Getting a Visa is not hard in Colombia, but recently I went through some major stress trying to get my residency here in Colombia. All Visa requests now need to be done online, this is where the stress came in. I had to enlist my friends for help. A form that says takes only 15 minutes to complete took over two hours by an expert. I ended up getting several messages back from the Cancilleria in Bogotá requesting more information, different file forms which can only be a certain number of megabytes, you name it they asked for it! I ended up coming in 4 days short for the Residence Visa, but my Pension Visa was approved quickly in about two hours. That was a major relief as it took so much time for the residence application, I was down to 5 days before my current Visa expired.
Once the Visa was approved I needed to fly to Bogotá and pay the 211$ fee while getting the stamp on my passport. I was so relieved to get this process over with that I was really excited to take a short trip, visit tourist spots in Bogotá and have some fun. It was last-minute as I thought I was going to have to get an extension on my Visa. So I called my friend Monica hoping that she could come with me even though I only gave her two days notice. She teaches English here in Palmira, Valle del Cauca. She is my friend and my teacher of Spanish also. I can converse one on one with most anyone now; but when it gets complicated I need a translator. Not only is she the best at that, but she is also so much fun, I felt like I was on a layover again!
We took off at 11 am and landed quickly at the BOG airport, a short hop from Cali, Colombia. I had made reservations in a quaint hotel near the consulate and areas of interest I wanted to see. We had a short 24 hours to have fun, and arrived early despite the traffic of Bogotá, our room wasn’t ready yet. We were not concerned and just checked our luggage in, and took off to explore. The first place we went to was Usaquen, a barrio in Bogota that is so delightful and full of treasures to explore and to buy.
Usaquen, Bogota, Colombia I bought amazing Colombian hand-made jewelry that I give as gifts to all my guests at Villa Migelita. I also bought for myself!I bought this gorgeous necklace for myself, a work of art!
We were beginning a fun adventure in Bogota, and I cannot stress enough how pleasant it was. I was with my friend, enjoying myself and getting rid of the stress of over a month of trying for my residency. I want to emphasize to those who are considering Colombia for retirement, they will welcome you, but it is all about rules. If you don’t comply they don’t give exceptions..Simple, but in a way reassuring. I know that my new place of living does the homework it needs for anyone entering the country.
We were shopping and sightseeing and entered the church in the main square of Usaquen. I lit a candle for my daughter immediately. I do this often in any church I see that is open to the public here in Colombia. I was raised as Catholic, but I identify as spiritual; that being said I don’t want to identify as a specific religion. I know there is a higher power. You need only go to my Facebook page Villa Migelita to see my many videos of hummingbirds coming to visit me, while I rescue them. I believe it is my daughter showing me she is with me still. I love that I get these signs! There is no other way to explain what happens.
I lit a candle in this small room off of the main church
The actual church was not open. I sat silent for a few minutes contemplating about Misha and where my life has taken me since her death. I think I have done well. I have a Bed and Breakfast hotel and I have peace. I have the knowledge of someone who believes in the Universe. I know there is another dimension. I don’t care who would try to argue this point with me. Nor do I want to go into what your religion is. I know. I have the signs.
Photo taken after I had lit candles for my daughter
The photo above was taken while looking at the street art in Bogota. I see the light in this photo and the beauty of the this light, can you? It was a wonderful end to my day when I went to look at the photos I took while visiting Bogota. It is surreal. It is mystical, it is full of a presence. I know my daughter was with me after lighting candles in the churches I visited.
I know Misha heard me talk to her that day as I visited these historical churches,including the famous mountain of Bogota, Monserrate. She knew I needed this Visa to stay in Colombia. She helped me; I will admit I went through some sleepless nights, and told her about them in my prayers. I usually go to Florida to the embassy in Miami to get my Visa. This time I didn’t because it was for my residence. I learned a lot, enjoyed Bogotá, had a wonderful time and now have a year to apply and get my residence. I always say things happen for a reason and we must accept them. Even death. We must show others that we can continue, despite the sadness we might endure. We need to be strong. I am enjoying my life as an expat in Colombia. The USA needs to stop this nonsense about immigrants ( I am an immigrant in Colombia) and start accepting other cultures. Enjoy and travel..do what you need to do to love your life. Stop reacting and start welcoming others to your country , even if they don’t speak your language perfectly, or they have to learn your culture. They want to live and start a new life like I have in Colombia. I believe it should be easy for anyone to live anywhere if they have proper documentation.
