Jeans fly. Socks don't

Jeans fly. Socks not so much. Bras do better than socks.

I've learned all this from experience and having Uncle Charlie as a pet. As he's aged we never know where he might end up doing his "thing." He favors the TV and living room carpets. No amount of stain and odor remover or essence of oil so strong it takes weeks to dissipate the hideous aroma, deter his sense of smell! Charlie is deaf, blind in one eye and can't see out of the other. A friend wisely informed me that when certain senses diminish, what's left gets stronger. Hmmmm - wish that were true for me too.

I finally found a great looking extendable gate on www.Overstock.com that now graces the living room entrance. It does give our living room a museum look, but that's appropriate since it gets used about twice a year when we have large family gatherings and everyone can't fit into the kitchen.

My solution for the TV room was to use the child gate we'd installed at the top of the stairs to keep grandchildren corralled. They have all since figured out how to open and close that one, even better than Scott and some of our visitors. "Just squeeze the upper and lower levers together at the same time, " I explain time and again. No explanation was needed for my two brilliant grandsons and I know my granddaughter, who's verging on genius, would have figured it out, but since the boys usually left it open, there has been no need for her to trouble herself. Smart girl.

Charlie also likes to lick. It's not just the friendly lick of your face which I love, it's "I'm going to lick any and every piece of clothing left on or near the floor." I hang my clothes up or at least perch them high enough on a chair back that I don't have a problem. On the other hand, Scott is known for leaving whatever he takes off wherever it lands. That's usually on the floor. His underwear or his bathrobe or you name it, when retrieved in the morning is always accompanied by the air turning blue. You know what I mean. Good thing Charlie is deaf or he might be offended. Needless to say, he pays absolutely no attention to the outpouring of anything but love.

I tried to placate Scott by saying, "Some people have grit. You're just an 'Old Salt'... and Charlie likes it!" Since that doesn't work, gate number three was installed on the utility room door to keep good ole Charlie penned in at night. Since I put Charlie to bed before I get undressed, I would have to step over the gate - which is about crotch high - to put my clothes in the open hamper on the other side of the room. So I've learned first hand what flies and what doesn't. Jeans sail much better than socks. And I'm getting pretty good at flinging bras.

A Whole List of Reasons

I told Scott last year that with our dog, Bella, aging and the loss of our beloved cat, Calvin, I didn't think we should get any more pets. I gave him the whole list of reasons it wasn't a good idea. In spite of all my logic, Scott asked me to bring back a cat every time I went to the animal shelter to take photos for Metro Animal Services.

I resisted, but my daughter, Courtney, and husband, Ron, decided to aid and abet Scott by bringing over Riley, their seal point Siamese, who was being terrorized by two year old grandson, Ben. Okay, so we're back to square one with one large dog and a cat.

I've distanced myself from all the cats and dogs whose photos I've taken in the last year. A few times my heart strings were pulled, but I resisted. So what on earth came over me when I viewed the shelter website a week and a half ago?! I saw the photo of a shaggy, medium sized dog - not a photo I had taken since there are three of us who are volunteer photographers. I immediately took an interest in his well-being. That was on New Year's Eve. Wednesday, January 2nd, I had to go to South Hill to the hardware store and thought, I'll just swing by to see if "Teddy" is still there - just a look/see - that's all.

Well, the rest is history. One look at Teddy - now renamed, Uncle Charlie - and I was hooked. (Actually the same thing had happend when we adopted Bella eight years ago). I brought Charlie home that afternoon.

I was told that Charlie was a stray, found in downtown Puyallup. He's a Toy Poodle/Maltese mix, about 8 years old, very gentle; he doesn't bark, great on a leash, gets along with both Bella and Riley (they both intimidate Charlie), is soft and cuddly, and Scott loves him too! He's passed the two year old grandsons' test. He just licks their faces when they get too close. And he's been transformed from a shaggy dog to a real cutie, whose eyes we can actually see!

