Christmas 2009
UNDER CONSTRUCTION.. stay tuned

I asked the Dallas, now the ripe old sage at 15 1/2,  what he wanted to be for Christmas this year.  He flipped me the bird.   That got me thinking about the penguin, Feathers McGraw, in the Wallace and Gromit classic, The Wrong Trousers.   

Shown in this year's photo shoot with Dallas is Nigel's new pup, Jilly, who was an IDAWG/SPDR rescue (the two groups coordinate with each other).  She's a 9-to12-month-old BC/Whippet/Lab (?) cross.  Her favorite activities are hunting for and eating Nigel's unexploded paintballs in the arena, wrestling with the foster dog Panda, and chasing birds. Panda, our foster, could easily become a Hollywood dog given her super model looks.   She is a little diva who loves to be the center of attention (and can deliver quite the herding nip if she doesn't get it). Panda wants a working home with sheep or cattle for Christmas.  But if that doesn't pan out, she thinks William Wegman should ditch weimaraners and bring her onboard.
  OUTTAKES 2009
(click on each photo for a higher resolution image)		  
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This is the photo we almost used, but it required a bit more photoshop work than the one we did use.  Additionally, Dallas is looking a tad too desperate.

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Dallas is very uncomfortable

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This photo didn't fit well into the Costco card that we mailed to relatives.

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It stopped raining for an hour, so we took advantage of the sunlight.  Obviously this is NOT a professional studio.

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Jilly, having been with us only a month, and being very young at that, is a moving target.   I'm sure we put her back on the couch at least 100x.

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And she's off again...

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We had hoped to do a full "French Hen" costume, but the youngster had some issues with keeping her beak on.

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Disgusted Jilly

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Can't tell if she looks more like Hannibal Lecter or a French Hen or a partridge on a sofa....

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Dallas is not impressed.. not that he ever is around Christmas photo time.

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Looks like a demonstration on how to use the oxygen mask on an airplane.

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Panda was extremely patient and quite the model considering we have no idea if she's ever done this before.

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Dallas hopes it's all a bad dream, but knows better.

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Obviously, there were design flaws with the beaks.
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Started working on a humorous Christmas card that would have turned them all into ornaments on a tree, but didn't finish.

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Happy to work without the beaks.

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But it gets old fast.

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No matter which way you arrange them,the beaks still don't work.

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Just Jilly and Dallas, permanant Ellis-Paquette household residents.

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Had enough.. exhausted.

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Looks like the Burger King

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Dallas stepped on by Panda... there was a bit of a growl and a snap.

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90% of the pictures look like this - a total disaster.   Jilly had knocked over the treats in this picture and was enjoying them.

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Wardrobe malfunction. 

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This is Panda's first shoot and already she looks like she's participating in recreational drugs back stage.

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Would have been a great shot if Panda's ears weren't hogging the shot

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Dallas's feather's are drooping.

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Jilly smells treats on the photographer.

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This would have been a better shot if Jilly was in focus.

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Panda hopes the viewers realize that she isn't really a chicken.

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Nigel makes a brief appearance to have a word with his super models.

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Dallas is a veteran at this, Jilly is overwhelmed, and Panda would prefer to stare at the tennis ball.

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Panda suggests that we put the gloves on their bellies so they can pretend to be cows.  

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Another picture of Panda standing.

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Note:   It's been a tough  year.  In October we lost our Christmas comedian, Riley, to heart failure.  He was 15 1/2.  Riley would do anything for cheese, and he loved to ham it up for the camera.  RIP my boy. Undoubtedly your next set of adventures will be out of this world.