Get a load of this little heartbreaker.

Meet Eli

His toes are morsels of heaven. Yogurt dipped almonds. Honey covered peanuts.

When he drifts off to sleep, everyone whispers and marvels at the perfect shape of his nose. Well, at least I did.

 He is loved beyond words and actions. You can see it in his parents’ eyes and feel it in their house.

They’re in love.

 Now I’m in love too.

Teeny tiny yawns never cease to amaze.

Thank you Eli, Eli’s mom and dad, Eli’s perfect winter afternoon.

I’m so lucky to have this job, these moments, this proximity to love – and that new baby smell.

xoxo

I wish I didn’t care if you ate a turkey today. I wish Thanksgiving was a holiday for pigging out on bushels of kale. Piles of garlic. Mountains of potatoes.

I’ve never been a strict vegetarian. I’ve been a vegan. I’ve juiced. But for most of my life I’ve been a well-meaning eater. An occasional tuna sandwich enjoyer. A mostly organic veggie muncher. And a head-over-heels animal lover.

To each his own. I like that saying. I’m a believer of that saying.

But man…I love/hate Thanksgiving.

Because one day, not long ago, I met a turkey. A turkey named Alphonso. And he changed me.

I introduced myself to him. He sat calmly as I felt the layers of his white feathery coat, as I ran my fingers across his gloriously textured, rainbow-tinted head. It was soft like an ear lobe. And warm. Like a hand you hold on a stroll. Like an arm resting around your shoulder at the movies. Like a friend.

He was warm and sweet and unforgettable. At one point I loved him more than my husband. And we still argue about it to this day.

I love his clumsy feet. His wayward glance. His beautiful ugliness.

I love him because he’s flesh and blood and heart and feather and he let me take this picture next to him, like a Disney character at Magic Kingdom.

These are Alphonso’s feet. It’s not uncommon for turkeys destined for the slaughterhouse to have the feet of an old sea captain; rough, calloused and downright painful. Thankfully, Alphonso’s tired old dogs are tended to with love by the very fine folks of Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary.

We spent a day here this summer during our road trip to NY. In our farm garb and boots, we shoveled hay, fed pigs, and tickled the chins of many a goat. It was heaven.

Its own magic kingdom of sorts, Woodstock Sanctuary is a non-profit dedicated to saving the lives of farmed animals. Each animal has a name here. Each animal has a chance at a better life.

Whether it’s helping an injured sheep to walk again, making a comfortable home for a disabled pig, or providing food and shelter to countless chickens, pigs and rabbits rescued from the city’s slaughterhouses, the work of Woodstock Sanctuary is meaningful, heartbreaking, and necessary.

 Every animal has a story to tell.

 And a personality.

 It’s easy to fall in love at Woodstock.

The real free range.

Evidence of a past life.

Adorableness.

Through their website, community outreach and volunteer program, they help teach people about the abuses farmed animals endure behind the curtains of our food systems. They bring awareness about the harm we’re doing not only to sentient beings, but to our one and only planet. If that’s not enough, they also have a fantastic website where you can meet each animal. Like Alphonso…

The great news is that you can DO SOMETHING super kind and unique this holiday: You can sponsor a turkey!

From their website:

You can help us care for our feathered friends by Sponsoring A Turkey here at Woodstock Sanctuary. It’s an affordable way to help us cover the costs of providing shelter and care to farmed animals in need –and they make wonderful, inspiring gifts! With each sponsorship, you’ll receive a beautiful card that includes a color photo of the turkey you are sponsoring along with their story of how they came to us and a bit about their unique personalities. (See more about the life of the millions of less-lucky turkeys here.)

Another option, and to assure receipt by Thanksgiving (Nov 24), you can choose to send a Sponsor A Turkey eCard to your gift recipient–or just to yourself in lieu of a card and as a paper-saving option.

Right ON, Woodstock. Way to be. Way to help the world one charming creature at a time. And thank you for having us as guests on your beautiful farm this summer. We’ll never forget our experience.

And I couldn’t wrap up this post without a little help from my friend Rob, who reminded me of this great poem by Shel Silverstein.

