BUCKIE & ME

Me & Buckie

For my first birthday of life, my parents gave me Buckie, a hairy dog, a little ball also one year old. His hair was mostly white with some black spots. It was my dog! I could have not received a better gift! My father made a large house for Buckie that was placed on the right side of our house yard. I was totally in love with Buckie. 
He was my dear companion with whom I walked almost naked around the large yard my childhood house had, and with whom I napped  in the dog house when getting tired. When I was sick, and I did not go out to play, Buckie sat outside of the kitchen door waiting for me; and if I did not go out at all, he went to his house and spent the day inside as well. 
At night, he went for long walks with my father. Both of them enjoyed those walks.
There were times when Buckie disappeared for one or two night and then he returned to the house with the tale between his legs and his head down as if apologizing for his "andanzas". My father used to asked him "where have you been "atorrante"?..."

Crossed the street from our house, there was a large piece of land, empty land, filled with tall green grass and small white daisies. Buckie used to go there at least once a day, just to run on the open field and many times to make me company as I used to like to gather those small daisies to bring to my mom as a gift (then I will ended up with my hands and part of my arms full of red small spots that were a allergic reaction to direct contact with those small daisies!). 

When I was 11 years old, we moved to a smaller house and my father told me that Buckie could not come with us. My heart plummeted as I heard the words, and even though Buckie was going to stay with the neighbor next door and "you always can come to visit with him", I knew deep down in me that it was not going to be the case. I was right. After we moved, I never saw Buckie again. I heard on and off that he was doing well in his new dwellings. I was not happy. I missed him very much and I continue missing him. But I found a new way to have Buckie in my life- Buckie has become my angel and spiritual guide , so now,  he is always with me.

Celestial Brushwork

"Transient Effects: The Solar Eclipses and Celestial Landscapes of Howard Russell Butler" is a show at the Princeton University Art Museum- nice video and write up can be found here: http://artmuseum.princeton.edu/transient-effects/painter-sun/eclipse-paintings-howard-russell-butler

The New York Times from Friday August 18th did a nice write up about this exhibit. It is very timely as we are approaching the eclipse of the sun on Monday 21st. Unfortunately I am out of the country so I will be unable to view it. But there is a lot,of talk and excitement about mother's nature performance that, somehow makes me feel disappointed not to be in USA to be part of the celestial party.

The article above mentioned, introduces me to the work of Howard Russell Butler (1856-1934) who, besides being a scientist, he was also a painter. In researching his work I learned that he was a NorthAmerican painter who founded the American Fine Arts Society. He seemed to have been interested in astronomy and painted several nature events as the eclipses.

For more details on the exhibit, go here: http://artmuseum.princeton.edu/art/exhibitions/3044

The 1930s Film Parodies Starring Only Dogs

It seems that the "Barkies" were popular in the early era of sound film. Between 1929 and 1931 a series of experimental series of short films with an all dog cast was produced.
Check this video:

https://youtu.be/K7w25SK0gRU

Atlas Obscura gives a detailed history of how these films came about. Follow this link:

http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/dogville-comedies-1930s-hollywood-filmmaking?utm_source=Atlas+Obscura+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=eeb0bfdbad-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_08_10&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f36db9c480-eeb0bfdbad-66410861&ct=t(Newsletter_8_10_2017)&mc_cid=eeb0bfdbad&mc_eid=7c3a5a6b6a

Dog Symbolism & Meaning

I don't know you, but I do believe in spiritual guides or angels. They are that invisible energy around us that watch over us, protect us, and provides guidance in the way of insight and/or intuition.
Many believe our ancestor becomes these spiritual guides, and others, like me, believe that animals also spiritual angels that can enter our lives with a purpose if we let them.

When dog chooses to act as a spiritual guide or angel, it's purpose is protection, bravery, alertness, devotion, and constancy (https://whatismyspiritanimal.com/spirit-totem-power-animal-meanings/mammals/dog-symbolism-meaning/). There are people that believe that dogs, like people, have souls and "will reunite with their counterpart in the afterlife".

I read that dogs are those animals that share 97% of their genes with wolves and coyotes, and that they probably were the first animales to be domesticated. I did not have idea about this, did you?...
(http://www.pure-spirit.com/)

Mayan dog

In Mayan culture dogs were important and used as offerings to their gods. In some Native American tribes dogs are honored as symbols of protective powers and loyalty.

Anubis

In ancient Egypt believed gods were connected to nature, to the elements (sparelives.org), and to animals. They actually believed that many of their gods and goddesses were reincarnated on earth in animal form. Anubis, the jackal-dog god, sometimes depicted in human form was one of the most prominent gods of ancient Egypt

After the Hunt by David Neal (1838-1915)

In our current Western culture dogs have more elaborated relationships with humans; they become domesticated for companionship, trained for hunting, cherished as part of the family, and sign of wealth (depending on their breed). They continue to symbolize guidance, protection, loyalty, watchfulness, and love.