Puppy Faith Growing Up Month to Month ~ July 2014

Give me that bone! July 7, 2014

I had the idea that it would be fun to document puppy Faith's growing up month to month instead the way I began this. She is growing up so fast and time is going by so fast, that in order to get caught up, I had to get organized. 

Look at me! I made it up to the top of the table, now how do I get down? July 14, 2014

Assisting with gardening chores makes a puppy tired. Here I head over to rest on mommy's lap. July 18, 2014

Here I am, posing for that header picture you all thought was so cute. (I really don't understand why mommy took it down, but Samson tells me humans are just weird that way.......) July 28, 2014 ~ 3 Months Old 

And today, September 28, puppy Faith is 5 months old. Right now, she's growing longer faster than she's growing taller. 

Happy 80th Birthday Fishducky!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAR FRAN!

I decided to try for a 'selfie' wearing the hat with your logo, hoping it would evoke wonderful memories of your life on the beach. 

The corn stalks looked so lovely this morning that I decided I would honor you with them, since I have no flowers growing here. 

And your best buddy, who is just like your daughter 'Nameless' and does not want to be seen here, sends his love and wishes for many, many more good years to come. 

Samson and Faith say you can't even see us in that picture. Never mind daddy, we want to be seen as we sing you the Happy Birthday song! 

HAVE A WONDERFUL 80TH BIRTHDAY, DEAR FRAN and BEST WISHES FROM US IN THE CANYON.

LOVE YOU!!!

The Animal Park at Kolmarden, Sweden ~ Part 2

As Inga and I walked around, we came upon a large meadow with an animal population straight from the African savannah.

I saw tall and slender Swedish pine trees in the background and a field filled with rhinos, wildebeest, giraffe and antelope.  

Soon the herd of rhinos started on a walkabout, around the pond.

As they approached, the antelope began to move away except for one, who was butting horns with a wildebeest. I was happy to have captured that action with my camera.

A giraffe wandered off by itself at the other end of the large field.

This animal park also had a drive-through part where animals were separated, as appropriate, in large natural enclosures. Here she is, the moose, symbol of Sweden, resting right by the road where the cars go by, seemingly taking it all in stride. 

Look who decided to stroll on by: A Swedish brown bear!   

Not only that, the bear decided to cross the road right in front of our car. 

In the next enclosure, we came upon some giraffe taking a rest in the Swedish forest and a buffalo looking not too pleased to see us driving by. 

Blogger friend ladyfi, who lives in Sweden, commented on my last post that things have now changed in the park:  "Wonderful memories! Kolmården has changed a lot - with cable cars rides over the fields so that now the animals can roam freely without cars driving through. And the tigers have a new enclosure."

And that, of course, is so much better for the animals.

The lions were wonderful, playful, rolling around in the tall grass. I was so enthralled that I managed to mess up all the pictures I took of them.

But I'm posting them anyway. Hope you can get an idea of how much fun it was to watch them having a such good time.

I don't know if you can see them, but lined up against the fence are about five lion cubs and they were the cutest of all in this animal park.

Let me end this visit in the Swedish forest. All the little bushes you see, growing close to the ground, are blueberries. I just had to take a picture.

A wonderful day with a good friend, who every time I come to Stockholm gives me a place to sleep and, with her sister, always makes sure I have the best of times there. Thank you Inga and Christina for all you do for me when I come to Stockholm.

The Animal Park at Kolmarden, Sweden ~ Part 1

I first posted this in May 2010 when I had few followers and then again in my Swedish Rhapsody theme for the A to Z of 2012. I have edited the content a bit. Isn't it interesting how our style of writing evolves? I just had to make some changes, hopefully making it better. 

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First day of summer 2005 -- I was in Sweden, it was my birthday, and my friend Inga decided we should celebrate by doing something special. So she treated me to a wonderful day that included a visit to Kolmarden's Animal Park, south of Stockholm.

I have so many photos that this will be a two-part adventure. 

