A Relaxing Weekend At Home

Sorry I haven't been blogging much. This past week was full of drama and stress! Nothing to do with COVID-19, thank goodness. It had to do with my pets!

First crazy thing that happened was last Friday, my cat Queso fall off my neighbour's roof into their yard. When I first picked him up, it appeared his back was broken. His back legs weren't working at all and he was in a lot of pain. But by the time we got to see a vet (that's a whole other story), he was fine. It was so weird! He came out of the cat carrier at the vet's and ran to hide under a table. I was shocked! The vet examined him and said that maybe he had dislocated his hip but it had popped back in. She gave him so pain killers and sent us home. We scheduled a follow-up appointment for Monday morning.

Queso relaxing at home after his ordeal. He is a big boy. He weighs 12.4 pounds!

 Which leads to the second bit of drama. On Monday as I was taking Queso to the vet, three of my dogs escaped! Gus, Honey-Bear, and Moo-Moo got out of the gate and raced off down the road. I knew that I couldn't catch them because they always think it's such a fun game to have me come after them, so I just got in a tuc-tuc and took Queso to the vet.

When I got back from the vet's office, Gus and Honey-Bear were waiting at the gate to be let back inside. But Moo-Moo was not with them!! I figured maybe she got distracted by something or someone and she would come home soon. But she never did!

For the next FOUR days, Bert and I searched the town over and over. Bert biked up and down all the streets, up to the bridge and down to the Lake. I walked until my thighs chafed, calling out and whistling while people stared at the crazy gringa. I posted Moo-Moo's picture in all the Facebook groups for Panajachel and tagged all my friends to share. But no one had seen my Moo. 😟

I was a freaking MESS. I cried all day every day. I was so mad at myself for not catching her when she first escaped. But at the time, I was more worried about Queso and his weird disappearing paralysis, so I just figured the dogs would come back and it would all be fine.

By Thursday night, I was losing hope. A friend suggested that I make paper posters and offer a reward. Another friend graciously allowed me to use her phone number so she could answer the calls in Spanish. I prepared the posters but it was after curfew so I was waiting until the next day to find a shop to print them out. I shared the virtual poster on all the Facebook groups again.

Friday morning my friend called me. Someone had seen the poster online and said that there was a white & black dog hiding in their workshop. It had been there for days but it was too scared to come out. I got directions and rushed out with my leash in my hand.

I arrived at the shop, a metalworking place I was familiar with, and the guy led me to the back. Under a weird piece of machinery, a dirty Moo-Moo peeked out with fearful eyes. OMG it's her!! She was so terrified, she was shaking, but when she realized it was me and we were going home, she started jumping all over with her happy smile. The guy laughed and took our picture. I gave him a reward of Q300 -- basically all that I had in my purse -- because I was so happy!! (Q300 is about $55 Canadian or $40 American. WORTH IT!)

The picture of Moo-Moo that I used in my missing posters.
She is just the best dog! She is the only dog that I consider "mine".
All the others are available for adoption, but not my Moo!

Which brings me to the title of my post -- a relaxing weekend at home. It's not only relaxing because all of my fur babies are safe and healthy but because we really have no choice about staying home. Ha ha!

The cases of COVID-19 in Guatemala have been ramping up quickly, which is actually the normal course of this disease, but our President kinda panicked. He is actually a doctor so he's taking the pandemic very seriously.

Anyway, on late Thursday night, he decided to lock down the country. We already have very strict rules here but he ramped it up by saying that NO stores could be open this weekend, except local tiendas. People could only go out from 8 am to 11 am. And also people couldn't use any sort of vehicles to go anyway; they had to walk.

So basically, we had 3 hours in the morning to walk to our local cornerstore, buy anything we needed, then we had to get home. CRAZY!

Someone posted this on Twitter! The lockdown rule said "no transportation with neither two nor four wheels."
Well, horses don't have wheels!! 

The prez also said that next week would be more restrictions and then the weekend after that would be full lockdown 24 hours. The schedule was so confusing that people were making charts to help understand when we could go and where.

"New Presidential Decrees"

Of course, the new lockdown measures created a storm of controversy ... online. People ranted all over Facebook. Conspiracy theories and insults at the President and ridiculous "what if" scenarios. Armchair fanatics typed their fingers raw with their doomsday predictions and negativity.

