For a number of reasons I’m rather fanatical about checking stats here, but other than noting new comments I don’t pay much attention to the activity on my Flickr stream. I’m hardly anything above a pure amateur so I guess I never really have cared, but I was poking around the other day and was pleasantly surprised to see that there’s been quite a lot of interest.
I don’t normally do posts recapping the year because (a.) it’s tedious and boring for me and (b.) I usually note the yearly partnership anniversary of me and my current guide dog so it seems redundant at best. But after digging through the 750+ photos from last year I thought I’d share some of my favorites. These aren’t all photos I took personally, though the majority are, just a smattering of the ones I’m particularly fond of.
January
Even though the back row suffered a bit due to my own clumsiness, I’m incredibly pleased with these cupcakes. In fact, the post detailing how to make them is one of the most frequent landing places for search terms that bring new visitors here.
February
I actually posted my very favorite the other day, but the fact that I had this one on my about page for most of the year certainly speaks to how fond I am of it. Uschi’s much more relaxed with having photos taken of her than she was during this shoot with Jean — at least when it’s not me trying to take the picture — but she’s absolutely no less silly. Really, I wouldn’t expect anything less of her.
March
This was a pretty dry month photography-wise, but even if I took over 100 I would probably still find this video tops all of them. It’s dark and grainy, but nevertheless it’s hysterical. Yet for as crazy as these to get, it’s nothing compared to the duo that is Yara and Uschi.
April
Uschi’s managing to encompass two defining traits of both her predecessors in this photo: she’s using my leg as an armrest (a la Dolly) and letting others (in this case Josh who took the photo) know that she’s claimed me (like Yara). Also, we just look damn cute.
May
There are so many great photos from the Tulip Festival and around Albany that this was a hard one to choose, but the company in this photo just can’t be beat.
June
My camera’s untimely death made this a pretty lacking month for photos, but that didn’t mean I missed capturing all of Uschi’s adorable antics.
July
When it comes to getting photos of her, Uschi is unpredictable at best. But this reaction to my new camera remains one of the more humorous things I’ve managed to capture. Incidentally, this was literally the very first photo I took with the Nikon.
August
When I was a kid the slogan was that M&M’s melted in your mouth and not in your hand. I thought about that a lot while trying to make ladybugs, which was possible the most difficult piping I’ve ever done. But they are cute.
September
If there’s one thing I love, it’s a dog with personality. Quirkiness is a bonus and Uschi has some of the funniest, like licking the air when she’s getting a good scratch. But the bizarre positions I find her when she’s asleep really amuse me.
October
This photo was actually what sparked this entire post. There’s just no better showcase of what a goofball Uschi is. Honestly, it’s sometimes hard to believe this is the same dog that guides me. . . .
November
A motion blur would be a more accurate photograph of 99% of the time Uschi spends with Yara. But I’m rather tickled that she actually tries to emulate her “big sister.” Usually it’s a vain attempt because Uschi has serious ADHD, especially when there are other people around. But in quiet moments, like this where I was packing to go home, she manages Yara’s trademark supervisory role quite adeptly. It was short lived, though.
December
Admittedly, there’s a more recent photo that I’m particularly fond of, but I do find this one ridiculous beyond words. Sometimes shepherds are too smart for their own good. And here I thought having to eat on a carpeted surface was quirky.
On a wholly other note, the sixth Assistance Dog Blog Carnival (ADBC) has been announced! The topic for this edition is “obstacles” and posts are due by January 29th. As always, having an assistance dog (guide, hearing, or service dog) or puppy-in-training is not a requirement and anyone with a blog is welcome — and encouraged — to participate. Further information on the ADBC can be found here at After Gadget.
Fantastic shots! I especially like July’s!
Er, wow, I’m really behind in responding to comments. Sorry, Patti! Thanks for the compliment. July’s is one of my all-time favorite photos of Uschi, to be honest. She’s really quite a character, I must say.