we were honestly fed up. Likely due more to his neutering than anything we did, he has taken it down a notch. He's not great, but he's better and not a day too soon. He likes most of the pack, especially the other fuzzy dogs.
Ziggy and Henry pause for a photo:

Overall, things are good. The dogs are bemused by the Easter beach crowd and are enjoying barking at passing cars. I could do with less kids that bark at the dogs. ADORABLE.
The dogs that had heartworm are due to be tested, to see if the treatment worked.
Rabies vaccinations are up, lots of little things to do, poo to rake, the usual.

random walk shot that shows off Lily's pretty coat:

Tito is fat and happy. Literally. We just noticed that the little guy has gotten pudgy. He's a freak about food, to a funny and infuriating degree, so I shouldn't be surprised.
rub my belly damn it:

She's lost some weight and grown some fur, but she's still our Greta. Short legs,big feet and a curly little tail.
the rare and elusive Gretalope:

Brothers and best pals Otto and Oscar:

Shirley; soft as velvet, sweet as pie. She's heavily represented here, but how can I resist? With that face?
sleeping with her eyes open:

awake and wondering what I'm laughing about:

Black is the new black.

2010-02-26T13:13:00.000-08:00

This has been a difficult update to do.
Endlessly conflicted, I am.
Astrologically challenged, I tell ya.
Nicer ring to it than plumb nutters.
Where to start? Is it really still February? Man. Not the best beginning to this year.
It hasn't all been bad, so I should quit my bitching. At least we don't live in Pittsburgh. That's my little homage to the great tradition of making Pittsburgh the punchline (If you don't know what I'm talking about, you must not watch old movies.). But seriously, they got 22 inches of snow in a day!
Both of our birthdays have come and gone since the last update (hazzah, I'm 40!) and a few of the dog's too.
We've both had some health problems.
Good news. Bad news. Ain't it always the way?
First, the bad.
The puppies had parvo, despite having been vaccinated. Sweet Chico died. Nothing else to say.
The good...
-George, after having been unable to even stand for weeks, is healthy and going on runs (unless it's chilly, then he'd rather not). We couldn't be happier.
-Ziggy, the formerly quiet, has been neutered.
-Two puppies survived parvo, after a week at he veterinarian's. We're calling them Jack and Lily. They are predictably cute, but are going to need a lot of work to be socialized.
On their 1st chaperoned walk:

Tiger Lily:

Black Jack:

-By weird happenstance, we manage to save the neighbor's dog when she was envenomed or poisoned.
Glad to do it, but we were a little confused. Initially we thought she was Elewah, mom to the pups.
Nope, she's Bosha:

This is Elewah. Silly humans:

She and her son are hard to tell apart too:

Elewah is already in heat and due to be spayed Monday. She doesn't live here, she just visits often, so I hope she comes by this weekend. This was at least her third litter. Her doppelganger Bosha, just lost a litter. We're hoping to get her spayed at the city clinic, the next time one is held. We're awash in black dogs.
Speaking of... Happy 1st Anniversary (with us) Rufus! What a sweet and fun guy!

As for news I'm ambivalent about... Ziggy....I'm glad he's here and happy...but he's driving me freakin' nuts. Seriously. bark bark bark. bark bark bark. His voice is so high pitched it makes my eyes water. bark bark bark. Not a damn yip out of him for the 6? 8? months that he was around outside the yard...now he never stops.
He may be starting to bark a little less, but it's hard to tell because all the barking makes it hard to think. We're working on it. It's just that he's SO HAPPY and he only knows ONE WORD. sigh. If he were a little quieter, he would make a great companion for someone.
All in all, the good outweighs the bad. One point for my optimistic side.

Shirley has no complaints:

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T19:17:00.000-08:00

Many thanks to Lisa and Josh for all their help over the past 6 weeks!

Here's hoping for good health for the pack in the new year.
After we found out that Ernie had heartworm, we tested the whole pack. A bunch of dogs tested positive. It was caught early, so the prognosis is good. Treatments were expensive and rough on the dogs. We wrongly believed they were protected by being on Frontline. Now poorer, but better informed, we will be giving ALL of them a shot of ivermectin EVERY month.
Poor George had a bad reaction to the treatment. The vet thinks that swelling from the shot caused some nerve damage. He hasn't been able to stand or walk. He's a 60b dog and we live on the second floor, so Sean and I are both feeling his pain. Dra. Sandra recommended swimming for therapy. George seems to enjoy it and he's showing some improvement. He stood up today for a moment, for the first time in weeks! Happy new year indeed!
Josh and Lisa swim with George and Ziggy:

