Yep, that's just where today went .. to the dogs. It was once again 100º and the dogs were moping around the house like kids who hadn't gotten to go to the playground in a while. So we took the dogs to the Sparks Marina (puppy playground) where they got to play with other dogs, swim, get treats and lots of love from friendly strangers, and just generally cool off and wear themselves out.

Not really much other news here. We went to see Mirrors yesterday ... awesome contemporary horror movie. Had all the good stuff ... good music, good story, twisty ending, heart-clenching scariness, including a little demon wall-walking. Gooood stuff. I would highly recommend it to any horror buff. By the time it was over, my energy was gone. We didn't do much yesterday afternoon but we did make a new Indian dish for dinner .. it was aaaaawesome. Sorry, didn't have the energy to shoot it (those of you who know me well know that's when I'm really down and out .. when I can't pick up a camera) - next time. We ended the night with a lot of geeky fun ... by sitting snuggled up on the couch, solving some of the puzzles in the brainteaser book Jeremy bought me last weekend. I'm being fitted with a pocket protector this week.

Today was pretty quiet. Breakfast, the dog park, some beer and bratwursts, laundry, vacuuming ... all fun stuff. Tomorrow I call the doc for another round of antibiotics. I'm also going back to the gym, though. Two weeks of inactivity is bad for the soul, and I think getting more active will help me fight my own battles (infections).

Hope you all had good weekends. Not much to mention here, but it always does us good to see happy puppies. :)

Something I've blogged about before, all the pets that are finding themselves "discarded" (for lack of a better term) with the rash of home foreclosures this country is seeing right now, is heartbreaking. Well, today's feel-good story is about a young Oregon girl, Mimi Ausland, who is making a difference to a lot of those displaced pets, and this time there's actually a way for YOU to help (and it doesn't involve sending money).

Click here to watch an under-3-minute video with Mimi's story about how she created FreeKibble.com. Then click on the logo above, take a moment to answer one little trivia question on the front page (you don't even have to get it right!), and voila .. you just helped feed a homeless dog! And don't miss the link for feeding homeless kitties, too!

And you can do this every day, so don't forget to visit it over and over to keep helping.

Regardless of what you think about pit bulls in general, as has been said many times on my blogs, I believe (and I know a lot of you out there do, too) that it is the RAISING of the dog that, in many instances, makes or breaks them. Now, that said, some dogs are born after generations of breeding for aggression, and it just seems impossible to get it out of them. And also, dogs are like people, in that sometimes there is just one that isn't quite right in the head. They can be the most loving dog one minute and then just seemingly "snap". But remember, they don't have any way to communicate to us when they're having a bad day, or are tired of having their ears and tail pulled by the family's 2-year-old, etc. They communicate the way they would in THEIR world .. with a snap at whatever's bugging them.

That said .. we all know the story of Michael Vick. In my opinion there is no punishment fitting enough other than maybe .. MAYBE .. if the afterlife is governed by dogs. :) That said, you may remember a blog I posted a month or so ago that showed the lives some of Vick's dogs are leading now. It takes, in my opinion, a very special kind of person to adopt a pit bull - ESPECIALLY one that was brought up as a potential fighter. I don't think I could do it. I'd always be just a little afraid, especially when kids come over. But you know what? Bless those who have done it. Because without them, there'd be no Leo.

Beaten-down dog from Vick case has his day

Pit bull rescued from famous dogfighting ring now helps cancer patients

NBC News and MSNBC

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. - It’s a dog’s life. And for Leo it couldn’t be better.

Leo — rescued from heavy chains that confined him as one of the pit bulls in former NFL quarterback Michael Vick’s dogfighting ring — is a lover, not a fighter. He now happily frolics in a clown collar as he makes the rounds at the Camino Infusion Center, where he brings comfort to cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Despite his training as a killer, Leo is a sweetheart as he visits his friends on the ward.

“He is wonderful, and all the patients love Leo,” said Paula Reed, the facility’s oncology director. “They really love his eyes and gentleness.”

Six months ago, Leo should have been dead.

