Prayers for a little bird dog

"High Collar Hikes"

I really don't know if that title makes sense, but I'm keeping it anyway. The reason for this post, is to reach out for prayer.. Not so much for myself, but for my little Lunatic.. To top off her rather unexpected decision to come into season on tuesday (which means she can't come to work with me, until oct. 20th), she now might possibly have a bladder infection.  Main problem is most vets are closed sundays, so if she doesn't improve tonight, I may have to take her to the emergency vet. I want to avoid this if possible.  So here's to praying the Vitamin C, alfalfa, echinacea, and garlic I gave her tonight for dinner does something... now, if she could just get a dose of dog lover prayers....

G'night all

(PS. there were reasons for those collars. The big orange one is her blaze orange collar for bird hunting, worn now to ward off any hunters from shooting her... the big green one is a field collar, purpose? to get her used to such a collar for when I can afford an e-collar.)

Fall is here...

"Seeing Yellow Again"
(anyone know where I semi took that title from??)

"Multicolored Changes"

Happy first day of Autumn!

I snapped these shots while hiking with Luna the other day. I just liked how the leaves gave hints of fall coming. I know the leaves aren't perfect, but little in nature is really, and I don't mind a bit.

Enjoy

Focus

At times, my puppy is so intense and focused it's scary, and annoying at times as well, as she likes to tune me out.  But her focus is something to admire in itself, even if it gets her in trouble sometimes, it also brings us both joy when channeled in the right way.

It's interesting how focuses in life can change so quickly.. much like water in a river, always shifting course, touching new ground only to quickly move on by..

Basically, I have been doing some thinking... I had wanted to enter a local art/photo show.. to be honest it hasn't been high on the priority list lately. Things always seem to bump it down a notch, whether it's things going on at work, home, and more recently Luna and her training. The season of Hunt trials/tests has arrived... as well as more local conformation shows.  Which is a rather full plate training wise for the both of us. 

So I've been thinking.. I would have to drop off the framed prints friday or saturday.. which would be tricky in itself simply because I will be working friday, and I will be at a show saturday, so I don't know who could drop them. Secondly and probably more importantly I haven't even chosen images. I had hoped to sell some, but I know if I end up getting them together, presenting them, pricing them to sell, and then if I end up not selling any, I know I will be disappointed.

So I'm wondering if I should even bother trying to get it together.. I have another hunt test with Luna tomorrow, and then a show on saturday and sunday with her.. I think if I were to try and get this photo stuff together I would be putting too much on my plate.  I may be able to do it, but I wouldn't be able to do it as well as i want to... So as much as I hate to do it, I feel I will just focus on Luna's events.. eliminate one stress point, and just pray that the next time this show rolls around, that I will be in more of a position to enter.. Sometimes I wish my photography wasn't having to take such a backburner roll.. but such are the cycles of life I guess..

So though I leave you with no photo contest help requests... I leave you with these images of luna, sharing a bit of her focus.. as she is one of my main focuses these days...

Enjoy.. wish us luck tomorrow. she didn't qualify, but I take the blame, though I think we both did great for our first time out.. so it's close, just a matter of whether all the factors are in our favor..

 
"Happiness"

I like to think Luna is a happy dog. It's pictures like this that reassure me of such things. Yesterday a friend and our dogs went on a long hike... long as in "Anna is SO not in shape, and had to break down and ask for a minor breather"  Anywho, Luna did fantastic. I let her run ahead of us with her check cord on. But I probably could have taken it off, she did fine, she would run ahead, but then stop and check back.. She seemed to enjoy herself.  After an extensive hike, we reached the various cliffs.. She went right up to the edges, seemingly without any fear... Not a site for the weak of heart, had me nervous even.. But she enjoyed it, and behaved very well for being so highly prey driven.. She treed a squirrel, but I was able to call her off, which surprised me even, as I figured she'd stand there and look at the squirrel not understanding that it was in NO way coming down ANYTIME soon.

Here I am the next morning, tired and a bit sore, and I have to get up the motivation to leave for work in less than an hour.. Going to be a long day. But I would say yesterday was worth it. Have a good day all, I hope to get pictures up soon to choose from for the contest I've mentioned. We shall see, so much to do, so little quality time to do it in....

Framing questions

One of my most recent favorite pictures of Luna.. Doing what she was made to do, find/hunt and point birds.. Beautiful isn't it..

Alright, so this brings me to the point of this post.... I want to get this shot framed at some point, but more importantly I have an art show I want to enter. I will be entering 3 framed photos.  I need to purchase all supplies to do so.. for now I would be alright buying precut things.. maybe one day I can cut my own mats (matts?). Many of you know how most stores don't sell real   matt/frame sizes.. In other words it's sometimes hard to find full frame items.  Sooo I come to you other photographers.. Who do you use? Most of my shots don't allow for cropping to fit the "standard" 8x10.. I don't want to have to compromise my images with cropping.  So I am looking for a store, or online place that you all order from and trust, one that has decent prices. I also will have the opportunity to have a basket/box of matted photos to sell alongside my 3 framed shots. I plan to take full advantage of that opportunity. So I will also need a bunch of 4x6 window size matts for those (any other sizes you all recommend offering???).. I know I also need bags for those, what about backing?

End products:

~*~ 3 full-frame, framed images

~*~ A basket of matted 4x6 photos

What all do I need for those end results? Where can I get it?

Thanks a bunch all