Now the downside of Charlie: he weighs 20 pounds (probably fed from a table), has a skin infection that I'm treating with antibiotics, bad teeth - some of which may have to be pulled ($$$), and the real kicker - he's probably never had to go up or down stairs. So guess who has been acting as his elevator in our split level home? I was definitely getting my exercise, but came to my senses yesterday and got a leash that I hook around me to "help" him figure out how to go up and down stairs. It's working and has lessened accidents in the house.

There are times when the heart overtakes all logic and reason or is it that I'm still prone to impulsiveness from time to time? Maybe both. When that happens... your guess is as good as mine, but no, we're not going to adopt any more pets, because there's a whole list of reasons. :-)

Going to the Dogs?

Usually "going to the dogs" isn't a good thing, but in my case it's been a delight.

More individuals and families have arrived at the studio this year with their family pet. So far they've all been well behaved - even the dogs! And it's been great fun to work with the critters to assure they look their best for memorable photos. I got so taken with Linus, one of my client's pets, I found myself greeting the dog as soon as the back window of the vehicle was opened even before I said hello to Carissa. That was rude of me, but the dog liked it. :-) Carissa is shown here with her best friend Linus, while a very similar looking Border Collie by the name of McIver is guarding his little buddy, one month old Jason. They'll become best friends before very long. Abby is in the upper left hand corner, a beautiful little Havanese. Reinhard is with his German Schnauzer, Lil Bubba, while Patric talks to his girls, Malorie, Missy & Sadie, in the park.

 

And I've had the privilege for nearly a year, to take photos every couple weeks at Metro Animal Services located in Puyallup. While the shelter usually has more cats and kittens, it's been a joy to work with one of the volunteers who helps me give the dogs a little breath of fresh air while I take their photos outside. (Even though you don't see collars on some, it's with the help of Photoshop. We don't let them off leash, but I try to help them look as adorable and adoptable as possible).

 

 

See more Pets in the Collections gallery at www.BonnieKingPhotography.com

Calvin's Gone Missing

Our furry friend of eight years has not shown up since Sunday evening. This is a cat who never misses a meal, so we're fearing the worst. In all the years we've had him, we've never known him to go across our busy street. Calvin primarily prowled our yard, the neighbor's yard behind us, and of course - the gully.

This morning, I walked up and down the gully across our driveway calling for him, but the only response I got was from some crows who cawed noisily every time I called his name. The gully has been Calvin's own private jungle. But like real jungles, ours provides a home for other wildlife. On occasion, Calvin would bring a critter into the house to show what a great hunter he was. I've been startled more than once to come across a small carcass in the middle of our dining room. One morning, the small carcass wasn't so small and it was still alive hiding under the couch in our TV room; just the tail was sticking out. I had to cordon off the dining room from the TV room with turned over chairs and blankets, then open the couch which makes into a bed to "broom" the creature from there and then shoo him out the sliding glass doors. On those days, Calvin was not my favorite cat. It may be that the raccoon squad finally got revenge for all the other creatures in the gully.

Scott and I are both missing Calvin, but Calvin became a best friend to Scott, sleeping with him -which has been a lot lately. Scott hasn't been feeling well and because of that, spends a lot of time in bed. This afternoon, while I was working on photos in my office, Scott called me on his cell phone and asked if I had good news for him. He'd had a dream that Calvin came back. Unfortunately, I had to tell him that I didn't have any news about our lovable critter. Scott's not the only one who's trying to manifest the cat back into our lives. I walked around the corner into the kitchen a while ago and fully expected to see Calvin sitting on the counter waiting to be fed.

We will definitely miss our furry friend, whom Scott brought home from the animal shelter  www.metroanimalservices.org/ eight years ago. It will be a sad time for us for awhile, but we're grateful for the pleasant (and the unpleasant) memories Calvin left behind.

From Gas Stations to Grads

My cell phone annoyingly pings the arrival of a new message. I keep threatening to turn off the notification sound, but haven't gotten around to it. However,  those pings have resulted in photo ops that have taken me from gas stations to grads with small wonders in between.

