Our flag means dogs

I regret the lack of updates this year. Stress and depression have sucked the life out of me. I'm mustering all my oomph to cover the basics.

Halloween 2021 brought us Pumpkin, thanks to the concern of Roger and Chris (way up North at Playa Maya). She was in rough shape, emaciated, mangy and with more mouth polyps than I've ever seen in a dog.

 

Poor girl on day one. Greetings from Reina and Lenny.

After a few days she was already looking less bony and mangy.

Look at that pretty face.

 

Within months she was barely recognizable and had a passel of playmates.

Valentine's day Pumpkin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rita passed Dec 7 2021. Our beautiful girl had a life plagued by allergies and immunity issues. Fun, smart and beloved, she follows her parents and all but one of her siblings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sisters Rita, Bean and Posey.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sweet Molly died unexpectedly on Xmas eve 2021, a difficult way to end the year. An old shot of her galumphing in the salt flats.

 

We said a final goodbye to PuppyG Jan 2 2022, a difficult way to begin the year. Old shot of her leading Molly and gang on a walk.

 

Goodbye to our good friends PuppyG (nee Gowron) and Rita.

One of the last shots I have of PuppyG, getting some sun with Xmul.

Carter turned one and loves Pumpkin.

Lex watches Pumpkin play with Carter.

 

 

Sweet boy Lex passed in November. 2011-2022

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Old shot of Lex and his sister Amber.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dec 07 2022 we said goodbye to Posey.

 

 

She was the last of Gracie's pups. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Old shot of me and Posey.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My pal Otto 2007- Dec 2022

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recent shot of Otto sleeping surrounded by his pack.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The year wasn't all loss, we gained two new pals. Buttons turned up during a thunderstorm in June. She is full grown and had recently weened pups.

This moldy potato appeared in July, setting off a cycle of mange in the pack that took months to eradicate! Little jerk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I kid, he's swell! Fang has grown into a handsome fellow and we've all recovered.

Trying to get the newbies in one shot is a challenge. 

Fang and Buttons on the last day of 2022. 

Happy New Year !!

2020 thus far

Apparently I post annually now, which means there is a lot to cover. 

The year did not begin easily. We said good-bye to our friend Gracie on January 2, 2020. With us since 2007, she was a great friend and big part of our lives. 

Gracie's last day, spent in the sunshine with Wombat at her side

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On February 14th we said goodbye to our Zasu. After more than 22 years together I may never grow accustomed to her absence. 

100s of photos to choose from, this one from a few years ago suits her

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two of Gracie's daughters

Bean 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and Blue (airborne)

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

...succumbed to their particular ailments soon after their Mom 

(Feb. 28 and March 25).

 

We had a few months before Ernie, who had been suffering from a neurological problem, had his final trip to the vet on July 11. 

Even when getting around was becoming difficult for him, he liked to be in the middle of the action

Tupo, Evo, Ernie Ruby and Rose

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An old favorite of Ernie, flanked by Archie and Otto

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many happy years with Ernie, Gracie, Bean, Blue and Zasu, too many to do them justice with a blog post. All brilliant, loving, vibrant dogs! The weight of their loss is crushing, but I'm glad to have known them and contributed to their lives. 

 

At the end of December we took in a puppy that was doing poorly. 

We named her Clementine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With Lenny (still one of her best pals), Zasu and Biscuit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clementine and gang in January

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spayed and thriving, Clementine and Lenny in August

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In February a stray had puppies in the bushes near our house

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sean kept her well fed and found homes for her pups. She took up residence under our Jeep until he took her to be spayed. Unfortunately she was diagnosed with an advanced case of heart worm and had to be euthanized. She was a nice dog, we were sad we couldn't do more. 

Since then another pair of dogs have made themselves at home under the Jeep; we call them Belle and Loverboy.  This time our intervention came before puppies. 

The pandemic has compounded the time and stress of taking dogs to the vet. We're hoping, more than ever, that someone doesn't poison them. 

One of Clementine's litter mates took to spending time with the sterilized callejeros, so at the end of September we had her spayed as well. 

Rhubarb (pre-naming) escorts Sean on a swim

 

 

 

 

 

 

She made it clear she'd rather be inside than outside of the yard by chewing a hole through the fence, into the area where we kept her after surgery.

She's wonderful- with big paws and a stubby tail (you'll have to take my word on the tail until i get a better picture)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A few pictures of Xmul for everyone who misses her:

with Pete

 

digging holes with her pals Reina and Willy

 

under the neem tree with Reina and Ramona

 

shots of some of the rest of the crew:

Evo chasing insect shadows

 

he and Rocky do this all day, come sun

 

or rain

 

sister Rosie is not interested in their game

 

Herbie, Rosie and Willy, all curly-tailed dogs

 

 

sisters Bindy and Biscuit

 

Nico, Jojo, Peaches (foreground)

Evo on bug watch, Clementine and Boomer (rear)

 

 

 

 

Far above the doggie hijinx, warbler chicks on their last day in the nest