Farewell to Rover the Vagabond

It’s all over for Rover…in this particular doggy world. We came across Rover at the local soccer field a few days ago while out horseback riding. Poor Rover! He looked and smelled awful!

“Remember this dog?” Asked Jose

I sure did! A couple of years ago, Rover spent a couple of weeks with us and we all just loved him! Rover with the bright eyes and wagging tail - he was just irresistible! However, Rover was a classic vagabond and, sure enough, a few weeks after enjoying all our comforts and attentions at Reserva El Tigre, he left us - off to the next household of adoring fans. He was a heartbreaker that dog - over the years he wandered all over the landscape, enjoying farm and village life alike. But, like everybody else, we could never entice him to return back to us!

Well, on this day, it looked to us like Rover had reached the end of the line. We brought him back to the stable and bathed him with shampoo, which perked him up a bit. We could almost see the old sparkle back in his eyes. But he was very sick and probably contagious to the other animals, so I wanted Rover safely away from El Tigre as soon as we could organize it.


Well, our vet didn’t want Rover at the horse clinic either - and not just because Jorge was still cagey over Lucero. He took one look at poor Rover and said he was too far gone and risked contaminating the entire clinic - they had no isolation room - and were still boarding horses from a recent equestrian event.

Unfortunately, we understood only too well. In fact, just as Rover left for the vet, I whispered to Janet, “Make sure you sterilize everything Rover came into contact with: clothes, surfaces, everything!”

Janet gave me the usual Look, that says, “Do I look clueless to you, O Ye Who Bringeth Home All The Strays…?”

Well, Anna* found a vet who admitted Rover into his clinic, but we soon learned about the cost of treatment - lots of money, with no good prognosis despite all of it. Sadly, I’d been down this road too many times before and, therefore, didn’t hesitate to say,

“Have the vet put Rover down.”

This was soon done and Anna stayed with him until the very end, when Rover drifted off to, as Gerald says, “The Great Kennel in the Sky”. Farewell to Rover. He lived a full and happy vagabond life, and spent his last day in caring arms.

Still, animal rescues continue all over the country. The recent earthquake at Poas Volcano brought out the best of people all over Costa Rica - reports say the vast majority of Costa Ricans and residents alike offered some kind of aid to those who suffered. In the case of the animals, perhaps it was the television images of cows all over the ravaged hillside, lost, hungry and sick with mastitis, mooing disconsolately for want of milking. People all over Costa Rica responded, from donating time and/or money to animal rescue groups, to individuals adopting animals.

Fundraising helps to support the hardworking, front-line animal groups, who put up with so much grief caused by irresponsible humans. The main goal uniting all animal groups is this: spay and neuter them all; also making the mixed breed the most fashionable breed! Don’t purchase an animal - go adopt one at your local Shelter! We have found that mixed breeds are healthy, sweet and easy to train.

Times are tough and needs are many, so we were thrilled to learn that Penny Santomenno and her dedicated team will, once more, but perhaps for the last time, put on the famous Rice Table - Rijstafel - Indonesian Banquet in support of the Animal Shelter in Heredia. All of the food and drink has been generously donated, and the event takes place in Penny’s beautiful Heredia home. Email me or Leigh Moynihan for details on this March 7th event: donation - 30K colones, or about US$58. Thank you, Penny, for doing this once more - seeing your sweet smile again is alone worth the admission!

Now, with the current economic situation, our animal rescue friends are busier than ever - everyone I know has taken in more animals. It makes me so proud of Costa Rica! We are just one among many households with a slew of dogs, cats, horses, chickens, etc.



Here’s our latest arrival, itty bitty Dilly-Doo, who showed up at the Finca with a vastly larger female dog who just towered over him, but whose honor this little fellow most valiantly protected. He guarded his lady all day long, growling and snapping at any other dog that happened to get too close to her. The spectacle caused great amusement for us all. After a few days, however, the female went back to live with Armando’s daughter, Elena, in the hamlet of El Rodeo, and little Dilly stayed with us - now neutered. I initially named him P.C. - little gentleman in Spanish - but the kids would have none of it and renamed him Dillan.