When officers raided Vick’s Bad Newz Kennels in Smithfield, Va., last year, they found dogs, some injured and scarred, chained to buried car axles. Forensic experts discovered remains of dogs that had been shot with a .22-caliber pistol, electrocuted, drowned, hanged or slammed to the ground for lacking a desire to fight.

Vick, an All-Pro quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, was suspended indefinitely and is serving 23 months in federal prison after pleading guilty in August to bankrolling the dogfighting operation and helping to kill as many as eight dogs. Three co-defendants also pleaded guilty and were sentenced to prison.

About 50 dogs were rescued.

Animal advocates are divided over whether fighting dogs can be trusted to have new lives as pets or working dogs. One of the dogs seized at Bad Newz was put down as too aggressive, but the others were dispersed to sanctuaries and training facilities across the country.

An ‘incredible’ difference with patients
One of them was Leo, who ended up in the care of Marthina McClay, a certified trainer and counselor in Los Gatos, near San Francisco. McClay is president of Our Pack, an advocacy group for pit bulls.

“He was a little like a caveman at a tea party,” McClay said. “He didn’t have a lot of training.”

But after five weeks of intense instruction and supervision, and more weeks of acclimation, Leo is now — with all due respect —a pussy cat. He loves putting his head on a patient’s lap and batting his big brown eyes.

“The difference that he’s had with our patients has been incredible — the smiles on their faces, the joy when they see him,” said Reed of the cancer center.

“Leo is a survivor and our patients are survivors, and I think they can relate to each other,” she said.

Leo also touches young people on probation at the Alternative Placement Academy in San Jose, where the young men seem to identify with the former tough guy.

“I think they saw this dog’s awful background, and it communicates to the kids that you can end up being what you want to be,” McClay said.

It’s the age-old story of second chances. By living his, Leo helps tear down entrenched stereotypes that pit bulls are irredeemable killers.

“Leo is definitely an ambassador to the breed,” McClay said. “The staff at various facilities will say, ‘I will never see pit bulls the same again.’”

Click here to watch a 2-minute video of Leo in action. I challenge you to watch it and not get just a little misty-eyed, thinking about how he was raised, how he was starved and beaten and trained to kill for his entire life until 5 months ago, when someone finally showed him love. Think we "advanced humans" could be so forgiving? Dogs rock!

 I always wonder about what happens to dogs in natural disasters. Well, about "pets" in general. I assume a lot of them die. Jeremy and I were talking the other day about what we would do if there were a natural disaster headed our way (fire, flood, etc.) and they told us we couldn't take our dogs with us. Well, both of us didn't hesitate when we said that we'd stay at the house and hope for the best.

I know a lot of people were criticized for doing things like that, especially in the New Orleans flooding, but to be honest with you I just can't contemplate any other response.

I guess that's why this story just hit home so deeply. I think I love Chen Yunlian. :) Especially given her strength to do what she does in a country that, as a whole, doesn't always recognize dogs as having very much value, much less "equal" value, as she said in her own words. Chen Yunlian, you are my hero!

100 quake dogs rescued by Chinese woman

Private animal shelters extremely rare in China

Associated Press

CHENGDU, China - The white short-haired mutt was found dragging his crushed hind legs through rubble-clogged streets after the massive earthquake devastated China's Sichuan province.

The shy terrier mix was lucky to live through the May 12 quake that killed nearly 70,000 people. He was even more fortunate to survive the squads of police and soldiers who were gunning down homeless canines for fear they would spread disease in the disaster's aftermath.

But his luckiest day was when he was picked up by Chen Yunlian.

Now he's among some 100 "quake dogs" rescued by the former businesswoman, who has created something extremely rare in China: a private animal shelter.

For 11 years, the 60-year-old Chen has been rescuing strays off the streets. She now cares for about 900 dogs and 100 cats in her shelter built among rice paddies on the southern outskirts of Chengdu, the provincial capital.

"I think that dogs and humans have the same right to live. They're equals," she told The Associated Press as a brown brindle hound missing a front leg jumped up on her and snuggled his snout in her lap.

Chen's views about animal rights are radical in a country where dogs can just as easily be a pet or the main ingredient in a spicy hotpot. Although dog ownership has grown in popularity as the Chinese become wealthier, many people don't have the strong emotional attachment to the animals that's common in the West.

