Capturing moments

Photography is my blog inspiration today. It is a subject some of my closest friends and I get on sometimes. Going out and capturing the world around you is a good way to make stress go away.

Whether your a pro, an aspiring photographer, or just someone who got that lucky shot, photography is a form of art and art moves our soul and connects us to those moments happening around us.

I wanted to share some of my favorite photos (I have a million lol, these are just the ones i found while looking at my files). Hope that it inspires you to share yours. :) (please dont steal my photos. respect someone elses work)

Of course my favorite subject is my kids and this is one of my all time favorite. Brother and sister are so close they sometimes dont even realize it, this is one of those moments they were just hanging out together.

Another is this moment where Dave went out to visit the horses. I was stuck in the truck because I sprained my ankle. The sky and the light was just so right the horses were breath taking. I wish I had a better camera then my phone.

I love to take picture of horses and people. People riding horses and working horses. I know what goes into the relationship they form. This man, his horse and his cow dog caught my eye at a ranch rodeo. They worked together like music. I wish I could of gotten out there and captured their every move. I was way up in the stands though.

I love rodeos! But I get way distracted trying to get the whole pic. I love not just the action but the reaction of the other cowboys to the action. LOL The pep talks the riders get and the look of fear in some of the faces.

That hazy warm light at the perfect times of the day. We are blessed to live in such a beautiful world.

The activity of a bee and the pop of color a flower brings.

The dance before the storm.

The rainbow after the storm.

The unexpected moment where I made Dave back up the car so we could see I will forever treasure.

The exotic.

The familiar.

Firsts

And lasts

Ups

And downs.

Here to stay

History that is gone forever.

I better stop for now. Hope you enjoyed a piece of me. Oh and I am a total amateur. lol Dont have a fancy camera. Half the time all I have is my phone.

Brian

************photo taken of Flathead Lake by Brian Anderson*************

There are few people in life you can say are true honest selfless people. Who do things out of the kindness of their heart and who genuinely care. There are even fewer people who stand up for what they believe in and do things for the greater good, not worried about what's in it for them but what can they do for us.

I opened a treasure chest of those kinds of people when I started to work for Spay Montana. Judy, Sandy, Christine, Kim, Greg, Tiffani, Jonadel, Josh, Sharon, the many others who help us, and even the legendary Dr. Dave are all those kind of people. They make the world a better (usually more exciting) place. A bunch of fun loving kind characters I lovingly call "The Band of Misfits".

We lost one of those treasures last week. Brian Anderson.

*******photo taken of Brian at his job on a Hobby Horse Farm in Polson*****

I have never met someone with such and honest giving heart. He always welcomed you with a smile and took a great joy in teaching others about the cause he believed in and dedicated a lot of time to. It’s very rare to just hang out with someone and be yourself. He made us all laugh and stand in awe of his pure passion for life even after he didn't always have the fair shot at it.

There are lots of people with lots of different problems out there but a good person"s core isn't tarnished just because they haven't made the best choices in life. We all are capable of learning, changing, and growing.

******** Brian teaching someone to hold off a vein at a clinic.********

I hope to never forget the open arms and encouragement Brian welcomed me into the group with. I always want to remember his willingness to teach me and his encouragements that every one makes mistakes. His smile and sarcastic humor were contagious.

There were times when his kindness would show through and it would startle me just how deep it was. It made me look at myself at.

I want to remember our trip to Billings with Tiff where we laughed the whole time. We got lost, we went to a drag show, and how we talked the whole way home. Laughing, crying, and Brian occasionally nodding off. Lol :)

************Brian, Margie, and Tiff photo taken by me********************

The time we stopped at Tiffs new house and room mate and he took me around on a house tour and had me in the back yard eating plums at a stranger’s house. Or his India music playing loud and proud at the clinic in Butte.

*****************Micah helping Brian load the truck. Butte clinic*******

I want to remember the Butte clinic where Micah was there. Although Brian joked with my son who was 8 at the time he treated Micah as an equal. He didn't talk down on him like he was just a kid and that has left a huge impression on him. Brian just encourages you to be you and he was genuinely interested in you. He did joke that he only let kids ask 3 questions at clinics and that he was annoyed by kids but I never actually seen anyone leave Brians presence at a clinic feeling like they didn't learn something.