Before we set out into the park, we visited a non-denominational church that is built partially into a mountain. The architecture was interesting and the church was beautiful.

Several large boulders were left inside the church.

One boulder had a wreath of candles wrapped around it and it was truly beautiful. The church is oval or round, so there are no corners and very peaceful inside. We lit candles for my sister, who had just passed away. 

The views outside were gorgeous too.

We started out looking at the tame critters in this barnyard. As always, I love to visit with goats and they had lots of them. Here's even a baby one. It's a bit hard to tell, but I think it is nursing.

More goats and some mellow cows.

The polar bears had a huge enclosure

where they walked around and swam in the pool.

These guys seem pretty content.

This looked a bit strange to me: A tiger, two, three tigers in a Swedish meadow.

But there they were, walking down the path,

checking out the water temp… after all it's early summer and it may be cold in there….

But no, look: A treat for me, the first time I've ever seen a tiger going for a swim.

We all know that a good swim makes for a good appetite…what magnificent animals they are, these large cats.

Part two will follow in a few days and will include animals from the African savannah and two symbols of Swedish wildlife.

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Something came up that I had to take care of, not related to my husband, but time consuming, still. This is why I haven't visited as much as I would like. Thank you for stopping by and checking out puppy Faith. She just went for her rabies shot and weighed 36 pounds. So she gains about 2 lbs a week. I expect she'll end up between 50 and 60 when she's done growing. 

My husband has been doing well, but does not learn from his experiences with overdoing it. So we both suffer the consequences. But for the most part he's doing well right now. Thanks for your comments and your support. You have no idea how much it means and what a difference it makes. 

Faith at Seven Weeks, June 20, 2014

Another post to document Faith growing up. I'm doing these for me, so no need to comment, just enjoy her cuteness. How small she was, how fast she's growing up.

Samson Says: If the Snake Hadn't Come

into my enclosure, daddy wouldn't have run off to Home Depot to get some snake repellent. If Home Depot man hadn't told daddy that he had to get it online, the store didn't carry it any longer, daddy wouldn't have gone across the street to the Tractor Supply store. If daddy hadn't gone there, he wouldn't have met up with the electricians who were giving puppies away. And I would have never got a little sister, named Faith. 

Thank you, you big old snake you. Having a little sister has made me the happiest dog all summer long. Every single day, I have come to love her more and more.

When she came, she was only six weeks old, way too young to leave her mommy and her siblings. Mommy told me it would now be up to me to teach her how to be a dog, how to fight, how to wrestle, what not to get into, and so on. Puppies should learn that from their litter mates and doggy mommy, said mommy. 

I looked at her and felt how scared she was. She cried and cried for her family and who could blame her. From that first moment, I knew I had to take care of her even if it would mean I had a lot of work ahead of me. She was so tiny and cute then.

So I said, OK, mommy, I will take her under my furry paw and keep her warm and content. I will teach her how to be the best of dogs, I promise, mommy, I truly will.

Faith soon recovered from her loneliness and started acting like the feisty pup she truly is. Look at her here, on her second day here, she saw that I got up on the table and she had to try too. Every day, she'd try something new.

What she liked the best was to chase me around. She's like a regular exercise machine, making me lose all that weight I gained from the steroids. Isn't she just the cutest thing? No Gracie, I'm not in love, just in brotherly love. Mommy and daddy say I am turning out to be a wonderful big brother. They think I don't hear them, but my hearing is very excellent, so nothing passes me by.......

Now where did she go? Come on Faith, so we can watch the Super Harvest Moon rise over the mountains. Come here you silly girl.....

Now, look over there, Faith! This is your very first Harvest Moon. That's one reason I love being with my Faith, every day there is a first for her. Look at her here, she's on the table now, has been for a long time. She gets in the bed too, sleeps in there. No one minds.

Have a nice day, everyone!


And sending lots of LOVE to my Gracie XOXOXOXO, your Samson

Posted by Samson, the Samoyed Dog.