City Boys Go Country...

A trip to Mincher today on a 'photographic assignment' for a friend... it was to photograph her dogs (seven cavs, a lab and a papillon - oh and her chickens!) so I took the boys for an outing. It's always a bonus to visit  someone who welcomes canine children.
Well. Hugo was the first to disgrace himself. My boys are not usually fond of water so when he fell in the stream I can only surmise that he didn't realise the surface weeds did not mean he could walk on water. Hardly believed when the other two followed suit. And that's not to mention almost losing them down the drive as they all took off- we presume in pursuit of rabbits.
So on the one weekend that I did not have to wash Stirling for a show, all three had to have a bath when we got home...
I then took the opportunity to photograph my own dogs when they were all squeaky clean!

Mr Manky

My show dog!!!

At least Reilly only got wet belly-down

My Beautiful Boy in B and W

May MPS Club Night will be upon me before I know it, and I have done no special photography missions at all lately. As with last month's set subject, I am pretty uninspired by the set subject topic of monochrome.
So I revisited some previous shots to see if any translated OK in to Black and White which, I understand, falls under the monochrome umbrella.
I have always loved this photo of Hugo. If you knew this little dog you would agree that it encapsulates his personality to a T - cheeky, confident and totally loveable. It was stolen on the spot without no consideration at all given to settings etc, and I had my wee 50mm fixed on, dialed down low, hence the very shallow depth of field. I had to work hard on the colour version to bring the most out of what was captured in camera, but have never been completely happy with the amount of shadow across the left (right as you look at it) eye, and the distraction of an inconsistent background.
I think there is much more clarity in the Black and White version, and I was able to black out the wall and curtain into a solid block.
I am not sure if I will enter it, but because I like it as a B and W, I am definitely going to print it and put it on the rapidly growing 'famous' hall wall. (Becoming a bit like going straight to the pool room, for those who appreciate the humour of The Castle)

You scratch my back and...

I am not sure who is more pleased to see each other when my niece and nephew come to stay - the dogs or the humans. My boys love the attention, and the kids love giving it. Cuddles all round.
Hugo especially seems to love these kids - probably because of all the scratching his constantly itchy skin gets from them. The kids love pampering him too because of the reactions they get; uncontrollable leg twitches and persistent pats on the arms when the petting stops, to encourage it to start again...
The little bugger even left my bed during the night to visit Dan downstairs, demanded a scratch then left again. He also visited Megan, who said she was already wake with a headache, and then came back to bed and woke me... Not sure whether to thank him or throttle him. Whilst she went back to sleep after a little TLC and a cold flannel to the head, and Hugo was snoring at the foot of my bed again within minutes, I was wide awake for a good two hours after that wake up call.

Bliss @ the end of a long weekend

Warning - Dog Blog...
I had entered Stirling in 3 dog shows in Cambridge this weekend, which resulted in a wee bit of travel and a very looong day today. Long for me, and long for my two home boys who, with me not going in to work daily, are not currently used to slumming it alone...
I was away for 12 1/2 hours, and of course with no web cams installed I really have no idea if they missed me or not.
Or do I?
Both Hugo (usually Mr Independent) and Reilly settled in for big, long cuddles when I got home. I think that told me they were very glad to have me back. It was delicious. I took the photo below with my toe on Photobooth as I did not want to disturb them lol.

And show results for the weekend? No CCs for Stirling this time, but happy with how we went nonetheless, with RDCC, RBOB and NZBOB Sat, IOB and NZOB Sun. It was great to see the CCs and RCCs being shared around actually, and a cavalier also went Best in Group today.
I also had the pleasure of handling Mignon's little tricolour baby, Romeo to 3 Baby Puppy of Breeds, and BABY PUPPY IN SHOW today at Central Toy Dog :)

The Ringmaster

Him. The one in the middle. Mr Stirling.