Chen is also on the vanguard of a new movement in China of citizens who start their own groups to deal with social problems that were once mostly handled — or ignored — by the Communist Party-led state.

The government and party — wary about anything that might challenge their monopoly on power — is still trying to figure out how much of a role it wants people like Chen to play.

She was reluctant to discuss the matter. "I love my country and government. I want it to become even stronger and more prosperous," said the soft-spoken woman, dressed in a baggy white T-shirt and black pajama-like pants with white polka dots.

'House of Love'
Chen calls her shelter "Ai Zhi Jia" or the "House of Love." A tall metal fence surrounds the facility off a narrow tree-lined road about a 45-minute drive from downtown Chengdu. From the street, a cacophony of yelps, barks, growls, whimpers and whines can be heard. The air is filled with the smell of dry dog food, fur and the faint scent of urine and feces that's constantly being scooped up by a staff of eight.

(Chen, pictured at right, plays with two dogs said to have saved an elderly woman who was trapped in the rubble of a collapsed building in Pengzhou during the May 12 earthquake. Photo by Andy Wong/AP)

The main building in the shady complex is a concrete U-shaped structure divided into rooms that serve as kennels. Each has a large front concrete patio that's enclosed by a knee-high wall and wire fencing. Dogs and cats are also kept in a network of recently built cages and dog runs. Dogs with a history of good behavior are allowed to roam the wide square-shaped walkway within the complex.

There are poodles, a couple of collies and an elderly, forlorn-looking Afghan hound named "Ah-foo" with clumps of missing hair and large polyps growing on his chest and legs. But the majority of the dogs are classic Chinese mutts: terrier-Pekingnese-pug-poodle mixes with squatty bodies, short legs, curly tails and pointy ears. Most looked healthy, with few signs of skin disease or digestive problems common in such conditions.

"Chinese people prefer purebred dogs and the mixes probably won't be adopted," said Chen, adding that she cares for every dog until it dies. "But mutts are the most intelligent and the most affectionate. They really appreciate you."

One of her superstar mutts from the quake zone was a small, brown, short-haired terrier with alert brown eyes named "Qianjin," or "Forward." Rescuers said Forward and another dog — a shelty named "Guai Guai" — belonged to an elderly woman who was partially buried in rubble at a Buddhist temple that collapsed in the city of Pengzhou. The dogs stayed with their master while she was trapped for 196 hours.

"The rescuers told me the dogs were drinking rain water, then they would lick their owner's lips to help keep her from getting too dehydrated," Chen said.

When the 7.9-magnitude quake struck, Chen said she wanted to race to the hard-hit cities — most an hour or two away from Chengdu — but she had to wait 10 days because of road closures and restrictions on traffic.

When she finally got in, she cruised the streets in her van looking for homeless animals or asking locals if any pets needed rescue.

In the city of Guangyuan, she found the white terrier mutt with the mangled legs. Like other dogs with crippled hind legs at her shelter, the dog — whose name was unknown — now walks with the aid of a wheelchair-like device made of PVC pipes. It's a design a shelter worker copied from an American Web site.

Only a few of the quake dogs were injured and the rest were in good health, she said.

A month and a half since the quake, Chen still gets calls from people with quake strays. During an AP interview, Chen's cell phone began ringing. It was someone from the hard-hit town of Beichuan.

"Our van is broken now so we can't go far," she told the caller. "How many dogs do you have? We can take them in if you can help us arrange a vehicle."

Chen said her shelter is close to full capacity and her budget isn't big enough for many more dogs. She said she spends $8,743 each month on dog food, salaries and supplies. She takes donations but pays for much of it from her own pocket, she said.

It began with Ben Ben
Chen, who made a fortune as a distributor of cosmetics and other consumer goods in the 1990s, was on her way to see a client in 1997 when she saw a stray dog in the street. The dog made eye contact and something clicked, she said.

"He looked so sad. I said to him, 'Are you lost you silly little dog?'" she said. "I decided to take care of him and I missed my meeting. I named him Ben Ben."

