31.10.16

morning run:
Posey
Truman
Elewah
Luna
Mega
Murci
Cookie
Zoila
Tupo
(9)

Southern charcos: ~6k. This was Zoila's first run since she started presenting a limp a couple months ago. We think it might've just been an injury and that she's over it now because she had no limp after her last walk, which was pretty energetic. This group could've been a little calmer at the gate - they were really wound up and Roni had to help with everyone getting out smoothly. Once we got going they calmed down quickly and Zoila did well. She is part tank, part horse, part dog; when she lowers her head and really digs in you had better be ready. She isn't completely nuts, though, and does listen; she just needs to go hard for a big stretch at the beginning and then she feels better. We took the super-sloggy route to the inner serpentine today, which was much to her liking. The water had a very visible current in it and had quite a bit of fresh rainwater so it wasn't so disgusting or muddy. At one point we had to ford a charco/streamlet 30m wide or so that was deep enough a few of the dogs had to swim. Zoila loved this and we were almost across when I realized Tupo had not joined us. Instead he was putting on the cutest, most pathetic display I have seen in a while on the shore behind us. I had thought he might just be carried across by everyone else's enthusiasm but no dice, so we went back across and I scooped him up and carried him across. He curled into a comma and tucked his head under my beard the whole way - ridiculous, he was one of the tallest dogs on this run! We continued north on the serpentine all the way to the circular intersection, headed north a spell again and took the tortuga road to the blue.bag trail. I hooked Tupo up at the shrimpery because he needs some time on the leash now and then. Elewah stayed close to me the whole way down the final trail home so I decided to scoop her up instead of letting her run down to the beach - I just didn't feel like it today, this was a fast run and I was tired to begin with. Things almost ended in disaster 10m from the gate as Tupo literally wound me up in the leash like a freaking lunatic while I had both hands full (leashes and Elewah). It would've made a funny 10second short. All in all a crazy fast run with some very nice dogs.
GRADE: A

30.10.16

morning walk:
Alice
Ginger
Bette
Gracie
Archie
Molly
Stella
Maggie
April
Monkey
Perl
Ruby
(12)

I took this crew for a walk in the monte to the east and south, our now-usual route. Stella was on the hook for the duration. Bette started out on the second leash just until the shrimpery, to keep her from running like a lunatic; the pace came down there, I let her off and she was fine the rest of the way. I hooked Ruby up coming home at the shrimpery just to keep her honest but it probably wasn't necessary. Maggie looked excellent with her new hair cut (yay Roni). They all had a great time and behaved themselves perfectly.
GRADE: A

28.10.16

morning run:
Chester
Rita
Shirley
Rufus
Steve
Roxy
Junebug
(7)

Southern charcos: ~6k. This was a nice group. I didn't take as many dogs because this new thing with Rufus is still a work in progress but it's going much better. With June on the hook leaving we were really moving when Rufus caught up at the corner and he was caught up in the fun of running for the most part. We made it to the shrimpery with only a little barking and some stern words. I didn't even bother putting him on the leash for a bit like I usually do, he seemed to calm down fast and was good the whole way. My idea was to do the same inner-serpentine route we did last time because it was probably still flooded and everyone likes that a lot. We did that for the most part, but at the end I thought I would be clever and take the "hidden" road back to the tar paper shack from the north. June had been good the whole way mostly off the leash and I hadn't seen or heard anyone when we were heading out, but it turns out there was a truck and some people loading bags of salt about halfway to the shack. June wasn't happy about it and was off the leash but she didn't completely flip out or panic. I turned us around without making a big deal about it and she came with. I put her on the leash within 50m just to make sure we were all together and then we ran north back to the road that leads to the intersection and came home via the land bridge again. Everyone was really great, including Roxy who was also mostly off the leash.
GRADE: A

27.10.16

morning walk:
Blue
Otto
Amber
Zoot
Zoila
(5)

Roni took this crew on a ridiculously energetic walk/run in the monte. They almost made it to the beach but Otto and Blue ran ahead with Zoot and got the dogs at the HoJo barking and Roni had had enough by that point. Zoila is a little horse, or maybe a cyborg horse/tank combo. Even on a harness it can be challenging, to put it mildly. We've been keeping her off runs and only doing infrequent walks because of the limp she kept having after outings, but now we're starting to think it was just an injury and nothing chronic: she had no limp after this walk and it would surely have given her one if she had an issue. She should still go to Dra. Sandra to get pictures taken so we can be sure what's going on but she does seem to be doing a little better. Being on the other end of the leash with her is quite something and then Zoot takes it up a notch with his high-paced orbits. It wasn't more than Roni could handle but it was a good idea to go with not too many other dogs. Amber darted down to the ocean at the end and Roni had to go get her off the north fence but otherwise they behaved reasonably well. Otto shouldn't go with Zoot because they pump each other up a bit. They both do listen (Otto better than Zoot) but if you have other things occupying your attention it can be annoying. At least everyone had a great time and Zoila was okay afterwards. An advanced walk.
GRADE: B

incoming:
Dulce*
(1)

This little thing had been camping out under our Jeep for a week. Unfortunately we came to the conclusion that she is probably pregnant. She's little and seems too young but it can happen sometimes; judging from her teeth and behavior we think she's 6 months old at the outside, probably a good bit younger. We already wormed her, gave her ivermectina and frontline before she came in; she has adjusted extremely well and immediately made friends (Frida, Perl, Ruby). She's obviously going to the vet at first opportunity: if she isn't pregnant then there's something else going on.

25.10.16

morning run:
Frankie
Lily
Jack
Mega
Steve McQueen
Murci
Cookie
Roxy
Junebug
Tupo
(10)

Southern charcos: ~7k. We passed a group of salt workers on the way out at the land bridge, obviously setting up to run a salt loading machine. Everyone stayed with me and ran right by them except Mega, who went over to sniff the remains of their foodstuffs; I yelled for him and he came immediately. For the rest of the run we took a weird route, doubling back a bit at one point to get back to the 4-way intersection in the southern charcos from halfway up the middle serpentine. I kept hearing motos and other vehicular noises everywhere but never saw anything making them. It was cloudy, windy and a tiny bit foggy out and everything sounded strange. June kept getting paranoid from the noises, so I had her on and off the leash repeatedly for the whole run and she was good about it. At one point we crested a small hill and I saw a little black dog about 150m ahead hauling ass to get away from us; I was the only one tall enough to see them, so I called everyone back, hooked June up (already paranoid from a moto noise) and took the turn to the southwest that goes back to the intersection. We haven't been over there in a long time; some of these dogs are young enough they may never have been there. It's strange and beautiful, full of large trees and silence. Nobody minded the crazy route, it was fun everywhere. We ended up on the innermost serpentine heading north. I could hear the salt loader running to the south as we made it to the circular intersection on the main road (June already back on the leash again), so I tried to take us home via the blue bag trail by running north a bit and catching the tortuga sign road. We ended up cutting through east-to-west about 50m north of the blue bag trail because Angel's dogs were barking their heads off close to the south. We couldn't see them so I couldn't be sure if they were barking at us or salt workers, but I was ready to be home at this point and I had never noticed there's a clear way through from the road to the charcos to the west - it's overgrown a bit but still quite doable. The rest of the way home was uneventful and everyone was perfect about the stray under the Jeep when we got home. Nice run.
GRADE: A

23.10.16

morning run:
Eve
Frijolita
Luna
Xmul
Lex
Murci
Cookie
Junebug
Tupo
(9)

Northern charcos: ~9k. With Frijolita along there is only one direction: North. We almost did the full 10k route but it seemed excessive to me when we got to the turn. The pace to that point had already been so high I would've been dead for the rest of the day if we had gone for it. Even so this ended up being a pretty hard run, albeit a fun one. June was great again; she and Xmul were off the leash for the vast majority of the run and everyone else was good throughout. Crazy pace with some crazy dogs.
GRADE: A

22.10.16

morning walk:
Blue
Bette
Reggie
Gowron
Monkey
Amber
Zoot
(7)

Roni took this crew for a walk in the monte and to the beach. Tuesday didn't go because the energy was too much at the gate - sometimes you have to edit on the fly. Bette had a limp afterwards and probably won't go with the Amber/Zoot complex again - it isn't the distance, it's the high pace that bothers her. Other than that a perfect walk.
GRADE: A

afternoon swim:
Linda
(1)

Linda got some one-on-one time with Roni on the beach to the south. She is a little angel and a lot of fun.
GRADE: A

20.10.16

morning walk:
Alice
Ginger
Gracie
Archie
Molly
Stella
Maggie
April
Ziggy
Perl
Ruby
(11)

I took this group for a walk to the east and south for a change, avoiding the beach and extending the distance in the monte. Everyone thought this a capital idea and had a blast.
GRADE: A

19.10.16

vet trip:
Coco
Mali*
(2)

Today I took Coco back for Sandra to try and get the demons out of her. We suspect strongly that some tiny piece of something got left behind during her surgery because she appears to go into some kind of fake "heat" sometimes. It's very distressing and we're not sure what it is but there's unfortunately only one way to find out. Mali is one of Jackie's dogs that is long overdue being sterilized, so she came too. They were both angels on the trip and at the vet.
GRADE: A

18.10.16

morning run:
Truman
Posey
Elewah
Xmul
Lex
Murci
Cookie
Junebug
Tupo
(9)

