Shelby's blog

We went to Armstrong Woods State Park on Christmas Day.  What a wonderful place to enjoy nature and feel like there really are fairies and goblins about!  Shelby and Penny both brought home “jewelry” in their tales – all decked out for Christmas!  Don’t tell the park authorities that we removed these items from their natural environment, he he.

All Decorated for Christmas

While the park is a beautiful place, the 3/4 mile in and out was too hard on the PP.  She was exhausted from the walk and had a very hard time getting up and around for her visit to our war heros the next day.  Much better after a long nap and a little ‘purposeful petting’ (aka massage) on her front leg.  Next time, we will need to impose the Lil Red Wagon so we can still enjoy God’s natural beauty. 

Waiting for the next piece of popcorn!  Only time we can get them all to be still and in the same place 🙂

1st and last meeting with Santa!

The chauffeur and the maid “tossed” me into the truck and took me to see some fat guy with long white hair and rosy cheeks! 

Heck, they didn’t need to take me anywhere, I could have stayed home and looked at dad!

They made me sit on a bench with this “guy” in a red suit and then all these people started yelling at me to SMILE. To much pressure on the Princess, so I got really nervous and started shakin. The fat guy in the red suit, not dad, hugged me real close… so I smiled, just once…and they took the picture.

As soon as I got down off the bench, I smiled on purpose, to everyone who wanted one. They printed the picture, we put it in a frame and we were out of there!

I promise, cross my heart, I’ll be good…all year…just don’t make me go back there and see Santa Paws again!

Here are some photo’s we took, we hope you enjoy them.

It’s always great to get together with old friends, the day is only made better by meeting and making new friends.

http://decembernorcaltripawdpawty.shutterfly.com/

Dad and I went to visit the vets at Martinez this morning. We had been there once before and I got my nose shocked by static electricity from someone in a wheel chair. The first person we meet is in a wheel chair. I didn’t want to go see anyone in a wheel chair, period, no way, no how.

Dad told me I had to hop up right next to the wheelchair and visit! Imagine someone talking that way to the P.P.! So fine, I did it and guess what, I didn’t get shocked. I musta talked to 20 people in wheel chairs today and I didn’t get shocked, maybe it was an accident after all.

We saw old friends who remembered me and dad, one guy had my picture in a pouch on his wheel chair! He called me by name and told me how happy he was we came back! We walked and talked with a ton of new folks in the area where they teach people how to use there new legs. Some of those guys were working really hard cause they were tired and wanted to rest for a while. I can so relate!!

It was lunch time and I wanted to go into the lunch room but they wouldn’t let us, something about no dogs allowed, dad told the workers, she not a dog she’s a Tripawd! They laughed, but the answer was still no. So we wandered down the hall and saw some guys playing domino’s so we headed outside to the courtyard. Two of my old friends were there, one of them has a picture of his dog on his cell phone and we got to see it again. He said he really missed his dog, then he gave me  a hug and said he had to go. His name is Larry and he’s going home in about 2 months so we told him we would see him around Christmas time.

Another one of my friends, B.J. is what they call “a domino playing dude” he lives to play domino’s and he must be good cause he said he won almost two dollars in yesterdays game! There were 6 guys outside in the courtyard and as we got up to leave, they thanked us for coming to see them. Dad said it was our honor and he thanked them for putting up with us. They all shook hands and said for us to take it easy and be safe on the way home. Mom says dad drives like a little old lady and from what I’ve been told, little old ladies don’t get into trouble!

As we were in the hallway headed to the sign out sheet, a pretty lady was pushing her husband in a wheelchair and asked if we could stop and say Hi!  He is in his 80’s and he smiled as his wife and my dad talked. He tried to reach down and pat my head but we knew he couldn’t do it, so dad picked me up, like all three paws off the ground, so he could give me a pat on the head! His wife giggled and I saw dad give her one one of my personally autographed, limited edition photo’s of me in my wagon. She put it in his shirt pocket and said she’ll pin it up next to his bed.

We signed out and as we walked out the front door, dad just laughed and said, not only are a princess but now you’re a pin up girl!!

Howdy, we talked to Jim and Kathleen and we decided to meet at the In and Out in Roseville rather that Auburn. I wrapped their presents the best I could, don’t forget, we don’t have thumbs, and away we went.

 We got there just after noon, late again, have to do something about the chauffeur, and they were already there! I was so excited I couldn’t wait to get out of the truck. I ran up to greet them and I so excited I just kinda wiggled around a bit. They were so happy to see me they didn’t even notice that the chauffeur and maid were there! Now that’s what I call a greeting! Everybody hugged and we found a table to sit at.

