SISTERS  AT  THE  TOP  OF  THE  WORLD
 

Mom and Aunt Sharon took a day trip to visit Mt. Washington in the White Mountains, Presidential Range. This was a trip where they left me home AGAIN! Just because dogs are not allowed on the cog railway, BIG DEAL. I was up for a hike to the summit. Experienced hikers take around 4 hours to make the climb. Mom says it would take her 4 days! Mt. Washington is the highest peak in the Northeastern US and the most prominent mountain east of the Mississippi River.

Mount Washington Cog Railway is the world's first mountain-climbing cog railway running from 1868 to the present. The length of the track is 3 miles and takes 45 minutes to travel up to the summit. Attached are wonderful pictures of the trip.

I am making weekly Therapy Dog visits and loving it. Our weather is wonderful. 80's daytime and 60's at night. The green eyed flies are a problem but I have special spray from the vet to keep them off. Enjoy the pics and Ill be back in a week or so. Miss you All, Sam

BIRTHDAY  3 YEARS OLD JULY 7th

I am 3 years old now and boy did I have a wonderful day! It started with mom taking me to Hinckley Park, which is a lease free dog park. I had soooo much fun running the trails and swimming in the ponds. There were a lot of other dogs in all shapes and sizes to play with.

Hinckley Pond is a 40-acre park located in South Portland with 2 small ponds, lots of trails, bridges and plenty to smell. The ponds are fresh water. There is an old ice house located on the property as they used to cut blocks of ice from the ponds.

After leaving the park we went by McDonald's where mom got her diet coke and I got a plain hamburger patty and a glass of water. (She should drink water like me, it's healthier!) After all that exercise, I spent the afternoon napping. My day was not over yet, so after dinner Mom and Dad took me to Bailey's Ice Cream shop where I got a  cup of  "doggie" ice cream with a peanut butter biscuit on the top. Ahhhh, a perfect day! The only thing to make better, would have been to share it with my Florida pals I left back at home.

1st DAY OF WORK

Here is an update on my Therapy Dog visit. Two days after my birthday I made my orientation and first visit at the a Maine Veterans Home. What a cool place and big! They have 4 wings and I visited all of them. The residence were excited to see me and I them. Mom and I are going back again next week and visit some more. We were there for a little over an hour for our first time. Mom was worried I would get stressed out but I didn't. I LOVED IT!  Enjoy the pictures of my birthday and by the way, I included the picture of my first day of work. Notice my working scarf.  Miss you all, love you more, SAM

PARK  LOOP ROAD IN ACADIA

 Well Aunt Sharon has gone home so Mom is attaching more pictures of their trip to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. This National Park should be on everyone's "bucket list."  I put it on mine but they went without me!

JORDAN  POND

A fun place to eat when in the park is Jordan Pond. This is a view you have while eating on the lawn. A must have is the Lobster Stew and Popovers, not to mention the lawn is dog friendly (not that I got to find out). Enjoy the album attached. Till later, Love Sam and family

WINE & LOBSTER

LIFE IS GOOD

Here I am back again. Mom and Aunt Sharon took off and went to Bar Harbor leaving dad and I alone. You can see they were having a wonderful time!
They stayed in Bar Harbor and visited Acadia Nat'l Park as well as explored Mount Desert Island.
Mom and I have not made our first therapy visit yet due to the director at a Maine Veterans Home being on vacation. I beginning to think I will never get to make any therapy calls. I know I just need to be patient. Attached are some pictures of Bar Harbor. I will include more pictures in a couple of days of Acadia Nat'l Park.
Miss you all, Sam and family
 (Don't tell mom and aunt Sharon but dad and I went to McDonald's and I got my own hamburger and french fries! HA! We'll teach her to leave us alone (until I get weighted!)

WHERE  IN  THE  WORLD  IS  SAM?

Hi Everyone........Things have been pretty quiet. Just hanging out and swimming. Mom made several calls to The Maine Veterans Home before we made contact with the person in charge of activities. We went in this week and she and I had an interview. She filled out the application for volunteering and returned them. They will run a back ground check before we can schedule our visits. While we were waiting for our appointment I had a great time visiting with everyone in the lobby area. So many people coming and going.

Mom's sister came in this week on vacation. What FUN. I have been showing her around all the places I like to go. She even went on walks with Mom and I. They are headed to Bar Harbor, ME tomorrow and returning on Thur. Something about a girls trip. She has promised to take a lot of pictures to share when they get back. Little do they know Dad and I have some fun trips planned, especially to McDonald's. After all, we will be bachelors for 4 days. Boy can we get into trouble! Mom says she is going to weigh me when she gets back.

Our weather has turned beautiful, 80's in the daytime with 49% humidity and low 50's at night. I will check in next weekend with pictures and any news about upcoming therapy visits. Bye for now, Sam

 WHERE IN THE WORLD IS SAM?

Hi Everyone,

Mom got my papers from Therapy Dog and registered on line and took another test. There was this wonderful video they included with my papers and she watched it, hence the test. So I am now OFFICIAL! Next week is my first visit......more to follow.

I was back to the vet to get my last shot protecting me from limes disease. I guess there are a lot of ticks in Maine and they love the tall grasses of the Marsh as well as the woods. Mom keeps me protected with some sort of flea and tick protection so they will die if they bite me. (I just don't want to catch anything from their bite.)

Weather has been great and so is swimming! Only problem is Mom insists on cleaning my ears, which doesn't thrill me but I tolerate it. The picture above is me standing in the Marsh. The grasses are starting to grow taller and are a pretty green. Quite a change from when we arrived. We have decorated our camp site with new flowers and a Hummingbird Feeder.

We have had a lot of RVs come and go with most of them having dogs. The problem is they are not allowed off lease to run and play, but at least they are friendly. The other day I was walking with Dad (yes he walks me too) when we spotted this small creature down by the duck pond. I was cautious and crept upon it. All of a sudden its head went back in its body! I jumped (brave as I am), then slowly snuck back upon it again, but his head stayed in. I did a down dog, pawed the ground, and barked, but it just would not PLAY! Hump, not sure what his problem was. I see these same creatures sunning themselves on a log in the duck pond. I guess dad called them turtles.

Nothing much else to report so I will sign off for now. Oh by the way, the pictures below show you a stick I pulled out of the Marsh. (Mom called it a branch.) I worked and worked to bring it to her and then she wouldn't throw it! (Something about it being 6' long and heavy.) WIMP! Love you all...later gator, Sam and Family

JUST  VEGGING

Here I am just vegging out, just waiting for my Therapy Dog Papers to come through. I need those papers so I will be covered by insurance when I make visits. (Believe me I know the importance of insurance!) I overheard Mom talking and it seems that a friend of hers here in Maine works at a Veterans Home. It is located just up the street and they LOVE having visits. So I have a job as soon as my papers get sent back. I hope it is this week. Wouldn't it be wonderful if I could make a visit this Memorial Day Week-end!

I have had a fun week. Mom took me to a new park and I met fun friends to run and play with. The park has 2 ponds for swimming and trails through the woods for tracking. Mom and I covered over 2 miles of trails. It was fun to have friends to play with even though it will be someone different each week. Dad says he will go next time.

I have been swimming 3 times this week in the marsh at our camp ground! On Sunday Mom and I went for a 4 mile walk on the Eastern Trail. There were a lot of people walking, biking and jogging on the trail with us. I even met several dogs. One was even in a stroller.  I don't think I could convince my folks to push me in a stroller. Come to think of it I don't think I would stay still long enough for that. Well that is about all for now. I will hopefully have gotten my papers and made a visit by my next blog. Everyone take care and I'll be back soon. Love, Sam