Southern charcos: ~8k. Another fast run with this group up the palapa road to the swimming hole. Murci, Cookie, June and Tupo have ridiculous amounts of energy - they are playing and screwing around the whole way, even when we're hauling ass. June continues her streak of good behavior. I'm starting to trust her more, but I'm still not sure what she'll do with a vehicle and people very close by. I'm sure we'll have an opportunity to find out soon. Really good run.
GRADE: A

15.10.16

morning run:
Shirley
Steve
Rufus
Jack
Twiggy
Luna
Momo
Daisy
Hazel
(9)

Southern charcos: 6k. We took the inner serpentine this time instead of going the long way around the southernmost charcos. The route was surprisingly flooded - maybe the tide coming in again? It's all connected somehow and I didn't hear a pump running (they do that sometime), so maybe. Whatever the reason it was a slog for about 300m and nobody minded. Rufus had a great time in the monte for a change and everyone was good.
GRADE: A

12.10.16

morning walk:
Blue
Bette
Reggie
Tuesday
Gowron
Monkey
Amber
Zoot
Nico
(9)

Roni took this crew out for a walk in the monte, the now-usual cloverleaf. This was a really good group. Nico was on the leash the whole way and both behaved herself and had a great time. She looks to be finally over her horrible skin affliction and was happy to go. Tuesday and Amber behaved themseles off the leash and everyone had a great time.
GRADE: A

11.10.16

morning run:
Chester
Lily
Jack
Mega
Murci
Cookie
Roxy
Junebug
Tupo
(9)

Southern charcos: 8k. June was great on this run: she was off the leash a lot and listened when she was. We saw two dogs on the berm that runs from the palapa road to the swimming hole (very far out there). June was off the leash when I saw them, still 200m away. I called her back and she came perfectly, along with everyone else. I hooked her up and took us across the bag-end land bridge instead while the other dogs continued on their way. Everyone else was really good and had a great time on a high-paced run.
GRADE: A

10.10.16

morning walk:
Henry
Tito
Ernie
Linda
April
Maggie
Ziggy
(7)

I took this group for a meandering walk to the land bridge and back. Ernie was on the leash the whole way to keep him from hurting himself with his ridiculous enthusiasm and it worked: he didn't have a limp afterwards. Everyone else behaved perfectly and had a great time.
GRADE: A

08.10.16

morning walk:
Alice
Ginger
Gracie
Otto
Archie
Molly
Stella
Frankie
Maggie
Ziggy
Perl
Ruby
(12)

I took this crew for a walk down to the beach at the maginot line. Frankie invited herself along without my noticing (!), so I'll have to be a bit more careful in the launchpad. She was a good girl and likes this sort of thing but we can't start having that happen. We went north past the last house a bit and everyone swam like dogs, which is to say with great enthusiasm and a lot of splashing... except for Perl and Ruby, who are like little sharks or something. Despite the size of the group this was a very orderly outing. Stella was on the leash the whole way and I didn't use the other leash too much. I put Ruby on coming home because she gets ideas but everyone was ready to come in after the heat.
GRADE: A

06.10.16

morning run:
Posey
Truman
Xmul
Luna
Lex
Murci
Cookie
Junebug
Tupo
(9)

No-man's land: 9k. This was a sloggy, hard run through the wilderness with nine little lunatics. We really took the pace up on the way to no-man's land, running the full monty all the way south and then north on the serpentine. I did not think it would be this sloggy once we got through the serpentine; the tide must've been coming in because it was up to mid-calf for stretches, very slippery and - the dogs tell me - a huge amount of fun. Didn't see too many flamingos; the bugs were also not bad.
GRADE: A

Meta-note: second day with no Internet.

05.10.16

Blue
Bette
Tuesday
Gowron
Monkey
Amber
Zoot
Zoila
(8)

Roni took these eight for a brisk, long walk despite fighting off the tail end of a cold. She thought it might sweat the sick out of her, and it may have, but it was also quite a slog in high heat and humidity. Zoila is a small horse in terms of power and energy and the Electron Twins (Zoot and Amber) always jack the pace up high. The did the "cloverleaf" into the monte to the south and east and ending up on the beach at the maginot line. Everyone had a blast. Roni came home as she left, with eight dogs and her feet under her.
GRADE: A

02.10.16

morning run:
Frijolita
Otto
Frankie
Hazel
Murci
Cookie
Roxy
Junebug
Tupo
(9)

Tortuga sign: 5k. Just a quick one to get some energy out. Roxy was great off the leash almost the entire way: I just put her on at the end for the last stretch, but it probably wasn't necessary. Everyone had fun on the beach and ran fast.
GRADE: A

30.09.16

morning run:
Rufus
Shirley
Jack
Twiggy
Luna
MoMo
(6)

To the beach at Au Soleil Couchant: ~6k. Getting out was much easier this time thanks to Roni releasing Rufus a little after the rest of us left. He caught up in a flash and was much less wound up. We took the monte to the beach, ran south to the tortuga sign and came home the usual way.
GRADE: A

incoming:
Frida*
(1)

A couple people told me about a poor dog that had been hit by a car at the gasoline station. Yesterday I went by and found her hanging out in a boat, which is crazy: she had to drag herself across the hot pavement, the road full of rocks and the quay and then somehow up onto the boat pitching on the water. She apparently does this a lot. Freddy, the fisherman who first told me about her, showed up and I told him we'd figure out something if he could watch her for one more day. Today I went back and got her: roni posted about it. She's very sweet considering she's half starved and only has two legs. We cleaned out a little pen that was full of weeds and spruced it up for her a little.

28.09.16

morning walk:
Alice
Rita
Ernie
Molly
Linda
Daisy
Monkey
Perl
Ruby
(9)

I took this group for a walk to the beach at the maginot line. Linda and Ernie left on leashes and stayed that way until we were at the end of the coco trail, to keep them from running like lunatics and giving themselves limps. I think it worked: neither of them was having trouble on the way home. I kept the pace reasonably slow and everyone else obliged me by staying with me. I let everyone off on the beach and they had a great time swimming; the water is crystal clear and a nice temperature and it was calm enough for everyone to have a good time. On the way back I hooked up Perl and Ruby because we were getting barked at a lot by the dogs at the army camp; they got a little nervous at this and being on the leash makes them feel more secure. They're both little professionals on the leash. Everyone else was really good and had a great time the whole way.
GRADE: A

27.09.16

morning run:
Posey
Eve
Elewah
Lily
Xmul
Murci
Cookie
Junebug
Tupo
(9)

No-man's land: ~9k. Every dog on this run just wanted to haul ass and since we got going early I thought we might check out no-man's land, since we hadn't been there in a while. It was a bit sloggy for stretches but nothing too terrible. June and Xmul were off leashes for the majority of the way and had a blast, especially June. This is really her kind of run: fast, lots of stuff to sniff, lots of mud and fun stuff to jump in and her good buddies with her. Nobody lagged and everyone behaved themselves perfectly. We went the extra-long way coming home: south instead of heading east to the intersection, pick up the hidden trail heading west and then loop back to the tar paper shack to the south/east and home via the land bridge. Nobody minded. Good group.
GRADE: A

26.09.16

morning walk:
Blue
Bette
Gowron
Monkey
Amber
Zoot
Zoila
(7)

Roni took this group for a brisk walk east into the monte and then west to the beach at the maginot line. Everyone did well, including Zoila on the leash. For the second time she didn't seem to have any kind of limp or problem after the walk.
GRADE: A

25.09.16

morning walk:
Alice
Ginger
Gracie
Otto
Archie
Molly
April
Maggie
Ziggy
Stella
Steve McQueen
(11)

I took this group for a walk down the terreno federal trail, starting from north of the tar paper shack, winding our way through the berms that separate the charcos there and looping back via the apolcalypse cove and the land bridge. Stella was on the leash the whole way and nobody else. Everyone was perfect.
GRADE: A

22.09.16

morning run:
Posey
Truman
Xmul
Luna
Mega
Lex
Murci
Cookie
Junebug
Tupo
(10)

Southern charcos: ~8k. This was nearly identical to the last southern charcos run. I let June and Xmul off their leashes early and they were really good. Nobody gave me any surprises and we all ran like lunatics. They killed the water before we got to the intersection on the way home - it was starting to get hot but at least the bugs weren't bad.
GRADE: A

21.09.16

morning beach walk:
April
Maggie
Ziggy
Linda
Perl
Ruby
(6)

This was supposed to be a quickie with Perl, Ruby and Linda but I ended up throwing the fuzzy dogs in because they all really like the beach and this is kind of their jam. Ziggy shouldn't go too far or too fast anyway. April screwed me over early by darting east across the road before I could get everyone headed in the right direction (west, towards the beach). We all crossed and I rounded everyone up and got us turned around. I had Ruby on the leash the whole way because she's the one who needs it most; Perl is a little dream, honestly, and sticks to my heel when she isn't swimming, but Ruby gets ideas. The bluff is ridiculously high right now, especially near our house. We had to throw ourselves down onto the beach from the south road. The scene of me trying to get six wet little lunatics back up onto the bluff on the way home must've been amusing, especially since the little bastards kept jumping back down. The bluff was too high and steep for any of them to get up it without assistance so this was a Keystone Cops routine, but with wet dogs. The little black dog that seems to live south of Gary observed us on the beach but my charges were really good (and he was too) - no barking or charging off.
GRADE: A

20.09.16

morning run:
Eve
Frijolita
Rita
Chester
Otto
Frankie
Twiggy
Roxy
Coco
(9)

