September 30

Jake here is one happy puppy dog.

He lives in the building where I work, along with his human. Jake is blessed with one of the most pleasant and easygoing personalities I've ever encountered in a dog.

He likes to play ball, but unlike other dogs, who run and leap and chase a thrown ball down, Jake just sort of ambles off in the ball's general direction, knowing it'll stop eventually and he can just pick it up without going to all the trouble to run. And once he has the ball, he's content to chew on it for a minute or two before giving it back to be thrown once more.

I've always said that dogs are some of my favorite people, and Jake is one of my favorite dogs.

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September 22

Jake (the blond) is one of the many dogs that live in the building where I work. He's also one of my favorite dogs ever.

When he goes for his evening walks, he always comes over to say hello to me. This is very nice. Jake is blessed with one of the most pleasant personalities I've ever seen in a dog. He's just a sweetheart. Even by Golden Retriever standards he's pleasant.

It really is one of the highlights of my evening when Jake comes around to see me. I've always said that if a dog likes you, you have to have goodness in you somewhere. So Jake being my buddy is good for my self-esteem.

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July 28

Jake is one of my favorite puppy dogs. He likes to stop by my desk after his evening walk for a pet and a kiss and a chat most evenings. I think it might be one of the highlights of both our days.

He's a real sweetheart, and though you couldn't tell it from this photo, a cheerful fellow. He is just an extraordinarily laid-back creature; very mellow and blessed with a gentle temperment and sweet disposition. Bring out a ball, though, and he transforms into a playful puppy, completely content to bound after the ball, catch it, and throwing it to himself again.

Dogs are very instinctive creatures. When a dog likes you, you know you have something redeeming to offer.

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May 13

I'm getting ready to go on my vacation and I've been so busy, I was scrambling to get a photo of the day today. I was snapping photos of my GPS unit (out of desperation) when Jake and his human, Diane, came home. I had my camera in my hand while Diane petted Jake, and caught this remarkable moment of contentment between them. Jake is one very happy and very loved puppy dog. He really is a sweetheart.

Occasionally, a photographer has an "aha moment," where everything comes together perfectly for the shot. This is the perfect example of the phenomenon.

Please note: I will be traveling over the next five days, so blog updates may be delayed by a day or so. I promise, though, that I'll be out there shooting. --Travis

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