Sunday morning, August 12th, my son, Tom, took the extra rough pine boards we had for temporary shelving and closed in the gap under the front gate. It's the only place where Lucy can get out of the yard. Now she has the run of the house AND the yard. And she can come an go whenever she wants to. Happy, happy puppy.

Sunday afternoon, we had an appointment for her to be spayed at the SpayPanama clinic in Volcan. Vets come from Panama City, Costa Rica and the vet in Volcan about every three months for this clinic. There is a huge problem with unwanted cats and dogs in Panama and they usually just become strays. Tom has been in several Latin American countries and it is like that everywhere. In addition to the unwanted kittens and puppies, there is a rather vicious venereal disease which produces large painful tumors and eventually death among these animals. Kudos to Harry and Dottie, gringos in Volcan, who were instrumental in this effort to bring the spay clinic to Volcan. They shoulder much of the debt incurred in doing this. They request a $20 donation from Panamanians (for dogs), $10 for cats. Or whatever they can afford to pay. No one is ever turned away for lack of funds. Gringos are requested to pay $40 per dog. A very worthwhile cause. Except for the vets, it's pretty much a volunteer effort. Dottie told me this was the largest turnout they've ever had here. Lucy was #71 and the last one of the day. Their assembly line setup would make old Henry Ford proud. Three stages, three different rooms. Room #1 is an intake room for checking vital signs, weighing, shaving, Betadyne-the-belly, and anesthetize. Room #2 is surgery. Room #3 is Recovery. It goes like clockwork with lots of people pitching in. Great group.

We followed the instructions for post op care for Lucy as well as we could but when they were written, the authors didn't know "The Unsinkable Molly Brown" (aka Lucy). She bounced right back within about twelve hours after surgery and she hasn't stopped bouncing! She has a new lease on life!! A whole big yard to explore AND she can't get pregnant now. Life is good.

I've posted some pics in the photo album "Lucy On The Loose."

Of course, with every "plus" there's a "minus." With this new-found freedom, she has managed to rustle up some bones in the yard. I saw them when she "up-chucked" them on the foot of my bed during nap time yesterday. They looked like pork neck bones but I don't remember throwing any out there. I don't even remember cooking any. This morning I saw her carrying something around. It turned out to be a bird or chicken claw. Maybe she is going to start practicing Santeria. She'd better hope they continue sacrificing chickens and not little sassy black dogs!

Today I also found a critter head skeleton she'd brought into the back yard! Have no idea what kind of critter is is/was but with those teeth (see pics), Lucy had better hope she doesn't meet up with one of his kinfolks who is still animated and in the flesh. This thing does not look like he would ever be in the mood for "making nice."

I'll just be glad when she gets the yard all cleaned up and stops bringing these little "trash- sures" up to the house.