LADY OF THE DEAD

El Día de los Muertos (“Day of the Dead”) evolved from Aztec festivals and become sythesized with traditions of the Spanish invaders.  In Aztec mythology, “Mictecaihuatl,” which literally translated means “Lady of the Dead,” is queen of the underworld (“Mictlan”). In contemporary times, Mictecaihuatl presides over el Día de los Muertos.  Aztec myth is that she was born and then sacrificed as an infant. Mictecacihuatl was represented as a body without flesh and with an open mouth, enabling her to swallow the stars during the day.

MICTECAIHUATL- “LADY OF THE DEAD” – CODEX BORGIA – “DAMA DE LOS MUERTOS”

The role of Mictecaihuatl is to rule the afterlife, guarding the bones of the dead and reigning over their festivals.  Watching over the bones was important,  because it was the bones of the dead from past worlds that were used to create the first humans of this world.  The belief of the Aztecs was that the bones of this world might be needed to create people in a future world.

The Codex Borgia (Codex Yoalli Ehēcatl) is a Mesoamerican ritual and divinatory manuscript presumably written before the Spanish conquest and ultimately taken to Italy.  It is named after the Italian cardinal, Stefano Borgia, who owned it before it was purchased by the Vatican Library.
Images on the Codex Borgia were painted on the front and back of animal skins folded into 39 sheets, totaling thirty-five feet.  Read from right to left, it features eighteen pages of astronomical narrative illustrating the annual alerteration of the dry and rainy seasons.

My cousin Brad interpreted “Mictlan” and a calavera (skull) in a lifesize oil painting entitled “IDES OF MICTLAN:”

“IDES OF MICTLAN” – LIFE SIZE (CALAVERA) OIL PAINTING BY BRADFORD OVERTON www.bradfordoverton.com

Day of the Dead altars were on display on the malecón and in the exterior corridors of the former city hall  (“ex-presidencia”) for four days.

DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS- PASILLO DE LA EX-PRESIDENCIA

I was surprised to see one constructed for Bobby Kennedy, as well as for two animal species that have become extinct.  The altar for Elizabeth Taylor basically had only a small bowl holding three overripe bananas and another small bowl of chili peppers.  She might have preferred some chocolate.

Having been told that there would be mariachis at the main city cemetery at 7 PM on November 1st, el Diá de los Ángeles, we went there.

UNA CALAVERA PINTADA EN UN PARED DEL CEMETERIO PARA EL DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS.  SKULL PAINTED ON ONE OF THE WALLS OF THE CEMETERY.

The gate of the cemetery in colonia 5 de  cemetery looked sweet and serene under a pale crescent moon.  There was nevertheless a slightly festive atmosphere outside the gate, with food, drinks, real and plastic flowers and funeral wreaths being sold to the crowd.

EL CEMETERIO PRINCIPAL DE VALLARTA – LA NOCHE DEL DÍA DE LOS ÁNGELES Y EL DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS

 We returned the following evening at the same time, but there were no mariachis.  The only music was provided by a young man in a red cotton shirt playing his guitar as he sat on a cement tombstone  surrounded by a young family and friends.

CANTANDO EL DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS – EL CEMETERIO DE LA COLONIA 5 DE DICIEMBRE

Part of the ground in the cemetery has been cemented over.  The rest is rubble, and without a single blade of grass anywhere.  It is a very overpopulated place in a state of disrepair.

VILLA DE GUADALUPE:  After driving north to the municipality of Pitillal, Villa de Guadalupe is about and 18 block climb east, heading towards the foothills.  The colonia is quiet and clean and the donated location for the clinic was wonderful – in a very large, airy rental space (“salon para eventos”) covered with a tin roof.

RENTAL LOCATION DONATED FOR VILLA DE GUADALUPE CLINIC.  “SOFI” IS THE DOG UNDER ANESTHESIA IN THE PHOTO.  ESPACIO DONADO PARA LA CLÍNICA Y “SOFI” ES LA PERRA ESPERANDO CIRUGÍA.

STERILIZATIONS AT CLINIC IN VILLAS DE GUADALUPE –  NOVEMBER 2-5

Female dogs: 44; Male dogs: 14; Female cats: 25;  Male cats: 19

TOTAL: 103

JANICE PARKER DONÓ 14 COLLARES Y 9 CORREAS UTILIZADOS – VILLA DE GUADALUPE

DONATIONS TO PEACEANIMALS: Michael Turner – $50 USD (monthly donation)
Janice Parker- 14 used dog collars and 9 used leashes

YOU AND YOUR DOG/DOGS ARE INVITED TO THE 11TH ANNUAL PET PICNIC:  Sunday, Decmber 3rd at 11 AM at Daiquiri Dick´s.  The fun and popular event includes boxed lunch (tip included), dog treats, raffle and costume contest at 12 noon.  Net proceeds benefit the free, mobile spay/neuter clinics of PEACEAnimals.  Tickets are 350 pesos in advance or 400 pesos at the door,  and can be purchased at Daiquiri Dick´s on los Muertos beach (Olas Altas #314) Tel:  322 222 0566  Thank you to event organizers, Laura Gelezunas and Tari Bowman, owner of Daiquiri Dick´s.

