Remembering Agramonte

Ten and a  half years ago, Agramonte and I celebrated my birthday in Batavia, Illinois. In his third year of life, the purebred Tibetan Mastiff was such a good friend:

He was our canine Grandson (Nieto). Our human Neitas took part in the celebration (Why are there only 7 1/2 candles on my cake? I think they know why!):

They welcomed Agramonte into their home just before Christmas in 2007:

He knew he was loved:

Agramonte played in the snow. His winter fur was so dense that he could sleep in a snowdrift:

We first met him when we "migrated" back to our second home in April, 2008. Agramonte was 5 months old:

He grew up very rapidly. Here he is at 10 months of age:

When one year old old, he weighed 108 pounds and his mane was growing:

Neighbors sometimes thought our granddaughters had a lion on a leash. He loved the girls and was very protective of them, not in a fierce way but he would stand between them and any possible threat. One day I walked Agramonte with them to a small playground in a nearby park. The girls played on the swings and slides, so I decided to walk Agramonte a little way down the path. However, when we reached a turn where he could no longer see the children, he stopped dead, sat down and absolutely refused to go any further. I tried to make him stand and lead him on until I realized he did not want to lose sight of his treasured little friends:   

Here he is at 10 years of age in 2017, as he watched me barbecue a chicken in the back yard. If he wanted to, he could have overpowered me and inhaled that bird:

Moncada, another Tibetan Mastiff and Agramonte's little "brother," joined the family in 2018.  This is how the mastiffs spend most of their days:

A few days later, Cazador, a black Standard Poodle puppy, made them a doggie threesome:

Agramonte, the alpha, greeted the newest member of the pack:

Agramonte always loved the snow. His mane became huge during winter:

We last visited Illinois and saw Agramonte in early April, 2019. Sad to say, this was my last photo of him, with Cazador, back in September, 2018:

Our Illinois family flew down in April 2019 to join us for a short but memorable vacation on the Florida Keys.  "The sun comes up and the sun goes down. The hands on the clock keep going around..." And then there was the Coronavirus.

Tranquility Bay sunset:

April memories: Sedate Black-necked Stilts in formal garb, reflecting... 

...and a Northern Cardinal. There are old traditions-- “When a red cardinal visits your yard, it’s a visitor from heaven”. . . "The red cardinal bird symbolizes the phases of restoring when going through great difficulties with greater hope in God"... "Seeing a red cardinal after a death can be a message for you from the divine"... “When a cardinal appears, a loved one is near...,”

During our last visit to Illinois in May, 2019, it was clear that Agramonte's health was failing, He retained his sweet disposition despite a loss of energy.

The COVID restrictions have kept us apart since then. 

Despite treatment, his attempts to walk became increasingly painful and impaired. Finally he could not even stand up. For a large breed at 13+ years, his "dog age" calculator says that both he and I are about the same age. 

The veterinarian just made a home visit and helped Agramonte say goodbye.

A little spark of consciousness has been extinguished, and the universe is somehow diminished.

Goodbye, Agramonte, you big friendly, fluffy, furry phlegmatic doormat of a dog.

Sunset in Batavia, Illinois:

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Linking to:

Fences Around the World

Nature Thursday

Skywatch Friday

Weekend Reflections

Saturday's Critters

BirdD'Pot

Camera Critters

All Seasons

Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday)

Natasha Musing

Our World Tuesday

Wild Bird Wednesday

My Corner of the World

Timeless Thursday

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Please visit the links to all these posts to see some excellent photos on display
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Stretching out Spring in Illinois

We departed from our south Florida home on April 21, just as spring migration was beginning. Our destination was our condo in NE Illinois, just emerging from two weeks of unusually cold and wet weather.  

The next morning we headed to nearby Nelson Lake Marsh/Dick Young Forest Preserve, where we were surprised to find a large flock of migrating American White Pelicans. I counted at least 60.  This is at the eastern edge of their northbound migration from wintering grounds in the Western and Central US. 