The holidays brought some new arrivals. One fuzzy little guy that had been steadfastly resisting warming to us finally gave in. He's been lurking around for at least 6 months and, more recently, had taken to hanging out under our truck. He finally decided to check out life on the other side of the fence. He's a little smaller and darker than Henry and we call him Ziggy. He has a problem with his eye, but is in no distress. He's been vaccinated, deloused, and will soon be going in for a neutering. He is a sweetie, he just gets noisy when overwhelmed with emotion.
Ziggy is very happy to be here:

In the spirit of the season, we took in a sweet mamacita about as old as Gracie. She has 3 pups and a long story. One of the pups has been here for a month or so.
we call him Chico:

The other 2 had been holed up nearby at an empty property, but were driven out when the owners arrived. We found them living under a bush about a quarter-mile away from our house. It took a few days of squatting in the mosquito infested shrubs with grub to trick them into a crate. Hallelujah. That sucked.

They're here now and we're working on socializing them. Their brother Chico is outgoing and huge by comparison. They are, as of yet, unnamed. Anybody want a puppy? They'll be vaccinated tomorrow and old enough for neutering in a few weeks. Their mom is a small, friendly girl who has had at least 3 litters. She had been spending a lot of time around our house and occasionally came on walks with us. We had given her Frontline, ivermectin and vaccinations weeks ago, but had hoped that one of the other beach dwellers would give her a place to live. That, of course, didn't happen. We're hoping to have her spayed before she goes into heat again.
resting mom and pups:

Are we crazy? Maybe. I know that plenty of people think so, but we're happy, and I don't envy one of those people their life. Age is making me less apologetic (and apoplectic... I say in my best Groucho Marx voice...).

A quote from fellow herbivore George Bernard Shaw springs to mind:
"The worst sin toward our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them: that's the essence of inhumanity."

a fungus among us

2009-11-05T07:29:00.000-08:00

It's a rainy day and the dogs think I should stay in the hammock with them, so here's an update. Ernie had his follow up blood test and, while his liver and kidneys are fine, he tested positive for heartworm. This happened since his last blood test, so at least we caught it early. We also took a few other dogs in for check-ups. Tito and Lucy tested positive for ehrlichiosis. As they say, bad things happen in 3's. Since I'm not actually superstitious, that brings no consolation. The vet is coming on Sunday to administer blood tests to the whole pack, cats included. Hopefully nothing else shows up, Everyone should be fine, but we've got our hands full at the moment. Along with the antibiotics for Lucy and Tito twice daily for ehrlichiosis, Lucy and Greta are taking glucosamin and Greta and Tito need medicated baths every other day to combat a fungus. Suffice it to say, Greta is not easy to bathe.
Oh well, can't always have blue skies.

Reggie isn't worried (he is however, the biggest dog! how did that happen?):

Most of the dogs like the water.
Shirley loves it:

Henry wades and Gowron is champion in her weight class:

Greta, on the other hand, is not a fan. Despite this, we're making her swim for exercise. She needs to lose weight and she currently can't walk much because of a hip problem. Getting her to swim is about as hard as giving her a bath.
step 1:

step 2:

step 3:

success:

a short video of our little mermaid:

...I chased a fly off her nose as she swam by, in case you were wondering.

Whenever some dogs go for a swim or a run, lots of others stay home.
Otto, Bette and Osita watch the others return:

waiting for the door to open:

any minute now:

my pal Otto in morning light:

good times

2009-10-28T13:11:00.000-07:00

Some pictures from this morning. The water was beautiful, so I took Rufus out for a swim. He loves the water and is a great swimmer! He doesn't look at all like the drowned marmot that showed up in February.
A good time was had by all.

It's a dog's life

2009-10-27T12:23:00.000-07:00

September was a sweaty and itchy month.
Some rain, little wind and massive amounts of stinging/biting insects.
pretty beetle that doesn't bite:

This shot was taken from our roof. Rain meets fire.
a brush fire reflects off a storm cloud:

October brought a break in the heat.
Tito likes blanket:

Ernie is back to his old self:

These were taken using an ill-fitting water resistant camera bag.
I kind of like the periscope feel.
race to the beach:

Rufus and April:

Maggie, April and Zasu:

a well watched yard:

Last post had a picture from after dinner.
here's a before dinner shot:

and video from the same night:

Dinner at dusk, runs at dawn; it's a dog's life.
last leg of Sean's morning run:

Sean, 2 brothers and 2 sisters:

Archie and George bring up the rear:

