Cat climbing wall!

A while back I photographed this Turkish Angora kitten.
She gave a new meaning to climbing a wall.

The backdrop was an old white blanket and I was just waiting for her to pull it all down.

Luckily it held up

Blogging or just blabbing?

Make Monday better- go outside

Mondays are always tough, so today, instead of eating lunch inside, get out and get some exercise.

It is sure to improve your mood

and make going back to work a little easier!

Be joyful!

Working Jack Russell Terrier!

Yes Molly had to work again today, here she is practicing ashamed for a trick training book. I am trying to figure out the best background for her. I liked the rug but not sure about the contrast.I think she looks like she is saluting!

Then we went with the blue and I like it better. She didnt care, food is food and tricks for treats is worth a little work. Here is a big wave, followed by a small wave.

This pictures shows how to lure your dog to help him lift his paw for shake.

Do you Suffer From Information Overload??

Indoor Play for Hot Days-Games for Dogs

This is a great game for any dog , especially when it is too hot to go out and play. First take a favorite toy , tennis ball or treat dispensing ball and place it under a beach towel
Encourage your dog to find the ball and reward when he does

After he gets the idea, you can make the game harder.

For Molly, my JRT, I roll it in the beach towel then knot the towel to make it harder.

Your dog will love this game and beg for more!

Pools attract Hot Dogs

This summer keep in mind when your dog gets hot , he might be tempted to jump into any water he can find.

Water Gardens and pools pose a risk to dogs since they might not be able to find their way out . While they can swim, they can also drown if they cant get out.

Use a temporary fence to keep your dogs out of the water garden. Shut the gate to the pool to keep it off limits unless you are there to supervise.

Jack Russell Terrier doing Tricks !

Molly isnt sure I have enough tasty treats for this trick training session.


Once she sees the treats, she knows it is time to work. Today we worked on getting the Wave higher.

Simply by witholding the treat for a few seconds, she quickly learned that she needed to give me a higher wave

Local Turkeys get Bigger!

My friends at Pleasant Hill Farm in Rixeyville,VA, were gracious enough to let me get some pictures I needed for a publication. I photographed these same turkeys as poults, my how they have grown!



Compared to commerical turkeys, these guys have a good life.
Sunday when I was there , they were moving the fences so they had a new field to find bugs and ticks in.

There is always work to do on the farm.


The farm is outside of Culpepper VA and what a beautiful farm it is!

If you ever visit the Culpepper Farmers Market, be sure to check out Pleasant Hill Farm!

Safe summer Fun for Dogs!

Heat and humidity make summer fun hard for dogs. Have some summer fun inside with your dogs.
Your dog will love you for the attention , and your bond will get stronger.





Trick Training is great mental and physical workout for dogs. Get some tasty treats and get training.




Teach shake .



Then move on to high five.

Give lots of treats and have fun!

Hogs , and piglets, and turkeys oh my!

While shooting turkeys, digitally that is, the mother pig and her babies came to investigate what was going on. After they satified their curiosity, they settled down for a quick snack.


The mother and piglet
were eating their corn




When along came a chicken
looking quite forlorn.

The corn smelled so good
She wanted a taste
Only a grain
so it wouldnt go to waste



The rooster and his flock,
came to check out the food






They asked very politely
Not wanting to be rude.



They all shared
and shared alike
they didnt fight
as humans might.

The corn was soon gone
not a grain remained .

Dachshunds at the beach!

I so wish I was snooting around at the beach right now!

Of course they find something stinky to roll in

Roll , roll and roll again till you are covered in the stink.

Then shake it off and start all over again!

French bulldog pups meet and greet Molly!

Editing pictures today , I came upon these pics of Molly greeting the adorable French Bulldog puppies.

Of course there was plenty of butt sniffing, on her part, they didnt dare sniff hers.

While this Frenchie was digging she was seriously thinking about some humping.

She finally decided to just watch him dig and hope he would finally play with her!

Get out and Garden!

Gardening is a great way to enjoy being outdoors and get some exercise.
My friends let me do a photo shoot at their home and they have some great gardens.

Slightly overcast, it was a perfect day, tho hot for garden photography!
Everywhere you turn at their house, there are more horticultural treasures.

This is there new area of raised beds for vegetables. More people are growning vegetables this year than ever!

Our own Arboretum!

My husband Terry has been working for several years on our arboretum. He had added many unusual evergreens.

All the rain has really had everything lush so when the wind was down, I went out to capture the arboretum.

The fruits of his labor are paying off!