Mango Hoke

Well I figured I should give an update on the youngest of our "children" - Mango. The baby we brought home from Belize. She is doing very very well and is a happy little puppy although not so "little" anymore. She tipped the scales at 28 pounds the other day - a lot considering she was a mere 5 pounds when we brought her home with us! Here's a shot of her when we brought her home...

little baby - this was when she was in the shelter and Jen was working us over to take her home

testing out the FAA approved carrier

getting to know my new brothers...

not putting up with any crap!

hanging out with Dad

there she is traipsing around the pond...

we installed a doggie door thinking it would make our lives easier...

but THIS is what I came home to most afternoons!! Somebody had been rooting around the pond and digging up pond plants and bringing them happily in the house to chew up on the couch! I wonder who it could be???

So now we cover the couch with a couple of duvet covers when we leave! We are one step away from putting plastic on the couch and becoming The Castanza's!

Hard to get mad at THAT face! Although Dewey was none too pleased that she pinched his chewy - note the TWO bones shoved in her mouth! She is definitely an island dog!

Murph heading out the doggie door

the culprit near the scene of the crime!

who me???

Murph is chillin out back on the deck enjoying one of the last days of an Indian Summer!

Curled up with her "Woobie". How can that sweet face be such a devil?!!

Football Saturdays...and Sundays!

Well it's that time of year again! Haven't posted for awhile. Tommy works 7 days a week once again as we are full on in season. Spartan football every Saturday and Haslett football some Saturdays and Sundays which makes the weekends very busy! Jen is waiting for soccer in the spring thank goodness or I'd never make it through the weekend! Things on the home front are settled as we have built a new fence and have installed a doggie door so all 3 pooches can come and go at their leisure and I don't have to worry about having someone let the dogs out on gameday. That's the good news. The bad news is Mango is a stinker and loves to bring sticks and leaves in with muddy paws and jump up on the couch to chew them to smithereens! I suppose it's a trade-off - at least there's no doggie accidents to clean up! 

The fence under construction

nearly completed. Bamboo and cedar

completed with zillion dollar custom made copper solar post caps!

Drew rockin his pimp hat and hair

little Miss Bling!

kids at Ford Field

tailgating with friends before the BIG WIN over Notre Dame!!

by the time Sunday night rolls around everyone is all worn out!

Back to reality...sadly

Well after nearly a month in paradise I guess it had to end. Just for now though as we have every intention to find a long term residence here upon retirement! The last week was great fun having our friends there with us but we missed Tommy when he left on Sunday. We finished our time though with some great diving and some great food. Our favorite island restaurant by far is Wild Mango's - which our cutie little island pooch is named after. We also tried some new things like a trip to the Palapa bar north of the bridge which was great and a cool local hangout called Waruguma which was a no frills atmosphere with some killer food including an enormous lobster burrito and ladies making Papusa's outside for $1.25 US each! Wish I'd taken pics of that but Waruguma is a place where we will return. We ended our week with some tropical stormy weather but that didn't dampen our spirits or our desire to stay. If it weren't for Tommy and the dogs and Hazel and how much we missed them we might never have come back! Back to reality now and a lost bag courtesy of Delta who seemingly doesn't care enough to really look for it. Hope to see it by week's end when my family arrives for a visit!

Palapa Bar

Drew climbs tall coconut trees

outside our condo view from pier

we missed diving with dolphins by about 3 minutes! So bummed!

David the Belizean dog whisperer

Ozzy - our pet Iguana at Grand Colony!

Jen gets her hair braided on the last day there

Lotsa hair... but one hour later...

Voila!

last dinner at Wild Mango's with friends! Stacy and me

Baby Mango is finally home in Michigan and doing very well. Happy to be a Michigan dog and getting to know her brothers

2 weeks down one to go...

Well we've been on our island paradise for exactly 17 days now. Tommy got here a week ago Friday and it's been non-stop ever since. Starting with the FAB (Furry Animal Ball), daily trips to SAGA to help with the animals and to walk the dogs in Fort Dog, diving and general fun and relaxation. He left on the 9 am Tropic flight this morning and we've all been pretty blue today. Add to it a tropical storm and even the island is sad to see him go. We have less than a week left here and will be coming home with one more family member - a cutie little island "potlicker" puppy that Jen managed to convince us to bring into the family. Not without much turmoil and heavy thinking about how she would integrate with the already established family of 2 dogs and a cat. God help us 3 dogs - not sure what we're thinking but it's too late now.  She's already a Hoke. Mango Hoke to be exact! More later as the week progresses.

kids at Saga working us over hard for this little face

Yay!!! Tommy arrives on Tropic Air for 9 days

Furry Animal Ball with my 2 favorite men in skirts!

Family photo op

at Tacklebox for 4th of July party

I could get used to driving a golf cart versus a car (except when it rains)

Drew's birthday barbeque party

Drew is chillin at the dive shop waiting to go out

Uh oh... Hoke looks like he's caving!!

Here come the Best's off their Tropic flight!

the Hoke family transport

how they roll in San Pedro! This is the San Pedro "Dog whisperer" and his pupils for the morning walk on the beach!

new laptop for Saga courtesy of a wonderful Friend of the Humane Society, Mark Nelson!

Hmmmm - still deciding but how can we say no to this face???

Oh yeah - the Best's brought an FAA approved carrier down with them from Michigan. I guess she's a Hoke now! Wonder if she'll remember he brief life as an island dog...

The Fat daddy version of "Chicken"

Chicken on Steroids!

Drew completes one of the tasks on his shirt - 

"Climb tall coconut trees"

fun times at Lime

Lobsterfest rescheduled at Caye Caulker due to Tropical Storm Alex - lucky us!!

getting smoothies and a Mango Mojito!

Alert the media!!!! Tommy Hoke is eating and liking lobster now!!!

all worn out after a long day

sweet little face. Mango Hoke is now official!