Sponsored images from 
View allAll Photos Tagged aussie
Mom is checking sprinkler heads. Dad is reviewing photos on his camera. Come ON humans! This is about ME!
After the play subsides and starts slowing down we humans get distracted by stuff and Jasper doesn't like that. "Well, Jasper, you stopped playing so we thought you were done." "No, I was just taking a breather" replies Jasper. You can see his trusty Oddball on the ground to his right
Working in my home office over the weekend I look down to see Jasper practicing the art of boredom in hopes that I'll feel sorry for him and we'll get a bite to eat or pick up a ball. Sure, it worked.
For whatever reason I'm fascinated by the twisty trunks of the mesquite trees common to our community. Jasper posed for me but was really more interested in passers by than me and my infernal click box
Jasper in front of the infinity fountain at the Phoenix Desert Botanical Garden. We had a little outing there last weekend.
Jasper watching his human mom re-enter the family room. Hope springs eternal that she's bringing a treat or some delightful new toy. Alas, not this time. But we did play some more, so there's that
When Jasper is bored, he'll often lay like this, staring at us, front paws off to one side. Words? We don't need no stinking words! The message is clear.
Foregoing the ottoman this time, Jasper brought Betty Bunny right to me on the couch. The technique is a little more "in your face" and has greater potential to incite a chase. I'm happy to report that Betty Bunny (that's her between Jasper's paws) is in pretty good shape. She came to us in July on Jasper's birthday and she has no open wounds and hasn't required stitches despite daily play.
(in case you're wondering, no I don't pose Jasper or the toy that way. It's all Jasper's doing)
Jasper out on patrol again, making sure the neighborhood stays safe. He deftly slipped behind this bird of paradise bush to spy on potential wrongdoers . (Yes, I know the bird of paradise plant in Arizona is weird, not looking at all like the "normal" bird of paradise)
Jasper knows that it pays to be a bit paranoid, casting a quick sideways glance to ensure his mom doesn't flank him and steal the OddBall.
We had to do a bit of yardwork on Saturday morning, trimming the bushes and tidying up. Jasper just kept dropping the OddBall in our path. And we'd dutifully pick it up and toss it every time. It does slow work progress a bit, but Jasper believes the primary reason to be in the back yard is to play. None of this "work" nonsense.
This is Cal, my sister-in-law's Aussie, and Jasper's nephew by blood. He has very interesting heterochromatic eyes. He's a wonderful, gregarious goofball.
..., cried Christmas Bear. Jasper seems to have chosen an unfortunate place to bite Christmas Bear for toting around. That's GOT to hurt! Poor Christmas Bear.
Said Jasper as he turned and strode towards me. We make frequent trips to the riparian preserve this time of year. And sometimes Jasper checks out the ponds ahead of me to identify any species of interest.
(In reality, Jasper is always on-leash at this park. He's unleashed for photos, but put back on leash immediately. Too many temptations like desert hares or turtles, not to mention park rules and regulations)
Having stopped along the trail for a bit of water, Jasper asks for (demands?) a treat. OK, here's a li'l' something.
Jasper gave the playground equipment a quick try. Fun, but ultimately not his bag. There's no Oddball involved - how much fun could it be?
Is it an optical illusion or is that right handle bigger than the left? Did the designer have no sense of symmetry? Just something I noticed.
Well the Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch is still open. It provides a lot of very wide paths suitable for walking and maintaining proper social distancing. So I took a couple Jasper portraits during a walk this weekend. Jasper's paws are on a mesquite tree trunk which can take on some pretty interesting forms. This one shoots horizontal for quite a ways before turning skyward.
Well, almost 11 months after Jasper passed, we welcome Flint into our home and family. Flint is an 11-week-old Australian Shepherd. And what a sweetie! We can tell already he's a momma's boy. You should see his little butt wiggle when she walks in the room. (sorry I've been AWOL for a few weeks)
A warm November evening provided a nice walk on the beach and the opportunity to meet a favorite friend who Tug had not seen in a while. Even though he is in silhouette you can tell how happy he is!
Found Jasper on the hearth, his arm around Betty Bunny, willing me to play. So we had a good chase. Ah, good times.
Jasper takes his post on the cool tile floor of the dinette supervising as we finish clean-up after lunch. He'll also help out with the stray bit of cheese that might be left on a plate. You know, just in case the garbage bin is full and we have no other place to dispose of stray cheese
One of the key commands for (my) dog photography is "stay". And, Flint is catching on to "stay" very well. And he posed very nicely for a portrait this morning. In this shot, he's looking at my wife, cuz he's a momma's boy. He's starting out his modeling career brilliantly with that million dollar smile.
After a month off with a broken foot and then over two weeks of rain I was able to get back out to the beach on the east coast of Australia.
Though clearly not in the mood, I made Jasper sit for a portrait last weekend. An ugly foreground but its what i had to work with in the moment.
Messing around in Lightroom. The background was blown out anyway so I went all the way. Since finding this tennis ball in the neighborhood green space, Jasper has made a nightly practice of running around with the thing. But at 110-112F, (43-44C) at evening walk time, Jasper knows his limitations. Fun is fun though so ball transcends heat for a few minutes at least
Over the weekend I was experimenting with Jasper against a black backdrop in a dark room, using only a flashlight to illuminate him. I was going for drama. It didn't really work with this one, but I thought he was nicely isolated as he gave me the look that said, "now what am I supposed to do? I get a treat after this, right?"
When the humans stop playing for a bit, Jasper will plop down on the hearth with a heavy sigh. "How long must I wait for the fun to resume?!?" Poor neglected dog 😜
(Haha, I just noticed that the map no longer says "A mysterious place with no name" But its not the San Tan Mobile Village either.)
Our new little pup, Flint, is so full of joy and energy. It's no fun trying to get him to go out to "do his business" when it's 114F (~46C), but late or early in the day, he enjoys a good run in the grass. Its so fun to have a puppy to photograph. I'm getting him used to the camera early, and trying to keep his nose off the lens . So far he's good at eye contact. We've got a supermodel in the works, I think 😁. (the reason the bottom of the photo is a little bit green haze is because I had my camera sitting in the grass while I aimed and shot with the back LCD)
Jasper tries to make sense of the petroglyphs etched on the canyon walls by the Hohokam tribe some time during the first millennium AD. He says that they're instructions on giving your dog more treats and more play. Go figure.
The walls of Hieroglyphic Canyon, outside of Gold Canyon, Arizona are covered with petroglyphs. They are fairly well preserved and intact given that there are people climbing all over the rocks on a daily basis. You can see one of the petroglyphs on the rock Jasper is standing on.
(Is being a canine anthropologist ironic? I don't know. Maybe not)
When I was in Tasmania and observed these white pelicans at a pier, I pondered whether they behaved and cried differently with respect to the ones I see regularly at Alviso, California. What do you think?
Jasper has a bit of a weird stance in this shot, his hind legs wide. But he still looks handsome while enjoying our walk at the Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch. Must sniff for turtles!
It seems Jasper's tummy has gotten a little more sensitive. So we've switched to a new food specifically formulated for sensitive tummies and sensitive skin (as it turns out he stops to scratch a lot too). You never know when you switch to a new food, but the vet seemed to think this would be a good one and Jasper seems to like it.