SAM'S STORY, CHAPTER ONE: How It All Began

Here's Sam, looking back on how it all began! Read the first chapter of SAM'S STORY right here, right now. The rest of his book will be available FREE on Amazon very soon.

1

ARRIVAL – And The Great Escape

         

It was the house that drew us to Gower. I suppose that with its white walls, grey slate roof and lattice windows it’s more of a cottage. Not that this little detail matters. The fact is that Westwinds brought us from Dorset to a special Welsh peninsula.

            When we moved here we had no idea what lay in store. We had not yet felt the onslaught of storms that would buffet our home frenziedly from across the moors separating us from the Atlantic Ocean. We hadn’t had close encounters with wild ponies. We’d never experienced gigantic waves that could lift us up bodily and carry us out to sea.

            We hadn’t lived as we’ve lived since arriving.

Who are we? Sam is a very distinctive Bearded Collie. As this story is his he will be telling it, with some input from me. All I need to say about myself is that I had the good sense to adopt him. Or did he do the adopting?

            Born in Axminister, Devon, Sam’s birth name was Tangledown Mungojerrie. When I went to meet his breeder and see the seven-week old puppies with their mother, it was Sam who immediately rushed over to greet me. One look at him was enough: I had fallen in love.

            Oh, the thrill of collecting that small bundle of black and white fur the following week and taking him home to Dorset, where he settled in quickly! And it didn’t seem to unsettle him when within days we were in my VW Beetle heading for a new life in west Wales. 

            As I was soon to learn, Sam’s a born adventurer. He’s endlessly curious – endlessly ready to explore. So a new life suited him ideally and he wasted no time in beginning his explorations.

            Here’s Sam to tell you just how he began, shortly after our arrival in Westwinds’ front drive:

           
       Mum said “Stay in the car and I’ll be back for you in a minute.” The thing is, I don’t know what a minute is. And it looks more interesting out there than in here. So I think I’ll go where she’s gone.

            But there’s a problem. She shut her door and I can’t work out how to open it. I’m behind the big steering wheel after jumping from my seat to hers, and I’m finding the door handles a bit puzzling.

            I push one, then the other, with my paw. Nothing happens. There’s a little window, though, that’s half-open. I try to reach it – and fall onto the floor. So I need to re-think this.

            Up on Mum’s seat again, I put both my front paws on the wheel. Now I’m taller than before and can see what’s needed …

            With a big leap, I suddenly have all four paws spread across the wheel and can just about reach the window. Trouble is, I’ve no spare paw for pushing the window wider – and I don’t feel too safe up here.

            Oops, now I’ve crash-landed back on the floor! That’s a setback and I’m feeling a bit bruised. No worries. A bruise or two won’t stop me.

            Back on Mum’s seat, I take another big leap. This time I’m happier up on the wheel and can practise balancing on three paws so that I can use the fourth to push the window. There – that’s done! Now I just need to propel myself through the gap and …

            Help, I’m airborne! Maybe I’m flying like the birds I’ve seen. No, I don’t seem to be. The ground’s rushing up towards me. Thump.

            That wasn’t funny. But no harm done – and now I’m outside, like Mum. Except that she isn’t here. Or, if she is, I can’t see her. Where can she be?

            Wherever she is, I’ll find her. I must, as I’m quite hungry. Maybe she’s on the other side of this house I can see. I run past it into a garden where the grass is much taller than me.

            After the grass there are some trees and then there’s some brown stuff. What is it?

            I try digging. This is good fun.

            “Sam, Sam … where are you, Sam?”

            That’s Mum’s voice calling me, and it sounds a bit panicky. I’d better go and check why she’s panicking.

            I run round to the front drive, where I find her standing by the car. She looks worried … and puzzled. So I scamper up and give her knee a nudge.

            “Oh, there you are – and covered in mud! What have you been doing – and how on earth did you get out of the car? You surely couldn't have climbed through that tiny triangular window - could you?”

            Uncertain as to whether Mum is happy or mad with me I look up at her and wag my tail.

            That has the right result. She smiles, saying: “Perhaps you did climb through it. If you did, I think I’d better re-name you Houdini. Well, Sam, are you ready for tea in our new home?”

            In we go. I can see immediately that there’s plenty of exploring for me to do. As I run from room to room, I notice there are stairs too.

            I like the look of stairs and wonder what’s up there. So I climb them and find more rooms – one with something that has water in it. I can’t reach the water with my back paws still on the floor, so I jump in.