Swimming Hole: ~6k. With Frijolita along we always have to head north heading out: she just hates going across the land bridge east. Whatever... she's allowed to have her preferences. We took the long way to the intersection, hit the swimming hole and then looped around south from there to the jeep berm where we crossed west and headed home. Coco was on the leash the whole way and was good; she's been getting better on the leash, she just needs a few more outings to calm down and maybe she can be off a bit. This was Roxy's best run ever: she was off the leash the entire way except for the very end when I hooked her up near the shrimpery. She stayed with me, listened and had a great time. A very harmonious group despite having a bunch of crazy loudmouths.
GRADE: A

19.09.16

morning walk:
Blue
Gowron
Amber
Zoot
Zoila
(5)

Roni took this group out for a brisk walk in the monte and then to the beach at the maginot line. Zoila was on the leash the whole way and was a good girl. Most importantly: she didn't have a limp afterwards when she got home. We've been worried she has some kind of a problem which is why she hasn't gone on runs: the last two times she went running she had a limp an hour later. She's going to have to go in and get checked but at least this walk didn't seem to set her back. Everyone else was great: it's nice to have a smaller group sometimes.
GRADE: A

18.09.16

morning run:
Truman
Xmul
Luna
Mega
Lex
Hazel
Murci
Cookie
June
Tupo
(10)

Southern Charcos: ~8k. June was off the leash a lot on this one, as was Xmul. They both did very well and had an excellent time. The monte was eerily silent: there was no wind, no people, very few birds and hardly any bugs. The water in the charcos was like a sheet of glass for long stretches. I had June on and off the leash several times and she gave me no problems - in fact she had a great attitude. She tells me when she senses people or vehicles nearby: her tail goes down, her ears go up and she gets a concerned look on her face. When this happens I hook her up again and she feels more secure on the leash. There were some pretty good sprints in stretches on this run, and a lot of horsing around in the water.
GRADE: A

16.09.16

morning walk:
Perl
Ruby
Monkey
Linda
Amber*
(5)

Perl and Ruby are over their surgeries now - hurray! I took this group out for a walk to the maginot line, although Amber had other ideas; she bailed on me on the coco trail just past the shrimpery. Roni and I thought she might do this but it's good to try to switch things up once in a while. Amber's behavior has been so much better on walks with Roni we thought maybe her "paranoia" would be better but she got all weirded out when I said her name ("good girl, Amber") and she decided to bolt for home. Everyone else continued on with me and was perfect. I had Ruby and Perl on leashes for the last stretch to the beach because we were getting barked at quite a lot by the dogs at the HoJo and it made them unsure; they are both good on the leash and felt more secure that way. I let them off to have fun and swim but had them both back on leashes as we crossed the road coming home and left them that way to get some quality leash time in.
GRADE: A

14.09.16

morning run:
Posey
Eve
Elewah
Xmul
Mega
Steve
Murci
Cookie
June
Tupo
(10)

Au Soleil Couchant and north: ~8k. We took the long way in the monte to the beach at Au Soleil Couchant. My idea was to head north on the beach a bit and come home via the maginot line but it was not to be. As we were heading south I saw one of those dogs we've seen around lately, about 100m to the south and up on the bluff a bit (it isn't as pronounced that far to the north). He saw us but none of my charges seemed to see him so I slowed everyone down and went into the water while making some noise so he'd hear us and have time to clear out. He did this, but just ran off into the monte in a loop and came back down farther to the south on the beach ahead of us. Again, nobody seemed to see him and he was clearly trying to stay ahead of us heading south, so I took us back into the monte at Au Soleil Couchant again instead and came home the long way. I was amazed that Elewah didn't notice him and charge off but I guess I did a good job of keeping everyone's attention away from him. Other than that it was an uneventful run. Everyone was really up for it and the heat in the monte was a little more bearable after being on the beach for a while.
GRADE: A

11.09.16

beach jaunt:
Rufus
Jack
Shirley
Daisy
(4)

Up the beach: ~5k. Just to get some energy out. Everyone was great and had a good time.
GRADE: A

10.09.16

morning walk:
Alice
Gracie
Rita
Osita
Archie
Ernie
Molly
Stella
Maggie
April
Ziggy
(11)

I took another large group for a walk to the east. Ernie has trouble with the distance and probably should not go on this one again. Stella was on the leash the whole way and was great. Recent rain made the charos not quite so disgusting, but still plenty disgusting for the dogs to enjoy. Everyone had a blast.
GRADE: A

08.09.16

morning walk:
Ginger
Blue
Bette
Monkey
Gowron
Reggie
Amber
Zoot
Nico
(9)

Roni took this crew for a walk in the monte to the east, to the maginot line and the beach and finally back on the coco trail. Nico was on the hook the whole way and was good about it for the most part. She gets a little weird sometimes on the way home, like she's sick of the leash, but she's been getting better with both of us. The leash does nothing to abate the goofy abandon with which she enjoys outings, which makes it hard not to have a good time. It was hot out but then it's hot out at 9pm, too - just crazy this year how hot it seems all the time. Amber continued her run of good behavior off the leash and Zoot does seem to keep himself in check a little better as he gets older. A good walk with a fun, cute group.
GRADE: A

06.09.16

morning run:
Truman
Posey
Lily
Xmul
Lex
Murci
Cookie
Junebug
Tupo
(9)

Southern charcos: ~8k. Xmul and June had a good time and were off the leash a fair bit far out in the monte. We ran across another person running, heading south as we were starting north on the palapa road. It hardly ever happens that I see anyone else out there running; the dogs were good, but I made sure to have Xmul and June on the hook before we got to him. This was a hard, fast run and everyone was great the whole way.
GRADE: A

02.09.16

morning jaunt:
Miles
(1)

Roni took Miles out for a jaunt to the shrimpery and back while also foraging a bag of pasiflora.
GRADE: A

vet trip:
Perl
Ruby
(2)

Today I took these two to get spayed. They were both troopers, charmed everyone at the vet's and did well on the way home.
GRADE: A

01.09.16

morning walk:
Reggie
Gowron
Bette
Amber
Zoot
Nico
(6)

Roni took this crew out for a brisk walk in the buggy, hot monte. At this point I think the only time it isn't buggy and hot is at 4.30am and even then the bugs are probably not great. Nico enjoys walks with mom a lot and is getting better on the leash. Amber continues her run of good behavior off the leash. Nice job everyone.
GRADE: A

31.08.16

morning run:
Blue
Chester
MoMo
Frankie
Mega
Murci
Roxy
Tupo
Coco

Beach loop: ~6k. Roxy and Coco were the leash.dogs and this was fine all the way until the end, when Coco backed out of her harness somehow as we were heading south along the shore of the charcos to the north of the shack. I tried to leave Roxy off the leash more this run and she was good most of the way but started screwing around too much for my liking as we were heading back. In retrospect I should've just ignored Roxy - she would've been okay. Instead I made an issue of it and the last 2km of the run turned into a steeplechase, with Coco in the lead. Tupo and Murci helpfully ran back and forth between Coco (about 100m to the north) and me, just to let me know everything was alright. Kinda sweet, honestly. Coco ran straight home but I won't let that happen again. She's still too skittish but she really had a great time for the majority of the run. Everyone else was great.
GRADE: B

28.08.16

morning run:
Truman
Eve
Posey
Luna
Xmul
Lex
Murci
Cookie
June
Tupo
(10)

Weird beach loop: ~8k. We took a strange route in order to avoid bumping into the dogs that have been hanging out at the tortuga sign: to Au Soleil Couchant via the monte, south to the sign, into the monte all the way to the intersection, east, then south to the secret trail back to the tar paper shack to the south and home via the land bridge. Everyone was great the whole way. June was off the leash for a couple spells. Hot, buggy.
GRADE: A

26.08.16

morning walk:
Ginger
Tuesday
Gowron
Blue
Bette
Amber
Zoot
Nico
(8)

Roni took this crew for a walk in the monte to the east. Nico was on the leash the whole way and continues to improve, but the big story is Tuesday, who was off the leash the entire walk. This hasn't happened in a while and it's very nice to see. She has been good on many walks in a row now and this time Roni just didn't want to have a third leash in play, since she sometimes needs to get Amber on the leash and Nico was there as well. Tuesday did not disappoint and was good the entire way. Amber left off the leash but was on for the last half of the trail home to keep her honest about darting down to the beach. Everyone else was good. There were salt workers everywhere in the monte and it frustrated Roni's plans a bit but at least Zoot was good about it and didn't freak out; this has been a recent trend, too. It was Augusty out, like you'd expect at the tail end of the hottest August ever. We'd have to get up at 4am and take the dogs out when it's still dark to have any hope of avoiding the heat now, so it's just something to roll with.
GRADE: A

25.08.16

beach jaunt:
Ziggy
Linda
Perl
Ruby
(4)

Perl and Ruby are officially not puplings anymore; they're getting their own ideas and also need to be spayed, which means: attitude. Especially Ruby. Everyone started out well and swam a lot with me but then Ruby started to wander more on the beach. Linda also was encouraging Ruby to wander, misbehave and defend bits of beach.sushi she found and claimed. I ended up cutting things short and running Ruby down so she didn't get too far out of control; she got carried back in, along with Linda. Ziggy was mostly clueless as usual and Perl was good, but the days of no-collar/no-leash puppy-style outings with these two are over. Ah, well. It was fun while it lasted.
GRADE: A

24.08.16

vet trip:
Monkey
Greta
(2)

Today I took Monkey and Greta to Dra. Sandra. Monkey had a little mass of some kind on her eye that has been bothering her, and she needed to have her teeth cleaned. Greta has been laboring a lot and worrying us and we wanted Sandra to see her, since it's been years. Monkey is recovering now and Greta needs to loose some weight, so she's on a special diet now. Monkey doesn't mind outings like this - everyone loves her at Sandra's. Greta doesn't travel as well but was a real trooper. This time of year these kind of trips are grueling. I also managed to get some ivermectina into a dog with a terrible case of sarna in Tetiz along the way and got a local there some frontline for their dog as well. Roni is right: we need a magnetic CADA logo sign or sticker or something on the Jeep.

