Happy New Year!

There's still so much to tell you about. I haven't even gotten to my Christmas gifts yet! But downloading and editing pictures is painstaking work -- especially when you don't have opposable thumbs.

I asked Santa to bring me opposable thumbs for Christmas this year but no dice!! I was a good girl this year, but I guess I wasn't that good!

See you tomorrow!!

Oh! One last thing to tell you. The other night Mama and I finally saw Disney/Pixar's "Up". It was great.

Here is my impression of Dug.

"Hi there!"

New Friends of All Shapes and Sizes

Rover Oaks Pet Resort invited me and Mama to a Holiday party so I could take my picture with a man named Santa. Now I didn't know who this Santa person was, but rumor had it that there was going to be treats at this party and so begged and wheedled and gave my best sad-puppy face until Mama broke down and said we could go.

One thing you should know about me is that I am terrible with names. Terrible! But I never forget a face or....uh...scent -- so it all evens out.

For example, I forgot this kid's name, but he said his favorite treat was butter pecan ice cream cone. It looks like he's ready for someone to bring him one.

I'm not sure but I think this guy was the boss -- at least he was old and cranky enough to be. He sure didn't want to play, but he would let Mama scratch him under the chin occasionally.


I overheard this youngster's mom telling my Mama that her bloodhound spent the first year of her life being neglected and mistreated. She was so skinny her ribs were poking out and there were scabs on her face that were still healing! Thank goodness she was rescued just in the nick of time. Her new mom says she's gonna have a great life from now on and I believe her.


Oooh! This handsome boy wanted to play and I wanted to play, but it was a "leash-only" party and boy did that make playing difficult. Mama says he's called a red-bone hound and that he's from someplace "where the red fern grows". Apparently that place where the red ferns grow sure does make their dogs nice and loud 'cause he barked and barked and he sounded like a old car horn. Isn't he shiny?


This poor thing seemed a little confused as she kept chasing her tail. Between you and me, TailChase is one of my favorite games 'cause it makes Mama laugh, but this Old English lady was doing it wrong. I just didn't have the heart to tell her she doesn't have a tail!

After quite a lot of introductions and a couple of play bows, and more treats than I'm usually allowed to eat (I love pumpkin muffins!!), it was time to meet the mysterious Santa. He seemed nice enough and the pictures went off without a hitch (although as a general rule I like to be wearing something sparkly when my picture is taken), but the best part of all is that the monies raised at the Christmas party will go to help Citizens for Animal Protection which is the best present my Mama and I know how to give.


If you feel it in your heart, please donate today. We did!

Long Lost ME!

It has been a busy month here, not just for my Mama but for me too. So much to see and do and so little time to do it in. But today I have time and lots of things to tell all my friends about. So I'm going to try to tell you everything, but to keep it all straight, I'm going to do separate posts.

So this post will start with the latest addition to blog "fashion show" I saw this one in the store and told Mama that I just had to have it. Unsurprisingly, Mama agreed.

Here's me...very proud to be wearing my new shirt.

Mama says some people think it's stupid to put clothes on dogs. I'm sure that's true for some other dogs and that's okay for them, but I like shirts just fine, thank you very much. Now, pants...that is a little ridiculous!

Here's the view of my new shirt from the back. I bet you can guess why I chose it!

That's all for the moment, but stayed tuned 'cause I'll be right back!

Happy Thanksgiving

Well, I don't know about you but I'm still ((blurp)) stuffed.

At first I was worried yesterday because it seemed like Mama spent more time than usual in the kitchen -- leaving her very little time for me. I should have known better though because no matter how busy she seemed she always found time to slip me a little something. At first I got wedges from an apple so big it just HAD to be grown in Texas. Later, Mama slipped me some large pieces of sweet potato, which were so good I had to rub my face on the carpet after eating them. My begging face also netted me a whole dinner roll, and I didn't even have to steal it!!

When it came time for dinner, my Uncle K slapped a whole spoonful of cheesy mush (mashed) potatoes on my Purina One. Delectable!

I hope all of you have as much to be thankful for this holiday as I do!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Golden Picnic!

