New Year Opportunities by A Maine Photographer

Hello and thank you to whomever may be reading this.  As a small entrepreneur I am very well aware that I must participate in putting content out into the world and letting people know I exist...and every January is another wake up call and chance to review how well I did...or how well I didn't do...

First off let me start with I am living a good life and doing my photography and scrapbooking thing on a  regular basis but I have been skimpy on the sharing on my blog platform...so again...new year...new goals...I'm excited to give sharing regularly a new go :)

First off I want to catch you up on my fall litter of puppies!  Three of them are local and one is gone to live up near Bar Harbor.  I ask each new home to let me be their facebook friend so I can watch these babies grow up and continue to love them in my own way because they all take a tiny piece of my heart with them as they go.

We have Oliver on the left, then Finley, Charlie and Appa

A family photo before the pups start heading to their homes

My husband doing a lunch classroom style learning session :)

This year I hired my own Santa...with all the Covid stuff going on I had no desire to leave the house! 

A little studio play with the last two pups to leave

Top photo is Finley with new family, then Oliver, then Appa , then Charlie!!!!

Appa's new home is with my son Nick and his girlfriend Carly, they live locally and Appa comes to visit his Mom and Nana a couple times a week!!  Also, Charlie's new home is with his big brother Cody!!  We are so happy to still share in our puppies lives!!

That's the big stuff.  We also got to celebrate Thanksgiving together and take a family photo for our Christmas card.

And I ended the year with a giant Birthday!  I've made all kinds of commitments to myself to try new things in 2022, but I ended the year with new also!

new kitty named Gizmo :)

first time visiting the beach in Maine on my birthday!

and my kids recreated a twenty year old photo shoot for me!

Now before I sign off on this post I will acknowledge in writing that I plan to return within the next few days to update what is going on in the new year of 2022!!  Once again, thank you for stopping by!

My Pink Bunny by Purple Ivy, Great Grandpup of A Maine Photographer

 My human Mommy bought me a pink bunny for Valentine's Day.

We all laughed at it cause it was so big...huge really.

We all played with it.

Nana, Mommy and me and my big brothers.

My pink bunny is not going to make it to Easter.

I'm hoping to get a new toy Easter Sunday...

Happy Easter Everyone!

Introducing Purple Ivy, A Maine Dog Photographer

 Hello.  It's been awhile.  Not sure if my hesitation to share this story was based on superstition or something else but never-the-less I did hesitate to share...and then I just was a bit embarrassed at my delay in sharing that I haven't gotten out of my own way to share...but today is a good day to share.

My blog is my space to share my photography, much of it professional work, but also much of it personal work too.  Lately all is personal.

I've shared over the years how Chloe (my 11 year old golden retriever) came into my life.  She came to us based solely on timing.  Her date of birth is my sister's date of death.

Chloe came to me with a contract.  She needed to breed a few litters...but she herself held a distinct title, her breeding name was "Third Times A Charm" because it took her Mom three tries at breeding before she came to be.

Fast forward to Violet.  A pup we kept from Chloe's first litter...invitro...also born after several attempts, and just a litter of three.

We kept Violet, in hopes of keeping Chloe's lineage going.  

Violet also has been a challenge to "get pregnant"

She had her first litter (just 4 pups) in 2017 and we have tried each year since to have another litter so we can again hope to keep this lineage going.

Some might understand this unlikely method I have of keeping my sister with me.

We were blessed this past fall to successfully breed Violet, naturally too, and we prayed we would have a girl pup so we could again have hopes of continuing the legacy Chloe created for us.

We scheduled an ultrasound to be sure and learned we were expecting three pups!

As the holidays approached we celebrated Chloe's 11th birthday and looked forward to the birth of Violet's litter, hoping we would have a girl to continue Chloe's legacy.  Violet's previous litter was a litter of three boys and one girl, so we told ourselves if it's meant to be it will be.  :)

The pups arrived on the afternoon of December 22nd!  I delivered the first alone, but was surrounded by family for the other two.  Chloe was front and center the entire time, not leaving Violet's side.  Two boys and a girl!  

The holidays were low key due to the pandemic but all was very right in our little house.

and Christmas...was perfect!

we had been watching The Mandalorian, and I thought this photo was funny :)

We did weekly photo shoots!

                                                                    one week old

                                                                    two weeks old

                                                                    three weeks old

                                                                        four weeks old 

           

                                                                        five weeks old 

                                                                            six weeks old

Whenever I did these photo shoots I always placed the puppies in birth order so I would know who they were in the photos.  As they got older we could tell them apart by their personalities and their physical differences.

Sully (his forever name) was our first born, we called him Frank (for Frankincense)...(Christmastime puppies).  Sully's head fur was fully "poofed" at all times which made him pretty recognizable at first glance, he's a bit larger than the other two and was always willing to be the first to try anything!!

Our girl name changed over a few times...we were searching for the right fit.  We tossed around Angel and Noelle for the Christmas theme...but say "no"elle enough times and we quickly realized it wasn't appropriate for our dog and chose the name Ivy as we got to know her...and found that it fit perfectly!!  And if we are lucky to someday breed her, Purple Ivy will speak for itself!!  To sum up her personality, she's a "spitfire"!!

