Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Frisbee Action

I think the title says it all.


Pounce!
 
Fi, the Gumby Dog

Walk like an Egyptian... (that will only make sense if you listened to 80s pop music...)

I am always at a loss for words with these photos.

Zoom-zoom!



A miss, but points for style.

Preparing for the Rapture!

Monday, May 25, 2015

Memorial Day

We took a break from the flying frisbees and whatnot to remember those who "gave all" in service of our country.





Thursday, May 21, 2015

Never a Dull Moment

One of the really cool things about volunteering for the Salt Lake County animal shelter is that parts of Salt Lake County are still zoned for agriculture, and I was told when I went through my volunteer training that it was not unusual to get animals that could only live in agriculturally zoned areas. "Cool," I thought, when I looked at the animal pens on my tour.  But I didn't give much thought to it.

Until today, when the volunteer coordinator asked me if I would be willing to photograph a goat.  I know there are photographers who have sub-specialized into only photographing dogs, or reptiles, or whatever.  Me?  If it's got four legs (or slithers; I haven't photographed any snakes yet, but there's a first time for everything...), I'm game.  So when she asked me about the goat, my thought was, "Hell yeah!"  C'mon.  How cool could it be to have a goat in your portfolio?  Okay, maybe it's just me.  But I thought it sounded pretty cool.

Before I could get to the goat, however, I was told that the staff had something I had to see.  Heheh.   Of course my curiosity was piqued.



A young pot-bellied pig (apparently she's about 4 months old), all ready to go on a walk!  I'm really glad I got the chance to meet her.

Before I could get to the goat, there were 12 cats and 5 dogs to photograph.  Needless to say, I haven't made it through all the photos yet, but here is a "token" cat - this guy didn't take a bad picture - very handsome and wouldn't stop looking at the camera!


After the cats, there were several dogs.  My first dog was an Alaskan Klee; I had never heard of this breed before (which means I need to spend more time watching the Westminster Dog Show), but she really looks like a mix between a Husky and a coyote.  She was young and bouncy, and absolutely gorgeous.

Snacks?  Do you have snacks?

Lemme show you my Husky-like smile!
Then there was this girl, a young, very sweet black Labragal (that would be a female Labrador Retriever for those of you who aren't fluent in dog slang).



She's going to get adopted really quickly - she's got the perfect lab personality; goofy but sweet and smart and just loving life.

After the dogs, it was time for the goat.  Needless to say, I didn't actually join him in his pen (I'm not sure my camera - or health - insurance coverage includes breakage due to goat interference).  I don't know if the white and red rope around his neck has biblical implications, or if it was just handy.
Regardless, I found the goat experience great fun.


Seriously.  How many pet photographers have a goat in their portfolios?

Yep, volunteering for a county organization seriously rocks, and today was SO MUCH FUN!  Pigs, goats, dogs, cats - just a normal passenger manifest for Olympic Airways, right, Dad?  All that was missing was the chickens in a basket!

It was a great day!

Sunday, May 17, 2015

The White Barn

If you live around Park City, have ever visited Park City, or even Googled tourist attractions online, you probably know about 'the white barn' at 'the farm'.    If you want to know about the history of McPolin farm, feel free to check out this link.   Since it is such a landmark in the area, I wanted to get some pictures of the girls at the farm, and today Gary volunteered to help wrangle Doodles, so off we went.

This is a just a rough edit of some of the pictures I got today; I'd like to get a big canvas of one of them - I just haven't decided what image yet (I have to look at all of them more closely).







A good time was had by all!

Saturday, May 16, 2015

Just Playing Around

As usual, I have been busy with a zillion things (for the record, had I known how much work was involved in running business, I might have never actually taken the leap - so I'm glad I didn't know - it's hard work, but I'm really enjoying it).   But so you haven't think I've died, here are a few photos.

Fi and Abby, of course, have been bribed to cooperate.

I should have taken her collar off, but given that I was just trying 'a couple of shots' I didn't...

She looks so innocent.  But we know better...

I'm only sitting here patiently because I'm tried from running around in the wet grass.  And yes, my green feetie-feeties are just part of my charm.
Such a pretty girl!

Saturday, May 2, 2015

Spring is Here for Real

I think.   Of course, we took off the snow tires on both cars today and put on the regular tires, so Utah will likely get 15 feet of snow in the next 24 hours.  But since I am taking the leap that Spring is really here, I have broken out the tennis balls for the girls.  (Frisbees will still be in play, but tennis balls get put away in the winter because they don't bounce very well in cold weather, and they get lost in the snow - when we have snow that is....)

Needless to say, there was much bouncy happiness!

 
And Jaws of Doom!



Springy leggies!



And there was great ear flappage!



And best of all, tired doggies!



Of course, you'll know that Spring is really, really here when I put my winter boots away.  Which usually happens in July....

Saturday, April 25, 2015

Playdate Thwarted

I'm such a mean mom.  (However, I doubt I'll reach the level of  'Mean Mrs. Marshall' that my mother attained during her 500-year tenure as a school teacher and molder of minds.  For the record, I think my mother still takes pride in that moniker.)

Fi and Abby have apparently befriended several of the moose in our neighborhood, as evidenced by the number of moose visits we've had this spring.  However, when their last moose friend came over to play, Ms. Moose left the yard in a state of disrepair.  I told Fi and Abby (quite sternly, I might add) that there would be No More moose playdates until either they or their moose friends could clean up before they left.

However, I noticed more branches down in the yard. clearly indicating more unauthorized moose visits.  So, when Fi and Abby's friends came by the other day, I had to put my foot down (as I learned from Mean Mrs. Marshall, if you make a threat and don't back it up, you'll lose all credibility and any hope of having a sense of authority).  Fi and Abby were grounded, stuck inside, while their moosie friends lounged in the yard.

Fine, lady.  We'll just give you the moose stink-eye until you let us play with our friends that we can plainly hear barking inside.

And we'll eat your new grass seedlings.  Because we are like that.
Eventually the mooses got bored waiting for Fi and Abby and noshed on our bushes and trees for a bit before ambling away.  (Leaving the yard littered with branches, again.)

I hope Fi and Abby have learned their lesson!

Needless to say, Fi and Abby really haven't made friends with moose - or, at least, I don't think they have.  But it is spring, and the moose seem to find our budding trees and bushes rather tasty, so I have to do a quick moose check before letting the girls out, as I'm never sure how much the moose really want to play.  The moose certainly haven't retrieved any of the tennis balls we've thrown at them so far....  Maybe I'll see how they do with frisbees....  Heehee.

No mooses were hurt in the making of this post.

Friday, April 17, 2015

A Little Frisbee Action

Our snow is melting quickly (although we are supposed to get more next week - global weirding in action), but that hasn't stopped the girls from having funballs frisbee action.