Here’s Hina, chillin’ out on the boat. It was, of course, the quintessential Cape Cod hazy afternoon, but thankfully not the storm and rain of the day before.

Geist is the oldest of the group. She belonged to Dad first, and Monkey belonged to Mom. Together they got Hina and lived happily ever after…

No really – they just got married :-)

One of my most favorite photos ever – Geist at the boat house! She lost her leg in a car accident years ago, but really, there isn’t a single hint of trouble across her face… LOOK AT THAT FACE! She and I spent a lot of quality time nuzzling.

After an hour of romping in the grass and overlooking Vineyard Sound, we meandered back up to the patio. These guys definitely had an incredible summer of celebration and sunshine, splashing in the water and rolling in the grass. The day of our session was the day before they headed back home to life in Atlanta. Congratulations on your wedding and adorable family, guys! Perhaps we’ll meet again next summer!

Ben is a rescued lab who has spent most of his 9 years in the beautiful home of our friends in Connecticut. They are currently off to California to spend time with their son and his growing family, and we were all too eager to welcome him to Cape Cod while they’re gone!

These photos are from one recent visit to the pond – the boys were soaked, exhausted and very very happy after chasing sticks into the water! Brewer just doesn’t have an “off” button when a stick is involved.

I hope you’re all enjoying this never-ending sunshine!

A year later, Romeo’s owner has lost his home. I have to believe this as true, because Gary and I spent at least a half hour in the grass with him, and he has been well trained with commands and tricks. And he still ADORES his tennis balls, that’s for sure!

There is definitely an air of maturity around Murphy now. I imagine he made an incredible companion, and will again soon. It breaks my heart to see situations like this, and I hope Murphy never feels it was his fault.

Murphy is available and eager for ball tosses at the Animal Rescue League of Boston’s Brewster branch. Stop by and say hello!

He’s a young one, and probably hasn’t had any quality time learning the rules of the house and walking on leashes. He is timid at first, but does love to play with toys. We allowed him to adjust to the fun of being outdoors, and he definitely shows a sweet yearning to just be a dog… live a normal, loving life as someone’s companion.

If you get a chance, come visit Larry and his friends at the Animal Rescue League of Boston at the Brewster branch on Cape Cod!

As a runner myself, it was even more exciting to be a part of the first-annual 5k for dogs that took place in the morning before the festivities! I snapped away with the camera throughout the run, and also donated full sessions to the top male and female winners. All proceeds from the K95K went to the Friends of Falmouth Dogs in their 20th year anniversary of helping our local pets.

Brewer was excited to be there, but he and his dad didn’t run because of their helper duties at my booth that morning :-)

Laying down at the starting line? I guess it’s a good training method, because Hina was among the top finishers of the run!

It was a beautiful morning for a run and the day of activities. Very humid, but with an ocean breeze and that Cape Cod haze over head.

Our friends at CapeK9Cardio did an excellent job of managing the run, and there was plenty of water and nourishment post-race for both humans and dogs. You know these guys had a good long nap back home that day!

Road races are including dogs more and more these days, and I’m so happy to now have one near our home! Do a quick search yourself, and I hope you find a run in your town too! If you’ve already found one, please tell us about it in the comments section below!

I’m excited to be a part of the inaugural 5k run this year, including humans and dogs! There’s a long list of other activity through the day as well, and Cold Nose Photo will be there with a booth and tons of photos & products to check out! I hope you’ll stop by!

The center of our attention was Farmer, a 15-year old Sable Border Collie adopted through the New England Border Collie Rescue organization, where mom Leslie is a tireless volunteer. Farmer came to Leslie just a few years ago at age 12, and the two of them have formed an incredible bond. Farmer followed mom around diligently, and loved to gaze into her human eyes.

The property itself was gorgeous, and we just had to ask Farmer to pose among the flowers! Don’t you just love the touch of “eyeliner” around her adorable ears?!

Most recently, little Dru came into Farmer and Leslie’s life! Farmer doesn’t seem to mind too much, and this little four-month old keeps things buzzing on the homefront. PLEASE tell me you can see Dru’s pudgey little cheeks… I couldn’t get enough of them!!

The pudgey! On the right! Nibble nibble nibble….

Leslie, Farmer and Dru, thank you so much for welcoming me into your home and little slice of Vermont heaven! I’m always excited to spend time amidst happy rescue stories and witness all the greatness that can come from them!

Let me introduce you to this sweet little girl – we’re so happy to have her in our extended family!

We proceeded to get some other tasks accomplished around here today, namely me on the hunt for the perfect wedding/event-photography shoes. I’m assisting in my first wedding tomorrow, the first of five this year (three assisting, two on my own). I don’t yet know how I feel about the difference between dogs and brides, but I know I want to focus on the down-to-earth weddings that involve some outdoor adventure… mountaintops, camps, farms, boats… anything active and “real”, which is how I feel about dogs.

I caught myself smiling a lot today, and bouncing along to the tunes of Citizen Cope and Tripping Lily. It was a sweet day, and I find it very fitting that I just came across this photo of my niece tossing a ball to Brewer. Sweetness indeed.