We call our evening walk "the shorties and the fatties".
guess why:

going home:

August update

2009-08-31T18:18:00.000-07:00

August has come and gone. It was a rough month, one of our dogs was attacked by ants and had an allergic reaction. He had gone with Sean and a bunch of other dogs on their normal morning run when he started showing signs that something was wrong. In no time, he was unable to walk and Sean had to carry him home. No easy feat, Ernie is a big boy.
His head and neck started to swell, he was listless, his tongue was blue, his heart was racing and he could barely breath. Very scary. I didn't take pictures because I didn't think he was going to survive. Initially the bite marks were almost unnoticeable, but after a few days the extent of the attack became apparent.
Poor, sweet, noisy Ernie. He's my hero! Even though he was terribly weak, he always managed to stagger outside to relieve himself. What came out of him belonged in a horror movie. Blood out of both ends for a few days. Unreal.
Blood test indicated that he may have some liver damage, but we're hoping for the best. He's going in for another round of tests soon to find out. He hasn't wanted to go on a walk since, which is worrying, but he is otherwise largely recovered.

Other than the Ernie incident, things have been uneventful. Great swimming weather, a few cool bugs (and lots more irritating ones), nice lightning storms ...summer in the Yucatan.
I don't have much to post, I just hate to have a month go by without an update.

neat beetle:

crazy red-eyed, black grasshoppers:

Miles in action:

shaggy Maggie -her coat is growing out:

armadillo skeleton:

after doggie dinner:

happy as a dog in mud

2009-07-20T11:23:00.000-07:00

Some of the pictures are a little gloomy because it's been overcast;
rainy season is here. At the end of June, Maldi started coming along on walks.
Such an odd cat.

Tito follows Maldi:

Maldi and Tito on the trail:

from Maldi's first walk:

July has brought rainbows and puddles.
double rainbow over our house:

dogs play under a rainbow:

everybody (except Miles & me) plays in the first mud puddle of the walk:

Puppy G and Maggie share an enthusiasm for mud:

Tuesday and Maggie.
happy, filthy little beasts:

Maggie at her most satisfied:

April is less of a fan of the mud.
striking a pose:

she still manages to get good and wet:

everybody's favorite puddle:

puddle part II:

Tito is doing great! His skin is healthy, his coat is shiny
and he's put on some muscle. He has a big voice, too.
He doesn't care much for the mud, but he's a fan of walks.
Tito in the lead:

Lots of walks, but lots of time spent relaxing.
Ginger, Chester and Lucy at home:

el bandito Tito Negrito

2009-05-26T10:51:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday (I think), we got a little surprise... another dog showed up at our fence. The house alarm was sounded (it sounds like a lot of barking ) and Sean went out to retrieve what, at first glance, appeared to be a puppy.
It was instead a full grown chihuahua. Skinny little guy with a bit of gray. He isn't at all trembly or snippy. I didn't even know I wanted a chihuahua!
Since we already had an appointment scheduled for the formerly fluffy girls and Rufus, Tito went in to be neutered just days after he got here. He was very brave on the ride to the veterinarian's office. He's home now and healing well. He's about half the size of Miles and has impossibly skinny and bowlegged back legs . He's been de-wormed, de-loused and vaccinated, so I think he'll soon be filling out a little. He has totally charmed me. He's got loads of personality. I assume he was dumped, but I can't imagine why. He can't possibly eat that much! Whatever, people suck. Chihuahuas on the other hand, can be pretty cool. I'm guessing he's about 4 or 5, maybe older.
Don't they look happy together? Sean and Tito:

Tito checks things out:

all together now...aaaaaaaawwww:

first bath:

Zasu, Archie and Tito:

me, Rufus, Godzilla and Tito:

come on? again with the big spaces? what the hell? I'm (temporarily) giving up in frustration.

spay and a haircut

2009-05-26T10:23:00.000-07:00

Maggie and April have been spayed. Mags, who was in heat when she was dumped, was pregnant. They both came through great, but Maggie managed to pull out 2 stitches on her second day at home. Gross.
She's fine now, but is spending a few days at the vet's office.

Maggie (l) and April (r):

we had the girls clipped while they were there.
Maggie(l) and April (r):

The groomer was wise and left a tuft on April's tail, to help us tell them apart.
I think they look adorable:

I meant to post on 4/20, but I forgot.

