Posted on 11/07/2013 4:31:29 PM PST by Dysart
While caring for both of her aging parents, Philadelphia-based photographer Isa Leshko made a conscious decision not to photograph her family. But about a year later, while visiting a friend’s farm, she found herself drawn to an elderly horse. Since then, she has captured dozens of animals in their winter years, including farm animals, horses and dogs. Some of them are factory farm rescues; others beloved pets. Many of the animals passed away shortly after Leshko photographed them. She writes:
I am creating these photographs in order to take an unflinching look at aging and mortality. My maternal grandmother had dementia during her later years, and now my mom has it. I am scared of developing Alzheimer’s disease and I get nervous whenever I lose my keys or forget a person’s name. Photographing geriatric animals enables me to immerse myself in my fear of growing old. I have come to realize that these images are self-portraits. Or at the very least, they are manifestations of my fears and hopes about what I will be like when I am old.
(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.smithsonianmag.com ...
You, are Blessed.
I thank God every day for my many blessings.......and pray for the patience to endure them.
I lost my Sammy on October 4. He was a beautiful black kitty. I found him when he was 4 months old (age estimated by the vet). That was 20 years ago in September. Until late August, he was enjoying life...but he went downhill suddenly. We all miss him so very much.
Oh, but they do.
Yes, of course they do, after their death on earth. I just mean why can’t they live longer on earth with us.
My kitty Heidi is 18. She gets slower and stiffer week by week now. I dread what’s to come, but I try to appreciate the here and now.
I’ve got to quit opening these threads. The monitor always gets blurry for some unknown reason.
Here’s my 13 year old Charity. Sorry the photo is distorted.
http://www.gsroc.org/2013/detail.gsr?id=1935
She acts more like 13 months old, not 13 years old.
She’s a beauty. I love GS’s. You two are lucky to have each other :-)
I also have a GS male. Sorry, another distorted photo.
http://www.gsroc.org/2013/detail.gsr?id=2050
He’s a head turner also because of his long body and dark color.
Both dogs love people.
He’s a handsome one! Did you adopt both, or are you fostering?
Both were adopted by me. I am a “foster failure” on both.
Our animals tend to live long, happy lives. We had a lab who lived to be 17 and our cat is a happy 18 years *young*.
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