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You Capture – Favorites of 2010

The “assignment” this week was not to take pictures. It was to select our favorite 10 photos of 2010 to share. Taking new pictures would have been SO much easier. Really. As I said the other day, I took more than 10,300 pictures in 2010 with my digital SLR alone (big camera)!

But I did it. Finally. It took quite a bit of time and required a plan. First, I went through lots and lots of pictures and copied my favorites into a separate folder. That was the top 65. From there, I narrowed it down to the top 25. Finally, I was able to narrow it down further to my top 10.

Remember, the theme is my “favorites,” not “my best.” What makes a photo good anyway? Does it always have to be in focus? Nope. Does the light always have to be perfect? Nope. Does your subject have to be looking at the camera? Must his/her entire face be visible? Does your subject need to be centered? Nope, nope, and nope again.

This assignment has already consumed so much of my time that I am just going to shut up and post the darn things already. Okay? Here are my favorite pics of 2010, in no particular order. Don’t even ask me to rank them from one to ten. The mere thought of having to do that has given me the cold sweats…

Go ahead, knock. I triple-dog dare you.

This is definitely my favorite dog pic of the year. I like the reflection of the sunset, but I love the look in their eyes. They are scanning the horizon, anxiously awaiting my return. It doesn’t matter if I am gone for five minutes or five days, the girls are ALWAYS glad to see me when I return. As with many of my favorite images, this one was completely unplanned. I’d actually been outside taking pictures of the sunset. When I turned to go back inside, that is what I saw. I had to tweak the lighting a bit in PS Elements, mostly to get rid of the ever-present nose prints on the glass.

Are They Crazy or What?

This shot makes me smile. Every single time I look at it. I could’ve removed the red eye, but I think that adds to the craziness. These two play like this practically all day, every day. Yes, they really are playing and not trying to bite each other’s face off. You’ll have to use your imagination for the growls. It can be quite entertaining to watch. Sure it gets annoying at times, too, like when I am trying to participate in a teleconference. But I’m so glad all of our dogs are here.

I chose this picture not because it shows off our grandchild. If that were my goal, I’d post a picture of all of them. (In fact, I’m going to cheat here a bit and give you a LINK to my favorite picture that features the grand kids.) My goal here really is to show how “favorite pictures” don’t have to be favorites because of the subject, quality, composition, etc. My favorite images are usually the ones that evoke the strongest/best feelings, reflect a certain mood, capture a particular moment, etc.

A Great Day for Soup

This picture of Joey was shot during the late Spring. Actually, I think it was Memorial Day weekend. We had made all these grand plans to take the kids on a bike ride, but then Joey got sick. I volunteered to stay behind with him while everyone else went riding. He sat for the longest time making “regular soup” with water and rocks in these containers. All I could hear were the sounds of the birds and insects in the forest, Joey’s giggles, his running commentary, and the dogs playing.

Even the weather was perfect. It was one of those moments you just want to freeze in time because it feels really, really good to be alive. When you realize wouldn’t change one single thing about your life, no matter how difficult, because if you did you’d erase all the good, too. And moments like these are definitely good. The best, actually.

Loving Nature

I like this shot mostly for its symbolism. As the caption says, I love nature. I’d rather be outside doing stuff than inside, that’s for sure. I especially enjoy watching the seasons change. The Winter to Spring change is one of my favorite times of the year. I always look forward to the blooming of the Redbud trees. This heart-shaped leaf is on a Redbud tree at the end of our WV driveway. If you look closely, you can seem some pink in the background. I could have chosen a shot where the pretty, pink flowers are in focus. But I like that the emphasis is on the leaf here. The heart-shaped leaf to be exact. You’ll appreciate this picture so much more if you click on it to see the larger version.

Details

When you look closely at stuff, you really do see so much more. That’s the theme for this selection. It really is true, too.

This image is simply a fern frond. Not real exciting, right? But if you look closely (click on the image to see a bigger version), you’ll see the intricate patterns on each leaf. The depth of field in this picture (how much of the image is in focus) is what makes the image so powerful to me. It draws your attention right into the middle of the frame and makes you look at the individual leaves. And, as the photographer, that’s exactly what I wanted you to see.

