It's Snow Time!

Winter has only just begun, yet we've had two snowstorms already. Like most dogs, my three love the snow. I don't know what it is about the cold flaky stuff that makes Lilah, Jasper and Tucker, well, flaky.

Dogs who normally can't stand getting wet (that's you, Jasper and Tucker) romp around in the snow like it's the Best Thing Ever. A Gift From the Sky. And you can Eat It, too! Just an inch of white on the ground and my dogs turn into goofy puppies.

And I love it. I turn in to a kid as well, watching my four-legged friends romp and jump and pounce and bound. Sometimes I just run around in the snow with them. And then we all come piling back in the warm house, happy and tired--and wet.

Eventually, it all melts. And we're back to plain hard frozen ground--or worse yet, nasty thick mud that sticks to dog paws like Velcro. Until the next snow storm blankets our yard and we get to go out and do it again.

The first storm of the season came in the fall--November 7. This year, The Weather Channel started naming winter storms, and this one was christened Athena.  I'm sure our Athena felt she finally got her due.

"Wait! What? A snowstorm named after me? Of course. As it should be."

Tucker, Lilah and Jasper run through the snow as the storm just gets started.

Too much snow on your back and you have to Floppity it off.

By nighttime, we had more than six inches. The heavy wet snow covered everything with a soft white blanket, including our patio.

And the snow kept falling...

The next morning, a walk through the woods revealed nature's beauty at every turn. The heavy snow bent branches and trees already stressed from Hurricane Sandy's wrath a little over a week before, creating a new landscape--and in some cases breaking limbs that couldn't bear the weight.

Morning sun shines through the trees after Snowstorm Athena.

The wind blew snow against one side of the trees, streaking them with white.

The jagged jumble of fallen limbs was softened by the covering of snow.

I wasn't the only one walking in the woods after the storm. A deer had come through earlier.

Heading back toward the gate and my home. Leaves were still on some of the trees.

The front yard offered up its own beauty.

And in the back yard, the dogs explored their territory..

The second storm, Snowstorm Freyr, came just a few days ago. It was colder, and the snow was dryer. Only three inches fell, but that was enough for doggy fun and games.

With snow still falling, the dogs are ready to romp.

Ooh! A sniff under the snow.  All Noses report to duty.

Once the dogs get started, they play in all combinations.

Three dogs chasing each other. (That's Jasper's head in the corner.)

Jasper and Lilah

Tucker and Lilah

Jasper and Tucker

Tucker and his Ball. Doesn't matter how frozen or snow covered it is, we eventually have to Play Ball.

There are a few quiet moments, usually with one dog sitting it out while two others run around. It's at those moments that I like to try and capture a few Snow Portraits.

Lilah, with a snowy snout. I love how the snow decorates her fur like fine sugar.

Jasper, always looking regal, even as his fur is coated with snow.

Tucker, showing off his Snow Beard, acquired from digging in drifts.

And every once in a while, I capture something that just makes me smile. In the picture below, it wasn't until after I enlarged it on my laptop that I saw Tucker reflected in Jasper's eye. Cool.

Through a dog's eye's: Tucker reflected in Jasper's eye.

All of our cats are indoor kitties, though it doesn't stop them from watching us and wishing they could join in the fun. Though I would hazard a guess that one step into cold wet snow would have them turning around in a whisker's instant and heading back into a warm dry house.

Calvin, Elsa Clair and a partly obscured Athena peer out the window at us.

Once we head inside, we all play the Treats for the Feets game, where each dog gets a treat for getting his or her feet wiped. This also involves toweling off and removing snow clumps from furry paws. Of course all this activity requires Supervision by at least one of the cats.
 

Tucker and Lilah waiting for their Feets to be dried. Elsa Clair Supervises.

What IS this stuff? Calvin ponders snow brought inside and shaken off the dogs' fur.

The Winter Games have just begun, and we're looking forward to the season.

Picture Perfect, Part II

Last week, I wrote about the challenges of taking a good picture of three dogs.  This week, I'll feature some of my successes.

If everything works out just perfect, I can create a really beautiful photo of my three beautiful pups.  And by "everything," I mean:

• The dogs are sitting down or lying down close to each other.
• Nobody is making goofy faces, sticking his tongue out, or licking her nose.
• The lighting is good.
• No weird backgrounds affect the composition.
• Everyone is actually looking at the camera, or at least looking somewhere together.
• The photographer (that would be me) manages to focus on the dogs and not shake.

Here are a few that actually worked:

When Tucker was still a puppy; he's smaller than Lilah in this picture.

In the shade garden.

On the sitting wall in the shade garden.

During fall clean up.

I swear this looks like the doggy version of an album cover for an indy rock band. Which one is the drummer, which the lead guitar and which the singer/songrwriter?

One of my absolute favorites. Even though they're not looking at the camera, I just love the color and composition of this one.

Sometimes the best pictures are the candids. This is one of the reasons I keep a camera at hand as much as possible. Then I can catch a moment.