23.08.16

morning run:
Posey
Eve
Elewah
Jack
Luna
Steve McQueen
Murci
Zoila
Tupo
(9)

Southern charcos: ~8k. This was a hard, fast run with brief but intense periods of Zoila-wrangling. She still freaks out hard at vehicles and people and we saw both this time. I took us on a route that wa flooded pretty badly, thinking nobody would chance their moto there, but I was wrong: two intrepid souls were working in the charco that abuts the southernmost crossing, the place I call the Last Good Turn South. One of them rode by us heading into the monte near the terreno federal sign, carrying gasoline and whatnot on his moto. I heard him coming and reeled Zoila in and picked her up before he got to us. Once he passed us I knew we'd be seeing him again, because there's not really another sane route to go but the one we (and he) took, so I just stayed alert. I carried Zoila past where they were working in the charco, but at least it was gratifying to see how good the other eight dogs were: no barking at the people, no bothering their things, everyone listened to me and got going as soon as I put Zoila down. Even Elewah wasn't obnoxious and barky - quite amazing and cool. We ran the palapa road to the bag-end land bridge, hit the swimming hole and came home via the ridge and the land bridge. Everyone ran their asses off and listened well. At the very end Elewah, Luna and Tupo went down to the beach to the south, which I was expecting. I put everyone else back in the launchpad, and Tupo ran back to me before I got a chance to head down to collect the others, who were just swimming a bit. I put Luna on the hook and scooped Elewah up. So long as Elewah isn't being a jerk and barking at people I don't have a problem with her little modifications to the route. All in all a great run.
GRADE: A

21.08.16

morning walk:
Alice
Ginger
Bette
Gracie
Archie
Ernie
Molly
April
Maggie
Ziggy
Stella
(11)

The guest list for this outing obviously got beyond me, but it was okay. All the "extra" dogs got thrown in for good behavior and it turned out to be a mellow and together group, with occasional bursts of energy. Gracie and April left on leashes but they came off quickly; Stella was on for the duration but had no complaints and enjoyed herself immensely. We took a loop around the tar paper shack to the southeast, not too fast and with lots of time to sniff stuff and play in the iceplant. We saw nobody in the monte this time, a welcome change. It was hot and buggy but it's August, so there.
GRADE: A

20.08.16

morning walk:
Zasu
Henry
Tito
Linda
Ziggy
Archie*
(6)

Roni took these six out for a short walk in the monte, but Archie had other ideas early, bailed on her and ran home from just across the road. He's done this a couple of times over the years and we never know why. Maybe he just didn't like the smell of the monte that day. I was listening from the gate and saw him round the bend before I had even closed it so he just came back in and that was that. The remaining five had a blast with Roni walking down to the land bridge. Zasu is 18 years old and absoltely amazing. She's positively zippy and had a great time. Henry is obviously feeling better; we think he had some kind of foot or leg injury for a bit, it wasn't obvious why, but his limp is gone now and he's in fine fettle. It was hot and buggy but everyone had a blast. Hurray for Zasu!
GRADE: A

19.08.16

morning run:
Blue
Rita
Gowron
Otto
Hazel
Tupo
Nico
Perl
Ruby
(9)

Au Soleil Couchant: ~6k. This was Perl and Ruby's first big-girl run and they were excellent, like they were pros and had done it a thousand times. They both even drank from the bottle. We didn't run full-out the whole way, but we did take the blue.bag trail to and from the beach and hauled ass pretty good in stretches on that route. I saw a little black dog, not even a yearling, ahead of us after we crossed the road on the way to the beach; I held everyone up verbally, except Nico who was on the leash the whole way. The other dog ran down to the beach ahead of us and turned south, so I gave it plenty of room and kept my charges from seeing it until it was well south of us and we neaded north. Everyone had a great time on the beach, and Nico is getting better on the leash. Heading back I was conscious that there might be other dogs around, but I didn't see any until we got near the road, when a larger, older female with a coat much like Blue's darted by us heading back to the beach, obviously trying to get away from us. None of mine gave chase or was in any way aggressive and she was past us quickly. As we crossed the road a few meters later I saw a group of three smaller dogs, including the black one from before; they were standing in the road south about 100m away and just watched us as we crossed the road. I'm sure they were the dogs I saw on the previous outing. Nobody seemed to notice or want to give chase so I got us across quickly and headed home. My suspicion is that the larger grey female we saw is the mother and the other three are her full-grown pups... there's not much we can do but pay attention. It was gratifying to see that Nico didn't bark at them and Ruby and Perl were not interested in chasing. Maybe some opportunity to help them will present itself, but they're at least 1km north if that's where they hang out normally. This might also explain some of the late-night barking we've heard in the monte of late.
GRADE: A

17.08.16

beach run:
Rufus
Twiggy
Shirley
(3)

Tortuga sign: ~4k. We did the usual up the beach and come home via the maginot line route. Everyone was good, swam a ton and had a blast. One interesting note: I saw a group of three youngish dogs to the north on the beach as we were passing the tortuga sign. They were heading south, about 200m away, but noticed us and stopped. I called Shirley back to me quickly then and we all turned around long before we got within hailing distance, but good to know.
GRADE: A

14.08.16

morning run:
Truman
Posey
Xmul
Mega
Lex
Murci
Cookie
June
Tupo
(9)

North beach run: ~7k. Hard to get back on track after George's death. Today was the first day I felt like doing anything and this group needed to go. The pace was extremely high and we got pretty far north on the beach before we turned around.
GRADE: A

11.08.16

death:
George

He was one of the first wild/stray dogs we took in from the monte around us. He, Gracie and Chester were "the others" for a while... until we got to know them. George was the first to come in after Gracie showed him it was okay. Chester's naturally suspicious nature had him hanging around outside the fence a good deal longer, so George warmed the couch for him until he got his head straight. George survived heartworm, temporary paralysis and ehrliciosis and was good natured through it all. He could put the smack down on an uppity puppy once in a while but he was never mean; he did like to give the what-for to the cats, but who can blame him? He was Good King George to us, worshiped by every puppy that ever came here and loved by us all. He was on intravenous antibiotics and fluids but it wasn't enough and we lost him. We will always miss him and love him.

09.08.16

morning walk:
April
Maggie
Ziggy
Linda
Perl
Ruby
(6)

I took these six down to the shirmpery, turned around and headed to the beach near our house; we went south a bit, swam a lot and came home. Everyone had a great time. April was off the leash the whole time for the first time in forever; I think maybe she's not quite such a nut anymore.
GRADE: A

emergency vet trip:
George
(1)

George got very sick over the night and it was worse than we realized. I had to run to Merida with him late in the afternoon. He came back with a catheter and was on fluids all night.

08.08.16

morning walk:
Bette
Gowron
Monkey
Amber
Zoot
Zoila
(6)

Roni took this group out on a fast, long walk to the east in the monte and then west to the beach at the maginot line. The pace was high enough that she said the bugs weren't bad when they were moving. Zoila is a little horse in her harness; she is reminiscent of Tuesday when she was young. Amber was an angel, continuing her run of good behavior, and everyone else was also good. It was incredibly humid but a fun walk.
GRADE: A

07.08.16

morning walk:
Alice
Ginger
George
Gracie
Rita
Archie
Stella
Molly
Maggie
Ziggy
(10)

I took this crew on a walk up the maginot line, north on the beach and then back the way we came. Everyone was excellent and had a great time. The bugs were pretty bad.
GRADE: A

05.08.16

morning run:
Truman
Eve
Xmul
Hazel
Lex
Murci
Cookie
Junebug
Tupo
(9)

Southern charcos: 9k. This was a fast, long run with a bit of everything. I had Xmul and June on leashes until we reached the southern tip of the palapa road; I was able to see very far to the north and I neither saw nor heard anyone working in the salt, so why not. They were both excellent the whole way north to the end of the road, where I put them on again to keep them honest. I thought they might be loading salt up there but, again, nobody. Since we had been so fast to that point I decided to hit the beach at Au Soleil Couchant. I let Xmul and June off their leashes again on the beach. June was perfect and I had her back on well before the maginot line. Xmul ran ahead and barked at two of the dogs that hang out with the soldiers but she came back to me quickly as I turned east off the beach and I put her on there. All in all a nice run.
GRADE: A

morning pup training mission:
Ziggy
Linda
Perl
Ruby
(4)

I took these four for another short walk to the south on the beach with frequent breaks for swimming. The pups were excellent as always and swam their little butts off. Ziggy swam quite a bit and Linda did her share but the pups were nuts. They cannot get enough of the water and are getting stronger every time. I had to scoop them both up to get us all in the gate at the same time coming back.
GRADE: A

