Army of Four Digest

The Waiting Is the Hardest Part...

2012-01-31T10:06:00.000-06:00

Ha roo, pups and cool cats! It's me, Zim! Yesterday, we hit a record-breaking temperature of 70 degrees here (21.1C). Dad was out playing golf and I thought it would be nice if us boys would take Mom on a walk after lunch. You know, making the most of this crazy weather and all!

I polished off my meal lickety-split, got a little water, then went to check on how Dave was doing.

"Is he done yet?"

I was just checking. Not like I was doing a "sneak up from behind" maneuver and was going to help myself to anything that Dave spilled on the floor. No, not at all! Oh, I might have policed up anything that had been dropped on the floor. You know. Just to help with KP. Keep the kitchen clean and all. I was named after a Drill Sergeant. That sort of thing is in my blood.

"How about now? Is he done now?"

I sensed that Dave was almost ready, so I approached Mom and started the mind-meld message:

"Look into my eyes. Yes... yes... that's good. Now deeeeeper... deeeeeper...."

Mom got my message loud and clear. She said once Davy was done eating, we could go. It takes a lot of work, but I've got her pretty well trained. I checked on the Deeve again.

I asked him how he was coming along and he didn't answer. That told me he wasn't done yet - you know -- he's real good about not talking with his mouth full and all. Besides, he hadn't given his signature "I'm Done!" signal yet. I waited... and waited... and then:

DONE!

Once his paw goes in the bowl so he can lick it out, I know we're good to go!

And "go", we did!

"What a great lunch! I'm ready for a cool adventure now!"
"I love it when a plan comes together!"

I hope you got to get out and go yesterday, too!

Play bows,
Zim

Greeting the Day

2012-01-30T09:53:00.000-06:00

Woo, everypup and everycat. It's me, Dave. Zim's right here with me, too.

"Looks like a Monday out here, Zim!"
"Yep! A whole new week of cool adventures!"

Have I mentioned lately he's the best kid brother a guy could ask for? He's got the best outlook on life!

Luv,

Dave

Serene Scenery Sunday

2012-01-29T10:20:00.000-06:00

Play bows, pups and cool cats. Zim here, getting in touch with my inner zen.

Well, seriously... I am feeling mighty serene!

Play bows,
Zim

PS: We had some problems with yesterday's post not showing up for quite a while. We aren't sure what the problem was, but think the glitch has cleared up now.

The Up-Side of Our Crazy Weather

2012-01-28T10:45:00.000-06:00

Ha roo, pups and cool cats! It's me, Zim! Our weather has been just crazy. This is the end of January in Kansas, and we should be buried in snow and enjoying icy-cold temperatures! But what do we have? The 50s! It's crazy! I guess there is an up-side to it, though...

So the other afternoon, it was one of those "almost 60 degree" days (15.5C). Dad was out golfing. Golfing! At the end of ... well, anyway. Dave and I had our lunch, then Mom said she'd take us to the corner before heading to the Studio. Maybe around the block. We'd see.

Here we are way down on the main drag through our area:

Dave and me

In case anyone is wondering, that's not exactly around the block. See what I mean about the up-side? It was so nice out, that we just kept going!

Dave and I led Mom up that hill, and I suggested we cross the road.

"Crosswalk? I don't need no stinking crosswalk!"

Can you see what's over there?

"Look! It's the Giant's Castle!"

Some of you may remember the Giant's Castle! It's a pretty cool place to go exploring; Dave and I love it!

After a while, we headed back down the hill. Here we are, checking out Little Kitten Creek:

"I don't see any little kittens, Zim!"
"I don't see much of a creek, either, Dave..."

Given our drought-like conditions and lack of feline friends, there wasn't much to see, so we headed home.

"Pretty cool adventure today, Zim! I felt like I was in Switzerland or something!"
"Yeah, sure beats going to the corner!"

Ha roo. Switzerland! Where does Dave come up with this stuff!?!

Thanks for walking with us! There really is an up-side to this crazy Kansas weather!

Play bows,

Zim

About That Quilt...

2012-01-27T09:47:00.000-06:00

Ha roo, pups and cool cats! It's me, Zim! Hey, remember that quilt Dave showed you the other day? Right! The one with the cool cat fabric in it! Isn't that great!?! Reminds me of my friend Callie Co Kitty. Dave thought it over and let Mom go ahead and put that block in the quilt - but said the quilt should be for me! Wowzers, Dave! Thanks! (I hope Mom buys into that!)

Anyway... I found another block with the kit-cat fabric in it (on the floor, oddly enough ... DAVE!) ...

"Kitty Cat!"

...and told Mom to go ahead and put it back up on the design wall!

"Knock yourself out, Mom! No, really. Dave said it would be OK!"

Oh! Before I forget! See the long wall-hanging behind me? Our sweet friends Sadie, Isabella and Angel asked about that. Yes, it's little hearts with pix of our dear sisters Stormy and Amber - and me and Dave. Here's a better look:

Mom made it back in 2002! Above it is a star bearing a pic of our great sisters Jesse and Lucky. Thanks for asking about it!

Anyway, since Dave was busy ...

...I decided to have Mom add a few more fabrics to the quilt. Here's one:

And since Dave put (click here) a certain fabric in, I thought this would be appropriate:

Ha roo roo roo!

Here's a look at what we've got so far:

Not bad for just grabbing out of the scrap basket!

Oh... and Dave? Don't worry! He's cool with this whole thing!

Besides, our Auntie Laura sent ~~him~~ Mom some new fabric, and he's all over that!

"There are NO CATS on this fabric. I'm Dave ... and I approve of these fabric packs!"

Gotta keep peace in the family, right?

Play bows,
Zim

Breaking News!

2012-01-26T11:38:00.000-06:00

Ha roo, pups and cool cats! It's me, Zim, here with some breaking news.

My official Action News photo

There's big news here at Ao4 Headquarters. Are you ready for it? Check this out!

*GASP!*

That's right - a new shape for my Stinky Goodness Jerky Treats! A new SHAPE?!?! But... but... but will they taste just as good? I investigated as soon as I could! Check this video!

If it won't play, please click here.

You heard it here first!

Play bows,
Zim

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-25T10:27:00.000-06:00

Luv and play bows,
Dave and Zim

Well...?

2012-01-24T09:23:00.000-06:00

Ha roo, pups and cool cats. It's me, Zim. I thought everyone could use a smile today. I'm normally pretty good at this in ~~person~~ Siberian, so let me give it a go over the internet.

Try this on for size:

Well...?

Are you smiling yet?

Play bows,
Zim

GDFTCB - Other Duties

2012-01-23T10:32:00.000-06:00

Woo, everypup and everycat. It's me, Dave. Some of you might be wondering about some of my other duties as my mom's Guide Dog for the Color Blind. It's not all about the color and trust me ...

...sometimes it's hard, hard work!

Right now, Mom and I are focusing on that scrap quilt I showed you the other day. I normally am not too keen on scrap quilts - but we settled on choosing only fabrics in the "warm, fuzzy (I especially like the fuzzy part), muted" arena. That was enough of a color scheme to please me and to let me relax.

Perhaps I relaxed too much, because the other day I came into the Studio to check Mom's progress and ...

Me, hanging my head in disbelief in front of Mom's design wall

I couldn't believe the fabric she had slipped in there!

"Not in my quilt! Not on my watch!"

I got right to work, taking the offending (and I DO mean "offending") block out!

"This one right here! It must GO!"

Sorry the pix are so blurry:
A) I was working really fast!
B) Mom was in disbelief as to what I was doing!

I've never had to remove a block before, but this was just ... just too MUCH!!!

"Sorry to have to do this, Mom!"

That's so much better. Can you see the block I took out? When you see it, you'll understand why I had to do what I had to do. Here - I did a special close up for you that should explain it all:

Oh, sure, the colors fit! ... but CAT fabric?!? Unless maybe this is for Zim or another cat-lover ...

I better keep a closer eye on my mom. A Guide Dog for the Color Blind's work is never done!

Luv,
Dave, GDFTCB

Serene Scenery Sunday

2012-01-22T10:34:00.000-06:00

Ha roo, pups and cool cats! Zim here, with Serene Scenery Sunday. Dave's here with me, too.

Dave and me

It seemed like God worked overtime this week giving us some gorgeous sunsets, so we thought we'd share a few pix Mom took of them with you. I think they'll help you feel all kinds of serene.

Here's a panoramic shot Mom took with our iPhone:

Isn't that incredible!?! Our sky goes on forever here. Dave likes the intense colors in this next one:

That was shot with the Nikon; all the others are "just" iPhone pix.

Another panoramic from another night:

Here's a regular shot, the same night:

...and the changing colors as the sun slips down:

We hope those photos help you find your inner serenity. We'd feel a bit more serene ...

... if Mom would hurry up with the treat dispensing!

Play bows,
Zim

Off into the Wilds of Kansas...

2012-01-21T11:39:00.000-06:00

Ha roo, pups and cool cats! It's me - Zim! Yesterday was ~~all overcast~~ partly sunny and ~~bitterly cold~~ really nice and ~~windy as $#%&~~ a nice breeze was blowing, and it just seemed like the perfect day for a nice, long walk! I could tell Mom really wanted to go, too. I was doing zoomies through the downstairs, trying to get her and Dad to play (both the Studio and Dad's office are downstairs) and was just having a GREAT time. Mom kept calling out encouragement to me - "Zim! ZIM! ZIMMIE!!!" - and before I knew it, Dave was ~~snuggled up on Dad's feet under his desk~~ helping Dad with his work and Mom and I were off on an adventure! Oh, sure there was that crazy talk about "someone" having excess energy that needed to be channeled in a positive way, but all I knew was we were headed out the door!

Before I knew it, we were out in the middle of nowhere! We were totally in the wild, untamed prairie land!

"Isn't that the coolest, wildest place ever?!?"

Gorgeous, isn't it? All that ... nothing! Let's explore!

It's very nice that there are some sidewalks growing out here in the wilds, isn't it?

Oh... wait a sec!

"Ha roo???"

OK, never mind. I saw some quail in there the last time Mom and I were here and had to check for them. They weren't there this time. We can keep going...

I kept my eyes peeled for them, just in case. I'd hate to miss them; they're very cute birdies!

Mom and I kept walking through the wild prairie land, enjoying to the fullest the wind and cold and each other's company! (Mom says one out of three for her...) Before I knew it, we were at a very familiar place!

"Look, Mom! It's the Kansas Ocean!"

It was a great day to be sea-side! I paused and struck a pose up on the bridge that spans one of the tributaries:

It was extra cold there, since the wind went underneath us, too! It was GREAT! For some reason, Mom made me start walking again.

I let her get a shot of me by the water ...

My serious side

...then we decided to head home quickly, ~~before Mom's hands and face froze solid~~ to see how Dave and Dad were coming along with Dad's work stuff.

Thanks for coming along with us! It's about the same out there today, so I'm going to see what I can do about another extra afternoon walk!

Play bows,

Zim

Photo Finish Friday - In Review

2012-01-20T11:54:00.001-06:00

Woo, everypup and everycat. It's me, Dave. Thanks for understanding about us punting yesterday. You guys are the best! Of course, now we feel pressured to come up with something really great today ... but that's the way it goes. Zim and I thought we'd show you some photo highlights from the past couple days - you know, what's been keeping us so busy! Ready to get started?

Me? I've been working in the Studio a lot! Here I am, working very hard:

"Hi!"

We saw a picture of a beautiful quilt our buddy Remington's Beth made that was all really wonderful "comfort colors" -- those fabrics that just make you feel as warm and fuzzy as ... well, as me ... inside and out! It inspired Mom and me to dig through some of her baskets and put together a scrappy quilt out of some of our "comfort colors"! Just scraps of stuff Mom has saved from other projects. Take a look at our early progress up on the pressing table while I take a quick break:

How about a close-up of one of my favorite little snippets?

Ha woo. I wonder how that Siberian got slipped in there?

Mom left me to finish up some work, then went upstairs to make an apple pie. Zim helped her out - he's great at kitchen stuff!

"Hey, Mom. Whatcha doing? How long does that thing take, anyway?"

Zim said it took Mom forever to make the pie, but he stuck with her every step of the way.

"Zzzz..."