American White Pelicans commonly winter in Florida and along the Gulf of Mexico but migrate in a northwesterly direction, generally avoiding the eastern coastal areas. (*See end note)
 


During breeding season the adults grow a vertical fibrous plate on their upper mandibles which is shed before they migrate southbound:



The prairie was just starting to geen up. This is the east entry path, looking towards the viewing platform which overlooks the lake:



On our way back to the condo we stopped at Jones Meadow Park, where the path had been flooded because of rain and snow-melt. The bare trees cast nice reflections:



A Tree Swallow defiled the warning sign:





Seeing an American Robin is quite a thrill. While they migrate into Florida, they rarely appear in our neighborhood:



The next day we visited Lippold Park in Batavia, Illinois. The Canada Geese were nesting. At the end of the boardwalk an especially protective pair guarded their eggs and even attacked some visitors. We steered clear:





We observed the incubating female from across the pond:



Three male Mallards swam in closed ranks:



I obtained one of my nicest photos of a male Red-winged Blackbird as it sang "Conk-ra-lee!"



In the wooded area, a Brown Creeper was almost invisible against the bark of a tree:



I finally obtained a side view:



A sweet little Golden-crowned Kinglet posed very briefly:



We are in the throes of marketing our condo-- so much stuff to move out and donate or give away. Our granddaughters were given two new puppies this week-- so much excitement! They will never forget Siboney but the girls are absolutely thrilled with their pets...

...a tiny (but eventually full-sized) Poodle puppy named Cazador ("Hunter" in Spanish) meets old Tibetan Mastiff Agramonte for the first time:



The next day, Moncada (4 month old Tibetan Mastiff, named after General Guillermon Moncada, hero of the Cuban War of Independence and civil rights advocate) arrived-- here napping after having great fun with his new little "brother"...

 

...and they got along splendidly, even after Cazador jumped on him and woke him up!:



With so much going on I may need to take a break but will try to get out as much as possible while my emails pile up! Sorry if I have not yet gotten back to everyone who have posted such great comments (they get a priority position in my in-box!).

*PS:  We have had them in our local south Florida "Wounded Wetlands," where in 2012,  I documented their cooperative fishing style (pardon my New Jersey accent):

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Linking to Misty's  CAMERA CRITTERS,

Linking to Eileen's SATURDAY'S CRITTERS,

Linking to SKYWATCH FRIDAY by Yogi, Sylvia and Sandy

Linking to WEEKEND REFLECTIONS by James

Linking to BirdD'Pot by Anni

Linking to Our World Tuesday by Lady Fi

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday by Stewart

Linking to Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday) by NC Sue

Linking to ALL SEASONS by Jesh

 Linking to Fences Around the World by Gosia

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Please visit the links to all these memes to see some excellent photos on display

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A wet welcome to Illinois

The rains came as soon as we arrived in NE Illinois at the end of  April, and nighttime temperatures dropped to near freezing the first few nights. In between raindrops and braving high winds, we managed to get a few hours outdoors each day. While not providing much exercise, our daughter's back yard was quite productive.

A double rainbow was visible when an afternoon rainstorm skirted by:



As I was roasting a chicken on their patio grill, I ran for my camera when a colorful House Fince started singing in a nearby tree:







A curious Black-capped Chickadee landed on the fineal atop an umbrella on the deck:



It eyed me from a post on the deck railing:



Agramonte, their 10 year old Tibetan Mastiff, struck a regal pose:



Siboney, from his same blood line, at 1 1/2 years old is now almost as big:



Mary Lou and I visited the Japanese Garden at Fabyan Park in nearby Geneva. The foot brige and its railings cast pleasant reflections:



For the past few years, a pair of Great Horned Owls has raised its family in a tree at Fabyan Park. This spring two owlets were hatched, but only one made an appearance when we visited the nest:





Numerous Baltimore Orioles were present in the park, which runs along the west bank of the Fox River:

 

Canada Geese were accompanied by newly hatched goslings:



We saw a few warblers, among them a Yellow-rumped *Myrtle" Warbler...



...captured as if suspended in mid-hop:



A White-breasted Nuthatch foraged upside-down:



Blue-gray Gnatcatchers were early spring arrivals:



In the Japanese Garden, a Common "Bronzed" Grackle  posed on a rock:

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Linking to Misty's  CAMERA CRITTERS,

Linking to Eileen's SATURDAY'S CRITTERS,

Linking to FENCES AROUND THE WORLD by Gosia

Linking to SKYWATCH FRIDAY by Yogi, Sylvia and Sandy

Linking to WEEKEND REFLECTIONS by James

Linking to BirdD'Pot by Anni

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday by Stewart

Linking to Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday) by NC Sue

Linking to ALL SEASONS by Jesh

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Please visit the links to all these memes to see some excellent photos on display

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