04.08.16

morning walk:
Ginger
Otto
Bette
Reggie
Gowron
Monkey
Amber
Nico
Coco
(9)

Roni took this group for a walk in the monte. She intended to take the same route down to the beach she took the day before but it was not to be. Yesterday she managed to snake her way north from the land bridge to the smaller northern land bridge and across without alerting Angel's dogs. Today Otto and Ginger likely tipped them off; they ran ahead at one point on the ridge and then Roni heard Solitaria barking her head off nearby a few seconds after they came back. Although this probably would not have been a big deal Roni didn't feel like screwing around so she turned back and came home the way she went. Coco was on her harness and is a real bear on the leash. Nico was off the leash and gave Roni trouble catching her, just like on the last run. They've both had a rough time of it for different reasons but we're focusing on them more now for a while: they'll be good on the leash in short order and then things will get easier. Nico at least doesn't do anything bad (other than avoid her human); she stayed with the group and crossed the road with everyone, didn't run ahead and try to get home first and had a good time galumphing around. Reggie was a good boy and Amber was a little angel. The bugs were hideously bad for the first time this year and the humidity is starting to get crazy even early in the morning. A fun walk for the dogs.
GRADE: A

03.08.16

morning walk:
Blue
Tuesday
Gowron
Monkey
Amber
Zoot
(6)

Roni took this crew out for a quick walk in the monte and down to the beach at the maginot line. Their pace is impressive because that's a long walk and they were almost home before they left. Tuesday and Amber left on leashes but came off quickly and were good the whole way home. This is real progress for both of them now, over several months: they used to have to be on the leash coming home and now they listen and do the right thing. Very gratifying. The heat seemed like maybe it was giving Monkey a little trouble but then when they got to the beach everyone has a nice dip and the heat isn't such an issue. We're starting to notice the bugs more now on walks and runs.
GRADE: A

morning beach run:
Rufus
Daisy
Shirley
Tupo
Jack
(5)

Tortuga sign: ~2k. I took these five out via the beach gate for a dash up to the tortuga sign. Everyone was perfect: the lead dogs held up on the beach when I called them, we all ran past the army encampment together and at a high pace, drew no fire from the dogs there and generally had a good time. Everyone likes the tide pools when they're full and stinky so we slowed down a bit on the way home and everyone screwed around properly in them. We came home via the maginot line and everyone was good to the gate.
GRADE: A

01.08.16

morning run:
Posey
Eve
Rita
Chester
Twiggy
Lily
Mega
Lex
Junebug
Nico
(10)

Beach run: 7k. Nico left on the leash with June and they both stayed that way until we hit the beach at the tortuga sign. Nico once again would not let me get her back on the leash, although she was much better this time than the last: she stayed with me, listened when I called her and did not dash home on the final leg and ditch us like last time. In fact she stayed near and crossed the road coming home with everyone, so at least that was good. She's smart and kooky and definitely doesn't like the leash, so we're going to work on that. She also "swam" in her manic way and played a lot with her pals on the beach. As soon as she figures out how to get all four of her incredibly long legs going in the same direction at the same time we're going to need a motorcycle to catch her: she's already crazy fast, but just in strange fits and starts. June was really great, and a good running partner for her, as was the rest of the crew. She didn't seemed freaked out or bothered by the few salt workers we saw. Altogether a nice run.
GRADE: B

31.07.16

morning walk:
Zasu
Miles
(2)

Roni took these two for a walk down towards the land bridge with the dual purpose of getting our two oldest dogs out on a slow walk and foraging a big bag of pasiflora for tea. All objectives accomplished. Zasu is amazing: she's 19 years old and still can kick our asses when she wants to. Miles is equally amazing in his own way: his will to dawdle is unequalled in the history of this planet. I'm sure of it.
GRADE: A

morning walk/swim:
Ziggy
Linda
Perl
Ruby
(4)

I took these four out for another walk/swim on the beach to the south, mainly; the last one was such a success and this is a fun little group. Linda wanted to screw around on the shore a bit more than last time but everyone swam with wild abandon and enjoyed themselves immensely.
GRADE: A

30.07.16

morning run:
Truman
Frijolita
Elewah
Luna
Xmul
Steve McQueen
Murci
Cookie
Zoila
Tupo
(10)

Au Soleil Couchant and north: 7k. Zoila can be a handfull but the rest of this group was stellar, even Elewah. We ran all the way to Au Soleil Couchant via the monte for a change; I wanted to check out the state of salt-worker activity on that route and also give Zoila some running time in the monte because I don't let her off the leash on the beach yet... maybe soon, but she's still a bit too wild. We hit the beach at ASC, headed north quite a way and came home via the tortuga sign. The big news (for me) on this run was: Tupo swam! Of his own accord, no less. He's been playing more and more in the surf with his buddies on runs and today he just threw himself in all the way. It was only once, but he's never done anything like that before. Pretty cool. A salt worker (Mosco, someone I happen to know) was working alone in the charco nearest to the road and that was all it took for Zoila to freak out and pitch a fit; she's always on a harness, at least, but I still had to literally reel her in like a fish, pick her up and carry her past him even though he was at least 10m. She's a sweetie and very smart but needs more leash time and experience on the road to get over The Fear. Elewah did her now-usual dash to the beach as we were getting home. As it turns out she dragged Luna and Tupo with her, there actually were people swimming nearby and they had a dog with them that was on the shore. Elewah, Luna and Tupo were perfectly friendly to the other dog, who was a little put off by so many other dogs appearing at once, and I just hooked Luna up and talked the other two back to the gate, no worries. Elewah will probably always do that but it's a tiny vestige of her former attitude when she was still mostly wild. All in all a nice, fast, hard run.
GRADE: A

29.07.16

morning walk:
Alice
George
Archie
Ernie
Molly
April
Maggie
Ziggy
Perl
Ruby
(10)

I took this group for a walk up the coco trail to the maginot line and north on the beach a bit. April was on the leash a lot but I trust her more than I used to and she did not disappoint me. She ran ahead a little on the beach but listened and stayed with me. I had her on the leash coming home to keep her from running too far ahead but she was an angel the whole way and probably didn't need it. Perl and Ruby did extremely well, in large part because they had nothing but good examples: everyone behaved perfectly and the two newbies did what everyone else was doing. We got barked at a bit on the way to the beach but neither pup was interested in returning fire; in fact they both listened and stayed with me. Everyone swam like nuts and had a good time sniffing stuff in the monte to and from the beach. A very nice walk and a good experience for the puplings.
GRADE: A

28.07.16

morning walk:
Ginger
Bette
Blue
Gowron
Otto
Monkey
Amber
Zoot
(8)

Roni took this group for a walk in the monte and the beach at the maginot line. Zoot's desire to "lead" when he doesn't know where you're going can be frustrating; his overridding impulse is to be with Roni so he never goes but so far astray. Everyone was really good in general and enjoyed the monte and the beach. The trail down the maginot line is pretty right now and the bugs still have not kicked in despite all the recent rain... we know they're coming, we're just happy to have a few more walks and runs that don't result in blood loss.
GRADE: A

morning pup training mission:
Ziggy
Linda
Perl
Ruby
(4)

I snuck out with these four to go for a swim in The Big Water. We farted around in front of the house and walked lazily to the south, jumping into the water constantly for more aquatic ninja training. Perl and Ruby are coming along amazingly well. Ziggy and Linda were both great examples: they stayed with me, listened and swam a lot.
GRADE: A

25.07.16

morning run:
Truman
Eve
Posey
Shirley
Lex
Cookie
Junebug
Tupo
Nico
(9)

North beach run: ~7k. This was Nico's first run: her skin problem is finally starting to clear up and she's been putting on weight and looking more like a dog for a few weeks. I had her on the leash the whole way because she gave me trouble getting her back on the leash the last time I took her out and I don't know her reactions to people and vehicles yet. Her brother Tupo has become extremely dependable that way and I think Nico will be the same but it's best to ease into things. She did well the whole way and had a great time splashing in the water and running... those long, long legs are good for running. June was off the leash on the beach and on it everywhere else - she was an angel and had a blast. We took the blue bag trail heading out and the maginot line coming home. I'm very proud of Nico.
GRADE: A

21.07.16

morning walk:
Alice
Ginger
Bette
Gracie
Archie
Ernie
Molly
Maggie
Ziggy
Hazel
(10)

I took this group for a walk up to the beach at the maginot line. Molly was an idiot crossing the road and should be on a leash there. Otherwise everyone was excellent. I had Gracie and Ernie on leashes leaving but they came off quickly. I mainly worry about those two if there are goats around, but it was obvious even before we got to the shrimpery road that there weren't. Everyone had a good time swimming and screwing around on the beach. Ginger managed to get a dead fish almost all the way back down the coco trail coming home - pretty funny to watch her manage it.
GRADE: A

19.07.16

morning run:
Posey
Truman
Eve
Blue
Xmul
Mega
Murci
Cookie
Junebug
Tupo
(10)

North beach run: ~7k. Blue was thrown in as 10th dog at the last minute. This was a fast one, north well past Au Soleil Couchant. We took blue bag trail heading out and the maginot line coming home. June is getting better about seeing random people but I still don't trust her off the leash around vehicles. She's fun to run with and really likes to haul ass and play in the water (that's what her social media profile would say); that's true for everyone else who came on this one, come to think of it, except Tupo and his comical aversion to the water. We managed to sneak up the maginot line without attracting any attention and everyone was good the whole way to the gate.
GRADE: A

