Warming up for the Olympics and a Portrait Gallery

I would like to make it Very Clear that Abby and I got a lot of frisbee action this week.  But for reasons that are still not clear to me (it apparently has something to do with Mom 'experimenting' with different settings on her camera, resulting in 'less than satisfactory' action photos) there are less actions photos this week than usual.  (Keep in mind that 'less' is relative!)  But we are actively preparing for the Frisbee Freestyle events in the upcoming Winter Olympics.

There was some use of the Doodle Trebuchet

And some standard frisbee catches - a compulsory exercise in the Olympics.

More simple drills for the upcoming Olympics.

A nice catch in the pike position - one of the 'compulsory' frisbee catch moves required in Olympic competition.

 

Me working on the 'dive into a snowbank' part of the compulsory exercises.

Abby also working on the 'dive into a snowbank' exercise.

A solid vertical catch.

Good extension, a clean catch!

Another catch with nice vertical!

Yep, I think we're in good shape for the Olympics!

In addition to the frisbee photos, Mom is obsessed with getting photos with us running with frisbees.  She has yet to be 'completely satisfied' with them (which is okay - she throws frisbees, we come running back - nothing wrong there!), but she's determined to get some shots of us running.  So there are a lot of photos of us running, in varying degrees of quality.

Mom calls this 'unfettered joy' - I couldn't agree more!

Zoom-zoom!

Watch out!  Coming through!

"Hi Mom! I have this frisbee for you!"

"And another one!"

"Mom, I think you still need to work on your color-adjustment skills..."

"Hi Mom!  I think I'm a little orange here - but I'm in motion!"

"Hi Mom!  Another frisbee!  Maybe that's because I'm half retriever!  Heehee."

The sports photo guides say "get two eyes and the ball" - how about two eyes and the frisbee?

"I mentioned that I'm half retriever, right?"

"Can't stop mom!"

Still got that retriever thing working!

I even retrieve in new snow.  Sometimes...

Hi Mom!

Okay, so maybe there are more frisbee photos than I originally thought.  I guess Mom has been spending a lot of time sorting through photos...

Now on to the portrait gallery.

Mom says we look 'focused' here.  Of course we are - she's got treats in her hand.

My shifty-eyed sister with a big schnozz.

You wanted a picture of me look right at you.  Well here I am.  Complete with snow on my snooter!

Speaking of snooters!  Holy Hipposnooterus, Batman!

Mom just likes this photo - probably because it makes Abby's schnozz look medium-sized.  Heehee!

Abby's got her head in the clouds (again)!

Hey Abby, your head is blocking out the sky!

Wow!  A rare photo where Abby is making eye-contact!  Mom should frame this!

I do NOT have a big schnozz - Mom just likes to play around with perspective.  I hate to think what will happen if she gets a fish-eye lens!

Yep, I'm pretty!

Finally, since we finally got some snow, Mom decided to try her hand at some 'artsy photos.'

Snowy pine.

Aspens in winter.

More snowy pines.

Clearly our Mom has gone photo-crazy.  This is what we have to say about that:

Pfffth.

And double-pfffth.

But we still love you Mom!

*kissey face*
-Fiona and Abby the Hippobottomus

Snow-Vember!

Our buddy Garth Riley has commented that he's not a big fan of any month with a 'no' in it (i.e. 'November') because it meant that many of his favorite activities were a 'no' because of weather.  We pondered this for a bit, and then decided the solution was rename the month.  So, we bring you Snow-vember!  (We realize this doesn't apply to a lot of states, but for us, it totally works.)

Snow-Vember is a fickle month; we get snow, then it warms up and our snow vanishes, and then it snows again (and melts again).  This last week has been a perfect example of this fickleness.

Early in the week, melting snow.

But just as the green stuff was beginning to take over the yard again, Mother Nature came through with more snow!

"I may have snow on my snooter, but you've got a frisbee in your hand.  Enough pictures - throw the frisbee!"

Snow frisbee zoomies!

"Yeah, yeah.  I know I'm gorgeous!  Throw the frisbee!"

Snowy snooters!

Snow doesn't stop Abby from performing death-defying feats of acrobatics!

Apparently Mom loves to get snowy snooter photos.  Lucky for her that we like having snowy snooters!

Just because I'm standing on a frisbee doesn't mean there aren't others you can throw for me.

Once the snowstorm ended, it started to warm up again, as often happens in Snow-vember.  But, it is staying cool enough at night that we haven't lost all our snow (yet).  

The launching of the Hippobottomus!

Long dog in snow.

We love Snow-vember!

Yep, we can do this all day long!  (Or until Mom's fingers freeze!)

Frisbee twins!

Abby is still a very long dog.

Happy frisbee snow dance!

Target sighted...

Target snatched from the air!

There's no zoomies like frisbee snow zoomies!

Huh.  Apparently I'm kinda tall, too.  But never as tall as Abby!

I think Abby is made of rubber.  And springs.

"Frisbee, meet my Jaws of Doom!"

So our snow is getting packed down and is melting again, but we'll take what we've got, because we are confident that more snow will come.  Because it's Snow-vember, and that's what happens!

In other excitement, our Mom has finally finished the annual Doodle calendar.  If you are getting one, and want to be surprised, don't click on this link.  But if you don't get a hard copy of the calendar and want to see what you are missing, here ya go!

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=xMZOWjNmzauKA&emid=sharecalsharer&linkid=link4&cid=EM_sharcalshar

And finally, Abby and I have been preparing for the holidays.

Note to Santa: This is for Mom's amusement.  We both are really nice dogs, in spite of the labels attached to us!

Heehee!

We urge you all to go out and enjoy Snow-vember - even if you are like Garth and live in a state that doesn't typically get snow this time of year - you can go do a Snow Dance, or you can dance because you don't have snow and don't want it!

*kissey face*
-Fiona and Abby the Hippobottomus