Me and the Old Boys

You all know I am a nature walker, I love my little hikes in the Connemara hills, but I am also a dog lover. I love my boxer dogs and for me it is not a good walk if they are not with me. 

You have no idea how cool it is to go out with the boys.
We all walk with the same pace, it is quiet and peaceful on the road, it's just us and mother nature.

I usually let them go in front of me, but most of all they love to fit me in the middle, so I am save and sound between them. You never know, someone might try to talk to me...Not a very wise idea if you are a man, my boys get a bit cranky and don't really let anyone come close. Otherwise I keep telling everyone they are just a pair of sofa cushions. 

I know that no one believes me though, especially when I see people crossing the road, afraid to walk past us.

I feel sad sometimes knowing how misunderstood boxers are. Because of their size and the unusual amount of energy, people believe them to be scary beasts.
This is so not true! There is no one more loving and gentle than my two boys.

Once I was asked "Are they wicked?" by a woman with crazy eyes who run fast down the road in case they decided to eat her. The Old Boys didn't even look at her. They simply know who is not fit for consumption ;-)

Anyway, I can not blame anyone for being afraid of dogs. I have great experience with mighty beast (haha) but I still know when to be cautious. I have been beaten by a dog before and I know how it feels. Strangely enough it wasn't any of mine, but one of those sheep dogs that like to bark a lot at passers by, every time you go past their house (you know one somewhere for sure) One day this particular guy didn't just bark but decide to sneak behind me and bit me on the back of my leg. OUCH!!

I am proud to say that my boys have much better manners than this, they would never do anything like that!! They don't bark, they don't jump at people, they are perfectly behaved simply because we walk them every they for 2 hours no matter the weather, we love them, we hug them all the time and we live in harmony.

We love each other very much 

My boxer story

For the last week or so we took care of a third boxer.

Yes, I am not joking. We already have two lovely chaps and decided we need more. When you have one boxer, it is never enough. You get so much love and attention from them it is addictive. Honestly, pure addiction. The way they look at you, the way they can read you and predict what you are going to do before you do it so they can join you and you can not say no.... Doesn't that sound like the perfect relationship?!

Anyway, we got the first one as a puppy, 7 years ago. He has imprinted on us all perfectly now. I never had a dog before him and I never knew it is so wonderful and rewarding. We got boxer books, we read, we watched a lot of dog shows and now I can say that we are pretty good with dogs. We walked him every single day for at least and hour an half, most of the time two and more. No matter the weather and believe me around here in this part of Ireland, the weather is pretty bad most of the time. As long as he has had his walk and a good meal after, no dog will create any problems after that, believe you me, he is only one big sofa cushion for the rest of the day and night... We always say he is our Big Love..

Then 4 years ago we decided to find him company and rescued number two. The poor thing has had a

lot of of problems in his short life. He was starved, totally dehydrated, scared out of his head, about a year old and not house trained, didn't recognise any name we tried. So sad!! But now, when people look at him they can not believe that he was rescued he looks as good and vibrant as any other dog. One of the most heartbreaking things about him is that he is always trying so hard to prove that he is a good boy, even after all this years, he still has the need in his heart to prove that. He looks in my eyes and assumes his best "I am a good boy" position and shows me that he is good...... he simply doesn't deserve anything bad to happen to him. We can only speculate what it was but he was definitely tied up in a confined space, he couldn't move much for a long period of time, the scar from the extremely tight collar never heeled, his coat didn't grow back. And he doesn't like to get dirty at all, amazing, isn't it?

So a week ago we sheltered another boxer with the hope that we will be able to keep him. Unfortunately nothing went as we planed. The boy was fabulous, I fell in love with him straight away. Unfortunately he had a big issue with our boys. We knew there will be a bit of tension, introducing new dog and all, but things went completely out of hand and at the end and we had to give him up.

We kept them separated, blocking the doors in the house so they can not reach each other, the house was divided in half basically and not very livable. On his own, the new boy was fantastic, quiet, so loving and adorable but the moment he spied the other two he got wired and tensed up and simply jumped at them to fight. And it wasn't about dominance anymore, they fought 6-7 times and he lost every single time. He attacked the others once even when they had their backs turned, when one of them was sleeping and so on.... So no matter how much I liked him, and how good his life could have been here with us, we had to say good bye. I am so sad. 

I hope you find a good family, my boy.

The Glorious Spring Light

Spring is certainly one of my favourite times of the year, for so many reasons that I am not sure where to start.

The trees are blossoming, new foliage is growing, the first flowers are springing out of the winter devastation, the days are getting longer and finally - the light is changing. The darkness is over, the light is becoming so pure and bright, it is a real pleasure to press that shutter button. And since photography is my most enjoyable pastime how can I not be joyous and happy that spring has arrived?   

Now is the moment to crawl through the gardens and new greenery and explore the neighborhood, to look up the cherry and apple trees and forget yourself for a while.

Just admire that gorgeous nature all around you, basking in the glorious spring light, shake off the winter darkness, grab the camera and get out of hiding and back into the light. 

And don't worry,  summer is on its way...    

 

Thanks for being here 

  

Lost in the beauty of Spring

It's this time of the year that we can't wait for the clouds to drift away, the wind to disappear, the blue sky to stretch from one side of the horizon to the other and the sun to stare back at us saying "Hey, the Summer is just around the corner..."

OK, hold your horses, the cherry trees haven't really blossomed yet, the daffodils are still here, even though a bit tired looking ( a good sign that the months are rolling by ) so let's wait  a bit longer.
The Summer will be here before we know it really!!

For now, lets stay Lost in the beauty of Spring

The Angels in White

Daffodils come in many colours and shapes but the giant white ones are simply magnificent!! 

Every time I look at these plants they remind me of Angels in White 

thanks for being here 

A walk in the snow

It has been a few years since I walked in snow. Real snow. Knee deep and all

But the photos I took then still remain and will always be there. For me this is one of the best aspects of photography, grabbing the moment and freezing it in time for ever. Absolutely Fantastic!!  Later on every time you look at the images you have taken you can simply travel back in time and experience again the same moment.

At least this is how it is for me. I have thousands and thousands of images in my database but when I look at  any one I can remember exactly where I was and feel the same hot sun and the same biting wind or cold snow. Fabulous!!

So here is some images from a walk in the snow 5 years ago that I never had the time to post.

Enjoy the cold and the white beauty of it, Have a walk in the snow with me  

  

Thanks for joining me for a walk in the snow