Art Interrupted

This reflectofrog shot is the perfect example of how unplanned stuff sometimes makes an image. I was trying to get a shot of myself reflected in the frog’s globe. I did. But I also got a shot of K’s leg in the foreground with her whole body reflected between me and the frog. Because I can’t go anywhere/do anything without the dogs coming along to see exactly what it is I am doing. They’re nosy like that. I don’t know if that’s a dog-in-general thing or a Brittany thing. But these three dogs of mine are VERY curious about everything. And they are rarely far from us at all. Not that I am complaining. My dogs make me happy. But it really is like having little kids around trying to “help” you do stuff.

A Picture-Perfect Motorcycle Day

This shot represents a picture-perfect motorcycle riding day in the Greater Appalcahian Valley. Blue skies. Big, puffy white clouds. Smooth, empty road winding through the foothills and into the mountains… does it get any better? If you look really close, you’ll see Hubby in front of me. I was lagging behind a bit since I was riding one-handed at about 45 mph while shooting pictures with my point-and-shoot camera. None of that craziness in 2011. This year I get to use my new HELMET CAM! 🙂

Almost Heaven

This picture is a great example of why we chose to build a house in West Virginia. Mountains. Lots of mountains. They’re no Alps or even Rockies, but you know what? We have discovered plenty of great motorcycle roads. I’ll begin sharing that info pretty soon (stay tuned for new project announcement). For now, you’ll just have to look at this picture and the previous shot to enjoy the scenery we encounter on a regular basis near our WV place. This picture was actually taken from the Dolly Sods Wilderness Area.

The Kids

The kids together at Christmas. They’re not all here. Amy’s hubby is deployed. But this is the first time in a while that Shannon, Amy, and Eric have all been together with us at the same time. (That’s Eric’s girlfriend, Kelsey, on the right. She’s a real sweetie.) It was nice having them all here relaxing and enjoying each other’s company. I was enjoying it, that’s for sure.

Jaufenpass!

And finally, Hubby and me right after climbing the Jaufenpass on motorcycles during our tour in Europe. I’m with my favorite guy on the trip of a lifetime. What more could a girl ask for?

There’s no way for words to describe what it felt like to ride on the Jaufenpass. For me, this was my favorite part of the whole Europe trip. It was fun, Fun, FUN! The road was technical, but not so technical that I couldn’t race through it. I think I smiled broadly the entire way, feeling like I was riding in a video game. (Wanna know what it felt like to ride the Jaufenpass [pronounced hoff en pass]? Watch the first 60 seconds of this YouTube video [not mine]. Be sure to leave the sound on so you can hear the engine scream. It gets particularly interesting around the five-minute mark as the road climbs higher and higher. You get to see what it feels like to encounter a bus coming in the opposite direction and how I wasn’t exaggerrating when I said the road hung onto the side of the mountain.)

That trip was by far the most fun vacation ever. And we’ve had some pretty cool vacations. It wasn’t just the motorcycle part either.  The tour was awesome in every regard, but the week after the tour we got to visit two different sets of friends in Switzerland and Belgium. Even if we hadn’t seen more really cool stuff, seeing our friends would’ve been enough to make me happy.

Anyway… that was my 10 favorite pictures of 2010. I can’t wait to see which ones other people chose. If you’d like to see, too, visit Beth’s You Capture page.

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A Little Bit of This and That

Believe it or not, I do think of y’all often. And I challenge myself constantly to come up with new and interesting stuff that will tickle your fancy.

Shot by Cobalt123: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cobalt/

Coming up with new and original material is not an easy thing. So I try to keep my eyes open for interesting stuff to photograph.

Sometimes I am successful. Sometimes not.

I did not shoot that cool frog photo (at left). I discovered it this morning when I was looking for clip art with a “conglomerate” theme.  It come from Cobalt123’s Flickr page. There are some other cool images there, too. Be sure to check out his stuff if you have time.

The images I have managed to capture are slightly less unusual than the conglomerate rock frog, but equally as cool.

Some of them are, anyway. In my opinion. 🙂

So, without further ado, I present you with my December conglomerate of images. In no particular order.

