2018 Pet Blogger Challenge

It's that time of year again!  The Annual Pet Blogger Challenge is here - I hope you enjoy reading about our blog! 

Hurry up!  Da Momma is blogging!

 For those who may be visiting your blog for the first time, how long have you been blogging and what is your main topic?
We've been blogging for close to ten years! We've tried to keep the blog humorous and fun and focus on the stories of our three pups.

What was your proudest blogging moment of 2017?
I'll admit, we didn't do much blogging in 2017.  We had a grand total of 18 posts!  New duties at work kept me busy - and after spending all day on the computer, I wasn't motivated to come home and spend more time.  Things are quieting down and I'm ready to get back into it!    ...and I'm going to have to talk to our graphics department about a new banner....

Dis sounds serious.

Additionally, I have found Facebook an amazing venue for quick posts and short stories.  Make sure to follow the links on the right and like Princess Harlow Speaks page.

In terms of your blog, how do you measure success?
I love the feedback from our fans.  If I get comments where folks tell us how happy our posts make them or how they laughed reading our stories, I consider that a success.

Happy readers make da Harlow happy!

 What was the biggest blogging challenge you overcame in 2017, and what did you learn that could help other bloggers?
Taking breaks is okay.  I have found our fans are still there, waiting to read our stories.  Sometimes you have to focus on life first and the blog second, and that is totally okay.

Resting....  beep....

 When things get hard, what keeps you blogging?
I'll admit, I've got a bit of an overactive imagination.  The blog is a venue to tell some of the stories that are constantly swirling around my head - especially in regards to the trio of pups that share our home.

Looking forward to 2018, what are you hoping to accomplish on your blog this year?
I want to post more, but I have decided to not try to stick to a schedule this year and just post as the stories come to me.

In addition to what you’d like to accomplish, is here one specific skill you’d like to improve or master this year?
Over the years I have been encouraged by our readers to write stories (books) regarding our pups, using photos and doodles I do through out the year.  This year I'd like to explore that option and see where it takes us.  Reader feedback is going to be so important to us this year!

What would our readers like to see?
Any suggestions on what you would like to see on our blog?  Let us know and we will try to include it in the blog!

More Harlow, right?

 Thank you all for sticking with us through the years!  We love our readers and the comments you make!  We hope everyone has a wonderful 2018.

...from the good folks at How Sam Sees It - Monty, Harlow, Ramble, Aaron and Christine

'Twas the night before Christmas...

By Clement Clarke Moore


'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;

Well, of course not.  Da Harlow took care of him last Tuesday.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,

Dad wears da cap?  Since when?

Skeptical….

Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Da Harlow would like to see dis "sprang from the bed"...  Dad not so much a morning person...  Just saying...

Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,

Momma's gonna get cold if you open da windows at night.

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
"Now, DASHER! now, DANCER! now, PRANCER and VIXEN!
On, COMET! on CUPID! on, DONNER and BLITZEN!

Say what?

Gonna have to chase them.

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.

Oooo, da Harlow likes toys!

 And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

Iz going to have to bark, da Momma.  It's in da Princess contract.

As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

Down da chimney?  How'd he do dat?

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;

Da Momma just cleaned - he better not get dat stuff everywhere.

A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;

He's gonna pet da Harlow while he's here, right?

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,

Ramble got noms, right?

And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT!

Dat was good, da Momma!  Tell da Harlow another one.

Maybe next year?

Merry Christmas to all our friends

 from all of us at How Sam Sees It!

Monty, Harlow, Ramble, Aaron and Christine

Weekend Wisdom

"Dere are two sides to every puppy, da Momma...  Da underside and da upperside, and dey both need petting." ~ da Princess Harlow

I iz wise pup indeed.

Wordless Wednesday - Princess with a Pearl Earing (Guest Post by Leigh!)

Snow Day

We woke up this morning to a beautiful layer of thick snow covering everything.  I let the dogs out at 3:30am and realized there would be a good chance that this would be a snow day.

The first one in my life!  Woot!

Of course, snow days are meant to be played in, and while I bundled up and hurried through morning chores, our pups had no issues with the chill.

Zoomies!

Monty and Harlow are nicely equipped with thick fur coats - I'm pretty sure they don't feel the cold.  Ramble will run out in it, race once around the yard, and want  back in.  I can't blame him.  He doesn't always give me time to put a sweater on, so this morning our nekkid boy had to bravely face the elements.

Dis bad idea...  beep...

He even managed to race around with Harlow and Monty!

I always panic a bit when Monty races towards me.  He doesn't have good brakes....

Harlow and Monty found a new sport that they absolutely love - snow wrestling!  Which of course made them damp, and caused little snow balls to hang off of them - but they didn't care!

Harlow's "vicious" face...

Da Momma, help!

 Of course, the fun doesn't end outside.  Once the pups have decided they have had enough, they need to be towel dried and have hundreds of snow balls removed...

Da Harlow is worth it, da Momma!