*********Bart the puppy. Photo taken by Brian*******************

I want to remember the look on his face when he came to me with a tiny sick puppy in Browning during a hard clinic. He was so upset no one would take the puppy, but he took him and he flourished. I want to remember the look on Brians face when he was talking about a good friend or remembering a good time.

I want to remember Brian how we saw him last. Working the clinic after some time away from Spay Montana. In his element and happy to be there. He was always willing to help in anyway he could. I want to remember Kim and I going to visit him in his beautiful hotel room that he had tried to give us. If I could just go back to that moment and give him a hug to let him know how much he means to me I would.

I only knew Brian for some where around 2 years and he has impacted my life in so many ways, my heart aches for the rest of the team who has been working with his for years.

I refuse to believe that the good die young or the good Lord has taken someone because he has better plans for that person and all who have loved that person. God doesn’t have some planning board up there or purposely inflict pain on people. We are all part of the human condition, we are all are born and we all die. It’s the life in between that matters. Even though his life was cut short, Brian made a huge impression on this world (and a trail of crumbs). I know God welcomed him with huge open arms and a great big smile.

***********photo taken by Brian of a Homestead on Lincoln pass*********

Out Smarted

Ouch. It has been awhile since my last post. Nothing has changed much here. We are still waiting and waiting. Hard to figure out what to do when we don’t know what we will have to do it.

I have been sewing like crazy lately. Can’t wait to share some of my creations. I am newly addicted to random sewing blogs with random projects. Today I found a pile of old sweats my mom was giving to the thrift store so I have been cutting them in pieces and making loungey pants for the kids. I will post a pic.

I wanted to stop by the blog today to write down about my dog Annie. Well maybe I should say write about the dog that owns me and has me and everyone around her very well trained.

I got Annie around 6 years ago from the animal shelter in Deer lodge. I was looking for a small dog that I could have around the kids. I didn’t have a dog at the time and don’t usually last too long without one. I got a call from the shelter telling me there was a little female Boston terrier available and I agreed to meet the shelter worker at the owner of the dogs’ house.

I got there (super duper excited) and the lady said "This is Annie." Obviously not a Boston Terrier I paused and then said "I will take her."

Now Jack Russell’s should come with warning labels. I (an experienced dog rescuer and a person that has rehabilitated hyper out of control dogs) was in for a ride. The second Annie could get away from me she was gone. I chased her every inch of this town. She was so hyper it was like owning a mini rocket. I tried to keep her exercised but she would take off, chase deer, and kill any birds she could get a hold of. She wasn’t spayed at first and she had a habit of humping pretty much everything. I was taking a dog training course at the time and a trainer I was working with said Annie and I would never bond.

One day I opened the door to get the mail and out the door Annie went. The chase was on. I ran halfway down the block and stopped. To myself I thought that was it, it wasn’t meant to be, if she didn’t want to stick around and be my dog I was letting her go. I turned around to go home and guess who beat me to the gate. From that moment on the deal was sealed and we were bonded (she is still bossy and I have had to get her when she has ventured off, but I love that crazy little Boston Terrier that ain't).

So this brings me to the story I wanted to write down. Though thinking about it I could write a whole book on how Annie has outsmarted us all. She is absolutely amazing.

The other night I was having a rare moment and watching the news all by myself in out hotel room. I was cold so I turned up the heater and sat by it. Annie wasn’t happy because she LOVES to lay by the heater and she esp. loves to lay on my lap by the heater. But I was knitting and wouldn’t let her. She paced around for a bit and then pouted on the bed.

I was counting stitches or something not looking at the TV and the channel changed to a static loud station. SO I set my stuff down and grabbed the remote from the bed. Changed the channel back and sat down on the bed to finish what I was watching. Not even thinking about what had just happened.

I glanced down by the heater and guess who had taken my spot.

Yeah my stinky little dog had changed the channel on the TV and when I got up to change it back she took my spot. I know she did it. She does stuff like that to my poor pug all the time. He will be chewing on something good that she wants so she will grab something like a sock and throw it in the air like it’s the best toy in the world. The second he lets go of what he has to see what she has she grabs his goodie and runs. LOL

Ms. Annie is getting a a little gray now. She hasnt slowed down at all and keeps up all on our toes. Esp. my mom whom she barks at until she gets up and gets her a treat. I know that you are given only a short amount of time to love special pets in our life. I am soaking up every minute I can and I love her so much. She has been so wonderful to have in my life and I am thankful.