How to piss off your OCD grandchild.

Joey, our youngest grandchild, is a bit obsessive about organization. He gets it honestly (from his mother). She gets it honestly, too (from Hubby). The organization gene was apparently suppressed in my family’s bloodline.

Just like I’ve always enjoyed toying with his Mom a bit (messing up the alphabetization of canned vegetables in her kitchen cupboard is one example that comes to mind), I like to mess with Joey. He’d pushed all of his refrigerator magnets into one large group at the top, front of the fridge. He had to use a step-stool to reach. I thought it would be fun to see how long it took him to discover the message I left for him.

That evening, I got a call from Amy who immediately said, “Someone wants to talk to you.”

It was Joey. He didn’t say “hi, G” or anything. He launched right into the angry voice (picture a face LIKE THIS ONE) and said, loud and plainly, “Don’t. MOVE. My. Magnets.”

It’s okay though. It took me about three seconds to convince him that I HAD to do it because I wanted to leave him a message so he’d know that I love him and was thinking about him.

Oh, and in case you are wondering, it was less than 3 hours after he got home that he saw my little note.

Spinach Quiche

I’ve explained the dinner rotation thing we do at my house several times before, so I won’t go into it in too much detail. The week before Christmas was Shannon’s turn. It’s nice having someone new in the line-up. Especially since she likes to cook lots of different stuff. It’s like eating at a new restaurant (a good one!) five nights a week.

By now, she knows most of our various likes and dislikes, too. Notice I said “most.” That’s important. Because Shannon actually made me eat quiche, which I’ve always hated. It’s a texture thing. The thought of biting through what to me has always felt like thick, curdled eggs was enough to turn my stomach. The whole way to the table, I kept telling myself, “Don’t vomit. Don’t vomit. Don’t vomit.” Which is why my mind was a bit too preoccupied to think about taking any “before” pictures.

But, because I’m a big girl (as in mostly grown up), I tried a small piece. And guess what? It was actually very good. You may have already figured that one out from the picture above though. Shannon said the secret is the spinach-to-egg ratio. Keeping the amount of spinach high helps with the texture tremendously.

Speaking of being a big girl…

A FOUR pound, six ounce tin of shortbread.

Now, I LOVE good shortbread. But I never buy it because it’s expensive. I could probably splurge and fork over $1 per ounce (about the going rate for these things) every now and then, but it’s the principle of the thing. Essentially that’s about $1 per cookie. So, when I saw this four pound, six ounce tin of Walker’s shortbread cookies at Costco for less than $19, I thought I’d died and gone to Heaven. That’s 73.6 ounces of deliciousness that I just could NOT pass up. Heck, I even went back and bought a couple extra boxes to keep in the pantry. It’s a good thing I saved money on those, ’cause I’m going to need to buy some bigger pants soon.

Big-ass Grasshopper

I can’t remember if I shared this picture before or not. I saw this huge grasshopper on one of the plants in front of our house. Months ago, obviously. But I like it, so am sharing it here, too.

Cadbury Christmas Balls. Yum.

I actually took this picture with the theme of holiday magic in mind. Because after my family quickly devoured one bag of these bad boys from the candy dish, more “magically” appeared. I tried various angles. There’s just something about this next shot that makes me smile…

Snowman guts.

Doesn’t it look like Santa and the one snowman are staring down at the other snowman who appears to have been eviscerated with all of his green, red, and white innards showing?

Maybe it’s just me.

Afternoon "nap."

Hubby took this picture a couple of months ago. K and Belle like to sit on Mama’s lap. It makes it sort of hard to use my laptop computer, but I have to let them bond with me sometimes, right? I wasn’t actually sleeping. How can you be so sure? No one ever takes pictures of me unless I say, “Person, will you take a picture of me?”

My new desk frog.

This frog desk organizer was a Christmas gift from the grand kids.  It’s tacky as all get-out, but right up my alley. He can hold an assortment of binder clips, pens and even a roll of tape. How’s that for handy? It makes for a pretty funny picture, too.