But in reality, people just dealt with it. There was some food buying panic in the city, but here in Panajachel, people just put on their masks, walked to the tienda, bought their beans and rice, stopped for tortillas from the ladies who will never ever never cease making them, no matter what happens, and then everyone went home to spend time with their families, listen to music, do some gardening, play with their dogs, and wait for the President's weekly address tonight at 7pm.

So that's my update for this week. I'm lucky that my online work has started up again and I have money coming in. I am grateful that I even have some extra to donate to the local people who aren't as lucky. More on that in a future post!

Take care, faithful readers. As we say in Guatemala, Juntos Saldremos Adelante! Together we will get ahead. 😊

I Went Outside Today

A few pics of daily life in Panajachel during the pandemic. Mostly normal, with the addition of masks and the subtraction of some needed items.

Guatemalan women wearing traditional clothing (tipico) plus masks to ward against COVID-19. They are also selling masks that they sew themselves. (Not my photo.)

Masks are mandatory for everyone now. If you get caught without a mask, they take you to the health center and give you a COVID-19 test. If it's negative, you are fined Q7,000 ($1,300). If it's positive, you are fined Q150,000 ($27,500). 😲

 Lots of colourful flowers in bloom right now.

That's pink!

This plant is serious about social distancing.

There are signs around town about how to wash your hands and also the symptoms of coronavirus.

First stop, visiting my kitty friends that I'm taking care of while their mom is stuck in the U.S.

Walking up Santander street. It's so empty. :(

I went to the bank and had to stand in line outside the building with a bunch of other people. Then they let us in as a group. We had to be several feet apart at all times and the guards would come tell you if you got too close.

Kind people have been putting food out for the street dogs.

No flour at Despensa.

A tuc-tuc ride home! I've been taking them a lot more often to support the drivers.

Crossing the yellow bridge. The river workers are still working (with masks on).
Lots of haze this time of year. You can't see the lake at all!

A quick video of the street corner near the grocery store. I would love to take more videos but I always feel embarrassed when I have my camera out.

Because I am petsitting, I have to go out every two days, but often I just go there and back home right away. I don't like going ot Despensa because it's crowded (and far) so I'm going to my local tiendas more often. I haven't been to the market in a long time. It's too crazy. But the local tiendas are now selling more fresh fruit and vegetables, so that's helpful.

I bought two more masks today just because. They only cost Q5 -- less than a dollar. There are lots of entrepreneurial people selling them on the street all over town. I still haven't found a purple one though!

Stay well, my friends!

Thank You For Your Kind Words

I want to thank all the nice people who commented or wrote to me privately to tell me that they support me and that they know the only thing I care about is the animals. I know that my last post was heavy stuff. But actually, I feel relieved that I could finally tell my side.

The hardest part has been the evil people. I can't even comprehend how some people can come up with the mean things they say. Where do they find these evil thoughts? How do they justify the horrible things they say? How do they live with themselves? I mean, I could never have imagined the malicious gossip, the lies, the personal attacks. I never once thought to invent evil things to say about another person. I stick to the facts. Yes, I'm obviously an emotional person, but wouldn't you be, considering what has happened?

The worst evil thing people are saying is that these three innocent dogs died because I am a bad mother. I'm starting to cry right now just typing that. What a horrible thing to say.

Imagine this scenario, if you will.
You are a poor mother living in the slums of Detroit (or wherever). You have five children. You and your husband both work but your jobs barely pay for the necessities. This month, you chose to buy groceries for your family rather than pay the electric bill.
Then one of your daughters gets sick. You think it's just a cold, so you spend a bit of money on medicine. But she doesn't get better, she gets worse. So you take her to the free walk-in clinic. There, the overworked doctor says he wants to keep your daughter overnight. You comply and go home, leaving your daughter at the hospital.
The next day, no one calls to tell you how your daughter is doing. By late afternoon, you are so worried that you walk the mile over to the clinic to ask. The doctor says, "Oh, she just has an infection. Give her these pills and she will be fine." The nurse brings your daughter to you...in a wheelchair. She is not better, she is worse! She can't walk. She looks at you with sad, hopeful eyes.
The nurse gives you a bill for $600. It says, "Treatment". Nothing else. You pay it, knowing that you will have to make excuses (again) to your landlord for not having the rent money. You pick up your daughter and carry her to a taxi and go home.
At home, you put your daughter in bed and give her favorite meal: grilled cheese. She eats a bit but she is so sleepy. You get her to take her pills. You kiss your child goodnight and tell her you love her.
In the morning, your daughter is dead.

