The Rocky Mountains!!!

Greetings to all!  It's me, Mags, here with some exciting news!  Check out what I discovered next door in our friend Tao's yard!

"Cam!  CAM!  Check it OUT!  It's the Rocky Mountains!"
"Sigh.  How do I break this to her ..."

OK, it's more like THE Rocky Mountain, singular.  But STILL!  I don't think our neighbors to the west will miss one of their mountains, do you?!!?  It's SO COOL!!!

I thought Cam and I should strike a pose by our new landmark!

"Do a tough, rugged look, Cam!"
"Yeah, whatever."

I hope Tao and Mei have 4-wheel drive, or they're going to have a tough time getting over the mountain in their driveway and into the garage!  Especially when the snows come back!

Ooh, this is so exciting!  I check it every time we go past -- you know, to see it there are any Mountain Goats or anything else exciting hanging out there!

Yours sincerely,

Margaret Thatcher

Perfect!

Greetings to all!  It's me, Maggie!   I was playing with one of my toys the other day and ...

"Get a shot of this, Mom!"

Is that perfect, or what?!? It was so cool.

Yours sincerely,
Margaret Thatcher

Thanksgiving 2019

From all of us here at Ao4 Headquarters, we'd like to wish our fellow Americans a very happy and safe Thanksgiving!

"From me and Maggie ... oh, wait.  What about our international friends?!?"
"Oh.  Urrr ... happy Thursday!"

"And now from me and Cammie ..."
"Let's talk turkey!"

"O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto Him with psalms."

Psalms 95: 1-2

From our hearts to all of you, we wish you a very happy Thanksgiving! Please remember to say a prayer of thanks for the members of our military - many of whom are not able to be home, celebrating with their families.  May God bless and watch over them!   And may God bless each and every one of you!!!

Cam and Maggie

Wordless Wednesday

Yours sincerely,
Margaret Thatcher

Hi, Dad!

Greetings to all!  It's me, Maggie!  The other day, Cam and I went downstairs to help Mom in her Studio after lunch.  She and Dad had been running around doing something with the window screens earlier - they wouldn't let me help, so I'm not sure what all they did.  BUT ... when I made my security sweep through the inner room of the Studio ...

"HALT!  Who goes th---oh.  Hi, Dad.  Whatcha doing?"

Apparently, that screen needed some extra securing.  And, sure. This time, it was Dad! But what if it had been someone else?!?

I am on. The. Job.

Yours sincerely,
Margaret Thatcher

All Gone!

Greetings to all!  It's me, Maggie!  As Cam told you, our temps were predicted to hit the 60s yesterday, and the forecasters were right.  Knowing this travesty could happen, I tried to make the most of our snow while I could.

"OK, Mags!  In the house!"
"Just a few more minutes, Mom."

It was already melting! Anyway, here was the scene this morning:

"It's all gone, Cam!"
"I know.  It's a beautiful morning, though."

She was right - even though the snow was gone, it's a beautiful day!

"Besides, Maggie ... we've got 3 days on the 5-day forecast where they're calling for snow."
"Now THAT'S something to look forward to!"
"Wait ... what?!?!"

You just never know in Kansas!  Let's keep our paws crossed for a white Thanksgiving*!

Yours sincerely,

Margaret Thatcher

*Editor's note:  You knew this was coming.  The views expressed by certain Siberians do not necessarily reflect those of the bipeds at Ao4 Headquarters.

Serene Scenery Sunday

Hello, everyone.  It's me, Cammie!  As we showed you yesterday, we were treated to a nice snowfall!  While the snow fell, we worked in the Studio with our mom.  Here I am, hard at work:

"Ooooh, look at it coming down!!!"

It was so beautiful!  Sadly*, it's supposed to get into the 60s today.  Kansas is silly this time of year!

Have a wonderful Sunday!

Cammie!

*Editor's note:  The views expressed by certain Siberians do not necessarily reflect those of the bipeds at Ao4 Headquarters.