As a reward for all of our hard work, and to celebrate single-digit temperatures, we did a lot of this:

In case you're wondering, we didn't get any pie. That's OK, we still have lots of Happy Heart cookies and Stinky Goodness treats!

Dad worked hard doing a lot of work stuff this week, too, and because he doesn't think it's fun to golf when it's all frosty and cold outside, he started recording some of his and Mom's vinyl albums (that's what bipeds used to listen to a million years ago) - and put them into Mom's iTunes thingie. Mom let me sample some old Michael Franks one afternoon in the Studio. Here's what I thought:

" ♫... say B'wana he no home... ♫ "

Can you see my smile? That guy is smoooooooth!

Speaking of smooth guys ... Zim conned Mom into taking him out to that Tuttle Creek Dam/Ocean place! Here's a collage of him looking around:

Zim said it was super windy and colder than cold can be. Doesn't that sound great?

So as you can see, we've been real busy right here in Kansas, working hard and stuff. It's not like we've been on an airplane somewhere with some of the other Mango Minster judges flying to an undisclosed location. Really.

Luv,
Dave

Punting?

2012-01-19T12:53:00.000-06:00

Ha roo, pups and cool cats. It's me, Zim. Sorry we're late posting - time kind of slipped away from us this morning. It's almost lunch time, then me and Dave have some important stuff to do...

...so I think I'm just going to punt today. So to speak.

Catch everyone tomorrow!

Play bows,
Zim

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-18T09:38:00.000-06:00

Play bows,
Zim

Professional Development Research

2012-01-17T13:13:00.000-06:00

Woo, everypup and everycat. It's me - Dave, Guide Dog for the Color Blind (GDFTCB). Imagine my delight the other day when Mom and I got not ONE, but TWO of our very favorite catalogues in the mail! We sat on the floor together and got right to work, researching all of the newest color combos and quilt patterns!

"Let's start with Keepsake Quilting, Mom!"

We looked through the first one for a while, then I had to take a break.

After a short rest, I was ready to tackle Hancock's of Paducah.

"OK, Mom. I'm ready to take on HOP!"

"HOP". That's what us in the quilt and color arena call "Hancock's of Paducah". Woo.

After we went alllllllll through the HOP catalogue, I remembered something I saw in Keepsake that I thought Zim would like and went off to find him.

"I'm in here, Dave! Umm... working."

I found him hard at work in the bedroom. Umm... smoothing the quilt.

"Wait... it's right around here somewhere..."

I paged through the catalogue real fast and found what I was looking for!

"Whatcha think, Zim?"

Can you see it? It's all cats. Done in appliqué. I would call it "cat-pliqué". Ha woo. Oddly enough, as soon as I said that, Zim left the bedroom. Maybe he had to go think about it.

Here's one of my VERY faves:

Get a load of all those cool blues and purples and greens... ! I think Mom and I need to do something like this! Don't you think?

Luv,
Dave, GDFTCB

Is That...

2012-01-16T10:19:00.000-06:00

Ha roo, pups and cool cats! Hey! What's that?

Is that ...

Yep. That's what I thought it was.

OK, Monday. Bring it on!

Play bows,
Zim

More Celebrating!

2012-01-15T10:05:00.000-06:00

Woo, everypup and everycat! It's me - Dave! Zim and I (and our mom and dad) had a GREAT Adopt-a-Dave Day the other day and NOW we get to have another celebration! Today is my honorary birthday!!! I am (more or less) 14 today!!!

Zim and I started the day early by taking Dad all the way to the park! This picture is actually us with Mom from yesterday, but you get the idea:

Me and Zim. And Mom's thumb.

It was great! I love going all the way to the park! (And yesterday's walk with Mom was nice, too.)

After a cool-down, I had a yummy breakfast:

Nom, nom, nom...

Mom sang the birthday song to me while I ate. Zim would have joined in, but he had his mouth full, and we do try to exercise good manners.

A little while later, we had a mid-morning snack!

Total focus!

A Stinky Goodness Treat for Zimmie and a charcoal Old Mother Hubbard cookie for me!!! That's like having barbe--OH. Excuse me a minute, please...

Crunch, crunch, crunch...

--cue. Barbecue! Sorry. It's that whole "not talking with your mouth full" thing.

"How 'bout another BBQ treat for the birthday boy, Mom?"

It's only 10 o'clock, so there are lots more festivities to come! Woo! It's good to be 14!!

Luv,

Dave

Sunny Saturday!

2012-01-14T10:24:00.000-06:00

Ha roo, pups and cool cats! It's me, Zim!

Hey ... do you know what that is, over there?

"Check that out!"

It's Saturday!

"Hey, look! It's Saturday over there, too!"
"Ha woo!"

Oh, wait. Mom wants a picture of us, looking at the camera and smiling.

There. Dave's looking at the camera; I'm smiling. Ha roo roo roo! Oh, fine. Let's try it again.

There. We're both smiling. How's that, Mom?

"Told you I could get us moving again, Dave!"
"Good one, Zim!"

Have a great Saturday, everyone! Remember to get out there and have some cool adventures!

Play bows,
Zim

I [Heart] My Friends!

2012-01-13T11:49:00.000-06:00

Woo, everypup and everycat! It's me, Dave! Thank you so much for all the great Adopt-a-Dave Day wishes yesterday! You guys are all the best! I had a great day! Some highlights were all of your comments, single digit temps and snow flurries, Mom dropping penne pasta on the floor RIGHT in front of me, and ...

Just as we were heading out on an afternoon walk, the UPS man pulled up in front of Ao4 HQs and stopped. Dad went over to him and the UPS man said, "I have a package for your dogs!" Ha woo! How exciting is that!?!? Dad took the package inside, we went on our walk, then I got to open it! It was Happy Hearts Cookies from our VERY sweet friends Rubi, Holly and Sprite and their very, very kind mom!!!

"Look at these great, colorful cards!"

Doesn't the guy on that card look like me? Woo! Our friends' (Jack and Moo) mom made the card; isn't she super talented?

I HAD to try one of the cookies!

"For what I am about to receive, trust me, I am truly thankful..."

I really am so very thankful!!! What really, really sweet friends!!! I haven't had Happy Hearts Cookies in quite a while and I was jumping like a puppy over them!

They are salmon/cheddar flavor and wow, are they good! There were all shapes and sizes and look! A really huge heart-shaped one!

"Hey, Mom! What about Zimmie?"

I was worried about Zim feeling left out. He's my best buddy and is on a super-restricted diet, as you may know - so he can't have these treats. I asked Mom if there was something special he could have.

"Wowzers! A SQUARE Stinky Goodness treat?!!? WOWZERS!"

He was really happy to have a special-shaped Stinky Goodness treat! I've got your six, Zim!

Thanks again for all the wonderful wishes! And a VERY special thank you to Rubi, Holly and Sprite and their mom for the delicious surprise!

"Happy Me Day, indeed!"

Luv,

Dave

10th Anniversary of Adopt-a-Dave Day!

2012-01-12T11:27:00.000-06:00

Woo, everypup and everycat! It's me - Dave! Let's cut right to the chase - it's my adoption day! This calls for a celebration!

For those of you who are new or relatively new readers of our blog, the long version of how I found my forever home is at this link. You are welcome to click and read - otherwise, here's a quick re-cap of how I got here.

"There I was, screaming my lungs out in the shelter..."

I had been in our local shelter for over a month screaming the Siberian Death Scream, then my mom, who didn't know she was my mom yet, read a plea for help from a Sibe rescue group member in Oklahoma. Mom responded to it ... and let's just say she and Dad agreed to "foster" me until Mom could help transport me down to a foster family in OK. Ha woo. "Foster". That was 10 years ago today!

Here's a pic of me from the day I came home, with Zim's snooter in the foreground!

Wasn't I a cute little guy?!?

I plan to celebrate the big day by holding paws with my mom...

"Hold my paw, Mom?"

...going on some cool adventures with Zim...

Zim and me from a couple days ago.
It's better out there today, because our temps are in the single digits right now
and we have a dusting of snow. Woo.

...and working in the Studio.

"Teals and blues and browns, oh, my!"

After dinner tonight, I plan to help Mom a little more...

"Let's spin the wheel again; maybe something'll come to us..."

...and come up with some cute poses while Mom and Dad watch TV. Check out this one:

I thought I looked like a bunny there, but Zim said I was more like a tiptoeing Panda bear. Ha woo. A tiptoeing Panda!

Anyway, wow! TEN years! If I'm not mistaken, 10 is the "Beef Brisket and Watermelon" anniversary. Am I right here? Please help me celebrate by doing some of your favorite things today!

Luv,
Dave

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-11T08:50:00.002-06:00

Play bows,
Zim

Work, A Surprise and the Full Moon!

2012-01-10T11:07:00.000-06:00

Woo, everypup and everycat. It's me, Dave. I have lots of ground to cover today, so I'd best get started!

I've been working real hard in the Quilt Studio for the past couple of days. Normally, I stick to colors, but a couple days ago, Mom started quilting on a quilt and I could sense that she was unhappy with it. I wooed and wooed and wooed at her until she stopped and took Zim and me on a really cool adventure. The next day, that would be yesterday, she went back into the Studio and sat down to start quilting on it again. I ran into the room and started wooing at her. We had already been on a walk, so she said, "What, Davy? You already let me know the colors were OK!! What is it?" I just stared at the quilt. And wooed. Then she said, "Yeah, I know. I don't like the quilting ... " Then it finally hit her - that's what I was wooing about! Or at least I knew she wasn't happy.

She decided to rip out everything she had done the day before ... so I did this:

"I'm here for you, if you need me!"

I'm glad she finally got my message! It was a lot of work, wooing at her incessantly like that!

I amused myself while she did all the ripping ...

"'Ode To My Kong Toy', by Dave. Yeah... that has a nice ring to it..."

... then she worked really hard doing the quilting she should have done in the first place! It took a long time (Zim and I took her upstairs for a potty break and a little afternoon snack -- that's how long we worked!) and by close of business ...

"That is so much better! Quite restful, too!"

Mom was much happier with it - as was I!

Always trust your Davy!

You can't see the quilt thread very well, but I picked it out. Mom's using a variegated lime green. Because I said she could! (Trust me - I'm a Guide Dog for the Color Blind: lime green is the new neutral!)

Mom was going to do a little more work, but Zim popped into the Studio ...

"You HAVE to come see this!"

...and said that we had to come see what our buddy Bert had just sent us!!! It was unreal! Seriously!!! Check it out:

"Wowzers!"

I ... I really better not comment. Except to say that Bert is a fellow judge at Mango Minster 2012 and as far as we know he isn't entered into the Adventure Animals category - so it's not like it's a bribe or anything. Because me and Zimmie don't take bribes.

Moving right along, did you know there was a full moon last night? We sent Mom out to take a few shots and here's what she came up with:

It's called the Full Wolf Moon, according to that Farmers' Almanac thing. We didn't hear any wolves, but the local coyotes sure were in full song!

What a full day! I might need an extra nap today!

Luv,
Dave

Hey, Check That Out!

2012-01-09T09:32:00.000-06:00

Ha roo, pups and cool cats! It's me, Zim. So there I was the other day, zooming all around the main floor of Ao4 Headquarters, when I decided to fly up the stairs and strike a few poses on the catwalk. I happened to look down into the living room while I was up there and ...

"Hey, wow. Look at that, would you?"

Right there, on the cushion Mom usually sits on to watch TV! It was round, mostly black, but with a swirl of white on top. And mighty sweet, according to Mom. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?!?

Yep! Davy stole Mom's seat. Ha roo roo roo!

What?!?

You didn't think Mom would leave a Hostess Cupcake laying around, did you?

Play bows,
Zim

Serene Scenery Sunday

2012-01-08T09:53:00.000-06:00

Ha roo, pups and cool cats! It's me, Zim, here with Serene Scenery Sunday! This week, I thought I'd share with you the calmness and beauty of the Kansas Ocean. Just look at it!

Me and Dave, heading to the Kansas Ocean

Isn't that just glorious? I could gaze upon the KSO all ... wait a sec ...

"Just inside that tree line..."

I thought I saw something. Anyway, getting back to the Ocean...

... I could sit and look at the water for hours! So calming, so peaceful!

Oh, Dave? Yeah. Mom was squatting down to get a picture of me from my level and so Dave went over to give her a hug.

