RIN TIN TINS

I was in the back seat of a car being driven by a co-worker while we went to lunch and at a stoplight we rolled up to a huge dual cab pickup truck that had two gorgeous German Shepards looking out a rolled down window. Since my work buddy's back window electric control didn't work I told her to roll it down from her end and as soon as she did I immediately stuck my camera out the window --- I always have a Nikon digital SLR at the ready during our lunchtime excursions --- and had enough time before the light turned green to get off two shots, with this one being a keeper.

And, fortunately, they weren't looking at me, I think that would have ruined the shot, but at some people getting gas at a gas station located on the other side of our car.

I noticed the added reflection of the sky on the truck as I reviewed the pic on the Nikon D50's LCD screen, which made the shot even cooler. I couldn't wait to get home to open it up in Capture NX 2 and do my editing work for it.

I printed it out and put it up on my cubicle wall at work (it's own my personal gallery) and people who looked at the pic all mentioned the sky's reflection.

It's always cool to be at the right place at the right time to get a photograph like this one. It's why I love photography, that spur of the moment shot starring at you and you at the ready to punch the shutter button.

Blondie The Wild & Crazy Beagle

This is one of my sister's two beagles, Blondie. She's such a character, with a full of life personality. I love my sister's dogs. It's Blondie and Barney, Blondie's nephew. Barney hates having his picture taken, just HATES it. So I respect his wishes and don't take his picture since he immediately turns away when I have tried to snap a shot of him in the past. I always get them to start howling by howling myself. It's funny. The three of us howling at the moon. My sister yells at me, "STOP IT!" But being the family smart ass I just get them to howl more.

Now my sister was telling me a story about Blondie (I told you she's a character). Robyn said that she was in the corner of the backyard and heard this strange noise. "It was like a can being dragged across the rocky patio. I ran around the corner and saw Blondie eating fire ant killer! The can of it was on top of our patio table and I know it was shut tight. But she got it down off the table and that's the dragging sound I heard. She dragged it enough that the top came off of it. I immediately called the vet and asked what I should do. They told me to give her a teaspoon's worth of hydrogen peroxide and that that would make her vomit. So I grabbed her and took her inside and did that. She instantly vomited. So I picked her up and took her outside. She kept vomiting but then she would eat the vomit! And then puke again because the vomit had the hydrogen peroxide in it! She kept doing this over and over and I just gave up. Obviously, it didn't kill her. But the vet did say there's nothing in fire ant killer that would harm a dog."

She also told me that Barney can now jump onto the kitchen counter. The counter is a good 3 to 3 and one half feet above the kitchen floor. I said, "Are you kidding me?" She said she wasn't. Barney probably weighs a good 25 pounds. My sister said, "That's not bad for a ten-year-old dog." I just looked at Barney in amazement. Then I bent down and petted his head and said, "What are you doing, you silly boy? Training for the Olympics?"



Yep, those two dogs are wild and crazy and full of life canines.