year's end ...on to the next

First and foremost, sincere gratitude to Markus, Angela and Lisa&Tim for donations! 

It's been a rough year, no lie. Too many of the photos I've taken this year were destined for the veterinarian. 
A sterilization clinic is in the works but life keeps getting in the way.

The last week has been spent bringing Brooklyn back from the brink; she ingested an unknown toxin, and we thought we were going to lose her. We did all we could but were expecting the worst. Happily, she has pulled through and is getting stronger. I don't want to speak too soon but we may actually end the year on a high note.

Since the last update we've lost a few more old friends. Inevitable but always difficult.
Chester was with us a long time, one of the 1st adult strays to join the troupe. He survived heart worm and was a smart and loving fellow.
Most recent picture of him, sleeping next to his daughter Blue

one of my favorite shots of Chester

 
another old favorite

Greta, our leibling. A slew of health issues and an indomitable spirit. 
An old shot of Greta playing with Monkey    

















showing wee Rufus the ropes
 












and one with Zasu (who is still alive and mostly well at 23)

We had to say goodbye to Mo.
Momo was sweetest of her sisters and outlived them both

 

One of my favorites of Momo, keeping an eye on me 













Xmul wasn't related but they were raised together and Mo loved her best

Mo was so happy to see Xmul the last time she came to stay -maybe she knew it was the last visit.

The youngest of our recently deceased was Zoot. He and his siblings showed up at the end of 2011 to irrevocably change our lives.

   

there will never be another like him

We lost him to aggressive skin cancer. He had survived and recovered from multiple surgeries but these last tumors were awful and we couldn't put him though any more.  
Better days, happy and covered in marmot poo

Rest in power and chaos friend

It hasn't all been loss. This month, Sean found 2 puppies at a nearby abandoned building. They spent a couple days with us, got baths, vaccinations, and new homes with families in town. 
An injured pup he rescued last week is being fostered (by the aforementioned Lisa and Tim) and will hopefully be going to a permanent home this week.
rescued and rehomed

Another September

Isn't Zoila getting big? At 4 months old she's 1/2 as tall as Xmul!
At the slow rate fund raising is going we'll be able to have her spayed at the clinic.

With the arrival of rain I built a dog house for her mom and sister (the strays) which was promptly stolen. Since then both dogs have gone missing.  
We hope for the best but they were probably poisoned like the dogs of friends in town. To compound that loss most of theirs were sterilized, some at the last clinic. Senseless. 
I'm trying to focus on the little victories to get through this accursed season.
The heart marking on Zoila's nose suits her -she's a sweetheart!

With so many dogs September is ...pungent, with a fair amount of energy spent on keeping the outside outside. Thunder, no matter how distant, is cause for dog reactions varying from amplified to petrified. 
It is nice to see the flora enjoying the weather.
The pitaya in the sea grape has finally flowered -as did a coconut palm!

After dinner is play time! There are at least 4 distinct playgroups in this shot. Knowing them as individuals is the key to maintaining harmony. Some dogs (for example Twiggy, black dog w/ orange collar) are like the kids that always take advantage of substitute teachers.

Upside down Cookie is the center of attention.
Puppy wrestling at dusk.

Heading out on a morning walk with Lily on a leash to slow the pace.

Two pairs of sisters on my heel.  
Eve and Blue set a great example for June and Zoila.

Zoila and Junebug out and about in their new big girl collars.

Here comes Junebug!

Zoila!

A review of my Aug/Sept posts reveal that it is traditionally a trying time.  
For example it has been 4 years since the appearance of the Tribe. 
In retrospect I don't know how we managed!
Zoot and friends at a salt pond.

January Blues

Sean and I rang in the new year with colds so the dogs haven't gone out as much as we'd all have liked. We're better now and making up for lost time.
This morning with siblings Amber and Zoot.

 

A passion butterfly (Agraulis vanillae) just emerged from its chrysalis.

Blue skies and cooler, drier weather make walks more fun.
Amber, Linda, Bette and Zoot.

Linda and Amber lead the way. 

Bette, Zasu, Blue, Linda and Otto.

I must have 100 shots of Bette wading and I love them all.  
Yay Bette!

This road is still submerged, but passable. Linda shakes it off.

Happy birthday to me and happy anniversary to Ernie!
Two goons, happy together.

Isn't she pretty? Cali is the smallest of the cats.

