I know Northerners would get a good chuckle that I am calling the above “snow”….but indeed it is snow, and still coming down. Last I heard this will just be mushy mess and not amount to anything…or just turn to rain, or so they say. Want to see a city panic, come to Atlanta when there is any mention of snow….just not equipped to handle it. I have not seen snow in several years….this is the first time the dogs have seen snow…Niki did not like it….remember the tale “The sky is falling”….well that is how she looked. If any snow left in the morning I’ll post a few images….all though I really doubt it.

 Christmas is a time for memories,
a time for recalling the scenes and happenings
that are treasured always in our hearts.
It is also a time for love and generosity of spirit,
a time for renewing family ties and friendships,
and for exchanging the thoughts, events,
kind deeds, and observances that have added
to the true meaning and happiness of life.

Last night found me baking a Coconut Cream, Dream pie for Mike’s Birthday Cake/Pie (recipe follows). This morning after breakfast he wanted a slice….on the day of your Birthday you can do just about anything you want….so if after Breakfast you want your cake…pie in this case….have at it! During the cutting of the pie I happened to look out our window and noticed a hawk just sitting on the branch. Pretty windy here this morning and s/he was not even moving. What a sight. Of course….wrong lens…always the way….not to mention those with Rheumatoid Arthritis are not very flexible first thing…and my vision is not great especially early in the day so needed to depend on the AF…but all of those branches….still better to take a few shots then not. I felt very lucky to have had the opportunity to happen to get a glimpse of this magnificent creature (can you tell I was a city girl), right in my yard. Little blessing of the day.

Happy Birthday Michael!!!!                                      Rocky wanting just a tiny lick!

Coconut Cream/Dream Pie

Crust:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher or Hawaiian salt, crushed
1/4 cup cold all-vegetable shortening, chilled and cut into small pieces
1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1/4 cup cold water

Filling:
2 cups shredded coconut, divided
8 egg yolks
1 1/4 cups sugar (I did not use all this sugar, cut it down 1/2 cup…could have cut it back more for out taste). 2/3 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2 cups milk
1 cup coconut cream
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups heavy whipping cream, divided
3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.Crust Preparation:
All ingredients should be cold. Combine all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add shortening and butter. Using a pastry blender, cut in the shortening and butter until the mixture resembles course meal. Drop by drop, add the cold water. Mix in with the fingertips, not hands, as the palms will warm the dough. Continue mixing water in until the dough begins to hold together without being sticky but not crumbly. Lightly spray a deep 9-inch pie pan or 8 1/2-inch fluted flan pan. Roll out dough and place in pie pan. allowing the excess pastry to hang over the edge. Chill in the freezer for 10 minutes.
Line the pastry shell with parchment and baking beans or beads. Bake the shell for 10 minutes. Remove the paper and beans/beads and return to the oven for 10 more minutes. Cool. Makes pastry for 9-inch single-crust pie.

Filling Preparation:
Lightly toast 1 cup of shredded coconut in oven, about 7 minutes. Remove and cool. Set aside. Combine egg yolks and sugar. Beat with electric mixer until pale yellow and fluffy. Add cornstarch and melted butter. Blend well and set aside. Heat milk but do not boil. Stir in coconut cream. Gradually add egg and cornstarch mixture, stirring constantly over medium-low heat until filling begins to thicken. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla.
Remove filling from heat and let cool. In a mixing bowl, whisk or beat 1 cup of heavy cream on high until it begins to thicken and forms stiff peaks. Set aside. Strain cooled filling through fine mesh sieve to remove lumps. Fold in whipped cream and 1 cup of shredded coconut with pie filling and pour into prepared piecrust. Whisk or beat remaining heavy cream on high until it begins to thicken. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar and remaining teaspoon of vanilla. Continue until stiff peaks form. Fold in toasted coconut and spread over top of pie. Refrigerate until mixture has cooled and set.

It has almost been a year since little Nik-Nak injured her spine. In the early days I often wondered if I had made the right decision by going ahead with the surgery. Now of course the thought does not even enter my mind. What a wonderful “Little” dog she is and what a fighting spirit. No…her gait…well still a bit on the wobbly side and still, there are the good, the bad days. Going Potty is not always perfect and yep, I still must help her to empty her bladder. We must exercise and massage her.