Who would you blame?
The mother? For not having a clean house?
Or the doctor, for not LOOKING at your daughter and seeing how sick she was?

Would you fight?
Would you fight for your dead child even when people told you that you could go to prison for it?

And what if this happened THREE TIMES?

The unfairness of this situation is almost unbearable. I try to tell myself that I did what I could. I didn't really expect to win against the vet. But I had to try. And I had to set a precedent. Perhaps no one else had the courage to say something. Perhaps just by making a formal complaint, I have scared the vet enough that he will make changes.

My dogs are gone. My spirit is badly damaged. I don't know if I will stay in Guatemala or move somewhere else or even go home to Canada. I am still just trying to get thru it one day at a time.

But one thing has brought light into my life. Or rather three things.
Yesterday while walking home from seeing a friend, I found three abandoned kittens on the river road. I did not hesitate. Not for one millisecond. Bert stood back and watched with knowing eyes as I gathered the three tiny balls of fluff into my arms.

This is who I am. I am an animal rescuer. 

Three little kitty babies!

I'm Going to Go To Prison For This and I Don't Care

People are a bunch of assholes.

Sahara and BabyPup and Venus died last year.

I filed a denuncia (a formal complaint) against the vet, Dr. Isael Estrada, of Clinica San Martin in Panajachel, with the Colegio de Médicos Veterinarios y Zootecnistas de Guatemala. My filing said that I believed he was negligent in diagnosing and treating these three dogs, which led to their deaths.

I haven't been permitted to talk about it. I honorably stood by this rule when others spoke badly of me on  Facebook, when people sent me panicky private messages, when people approached me in person on the street. I didn't say anything in public to protect the privacy of the case.

But tonight I received the ruling and it shocked me.

It wasn't that the College sided with Dr. Isael Estrada and dismissed my case. I expected that to happen. I expected Dr. Isael Estrada to twist the facts to protect himself. I expected the College to support their vet and their reputation, and to reject the words of some unknown woman.

What shocked me is that Selaine D'Ambrosi of the AYUDA charity that I have so selflessly supported for four years LIED to the tribunal.

"4.- Que la Señora Selaine d'Ambrosi, Socio Fundador, Presidente y Directora de Ayuda para la Salud de Perros y Gatos (programa de bienestar de los animales sin fines de,lucro del Lago de Atitlán), hace constar que la [redacted] fue voluntaria de AYUDA como un cuidador de casa, sin embargo, la [redacted] fue despedida por negligencia y las condiciones precarias en las cuales tenía a los animales". "

English: 4.- That Mrs. Selaine d'Ambrosi, Founding Partner, President and Director of Help for the Health of Dogs and Cats (non-profit animal welfare program of Lake Atitlan), states that [redacted] volunteered for AYUDA as a foster parent, however, [redacted] was fired for negligence and the precarious conditions in which she had the animals. "

This is so untrue and so hurtful. They "fired" me after I had told them I wanted to file a denuncia against Dr. Isael Estrada. Selaine's husband, Harold William, sent me this message:

Dr. Isael represents Ayuda and Ayuda represents Dr. Isael.

Based on this support structure of 9+ years, the Ayuda board of directors unanimously voted to discontinue services to you.  The puppies that were brought into Thursday's clinic are the end.  Unfortunately, and even though we believe that he is not involved with your malicious actions, this same discontinuance of services applies to Rob through your relationship with him.

As a courtesy to Dr. Isael, he has been advised of your intentions in order to prepare himself...

Both he and others have been advised of slanderous remarks you have made about him and his practice.

As a courtesy to you for appreciation of past services in support of Ayuda, I am informing you that slander is taken very seriously in Guatemala.  It is punishable by prison.  Especially in the case of an extranjero non-resident attempting to jeopardize the credibility and livelihood of a Guatemalan professional and his family. 

Your call, but we hope that no more of your frivolous and attacking remarks reaches any of our ears. 

I am advising you of these things as both an officer and co-founder of Ayuda Para La Salud de Perros y Gatos.

I told them that I was filing the denuncia as a personal complaint and I wasn't involving AYUDA. Harold replied:

If you really have all these professionals who confirm that your accusations are TRUE based solely on your anecdotal information then go for it!..However, even if he was found to be guilty of your charges it does not change the fact that your public accusations are slanderous.  Which by the way, Dr. Isael has been made aware of through his own resources (including his competition) and is now considering taking formal actions against you.