Same tour of the Graffiti and me enjoying Bogota
We might never agree on everything, but we can live peacefully wherever we are. Peace out…and love sent to all of the world.
I have had a little hummingbird rescue for a month now. I had no idea what I was doing when I first had him in my care. I had put a towel down in the cage. That is a big NO! He has the tiniest feet as you can see and they can get caught in a towel and can be ripped off. I contacted a wonderful page on Facebook called The Hummingbird Whisperer and was given great advice, except for one rehab specialist who said I had to put him down because of his bad wing. A major drama unfolded: especially since I am not in the United States. I looked for someone to put Grigio down and no one answered me. We have so many hummingbirds in Colombia all year round, no one cares about just one little guy.
I took in all of the advice I was given and did what the experts said (except for killing him). I removed the towel and put paper towels in his cage. I added smashed up insects to his sugar-water. That is not something I enjoy at all! But we have a lot of insects in the Rainforest and he is drinking his water full of mash-up and is getting plenty of protein which is the main staple of the hummingbird diet.
Grigio the very first day I rescued him.
Grigio is doing very well, but he is still not free. I strive to let him go to fly with his friends. He has a wing that is damaged. I carry him everywhere in his little cage. He sometimes holds on to the sides of the cage like he is in prison, reminding me of movies where an inmate grips the bars in misery.
I have a parrot named Luci whom I rescued when she was about 2 months old. Parrots are so social and always in the middle of things going on around them. She has clipped wings but has free run of my farm. She climbs the rose bushes and enters the house. She follows the dogs everywhere, and she shows off for my tourists here at Villa Migelita. She is the mascot of birds here at my Bed and Breakfast!
I see you
With Grigio it is different. He is not a way for me to give entertainment on my page Villa Migelita. Luci is a rescue, but she lives a very happy life. I am not so sure with Grigio. Seriously, hummingbirds are not really social birds. Hummingbirds fight each other constantly, and none seem to have any bond with others. Perhaps he is fine in his cage with his personal feeder. I can’t tell except when he does that prison break-out move that really freaks me out! I can’t let him go, he cannot fly!
He has become a part of me. I know that is probably not the correct way to view things if you are an actual rehab specialist with birds, or for that matter any animal. I just identify with him so much. He is broken but trying to mend himself. I understand that. I am broken inside. I have been a cracked, collapsed, busted mess for years … ever since my daughter was murdered. I know about feeling imprisoned. I feel that almost everyday of my life. I struggle many days with sadness…but I make myself go out and walk, exercise, Yoga, write, read, study! You name it, I try to do it. So Grigio is a piece of me. His will to live is exactly like my will to live despite horrific life circumstances. So I say “You go Grigio, I have your back! You have a home in my Paradise here at Villa Migelita always”
Every night I put this special ‘gift’ to bed. He sleeps like we do…who knew? He goes to bed at 7 pm and I hear the little whir of his wings at 6 am. I always smile to myself. I wonder if he is a gift from beyond. He is certainly defying all odds. With that I say he is with me now, and I am letting him live each day in the moment. I do the same. I realize that is all we have in life, and so does Grigio.
I am surrounded by nature. I never know what is going to show up around me. It is a delightful way to live. I come from South Florida. I remember growing up in a middle class neighborhood with a lot of empty lots that all of us neighborhood kids would explore. Many a time we would come home with scrapes, bites or bloody knees. I love to reminisce about my times in the Smoky Mountains with my children every summer. I am a nature gal. I started young and I have never lost the wonder I feel when I see some new insect, bird, flower, views of the mountains, anything related to nature.
There is so much to be seen when you are looking for good photos. I am no longer the person who finds spiders creepy, bees scary, and insects gross. I find them all to be a much-needed part of our ecosystem. I respect all life. I wrote about my new rescue here at Villa Migelita in my last blog; a hummingbird who has a hurt wing. He is still with me after three weeks and that in of itself is rare. Hummingbirds need protein, which I hopefully am supplying by crushing insects into his sugar-water. It must be working because he is still alive. His wing is still unhealthy as you can see. But he is a fighter.