We all have different ways of finding that inner serenity, don't we? And look at how happy he was after a snuggle session:

I have to say, we all three were mighty happy and serene-like after our day at the KS Ocean!

You can't see her, but Mom was off-camera, smiling, too!

Have a serene Sunday, everyone!

Play bows,

Zim

The Great Wall

2012-01-07T10:50:00.000-06:00

Woo, everypup and everycat. It's me, Dave. Zim and I were out on one of our adventures the other day ...

...just enjoying life and taking it all in, when Zim made an amazing discovery!

"Wowzers! Look at that, Dave!!!"

You won't believe this - but here we are, walking past it!

"Can you believe this?!?"
"This is WILD, Davy!!"

That's right! Right here in Kansas...

"It's the Great Wall of ~~China~~ Manhattan!"

Can you believe that?!?! How exciting! The Great Wall of ~~China~~ ... well, The Great Wall right here in Kansas!

"I did think it would be a little longer than that..."

Knowing how much we love new adventures and exploring and all, I had to wonder ...

"Hey, Zim! You don't think ..."

... well, I had to wonder if one of the contestants in the Adventure Animals category at Mango Minster 2012 sent The Great Wall to us as a bribe!!!

Zim said it was entirely possible - then added that the horizon we saw in that last picture up there would be a great place for a mountain range. You know... if anyone wanted to send us one. Woo.

Luv,

Dave

Mango Minster 2012 - Adventure Animals!

2012-01-06T10:42:00.000-06:00

Woo, everypup and everycat. And everyone else, too. Dave here, with a big announcement. Many of you know about Mango Minster, the biggest, coolest show in the blogosphere. I mean, with the Relentlessly Huge Mango Man (oh, yeah!) in charge, it HAS to be big - am I right? Anyway, this year, Zim and I have been given the honor of judging the Adventure Animals category!!!

I'm not sure why I put that picture in here, other than it's us looking cool.

Here are the guidelines for the Adventure Animals, according to Mango and the rules of Mango Minster:

"You don't need to go hiking all over the countryside wasting unnecessary energies to be an adventure animal. Just trying new stuff like my physical therapies school or being bold enough to approach something scary or just about anything you can think of. After all, isn't life just one big adventure?"

This is totally right up our alley! Life IS just one big adventure!!!

Here's our official statement:

"We are honored to be the Judges for Mango Minster 2012's Adventure Animals category! Whether it's a trip to the Kansas Ocean, a hike down the Hudson Trail, or meeting new friends right in our own front yard, we believe in plunging into life whole-heartedly! We believe you can find adventure anywhere, anytime. We are looking forward to hearing about your BEST adventures! Many thanks to Mango for this honor!
Remember, we are professional judges and cannot be bribed. Especially Zim, since he's on a restricted diet."

And we're totally serious about that not being bribed thing. We cannot be bought! You can play Kong-on-a-Rope with me all you want or (what, Zim?) yeah, send Zim our very own mountain range for Kansas, but we will remain impartial judges! Really.

Here are our really cool official judge photos, courtesy of our fellow judge Fiona. Or maybe her mom. We're not sure. One of them. Not Fiona's sister Abby, that much I do know.

Don't we look cool? And official? And un-bribable?

So what are you waiting for?!? There are TONS of adventures out there waiting just for YOU!!! Go out and have some fun! Then enter Mango Minster! The deadline is 5 February!

We look forward to hearing good things from all of you! Until then...

"Where to today, Dave? The Hudson Trail? The Top of the World?"
"How about a trip to the Kansas Ocean!?!"

...Zim and I are headed out on some adventures of our own!

Luv,
Dave

Let's Hit The Trail!

2012-01-05T11:12:00.001-06:00

Woo, everypup and everycat, it's me, Dave. As Zim told you the other day, we went on a TON of adventures the other day! We got to go to one of our very favorite places - the Hudson Trail! Want to come along with us, via photos!?! Let's hit the trail!

Here we are at one of the entrances:

I look sad there because I wanted to snarf stuff up off the ground and Mom kept telling me not to. Zim was striking poses up on the chunk of limestone, trying to buy me some time, but Mom was watching me WAY too closely! Woo.

Mom got this cool action shot of Zimmie as we started down the trail:

Zim - happy to be out on a really cool adventure!

Dad was with us, too, so Mom kept trying to jump ahead of us to get a "good" picture. We tried our best not to let that happen.

"Whatever you do, don't look at Mom!"
"Roger!"

Ha woo.

Here we are, a bit further along Hudson Trail:

"Hey! Look at that, Dave!"
"Where?!?"

Then I saw it! It was really cool!

"Do you see it?!!?"

Look down the trail a bit - and up! Right in the middle of this shot:

Here's another look!

It was a big, beautiful hawk! I think he was hunting mousies. We've never seen one there, so it was pretty exciting. Mom wished she had the good camera instead of the iPhone!

Anyway, when we got to the end of that part of the trail, instead of posing on the rocks by the big road, Zim jumped up on one by the sign:

I did a little better in the "snarfing stuff off the ground" department than I did at the other end of the trail. Ha woo!

Thanks for coming with us! I hope you had fun!

Luv,
Dave

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-04T08:14:00.000-06:00

Luv,
Dave

On Top of the World - At the Top of the World!

2012-01-03T09:49:00.001-06:00

Ha roo, pups and cool cats! Yesterday, I went on just a TON of really cool walks and adventures, so imagine my surprise late in the day when Mom said she needed me to come help her with something -- then she grabbed the car keys! Oh, WOW! I love going for rides! We ran a couple errands, then we went to one of my favorite places -- the Top of the World! I hadn't been there in a long time, so it was really great to go up and do some exploring!

I walked down this road for a good while ...

...and smelled all kinds of great stuff. It was windy and cold and just a glorious day! I thought to myself, "How could this day get any better?" AND THEN....

A little sassy Dachsie came running over to me, saying hi and that I should come over and meet her friends. WOW! Look at everypuppy!

Isn't the Dachsie cute? I like "sassy" in a girl! Her name was Mimi. She was with a black and white pup and a brown mostly French Bulldog guy and ... AND ... AND ...

A SIBERIAN!!! Oh, she was so sweet and fun! Her name was Meela and we liked each other a ton.

Isn't she dreamy?!? What a blast it was to meet everyone! I was on top of the world! AT the Top of the World. Ha roo roo roo! I hope your day was as good as mine!

Play bows,
Zim

PS: Mom wanted me to note here that she did talk to Meela's owners in a friendly, gentle way about the dangers of Sibes off-leash.

Birthday Recap!

2012-01-02T10:06:00.000-06:00

Ha roo, pups and cool cats! Thanks for all the birthday wishes yesterday! It really meant a lot to me! I had a great day and thought I'd show you a few of the highlights. Ready?

We went on lots of adventures! Here Dave and I are, exploring Squirrel Hollow:

The crime scene tape is still up, so they still must be looking into that break-in.

When we got home, I played hide and seek with Mom.

Hmm. Moving right along...

We went for another walk; Dave and I talked some guy talk:

"Hey, Zim! The Cowboys play the Giants tonight!"
"Cool! I hope they win, Dave!"
(That part didn't pan out too well...)

When we got home, I played "Chase Me!" with Mom:

"Ha ROO!"

After a good round of "Chase Me!", Mom said she needed to put all the Christmas decorations away. That meant going up and down the stairs about a million times. I supervised!

"Snow... zzz... snow..."

It was exhausting work, watching her go up and down and up and down - half of the afternoon! By the time she was through, Dave and I both needed a nap!

Mom took this pic of me and Dave on one of her bazillion trips up the stairs.
It was exhausting for us!

As members of the Working Breed class, we're used to that crazy pace!

THEN... look at what Mom made for dinner!!!

California Rolls!

She used fake crab and avocado and cukes and carrots and all kinds of great stuff! Of course, I'm on a restricted diet so I couldn't partake of the feast. Even carrots and cukes are on my "no-no" list -- can you believe that?!?! And Mom has to be careful about my protein, so the fake crab was out ... but ... CHECK THIS OUT!!!

"Oh, WOW!!!"

That's right! I got to have a HUGE amount of plain sticky rice!!! There was at LEAST a teaspoon's worth in there - maybe a tablespoon! It was GREAT! I used to love sticky rice ... then Mom hid a pill in some (not very well) and I found it, so I hated sticky rice until just recently. Mom says I appreciate even the smallest of things - and that we could all learn a lot from that. Whatever. I just know I REALLY appreciated getting a wonderful birthday dinner last night!!!

Those are the highlights! I wish you could all have been here - but with all the wonderful wishes pouring in, I felt like you were! Thanks again!

Play bows,

Zim

2012!!!

2012-01-01T09:13:00.000-06:00

Woo, everypup and everycat! It's me, Dave! Zim and I would like to wish all of you a very happy and healthy New Year!

"Happy New Year, everybody!"

We don't just celebrate New Year's Day today, though! Here at Ao4 Headquarters, we have another BIG reason for a party -- it's Zim's honorary birthday!!! Wooooo! My kid brother is (honorarily) 12 today!!! Take it away, Zim!

Thanks, Dave. Yep, I'm 12 today. "12 in 2012". 12! How did that happen? Maybe I should start acting more serious and stuff.

My serious look

Or ...

...maybe not. Ha roo roo roo!

Happy New Year, pups and cool cats -- and the bipeds out there reading! Here's to a happy, healthy, adventure-packed year! And since it's my birthday -- the treats are on me today!

Play bows and luv,
Zim and Dave

Movie Night - A Western!

2011-12-31T11:38:00.000-06:00

Ha roo, pups and cool cats! It's me, Zim. Dave and I did an awful lot yesterday - took Mom and Dad on a bunch of walks, napped, stood guard duty, napped, supervised Mom doing a bunch of stuff around the house, napped, had some snacks, napped -- you know how it goes. We were pretty wiped out by Supper-Dupper Time, so we were both happy to hear Dad say we were all going to watch a movie together!

Dave got into his normal Movie Night position...

"Mmm.... schmuzzle..."

...and I was ready to look for a little entertainment of my own ... but then ...

"Oh, COOL! A western!"

I love westerns! They had horses and cowboys (I love cowboys!) and the cowboys whistled to the horses -- I love listening to that! I watched as long as I could, then all the activities of the day caught up with me.

Zzzzz...

I couldn't help it! As much as I wanted to keep watching, I crashed. Mom said it looked like I was dreaming I was one of those calfs the cowboys were roping!

Do you like watching movies? What's your favorite genre?

Play bows,
Zim

Photo Finish Friday!

2011-12-30T09:58:00.000-06:00

Ha roo, pups and cool cats! It's me, Zim, here with Photo Finish Friday! Yesterday was an unbelievable day here in Kansas - we should normally be in very low temps with snow and wonderful stuff like that at this time of year -- but it was in the 50s! (10 or so for our international readers who use "C" instead of "F".) Now, whereas Dave and I think that's just not right, Mom and Dad seem to be enjoying this (I know ... it's crazy!) and so yesterday while Dad was out golfing, Mom, Dave and I hit the beach! That's right - nothing beats the "We Need Snow Blues" like a trip to the Kansas Ocean!

"Let's chase those blues away, Mom!"

I thought you might enjoy some photo highlights of our walk!

"Are you guys coming?!?"

"Let's get this party started!"

We walked around a bunch then I stopped to check stuff out:

Mom texted that photo to a friend who asked what I was looking at. Mom tried to text back "golfers" but spell check changed it to "folders". "Folders"!?! Ha roo roo roo!

"Why would there be folders out on the golf course?"

"Why would it be 50 degrees in Kansas at the end of December?!?"
"Good point, Dave!"

Thanks for coming to the Kansas Ocean with us! Hope you enjoyed it as much as we did!

Play bows,

Zim

CSI: Squirrel Hollow

2011-12-29T11:04:00.000-06:00

Ha roo, pups and cool cats! It's me, Zim. So there we were the other day, me and Dave, taking Mom and Dad for a walk. We got to one of our favorite places to do a little snoofering - Squirrel Hollow - when I sensed trouble!

"Hey, squirrel friends!?! Is everyone OK in there?!?"

I have a feel for these things. Dad wanted to keep going, but I was adamant about stopping to check on my squirrel friends!

"Dad! I have to stop! I sense trouble!"

And then ... I saw it.

Can you see it up there in the upper right-hand corner? Here, let me do a little visual aid:

Check the upper right-hand corner!

