Is There Anybody Out There ?

You might well ask that of me. I'm afraid I've been MIA from blogland for quite some time ... a couple of seasons and a lot of water under the bridge in that time. It was never my intent to update this only once a quarter but you know how sometimes life gets in the way ...

I was wondering which photos to post since my camera hasn't been MIA and I've clicked the shutter quite a number of times since I last posted. I decided to share a few of our new furry best friend who joined our family last August. We took her to a doggy beach and we learned that she's definitely not a water dog - you'll see ...

I hope everyone's new year is off to a good start. I didn't make a resolution to come here on a more regular basis, but I will try ...

What I Did On My Summer Vacation or Post #700

Has it really been several months since I was last here ? There have been fleeting moments when it crossed my mind that I hadn't posted anything on my blog but then the busyness of the day prevailed and the thought was swept away. A quote in a photography newsletter lead me to a blog which reminded me of my neglected blog ... and here I am. (And this so happens to be my 700th post).

No I won't bore you with details of the past few months, but I have been fortunate enough to do some work for several clients (one of which featured a number of my photos here). One of the major occurrences during this time was the addition of a new member to our family. Some of you may remember the loss of our beloved Sasha late last year. Through what can only be described as divine intervention, Keera entered our lives in August (after being abandoned on a busy city street, brought into the veterinarian used by the dog rescue run by 2 of our daughters - Finding Them Homes, and a fruitless month-long search for her owner). Through her microchip we discovered that she turns 5 years old this month - we're looking forward to many happy years with her.

So let me introduce Keera to you - as you can see, she is already fitting in very well. (Oh, and I will do my best not to leave such a time gap before I pay a visit to you, and return here).

The Saddest Decision ...

I'm writing this early because I won't be able to later ...

After over 13 years of love, loyalty, and companionship, the time has come for us to say goodbye to our beloved Sasha. I've been caught in a struggle between my head, which is telling me it's the right thing to do, and my heart which says we can keep looking after her for a while yet. We've known this day would be coming but I haven't been able to acknowledge it.

Sasha's spirit is still willing (and her 'attitude' is as apparent as ever) but her physical ailments have significantly impacted her quality of life. When I see her struggle to get up or hobble along for even a short distance or groan with pain when we have to roll her over to sleep, I know the time has come. When she looks at me trustingly with her big soft brown eyes or tucks her head under my chin when I sit beside her on the floor, my conviction wavers.

The wheels have been set in motion, however, and I have to keep telling myself it's the right decision. And yet ...

Come celebrate her life ... (I had earlier written 'commiserate with me' but I think it's more appropriate to remember how she's enriched our lives):

We Ain't Goin' Nowhere

I live in a country that converted to metric 35 years ago. Unfortunately we didn't convert to metric time so we could have 100 hours in a day. It's been a roller coaster month since I last posted here. During that month

• I relived a lifetime of memories as I kept vigil with my family as my father passed from this life into the next [I don't tell you this to elicit words of sympathy – he almost reached 89 years and was ready to be welcomed into the New Jerusalem]
• Sasha was diagnosed with diabetes and I've become fairly adept at giving her a daily insulin shot [a side effect of her condition is that she can no longer accompany me on photo shoots – which were a rare occurrence in the last month anyhow]
• in support of my daughters' dog rescue team I've been researching government requirements to set up a charitable organization [and you thought completing your income tax return was complex !]
• I got an early Christmas present [Adobe Lightroom] and have been dabbling in learning its features. One of the prime reasons for getting it was to tame my rapidly-becoming-disorganized library of thousands of photos – a task that will likely require some months still

Thanks to all of the kind folks who dropped by and left a comment. Why don't all of you relax in the sunshine, get your mind off wintertime, and flop down in the easychair (click on the link below the photos to give it a try).