Thanksgiving dinner’s sad and thankless
Christmas dinner’s dark and blue
When you stop and try to see it
From the turkey’s point of view.

Sunday dinner isn’t sunny
Easter feasts are just bad luck
When you see it from the viewpoint
Of a chicken or a duck.

Oh how I once loved tuna salad
Pork and lobsters, lamb chops too
‘Til I stopped and looked at dinner
From the dinner’s point of view.

From the bottom of our little veggie hearts, we wish you a very happy ThanksLiving.

This is Simone + Soren.

Here’s a glimpse of our sunny autumn session in Hillsborough last weekend.

More to come soon…

Meet Rowan + Milo. They’re twins.

Their parents hired me to photograph their family.

We met on a Sunday in Durham. It was one of those crisp, sun-filled fall days.

I brought my camera. They brought everything else.

Including the beautiful tattoos and the baby skinny jeans.

Everyone’s hair was perfect. And mom brought homemade pancakes.

We strolled, we clambered about, we smelled the late harvest of local tobacco.

We made some of my favorite family photographs to date.

Tats for tots.

I’m so happy it was you four that hopped out of the car that day.

Rowan + Milo?  You’re the coolest.

Love,

Heather

November is for golden leaves, scarves and voting!

If you live in Carrboro, don’t forget that tomorrow is voting day and my dear friend and client Michelle Johnson would love your support at the polls. Remember her from earlier this year when I took her campaign photos? Well, Michelle’s been a very busy woman since that easy breezy photo shoot about town. As a candidate for Carrboro Board of Alderman, she’s garnered the endorsements of well respected organizations, bolstered her positions as a grassroots leader and activist, and brought her  community together in an effort to spread the word about the issues she cares about the most, like supporting local businesses!

Read about Michelle’s candidacy on her website or check out her interview with the INDY.

To find out where your voting precinct is located, click HERE.

Polls are open from 6:30 am to 7:30 pm tomorrow, Tuesday, November 8th.

Go Michelle! We’re cheering for you loud and clear over here, can you hear us?

My kinda gal

From one dog person to another -

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Meet Georgia

The cold, hard facts:

1. She’s a 9 month old pit bull / hound mix.
2. She’s a shelter favorite among staff and has excellent reviews by volunteers.
3. She’s young enough to train and old enough to be housebroken.
4. She loves people, loves the world, loves love itself – a master cuddler and an enthusiast of almost anything outdoors.
5. We’ve got a glass-half-full girl on our hands with Georgia and she’s all about seizing the day.
6. She’s a great match for a young guy, gal or couple with an active lifestyle.
7. If you like hiking, running or strolling around the out of doors, Georgia is the partner you’ve always wanted.
8. She’s so silly. This next shot might be my very favorite shelter snap EVER.

Georgia has the most beautiful markings I’ve ever seen on a dog.

She has cool patch-work around her eyes and whimsical brindle patterns everywhere else.

I could follow Georgia around all afternoon, photographing her beautiful markings. I love that last cowlick on her left backside.

And her sweet little nose freckles.

Her velvety ears.

She has a twinkle in her eye that says I cant’ wait for what tomorrow holds.

She’s food motivated (like me). She even sat on command!

Sit Georgia. Sit. Stay.

Good girl.

Gah – she’s so cute I can hardly stand it! Don’t her markings make her look like a masked superhero?

Look at the awesome notes in her volunteer file. People LOVE her. Take it from me, this is a very good sign!

Plus, she’s an awesome cuddler with a tendency towards a deep lean, which is really code for a dog hug.

If you or someone you know would like to adopt Georgia please visit the Orange County Animal Shelter in person, online or by phone at 919-942-PETS.

If you or someone you know would like to foster or sponsor her, please contact me right away. A few days can sometimes be the difference between life and death for some dogs.

I love happy endings. If you adopt Georgia or know someone who did, please let me know so we can share the GREAT news with a world that could use more great news.

And to wrap up this week’s Shelter Shots – I’d love to share this photo, taken by the very talented and charming Andi Morgan, of the OCAS.

This is Ritchie – he had an eye infection when he came in, which the shelter treated. He is now actively recovering and you guessed it!

ADOPTED!!!