Last week, one of those pinging messages was a commercial real estate company from San Francisco looking (via Google) for a Puyallup photographer to photograph a service station they will be marketing. The message indicated the location was out of the area for their usual photography team. Everyone knows where Puyallup is - don't they? We have of the world's top ten fairs for attendance. Oh that's right, we are 25 miles from Seattle and 12 from Tacoma... Kidding aside, I was very happy to accept the job which entailed driving two miles to a very busy intersection, taking quick shots of the service station and the traffic patterns in four directions, sending the photos via my Dropbox, being told they were "perfect," and getting paid - all within two days. Of course, I let them know I'd be happy to help out any time!!

The same afternoon as the gas station gig, my friend Shelly and I attended a family reunion for the Umipeg family. This beautifully smiling family with Philippine ancestry, was a joy. There were about 40 adults and a gazillion children (first batch of small wonders for the week). We had constructed a tiki hut backdrop for the individual family photos which appeared sturdy when Shelly and her husband, Ben, tried it out in their driveway. It was then disassembled and we had to reassemble on location. Somehow the sturdiness was left in the driveway. We anchored the back to some tables to make sure it would stand up. And it did - until the very last photo when one of the older brothers wanted a photo taken with his 13 grandchildren! Down it went, creating a sandy beach from the buckets we brought to hold the bamboo poles, but we were able to resurrect the structure, retrieve sand, and get the shot. It was a good day. And so was the food!

The next two days were full of furry creatures both at the Metro Animal Shelter and in the home of a friend taking photos of her beloved nine week old Havanese, Abby. So much fun!

The following days included family Christmas pictures (you can never get those taken too early), a senior grad shoot, and another newborn photo session with big sister Justyce and three week old brother, Rowen.

So without sounding preachy, if your life has annoying pings, think positive about the possibilities they may produce. www.BonnieKingPhotography.com

Metro Animal Services - Puyallup Shelter

I spent a couple hours again this morning at the Metro Animal Services shelter located in Puyallup. The shelter is operated by the City of Sumner, although located in Puyallup and serving a total of seven communities: Algona, Bonney Lake, Edgewood, Milton, Pacific, Puyallup and Sumner. I've been volunteering there every two weeks since February. What fun! 

I'm always entertained each time I photograph these beautiful critters by the differences in personalities, the antics of the animals, and their interactions with me and the animal control officer or volunteer who helps me. This morning, one of the cats who'd already had his picture taken by another volunteer was in a cage behind me. As I was taking photos, he insisted on reaching out to pat me on the back. What a ham! He just wanted to be in the spotlight once again.

This time of year there are lots of kittens at the shelter, some still too young to be adopted. Since it was raining, I photographed two of the dogs in the laundry room where a momma cat and her kittens were being housed. I didn't know they were there because the cage was covered and behind me. I had scouted the squeaky toys they have on hand to see what I could use to interest the dogs and when I knelt down to take photos, heard mewing and thought that somehow I'd triggered a squeaky toy that sounded like a kitten. Not! The dogs figured it out much before I did and wanted to investigate for themselves, but as they headed for the cat cage, momma cat reached out a clawed paw to let them know they'd better back off.

Hans, the St Bernard, was photographed outside. He's a gentle giant, but we didn't want to chance a meeting between him, momma cat and her kittens. It's so nice when a dog actually responds to commands like sit, stay, and come. He did that very well. The promise of treats helped too. :-)

If you want to see these guys and many more, the shelter is located at 1200 39th Ave SE, Puyallup, WA 98374. The shelter is open Monday - Friday 10 am to 5 pm, Saturday 10 am to 4 pm and closed on Sunday. You can call 253-841-5595 for more information.

What's Your Predilection?

