Tracks

There are all kinds of loves in this world but never the same love twice.

~F. Scott Fitzgerald~

Been thinking about these photographs for a long time...today everything just clicked.

My penguins.

Cowdogs

One of my gal pals recently took a job working at Onefour, a research substation in the southeast corner of the province.  I went for a visit, and while it is incredibly isolated, it is also very peaceful...well if you call 3 gals & 2 border collies bombing across the prairie in an old Ford peaceful:).

I've heard a lot about Onefour over the years...but no one has ever told me just how incredibly beautiful it is.  And I even managed to take a few photographs of the dogs...I thought catching photo's of one dog was hard...two is impossible some days lol.

Scamp...well...where do I start.  He's such a good boy, I don't even know where to begin...but here's a few things that I love about him:

~ he & Neena are BFF's

~ he loves to snuggle, but never demands attention

~ he's always happy

~ I absolutely heart it when he gets the zoomies

~ his front legs...no way to describe it...

~ his socks

~ his focus

~ how he wiggles in his kennel before I let him out

~ he LOVES to run...but always comes back to check in

~ and so much more...

There are a few things we will need to work on this summer...I can't wait to be done the semester so I can start focusing more on my dogs again.

As for Neena...well...she'll always be my Crazy Pants... 

And we'll always want to be cowgirls together;).

Another week of gifts

#140 - 156 of a Thousand, Endless Gifts

~ creative photography

~ that he rests his hand on my knee

~ an empty nest

~ the quiet

~ countdowns

~ choosing to work in peace

~ focus

~ a suprise attack hug Colton style

~ words that speak to my heart

~ Neena's smiles

~ lightbulb moments

~ 90's dance music

~ spring

~ playing chicken

~ the smell of fresh flowers

~ a blushing Warren

~ chocolate

Puppy Partay

Michelle and Mack came down for what we like to call a puppy partay...Yee Haw!  Fun was had by all...although its really hard for us to get up to our regular photographic mischief when its -15C outside;).  Some of these are mine, and some are Michelle's...dare you to guess who's are who's lol!

Mack (aka Mack Daddy) Portraits 

Neena (aka Crazy Pants...I've been giggling about that for days, thanks Amanda!) Portraits

(this one doesn't count...Michelle obviously took it!)

I think they look like a happily married couple in this pic.

"Bouncing is what Tiggers do best"

 

We do the best with the camera's/lenses we have...but the truth is Michelle and I have lens lust...we both have plans for an upgrade, hopefully sooner than later!

3 Years!

I know I know...2 blogs in one day...what the heck right?  But today is Neena's 3 years in her furever home anniversary!

We went for a celebratory walk this afternoon...and I'm totally annoyed, I didn't check the settings on my camera so my photographs suck.  I suck. 

But Neena kinda sucks too...apparently she wasn't impressed that I had the camera attached to my face when I could have been playing with her.  The brat smacked the camera and knocked my contact out lol.

Three years is its still never boring!

Las Vegas 2009 Blurb Book

In October Mom and I went on away on our annual scrapbooking trip.  I was (am) struggling with calculus at the time, and my brain was too fried to do much actual scrapbooking.  Instead I put together this Blurb book from my Vegas trip last year, its a slightly edited version of the blog posts.  I've been struggling with the cover ever since and finally finished tonight.  I'm pretty excited to see it, if I like it I can see myself making more books like this in the future! 

Fall

I love the river valley...its especially beautiful in the fall.

Race Report - Team JNP Style

Last week Go! Dog! Go! and Redline Dogsports put on agility & flyball demonstrations at Whoop Up Days, Neena and I participated two evenings. I knew it would be pretty intense for her, with the noises, the people, the lights...everything. But I also knew it could be a good time to make some scary things a good experience, so I armed myself with an arsenal of treats and a positive attitude.

The first day we had a minor melt down over the monster truck ride, thankfully this time I had tools to help her work through it. We walked away for a bit, we played, we hung out and she got some yummy treats. Gyp & Wicca beat her up. Sarah & Amanda showered her with attention and affection. And by the end of the first night my brave little border collie was feeling ok, if not comfortable.