One of the easiest of those moments happens nearly every morning. The four of us (Lilah, Jasper and Tucker) head out of the bedroom and down the stairs. Often the dogs stop at the top of the stairs and ponder their day before heading down. Usually I sit with them, but sometimes I go on ahead and they wait before joining me.

On this day, Athena stuck her head through the bannisters at the last second to see what was going on. Photobombed by a cat.

Another place to catch three dogs together is looking out a window. If one dog sees (or smells) Something and feels the need to Discuss it, all of them have to go Check It Out. And contribute to the Discussion. These pictures often wind up taken from behind, but sometimes the view of wagging tails says as much as happy faces.

Someone is coming to Visit. The Welcoming Committee awaits.

Looking out at the back yard. There was a Squirrel. Or maybe a Deer.

We also watch when people leave. And then we're a little sad.

I can also sometimes catch the dogs in action, though I rarely can get them all in focus.

They're all actually smiling!

And sometimes I catch them in inaction, resting after a strenuous Squirrel Hunt.

I couldn't have posed them like this if I wanted to; these just happen to be their favorite places to hang out and rest, though rarely at the same time.

Lilah, Tucker and Jasper share a (short) break between games of Chase and I Have the Stick and You Don't.

After an early morning walk, home looks extra welcoming.

Picture Perfect, Part I

Anybody who has ever tried to take a picture of a group of people recognizes this experience: you tell everyone to "look this way," snap the pic, take a look at it, and Aunt Millie has her eyes closed. Or Uncle Stew looks like he's drunk. And Cousin Bertie was caught in mid sentence with her mouth pursed in a peculiar moue (always wanted to find a way to use that word).

So you take another photo--or two or three--in the hope that at least one comes out decently.

Now with children, it gets even more complicated. Zach can't stop touching Caitlin's hair. Little Gabby is crying because she wants her ducky now! Eli is busy looking at a bug instead of the camera. And Alex is bored and wants to go home.

Now try to take a picture of three dogs. That takes it to a whole 'nother level of complexity.

It can be done. 

It's just a bit of a challenge.

The most important aspect of the whole process isn't the camera or the lighting or the setting. It's working with dogs and teaching them important commands like Sit, Stay, Down and Look At Me.  Those are basics, and most dogs learn them pretty quickly. The key is getting them to do it under different circumstances. Like next to each other. Or Outside. Where there are many distractions. Like Squirrels. Or Deer. Or Really Good Sniffs.

Which is why I might take several dozen--or even hundreds--of pictures in order to get just one that looks good.

Sometimes the ones that wind up on the cutting room floor are pretty amusing. And with hundreds of pics of my pups, you start to notice some patterns.

The first goal is to get the dogs to sit or lay down. Next to each other. Close enough to get a good picture.

Lilah, Tucker and Jasper sitting, but they're a little too far apart.

Once I get them sitting together, I try to get them to look at the camera, instead of some other Distraction. This is where the Look At Me command comes in handy. Though Looking At Me isn't that easy when there are so many things that are so much more fun to look at.

Sitting, but staring off at some Distraction.

Something Else is much more interesting than me and my camera.

Jasper is looking at the camera. Tucker is looking at birds. Lilah is looking at a bug.

Once I get the dogs to Look At Me, I start taking pictures. That's when other issues show up. Like tongues. Lots of photos wind up featuring a large pink tongue swiping at a black nose.

Lilah demonstrates a perfect Nose Tongue.

And nearly all of my photo sessions end the same way. With a blurry dog who has just taken off after a Distraction that has proven to be just too Tempting. Usually it's Tucker. Usually running after a Squirrel or some such other fascinating Thing That Must Be Chased.

Tucker demonstrates The Blur.

Jasper and Lilah see the Distraction, but Tucker the young terrier Must Get It.

Here is a sample photo shoot, showing a typical set of pictures, in my attempt to get just one good one.

Pretty background. Lilah and Jasper looking at me. Tucker's got his eyes closed.

Three dogs. Looking in three different directions.

Wait! Jasper has a bug up his nose.

By now we're getting a little tired, so we're laying down instead of sitting. And Jasper is bored. I love Tucker's paw on top of Jasper's--something Tucker loves to do, but it makes Jasper nervous.

And it ends with The Blur. And some Jasper tongue.

Another photo session.

Once again, looking three ways. Though they all seem to have very majestic and serious expressions.

Three dogs, looking in one direction. But the wrong one.

All three looking at me. And a great big pink Tongue.

The familiar three dogs looking in three directions.

Moving away from the tree, a better picture, with three dogs looking at me. Tongues hanging out, but Jasper is a bit squinty eyed and Tucker has his ears back in an impatient expression.

These next few pictures are what happened next. They represent just a few seconds of picture taking.

We see something.

It's Really Interesting.

There goes Tucker.

And now there's two.

I love my dogs, and love taking pictures of them. I'm not so sure they like it as much; I think they probably tolerate it for the treats. Yet sometimes, we actually succeed with a perfect shot.

And  sometimes we don't.

Tucker expresses exactly how he feels about getting his picture taken.

Check out my blog next week to see some of the Good Ones--where everything worked out just so, and I managed to catch three dogs in nice light, looking at the camera, in focus...before Tucker ran away.