Being a pretty crappy day weather wise, it was inside for me and my family today. The dogs did what I have discovered they must do every day when I am not here - sleep. I sat at my computer upstairs and busted out another 1000 words.
It did begin to clear towards the end of the day, but with wet grass outside, I had to coax them all out to even go for a pee!

However at about 6 o'clock they decided it was time to get active. Well Stirling did. These short clips were taken after he had led Hugo into the downstairs bedroom for a bit of light-hearted, very noisy argy-bargy, followed by thundering up the stairs, round and round the bedroom above me, and down again and round the lounge mussing everything up! That's when I pulled out my phone to record them. As they show, Stirling was calling all the shots! I love how he keeps the older boys young.

Enjoying Summer (At Last)

 Yes, I am playing silly buggers with these photos - poor dogs - not much better than dressing them up in teeny tiny human clothes, is it? I must say none of them were particularly impressed with me, hence having to hold Reilly's chin up to get his one done!

It's paying homage to actually having seen the sun for a few days on end now. The boys and I enjoyed a proper walk in Botanic Gardens this afternoon - long time since this has happened, what with 2 weeks inside on a block course, and Reilly with a bung eye.

I was prepared to manage three mad dogs considering this hiatus. However I was surprised and pleased to have three relatively compliant dogs on short leashes for a change. I am not sure what has initiated this change in behaviour - perhaps having me home for longer? Equally I am not at all sure that it will last. Next time we might just be back into being pulled any-which-way in the direction of an attractive smell...

My Little Pirate Dog(s)

It may look as though he's giving you a wink, but really, his eye is still very sore and sensitive to the light. Reilly is (hopefully) recovering from a corneal ulcer, which has seen him a very miserable little dog for the past three days. Within the past afternoon he does seem to have brightened, so maybe the antibiotics are kicking in.
Worst case scenario he could have lost an eye. Add that to his missing teeth, some extracted and some just 'lost', and a real pirate I would have had.

PS Looks like Hugo's aspiring to join him. Not with the ulcer, but with the missing teeth... His front tooth is uber wiggly and it's not as if another will grow in it's place once it falls out... Boo.

The Eyes Have It

I promise this is not going to become a movie review blog, but I have a new release to share today!
My fellow dog-loving friend Kate and I went to see Red Dog today, at my favourite cinema, the Lido. It was a lovely film, which grew some great characters, least of the all the title character, Australian Kelpie - Red Dog. Partly based on a true story of the Pilbara Wanderer, it was bound to bring an emotional reaction from me in any case; thank goodness for the tissues.
The unspoken loyalty between dogs and their 'masters' (or the 'canine masters' and their humans), is often communicated via a look. The Red Dog 'gazes' captured and used to tell the story are what sold it for me.

Bit like my own boys.

  

Ready, regardless.

Christmas Ribbon Pde tomorrow for our Tiki Cavalier KCS club. Weather forecast is a bit iffy but we three here have all had a bath and are ready regardless.

It's a day for the kids really, held at the gorgeous property Mincher at Coatesville. Lots of fun classes (fastest biscuit eater, fancy dress...) and Santa floats by in a boat. so I truly hope the rain stays away...

Luck, Love or Good Behaviour?

Every day as I arrive home from work, I look for three little canine noses squeezing our from beneath the garage door as it opens. Today I got the fright of my life as two furry bodies hurtled towards my car before I had even hit the automatic garage door opener. They had come from the back of the house, outside the fenced section. If the fact that they were out did not freak me out enough, that there were only two sent my heart in to rapid palpitations. It's amazing the scenarios that can run through your mind in a short space of time. Fortunately a sharp bark from behind the garage door allayed the fears that I had lost one... but questions remained, and still do.
I think I have backtracked to figure the escape route. My own fault, coupled by a dodgy gate lock, which I have had fixed many times. I guess that it did not close properly after I had hung out some washing this morning. Because the gate sticks at the bottom, it looks and feels like it has closed, but as these re-enactment pics show and as is often the case when I'm at the washing line, persistent little noses can coax the gate open when it's not fully snibbed. From the inside, that is. The gate had closed again, and I imagine they could not get back in to the section, even if they had wanted to. My forensic examination saw scratch marks at the bottom of the gate from the outside, so I figure they have tried.
So how they got out is probably ascertained. However the questions that remain unanswered include...
How long were they out?
Did they roam and then return?
Who lead who astray?
How come one stayed inside?
Was it love, luck or good behaviour that kept them safe?
and a question I prefer to remain unanswered anyway... What if???