That's right - crime scene tape! Right here in Squirrel Hollow!

"Every-squirrel is OK, though ... right?!?!"

From what I was able to deduce, a squirrel's nest got broken into. Some nuts were taken, but no one was home at the time. The squirrel community was pointing their bushy tails at some Blue Jays, but I'm not sure how the investigation turned out. I'm sure CSI: Squirrel Hollow will get to the bottom of it all. I'm just glad none of my friends were hurt!

Play bows,

Zim

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-28T09:02:00.000-06:00

Luv and play bows,
Dave and Zim

At Least It's Cool

2011-12-27T11:14:00.000-06:00

Ha roo, pups and cool cats. It's me, Zim. Remember we got snow last week? Or actually more like ice, then an inch or two of snow, then more ice ... then -- well, anyway. Many of you have asked how my really cool snow fort building endeavors have gone. Hmm. Yeah. It's been a challenge, I have to tell you! I haven't had much to work with, but this is what I've got:

It's not much of a fort, but it is really cool. Literally.

Sadly, the snow thief has all but destroyed my really cool snow fort and there is no snow in the immediate forecast. Unless any of you who have snow are willing to send me some, I think it's best that I move on to new and different adventures!

Play bows,
Zim

Posing for the Camera

2011-12-26T09:11:00.001-06:00

Ha roo, pups and cool cats! It's me, Zim. I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas! We had a great day, chock-full-o walks, play time, naps, snacks - the usual, only more festive! Anyway, Mom has been trying to get a "good" (?) picture of me and Dave by some of the Christmas decorations or tree -- you know - together. Sitting still. Looking at the camera. That kind of thing. It's asking a lot, but after one of our afternoon walks, we decided to give it a go.

We decided we'd pose in front of the fireplace. Check it out!

I thought that was mighty good, but Mom said she wanted more of a close up and besides, there are marks in the carpet where she had moved the ottoman. (You see what I'm dealing with here, right?)

We let her move in a bit - oh, yeah, did I mention she had treats for us?

"Treats?!? Mom's got treats, Zim!"

Mom thought we looked way too serious there and asked, "Oh, come on, boys! Can't one of you smile, please?" Then she mentioned the "treat" word again.

I flashed her my best...

"Treats?!? Mom's got treats, Zim!"

...but Dave was kind of singularly focused. On the treats. Did I mention Mom had some? Ha roo.

We each got another treat for our pose - then noticed they were the last ones in Mom's hand. Hmm. Must mean the work session was over. All that holding still was mighty difficult - and we were ready for some down time.

"Let's play!"

We hope you enjoyed your day as much as we did!

Play bows,
Zim

Merry Christmas!!!

2011-12-25T09:23:00.000-06:00

In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest,

And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”

(Luke 2:8-12)

Today at Ao4 Headquarters, we all celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We wish all of you God's rich blessings on this Christmas Day.

With play bows and luv,
Zim and Dave
and our mom and dad!

How Angelic

2011-12-24T09:38:00.000-06:00

Ha roo, pups and cool cats. It's me, Zim. Did you notice the tree up on the cabinet by the kitchen doorway in yesterday's post?

That's another one of our trees - it has tiny angels ornaments on it (mostly from Germany) and a few olive wood carved ornaments from Bethlehem!

How about we take a closer look! The larger ornaments are down near the bottom of the tree -- right ...

...here, like this olive wood Nativity ornament:

Just as an aside, does anyone think it's odd that we have several small trees set up around the house, up on tables and stuff, instead of a big one on the floor? Crazy!

Here's one of the angels:

And here's an angel in a one horse open sleigh!

Here's a tiny angel in a heart; Mom always hangs this right near the top of the tree:

And at the very tip-top of the tree is another carved olive wood ornament:

A Nativity star ornament! Isn't it beautiful?!? A family friend sent that to Mom and Dad when she went on a trip to the Holy Land; it's very special to her in many ways!

⁴ Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, ⁵ in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. ⁶ While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. ⁷And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. (Luke 2:4-7)

I hope you enjoyed seeing our tree of angels! Have a wonderful Christmas Eve, everyone!

Play bows,
Zim

Craziness!

2011-12-23T10:59:00.000-06:00

Ha roo, pups and cool cats! It's me, Zim. I'm starting to get worried about our mom. Yesterday started out OK - a long walk, breakfast, another walk, a nap or two ... then things started to get a bit ... strange.

First, Mom made me model one of her latest scarf creations.

"Seriously, Mom? Seriously?"

Then she put another one on Dave.

"Woo! It's UT orange! Can I borrow this during football season?
Hook 'em, Horns!"

Is it just me, or does that one look like a heavy-duty extension cord? And does Dave seem to like doing this a bit too much?

Then... the craziness crept into the kitchen.

"Really. Follow me into the kitchen!"

Check out what she did to the sugar cookies this year:

"Help us, we're melting!!!"

That's not her only crazy culinary endeavor. Check out what she made and brought to my vet check up last week:

"Bacon and Eggs" - white chocolate, and M&M and pretzels

Oh, sure, the ladies at the desk really got a kick out of them... but they're crazy! (The treats, not the nice ladies at the desk!) Do you all think I should be concerned about my mom? And that she said she's working on something in the Quilt Studio for me and Dave? Hmm...

Play bows,

Zim

The Patriotic Tree

2011-12-22T10:05:00.000-06:00

Ha roo, pups and cool cats! It's me, Zim. We still don't have enough snow out there for me to make a really cool snow fort ...

"What an icy, slippery mess!"

...so I thought I'd show you more of the ornaments on our Patriotic Tree.

Ready to take a closer look?

Up at the top, Mom tied one of Dad brass Army uniform buttons on one side and hung this cool eagle on the other:

He's red, white and blue and is surrounded by a wreath of holly! He's made of tin.

Another of the tin-type ornaments is this modified flag/heart!

Look through the cut-out star... can you see the little soldier ornament? Here's a better look:

He's positioned right by an ornament Mom made one of the Christmases she and Dad spent in Korea. Dad brought some of his fellow soldiers down from "up north", where he was serving in the 2nd Infantry Division, to Mom's house in Seoul for dinner, and she made those for all the guys. Mom said it was a very special evening! It's a good reminder that our troops are serving all over the world, some quite far from home and in harm's way.

Check out this sled ornament:

The ladies of the Command Group at Fort Riley decorated the sled with a Big Red One decal and gave them to some of the commanders' wives right before Desert Storm. Dad deployed to SW Asia about a week and a half before Christmas, so that was very special to her. It still is!

Dad spent many Christmases proudly serving in the 1st Infantry Division, so Mom also has this on the tree:

She painted and quilted that one. You can also see underneath the Big Red One ornament one of Mom's dad's brass buttons from when he was a Cadet at West Point. He, too, served in the Big Red One!

Lastly, just a simple tree ornament Mom made with fabric from one of Dad's uniforms and some cotton batting:

We hope you will remember to pray for our troops, wherever they are serving around the world.

It almost looks like snow on the tree, doesn't it? Speaking of which... it's flurrying out there. I better get back to my post!

I hope you enjoyed a look at our Patriotic Tree! Please remember to say a prayer for our men and women in uniform!

Play bows,

Zim

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-21T09:38:00.000-06:00

Play bows,

Zim

Vet Trip!

2011-12-20T11:14:00.001-06:00

Woo, everypup and everycat! It's me, Dave! Back in June, I told you about a trip I had to our vet school. I showed you a couple pictures of me and one of the senior vet students - Amy! Anyway, I've gone back to the vet school a few times since then, and even if she's not on my case or even assigned to the clinic that I'm going to, Amy tries to come see me! She wants to have a Siberian just like me one day - and until the time is right for her, I am more than happy to be a stand-in!

Anyway, I had to go in for a recheck for something yesterday and my very wonderful senior student Janelle had given my Amy a heads up that I was coming in! So even though she wasn't on the Pet Health clinic ... look at who I got to see!!!

Me and my Amy!

YES! It's my Amy!!! Look at how happy I was to get hugs and tummy rubs and ear scratchies from her:

I ❤ my Amy!

I know I shouldn't play favorites ... and I haven't met a senior student or veterinarian or staff member or anyone at KSU that I haven't liked ... but I think Amy might just be my favorite senior student.

We got a good report, then I went outside and posed by this statue:

We should sculpt a statue of me and my Amy!

You can't really see the statue very well, but you can click this link for a good look at it and read more about it here. It's called "A Kind Touch" and it's mighty special.

In other news, about that 6-12 inches of snow (they kept changing the amount we were going to get) forecasted for our area...

Here I am on one of our walks this morning:

"Something seems to be lacking here..."

We had a "wintry mix" all night, then snow this morning. It's still coming down, but ... well, let's just say it was a hard storm to predict, accumulation-wise. Hmm.

Here's Zim:

"How's a guy supposed to build a really cool snow fort in this?!?"

You might have to wait a bit to build that really cool snow fort, little brother! Woo!

I hope all of you had a good Monday!

Luv,

Dave

The Hills Are A-Live....

2011-12-19T11:41:00.000-06:00

Ha roo, pups and kit-cats! It's me, Zim! As I mentioned the other day, we had a sunny, warm weekend, so we got out and did lots of walking! I had Mom take some pictures of us - especially to show our friend Mango - he seems to think all of Kansas is flat. Flat!?! Not in our part of Kansas! We're in the Flint Hills region, so we have plenty of hills! Check out this picture of Dave and me:

Look at that hill in front of us! Doesn't it just make you want to break out into that Julie Andrews song? Or do a little yodeling?!? Well, let's keep walking!

Can you see what I've spotted? Take a closer look!

"Hey, little kit-cat! I'm Zim! Want to be friends?!?"

A new kit-cat friend!!! How exciting is that?!?

We kept walking after I communed with my new friend for a while. Dave wanted Mom to take a pic of this hill for Mango:

"I think the world might end right there..."

Anyway, so Mango - those are some of our hills! We may not have cool mountains (though it would be great if we could get some - we could probably fit them in right by the Kansas Ocean), but we do have hills!

Play bows,

Zim

Serene Scenery Sunday

2011-12-18T10:55:00.000-06:00

Ha roo, pups and cool cats! Zim here with Serene Scenery Sunday! I thought I'd show you a bit more of our Christmas decor, but first ... how about a sunset?

14 DEC 11 sunset

A nice sunset always sends me into a nice, peaceful mood!

We have a few trees scattered around the place this year. Today, we'll look at this one:

It has all kinds of different ornaments on it - ones Mom and Dad have collected from all over the place that have special memories behind them. It's the tree we hung Maggie and Mitch's mini-mitten on! Let's look at a few of the ornaments!

This is a tiny wooden Santa from Germany:

Mom macraméd the snowflake out of string when she was a teenager.

Every tree has to have a Chimney Sweep:

He's from Germany, too. They consider Chimney Sweeps to be a sign of good luck!

This windmill ornament reminds Mom and Dad of their time in Belgium and the Netherlands:

The blades spin and everything!

I like this ornament a lot:

Like most of the others I showed you today, this one is from Germany. It reminds me of the pretty deer friends I see on our morning walks sometimes!

So... that's about all I've got for you today! I hope you ... what? The brass bell you can see behind me? On that lower branch that kind of sticks out? Oh... um... you mean this?

Fine. There. It's from Germany, too. And long-long-long time readers of the Ao4 Digest may remember that 11 short years ago, on my first Christmas in my forever home, it was dubbed ... the Zim Detection Device. Sigh. Fine. Click here for the story.

It's not like it actually is needed or works or anything.

"Oh, Mom, no! Get that crazy thing away from me!!!"

So much for serenity. I better go find my inner calm again. Maybe a little Christmas music. Some "Silent Night" or something ... yeah ... that ought to do it. I hope you find your serene zone today!

Play bows,

Zim

Sunny Saturday

2011-12-17T10:16:00.000-06:00

Ha roo, pups and cool cats! It's me, Zim! The weekend has begun and we have a couple days of really nice (by biped standards) weather in store for us - sunny and in the 50s. That means we plan to do plenty of this:

"Woo! Mud! Hey, Zim! What's Mom mean by 'No way!'?"

"Well, Dave ... I think it means we're about to do an about-face!"

"It's still a cool adventure, even if we stick to the roads and sidewalks!"