Snow!

Hello, everyone!  It's me, Cammie.  We had a lovely surprise yesterday - a snowstorm!  We had a wonderful walk in it bright and early this morning.  Here's a shot of me and Maggie when we got back home:

"Girls?  Ready to go in?"
"Nah ... I'm good."
"You know we could have a for real snowball fight now!!!"

Apparently, Mom's fingers were totally frozen, so we decided we'd take her into the house.  She and Dad aren't quite as equipped for this sort of thing as we are!

Did anyone else get this terrific treat yesterday?!?

Cammie!

After Dinner

Hello, everyone!  It's me, Cammie!  After our dinner, we always go outside, then Mom gets our dessert (a couple cookies!), and we all go into the living room together.  Sometimes I need to remind our mom to hurry with the cookies.

"Come on!  Let's go!  Let's ... why does my tail feel weird?"
"C'mon, Mom.  Get it in gear."

"What is she doing back there?"
"I'm just waiting for dessert.  And admiring Cam's floof."

I honestly don't know about her sometimes!

Cammie!

SNOWBALL FIGHT!!!!!

Greeting to all!  It's me, Maggie!  This morning, Mom and I had a snowball fight!!!  Well, not so much a snowball "fight" as we played with a snowball.  A fake one.  In the living room.  But WOW, was it fun!  Here's how it went!

I had just gotten back from a long walk with Dad and noticed Cam (who had taken a shorter one) was playing with an "under supervision only" toy.  I asked if I could play with one, too.  Mom handed me my Snowball!

"This is great!  Thanks, Mom!"
"Want to have some fun, Maggie?!?"

"FUN!?!  Fun is my middle name!!!  Let's go!"

So Mom took the ball and tossed it for me and ... well ... let's roll tape!

To view on YouTube, please click here!

"Wow, was that ever fun!!!"

We had a blast!  It was the next best thing to a snowball fight!

Yours sincerely,

Margaret Thatcher

Wordless Wednesday

Yours sincerely,
Margaret Thatcher

Titer Check

Greetings to all!  It's me, Maggie!  Yesterday, I had a quick trip to the vet's.  You may remember I had just been there a few weeks ago for a vaccination. My vet had run a titers test a couple weeks prior to that and I came up a quart low on one of my vaccines, so I got a booster.  This time, we were checking so see if that took.  Or something like that.

This time, I was pretty sure my Siberian Husky ID card was up for renewal, so I was sweet as they come!  ... but wouldn't hold still during the blood draw.  Mom used my full name a lot, which is great --- no mistakes on my ID card that way, right?

Here I am, posing out front afterwards.

"Here, Mom.  Get my brown-eyed side."
"Maggie ... you were VERY Siberian in there."

"Thank you!  Thank you very much!"
"Sigh ..."

That ought to do me for a while as per my Siberian status!  Oh, and really.  The blood draw is no big deal, but holding still?!?!  I had a point to prove!

Yours sincerely,

Margaret Thatcher

In Need Of Inspiration

Greetings to all!  It's me, Maggie.  This morning, we had a great all-family walk, us girls got brushed a bit, then Cam and I had a round of CROG.  After that, it was time for our Monday morning meeting.  That's where we hit a snag ...

"I dunno ... what do you want to blog about today?"
"I don't know, either.  Isn't it your turn?"

She had a point there.  It was - is - my turn.  Mom was right there ... something about wanting us to move so she could clean the floor.  I'm not sure.  She had the vacuum going, so maybe.  Anyway, she suggested maybe a snack would perk us right up and could be just the inspiration we needed.

"A SNACK?  Now you're talking!"
"Is this a trick?"

We moved over to our bed by the window for better lighting.

"How's this?"
"Yeah, Mom!  I'd say this is snack-worthy!"

You know, it could have been a trick, like Cam suggested; Mom vacuumed where we had been conducting our meeting.  I'd say it's a win-win, though - she got to vac where she wanted to and Cam and I got a little blog inspiration.  And a cookie.

