A Rain Check for Ringo
Ringo and I took our first trip this year to Sterling State Park today.
Yesterday’s torrential rain forced Ringo to take a rain check for our weekly day trip. The weather improved today so we headed out to Sterling State Park, our first stop here this year. Our options were limited by a trail closure but we had a blast visiting one of our favorite day trip destinations. And once again, Ringo crushed his signature shot peeking his head out the back window of my 2007 FJ Cruiser.
Happy Hour with Ringo
A great time for a walk, despite the rain.
A light rain didn’t deter Ringo and I from heading out for a happy hour walk at Willow Metropark. It’s a great time of day to squeeze one more fun activity in before the sun sets on the day. Of course, we took a few minutes for Ringo’s signature shot peeking out the back window of my 2007 FJ Cruiser.
Ringo Refined
Today’s goal was a portrait of Ringo.
My goal today was to capture a portrait of Ringo, who never disappoints as a model. This lovely shot of him just being the good, sweet boy that he is, is exactly what I wanted. ❤️
On the Road Again
Ringo and I took advantage of the nice weather.
January’s weather has been brutal. Bitter cold temps combined with high winds have disrupted all aspects of my routine, from daily runs to the weekly outings with the dogs, and I’ve been planning around the weather all month.
Ringo and I usually follow a rain or shine policy with his training rides, but rain or shine becomes play it by ear in Michigan’s winter months. We started the year off right with a New Year’s Day ride, but have missed a number of rides due to severe weather and a week I lost to illness early in the month.
We finally caught a break today with temperatures in the forties and plenty of sunshine, so Ringo and I headed out for a make up ride. We may be out of practice but Ringo’s posing skills are still sharp. He turned out two great shots in his signature pose peeking out the back window of my 2007 FJ Cruiser. ❤️
Coffee Break
Ringo and Moose join me for my carbs and coffee break.
Ringo and Moose move in on my carbs and coffee break. I didn’t share my English muffin with them, but I did reward them with a treat for their role in creating today’s fun photos.
New Year’s Day Ride with Ringo
A new year begins with Ringo at my side.
I started the year off right with a fun day trip to Willow Metropark with my go-dog. A light snow set the mood for a winter walk, and of course, we took some time at the end for photos. Ringo aced his signature shot peeking out the back window of my 2007 FJ Cruiser. He also turned out a few more fun shots, below.
Portrait Pros
Rocky and Ringo set up another great shot.
Rocky and Ringo are both masters at posing for portraits, whether posing alone or as a team. I just can’t resist these shots when they are set up so perfectly for me. ❤️
Holiday Spirit with Ringo
Ringo crushed his training ride and his Christmas photo.
Ringo and I had a fantastic training ride today. It was a bit too cold for a long walk outdoors, so I decided to take Ringo for some retail visits. We got into the holiday spirit at Lowe’s, where we were surrounded by Christmas trees, wreaths and enormous inflatables of The Grinch and Snoopy. From there, we finally made it through Petsmart for the first time, which is a huge win for Ringo. Ringo’s stellar performance continued with today’s photo in his signature pose peeking out the back window of my 2007 FJ Cruiser. ❤️
Happy Thanksgiving
And happy birthday, Ringo!
I hit the gym early this morning, got in a mid-morning run, then I spent the rest of the day cooking a ton of food. So it seems like any other day around here. 😂
But it’s also Thanksgiving Day and the day we celebrate Ringo‘s birthday.
Ringo is now three years old. His “official” birthday estimated by the shelter during his intake process is November 25 2021, which happened to fall on Thanksgiving Day his birth year. Since it’s just an estimate, I decided to celebrate his birthday on Thanksgiving Day every year.
It was also a cheat day for me, but I’ll be back to my healthy diet tomorrow while everyone else enjoys the leftovers.
Rainy Day Dogs
It rained all day today.
A day of rain changed our plans and allowed me to capture some quiet indoor shots of the dogs.
Morning Ride with Ringo
It was a beautiful morning at Willow Metropark.
Ringo and I took a ride to Willow Metropark this morning. We had beautiful weather as we hit the trails, the ground covered in a thick carpet of copper colored leaves. As usual, Ringo indulged me in a brief photo session before we headed home, adding another fabulous signature shot to the Ringo on the Go collection.
Fall Colors with Ringo
A beautiful day with my go-dog.
Ringo and I took a drive through Lower Huron Metropark and enjoyed the fall colors. In today’s photos, he poses for his signature shot surrounded by the beautiful shades of orange and yellow that could be seen throughout the park during our drive.
Ringo Wants to Play
I finally captured a play bow.
Play bows happen fast. The quick drop to the ground inviting another dog to play is over in an instant before the dogs are wildly chasing each other around the back yard. I finally captured a play bow today with my camera, featuring the most playful dog of all - Ringo.
Two Years with Ringo
Ringo is a major influence in my life.
Today is Ringo’s two year anniversary with me. His anniversary comes on the heels of Rocky’s four year anniversary and Moose’s first, which both took place in August. We celebrated the occasion with donuts for everyone (including me). 😀
As I wrote about on his first anniversary, Ringo has had a significant influence on my photography and lifestyle, and that influence continues today. In the beginning, his separation anxiety kept me close to home, which is when and why I began to focus my camera on daily life.