I had another wonderful day at the Metro Animal Services shelter in Puyallup on Wednesday. The sun was shining which meant we could take the dogs outside to give them some fresh air and it also gave me a better background. I am amazed at the beautiful cats and dogs who find themselves at the shelter. A couple of them, whose pictures I took, were adopted the same day. Great news!

While I was there a tall, stately, casually but well-dressed gentleman came in with a kitten. I heard him quizzing the person at the front counter about the process of adoption. He wanted assurance the kitten didn't go to just anyone. He was told that prospective families are screened to make sure the pet they adopt is right for them and they are right for the animal. The phrase painted on the wall reads, Finding Pets their Forever Families. This man was truly a gentle giant.

On my way home, I stopped at Top Foods to pick up lots of vegetables and healthy food recommended by my Body Back class. This is a twice a week exercise class which emphasizes not only workouts, but nutritious meals. Courtney, Kendall and I started the program this week.

Wheeling my cart around the fruits and vegetables, I spied the man I had just seen with the kitten, so I rolled up to him and said, "Hi! Weren't you just at the shelter?" He looked at me quizzically and responded, "Do I look like I was in a the shelter?" I was slightly embarrassed needless to say when I realized this was not the same man. "Oh, I meant animal shelter." And then I continued to stumble all over myself trying to explain what I'd meant. He smiled and walked on  and I'm sure he was thinking I belonged on a funny farm.

It still proves my predilection (how do you like that word?!) for speaking or acting or doing just about anything without giving it a great deal of thought. Does keep life interesting. What's you predilection? www.BonnieKingPhotography.com

My Life Book

The last couple weeks the pages of my life book have been turning so fast, I haven't had much time to digest or share the content. Flipping back to the days following the Metro Animal Services shelter photo shoot, the story reads all about Ben.

My daughter, Courtney, and her husband, Ron, made a very quick road trip to Hillsboro, North Dakota to attend the funeral of Ron's step dad and to provide support for his mom, Judy. They left Thursday morning, February 23rd and drove 21 hours with only a couple stops. Before leaving, they dropped off grandson, Ben. In came the diapers, clothes, extra toys, and food. The child safety gate was put into action and within moments our kitchen, dining room, and TV room became "Benville."

For the next four and a half days, it was all about Ben. He's not much for napping, so I was his captive audience. On the recommendation of my other daughter, Kendall, Ben and I even ventured to the mall to a wonderful play area near Old Country Buffet. Although Ben is only 17-1/2 months old, a little boy, Zac, who was probably three (could talk) took to him like a bee to honey and followed him everywhere he went, until Ben walked out of the play area and ventured down the mall. Not to worry, I was right behind him steering the stroller on one side to corral him. And who did he find, but a princess - a Fife daffodil princess to be exact! She took him under her wing and helped him make a crown which he donned with pride.

Ron and Courtney made it back safely even though it took them two and a half days because of the bad weather. A lot of prayers were being said for them all along the way. Needless to say, Ben was very glad to see his mom and dad. I was too!

The trip, unfortunately, took it's toll on Courtney and the fact she had to go right back to her night shift at Childrens Hospital, when she returend. She spent six hours in the ER at Tacoma General Thursday evening with unusual chest pains. Thank God, the blood tests, CT scan and x-ray didn't show anything unusual and she was able to go home. Because of all that, Courtney has decided to join her sister in an eight-week course called, Body Back. The class starts this coming Tuesday. Kendall talked Courtney into it last night (I'm sure she didn't have to do much convincing after the hospital scare), and then promptly called me and using the guilt techniques I've taught her over the years, talked me into joining them. (I HATE TO DO PLANKS!) Kendall has a headstart on us. She's already been through the last eight-week course. On the other hand, what a wonderful opportunity for the three of us to encourage one another and hold each other accountable regarding diet and exercise for the next couple months.