This past Sunday was the Golden Beginnings Golden Retriever Rescue Reunion Picnic. Now, I'm not a rescue pup, but my mama volunteers for GBGRR and so I got an invitation anyway. At first I wasn't sure about the whole thing until I saw that the park was packed with golden retrievers, just like me!

I'm not sure how many were there, but I lost count somewhere around fifty and I think it was closer to 100.


First we did a lot of sniffing around -- greeted some old friends and even met some new ones. Then I noticed that there was a bunch of goldens congregating on a hilltop so I tugged Mama over there and saw that there a lake and whole mess of tennis balls. Now, I'm not one to run head long into a lake to chase after a silly ball, but I certainly got caught up in the atmosphere of fun.

After some cajoling and using my best mournful gaze, Mama finally worked up the nerve to let me off-leash and I worked up the nerve to wade into the lake.


I would run and romp and play and shake and then I would run back to Mama to make sure she was still where I left her (she was!) and then I would sit at her feet for a few seconds to show her how happy I was.

And then I would go do it all again...and again.


After a couple of hours I worked up the nerve to wade in even deeper. Maybe next time Mama brings me here I will be able to go in all the way like so many of other goldens.

After all that fun, I capped it all off with a great honkin' roll in the dirt. Normally my mama might try to stop me, but she had deemed the day "Let Dog Be Dog Day" so she just laughed and took pictures.

I had to ride home in the very back back of the car and when we got there I had to have a bath. So I think Mama had the last laugh.

A GReat HUGE THANKS to the GBGRR folks that planned the picnic and made it a reality. Can't wait for next year!

Let Me At 'Em...Let Me At 'Em

This morning, very early, many people just walked right into my backyard with a bunch of long metal things. I tried to let them know that their presence would not be tolerated with my loud "outside" voice. They did NOT listen. The nerve.

They talked to Grandma for a bit, so I thought everything might be okay. But then they did the strangest thing. They climbed up those long metal things and started STEALING our roof.

Can you believe that?

For the rest of the day there was banging so loud I had to go to my storm bunker. There's STILL banging right now. It just goes on and on. Thank goodness my Mama is here 'cause when she sits still she has nice safe legs to hide under.

It took some pictures of the goings-on in my backyard. Rumor has it that the same thing is happening at the front yard too. But I'm too scared to look.

Here's a picture of one of the roof bandits.


Here's a picture of a half naked roof!

I feel so violated....

Nemesis!

Someday you're mine, Nemesis!
I've got my eye on you.

Practicing

This weekend Mama bought me a new shirt to add to my collection. She called this one "seasonal", but I'm not sure what that means. All I know is...it has my favorite word on it.

I'll let you guess which one.

After some discussion though, Mama and I decided that black isn't best color for golden retrievers as it shows just how much I shed. How embarrassing!

Here's a picture of me practicing my "Trick or Treat" face.

Too obvious?

Here's my attempt at subtlety.

Looks like I wouldn't give a tick for those treats, right?

Well, just before I was about to decide I couldn't take it anymore, Mama gave in and said the magic word.

Victory, at last!

Wordless Wednesday

Subi Says...

Good canine Citizenship means always looking for ways to be helpful to all members of the family. Even if they're not my Mama.

One way I've found to help is by rounding up and keeping track of stray socks. I love socks! On rare occasions I wrangle stray underwear as well, but that wasn't necessary today.

Anyway...whenever I find a stray I bring it to my favorite place. That way when someone realizes they're missing, they know just where to come to look for it.

Love

In the Doghouse

Sorry I have not been able to blog. I have been grounded.

That's what Mama calls it -- even though all I know is it means "punished".

See..here's what happened. Couple of days ago Mama came home with a new toy, 'cept this toy was not for me. It was for her! She played and played with it, and she would not pay any attention to me. Of course, being the smart girl I am, I noticed that she plugged it into the wall each night with a cord, which she put into her purse in the mornings and took with her to work.

Well, one night after she came home, Mama was playing with her new toy and since she wasn't paying attention to me, I sneaked into her purse, pulled out the cord and chewed it all to bits.

Mama did not talk to me for the rest of the whole night, which was not the reaction I was hoping for!

