52 Snapshots of Life; Week 52: Peace

This is my last post for 2015, and my last regular post for a while, going forward.  I am furthering my education beginning in January and taking a break from social media and non-essential internet for a while.

Many thanks to our friends at The Lazy Pit Bull for hosting this photo challenge all year!

This week's theme is PEACE.  I was at the beach for the Christmas holiday, and took a lot of peaceful photos.  This one is my personal favorite of all the photos I snapped last weekend.  Peace on Earth.

Until next time.....  Happy New Year......

52 Snapshots of Life; Week 51: Friend

This is the next-to-the-last post for #52Snapshots, and I want to thank The Lazy Pit Bull for hosting this fun photo challenge blog hop all year.

This week's topic is FRIEND.  I could not have gotten through 2015 without my amazing friend, Cooper.  He is my "comfort dog".  My very own personal service dog, even though he isn't really a service dog.  I have thought about having him trained and certified to be a real service animal, but he is too reactive, so it would be a huge undertaking.  Maybe some day.  Who knows?  For now, he's my very own personal comfort, service dog.... and my very best FRIEND.  His brother, Charlie, is my friend and comfort dog too, but he still has trouble trusting me when I want to hug him or even just touch him.  For instance, he has just recently started putting his head on my lap when we sit near each other!   It's a work in progress.  One does well socially, the other does well privately.

Last weekend, I took a photo of Cooper at the beach.  He had laid down right at the foot of the dunes, on our way back to the house, and I thought to myself, "I remember taking a similar photo of Hobie many years ago."  I had thought they were facing in the same direction, but, in fact, I located the photo of Hobie, and he is facing in the OTHER direction.  Going by memory, I do recall that we had stopped walking in approximately the same place on the beach on both days.  After our walk last weekend, I told Cooper he had been "channeling" Hobie, because he was acting just like him!  Hobie used to refuse to go home, and would lie down in protest.  I'd have to often sit by the side of the road, and drivers would even pull over and ask if he was all right!!  "Yes," I'd say, "He's just refusing to go home."  I always thought they did not believe me.  Well, didn't Cooper pull the same game last weekend?!  Not only did he lie down on the beach in the same pose as Hobie, except facing the opposite way, he also laid down in the parking lot on the way back to the house, and refused to go home.  I had to sit on the pavement with him while people driving past were staring at us wondering WTH was going on!  To top it all off, with him only having three legs, people always think the worst.  No, he's just refusing to go home, because he's having a good time.  Just like Hobie used to do.  So, Cooper channeled Hobie last weekend, and it made me laugh and cry at the same time.

Here are the two matching photos.  The dogs were roughly the same age when these were taken. Cooper is now four years old, and Hobie was five years old in the photo of him taken at almost the exact same spot on the beach, at roughly the same time of year (between Thanksgiving and Christmas) ten years ago.

My friends.

Cooper, December 2015 - 4 years of age, at Nauset Light Beach at the foot of the dunes

Hobie, November 2005 - 5 years of age, at Nauset Light Beach at the foot of the dunes

RIP Hobie 1/6/2000 - 4/25/2015

52 Snapshots of Life; Week 50: Neighbor

When the Nauset Light Preservation Society moved the iconic lighthouse in 1996, my house became Nauset's Neighbor.
This is my neighbor.  "She" keeps watch over us, and her calming and reassuring beacon is a symbol of hope and light.

Week 50!  Only two posts left for The 52 Snapshots of Life photo-theme challenge, hosted by our friends at The Lazy Pit Bull.

52 Snapshots of Life, Week 49: Bokeh (and a special announcement)

I had no idea what Bokeh was!  Well, it turns out I accidentally Bokeh'd (??) a couple of photos from last week.  I was going to look for an old picture, but I didn't have to!

Admittedly, this is not that great!

So, that's this week's 52 Snapshots challenge photo.  52 Snapshots of life is hosted by our friends at The Lazy Pit Bull.

Special Announcement:  Charlie and Cooper's sister, Tess, has some very talented human parents.  They've published some books, including one titled Tammy Does Boston about Tess's predecessor.   A couple days before Thanksgiving, my local shelter Sweetpea For Animals had a devastating fire that destroyed a building and killed over 40 animals that were awaiting adoption.  Our community is reeling from this loss, and today is a fundraiser (Photos with Santa) to raise money to re-build the shelter.  Tess's parents, Judith and Michael, have offered also to sell their book to raise funds for this important charity as well.

Here's how you can participate:

Go to the Tammy Does Boston website and purchase the book ($14.95).  Afterwards, send me an email at k2k9dogs@gmail.com and tell me that you purchased this book to help out the Sweetpea Fund.  For every book sold, Judith and Michael will donate HALF of the cost ($7.50 per book) to Sweetpea.  Please note that this offer is only for U.S. sales and is available now until December 25.