This day is going brilliantly so far!

Yours sincerely,

Margaret Thatcher

Serene Sunday

Hello, everyone!  It's me, Cammie!  Mom already posted this picture on FaceBook, but Maggie and I thought it summed up the total serenity we feel in the re-vamped Studio.  Take a look:

"Oh, man, this is nice!"
"Sooooo nice!!!"

Comfy, new carpet, more room for CROG and Pickle time, AND plenty of space to share a sunbeam. It's perfect!

We hope your Sunday is just as serene!

Cammie!

Start The Weekend!

"Another beautiful start to the day, Cam!"
"Let's make it a great one, Maggie!"

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!
Mags and Cam

GREAT Walk!

Greetings to all!  It's me, Maggie!  You know it's going to be a great walk when you come out of the house and ...

"Mags!  Chelsea's coming!"
"Maggie!!!!!!!!"

Isn't that awesome!??!  My BFF Chelsea the Border Collie was coming down the street!  Talk about perfect timing!

She was doing her Border Collie Low Crawl thing that she likes to do (she throws herself onto the grass then sort of slides the whole way -- it's really cool!), so I did this:

Me.  Waiting ever-so-patiently!

Once she got up to our house, we greeted each other!

"My BFF!  How have you been!?!?"
"Hi, Maggie!!!"

We just love seeing each other!  Oh.  And that's Cam's snooter on the left there.  She likes seeing Chelsea and Chelsea's mom, too!

We had a short visit, then got on to our walk.

"Check out that sunrise, everybody!  Are you getting this, Mom?"
"Oh, how beautiful!"
"Got it, Mags!"

What a GREAT way to start the day!  I hope your Friday is going just as well!

Yours sincerely,

Margaret Thatcher

Oh, Hi

Greetings to all! It's me, Maggie. Up here.

"Oh, hi!"

Or should that be "high"?

Yours sincerely,
Margaret Thatcher

Wordless Wednesday

Cammie!

Finally!

Greetings to all!  It's me, Maggie!  Yesterday, Cam and I were finally allowed downstairs!  It's about time!  I raced down first to inspect everything!

"Maggie?!?  How does it look?!?"

I was already exploring!  Once we had a good look around, we got down to business.

Me and Cam, working in the Studio

OK. Pickle Business.  Trust me, Pickle Time is important!!!

Apparently, Mom and Dad updated the flooring in the Studio rooms (to match the upstairs!), Dad's office, and the bathroom. And the HVAC room.  That meant they had to clear everything out of those rooms then put it all back. Only that's not really how we do things at Ao4 Headquarters -- they did a massive culling of stuff, Mom painted a couple rooms (with more to come, apparently), and they did a reorganization. I can't believe they didn't let us help!

"Seriously, Mom!  You know I'm good at this kind of thing!"

I mean SERIOUSLY!

At least the last part - reorganizing - wasn't quite done, so I was able to help.

"Mags?  What are you doing in there?"
 "Helping."

Or not.  I mean ...

"And how did you get in there?"
"Are you saying you don't want my help?"

She hinted that Cam might be helping more than me.  WHAT?!?!  How is that possible?!?  Check her out:

"Buckingham Palace is back where it belongs!!!  YAY!"

How is that "helping"?!?  I don't get it.

Anyway, I helped in the closet for a while, then Cam and I did some more exploring:

"The workout room is the same as before!"

Good!  I liked my "jump on the treadmill then dive bomb Cam" maneuver from before!  I'd hate to lose that to a re-do!

Ah!  Speaking of things like that, even though Mom moved her big sewing table around, I can still do a sneak-attack by going through one of the cubby holes!  Take a look:

"Surprise!"
"I saw that one coming, Mags!"

Mom and Dad are still moving stuff around, but the big things are done.  I'm glad we're getting back to normal.  Cam and I really like routine!