The improvement between the first and second day was noticeable, she was still uncertain, especially when the monster truck was running, but she stayed with me and she stayed upbeat. I was, I am still, so proud of her!

Participating in the demo was great preparation for the Go! Dog! Go! agility trial on the weekend. My #1 goal, my hope, my dream, was that Neena and I would just have fun the entire weekend. I truly didn't care if she went and visited every pole setter and the judge, if she took every obstacle backwards, if we even finished a course. I justed wanted to see her little wiggle bum wiggling.

Our first run of the weekend was our first ever standard...I had Sarah & Amanda help me pump Neena up, and away we went. She was happy, upbeat and with me the entire time, we missed our weave pole entry once, but the second time we nailed it...and we Q'd!

I was shocked...not that I thought we 'couldn't'...it just wasn't my goal. We raced by my goal like it was standing still...I was so happy and overwhelmed and excited, it left me shaky for a good half an hour lol. I was thrilled...but I truly didn't let it change my goals, or my Plan A for the weekend. I headed into gamble & jumper runs with the same attitude I had for the first run...and each run she seemed to be just a
little more confident and comfortable. We had fun. And we Q'd in every run that day.

Wendy from Paws on the Run Photography was the trial photographer...these are a few photographs from Saturday, I think she did a great job...and I love how happy Neena looks.

I couldn't resist this picture...her little toes are spread, she is totally concentrating on making her contact and she is still so happy. I love it.

By Sunday morning Neena had really hit her groove. She was the real deal, the crazy girl I get every Tuesday at class...the silly gal that not just everyone gets to see. It was awesome to watch...and a feeling that I can't describe.

As far as our runs Sunday, I am super happy with them all...I don't mean any of this to come across as as 'we were so close, darn it'. Instead, think of this as my 'race report'. We had a great gamble, not sure if she got rain in her eyes or if I stopped moving but we missed the final jump. Snooker...well I got lost and Neena so totally knew it, she'd stop and look at me as if to say 'now what?' I have to admit, I gave up, but my dog never did...she did her best to 'lead me', the judge even commented about it lol. Our last run of the trial was another jumpers, they are smooth courses and we get to do lots of running...Neena likes jumpers courses lol. And so we make our video debut, thanks Amanda!!!

On a final note, a long time ago I promised Neena that I'd get her agility leash embroidered when she was officially weaving. I haven't kept my end of the deal, after the weekend I couldn't let it slide any longer. And I didn't beat her to get this picture either...she's being 'sad'. I think its freaking cute.

Amateur Photographers

 Michelle bought a camera like mine this spring and she's having a blast using it.  Last week we made some plans to get together to practise our 'photography' moves and do some trail riding.

These were a few of my 'best' shots...I finally downloaded some photo-editing software, its been fun to play with!

I have a hard time sometimes with creativity (science brain!), Michelle does not lol.  She has a good eye for different angles and idea's...

Bill is one of the pen riders at the feedlot where Michelle works, he let us tag along and check some steers in 'the bush'.  I've NEVER been on a trail ride like that...it was beautiful, challenging and fun!  I'm sore lol!

Jess...oh my gosh, she was so happy and spunky!  Neena and Mack stayed home, I debated bringing Neena, but once we got going I was really glad I hadn't.  I don't trust that I could call Neena off cattle, and I was having a hard enough time just staying on...without worrying about my dog too lol!

I've met a few very nice heelers lately...Neena would love a little sister....sigh.  LOL!

Sneaky Photographers...

Sasha Stewart & co. are the new photographers for Speedy Creek Raceway, I think they are doing a great job and made a point of tracking Sasha down at Wolff Pack for a quick chat.  Turns out this 'racing thing' is all new for her! 

When I finally had a chance to browse through the Wolff Pack photo's, I found this.  She's sneaky!  Georg Wowk is the creator and a major sponsor of the Wolff Pack Run, he's also an artist...in many ways I hope to follow in his footprints...so this photograph makes me smile.  Thanks Sasha!