Super-huge thanks to Judith and Michael and Tess (and their other pooch, Tina!) for helping out.

Charlie (seated), sister Tess (standing on four paws); brother Cooper (tripawd!)

52 Snapshots of Life; Week 48: Thankful

As we near the end of the 52 Snapshots themed photo blog hop challenge, hosted by our amazing friends at The Lazy Pit Bull, I am pleased to say I'm thankful to have been able to spend some time with these two cuties over the holiday weekend!

'at's right, we're 8 months old!

The twins look on in fascination as their first Christmas tree gets decorated by the older kids and the adults.

52 Snapshots of Life, Week 47: Passion

This year has been the absolute worst, and I had trouble figuring out what I would post for this week's topic, "Passion", since I am not feeling very passionate about anything these days.

But, last week was the dogs' fourth birthday, and we got together with their sister, Tess to celebrate their birthday, on the beach up in gorgeous Gloucester, Massachusetts.

If it were not for these two dogs, I don't know how I would have made it through these last few months.  They are my comfort, my companions, my heart.

I have always loved the Massachusetts coast, and have been visiting the "north shore" (as we call it) and the Gloucester area ever since I can remember.

Two things that I love most of all:  my dogs, and "my" beaches.  So, here we are:  a couple photos from dog birthday party on the beach, year four!

Charlie Brown looks on as Cooper (left) and Tess (right) vie for possession of the ball

Triplets!!

52 Snapshots of Life is a themed photo blog hop hosted by The Lazy Pit Bull.

52 Snapshots of Life, Week 46: Veteran

My post is a tad late this week, and I really wanted to match the picture to Veterans Day, because this week's topic was Veteran... but November 11th is also the dogs' birthday (they're four years old now!!); and I sort of got sidetracked.

Without further delay, here (above) is my favorite veteran, and his favorite gal [that would be, my parents, in case you didn't know].  My father served in WWII in the 15th U.S. Army.  He wrote to my mother every single day, and I have all of his letters.  You can see some of the letters in my books:  available here on Amazon. 

52 Snapshots of Life is a photo challenge blog hop hosted by our friends at The Lazy Pit Bull.  Only six weeks remain in 2015!

52 Snapshots of Life; Week 45: Fall

A very unusual fall here in Massachusetts, with "beach" weather for the past 10 days....

Cape Cod National Seashore -- autumn sunset over Nauset Marsh and Nauset Beach
at the intersection of Eastham and Orleans

This post is part of the 52 Snapshots of Life blog hop, hosted by our pals at The Lazy Pit Bull.

52 Snapshots of Life; Week 44: Scary

BOO!!!

Cooper, Charlie Brown, and I went to the Halloween Dog Spooktacular this weekend!  They wore their skull & crossbones collars, and their matching bandanas.  I got Cooper a matching sweater, supposedly for a "large" dog (ha, ha).  It is so small, I ended up putting on him like a scarf.  He looks very "metro".  For Charlie, I added a "Boo!" bandana that Hobie got last October at the groomer.

Cooper's "scarf"!

Charlie looking very dapper in his Boo-dana!  But not exactly "scary".

It's the great pumpkin, Charlie Brown!   (had to throw that in -- we actually watched the cartoon AGAIN, since it was shown again on Saturday night -- and yes, my Charlie Brown does actually watch tv!)

This is a blog hop, hosted by our friends at The Lazy Pit Bull.

I forgot to post my own shirt!!  Here is a picture!!

52 Snapshots of Life; Week 43: Pumpkin

I didn't realize there was a PUMPKIN topic in the 52 Snapshots challenge, otherwise I may have thought twice about posting photos of the pumpkin that got eaten two weeks ago in the ANIMAL post.  

Alternatively, I suppose I could have just re-posted the same photos here, out of sheer laziness.

Like this.

But then, I was putzing around the house, moving around my knick-knacks.  One of my collections, other than my glass animal collection, of course, is blue glass.  People give me blue glass things all the time, and one friend gave me these two blue glass "globes" (or so I thought).  I was carrying them around the house the other day, when I actually looked at them for the first time, and realized they are...  (cue the music!).... PUMPKINS.  Blue, glass pumpkins.  Who knew?

And then, the rains came.  I wanted to set them up in a window, with sun shining through for this week's snapshot.  Alas, no sun for many days.

Late this afternoon, the skies cleared for a very brief moment, and I grabbed the opportunity.

When the light hits a different way, there is actually an extra layer of metallic gloss on the outside.
You can spot the photographer (me) reflected in the middle, and then, creepily,
it looks like there is a man standing behind me to one side!

