yeah, i know the invitation is a little last minute … we’ve been swamped here at scruffy dog, and just this morning we’re gathering up the artwork and other show pieces that will be on display tomorrow at what promises to be a super fun event.

and YES, Merrick WILL be in attendance!!  i mean, if the free barbecue wasn’t enough to entice you, surely a meetup with the goobernuts himself should be, no?

from 2:00-5:00 tomorrow (Saturday, August 20) come out to 285 Woolwich Street South in Breslau.  and yes, there’s all that nasty construction going on, so if you need directions, drop us a line, and we’ll send you the best way to get there!

and if you think the BBQ for the 2-leggers was somethin’, there’s even more for the 4-leggers!  … frozen yogurt pops, bananas … no wait, banDanas, toys!, treat!, chews! … and oh yeah, baby! PUPPY POOLS!!!  now you know where you’ll find the Goobernuts!   oh yeah, and there are goodies for the feline 4-leggers in your life as well.

not only will scruffy dog and the super adorkable Merrick Goobernuts McScruffy be in attendance, but you’ll also have the opportunity to meet:

Impressive Canines Training

Fur Ever Loved Pet Salon

Rens Pets Depot

Complete Pets

Grand River All Breed Animal Rescue

and yes, the KW Humane Society.

all you need to bring other than your 4-legger is a lawn-chair and towels for your pup (and yourself if you get too close to the Goober) … and please bring lots of change for the animal charities supported by this event.

the weather looks promising, so what are you waiting for!?  drop Ally Cats a line at info@allycats.ca to let them know you’ll be attending (a headcount is required for the barbie).  we’d LOVE to see you!!

this morning it was young Rosie.  i will never forget this sweet little melonhead, as i lovingly referred to her … the second of two 5-month old bulldog pups i shot within one week back in the fall of 2009.  i had wondered if there was any relation to Marvin, my other bullpup client, but the second i held her snorty little cantaloupe-shaped dome in my hands i knew there was absolutely no relation.

this girl was an utter doll, and her images are still some of my favorites today.  you can see her full blog entry here.

second-up in the blind archive-dip is Sara.  it’s somewhat poignant that sweet, senior Sara came up after baby Rosie, as my shoot with Sara and her brother Clancy was taken in their twilight year.  in fact, their shoot was around the same time as Rosie’s.

sadly, Clancy passed away shortly after our shoot, and Sara about a year later.  their shoot can be seen here.  i heard recently, with much delight, that Sue and Richard have at last opened their hearts and  home to two new goldens.

have a great Thursday, everyone.  hug your 4-legged babies, and take them for a walk.

and then last night happened.  they said it would snow, but …

needless to say, the dogs were probably more surprised, as they were too busy napping to catch the weather report on the evening news.

merrick was not fond of the sudden reversal of seasons.  in fact, he hurried his pooping, but returned to the door without peeing.  poor bugger had to be sent off a second time …

i’d hazard to say we have over a foot on the back deck which was dry as a bone yesterday …

of course, i should have known already a week ago that this was going to happen … after all, that’s when i’d booked my appointment for today with Toyota to have my winter tires switched for my summers.  bad dog.

so, if anyone is to blame for this renewal of the winter season, it’s me.  sorry folks.  perhaps, to counteract this, i should drag out the lawn mower and start it up?  or wait, maybe that would only make things worse?  no, i think i should go buy a snowblower … this mess’ll melt before i even get that beast gassed up!

so, literally with eyes closed, i scroll through the archived collections, click blindly, and come up with a client-folder … i then open the page of thumbnails and once again, click blind.

and here’s what you get ..

remember, sweet baby Marvin?

i loved this boy.  his shoot was a birthday present for his mama.  his full blog entry can be found here.

and why not double the fun?  going in blind again, i found cute little Koda.

his full blog entry is here.

enjoy the spring-like weather … scoop the back yard while you can … and pray for more snow.   we have a lot more winter shoots on the books and we need snow!   have a great weekend, everyone.

… staying warm …

and keeping your balls safe.

… not just another music video, two things of note before you click ‘play’ …

(1) this video – as is typical of OK Go’s videos – is done in ONE take, and

(2) all of these dogs are rescue dogs.

i’m not sure about the goat though.

enjoy!

this little guy is a riot …

and lots of fun to work with.

of course, maybe it helps that i know terrierists … just a little.