Speaking of funny pictures… there’s this foot-long hot dog place sort of near me that I only drive past occasionally. It sits at an intersection where it never fails that I catch the red light. Every time I sit there, all I can do is stare longingly at the front of the store and its mascot, which is prominently displayed on the curb in front of the place, because I always seem to be by myself. Or with Hubby. And he would just think the whole idea too stupid to bother with.

Last night was different. I needed to exchange some Christmas gifts and Shannon was with me.  I caught the light, as usual, but this time when I looked at Ann’s my mood brightened. Shannon was there and could actually take my picture!

We did the clothing exchange first then on the way out of the mall stopped at Ann’s for this…

ToadMama with the Ann's Dari Creme mascot. Finally!

I love cool (fun!) statues like that. So I can hardly resist getting a picture with as many as I can. I love hot dogs, too, and theirs are awesome. But I wasn’t even slightly hungry at the time.

Yes, I could have just asked someone to take the picture for me, but I was afraid saying “will you take a picture of me with the giant, foot-long hot dog” to a total stranger might launch me into hysterics.

It's not what it is, but what it represents.

This key fob was a Christmas present from Hubby. What it “represents” is his final agreement that yes even though there are cheaper bikes out there, we deserve to get ourselves the ones we REALLY want.

Really, really.

This orange motorcycle has my name all over it.

These were the motorcycles we rode in Europe and LOVED. The mountains of West Virginia ain’t The Alps, but there are plenty of fantastic roads and just as many dirt roads we have previously been a bit hesitant to explore. (You try riding a 900-pound, bulky motorcycle through dirt and gravel once. It’s a bit disconcerting to say the least.)

I don’t know what’s more exciting… knowing I’ll be riding a new motorcycle soon or thinking about all the cool new gear I get to buy to go along with that new bike. There’s a certain image we have to uphold you know.

A new look for ToadMama?

Speaking of new images… the other night while we were at a friend’s house, having a grand old time if I do say so myself, Shannon mentioned the latest fashion trend to us. Jeggings.

Jeggings = stretchy denim leggings

While doing the exchange thing last night, we saw this sign. I just HAD to get a picture to share with y’all.

Meg and Mama

Here’s another shot I HAD to share. It’s not the most flattering self-portrait, but Meg hung out on my lap for the longest time Christmas night and I wanted to take a picture. She’s my crazy, old girl. (The dogs call me “Mama”, not ToadMama. They have a hard time with the tee sound.)

And speaking of Meg, I’ve also been collecting pictures of her in her bed again. I’ve never seen one dog lay in so many different positions! But I’ll save those for another time. This post is already WAY too long.

If you actually made it to the end, be sure to leave a comment to let me know. Please?

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There’s An Elf (or two) in My House

Someone’s been busy in my kitchen again.

Chocolate-topped Marshmallows

That someone has been making Christmas treats.

Indian Curry Peanut Brittle

Some of them look a bit less appetizing than others.

Chocolate-dipped Pretzel Rods

She was in the kitchen practically all day on Sunday.

Cheesecake-topped Brownies

She actually did some stuff on Thursday, too. I didn’t get a picture of the chocolate curry truffles, so you’ll just have to trust me on those.

Peppermint "Oreos"

The homemade peppermint oreos are my favorite. Now, if only I could convince her to dip THOSE babies in chocolate. YUM.

I’ll have to take her with me to my doctor’s appointment in January. I’ll let her explain why I gained 20 pounds in the last month or two.

To be fair, though, it’s not entirely Shannon’s fault. I still know how to make yummy stuff, too. But all of my yummy concoctions of late have been in the alcoholic beverage category.

Baileys and Hazlenut Coffee

Nice warm coffee on a cold, wintry day.

Sangria

Who says cold beverages can’t be enjoyed during the winter?

Is it weird that I take pictures of food and drink in my house?

YOU try coming up with new and exciting stuff to blog about.

Most of my housemates are pretty understanding and patient when I say, “Wait. Don’t eat/drink that yet. I need a picture!”

Earlier this evening when I assembled these yummies, the patience was rather nonexistent.

Doggie Yummies

Any idea what those things are? Why they’re peanut-butter-stuffed-Kongs of course. Actually, there’s pretzels, a few bits of dog food, and peanut butter crammed in each one. It keeps the bitches busy for a while.