Her tale is pretty remarkable due to the fact of just how she came to be part of our pack… she literally washed up in the creek behind the house when she was about three months old….on a very cold stormy day….two goofy Goldens coming to her rescue. Very true story…fast forward a few years and those two Goldens have since died….that was so very tough for little Niki (& the reminder of the pack).

Now….a year after her spinal injury and surgery she is happy…running, doing agility (with me VERRRRY close by). We worked hard and I must say that we have had so many folks cheering us on….the prayers, well wishes helped so much and we will forever be grateful to all those that helped us along the way.

 I have only purchased one dog in my lifetime…Rocky is 19 months old now….he is a little immature for his age, but that is ok He was purchased from a breeder in N. Ga….I had inquired about breeders, in purchasing a dog you really must do research on the breed and breeder. Even at that, there are never any guarantees as far as health, you just do the best you can and always learn life’s many little lessons. In Rocky’s case…it was important that he be from outgoing, friendly parents….of course health was important. The breeder…well let me just state that Rocky will be the first and only dog that was purchased. Rescue is the way to go for me. Rocky has had various health issues since bringing him home….now the pano…and in true Golden form….allergies. He is a bit shy…stand offish….not at all as the breeder described him to be…but then it is my opinion there were just too many puppies for her to keep track of…..if she even did that at all. I had been told by my breeder when she was informed of his health issues….oh wow….in the 19 years of breeding I have never had any puppies with health issues….none of my puppies had ever had any ear problems, allergies etc. If I had heard that before purchasing him I would have run…without a pup and not looked back. Not at all even sure how such a statement can be made for I have not ever heard from her….just the above reply to my email regarding his health.

What I am trying to say….if in the market for a puppy…be picky about where s/he comes from. I had passed up on several breeders for they had only one puppy…the best breeders will have a list and puppies will be sold so best to be placed on a waiting list if you believe a particular breeder is the one you want to deal with. Know that there are some wonderful dogs in rescue….but there also… one must be careful. Deal with organizations that will ask you a few questions, even do a home visit. Do not be insulted that they are checking into you, family and home….they want what is best for the dog….as do they not want the dog to come back due to the fact s/he is not fitting into your families lifestyle. Temperament testing….some breeders and rescue organizations poo-poo this….very important. If the breeder is breeding several breeds at the same time….walk away….if breeding several dogs at the same time…sorry it is a breeders job to care, socialize and start potty training those puppies…yes hard work indeed. Just a few of the many things that make a breeder a reputable breeder While I wish many of the rescue organizations would not take soooo many dogs in….rather, focus on introducing training, exercise and overall good manners during the dogs time in that organization…in other words for the dgs sake….deal with less dogs. That is just my opinion…sadly with rescue it is a numbers game for so many reasons….it all comes down to life and death….so many dogs homeless, in shelters. It is very difficult to say no to a dog that is about to be killed for the simple reason his/her people no longer wanted him’her. Sadly…we are a society that dumps puppies that mature, rather then working to teach, exercise many just get rid of…..we are a society that kills our pets that we no longer want.

So it goes….bottom line….think before acquiring that bundle of joy for the Holidays. Research….take your time. Know that getting a live gift for someone is not always the best gift…the recipient of the gift should know about it and help with the search….for the animals sake really think about what your doing and try your best to not be part of the problem. Oh….most importantly….please know and understand that all puppies grow up
As for Rocky…well we adore him….health issues and all

Santa came early this year…how lucky am I. I was so very excited that the batteries were charged immediately. First thing this morning the dogs and I went out back and of course a little photography session. So many features to try out and learn. It must feel comfy in my hands so today was a “breaking” in day, getting used to it. I am not “getting” the many AF features and kept forgetting which was for what…in time I’ll get better acquainted with it. The images posted were all done in AP with Auto White balance. the next lesson is setting the WB manually. So far I am loving it….in having been using a Fuji S2, which I think is a wonderful camera….well the Nikon is so much faster. A day of shooting and messing with it and still the battery has a charge left…sort of anyway. Will be needing back up.

Stay tuned for future images and a write up about The Nikon D300.

Above:   The “Rock” taking time to stop and smell the flowers.

Below: Niki in Action

During the Holidays one of the gifts that is so very heart warming is a Painted Portrait.

Many years ago I had a lovely Husky Mix named Tasha. My, what a beautiful dog and wonderful ever faith companion she was, lovely coat and what blue eyes she had. My husband (at the time a boyfriend) visited me one day and brought along his camera and photographed Tasha….I mean he must have taken 100 photographs….every angle you can possibly think of. Christmas Eve that year at my house, Michael was there and presented me with a nicely wrapped gift. I opened it and there in front of me was a 16×20 pastel portrait of my dog. Very heart warming indeed….to this day that really was one of the best gifts I have ever received.

