Morning Walks

On the mornings I don't work, Sam and I like to take long walks through the neighborhood. This, if you know our Sam, is only possible with his Halti head collar. Without this device, he imagines himself a mighty sled dog running the snowfields of Alaska with his fellow Huskies. I've pointed out that his Husky friends at A04 or Chronicle of Woos don't behave like this. He just shrugs and keeps going. I hate that the Halti collar detracts from his picture, but I really like the colors in this one.... It's an untouched photo of Sam taken during one of our morning walks.

I love the way the golden sunrise brings out the red-gold of his coat, but I do wish he didn't have the head collar on!

PTSD*

*Post Traumatic Shower Disorder

Wednesday's photo showed the preliminary to Sam's bath...he knew what was happening, and ran around the house for five minutes carrying his collar, hoping someone would put it back on him, and thus avoid the indignity that was sure to follow.

Then he spotted it: the black bath restraint! It was time to high-tail it out of there, pronto.



Caught! Notice the tautness of the leash. He had his butt planted on the patio and was refusing to budge.



It was futile...he pleaded one last time to be set free, to be allowed to roam and stink in doggie splendor, as nature intended.



But to no avail. His fate (and dampness) were assured. It began...



Please Sir, won't you spare me any further humiliation?



Once back inside, he took the opportunity to spray the living room with water in revenge for his peoples unconscionable behaviour. He didn't understand why we only laughed.



"Perhaps if I rub the moisture in the carpet; maybe that will shut them up! Oh, if I only had thumbs, I'd make 'em pay!"



All right, all right, that's enough laughing...somebody help me get dressed.

Nearly Wordless Wednesday...

Don't look! He's naked!

SciFi Sat winds down

Sam likes the Alien franchise, although he admits that the third movie was a little weak. He imagines that he would have done a much better job.

SciFi Saturday

The Hulk


Don't make the Sam angry...you wouldn't like him when he's angry.

Bad Aim

UPDATE - The laser range finder and targeting system we've provided to our Sam seems to have cured the problem...proving definitively that the tosser (so to speak) wasn't at fault.



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Aaron always says Sam can't catch a treat bone tossed to him. I always tell Aaron that he has bad aim. Aaron claims this isn't possible. What do you think?

This one is a little low:


This one never even made it to Sam! He had to dive for it!


Sam may need eye protection! Incoming!


"Can I have them on the floor from now on?"

FREEDOM!

They may take our kibble, but they will never take our freedom!

Goldens Gu Bragh!

They have a plan...

Sam Speaks!

Hello! Sam here! Sam taking over his blog - after all, this is Sam's blog. Sam wondering if people think he is lazy!

Sam is not lazy! He has not been in pictures lately! Sam decided he needs to fix it! Sam tell his photographer to step up or she get fired! She is forgetting camera all the time! Okay, Sam wouldn't fire his Mom but he may steal her socks!

Sam has been very busy laterly. Sam wears many hats. Sam shows you:




Sam will tell you how his day is going. Mom wakes him up at 5:30 for exercise! Two miles in the morning! Sam gets to visit his friends on these walks, but Mom forgets her camera always! No pictures! After walk, Sam and Mom leave in truck to feed horses! Sam visits with his Grandma while Mom feeds horses. Still no pictures! Then, we stop at store to buy Aaron a Diet Mountain Dew. No pictures... It is so hard for Sam to get good help these days. May need to put out ad, hire new photographer.

Sam's big decision is if he should start wearing shoes... Sam not sure yet. What do you think?

How about a Shatner Saturday?

Although it's still Friday...much like the magnificent Mr Shatner, we've jumped through the portal just a tad bit early.



Caution -- (Partially) inside joke follows:



Ed Note -- Sam would like to reemphasize that he is not a nerd. He cannot in good conscience however, make any such statement about the author of these SciFi related posts.

Samgrid and Fang

Sam enjoys the HP movies, but I hate it when he starts stompin' round the house in those big boots, talkin' 'bout "how dogs is seriously misunderstood creatures."

The Momma asked Sam for a kiss, but he misunderstood completely

Sam wants to rock and roll all night...


...and party every day!

I am the Batdog

The Yorkie: [to Batdog] You’ve changed things… forever. There’s no going back. You see, to them, you’re just a freak… like me!

I'm not a freak...I'm the Batdog!

I am not a nerd...

OK, so I still live with my mom, and maybe I don't have a job, and sometimes I like to pretend that I'm an active member of the Rebel Alliance...but really, I'm quite the studly young dude.

One happy boy...

Actually, make that two happy boys. Sam and I missed our favorite girl while she was out getting all "national parkerized" over the past couple of weeks, and we've both been barely able to contain ourselves ever since she got home.