Remember what I said about the lack of patience?

"Oh come on already! Hand over the Kongs!"

It’s bad enough that they have to wait the five minutes it takes to cram three of those things full of goodies and peanut butter. Making them wait while I photographed their goodies was apparently more than they could take.

I wish I had the video camera handy to record the very strange howling complaints emanating from my crazy. old Meg. She was not at all happy.

What goodies have been coming out of your kitchen?

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The Pope of Dope

Hi there. Did you miss me?

Sorry, I’ve been busy. With work mainly. And getting ready for Christmas. And more work. And shopping. Wait, that’s part of the whole getting ready for Christmas thing.

Anyhoo…

I’ve actually been collecting stuff to post about. AND I have pictures for You Capture tomorrow.

I have so much different stuff to post about (“different” is not always a good thing), that I just don’t know where to start. So I’ll start with The Pope of Dope (video embedded below). The first thing I had to so this morning was to respond to an e-mail a dear friend sent to me on November 28. It started off with “Happy Thanksgiving.”

See? You, blog readers, are not the only peeps I’ve been neglecting. Although she’s a blog reader, too. Sometimes. So she has been doubly neglected.

Why did I just tell you all that. Because it was she who sent me this lovely video. 🙂

Only a small percentage of my readers will like this video and/or song. I happen to like it. If it gets on your nerves, just skip over it. ‘kay?

I also owe some people a phone call. Another friend called me over a week ago. I keep meaning to call back, but the days just get away from me. And now it’s way too early. Hopefully, I’ll get to call her today. You know who you are!

As for that stuff I have been collecting to share…

Here’s a picture of K in front of our half-naked Christmas tree. I’ll try to get a better shot with all of the dogs included. For now, maybe this one will make you smile. It made ME smile.

"Ho. Ho. Ho. Happy? Now get this stupid hat off of me!"

Yes, we Americans even decorate our pets for the holidays.

Speaking of pets… what does my yard have in common with the US-Mexico border?

Is it the jacket?

Even though it is the same color as those worn by the Customs/Border Patrol folks, it’s not the jacket.

A lot of DOPE.

Contrary to what some of you think (“Oh, lord, is she on drugs or what?”), it’s not the dope constantly flowing in either. Or even trickling in.

Give up?

Well, I’ll tell you.

I mean, I’ll show you AND tell you.

Hey, cool. Show and tell!

Tunnels

It’s the tunnels. More specifically, KILLERS digging tunnels.

Digging killer caught in the act.

K is quite the hunter. She’s not trying to escape. She is after a mole or moles that in this case happened to go under the fence.

She digs in other spots, too.

On the hunt again.

Fortunately, she doesn’t usually dig in the middle of the lawn. And she’s not digging just to dig. She is HUNTING. Trust me. Her kill list seems to grow every day. Mice, moles and voles mainly. But she gets a squirrel now and then, too.

Accomplices.

She’s not alone in her quest, but she is definitely the ringleader.

Do you have this kind of excitement in your backyard?

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Dog Dollars Update

As of early Friday evening, NBRAN had raised all but $174 of the money needed to cover Dexter’s surgery. All donations over $2,500 earmarked for Dex’s surgery will be kept in a Guardian Angel’s account for future medical procedures for the dogs.

And, as of 7:00 AM Saturday, the goal had been met!

Here are the updates in case you are interested. Sorry I didn’t post these sooner, I was away from my blog all day on Friday.

From Dexter’s Mom…

I am sitting here overwhelmed with such gratitude for all you have donated, and the wonderful messages keeping Dexter close in your hearts. He came through the surgery well. I got a call from Dr. Sadanaga earlier this afternoon telling me the procedure went smoothly and he was in recovery. I spoke to his nurse a few hours ago and she said he was sleeping very comfortably-with the help of “”some very nice medications.” They will need him to drink and eat soft food before they will allow him to come home. There is a possibility he will be able to tomorrow night if all goes well. Dr. Sadanaga is a gem..he has done about 1,500 of these procedures and is using a combination of 2 procedures together that he has found reduces the incidence of aspiration pneumonia-which is the greatest risk with this surgery. He told us he has it down to a 2-3% risk vs. the 15-20% with the former way of doing the surgery. He had to remove his vocal cords, but Dex isn’t much of a barker anyway…he’s an actions speak louder than barks kind of guy. 🙂 He is expected to be able to have a great quality of life and enjoy his walks and romps with no problem. We have had to leash walk him in the yard and carry him up the steps, as he was so stressed by any activity. Dex loves life and is a curious guy so it has been heartbreaking to see him so limited in his activity these past few days…he has learned to give kisses and we know he would give a big one to all of you if he were able to do so. As you lay your head down to sleep tonight please send prayers up for him and know you have done a truly wonderful thing today for one of God’s most precious creatures…