Even though he would not take you back if you walked into his practice and apologized to him and his staff, given the state of things, it would seem proactive and wise to do so anyway in hopes to head off your having to go to court to defend yourself.  The case would have nothing whatsoever to do with his professionalism.  It would be about his witnesses testifying that they heard you saying explicitly damaging things about him.

And by the way, in any case which you still might want to file against him about his practices, consider this.  Besides the Pana Muni, the University, dozens of interns who have worked under him (i.e., Walter), and surely hundreds of witnesses who would be willing to stand up for him in court, the animals in question all came through your home and lived in conditions which even you have admitted were not suitable environments for the for-profit/shelter/personal (hoarding?) in which those animals took ill.

I/we do not want to see or get involved in any of this or see you get hurt.  But you threw the first stone, kept throwing them, and now he's pissed.  Hopefully, for your own sake, you have enough sense to at least attempt to make amends.  I hope you'll think seriously about this.  There's just no way you can otherwise win.

So Selaine lied to the Tribunal of Honor by saying that they "fired" me because my house was a pigsty. In reality, they shunned me because I told them I was filing a denuncia and they were scared and angry. They didn't care about the dogs. They cared only for their reputations, their egos, and their statistics. ("Look at us, we're so great, we saved 100 dogs this year.")

Also, please note that Harold readily admits to spreading the news that I was going to file a denuncia, including telling the vet  "and others". The ironic thing is that they were threatening ME with persecution for slander, yet I had told next to no one, and here is Harold blabbing his mouth off and probably causing more damage to the vet's reputation than I ever did. Un-fucking-believable.

Anyway, the tone and accusations of these and other messages that were sent to me really shook me up. (My poor sister can attest to that!) Many people advised me to not proceed. I was really scared. I didn't file the denuncia for many months, trying to put it out of my mind.

But it was eating at my soul. Every time I stepped onto my porch, I remember Sahara lying there dead. Every time I scrolled thru my pictures, I saw sweet BabyPup. Every time I petted Velvet, I was reminded that I had failed to save her sister, Venus.

So in February, I completed the documents and with a sad but firm heart mailed the denuncia to the College of Veterinarians.

I did it because I needed to know that I had fought for Sahara, BabyPup, and Venus. They were beautiful, innocent dogs and they didn't deserve their horrible deaths. I was responsible for them. They were my dogs. When they got sick, I took them to a vet that people told me was good. But I soon learned differently.

Those are the photos that I attached to the denuncia. Here is the link to the other files. 

https://bit.ly/2Wg7Qr0

The files are mostly in Spanish, but I have included my notes in English. The translation to the denuncia is not word for word, of course. I won't repeat all the details here, for brevity's sake, but I will amend with some thoughts.

I must say this: Dr. Isael Estrada Atz is a fine surgeon. He has performed hundreds upon hundreds of spay/neuter surgeries at AYUDA's low-cost clinics at Lake Atitlan. No one can fault his surgery techniques or rate of success. The service he is doing for AYUDA is incredibly valuable. I never wanted to shut down his practice. I only wanted to incite change. I wanted his superiors to visit his office (which they never did) and give him suggestions as to how to improve so more beloved pets didn't die.

The Clinica Veterinaria San Martin office in Panajachel is inadequate for housing animals overnight. The animals are kept in a separate garage where no one can monitor them. Dr. Isael Estrada does not perform even the simplest of diagnostic tests, eg. Parvo SNAP tests, to confirm his diagnoses. He is rarely at the clinic in Pana because he has another office in Sololá, and because he spends many days helping AYUDA. Often when an owner goes to pick up their pet, he is not even present to talk to them. His staff in Pana are poorly trained, or not trained at all. There are no medical records kept to indicate what treatments have been given, if the animals are eating and how much, or if the IV fluids are being absorbed properly. (See my notes about Venus and her kinked IV. She basically died of complications due to long-term dehydration and starvation.)

I am not the only one who has noticed the poor care animals receive at his office.

Below is a link to a blog post from a few years ago about Shanti, a street dog rescued by a woman who was visiting Lake Atitlan. I personally wrote to her and she confirmed that it was Dr. Isael Estrada who treated her dog. At that time, there was no office in Pana, only in Sololá.

https://joyandjourney.com/the-best-souvenir-ever-i-adopted-a-street-dog-in-guatemala/

In her email, she wrote: 

"I really thought what happened to Shanti was a one-time thing/a mistake otherwise I would have contacted the animal rescue group. I was just happy to get him home."

