My Trip to the Vet's, Part 1

Ha roo, pups! It's me - Zim! Guess where I went yesterday? Yep, to the big vet place to see Dr. Dixon. I've been experiencing some changes and Mom and Dad thought they should have me checked out. Stormy thought I should post pictures of my trip so everypup could see how wonderful the people are there and how great they treat us. I wish all of you had vets as wonderful, kind, and skilled as ours! I'll post Part 1 today and Part 2 tomorrow. Then, by special request, one of us will post Mom's famous Banana Cake recipe on Friday!

When we first come in to the Vet Hospital, the first thing we always do is schmooze with the nice ladies at the front desk. Mom signs some stuff and they get a weight check on me. Yesterday was no different. Here I am on the scale:

One of the ladies who works there was going through the lobby, and stopped to comment on how handsome I am. I stuck that pose just for her. Pretty good one, don't you think? I was 50.0 pounds exactly. I thought that was cool.

The nice student took me in the back right away to run a cystocentesis on me. I came with a very full bladder, so it was nice that they did that first. Unfortunately for them, Amber had warned me about this (just having had one herself), so I decided to hide my bladder. They had to settle for a "free catch" sample, which I was happy to go outside and provide.

After that, we did a general exam and they wanted some of my blood. I'm not sure why - I would think they had plenty of their own - but, hey, who am I to argue? My very favorite Vet Tech Beth came in to hug me. I love Beth and feel comfortable around her. Here are Beth, my student and me.

I had just told Beth a joke, that's why she's smiling. Ha roo roo roo! Check out this snooter shot:

Is this a snooter worth smooching?

The student was really good getting the blood. I didn't feel a thing. Same with the r-e-c-t-a-l exam she did. (I know that freaks some of you pups out; that's why I spelled it!) Both the student and Dr. Dixon were really gentle.

They wanted to try to do another cysto, so they brought me some water to drink, to fill my bladder back up. Knowing they wanted me to drink, I refused.

No, thanks.

Besides, there was a VERY vocal kitty in the back area. I wanted to go help him. Or perhaps just to stare at him. I only speak a little Cat, but you all know Storms is fairly fluent. The kitty was saying, "Mow! MOW! MrOW! Row." According to Storm, I had it figured out right - he was saying, "Let me OUT of this place NOW! I want to go HOME!" Poor fella; he was just scared. I think we can all relate.

So... where was I? Mom asked if I could have a little snack, since they'd already taken the blood they wanted. Once Dr. Dixon gave that the green light, I had a cookie. Yum! Very nice, since I had to skip lunch. THEN she got more cookies... but broke them up and put them in the water bowl, so I'd have to drink some water to get to them. Oh, like I'm going to fall for that one, Mom!

Bobbing for biscuits

Well, OK. Maybe I did. But like I said, I missed lunch.

After a while, they tried another cysto. First with me on my back, but that didn't work, then with me standing up. Dr. D gave that a try, but even she couldn't find my bladder!

They decided to use an ultrasound to help find my bladder and guide their needle. JACKPOT! I just have an itty-bitty bladder.

A lot of the tests had come back by this time - and the big stuff looked pretty good. It'll take the Labs a few days to do some of the other tests. Amber said Labs aren't as fast as Sibes, then she giggled; Storm said they have to grow cultures. Whatever. We were on to my favorite part of the visit - COOKIE TIME!

Beth and Dr. Dixon, rewarding me!

I had some special one-on-one time with Dr. Dixon then.

Thanks, Dr. D!

She gave me more cookies and said I was so gentle and so nice not to hold a grudge after all the needles and stuff. Grudge? I'm a Siberian Husky. We don't hold grudges!

Here's the last picture for today:

Me and Dr. Dixon

I know you're wondering. Did I give her one gentle smooch on her nose or didn't I? That's between us! Ha roo roo roo!

Tune back in tomorrow for Part 2!

Play bows,
Zim

Umm... Echo?

Well... it went something like this ...

Hey Zim! Did you save our buddy Echo a piece of that Banana Cake like Stormy told you to?

I thought she told you to save him a hunk, Dave!

Uh-oh...

So ... uh... Echo, there's no rush for you to get out here. We're going to have to get Mom to make another Banana Cake!

Play bows,
Zim

PS: Special happy birthday wishes to my bee-roo-tiful girlfriend Sitka!

Let the (Bidding) Games Begin!

Woo. It's me - Dave. Remember a couple weeks ago when Ammy showed you the Ram-a-Lamb Bag and told you Mom and I made it to help our favorite Siberian Husky rescue group MaPaw raise money? They have some special needs puppers right now, especially especially, Bravo, a young guy who needs cataract surgery and Christie, a senior citizen who is being evaluated for possible eye surgery. Well, MaPaw's eBay auction is on NOW and all proceeds will go to help these guys and others! MaPaw is a 501c3 charity. I have no idea what that means, but Stormy said it's tax season and I should mention that. Woo.