Grigio on a rare Jade Orchid
This spider is a common Cross Garden species..but I love this photo. He looks so intimidating.
Normal Garden Spider
What about the birds I see daily? Sometimes I am lucky enough to get a good shot. The wonder I feel when I see a rare Toucan still keeps me captivated. I never have my camera when I need it, but I get to enjoy rare sightings of many birds every single day.
Vermilion Fly Catcher
Colombia has the most species of birds in the world and is the second most bio-diverse country in the world. I have settled in the perfect place to satisfy my nature needs.
Rare in nature can be completely defined by this one butterfly: Diaethria neglecta, a very rare phenomenon of nature.
The #89 butterfly on my screen
When you visit Colombia, you never know what will show up. A Preying Mantis, an insect I have no idea what the name is but it is a flying leaf!
A leaf insect
I no longer am afraid, I just wish I knew what they all did to help our planet. Because they are all part of a very intricate ecosystem called our world. We need to protect and defend each one in any way that we can.
My morning is about my animals. I have dogs, cats, a parrot and two ducks. They are always waiting for me to come down in the morning to feed them. They have a routine, and that routine is part of me. I never sleep in since my daughter passed away, and it is with great pleasure when I look outside and see them waiting. My dogs have their own house with their dog beds to sleep in at night. My parrot has a cage with the door always open. All my animals live a free life. My ducks are even there in the morning reminding me they need corn in their bowl. They are all part of my soul here at Villa Migelita. It is delightful for my guests to sit and have breakfast while my parrot Luci sits outside on the window looking in at us. She is quite social and puts on quite a show for everyone who visits. She loves to be part of everything.
Morning and Luci is watching
Her antics
I see you
Luci wanders and sits waiting
Luci, Poco and Corazon
My mornings are my favorite time of day. I feel the vibrancy of all life and the Universe through the love of my pets. They uplift me, they give me my will to make myself a better person. I try with every part of my being to live up to what they share with me, unconditional love. Nature and all that it offers is part of my spirit. Nature and animals define me. I live to feel their love. With that I sign off with the requisite picture of the sunrise, but one that is amazing. A hummingbird in the sky.
I’m sitting on this Sunday after exercising and doing my Yoga and all I can hear is the sounds of my hummingbird’s attacking each other. They are posed for fight, tails spread. Their sounds of hitting each other while their wings rapidly flutter is a constant whir in my consciousness. They are relentless. I’m just relaxing and trying to read, but I cannot because I’m endlessly fascinated by their behavior. They never let up. They are little gangs of brutality and beauty.
I have hummingbirds year round. The many species I have interact and accept each other as best they can. I’m an impartial observer. That is why I find them so interesting. Sometimes they drink from my feeders without much fighting, but today that is not the case. They all are militant like fighter jets bombing the enemy. My presence so near is not even acknowledged. They are going for the feeders like it is their last meal.
As I am distracted by them, I have a lot of thoughts running through my brain. They actually remind me of how people are responding to this presidential campaign going on now in the United States. They are ready to kill for the nectar, just as people are ready to give up friends and family for their beliefs about this election.
Maybe I have mellowed in my life since I’ve moved to Paradise, but one thing I have learned is you are not going to change anyone to your way of thinking. Just like my hummers. They are not going to stop fighting for their time at the feeders, taking that precious sip of nectar. Let it go. Vote your choice and be done with it. Hopefully, the world will survive just like my very aggressive hummingbirds and we will find something else to be scandalized about.
Me, well I’m aggrieved that there is no true fairness in this world. Some people win and some people lose. I lost in my quest to get the murderer of my daughter in jail. It breaks my heart, and there are many just like me who have not seen justice. We go on. Just like those hummingbirds who fight every single day for the chance to drink the nectar. Let your life become about good things, peaceful things, happiness. Stop trying to make everyone see it your way. It’s not important. What is important is being a good human.