A little Seadoo action

A couple weekends ago I headed back home to hang with some high school pals.  We took their seadoo out to a local reservoir...the weather was perfect, and I love water sports! 

Daryl took the 'girls' out...I told him I didn't want a sissy ride but I'm pretty sure he didn't try as hard as he could of to shake me off lol.  And of course it wasn't my machine, I also didn't try as hard as I coulda to shake him off lol...

We spent some time soaking up the sun.

Which presented some opportunities...

Darryl was WAY too nice, Rhonda absolutely DRENCHED us later lol.

We often threw a football around back in the day, it was fun to see somethings never change...

Ok...well maybe a few things have changed...like now instead of throwing a football I try to capture the action.  Its really probably better this way...I throw like a girl lol!

Country Chix

It was so hard to choose which photographs to post...and how!  Sarah has a few more posted on her blog in an album, and I'm thinking about making a photobook, it might be neat! 

Its been really hard to describe the emotion these photographs evoke, and what they mean to me.  They will always remind me of this period of my life, and I feel like Sarah managed to capture an all encompassing moment of what my life is right now.  I wish I had better words.

The Element of Freedom

"And the day came when the risk it took to remain tightly closed in a bud, was more painful than the risk it took to bloom.  This is the element of Freedom" 

Alicia Keys ~ The Element of Freedom

The Road We're On...

It sometimes amazes me just how quickly life can change...just two and a half short years ago I adopted Neena.  At the time I had it all planned out, I'd get this perfect little dog for my perfect little family and we would be perfectly happy. 

Since then I've been learning that life almost never goes as planned lol.  But although Neena isn't my 'perfect little dog'...she is so perfectly mine!  Yesterday I was talking (ok I was complaining) to Sarah about how she never looks sheepish when she's being 'disciplined'...Sarah joked she's a 'spank me harder mom' kinda dog...and I almost died because I can remember saying those very same words to my mom.    

(And ya...I know I just went there.  And I don't really care!)

Anyways, I'm one of those people that believes everything happens for a reason although we might just never know what those reasons are.  However, the reason why Neena's mine is simple...I need her.

I'm not sure how to write this...I don't want to make this a big 'sob story'...maybe like this.  I survived.  And I survive.  We all have things in our lives...hard things.  And we all seem to survive.  But it is Neena that pushes me to keep moving forward every day.  Walk me.  Feed me.  Train me.  Love me.

I know Neena won't be my last dog...but she IS my first 'real' dog.  Its been on my mind for a long time, and I finally asked Sarah to photograph us.  After the past year it seemed fitting to have 'family' pictures...and I especially loved Sarah's idea to photograph us on a 'journey'.  After all, it's Neena who's been with me every step of the way. 

Thank-you so very much Sarah!  For everything!

Sprint Car Photoshoot

Saturday was our first Sprint car race of the season, it was so busy I didn't have a chance to take my camera out of its bag!  I arrived at 3pm and it was non-stop until 11pm...crazay!  We had 27 sprint cars and three supporting classes, when I finally had a minute to catch my breath I figured we had 63 racing vehicles in total.  That's pretty cool.

I met up with TSR earlier in the day to photograph the cars.  Before they went to the track.  Just in case they got...dirty lol!

So, I'll let you in on a little secret.  I'm actually not impressed with these pics.  I haven't really been happy with my racing photo's lately...I'm still turning it over in my head, got some idea's.  Now I just gotta make them into plans!

Anyways, introducing TSR!   There's a story behind the paint scheme...its based on Jimmy Spencer's (a retired NASCAR driver) Smokin Joe car...I don't get why that makes it so cool, guess itsa guy thing lol!  I DO think they look pretty flashy though!

Driven by:

#32 - Sean Moskal

 and #23 - Brad Robertson

Brad had the whole family along...I have yet to meet a racer who didn't like a photo of a little person in his/her car.  I imagine your own kid would be extra fun!

SOOO funny, I'm convinced this is what drivers would LIKE to do when things don't go as planned....

Team Shot:  Car owners, drivers, kids and dog included lol!

Oh ya...I said Brad brought the whole family right?  In my opinion, the racing world could use more pink!