Mom and Ammy worked on the write up for the bag together. In part, the write-up says, "Don't be fooled by how cute it is - the Ram-a-Lamb is our strongest bag! It will hold all of your stuff and ask for more. It's a worker. And ...it's a bit on the fuzzy side!" Ha woooo! Be sure to check it out! And place a bid!

In addition to the Ram-a-Lamb Bag, Mom and I also made a couple special Hold the Phone! Bags that are in the fund-raiser auction! You can see them here and here. I picked the fabrics - they're bold, bright and fun! And have puppers all over them!

Here's one - wouldn't it make you smile to carry that? And to know that your purchase helped Sibes in need?

As Am said, "The Hold the Phone! Bag is designed to do just that - hold your cell phone! Interior dimensions are approximately 5.25 x 3 inches. There is a Velcro closure to make sure your phone stays put.... The strap allows you to hook your Hold the Phone! Bag to your purse strap, your belt, your golf bag -- anywhere! It's made from a new dog leash - the strap is nylon and the clasp is stainless steel. You may find all sorts of uses for your HTP! Bag. Dog lovers may want to stuff a few 'good neighbor' plastic bags in there, hook it to their favorite pup's leash, and GO! Whatever you use it for, have fun."

Here's the other one in the auction!

There are more views of the bags on the MaPaw auction site - please check them out! (And remember, the Ram-a-Lamb Bag has its own matching Hold the Phone! Bag that comes with it!) These are fun little bags that you'll find all kinds of uses for. And they can be hooked to just about anything or hung about anywhere.

Won't you please support the MaPaw Sibe Rescue auction?

OK... I didn't really care for the idea above ... but Mom reminded me it was for a good cause. And gave me a cookie. Woo.

Luv,
Dave

Sunday Salute - Nikki of NC!

Our Sunday Salute goes out to our sweet friend Nikki of Northern Cyprus! Long-time readers of the Ao4 Digest have read a lot about Nikki and her incredible adventures! Our last post about her was all about her getting out of quarantine after moving to NC from South Africa and settling into her new home. Now she's all settled in, feeling good and is exploring her new home!

Here she is, in a recent adventure, exploring a gorgeous field of wildflowers! She looks stunning, doesn't she?

Nikki of Northern Cyprus

In her email, she asked, "Can you see the sheep in the distance??? I was very interested but my Mom wouldn't let me chase them!!"

Sheep! Must ... chase ... sheep!

No offense to your mom, Nikki, but that is terribly unfair! Some puppies chase sheep for a living! You're just trying to be productive! We ARE a working breed, you know!

After her hard work staring at the sheep, Nikki stopped for a little picnic lunch with her mom and dad. Here she is kicking back in the shade with her daddy.

She told us, "I am recovering with roast chicken, chewie treats and a taste of bipeds' desert! Yummy!" Sounds like a good reward for such hard work!

And after a rough day like that, what more could a girl ask for than a comfy bed?

How about a comfy bed overlooking the Mediterranean Sea? YEAH!

What a great adventure, Nikki! Sorry you didn't get to chase the sheep, but we all know you would have given them a good running! Thanks for sharing your cool adventure with us!

For all you do, Nikki ~ we salute you!

The Army of Four

Lemon Oat Bars

Woo, everypup. It's me, Dave. We're posting one of Mom's favorite recipes, by special request! You won't be sorry giving this a try! All of our friends who have tried it so far are just raving about it - so why not give it a go!?! Ready?

Lemon Oat Bars
By the Ao4

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup packed brown sugar
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
2/3 cup cold butter
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
½ cup lemon juice
1 ½ tsp grated lemon peel (I don’t use any)

In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon; cut in butter until crumbly. (Mom pulses hers in the food processor instead. She says to make sure yours is big enough before trying; I say stand by in case it isn't!) Press 3 cups into a greased 9-inch square baking pan; set remaining mixture aside. Bake crust at 350° for 10 minutes.
In a small bowl, combine the milk, lemon juice and lemon peel (if using). Pour over crust. Sprinkle with remaining oat mixture. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until edges are brown. Cool on wire rack.
Mom thinks this tastes best COLD from the fridge!

Sorry I don't have any cool pictures like Zim did with the Empanadas. Maybe if any of our friends took pictures, they'll share. (Hint, hint!)

Mom says it's really fast and easy and oh, so good! Of course, I wouldn't know....

...I don't get to have Lemon Oat Bars. But I am in position, should any hit the floor.

Happy baking and remember to share with your friends!

Luv,
Dave

Storm Shelter

Ha roo, pups. It's me - Stormy. Have you seen our buddy Summit's lastest post? In addition to showing us what a big boy he's become, he shared some pictures of him in the shower. Seriously, check out the last three pictures he posted. Totally adorable, isn't he?

