It might not seem that way from looking at her, but Shasta is 12 or 13 years old. Shasta was a runaway bitch in heat when she joined the MF'n family in the year 2000, so never been quite exactly how old she is.
But in her 13 years, Shasta has seen more of the world, and sniffed the butts of more animals than most dogs know exist. To name a few of her exploits, Shasta has been sprayed by a manatee along the coast and bitten the horn of a buffalo in the Badlands. This dog has travelled to 45 states and most of Canada. She has toured the back stage area of the circus in Miami and visited Zoo's in Washington D.C., Salt Lake City, and Los Angeles.
Shasta is a big reason why this blog started, and it was walking with the dog through the back alleys and train tracks in Florida that sparked our interest in graffiti and street art. Shasta is why M&F explores more on-the-ground territory than any other street art site pretty much anywhere--we just follow the dog. And we have always felt that the highest form of either is beautified marking of territory. Its primal. Like a dog pissing.
For the first time Shasta is starting to show signs of growing old with her eyes developing cataracts, and her hips cannot climb hills anymore, but her spirit is still willing. Shasta is a good example of how someone may be dying--indeed we are all dying, but live the good life while you are here . . .
Dig this custom dollar bill from Chod. Placed on the corner of Melrose and Fairfax. And really dig the shots of Shasta in this series, which is what led to her being featured on this post.
Click the jump for more. Live while alive. And Stay Up!
