Meet my good friend, Sam. He is the sweetest, most compassionate 'person' I know. When I heard about him back in 2002, I remember telling the seller that "I'd have to bring him home for a test run, as we had another golden at the time, and I wanted to make sure that they got along." I knew full well that he'd be staying - and I'd named him even before he arrived. I have never loved a pet like I love this guy...

This picture was taken late 2004 as I was working in the basement on a piece of machinery that was unfamiliar to him and, to boot, it was making horrible noises. He positioned himself at a good vantage point where he could make sure I was OK... but still far enough away to escape - if need be. This is one of my very favorite photos of him.