It's tough to keep up with the energy of a golden retriever, much less three of them. But, oh my gosh the fun! ... and, the connection that these girls have with their owner and their housemates is so wonderful to witness. Lola, Maya and Bea are three of six dogs who share a home. At first you might think, six dogs in one family? But, after spending a few hours with them, I can tell you that they are one big happy family, and if even one were absent for a night the others would notice and miss her. (Oh, and did I mention they are all girls?) Lola got her name from the phrase, Lots Of Love Always... and, it shows. She is pure and she is golden and I'm pretty sure she will never run out of love for anyone and everyone who becomes part of her family. She's a social butterfly and will make you feel welcome simply by being near you. (and oh, that smile!) Maya is the younger of the three girls and can be a loner of sorts, taking her toy off to her bed away from the others. Don't let this fool you though, she has lots of energy and is an amazing frisbee player (ok, catcher... for you more literal people like my husband). Maya is that kid who would rather explore by herself than play cards with the rest of the family, but she's right there with them when it matters. (Honestly, I think it's more that she doesn't have time to wait on anyone else once she gets it in her head that she wants to see or do something. I get it, Maya!) Then there's Bea. Bea is the older-wiser sister who was not sure about me being in her house at first. She would lay on the couch with her favorite blankets and watch as I introduced myself to the other girls. When we went outside Bea seemed a little more comfortable, but once we hopped in the truck to go for a ride, her spirits came alive. It was all good times from then on. These girls are so beautiful and fun. Just look at those faces! I had such fun getting to know these three and I'm pretty sure they had fun, too. This was the last image that I took before I left their house and I think it confirms "the fun." ;O)
0 Comments
There once was a little princess. Like any other one year old, this princess rules the house, but only under the watchful eyes of her royal canine playmates, Sir Maverick and Dame Ally. These two love the princess. She reads to them and serves them tea! To show their gratitude, Sir Maverick and Dame Ally play with the little princess, protect her, and do their best to keep her clean (well, mostly clean). When the princess has had her fill of fun for the afternoon, it's time for a little nap so she can dream about adventures with her royal playmates. (Although, on this particular day that part may very well have happened on the car ride home.) Take care of her, royal canines, for little princesses grow up way too fast.
You would never know it by watching her, but this golden girl was not always a happy go lucky pup. Molly is a dog who was passed from one shelter to the next until she ended up in Garden City where her mom found her. She was told at the shelter that Molly was one of Michael Vick's dogs, and that the scars on her face are the result of her life as a bait dog. But, for some reason when you're around Molly, you really don't notice them. They seem to just be part of who she is... a senior dog with the most infectious smile who really does enjoy life. Molly is almost 15 years old now. She was diagnosed with cancer over a year ago, and still, she smiles, she runs (sometimes showing her affection for tall men by chasing them, ehem) and most of all she's happy. Molly loves to be around people and even watches movies with her family. What's her favorite? The Secret Life of Pets, of course. You know how some dogs will plant their paw on you whenever you're near? They like you! Well, look at Molly's tail in this next picture.... "because every picture tells a story" Molly is such an inspiration. Despite many obstacles (starting with being born a pitbull) she has been through a lot, but still it's obvious that she loves being a dog. She loves to play ball, she thinks rolling in the grass is the next best thing to sliced bacon, and she loves being with her family (and two doggie siblings). They love you, too Molly... and I'm honored to have met you.
I have been hogging all the fun lately and decided that it was time to share. :O) This is Phoebe - or Phoebes, or Phoebette, depending on who you ask. She had her mom fooled thinking that she only walked around with her head down checking out everything that was at her feet. Well, just look at that face! Phoebe is only 2 years old and already she's a silent poser. She might let you think she doesn't know what she's doing, but... well, take a look for yourself. Phoebe is a joy to her family. She is so appreciative, too. When she gets a new toy, it's her favorite for days. She is a mama's girl and a bit of a clinger, but her mom doesn't mind at all. She is sweet and loving and playful; what more could one ask for.
Enjoy the summer Phoebe, green is a good look for you. ;O) This handsome young dog goes by the name Gus. He was my last session for 2016 and thus my year ended with love. Look at those eyes and you'll know what I mean. Gus was originally told that he should be a guide dog, and in fact was the poster puppy for his school. However, it seems that Gus had other plans in mind. His plans included Emily in his life so somehow he managed to eloquently squirrel his way out of school (completely intentional of course). Now, Gus goes to work with Emily at a doggie daycare (pretending to be in charge), and he insists on accompanying Emily during her travel and hiking adventures. (Do you even know how lucky you are, Gus?) I first saw Gus at the Dog Swim this past summer. He is an amazing jumper. He loves the water and it appears that he's just as happy in the snow. No one can deny that Gus is a beautiful dog, but I don't think that he knows just how handsome he really is. His world revolves around Emily and the two of them have a connection that is felt by anyone who sees them together. Gus, you are a special dog with a special human and I'm so glad you found each other... It's a gift so keep smiling.
