she’s a saucy little handful …

some of you may remember Bridie, Harriet and Tom’s previous cairn whom they lost several months ago …

well, this little wild girl is keeping both Harriet and Tom on their toes as they teach her all about the world …

wild, i tell ya!

but little Sadie is in the absolute best hands she could possibly be …

i look forward to more sessions with Sadie as she grows.  hope you’re enjoying the images of your new girl, Harriet and Tom!

when i met this sweet little girl last summer for her photo shoot, she was actually in renal failure and had just gotten out of the vet hospital after a several-day stay.  i’ve said it before on the blog, i’ve had a good number of ‘bereavement’ sessions — shoots for ailing dogs whose owners have been told have very little time — and i don’t know what it is, but all except one of these lovely souls have gone on for months after their shoots … a few even exceeding their vets’ expectations by a year or more.  maybe it’s a little scruffy dog magic … but i think it’s mostly the incredible and deep love that owners like Harriet and Tom have for their pets.

under her mom’s phenomenal care, little Bridie  kept going strong … and we even added a fall shoot to capture her ‘puppy’ cut …

Bridie, and Harriet and Tom, are precisely why i do what i do — clients with such a deep love and unbreakable bond with their dog, and who truly appreciate art versus straight portraits of their amazing little girl.

i’ll be working on their deluxe 12×12 coffeetable album.  Harriet’s been waiting for a while for this one … partly because she’s been too busy dealing with Bridie’s health, and also because she’s been waiting for the new scruffy dog photobooks to be developed.  and now that we’ve got them ready to roll out, Bridie’s is going to be our first deluxe book.  i’m looking forward to revisiting all of this gorgeous girl’s images again and designing Harriet and Tom’s book of incredible memories.

in the meantime, my thoughts are with Harriet and Tom.  i know the house and your hearts feel empty, but i know you two will soon be opening your hearts to another … the kind of love you two have to give can’t keep your house empty for long, and i so look forward to meeting whatever soul is to carry on in Bridie’s memory.

in the meantime, i’m glad that Bridie’s images give you comfort.  i’m so very honored to have met your sweet girl and spent time with her, and to have been chosen to capture these very important memories of her.  big hugs to both of you.

if you want to see Bridie’s past blog entries they can be found here, and here.  and her sneak peek was here.  loads of photos!

you first met this feisty little girl here, three months ago, when she was in renal failure.  well, with much love and diligence on the part of owners Harriet and Tom and their vets, Bridie is still going strong.

when Harriet mentioned to me back in July that she’d like to book a follow-up shoot for Bridie after her groom at the end of August, i could hear the hesitation in her voice … after all, the end of August was a long way off.  would Bridie make it that long?  even i wondered.  but who were we kidding?!  just look at this girl.

but this shoot was on my turf … and i took Harriet and Tom and Bridie to one of my favorite spots, where everyone enjoyed themselves … most of all Bridie.

lots of new smells and new scenery …

but i think what keeps Bridie going — besides the incredible love of Harriet and Tom — is her sense of humor …

thanks for a lovely afternoon, once again, Bridie, Harriet and Tom.  i look forward to putting together Bridie’s big coffee table book soon.  give your girl a hug from me.

cairn-terrier extraordinaire …

… sweet old lady … but don’t call her “old” to her face or you might just get the cold shoulder!

feisty and spirited like any terrier worth their salt …

… but mostly what you should know about Bridie is that she is loved beyond any measure known to man.

when i received mom Harriet’s phone call, as with most of my initial contacts from clients, our conversation centered around the logistics of scheduling and the shoot, the possible locations, the dog, etc.  but Bridie’s situation was different … as a senior dog struggling with Cushings, there was plenty to discuss — health, diet, vetting — but most importantly, how to fit Bridie’s shoot into an already crammed summer schedule.  always with cases like this — seniors, failing health, etc. — i make room.  but when Bridie ended up in the hospital the day before our shoot, in renal failure, i wasn’t certain i’d ever have the pleasure of meeting this sweet girl.

fortunately, that terrier spirit is strong — as i know well myself — and i should never have doubted the eventuality of Bridie’s shoot, even if we did have to postpone it for a few days to allow her to recover enough.

we started in the park … a good long walk …

with enough rests in between …

and then home, where i probably had the most fun with Bridie and the variety of textures and colours around the house.

we needed to take a short break for Bridie’s dinner and meds …

where she waited patiently … sort of …

then back outside …

i loved the back deck and hillside, all dark and dramatic … and Bridie was on the lookout for racoons.  probably the same ones that crossed my path as i drove off much later at dusk.

in spite of being in renal failure, Bridie could still be roused for a good game of ball.

and then more resting.  after all, a girl this gorgeous does need her beauty rest.

but it didn’t take much to get her up and going again.

… especially the promise of the neighborhood cat!  a terrier’s work is never truly done.

and finally up to mom’s office, where Bridie spends most of her days, and where i, at long last, released her of her modeling duties once and for all.

thank you, Harriet and Tom, for a memorable afternoon and evening.  and thank you, sweet Bridie, for being you, for hanging in there, and for loving your humans so utterly and absolutely.

it was touch and go whether i’d even get to meet sweet Bridie, a Cushings dog currently in renal failure.  her shoot was postponed while she was in hospital, and even once she was released i wasn’t quite sure what to expect.  i should never have doubted a terrier heart.  Bridie was a trooper throughout our extremely long shoot yesterday and last night.  with special shoots like this, i never take any chances, and since the mission of scruffy dog has always been to capture as many unique image in a variety of locations, especially with the special cases, when i know it is highly unlikely i will ever have the opportunity again, i go all out.

you will be seeing many more images from Bridie’s shoot, but she and owners Harriet and Tom have been on my mind during this difficult time (before and after the shoot) … so I wanted to share at least a couple of images for now.

you are in my hearts.  be strong for your little girl, as she is strong for you.