I have heard other sad stories. In fact, a member of the Board of Directors of AYUDA had a dog who had to stay overnight at Clinica San Martin. When my friend went to pick up the dog, the poor thing was cowering in a crate in the garage, covered in urine and feces. He washed the dog before letting the owner see him that way.

My life has been hell here the past few months. I have had panic attacks. I didn't leave the house for two weeks, relying on "Bert" to get me groceries. When I did finally venture out, I walked with my head down, terrified to see someone who will accost me in public. I took back roads to avoid people. I wore plain clothing to not draw attention to myself. Sometimes I would turn around before getting to my destination, overcome with tears. Sometimes, I would walk out of the store crying, unable to finish shopping because my overwrought mind was endlessly repeating horrible scenarios of being approached by spiteful former friends.

Not only have I had to deal with the deaths of three foster dogs in two months, but I also had to deal with malicious gossip and "shit talk", as my friend aptly called it. I have tried to remind myself that no one cares what jerks say anyway. I have tried to maintain my ideals and my integrity. 

But I am SO FUCKING DONE. 

In Guatemala, you can go to prison for slander. That may be the case here. I am not permitted to say bad things about anyone in public. They can sue me. 

SO BE IT.

I am quite possibly the most honest person you will ever meet, and one of the most virtuous. (Outside of those religious folks!) Do you know that I have never done drugs? NEVER. I don't even smoke marijuana, which is rampant here. And I drink alcohol maybe once a month with friends. 

I have a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Guelph where I majored in Zoology, the study of animals. I worked as an Animal Control Officer with the Humane Society in Guelph shortly after graduation, but couldn't handle the euthanasias, so I quit and went to work for a no-kill rescue organization.

I buy dog food before I buy human food.

I feed my pets before I even make myself a coffee in the morning.

And every day, multiple times, I touch the head of every pet in my house and look in their sweet eyes and talk to them and give them love & attention.

I don't have children. I never wanted them. Animals have been my passion for as long as I remember. Helping animals is my reason for living. 

I want to write more but this is already very long. Please comment with any questions you have and I will try to answer. 

Thank you to my friends and family who have stuck by me, who listened while I wailed, who have offered advice and comfort. I'm sorry for the stress I have caused you. I don't know what I'm going to do next. Oh, wait. Yes, I do. I'm going to go pet Queso and Rui and Moo-Moo and Honey-Bear and Velvet. Good night.

Queso & Rui, my kitty boys. Guatemalan rescues!

My Moo-Moo. Love this dog. She is always so happy! She was from a litter of puppies that I rescued early last year. Her brothers and sisters were adopted but I had to keep her, she was too cute to give up!

Honey-Bear! She and her mother were picked up by AYUDA at the market in Panajachel. Her mother was released after her spay surgery. I decided to keep Honey to socialize her so she could be adopted. She is ready to go for anyone that needs a sweet, quiet, beautiful dog.

Miss Velvet! Her sister, Venus, was one of the dogs that died. Velvet's other sister, Violet, was adopted. Venus is smart and adorable and looking for a forever home.

Cats Are Better Than Dogs -- Sorry Not Sorry

Our foster kittens are one month old! They are freaking ADORABLE. And so easy. The mother cat, Summer, takes care of them so well. Kittens are way easier to have than puppies, that's for sure, especially when they have their own mother and I don't have to wake up every two hours to bottle feed them, like I did with Noodles.

How cute is he??? 😍

We are overloaded with foster dogs right now. It's difficult to find homes for adult dogs, especially females. Guatemalans prefer males and prefer puppies. We explain that the females are sterilized and won't go into heat or have babies, but it's still a hard sell. We will keep trying!

Cinder is super smart and loving. She is our newest foster doggie.
(But not for long. We're getting another tomorrow!)

Sassy is so energetic and people-focused. She wants someone to love!

Snowflake is the sweetest, more lovable puppers! Her brother was adopted but she is still with us. Why?? She's so cute!

Honey-Bear is quiet and independent and has legs for miles! Ha ha! She is a beautiful young dog and I hope she can find the perfect home..

