The Things We Take for Granted...Like Pug Kissin'

Last week before the art show, I met with Jon Katz and Maria Wulf for lunch to deliver my photographs. We got to talking and I mentioned an article I was writing about the upcoming Green Mountain Pug Rescue Pug Social.

"What's a Pug Social?" Jon asked, and I proceeding to tell him how it's a fundraiser for the rescue where 300 people and their pugs gather for a day of fun-filled activities.

"Such as?" he asked.

"You know, the usual...pug races, the kissing contest, and of course, the costume contest."

"Of course," he drawled, rolling his eyes at Maria.

Oh, no, I thought, these people think I'm crazy.

"My pug won the kissing contest," I bragged, hoping this honor might impress them.

"Tell me more," Jon said, clearly humoring me.

"Well, you know, we gather in a field and your pug starts kissing you, and the first one to stop gets kicked out until there's only one standing.

By this time both Maria and Jon were in stitches and I couldn't help but laugh myself. I was too far into the story to stop.

"Only, sometimes you get accused of cheating. My pug, Mira, was so orally fixated I got accused of cheating. She wouldn't stop even after everyone else left the ring and the judges called her the winner."

"Cheating?" Jon asked incredulous.

"Yeah, you know, they check to see if you have liver or hotdog in your mouth to make your pug keep kissing you."

"I see," he nodded.

I sighed, this obviously wasn't going where I expected. But, what did I expect? Somewhere things had taken a turn in what I viewed as a relatively straightforward conversation. It seems that while I am accostomed to people who spend months in advance preparing family costumes for the next big pug social, this is not something everyone experiences. It seems there are some things I've been taking for granted, like pug kissin'. Wait 'til I tell him about my pugs' graduation ceremony. Obviously, some people don't know what they're missing...yes, like pug kissin'.

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My What a Big Tongue You Have

Here's definitely a case where a picture says a 1000 words. These are photos of my friend Joan's pug Soup, who came to visit Alfie and me the other day. As Soup has aged her tongue has begun to hang out more and more. She also has interesting markings on her one side from when she sat against a heater as a young puppy and burned herself. Her markings have earned her some interesting nicknames -- Racing Stripe, Moccassin. Even Soup isn't her real name. Originally, she was named after Moses' wife in the Bible, Zipporah and for a very brief time, Zip. Soup evolved from that.

Through a Child's Eyes

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So you all know by now just how much I love taking photos. I enjoy the excitement of trying to get that perfect shot that captures the emotions of the moment. I have taken classes and continue to try to improve my skills. It is a humbling blow to the ego then when I hand the camera to a four-year-old or a seven-year-old or a 10-year-old and they take shots that just naturally do what I've been trying to do. It is also an awesome experience. The camera teeters, they crouch down low and you worry that they'll drop that expensive piece of equipment that you sold your soul to get. They forego the strap, touch every button but the shutter button with very sticky fingers, but these photos are the result. Maybe not as focused as they could be, a critic could certainly offer some critique, but Tori, Avery and Raine, the nieces and nephews responsible for these shots, certainly caught the moment. Tori took the shot of me and Vader the week before he died. Her mom was away and we had these special moments when we took Vader for walks (in a baby stroller!) and she would ask me how long until Vader goes to heaven as if he was preparing for a grand vacation. Raine took the one of Alfie and me last night and his brother Avery caught the trio of us -- Tori, Alfie and me. I love these photos not because they are perfect but because they are perfectly realized.

Anointing the Goddess

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It's a busy week. Spent tonight getting my collages ready for the Pig Barn Show. When I first started creating them, a friend told me my collages reminded her of bookcovers so I've been sending them out into the world with short descriptive stories ever since. Had to create tags for those tonight as well as price tags.

The theme of the show is "Anointing the Goddess" and if that means celebrating the feminine than I believe my three pug collages do just that. First, they are of the three female pugs that I have owned. Second, these pieces are about body image and celebrating one's body and one's ability to dance. Many people consider pugs ugly. I know, shocking, right?! I think they are beautiful. It was partially this and my own insecurities with my body and those nightmarish gym classes that led me to combine the pug imagery with these little ballerinas. The three can be viewed as a set or individually so I decided to offer them both ways at the show. They are entitled "Come Dance with Me," "Don't Be Shy," and "You Know the Song."