And the stories she came back with! Most interesting to me was her first-hand reporting of the fact that, "yes, he most certainly does..."

Working Vacation

I have returned from my two week training session at the Grand Canyon. If you haven't been here, I recommend it for your next vacation. It was simply beautiful! If you take your fur-friend with, please note that they are not allowed below the rim. The reason they do this is because of the heat. It may be 90 degrees on the rim, but the canyon can reach 115 degrees! Most people cannot carry the necessary amount of water needed for both their dogs and themselves. There are still plenty of trails and areas you can take them with. If you really must hike, there are kennels (eep!) available for day use.





I rode the mules down to the Point. This was a great way to get down the cliff and back up. I only took the day trip which totaled 12 miles. Aaron and I plan to return together and do the overnight ride to Phantom Ranch.

These are California Condors. They are on the endangered species list. The number on their wings helps track them. You can learn more about #23 here - NPS Condor Tracking.


I found this really pretty sunflower:


I missed Sam and Aaron terribly. Sam was so happy to see me he tried to single-pawedly drag my duffel bag in the house. I got him this great Ranger hat:

Daydreaming

First, Sam gets elected to Congress based on his "Tough on Crime, Tougher on Rabbits" platform (see campaign poster on the sidebar). While there, he sponsors legislation providing tax breaks to every American household with a Golden. He rides the popularity of that law to victory in the presidential race of 2012. It's just a matter of time until the love of the people demands that his likeness be placed....

Daydreaming

Sam watched the Wizard of Oz last night and for some reason identified with Dorothy, rather than Toto. And he's certain that the flying monkies are somehow related to the Yorkie...

The Yorkie Yapped at Midnight: A Sam Scoop Mystery
Chapter 2

Sam is asleep, and his dream continues...

Mr. Tibbets – Mayor and first goat of the Yard. He’s not been right in the head since the love of his life migrated south last winter with the rest of her flock…and he was no sharper than a bowling ball before that. But as the Mayor he’s out poking into everybody’s business all day long, so if you want the latest buzz, he’s your man. I found him standing on his overturned feed dish, staring out towards the southern horizon. His beard was dusty and ill kept and a low moaning sound came from his sad, ridiculous face.

“Hey Tibbets!” I barked. “Quit keening over that duck and c’mere, I want to talk to you.” It startled him so badly that he began to dance, his hooves flailing wildly on the plastic surface before falling off butt first, landing with his tail on the ground, all four legs still on the feeder. I watched in wry amusement as he scrambled to his feet and shuffled towards me. He was still looking southwards as he muttered rapidly, “Hiya Sam, wasn’t keening, baaa, just humming to myself, thinking of things, baaa, whatcha’ doin’ back, haven’t seen you in a coon’s age, baaa …”

"Button it and just listen for a minute." I told him I wanted to hear the latest scoop in the yard.


“Baaa, that’s funny, Scoop wants the scoop, baaa…” He looked at me with one ear cocked, and a weak grin on his hairy mug.


I stared at him from under my brows. “Can it, you daft little duck lover. Tell me what the Yorkie has been up to.”


He suddenly appeared agitated, looking anywhere but my eyes. “Up to? Baaa, don’t know anything myself but Blind Sister Cisco was out in the yard this morning, baaa, said that the Yorkie raised a ruckus in the big-house last night, that what you mean?”

“Ruckus? What kind of ruckus?”

“Don’t know, don’t care, baaa. Not my business, no way now how,” he said, as he scrambled away quickly. I watched him as he went and I could’ve sworn he was scared…if I didn’t know that he was too stupid to feel fear, that is.

And claiming it wasn’t his business? That goat was into other peoples business so often he could qualify for a payroll deduction. Something just didn’t add up.

But at least I now had a lead …I went to find Blind Sister Cisco.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

With Sam's Momma still on her training trip (or vacation, judging from the reports we've been getting), it's been up to Sam and me to make sure the horses are all fed and watered each day.


Usually Sam stays home and prods me to get busy, but it seemed somewhat cooler this morning so I took him along. He inspected the entire area, chased the cat, marked a few spots he had neglected the last time, and generally enjoyed himself immensely just doing the dog thing.


Even though it was still hot for that time of the day, we decided to play a little catch before it hit three digit temps; which happens about 9:00am these days.

"Quit teasing, and throw it!"


"I'll get it!"


"Huff, huff, huff..."


"Hoo-boy, I gotta get in better shape..."


"Lemme just rest here for a minute."


"Are you kidding? Again?"


"OK, one more time!"


"C'mon, hurry up! I want to get back in the truck!"


"Oh yeah, that feels good...crank the AC alllll the way up."