What on earth can Sam be doing? The oddest sounds are coming from above the kitchen, where I’m preparing a makeshift tea with utensils and food I’ve brought with me. My furniture won’t be arriving till tomorrow.

I didn’t even know Sam could climb stairs. I suppose that’s because I didn’t give him the run of the house back home.

Suddenly registering which room is above the kitchen, I rush up to him. And there he is – stuck in the toilet bowl while struggling valiantly but unsuccessfully to get out!

“Yes, we do need to wash all that mud off,” I tell him, transferring him swiftly into the neighbouring bathroom and making a mental note always to keep the lavatory door closed. “I just wasn’t expecting bath-time to arrive before I was ready.”

He looks up at me so innocently that I’ve no inkling of the dramas and challenges he’ll be bringing me in the days ahead.

 What happens next? 

 Chapter Two - INTRUDERS IN THE NIGHT

Watch this space to find out when SAM'S STORY is available - FREE (for a limited period) on Amazon!

SAM'S STORY - FREE COPIES!

Mum's busy, so she has asked me to tell you that she's looking into the best ways of giving away some FREE copies of SAM'S STORY, once my book is published!

If you'd like to be first to download my story FREE, the minute it's ready, just watch this space ...

Love, Sam x

ONCE UPON A TIME

Once upon a time, when I was a puppy ...

Do you think that's how my book SAM'S STORY should begin? Maybe it should, but that isn't how it will actually be beginning!

Of course I can't tell you the start, because that would spoil things. But I can tell you that this picture is of me, looking how I did when my story started. Mum says I was a cuddly little Beardie, who didn't often keep still long enough to be cuddled.

I describe, in my first chapter, what I did for her to decide she probably should have named me Houdini. I'm glad she changed her mind and let me stay as Sam. I wouldn't be writing SAM'S STORY otherwise, would I?

(By the way, it will be finished in July and published in August.)

SAM'S STORY UPDATE

You'll never believe what Mum's been doing while I've been writing SAM'S STORY (which is almost finished)!

She's been putting my baby pictures on Facebook. When I asked her why she was doing this, she said it was because she couldn't find them when we started our Shaggy Dog Blog. But as she has found them now, she wants to share them with everyone. She says the whole world will love the puppy I once was.

Does she mean they don't love me now that I've grown from a puppy to a big dog?

P.S. Here's my opinion of our Spring weather:

A NEW FRIEND - And Sam Learns A Lesson!

I made a new friend today. As you can see, he's woolly and has a very black face. He stood looking at me and seemed a bit scared. I suppose that's because I'm so much bigger than he is. And maybe it's also because of my history.

Can you guess what I mean by 'history'? In case you can't, I'll confess!

When I was younger, I was sometimes guilty of rounding up lambs and sheep. It's in my genes, you see. At least, that's what I told Mum when she got cross with me. It also happens to be the truth. My instinct is to gather the flock together - any flock that crosses my path. But following my instinct has landed me in hot water more than once, so now I try to think before doing anything that might make Mum cross.

She was pleased with my behavior today. She says it showed that I've learned from the past. She was especially pleased when I just watched this lamb and his sister feeding, without trying to join in. But why would I want to join in, when Mum always gives me better things than milk for my tea?

  

SOGGY SAM AT OXWICH

Yes, this is me - and Mum says I'm a soggy Sam, whatever that means! I chased some seagulls down to Oxwich and when they flew off I landed in the sea.

This kind of thing is still happening more often than it should, considering all the effort and energy I'm putting in to working out how to fly. Mum tells me that I'd have been given wings if flight was meant to be an option for me, but I believe that I'll fly without wings if I try hard enough.

The tide is out so far today that Mum and I can walk for miles. Maybe she has it in mind to take me to the Oxwich Bay Hotel for tea. One of the reasons I like going there is because the chef often finds a sausage or other titbit for me - and Mum likes a scone or toasted tea-cake to go with her pot of tea; she also says she's glad of the rest before we start our long trek home.

Personally, I don't see the sense of resting when instead I can be having an adventure!

SAM'S STORY - CHAPTER 23

Here you can see Mum beautifying me just after we'd completed Chapter 23 of SAM'S STORY. We're also talking about Chapter 24 and the fact that there might not be more than 25 chapters in all.

My story is taking us both by surprise as there have been a few unexpected developments in our lives. So we've been needing to talk these through and agree on how to tell them to you. Mum tends to beat about the bush, whereas I'm all for coming straight out with the truth.

So whose path will we choose? I'll give you a clue:

It lies in the title ....... SAM'S STORY!!!!