Year of the Dog

The Chinese Zodiac has gone to the dogs this year.  Literally.  It is the Year of the Dog.  Of course, for our dogs, every year is their year.  Well, every day is their day.  Our life story according to them, revolves around them. They live minute to minute and each and every minute is spent either sleeping upside down in some contorted position in a small ray of sunshine flopping through the window, or sitting by the treat cabinet making googly eyes and hoping someone will notice.  But I digress.

Dog, says the Chinese Zodiac, is the symbol of loyalty and honesty.  Well, we knew that, didn't we?

I created an image specifically for the Year of the Dog.  Burton has been my muse lately.   He has been following me around singing his Burton song, so I immediately thought of him and this Dog Year of 2018.  And here is what each month might look like for him so far, and in the future:

January:  Play in the snow, avoid baths at all cost, sing for my supper, hibernate.
February: Do whack-a-mole imitation at treat time, beat everyone to the couch, avoid baths at all cost.
March:  Relent and get a bath - growl the entire time.
April: Avoid grooming at all cost, let another house dog touch me, keep a vigil for Dad until he comes home from work.
May: Spend time outside mediating all dog interactions whether they like it or not. Bark at rabbits.
June:  Find the best shade, don't let anyone else near it. Sit with Dad on the yard glider.
July: High fives all around for treats, roll in the grass, sleep in the sun.
August:  Lay low, stay cool, eat bugs, hide when wash tub is brought into the yard. Shed all available hair on body.
September: Catch leaves, catch high bouncing balls, watch for that sneaky UPS man.
October: Continually bark at people wearing strange costumes.
November: Get ready for hibernation, go back into avoid-bath mode,
December:  Hide under covers, snuggle next to Mom on the couch, watch for squirrels at the bird feeders.

There you have it, the year of our silly Burton.

How I achieved this calendar look:  I took an existing, unedited photo of Burton, cleaned it up, used Topaz Simplify on it and added a texture to the background.  I downloaded a stock calendar page image, converted it to black and white and used Photoshop to place the calendar on the existing image of Burton using Multiply.  I brought the opacity down to 45%, created a reveal layer and brushed off the calendar lines from Burton's image.

Happy Year of the Dog! 

I am participating in the blog circle this week, so there are loads more photos to see.  Start here with Kirsten Eitreim  of KME Photography in Minneapolis, MN.  Have a fun filled weekend!