I hope all of you get to go out and have some fun this weekend! If the weather bipeds are right, we're going to be having even MORE fun come Monday night -- they're telling us to get ready for a big snowstorm! Now that's OUR idea of nice weather!!!

Play bows,

Zim

Photo Finish Friday!

2011-12-16T13:28:00.000-06:00

Ha roo, pups and cool cats! It's me, Zim! Oh, wow! On top of all the other cool things that I did yesterday (walkies, a car ride, playing 'chase me around the living room', etc.) guess who I got to see?!? Since it's Photo Finish Friday, I'll show you rather than tell you!

It's my friend Callie Co Kitty!!!

"Well, meow! Is that you, Zim?"

It had been almost a month since I'd seen her! I couldn't wait to hear all of her news!

"I have so much to tell you! Meet me over here!"

She's the chattiest kitty cat friend EVER; I love listening to her!

"Tell me all about it, Callie Co!"

She filled me in on all the kit-cat news in the neighborhood. I told her that if she didn't have plans for Christmas, she should come over to our house.

"Hmm... what a nice offer!"

She said she'd think about it!

We chatted a little more, and checked out some contractors working at a neighbors' house...

"I'm not sure what they're doing, either..."

...then Mom made me go back inside.

It was GREAT seeing Callie Co Kitty! Do the rest of you have favorite neighborhood friends?

Play bows,

Zim

Yesterday's Activities!

2011-12-15T10:46:00.000-06:00

Woo, everypup and everycat. It's me, Dave. Zim and I had SUCH a busy day yesterday! We had Mom take pictures of some of our activities so we could show you how hard we work around here. Ready to get started?

It rained through the night and into the morning. Rain without lightning strikes doesn't phase us one bit, so we went on a few walks. Here we are on one of the morning walks with Mom:

Me and Zim in one of those special effects thingies

We went through a lot of towels ... and yet someone (Mom) kept telling us we smelled like wet sheep!! Woo.

The mailman brought a card just for us! (And Mom and Dad.) Zim snoofed ALL over it! I think he could tell it was from his bestest friend Huffle Mawson and her family in Australia! Here it is:

I'm not sure why, but I feel a certain kinship with these little fellas...

By afternoon, the sun was out and it was in the upper 50s! Mom cut Dad's hair out on the deck, so Zim and I went out to supervise!

"Ummm... yeah... that looks great, Mom. Hey, Zim! Is that one of your cat friends over there?"

Later in the afternoon, Zim supervised Dad while he worked out.

Zim said Dad was working really hard on the Eliptical machine... but didn't seem to be getting anywhere. Ha woo.

Zim exhausted himself watching Dad so closely and came in to get some rest in the Quilt Studio.

"Zzzzz...."

He knows I've got things covered in there, so he was able to kick back and relax.

Speaking of relaxing ... we also helped watch a little TV after dinner. You all know where I could be found:

"Which house do you think they'll take, Mom?"

All in all, a mighty full day! What have you all been busy doing?

Luv,

Dave

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-14T08:53:00.002-06:00

Play bows,
Zim

Round and Around and Around...

2011-12-13T10:24:00.000-06:00

Woo, everypup and everycat. It's me, Dave! Zim and I thought we'd start showing you a bit more of our Christmas decor today - we kind of started the other day when we showed you our new mini-mitten and then when we showed you our Army buttons! Anyway, this decoration is a stand-alone kind of thing. Here, let me show you!

See? It's a team of huskies pulling a sled! I know, it's more Winter than Christmas, but Mom only lets us have it out at this time of year.

She put in on a table runner she made out of blue and white flannels that feature cool stuff like Arctic Foxes and Polar Bears and sled teams and other northern stuff. One of our poofy quilts is out of those fabs, too! (Click here -- the carousel is on that table right behind me there!!)

Anyway, Zim and I really like this! I know how to make it move with my nose ...

"Here! Let me give you guys a little spin!"

...and Zimmie. Well...

"Hey! Come on down here and play, you guys!!!"

... you all know how my kid brother is! Woo!

More decor to come!

Luv,

Dave

An Open Invitation

2011-12-12T09:57:00.000-06:00

Ha roo, pups and cool cats. It's me, Zim! Dave and I have all kinds of different walking routes we take Mom and Dad on, and a handful of those paths take us past the same houses. Right around the corner from us and down the hill is a house we pass a couple times a day - regardless of where we're heading. I couldn't help but notice there have been some people and animals standing around in their yard lately.

Just down there, on the near side of the corner. Can you see them? They're quite colorful!

It's been pretty cold out lately, so ...

"Ha roo!?!"

I let them know that they'd be welcome to come in at our house.

"We're just up this hill and around the corner, OK?
You have an open invitation!"

Dave and I told them we'd leave some lights on for them.

"Do you think they'll know where to find us, Zim?"
"I do, Dave. Let's be ready to welcome them!"

They have an open invitation - any time.

Play bows,

Zim

Serene Scenery Sunday

2011-12-11T09:33:00.000-06:00

Woo, everypup and everycat. It's me, Dave, here with Serene Scenery Sunday. Did you see the big, bright full moon last night? How about we start with a shot of that?!?

For more of Mom's pix of the full moon,
please click here

If that doesn't make you want to tilt your snooter back and say "WOO!" I don't know what will!

Speaking of snooters ...

Remember the other day when we did our snooter-hanging with the "Bah Humbug" pillow? Well, as I mentioned, we really aren't the "Bah Humbug" types. Zim and I are pretty upbeat guys, so when Mom said we should pose with the flip side of the pillow showing, I was all for it!

Yeah! That's better! That made me feel good! And it made me feel like saying ...

"Ho Ho Ho, everybody!"

Actually, it came out more like "Wooooo!"

"Did you get that, Mom?"

Mom said she got it, but that it was all blurry. In case Santa was watching, I thought I should hold nice and still for one more good shot.

"Hi, Santa!"

I'm pretty sure Santa reads our blog - it's a good way for him to know what all Zim and I have been up to.

Speaking of whom...

"Hey, Santa! We've been reeeeeally good! Really!"

I wonder if the Sad Eyes Look works on Santa? Zim's got it down!

Zim and I feel much more serene now that we cleared the air about the whole "Bah Humbug" versus "Ho Ho Ho" thing! We hope you have a peaceful day as well!

Luv,
Dave

Go Army!

2011-12-10T10:16:00.000-06:00

Ha roo, pups and cool cats! It's me, Zim. As some of you know, today is the big Army versus Navy football game! We hope the Black Knights of Army win - but mostly we'd like to see a good game played by these service members!

We thought today would be a good day to talk to you about Mom's (and our) favorite "ornament" for Christmas (aside from the Nativity scenes, which we all love). We actually have three lit trees in the house - one with lots of different types of ornaments, one with angels and Nativity ornaments, and one that has nothing but patriotic ornaments on it! Every year, we put a small tree up to honor all those who serve in our nation's military. It's a good reminder that there are many men and women in uniform who will spend Christmas away from home.

Here is our favorite "ornament" on our favorite tree -

It's one of Dad's Army uniform buttons! Tying uniform buttons to the Christmas tree dates back to at least the mid-1800s - a great military family tradition from the frontier days! Mom loops ribbon through the shanks on some of our dad's brass Army uniform buttons and even some of her dad's buttons and ties them to our tree!

Here's one of Mom's dad's buttons from his when he was a cadet at the US Military Academy (West Point) -

Isn't that the coolest?

Remember to say prayers for our US military members who are serving overseas this year! And getting back to that game today ... in the words of our grandpap, our dad, and so VERY many others ...

GO ARMY, BEAT NAVY!

Play bows,

Zim

Photo Finish Friday!

2011-12-09T09:31:00.000-06:00

Woo, everypup and everycat. It's me, Dave, here with Photo Finish Friday. This week, Mom asked us to pose with a little pillow hanging from our snooters. Sounded OK to me!

"How's this, Mom?"

I laid there nice and still so she could focus in on me with the Nikon. For some reason, Mom had to snap Zim's real fast with the iPhone.

"Not funny, Mom!"

Me? I could do this all day.

"Did you get the shot you wanted, Mom?"

For the record, Mom was going for irony with the "Bah Humbug" thing. We'll pose with the other side of the pillow (it reads "Ho Ho Ho") soon. Well... at least one of us will. Ha woo.

Happy Friday!

Luv,

Dave

PS: Don't worry... we were duly rewarded for our hard work posing for the pix above!

Red and White Plus Black and White...

2011-12-08T10:00:00.002-06:00

Ha roo, pups and cool cats! So there I was the other day, just hanging out being a really good boy and stuff, when Mom said she had something special to do! She said she was going to take something red and white ... mix it with something black and white ... and frankly, Dave and I both liked the sound of that! A walk!?! A car ride?!? Play time?!? But THEN she mentioned crushing them up ...

"GASP!!!"

...and I just didn't like the sound of that at ALL!!!

Then she said, "Oh, instead of crushing them with a mallet, I could whirl them around in the food processor..."

"I'm not sure I like the sound of this..."

Say what?!?! Well, OK. Mom must have seen the look on my face, because she called me a silly little puppy and scratched my ears. Then she told me to relax - the red and white and the black and white she had in mind were of this sort:

Candy Canes and Oreos
Red and white ... Black and white!

Oh! Whew. Well, OK, then!

"AH! Gotcha, Mom! Whew!"

That was a huge relief! I offered my services on KP, but Mom said, "Absolutely not!" and banished both me and Dave from the kitchen. Something about chocolate and these being for the neighbors. Fine.

So, anyway, she made Candy Cane-Oreo Cookie Balls - and I thought I'd share her recipe with you. These are for PEOPLE ONLY - not for us guys, OK? Chocolate is very bad for us! Have your biped wash her (or his) hands, and let's get busy!

Here's everything you need:

Candy canes (once they're crushed, about 1/3 of a cup's worth)
8 ounces cream cheese - softened
1 package Oreos (the recipe said 16.6 oz., but our bag was 15.5 - close enough!)
2 packages (8 squares each) Baker's semi-sweet chocolate, melted

OK - first up, crush the candy canes. Mom put hers in the food processor and buzzed them around. She made them really fine - do whatever feels right to you! Save a tablespoon worth of the chopped candy canes and toss the rest into a bowl.
Next, crush the Oreos! Use the same food processor - no need to wash it after the candy canes, it's all going together anyway! Do about 1/4 of the package at a time. Mom did the Oreos really fine, too.
Combine the crushed Oreos, the crushed candy canes and the cream cheese in your bowl. Blend well. Really well. Use the electric hand mixer.
Before you start the next step, get the chocolate going. Mom melted hers using a double-boiler on the stove.
Roll the "dough" into 1" balls. Mom used her tiniest cookie scoop so she could make them pretty even. Put them on a wax paper-lined sheet pan and pop them in the freezer for at least 10 minutes. Mom actually did hers in two batches.
Once firm, dip the balls in the melted chocolate! Place back on wax paper-lined sheet pan and sprinkle with the reserved crushed candy canes. (Because the balls were in the freezer, the chocolate will set pretty fast, so only dip 4-5 balls before topping with the candy, or it won't "stick".)
Refrigerate for at least an hour, until firm!

Candy Cane-Oreo Balls

Mom said they're even better after sitting in the fridge for 24 hours. The flavors come together, it's all smooth like a truffle, and make sure you make extra so you can try them before you give them to the neighbors. (She got 57 balls from the recipe, but it depends on how big you make them and how finely you crush everything.)

Here's what I did while Mom made these:

She said I was a tremendous help ... though I don't see how me not being right there with her is any help at all!!!

I hope your people will like these!

Play bows and BON APPETIT! to all the bipeds out there,

Zim

PS: We'll put a link to the recipe in our sidebar, under Secret Family Recipes, so you can find it later!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-07T09:32:00.000-06:00

Play bows,
Zim

PS: If it won't play, please click here.

Thank You!

2011-12-06T09:20:00.000-06:00

Woo, everypup and everycat! It's me, Dave! Oh, was yesterday an exciting day around here! We did lots of work and decorating and stuff, then Mom went out to get the mail and said there was something for me and Zim!!!

"Really?!? For us?!?"

It was a beautiful card from our friends Maggie and Mitch AND tucked inside was the mini-mitten from their give-away!!! I was bowled over by how gorgeous it is!!!

"I can't believe this!!!"