2009-04-21T10:34:00.000-07:00

Happily, there is nothing new to report.
crepuscular pulchritude:

Spot and Maldi, just doing their thing:

Henry finally got his haircut. With two more fluffy dogs in the house,
I may have to invest in clippers.
the trick is to cut away all that is not Henry:

Speaking of the new fluffy dogs, they're doing great. It's gratifying to see them so happy, knowing what a crappy life they had and how close they were to suffering a cruel death. If you missed the previous post, these 2 were hog-tied and stuffed into boxes to be thrown away at the dump. Prior to that they must have been tied out in someone's yard, judging from the rope burns around their necks and under their front legs. Still, they remain fun and good natured. Dogs are amazing.
early on, April preferred to be in a sheltered spot:

Maggie is a bit more outgoing:

After they were here about a week, we took them on a walk.
April in the lead:

she had a blast:

Maggie is still covered in cuts and bruises, but it didn't slow her down:

she's a sweetheart:

Maggie and April think things are looking up:

Resurrection Day

2009-04-13T10:18:00.000-07:00

April 12, 2009. Easter. Resurrection day.
Damn near for two shaggy little dogs.
the older of the two, saying hi:

(That isn't puppy prison -we just put them in our storage building for awhile to keep our pack from overwhelming them while they calmed down.)

To summarize, some guy showed up mid-day Sunday with two cardboard boxes, tied shut with twine. Each had a bound dog in it. Some woman (?) told him to throw them away at the dump. She bothered to mention that we might take them.
What do you say to that?
I suppose it's obvious what we said:

I didn't think to get the camera until we had them nearly untied:

This little girl is the younger and more frightened of the two.
she has an enormous under-bite and managed to get a little piece of Sean:

This little girl is 4 or 5 years old (my best guess) and looks like she just weened a litter.
She's very sweet and is shaped like a schnauzer.
someone tried to give her a haircut and gave up:

first bath -horribly infested with fleas and ticks:

notice the thumb bandage and the audience:

second bath, just as gross, with a bigger crowd:

these two have had a bad day:

Monday -feeling a little better.
we're calling them April (l) and Maggie (r):

If someone is interested in adopting one, or both, of them, let me know.
Also, if there are any itinerant dog-groomers reading this that would like to spend some time at the beach...

Running with Sean

2009-03-06T10:01:00.000-08:00

...and Bette and Lucy and Alice and Ginger and Archie and Chester and Eve.
Sean took the camera along Friday morning and made the following videos.
Don't watch if you're prone to motion sickness.
Otherwise, enjoy a bumpy tour of the woods, trails and salt ponds on a run to the mangroves.

third kilometer:

salt ponds:

water break:

the half way point -mangroves, lagoon and muck:

last leg:

Re: Rufus

2009-03-05T15:22:00.000-08:00

Well, let's see...it's been windy.
tongues are flapping and poor Henry needs a haircut:

Sean -nearly always working, but never lonely:

Rufus is doing fine, but for a minor bladder infection. We're nearly certain which beach dog is his Mom, she spends a fair amount of time barking in our general direction. Lately she has had a few pups trailing her, and last week we flushed them out of the woods while we were walking. Initially I didn't think that Rufus was from the same litter because he's much smaller than the others. It's amazing that he made it to us, he covered a lot of ground for being such a sick little guy. He must have gotten separated from his family and headed towards the sound of dogs.
When I first saw him by our gate (alerted by the pack, of course) and went to retrieve him, he did his best to avoid me and went straight for the dogs. You might think that *Jehovah* dogs barking and jumping furiously at the fence would be intimidating to such a little guy, but apparently not.
Come to think of it, that's what Maldi, while a squirrel-sized kitten, did too.

Rufus says it was all part of his plan:

taking on Oscar:

Oscar is not impressed:

Tuesday and Gowron chew on him a little:

chewed on and spit out:

he likes Greta best:

Rufus gets some sun and Sean gets a face full of Shirley:

Truman oversees the housebreaking:

I'm working on a circus act to help pay for dog food.
today only...Rufus the Magnificent and Roni Ninefingers:

beautiful boy:

Always look on the bright side of life.

2009-02-16T07:52:00.000-08:00

I'm beginning to wonder if the universe doesn't, just maybe, have a sense of humor.
I think it might have been watching Life of Brian over my shoulder.
From now on, whenever asked "how many dogs do you have?",
I (and Sean, so help me...) will respond 'Jehovah'.

I had put forward my suspicion that every time we speak the exact number, another shows up. Ha, ha, silly eh?
Well, yeah, Sean had to go and say IT out loud. Funny guy. Real funny.
Within 24 hours...guess what...mmmhm.
We're calling him Rufus (thanks C2W).

