The Artist Presently Known As Ed

Buberian advent

Everyone say hi to Buber the Dog. He wants to be your friend. He became our best buddy in August 2007, just about the time we celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary.

Buber at the shelter cage

Yup, the last kennel we looked in. Had we started by going left from the lobby, we would have met him first. But we took the right entrance to the horseshoe-shaped kennel courtyard, and found him last. We had almost given up for the day, trying to find an older dog who looked good and wasn’t a pit bull (which were in sad abundance there). So this is about how we found him, in a completely undignified cage, sharing with another dog, but in a room with probably ten dogs. He pulled up next to the cage and just sat to be petted and his look was so darling, patiently sending vibes that he found us as much as Kelli knew we found him. So we tried to pet him a bit through the cage, and he just soaked it up. No barking. No fuss. Just patient love. Total Buber.

It took two days for us to get him while the hold period passed. We got to the shelter in quick order after calling in and finding there were no competing offers to pick him up. So it was a no-brainer at that point. We got to meet him properly in the outdoor enclosure. He isn’t much for fetching or balls or toys or anything. Nope, just love. And food. He is rather portly, shall we say. If I had to quote the real Martin Buber, but just change a word, I would say, “all real living is eating” (meeting). He may have worked with Pavlov or something because he knows what kitchen activity means! But before that, we checked out of the shelter.

Buber sign and book

Kelli and I had already pretty much decided on the name “Buber” because we both dig the writer-philosopher Martin Buber. But what we could not have bargained for was that just as we were talking about the name on the way into the animal shelter, we would turn a corner and see this on a placard mounted to a post along the courtyard walkway. Even more amazing is that we decided on this name because he had eyes that just peered into the soul, and in my mind, even the first time I saw him in the kennel, I noticed that he had the knowing gaze that peers out from the cover of my copy of Martin Buber’s I and Thou. While the picture on the book is black and white, I can’t tell for sure that the mature Buber has a salt-and-pepper beard, but I would suppose maybe he had, and here we had this beautiful face staring at us, in the last kennel we looked in…

Disco Buber

On the way out, I found how strong he was, but with comic effect because he was on the polished concrete floor chasing a rabbit that was in a nearby pen. He was content to try to race under the waiting room chairs and through people’s legs, but since he is built like a tank, he didn’t flinch at my pulling clear the other way. Then we got him out of there finally. A few older folks were entering as we were leaving, and they asked about him and we said we just adopted him. One of the ladies just gave Kelli a big hug and congratulated and thanked her for such a deed. We were off with a good well-wishing.

Eeyore and Buber

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Buber in Kelli's trunk

Buber loves Kelli so much he'll do anything for her, including jumping into her trunk on her school commute mornings. I had heard of this for a while before I saw it myself, and it was indeed too cute to believe. The red bag is something Buber fears, for it means that essentially he is about to be cut off from his oxygen supply or something. Kelli's commute to school was a weekly affair and lasted three days in most cases.

Kelli kisses Buber in Kelli's trunk

By the time we got Buber, Kelli's weekly commute was already a regular part of four semesters. She still had three more, so the poor pup had to put up with her weekly comings and goings. Hey, if I would have fit into the trunk, I might have followed his lead. Parting is such sweet sorrow.

Buber on the autumnal porch

The house where Buber joined us initially had a fence but no gate to seal off the driveway. But Buber was found to be so loyal that eventually we trusted him to stay in the yard even if there was a garage sized security hole. He took to sunning on the porch and out by the garage, or out on the lawn. He's such a good dog. He doesn't bark except at the random cat passing by the window. He doesn't dig or chew or any of that. He just savors being with Kelli and me.

The Kelli-Buber conspiracy

Buber owns the bed. Kelli and I just use it. But sometimes those two are in league with each other and I have to struggle to claim my place.

Buber owns the sofa

He owns the sofa too...

Truck puppy

Being a mature older dog, Buber doesn't have demands for going out to play much. We do take him to the dog parks, and whenever he gets into a car, he is filled with electricity and buzzes with excitement. Ditto with my truck, but we don't have the space to carry him comfortably if both Kelli and I are inside. Taking him on a mountain tour was a big day for him, getting a chance to live his hunter dog birthright for a bit on the trails.

Kelli's birthday

Looking sharp like they're going out on the town on Kelli's birthday.

The skunk bath

We tend to grant Buber a lot of off leash freedom on our walks because he is usually pretty compliant. But on two occasions within one month in the summer after we got him, Buber managed to seek and piss off a skunk, who blasted him hard in the face. Good thing we knew about the special bath of hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and dish soap.

Hopeless romantic

Buber makes heart-melting gestures of love in the presence of Kelli. He is a velcro dog.

Side profile, English style

Buber can be trusted to get in your face. Every now and then, for some odd reason, the camera happens to be in the bed too.

Kelli preaches to Buber

Usually Buber does the spiritual direction by the innateness of his being. But once in a while, he listens to Kelli give a doggie sized sermon.

Smiley dog

Sometimes Buber is fantastically photogenic. Being a pretty docile and slower dog, he is good at being still enough for shots, often enough anyway.

Kitchen floor patrol

Buber in his native habitat: on the kitchen floor, a moment from scrounging for crumbs.

Gentleman's bed portrait

Buber is a very distinguished gentleman.

Buber into the light

One of the first pictures from when we got him home. That is, after he ran through our veggie garden and pissed all over the swiss chard. That's okay. I never ate the chard anyway.

Buber's arch nemesis, the skunk

On two occasions in a single month a scoundrel like this fellow was Buber's archnemesis. I call it "black and white on black and white crime."