Without NBRAN, he never would have had a chance. We are so proud to be a part of such a fantastic and compassionate group of people, and to have been chosen to help Dex heal his body and soul. With our heartfelt thanks to you all, from Beth, Tom , Tyler and Brittany siblings Molly and Rousseau Triolo.

I will keep you posted with updates of his progress.

*** Dexter’s Morning Update***

He had a comfortable night and just went out to do his business…he is breathing great, no sounds when he slept, and they will be taking him off his IV meds and starting him on oral meds and introducing soft food later this a.m. after Dr. Sadanaga evaluates him.

Friday a.m. update:

Just spoke to Dexter’s nurse. He had a comfortable night and just went out to do his business…she said he is breathing great, no sounds when he slept, and they will be taking him off his IV meds and starting him on oral meds and introducing soft food later this a.m. after Dr. Sadanaga evaluates hi…m. She made my day when she told me he isn’t half as nervous and anxious as they expected from our account of how he usually responds…this is his 3rd overnight hospital stay since we’ve had him and he usually is stressed out of his mind…I asked her to give him a big hug from all of his friends out there rooting for him and helping his cause. I should hear something around noon and will post an update as soon as I can. Again, your generosity and well wishes are overwhelming and Dex thanks everyone from the bottom of his heart. 🙂

Friday night.

We got him home and he went right to the water bowl and drank what seemed like a gallon. He is kind of zonked out from all the meds, but he ate a little wet food. I had to roll it in a small ball and leave it on the floor and walk away for him to eat it. That’s what we had to do the last time he came home from the teeth extractions…all 10!!! His activity is very restricted so we have him in his crate and he is resting. He is on a lot of meds so we got all those in him for tonight. He came to me and let me comfort him, which helped me as much if not more than him. All in all he is doing much better than I expected so fingers crossed. Molly and Rousseau are sensing something is not right so they are giving him his space..we are having a slumber party in the family room so it is easier for him to be in his big crate and close to the yard..he is on steroids and has to go ot the bathroom frequently. We told him about all of the good wishes and support that you have shown and he is very, very grateful. His incision is big, but looks good..we are putting cold compresses on to help with the swelling and in a few days they want us to do warm compresses a few times a day. His neck is shaved so we’ll have to get him a spiffy bandana for the holidays. Hoping we all have a restful night and that Dex has some sweet dreams about running around and breathing easy real soon.

If you were one of the folks that chipped a dollar or two in, thanks. If you didn’t, that’s fine, too. I know I hate being guilted into charitable donations.

This isn’t something I’d normally post about, but NBRAN and ABR, too, have both been overwhelmed with dogs of late and they need all the help they could get. Dexter would’ve gotten his surgery anyway, because the people at NBRAN are like that. But having donations specifically earmarked for Dexter means there’s still money available in that other coffer to help the rest of the dogs. How many dogs are we talking about? The day before Thanksgiving, NBRAN had 50 dogs waiting for foster homes.

Remember, most breeds have rescue groups of their own. There are also myriad all-breed and even all species rescue groups. Not to mention all the local shelters and SPCAs. There are lots of critters out there in need, which makes all of the support that flooded in for Dexter even more meaningful.

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Can You Spare a Dollar?

There have been various things over the past week or so that have REALLY left me scratching my head.

First, there was the dog (Monty) that lived with a family for 3+ years and then was returned because they didn’t want him any more. And he really was a cute little guy. Yes, they did the right thing by returning him to rescue, but how can you live with a sweet dog like that for that long and not get attached?

