Sammy's life part 1

I think you all know already but Sammy passed away on Sept. 5th 2015.  I wanted to write a blog to share stories about her life.  She was born on Jan 15th 2001.  I was going to Green River and was going to be on spring break in March so I decided that would be a good time for me to get a puppy.  I had never had one before at least that I can remember.  I don't know why but I wanted a black and tan, girl wiener dog. I looked in the paper for ads and called around pet stores but nobody had any girl wiener dogs. A few days went by and I called again the pet store by my house and they said no girl wiener dogs. Me, being impatient decided to go look anyway.  I thought maybe a boy would be fine or maybe another breed I could just go look.  When I got to the store I saw the cutest little chocolate puppy I had ever seen and asked the worker if that chocolate dog was a Dachshund. aka wiener dog.  I had never seen that color before, when they are puppies they aren't long yet so I didn't know.  I looked at her big floppy ears and long nose and the worker said "yes, would you like to see her?" HER! I asked?  I just called a few hours ago, you said there was no girls in.  The worker said we just got her.  I said yes I would, she let me holder and I knew she was the one!  I instantly feel in love with her.  She was perfect and beautiful and full of love!  I paid for her (on credit card of course, being a collage student I never had extra money) and brought her home right then!  I never even looked or held any other puppies, I knew it was meant to be!

David took these photos and let Sam use his puppy bed

David puppy sitting Sam

She was a crazy, crazy puppy!  I couldn't believe how much stuff a tiny 3lb little thing could destroy.  If it was in her sight it was ruined! Phones, sunglasses, clothes, furniture, you name it!  She even ate holes through the carpet of my apartment.  I hadn't had a puppy before so I figured it was normal.  Since I have had other puppy's that were no where close to how crazy she was!  I also learned she hated being in a kennel of any sort. (which I figured also was normal, but it wasn't)  When I took her into get her first little puppy shots she was riding home with me in the car and I had brought a soft mesh zippered carry bag for her.  I put her in there and she howl and howl and cried and went crazy trying to eat through the bag.  I thought no, you have to stay in there.  It's safer and I'm the mom and I need to teach you, after about 2 minutes I couldn't take it anymore.  I unzipped the bag and her whole body was full of hives!  We had turn around and head right back to the vet.  It was a combo of  her stress and the vaccine.  Yes, she was allergic to all her vaccines.  She had to get special pre and post meds and even stay after to be watched every time she was due for any shots.  I also tried putting her in a kennel when I went to work and school but that didn't work either.  She howled and cried so loud I could hear her a block away and since I lived in apartments so I couldn't do that to the neighbors.  So once again she was free to roam as she pleased destroying everything she could.
Since I had my own business (Totally Hair) I thought I would bring Sam to work with me.  It didn't work out so well.  She as most puppies loved to run around and be chased.  One day she ran right out the front door behind my client and ran into the street.  I followed her out there but she was fast. She had ran across the road.  I saw her there and I saw 3 cars driving down the street.  I didn't want her to run back to me so I just stood there quietly and patiently watched as the 3 cars went by.  Right as the 3rd one was about to pass she ran right toward me in front of the car.  I saw her under the car rolling around getting all scuffled and was devastated!  The car stopped and he felt bad I assured him it wasn't his fault. I had heard the if animals are hurt they will run off and hide to die, and Sam began to run from me again.  I ran after her and picked her up.  Her tail was wagging and she was licking my face.  I was so happy she didn't seam hurt but as we walked back to work where my client was waiting I noticed we both had quit a bit of blood on us.  I told my client I was taking her to the vet and would be back.. We went to the closest vet.  They checked her out and said she was lucky it looked like only the tip of her ear was cut and they bleed a lot!  After that I decided I probably shouldn't bring her to work until she was a little more mellow. 

Sam at Totally Hair

Now she was about a year old and still quite crazy.  I talked to the vet and we decided she had bad separation anxiety and that maybe a playmate would help her.  By now I had moved into a house so I figured 2 dogs would be ok.  I began to look for a boy wiener dog but didn't really want a puppy since Sam had been quit a challenge. One day when I was at work I saw a lady had a little puppy with her.  I asked what kind of dog that was and if I could pet it.  She said it was a boy wiener dog and yes I could pet him.  Then she said someone was suppose to meet her there to buy him but they never showed up so I could buy him if I wanted.  Once again I figured it was meant to be so I took him home for Sam to have a playmate.  His name was already Oscar so I kept the name even though its pretty common for people to have an Oscar Meyer wiener. (haha)  I really think it helped Sam.  She began to calm down and Oscar was an easy puppy especially compared to Sam!

Sam and Oscar playing

Sam and Oscar sun bathing

Sam playing with Oscar

  He wasn't very old at all so imagine my surprise when I found out Sam was going to have puppies and he was the dad.  Sam had 5 puppies (which seams like a lot for her size).

Sam very pregnant and tired!

She was the best little mom!  She loved being a mom and took great care of them. She gave birth to them in my closet and I watched the whole thing,  It amazes me the natural instinct animals have to just know what to do!  I ended up sleeping on the closest floor with her and her puppies.  I loved that every time she had to go potty she would get out of her box, roll the puppies apart, count them with her nose (I could see her head bob as she would count) then roll them tighter to stay warm and run outside to potty then run back roll them apart count them again, roll them back tighter and get back in the box to feed them and keep them warm.

