Dogs & Skeeters

Dogs

The recent , very public execution of CK, the “Chicken Killer” pup has had a rather nice fall out effect on the other puppies. The brother and sister now play together, whereas she was always excluded from play and sat with her mother before. The pups are much friendlier, coming right up to me with tail wagging, instead of CK’s snarling distance. And there has been absolutely no chicken chasing or worse. Instead, the pups have a new nemesis, in the form of a kitty from next door. The chase is perfectly harmless, since kitty has about twice their speed. And no more barking at every passing vehicle on the road, which was always led by the infamous CK. All in all, the dog situation is greatly improved. I doubt it had anything to do with disciplining CK or offing him in front of all the dogs. Rather, a “bad” dog has simply gone – wherever bad dogs go.

‘Skeeters

I am simply flummoxed over the mosquito situation here. I came to Panama with great warnings about the little flying beasts and was issued a full mosquito sleeping net, DEET repellent and prophylactic medication. A somber to-do was made about the dangers of even one bite, which could result in Dengue, malaria or Zika.

I arrived at the end of a very long dry season and figured I was safe until the rains came. But, the rains have come and I have yet to see, hear or feel the wrath of a single terrible mosquito. Around the Cottage, this might be due to the mostly cleared land all around me. The only standing water is found in mud puddles at the side of the road, which mostly dry up between downpours. And the BATS, which zoom and dance every night by the dozens outside (and once inside) the Cottage.

Fair enough. But I also don’t get bitten when I visit my two very rural villages, one of which has a very slow moving river at its side. Or even when we venture out into deep jungle to work on water lines No Skeeters.

I did, however, get a stunning reassurance of the mosquitos’ Panamanian wrath near the New Canal in Colon. I stepped out of the taxi to get a photo of some monkeys and was instantly engulfed by a mighty horde. The likes of which I’ve only known at a really bad anchorage off Peter Island in the BVI and ashore on an unhabituated island on the Abacos, Bahamas.

Everyone around here tells me that mosquitos are not an issue, away from the rivers. Even then, not a big deal. Only 122 cases of malaria and 34 of Zika in the whole country. Still, PCMO requires every PCV to take a prophylactic dose of antibiotic every day – something I may or may not have done. Maybe Peace Corps is just doing their usual overly-cautious en loco parentis drill.