I chose to only document the 1st half of our long hike this morning because that's the one when Lumi was still a perfect little angel. I don't know what demon suddenly possesses him as I reflect on what a lovely time we're having, when we're as far away from home as we can be & I start getting tired

School torture photos.

Lumi thought jumping on me and play-biting me during our long hike this morning was acceptable behaviour, I thought it got old after the first 10 times. He might have trying to get me to take the leash off but after his little detour to chase a moose last week, no chance buddy (I was tempted)

I think maybe he wants the pretzel but I'm not sure, there's no way to know really, maybe I should put it away in case he's not interested

Looking for his missing dog at the cross-country ski course, possibly

Get a dog, they said. It'll be fun, they said. Can I get a refund, please? This one is broken.

You'll NEVER guess what happened between the first picture and the second and third ones, so let me give you a clue: it does not involve Lumi being a good boy.

First sunny day this year I think, so spent a lot of it outdoors! 10 miles of trail running through craggy woodlands and mucky fields, then back home to pick up the dog & camera before heading out again :')

Even Lumi thought it was a bit chilly today (-27°C, ~-17°F) and I could feel neither my fingers or toes, but he still wanted me to hide treats in the snow. This time of year is absolutely gorgeous here and I want to spend all my free time outdoors with this dork, cold or not 😍

This is how we spend our days.

Frenemies

A made-to-order elephant sculpture that recently flew the nest, and three little ones just added to my shop today! :) All made from paper mache and air dry clay, and painted using acrylics with a sand effect medium.

A shortbread biscuit for a job well done

I've only been away from him for 6 hrs and in a couple more I'll be home and able to squeeze him again, so I feel very silly for missing him as much as I do. But there was another lapphund on the bus and it made me think of him. I'm worried there's a co-dependency situation developing here

Ridiculously beautiful (and cold) day and we went exploring. Lumi was definitely better dressed for the cold than me 🥶 Other than an unfortunate reactivity incident at the end (I'm SO over his leash reactivity), a perfect walk that helped recharge my depleted batteries a bit. More of this please ❄️😍❄️

The Liberation of Joan d'Shark

Sometimes I look at him and my heart explodes with love. "How can this beautiful creature be mine?" I muse, happy tears in my eyes. "How can we be so in sync, how can he forgive my many failings, how can he be so perfect in spite of them?" Sometimes I look at him and his mouth is full of cat poop.

Someone is going through a period of Big Feelings right now. Barking, humping, whining, jumping on me and biting...Is it the fresh snow? Is it our holidays routines giving way to boring back-to-work ones? Is it hormones? Is it a mystery ailment? Idk. But it's driving us both a little crazy.

20 months today. Why do they grow up so fast 🥹

Last day of the year, bud. A year that was so similar to the last 4 ones in that it brought more and more suffering and pain. 1/7

The weather is dreadful, the snowmobile tracks all but gone, I've an annoying cold, and any plans of using my time off to bond with Lumi through long walks in the forest are put on hold. I try to keep a bored pup happy by hiding treats in the woods. He's getting better at finding them 🐽

After a year like this, Lumi knew she would need as much support as possible for the Winter Solstice Howl. So she asked Pollox' for help.

Guess what happened between the first and the second picture.

Took a slightly longer lunch break so that I could take this guy out on the long leash and wade through the snow in the woods. Funny how the ice that gets stuck in his paws only bothers him when we're almost back home 🤔

Boop 🐽 #dogsofbluesky

Lumi and I have invented a new sport, iceskatejoring: you wear your Icebugs and go for a walk. He'll do the work pulling the leash, but you'll still break a sweat, because he'll take you places you could only imagine. You have no choice but to follow; you have literally no traction on the black ice.

An automaton / mechanical diorama I've been working on for a while! A young aviator in her study room, dreaming of the next adventure. :) Made from paper mache, wood & brass, painted with acrylics. Operated by turning a wooden crank. Still needs a few touchups but the mechanism is working smoothly!

Reacquainting myself with night photography. It's been a while (not that I was ever that good at it). Surprisingly it's much harder to take nighttime pictures when you have a young dog who'd rather be doing literally anything else than wait for mom to test different settings. Not much aurora either.

This guy would like to let you know that despite what mom might say he was a very good boy on his off-leash walk and only ran out of sight twice and only ate deer poop once and only barked at deer twice and only threw a teeeeeny tiny tantrum when the leash went back on and snow is THE BESTEST

After an hour of playing with friends and a bout of vomiting on the carpet (which I'm sure is completely unrelated to him running around for an hour like his tail was on fire), he collapsed next to me on the sofa. I'm having trouble keeping my hands to myself and not smothering him in hugs

I let Lumi loose on our morning walk, because I like living dangerously. Times he listened to me: 0. Times he disappeared: 3. Sticks he chewed: All of them. Treats he thought he deserved for his exemplary behaviour: 54534818723. Treats he got despite his behaviour just because he's cute: 54534818723

GPeeS. That's all. That's the post. It amuses me.

I regret to inform you that Lumi dropped one of his legs somewhere and I can't find it. I know they eventually grow them back like lizards but I'm devastated, I looked e v e r y w h e r e

We're still deep in the throes of hellish adolescence but there are moments...seconds...ok, milliseconds, of peace. And he poses for a photo with the Aurora in the background without throwing a tantrum because I dared interrupt his walk. (Aurora from a couple of weeks ago) #lapphund #lapinkoira

My #finnishlapphund #lapinkoira friends, do you use a drier to get rid of loose fur (and dry them of course)? If so, which one would you recommend? Shedding season is almost upon us 😬

Has anyone seen Lumi? I can't find him

Lumi accessorising to match the Northern Lights yesterday evening. I wish he'd have the patience to wait until I set up my real camera but alas, crappy phone pics will have to do. #lapinkoira #finnishlapphund #finsklapphund #northernlights #aurora

I heard some rumours that it's autumn?

Please stop explaining things to me we are at capacity

Cerberus learning how to fetch

Please take a minute to look at this very good boi who made sure that mommy didn't get too tired on her run by stopping every now and then and now and then and now and then and now and then to sniff/pee/poop/admire a heap of someone else's poop.

Lumi just found out I signed him up for not just one, but TWO courses, and immediately collapsed in a heap.

Yesterday we had some off-leash fun. We walked for 1,5 hour and played hide-and-seek in the forest. Lumi found mom every single time and hopefully learned not to wander so far away that she drops out of sight 🫣

Separated at birth. #lapinkoira

Nothing compares

You and me both, buddy. You and me both.

Lumi, aged 8 weeks. He's 7,5 months now. #dogs #puppy #finnishlapphund #finsklapphund #dog