"I really like this, don't you, Maggie?!?"
"I still say my organization and supervision skills could have been put to better use ..."

Yours sincerely,

Margaret Thatcher 

Veterans Day 2019

Veterans Day, the 11th day of November, is traditionally when we pay tribute to those who served or who are serving in combat. It has become a day to salute all who have served honorably in our military. Freedom is not free - it must be fought for and guarded. All of us here at Ao4 Headquarters 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.

"Our very favorite combat veteran is our dad!!!"
"He's our hero!"
❤ "Mine, too, girls." ❤

We are especially proud of two combat veterans - our dad and mom's dad - and the rest of our family members who served or who are serving!

To all US veterans - past and present - we thank God for you and pray for His blessing on each and every one of you.

Mags and Cam

Serene Sunday

Hello, everyone!  It's me, Cammie!  Mags and I still aren't allowed downstairs, but we did think you should know we are getting plenty of Pickle time upstairs.  I mean we DO prefer being down in the Studio, playing Pickles then having a round of CROG, but ... we get to play with our "under supervision only" toys up here!

"I don't always get to play with this toy, but when I do, I love it!"

Yeah. Mighty serene!

Have a lovely Sunday!

Cammie!

The Weekend

Greetings to all!  It's me, Maggie!  It's Saturday - and we've got the whole weekend ahead of us!!!

"The whole weekend --- and Hudson Trail!"
"YES!  And ... SQUIRREL!"

Hope you have a great one!

Yours sincerely,
Margaret Thatcher

Super Mags

Greetings to all!  It's me, Maggie!  The other night, there was something completely uninteresting on TV, so rather than watching, I did a little pre-bedtime napping.  I napped so well that I went into dream-sleep - and wow, did I have a good one!

"Faster than a speeding Siberian,
more powerful than a Malamute,
able to leap tall buildings in a single bound
... it's Super Maggie!!!
I'm flying!  I'm FLYING!!!!"

Did I mention I could fly?!!?  It was awesome!!!

Yours sincerely,
Margaret Thatcher

Making CROG Count!

Hello, everyone!  It's me, Cammie!  Last week, Mags and I went downstairs to the Studio with Mom after lunch for a little Pickle time and a round or two of Crazed River Otter Games (CROG).  During our CROG session, Mom said something about it being the last time for a week or two that we'd be able to enjoy some Studio time.  What?!?  Of course, that could be another clue as to all the strange things that have been happening around Ao4 Headquarters!  We figured we should make our CROG time count!

Things were getting pretty wild, I must say!  I tried to slow things down a bit by running into the Workout Room.

"The littlest River Otter will never find me in ..."
"BOOM!"

So much for that idea!  Then Mags took the high ground:

"Watch this move, Cam!"
"You're going to have to be fast to pull that one off!!!"

Mom wasn't able to get a shot of it, but Mags got all the way up on the treadmill, then went to dive-bomb me from above.  Being rather quick myself, while Mags had some air time, I flew out the door and dove into Buckingham Palace!

"Wow, are you fast, Cam!  Come back here, you Crazed River Otter!!!"
"I'm in Buckingham Palace!  You can't BOOM me in here!!!"

I mean really!  Aren't there rules about these things?

"Fine.  My feety-feet are outside!"
"A little help here!  The Prime Minister is trying to enter Buckingham Palace uninvited!!!"

Where are the palace guards when you need them?!!?

That was all in fun, actually!  And was a GREAT round of CROG!  I hope we get to go back downstairs soon!

Cammie!

Wordless Wednesday

Cammie!

To Pose Or Not To Pose

Hello, everyone!  It's me, Cammie!  This morning we went on a very nice, long family walk!  When we got to the limestone chunks by the trailhead, Mom asked if we'd be willing to pose.

"Jumping up here is no problem, but ..."
"Well, one of us is willing to pose ..."

What can I say?

"Ooooh, pretty sunrise!!!"
"See?  If I had wasted time posing, we would have missed this!"

She does have a point!

Cammie!