Sometimes my hummingbirds are peaceful with each other, they sit nicely while they all feed together. Let us try to be that way with our lives. They often sit peacefully together drinking nectar and flying off to rest on a branch. My home is a place of peace where the hummingbirds entertain and amuse all who visit. I’m certain they are not worried about the other species, sizes, sex , or colors of those they battle with to get the feeders to themselves. Maybe, just maybe, us humans should look to nature more often. The fighting seems to be a bit more fair. No prejudice involved, just wanting to have a place to feed. That is why I have so many feeders: I give them all an even chance. What they do with that chance is a decision they make. What happens in this world is kind of like the hummingbirds, it is all out of our control even when we want so much to have the control. Just do your part and vote. Then let it go. Don’t lose friends over this. It is not worth it.
I’ve come to the conclusion we all think differently. We have brains that look at the exact same message and process it in completely different ways. If we only associate with those who think exactly like us, what do we learn? I’m all for freedom of speech, but I remember my mother and father always saying to me “politics and religion are not to be discussed with others ” and I have to agree. It is just not worth it. When I was younger I didn’t know what any of my friends believed. Because we were just having fun and liked each other for the people we were.
I’m certain we can choose to do this again. With social media it is difficult: but you can stop the hate by posting good things, happy things on the Internet. If you are offended bite your tongue, let it go. Let peace become your way of life, not hate. Hate never wins, even when you are seeing so much of it. Just let it go. Let peace be with you.
This photo is not perfect but I love the hummingbird coming in from the topLook at the hummingbird coming up to take over!When looking up while laying on my back taking photos the perspective is differentMango striped hummingbird
Looking up can bring you many images of beauty. Especially in my little pueblo in Colombia. I look up all the time because of all the bird calls. I always try to have my camera nearby to catch a video or photo of the many birds I see. Colombia has the most species of birds in the world. I see so many but I can’t always get them on film. The series above was taken while lying on the ground below the feeders…the images are not perfect but I like the way they show the spirit and spunk of hummingbirds. Hummingbirds are fierce little fighters!
Then there are the animals I always see on my hikes around my Villa. I am always photographing cows, goats, chickens and horses. They wander the mountains and streets grazing in complete freedom. It is truly delightful to see this when you visit Colombia.
Taken from belowLooking up while he looks downGoats checking us out as we ride by
Flowers and plants are always abundant here in Colombia. We have over 50,000 different varieties of plants and flowers. The colors are wonderful, and I don’t have to put any effort into any plant or flower to have them grow as the climate and soil allow flowers to thrive.
Heliconia plantsRoses on my balconyThen the sun started to fall
Most importantly I like the two words ‘looking up’, because that phrase brings good images to mind. In this world that is so full of suffering and random violence, looking up to see the sky, clouds, a sunset, nature and beauty can relieve us of anxiety; if only for a moment. So tonight when you read this take a moment to look up and see your sunset, or your stars overlooking the world and think positively. We must always save a little hope inside of us for humanity. Even when all we see is rampage and unresolved anger everywhere. Just look up and find the beauty around you, and let yourself feel the peace in that moment in time.
Nature. So many opposites are always confronting me. There are the hummingbirds who are all different species here at Villa Migelita. They are definitely opposites! Even if they are the same species. They fight and fight each other all day long…and if there is a wasp they hover around it until they can find a time that is safe to land for their precious nectar.
Then there is the animal and human connection. However, we co-exist so beautifully. I love this photo that I took recently. Love is in the air!
Then there is my bird Luci who is a total and completely fearless little being. She has clipped wings but that doesn’t keep her from being mobile. She is always terrorizing my dogs…sometimes she stands where they leave to go out to the yard and bites their feet when they pass…they run from her. It is really funny. I wake up every morning and smile when I see big Orion run away from her.
How about age? Here is a photo of me dancing with a man that is part of my family who is now 104 years old…amazing really. He still dances and enjoys life with zest…I could be his granddaughter!
Merry Hummingbird Christmas from Villa Migelita! We have hummingbirds year round. Come visit beautiful Colombia and stay with us at Villa Migelita. We are a personalized Bed and Breakfast with superior service to our guests. Relax and enjoy our hummingbirds while being surrounded by nature and mountains. If adventure travel is your idea of a good time you will love it here! We have many fun tourist activities that we can share with you, along with a Spanish/English speaking guide. Book today for the holidays. Click this link to see the Gif I made of one of my many hummingbirds!