Miles hails from Tennessee … picked up as a stray, housed for months at a boarding kennel while attempts were made to find his owner, and finally a rescue group down there found room for him … at which point he found himself on the terrier-train of rescue transport all the way up to Ontario into a failed-foster home where — in spite of much interest in the boy — foster-mom Ingrid simply couldn’t give the boy up.

and after traveling miles and miles to be with new mom Ingrid and the rest of his pack, well, you can understand how he comes by the name.

i had a great time with Miles and photography-enthusiast Ingrid as we traipsed her parents’ property looking for photo-ops …

you gotta admit, he’s a pretty talented little dude.

and of course, no dog escapes a scruffy dog photo session without a butt shot … at least, no dog this cute.

but any model who works this hard definitely earns the delicious scruffy dog treats.

of course, it wasn’t all posing.  there was crazy running …

… and checking out new trails.  don’t you just love that little upside-down apostrophe of an ear?

… and checking the sky for birds.

…and did i already mention the delicious treats?

from there — as the sun was setting and casting a lovely pink hue across the sky — we found a small floating dock down on the river behind Ingrid’s house.

Miles wasn’t too certain about the sloshing sounds the dock made, though.

… so i had to work on his confidence a bit and take my time with him in this new situation.

mom helped too.

i just love the look in this boy’s eye … “I’ll sit here, but i’m not going to like it.”

he was far more comfortable in one of his favorite positions: tucked in the crook of his mama’s arm.

of course, i decided to have a little fun with him and Ingrid …

she sure loves this little wirey boy.

it was dusk as we headed back to the house, but in spite of the low light i wanted to work with Miles and these few flowers on the walk home.

exactly how adorable is he?  i mean, really?

and finally home … a little chillin’ …

… a little dancin’ …

making sure the house is secure …

those are busy paws.

and of course, ever pack needs a strong leader …

thanks, Miles, for being one of the most adorable clients ever.  and thanks, Ingrid, for introducing me to your wonderful little man.  i hope you enjoy your gallery.  see you soon!

]]> http://scruffydogphotography.com/blog/index.php/2010/08/30/miles-makes-me-smile-ontario-pet-photographer/feed/ 19 http://scruffydogphotography.com/blog/index.php/2010/07/14/gsps-running-amok/ http://scruffydogphotography.com/blog/index.php/2010/07/14/gsps-running-amok/#comments Wed, 14 Jul 2010 19:26:16 +0000 illona http://scruffydogphotography.com/blog/?p=2623 you’ll be seeing more of these two boys soon.  this is just a quick sneak peek for mom Deb.

hope they slept well last night, Deb!

why is he one of my favorites?  because he’s a lab and he’ll do just about anything for treats. 

and because he’s a big, fun-loving goofball …

… who only pretends to be a hunting dog when he hears a pretend noise.

plus, the camera just loves him, no matter what he’s doing.

thanks for the fun, Cynthia and Shane, and most of all Wrigley.  i can’t wait to see your gorgeous face on canvas!

with visions of the ethereal light of dawn, we booked for an early morning shoot.  plan all you want, however, sometimes nature has other ideas.  i will never forget that gloriously foggy morning.  nor will i ever forget these two marvelous creatures.

although younger than Sara, only weeks after our shoot Clancy led the way first across the Bridge, or wherever it is that these amazing souls go … for surely they must go somewhere, and i only hope it is to a place where we are later reunited with them, for i can imagine no greater heaven, no greater peace, than one where we are surrounded by all of our dogs, together at last.

Clancy was Sue’s boy, and his loss hit her hard …

but at least they had Sara to hang onto.  even after having lost my own morley less than two months ago, i can’t imagine the emptiness both Richard and Sue are feeling without their sweet girl.

i take this loss — like the loss of any member of the scruffy dog family — to heart.  because each scruffy dog shoot is not only lengthy, but also fun, intimate and caters to the individual needs and character of each furry client, i do feel as though i come to know each and every one of these precious souls i am so fortunate to photograph.  so when one is lost, it is felt.

Sara and Clancy, i have to imagine that you are together again at last, and forever.

and Richard and Sue, my thoughts and heart are with you during this empty and quiet time.  i do feel quite confident, however, given what i know of your spirits and your generosity of love, that in time you will open your home and your hearts to another … and they will be one truly blessed dog for sure.