Merrylog

The princess pug, just pulled from the water after her very first little swim, soaked through and a little surprised by this series of events. (That’s my stepdaughter, holding her.) I laughed and thought of this title immediately. :)

Oh, the princess had fun at the beach, yes she did! I don’t know why I don’t take her there more often, but I’m going to change all that and start doing it more. It’s good for her, and for us… and she has such fun playing in the surf! :) She’s still a little skittish with the waves, but she even went into the (shallow) water last night with my stepdaughter and doggy paddled for the first time ever! Afterwards she was wet and sandy and happy and sleepy.

Merry loooooooves staying with my parents because it means she gets to play nonstop. Dad’s practically another pooch, he loves fetch as much as she does and will lay on the floor and play with her for hours. Anytime he’s busy, my Mom feels guilty that the pug doesn’t get playtime, so she plays with her.

In other words, she’s spoiled rotten. And as you can tell from her expression, that’s just fiiiine with her. :)

Flipped the pug on her back, rubbing her belly like crazy with one hand, taking the photo with the other. Problem with being the kind of photographer I am: no assistants! :)

The pug, however, didn’t seem to mind. She loves to play.

What does a pug want to do in the summertime? Sleep, of course – preferably in an area that gets good, but not too hot, sun. Hope you get a siesta this weekend and do the same with the pooch in your life. :)

Oh, and say it with me: awwwwwwww.

I laughed out loud when I realized how wonderful this shot was – as Merry’s shaking the ball, you can see her fur flying in all directions. And that, my friends, is why I have cream carpets. Because seriously – what’s with the shedding this time of year? Of course, I’m partly to blame – you should probably groom pugs daily if not twice a day, and if I’m lucky I remember once a week. Bad pug mom, I know – but with a cat and a dog and two stepkids and a fiance and a business to run, not to mention friends I try to see a few times a year each, hey, something’s gotta give. :)

I loved this shot of Merry pawing at her organic bunny (read the review – buy the bunny). She’s been chewing away on it for the last few weeks and loving it, especially the ears. But why is it that no matter how many times I clean my floors, after twenty minutes in a pug’s mouth, the toy is filthy? Is it just me?

You know, I think her little pug tongue might just be the cutest thing about her. Sure, it’s a little weird that one of my favorite creatures on this planet can lick her own nose – covering it completely, even, like in the photo above – but hey, aren’t we all a little weird? I collect Santas, cannot pass up chocolate and love disaster movies – who am I to judge?

When folks come to visit, they just can’t get enough of this spunky little pug’s love of fetch, and her habit of shaking the living shenanigans out of her hol-ee roller balls. I’ve captured many mid-shake shots over the years (January 2008, May 2007 – love the fur flying, March 2007), but I never tire of them. Today’s a special three-image treat for your gorgeous summer weekend! Enjoy!

I wish that I could can this joy. I wish I could seal it up and open it whenever I’m having a bad day, or feeling tired. But, I suppose, one of the biggest joys of having Merry in my life is that, in some ways, I do have access to this joy, any time I like – I just hunker down on the floor, grab a ball, and watch a pug turn ecstatic.