Monday, November 30, 2009

My First Blogaversary!

Today is my 1st Blogaversary! You can't really tell by my blog archive - the first blog crashed last Febrary, so I started this one up! I have my paws crossed that my aide doesn't touch any red buttons! I'm not sure if you can access this link, but it is the address to my first post. I had no header or any frills, but I sure started meeting a lot of friends.
http://goldensamantha.blogspot.com/2008_11_01_archive.html

Amber-Mae was my first commenter! When I started the new blog, my assistant figured out how to give this space a new look. I joined Twitter and Facebook too! More important, I joined DWB, which has brought an amazing sense of community to my blogging life. I found more new pals and read the daily news over there. I lost some dear friends this year too and miss Honey and Terra, as well as those blogging buddies who I'll meet one day over the Rainbow Bridge.

I want to send out thanks to so many friends who sent me love, support and gifts when I ate the G-L-O-V-E, and who have helped me at other times in other ways. Sweedy, Eduardo the Snuggle Puggle's mom (see her badge on my sidebar) designed the purple kong header and blog. I owe big thanks to her and please visit Eduardo, who is very ill. Mimi, Scout and Freyja also added big techie touches to this blog to help refine some of the messier aspects and I am so grateful!!! And as recently as last week, Ann from Zoolatry sent me this very pawesome holiday header, which motivated me to get the festivities started! Thank you Ann, Maggie and Zoey for this beautiful work, as well as for the lovely "Samantha is Golden."

So that's a lot of writing. I am so very grateful for my pals in (unbelieveably) the cyberworld. You all feel very real in my life - daily. Perhaps one of the pieces of the pie that fell into place as evidence of the validity of our friendships through blogging came with our visit to San Diego, where we met so many of our 'puter pals. As you all know, Val and the Boo Bears put on the Royal show for some western blogging buddies, as well as with the blogging community's good Italian friends. Having never laid eyes on one another, we all had a ball and shed copious tears when it was time to part. Thank you again Val - it was great to meet you, Joey, Kealani and Sue, Marco, Simona, Judy, Ben, Sangtar, Michelle, Kona, and so many others. I hope to revisit some day and meet so many more of you!

Here's a little slideshow of my adventures over the last year.



Sunday, November 29, 2009

"Samantha is Golden" from Zoolatry!

I received a most bootiful and generous gift from Ann at Zoolatry, where you will meet Maggy and Zoey. If you don't know them already, jet on over and intro yourselveses!!!


Also, take a look-see here: CC Collectibles by Zoolatry. Through computer art programs, Ann does some amazing work with feline photos. I feel furry, furry lucky that she did one fur me as well, since, as you all knows, I is a canine. A zillion thanks and woofies for this bootiful "painting" of me being happy, curious and... golden. How talented you are, Ann! Ann also sent me the gorgeous Christmas blog header, which we put to use almost immediately. Again, a billion thanks and hugs and woofs to you all - Zoolatry rocks! We are very grateful.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Wordful Wednesday

Happy Thanksgiving
Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful.-- Buddha

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Playdate!

(From Mom here) Hello friends... Here's that picture of Shanti and her mama, Sue, winning their Novice B at Del Valle a few weeks ago. Sue was instrumental in finding Sammie for us through Norcal Golden Retriever Rescue. She lives quite near us and had a terrible infection that required hospitalization last night. (Sammie here now) Guess what? Shanti came over for a playdate!

Sorry that I keep using Roxio, but it is so very useful to present a story! Hope you'll indulge me yet another time!

http://www.photoshow.com/watch/aA9hs6VW

After all the Yogund and "escape" from the X-pen, Shanti (blue collar) and me got to snuggle with mama.

And Ozzie got to finally have a rest, later realizing that Shanti was just a guest and not a new permanent resident.



Thursday, November 19, 2009

A Bon Tempe Day!

Oh how I love hikes and this one was not a disappointment... well... except for the leash laws around here...

Momzers and Dadzers didn't really take those rules into account until some peoples told us that rangers here are very strict about attaching us to hoomans. If we're not compliant, my pawrents might have to pay upwards of a $300.00 fine - coughcough.

So we were pretty secretive in some areas and I had some super pawesome swims and got to leer at some pawesome, humongous birdies. Can't seem to embed this show, but here's the linky!

Maybe some girl or boy scouts built this cool fort.

A bootiful blue heron in the late afternoon. What a gorgeous day!


Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Let Us Not Malign Our Teachers

So here I am in the Obediencemobile with Moritz, my commuting Corgi pal.

I feel that I may have maligned my teach a couple of blogs ago, when I let the cyberworld know that she called me fat. She's jes watchin' my back. Actually, I want to dedicate this post to her. She's been working out of the Oakland Dog Training Club for a long time - and does it for free. She opens up the place at 2PM every Monday and doesn't leave until the Utility Dogs are done - often around 10PM. Wow.

The sun-weathered sign belies the marvellous toys and games that exist behind this door. I like this place a lot and so does Moritz. You can tell, cause we whimper and whine when we arrive, begging to get out.

Barbara, above, caring for these cute Westies as she directs her pupil (that you can't see). They are barking their heads off as Moritz and I enter the place. Soon the Westies leave and it's my turn to learn!

I greet Barbara enthusiastically, cause for some reason (can't think what) I really dig her.

We start off practicing the forced dumbell retrieve. Now. Get this. For me to have to lower myself to a "forced" retrieve is ridiculous. I readily pounce after kongs, balls and bumbers happily returning them time after time. But ya think I wanna chase after and return a dumbell? No way. So Barbara starts me out with this.