Their mom made it and it is just so beautiful! My favorite color combo, too - blue and white!!!

"Isn't this the most incredible mini-mitten you've ever seen?!?!"

They wrote us a very nice card, too, wishing us and our mom and dad a merry Christmas! Their mom and dad signed it, too.

Zim got to see the mitten for a minute:

"This is the coolest mitten EVER!"

He was on Sentry Duty by the front door, so he was trying to keep his serious look going.

Anyway, so Mom let him get back to guarding the house while I enjoyed reading the card Maggie and Mitch sent.

And then ...

"Mom!?! Where are you going with our mitten?!?!"

Mom was walking all over the place with it! Finally, she let out a cry of "This is perfect!" (I also heard something about "up high" and "out of reach" ... but I'm not sure what that was all about!)

Our mini-mitten from Maggie and Mitch!

Mom hung it on one of our trees! Doesn't it look beautiful!!?

Thank you so much, dear friends! We just love our mini-mitten and love that it will remind us of our long-time blogging buddies and their family!!!

Luv,

Dave

Let the Work Week Begin!

2011-12-05T09:43:00.000-06:00

Woo, everypup and everycat. It's me, Dave. As many of you know, I serve as my mom's Guide Dog for the Color Blind. We're going to be finishing up some Christmas gifts down in the Studio this week, and I'm TOTALLY ready to get to work!

"Mom... Christmas colors are green and red. That's yellow! Oh... Mom!"

It could be a tough week - but I'm all set!

How does your week look?

Luv,
Dave

Serene Scenery Sunday

2011-12-04T10:38:00.000-06:00

Ha roo, pups and cool cats! It's me, Zim, here with Serene Scenery Sunday. How about we get things started with a sunset picture? This is a panoramic shot Mom took:

If that doesn't make you feel all peaceful inside, I don't know what will! Here's what really did it for me, though! Ready?

That's right - a trip to the Kansas State University Vet Med Teaching Hospital, AKA our vets!

As you might remember, I had surgery back in August and I'm still in the healing phase as far as my incision area goes. And ... you know ... in the hoodie. I had one of my follow-up appointments on Thursday. Come on in the exam room with me!

Here I am, chilling out while my senior student briefs my vet on how I'm doing:

"Zzzz..."

See that door behind me? That's "the back". Every vet seems to have a "the back". I usually don't have to go in "the back"; I am calmest around my mom, so if they can, they do everything in here.

While I was waiting, I heard a Lab back there and a few kit-cats.

"Ha roo?"

I knew they were in good hands back there, but I wanted them to feel serene. I sent them mind-meld messages of calmness through the door.

"I'm here for you guys!"

I did some yoga while I waited, too.

"...and stretch..."

Then... my student and vet came in and gave me the news!

"What?!?! I can go CONE-FREE?!?!"

Oh, sure, sure, actually they said I'm supposed to be "weaned off the cone" ... something about "close supervision" ... something else about using the BiteNot collar if I don't leave that area alone (because I have an ear infection now...) ... but all I heard was that we're ditching the cone!!! If I'm "good". Would that be "good"-good or "Siberian"-good? Ha roo roo roo!

I'm the picture of innocence.

Trust me. I'm a Siberian Husky.

Keep it serene - and remember to be "good"!

Play bows,
Zim

Porch Pose Saturday

2011-12-03T09:46:00.000-06:00

Ha roo, pups and cool cats. It's me - Zim - here with Dave. Mom asked us to pose by the front porch for a picture the other day. You know ... as in "holding still" and all that. Hmm. Well, OK, Mom. But only because we'd already been on a long walk and ...

"It's Callie Co! I hope she comes over to visit!"
"Zim... you know she's a cat, right?"

...because we spotted one of my kit-cat friends across the street!

I hope your weekend is full of nice surprises!

Play bows,
Zim

Photo Finish Friday - Wednesday's Walk Part 2

2011-12-02T09:21:00.000-06:00

Ha roo, pups and cool cats, it's me, Zim! I've got the best of the best photos from Wednesday's walk for you! As Dave told you yesterday, we had a great time overall! Those crazy Kansas winds were making our skies look really cool! Here's a shot of Dave and me that shows it off pretty well:

Doesn't that look cool?

Once we snoofed around by the Kansas Ocean for a while, Dave and I struck a pose together for Mom.

Dave was checking out some little birds that were peeping over on that peninsula. I think it was Killdeer, but I'm not sure. I love those little guys! Anyway, I sensed another big wind gust coming and got ready to catch it. Check this out:

Yeah! I love it when the wind blows through my fur!!!

Thanks for coming with us - we hope you enjoyed the pix!

Play bows,
Zim

Wednesday's Walk!

2011-12-01T11:12:00.000-06:00

Woo, everypup and everycat. It's me - Dave. We aren't confused about the day of the week again, I just wanted to share some pix with you from the really great walk Zim and I took Mom on yesterday afternoon! It was warm out (about 50℉ - or maybe 10℃) with a lot of wind. I mean even for here a lot of wind -- maybe around 40 mph gusts, I think. Anyway, what better reason to go for a nice, long walk - right? Let's go!

Here's Zim on the way out:

Isn't the sky cool? And check out those warm, Fall-like colors on the prairie!

Anyway, we kept going up that slight hill, then Zim looked across the street and sent Mom a mind-meld message that we should go over there.

"You know you want to go over there ... go ... go now ..."

She actually gave in and took us over there! There is a cool path that goes down near Little Kitten Creek -

Doesn't it look cool?!? In the mornings, we often see deer in this area! (The building up there on the right is a hospice center - it's sad that there is a need for that kind of facility, but they really have a beautiful setting for it.)

Anyway, we turned around shortly after Mom shot that picture - we were charged by an off-lead dog (yes, it's against our local ordinances to do that ... ) and we needed to get out of there. We still had a great walk, though - look at where we went next!

Can you see it down there?!?! It's the Kansas Ocean!!! We hadn't been there in a while (other than the first walk of the day when it's usually pretty dark out still), so it was great to take in all the sights and smells!

I struck a pose by the ocean for Mom:

My serious side

I looked so solemn that Mom thought I needed a bit of this:

Actually, it's just that the sun was in my eyes ... but I'm always up for some snuggly ear rubbies! Woo.

Zim will have a few more pix from our walk for you tomorrow! Thanks for coming with us!

Luv,
Dave

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-30T08:57:00.000-06:00

Play bows,
Zim

Panda-Monium!

2011-11-29T09:38:00.000-06:00

Ha roo, pups and cool cats! It's me, Zim. Do you remember a while ago I showed you my Squeaky Purple Panda toy? I showed you our first meeting and confessed that because I didn't know what a toy was until I came here, I sometimes don't know what to do with new ones. Well, Purple Panda and I have met a few more times, and I'm starting to get the swing of things.

On this one day, Dave was taking a long nap and I was bored, so Mom got Purple out for me to play with. We hung out in the living room for a while. I tried holding him a couple different ways and he squeaked. I was afraid that meant he was hurt, so I didn't want to make him squeak - so we just kicked back on a floor cushion.

Me and Purple Panda

Mom decided I should go outside, so she hooked up my leash. I didn't want to leave Purple Panda alone, so I brought him with us.

I showed him the grass:

...and I showed him the sidewalk and driveway:

He was smiling, so I think he liked exploring the yard with me.

I thought I saw one of my kit-cat friends and was going to show her my Purple Panda:

She ran off to do important kitty-cat things before I could show her my panda friend.

We decided to pose by the Crimson Barberry Bush:

I'm not sure Mom got his best side.

Before we went in, we struck one more pose by the front door:

Mom said he was about as cooperative as me and Dave are. Ha roo roo roo!

So - that's what Purple Panda and I have been up to. Oh, sure, Dave says I should rip him apart (gasp!) but I don't want to hurt him! Besides, he's pretty fun to hang out with!

Play bows,
Zim

Siber Monday!!!

2011-11-28T09:28:00.000-06:00

Woo, everypup and everycat! It's the day Zim and I and all of us Siberian Huskies all over the world have been waiting for all year! It's SIBER Monday!!! Woooooo!!!!! Our very own day to celebrate being Siberians!!! Siber Monday!!! Woooo!!!!

What? It's "Cyber" Monday, not "Siber" Monday?

Oh. Well, in that case, I'll just stay right here under Mom's chair, snuggled between her feety-feet...

... and help her do a little shopping.

Cyber Monday isn't as much fun as Siber Monday would be, but it's not too bad!

Luv,
Dave

Serene Scenery Sunday

2011-11-27T10:52:00.000-06:00

Ha roo, pups and cool cats! It's me - Zim! Oh, don't worry - we won't keep you in suspense about the rest of our walk on that really cool part of the Hudson Trail! It was so beautiful there, so peaceful... that's our Serene Scenery Sunday post!

We were going to break the whole thing into three segments, because Mom took so many pix, but I figured if I cut down on the chit-chat, it wouldn't be too overwhelming. Right? Let's get walking!

One great discovery along this part of the trail is this cool border on the ground of wooden railroad ties - or whatever they're called.

I had fun balancing on those. And had even more fun stepping off them as soon as Mom pointed the iPhone my way. Ha roo roo roo!

In this next shot, Dave said he felt a little bit like one of those Wizard of Oz guys on the Yellow Brick Road:

"Hey, Zim, is that the Emerald City? Ha woo."

He's tons of fun to walk with! But I saw something moving in the field to my left. Mom said we needed to keep going; I made a mental note to check on the way home.

You can tell by this picture just how much I was enjoying our walk:

At some point, we turned around to retrace our steps. And as noted...

"Ha-lloooo? Is anymousie home?!?"

I just knew there was a little field mouse in there! Mom said I should just wish the mousie a good day and keep going. I hope he had a serene afternoon!

Mom likes this part of the Trail best:

Not the best shot of me, but Dave and the Trail look great!

"Thanks, Zim! Let's keep going before Mom gets any crazy ideas!"

Good idea, Dave, but it was already too late - Mom wanted us to "sit and look at the camera".

"SQUIRREL!!!"

I could sit quietly and watch little squirrel friends all day! No problem! It's not like I was actually going to look at the camera, though - there was too much going on!

Then Mom asked Davy to sit by me. He was all mopey, cuz he didn't want to sit, but I had plenty to amuse myself with!

"Oh, Mom..."
"ANOTHER SQUIRREL!"

Then Dave got another one of his better ideas...

"Take down!"

What fun! A hike on the Trail AND a short but fun wrestling match!

"I wonder where Mom keeps the credit card?"
"Yeah, we've got to order her another pair of new shoes!"

As you can see from the smiles on our faces, we just had a blast!

Thanks for coming with us - we hope these pictures helped you find a little bit of serenity and that all of you get to be hooked up and taken on a nice long adventure today!

Play bows,
Zim

New Shoes!

2011-11-26T10:37:00.000-06:00

Woo, everypup and everycat. It's me, Dave. Our fun started yesterday when the FedEx Man showed up at the door with a pair of new shoes for Mom. That was nice of him to get her some shoes, wasn't it? Anyway, she tried them on and said they were really comfy new WALKING shoes and so how about we break them in by going for a nice walk!?!? Mom really knows how to celebrate, doesn't she?!!?

The three of us headed out and were having all kinds of fun. Zim and I were being really good - and then we got to the crest of this one hill:

"It's just at the bottom of this hill, Zim!!!"

We could barely contain our excitement! Do you know what's at the bottom of that hill?!?

"We're almost there!!!"

See right by that orange biped crossing sign down there? That's the entrance to the Hudson Trail!!! This walk just could NOT get any better!!!

But then, we got to the entrance and Mom said, "No, no, boys. Not that way!" and started pulling us away from the Trail.

" ... but ... but ... "

Look at how sad I look there! Oh, sure, Zim is smiling, but I think that's because he had sent Mom a mind-meld message of an even BETTER idea of where we should go - and I hadn't quite picked up on it yet.

Instead of turning RIGHT on the Trail like we love to do... we turned LEFT!!!

It was almost too good to be true! We hadn't been that way in years! It was SO exciting!!!

"WOO!"
"Now this is what I'M talking about!"

It was an incredible adventure! We have tons of pix to show you - but don't want to overload you. We'll pick up here tomorrow, OK?

I think we should buy Mom new shoes more often, given this outcome!

