Random Photo Friday: "Just Good Friends?" and "Cleared for Takeoff!"

Well, since the freedom of my mid-week afternoons spent hanging out at the local beaches taking photos has drawn (somewhat) to a close, I thought I'd share a couple of my favourite shots from the past couple of weeks.

MacKenzie (left) and Misty. Just good friends?

Voilà MacKenzie and Misty, two very good friends from different families but the owner of MacKenzie often takes his neighbour's dog, Misty, along on their walks. Two incredibly beautiful and lively dogs, huskies I believe.

What I love about this photo is that they seem like the perfect couple. Made for each other. I imagine they'll still be like this in their senior years.

In a way it also makes me think of Lorne and I. Such good friends as well as being married - he's very much the ying to my yang and I can't imagine a better life partner. I suspect we'll be just like these two even in our 80's, walking (or hobbling slightly with the help of a cane/zimmer frame) along the beach together. I have no doubt that two dogs can complement one another in exactly the same way as two humans. Misty and MacKenzie have certainly found that balance and I suspect that synergy between them will never change. 

(I uploaded this picture to the Georgia Straight's Flickr page on Wednesday and, within an hour, they flagged it as "Photo of the Day" - wohooo!)

On Tuesday I went out for a long walk along Kits beach and headed over to the dog beach there....again. We had a lovely few days this week, where the weather was more like summer than spring, and I'm grateful I was still off work and able to take advantage.

At Kits Beach, I stopped to take a couple of photos of seagulls in the tide (which turned out to be so-so at best) and began to wander off towards the dog beach. But 10 mins later, something caught my eye, and as I turned to look back I noticed a crane in the spot where I'd just taken the seagull shots. I decided it was worth walking back to see if I could capture a decent picture....but the crane wouldn't stand still. He/she kept striding through the tide just as I was about to click the shutter. 

Finally I sat still, set up my focus and exposure ready to hopefully get him/her standing still......but, just as I was set to shoot the standard 'crane in tide waiting for a fish' pose, the bloody thing upped and left......leaving me with me this picture instead:

My what BIG wings you have!

I took just two photos and wasn't actually expecting either to be any good. So I was delighted when I saw this one, especially capturing his/her head poking out just beyond those enormous wings in the split-second of takeoff. I'm as pleased with this image as I am of the bald eagle from a few weeks ago.

Evidently more practise recently has made an impact on capturing the right shot at the right moment. Even though I now have a job, I need to make sure I keep getting out and about taking photos outside of work hours. I hope there are many more wonderful images where this one came from. I just need to be there to take them!