17.07.16

pup swim:
Perl
Ruby
(2)

I took these two down to the beach for an extended swimming session. They both had an excellent time and I was highly amused.
GRADE: A

16.07.16

morning run:
Alice
Rita
Otto
Rufus
Shirley
Daisy
Twiggy
Tupo
(8)

Maginot line and a little more: ~5k. This was too many dogs to take with Rufus: the energy was too high in the launchpad and we had a rough time getting out. Rufus was too wound up and it took me several tries to get him pointed in the right direction and focused on running. Everyone settled down by the time we got to the shrimpery but it's not fun to leave like that; the harness helps a bit but not with the issues at the gate. He should not go with so many dogs, even if they're all good - he pours his own excitement into the mix and it sloshes over into everyone else. We should probably also go back to using a muzzle when we leave if only because he then focuses on that and it's easier to get him running and having a good time. As bad as the exit was, the rest of the run was nice. Everyone behaved themselves and listened to me in spite of being barked at constantly by strays and the dogs at the HoJo. There was a man clearing brush right on the border of the maginot line and everyone was perfect: not one bark or even a move in his direction, he and I exchanged pleasantries as we went by. Started poorly but ended well.
GRADE: C

15.07.16

morning walk:
Ginger
Bette
Blue
Gowron
Monkey
Amber
Zoot
Coco
Nico
(9)

Roni took this group for a fast walk in the monte to the north and east. Coco was on the leash the whole way, on her harness; she isn't thrilled by it but she was good. Amber left on the other leash but came off at the shrimpery and only went on at the very end coming home. She needs to be on the leash leaving and coming home because she gets ideas and Zoot is easily influenced but she has improved markedly in the last few months. It was hot out and the edges of the charcos stink but at least the bugs weren't bad.
GRADE: A

14.07.16

vet trip:
Nikkita*
Anonymous Dog*
(2)

I haven't normally posted about these kinds of trips but I'm going to start: this was a trip to the vet that didn't involve any of our dogs, the kind of thing we do as CADA all the time. Nikkita is Jackie's dog and also a good friend of mine; she was sterilized by us, was diagnosed with CTVT and was subsequently treated by Sandra on several vet trips like this one. Jackie was concerned her cancer might be coming back (it did once before) but she received a clean bill of health and was a very good girl through a difficult trip (blown tire early on). The anonymous dog (don't know her name) is a poor little chihuahua female that was hit by a car about 2 weeks ago. The owner brought it to Jackie, who consulted with Dr. Vic and Sandra and gave it pain meds until it could somehow get to the vet. I was told of this late last week and today was the first day I could get away. It turns out she doesn't have any internal injuries other than her hip, which was more or less shattered by the blow; she's otherwise okay. She can be fixed by surgery, but only Dr. Novelo does this kind of work. We have used Dr. Novelo in the past and he is very good, especially with orthopedic surgery. He has to look the case over and come up with an estimate of how much it will cost. The owners gave me some money for the vet but it will not be anywhere near enough - Sandra said she's sure this will be a costly surgery; she sent us home with better pain meds to last a few days. Jackie is now looking for donations from some of the people here who have helped in the past; you can also donate to us to help. Several people who live in Celestun recently donated to help the poor little pup whose leg had to be amputated, so we're hoping some more money can be found to help here. Assuming all goes well I'll probably take her back early next week. A hard trip both ways in the heat but both dogs were troopers.

12.07.16

morning run:
Osita
Frijolita
Chester
Frankie
Xmul
Mega
Murci
Junebug
Tupo
(9)

North beach: ~7k. I purposely threw Osita into this one because she hadn't gone in a while and she loves running with her sister Frijolita. We took the blue.bag trail both ways to the beach; there was a small group of salt workers just to the north of where the trail lets out on the road to the east and everyone was fine with it, including June (probably because there were no vehicles). Osita ditched me right after we got to the beach, which is annoying. Frankie and Xmul were both playing very aggressively in the water and I think Osita didn't like it. She gets like this sometimes and just gives me this look that says "I don't feel like it now, Dad." If it had been another dog I might've just cut it short and turned around with her but she's old and smart and knows her way home; also, the rest of the dogs really needed a longer run than that. She ran home on the beach, obviously, since Roni said she was wet when she got home, and she didn't make everyone crazy when she arrived so she must've turned up one of the beach trails before our house to arrive at the back gate. Next time she'll go with Alice and George and gang. Everyone else was perfect, although I had to really ride Xmul and Frankie verbally and put them both on the leash at different times to reign them in a little. June and Xmul were off the hook on the beach and on it everywhere else, but I'm starting to think I might trust June off the leash in the monte as long as I don't hear any vehicles. Nice, fast run.
GRADE: B

10.07.16

morning walk:
Ginger
Blue
Tuesday
Gowron
Monkey
(5)

Roni took this group up to the maginot line and the beach. All of them love the water and are good about getting barked at by the dogs at the HoJo, although that is annoying. Everyone behaved themselves and had a good time.
GRADE: A

09.07.16

morning run:
Eve
Posey
Truman
Lily
Luna
Lex
Murci
Cookie
Zoila
(9)

Southern charcos and then some: ~9k. This was such a high-energy group and we left early enough that I wanted to do a bit of recon on the monte and see where the salt workers are now. Zoila is a bit of a wildcard but she was on the harness and was the only dog I really had to focus on. Right off the bat we ran into a couple clueless kids trapping birds at the Shrimpery: their moto freaked Zoila out and I had to carry her down the road east to get past them. Once I put her down we took off and didn't stop for at least 2k, all the way at the southernmost point of the run. We made such good time north up the palapa road that I decided to do the full monty and hit the beach at Au Soleil Couchant; it jacks the distance up a bit but we were doing so well and Zoila really loves to swim (along with everyone else on this run). We took the beach all the way to the maginot line to give everyone as much time in the water as possible. They were all angels, and Zoila had a really great time.
GRADE: A

07.07.16

morning beach run:
Alice
Rita
Otto
Rufus
Shirley
Daisy
Twiggy
Tupo
(8)

Maginot line: ~5k. I threw Alice in because she always wants to go with me and she's been a pain at home. She's fine on runs like this, she just likes to lag a little in spots, although it was probably borderline too hot for her. We left on the road side for a change and Rufus was pretty good; we used the harness on him this time, at Roni's suggestion, and it is definitely the way to go from now on with him. We didn't run that far or that fast and the beach was kind of gross but what the hell, everyone had a good time.
GRADE: A

05.07.16

pup swim:
Perl
Ruby
(2)

These two charmed me into a trip to The Big Water. They are crazy funny.
GRADE: A

03.07.16

morning run:
Eve
Blue
Posey
Xmul
Mega
Lex
Murci
Cookie
Junebug
Tupo
(10)

North beach run: ~8k. I threw Blue in as 10th dog at the end because she's always so good and really loves running with her sisters (Eve and Posey). Xmul was extra wound up but settled down after the first kilometer or so. We took the long way to the beach and stayed on the ridge the whole way this time. Solitaria and Loba were clearly visible on the other side of the alt. land bridge and barked their heads off at us as we ran past on the other side; my charges behaved themselves perfectly and did nothing but stay with me. We heard those two barking at us for almost a full kilometer as we picked our way north along the road that runs right on the other side of those charcos. Once on the beach we ran north farther than we have in a while and took the maginot line coming home, to give everyone lots of time to swim and screw around. The pace was high most of the way. Xmul and June were off the leash on the beach but I had them both on before we got to the maginot line. Everyone was perfect to the gate. Nice, hard run. Surprisingly few bugs.
GRADE: A

01.07.16

pup swim:
Pearl
Ruby
(2)

I took these little marmots out for a swim and run-around on the beach. We have to get more video of them, they're hysterically funny and cute. Today Ruby was the brave one, last time it was Pearl.
GRADE: A

vet trip:
Linda
Anonymous Puppy*
(2)

Today we did some CADA duty. A fisherman saved a pup with a severely broken leg that had been abandoned in a cardboard box: it had a compound fracture that went untreated. They brought it to Jackie, who sent pictures to Dr. Vic; the vets said it had to be amputated, as the bone was already starting to become infected. I took the pup to Dra. Sandra today and, since I was going, took Linda to be checked over. She has been grouchy at times recently and she hadn't been seen or had bloodwork done in years, so why not. It turns out she has the worst hips of anyone, she's just small and tough and doesn't complain too much. You wouldn't know it from the way she acts. Her bloodwork all came back clean. The pup was operated on and did well enough to come home that day (there were doubts). It's recovering well now and should be fine. I'll find out more about the fisherman who saved it, since Jackie said they've saved several dogs and want to help more. Good vet trip, although the reason was terrible.
GRADE: A

30.06.16

morning run:
Truman
Rita
Chester
Elewah
Frankie
Twiggy
Mega
Steve McQueen
Hazel
Roxy
(10)

To the beach via the maginot line: ~7k. Since Roni said there were so many salt-workers around the day before I decided to avoid all of them and take the maginot line to the beach both ways; I took us very far north to make up for the short distance in the monte, so everyone got a chance to run hard and have fun. Elewah has developed the habit of running down to the water on the south road when we come home so I decided to let her do what she wanted in the last 50m, took everyone else to the gate and went back out to round her up. This time she swam and sauntered north up to the north road and came around to meet me instead from the opposite direction. She just likes to rebel a little, she isn't wild anymore and it's no big deal. Maybe when there are a lot of people around on the beach I'll be more careful about keeping her under control but right now the tabanos own the beach. Good run for everyone. Steve had a limp afterwards, he'll go on shorter ones for a while to see if it's just an injury or something more.
GRADE: A

