The first stop was to visit my father-in-law. We haven't seen him in person for at least a couple months - since before the pandemic hit - and because he lives in a senior-oriented building, we haven't visited inside, but the weather's been nice so we planned a visit for outside.
We met up in the park across from his apartment and baked in the sun for a bit while we chatted. It was short, but sweet. As we walked back to the car through the garden, we stopped for a photo op. The rhodos and irises were beautiful and the light was being filtered through them just perfectly, even in the hot afternoon sun.
She has these long beautiful eyelashes set into her dark mask - with dappled sun and no reflector or flash it's a bit tough to see her eyes, but really, they're only a one piece of her overall cuteness.
She was a bit nervous when I brought out my DSLR, but she is such a sponge that it took no time for her to feel more at ease with it in her face... with the help of some treats. But she also seems to take her treats quite seriously, and you'll see her steely gaze of focus in the photos where I was holding the camera in one hand and the treat in the other.
It's a big, new world for this little one, and I wish her all goodness and love.
I was able to tear myself away from wee Soji to also enjoy this friend's beautiful yard and koi pond where the fish swim into your hand... and sometimes even do a soft nibble.