Luv,

Dave

Photo (I Really Am in Here) Finish Friday

2011-11-25T09:40:00.000-06:00

Woo, everypup and everycat. It's me, Dave, Guide Dog for the Color Blind! Mom and I got some new, cool fabric in and I got to try it out before it went into the wash. Look - here I am!

Isn't that cool? What?

You can't see me?!? No... I really am in there!

"Can you see me now?"

Is that any better?

"Hello?"

I really am in those pictures! Honest! Maybe this is too good of a camouflage job!

Luv,
Dave, GDFTCB

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-24T08:51:00.001-06:00

Psalm 107:1
"Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever!"

We give thanks to God for all of our blessings, small and large! Happy Thanksgiving from all of us here at Ao4 Headquarters!

Play bows and luv,

Zim and Dave

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-23T10:03:00.000-06:00

Play bows and luv,
Zim and Dave

Squirrel Check!

2011-11-22T11:50:00.000-06:00

Ha roo, pups and cool cats! It's me, Zim. Dave and I went on a great walk yesterday -- well, actually we love ALL of our walks, but we had some special fun yesterday and Mom had her iPhone with her, so we have some pix to share. Come on along on our adventure, OK?

So... we were going on one of our normal routes that takes us past a place where I always, always have to check for squirrels. You know, because you never know, right?

Me, checking for squirrels in Squirrel Hollow

It's not really called Squirrel Hollow, but that's what Dave and I call it.

I didn't see a squirrel, but I knew there was one out there somewhere!

"I sense one out there, too, Zim!"

Dave agreed. We knew there was one around, we just hadn't spotted it yet!

"Show yourself, little friend!"

I gave him a minute or two and then ...

"There you are! Hey, be careful up there, OK?"

He was WAY up high - check it out:

It's not the best picture, since he was up so high and Mom only had the iPhone, but you get the idea! He was doing a high-wire act! I waited until he had safely jumped into a tree, then we walked on.

It was really cool seeing him. We don't have any of his kin-folk right by our house, so Dave and I just love it when we do see one out on our walks. Seeing a squirrel turns a "regular" walk into a wonderful adventure! What special things do you love to see on your walks?

Play bows,
Zim

Yard Work

2011-11-21T10:08:00.000-06:00

Ha roo, pups and cool cats. It's me, Zim. You've seen plenty of footage of what Dave likes to do in our backyard -- race around playing that "fetch" game. Me? I'm more into exploring, ignoring Mom, then eventually striking some poses. These pix are from a couple weeks ago, but I thought you might like to see them.

This is me checking to see if The Bully Cat was over in her yard:

"Hey, Maude!? Are you over there?"

Unfortunately, she wasn't there. While I was there under the Purple Ash tree, I thought I'd give Mom a chance to photograph my other side:

"Can't ... hold ... still ... much longer ..."

All that posing really takes it out of a guy. Is this what the bipeds mean by "yard work"? I have to admit - it truly is exhausting!

Play bows,
Zim

Serene Scenery Sunday - Super Snuggly Sunday!

2011-11-20T11:20:00.000-06:00

Woo, everypup and everycat, it's me, Dave, here with Serene Scenery Sunday. This week, I thought you'd like to see one of the things that makes me feel the serenest. Err... most serene. Snuggle time! I can snuggle under many different conditions, and I'd like to share some of those with you.

Here we have the basic snuggle with a foot tap:

That's one of my favorite snuggle positions. Sometimes, I toss in a foot hug:

Both of those pix above are from our evening TV time - so please pardon the fuzziness of the photos. (Of course, I am a fuzzy guy. Ha woo.) I also like to snuggle out on the deck, where it's a bit brighter:

Getting back to TV time snuggles, here's a snuggle shot with some special effects tossed in; it's the head draped over the leg technique:

I like the way the special effects bring out the freckles on my nose. Mom usually massages those for me while we snuggle. I love that!

Know what else I love? Holding ~~paws~~ hands:

I like holding hands at the vet hospital, too:

Note I'm keeping an eye on my mom, to make sure she stays with me! (Mom lets me bring one of our fluffy quilts with me to the vet's, so I'm comfy.)

Sometimes at home, I like to keep an eye on Mom while we snuggle, too:

"Hi, Mom."

Ahhhh... nothing makes me feel quite serene as snuggling with my mom. I think it does wonders for her, too.

I hope these different snuggle modes inspire you to try some variations of your own!

Luv,
Dave

Quick Walk!

2011-11-19T09:52:00.000-06:00

Woo, everypup and everycat. It's me, Dave! After lunch yesterday, Zim and I decided Mom should take us for another walk. Oh, sure, we had already been on a few, but this is Autumn and in any season other than Summer, we go on a walk after lunch. It's in the Siberian Handbook. It doesn't matter how far we've already walked in the day. Mom said we could go on a quick one. (Ha woo...)

Here we are, heading down the street:

Me and Zim

(Did you notice Mom made us new leashes and collars a while back? Pretty cool, huh?)

So, anyway, back to the walk. Here's Zim, flashing his million-dollar smile!

"A quick walk beats no walk ANY day of the week!"

Does he look happy or what?!?

Here's an action shot of him walking past Maude the Bully Cat's house:

We didn't see her, but Zim looks for her every time we walk past!

We really didn't feel like going in when we got home - it was too quick of a walk, plus there were 45 mph wind gusts blowing SUCH interesting information all over the place! We did our best to ~~bamboozle Mom into staying out there longer~~ do important stuff out there. I helped get the mail out of the box, then lifted my snooter to the wind!

"Do you smell that, Zimmie?!?"

Zim and I both checked the air:

...or maybe we were checking for cats. I'm not sure. But we were striking poses so Mom would let us stay out there and turn the "quick walk" into a "short walk, long outing" kind of deal.

Check this one out:

It's our "double-tough guy, going two ways" look. Pretty cool, isn't it?

Zim thought he saw his friend Fluffy Black Cat over in her yard, so I thought I'd best guard his 6 against any sneak attacks by Maude TBC.

Neither one of the cats came over - so we decided to take Mom back in the house.

Thanks for coming on our "quick walk" with us!

Luv,
Dave

(This Time It Really Is) Photo Finish Friday!

2011-11-18T10:59:00.000-06:00

Ha roo, pups and kit-cats! It's me, Zim. Hey, did any of you catch my post yesterday before I altered the title? Yep. I gave it the title Photo Finish Friday, showed you our best pix from the week, then proceeded to wish everyone a good weekend.

Guess I should have held that thought until today, huh? Ha roo roo roo!

Have a great weekend!

Play bows,

Zim

PS: Many thanks to Mom's Facebook friends for kindly pointing out we were off a day. It's been that kind of a week around here! ☺

Photo Finish Friday on Thursday

2011-11-17T11:57:00.001-06:00

Ha roo, pups and cool cats! It's me, Zim, here with Photo Finish Friday. With all the walking me and the Deeve got to do this week, Mom worked us up into a semi-cooperative mode and had us pose for some pix. We tried not to be too cooperative, but she was able to get some decent shots anyway. Want to take a look?

This first pose is us on the front porch, with the flag rock.

Dave and me

Pretty cool, huh? She did that right after a long walk. (For the record, she wanted us to sit and we drew the line at sitting. She was happy enough that we were both looking in the general direction of the camera.)

Our Burning Bush is at its peak of perfection right now, so Mom got us to strike some poses over by that, too. We hadn't just been on a walk that time, but Mom brought treats out for us.

Dave and me doing our "tough guy" looks!

We were kind of interested.

"I'm not sure if she really has treats for us, Zim."
"Same here, Dave...."

We were getting suspicious about whether or not Mom really had treats, so we took a short snack break, then tried again.

Mom cropped Dave out of this next one; something about him chewing with his mouth open or something.

Me!

One last shot:

"I'm so bored... Hey, is that a kit-cat friend over there?"

As you might be able to tell, Dave is a bit more food motivated than I am. I'm interested, but if something else catches my attention ... it's OVER!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Play bows,
Zim

Walk With Us Wednesday!

2011-11-16T11:47:00.000-06:00

Ha roo, pups and cool cats! It's me, Zim! So there we were the other day, me and Dave were about to take Mom on a walk, when Dad got home from a very important meeting. Yes, one that involved some clubs and a small, white ball. How did you know? Anyway, Dad said, "Hey, let's all go together!" so off we went!

"Is this great, or what?!?!"

Dad really comes up with some great ideas; we love it when the whole family is together!

Can you tell where we were? Show 'em, Dave!

"Look, everybody! We're on the Hudson Trail!"

We were so happy to all be out walking together! Check out Davy's smile:

"This is the best!"

I think that sums it up for all four of us!

We went down my favorite part of the trail ...and you know what's at the end of that segment, right?

I HAD to do it!

"Ha ROO!"

While I was up there, I turned and gave Dad a smile to thank him for the cool adventure:

"You're the best, Dad!"

Those are the highlights from our walk! Thanks for coming along with us!

Play bows,

Zim

Wordless Tuesday

2011-11-15T08:08:00.002-06:00

Play bows,

Zim

Work Over the Weekend

2011-11-14T11:01:00.000-06:00

Woo, everypup and everycat. It's me, Dave. Mom started on a new project over the weekend, and it was and is my job as her Guide Dog For The Color Blind (GDFTCB) to be with her every step of the way. She's making a new bag for a very special friend of ours, so it is not just my job to guide her on this undertaking, it is my pleasure.

She was trying to find just the right color fabrics to use, when I got to work!

Oh, sure. To the un-trained eye, it might not LOOK like I was working, but I was sending Mom a special GDFTCB message. See how I am black and white? And my toy is red? Yeah... Fortunately, Mom heard me, loud and clear.

Black and white and red!

Perfect color scheme!

We worked for a while, then I got a reward upstairs for all my hard work!

"Cookie?!?!"

Oh, and don't worry! Zim got a treat, too!

"Is that a Stinky Goodness Treat you've got there, Mom?"

He helped a lot by guarding us so we could concentrate on our work!

That was our work over the weekend! We'll keep you posted on our progress!

Luv,
Dave

Serene Scenery Sunday

2011-11-13T10:12:00.000-06:00

Woo, everypup and everycat. It's me, Dave, here with Serene Scenery Sunday. Zim and I thought we'd share some pix with you from this morning, since we're all feeling mighty serene!

This is Zim, out on Walk #2 this morning:

"Good morning, friend!"

Seeing neighborhood friends always give Zim that peaceful feeling! (Can you see our pup friend? He's alongside his car, there in the driveway - he's kind of camouflaged.)

Being from Texas, this curb painting made me feel nice and serene:

"Woo!"

When we got back to the house, Mom wanted us to pose by the Burning Bush.

"Hey, Zim! I have a better idea!"

Zim and I had other plans!

"Gotcha, little bro!"
"Ha roo, Dave!"

Yep! Our plan was to do this:

...and a bit of this:

It was great fun! ...and Mom said it did her heart good to see us playing like puppies!

Have a serene Sunday -- however you want to define "serenity"! Woo.

Luv,
Dave

Highlights from the Week

2011-11-12T11:49:00.000-06:00

Ha roo, pups and cool cats! It's me, Zim. I thought today we'd look back at some of the really cool stuff from the week. Ready to go?

One of the more exciting things started on Tuesday! The weather for the day started out pretty normal - Mom and Dad in short pants and tees and all. THEN we actually got rain... then heavy (even for here) winds... then the winds shifted, we got stinging rain... then it happened! SNOW! Oh, not much, but it was SNOW! It was great! Here's what was left by our walk the next day:

"Not enough to make a really cool snow fort... not YET!"

Beautiful, isn't it? A promise of things to come! Sadly, our weather has turned back into being in the 60s. Oddly, Mom and Dad seem happy about this.

Here's another great "weather" event:

10 November 2011 Full Moon

Dave and I made sure to engage in some silly behavior the night of the full moon. Oh... fine. Sillier than normal. Ha roo roo roo!

Speaking of Dave, here's one of his highlights from the week:

He got to try Shredded Wheat for the first time. He said it was very tasty!

Maybe my BEST highlight is from yesterday -- I made a new friend! Mom was walking Dave and me down into one of the cul-de-sacs in the neighborhood, when I spotted a kit-cat! He saw me, too, and came over to say "meow".

I hope that works. If not, to see a video, please click here.

He came right up to me - here he is, getting a bit closer.