It's always hard when we lose a pet, but at the holidays it seems tougher still. I had the privilege of spending time with these pups and I know how much they are missed. You were my favorite hello and my hardest goodbye. I met Susie in August. She was used for breeding before her owners brought her to live with them so she never really knew how great it could be to be a dog. Susie was a quiet dog, very shy, and would follow her mom from room to room. She learned what love was as she had two little boys who adored her. Susie would go camping with her family and watch from the sidelines during the boys' soccer games. Besides belly rubs, I think her reward for her previous hardships was that she knew she was finally where she belonged. Earlier in July I had a wonderful session with Maggie, (who went by the more stately name of Margaret during her senior years ). She was devoted to her owner and lived a very full life with him. She was a sweet, energetic pup who grew up loving tennis balls, her stuffed monkey, car rides and cheese. She was very attached to her human and they enjoyed hanging out together. Maggie was a wonderfully spoiled dog right up till the end . . . (as they all should be ). You might remember a certain Vikings fan named Sophie . . . She, too has walked over the rainbow bridge to run and play to her hearts content. Sophie didn't play fetch, but she liked to play ball on the floor by pushing it back to her owners when they would roll it to her. She was so cute and I'm guessing that those warm eyes of hers saw more smiles than a dog could wish for. She was so very loved and she knew it . . . you could see it in her little westie face. All three of these pups were living out their last few weeks when we did a session. I'm so thankful that I got to meet them. Like all of the pets I do sessions with, I think of them when I encounter certain things. I will always think of Susie when I see daisies; red convertibles will always bring Maggie to mind; and I heard a goose the other day and immediately thought of Sophie and her sister Sage. (You had to be there.) ;O) Peace and love to our furry friends and their families. "Blessed is the person who has earned the love of an old dog."
-Sydney Jeanne Seward These two girly girls had a great time at their session. They mostly stay close to home playing in the back yard and going on walks around the neighborhood, but on this day they headed out to the park and sniffed and sniffed and explored and sniffed and investigated and sniffed. Sophie enjoyed all the new sights and smells and Sage was VERY interested in the geese that were outdoing me in the noise maker department. (I wonder, can a person hire a goose to help out during the busy season?) I don't know if they realize it or not, but Sophie and Sage are big Vikings fans. . . or maybe it's just their owners that they're big fans of. No matter which it is, they do look good in purple. Enjoy the game, girls and make sure you get snacks during halftime. ;O)
Those eyes! The most loved teddy bears have eyes like hers. That perfect little stance with her paws just so. Those tri-colored ears . . . how cool is that?! All of these physical characteristics are just enhanced by Maesa's fun-loving personality. Last winter Maesa was a snow bunny on the blog bounding off into the enchanted forest looking for adventures. Although winter is her favorite, I have to say she wears fall very well. No matter what the leaf . . . it seems to be her color. Maesa was very willing to let me capture all of her typical doggie tricks putting her own spin and personality into them. (Well, yes I had treats.) She even demonstrated her treeing skills when she saw a squirrel in the park. She's quite good at it! (And, Dash I now know that you don't have to be loud enough to wake the neighbors when you tree a squirrel. I'm on to you.) Maesa is such a spunky little thing. . . playing chase with Tigger, meeting new pups in the park; she's very loving with her owner and she can also be a little diva when she wants to. (She really does need a tiara in this picture.) Maesa is the perfect mix of sass and sophistication. And, did I mention that she's a curious pup? I don't think it matters what season it is, Maesa will always be looking for the next adventure. (Do you think she's looking for snow? I think she's looking for snow.) It will be here soon enough, Maesa. Let's enjoy the leaves while we can.
This beautiful girl is called Raya. She was such a wonderful model and I think she had fun being in front of the camera. As with most huskies Raya has beautiful eyes and wonderful coloring. But those ears . . . . oh, those ears! I love them! They are so soft and fluffy and I have to say, I did a great job of showing restraint during our session. I had to ask Bethany how she pronounced Raya's name and it's pronounced RAY-ah. My first thought . . . a ray(a) sunshine. (No, I didn't say it out loud . . . I had just met this woman for pete's sake. Plus, it doesn't go over as well when you can't see it written.) It was obvious though from the get go that Raya really is a ray of sunshine. I did a little research later on and found that this puppy really does live up to her name. In Spanish, Raya can mean sunny ray. In Bulgarian it means heaven. According to the Urban Dictionary Raya "spreads love around like peanut butter" and "her smile is contagious." I think the best by far though, is that the name Raya (origin: Hebrew) means . . . friend. You only have to see Raya with her owner for a second or two to know that it was the perfect name for her. Raya, Bethany has a wonderful friend in you and I wish you one sunny day after another.
This little girl is full of spunk and knows how to have fun. She LOVES the snow (YAY! ) and she loves to run. When I started going through her images I was worn out within minutes; she ran the entire session! lol What a beautiful ball of energy. Maesa Lou's session happened in quite a unique way . . . It was that morning in January when we all woke up to snow and frost everywhere. It was gorgeous! I had already been out taking pictures and returned home to start my day. I was working on my website when I got a phone call. I was asked about setting up a session so I asked a few questions and answered a few from her. When I asked if she had been to my website she replied with, "Yes, and I couldn't decide if I should contact you through your website (not knowing for sure when I might get the message) or just call because . . . today is a perfect day for it." This was a girl after my own dog loving heart. We can't predict days like that, so to actually be able to have a session on a day as perfect as it was . . . well, lets just say, if I had a tail to wag I probably would have hurt myself. We decided on a place to meet and I quickly (ok, frantically) packed up my gear, and we made it happen. Maesa Lou ran and ran and played and played. She greeted everyone that came by and then she resumed playing never missing a beat. I have no doubt that this little girl had a lot of fun at her session. It was a perfect day to be out with lots of new snow, beautiful frosted trees all around and no wind to freeze those of us who don't have fur. Maesa Lou, I know you will keep your owners on their toes during the rest of the winter and I wish you many snowy adventures together. ;O)
|
Quoted...I can't really get them to say "cheese," but I can almost always make them smile. -Kelly Categories
All
|