A dog's life

"Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring--it was peace." (Milan Kundera)

"My dog is usually pleased with what I do, because she is not infected with the concept of what I "should" be doing." (Lonzo Idolswine)

You're all familiar with Pavlov's conditioning experiments with dogs. It seems I've been unconsciously conditioning Sasha as well - as soon as I zip up the camera bag, she jumps to her feet, even from a deep sleep, and she's ready to go out with me. She never complains about where we go, or how long I take, or what postures I adopt to make a shot - as long as she gets to go. Here she is enjoying herself on a recent shoot in our front yard.

(10-22mm  f11  1/10 sec  ISO100)

(70-200mm  f11  1/20 sec  ISO100)

(Day 117) A nasty surprise!

I was awakened this morning by a phone call from one of my daughters to tell me that the town nearest to us was in the news. Now this is unusual because nothing much of any importance ever happens here. Well, the news was that we were experiencing a significant snowstorm! Of course I didn't believe her and immediately went to look out the window - yep, we had a January blizzard going on!

We lived in Calgary for many years and this would hardly be newsworthy, unless there was 60cm (2') of snow, because April and May can be very snowy there. But this is almost unheard of in these parts at this time of year. So yes, these are not pictures from my archives in January (see the leaves and flowers) and it's still snowing as I post this. I'm not sure I believe the weather forecast which promises 21C (70F) by Friday.

(18-55mm  f11  1/100 sec  ISO200)

(18-55mm  f11  1/160 sec  ISO200)

(18-55mm  f11  1/160 sec  ISO200)

(18-55mm  f11  1/30 sec  ISO200)

(Day 101) Dog gone squirrels!

I went out walking this afternoon to find a suitable subject for today's photo. I came across an old hollowed out apple tree limb decomposing on the ground, and looked for an interesting angle to capture its texture. Sasha, our Samoyed, was intrigued by it at the same time - but she wasn't after a good angle. She's more interested in squirrels and chipmunks. Well, interested is a bit of an understatement - obsessed would be a better description.

So I turned my camera on her as she focused on bringing into daylight any squirrel she could dig out. Note: no animals were injured during the taking of these shots :)

(all shots taken with 70-200mm f2.8L  f5.6  various shutter speeds  ISO800)

Studying the situation:

Removing obstacles:

Puzzled by the lack of results:

(Day 54) To sleep, perchance to dream

It's been a long day, for humans and dogs. Here our Samoyed, Sasha, is in her favourite position - prone, on the cool ceramic floor, oblivious to the sounds and lights around her, as was evident by her snoring. That's a position I soon hope to be in, albeit not on the ceramic floor.

(60mm  f11 15sec  ISO800)

(Day 38) 'Cool' dog

Our dog Sasha has been a real trooper. She accompanied us on our long journey, without complaint and has adjusted well to her new, temporary home. But the brilliant sun today was too much even for her and she had to don a pair of shades. (photo credit: my wife)

(18-55mm f14 1/250 sec ISO200)

(Day 31) A girl's best friend

No matter where you are, no matter how you're feeling, whether you've had a good day or not ... you can always count on your four-legged friend to walk beside you and lend an attentive ear to whatever you say, without interrupting. After all, that's why they were put on this earth.

(18-55mm @ f5.6 1/400 sec ISO200)

Built for the weather

This is Sasha, our Samoyed. Unlike me, our dog loves the cold winter weather. I can endure it, provided I've bundled up properly, but she is in her element. In fact, in spring, when the sun has almost finished its task of clearing away the last remnants of snow, Sasha will find that last little bit that has survived somewhere in the shade and claim it as her own.

As we're nearing the end of 2009, I'm having to think of my commitment to the 365 photo project for 2010. I'm leaning towards going for it - although I've only run this trial for less than 2 weeks so far. I think the challenge will be in finding subject(s) to photograph on a daily basis, Perhaps I'll choose a theme from time to time and try to explore it. Decision deadline will be Thursday night. Hopefully I'll get a few followers who will provide encouragement.