He's a furry little bag of bones and we weren't sure he'd survive the night. He did.
He's still weak and has a bad case of the runs, but he's showing signs of improvement.

"Life's a piece of shit,
When you look at it.
Life's a laugh and death's a joke. It's true.
You'll see it's all a show.
Keep 'em laughing as you go.
Just remember that the last laugh is on you."

Greta

2009-02-03T19:32:00.000-08:00

Greta is our darling, unlikely, German Shepherd/T-rex mix. She is, to be blunt, an odd looking dog. I scooped her off the street when she was a few months old, because I couldn't bear to see her be run over. She had a bad habit of wandering the street, oblivious to traffic. She was skittish and catching her took some doing.
Once we got her home we found out that she was oblivious to a lot of things. For days all she wanted to do was sit alone in a room and stare at the wall. Eventually, over the next month, she gradually started to interact and act like a dog. She is still ...quirky, also a ton of fun. Silly, affectionate and prone to bursts of unfocused energy. She loves to chase the ball and lie on her belly in the mud. Who doesn't?
Evidently, she is also prone to weight gain. A paw injury kept her from walks and she quickly packed on the kilos. She is recovered and is now part of Zasu's 'walk your way thin' fitness program.

young Greta and Tuesday:

smiling face:

a girl of unfortunate proportions. at least her fur is finally growing in:

a singular beauty:

poetry (at least a dirty limerick) in motion:

weebles wobble:

The Aging of Aquarius

2009-02-03T18:33:00.000-08:00

More of the same. Dogs in hammocks, dogs on stairs, dogs being cute...life is good.
Happy birthdays to us.
Bette and Shirley, hammock time:

If the puppies didn't get bigger, how would we we know that time had passed?
all grown up:

handsome Reggie is a mellow guy:

Archie, Ernie and Otto rehearse a number for the talent show:

Oscar and Otto have a go (doesn't Otto look ferocious? ha!):

round 2, Oscar is looking buff!:

the girls get in on the fun, Tuesday and Bette:

enough of the ruffians, here's angelic Frijolita:

one of our less photographed dogs, but she's a cutie:

she has been known to take a bad picture:

Speaking of the photogenically challenged, here she is with Eve.
Posey, Eve, Frijolita and George:

Eve tends to look hungover in pictures unless she's running -then she's just a blur.
Eve and Posey:

Rita is a calendar girl:

George (probably wondering when I'm going to trim his nails):

Tuesday is all legs:

Godzilla loves a windy night:

Shirley loves a sunny day:

hola mundo

2009-01-12T09:21:00.000-08:00

The first post of the new year and the first at our new virtual address.
Terribly exciting.
Comments are now enabled.
Really, nothing too exciting going on around here...
The weather is beautiful and the dogs must be planning something big, because they've been on their best behavior.
I haven't been taking many photos but here are a few recent ones.

Chester the Molester peers over the stairs:

Not a stellar pic but Zasu looks so happy that I love it. The walks are really helping, she looks positively svelte!
Truman, Zasu (formerly Fatty Dingle) and others:

just another Sunday stroll:

I don't understand why I'm getting such large spaces from this point on...I fiddled with it and ended up stymied. In the spirit of the new year, I'm going to try something new and not worry about it. Lets just consider them dramatic pauses. Invisible koans. White zones for psychic loading and unloading. or just sloppy formatting. no worries.

I still find it funny that so many of our dogs like hammocks. None more than Bette.
Some days she spends the whole morning napping alone but she is always willing to share.
Bette and Maldi (Reggie underneath):

Bette, Blue and Henry:

The smallest and most athletic of Gracie's pups, Blue is pure enthusiasm.
Blue sails over PuppyG:

happy holidays

2008-12-29T12:55:00.000-08:00

taken Dec.25, Ernie, Sean and Oscar:

fecking blogger

2008-12-18T13:55:00.000-08:00

isn't allowing comments
I have wasted too much time on this

they are running

2008-12-16T14:54:00.000-08:00

being silly, heading home:

I guess you had to be there

2008-12-15T12:23:00.000-08:00

Everyone is off the DL and happy to be back in the game.
Pictures from the walk last night. Blue is in a harness because of a 'barking at a person' incident on an earlier outing.
After a few walks on the leash she has shown herself to be reformed and is now on probation.
Greta (in the rear...big dog with little legs) is in a harness because this is her first day off the leash since surgery (and she's a loon.).