If anyone would like to help with the cost of food and medications for all these doggies, please head over to AYUDA's page here and make a donation. We have gratefully accepted donations of dog food from several friends in the community, so a big THANK YOU goes out to them! 😊

Computer Troubles

Hey, faithful readers. Just updating everyone on my computer nightmare! My hard drive died on Friday. Heavens to Murgatroyd it has been CRAZY trying to get everything back. I am so lucky to have NJP as my geek-on-call. He drove around town and found me a new hard drive, which is a minor miracle as Panajachel is such a small place. I got a 500 GB hard drive for Q450, about $78 Canadian or $60 U.S. I could have got a bigger one for the same price if I had time and energy to get to the city, but I needed to get back online STAT!

Yep, it done broke. :(

So now I'm reinstalling everything -- Chrome, Word, paint.net, all my work programs -- and also working on trying to recover some files from the wrecked hard drive. I've had some success with PhotoRec...and then the power went out this morning and I don't know if I've lost all my progress or not. *sigh* 😕

It's finding stuff, so that's good. Not sure how to deal with it all, but I'll figure it out.

One thing that gave me some peace of mind in the middle of this mess is knowing that all my best pictures are on this blog. How cool is that? 😄 I also had quite a few important files saved on OneDrive, Google Drive, and Dropbox. They all give a bit of free storage and I'm too cheap to buy professional versions or upgrade, so I spread out my files to those three apps.

For now, my live webcam of Lake Atitlan will be offline. As I've mentioned previously, the Internet here is none too fast, so I'm using all my bandwidth to reinstall and upgrade and such. No time for webcams! I will get it back online as soon as I can.

In other news, my multi-species household (ha!) is doing well. The kittens are a week old today and cuter than anything. We have way too many dogs here so I'm trying to get it together enough to advertise the foster-doggies for adoption. Things will start to calm down in a few days when some doggies go back to their owners who are returning from vacations. Bert has started up with his mosaics again and we're also looking into doing new types of art.

The orange triplets, one week old. They are so freaking adorable.

Seven doggies! They were all having a blast playing and wresting outside.
Sassy, Cinder, Honey, and Luna are all up for adoption and will hopefully find new homes very soon.

I've got to get back to my computer madness. Wish me luck!

Dusty Days and a Pregnant Cat

Here's something you may not know about Guatemala: sandstorms in the Sahara Desert -- yes, in Africa -- blow all the way across the ocean and dump sand on us here! Wild, eh?
It is technically rainy season here, but we've had an early canicula, which is the term for a hot, dry stretch in the middle of rainy season. It's been super nice, but it also came with some high winds and the polvo del Sahara.

Saharan dust making the volcanoes at Lake Atitlan all hazy.

The local newspapers and news stations put out warnings when the dust gets bad. It can be hazardous to asthmas sufferers. Here is an article (in Spanish, of course) from Prensa Libra about the Saharan Dust in Guatemala. (Hint: if you're using Chrome as your browsers, you can right-click the text and choose "translate to English".)

I watched the two-minute video below from NASA and it says the Saharan dust is important because it brings phosphorus to the rainforest. Pretty cool!

Revue Magazine has a neat article about the canicula here if you'd like to learn more about that. (In English.) 

I have to restate though that the weather is 99.9% super nice here all the time. I think I may have said this before, but being a Canadian, weather is such an important thing in my life. It still baffles me that I can wear shorts and t-shirts and sandals YEAR ROUND. Time stands still because there are not winters to mark the years. It's always summer! 

Speaking of summer, here's a picture of my newest foster cat, who I named Summer! She is such a sweet girl. And she's pregnant! She is due is maybe two weeks or so. The poor thing has to stay cooped up in my bedroom because she's not vaccinated and can't get vaccinated until after her kittens are born and weaned. So she can't interact with my other cats. I will for sure update when she has her babies! I've had a lot of cats in my life but never a pregnant one because they've all been sterilized. Summer will have her kitty-babies and then get fixed after that and be adopted out to a loving family. 

Summer, my foster kitty, who is gonna have kitty-babies! Yes, she has something wrong with her left eye as well, but we can't do anything about it until after the kittens are weaned.

To those who are enjoying my webcam, sorry that it keeps falling over! Like I said, the winds have been high and they keep knocking the camera pole askew. I have made a wooden brace for the cam but have yet to get up there and attach it. Stay tuned! 😊

A Sense of Community

Maybe it's the small town -- Panajachel has only 17,000 people.
Maybe it's the shared experience of being a stranger in a strange land.
Maybe it's just that only the most accepting and adventurous folks become expats.

All I know is that I actually feel a sense of community in Panajachel that I haven't felt in any town I've lived in for years.

I have friends here both close and casual. I say "hola" to people on the street. Some people say "hi" to me and I have no clue who they are, (sorry!) but I always say "hi" back.