PET PICNIC

EDUCATION PROGRAM:  Leslie Caratachea, vet tech and director of PEACEAnimals education program, presented to 120 students at the Emilano Zapata school in Pitillal on November 1.

“SKANKY” – VIEJO CIEGO GATO DE LA CALLE ADOPTADO AL FIN

ADOPTED:  “Skanky,” the carousing, fighting street cat that became tame and loving with food and time.  And he became an old cat in the ten years I´ve known him. Alex Andriadis, owner of Rivera del Río and Garlands del Río (small hotels on the río cuale) very kindly agreed to adopt this affectionate, beaten-up street cat.

ALEX CON “SKANKY”

When he took Skanky for a check-up this week, the vet confirmed that Skanky is completely blind, had eye and ear infections, was missing teeth and had suffered a head injury, probably from being hit by a car, and that he was, in fact,  a “miracle cat.”

Alex and his partner have a dog, five ferrets and two hedgehogs and says that Skanky just lies very still when the small animals crawl over him.  Accustomed to living under a car, Skanky still feels safest staying under the bed.

ALEX HOLDING ONE OF HIS TWO HEDGEHOGS

SOS!  I saw the small black dog that looked part Xolo pawing through trash and called out to it. Almost always when I do this, the dog or cat runs away.  This dog trotted over to me and when I sat down on the curb, ran circles around me and then tried to sit on my lap. She followed me home, where I spent an hour picking engorged ticks out of her ears, and then took her to Dr. Tamayo, our excellent vet, who gave her the five-in-one vaccine.   On the following morning, I took her to the PEACEAnimals clinic in Villa de Guadalupe to be spayed and treated for fleas, ticks and parasites. Dr. Anthony said she had been hit by a car, which is why her left hind leg was less muscular than the right.   I gave her the name of “Sofi,” because her choice was to come home with me instead of running away.  She is a loving dog and needs a loving home.  I will have to take her to the Acopio on Monday if I can´t find a foster or permanent home before then.  Number there is 293 3690 if interested.

“SOFI” BUSCANDO ALIMENTO EN LA BASURA – YA ESTÁ PARA ADOPCIÓN EN EL CENTRO DE ACOPIO.  293-3690 –  TIENE 8 MESES Y PARECE QUE ES PARTE XOLO.  DULCE, ATLÉTICA, JUGETONA Y INTELIGENTE.    ESTÁ VACUNADA Y ESTERILIZADA.  NECESITA HOGAR.  ALAS, I CANNOT KEEP MORE PETS.  SOFI IS AT THE CENTRO DE ACOPIO AND IS FOR ADOPTION.  SHE Will MAKE A DEVOTED AND PLAYFUL PET.

SOFI PARA ADOPCIÓN EN EL CENTRO DE ACOPIO – SWEET, PLAYFUL, AFFECTIONATE AND SMART.

En route to the clinic, I stopped at Costco to pick up Janice Parker, vacationing from Victoria, Canada. She had contacted me a couple of years ago wanting help in finding a rescued Chichuachua to adopt. She adopted two.  Recently she contacted me again saying she would be returning to Puerto Vallarta and would like to volunteer at one of our clinics.  Janice helped me pick ticks off of Sofi, and on her own, did the same for other dogs and monitored the vital signs of cats and dogs in recovery. She was impressed when Dr. Anthony showed her the small incision he makes on the female dogs, pointing out that sutures are all inside and self-absorbant.  After being spayed, female dogs are “tattooed” in purple ink over the incision. As hair will soon grow back and cover the tattoo, the dog will have been anesthetized and shaved before a vet could see that the dog had already been sterilized.

SIEMPRE CIRUGÍA EXCELENTE – POCA SANGRE- INCISIÓN PEQUEÑA – SUTURAS DENTRO. – RECUPERACIÓN RÁPIDA –  ALWAYS EXCELLENT SURGERY – VERY LITTLE BLOOD – SMALL INCISION- SUTURES INSIDE – FAST RECOVERY –  “SOFI”

Sterilization at PEACEAnimals clinics takes approximately 10 minutes for male cats and dogs and 15 minutes for females.  There are vets here who simply remove the uterus and leave the ovaries.  They are not always easy to extract,  as they are quite small and can also rupture.  This of course means that although the animal cannot get pregnant, she will still come into heat and therefore be at great risk for sexual contact with a male.   In Mexico, this can cause death for a dog,  due to the prevalance of sexually transmitted diseases, i.e., TVT, brucella, FIV and fluek.

