It's Time for Dia de los Muertos again!

We are approaching the end of October, and you know what that means! More poorly taken photos from the local museum's Day of the Dead exhibit!

A detail from an altar that incorporated a mound of dirt in its design. I love the tiny heart clutched in his little boney hand.

Carnival

I really liked this carnival painting done on an old piece of wood, probably from some barn or shack. The carnival theme reminds me of the Carnival of Souls idea, and it seems to honor the folk art tradition of the Dia de Los Muertos art. It seems pretty primitive until you notice the careful use of perspective on the Ferris wheel and the carousel.

Why do the dead never have necks?

This artist has seen too many Tim Burton movies.

This altar was in memory of Captain America who died, at least in comic book world, earlier this year.

This jolly fellow was painted by the artist in memory of his father who was a doctor who loved being physically active.

This year many of the altars were in memory of pets. These people created little tombstones for all of their departed furry friends.

Skeleton cat

Here's a skeleton cat chewing on a skeleton mouse.

Scampers

I had a cat for over seventeen years named Moxie. She passed away about five years ago, and ever since I've made do with poor substitutes for pets. I've had mice, Betta fish, and brine shrimp. However, I haven't had the type of pet you can play and cuddle with for a very long time. I grew up with animals, and I've always had a pet, and I miss not having one.

A few weeks ago I was following a couple of friends of mine as they drove in a van towards a local school where one of my friends had just started a new job. I was in my own car. Suddenly, they swerved to the side of the road, and one of my friends jumped out of the car and began to run back the way we had just come. I couldn't see what she was pursuing, but when she returned I saw that she had a small orange and white kitten. "Oh no," I said to myself. That cat is not coming home with me.

Of course, in the end, he did.

I think I knew all along in the back of my mind that I wouldn't be keeping him. But he was seriously cute, and I wasn't about to leave him by the side of the road. He came home with me that night and promptly hid in a hole in my baseboard I never knew was there. So he spent most of Friday night hding in my wall. I was finally able to lure him out and we soon became friends. After a quick visit to the vet Saturday morning for shots and a check-up, Scampers was officially mine-at least for the moment.

My primary concern with keeping Scampers was the size of my apartment, and the fact that I am gone most of the day. This soon proved to be a problem because Scampers was a kitten with an extraordinary amount of energy. When I would finally come home in the evenings, he was ready to play. I was ready for bed. I knew this was a situation that wasn't going to work for either of us.

Fortunately, a friend of mine knew of a woman who already had two kittens. She welcomed the idea of having a third, and I thought it would be good for Scampers to have playmates. So far, it has bgeen working out well

Scampers at his most adorable. This photo was taken the day after he began his stay with me.

Desperate for fun, Scampers took to hiding in my laundry basket.

Scampers home

Scampers taking his first trip outside at his new home.

Scampers enjoying the outdoors at his new home.