29.06.16

morning walk:
Blue
Bette
Reggie
Gowron
Monkey
Linda
Amber
Zoot
(8)

Roni took this group for a walk in the monte to the east. There were a ton of salt workers everywhere but everyone was really good and Roni picked a good route. Amber has been better off the leash every time recently. Zoot also has calmed down in the last year or so, although he's still frenetic at times; he and Amber feed off each other in both the negative and the positive, I think. Reggie was happy as a clam to be with his favorite human. The bugs are starting to become a factor.
GRADE: A

28.06.16

morning run:
Rufus
Jack
Shirley
Daisy
Tupo
(5)

Beach run: 5k. Just a quick one to get some energy out. This time we caught everyone at the army base napping, including the dogs; they finally realized we had darted past when we were well north of the HoJo and came down to give us a few obgligatory barks. We came home via the maginot line and neither the dogs at the HoJo nor the army dogs noticed. We went all the way to Au Soleil Couchant. Everyone had a good time.
GRADE: A

26.06.16

morning walk:
Alice
Ginger
Gracie
George
Archie
Ernie
Molly
Maggie
Ziggy
Nico
(10)

I took this crew for a walk on the beach via the maginot line. Nico was hilarious and a little nuts. We left with Ernie and Gracie on the leash but I let them off at the shrimpery. Nico was galumphing around like a lunatic and it took me until the end of the coco trail to get her on the leash. She's okay but needs a bit of work, mainly because she's goofy. Once on the beach I let her off as we headed north and she went seriously goofy. She was giving me a hard time getting a hold of her and I didn't want to make a big issue of it so I let her goof around in her funny way up and down the beach. On the maginot line coming home she got ahead of the rest of us and I could see the light come on over her head that she just wanted to run home and get mom. I picked up the pace for the rest of us but she stayed 50m ahead of me the whole way home. I was a little nervous about this but it turned out okay, she went straight to the gate and everyone else was fine. Next time she'll be on the leash more, but at least it's clear she knows the way home.
GRADE: B

24.06.16

morning run:
Eve
Posey
Xmul
Mega
Lex
Murci
Cookie*
Junebug
Tupo
(9)

Past Au Soleil Couchant: ~6k. I tried to cut a fine line through the monte to the east to avoid active groups of salt workers... and failed. They were everywhere and their annoying refuse was unavoidable. I took the ridge the whole way north for the first time in a while, and although we got barked at by Angel's dogs that wasn't a problem. The dogs to the east of us near the main road turned out to be the problem, as Cookie and Tupo took off to greet them. Tupo came back quickly but Cookie ditched us, for the first time ever (I think). She must've got pulled off too far to the east running after those dogs or something, but I circled us all around the entire area calling for her and she didn't appear. Everyone else was really good about staying with me; both Xmul and June were on leashes at that point and they did well with the strange goings on. In the end I figured Cookie had either run home or was ahead of me, since she knew where we were going, so I took us to the beach at the tortuga sign. It turns out she had run home and arrived not too long after we had left; at least she did the sensible thing there, but I was worried and it was strange that she did it at all. Everyone else behaved perfectly for the rest of the run, including on the way back when we got barked at again.
GRADE: B

mid-day swim:
Pearl
Ruby
(2)

I took these two little terrors out for a dip in The Big Water, as per their request. They are hilarious and fun, both incredible swimmers already. There was a lot of gross seaweed on the shore but we dealt with it and had a good time in the shallows.
GRADE: A

20.06.16

morning walk:
Blue
Monkey
Linda
Amber
Zoot
Gowron
Coco
(7)

Roni took this group out for a fast one in the monte to the east. Coco was on the leash the whole way and was generally good about it. Amber yet again was off the leash most of the way - very nice. They all went down to the water when they got home and everyone was good about the change.
GRADE: A

19.06.16

morning run:
Blue
Rita
Otto
Shirley
Twiggy
Luna
MoMo
Hazel
Zoila
(9)

Past Au Soleil Couchant: ~7k. Our dog.kabuki was nearly flawless this morning: I wrangled everyone but Zoila into the launchpad while Roni got her into her harness. Once the gate opens Zoila's demeanor changes completely. Her tail comes up, her ears go back and she just wants to run. Today she was so happy she yipped all the way from the gate to the road. She is happiest when hauling ass so we did a lot of that. We took the long way to the beach and ran into nobody. I left Zoila on her harness the whole way but there was a lot more slack in the leash on the beach. She had a good time swimming with everyone else and I gave her lots of opportunity to go sniff stuff and roll around in it with her running mates. We took the maginot line on the way back and Mo misbehaved a little, although it was really not a big deal. For some reason she got ahead of me cutting up off the beach onto the trail and then I had to wait for Otto and Rita to catch up, while Mo obviously continued to run. By the time the rest of us were all together on the trail and heading east Mo was nearly at the road and, and then she decided it was fun and kept running ahead, stopping briefly to make sure we were behind. I knew she would just go home but I was still irritated that she effectively ditched us without any real reason. I don't know what got into her. Everyone else was perfect on the way home and everywhere else. Nice run on a cloudy day.
GRADE: B

18.06.16

morning walk:
Zasu
Miles
(2)

Roni took these two for a meander down to the shrimpery. Zasu wanted to go visit the goat herd that was wandering around close by but Roni disuaded her. Miles was in zen.meander mode. It wasn't hideously hot out ane everyone had a good time.
GRADE: A

16.06.16

morning run:
Posey
Truman
Eve
Xmul
Mega
Murci
Cookie
Junebug
Tupo
(9)

North beach run: ~7k. We took the long way to the beach in the monte and the maginot line coming home. We ran into a group of salt workers heading out on the road to the interesection that had a dog with them; Truman ran over to say hi but came back quickly and we were past them with just a little barking. They probably weren't there when we were coming home but the maginot line maximizes beach-time and it was hot as blazes out, so everyone but Tupo wanted to swim a lot (he got lots of drinks from the water-bottle). Everyone was really good the whole way and had a nice time.
GRADE: A

15.06.16

morning walk:
Blue
Bette
Gowron
Monkey
Linda
Amber
Zoot
Nico
(8)

Roni took this group for a walk in the monte. There are salt workers everywhere and it was hot as blazes but she found a route that was good for everyone. Nico was on the leash a bit to keep her from prancing around like a nut in the razorwire along the coco trail; she doesn't love the leash but she didn't dig her heels in or sit down and refuse to go and did well the whole way. Zoot decided to go for a dip in the ocean at the very end and Amber went with him; Roni rounded them up quickly and everyone else was good. Besides that one bit of misbehavior they were perfect.
GRADE: A

14.06.16

morning walk:
Alice
Ginger
Osita
George
Archie
Ernie
Molly
Maggie
Ziggy
Stella
(10)

I took this group for a walk to the beach at the maginot line and back the same way; we wandered up to the tortuga sign and back while everyone had a good time doing whatever they like to do on the beach. Everyone swam a ton and was really perfect the whole way.
GRADE: A

puppy training mission:
Pearl
Ruby
(2)

I took these two munchkins down to the water to swim, which is hysterically funny and entertaining. The big water is a little intimidating compared to their watering dish, which they insist on swimming in, but they overcame their puppy.fears and swam like little otters. We walked up and down a little in front of our house and went in and out of the ocean many times. They both swam out to get me every time I called them. Mildly terrifying but cute.
GRADE: A

12.06.16

morning run:
Rufus
Jack
Shirley
Daisy
Tupo
(5)

Up the beach and home via the tortuga sign: ~5k. Just a shorty to get some energy out. We got harassed by two dogs at the army encampment but everyone was great, ignored them and carried on with me; we were by them in a flash and didn't look back. I was especially proud of Tupo - he's becoming very sensible and reliable. We took the long way home in the monte. Everyone was great the whole way.
GRADE: A

10.06.16

morning run:
Posey
Truman
Luna
Xmul
Mega
Steve McQueen
Hazel
Murci
Cookie
(9)

Northern charcos: ~8k. This was a high paced run with some stops for screwing around and swimming. We didn't do the standard northern charcos route, instead cutting it shorter to the north and adding on length by hitting the beach at Au Soleil Couchant heading home... the easiest way to rinse Mega off is by letting him do it himself in the ocean. The tabanos were bad on the beach - I must've killed a dozen (and got bit a lot more than that) between A.S.C. and the tortuga sign. Everyone listened and had a good time on a cloudy morning.
GRADE: A

09.06.16

morning walk:
Ginger
Reggie
Gowron
Bette
Monkey
Linda
Amber
Zoot
(8)

Roni took this group for a nice walk in the monte. Reg and Amber left on leashes but they came off early and stayed off the rest of the way for the most part. At the end instead of coming straight to the gate she took everyone down to the beach for a little rinse-off/yay-we're-home swim. This was a capital idea as the hairier dogs had gone into the incredibly stinky charco at the land bridge. Everyone had fun and was great.
GRADE: A

morning puppy training mission:
Nico
Pearl
Ruby
(3)

Roni took these three down to the beach for some fun and a photo-op. I can't wait to see the pictures on her blog, they're great. In short, it turns out all three of them are water dogs. A good time was had by all.
GRADE: A