Now, Ringo is the dog who has me on the go, once again influencing my photography and lifestyle. His weekly Ringo on the Go day trips have established him as my go-dog, and turned out a series of photos in what has become his signature shot.
Ringo has also had a big influence in the lives of the other dogs, gracefully occupying the role of the middle dog. He has somehow managed to remain best friends with Rocky while being an amazing big brother to Moose, embracing both of these roles whole heartedly.
So much has happened over the past two years, and Ringo’s influence is apparent on the blog, as he is featured here quite often. He’s in the middle of all of the action and activity, and he is so photogenic! But most of all, he is sensitive, attuned, and attentive, making him the best best friend a girl or dog could ask for.
Happy anniversary Ringo! I’m looking forward to more years, more memories, more photos and more changes with you at my side!
Afternoon Adventure with Ringo
Today's day trip with Ringo raised my sense of adventure.
Ringo and I took an afternoon drive today and had a blast just rolling along US-12 with no particular destination in mind. The point of today’s trip was to practice with a longer distance and unfamiliar stops. This was successful as a training exercise and also added a sense of adventure to our afternoon.
Ringo once again pulled off his signature pose with today’s beautiful shot taken at Hayes State Park. I think it’s one of the best Ringo on the Go captures yet.
Reliable Ringo
I can always count on Ringo for a beautiful portrait.
Nothing extraordinary going on today other than this shot of Ringo. I can always count on him for a beautiful portrait.
Action Oriented
Ringo and Moose could play all day.
Ringo and Moose have been enthusiastic playmates since the moment they met. I love capturing them in action.
Training for Life
We've learned a lot from twenty-five Ringo on the Go adventures.
Today was Ringo’s 25th training ride since we began the Ringo on the Go weekly trips earlier this year. Rocky reached the same milestone last week. What began as preparation for a cross-country road trip has turned into so much more, and I’ve learned that we’re not just training for that highly anticipated ride, we are training for life.
Looking back, I see so many valuable lessons from the road that can be applied to everyday life. Our rain or shine policy is at the core of these training rides, and we haven’t missed a trip. Having a program that we stick to makes these rides a priority, eliminates procrastination, and ensures they happen each week as planned.
We’ve learned the power of pushing through disappointments and obstacles too. Not only do we go out when it’s raining, we don’t let the rain ruin our fun. The right attitude and a great partner make all of the difference here, just as these things do in everyday life. Speaking of attitudes, my attitude almost derailed one of our trips, but I pushed through it and we had a great time. That trip’s lesson further underscored the beauty of our rain or shine policy and the importance of a great partner.
By our fifteenth practice ride, the progress was clear and I saw the growth from repetitive practice. I’m no stranger to the benefits of repetition as this is a core principle in strength training, but I was still surprised at the incredible progress we made after fifteen rides.
The following week we had a huge win when I scored a great photo of me with Ringo in his signature pose looking out the back window of my FJ Cruiser. This was such a difficult shot to take in so many ways and I was thrilled to capture it. The best part? We made it look easy! And when you get to that point, you know you’re making progress.
A couple of weeks ago, it became obvious that it was time to crank up the volume on these practice rides. Ringo performed so flawlessly on this particular trip, I knew he was ready to take it to the next level. And that’s exactly what we did today by adding in some retail store visits to his practice ride.
After a perfect performance at Sterling State Park, we headed into town and hit a few dog-friendly locations. I’ve never taken Ringo into a retail establishment until today and was feeling a bit anxious about it. But it was finally go-time and Ringo didn’t disappoint.
I had three stops in mind, with increasing levels of difficulty, and we made our stops from easiest to hardest. Ringo aced the first two stops at Tractor Supply and Lowe’s, politely walking through the stores as if we did this everyday. I admit, I was stunned at his stellar performance in these stores, and apologized for underestimating him.
We found our limitations in the PetSmart parking lot, when Ringo lost his composure. He’s an excitement barker and gets overly excited when he encounters other dogs. While we didn’t make it inside PetSmart, today was a huge success.
We learned how important it is to keep challenging ourselves rather than resting on our wins. How rewarding it is to try something new, even if it makes us uncomfortable. And that failure is just a part of the process, and motivation to keep trying.
Not only did we hit a big PR with two successful retail stops, we also learned our limits and now have a very clear goal to work towards. I’m confident that one day I’ll be walking through PetSmart with a composed Ringo by my side. We just need to work up to it.
I noticed the Cinnabon food truck in the parking lot and figured Ringo had earned a celebration treat. I got a pack of four mini Cinnabons, one for Ringo to have on the spot, and then one each for Ringo, Rocky and Moose once we got home. And that was something else we learned today - dogs love Cinnabons! ❤️
A Gold Star for Ringo
Ringo was perfect today!
Ringo performed flawlessly on his training ride today, walking nicely on leash, being polite (not barking at) other park visitors, and turning out this beauty of a shot. Today’s gold star performance took place at Crosswinds Marsh, a favorite stop not too far from home.
A Rest Break for Ringo
Sometimes you've just got to sit down and take it all in.
Ringo takes a load off and enjoys some quiet time outside. It’s nice to fully experience the relaxing vibe of summer before the season slips away.