Luci has a new perch. It is a tree that was accidentally cut down. From an untimely death, this tree has been given a new life. It is now next to Luci’s cage and holds hummingbird feeders and plantains to attract wild birds to its bare branches. The fatality is partly my fault because my worker did not understand my Spanish. He is new on my farm, older and probably has never left this area of Valle de Cauca. I imagine working on a farm for an American is strange but also fascinating to him. He is a very kind old gentlemen. He works quietly all day, the dogs stay near him. I often look outside and I will see Orion next to him while he is in the vegetable garden, or Bruno Mars laying sound asleep while he prunes flowers. He has a gentle spirit that the dogs relate to. I have always had trouble with my American accent while speaking Spanish, and I even wrote a funny blog about my Spanish here. However, this latest misunderstanding caused the death of a Quava tree that was in my garden. It was a young tree, maybe 5 years old, and was producing fruit. I felt such sadness after it was cut down. I believe trees can feel, breathe, emit sounds. Anyone need only walk in the rainforest here in Colombia and listen; the sounds are symphonic, heavenly, full of spiritual resonance. It is not just birds or insects that you will hear, you will hear the air moving through branches as they sway and twitch in a chorus of their own.
I looked out from my glass enclosed bedroom, and saw my worker was taking an ax to my tree. I yelled out, but it was too late; the tree fell along with all the fruit, scattering guava everywhere. The look on his face was horror as he realized that he was cutting the wrong tree. I had asked him to cut up a banana tree that had fallen during a rainstorm, and pointed to the tree on the ground. It is unfortunate that the Guava tree was right in the path of the banana tree. How he thought my live Guava tree should be cut down from me asking him to cut up a dead banana tree I will never know. I do know that I sometimes can’t understand someone speaking Spanish to me, and it is because they speak with a slightly different accent. I am sure he had no idea what I was saying. I wish he would have asked my maid to make sure he was doing the right thing, but he didn’t and I lost a beautiful tree. I was lethargic the rest of the day, unable to concentrate due to the sick feeling in my stomach about this unnecessary loss. I would often photograph birds on this tree, eating the fruit on the ground as they fell with ripeness. Then something happened that changed the loss into a gain, the dead tree was placed in a spot next to Luci to be useful once again.
I swear I can see Luci smiling as she explores the durable stems without leaves. Hummingbirds come to the feeders, the whir of their wings now heard on my patio. The hummingbirds are all around Villa Migelita , but now there is a new spot to sit where they come regularly to feed. The branches also hold cut plantains to attract wild birds. This is the way we feed and attract birds here in Colombia, regular feeders filled with seed never work. Birds here have many fruits to choose from, and they will only come to fruit on a tree. I am anxiously awaiting to see my first bird come feed! This tree has also brought a change in my day; I eat lunch outside with Luci and my dogs. I sit in the afternoon studying Spanish while the hummingbirds hover nearby. What a great redemption for my Guava tree; still being used to attract birds while also allowing Luci to perch up high. I look at the beautiful scene and I smile thinking that this dead Guava tree is serving a purpose after all sending positive energy into the air, attracting life just like it did before. The branches are bare but they still reach to the sky and call nature to its side.