Oh, a couple of questions for any readers who know my canine kids...
Who do your suspect was the initiator of the escape plan?
And which one stayed inside?

Extreme Makeover - Dog Edition

My poor Hugo suffers in the heat, largely due to the ample coat he carries as a neuter. I have always erred on the side of vanity, but this year I decided comfort before beauty, and took up an offer from a fellow cavalier person to have him trimmed ala American Cocker for the summer.

I must admit I did a silent gulp as the first sweep of the clippers cut right to the skin, but as the hair fell away, and on the promise of 'it will grow', I relaxed in to it. And so did Hugo. He was such a good boy right throughout the process, amidst the whir of the clippers, then the following hydro-bath to eliminate pesky hairs, and the turbo dry.
When the makeover was complete, I found myself looking as what seemed like a younger dog, albeit showing off the fat rolls around his neck and shoulders... I am sure he will enjoy summer much more without his heavy coat.
Hopefully less hair in my house, too. My intention was then to purchase my own clippers and do Reilly myself. He's the worst hair dropper of the three. So I thought I'd start by scissor trimming his feet as has also been done to Hugo. He cried at that, so goodness knows how he would cope with an electric trimmer! Rather than start, I think I will practise my other newly learned technique and just thin out his coat with the thinning scissors... His makeover will be less extreme, more subtle.
And Stirling, as my young 'show dog', well he's just perfect as he is.

Be Good Boys!

It's goodbye to my boys for three whole days, as they go off to Aunty Mignon's while I go to conference in Rotorua.
I hope Reilly does not go all "I'm the man" as he did last weekend with Ritchie, because there's a bitch on heat. And I hope he eats his dinner!
I hope this one here, Stirling, doesn't pee anywhere he ought not.
I hope Hugo dos not get the itchies and start chewing his legs off.
And I hope they all cope without sleeping on the bed with their mother - spoiled brats.

Coming At Ya!

Puppy Portraits

Next year I really am going to have a Dog Blog.

Today's photos were taken at the leash off area at the Botanic Gardens, where we spent a good hour this afternoon after work.

Each dog was relatively obliging for a short period of time! Stirling only until some big dogs came along...

Being alone does not mean missing out

A birthday today for me, and for my little Hugo Dog -  Me, 40something, Hugo, 5 years old.

Ordinarily I celebrate my birthday in the school holidays, but with the Rugby World Cup dictating to the school calendar, September 30 falls within term time this year.

In terms of a work day, it was my second day working with my Y 7/8 digital photography group, so a fun day really. Someone had let slip to some kids it was my birthday (might have even been me) and the food technology group presented me with a Birthday Burger, as shown by the first photo here. It was accompanied by a chocolate milkshake. I was super full till dinnertime.

Speaking of dinner, I was home alone tonight - sad but true - but I was not going to let a birthday celebrating dinner pass me by. I swung by the supermarket after work to get Birthday Boy Hugo a treat, and picked up some stuff for myself as well.

Now the pictures are all uncooked, which might be odd, but  had a truckload of stuff to do this afternoon/evening and wanted to catch the photos before I forgot.

There is a rationale behind each of my choices here:
Morton Estate Bubbles - one of my most favourite tipples, and also synonymous with my birthday for a few years now. I had 3 glasses.

Pistachos - Nuts are a healthy snack, right?

