Charlie for Mayor? Or the new Miss Monteverde?

Charlie Garbanzo might have been a social butterfly in a past life.  He's moving up in the world.  It seems that Charlie is becoming quite a celebrity in Monteverde, despite our efforts to encourage him to keep a low profile. 

In the lowest sections of San Luis, people ask us about Charlie.  In the upper area of San Luis, people ask about him too.  In Monteverde, we often get phone calls with Charlie sightings, or hear recounts of Charlie's past antics in town.  The receptionist at the Institute frequently informs me that Charlie has passed by to visit, and locals shopping or eating at the cooperative comment on Charlie's antics.

Charlie is well known in town, despite being a relative newcomer.  We're happy that Charlie is gregarious, friendly, and outgoing. The problem is that we don't really want Charlie to be a community celebrity.  We'd like Charlie to stay where we put him.  Charlie has other ideas.

This week we took students on a week-long trip to the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica and to Bocas del Toro in Panama.  Kaia spent the week in San Jose with Ernesto's family.  Charlie stayed with our friend, Justin, in Monteverde.  Ernesto and I headed down to San Jose a few day before the students, who we later met en route.  Upon boarding the bus, the students quickly informed us that they'd spent some quality time with Charlie, who apparently visited the Institute quite frequently while we were gone and even enjoyed a screening of the movie Aguirre, la ira de Dios along with community members and students at the Institute.  Brilliant.

I called Justin on Tuesday, before crossing the border into Panama, just to check on Charlie.  Justin informed me that Charlie was great -- and currently with him at the Institute.  Now, the Institute has a no-dog policy that we try to respect.  Respecting the policy isn't easy.  We have to attach two carabineers to Charlie's double-stranded collar and to the metal chain that secures him to our house during the day. 

If we use rope, no matter how thick, Charlie will gnaw through it.  If we use one carabineer, instead of two, Charlie can somehow unclip it.  If we use a normal collar, Charlie slips out of it.  We had a harness that helped secure Charlie, but it's now buried somewhere in the forest.  Like many things (especially my socks, rawhide bones, and stuffed animals) Charlie happily trotted up the trail with his harness in his mouth and returned empty-handed (or mouthed).

Justin informed us that he and Charlie had reached an agreement.  Charlie comes with Justin to the Institute in the morning.  At lunch time, Justin and Charlie part ways.  Charlie returns to the Institute before 5pm and accompanies Justin home before their evening walk.  Then they cuddle in the evening, since his two dogs aren't as affectionate as Charlie -- who would climb in your mouth if you allowed him to.

Justin loves Charlie, and I'm sure Charlie loves Justin.  Justin is the good cop.  Ernesto and I are the bad cops.  I think it's going to be difficult for us to re-tame Charlie.  The good news?  I'm not sure we really ever tamed him in the first place.

The other good news?  Charlie really is the sweetest, most amicable guy.  If there were a doggie-pageant in Monteverde, I think Charlie would have a good chance of schmoozing his way to first place. 

Now if we could only train him to stop rounding up and hunting the other dogs in the area . . .