Today's my birthday

This is me on the left with my sister Terry who I wanted to be just like..

Paging Dr. Sparks, Dr. Sparks

Me in scrubs before going in to photograph the surgeon in action. I recently did a photo shoot at the Veterinary Specialty Hospital in Lynnwood. After spending 3 days photographing the staff, I can say these are an amazing group of dedicated professionals that I would trust my pets with anytime. 

Some of the real Drs. performing disc surgery.

Who's zoomin who?

Yours truly in action with super model Arlo at the train station shooting for the PAWS 2012 calendar

Arlo's perspective on the shoot

Cover girl Bonnie Mae

Here's the cover photo of Ms. Bonnie Mae that I photographed for the summer issue of City Dog Magazine. We were on top of the Hotel 1000 which is one of Bonnie Mae's private romping grounds. She was a natural and had amazing endurance for the hard life of a model. It was an auction item we donated for Homeward Pet. If you want to know about cool stuff for you and your pal pick up a subscription to City Dog. Get one here: www.citydogmagazine.com

Golden Retrievals

In his book of poetry called Sweet Machine,  a lovely poem by Mark Doty called "Golden Retrievals." 

Fetch? Balls and sticks capture my attention
seconds at a time. Catch? I don't think so. 
Bunny, tumbling leaf, a squirrel who's -- oh
joy -- actually scared. Sniff the wind, then 

I'm off again: muck, pond, ditch, residue
of any thrillingly dead thing. And you? 
Either you're sunk in the past, half our walk, 
thinking of what you never can bring back, 

or else you're off in some fog concerning
-- tomorrow, is that what you call it? My work: 
to unsnare time's warp (and woof!), retrieving,
my haze-headed friend, you. This shining bark, 

a Zen master's bronzy gong, calls you here,
entirely, now: bow-wow, bow-wow, bow-wow. 
 

The Great beyond...

Out walking the dogs I came across this seductive staircase. Maybe someday...

This is deep...

This handsome boy lives with a billionaire dad who offered to pay someone a million dollars to invent a non surgical neuter procedure. Interesting idea, way better than neuticals. As far as I know, the offer is still up for grabs!

Beauty is in the eye...

Here is an example of someone striving for beauty. Clearly they do not want dog poop on their grass. (old remedy to scare dogs away is to put milk jugs on the perimeter of your lawn) They feel that the jugs are more beautiful than the dog poop. But wait, the jugs originally were just plain old white last week. This week they have made it more beautiful by adding different colors to the water in the jugs. Maybe it's for easter...

Double Toe Hold

Short Performance by Me and Snookie

Here's a short video that my friend and amazing fellow photographer Anita Nowacka, www.anitanow.com did when she did a photo session with me and the girl, Snookie. 

My most favorite Christmas present.....

HANDERPANTS!  Friends (and obviously very good friends) brought me this most amazing gift back from down under....

No more guessing, boxers or briefs. Makes handholding so much more intimate. I couldn't be happier!

What a difference a day makes....

La Pine Oregon first morning

La Pine Oregon first mid afternoon

La Pine Oregon second morning

Chinatown

Just got back from a trip to San Francisco. We stayed right by the Chinatown gate. Here are a few samples of Chinatown signage that just killed me.

Someone's aspirations I am sure. Well apparently, there ARE Alumni.

How? or From what?

Is there something in Buddha's teachings about martini's?

Bonehenge

Well, at least, that's what Eddie and Snookie thought I said we were going to see when we stopped off at Sam Hill's replica perched above the Columbia River. Here's what he said in 1916 and it still is relevant today and always will be no doubt..."The project began when Hill was mistakenly informed that the original Stonehenge had been used as a sacrificial site. He thus constructed his replica as a reminder that "humanity is still being sacrificed to the god of war."

Bone sniffing dogs

Hmm, not a bone, but smells delicious!

Snookie overcome with reverence.

Default mode

Screw the bone angle, let's go find some poop.

If you're happy and you know it clap your hands...

I've never mentioned that we have two feline family members. Dizzy and Tuffy were feral kittens left behind by a neighbor. From garbage cans, to porch feedings, to cat housing, to darting in and out of the house quickly, to their own private bedroom safe and sound.

Tuffy, professional kneeder, keyboard typist, and chirper.

Dizzy, takes the term Lap Top literally. 

Tuffy, apparently the happy one, and Dizzy bearing witness.

My Dad

My dad, Stan, turned 93 years old on September 28th. My sister and I celebrated with him on a short road trip to Leavenworth. Here are a few snippets:

Although Stan is working on his watch band, he always has deep thoughts. One of which he shared with us this trip: "Nothing ever is destroyed, it only changes shape. "

Stan's essentials

Cat in a basket in Tonasket

Truckers

Stan and Terry keenly observing people in the Cottage Cafe over pie

Stan's dad's cabin originally built in the 1930's in Easton.

Famous landmark 

High Tailing it out of here!

Driving on Rainier Avenue behind this truck. Guess it must have been a one trick pony...

Blog Paralysis

Yes it's true. It's a slippery slope. First a week goes by simply because there's no time. Then another. And then it seems too complicated. And finally, it becomes monumental. I'm talkin "blog entry paralysis". Well, I'm breakin the cycle. Yup, breakin it with an image that I find to be interesting. It's of Tika and Koko, two shepherds on a bed in very soft focus. Some might even say out of focus. Some might even say "it's the Twillight Zone".

Has She Gone Plum Logo?

Trying to come up with a new logo for dogphotography.com So being a literal type of gal, I thought I would start with a dog and photography. Well then I got a little crazy and replaced a camera for the photography part (thinking outside the ol box camera). And then I really went crazy...see what I mean?

Starting point

Blue mood

Margarinal

Did you say something?

Another starting point

Face-off

I am becoming one with the camera

Schnoz competition

Lyle Lovett Sneer

I photographed Matilda yesterday. She's a cattle dog who recently had an aggressive form of cancer in her mouth that resulted in part of her jaw being removed. She is pain free, has a good prognosis,  and is full of piss and vinegar. Her mom, Tina, thinks Matilda now sports Lyle Lovett's sneer when she smiles.

Lyle Lovett's Sneer

Really happy about that hole she just dug

Cousin Arlo wondering if Matilda is a one trick pony

Fruits of her labor

Arlo moves on to more captivating stuff

Are you Lyle Lovett?

Davy Crockett