She started taking in other strays, and her obsession with caring for homeless animals eventually eclipsed her interest in business and she retired. She sold her cars and properties to finance the expanding operation. She moved the shelter to the current location, which she rents, two years ago.

"I started down a road," she said, "and I couldn't turn around."

Today's feel-good story comes from CBS News, who has an under-4-minute video story about a "reading to dogs" program to help kids in a homeless shelter learn how to read.

The kids get to figure words out at their own pace, and to a non-judgmental audience, whom they think is really listening when they talk.

How absolutely awesome is this? Missy, the dog in this video, is a service dog who was also living in a shelter, and now she gets to spend time with people who love her and "talk" to her all day long. She gets loved and petted, and gives these kids the confidence they need to help them do better in school and read better. And how sweet is she, that she just lays there with these kids as they read? Not only are they learning literacy skills, but they're learning how much unconditional love dogs have to give. A lot of great lessons in this program ... I think it's awesome!

Here's the link for the video ... I think it's a real heartwarmer. :)

Today's feel-good news item definitely made me feel good! Especially because the story I read right before it was about how an animal control officer accidentally put a 2-year-old lab down because they read the tag on the cage wrong. Man, talk about scary. :(

But upward and onward ... this was an awesome follow-up to that.

(AP) After years of helping authorities look for murder victims and survivors of natural disasters, a search-and-rescue dog named Molly has been rescued herself.

Surgeons at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine on Thursday installed a pacemaker in the 5-year-old chocolate Labrador retriever's heart. She needed the surgery after being diagnosed with a complete electrical heart blockage.

Photo, left: Allison Brown, 5, whispers "goodnight" to the family's chocolate labrador, Molly, refering to the famous "Unsinkable Molly Brown," Tuesday, May 20, 2008, in the Brown family home in Saginaw, Mo. (AP/The Joplin Globe, T. Rob Brown)

Owners Allen and Alicia Brown of Saginaw were overwhelmed with offers to help pay the more than $2,500 in surgery, vet and travel costs after The Joplin Globe reported on Molly's need for the pacemaker.

Medical technology company Medtronic Inc. donated the device, and a Kansas businessman offered to anonymously pay up to $2,000 of the cost.

"It surprises me greatly," Allen Brown said. "There's just been such an outpouring of public support for her."

Molly was scheduled to return home Friday and be confined to her crate for two weeks. She will have limited activity for the next two months, but should be able to return to full-time rescue work after that, Allen Brown said.

The Browns are volunteers with the Newton County K-9 search-and-rescue unit, which doesn't have a budget. Allen, a paramedic, and Alicia, a nurse, put in hundreds of hours searching for bodies during emergencies. The unit has five certified dogs and three others in training.

The Browns noticed that the usually energetic Molly, whose full name is The Unsinkable Molly Brown, became lethargic and out of breath last month. Veterinarians believe she had a heart attack.

Allen Brown drove Molly to Columbia on Tuesday night after her heart rate fell to 38 from a normal 80.

The couple have five dogs, but only two are trained as rescue dogs. It can take about two years to train a search-and-rescue dog for both live body and cadaver retrieval, and buying a fully trained one can cost up to $20,000.

Patrice Graham, another member of the K-9 search-and-rescue team, spearheaded efforts to help the Browns pay for the surgery.

"I know that everyone is tight, but these people do a lot of volunteer work," Graham said. "If she could save one more life or recover one more body for a family, it would be worth it."

Just a few more pictures from Weed and the surrounding area. Oh yeah, and some of the cutest pups on the planet!

We went to a fishery and saw some ospreys!! GORGEOUS! I think I would probably camp out there on the weekends just to get pictures of these amazing birds. Awesome!!















It's a gloomy day, but we still found ways to see and photograph some amazingly beautiful things!

And now .. for those incredible dogs. :) I have to work on getting some better shots of a couple of them.


Next blog will be a special Memorial Day one. Marcia and Bill took us to an absolutely breathtaking memorial sculpture park. I took lots of pics to share with everyone (in particular those in the U.S.) for Memorial Day.

Ok, well, the dogs didn't actually go to "dinner" ... we went to dinner, but the dogs came along to play with their friend, Rosie. What an awesome time!