Sam with her newborn puppies

Like everything with Sam things didn't go perfect.  A few days later she got an infection and had to go to the vet.  She had to stay there and I had to care for the puppies.  This is when I learned that the puppies don't even know how to go potty.  She naturally licks them to make them go, so I had to get a warm wash rag and wipe them with it to make them go potty.  I also had to feed them with an eye dropper every hour or so.  The puppies had to come to work with me.  Luckily Sam quickly recovered and was back home to take care of them again in just a few days!

Helping Doranda find her Easter candy

Easter 2001 (Sam's first pro photo's)

Christmas 2001

                         ok I guess that's enough for part 1....more to come

snoqualmie falls

We are lucky enough to have a fantastic house cleaner come about every 4-6 weeks.  She does that best job ever and is affordable however she works 2 other jobs so she usually has to clean for us on a Saturday.  When she come we don't want to be sitting there watching her...that'd be awkward so we always try to find something to do for the day.  Yes the whole day!  Our house is only 1100 square feet and with just the 2 of us it can't really be that dirty but she spends about 8 hours on it, dusting, sheets, everything, it always look and smells amazing when we get back! This time we didn't have anything planned out so spur of the moment we decided to go up to Snoqualmie falls.  I figured we could kill enough time up there, hiking, going to the outlet stores, eating lunch and stopping at the casino if we needed to.  I wasn't sure how much water would be flowing since we had such a dry year but to my surprise there was quite a bit.  The last time we went they were redoing the trail so you couldn't go to the bottom.  This time it was open and I don't really remember walking down there before.  The sign said it was only 1/2 mile...I find that hard to believe because I got about 5000 steps on my pedometer and it took probably over an hour! There was another sign saying it was 450 feet elevation in that 1/2 mile.  That doesn't sound like much to me but I was dying! I'm not sure if it was because I had a cold, it was humid, I hadn't eaten or I'm just out of shape but I couldn't believe how hard it was!  



from the bottom 

From the top view point




















Next we went to the outlets.  I can't believe I didn't buy anything.  Not that I didn't want to I just couldn't find anything I liked.  By now we were starving so we headed to the casino to eat.  We ate at a nice Asian restaurant were they brought us fried taro root while we waited for our food.  We both liked our meals and it was pretty fancy with large portions, I think our bill was around $20. Pretty cheap I thought.  I would defiantly go back.  While we were out David's brother called to invite us to a bbq at his place.  We decided to stop by because we were driving right past there to get home. Good thing we stopped, they only had one other couple show up and they probably had food for 50! It was nice to visit with them.  By the time we got home I was exhausted.  I was happy to come home to a clean house though.



wisconsin III

To finish up our road trip we left Milwaukee and headed to Elkhart Lake Wi to go to see some car racing at Road America.  David wanted to go here since we were close and he hadn't been there before.  He loves most all car racing! I have been to NASCAR and follow that a little but this was different. This racing is called IMSA (continental tire series). The track wasn't in an oval.  It's called a road course and has lots of turns.  David pick us a camp site right along the track.  When we got there it was super rainy!  It pretty much poured all day.  The next morning we were woken up to some of the loudest noise I have ever heard. VROOM-VROOM  Sam was really scared and didn't like it at all.  She was shaking a lot.  It only lasted 15 mins.  It was the practice for the Daytona prototype cars which were going to race for 2 1/2 hours the next afternoon.  There was some other races throughout the day.  The cars were quitter, but still loud.

we camped right at this fence

pit row

  After the racing ended for the day we walked around and checked out the booths of car stuff. The next morning we woke up again but this time the race cars hadn't started practicing yet.  Shortly thereafter they did though.  Once again Sam was scared! We decided to go ahead and leave before the big finally race.  We didn't think Sammy could handle the noise.  Hopefully David doesn't feel he missed out. Once we decided to go we pretty much just drove and drove and drove.  David drove as much as he could, then we would just find somewhere to eat and sleep.  I tried to drive once.  That was a disaster! I've never ever tried it before.  David said I should know how to so I attempted after we left a rest area I tried.  I had to merge right onto the freeway with road construction and it seamed so fast and scary I couldn't believe it! I couldn't see out the windows or mirrors very well and I was worried a semi-truck would try to pass me (because I was slow) and it made so nervous because they change the air and kind of make you swerve.  I had to pull over as soon as I could.  I think I went about 3 miles and held my breath the whole time! I even started crying.  He thought it would be easy for me to try it on the freeway because there was no turns and stuff, but I think I should have tried it on slow roads so I would be more comfortable at slower speeds and use to how it drives before going fast.  We just drove straight the rest of the way home. Sammy sleep most of the drive.

 David made really good time by driving long hours. We took the I-90 there but the I-94 home.  I think the 94 was prettier and less construction even though it's a little longer.  We passed a ton of sunflower fields but really didn't stop for any site seeing.

We ended up getting home earlier then expected.  We were going to meet up with my parents at Spokane one more time before they went on there mission but it turned out we were running early and they were later then expected so we ended up getting to see them for about 5 minutes close to home.  Caleb took care of you garden for us.  It was really hot while we were gone.  He did a good job but I think the plants could have used even more water.  He picked so many veggies for us. 

Thanks Caleb.  We had a good time but we were all ready to be home. 

BIRTHDAY

Sorry, I haven't had time to update my blog this week.  I need to finish up my Wisconsin trip but also I want to write a blog about Sammy's life.  I noticed my computer pics only went back to 2008 so I had to find old paper pictures to scan and up load. I spent several hours going through all my old photo and sorting them out.  There were tons of doubles and stuff so I am going to be handing some out.  I still need to upload them.  I'm hoping to finish up in the next week or so.  I hear grandpa looks at the blog every day so I wanted to wish him a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY in case I don't get to talk to him on his birthday.  Happy Birthday Grandpa Swift!