Why the dog left home

Quick contest--tell us what kind of cat this is? We are so impressed with its size that we have decided to give 15% off a session for anyone who owns a cat this big.

Hilarious and informative, thanks Slate!

Mix it up

McKinley is so much better thanks to all these generous people.

Thank you to the Montgomery County Humane Society for inviting us to attend their Meow Mixer fundraiser last Saturday. We indulged in a few Kitti-tini's (MCHS's signature drink) while making the rounds to play with their cute adoption cats and dogs. We also got the chance to chat with people who are committed to making sure that these animals find good homes. The event was a fundraiser to pay for McKinley's recent surgery to remove an ear polyp. He has made a nice recovery, although the MCHS people say that he may always have a slight head tilt. Kind of endearing if you ask us.

Upcoming Events

Gracie the kitten getting ready for Valentines Day!

Lara and I have a busy month ahead of us:

This Saturday, January 24th we are attending the Montgomery County Humane Society's "Meow Mixer" at their rescue shelter in Rockville, MD and have donated a free candid-documentary session (a $300 value that includes a free 8x10 print) to a lucky door prize-winner.  

On Saturday, January 31st from 2-5pm, we're looking forward to spending the day taking Valentines Day portraits with pets and their owners at Wagtime Pet Spa & Boutique and Doggie Daycare in Northwest DC. Wagtime's owners, Lisa and Offer, are so sweet and its exciting to see how their store renovations are coming along. Contact us or Wagtime at (202) 334-8825 for pricing and session times. 

Bank Opening! On Saturday, February 7th from 11am-3pm, Lara and I will be participating in Pooches, Pastries, & Pictures, an event that is commemorating the opening of a new HSBC Branch at Wisconsin & R street in Georgetown.  The Dog Shop is donating gourmet dog biscuits and K9 Lifesavers will be there to share opportunities to help with animal rescue.  We are donating the drop-in portrait session and giving 15% of all print sales to K9's rescue.

Also, on Valentines Day we will be hosting our last round of sweetheart Valentines Day portraits at the tre classy Wylie Wagg at their Tyson's Corner location from 11am-3pm. Contact them or us to find out more information on how to sign up. 

Warmly, 

Gracy

Inauguration.

I spent all day yesterday down on the mall with masses and masses of people. Although I couldn't feel my feet after the first hour, I never lost sight of how lucky I was to be in the middle of so many people who really want change for our country. 

After, I happened upon a few Maryland police horses who looked so serene in the midst of so much excitement.  

Gracy

"The Guys"

Ann with Pickles.

On Wednesday, Lara and I were privileged to meet Ann, a Chevy Chase residents who asked us to photographer her cats, Pickles and Wheatie. Both of them are terminally ill, and we were touched by Ann's dedication to caring for them during their last years of life. I asked Ann to write me with a few to details to explain their illness. Her message to me was so beautifully written that I wanted to share it in its entirety.

***
Gracy,

You asked me to send you some information about Pickles and Wheatie. We always referred to them, and then included Poppy, as "The Guys."

Both were adopted from the Montgomery County Animal Shelter in 1992, chosen from the shelter director's office, which was filled with tiny kittens too young to put out yet formally for adoption. They are now almost 16 1/2, and both, so sadly, have cancer.

Pickles, a grey/tiger tabby, has lymphoma and in undergoing chemotherapy, which seems to be helping since the mass in his abdomen is gone. He still has three more treatments to go if all goes well, and then we will actually see the results. He has a thirty percent chance of surviving a year and another thirty of two years. I will be grateful for one year. He is too thin, but seems healthier, though still slow, than he was. Pickles is "my heart." He has lived up to the prediction of the director of the shelter who said that he will be a love bug. I'm sure he was abused as a kitten because he was so frightened of strangers most of his life. Only in recent years as he became more exposed to people has he become friendly. But he always trusted me. My husband used to say, "You are so patient with these cats," and I was. How could I not be?


Pickles in his favorite spot by the window.

Wheatie, a golden tabby, also lived up to the shelter director's prediction that male golden tabbies have gentle dispositions. Despite a general physical exam last September in which no tumor was found, by mid-December, Wheatie had developed a large tumor on the inside of his upper right leg. The doctor was shocked---it had grown so fast. Wheatie has fibrosarcoma, a kind of cancer that for him, at least, did not have really any alternatives. His chemotherapy prognosis was much lower than for Pickles' lymphoma, so I decided against it and to let him live out the rest of his life enjoying the things he loves, including lots of affection. So the tumor continues to grow, and I give Wheatie the good food and milk (which he hadn't had for a long time because he, like Pickles, also has kidney disease and were given a kidney diet for a number of years) and treats he loves But he will die soon, I'm told, despite the fact he seems healthier than Pickles. He, too, is too thin.

Both of them now love Fancy Feast which they never had in their lives. Gone is the kidney diet.

I wanted a photo of the three of us before Wheatie dies. I only had one other good photo of me and the two of them when they were kittens (I was always the one taking photos). I love them dearly and can't imagine them not being here. It is a burden on my mind and heart every day.

Ann

Ann has had Pickles and Wheatie (right) for their entire lives--16 1/2 years.

Not from down under

Jackson.

Good Saturday--I got to spend a bit of time in today's gorgeous weather with Jackson and his beautiful family in Alexandria. I had never spent much time around an Australian Shepherd before and I was quite charmed by his sweet nature and intelligence. I was also surprised to find out that the breed actually originates in the United States. Seems they got their name because of their association with the Basque sheepherders who came to the U.S. from Australia in the 1800's. According to the United States Australian Shepherds Association, "Aussies" came into popularity with the advent of western riding and rodeos in the United States after World War II. They are also energetic, loyal, and do best when given the responsibility of a specific job. This makes sense as his owner Eddie reports that Jackson is happiest when chasing geese from Andrews Air Force Base and off the nearby golf course. Also, I found out that his mom's name is Bubblicious, which is just a very good name for a dog.

Jackson with his family.

To build a fire

Just back from St. Louis where I spent the New Year with a few very talented friends who always help me see the world a little more like a playground. We always have so much fun that I'm amazed when we actually get a lot of work done. We are currently planning a project for the spring in Peru that we are all so excited about--more information to come soon. One night the crew took a trip out to visit my friend Ryan's farm in Cuba, Mo and built a really big campfire that kept us toasty for hours and drew a few of the neighborhood horses over to investigate the campfire music of Mark Pagano.

Photo by the lovely Laura Caldwell

Gracy