Then there was the project some folks did for someone I know that was done completely half-ass. These people did this thing out of the kindness of their hearts for someone that was unable to do the thing herself. But when it was finished, it was terrible. And they left it like that for her to live with.

And we can’t forget the woman (a pathological liar) who is so completely and utterly self-centered that she’s alienated her children (and, as a result, her grandchildren) and honestly believes she is the victim.

Notice I am being nice and not mentioning names, right?

Enough with people. They really piss me off.

At the risk of sounding like a crazy dog lady, I have to share this.

Tonight I read yet again about one of the “PA 13.” This story has pulled at my heartstrings since I first read about these guys. These 13 registered purebred Brittanys  who lived on a carport,  in stacked cages, with the urine and feces of the dogs around them dripping onto them.   They were never meant to be seen by the public and didn’t have their tails docked or dew claws removed. For those of you who don’t  know the story here’s the link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAkma3NhQNk .

How can people do that to dogs?

With the help of  local shelters in PA,  the National Brittany Rescue and Adoption Network (NBRAN) was able to get them to safety.

Many of those dogs have had or are well on their way to a happy ending.

Then there’s Dexter, who is pictured below at the shelter soon after being rescued.

At 9 years of age when rescued, Dex is one of the oldest surviving Brittanys of the group. Now, at 11,  Dexter needs rescued again. (It is not at all unusual for Brittanys to live to 14 years of age and beyond.)

Dexter has been diagnosed with complete, bi-lateral  laryngeal paralysis.   This is a progressive condition that, without surgery, will lead to death. Apparently it’s a brutal death where the lungs fill up and the dog basically drowns. Right  now he has episodes where he is gasping for breath and coughing, etc. Almost like pneumonia.

Dexter has enriched the lives of his foster family, teaching them along with all the rest of us who have had contact with the PA13 the meaning and power of unconditional love, trust and kindness.  His lifting his head to smell the cool morning air and the special moon walk he does continues to bring smiles to the faces of his family as they watch him and marvel at how far he’s come. He loves life and has blossomed into a fun loving member of his family. Dexter is adored by all who meet him. Though he loves his nightly walk, he is restricted from that as well as running the yard due to how much it taxes his respiration. His quality of life is being compromised, but the prognosis with surgery is good and should allow him to do all his favorite things again very soon.

Take a look at this picture of the NBRAN president with another one of the PA 13.

Rowen, whose white coat is stained brown from all the urine and feces he lived IN, only survived a few days of freedom before he passed.

Dexter, on the other hand, is one of the dogs who has found safety, love, and acceptance with his foster family in his short 18 months of freedom since his rescue.

He has transformed from the quivering, terrified, ball of fur into one of the sweetest most gentle Brittanys his family has ever known.  They feel blessed to have him in their home.

Dexter is doomed, however, without the surgery. But it’s expensive. While NBRAN can’t really afford that kind of bill, especially now when there are so many dogs needing homes, they want Dexter to have a chance. Through Dexter’s Dollar Donation Challenge, NBRAN is asking 2,500 people to send in just $1.

One buck will give this guy another year or two of happiness to hopefully make up for the 9+ years of horrid living conditions that he endured.

NBRAN has also challenged its supporters to spread the world and help us find 2,500 people to donate just $1.

That’s why I have done this post. I’ll be donating some money to help the poor guy.

I don’t have a ton of followers, but I know some of you wouldn’t mind pitching a buck in to help.

I wouldn’t normally ask something like this on my Blog, but the guy deserves a bit more time, don’t you think?

If you’d like to help and allow Dexter to continue to explore the world, bringing love and joy to all those he encounters, all you need to do is go to the NBRAN Web site at http://shop.nbran.org/main.sc, choose Guardian Angel Donations and process your donation. In the special instructions box during checkout  be sure to put Dexter’s name so they know the donations are for Dexter’s surgery.

Butthead people are one thing. But helpless dogs? Brittanys yet, who are the sweetest, most loving people dogs ever.

I hope you decide to donate $1 today. Dexter deserves it.

In case you are interested, here’s that address again: http://shop.nbran.org/main.sc.