Serene Scenery Sunday

Hi everypuppy and everykit-cat! It's me, Ammy, here with Serene Scenery Sunday! I got to go on a very special outing, just me and my mom! It was incredibly fun and I felt very serene and so I thought I'd share some of the gazillion photos my mom took with you! Are you ready?

Here's what the scenery looked like where we were:

Mom sure likes those weeds. Me? I was more interested in doing this:

I mean, seriously! I got so many good snoofies there! Meanwhile, Mom shot these:

More weeds, I think. And her favorite tree:

After Mom shot those photos, I found something that made me feel very serene! Check this out:

Ah! Snow!

Most of our snow is gone, but in low-laying, shady spots you can still find some! As you can see in this next picture, finding just that little bit left me with a smile on my face:

Happiness is everywhere; you just need to help yourself to it!

Speaking of "everywhere"... do you know where we were yet? This should tell you:

There it is! The Kansas Ocean!

Can you see it there beyond me? Here's another look:

Me, Amber, at the Kansas Ocean

Mom says looking at water makes a lot of bipeds feel serene. I like it, too!

Any birdies out there?!?

This next picture made Stormy "ha roo roo roo" out loud, so I thought I'd include it:

Can you tell why? Obviously, I'm not looking at the camera... but that's not all. Look in the lower left-hand corner of the photo. See Mom's hand? Hee hee hee! She was working over-time trying to get me to look at her, but I wouldn't. It made Storms very proud.

Here's a collage of some more pix from our special outing:

I had a wonderful, tranquil time! I hope coming along with us via the photos brought you some serenity, too!

Love,

Ammy

Golf Class

Tail wags, dear readers! It's me, Stormy. I got a great question a bit ago from our dear friend Kat, of the Washington Woos. She said, in part, "... I was thinking the other day that maybe Stormy could add a golf class to the School of Siberian Studies. My mom's coworkers make golf comments and jokes all the time and my mom doesn't get them, so I would like to enroll her in the class."

Ah, golf! As you may know, our dad loves the sport. We even have our very own course right here within Ao4 HQs, as seen at this link. I've observed and studied this game and really, Kat, it's quite simple and one post ought to do it.

It all comes down to one thing. Whoever hits the ball the fewest times wins. It's that simple. So ... why go out at all?

Think about that one!

See what I mean? Stay home with your Siberians and you not only win the golf match, but you win something else as well. Let me illustrate; here are my dad and I - and he's not golfing!

Ah... this is the life, isn't it, Dad? Congrats on a great non-round!

Hey Storm and Dad! Can I not golf next?!!?

Looks like he scored big time, doesn't it? Zim was anxious to not go golfing with our dad, too. I was still busy rewarding Dad for a great round of not golfing. Look at how happy he is!

OH, yeah! This is sooooooo wonderful!!!

So you see, Kat - if your mom stays home with you, she doesn't even hit the golf ball at all, thereby winning the match. AND she wins by spending time with you, Steve, and Wilbur. And your dad. Everyone's a winner in this case!

Thanks for a great question - and thanks for studying at the Stormy Zoluschka Kryschtal School of Siberian Studies.

Tail wags,

Storms

Photo Finish Friday

Ha roo, pups and cool cats! It's me - Zim! Before I get to Photo Finish Friday, I wanted to respond to a few comments we've received over the last few days! We've had some really great comments, and love each and every one of them. These seemed to call out for a response, though! Let's go!

First up, some comments on Dave's (err... Damianos') post from yesterday.

Dory and her Mama wanted to know if we'd share mom's Moussaka recipe. Well, Dory, it's an old family recipe, a secret family recipe! So sure, one of us will post it very soon; no problem!

Marvin, the best poet in all of Scotland, gave us this verse: Rice is nice. Stormy said that even though she spits out plain rice, Marvin's poem was brilliant in its simplicity and was right up there with "Il neige sur Liège". Given the current meteorological conditions chez Marvin, that seems about right!

Africa wanted to know what was on the cuke spears! I don't think this is a family secret - it's just a drizzling of bottled Kraft Light Raspberry Vinaigrette. Mom says it's very fresh and crisp tasting!

A general update on my new bed! Since Stormy told me it was comfy and Mom washed my really cool polar bear blanket for me (mmmm... I love the smell of fresh laundry!), I've decided I like it after all. It's a memory foam type of orthopedic bed and I have to admit, it's mighty comfy. I still prefer Mom and Dad's bed... but this one will do.

