Midweek Madness

Now for the Updates!

This morning I realized my previous post had been titled "Pet Friendly Arizona! ...and some updates!" and I had forgotten the updates part!

Here are the updates - first of all, I would like to show all of you this bandanna I made for my Mom's Yorkie! We do need to take a picture of her wearing it and will post one as soon as we have it available.

Sam had surgery on Monday to remove two lumps. He came through okay and is home. Dr. Kerne believes that they are just fatty tumors. What a relief!

He is spending his time moping. Here he is waiting for me to come home. Doesn't he look cute in his t-shirt?


I don't want my blog friends to see me this way!


All right, but only for a bone!


UPDATE: Michelle from East Mesa Animal Hospital was kind enough to take a few pictures of Sam during his stay there.

Hey! Don't prisoners at least get a phone call? I demand my lawyer!


Sigh...

Pet Friendly Arizona!

We would like to introduce you to a new feature of "How Sam Sees It" called "Pet Friendly Arizona!". As you know, Aaron and I are always looking for places to go with Sam and thought we would share our successes (and maybe our failures - we have been kicked out of a place or two!) with you. That way, if you are ever visiting Arizona, you will know where you can go and what to do with your fur-pal!

Our first stop on our tour is at Boyce Thompson Arboretum. The Arboretum is located 3 miles south of the town of Superior on U.S. 60. This is one of our favorite places to go, as well as one of the prettiest. While Boyce Thompson has always been dog friendly, we noticed they have stepped up the welcome even more! As you reach the main intersection of trails, there are dog bags (all they ask is that you clean up after your dogs!) as well as water dishes next to every fountain!

Sam has always enjoyed his visits to the Arboretum!


After all the rains we've gotten this year in Arizona, the flowers here were putting on quite a show!










There are also lots of world exhibits to look at. Here is Sam sitting outside the station in the Australian exhibit.


Here he is in the Herb Garden.


Sam and Mom in front of a Lady Bank's Rose.

There are also many trails to wander through.

Aaron took this wonderful picture of a bee.


We highly recommend Boyce Thompson Arboretum as a great place to spend the day!

SciFi Saturday presents, "Caninus,"

The newest member of the X-Men team.



Special Mutant powers: Flight, and a Gastrointestinal Fortitude of a nature not seen since the Paleozoic. Think of the pigeons in the parking lot at your place of employment...only much, much, worse. So if you're an evil-doer, park under the awning, else pay the consequence!

Sam reviews the Masters

Welcome all, and thank you for joining me this evening. Tonight’s program is especially exciting as I have an opportunity to share one of my abiding passions, that of classical artistic expression over the course of centuries. A surprising subject for the average dog-blog I know, but if you will indulge me, as you so often have in the past….


As an introductory offer, first let us examine the artist Jacques-Louis David, a French painter of the Neo-classical style, considered by many to be the foremost painter of his era. In the 18th century his vision of historical expression (well worth arguing I must admit) paved a marked change from the popular representation of Rococo lightheartedness, towards a more classical asceticism; indeed, the austerity and seriousness of his representations meshed well with the popular expectations of that regime. Our painting, done in 1801, is a representation of Napoleon's Crossing of the Alps. The composition shows a strongly idealized view of the crossing that Napoleon and his army made across the Alps in 1800. Fascinating, is it not?


Next (I admit that we aren’t following an historical artistic evolution of art, even if it’s chronological) let’s take a look at the work of Georges Seurat – Seen here is his huge painting, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, his most famous work. An artistic endeavor so vast that the composition, from start to finish, took two years (1884 to1886) to complete. The final product arguably created, single-handedly, the entire concept of Neo-impressionism; and as such is one of the icons of 19th century artistic endeavor.


Now this is entrancing, is it not? The work of Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin, the world’s preeminent post-Impressionist painter. His bold experimentation with coloring led directly to the introduction of what we today call modern art; while simultaneously maintaining his expression of the basic reality of the targets in his painting he also sought to find the overarching truth of his subjects. His work paved the way for modern Primitivism (if I can be so bold as to term it as such) and a welcome return to a more pastoral reflection of these subjects..


Finally tonight, let us examine this most famous work of Andrew Wyeth, a realist painter working for most of his career in what was termed in today’s jargon as the “regionalist style”. Perhaps the best known of all U.S. artists of the 20th century, he was often referred to as the "Painter of the People," due to his work's popularity with the American public. Our painting was done in 1948.


I know I haven't identified each painting by name and era, but how else might I entice you back to this silly, tiny corner of the web? Please, know that I thank you for joining me this evening, and would like to welcome you back to the next exciting episode of, Masterpees Theater.