The pages of my "book" this week were also filled with work on a marketing campaign for the photography business. Friday morning, I taught the last of an eight-week course on Memoir Writing and started a new eight-week course in the afternoon. I love teaching! Well, I love photography too, but until I started teaching again last fall, I'd forgotten the joy it brings me to share information with others, particularly about taking time to "taste life twice" (a quote from a diarist, Anais Nin). The people in my class have been such good teachers for me to. What a privilege to hear the stories from their past.

Today and tomorrow are about photo shoots. Today was a fun experience with two good friends, Tiffany and Luisa, and Tiffany's female Doberman Pinscher, Camee. What a beautiful dog and very attractive young women. My friend and neighbor, Janine, came over to "run" the squeaky toy and get Camee's attention with treats, so I could concentrate on the photos. 

I am blessed. The pages of my life book are full - in a good way - with lots of blank pages yet to be written. www.BonnieKingPhotography.com

Metro Animal Services

I just started a delightful volunteer assignment this morning for Metro Animal Services at the shelter in Puyallup. I'll be taking photos of the cats, kittens, dogs, and puppies that need "forever families" to adopt them. I'm sure that along with the fun of photography will come some heartbreak because of what some of these animals have had to endure.

This morning, however, was just plain fun! Four cats and one kitten graced my lens. The cats, who are normally caged appreciated the stretch and a chance to check out the area. The kitten, Boca, was really a talker. (Reminds me of my grandsons!)

The three small dogs - well, Stella wasn't exactly small; she's about as round as she is tall - were definitely excited, particularly when treats entered the picture.

Metro Animal Services is run by the City of Sumner and serves 7 smaller cities in Pierce County. They can always use donations and volunteers (who must have a background check) and of course, the animals need adoptions. My challenge will be not to add to our family. Bella and Calvin, both adopted pets, would not be appreciative. To learn more about Metro Animal Services, go to http://www.ci.sumner.wa.us/Animal_Control/Want_search_pets.htm

Mafia Monroe Foundation

Last Saturday, my studio was taken over by our grandniece, Dorie, and her amazing super model, Mali (short for Malibu). The purpose of the session was to shoot photos of a line of clothing being considered for small dogs. Once developed, the line of clothing may be available on the Mafia Monroe Foundation websites.

Dorie is the co-founder of the Foundation, a Hollywood based, non-profit, 501(c)3 rescue organization dedicated to saving neglected and high-risk, small dogs in Southern California. According to Dorie, the Foundation was established in 2010, due to the alarming and heartbreaking, high euthanasia rate of perfectly adoptable little dogs.




The foundation was named after Marilyn Monroe's beloved dog, Mafia ("Maf"), gifted to her by Frank Sinatra. At the time of her death, Mafia was adopted by Mr. Sinatra's secretary.

If not for  privately funded charitable organizations like the Mafia Monroe Foundation, these petite pups would be destined for the overcrowded shelters of Los Angeles and tragic, early deaths.

But last Saturday, Mali, a rescued pup herself, showed the extreme patience of a super model - all for a good cause.  http://www.themafiamonroefoundation.com/
BonnieKingPhotography.com

BBC

No, not the British Broadcasting Corporation. It's Ben, Bella and Calvin!

Ben spent the night last night, since his mom and dad had a night on the town. While he had a bit of a rough evening because of separation anxiety, it also wore him out and he was ready for bed earlier than usual. Oh, how I love this pose!

This morning was a different story. He was ready to rumble with Calvin at 6:45 am. Calvin always comes into the bedroom to make sure I know it's time for his breakfast. Ben just lights up and squeals when he sees him! All that fur to pull and unless I catch him quick, Ben ends up with fingers full of long yellow cat hair and the smuggest mug in the room. I didn't catch the look on camera this morning, but this photo gives you an idea of what Ben's thinking when he's close to Calvin.

It's amazing just how patient both Calvin and Bella are with Ben. Calvin permits tail pulling and hair grabbing, but at a certain point elevates himself just far enough out of reach so that he can view the situation with an air of superiority - I've outwitted him again! Normally, Calvin is anything but aloof. He's a rescue kitty who came to live with us about six years ago and loves to snuggle in our arms while we're sitting at the counter. He'll also pester me by kneading my lap, if I'm wearing my bathrobe. Must remind him of his mom.

