The local dog beach is one of my favorite places on earth. The unbridled joy of running free on the sand and in the water is intoxicating for both canines and their owners. The beach is a finite space, there are cliffs behind and on each end, giving urban dogs a rare chance to be off-leash outdoors without man-made barriers. My little girl loves loves LOVES the beach, she is very fast and gives me ample opportunities to practice my high-speed photography skills, which will come in handy for capturing cheetahs soon. She's also not shy and has absolutely no idea that she is a small dog. She's confident but not aggressive, playful, smart and generally the life of the party. I want to be just like her when I grow up.

The light was amazing that day, as the sun lowered in the sky the ocean turned into molten metal, a sea of mercury, and the dogs all became pitch black.

The last picture is of our new family member, Taiko. He's a two year-old Gordon Setter mix, a long-legged gentle soul just coming out of his awkward puppy stage, also a rescue from a local shelter. He lives with my husband at the house in the mountains and Aubrey's with me at the cottage during the week, and we're all together on weekends.  She bosses him around and chases him around and around the big oak tree in their yard, but he's very tolerant and gentle with her. He's very cuddly and affectionate, another very special creature, he's helping to heal the grief of losing Tucker so suddenly.

I haven't done much riding lately but what I have done has been fun and fulfilling. I'm looking forward to better weather and the end of my tenure at Soon To Be Ex-Company at the end of January.

This year has been extremely difficult and extremely wonderful in big dollops. I have to say I wouldn't have it any other way.