As you can see, Karen lives on pretty much "an estate" .. haha. The back yard is pretty finely manicured and is humongous.




Here's another view - you can see the mountains in the background.


































The dogs had just as much fun as they had when Rosie came to our place to visit.

As you can see, the competition for the little read squeaky bone was tough, indeed.

So tough that, at one point, Brit and Dante were vying for it and Brit ended up actually STANDING on dante's back for about a good 1-2 seconds. Thank goodness I had my camera in my hand when that happened. haha.

After an incredible evening of hummus, a lot of wine, salad, bread, and fantastic tequila lime chicken with penne pasta, we went back outside, bundled in our light jackets, and sat by the fire where Karen then brought out coffe and lemon tarts. And we sat, listening to the frogs, watching the dogs play ... it was so nice.

Then it got a little too cold (high desert weather ... 20-something at night, 70-something in the day). So we went back inside to chat a while with more coffee. Then all of a sudden we heard Rosie SCREAMING outside and Dante growling like he was either killing or being killed by something. I'm not sure Karen's and my feet even hit the floor when we ran out the door (Brit was terrified and ran in as we ran out). It was dark and Rosie was still screaming, Dante was still growling and barking and for a split second I thought "Why the hell would Dante be attacking Rosie?" Then I realized how ludicrous that was, then instantly my mind flashed to the thought that a coyote had gotten into the yard (it had happened in the past ... they live very close to BLM land, so the coyotes are all around). So Karen and I are running, barefoot, SCREAMING "NO! NO!" trying to scare away whoever was causing the problem. At one point we ran out of lawn and were running barefoot on very sharp landscaping rock. When we finally got to the dogs, they were fine! No blood, no anything. I felt like I was going to vomit and then realized how much my feet friggin' hurt. We made our way off the rocks, v-e-r-y slowly, then back into the house, where Karen had realized that it must have been one of her cats, and she informed us that that's the noise Rosie makes when she's chasing cats. Holy SHIT! I couldn't stop shaking and couldn't stop my heart from beating. Karen put on shoes and went back outside, once we confirmed that the dogs were 100% ok. She came back in with a TERRIFIED cat. She said she was pressed tight down within the well of 3 tires that had been stacked up beside the house. She said she had to pull the top 2 tires off and then pry the kitty out from the middle of the remaining tire. I'm pretty sure that cat is scarred for life. I, however, finally relaxed after an hour or two. But man do my feet hurt this morning!

Life is good. :)

Tonight our friends Christi & Nathan came over for a little bit and brought the dogs an amazing treat .. their 3 boys! I don't often see Dante grin that much ... it was awesome. And even moreso was seeing Evan grinning and laughing so much whenever Dante would come to him! Awesome ... really just .. awesome. :)

Of course Britley got herself in on some of that lovin', too. But Dante is the one who truly seeks kids out. He LOVES kids. Evan would reach down and grab handfulls of Dante and giggle and Dante would wag his whole body and grin wider.


Notice the blur of the wagging tail in this photo? Ha. She was loving being the little princess on the couch.

It was a fantastic way to start our weekend. I hope yours goes just as well!

Our friend Karen came over tonight, for dinner, with her little puggle, Rosie. A great time was had by all. :)

The duck was by far the most coveted item of the night!

Karen is also my pilates instructor, so while I was shooting some pics, she was giving Jeremy some contortionist lessons.



The dogs seemed to find the entire process amusing!


At the end of the night, after coffee and pie, the dogs finally settled a little bit and made themselves comfortable.

It was an awesome night and I think it sets the tone for future dinners and houseguests.

*hint hint*

:)

Hope you're all having wonderful weekends, too!

Jeremy and I are planning to order more coasters from our friend Cindy. While I was going through photos of the dogs, I came across this one that Jeremy took of them one time when we were at the Sparks Marina and it just makes me laugh. In fact, Jeremy just paused Criminal Minds and sat there staring at me, waiting for me to stop cracking myself up.

I can't help it! The faces!

Caption: "You might be a redneck dog if ..."

(and yes, we ARE getting a coaster with this image on it) :)

I realized that recently my blogs seemed to have a purpose and weren't so much "life updates." Maybe that was good. hehe. But here's a 60-second update. Ready? Go!