Yeti (his forever name) was third born.  We called him Myrrh (or Mur)...again, think Christmas.  Yeti loved to play with his siblings, but he was also the first one to toddle back to the puppy room for some quiet time.

We managed a family photo the weekend before the pups went to their forever home...and a pup group photo with Nana, Mum, and brothers Cody and Brady.  We are hopeful that we will continue to bring these beauties into the world a little at a time.

Final group photos before separation!

Yeti left first...with Tim and Jana

...and lives about an hour a way, we are staying in touch and planning a play date soon!!

The next hour Sully left with Patti and Kevin... 

we also are staying in touch and planning a visit this summer.  Patty asked me to share that Sully is "the best pup"...and Joanne speaking here...no argument from me, these three little ones are amazing!!

I LOVE my puppy family, and the extended grown up family too!!  So grateful for social media and that we can all stay in each others lives and watch these beauties grow!!

Of course, Ivy is with us and fits in amazingly.

 

Chloe (11) Ivy 12 wks and Violet on her 7th birthday this past week :)

The Targaryen Litter, born October 27, 2017 a Maine Photographer

First let me apologize for the year long absence.  No excuses.  Life is busy.

Six months ago my English Cream golden retriever baby had 4 puppies.  Violet went the same route as her mother, through artificial insemination.  Thank you so much to my BFF Kathy who accompanied me to Cape Cod for the day for the adventure of introducing Violet to her stud male Theo.  When I posted a facebook photo of Theo and Violet, a friend commented that we would have a Targaryen litter.  If you are a Game of Thrones fan you would immediately understand the comment to mean "white hair" and since both my husband and I are fans of the show we thought the litter name was appropriate.  Today the puppies turn 6 months old.  Although I have been missing from this blog, I did post regular photos on facebook during the 2 months that this litter blessed our family.  Here is a little catch up.

I had a little maternity shoot with my girls :)

October 27th, the puppies arrive!!

 ...and begin to grow quickly!!

and, then came the visitors.  Much puppy therapy was provided November and December at the Minor house!!

 and kids always find a creative way to play...

Celebrating Nana Chloe's birthday!!!!

 YES, we visited Santa.  Yes, I need to provide a behind the scenes look ;)  HUGE thank you to my friend Darlene who accompanied us to help keep everyone safe on our outing!!

And possibly my favorite photo shoot of all time.  My husbands idea to bundle the puppies up and take advantage of the time of year and do an LLBean photoshoot.  Yes, we left at the crack of dawn.  Yes, it was zero degrees outside.  Yes, it was once in a lifetime!

So, today the Targarey Litter is 6 months old!!

I am super lucky that 2 of the puppies in this litter are living local, right here in my city, and both of them have remained a big part of my life!!  Brady and Cody, 3rd and 4th born pay a weekly visit to the Minor house.  Their personalities differ slightly, but Matt and I love them unconditionally.  

Brady is part of the Knight family, and he actually lives on my road.  Lucky Lucky me!!  Lucky Brady.  He is a joy!  Definitely a puppy!  He loves to visit with his Mom and Nana!  He looks so very much like his Mama, upon a quick glance it can be tough to tell them apart...and he is SUPER fast!!

He learned to pee outside, in the snow, and last I knew would travel clear across the yard to find it!!

and his human Mom Suzanne brings him by for quick visits, sometimes when his brother Cody is visiting, and she always carries treats!!

This is Cody.  (#4...Orange)  He was the last born.  First at everything.  First to jump out of the whelping box, first to drink from the water dish, first to pee on the pee pad.  He also visits weekly.  He is super sweet and very gentle, but he's sneaky too.  Found the bedtime treats we give to the girls and helped himself.  Both Mom and Nana were horrified of his braizeness and were looking at me in disbelief that I was letting him get away with it!!  Super funny!  Super smart!  He's a puppy for sure!

Since Cody visits often, Josh and I recreated one of our favorite poses!

 Nana Chloebutt is always in charge.  Violet behaves like her offspring and loves to play with Cody and Brady.

 Missy, the only girl of the litter lives in Bangor with David and his family.  David tells me "She is the sweetest!" She loves to ride in the car and goes everywhere with her human Mom.  She is an absolute joy and we thank you for choosing us as her family.  She has more toys than we had as a kid.  Spoiled!!

Joanne talking here...love letters from home always make us smile!!  Happy 6 month birthday baby girl!!

 And another love letter from Ricky Baker, the future STUD of the litter.  Ricky Baker lives in Brewster MA and he is the chosen one to continue our family pedigree.  First we called him "Two" because he was the second born, then we called him "Blue" once I received the colored collars.  He wanted to be claimed by all who met him.  He truly is every definition of a stud.  His human Mom Diane writes "Ricky Baker is so good natured!  He's happy, smart, friendly, gentle with all animals and people, and very well-behaved.  He loves to romp with other dogs, hike, swim, and gnaw on sticks.  Sending you sincere gratitude for your part in getting him started in life!!"

Oh Diane, my family sends so much love and hugs right back at you and Ricky Baker!!  I cannot wait to watch him grow!!

 Thank you everyone who stopped by to read this, it's been a long time coming.  What a blessing for Matt and I to get the opportunity to experience an English Cream Golden Retriever litter from conception to homeward bound!!  Thank you Rushell of Snowypaws golden retrievers, we look forward to doing it all again in 2019!!