I didn't catch this guy's name, but he is as big as Cali. 

This tiny flower spider blends perfectly into a moringa blossom.

 
New year with old friends -we're all getting a little gray. 
Blue, Tito, Zasu and Otto.

Tea Party

The year's end is a fine time to highlight the most useful thing we've learned about in ages -passion flower (passiflora foetida).  
We started by foraging and drying it for tea and both noticed how better rested we were the morning after an evening cup. A little online research revealed that it is safe for dogs. 

Theanimalherbalist.com has a page that I recommend reading. 
The description of symptoms that passion flower addresses "... separation anxiety or fear aggression that is associated with jealousy of another animal." was reason enough to give it a try. 
I'm looking at you Maggie and April -2 dogs that have gotten much better over the years, but still have a nasty habit of lashing out at other dogs vying for Sean's attention. Frankie and Bosha have similar issues, though they are slightly less fixated. A dose of passion flower makes a difference in all of them! They seem happier and are noticeably less defensive/confrontational with no grogginess. The effect is subtle, but undeniable.  
Sean and a mellow April.

We've had no luck yet finding the supplies we need to make tinctures, and we can't possibly afford to buy them for so many dogs, so we been giving it to them in powdered form. We've started with boiled potatoes as a cost-effective and successful medium. Herbed potatoes for the discriminating dog!  Roughly 1/2 tsp for a small dog, 1 tsp large -mixed in a bite of spuds (with garlic powder and olive oil for the persnickety few). We've been feeding it to many of the dogs (usually in the morning) and paying attention to the results.
It has the most noticeable impact on unquestionably nervous dogs, but it has a calming effect on most of them. A handful receive it almost daily and I never want to be without it!  Medication time at the asylum.

The last 3+ years have undeniably been made more stressful as a result of the presence of the six dogs we call theTribe. The number of them, coupled with their manic personalities, result in a terrifying sibling group mind. Their family motto would be "vigilance and hysteria." 
They've made hosting volunteers and Couchsurfers difficult and less pleasant -so much so that it has been over a year since we've considered it.
Zoot (theTribe) on passion flower is slightly less crazed. 

I know a fair amount about about dogs, but there is much more that I don't know. Some of the behavioral changes surprised me. After a few days on passion flower, Mega and Amber (both of theTribe) volunteered to go along on Sean's morning run for the first time in months!
Amber and Ginger.

Passion flower worked so well on dogs whose behaviors are obviously anxiety based, that it made us reevaluate what motivates the behavior of the other dogs that showed a distinct change. It has little to no effect on Ginger, a sensible, well-balanced girl. 
Ginger and Ziggy, morning walk.

  
Then there is Ziggy: heart of a lion, brain of a turnip. Frustratingly single-minded about barking when he's in the yard and perfectly well behaved outside of it. Newer recruit Roxy is similar (and April and Greta to a degree). I've come to see this as a territorial anxiety and it is noticeably reduced by the addition of passion flower. 
Zasu and Ziggy.

Initial attempts at making passion flower biscuits have been a resounding success! The original batch was
-whole wheat/gluten free flour (what I had already open)
-roasted beet and pineapple juice puree (left over from making a batch of  "http://minimalistbaker.com/fudgy-vegan-beet-cupcakes/" -which were freaking amazing!)
-ground flax, garlic powder and dried passion flower
-spread on greased baking sheet, pre-cut with pizza wheel and baked
The result is more aptly described as purple jerky (sounds like a euphemism) than biscuits, but nearly all the dogs loved it! All but 3! Outstanding! 
The improved version also has olive oil; it comes out thin and crispy. We call them Beet Thins. The problem now is explaining that they don't all need it! We have some expert moochers.
Amber is much less tense on passion flower, while Bette and Linda (aforementioned expert moocher) need no help with being well-adjusted.

Seven happy little dogs in a row (and 2 of them benefit from passion flower).

I hope that by reducing their anxiety we can increase their quality of life. I'm absolutely certain that reducing the frequency of crazy outbursts (barking at birds?!) and bone-headed skirmishes will increase the quality of our lives, as caretakers.  
Three of these seven have noticeable behavioral improvements from passion flower.

A happy new year to all the lovely pollinators, without whom there would be no passion flower! You're the bee's knees!

...and best wishes to the helpful boa constrictor that took up residence here for a while.  Good hunting in your new (and hopefully safer) home in the deep woods.