Remember Sing-Along Saturday? Some really great and kind comments on that post! We like to break out in song maybe once a day. It's our way of celebrating! Two of our friends in the Bumpass Hounds and Kitties pack left us audition tapes in their comment - so we could get a quartet going! Alex and Max - you two ROCK! I LOVE your voices! I think we'd all blend really well together. Let's set up a date at a recording studio!!! We just ... need to keep Alex well away from Dave.

OK! Thank you so much to all of our readers! Your comments mean a lot to us!

I helped Mom run some errands the other day and saw the most remarkable thing! Long-time readers of our blog might remember our many, many encounters with the Giant - or at least all of his stuff. Just when I thought we'd seen the last of all the Giant things around here ... well ... there we were, driving down the road ...

Mom, do you get the feeling we're being watched?

Then I saw it!

Holy cow!!!

Can you believe the size of that guy? And he's got a weapon. Oh, sure, it looks like a fork, but again, get a load of the SIZE of it!

Is he still looking at me?

Dave said they have guys in Texas called "Longhorns" that are real big, too ... but I don't know that they're this big!

Play bows,

Zim

OPA!

Woo, everypup and everycat. And "OPA!" It's me, Dave. Like Stormy said the other day, we had lots going on over the weekend and there's still more to tell you about! I drew KP Duty and saw Mom put together the yummiest dish. It's called "Moussaka". Mom makes her own version of her mom's recipe which is a very Americanized version of the Greek version. Woo. Anypuppy else getting a headache? Moving right along... let's have a look:

I think you can see why I was happy to pull KP Duty. There was rice and fake meat (Boca Crumbles - a soy protein product) and spices and cinnamon and onions and zucchini and a creamy, cheesy Parmesan sauce. Is your mouth watering? I didn't want to let that dish out of my sight!

How 'bout a little taste?

Mom said, "Not for Siberians." I offered to change my name to Damianos and learn how to yell "OPA!" instead of wooing, but it was still a no-go.

Oh, it's that "raisin" thing, isn't it? OK... how about one of those cucumber spears then?

It wasn't a total blow-out, though. Mom saved us some rice. That was a double bonus for me and Zim - it was just plain rice, so the girls both spit theirs on the floor and walked away; we got to have their share, too. Ha woo. Err... I mean OPA!

Luv,

Dave (call me Damianos)

Wordless Wednesday

Play bows,
Zim

Snow Pix!

Woo, everypup and everycat! It's me, Dave. Like Stormy said, we got some snow over the weekend. The biped meteorologists said we were going to get pummeled Friday and Ammy said ... well, it's a long story, but Ammy said we weren't going to get any at all. Of course, we all know who was right ... don't we? So then the bipeds kept saying that Saturday into Sunday we were going to get pummeled even worse. Some of them had our estimated snowfall up to 12 inches. Ammy said we'd get some ice then maybe an inch or two. Not 12. Not 10. Not 8... you get the point. Here's a shot of me, Zimmie and Am from Sunday:

Good call, Ammy!

Yeah, Am! Way to go; you nailed it again!

Thanks, boys!

Storm came out later to check it all out:

"12 inches"? Puh-lease. These guys should really learn to call Amber.

So ... as you can see, we didn't get much at all - just like Ammy said. It WAS enough to have fun in, though. I mean, let's face it, with a brother like Zim you can always find some fun! Woo! Here we are, doing one of the things we Sibes do best:

Gotcha, Zim!

Not so fast, Dave! Ha rooooo!

We had a blast. Here's a little collage of our playtime:

I wish you all could have been here!

Luv,

Dave

New Bed For Zimmie!

Tail wags, dear readers, it's me - Stormy! It was a busy weekend here at Ao4 Headquarters; I think it will take a few days to tell you about it! I thought I'd start by telling you about the new bed that came in for Zim.

It might not seem like a big deal that a bed Mom ordered arrived - but she ordered it back in the beginning of December and was pretty much resigned to the fact that it would ever show up. But show up it did, and she was all excited about giving it to Zimmie. She let him try it out in the living room. At first, he wanted absolutely nothing to do with it (he has learned the ways of the Siberian sooooo very well!), but then realized it was a good spring board for play-wrestling and doing zoomies with Dave and used it for that! Well done, Zim!

Dave and Zim. Zim's got the high ground!