People in Pana hug when meeting and leaving. I am REALLY BAD at it.
I'm sorry. I'd really prefer not to hug.

I think if I had chosen to live in a larger city in Guatemala, like Antigua or Xela, it wouldn't have been so easy to meet people. There may, in fact, be more expats in those cities, but I don't think there would be as many opportunities to interact. And you wouldn't get that feeling like, "Oh, I should say something because I keep crossing patha with this same person because there's only one main street." 😊 Then again, in a larger city with a larger pool of expats to meet, I could find myself with more friends and a larger social circle.

There is definitely a feeling of camaraderie when you see another foreigner in Guatemala. I have literally stopped what I was doing to ask wide-eyed white folks if they were lost and needed help. In addition, people have walked up to me and said, "Hey, I hear you're speaking English. Can you help us?" For the most part, expats and travelers alike are open and helpful. We all share that feeling of being a bit lost sometimes, even if we've been here for years.

One of the phrases you'll probably hear about Guatemala is "the wanted and unwanted". I'm not a fan of that expression. I am neither wanted by the law back home nor unwanted back home. I'm here because I desired a different lifestyle. I wanted to live cheaply so I had more time to travel. I wanted to experience new things. I'm easily bored. 😁

But you know, it's taken me three years to actually recognize this feeling of community. Not the town's fault nor the people's. Pretty much everyone I have met here has been friendly, knowledgeable, and welcoming. But those of you who know me will undoubtedly recognize that I am socially awkward! I don't get out much...anymore.

When I first arrived in Panajachel in 2015, I used drinking as a way to meet new people. Have a few frozen margaritas at La Palapa or some Stoopid Juice at Gringos Locos and you're making friends in no time! I had a blast and met so many fun, exciting, and interesting characters, some of whom are still good friends three years later.

But that sort of lifestyle isn't REALLY me. Plus, one thing about travelers is that they...wait for it...travel. Ha ha! People come and go. Even expats who have been here for a decade sometimes get itchy feet and head off for new adventures. So your social circle changes. Good friends leave, new friends come along. There is drama and broken hearts and alcoholism and arrests. The bar scene can get old. Nowadays, I go out maybe once a month, plus maybe another once or twice a month to a house party or casual dinner.

But that's fine with me. I like to sit at home on my computer, chillin' with my cats, learning new stuff, writing blog posts and all that jazz. When I venture out into town to shop, it always takes longer than I expect because of all the time I spend stopping and chatting with folks. (Bert gets so frustrated with me!) There are plenty of events and nights out on the town that I can participate in if I choose to. And if I organize a BBQ at my house or a party at the bar, lots of people show up to have fun! It's a good feeling.

As my regular readers are aware, a big part of my life in Panajachel is being a foster parent for AYUDA Para la Salud de Perros y Gatos. My involvement with this big-hearted charity is what inspired my blog post today. I met a lovely woman who came all the way across the Lake from San Pedro just to pick up a foster kitten I had so she could bring it to a Guatemalan family. For some weird reason, I just felt so connected to this person and I had a warm feeling that we shared something. We shared many things actually. We were both foreigners, both animal lovers, both willing to go the extra mile for a cute critter, both still struggling a bit with Spanish. And we both have found a way to give back to our community.

The adorable foster kitten that I had to say goodbye to today. 😭

In doing research for this blog, I came across this lengthy but fascinating article about a guy coming to Pana to study the expats. Does anyone remember him?
http://www.realestateatitlan.com/retirement-in-guatemala/the-expats-of-lake-atitlan-guatemala

To kinda sum up, the author describes "high impact" and "low impact" expats. High impacters are those who run business, operate charities, employ locals, and are involved directly with the Guatemalan culture through their friends and work. Low impacters are those who "live in a bubble", whose friends are all the same as them, who learn only the most basic Spanish to get by, who give back very little to Guatemala.

I think I'm low impact, which kinda makes me sad, but is also pretty understandable. I would love to have more Guatemalan friends, but my Spanish is not good enough yet. I don't have enough money to operate a business or employ anyone, not even a gardener for my backyard jungle. I live in a bubble, but I was like that back in Canada as well, so that's nothing new.

