August was another good month for Agnes as most of the photos at the cabin.  That has to be a good sign of a good life.  All 4 of her project photos this month include dogversations.

Smelling the Daisy

Agnes at the cabin enjoying one of the simple pleasures of life. Can’t believe how far she has come with her willingness to pose. What you can’t see in this photo is my son behind Agnes giving her a chest rub to keep her confident and upright, and my daughter in front of her wiggling the daisy to get her attention. It’s good to have photo assistants..

Agnes: Hey Dave, I don’t understand you humans.
Dave: Really? What’s not to understand today?
Agnes: Some of the stuff you say.
Dave: The stuff we say?
Agnes: Yup. That and big toes.
Dave: Really big toes? That’s one of the big mysteries of humans to a dog?
Agnes: Yup. Don’t get them. They’re like an underfunded project attempting to put thumbs on feet. Us dogs don’t need them and we run twice as fast as you humans do. You guys would be better to stop deluding yourselves about those “thumbs of the feet” and just go with paws.
Dave: That was a surprisingly well thought ought objection to big toes. Now what about the stuff we say?
Agnes: Oh yeah. I don’t get the expression “stopping to smell the roses”.
Dave: It means making time in your life to enjoy the simple pleasures of things around you.
Agnes: Like eating random greenery?
Dave: Nope. Pretty sure that’s a dog thing. And maybe true ruminant animals like cattle and sheep.
Agnes: Then I really don’t get the saying. Why bother smelling a rose when we all know eating them hurts because of those thorns. I much prefer daisies. These things both smell good and taste delicious.

Yoga Studio

Agnes doing some bedroom yoga at the lake.

Dave: Agnes, it looks like you’re having a good lazy morning on the bed.
Agnes: Oh, how wrong you are. I’m doing my yoga. Gotta stay limber.
Dave: I never picked you for a yoga type of dog. You seem to run a little higher strung than the ideals of yoga.
Agnes: Nope. I’m a yoga dog. Just ask Bruno.
Dave: What pose is this? Downward dog?
Agnes: Nope, it’s more upside downwards dog transitioning into half-sleeping warrior than straight downwards dog.
Dave: I’ve never heard of that move before.
Agnes: Yup. I’m a real innovator.
Dave: Are you sure that you’re a yoga innovator or did you just fall over a bit while lying on your back?
Agnes: Nope. Bruno said it’s yoga so it’s yoga.
Dave: Where is the big guy anyway? Usually when there’s someone lounging on the bed he is right there beside them.
Agnes: Oh, he’s locked outside on the deck. He was looking at me through the window a minute ago and said I was doing yoga.
Dave: Really?
Agnes: Yup he looked in here and said “YO Get off of dA bed and let me in so I can snooze on the bed too”
Dave: Sometimes I’m not sure if you have selective hearing of if you’re just too creative with your acronyms.
Ages: Sorry, I didn’t year you. I’m transitioning to full sleeping warrior.

A Good Sign

I tried something different with this shot. The night before (after staring at the sky when I took the dogs out to pee before bed) I noticed how well the rectangles of light from the windows and the red sign showed up against the darkness of the night. This is not something that I would notice in June or July when it’s light until after 11, but with the shorter days of August it seemed pretty cool to me. So the next night I went out with my camera before letting them out to pee (something that never happens) and set the exposure for the highlights underexposing the rest of the scene. The only light is from a fluorescent ceiling light in the entrance. I was worried that there would be no light on the dog faces, but it turns out that there was just enough.

Agnes: Hey Eva, why does Dave sometimes go outside and just stare up in the air when we’re at the cabin?
Eva: Something to do with star gazing and watching the night sky. I hear that Mars may be visible tonight.
Bruno: Ooooh. Sounds fancy. Can we eat the night sky? I’ve always wanted to eat a Mars bar.
Eva: No.
Agnes: But why does he only do it at the cabin?
Eva: I think it has to do with lack of light pollution. There are fewer bright lights up here so you can see the stars better.
Agnes: Oh. But do you ever think that we’re the light pollution?
Bruno: Nope. It’s been said that I’m neither light nor bright.
Agnes: What I meant is that we’re standing in the entrance with a puddle of light coming through the windows. Isn’t that light pollution?
Eva: That is something to ponder.
Bruno: Hey Freckles and Newpuppy, want to know something really important to ponder?
Agnes: Sure.
Bruno: When he’s going to be done looking at the sky so we can go outside to pee then get a bedtime biscuit before going to bed for the night.

Somewhat Patient

Rainy mornings are the best for hitting the tennis courts with the dogs as no one seems to want to play tennis in the rain. The only complicating factor today was that three ducks landed in the courts for a little bath while I was there with the dogs. They left rather quickly when Eva noticed and gave chase. Good thing I had put bungee cords on the gates to prevent her from following them over to the pond.

Dave: Agnes, can you sit pretty?
Agnes: Nope.
Dave: Why not?
Agnes: I don’t do sitting pretty. I’m more of a sit somewhat awkward ready to pounce kind of girl.
Dave: Okay. Can you sit somewhat awkward ready to pounce?
Agnes: Maybe. But first I have a question. Why doesn’t Bruno have to sit pretty? We’re all alone in a tennis court and you’re holding the ball. I’d rather be running circles or chasing the ball.
Dave: Well, lets just say that I have my reasons for not asking him to sit pretty.
Agnes: Is it because he isn’t as bright as me and doesn’t listen as well as I do?
Dave: Nope. More to do with it being you who is eagerly awaiting my next throw of the ball and me wanting to do a bit of training by getting you to sit first.
Agnes: Oh. I never saw that coming. Now I agree to sit awkward with one condition.
Dave: What’s that?
Agnes: That you make it quick and throw the ball. I’ve got some running to do.