08.06.16

morning run:
Osita
Rita
Chester
Otto
Shirley
Frankie
Twiggy
Junebug
Tupo
(9)

Past Au Soleil Couchant: ~7k. We took the extra-long way to and from the beach today: across the land bridge, north immediately onto the ridge for a tinge and then over onto the main road, through the intersection and down to the beach at the tortuga sign. Once on the beach June came off the leash and we went north a bit past A.S.C. June started to get her wild-eyed paranoid look as we were heading home south on the beach so I took that as a sign, got her to come into the water to swim and hooked her back up. She's getting better but she's also one of the weirdest dogs I've ever known; it's better to play it safe. She didn't care, she has fun running on the leash or off once she forgets whatever is bugging her. Good run.
GRADE: A

06.06.16

morning walk:
Alice
Ginger
Gracie
George
Archie
Ernie
Molly
Linda
Ziggy
Maggie
(10)

I took this group for a fairly long walk in the monte to the east and south. I had Gracie and Ernie on leashes to leave just to keep everyone honest but they both came off at the shrimpery and were fine throughout. It was a good group, we kept a decent pace and it wasn't too hot yet.
GRADE: A

05.06.16

morning swim:
Greta
(1)

It has been hard to get her out lately. The ocean was a bit rough but we managed. She always tries hard and gives me kisses, what more can I ask for.
GRADE: A

04.06.16

morning run:
Posey
Truman
Eve
Blue
Xmul
Luna
Hazel
Murci
Roxy
Tupo
(10)

Southern charcos: ~8k. I threw Blue in as tenth dog at the end because she's always so good and really wanted to go. We took a strange route today - I don't recall if we've ever done it before but I'm sure it's at least 8k: into the monte south as usual, down the southernmost part of the palapa road until the turn east on the "Y"-shaped intersection that leads to no-man's land, south down the serpentine in the deep woods to the intersection where you can loop back north and home the way we came. We did this mainly to avoid large groups of salt workers on more northern reaches of the palapa road. As it was we ran into several vehicles and Tupo was great. Roxy was off the leash a little but I left her on to keep everyone together - she likes to screw around too much in the rearguard. Everyone was great and had a good time.
GRADE: A

02.06.16

vet:
Nico
Coco
Loba*
(3)

Today I took three dogs to Dra. Sandra to get spayed. She used left-over donated materials from the clinic and didn't charge us, effectively extending the clinic to three more dogs, which brings the count to 39. Loba is one of Angel's dogs, practically part of the family. We got Solitaria (Coco, Nico and Tupo's mom) sterilized at the last clinic and she has fully recovered, except for another case of ehrlichiosis, which is being treated. This experience gave us all (Angel, Roni and I) a bit of confidence that we can do this stuff, so Loba's next. Once she's recovered enough we'll do the two of Solitaria's daughters that live with Angel, Canela and Gemelas. It was a tough day for everyone but it's looking good post-op for all of them.

01.06.16

morning run:
Frijolita
Elewah
Lily
Mega
Lex
Steve McQueen
Cookie
Zoila
Tupo
(9)

Far up the beach: ~9k. With Frijolita we have to go north because she just won't do south. She's so strange. If I try to head out east via the land bridge she looks at me like I'm going to skin her and runs home, but if we go north she's happy as a clam... so, north. I thought maybe we'd do a run out in the monte but there were already so many salt workers in the nearby charcos to the north that we just hit the beach again. This has been the logic behind all the beach runs recently, since I am always working with at least one dog who has issues. Zoila runs on a harness for a reason: she really gets freaked out by people and especially vehicles. She didn't come off the leash but had a good time and forgot what a freak she is for long stretches. She also loves to swim and the ocean was good for that today: calm and warm. I put Tupo on the other end of the leash with her a couple of times in anticipation of encountering large groups of salt workers and machinery but I don't think it was necessary; he was off the whole way coming home, we ran into plenty of people and vehicles and he was fine. If it wasn't for Elewah I would've opted for the maginot line coming home but I was sure she would give those beach dogs the what-for if they came out to greet us. Instead we took the extra long way into the monte from the tortuga sign, through the intersection and down the road a bit until there's a place to turn west onto the ridge. I was betting that the salt workers would not be at the land bridge, since there were so many of them farther north, and I turned out to be correct. We ran into a large truck with stereo blaring on the narrow part of the road and I had to get control of Zoila and keep her with me in the iceplant on the side of the road - she does not like loud noises. At the very end Elewah ran down to the beach like she has the last two runs; this time she dragged a few others with her but it was no big deal. I put Zoila and Mega in the launchpad and went down to collect them. Maybe next time I'll just join them. Everyone was good and had a nice time.
GRADE: A

30.05.16

morning walk:
Ginger
Blue
Bette
Monkey
Linda
Stella
Amber
Zoot
(8)

Roni took this crew out for a walk in the monte to the east. Everyone was perfect and had a great time.
GRADE: A

morning beach run:
Rufus
Jack
Gowron
Shirley
Daisy
(5)

Au Soleil Couchant: ~4k. A quickie up the beach. We got cut off coming home by the dogs near the soldiers but I got everyone up onto the maginot line and we were fine coming home.
GRADE: A

27.05.16

morning run:
Posey
Eve
Truman
Xmul
Mega
Murci
Cookie
Junebug
Tupo
(9)

Past Au Soleil Couchant: ~7k. A fairly long run up the beach. We left via the tortuga sign but ran into a lot of salt workers heading out, so I decided to come home via the maginot line. Everyone was really good.
GRADE: A

24.05.16

beach run:
Rita
Osita
George
Tuesday
Frankie
Molly
Twiggy
Roxy
Tupo
(9)

Au Soleil Couchant: ~5k. We took the maginot line both ways. Tuesday got a little "paranoid" with me towards the end on the beach but once we turned east onto the maginot line she improved her behavior. Everyone was really good otherwise.
GRADE: A

22.05.16

beach run:
Rufus
Jack
Otto
Shirley
MoMo
Daisy
(6)

Up the beach and back: ~4k. Just a quick one to get some energy out. Everyone was perfect.
GRADE: A

21.05.16

morning run:
Luna
Xmul
Hazel
Lex
Steve McQueen
Murci
Cookie
Junebug
Tupo
(9)

Au Soleil Couchant: ~6k. We took the tortuga sign both ways. This was a fast one and everyone had a great time.
GRADE: A

20.05.16

morning walk:
Ginger
Bette
Blue
Monkey
Linda
Stella
Amber
Zoot
(8)

Roni took this group for a fast walk to the east. Everyone was good and had a good time.
GRADE: A

19.05.16

vet trip:
Tito
Nico
(2)

This was kind of a sad trip. Tito was long overdue for a checkup and Nico has this continuing skin problem that we want to find an answer to, but the motivation for going today was a dog that was operated on at the last clinic. The owners neglected to tell us that she had not been eating before the clinic - if they had we would not have allowed her to be operated on. She didn't do well afterwards and today was the first day I could take her. To my deep sadness she was dead by the time we arrived at Dra. Sandra's. Next clinic we will be doing more screening and asking questions before dogs go under the knife. A female cat that managed to rip its stitches out also came along and was fine - she got patched up and is okay now. You're always going to have some bad with the good but this was a tough day. Tito turns out to have a slightly enlarged heart (but no heartworm) and is on medication now - he claims it's all nonsense and he can kick our asses if he wants to. We're still waiting for the lab results from Nico's biopsy. Both of them were angels on the trip. It was hot as hell in Merida and on the road.
GRADE: A

17.05.16

morning run:
Posey
Frijolita
Gowron
Shirley
Steve McQueen
Murci
Cookie
Junebug
Coco
(9)

Up the beach past Au Soleil Couchant: ~6k. This was challenging because it was Coco's first real run and she's still not great on the leash, although she was much better coming home than she was heading out. It would've been easier if I hadn't had June on the leash as well on the way to the beach, but I still don't trust her around motos and people and there has been a lot of salt-worker activity in the nearby charcos recently. Coco must've dived behind my back to trip me up 50 times before we got to the beach, but once I let June off it got easier. Coco forgot about the leash for long stretches when we picked up the pace - she's definitely a running dog and, like her brother Tupo, is NOT a water dog. She didn't want any part of the ocean. I picked her up and carried her in once just to help her cool off and to see how she did; she swam back to shore acceptably well but wasn't interested in going in again. PupG was a weirdo coming home and got "the fear" as we were approaching the blue bag trail - I don't know why, she's never done that before. I knew she would just go home or maybe go swimming on the beach if she beat us there, and she has no problems with people or vehicles so I tried to keep her in sight and didn't worry about it. It turned out fine, she just ran to the gate and beat us by a couple of minutes. Everyone else listened and stayed with me. A fun run on a very humid morning.
GRADE: A

15.05.16

clinic day:
everyone

We put on our fourth free clinic today in Celestun, the second large one open to females and males and the third one under the CADA banner. All told, 36 animals were sterilized, including Solitaria, the mother of Tupo, Coco and Nico. Her beau, Ringo, was also done. There are still donated materials left in the kitty and Dra. Sandra will be doing a few more sterilizations post-clinic in the coming weeks, as we had to turn many people away. One poor street dog needed to be put down due to terminal and aggressive cancer; it's sad but it was also good that we were able to do something instead of just letting nature take its awful, painful course. The community response was gratifying to see and the vets all had a good time and were very productive. It was a lot of work for Roni, Jackie and me but it was worth it.
GRADE: A