It's a beautiful world; sometimes you have to look out of the corner of your eye to see it.
I've always loved this time of year and I still do, even away from the snow.
I think it's the anticipation of a new year that I like.
a good day:

Blue! with Zasu behind (taken by Sean):

Tuesday, Filthy G and Blue:

brother Reggie is now twice Gowron's size:

We keep a separate blog of which dogs were walked when, so we can keep track.
It reads like the opus of a madman. ...Sunday, December 14, 2008

morning run:
Gracie
Lucy
Ginger
Shirley
Bette
Frijolita
Osita
(7)
evening walk:
Zasu
Miles
Henry
Reggie
Tuesday
Gowron
Greta
Blue
(8)
Saturday, December 13, 2008
morning run:
George
Chester
Oscar
Otto
Archie
Ernie
Alice
(7) ...

Taken on Sat. evening's walk.
Eve with G wading in the background:

Fluffy G glamor shot:

Introducing Ernie

2008-12-15T09:11:00.000-08:00

he's a year or 2 old and sweet as pie:

A few weeks ago we had him sterilized, along with the parents of the 3 pups.
They have a human, he was a stray. We had noticed him in the area for a few weeks.
He must have been raised by someone because he is comfortable with people.
Ernie, the pups and Henry:

I doubt that he got much exercise in his first year. No wonder he was dumped.
Adolescent, intact and inactive make for a crazy dog!
I predict he will soon be putting on some muscle.
Ernie and Oscar:

obviously, he's fitting in fine:

2 haiku 4 U

2008-12-06T16:13:00.000-08:00

Surgeries are done.
Mistakes have been corrected,
new ones avoided.

The last 3 are home.
7-10 days to heal.
Time for something else.

autumn '08

2008-11-10T09:57:00.000-08:00

It has been a mellow few weeks. Dogs have been recovering from surgeries, the pack has been remarkably quiet. Muy tranquila. I'd like to think it's improvement, but it's probably a lull. Everyone is enjoying the cooler temperatures.
Eve and Bette relax:

Reggie naps:

Alice and Gowron take a break:

Henry and Reggie (I can't believe how big he is already!) lounge:

It isn't all napping. We still make time for walks.
Miles and Gowron follow Sean:

Zasu thinks I'm too slow:

Gracie is recovered and feeling fine:

Zasu, Miles and Gowron stroll:

Reggie, getting some air:

Reggie and his dirty little sister FluffyG:

Gowron, FluffyG, Sweet Pea has many names, but one expression... happy:

still happy:

this was a fun group, Tuesday, Gowron, Miles and Henry:

Tuesday and Gowron, a little puppy fu on the way home:

flamingos

2008-11-07T08:00:00.000-08:00

Lately flamingos have been in the salt ponds near our house. Maybe the cooler temperature have driven them into more protected waters. We love seeing them on our walks, but it does limit the amount of dogs we can take at once. Some of the dogs go on leashes when there are birds close-by...just in case. We do our best not to disturb them.
flamingos wading:

landing in front of a salt pile:

Lucy and Al on leashes to avoid any unpleasant incidents:

Yucatecan shire:

my #1 assistant Zasu doesn't want to chase big pink birds:

moving pictures

2008-10-17T09:06:00.000-07:00

Time to try out video...from a few recent walks, nothing too exciting.
We call them walks, but they do a fair amount of running.
Oct 13th. Nice day.

Oct 6th. The woods are infested with dogs.

Sept 3rd. I love it when they listen.

wet dog season

2008-10-16T10:24:00.000-07:00

You have to keep a good pace to keep ahead of the mosquitoes.
The dogs don't mind.
beautiful Shirley leads some young'ins:

This picture is from the end of September.
ten dogs wading where the road used to be:

The 3 newbies are doing great, growing fast. Rumsfeld is handsome, but such a crybaby! He has light colored eyes so we've renamed him Reggie -after Paul Newman's character in Slapshot. Maybe it will toughen him up. The next picture is the only one of him in this post because he doesn't like to go on walks. Once the girls are healed we'll have more time to work with him.
Reggie and Tuesday pose:

Gowron and Tuesday leave their brother at home:

G and Tuesday race:

Gowron loves Miles. Little dogs have to stick together.
fording a puddle:

small in stature:

big on enthusiasm:

Tuesday prefers the company of the bigger girls.
Tue, Bette and Greta:

boundless energy:

she's a sweet, well-built pup:

They get along with everyone but they like each other best.
a pause on the way home:

ready for anything, Tuesday and Fluffy G:

Sunday drive

2008-10-05T06:26:00.000-07:00

We're leaving soon to pick up Al, Lucy, Truman and Maldi. Turns out, Maldi is a boy! Alice and Lucy were a mess, full of nicks, Lucy had a hernia and Alice a cyst on an ovary. They both still had 2 ovaries. Grrr.
At any rate, the trip home is going be nerve-wracking. It is a long, often rough, road. Once we're home, I'm moving into the apartment with them until they recover. Doc said no stairs for 2 weeks. Nothing else to be done about it. We still have 4 left to be respayed and, now that we know what a state their insides are probably in, we don't want to wait. Ought to be done by Christmas. No good deed...

