We Interrupt Our Normally Scheduled Posting...

...to bring you a special Ao4 Celebration!

Tail wags, dear readers!  It's me, Stormy.  It's a big day here at Ao4 HQs - my Storm-a-versary!  My homecoming!  Adopt-a-Storm Day!  My Gotcha Day!  Whatever you'd like to call it, it's the day I found my forever home.  Well, actually the DATE I was adopted is tomorrow, but since it was on a Sunday and I promised Zimmie he could post about his cool adventure tomorrow, it's close enough!  (This is not my honorary birthday.  We celebrate that in September.)  

A couple years ago, I posted the story of how I got here.  The redheads and Dave thought I should go ahead and post it again instead of linking back to it, since we have a lot of new friends out there reading.  Great idea, pups. Just grab some cookies and a bowl of water and settle in!  We'll join that post, in progress, adding in some pix Mom took of me today ...

"...By late 1996, I had been on the road a long, long time. I won't tell anyone where I came from, but I was picked up by the local Animal Control people and landed in the slammer. (The same one Zim and Dave did stints in, but at a different time.) I had been on the road so long, my paws were bloody. That's a lot of time and a lot of miles. Yes, that means I'm a Roads Scholar. (Ha roo roo roo to those of you who get the pun!) I was adopted from there by a couple who had a rather unfriendly, large, powerful dog who did not care for me. Neither one of us got any exercise ... and that's just torture for pups - especially large ones and especially Siberian Huskies! That made a bad situation worse.

By March (1997), the people gave up on me and tried to return me to the shelter. They couldn't take "returns" and would have had to euthanize me! They pleaded with the people (God bless them!) to please just try placing an ad in the local paper - just one ad! Please?!? Fortunately for me, they agreed - and even more fortunately for me, my dad just happened to be perusing the paper that fateful morning!

Mom made the call - the only one those people got! - and she and Dad drove out to get me. They came into the house and the man there held my collar tight, like I was an attack dog or something. I wriggled free and threw myself at who I knew would be my new dad. "Let's get out of here!" 

Me and Dad reenacting our first meeting 

I gave my future mom my best "Harp Seal Look" even though I was fairly sure I'd won her over already. They told the people they wanted me (me! someone wanted ME!) and we were on our way. The lady followed us out of the house and my new mom asked if I would like to go potty before we headed home. The other lady said, "Oh, I just had her out." Yeah, right. I shot her a look, then went potty for a long, long potty time. We got in the car and never looked back!

Me, giving Mom the Harp Seal look this morning

On the way home, we talked about a name. The other people had called me "Storm". My new parents were going to change my name, mostly so I'd get a fresh start, but as we drove onto Fort Riley, the military installation where we lived, a Kansas storm was blowing in. A detail of soldiers was lowering the American flag at post headquarters and was putting up a "storm" flag -- a smaller, tougher version. Ha ROO! Mom and Dad took it as a sign that the name fit, but softened it a bit by mostly calling me Stormy! Now I go by either one - or Storms. I was about one and a half years old when I came home..."

I hope you enjoyed that!  Celebrate with me today, and celebrate the official date tomorrow!

Stormaversary 2009

Tail wags,

Stormy