• I just got the following email:
"Congratulations! You have reached $500 or more in all time Shutterstock earnings and your Standard License payout rate has been increased 20% to $0.30 per download." - Whee! For those who think a raise from 25¢ to 30¢ is no big deal, just think, instead of being at $500, I could be at $600 for the same amount of work and sales. :)

(p.s. added after-the-fact ... this was my first 30¢ sale on Shutterstock. Ain't he a handsome boy?? :) hm. Had to link to the image on iStock cuz the one from Shutterstock wouldn't remain in the post for whatever bizarro reason)

• We were supposed to close on the house this Thursday, so I set up all the utilities to be switched over then, and for the cable company to come on Friday to hook up our cable and internet, etc. However, last Thursday our loan officer told us she was still waiting for the papers back for the grant. She said we should have them Friday. Friday she told us we should have them Monday. Yesterday she told us we should have them today. She says we should "still be on track for signing papers Wednesday, but may not 'close' until Thursday or Friday." I don't know what all this stuff means, but our agent so far has not gotten back to me since my email to him on SATURDAY, so I have no clue when we're supposed to do a walk-through or anything. No one seems to want to give us any straight answers, but I'll tell you one thing. I am NOT signing (or having Jeremy sign, as the case may be) any paperwork that says we owe any company hundreds of thousands of dollars until we walk through that house and make sure everything is good and unless we get the keys right then and there.

• I'm hoping we get in there quickly, just for the dogs' sakes. They are so nervous and antsy lately. Understandably so ... they've lost their pool, and much of the household belongings. I would say probably 60% of our house is packed up on a trailer right now. I keep sitting them down to try to reassure and explain it to them. They're such good dogs .. they look at me, ears cocked and eyes locked on mine. I think they're trying to get what I'm saying, but all it really comes out to is "blah blah blah treats blah blah blah pool blah blah blah play!"

• If we could at all afford to have someone else pack for us whenever we next move, I think we just might.

I have an awesome group of Multiply friends!

D'you remember this photo? It came from this blog about my friend Cindy, who took the photo. She's a breeder of English Labs and I had wanted to share this photo with you all.

I loved all your comments and wanted to share them with her, so I linked her here and then talked to her a little more seriously about the idea of making calendars or something along those lines.

Today she sent me an e-mail about a new business venture she's launched called Dog-On Designs! The site is brand new and still needs some work, but she's got a big show to do in a couple weeks and she's completely jazzed. She's spent years showing her dogs (who are international champions) and now she's going to be selling products at these shows.

I am just thrilled for her and I have (and want) to thank those of you who took the time to leave such awesome comments – it was only after reading these that she actually got the confidence to take this step. Thank you, Multiply friends. You made a real difference this time!

I got this in an e-mail this weekend and just now got to read it. I'd never seen it before and loved it, so thought I'd share it here (and yep, that's a picture of Brit down below):

- - - - -

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife, Linda, and their little boy, Shane, were all very attached to Belker and they were hoping for a miracle.
 
I examined Belker and found he was dying. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.
 
As we made arrangements, Ron and Linda told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience
 
The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.
 
The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why."
 
Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation.
 
He said, "People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?" The six-year-old continued, "Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long."
 
Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply.
Speak kindly.
 
Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:

• When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

• Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joy ride.

• Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.

• Take naps.

• Stretch before rising.

• Run, romp, and play daily.

• Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

• Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

• On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.

• On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.

• When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

• Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

• Eat with gusto and enthusiasm. Stop when you have had enough.

• Be loyal. Never pretend to be something you're not.

• If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

• When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by.

This morning as I was driving through Starbucks I looked behind me and there was a woman in an SUV with a very happy bulldog with his head out the window in the back. It instantly made me smile. When I looked closer I noticed what appeared to be a retriever in the front passenger's seat. I thought to myself, "That rocks!" My second immediate thought was, "I sure wish I had my dogs with me." Thoughts following that up included calling in suddenly "sick" to work and going to get the dogs for a day up in the snow. But alas, I'm still finishing up some deadline stuff, so in I came, after buying her coffee when I paid for my own.