"Meow, Zim!"

I went into a "down" so I wouldn't scare him. Mom had a hard time shooting pix with her iPhone and getting Dave on a short leash (Dave was being nice, but was pulling a little) ... so she stopped for a while. My kitty friend got about a foot away from me, then threw himself on his back and was roaching around, asking for tummy rubs!

After a few minutes, Mom thought we should leave, but I sure didn't want to! This is from when Mom was trying to pull me back down the street:

"Meow... meow... Cat! I'm a kitty cat!"

Isn't my friend CUTE?!?! He was a real nice guy. Making new friends is the BEST!!!

Those are just some of the highlights from our week! We hope you had as much fun as we did!

Play bows,
Zim

Veterans Day 2011

2011-11-11T08:40:00.000-06:00

Today, we were going to link to a wonderful article in one of our Manhattan newspapers about Veterans Day. A local angle, if you will. But because it's published in a pdf format, we'd have to link to the entire paper. Fortunately, the author graciously emailed the article to us and granted us permission to post it here.

This Friday, November 11, 2011 we observe Veterans Day. In November 1919, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day to recognize the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the Victory in World War I - known at that time as “The Great War.” The 11th of November was a legal holiday and observed as Armistice Day until June 1, 1954 when the word “Armistice” was replaced with “Veterans.” November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars. By the way, Stephan Riod of Emporia, Kansas originated the idea of expanding Armistice Day to celebrate all veterans, not just those who died in the Great War.

This year I would like to observe Veterans Day by telling you about three American soldiers whose lives exemplify the meaning of Veterans Day. Two of them were born in Kansas, the third was a native of Mesquite, Texas and stationed at Fort Riley. Each is a genuine hero and sadly, in our age of cheap celebrity, you are probably unaware of what they did and how much we all owe them. The three soldiers are: Lieutenant General Richard J. Seitz, Senator Merrill Werts, and First Lieutenant Dustin Vincent. The accomplishments of each of them would fill a book, but today we will look at them as veterans. Soldiers who took up arms to defend our Constitution.

In May 1943, then Captain Dick Seitz took command of the 2nd Battalion of the 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment. At 24, his selection for command made him one the youngest infantry battalion commanders during World War II. During the Battle of the Bulge, now Lieutenant Colonel Seitz headed up “Task Force Seitz,” made up of his battalion, a tank company with some half tracks from the 7th Armored Division, a detachment of engineers, and some self-propelled anti-tank guns. “In twin attacks on two days, one after dark and the other in late evening, Seitz sent the Germans reeling back to the village of Hunnange, which was the gateway to St. Vith. In both attacks, paratroopers had to cross long stretches of open ground. With all guns blazing and with a massive artillery support fire, they locked up the crossroads village and waited in broad daylight for the huge armored assault that came behind them headed for the next stop, St. Vith. The battered battalion, which lost more than 400 of the original 600 who entered Belgium only four weeks earlier, won acclaim for its grueling feat in the freezing evenings of a Belgian January” (Gerald Astor, "Battling Buzzards: The Odyssey of the 517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team 1943-1945").

Like Lieutenant General Seitz, Senator Merrill H. Werts attended Kansas State University and like the General his college career was interrupted by his service with the United States Army. Senator Werts and his cousin, the only two boys in the family to carry on the family name, went into the military during World War II. "My cousin was killed early in the war," Werts said. The two had grown up together, worked the farm together and became fraternity brothers in college. But on Werts' 21st birthday, his cousin was killed. Despite this Senator Werts went off to Europe to fight, proud to represent his family. He served from June 1943 to March 1946. He earned a commission as a Second Lieutenant from the Infantry Officer Candidate School and was assigned to Company I, 271st Infantry, 69th Infantry Division. At 0600 hours, 27 February 1945, the 271st Infantry entered combat, attacking the Siegfried Line. On 28 March the 271st crossed the Rhine and continued east until 26 April when elements of the 69th Division linked up with the Red Army at the River Elbe. In 65 days of continuous combat, Senator Werts and the soldiers of the 69th Division went from green replacements to seasoned veterans who crushed the Third Reich. Fighting across Germany, Senator Werts was wounded, losing his leg.

On November 4, 2011, First Lieutenant Dustin Vincent, a native of Mesquite, Texas gave his last full measure of devotion to our country. He was on his first tour of duty in Iraq and was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Field Artillery, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kansas. He was killed during an enemy attack on his convoy. The 25-year-old soldier always wanted a military career. It was his childhood dream. Dustin Vincent was also a husband and father. He leaves behind his wife, Samantha. They married two days before he was deployed. He also legally adopted her daughter, Nacomas. Before he deployed he gave his military Bible to his mother. The day after his mother, Marty Vincent, learned of her son's death, she decided to pick up his Bible. She had not touched it since his deployment. A purple ribbon marked a page near the end of the volume in the book of Ephesians.'"That he might comfort your heart,'" read his mother from the sixth chapter, 22nd verse. "It's exactly what it did." The passage gave her comfort and so much more — a special message.

Today, Americans serving in our Armed Forces are supported by the majority of their fellow citizens. This was not always the case, and even today there are some who feel that our warriors should be treated as if they are bureaucrats working for the Department of Education. I invite them to imagine what it was like to attack through two feet of snow in the Ardennes, to lose one’s leg in combat, or to give one’s life at 25, leaving behind a loving family and unrealized potential. These are America’s veterans. They fought for us yesterday, they are fighting today, and they will fight our battles tomorrow. We owe them our freedom and they deserve our total support and respect. We should honor them every day - not just on Veterans Day.

Mike Kryschtal, Colonel (Retired), United States Army, has a Bachelor's Degree from John Carroll University, Cleveland, Ohio and a Master's Degree in International Relations from Boston University. He served in the United States Army from 1972 to 1999. He was a platoon leader in the 25th Infantry Division, company commander in the 82d Airborne Division, battalion commander in the 1st Infantry Division, and brigade commander in the 2nd Infantry Division. He served in the 1st Infantry Division in Desert Storm. Since retirement, Mike has been an adjunct professor of history, political science, and leadership.
He lives in Manhattan, Kansas with his wife, Karen and their Siberian Huskies.

Oh yeah. Check that last line of his bio. Yep. That's our dad's column for this week. We think it's one of his very best! (You can see the paper in its entirety here, if you'd like; scroll down to the top of page 4A for our dad's column, Letters To Tom!)

Our dad just happens to be our favorite veteran of all time! We've showed you this picture before, but it's one of our faves -- Dad and great-brother Booter upon Dad's return from Desert Storm!

Thank you, Dad!!!

Dave and I, and all of us here at Ao4 HQs, understand that freedom is not free. We thank our veterans for their selfless service, dedication to duty, and their courage. It is because of these men and women that we enjoy the great freedoms we have today. They are the strength of America.

Veterans - past and present - we thank God for you and pray for His blessing on each and every one of you.

Respectful play bows,

Zim

Work For Us Both!

2011-11-10T09:52:00.000-06:00

Woo, everypup and everycat. It's me, Dave! Now ... where were we yesterday?

"We were right about here, Dave!"
"Oh, yeah. Zzzz...."

That's right! There has been so much work to do in Mom's Studio lately that both Zim and I are pitching in! On Day One, Zim kept an eye on the backyard, while I helped Mom sit on the floor and re-organize all of her sewing baskets.

"What's this, Mom?"

Looks like ...

Ukrainian currency? Hmm. Not sure what that's doing in a sewing basket; good thing Mom has me here to help!

Our re-organization took a couple days. See, with all the changes in the living room, we "inherited" a shelving unit from there to hold all of our unfinished quilts and projects and stuff. Mom can't just move something like that in - she has to re-organize and clean the whole room. Zim, being a Drill Sergeant and a fan of everything being ship-shape, was all for it. We all worked so hard in there! Take a look:

Zim, Mom and me working

Mom took a series of action shots of Zim. I HAVE to show you - you'll be so proud of his work ethic! Here we go:

Total cinnamon bun tail tuck

Partial cinnamon bun tail tuck

Snooter under the pressing table

"Can you believe that guy!?!"

Honestly, can you believe all that hard work?!?! I'm so proud of my kid brother! What a credit to the Working Breed class!!!

Do all of you pitch in and help around your house? Make sure not to over-do!

Luv,

Dave

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-09T08:59:00.000-06:00

Luv and play bows,
Dave and Zim

Rainy Day Plan

2011-11-08T08:22:00.000-06:00

Woo, everypup and everycat. It's me, Dave. It's a chilly, windy, rainy day here today. (No complaints; we really need the rain!) Now that we've taken Mom and Dad on a nice walk and had our breakfast, I plan to do some of this:

What are your plans for the day?

Luv,
Dave

Hudson Trail!

2011-11-07T10:47:00.000-06:00

Ha roo, pups and cool cats! It's me, Zim! Guess where Dave and I got to go yesterday!?!? Oh... yeah. Did my blog post title give it away? Anyway, we had a GREAT time on the Hudson Trail and had Mom take some pix of us along the way. Ready to get walking?

Here we are at the start point of the trail:

Doesn't that look inviting?!? The trail goes through a lot of our side of town - but this is the part we hike the most! Lately, when we get to the end of that part, we turn and go down a street it intersects (see the 4th pic in this post) then loop back around to our house ... but yesterday, we got to keep going!

Me, Zim, on the second part of the trail!

There are even more great smells on this part of the trail!

Dave on part two of the trail

There were all kinds of crunchy leaves to walk through, which I just LOVE doing!

Crunch, crunch, crunch...

Pretty good camo job, don't you think?

Another thing I love to do is pose on the great, big chunks of limestone at the end of that segment of the trail!

"Ha roo!"

I do that every time we walk this way! Do you know why? Yes! Because I'm Zim!

Hope you had as much fun on the Hudson Trail as Dave and I (and Mom) did! Thanks for coming with us!

Play bows,

Zim

Seriously Cool Sunday

2011-11-06T07:41:00.000-06:00

Ha roo, pups and cool cats. It's me, Zim. I'm tossing Serene Scenery Sunday to the curb today to bring you the following post. I'm dedicating it to my pal Rusty over at the Thundering Herd!

He made a great post today, summing everything up and being VERY seriously cool himself - you can read all about it here. The bottom line is that I recognized that his hu-dad wears a Tilley hat - and so do my mom and dad. I thought Rusty and I should try them on and see what all the hoopla is about. Doesn't that sound like a great idea?

Rusty rose to the challenge - and really rocked the Tilley. I gave it a go yesterday afternoon, too. Check it out:

Ohhhhhh.... yeaaaaaaahhhhh! I snapped one side up, giving it that Australian Slouch Hat look. Do I look as seriously cool as Rusty?

Who's next? Show us your Tilley hats! Or whatever else you've got!

Play bows,
Zim

It's Saturday!

2011-11-05T10:47:00.000-05:00

Woo, everypup and everycat. It's me, Dave! And it's Saturday!

Zim and me, heading out on an adventure!

Let the weekend adventures begin!

Luv,
Dave

Photo Finish Friday

2011-11-04T09:55:00.000-05:00

Ha roo, pups and cool cats! It's me, Zim, here with Photo Finish Friday. Today's pix are from a cool walk we took Mom on yesterday - so let's go!

We decided to go up to Colbert Hills Golf Course, the course you can see from Ao4 Headquarters. We hadn't been up there, at least to this part, for quite a while, so it was really exciting!

The main road up there cuts through the course. It's got sidewalks on both sides, so we can go for a nice walk and not disturb any golfers. Here's a look at the 3rd hole:

Isn't that pretty? Nobody out golfing, though. Well, Dad was, but not here. We should try to surprise him from up here next time he plays Colbert - wouldn't that be fun?

We walked for a good, long while, then turned to come back. We switched sides of the street, so we'd have all fresh smells. (Sometimes, I think Mom actually understands what we're after on these adventures of ours!)

Of course, we didn't want to turn around, but that didn't seem to matter. Oh well.

That's a cart path that goes under the road. It goes from the 3rd to 4th holes. You can't tell really from that pic above, but it's down in a ravine. This next one will give you a better idea of the layout:

Dave and me
"Ha-looooo down there!"

Pretty cool, huh? Too bad we're not allowed to explore down there!

Those are some photo highlights from the week. We hope you enjoyed coming on our walk with us!

Play bows,
Zim