Sam's New Collar

I spent some time this weekend (when I wasn't at work!) making Sam a new collar. We chose this "key" design to compliment Aaron's new leg. We think the collar came out really well!

What do you think?

SciFi Saturday Presents, Gargamel, in "Dances with Smurfs"

Go my Sam-u-el! Attack! Bring me their Smurfberries!

I Hate those Smurfs!

The King has returned...

Mom went to the Arizona Renaissance Festival with her sister this past weekend, and all Sam got was this hat...



What? You say this isn't a hat - it's a crown? Well, then...

Bring me steak, Peasant!

We wish everyone a great St. Patrick's day!

Dance as if no one were watching,
Sing as if no one were listening,
And live every day as if it were your last

The Camp(Pain) Spot

I was left speechless, if you'll pardon the expression coming from me.

And frankly, I couldn't believe it...of course I'd heard the stories, how as the "Maverick" he was the darling of the left wing media, (Ed. - removed some of the text 'cause re-reading this morning makes the post seem harsher than I actually intended. Sorry about that.) but until this happened, I thought it was just the usual political noise. So it pains me to share the following....

I'd gone to visit the Mom at her training camp earlier today in the Flagstaff area of our great state of Arizona, when:

Click on the photo series to see in full size the dishonor heaped upon my head by the usual suspects.

I just wanna say:

HEY!!! I couldn't believe it!
Hit somebody in the face with a
slushball. Let all that stuff go down in
their underwear.

And I didn't even care. I just sat right
down in the snow. I was so mad. And
it started to melt right thorough my four
pair of corduroys. And I didn't even
care. Because I know when I go home
the only thing my mom's gonna be talking
about:

"You, Sammy! How come you just sit
down in the snow and let it just melt
through your four pair of corduroys?"

"Yeah mom? Well what do you care?
That's all you care about, somebody
sitting down in the snow and letting it
melt through your four pair of
corduroys.

You don't care that Obama and McCain
hit me on the side of the face
with a slushball and let all the gunk go
down in my underwear because if you
did care you'd go out and get him!"

But I’m gonna get you both.
Come November 2010 and 2012,
you both better just watch out!

Paid for by the concerned citizens for inappropriate hi-jinks, Sam! for Senate, Committee.

With apologies to Bill Cosby, for ripping off his skit, and to John McCain, who I "admire" with all my heart...

Update from the snow country

Hello, all! Sam's Mom here, just sending an update from her stay in snow country. I know this is all normal for many of you, but I have never lived where there is snow, so this is rather alien for me!

First off, it snowed all day Monday and Tuesday. I have never driven in snow, so I abandoned my van and hitched rides with other class participants.

The Van... This is yesterday morning. As of last night, it is has been thoroughly frozen to the parking lot. I might need to stay here till this all thaws!


I also realized I have never seen icicles outside of pictures. I didn't know they could grow on cars - I have only seen them on houses!


Hee-hee-hee... Car snot....


This photo was taken at about 3 in the afternoon. It is very dark from the snow. What you can't see in the picture is how hard it is snowing. ...and it get's in everything! Down your collar, in your boots - it is too cold!


This poor bush...


I kind of liked this house. All I would need is a snow plow, and maybe a Sauna.


Other than that, I am missing my boys very much and can't wait to head home! I do wish Sam and Aaron could have come with!

Road Trip

Next week I will be away for training. Since we had to pick up a vehicle for me to drive, Aaron and I decided to take Sam on a road trip and visit Tonto National Monument.

Sam, of course, was excited to be going. He was very impatient when we stopped for gas.

Come on, Dad, we're burning daylight!



Tonto National Monument is the home of two cliff dwellings that were occupied during the 13th, 14th and early 15th century. The Lower Cliff dwelling is open to visitors daily, and the upper cliff dwelling is only available through a guided hike. Dogs are allowed on the trail to the Lower, but not in the dwelling itself. If you would like to read more about it, click here.

Lower Cliff Dwelling


Here are Sam and I posing next to a Saguaro cactus. The trail to the Lower is nice and smooth, but ascends 300 feet over a 1/2 mile.


The view from the dwelling is spectacular! That is Roosevelt Lake in the distance.


Inside of the dwelling you can see the different rooms that make up the Lower Cliff Dwelling.




We paused for a quick photo of Sam and Aaron...


...and soon we were on our way back down the hill.


We took a quick detour down the Cactus Patch Trail to look at the trail head for the Upper Cliff Dwelling. The trail itself is locked, but you can walk down it and see the Riparian area.


See how green it is? It is hard to imagine that this is in the middle of a desert. In another couple of weeks, all of this will be covered with new leaves and flowers.


Sam had a wonderful day!