Hate it.

Hate it more. But I don't get why.
At least I have great cheese-catching skills!

Moritz is starting his "Open" training. His mama has to throw a dumbell over the jump, command Moritz to "Over" the jump, then retrieve the dumbell and then finally, jump back over and come face front to his mama. Amazing job.

Okay, next? Here's Bella, who is also working on her "Open." Isn't she purty? And she's real nice too.

Thank you so much Barbara. You've given me a lifetime's worth of pawesome skills. Huggies.
PS: Barbara said my waistline was showing again - ya-hoo!!!

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Dog is My Treadmill


Here we go in the Sammiemobile! See that triangular sticker in the window? I send out ginormous woofs to Paco, Milo and Maya and their mom and dad for this cool picture!

I LOVE IT!!! Let's see where we're going today!

Oh, it's the Mt. Burdell Open Space Preserve. This is a great place to hike with Mom and Dad. Today we're featuring me with my Dad.


These lil guys were intent upon chasing me away. And they did hehee!Clever fencegate to exit the Preserve, eh? Y'all come back now, hear?

Hugs xo, Sammie

Monday, November 9, 2009

I Get Exhausted After Working Too!

I know how hards Mama and Dad's work is, but I put my two cents' worth in too. Don't have the pictures of today's workout, but I'm so tired after obedience training that even Ma's flashie beast doesn't faze me in the least. Pawesome treats, but dinner was sparse, cause my teacher called me "fat" again tonight. Arrrgghhhhh.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Icing-On-The-Cake from Coco!

A huge thanks to Coco for this bootiful award is waaay overdue. Coco: you are unbelievable patient and there is definitely a need in this house for a "patience" award! "You're the Sweetest" comes originally from Kathie of her Net Finds blog and you should go over there and check it out, because Kathie's a whiz at finding some super cool deals out there in cyberspace!

I'd love for all of you to pick up this super award, but as I know myself with regard to these things, I'd like to pass this on to Marge, Sam, please go wish him well, Scout and Freyja, Luke , Honey, Augie and Ti, Joey and Kealani, Norwood, Fern, Milo, Laverne and Shirley, and Martha and Bailey.

Thanks again, dear Cocorue!

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Part III and Parting Blues

A quickie vid that shows how we sometimes started and/or ended our days down south!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myTT6AOhy1c

After our pawesome time at the beach, we traipsed back up to our amazing beach digs. From the front porch area, us guard doggies had to check the place out to make sure it was safe from any enemies. We have to protect our hoomans, after all.

And sure enough, up in the sky was a marauder. I called my pals to come and help me woof away that scary and uber nasty balloon in the sky thing. We finally got rid of it after about half an hour of majorly loud woofing. Then we took a walk...

And found these glorious clumps of flowers on our way. When we returned, we hung out on the deck and saw...

Some of these, above. Each morning and evening, we'd see these dolphins passing by quite close to the shoreline. Aren't they amazing? Here's a sorta-vid of this eve's events and note the bootiful light.


Next morning, Joey and Kealani took us for a tour around the gorgeous Balboa Park. Neither me nor my mama or papa had ever been there. It was absolutely stunning. I couldn't go into the arboretum, but Mom took some photos of the inside of it.

Hey Tank! Check this squirrel out! I saw this on Mama's camera! Wish I'd gotten to go inside!

Isn't this a beautiful place. I love botanical gardens, but I'm not usually allowed to go in.

Here's Simona and Marco with lots of tropical foliage around them.


Then Joey and Kealani, my tour directors-par-excellence, led me to several pawesome watering holes, where I could cool off with my pup-pals. Man, did that feel good! But... I don't think we were really sposed to enter these gorgeous watering holes. Still... very spa-like and loads of fun heheh! Here's a vid-photoshow of how the lovely evening went and my humongous thanks to Joey, Kealani and their pawesome Mom, Valerie.



Next morning, I got to meet Kona again and another new pal, Ben. We all had a great meeting of the noses together and then it was time to pack it in and head back for my home. First, I had to wave bye-bye to evfurry-new-body both fur and hooman that I met. I will never forget this amazing journey and wish that I could meet all my blogger friends in person and in the fur too.

Humongous thanks to Valerie, the Boo Bears, and Marco and Simona for coming here from so far away. Have a safe journey home and we will always remember our wonderful trip to San Diego with you all! Ciao!!!!!!!


Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Amazing Road Trip - Part II

We have arrived! And check out the gorgeous pups that greet me!!! Joey and Kealani!!! I am so happy to meet them. They show me around the very pawsome place here and then...

LOOK WHO ARRIVES!!!!

Paco, Milo and Maya's wonderful Mama and Papa!!! They never stop giving us doggies pats and rubbies all week! We all adore Simona and Marco. They are too generous and bring us the most thoughtful, amazing gifts. LOOK at my Dad's tie. It has my fave picture of me on it repeated again and again. Mom receives a wonderful t-shirt with pix of Milo, Paco and Maya on the back and of me on the front!!! Mom is still wearing this shirt as she types!

Here are some links to photos of all the fun we had for the next couple of days. Hope you enjoy and thanks for stopping by for Part I. So many bloggie pals have spent time in lots of the places we visited - wish you were closer to the Bay Area!!!

http://www.photoshow.com/watch/th9Yx8mt

and

http://www.photoshow.com/watch/Ik2WG4ix

The last Part III post will be coming up soon... after we keep trying to catch up with your NUZE!!! Happy Tuesday!