So many more mouths to feed…

Is there any GOOD NEWS out there in the world today?

Yes! Turns out that 2009 will be a most bountiful year for seeds! Armando predicted that this would be a good seed year last November, when he observed earlier than normal leaf drop, followed by many more forest trees flowering and seeding this season when they had not the last. In fact, we have seen trees produce seeds for the first time in years!

Brightening up the forest and roadways right now are the dazzling display of the Tabebuias - yellow- Cortez amarillo (T. ochracea, f.Bignoniac.) and also the pink Roble de sabana (T. rosea).

There is too much flowering and seeding at Reserva El Tigre to list everything - like bucketfuls of Madero negro, Guapinol, Thounidium and Guanacaste - come and get them! We have collected and identified the following seeds so far this February, 09:



Dalbergia retusa (Papilionac.), ‘Cocobolo’. Yes, that’s retusa as in ROSEWOOD! This is the first time in 3 years that we have seen seeds produced by these endangered trees. Reserva El Tigre protects perhaps the last naturally occurring stand of Rosewood in the Central Valley!

Other Papilionacs seeding: Lonchocarpus salvadorensis, ‘Chaperno’; L.velutinus, ‘Comenegro’; Gliricidia sepium, ‘Madero Negro’.

Also,
Cedrela odorata (Meliac.), ‘Cedro amargo’;
Hura crepitans (Euphorbiac.), ‘Jabillo’;
Albizia adinocephala (Mimosac.), ‘Gavilancillo’;
Brosimum alicastrum (Morac), ‘Ojoche’ - just getting started - also, B. Colorado;
Diospyros salicifolia (Ebenac.), NOT Diospyros digyna, ‘Mabola, Sapote negro’YET;
Cochlospermum vitifolium (Bixac.), ‘Poro Poro’;
Gyrocarpus jatrophifolius (Hernandiac.), ‘Volador’;
Plumeria rubra (Apocynac.), ‘Frangipani’, Yellow, White, Pink;
Terminalia oblonga (Combretac.), ‘Guayabon, Sura’;
Pseudobombax septenatum (Bombacac), ‘Ceibo Verde’.

Last year, we collected Ceiba pentandra seeds and they germinated quickly. We already have several saplings planted back in the charral, with more to go in during the rainy season.

Take a look at a first year sapling of the mighty Ceiba pentandra tree:



It’s windy here in Costa Rica, and that makes the bees and wasps ornery. While out hiking in windy weather this time of year, make sure to stay alert. Give beehives, like the one pictured here, a wide berth.


The wind knocked this tree down, bringing the beehive down with it - still intact, right onto our favorite horse trail - and the bees are still going about their normal business. We are still observing it to see if they stay or go. A beehive like this is not normally so close to the ground, but the horses seem to graze next to it quite undisturbed. I took this photograph in still weather, but I’m sure the horses will keep their distance too when the wind kicks up again.

Feeling a bit morose from the gloomy events in the world? Go check out your local theatre group! You never know who you might run into either on stage or off. The other night, we went to see ‘Calendar Girls’, put on by Costa Rica’s English-speaking Little Theatre Group, and saw friends on stage for the first time: Sheila Pacheco (the British Consul) plays Brenda; and Debbie Jean plays crying Cora, adorable in her cute rain gear. The show was hilarious, with the strongest actors - Karen Rae, Vicky Longland and Ann Antkiw - carrying the show, albeit with fine support from the rest of the cast. Go see this wonderful show! You will leave with a smile on your face - and maybe thinking of getting on stage or helping out with the fun people behind stage…

* Anna Coy Dalton recently moved here from Colorado. She teaches people how to breathe consciously, and it can cause life-altering experiences. In Anna’s tapes, her voice and music put you into a hypnotic state - relax - all suggestion is positive - breathe health, love, spirit - everyone has a different experience. I liked it - it goes well beyond ‘stop and take a deep breath’. Anna’s method helped me to ‘breathe’ through to my capering horse and relax him. It also has helped me to cultivate ‘qi’ in doing Hunyuan Taijiquan. If you are interested in Anna’s method of conscious breathing, contact her directly at: www.inspiringyourlife.com or email: anna@inspiringyourlife.com