with absolutely no summer vacation this year, and not a single trip up north for our traditional forays to my childhood Georgian Bay, it was time to take a few days and let loose with the scruffies. last week i deliberately booked no sessions (even though i could still be found at my desk tending to plenty of scruffy dog business) and took a few day trips with matea and morley to kick up our heels … hit the old logging trails that i used to ride my horses on years ago, riding for whole days along the escarpment. 
.jpg "in-the-woods")
i admit, however, that my plan was a little scruffy dog’ish and built around an ulterior motive. having added a new action lens AND a new camera body to the SDP arsenal, it was time for some heavy-duty equipment testing. and there’s no better model on which to test an action lens than my crazy wirehaired, mud-loving matea.
.jpg "when-she-really-wants-the-stick")
from Georgian Bay, we headed over to Kettle Point, Grand Bend way. there’s nothing like the sun reflected off the sand to give a photographer some optimal lighting situations. and as an added bonus, i could have never anticipated morley’s joy on the sand. i’ve never had this old man — adopted at 9 years of age — on a sand beach. usually misery-on-four-paws when we’re at the rocky shores of Georgian Bay, on the sand he was pure joy.
.jpg "morley-runs")
we absolutely must go again. as for matea, she has a blast no matter wherever we go …
.jpg "matea-had-a-little-fun-too")
… so we stayed as long as we could, catching some of the warm, late afternoon sun that i always encourage clients to book for.
.jpg "a-day-at-the-beach")
all in all, a good and productive vacation. the scruffies don’t realize theirs was a working-vacation … as long as they come home with dirt between their toes and dreams of bunnies (or in this case dead, beached fish) in their heads, every day is a vacation to them.
.jpg "the-two-of-them")
illonathanks, guys.
barb, it’s a good idea … something i need to look into.
grace, if we lived closer to each other … we’d have to hire each other. 🙂
GraceOh I adore your shots. If only you lived closer to me.
JennGreat shots! Your two scruffies are the most perfect models! Guess your new action lens is working out pretty well!
Barb LI keep coming back to look at the photo of Matea running along the wooded trail. It takes my mind back to so many wonderful days in the woods with all the dogs I’ve had the privilege to love. Have you considered offering some of the images of your own dogs for sale on this site? I for one would be very interested in that print. I can understand if you would find it too personal for other people to have some pictures of your dogs, but that image in particular has an “every dog” element of joy I sure a lot of people could relate to from their own dogs. Just a thought.
MariI love this blog. Extra views of your photos and ways that you size them. Shouldn’t “Bark and Gardens” be calling? I admire your talent and your dedication to your craft. That is a lot of hard work, no doubt. But you make it all look so effortless. Bravo.