Bella is very tolerant of ear inspections, tugs on her collar, and pinches to her excess skin. She's now nine years old, but her first two years of life, before we got her, were spent with a baby boy. Her owners were a military family who had to relocate and couldn't take her with them. It was very hard for them to let her go, but it certainly was our gain. She's a wonderful companion and great watchdog. Perhaps she's reliving her youth with Ben around.

Scott and I do understand that as tolerant as Bella and Calvin seem to be with Ben, there comes a time during the day when we can see them both wondering -  And he's going home when??? BonnieKingPhotography.com

Garden Studio

My garden has been neglected this spring because of the uninspiring weather. But with a couple days of sunshine this week, I found myself reclaiming my backyard, also known as the pocket garden.

I trimmed, weeded, transplanted a honeysuckle - trellis and all - from the front of the house to the back, dug up miniature roses from the driveway bank and moved them to the back, and finally re-installed the fountains and flipped the switch to see if the pumps still worked. They did!

Any good gardener knows (which I don't claim to be) that this isn't the ideal time to transplant, but as I told my neighbor, Janine, while comparing gardening aches and pains, if it doesn't grow, out it goes! Now, I still have to find more shade loving plants for the raised beds in the back. My beautiful Japanese coral maple tree, once petite, has grown to the point, I have shady raised beds instead of sunny ones. 

When the weather cooperates and I have studio shoots in our home, clients also have the choice of outdoor garden locations too.

Today, Bella, was talked into serving as my model. The promise of treats didn't hurt either. All I need is a couple more days of sunshine to inspire more work in the front yard. Want an indoor/outdoor studio tour? Give me a call at 253-576-8164. BonnieKingPhotography.com

Photographing Children and Pets - Together

Last Friday was the day for grandson Ben's eight month old photos. This was also the first month of Ben's modeling career for me to be concerned about containment. And what did I do? I added a pet to the pictures!

When they first arrived, Ben was bright eyed and smiling, ready to have his pictures taken.

I gave him a new toy truck which kept him occupied and in one place (sort of) for some great and colorful photos.

Normally I wouldn't use a black backdrop for children, but Courtney and I agreed he would wear bright colors. It worked and produced beautiful contrast.

Then I had the bright idea of adding our dog, Bella, to the pic's mix. From past experience, Courtney knew the photo shoot would be a workout for her just to wrangle Ben, but when you add a pet, it's best to have at least two assistants and lots of treats. While Bella is somewhat trained, getting her to sit, lay down, stay in the right position, face the camera, and keep her ears up, were a little too much to ask all at one time.
(Petsmart made a lot of money from me over the years. I think the dogs I took to training and Petsmart were in cahoots).

Bella is a sweetheart and loves little children. With Ron's help, she did stay and face the camera, but getting her ears up was just too much to ask. I'd suggest for those of you who want to try this, have another person stand behind you as you photograph. The one behind you should make either a clicking or squeaky noise to get the dog's ears to perk up. That person won't have their face covered by a camera and will be more interesting to the animal. If your dog is better trained, you've got it made. We just didn't have enough hands on Friday. Believe me, Bella does have ears. They stayed flat to her head as a way of saying, "The things a dog has to endure!"

Our other challenge was Ben's desire to head after our cat, Calvin. He spied the kitty sitting safely outside the studio on the stairs and off he went, just like the little engine that could, coming down the other side of the mountain - full speed ahead.

Courtney caught him up in her arms and tried to convince him that she and Bella were more fun. I don't think Ben was buying it.

I told Courtney that next time - just for kicks - we'd try to get the cat in the pictures. Her look of disbelief - said it all. I was kidding, but since I was able to do it once before, maybe we should give it a try. At least Calvin's ears are up. Stay tuned! BonnieKingPhotography.com