...And, in the End...

Yesterday, I picked up Vader's ashes. Today, I visited a pet crematorium for an article I am writing. At first, I thought about turning down the assignment, but then I realized I wanted to do it. I was curious. I visited the web site and saw that the place looked friendly, the owner had even created a wooded path for the communal remains of the pets whose owners couldn't claim them. When I arrived for the interview, I was greeted by two dogs, a five-year-old black Lab and it's 9-week-old yellow lab sibling. They danced around my car, fought over a bone, worked on establishing a pecking order. I talked to the owner about Vader, saw the inside of the crematorium and watched the dogs enjoying life.

Patiently Waiting

Not sure how much blogging I'll be doing while I'm away. I am bringing my Ipad, but not sure how skillful I will be in uploading photos to it. So, like my pug, Alfie, I hope you will be patiently waiting for me when I return!

Dappled Light

Walking Alfie the other day, I stopped to admire the way the dappled light fell through the trees and danced upon the path. It twinkled among the shadows, an otherworldly special effect. I wanted to capture it the way I used to catch lightening bugs in a jar. It remained elusive, pooling around Alfie in delicate splotches. This picture was the best I could do.

Look Up

On the day he died, I sat under this tree with Vader. Perhaps it was because he so seldom changed position, but as I held him I noticed how entranced he was with the sky. I decided to stretch him out on his back and I joined him. We sat there quietly, staring up at this tree, watching as the sun broke through the leaves. I noticed the delicate branches that thread amidst the canopy of green. I looked at Vader, who had entered a world all his own. He breathed quietly, content. I am not sure what he was seeing, but I know I would never have caught even a glimpse if I hadn't looked up. It is something I need to do more.

A Stuffed Dog

I adopted Vader from a longtime pug lover, Joan Foster. A year before I met her, her husband Charlie, a gregarious man, well-loved by everyone, died. The two used to raise and show pugs together and after Charlie's death, Joan began to take in more rescues and befriend many more people with other breeds of dogs. As the years went by and many of the pugs whom Charlie had raised died, we would comfort ourselves by saying "there goes another one to be with Charlie," or "I guess he's with Charlie now."

As more years passed and the rescues and her friends' dogs died, we would laugh by saying "Wonder what Charlie thinks of that one? He's probably saying, 'a poodle, Joaner, really a poodle?" Or when Ginger, the beagle-basset hound-pug mix passed, "Oh my, what do you think Charlie thinks of Ginger? I bet he's saying, 'Joaner, what have you gone and done now?'"

So you can imagine the smile amidst the tears, when my friend Norma called me up and reassured me that Vader was now with Charlie and when, after a pause, she asked, "Can you imagine what he thinks of Humpie Doggie? This tops it all.  He's probably saying 'Joaner, what have you gone and done now? A stuffed dog, Joaner, a stuffed dog?'"

Lifelong Companions-PG13

When Vader was a wee pup I bought him a stuffed dog to snuggle with because my other pug at the time, Buffy, would not tolerate him cozing up to her. When Vader grew older and his hormones kicked in, this big, fluffy dog turned from mere plaything to sexual object and earned her name -- "Humpie" Doggie. Vader, always a gentleman, would court her by licking her, leaving her snacks, cuddling her and then of course, having his way with her. Buffy liked it because she would later come by and eat the snacks Vader left for Humpie. Years later, after Buffy died, I found a pile of bones under Humpie's head and began to sneak them away so Vader wouldn't be disappointed. I really believe he thought she was for real.

When Vader grew old and lost the use of his legs, his yellow girlfriend became his pillow -- a means to prop him up as he fell over on his side. You could still find him licking her and cleaning her. Yesterday, when I took him to the vet for the last time, Humpie came with him and he passed away with his head on her neck. The vet informed me that if I wanted Humpie Doggie could be cremated with Vader and that's exactly what I did. After all, they were lifelong companions.