I am happy to report that due to my cuteness I am back in Mama's good graces. She said she just needed to be mad at me for a while but now she is over it. She also said she got the point and then promised to pay more attention to me. And she got a new cord for her toy so all is good again.

Except when she comes home from work now she doesn't leave her purse on the floor next to her bed like she used to.

Hmmm......

Furmination

Like me, some of you may know what it's like to be "Furminated". It's when Mama breaks out the special brush she calls the "Furminator" and scratches me up, down, and all around with it. The next thing I know, she's making off with wads and wads of my gorgeous golden locks like she's going to sell it to make wigs for unfortunate pups with the mange. Mama says that it's "extra fur", but I'm not sure I'm buying it, because it just keeps coming and coming with no end in sight. Surely my rear end and my belly must be bald by now.

Mama says my fur is good for composting and that birds can make nests out of it.

I KNEW they were trying to get a piece of me!!

Now the composting I don't mind so much, but the birds can just look somewhere else for their nesting materials.

Wordless Wednesday

Like Clockwork

Every night, just before the sun goes down, I go to my upstairs perch. Not because I like the view of the street and like to bark at the other dogs and their humans as they go by on their post-dinner walks. Nope...that's just the icing on the cake.

I wait...Mama says impatiently...for my little friend to come out to play. (Look closely at the top of the picture!)

Okay...I use the term friend loosely. You know...if a friend were someone I wanted to <chomp, chomp, gulp!>

Like clockwork, I go armchair hunting in the effort to catch my little friend. Mama says I became so predictable she was even able to get some video of one of the events.

But no worries, my friends (not the kind I chomp and gulp) I have not given up hope. Tonight I will again resume my efforts to catch the wiggly, squirmy invader.

I will keep you posted on the results

The One That Started it All

Here's a picture of me posing in very first shirt.

It's a little threadbare because for a long time it was the only shirt I had, so I don't wear it that much anymore. Mama chose it because she felt it described me to a T.

I'm really a happy girl when I get the chance to strut my stuff.

Confessions of a Clotheshorse

Alright...I have to confess ...I love to get all dressed up to show everyone what a princess I am.

Mama wants to be sure ya'll know that it's not her...it's me. She says to tell you that it started out very reluctantly and innocently -- though now that she's finally given in to the power of dog clothes, she has a lot of fun with it. I think you'll understand what I mean when you see my newest outfit from the back.

I love this outfit!

Mama likes to buy me clothes that say funny things. Unfortunately, as she tells me all the time, it's awful hard to find clothes in my size. Apparently there aren't many people who make clothes for "big and talls". I'm not even that big! I'm like...a size eight, but all they have is clothes for a size zero. What is that about?

But I digress....

It all started a while back when I started going with Mama to Golden Beginnings' Meet & Greets to hang with other goldens and people who love goldens. You see, since my big sister went to Rainbow Bridge, Mama thought I just wasn't getting enough social-i-zation. I'm not sure what that means, but I'm not going to dwell on it 'cause whatever it is Mama thinks I was getting it at the M&Gs. Now at the beginning there was a problem -- people kept coming up to mama to ask one of two things:

1. Why was I foaming at the mouth?
2. Is she available?

Yes, another confession, I foam when I'm nervous. And there was a lot to be nervous about -- all those people -- and me away from the safe haven of my home!

So...Mama says she got tired a telling people that I already had a home and wondered what she could do about it. Then, one day, we were at PetSmart -- grocery shopping --when we passed the clothes rack and I could practically see the lightbulb come on over Mama's head. Clothes would be perfect way to say, "You can pet, but you can't take home". THEN she found a big pink shirt that said "Little Princess" and that was that.

And guess what...the next time I went to a M&G nobody asked if they could take me home AND as an added bonus I stopped feeling so nervous. After a couple more M&Gs I stopped foaming entirely. Turns out, being wrapped up nice and tight like that makes me feel like I'm constantly being hugged. I feel loved and secure, which is just what my M&G excursions was missing.

Anyway, I have a whole wardrobe now and Mama has decided that we should do a blog "fashion show". So when there's nothing else going on, Mama will help me don one of my outfits and we'll show all of our blog friends what it looks like.

