K: "Working Stiff" entry for Mango Minster

I want to nominate my dog K as a "Working Stiff" in the Mango Minster dog show. K works incredibly hard as a model for my photography hobby.

Believe it or not, K subjected herself to a kiss from her younger brother R, all in the name of being a good model for me.

She wears silly hats while enduring long hours standing in the sun so that I can try to get the perfect photograph.

For the silly camera, she demonstrated her skill at picking up objects, like my hat, that I've dropped. She does this because I have trouble reaching the ground when my spine really hurts. As you can see, she can perform multiple duties at once - model and service dog!

Perhaps the most onerous part of her job is getting outside at dawn for photo shoots in the fiery red light of sunrise.

She can barely keep her eyes open at that early hour.

K even takes flying leaps off of huge boulders, all in the name of exciting photos!

She poses with the sunrise at her back in the heart of cougar territory. She is a brave working stiff.

Believe it or not, she scales huge boulders so that I can photograph her with the sunrise behind her.

Last but not least, K even feels duty-bound to sleep cutely, all in the name of being a good working stiff model dog.

I think that K is an awesome working stiff dog so please vote for her!

R the Cracker Critter

Cracker Critters

You know who you are...

But just in case. If you tend to run mental fits around even after a brisk walk of 87 miles, if you rip into stuffies like nobody's business, if you go all animal predator if there is even a suggestion of a rodent on the property, or exhibit any other generally nutty behavior, well, then, you ARE a cracker critter.

In the spirit of a true procrastinator, I am nominating R in the Cracker Critter category of Mango Minster on the very last day. A picture says a thousand words so I'll demonstrate R's maniacal energy, zaniness, and overall nuttiness in photos.

Demented (be sure to notice the white of his eye) as he sprinted through a meter of snow:

Howling with the coyotes:

Wriggling in ecstasy after running many miles of trails:

Barking in my face for making him stand still for too many photos:

Jumping out of his skin with energy:

This one speaks for itself (his eyes glowed purple with demented energy):

Anything to get ahead of his sister:

Shaking like a maniac after swimming:

Rolling in the snow like the Cracker Critter that he is:

I think that this series of photos shows that R is a Cracker Critter in every season and at every opportunity. If it pleases the judges, please accept the nomination of R.