A little travel, a few pitties, and lots of ooey gooey golden light

Every summer, I make an annual trip home to the east coast. I would stay there all season if I could — because holy cow, northeast summers are the.best. — but alas, I usually have about two weeks to fit in all the family, friends, food, and adventures I can.

One adventure I always take is a road trip to visit these two incredible souls right here: Kaylee and Sam! Their ham sandwich of a dog, Joshua, (their words, not mine; I can’t take credit for that brilliance) has been part of their family for many years but just a few months ago, they adopted little tripod-pup, June, and I couldn’t wait to meet her!

When Kaylee and Sam visited me in California a few months ago, they mentioned how much they would love portraits from me of them with their pups. So, when it came time to pack, I knew that big, heavy bag of camera gear was a non-negotiable, even though the weather forecast said 100% chance of rain. When it was time to go, I hoisted all the gear on my shoulders and hoped the weather people were wrong. And they totally were! We had the most incredible ooey gooey golden light — I’m telling you, this is what my dreams are made of!

Joshie and Junie are two of my favorite dogs on the entire planet. Even thought it was my first time meeting June (aka “Rink,” thanks to her permanent snarl wrinkles), I fell madly, deeply in love with her. She is ridiculous and adorable and squishable and lovable and… you get the point.

Don’t worry, Joshie! I still love you, too! I really wanted to create a special photo of him with his mom. This guy had a hard start to life — he was left for dead in a dark basement with no food or water — but thanks to kind neighbors, an incredible rescue team, and his loving mama, he now has the best life of any dog out there. He is an inspiration to all who know and love him!

No one really knows how Junie’s life started but she came into the rescue with a very bad leg injury. The rescue asked Kaylee and Sam to foster, they said yes, promptly fell in love with her, and that was it. She was staying for good!

   

All of these photos just make me so happy! They remind me of a beautiful evening spent with good friends, happy pups, sunshine, and all the joy and gratitude in the world!

Do you have a favorite? I can’t choose!