the pups of bulow plantation

Tucked away in the land of the Stono River, there lives a pack of guard puppies.

There’s Jack

And Lenny

And Fritz

And the pack leader, Ole Molly

They rule and govern almost 3 acres of waterfront, low country land. What a blessed life these pups lead.

They guard.

They play.

They lounge.

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baby banana spider weaving in a tree

Face your fear of spiders and scroll…

…you may surprise yourself and decide they are beautiful!

Here are 2 cool facts I learned about banana spiders (I would have given 3 facts, but I doubt anyone is reading this, and you certainly won’t get past 2 if you haven’t already clicked out of my blog):

1. They were formally known as Golden Silk Orb Weavers. Prince ain’t got nothin’ on that formally known as name! I wish I was formally known as an orb weaver of golden silk.
2. Every banana spider we see is a female. Male banana spiders are tiny, brown, free-loaders. Literally, they live on the female-made golden orb, providing nothing, eating whatever they want, sleeping whenever they want, and…doing…it…whenever they want. Ladies, learn from these 8-legged females. Don’t weave yourself into a banana spider relationship.

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camping with 7 dogs and 5 humans = 1 sleepless night

The Setting: 100 acres of pluff mud and marsh grass about 30 minutes outside of downtown Charleston.

The Plot: 5 friends plan to go camping with two mutts and a German Short Haired Pointer. At the last minute, one of the friends decides to dog sit and bring a Golden Retriever, and another friend brings his father’s Chocolate Lab and junkyard dog, along with his sister’s Labra Doodle (did I spell that right? Is that even a real dog? Yes, yes it is.) All are in for a fun filled night of incessant barking. Who knew a dog pack 7 strong would stay up ALL night on constant alert for raccoons and abominable marshmen?

The Characters:

Mutt #1 - Biscuit

Mutt #2 - Turkey

The Pointer - Shooter

The Beast - Linus

Ole Reliable - Chip

Junkyard Dog - Otto ... No really, see those two leashes hanging from his collar? He bit through them after we leashed him to a tree for causing trouble.

The bountiful Labradoodle - Homer

Here are some of my favorite action shots from the trip

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Bessie and Ben

Meet Bessie.

Meet Ben.

I met the pair yesterday during an interior home session, and as much as I love real estate photography, these two were just so much more fun to shoot! And how could they not be? A couch can’t smile, or wag its tail.

Here are some of the photos from the afternoon!

Watch it baby. I'm the boss.

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it’s a dog’s beach

Sullivans Island is a special place…especially for dogs.

Before noon, the beach belongs to dogs. Allowed off leash, the shoreline morphs into a puppy paradise…the mother of all bark parks…an endless tract of territory unmarked. They are free to run, and swim, and dig. All shapes, colors and sizes are welcome…at sunrise, it’s a dog’s beach. It is Saturday mornings on Sullivans Island when my soul is at ease, and Biscuits’ too. There is something intangibly good about a dog at play. The happiness a dog feels at the beach is contagious. I know this because it is on these mornings when I have met some of the nicest people in the city. And I am convinced it is because our dogs bring out the goodness in our hearts.

So next Saturday, change it up a little. Go for a jog or sip your morning coffee on Sullivans. You and your dog will be equally grateful. (Just make sure to read up on Sullivans Island beach rules before you go…yes, you will get a hefty ticket if you break them.)

Below are photos I took this weekend at the beach with Biscuit. Prepare for utter cuteness.

Anxious Yellow Lab patiently awaits beach time!

Happy dogs…happy humans.

Digging for fiddlers

A Golden Retriever walks loyally with owner

Happy Biscuit

Pensive Biscuit

A cute Maltese named JJ tries to warm up in owners arms!

Mission: Retrieve

Job well done!

Biscuit Closeups

Charge!

Exercising dogs in a pack

Biscuit loves Sullivans.

But she is beginning to tire.

So it’s time for her mid-morning snooze.

Until next time…

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talented doggies on the water!