I went out for lunch to try to get a shot for Picture Perfect this week, and while I was shooting it I turned around and saw the most amazing thing! Which was what I WAS going to come back and blog about. But as I sat here eating my lunch and reading e-mail, I came across one that blew me away. It's the end of deadline so I find myself hyper-emotional anyway, but this one brought tears to my eyes, I gotta say:

"Hello Kippy, my name is ginger and I happened to be behind you this morning at the Minden Starbuck's drive-thru.
I also happened to notice your license plate and bumper stickers.  I particular liked the one about going to jail for animal cruelty (I'm not sure if you noticed, but I had my two dogs [& 16 month old daughter] with me - Booger, the bulldog is quite a Starbuck's junkie- they give him whipped cream every morning!!)
I also took note of how you spelled Geminai, because I am always curious about any local photographers (graphics).  And I thought I might try to see if you had a website.
Little did I know that reading the back of your car this morning would prove to be Karmic 'ally immediate!!
I am happy that I could personally thank you.
You are very kind to think of the strangers behind you, and I am touched & grateful by your generosity - especially since I decided to have 2 vente coffees today!
 
 
Take care!
~ginger, Logan (daughter), Roxy (red lab), Booger"

She attached pictures of Logan with both dogs. So incredibly sweet. I wrote her back a thank-you and told her how much she made my day, and now I'm sitting here with this big stupid grin on my face. Life sure is good, and I just can't help but smile.

Another incredible day.

I'm sure I sound like a broken record at this point, but I just can't help it. I am just so incredibly lucky, and I have to tell you that when my family and I spend these amazing, incredible days, I take so many of you with me. Think I'm kidding?

Specifically, this morning, Jaime, you were there as I captured these incredible skies. Heather was there, with a tripod, capturing a nice long exposure of a Sand Harbor (Lake Tahoe) dawn.

Sharon was there with her family and Aidan, with the help of Chloe, was climbing all over these awesome rocks (but thankfully he wasn't following my lead, because I slipped down between two huge boulders and accidentally laid my camera and 100-400 lens right down in the snow).

Cherie was there, well, just because I know how much you'd enjoy and appreciate the beauty. Oh, and of course we all had Starbucks. *laugh*

After Sand Harbor we headed over to Emerald Bay again. Actually, we drove around the Lake the other direction this time, but still ended up here.

Maybe when you see the view I did this morning, you'll understand why. :)

I should mention that, as I was shooting this, a family came up to see the view, too. The father was macho and the mom and kids were, well, umm .. fairly wussy. The kids were whimpering at the height and one of them sounded like they were going to cry as they moaned, "Why is she up there?" ("she", of course, would be me). Annoyed by their attitudes and the fact that they spent more time complaining than they did actually seeing the view before them, I really wished they would just go away. They didn't, so I turned around and scaled the snow-covered rocks like some kind of quasi-mountain-goat. One of the kids started to cry and I actually took pleasure in it. My lungs nearly exploded, but at least I'd have passed out with a satisfied grin on my face. Guess it's fairly clear why I don't want (and shouldn't have) kids. Haha.

Then we headed down the hill to the house to pick up the dogs (and some of my dog-loving friends here ... Rita, Tint, Barb, Em ... ) and headed to the Sparks Marina. Yes, it's an hour's drive. Yes, we drove two hours round-trip so our dogs could run, off-leash, with other dogs and play and splash in the water. And you know, it was 100% worth it – just look at these happy grins! This is one of the happiest photos of Dante I've ever gotten. I just love it.


And I have to tell you, they were so happy playing with another lab mix who was also there (light on the dogs today, because it was about 30º, the wind was very frigid, and the sun had gotten lost behind some clouds), that they completely ignored all the ducks, geese and coots.




Ok, so, enter Robin, who also now joined us because she is an incredible wildlife photographer, especially of birds. There were probably about 4-5 dozen coots hanging out along the waterfront. I stopped to take some photos, and one of them practically came running up to me! I assume they get fed by people, but I almost couldn't shoot it because I was laughing so hard. How goofy looking are these birds?! Honestly, it looks like something out of a Dr. Seuss cartoon or something.