I think the longer I am in Guatemala, however, the more I am heading towards high impact. I'm fascinated by Guatemalan culture and do my best to learn about it and respect it. I am working to improve my Spanish and can have a decent conversation with the guy that runs my local tienda. Sometimes I can even make a joke! 😁 My volunteer work with AYUDA gives back to the community. They are very proudly a Guatemalan registered NGO, not an American one. Even though AYUDA is run by expats, they employ a Guatemalan veterinarian, accept interns from the Guatemalan veterinary school, and focus on education and creating positive change in the Guatemalan culture.

So how to close out this post...hmmm. I guess my message is that even if you are the most introverted of introverts, a sense of community is important and should be cultivated and cherished. No matter where you live, don't lock yourself up inside too much. Get out and meet people who love the same things you love, whether that's animals, yoga, mountain biking, art, coffee, or underwater basket weaving. Get on Facebook and connect with folks, then go outside and actually meet them in person. And if you are in Pana and say "hi" to me and I can't remember your name or where we met, forgive me! 😊 I'm a bit of a dork that way.

I really need this button. It'd be like my Medic Alert bracelet.
Or maybe I should get it tattooed somewhere...like my forehead? 😆 

Fotos de Febrero

A short month that was very busy with foster puppies and other adventures! I'm just gonna put up some photos for you all to enjoy.

Walked down to the Lake for lunch one afternoon. It's so lovely.

Flowers everywhere! Yup, it's February.

Colours!

We haven't had a drop of rain in months. Everything is dry as dust. Not sure how the flowers are managing to bloom.
The clouds are starting to come in though, so rain will come soon.
Our house is the pink one in the center of the picture. Can you see it?

Some amazing lilies came up in my garden. Bert has been really diligent with watering so our garden is coming back to life!

Eggshells filled with confetti. The kids throw them at each other for Mardi Gras, except I think it's called something else here, maybe Carnaval?
Imagine the foresight it took to make all these eggs!

It's getting to be that time of year. Processions all the time. So much incense smoke, I thought Jesus was on fire.

This poor momma dog had eight puppies. She belongs to my neighbour. He refuses to have her fixed.

Is that a puppy?? LOL!!

This is Pinky. Rob discovered him in a back alley of Jucanya. AYUDA got us some meds for his mange so hopefully he'll get better soon.

As always, to help with the animals in Panajachel and around Lake Atitlan, please donate to AYUDA Para La Salud de Perros y Gatos. Click the picture on the right sidebar. Thanks!

Another poor doggie that a friend was feeding. She had chewed thru her rope to get free and find food.

Happy, sleepy, fat kitties. Queso is HUGE. Noodles is growing up but still tiny.
They fight like all proper brothers do, but still snuggle for sleeping. ADORABLE!

Noodles!

I was out looking for Rui, who has taken to wandering the rooftops for days at a time, when I came upon a local family with a bunch of puppies. They said, "¿Quieres uno?" (Do you want one?) I said, "I'll take them all!" They gave me three of the four puppies for free. They kept one for themselves.
I  had plans to go back with the AYUDA intern to talk to them about spaying their female and the puppy they kept, but life has gotten in the way. I should get on that.
In the meantime, the three puppies I took have completely absorbed all my time and energy. Puppies make a lot of poop. A LOT.

This is Moo-Moo. She is adorable! Hard to believe she came from the same litter as the other two as she is a completely different colour and size.

Booster getting a bath. They were all COVERED in fleas. Just the worst!

Toffee looking shellshocked!

Puppies drying in the sun. Toffee expressing her displeasure.

I have, like, a bazillion puppy pictures but I won't bore you with them. Okay, maybe one more. 😊

This is another foster puppy we had for only a day. Her name is Cruz. Long story.
Selaine at AYUDA took her in cuz I was overloaded.

Another big event in January/February was the arrival of our landlord. He lives in Florida. He came down for a month and cleaned out the second bedroom and the casita. He had a lot of books that were infested with bookworms so he asked us to burn them. So we had a Bookburning BBQ! It was totally fun. 

A good ol' fashioned book burning.

Why burn books? Look! Worms eating the pages. Unbelievable!

The puppies sleeping under the table at the BBQ.

Just yesterday, I threw up my hands at all the things I had to do and just went outside. Sometimes, you just gotta sit on a nice blanket on the lawn and chill with the doggies.

I call this one "Noodles & the Rising Moon". See it? :D
Also, Jefe at the bottom, watching Noodles carefully. He loves to chase the cats.
No, he's not back with us. He's just staying with us while his parents are in Asia.

Thanks for reading. Check out my webcam for live views. (When I remember to turn it on!)