Adventures in Paradise

Paradise

“Golf cart ride!  Oh, boy.  Can I come too?”  

Sparky yipped, bouncing around as we pulled our suitcases out the front door. 

Thomas yawned, momentarily lifting his head off his pillow, “don’t forget to bring me a present,” and turned his attention back to his interrupted nap on the sofa. 

Don't forget my present!

“Bye boys!  See you soon,” I called to them as I shut the door.  

Lawrie and I were off for a busy two weeks visiting family and friends in Canada, plus an assortment of appointments.  We had arranged with friends Becky and Craig McHugh to stay at our house and babysit our pets: Thomas and Sparky.

Confused, Sparky turned to Thomas, “Where are they going?  Why did they leave me behind?  I usually go with them in the golf cart.”

“Some place different.  It happens every year,” Thomas replied annoyed that Sparky wouldn’t be quiet.  “They’ll come back, smelling differently of other people and animals.  Don’t worry,” he said curling up on the sofa again, “they’ll come back.”

Sparky and Craig reading the pet-sitting manual

The new female human called out, “Sparky, come here.  Let’s get acquainted.”  And just like that Sparky forgot that his people were leaving without him. 

“So, let’s see what this is all about,” said the man as he hefted the thick binder of instructions for babysitting the two boys.  

Comfortably ensconced on the upper deck sofa the humans were reading through the detailed instructions. 

“It says here, when he is hungry Tommy will sit in the kitchen with his back turned.”  The lady called Becky said, “That’s what our dog Saby did when she was hungry.  Oh, and we are to give him a selection of two to three different flavors three to four times a day … Wow!  Spoiled kitty.”

“Meow!” agreed Tommy as he snuggled in for a pat.

Having lunch at Barlito's

By the next morning the household was settling into a routine.  The really tall man, who Sparky thought was named Craig, took him for his first walk of the day.   It was a nice leisurely amble along the sidewalk to the gas station and back, with the occasional heart-stopping moment as Sparky’s best friend Bowser repeatedly crossed the road to check out three construction sites for food scraps.  Thick-bodied and glossy Bowser was not really hungry.  He simply enjoys snacking on human leftovers.

Is it my turn to drive?

During the next two weeks Sparky was entertained with a golf cart rides that might include a breakfast or lunch stop at Barlito’s.  

Tommy was happy hanging out at the house, napping on any one of the three sofas.  

One afternoon Sparky and his human drivers ventured out to the viewpoint at Garrafon Reef Park, enjoying the sight of the beautiful turquoise water with the buildings of Cancun visible in the distance.   Other times they drove through the neighbourhood of La Gloria while Becky searched for fun subjects to photograph.  Colourful clotheslines.  Bright houses.  Painted murals.  Fun signs.   

Sparky checking out his domain  

Whenever Sparky saw human or dog friends he recognized his short tail would rapidly swing back and forth, “Hi!”  The dogs would woof a greeting.  The people usually waved at him, and then quickly did a head-turning double-take.  Who the heck were those people with Sparky?

Late morning before the sun had moved over to the west side of the house, Sparky would lounge on the upper street-side deck, greeting his local fans as they walked past.  “Hi Sparky!  How are you today?”  When Becky or Craig waved back a bewildered look would pass over the person’s face, who are you, they seemed to be thinking.  Sparky thought it was a fun game: confuse the humans.  It was almost as much fun as chasing crabs along the shoreline.

Sparky really liked his afternoon swims and he especially liked searching for crabs in the shallow water.  He couldn’t understand Craig and Becky’s fascination with hunting for bits of coloured glass on the beach.  “Ffpt!”  He snorted, “what good is glass?” “You can’t eat it.  You can’t play with it.  Silly!”

"Are you reading my E-Book?" asked Thomas

In the late afternoon when Sparky and Thomas were lounging with their babysitters on the upper deck it was time for belly rubs and ear scratches.  

Occasionally Thomas would supervise while Craig read his E-Reader.  “Did you order my E-book The Adventures of Thomas the Cat?”  meowed  Thomas, “It’s available on Amazon you know.”  

“Yes, I know Thomas,” sighed Craig, “you have already mentioned that a few times this week.”

“Well, I’m just saying,” said Thomas, a bit miffed that Craig wasn’t more impressed.

"Could you deliver my food to me please?"

During their stay the visiting humans affectionately called the boys different names - names that sounded familiar but were slightly different.  

Spartacus, Spartapotamus, Sparky, or Tommy Boy, Tomas, and Thomasino. 

 

The boys didn’t mind.  The pats were frequent, the belly rubs nightly, and the love unconditional.  

“So … those other two people … who are they again?”

Hasta Luego

Sparky & Thomas

"So ... those other people ... who are they again?"

Be sure to check out Becky’s blog and her delightful photos:  
Life with Beck  http://lifewithbeck.blogspot.mx/

Thank you Becky and Craig for looking after the boys, and for letting us use your photos for the blog.