FOR PET OWNERS – CERTIFICATES OF STERILIZATION WITH INSTRUCTIONS RE POST-OP CARE AND CONTACT FOR DR. POLI.  PARA LOS DUEÑOS DE LAS MASCOTAS – CERTIFICADOS DE ESTERILIZACIÓN CON INSTRUCCIÓNES COMO CUIDAR A LAS MASCOTAS DESPUÉS DE CIRUGÍA Y CONTACTO PARA DR. POLI

Janice returns home to Canada in another week, and will be taking three MexPup dogs to temporary and permanent homes there.

LESLIE – VILLA DE GUADALUPE

AMAZONSMILE – PEACEAnimals is able to receive donations from Amazon Smile under the umbrella of Banderas Bay Charities, Inc. Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the charitable organizations selected by their customers.  This is a very simple way to help fund our clinics:    https://smile.amazon.com/ch/47-4752247   

If you would like PEACEAnimals to be the charity receiving a percentage of your purchases on AmazonSmile, please list Banderas Bay Charities, Inc.  PEACEAnimals receives all these donations. 

GREATERGOOD – PLEASE CLICK!  Your daily clicks or direct donations help animals, people and the planet.  www.greatergood.org; www.greatergood.com  To donate specifically to PEACEAnimals, please click on:  http://bit.ly/1cWY0lP

GATITOS RECUPERANDO DESPUÉS DE CIRUGÍA – VILLA DE GUADALUPE

PLEASE CHECK OUR WEBSITE, FB PAGE OR BLOG FOR NEW DATES AND LOCATIONS.  FAVOR DE CHECAR NUESTRO WEBSITE, PÁGINA EN FB O BLOG PARA NUEVAS FECHAS Y HOGARES.

November 9-12 – La Peñita, Nay.  (Pets for Life)

November 16-19 – Col. la Floresta – calle laurel #1119 esquina rosas  

November 23-26 –  Altavela, Nayarit

November 30- December 3 – Ixtapa – en la delegación

December 7-10 – San Pancho, Nayarit (Pets for Life)

December 14-17 – San Blas, Nayarit (Pets for Life)

December 21-January 4, 2017 – CHRISTMAS VACATION

2017

January 11-14, 2017 – Bucerias, Nayarit (Pets for Life) 

February 8-11, 2017 – El Tuito

LESLIE CON UNA DE 4 CACHORRITAS – PREPARANDOLA.  LAS HERMANITAS Y SU MAMÁ ESTÁN PARA ADOPCIÓN.   ONE OF FOUR BEAUTIFUL SISTERS  PLUS THEIR MOTHER FOR ADOPTION.

CALENDAR FOR SPECIAL SUNDAY ONE-DAY CLINICS ON THE ISLA CUALE, WHERE SO MANY CATS AND KITTENS ARE ABANDONED.  PURO GATO WILL HOLD ADOPTIONS ON THE ISLA FROM 11-2 ON THESE SAME DATES.  THE CLINICS OPEN AT 9 AM.  ARRIVE EARLY!

            Diciembre 4- domingo – PURO GATO

THE GROUPS LISTED ABOVE  HAVE HIRED AND WILL PAY PETS FOR LIFE 4,500 PESOS FOR THE STERILIZATION OF 30 ANIMALS.  IF NUMBERS ARE GREATER,  THE SAME ORGANIZATIONS WILL REQUEST DONATIONS FROM THEIR SUPPORTERS TO MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE. For each cat or dog over the number 30,  sponsors of the Sunday clinics will be charged 150 pesos.

January 7, 2017 – October 2017 –  ANONYMOUS DONOR HAS DONATED  FUNDS (SPAY/NEUTER FOR 30 CATS AND DOGS) TO PEACEANIMALS  FOR 10 SUNDAY CLINICS ON THE ISLA CUALE.   

TRANQUILAZADO ANTES DE ESTERILIZACIÓN – VILLA DE GUADALUPE

DR. POLI Y DR. PACHECO – VILLA DE GUADALUPE

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPONSOR A ONE-DAY SUNDAY CLINIC ON THE ISLA CUALE, THE COST IS ONLY 4,500 PESOS TO STERILIZE 30 CATS AND DOGS.  PLEASE CONTACT SHANN[email protected]

Please “like” PEACEAnimals and Calle Cero on FaceBook.

LINEA DESIGNADA PARA DIRECIÓNES Y COMO LLEGAR (EN ESPAÑOL) A LAS CLÍNICAS CADA SEMANA:   (322) 113 3955

PARA REPORTAR ABUSO A LOS ANIMALES –  293 3690