It’s a Wrap with Rocky
Rocky and I check out trail conditions after the snowmelt.
Rocky gets the last photo of the month, wrapping up a February full of wild weather. It’s been bitter cold most of the month, with high winds and a layer of snow and ice on the ground. Today, the sun was shining and we hit 50 degrees, melting the snow and leaving icy puddles in its place. I took Rocky along with me to check on trail conditions and get some extra steps in this afternoon, and he thanked me by posing for today’s photo.
Mellow Moose
It’s nice to catch him in a mellow mood.
Moose finds a quiet spot to chill out, and lures me in for this mellow shot of him.
Ringo Refined
Today’s goal was a portrait of Ringo.
My goal today was to capture a portrait of Ringo, who never disappoints as a model. This lovely shot of him just being the good, sweet boy that he is, is exactly what I wanted. ❤️
Happy Hour Snowshoe
Snowshoeing is the perfect antidote for cabin fever.
With the sun shining and the temperature finally a bit higher, I headed out for a late afternoon snowshoe today. Cabin fever was setting in after a long stretch of severe weather and frigid temps, and it felt awesome to break free from that and enjoy some outdoor time with my favorite winter activity.
I’m modeling my new snowshoes from Crescent Moon Snowshoes that are designed for either walking or running in snow. I bought them after finding a broken strap on my old snowshoes which prevented me from snowshoeing in the last big snowfall.
I’ve been limited to gym workouts for most of January and February and have missed my outdoor activities. I was so happy to get outside and get some extra steps in today.
Golden Hour Glow
A rest day gives me time to enjoy some golden hour sunshine.
I’m rarely free to take photos during golden hour, that magical window twice a day when the light is often ideal for photography. But today I found myself with some extra time and took advantage of the opportunity to shoot during the evening golden hour.
That warm glow from the descending sun really does add something special to the photos, especially in winter when it’s so cold and the light is usually cooler.
Spending some time outdoors in the sunshine helps to keep my spirits high in the winter, and today’s golden hour was the perfect time to get a Vitamin D fix alongside some great photos.
Make a Wish Rocky
Rocky wishes for a tasty treat.
An adorable capture of the Rockstar with his eyes closed. He seems to be wishing for something, almost certainly a tasty treat. He gets plenty of treats during our photo sessions which is how he became such a great model. 😀
Sunny Salon Day
A salon appointment and sunshine come together for a beautiful day.
It was still very cold today but we had abundant sunshine, a much-needed boost to my mood and mindset. The sun makes a big difference, especially when it comes to spending time outdoors in lower temperatures. It was the perfect day to get a Vitamin D fix, despite the cold weather. Rounding out my perfect day was a salon appointment with the amazing Kaitlyn, who worked her magic on my hair. This is the best my hair is going to look all month, so I figured I’d take a few photos.
We Did It
Moose earns Canine Good Citizen certification.
Yesterday, Moose and I faced our most challenging training goal to date, and tested for Canine Good Citizen certification, a set of ten standards of dog obedience required to be considered a well-behaved dog, as defined by the American Kennel Club.
The test required us to demonstrate our ability to perform ten skills with a strict pass/fail grading criteria and without the assistance of treats. He crushed the test and earned the esteemed award.
This was a surprisingly nerve racking experience for me. It wasn’t just about the past five weeks of practice with a small cohort of human and canine classmates, it was the culmination of forty-five weeks of training that Moose and I have completed as a team since he was just sixteen weeks old.
So much work led up to this moment. There were several setbacks along the way. And we were finally here to prove something I didn’t think was possible when we first began.
In addition to my own performance anxiety, I was on pins and needles as each dog in the class performed each of the ten exercises, as I had become invested in their success as well. The collective nervous energy of the group was high and I worried we were transferring our anxiety to the dogs. Happily, all three of the dogs passed the test despite the pressure and other distractions that arose during the test, including screaming children and barking dogs nearby.
This experience reminded me of the persistence and patience required to reach ambitious goals, as well as the importance of setting ambitious goals for myself. What seemed impossible at the beginning was just successfully completed after sticking with it and putting in the required time, energy and reps. Because of our success with a challenging goal, I have more confidence in facing the next challenge we decide to pursue.
I’m so proud of Moose. He didn’t sign up for those training classes - I did. But he stepped up to the challenge and worked hard for me. Moose has grown so much since we began, successfully progressing though each training class, moving from puppy to adulthood, and from an 11-pound squirt to a 66-pounder towering over his pack mates.
I can’t wait to see what’s next for Moose as we continue on his training journey. There are many different paths we can pursue and I’m confident Moose will be successful no matter which direction we take. ⭐️