FAMILY PORTRAIT

Today was brutally cold here as I am sure it was for some of you as well.
I looked forward to the day all week as I am off from work and
Al Roker had been saying that it was going to be sunny..
Well, it was sunny and it would have been lovely were it not
for that brutal cold. My walk in the woods was torturous
from the get go as I felt defenseless against the cold. But then I remembered
the camera and I remembered that the process of photography for
me is one of total relaxation and liberation from discomfort.

I began looking around for something to photograph and noticed that the dogs' fur was
particularly vibrant from winter sun that was pouring through the trees.
I suggested they might want to pose for me -- this is not a suggestion they usually
take well to, but whether it was the cold or the sun or some other dog reason, today
they cooperated. You wont often hear me talk about being happy with a photo
I've shot of them together as I haven't taken many good ones when they are both
in the picture. This one however, I am thrilled with. And I just can't believe they
sat still for it.

I finally headed back to the car when my fingers started to get numb, but
the photography had done the trick -- I had stopped feeling the cold.