For more than a week, the Capt and I have been reporting for duty at the boatyard every morning, working on the Paint Job of the Decade. Originally our sailboat "Bliss" was hauled out for a bottom job, something that's routinely done every year or two, but then the Capt began experimenting with gelcoat, and before he knew it, he had painted the outside hull. So I began campaigning to have the topside done too. This is an old boat (1973), probably has never been repainted and is long overdue. We had always assumed it would cost us thousands of dollars, but it looks like if we are willing to do the work ourselves (who am I kidding, the Capt is doing the real work!) we can afford it. I can't wait to see her all finished.
But meanwhile, discouraging events were taking place at the Canine Refuge where I have been involved as a supporter and volunteer for the past five months. The snowbird support group has dissolved, as we knew it must when everybody headed back to the States and Canada for the summer. Nothing has developed to take its place. Staff has quit and one stalwart Mexican woman has taken up the slack, basically working a 24/7 schedule, caring for 29 rescue dogs, plus for the past two days there were four boarders.
This morning I mucked out kennels with Juanita, and then walked three of the older dogs as best I could. (The one male, Feliz, is so strong I could only trot along behind him and try to keep up.) In just a week the littlest puppies are now on their feet and exploring, beginning to play, almost ready to be weaned. Their mother, Mama Lola, is so sick of them she tore up a corner of her kennel one day to escape. Now a new litter that came from a local orphanage, (appropriate since their mom apparently died), is in the quarantine kennel. They range from a very rubust alpha male to two tiny black runts whose bones stick out.
These little sisters were scooped up from the path of an irrigation truck at an orange orchard near San Jose, and brought to the San Carlos Canine Refuge. They're about two months old, and have been given all their vaccinations and treatments, though they're still too young for neutering. They're both friendly and love attention. They look like they might have a bit of Boxer in their background.
My favorite, Sally, who had the broken leg, is now bouncing around as though she had springs in her feet. I've noticed at least three males have been cutting her out of her pack and chasing her around, and I'm wondering if she could actually be going into her first heat. Time for a visit to the vet, I think.
The good news is that sometimes the Internet helps in our efforts to find homes for these dogs. Sol, the little tick fever survivor that I wrote about on this blog, my Facebook page, the Refuge Facebook page and the local forum, has been whisked off to a new home in Colorado.
So, sometimes there's progress.