Chicken Mignon - The only snail mail card that arrived in my letterbox was from my dear friend Mignon, breeder of my dogs, whose card was addressed to both Hugo and me - cute.

(Baked) Potato - a simple delight which I never cook. But I did tonight because another dear friend Viki cooked them the other night and reminded me what I had been missing. It was delicious.

Asparagus - To me my birthday always signals the beginning of the asparagus season. I looked for it tonight in the supermarket and was not disappointed! I ate the whole bunch.

Lemon Sorbet - I adore any kind of lemon dessert, and I love ice-cream. This is a 'good food choice' compromise. Sort of.

P.S Can someone help me sort out Blogger's photo placement? Drives me nutso...

It's all in the way you hold your tongue

For one reason or another, it'd been way too long since the boys and I had walked our well trodden path to Kauri Point Reserve, as opposed to taking a ride there by car. But we did just that today. 

It was a brilliant spring day, making the loss of an hour we experience tonight with Daylight Saving kicking in, pretty much a non issue, as we look forward to longer days, and evening walks.

We spent quite some time just moseying around in the balmy weather, which caused quite a bit of heat-releasing panting from the boys.

Though not completely evident in these photos, I am often amused at the differences in my boys' tongues as they pant. One goes in and out, in and out, another's curls up at the end, while the third forms a kind of cute tunnel in the middle. Bit like being a tongue-rolling or non-tongue-rolling human

Can you guess who does what?

Getting things moving

Hugo this morning - waiting for the vet to open!

Dear wee Hugo. He has pretty much stayed on this bed for the past 24 hours  - apart from his 'day spa' at the vet's of course - recovering from a sore back. He just doesn't wanna move. Well, Doctor's orders are to rest after all...
The sore back has made something else not want to move. His bowels... so as well as painkillers, he's been prescribed 'something to help him along'. I hope when they do move, he will be able to move outside quickly enough!

Hugo this evening - under Reilly's supervision

Companions...

As I have done over the past two years, I sent several entries into the Universal Cavalier photo contest this year. Another example of photography being somewhat subjective in terms of who likes what, as those of my entries that made it through to the finals were generally not the ones that I considered my best. Similarly there were entries by others that I thought were stunning that did not make it.

I was fortunate to be placed second in the 'companions' category, with a photo sent off at the last minute, of my nephew Daniel brushing Hugo, and Hugo loving every minute of it. It is a tender moment, and looking at the other winners, it would appear that the 'moment' was more highly rated than technical or compositional elements. I will remember that for next year.

Click to enlarge and read critique

Schedulus Interruptus

Stirling, your shifty eyes give you away...

I am trying really hard to stick to a pre-planned schedule to ensure that my study, work and other commitments don't all get left to the last minute. I have even scheduled in my exercise, including that which includes the dogs.
Tonight I was scheduled for a decent dog walk and then some study, and left work smartly to fulfill my obligations.

A brief confirmation demo

I did not anticipate that I would arrive home to have to deal with the 'busy work' of two of my canine companions. The photos are not a fair representation of what I was actually greeted with. This was a sizable hole beneath the fence between me and the neighbours. (No, not you, Rachel!) So I had to plug the hole with a plank, refill it and cordon it off to discourage future explorations...
Then there were the culprits to deal with. They were easily identified by the state of their paws and legs, which were clogged with dirt, including 'dags' (for you sheep farming folk) of mud that could not be extracted by hand or comb, between their paws and throughout their feathering. They had obviously been digging for a considerable time. Reilly, with his clean while paws, was the innocent, Hugo and Stirling the perpetrators. It took some thorough washing to remove the clods.
Then of course there was the house to deal with, as I had not spotted the problem till the boys had thundered through the house, leaving a trail of dried mud behind them.
No wonder I needed a wine after all that! Hmmm, not only did the clean up affect the schedule, but even one glass of wine is notorious for stalling the study...