Wordless Wednesday

Best. Day. Ever.

The best day ever always starts with a good long pee, followed by a R-I-D-E. Except that yesterday my morning R-I-D-E ended at Dr. P's office at 7:30 am. I tried to explain to Mama that nothing was hurtin' but since she hadn't had her morning caffeine yet, she could not understand me. The pet nurse tricked me into going into the back and by the time I noticed Mama was not with me -- well, there was no escapin'.

They put me in a cage and instead of watching TV, I got to watch a long line of dogs and cats hurt way worse than me, get to see the doctor first. By the time I got to see Dr. P it was almost my dinnertime and, boy, was I hungry! And after all that waitin' there was hardly nothing to it. Couple of shots, lights in my eyes, ear rubs -- although someone did put there fingers someplace I would rather not mention -- but all in all -- not traumatic. But by time I got sprung, I thought my whole day was shot, as it was after 7 pm.

But then I got home and found there was something waiting for me that made up for all that waiting in the cage.

Presents from Cool Hand Luke and the Bleu (of Course) and Luke's The Mom!! And it was just like a Bark Day Party. Here's me posin' with my presents. Oops, got me with my eyes closed.

I love presents! I believe I have been clear on this issue.

Here's a close up of the letter, complete with pictures of Luke and the Bleu, in which they thank me for playin' in the 500F Blog Post contest.


And to that I say...No...Thank YOU! And I LOVE Having you as a friend too!

I love friends!

Now here's a picture of the box with all the stuff still in it. Mama had to be quick about it 'cause that stuffie was callin' my name (and tellin' me his name was Mr. Ducksworth),


Here's me getting intimately 'quainted with Mr. Ducksworth. He's my favorite color too!

Me with my yellow bandanna. Did someone say cheese!
Here's a picture of all the stuff that came in the box. I don't even know what all that stuff is, but I'm gonna have a good time finding out.



Once again, a huge thanks to Luke, the Bleu (of course) and Luke's the Mom for makin' my whole day better! I love reading your blog and I'm so glad ya'll are my friends.

May you have sunny skies and quiet rain.

Clearing Up Confusion

Now some blogging pals have asked me about Wednesday's wordless picture, in particular -- who my cute little friend is.

Duh! I'm the cute little friend! That's me the day after my Gotcha Day, playing with my big sister Blossom who left for Rainbow Bridge back in February. Blossom sure was nice to share her stuffie with me -- she thought it was big enough for us to both chew on -- at least for a little while. You can tell in this picture that she eventually changed her mind.

Wordless Wednesday

Under for the Thunder

Something strange happened this afternoon. Mama brought a whole lot of thunder with her when she came home from work. Now I'm not one to be scared of much when I'm in my own house (outside is a whole 'nother story) except for things that Mama calls balloons and my age old nemisis called Ceiling Fan. But today there more thunder than I thought possible. I growled at for a bit but it was coming so loud and so fast that windows were rattling and I decided to retreat to a place of safety. Which is where I was when Mama took this picture.


Mama tells me it will all stop soon and for that I'm grateful. I will tell you something though -- I'm starting to see what all Luke's been fussing about.

Subi Says...

Being a proper host to out of town guests is very important -- especially for social lovebugs like me. Proper guest reception begins before the guest even arrives.

First things first...you have a to change the sheets on the bed. Grandma says, for extra special guests like our Japanese friends, we buy all new sheets.


An especially good canine citizen will not hesitate to jump right in a help with the labor...


Grandpa says there's a fine line between helping and getting in the way...but I don't know what he's talking about.


This is a picture of me and my new friend Yuui. Yuui and her brother Toui brought me PRESENTS! I got a bumblebee stuffie and hot-dog stuffie and they are tough, tough, tough. My favorite.

As you can see, I did not forget to offer to pre-rinse Yuui's morning yogurt. She was happy to let me do the dirty work.
So remember Kids, Subi Says that being a thoughtful host/hostess is another way to be good canine citizens. Good Canine Citizenship doesn't happen overnight. Be vigilant and persistent because these are skills that take practice and patience.

I'd love to hear your stories of when you were a good canine citizen.

Wordless Wednesday

Happy...See?