I did, however, feel very guilty as it finally turned around with almost a sad expression, turning around for a few last furtive glances as it made its way, sad and hungry, back down to its friends. In my head I heard "Barbaloot Suits" (those of you familiar with the animated version of The Lorax will get that), and I had to walk away before I convinced myself to run to the nearest store to get them some bread or something.

There were probably a lot more of you Multiply folks hanging out with me, just a little bit in the shadows. I only mentioned the ones who pushed their way to the front with their wonderful, strong personalities (pushy broads, almost all of ya!) :)

When we got home, cold and wet (Britley just loves to jump in the water, run up the bank and, instead of shaking off, rub against us lovingly, like a big monstrous cat masquerading as an oversoaked sponge), we had some lunch and the dogs crashed. Dante was smart and stole the coveted "bed in front of the fire" spot.

Another wonderful day for all of us. Thanks for coming along. :)

This is my idea of festive – watching my dogs at their most happy moments. Anyone who doesn't think this is a festive moment, has never been around labs who have spent an afternoon playing with other dogs and splashing around in a lake! Festive, indeed. :)

Taken at the Sparks Marina with the ol' trusty XT and 50mm lens. Not a stellar photograph by technical measures, but sure makes me smile.

Please click on the photo to see it larger! It's worth it, to see those grins. :)

See, Snuffy? I can too write a short blog!

Today we headed up into the mountains to find ourselves a Christmas tree. It was coooold. Up there it was about 22º and I'd estimate the cool wind was blowing about oh, maybe 20 mph or so.

We started out going over Monitor Pass (also called the California Alps). We didn't see a lot of great trees there (lots of Junipers and some Pinion Pine, but nothing that we wanted for the holidays. When we stopped to let the dogs out to run a bit, though, I heard a slight noise behind me, and the dogs immediately were on alert. We turned an saw 3 large deer running up the hill away from us! Jeremy took this picture. His reaction was much quicker than mine. They stood watching us for a few minutes, then wandered off. Gorgeous!
















So, we stopped offroading for the time being and headed up into Ebbett's Pass. We got to a point where it was snowing, which was great! Unfortunately, partway up the hill there was a snowplow blocking traffic. So, back down and onto another offroad trail. Then, the hunt was on! Dante enjoyed splashing in the water (brrrr) and not too long afterward we found the PERFECT tree! I'll show some more pictures later as to why I think it's so perfect. But speaking of perfect, isn't the view incredible? Definitely make sure to click on the tall one at the left to see it a little larger - maybe it'll help to explain why we love hiking in this area so much!

We walked back to the car, loaded the dogs in, and then strapped the tree down.

Jeremy got lots of kisses before we headed home. And they weren't even from me!

Tomorrow we decorate, so I'm sure there'll be more photos to share.

What an amazing morning I had. I got up at 5:30 a.m., 27º here in the valley, and headed up to Truckee, up in the mountains (where it was 19º), to take more (better) images of my friend Barb training for the Iditarod. These images were shot specifically for Honda's Red Rider magazine. When I first met Barb and found out about how she trains her dogs with no snow, she e-mailed me some pics and I sent them over to a friend I have over at Honda. He forwarded it to the PR firm that puts together their magazine monthly and now they're doing a small story on Barb and her Honda-trained dogs. It is an incredible thing to watch! I feel lucky to even be a part of the entire process, and of course it's exciting to know my pics will be published again. It's all great for the new web site (coming soon) and my portfolio. I got some great sunrise shots up there this morning, and great shots of the dogs, too. They are so amazing. When they were done running and eating, I went and sat down on the ground next to Corey (pictured yawning at left) to try to get a nice close-up shot and I was pummeled by him and his lead-dog partner and smothered with kisses and beaten with wagging tails. I was leaned upon and shed upon and generally smothered with love. It was great! What incredible loving animals. I would take them all home, given the chance. :) Then I came home and processed images for Red Rider and got those sent off, and now I'm thinking food might be a good idea. I grabbed a Luna bar on my way through Tahoe because I was falling asleep (the coffee I grabbed at 6 a.m. had long since worn off). Just wanted to take a moment to enter my first Multiply blog.