Baby is a twelve-year-old yellow Lab who was going to be sent to a shelter because her owner was moving and did not want to take her with him. She had lived her life with loyalty to her human but he was not showing loyalty to her. In fact, he actually never treated her as one should treat a cared for pet, he left her outside on a patio her whole life. She has scars on her body from laying on cold, hard concrete, without a bed for her comfort, not even a blanket. Yet, Baby loved the only family she knew. Her owner knew she would be put to sleep and would have surrendered her to a shelter if my dear friend Madeline had not stepped in to save her. Madeline owned the house he was renting and he had told her he was moving to another state. She asked about Baby “what were his plans for her?” Madeline is an activist in her spare time for animal rights. She is also a Delta Air Lines flight attendant and my friend of over 30 years. She posted about a senior dog needing a loving home and I immediately offered to post it on my page Villa Migelita. If we could not find a home for her they could send her to me here in Colombia, although I knew it would be a traumatic trip as I brought a senior dog here myself when I moved from the USA to Colombia. The thought of leaving any of my animals behind never entered my mind and that is why I was so adamant to help. This blog is a story of friendship, kindness and the unified efforts of six women to save Baby and get her to her new home in Kentucky. Baby would never have had her home with Lisa her new owner, but for a series of events that led her to my page. When I put the post on my page the outpouring of heartfelt sadness and anger that someone could do this to an older animal was immediate. People shared the post, friends offered to help. Lisa came to the thread saying without a moment’s hesitation she would take Baby into her home in Kentucky. Within a day the six of us had rescued Baby and were trying to find a way to get her to Lisa’s home in Kentucky from South Miami.
Lisa just happened to see a video I posted of a hummingbird trapped in a window here at my house in Colombia on March 25th of this year. She had a friend who had liked my video and it showed up in her news feed on Facebook. She loved this little hummingbird and the way I held it in my hand and let it go and could only think of her beloved dog Chevy who had passed recently. Lisa went to my page and saw the post about Baby being abandoned and in need of a new home. My post moved her and she wrote that she would take Baby all the while remembering what she had whispered into Chevy’s ears as he drew his last breath. “Chevy, I love you so much and will feel you close to me when the hummingbirds return soon.” As she wrote to me that she indeed wanted to give Baby a loving home, she thought it was no coincidence she found Villa Migelita because of this little hummingbird. “Could this hummingbird be Chevy’s message to her from the Rainbow Bridge?” Her thoughts were that she should have Baby in her home just as the hummingbirds would be arriving in April. Her whispered comment into Chevy’s ear that sad day were so fresh in her mind, a moment embedded in her heart for all eternity. So this story begins with an ending, an ending of a life of a treasured pet. Now Lisa was waiting to get Baby to her new home and shower love and kindness on her for the rest of her life. A dog’s life she was saving in Chevy’s memory, with the hummingbirds as the sign it was what she needed to do. Baby had not had an easy life up to this point but Lisa would to change that, along with all of us. We all were in this together, and we all felt a love that connected us through this one senior dog that would forever create a warm bond between women.
When Madeline heard that Lisa was going to adopt Baby, all of us went into action. My friend Jo had offered to meet Madeline in central Florida and drive Baby to Kentucky. Marlene had friends who did pet transport and was checking on that angle. Meanwhile Baby had to be checked out by a veterinarian and my friends Kathy, Madeline and Marlene took her to the vet. Poor Baby had many health problems from living outside on cold concrete all of her life. She had hot spots on her feet, she was callused on her legs, she was underweight. The need of antibiotics along with tender loving care which had never been provided to her in her life was just a start. She was grateful, as she had left dreadful conditions and was given comfort for once in her life. Madeline continued to worry over the long trip to Kentucky and if Baby could adapt and withstand such a long journey. Lisa was on hold about getting Baby to her house as the logistics were discussed. Jo wanted to drive and would have, but Marlene and Madeline decided to use a pet transport that both thought was reputable because they had used this man before. Well, poor Baby had another disagreeable experience with the use of this transport called pet48llc, the owner Bill Timmons in Ft. Pierce, Florida. He offers what sounds like a good package but when it came down to the actual transport Baby went though hell. Marlene and Madeline were told that Baby would leave on Friday morning of Good Friday, and be at Lisa’s home on Easter Sunday. What a wonderful gift for both Baby and Lisa, to arrive on Easter Sunday! We all were on pins and needles when she left with Bill on Good Friday to go to Lisa in Kentucky, although he already was behind