Roll Call
March 31, 2008 Posted by: ERIN

Time for a long overdue puppy update! Five puppies have been adopted and are living in their new homes. The two that we're still taking care of have families waiting for them in the states, to which they will travel as soon at they are old enough to get the vaccines that are required for their entrance into the US. You might think that taking care of two puppies, rather than seven, would be a lot less work, but I assure you it is not. Now that they are getting bigger and bolder they require as much attention as ever. Especially since they are sleeping inside now and their bladders are still very, very small. I have to get up two times in the night to let them out so that there aren't any accidents. They are lucky they are so darn cute.

Now that all the puppies have names and have developed unique personalities, I thought it would be fun to introduce them individually:

This is Spider. He is the biggest and toughest pup of the bunch. He has been know to push around his brother and sister a bit and he was alwyas scarfing up the most food. His new home is at the Dixon Hill Lighthouse where his owner, Miss Joyce, works as a lighthouse keeper. She hopes to train him to climb up to the top of the lighthouse with her!

Next up is Trigger. He is the darkest of the brown coated puppies, which makes him very handsome. He's a real sweetie who always wants to be underfoot. He is now living with Miss Susilee, who works as the field station baker, and her husband, Cowboy. They report that he is doing well, but does a lot of whining during the night. Poor little guy must miss his littermates.

This fuzz ball is Carlo. I love his name, because it suits him perfectly. He is the mack daddy of the litter. A bit on the chubby side, he is always very calm, cool, and collected. While his siblings are all wrestling, he'd much rather be hanging out in the shade, taking in all the sights. His new home is with Miss Velda, who works in the field station office, and five of her children. I've heard his favorite place to sleep is whith her son in an armchair.

This is Rocky, but don't let the macho name fool you. He is the snuggler of the group. He is always most content when being held, and is usually the first to greet visitors. He went home with Miss Sarah, the field station's head of housekeeping, as a surprise for her grandson.

This guy's name is Grouper. I think he is going to grow up to be a gentle giant. If his long legs and large paws are any indication, he'll be big, but he is not one for too much rough-housing. And he gets so excited to see people, you'd think he was going to wag his tail off. Grouper has been adopted by Mike, the field station facilities manager, and his girlfriend, so we still get to see a lot of him.

This adorable fellow is Joba. He is the smallest of the litter, but he's scrappy and very inquisitive. He's also a climber and enjoys burrowing into comfy laps. I'm very pleased to annouce that he is emmigrating to the states to live with my sister, Liz! But don't tell, because I'm not sure her husband knows yet.

And this pretty little lady is Kima, the only girl of the group. But believe me, she can hold her own with her brothers. She's a pouncer and a leaper, and never backs down from a tussle. Basically, she's got spunk. She also has beautiful light markings around her face and chest. Kima isn't actually her official name yet, but it is what I've decided to call her until her future owner, a regular visitor to the field station from California, has chosen something. But whatever her name, I think she'll make a great Cali girl.

So that's the puppy line-up. Joba and Kima will be staying with us until around mid-May, so I'll be sure to keep you updated on their adorableness and antics!

Pico de Tom
March 10, 2008 Posted by: ERIN

Tom likes to make pico de gallo, so when I began gardening I was sure to grow the necessary ingredients. With our first tomatoes ripening just last week, we've been enjoying lots of his fresh pico.

Except for the onion, all of the ingredients you see on the cutting board are home grown. The tomato, champagne sweet pepper, cilantro, and hot pepper all came direct from the garden, and the sour orange (in lieu of lime) was picked from a tree that grows next to the workshop here at the field station.

So colorful and delicious, making it fresh in March is quite a treat!

Woof
March 9, 2008 Posted by: ERIN

This probably shouldn't come as a surprise, but seven puppies are a lot of work. In the past week, they have grown teeth, learned to really walk (rather than scrambling around on their bellies), had their first baths, and been relocated from under the bush of their birth to their glorious new puppy wonderland in what used to be our messy garage. They've also started eating solid food in the form of dog food soaked in water, which is then mashed up with a fork. I like to call it "puppy mush".

Oh, and with the mush comes the pooping. There is a lot of pooping. You wouldn't believe that so much poo could come from such tiny creatures. But I must admit, they are brilliant little puppies, because they never poop in the puppy wonderland, always out in the grass. Much appreciated, puppies, keep up the good work!

Coco has become somewhat disinterested in nursing now that the pups have teeth. I can say that I really blame her. I was a little worried because given everything I've read it is too early for her to start to wean them, but after talking with some neighbors who have had Potcake litters, it seems that they are right on schedule. Especially considering that they come from generations of strays that have basically been living in the wild, it is not surpising that develop faster than more domesticated dogs. So long as they are eating and drinking water and growing, I think they should be fine.

We've tried to introduce Zipper to his progeny a few times, but he is scared of them. He watches them with great interest, but if they come toward him, he runs away. Apparently fatherhood is too daunting for him.

With the spring break busy season upon us at the field station, the puppies have had lots of new visitors. Students are flocking to our backyard to have a look and play with them. I'm glad that they are being socialized and getting so much love. So far, we have found potential homes for five of the puppies, including two exports to the states. But for fear of jinxing it, I'm not going to say too much else about the adoptions for now. People keep asking if we'll keep at least one, and while they are so sweet and adorable now, the idea of managing three adult dogs is not the most enticing. So keep your fingers crossed that we find good placements for the other two as well.

I've also got really great news about Zipper and Coco's future litters. There won't be any! I emailed the president of the Bahamas Humane Society in Nassau, and she put me in touch with a vet who is willing to come to San Salvador to spay Coco and neuter Zipper at the end of April. I cannot even express to you what a relief this is. While I've enjoyed learning where puppies come from, worrying about Coco's health, about the puppies' daily needs, and about finding homes for the seven of them has been more stressful than I imagined. So it is a real comfort to know that none of us, especially Coco, will have to go through it again. Don't get me wrong, I love the puppies and I really value this experience, but ... never again.

Small Islands
March 7, 2008 Posted by: TOM

So the island has been out of gas for over a week. It seems the gas barge has run aground--which makes this different from all the other times the island is out of gas because of poor planning, which usually only lasts a few days. The truck that delivers propane (for cooking) has been out of commission even longer than that. Last weekend the water supplied by "water & sewage" was shut off (our water is from a rain water catchment system). There hasn't been a medical doctor on the island for a bit. Fortunately the island is still fully stocked with beer and rum---something that cannot be said for Rum Cay.

Rum Cay is a nearby island where I spent some time scouting out locations for a geology field trip while Erin was in Baltimore; which despite its name was not an island of rum. Actually all three bars were either out of rum or nearly so. Rum Cay has about 80 inhabitants, but is about the same size as San Salvador. Our mode of transportation while there were these rather serious golf carts which could pretty much drive anywhere. Here we are driving on one of the rarely used roads.

The geology there was quite nice, similar yet interestingly different from that on San Salvador. I had a great time getting back out into the field, and it was quite interesting to see another one of the Family Islands. Maybe someday I'll post some more photos from Rum Cay, but for now I'll leave you with this one of some indian carvings inside of a great cave. That is all for now.