52 Snapshots of Life is a photo challenge blog hop, hosted by our pals at the Lazy Pit Bull.

52 Snapshots of Life; Week 42: World

I live in a 5-mile world.  No, I really do!  My house is 3.9 miles from my office; and both the house and office are about four or five miles from grocery stores and other stores.  I did have my doctor's office in town as well, but I started to think that was a bit too "small town-y", and therefore recently expanded my "world" to a nearby city for my medical appointments!

Regularly, the hounds and I expand our world another 130 miles, or so, and head to Cape Cod.

At this time of year, the beach at the National Seashore does really weird things.  Small pools of water and large rock formations are revealed, that aren't seen in the summertime.  It is so strange to see a humongous rock in the middle of the beach, where you sat, all summer, not knowing it was underneath you!

I went for a beach walk this past weekend to take some shots of the autumnly-transformed beach, and I found this piece of driftwood!  (No, I didn't write on it, the writing was already there.)

Where Am I?

Kinda perfect for this week's 52 Snapshots* topic, "World", wouldn't you say?
You can view the rest of the photos from my beach walk on my Facebook page.

*52 Snapshots of Life is hosted by The Lazy Pit Bull, and there are only 10 weeks left!

52 Snapshots of Life; Week 41: Animal

I set out today to take some photos of an animal OTHER than a dog or cat for this week's 52 Snapshots challenge; topic: ANIMAL

The only "animal" I found on my walk was a FISH:

There was a really large banjo catfish nearby, but he skee-daddled when I moved :(
So, I got this kivver instead.

"But wait," I thought, "That's not exactly an ANIMAL."

No squirrels in sight?  Not a one.  No skunks, possum, deer or bunnies, either.

Then, I got a little help from a rather unlikely source.  

I decided to stop at the cemetery to visit G's grave, where I had recently put mums and pumpkins.  I wanted to see how they were doing after last night's monsoon rain.

The mums are great. 

The pumpkins?  Not so much!  An ANIMAL apparently had decided to make breakfast, lunch and dinner of them!

And that, is how, I got a slightly different idea for the topic: ANIMAL.

The mums look great, but here's all that's left of three pumpkins

Pumpkin seeds!

Expanded view:  ANIMAL with TEETH!

Looks like the ANIMAL had a PARTY!

Special thanks to my beloved, G for leading me to the ANIMAL; and to our blog hop hosts at The Lazy Pit Bull.

52 Snapshots of Life; Week 40: Framed

Week FORTY??!  That means there are only twelve posts remaining in this themed photo-blogging challenge, 52 Snapshots of life, hosted by our buddies at The Lazy Pit Bull.  How the heck did that happen?  A whole year (almost) gone by.  Phew.  So many photos, so little time.

This week's theme is FRAMED.

Here is a picture from a couple years ago.  I was spying on Charlie, while he was outside, from inside the house.  The windows are six-over-six sash windows, and I used one of the six squares to frame the dog.  The window was dirty, and the window screen took most of the focus of the picture.  It was a cute idea, but not the best quality photograph I've ever taken!

52 Snapshots of Life, Week 39: Shadow

Ok, this just freaked me out.... I was hunting through my photos for an appropriate picture for this week's 52 Snapshots challenge, and my cursor randomly landed on this photo and highlighted it automatically!!!  Weird!!

Therefore, here is this week's photo!  The theme is SHADOW

Charlie Brown at last year's PetRock Fest (2014) !!  

Which is also freaky, since PetRock 2015 was just the other day!

52 Snapshots of Life is hosted by our friends at The Lazy Pit Bull!!

52 Snapshots of Life; Week 38: Feet

When Hobie was a puppy, I liked to smell his feet.  I know other dog parents will understand this.  We've talked about it!  Back in those days, dog food had corn as a primary ingredient (maybe it still does, but I don't buy that stuff anymore).  I am not positive, but I think this is why dogs' feet smelled like Fritos.  Frito Feet!  Or, more generically-correct:  Corn Chip Feet!

Anyway, I sang a little song to Hobie:  "Puppy feet, puppy feet, I love puppy feet!" and then I'd grab his foot and SMELL it!!  Yeah, we pet parents are sick ha ha.

I regularly take pictures of my pets' feet.  Yes, yes, I do.

Here is a small collection of Pet Feet Photos from my archives.  The first picture here was just taken a few days ago while Cooper was sleeping!

Cooper foot!  This could make a good logo.

Cats have paws, too.

Footprint in the sand

Not a "sole" on the beach

We did a nail trim right afterwards!

Hobie loved to sleep with his back legs crossed.

 

Hobie's feet.  I did a whole photo session of Hobie's feet on his last birthday.




52 Snapshots of Life is a blog hop hosted by our friends over at The Lazy Pit Bull.