schedule because he left mid-day. Baby was clean, on antibiotics and had a new special blanket for her ride of three days. She had a new collar and leash in girly colors. She had spent a couple of days with Madeline being pampered. Baby had never known this kind of love in her life. She ended up with what she was used to, indifference. She suffered this drive with her stoic nature, and gentle spirit. It took over 80 plus hours for Baby to arrive in Kentucky to Lisa’s awaiting arms. The 6 of us were on Facebook all hours of the day watching as the drive that was to end with Baby in Kentucky on Easter Sunday, turned into a nightmare of many stops and a lot of lies from Bill. He went this way and that. Posting maps on his page that made no sense. He stopped to see his brother, a recreational stop not included in the plans he told them about. He was over 25 hours late to Lisa’s house! We were all were crying with sadness for poor Baby. She was in a crate way to small for her size, which he said was a crate for Great Dane …. it was not. This crate was against the hatchback of his car and she had no view nor circulation. She was in that crate for the entire time, along with some other dogs squeezed into the back o f his SUV. The only time she was out of the crate was for bathroom stops which Bill complained he had to take too many stops and this was why he was 25 hours late. He said posting a few photos on Facebook was causing him to get behind schedule. We were frantic and Marlene was super worried and finally called him to get a hotel which the girls would pay for. He declined and said he would sleep in his car. My assumption is that those dogs never left the crate at all, and he had the floors of the crates covered with mulch because these dogs did not have enough stops to use the bathroom, so they went in the crates. When Baby finally made it to Kentucky Lisa was frantic with worry. Baby was so happy to see her, and didn’t know what to do first, use the bathroom, or into her arms. It was like a meeting of soul mates, Baby knew she was home. Lisa had so much ready for her to be comfortable on the drive to her house in Kentucky. Her back seat down with the blanket that Madeline had bought for her on the floor. Baby finally got to use the blanket after 80 hours in a small crate, Baby was comfortable and ready to begin her new life.
The next chapter of this journey was encouraging as Lisa brought Baby to her vet and was told Baby was strong, in good health and could live a lot longer. The only thing the vet said was a problem was a slight cough which she was given medication for. However, Baby started to become whiny and needed to go to the bathroom all the time at night. Poor Lisa was not getting any sleep. Baby was in distress and Lisa did not know why. She brought Baby to the vet again and Baby has some health problems that were not picked up by the vet in Florida nor the first vet Lisa saw. She has an enlarged heart and a tumor that is pushing against her trachea. Lisa broke down sobbing when she heard this sad news. She vowed to do everything to give Baby the best care she could. Baby’s breathing is labored. Lisa has many medications to give her, but she is fine with this as she knew when she adopted a senior dog this was to be expected. Bear her dog that was Chevy’s companion is slowly accepting Baby and they wander the farm all day chasing squirrels and birds. Even though Baby has health problems she is playing for the first time in her life. Baby has freedom now on Lisa’s farm for the first time in her life. All of us have been in contact daily since Baby arrived to be with Lisa. Lisa is doing a good job of handling the pressure she is under caring for a senior dog with health problems. Baby is living her life one day at a time, enjoying the sunshine and space she never had on that concrete patio. We all pray for Baby and Lisa to have more years together, as Baby will be managed with medication which Lisa is so graciously paying for without a complaint. Lisa had Chevy who had similar health problems, she feels that Baby is a gift from Chevy as they did not have enough time together on this Earth. We all enjoy the many lovely photos sent to us daily of Baby living in her new home. I will always be grateful that someone stepped in to help Baby continue life in comfort. The next time you adopt a dog please remember that an animal is for life, not to be discarded because you have to move or change your lifestyle. Baby got a second chance and for that all of us who participated in her adoption are forever grateful.
Baby and Lisa when they first metBeautiful Baby
Vet’s office
Baby playing on Lisa’s farmHip Hop Baby
I have a request for everyone. Please keep Baby and Lisa in your prayers. They have a difficult journey ahead. Lisa took on a dog with health problems and she is not complaining. She is stepping up for Baby and giving her the comfort she deserves in her twilight years. Soon the hummingbirds will arrive at Lisa’s farm in Kentucky, and Lisa can watch them knowing that Chevy sees them from his home over the Rainbow Bridge. Chevy would be proud of his Mommy Lisa because she will be looking at those hummingbirds with Baby by her side. That is a miracle for all of us. The miracle of how a hummingbird video on Villa Migelita page saved the life of an old dog. Yet I am not surprised as I have long known hummingbirds send me messages, now they have saved a life.
Hummings from Paradise 