Pet update!

The pets are doing well. Guita is now spayed and her little hernia is fixed. The vet also fixed her teeth, and she's feeling really good. The cats are doing well, but they're ready for some lap time. They do not so much approve of long weekends where we travel!


Sammy is a world-class napper. He loves the back of the couch with a comfy blanket when Ian's lap is unavailable.


Hugo prefers less orthodox sleeping conditions, but he's happy like this!


Guita makes a wish in the fountain on our patio. She's kind of in love with the hose, and she's always thirsty.


Guita shows off her beautiful tag. She wears it proudly and clinks it against her water bowl at night so we know she's still with us!




Sammy and Hugo enjoy some sunshine and fresh grass in their new Christmas tags!!

Succulents!

Today we finally changed our front garden from a landscaping disaster into a lovely little succulent garden! Ian did all the work, but I provided artistic direction. We can't all be laborers, right? All the plants came from a wonderful place called Viveros de Coyoacan, a permanent plant/ garden implement establishment in a southern neighborhood. Fingers crossed that these thrive!



The necessary before picture. It looked like a moonscape for months!


And the much improved after picture!


These are the cacti and succulents that went in to the improvement!


Shots of some of the special succulents that went into the garden....

Spring!

Late March Part 0

It's been a good long time since we updated the old blog. We've been busy with work and guests, and quite frankly we're just not that good about the whole daily blog thing. Mexico City is finally getting warmer, and we're looking forward to summer. Guita is getting really big, and she's getting smarter all the time. She's completely mastered "sit" and we're closing in on "give a paw" and "down."

Note that Blogger was not cooperative this time around, so the post is actually in three sections: Late March Part 0, I, and II. Enjoy!


Portrait of self and spouse at speed on the twirly ride!


Hugo loves tunnel boxes.


Posing for her glamour shots....


Yoga pup!!


After a bath - very traumatic - Guita always needs some down time with loofa puppy and her best green blanket. She's still a baby!


Guita and her best girlfriend Mica love to play. Mica has a nice squeaky toy with ropes that really got them going the other day!

Spring!

Late March Part I


Guita and Mica love to run and wrestle!


My mother was showing Guita the pictures on her camera. Guita is a super techie hound....


We saw Aztec dancers at Teotihuacan. It was more crowded than we thought possible (around the equinox, I suppose it makes some sense), and most of the Mexicans there were dressed all in white for spring. It was pretty wild, and we won't go again on Sunday or on a equinox/ solstice!


The big church in Cholula is Our Lady of Remedies. This church - like many others in Mexico - was built from materials taken from pre-Columbian temples and pyramids. This church sits on top of the remains of the largest pyramid in the Americas and the second largest in the world. Cholula is rumored to have one church for every day of the year, but we didn't see them all.


The view of Cholula from the Cholula church on top of the wrecked pyramid. The two mountains are Popocatepetl (Popo) and Itzaccihuatl (Itza). Popo is active and blowing steam in the photo. Mexico city is on the other side of the mountains; the picture is looking NW.


Ian at the Cholula church. I cleverly traded him my cardigan for our camera! I'm a wheelin' and dealin' kind of diplomat!


Vicki and David at the Cholula church.


Puebla - the city of angels! This is a detail from the fence around the cathedral. See previous Puebla posts (September/ October 2009) for more angels.


It's jacaranda season in central Mexico!

Spring!

Late March Part II


Historic Puebla is so pretty! All the houses are bright colors, and they usually have some fancy tile work - talavera - that makes Puebla famous!


Puebla's churches are always pretty, but this one had flags!


An impressive row of cacti outside the Diego Rivera studio museum.


Hazards of riding the Turibus....


And I made a pretty blanket for a new baby!

Puppy update

Guita is settling in, and we're all adjusting to having her here. The cats are doing really well, but Sammy still gets tetchy sometimes. Guita is learning all about the difference between inside and outside and the difference between "toy" and "finger." She's growing like a weed and is now a bit taller than Hugo. Her paws are bigger than they were, but she hasn't hit mudflap stage yet! Enjoy the photos!


Hugo is Guita's favorite (we're hoping he whacks her but good soon), but he still finds time for his favorite hobby: tearing cardboard to pieces!


And Sammy still loves us too.


Here little Guita is modeling by Ian's feet. Someday we'll do a now-and-then comparison to see how much she's grown!


Guita loves her bed, but it gets pretty crowded sometimes! In this she's like her Aunt Nellie, but she hasn't graduated to carrying shoes yet!


Guita spends a lot of time not quite all the way in her bed....


Even when the whole dog makes it into the bed, she still sometimes has logistical issues.


Loving on her favorite toys: Bunny, Blue Baby, and Puppy Kong. The only one missing is Scary Mousy!


Basking in her little garden.


Sun pup!

Puppy girl!!

Introducing Guita! Her name comes from "tortuguita" - Spanish for "little turtle." It's Ian's favorite word in Spanish right now, and it works for her personality just fine. She's a sweet little rescue puppy: she was found with her siblings in a flower pot in early January and nursed back to health by a foster system. Her birthday is November 28 (estimated).


Here she is snuggling with Ian on her first night with us.


She loves Hugo's old scary mousy toy! Scary mousy won't live long with puppy lovin' of this sort!


Her fleecy ball is almost as big as her, but she's started playing with it a little... Scary mousy is still the toy du jour!


Sammy's lovely, but he's still not quite sure about Guita. This is as close as he's come and as long as he's stayed since Wednesday.


Hugo looking lovely in the sun! He likes the puppy, but he's still a little nervous around her, especially when she makes funny noises. See below for his true feelings about the noises....


She's already grown since we met her, but she still makes Hugo look big!


Sometimes things are still a little worrisome and confusing... but those times don't last too long!


Puppy in the sun!


Happy playing with the cat toys. Luckily Hugo likes the AirDog Squeaker ball-on-a-string, so it's a good trade!


Look at those teeth! Someday they will fill the hearts of the enemy with dread. For now, watch out, box bush!


Looking coy with her ear hung up on a box bush!


The beginnings of a very bad habit....


Hugo tells it like it is!


And the bonus pic of the result of so much playing: she is one zonked puppy!