Despite Zim not being interested in actually laying on it, Mom put it in his usual sleepy spot, washed his really cool polar bear blanket and his quilt, and put those on top of the bed. You know, she thought that would make it all cozy and "his" and that he'd like it. Here's how that went: (please excuse the poor quality of photos; these were taken at bed time)

Hey! What's this under my really cool polar bear blanket and my quilt?

It's that new bed! Hrumph!

Then he went and slept on another bed on the other side of the room. Ha roo roo roo - that's my boy!

The next day, Mom tried showing Zim how comfy it was and asked me to help her out. Sure, anything for my puppy. I tested it out -

Hey, Zim! This isn't too bad!

He said he still wasn't sold on it.

But where are you going to sleep?

I was concerned for his comfort! He reassured me that he had found an alternative sleepy place.

Ooooh... comfy. I'll be fine right here.

Then he said something about Mom could have it if she thought it was so comfy.

Is she buyin' it?

Well, no. Not for bedtime. He did give it a trial last night for a few hours and napped on it a little bit after breakfast this morning. I think it'll work out eventually.

Tune in tomorrow for a look at the snow we got over the weekend!

Tail wags,

Storms

Serene Sleepy Sunday

Hi everypuppy and everycat. It's me, Ammy. I was supposed to do the Serene Scenery Sunday post today ...

Me - Ammy

... but I'm feeling really sleepy!

**yawwwwwwwn**

So I think I'll call this Serene Sleepy Sunday.

Me - Ammy. Feeling very serene.

See you tomorrow... OK?

Love,

Ammy

PS: Our dear friend Sitka is coming home today! Please stop by her blog and welcome her home - and also please say a prayer for her safe recovery!

Sing-Along Saturday!

Woo, everypup and everycat! It's me again - Dave! Since so many of you enjoyed my Wordless - But Not Woo-less - Wednesday post, I thought I'd give you a special treat today. Sit back and relax to the smooth sounds of me and Zim as we do a little improv; sing along if you know the words! Here we go:

Happy Saturday. Woo.

Luv,

Dave

Photo Finish Friday

Woo, everypup and everycat! It's me, Dave, here with Photo Finish Friday! Two things before I get started:

First: Sitka is showing improvement every day, so please keep those prayers coming for her!

Second: Thanks for your kind words on my video the other day. I have a special treat for lovers of the "woo" tomorrow! Be sure to tune in!

OK! So for Photo Finish Friday, I thought I'd share pix of me with each one of my pack-mates. I enjoy doing different stuff with each of them.

Storm and I enjoy each other's company a great deal. We like to hang out, take naps, and stuff like that. She also teaches me cool stuff, just like she does for Ammy and Zim. In this photo, she's trying to teach me her famous "Harp Seal Look":

Me (Dave) and Stormy

I don't quite have it down, but this double-team action did get us a cookie. Ha woo.

Ammy and I like to hang out, too, especially now that she's decided she can nap on the bed, too. We also like to play with toys together. Well, not exactly together ... more like we both like to play with toys.

Mom? Don't you think Ammy's had that toy long enough?

And then there's Zim - the best kid brother a guy could ask for! We love doing all kinds of fun stuff together - zoomies, wrestling, going on cool adventures - pretty much everything! Mom says we're "joined at the hip".

Me and Zimmie

I wonder what she means by that?

Luv,

Dave

Let The Games Begin!

Ha roo, pups and cool-cats. It's me, Zim. I'm sure by now you've all heard the buzz about the Cat-O-Lympics!

My bestest friend Huffle Mawson, Explorer Cat, is hosting Competitive Napping. I thought that sounded like the perfect event for me! I've been training hard for this event for years! My main challenge was what napping pose to enter. I mean... I've got some great ones in my repertoire! Let me hyperlink you to some of my faves. I've got this one and this one in the biped bed. I think I could get extra points for re-making the bed and getting Sibe fur all over the covers - but really... I can do better than that. There is this up on the cat walk - how apropos would that be - Cat Walk Napping in the Cat-O-Lympics!? Ha roo roo roo. That was Ammy's idea. But something Huffle said kept coming back to me. She said, "See how I am napping in a spot that really, I was never meant to sleep in?" That's when it hit me. The sitzbank.

We have quite the history with our sitzbank. There was even an episode of CSI: Siberia that focused on it. The key point here though is that technically we are not allowed on the sitzbank. I've been working hard on changing Mom's whole outlook on it, but I'm not quite there. That hasn't stopped me using it as an outlook post or from napping up there. It's hard, hard work trying to wear Mom's resistance down, but I'm just the guy for the job.