The maid and Jim went inside and ordered my, oops, excuse me, their, cheeseburgers and fries. I sat and watched them talk and eat and every time someone would look at me I’d give ’em the Golden Retriever smile and bat my eye lashes a couple of times and fries started coming my way! It was only a couple of minutes later when a chunk of cheeseburger made it my way and I wolfed that tidbit down in the blink of an eye.

The whole time we were there people, grown ups and kids, wanted to meet and talk with me, but my focus was the cheeseburger and fries. My dilemma was, how do I be sweet to all these folks and not miss any opportunity to score more cheeseburger and fries? The answer soon became obvious, they finished all the food!!! I was just getting warmed up and all of a sudden, it’s all gone…the fries…the cheeseburgers…all gone. 

I was so bummed. But I got over it and pretty soon we were all talking and laughing and I made sure I wagged my tail when people looked at me. I think that’s expected.

A short time later the maid asked Jim and Kathleen to open their presents. I was very nervous, I had never given anyone a wrapped present before. After they tore the wrapping off they smiled and said, “This is exactly what we wanted, we love them!” They were so happy they each gave me a hug.  Kathleen said I have a spot on the wall for mine and Jim said so do I. I was so excited to see how happy the pictures made them.

They told me how much they miss me and how happy they were that I found a home where people love me and take care of me and they were also very happy that I met and had so many friends that were tripawds! They also told me they would never forget me. 

It was time to leave, hugs were exchanged, everyone said, we’ll see you again soon and I ran to the truck and hopped into the cab. I was so happy we went, we all had a great time. When I got home, I was so busted by Penny and Charlie because I had cheeseburger and french fry breath.

Dad and I are going to Martinez tomorrow to visit the vet’s and then Sunday morning we’ll go to Memorial Hospital to visit some folks. I’m really excited about going and now I know why it’s so importent that we go, because now I understand how it feels to know you won’t be forgotten.

On the Friday after Thanksgiving, the chauffeur, the maid and I are going to Auburn, Ca. to see my foster parents.

Their names are Kathleen and Jim and they are really special people. They were the ones who took care of me after my amputation. They have others dogs also but they foster Golden’s for Homeward Bound and I don’t know how they do it. They open their home and their hearts to help dogs like me then someone comes along and adopts “us”, then they get another Golden and do it all again.

We are going to meet them so I can give them their Christmas presents. I’ve never celebrated Christmas before. I’m a little nervous about it because it seems like a big deal to some folks and not so much to others, I don’t really understand that.

Our neighbors are putting like a ka zillion lights on his house and so is the guy next to him. They’re OK, they have a border collie, just like my big sister. Penny is so pretty and dad tells me she’s the best big sister in the whole world!

I’m giving my foster mom and dad some pictures of me. I know that sounds arrogant but I want them to see how happy I am and how much fun I have when I get to run with all my tripawd friends and…I don’t want them to ever forget me.

We are going to meet them at the In and Out Burger in Auburn, so I may be able to score some cheeseburger and a couple of fries, then we are going to walk around Auburn and look at the lights. Mom says the lights are really pretty and put her in the Christmas spirit, and dad says, ya, right, it’s a 2 1/2 hour drive, can we go home yet?

I’ll let you know how it goes in Auburn. Dad says there’s a couple of Harley dealers on the way, so he’s happy,  I’m happy because I get to see my fosters again and Mom’s happy because she gets to see the lights.

Sounds like a pretty good day to me!

Howdy, here’s the link to the latest and greatest!

Warning, there’s alot of pictures

http://novembernorcaltripawdpawty.shutterfly.com/

Shelby is all fired up!!!

She knows there’s a pawty tomorrow and all her friends are gonna be at the Mill Valley Dog Park! It’s going to be a beautiful fall day, in the upper 50’s to low 60’s, that’s perfect weather to watch the tripawd herd run amuk! 

Hopefully she’s not so excited that she won’t be able to get her rest tonight ’cause tomorrow she’s runnin with the big dogs!

See everybody tomorrow, signed, Shelby’s chauffeur.

Howdy, we were asked to write a story about tripawds for the November/December newsletter of the Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue in Sacramento where we adopted Shelby from.

Enjoy!! It starts on page 3 and the title is, “One less muddy pawprint”

http://www.homewardboundgoldens.org/news_articles/newsletters/hb_news_Nov09_pdf.pdf