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Showing posts with label chocolate Lab. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chocolate Lab. Show all posts

Thursday, January 16, 2014

What To Do When the Taxi Goes "Boom!"


Winston and I had a little adventure today as we returned home by taxi from his vet appointment. Even the vet appointment was something of an adventure, or perhaps more of a nightmare for poor Winnie. This was a re-check on his skin problem, trying to rid him of mites causing mange, resulting in spots of hair loss. And if the hair loss itself wasn't bad enough I took a friend's advice and tried hydrogen peroxide on the spots, resulting in a spotty bleach job! Poor Winnie!
Winston is muy guapo perro - very handsome dog

For a doggie as beautiful as Winston with his luxuriant dark chocolate coat of fur, having mange is really quite humiliating for him. So we have diligently followed the vet's instructions: prednisone pills for the itching (given in a lump of peanut butter, which he loves!), twice-weekly baths with a special soap which must be left on him for twenty minutes (which we both hate!) and shots of ivermectin. It's these shots that are so awful. For some reason, the ivermectin must be very painful when it goes into the skin because poor Winston started yelping and squirming and trying to lick the spot on his back where the shot went. Last time he had to have three different shots - the ivermectin, an antibiotic and something else - and he had jumped around and yelped so much that I assumed it was just a carelessly rough technique on the part of the vet. So today I asked the doctor to be very meticulous not to hurt Winnie. But apparently it's not the vet's technique but just the intense quality of the medicine. But like the trooper he is, Winston came through like a champ.
Hair is finally growing back!

We were then off to the grocery store, practicing "heeling" along the way, and since Layne was not with us today (that's another story involving a friend with a medical problem), I put Winston in a "sit - stay" outside (and tied his leash to a door just to be sure) while I went in for our few items. In the store I ran into our friend Stephen and we chatted a few minutes about our mutual friend's medical condition. But soon my shopping was done and I went out to collect Winston - what a good boy! - and head for the taxi stand. I was pleased to see our friend and favorite taxista Nelson waiting in the taxi line so we hopped in for the ten-minute ride home.

But about halfway up a hill along the way, Boom! went the engine and suddenly smoke was pouring out from under the hood. Nelson and I simultaneously exclaimed: Uh-oh! As luck would have it we were along the route leading to the Palmares turnoff and the traffic was heavy due to the big 10-day fiesta starting today in that cowboy town up and over the mountain. But we had no choice. We had to pull over, raise the hood, put out the triangle warning stands and watch the traffic crawl by. Looking in the engine, we could quickly see that the radiator had burst. 

Winston and I wait in the car with the hood up
Maybe Nelson gets a new car out of the deal
So Nelson called his brother Jorge to come pick up me and Winston and take us the rest of the way home. Nelson says his boss will buy a new car - or perhaps just a new radiator. But he's hoping for a new car since this one has been giving him considerable problems even before today. In the midst of all this drama, however, Nelson still had a smile on his face. Now that's Pura Vida!

I am pleased to announce that Layne's novel, "Moral Turpitude, Book One of The Ange Parker Series," is now available on Amazon.com in Kindle format for just $4.99. Five star reviews! High adventure with corporate intrigue, danger and romance; from the exotic jungles of Borneo and Costa Rica to the erotic jungles of San Francisco. A great read! Pick up your copy here -http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HI25M1K/


Sunday, July 28, 2013

Costa Rican Quinceañero and Other Celebrations


Nowhere does the old adage "Time flies" apply more aptly than with children, as I was reminded last evening when I attended the Quinceañero celebration for Melanie, a young Tica lass we know. As you may know, the Quinceañero is a special birthday in Latin culture. Held on the fifteenth birthday, it marks a girl's passage from childhood to young womanhood and is celebrated with a grand party. But I had no idea just how grand my young friend's festivities would be, nor did I realize what a beautiful young muchacha she has become.

Beautiful Melanie, now 15 years old
Layne and I met Melanie three years ago when we lived in Barrio Los Angeles where her mom Cidia was our weekly housekeeper. On occasions such as holidays when school was out, Cidia would bring 12-year-old Melanie along with her for the few hours she spent cleaning our house. At the time Melanie was just a cute little girl, shy but friendly, with stunning dark eyes set off by a creamy tan complexion. She would watch TV or read and when I learned she liked puzzles, I would give her ones I had finished. Although neither of them spoke English, we became friends with Cidia and got to know little Melanie. When we needed to communicate beyond my Spanish, Melanie's older sister Karen could translate with her excellent English skills. When we moved from that house to Santa Eulalia two years ago, Cidia, Melanie and her dad gave us good-bye gifts they had made, earrings for me by Cidia, a wooden tray the father had hand-crafted and a decorated bottle made by Melanie. We treasure their friendship even though we have few opportunities to see them now.
The doll matches Melanie's dress!
A three-tiered cake marks the occasion

Melanie and Cidia
Mom, Dad and Melanie
But by chance Cidia saw me at the feria last Friday and invited me to Melanie's Quinceañero to be held the very next day. And what a fabulous event it was! Held at a large hall in Barrio Los Angeles with tables and chairs along both sides of the building, profusely decorated with purple and white balloons, with colored balls covered in hearts and butterflies hanging from the ceiling, matching table decor, throbbing lights and pounding music, it was a bigger party than I expected. When Melanie made her grand entrance through the balloon archway in her amethyst ball gown, sparkling tiara in her dark hair, jewels around her neck, walking with her mom and dad, I got choked up. How had the little girl we knew grown into such a glamorous and elegant young woman in only three years?! Well, time flies, I guess.

First dance with Dad
Unfortunately, I couldn't stay for much of the party because Winston was at home alone and he is still young enough that being alone at night is scary for him. According to our neighbors, he howls. So after Melanie's first dance with her dad and the toast to her Quinceañero, I made my excuses and taxied home. But it was a joy and an honor to be included with the extended family for this very special occasion.

Tomorrow night will be another special occasion for me -- Layne is coming home from Oregon, almost two weeks early! The sad reason for this good news is that the family finally had to find a memory care facility for his sister due to the inexorable progress of the Alzheimer's. Since the home care Layne had been helping with was no longer required, he was able to leave Portland early. We were again fortunate to find a flight using the airline miles we had so with just a small change fee, he got a flight. Winston and I are very excited.

And since I know an update on little Winston is probably in order for his many "fans," I made this rather bumpy video the other day; it's hard to keep up with the little rascal. 
As you can see he is growing like the proverbial weed and greatly enjoys running like a raving maniac and playing viciously with his toys. Layne will hardly recognize him from just two weeks ago, but I know Winston will be overjoyed to see Layne, as will I.

Check out Layne's book "Moral Turpitude," now available for FREE at Smashwords.com. High adventure with corporate intrigue, danger and romance; from the exotic jungles of Borneo and Costa Rica to the erotic jungles of San Francisco. A great read! Pick up your copy here --https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/159570