I thought it was important for you to see the approach. Competitive Napping takes a high degree of skill, and there is finesse along every step in the routine. Without further ado, I give you my entry in Competitive Napping:

Me. Zim. On the sitzbank where I'm not supposed to be.

Stormy said I should point out the rather defiant look on my face.

Is she still there?

Those difficult maneuvers resulted in the napping pose you've seen before. Here is my favorite photo:

I admit, I don't always have a flawless execution into napping. Sometimes my mom gets this crazy notion in her head that I should get down. I think she's afraid I'm training too hard. That's what happened the day of the approach shots. Sigh.

Good luck to my fellow competitors! And many thanks to Huffs for sponsoring this event!

Play bows,

Zim

Wordless - But Not Woo-less - Wednesday

Luv,

Dave

Move 'Em On, Head 'Em Up!

Hi everypuppy and everycat, it's me - Ammy. Before I get started with today's post, I'd like to thank you for the prayers you're saying for our sweet friend Sitka, and for the kind words you've left on her blog! She's had her surgery and is recovering well at UGA; please keep those prayers coming!

For today's post, I thought I'd take you on an afternoon walk with the boys, Mom and myself. Please right click here, open it in another tab, and let it play in the background. Ready?

Near the beginning of our walk, there is a big hill we go up. I usually go over and herd Mom to help her out.

Get along, Mom!

That's not the best picture of us, but you get the idea.

Our water tower is up at the top of that hill. Here's Dave, striking a pose:

Dave

I think our city should use that in its tourism brochures, don't you?

We love getting to the top of the hill, then going down the other side, then exploring what's on the other side and stuff. Some of our friends saw this next picture on FaceBook, but it's quickly become a favorite around here - it's Zimmie flashing his million-dollar smile, showing Mom how much he loves our walks:

Zim

No matter how far we go, Dave is never ready to turn around and head home - no matter how tired he is or anything! Here he is heading back up the far side of the water tower hill:

Dave and me - Ammy!

Mom said this is one of the times when she needs my herding skills the most. I told Davy to stop being such an Eeyore (you know who I mean!) and get up the hill! Mom said I am a great help to her!

Here I am on the home stretch, feeling happy and relaxed now that I got everyone back to Ao4 HQs, safe and sound:

Me - Ammy - almost home!

I love having a job - especially one involving herding! What jobs do you like doing?

Oh! And we keep forgetting to post this sunset picture from a couple weeks ago! It's a panoramic shot Mom took; you can click it and see a larger version on our FlickR site, if you'd like!

Sunset as seen from Ao4 HQs

Thanks for coming on our walk with us; I hope you enjoyed it!

Love,

Ammy

Thanks, Friends!

Ha roo, pups and kit-cats. It's me - Zim. I'm not sure where to start today, so I'm just going to plunge right in. My very beautiful and special girlfriend Sitka is in the hospital at the University of Georgia (UGA). I'd sure appreciate you joining us in prayer for her. We thank you in advance!

I'd also like to thank my bestest friend Huffle and our good buddy Quincy for presenting us with this award:

How cool is that?! You guys are really sweet friends - just like the award says!

The rules of the award are to list 10 things that make you happy - then share the award with 10 bloggers that make you smile. This sounds more up Ammy's alley, but I'll give it a go.

1 through 10. It's all about Sitka for me today.

1. She makes me happy,

2. the fact that she's where she's getting the best possible care makes me happy,

3. her mom and dad giving her such great love, care and attention make me happy,

4. friends all over the world praying for her and doing kind things for her family make me happy,

5. her little sis CM being the best puppy a puppy could be makes me happy,

6. her big sis Tia being strong makes me happy,

7. the good people at UGA taking such great care of her make me happy,

8. Sitka's condition stabilizing makes me happy,

9. being able to get an accurate diagnosis for a treatable condition for her makes me happy, and

10. posing for this special picture for her mama made me happy:

You KNOW you want to reach in here and give me chest scratchies, don't you?

I think I'd even let her rub my tummy-tum-tum.

We're not sure who all has the award, so I'm giving it to Sitka, CM, Tia and her mom and dad 10 times. Stormy said I could. We love all of you!!!

Thanks, friends, for the award and for joining us in prayer - for Sitka and for all who are hurting.

Play bows,

Zim