Long week-end

Party in the gardens.

PS, thanks for all of the good wishes for Buddy. He seems to be feeling better tonight. Phew!

Cinderella X 3

The face of a clown

This is our clown dog. She just makes us laugh, all the time.

She plops, she flops, she hops.

Tell me please, how could you not fall in love with this face?

Happy Birthday Belli Belli

 

 I hear singing! They are singing to me.

 

I just want to kick my heels up and dance.

 

Now everybody join in and sing Happy Birthday to me.

Comin' at ya

When the camera comes out, I usually position myself at the back of the acre and watch the greyhounds fly toward me.


Cinderella took flight a 1:38:06 and arrived in my lap an acre later at 1:38:09.


I don't think she ever had four feet on the ground at once.


She never took her eye off of the prize.


And as she got closer, I saw the twinkle of mischief in her eyes.


I was totally prepared to be flattened.


I didn't waiver and Cinderella didn't waiver, she just kept coming.

Note: neither human nor hound were injured in the making of this series. Light on her feet, Cinderella swerved at the last moment.

Take flight and join us for the Saturday pet blog hop.

The Pet Blog Hop hosted by Life with Dogs, Two Little Cavaliers and Confessions of the Plume. Many, many thanks to the hosts, the Pet Blog Hop rocks.

Please join us, the rules are simple:

1. Follow your three hosts
2. Check out some of the our fellow bloggers, leave them a comment and tell them you are visiting from the Pet Blog hop
   
3. Add your blog to the Linky
4. Copy and paste the html code into your html editor

Pet blogger challenge

1. When did you begin your blog?

My first post was December 7, 2008. I had a few unofficial posts before that.

2. What was your original purpose for starting a blog?

We had a rough year that year with the greyhounds. A few bouts of cancer, a survivor of auto immune hemolytic anemia (he's still with us), we sent two of our seniors to the rainbow bridge and vet bills over $15,000.

I remember thinking that I wanted to remember all of the wonderful stories that our dogs left us with and post a few of the millions of pictures I was always taking.

We also have some very dear friends that have a greyhound kennel that send us pets as they retire. They love to see the pictures of their hounds taking over the couch.

Blogging was the obvious answer. It is purely a personal blog.

3. Is your current purpose the same?

Yep, I am still motivated by all of the same reasons for the dog blog.

I'm taking much better photos and often see stories from the dogs that I might otherwise missed when I'm taking the photos.

4. Do you blog on a schedule or as the spirit moves you?

I try to post something every night. Believe me, I have a ton of pictures that I haven't posted yet.

5. Are you generating income from your blog?

No income, but if someone ever adopted a greyhound from reading about mine I'd feel richer.

6. What do you like most about blogging in general and your blog in particular (bragging is good!)?

I have made some great blogging friends, from everywhere. That is such a trip. My dogs make me laugh, I hope I can make someone else laugh too with some of their crazy antics.

7. What do you like least?

Some days, I spend more time than I really have available, but overall, I really like it.

8. How do you see your blog changing or growing in 2011?

Probably not to much change, except encouraging more pet adoption. Greyhounds are my breed, not every body is right for a greyhound, but I would encourage pet adoption from organized groups.

Catching some air time

BZ Training, a blog with a pair of beautiful goldens stopped by the other day and asked how I got my action shots.


I wish I could pat myself on the back and say that it was talent, skill, craft, flair, expertise and that I was just one hot photographer.


But the reality is, I have playful greyhounds, take a million pictures and usually I can count on one out of that million looking good.


Here are my secrets.


Most digital cameras today have a sports setting. The camera will do whatever it has to to give you a fast shutter speed. That stops the action.


In most cases if you keep the shutter button depressed, the camera will take bursts of photos in a sequence. These seven images were all taken between 1:40:38 and 1:40:40.

Karen threw the ball, I followed Cinderella with my lens and never released the shutter for the seven images.


That is the other secret. It takes two of us, one to throw the toy and me to try and anticipate what is going to happen. Separately, most of these pictures probably wouldn't have made the cut, but as a sequence they tell the story.

Now it's time to read some other stories. Please join us for the Saturday Pet Blog Hop.

The Pet Blog Hop hosted by Life with Dogs, Two Little Cavaliers and Confessions of the Plume. Many, many thanks to the hosts, the Pet Blog Hop rocks.

Please join us, the rules are simple:

1. Follow your three hosts
2. Check out some of the our fellow bloggers, leave them a comment and tell them you are visiting from the Pet Blog hop
   
3. Add your blog to the Linky
4. Copy and paste the html code into your html editor

Me and my shadow

This dog is so light on her feet. She cracks me up. Only Cinderella could make a perfect arc.

Oi, Monday

Just ran over me like a freight train.

I returned to work after three weeks of vacation. Yeppers, it hit me like a ton of bricks.

'Tis the season

To pull my hair out. Tra-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la.

Trying to get cooperation for portraits. Greyhounds, one—Me, zero.


I take that back. I win!

Every one should look so cute with an under bite.

Sound the alarms!

Something has happened to the back yard.


It's cold, it's all over the place.


It doesn't smell like anything good to eat.


And everywhere we go, we find more.


Who wants to lay down and warm up in the sun now?

This, is the face

This, is the face that says,


Please mommies please, can't we go for ice cream tonight?

Hi Ho Cinderella

The wild woman was having a pretty darn good time in the back yard.


Somehow the dogs overturned a toy that must have been out there for ages.


You know what they say, oldies but goodies.


And they all had a really good time with this one.


I was cited for cruel and unusual punishment for taking it away long enough to throw it in the washer hoping to breathe a little more life in to it.

Mean damn mommy.

Our Little Nelli Belli

Today day was one of those perfect days. With the exception of a quick field trip, it was a day with the doggies.

Their second run of the morning was leisurely and I kept my camera in hand.

Cinderella was particularly photogenic.


She spent some time grazing with the boys.


And after a while, she wandered off on her own.


Just watching the world float by.

Springloaded

Oh Cinderella, you make me laugh.

Nelli Belli

Cindernellibelli was a little less sure about having a strange man in her back yard.


She carefully checked the toy Moose left behind, pretty sure that it was somehow attached to the stranger in her back yard.



And then she carefully checked the yard. She wanted to make sure she knew every step he had taken.


When she was sure that everything was safe, she stood still, never moving a muscle in hopes that the strange man just wouldn't notice her.