Little did I know that many years later I would be painting portraits. At the time I did not think about the time, work the Artist put into the portrait of my beloved Tasha. The Artists instructions given to Michael were very precise about what the photographs should look like….in focus, close ups, etc. I give the very same instructions to those inquiring about portraits…if using images from the past or sadly, the individual or pet is deceased and all that is left is images with little detail it is then very difficult to work with. Many Artists will just not work with a poor image.

The minds eye is amazing….viewing an image of a deceased loved one you will most likely remember things that are not actually in the image…..the color of the eyes, skin tone…..to the artist viewing the image….well, what a job they have before them. It will take longer to complete and many times the clients are unhappy with the results, which is why so often many Artists will refuse to take on such a job.

I try not to say No, especially if the subject is deceased….I work with a proofing system…..working this way costs more but it gives the Artists a way to communicate with the client for just stating someone has blue, green or brown eyes….well truth be told eyes are amazing and never just blue, green or brown. Still, even for me there are those times when sadly….there is just not enough detail in the image to work with.

I know I have written this a thousand times… use your cameras, especially when you have a family gathering such as around the Holidays. Take Group shots, individual shots…..we are in the digital age and you will know right then and there if crisp clear and in focus…..always best to take more then one photograph of each subject. Most importantly, as my boyfriend of many years ago did….think a head. This is a gift that requires time and should not be left to the last minute, especially around the Holiday season. Paintings will take longer to complete due to the Artists busy schedule.

It happens to all of us…so much to do with so little time to do it. Get your gifts early….better yet I think the best gifts are those made with thought. These are a few of the things I will be doing this year…
Baked goods make lovely gifts and is something that you can do with your family. Photo gifts are another family craft project that can be fun and done together….homemade facial scrubs, body scrubs all make wonderful gifts. Make a wonderful basket filled with yummy treats, or one filled with yummy homemade scrubs with a wonderful scented candle….a photo calendar, photo mug and photo tee shirt….with treats and coffee beans or tea bags.
Of course….It is not too late to book an appointment with a professional photographer, but do so now for time is running out….a little too late for a Painted Portrait, please remember that Gift Certificates also make a lovely gift to add to your gift list for someone special.

Often times throughout the busy times, especially around the Holidays we often forget about our four legged family members. So….get the dog, get the children and start going for daily walks…it will take a half an hour to hour out of your busy day. I think of this time as family time….great exercise for the entire family….no TV, radio….just you and family going for a lovely walk. If your dog is not well behaved on leash….start training the dog to walk nicely….they need your time as does your family…more important then shopping and parties

Of Course, if baking, do not forget your furry friends. I do this around the Holidays and my pups love them….no, not healthy but once a year will not hurt them!

Pumpkin Bar Doggie Treats
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 tablespoons butter-flavored Crisco
1 whole egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine flour, cinnamon and nutmeg; cut in shortening.

Beat egg with milk and pumpkin and combine with flour, mixing well. Stir until soft dough forms. Drop by tablespoons onto un greased cookie sheet and bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool and serve.

If you bake these yummy treats please do drop us a line and let us know how many “Paws” up your pup gave them. If you have a yummy recipe to share, feel free to do so in the comments area!

Since the move to the new web site I have had little time to continue working on the site, so pardon our mess as we are still very much a works in progress. While I hired someone to put this site together. The rest is now up to me…and like everyone else, time is something I would love to have more of.

Several inquires as to just what the forum is for….I wanted a place where students can go to share, learn and upload images. It does not look like this in house forum will be staying as I see no way to allow students to upload images as does it appear to have privacy issues. I think I have found another forum that will link to the site and it will better suit our needs.

As to what On-line Courses will be offered for 2008:

• Photographing Animals 4 week course
• Digital Photography 6 week course
• Digitally Painting Animals 6 week course (includes Embellishing your prints).
• Dog Obedience Training 6 week course

In the next few weeks there will be a page added to the site explaining each course as will there be an option for you to enroll and pay online. There will be a student limit for each class, the reason being is having enrolled in several online classes myself great for the instructor if there are no student limit, not so great for the students. Students will have access to PDF files, videos, forum and for those that can attend…weekly live chats.