I have to share one of Sports Illustrated’s featured photo galleries from yesterday. All about animals and watersports. These photos were not taken in Charleston, but if they were, it wouldn’t surprise me a bit. Charleston is known for its “dog-friendliness” – whether you are on the beach or eating al fresco at a restaurant downtown, chances are…your canine companion is welcome to come along. Here are some of my favorites from the gallery. They are AWESOME photos!!  See all of them here.

Sorry pups, you just aren't as cool as the surfer dogs

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three65: week 12

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giving back: pet helpers orientation

I’ve lived in Charleston for a year.

I have not given 1 hour of my time to a local volunteer effort.

This changes today.

I just got back from an orientation to become a volunteer at Pet Helpers, a local non-profit organization committed to ending animal euthanasia of all adoptable cats and dogs in the Low country. Here is their full mission statement. By offering a plethora of services – everything from affordable spay/neuter clinics to animal cruelty prosecution aid – Pet Helpers has made a substantial impact in Charleston and Berkley Counties. Substantial is not enough though. Dogs who WOULD become treasured members of wonderful families still sit in shelter cages…cats who WOULD have loving families still live behind glass windows…and the longer they live a shelter life, the less likely they are to be adopted. Play the Sarah Mclachlan music….now.

Why did I choose Pet Helpers?

My first dog - rescued in 1992

Specimen A – Muffin

My dog and my boyfriends dog - rescued in 2008 and 2004 respectively

 Specimen B and C – Biscuit and Turk

My college roommate's dog - rescued in 2009

Specimen D – Mabie

Pet Helpers offers a one-of-a-kind volunteer program, providing the opportunity for all their volunteers to truly put their skills to work. It is an extremely personalized and flexible program – if your background is graphic design, you can volunteer to work on the Pet Helpers website. If you enjoy public speaking, fundraising and adoption events are held where you can be the voice for these animals. Or if you’re not sure how your skills can be put to use, you can come in to walk dogs, socialize and train cats and simply give the animals needed time out of their crates, cages or rooms. Best of all, it is on your time. Because I work a regular 9-5, I can schedule volunteer hours on Saturdays and Sundays. And the organization is appreciative and welcoming of your 1 hour or 100 hours of time given.

The facility is warm, inviting and clean (I will take my own pictures soon!). The goal is for the shelter to not feel like a shelter. Cats are socialized by being placed in window-filled rooms with couches and toys and ladders. Dogs are given exercise in the outside runs and play areas. 2 full-time vets, a full-time trainer and a passionate staff team keep Pet Helpers safe, clean and inviting. Oh, a $90,000 dollars…a month.

The monthly costs includes:

• Mortgage payments
• Utilities
• Insurance
• Supplies
• Food
• Medicine
• Maintenance
• Salaries for staff

Because Pet Helpers is a limited-admission shelter, they cannot apply for state or federal funding. Limited-admission means that when they reach capacity, they don’t allow incoming animals until the current animals find homes. This is why volunteers are SO IMPORTANT!

Pet Helpers is strongly against the euthanasia of healthy, adoptable animals and because of this, they do not work with animal control centers (government agencies) who unload their captured animals onto shelters to be euthanized. This dissention with animal control thus, denies Pet Helpers extra funding to accommodate for the care (or in this case, the murder) of innocent animals. Pet Helpers IS a member of the ASPCA and is in direct partnership with the Charleston Animal Society and Humane Net.

The need for volunteers is greater than ever, and I am excited about the opportunity I will have in the coming months to help save lives and make lives – for the humans and the animals.

Stay tuned and donate today!

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just some lounging kitty cats

Let me preface this post by saying I am not a cat person. I am allergic to them. Very allergic. It was a childhood tragedy as my mom would drop me off for sleepovers with friends and as I’d shut the car door she would say, “Just don’t touch their cat!” Sure enough though, my love for animals would get the best of me and I would be calling home before bed to be picked up because my eyes were swollen and my nosed stuffed.

So here’s to you, all the little kitties I’ve never been able to cuddle.

These cute kitties belong to my neighbor, and Biscuit has slowly become friends with the new animals in her backyard! Here is a look at the friends I wish I could pet. Photographs will have to do – and they LOVE the camera!

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