Back home and settled in; at least the truck didn't break down this time. Poor Lucy is so tired. Alice faired better. Maldi is already causing havoc. Truman is ok. The next few days are going to be tough with Lucy. Right now is the lull before the storm. I've had enough blood for today. Here's hoping the night is uneventful. There's an impressive lightning storm to the East, I can see it between the slats of the apartment window.

life's a beach

2008-10-02T10:36:00.000-07:00

The mosquito season is finally here. That is something that just doesn't come across in pictures. The time to begin the long dreaded RE-spayings has also come. Of six dogs operated on last year, 5 have gone into heat. Despite explicit discussions with the vet about this beforehand...he didn't remove the ovaries. The incisions were too large and the recovery time was messy, sleepless and long. A truly miserable and traumatic time was had by all.
We've found a different vet and she recently and successfully spayed Gracie's seven girls so, we've mustered our courage and scheduled 2 re-dos for this weekend. I'm relieved and dreading it at the same time. Lucy and Alice are going in first because we can't risk another cycle with them. They go from best friends to, well, crazy bitches. They hate the sight of each other...frothing at the mouth, crazy-eyed, hate each other.
Truman Chapotle is going in for a little trim, too. He is Gracie's only boy. He should be feeling ok by their first birthday, on the 7th. We wish it had been done earlier but, there's nothing that can be done about that now. I'm hoping to get a post up about them before then but my external memory is not feeling well so, no pictorial updates until I can access it. Maybe Sean can work his magic on it. If not, I will be sad. Predictably, my preferred camera is fixed (again) just in time for my memory to fail. September was a bad month for hardware.

dog days of summer

2008-09-08T10:15:00.000-07:00

This is a strange and beautiful place. A peninsula on a peninsula. Gulf on one side and salt marshes on the other. The landscape and light make it seem unearthly at times. We've been walking in the woods more than on the beach, one of the benefits of a dry rainy season.
Archie races his reflection:

Blue and Bette have room to run. A few good rains and this will be under water:

Lucy, Frijolita and Oscar come when they're called (those are salt piles in the background):

pink water:

Bizarre scenery and high temperatures aside, walks have been wonderfully uneventful.
ye old scenic shot of Chester:

Archie having a romp:

They aren't quite big enough for walks yet but they have mastered the stairs.
Tuesday and Gowron wrestle:

pretty girls:

pretty tolerant:

Maldi, the kitten, is doing great. It may look as though she is being harassed here but in fact she is taunting the dogs.
If she keeps this up I'm sure one of the dogs will learn to climb the ladder:

Maldi also likes the chase me up a tree game! Here she stands her ground to Greta:

I love that tree! Moringa is amazing stuff, high in vitamins, good for nursing moms and the seeds can purify water!
It's loaded with seed pods right now (known as drumsticks).
They look like big green beans:

It is usually covered in fragrant blooms and full of birds, bees and moths.
These moths are huge! I had to take pictures of them to figure out what they were.
They sound like hummingbirds but they look like flying crayfish:

Some evenings, dozens of them swarm the moringa tree:

The hummingbirds love the blooms too. There are almost always a few feeding.
Lots of these little green guys:

and a few of these slightly larger, more aggressive, red hummingbirds:

I can't end a dog blog with a picture of a bird so..
beautiful Lucy with the moringa tree in the background:

the 3rd one's a charmer

2008-08-26T10:50:00.000-07:00

You would think by now I'd be immune to their cuteness. Evidently I am not. This little girl showed up 8 days after her brother. As mentioned in the previous post, we're calling her Gowron. Well, we think it's funny. Maybe someone will take pity and adopt her, spare her having such a ridiculous name.
she is tiny and fluffy:

She's a little wobbly but I'm sure she'll catch up to her siblings in no time. She's already showing signs of being the mouthy one.
it's always the small one:

the unbearable cuteness of being:

after the mandatory delousing, Frijolita says hi:

Godzilla and Rumsfeld don't know they have silly names:

Otto makes his introductions:

enough already, you can stay:

