First Thursday with Dog-atude!

Summer has arrived and so has my perma-grin!

I 'suffer' through the nine months of grey + cool for this yummy sun and these perfect temps. Portland is awash with smiling faces and WAY too many fun things to do.

The one that puts a giddy in my 'yup is First Thursdays in the Pearl. They are the perfect nightcap to a Portland Summer's day. This first Thursday (7/2) I will be hanging out with the ever amazing Theresa at Dogstar. Dogstar a full service dog/cat boarding + day care + grooming + FABU-LOS retail store located at 1313 NW Kearney in the Pearl District

Theresa will be unveiling new artwork, will have plenty of wine for sipping, treats for the pups + I am giving a FREE e-portrait for every pup that has their human sign up for the monthly newsletter. We will also be raffling off a full 'Dog In the City' photo session-including $300 print credit + Dogstar gift certificates!!!!

So come on by...bring the furr babies an join us in what will be a paw slappin' good time.

{NEED a dose of cute? Come snuggle a kitten...she has those too. Heck take one home with you and make it the night your family grew by 1!}

Adoption rules!

I just came back, and when I say just I mean 6 hrs ago, from photographing make-me-talk-way-too-high, get-caught-in-your-heart adorable kittens. My very kind & wonderful friend is fostering a litter of unwanted babies and they are just about ready to find their forever homes.

I walked out of there in awe at what & how much Zoe is willing to give to the animals. What she is doing is amazing! While working essentially three jobs, (and right now she is very ill) she takes in the unwanted adoptable cats and kittens of Portland. She has helped so many that I have actually lost count of how many sick animals she has nursed back to health. She is in my mind, the animals patron saint.

The babies she has now are the MOST adorable of adorables. They were bottle fed for weeks and are now being weaned to solid food. Like a mama kitty that is DONE nursing, Zoe gives a little hiss to let the babies know that bottle time is over. Tummies get filled with the food in the bowls now. {gotta love a girl that can hiss}

So now it's up to you...these sweet innocents need someone to love them. Is that you? Are you ready to grow your family? If so, please leave me a comment and I will hook you up with the info to get all the kitten-ee goodness you can handle. {kittens are available for adoption through Pixie Project}

COME AND GET 'EM!!!!

Thank you & remember to spay and neuter!

focus

I was re-visiting some images that I took at the Lizard Lounge ‘soft opening’ when I stumbled on these two. On a day when plans set in place tumbled suddenly…I needed to remember…

A subtle shift in focus can change the vision. What once looked absolutely to be one way and one way only suddenly has new texture.. new dimension...new life…new possibilities.

The ‘thing’ has not changed…only how I viewed it.

Today I am choosing to re-focus and see the potential.

a bit of me

{photo credit: talan ross 3yr old genius}

Colors

Did you know that you can taste colors? Did you know that ripeness comes in a moment and is gone just as quickly?

Did you know that the heart will heal? Did you know?

Did you know that a moment frozen in time can make you cry… laugh.. or bring you to stillness? Can make your heart race, give it pangs, cause it to weep or have it leap from your chest and swell to say, “yes..YES…love exists!”

There are many paths to the heart. For me, the visual.. movement, art, a line, connection, trash someone tossed aside, that is my brilliance. That is what makes my days livable. That is what allows me to breathe.

Now marry that with music…with action, actors, locations and I am again transported. Given to fits of delight and anxiety, fear and pain, laughter and joy.

In one moment, an ache to reach out and stroke a tender cheek, a longing to hold the one that is wounded or rage at the one who did the wounding.

A well choreographed movie will take you where you didn’t know you could go. Will make you feel what you didn’t know you could feel. Will open you to a life you didn’t know existed two hours before.

Did you know that you can taste colors....that the soft tones washed over life make it what it is... cast a shadow over our days and bring out the flavor?

Did you know that orange is a feeling?

Did you know that I loved you?

a hard days nap

They work hard these furry children of mine. The stress they endure day in day out. Entertain the humans, groom, fluff about, eat, nap, fluff, sleep, groom, rest, eat, snooze... It's a break neck schedule that they strictly adhere to.

This all day cuddle Mosh is what I came home to today. If napping were a sport, Oliver would win every event. Only a snack comes between him and his s'naps.

And yes, they love each other. Snuggling Oliver's tummy is Synnies favorite.

They will be 12 years old in June and I have made a deal with them, they only need to live until 100 and I'll shower them with love every day. Really not too much to ask.


oliver working hard




yes, I'm still sleeping


Then his brother joined in. My little miss-matched book ends.



'hey, watch the paws!"


"oh this brother of mine...."



"OK we're done...go away now."