rocky

there are many things in this life...



that i am unsure of...



but she is not one of them.

casey

my body may have many scars...



but look in my eyes.....



i have healed...



i never gave up.

crackers

it's a big, big world...



and i intend to see it all...



not just with my eyes...



but with my heart.

fumble

There had been times in his life…



….when his body was weakened…



…but that was when...



...his spirit was the strongest.

truman

there is room in life



to be proud and...



to have a kind and thoughtful heart.

porter

the small girl was his to protect....



...she filled up his line of sight, his mind...



...and his heart.

lucy

there isn't anything.....



...that I don't want to see, smell, touch and taste....



....up close and personal.

keira

she posed under the guise of perfect obedience....



...but the smile on her face gave away her secret:



...the presence of a heart...



...that belongs to an untamed lion.

maxwell

if you listen carefully.....



...he will share the secrets of the world with you.

chloe

compared to others she may have seemed but a whisper.....



....but she had a sincerity and a poise that made her shine.

kingsley

my only two intentions in this world....



...are to chase tennis balls....



...and to love you.

quincy

he speaks the language of the shadow dogs....



..always listening, always aware.....



...always curious.

mika

there are times that these legs cannot carry me fast enough...



....to catch up with my enthusiasm for this life.

forrester

behind what is wise, composed and thoughtful....



...lies the spirit....



....of an exuberant puppy.

ralph

he barreled through the february cold with a single purpose....



...to share his gleeful heart.

sophie

when she is still and the sunlight is reflected in her eyes...that is when i know...



that she lives in this world, feels in this world....



....that she sees in this world with a gentle soul.

what is the charlie project?

I was with Charlie, a friend's German Shepherd, when I first discovered the soul of a dog...right there in her big, brown eyes. We lost Charlie to cancer a few years later, but I never forgot her. She moved me...her eyes reached out and touched me. The idea of Sophie began with Charlie. During the last two years, in my travels with Sophie, we've encountered many dogs....and each time I've discovered a new soul, a new and unique story behind those dogs' eyes. The Charlie Project is about telling those stories.


Charlie

This blog, the beginning of the project, will host a series of short photo essays about the wonderful dogs that I come across in my life....some belong to family, some to friends, some to strangers in the park. I am hoping this project endeavor serves to strengthen my skills as a writer and a photographer. All the photos (outside of the Charlie images in this post) and writing are my original work. I hope you enjoy spending some time with these dogs...I know that Sophie and I did.



The Charlie Project: celebrating the soul of a dog.