Maldi thinks puppies are great fun. She claims Rumsfeld for her own:

the 3rd (and final?!) pup:

mission statement rumination

2008-08-24T13:29:00.000-07:00

Despite being a blog for pictures, not words, I feel I should make some attempt to clarify what we're doing here.
We left America for a hundred reasons, all subjects for another blog and posts I have no intention of writing.
Why the Yucatan? Part of the draw was not knowing what to expect, just knowing everything would change. We knew It was warm, cheap and quiet. We thought we could have a positive impact on the lives of the local dogs. We hoped living here would teach us to relax and be less uptight, to live with less.
It has, and patience too.
We've learned that together we can do remarkable things. The trick is in deciding what's worth doing.
The crux of the biscuit is that I'm unwilling to claim rescue/shelter status, either in name or in soliciting donations. I'm unsettled on a few things and I think there should (at least) be a clearly defined mission statement in place first.
Let's just call it a refuge for now.
Sterilization is of paramount importance, but the dog's quality of life is also important. I won't have them tied out or left alone to guard a property or allowed to roam unsupervised. I'd rather spay/neuter and release. At least that way I'd be less emotionally invested. The one puppy we managed to place didn't live to see her first birthday. This has cast a pallor over my enthusiasm for future adoptions.
Medical care is a thorny issue. There is no local vet. Not everyone can afford to take their dog to the city and I don' t think only the wealthy should have pets. These dogs would be better off with a loving family than on their own. I'm torn. Enthusiastic or not, I'd like to find homes for the newbies.*
There is a tiny chance that a couchsurfer will fall in love with one, but traveling and dogs don't easily mix. Besides, most of the pups take a few days to warm up to new people and they rarely have that opportunity.
In reality, it is all so much wasted thought since people don't want these dogs. There is no shortage, anyone in any part of town that wanted a dog could find one to bring home. There are probably hundreds near the dump alone. We inevitably run into a few during our walks in the woods with our pack. Every sympathetic soul has as many as they can. Many people are having a tough enough time feeding their families without the added expense of a pet.
Admittedly, our dogs are cleaner and healthier after some time off the streets and I realize that makes them more appealing/adoptable to most folks. They all come to us skinny, with ticks and fleas, worms, often mange and sometimes an injury. Sean and I know dogs all over town. We are greeted by wagging tails in most places. We feed more than we can know and we are full up at home.
Despite their numbers, they are all fixed, up to date on shots, parasite-free, (mostly) housebroken, and are walked every few days (we rotate)(Zasu gets to go everyday because she's fat.). There are so many left that are not so lucky and we plan to do more to help them. I have some small hope that we'll eventually find a competent, amiable, person or couple interested in helping for a while. In the meanwhile, we intend to organize a low cost spay/neuter clinic in town. The closest animal shelters are in the city and they are dealing with much larger numbers.
New programs need to be enacted. I think neuter/spay/release is the best answer. Poison is the popular one. As a recluse, outreach is not my area, but I'm trying to get my head around it. But this isn't a blog about me.
If we do make things 'official', a name would be a good start. Christianity is all the rage in these parts and co-opting religious symbols is a Christian tradition so maybe that's what we'll do. I'm partial to the stories of St.Martin Porres and his examples of humility, practical service and compassion for all creatures. How about Perros de Porres?
"Compassion, my dear Brother, is preferable to cleanliness."

* the newbies: brother and sister, Rumsfeld and Tuesday. I'm nearly certain that their mom is a stray that we see almost daily (Stray doesn't seem like the right word. She hasn't strayed. She has no human to stray from. She lives in the area.). She is still too shy for us to get near but I'd love to have her spayed. She's always pregnant or nursing. I have my suspicions that she intentionally led her pups to our house but I'll never know.
• Rumsfeld has an amazing coat. Short, plush and a color I'd have to call taupe (I don't think I ever typed that word before.) with gunmetal highlights.
• Tuesday has long legs, pretty boxer-like markings and a fawn colored coat.
They both have puppy breath, white socks and white tips on their tails.
.....................................
Ah life...how you task me...yesterday was Rumsfeld's 1 week anniversary and tomorrow is Tuesday's. Guess what this morning brought...
...another sister, she got us all up before dawn. Lucky for her she's so cute. She looks like Gowron. What? That doesn't sound cute? Well, it works for her!
She was infested with fleas so she got a bath and an apple cider vinegar rinse. Now she's a trembling ball of fluff. The Notorious Fluffy G! darn, now it will be stuck in my head all day...."look how fluff I be"...
Pictures in a bit...gotta walk some dogs first.