So, last weekend, our weather got really stormy (small "s") - complete with everything from rain to sleet to snow to really high winds (even for here!) and ... thunder and lightning. I don't care for thunder and lightning. I was trying to seek shelter and remembered Summi's pictures - the ones of him in the shower. What an ideal storm shelter! Or in my case, Storm shelter.

This is a bit better.

Thanks for the good idea, Summi! You're as smart as you are adorable.

Stay safe, everypups, and keep an eye to the sky; it's storm season!

Tail wags,
Stormy

Something's Missing...

Hi everypuppy! It's me - Ammy. We had such fun at the playground and on our walk over the weekend! I was REALLY happy when Dad said we'd take the Trail on the way home! Do you know why? Well ... click here to be reminded of what the Trail looked like the last time we took it home. Really. Click there. Then come back. I'll wait ....

Remember that? Sigh. Now look at it!

Stormy! Something's missing!

Snow, Dave. No snow!

It's true. All the lovely snow along the Trail was GONE! Here we all are, checking it out.

I tried to think of a funny joke to tell everysibe to cheer us up. I know how well my jokes go over! But I don't know any "we don't have any snow" jokes. There's just nothing funny about no snow.

On the other paw, we saw some squirrels in the trees and really had great fun! ANY walk where we're all together is a GREAT walk!

Love,
Ammy

Slip-Sliding Away!

Ha roo, pups! It's me, Zim! Stormy gave you a hint yesterday about the cool stuff I found to play on - did anypup guess right? Steve did, I'm sure! I found some sliding boards and wowzers, were they FUN!

Here I am at the first one!

I told Dad I wanted to give it a go. He said I was supposed to start at the top and slide down that way. Oh, OK. Good thing, 'cuz I wasn't getting too far trying to go up the slide! Ha roo!

Get the camera ready, Mom! I'm coming down!

Mom should have hit the video button, but forgot and took stills. I was so fast, it was all blurry! But here's a shot of me coming on down the slide!

HOO-AH!

It was really cool. I wanted to give the other slide a try, too. Dad said I was really brave going up the ladder.

Here I am, climbing up. Amber's looking for something to snarf. I'm not sure if she found anything. Next, I had to walk across the apparatus. It was sort of like walking the plank! I wonder if that's what Captain Maverick would say? Harrr!

After I walked the plank, I got to go down the sliding board!

Wowzers, that was fun! I wish you pups could have been there! Can you imagine me and Steve sliding down together!? Ha roo, that'd be great!

Tune in tomorrow for the walk home!

Play bows,
Zim

Play(ground)ing Around

Ha roo, pups. It's me - Stormy. This always being a bizarre part of the country when it comes to springtime weather, we had a break from our sub-freezing weather - a weekend with temps in the 60s and 70s. I know! Horrible! But it made the bipeds happy. Dad got some golf in and when he was done, we all went on some great walks. We even had Mom bring the camera with us. That starts the explanation of yesterday's post by Dave. Sigh. Dave.

Anyroo, he thought from a distance that he saw his old friend Wonky. Not long after Dave ripped off, swallowed, then horkaed up two of the Octopus' legs, Wonky disappeared. Dave is still hoping he'll turn up somewhere. So when we walked past the playground at the school over the weekend ... well, you saw his post from yesterday.

I warned him. I told him the real Wonky sleeps with the fishes. But he had to check out that overgrown Wonky anyway. I gave him the same caution that Tansy posted -- that it could be the Giant's Wonky toy and that he'd best be very careful! (Tansy is as wise as she is lovely!) I think that's when it hit him ...

Say... you're not MY Wonky friend!

You can almost see the disappointment in his face, can't you? He knew.

Sorry, Dave.

It was worth checking out. And the playground offered some fun times. I had a nice, comfy perch where I could watch over Amber and Zimmie playing.

My puppies are having such fun!

Look! Here is Dad offering to push Ammy on the swings.

Hee hee hee! I don't think so, Daddy!

Looks like Zim found something to snarf up in the background!

Tomorrow, Zim will share his fun with all of you! I'll give you a hint about what he found to play on ... he's brave like our friend Steve! Until then...

Tail wags,
Storms

Wonky?!?!?

Wonky!?!? WONKY!?!? WONKY!?!?

Wonky, my old friend ... is that you!?!?

Luv,
Dave

Sunday Salute - Luna and Kito!

This week, our Sunday Salute goes to our cosmic cousins Luna and Kito of Miami, Florida! You may remember them from previous Salutes and posts; they and their brother Timber are so cool! Last weekend, Kito and Luni took Auntie Laura and her friend Amanda on a BIG walk to help raise money for the Humane Society! Kito took Auntie Laura last year; he had so much fun, he got Luni to come this time around! Kito wrote us all about his wonderful day and sent in some GREAT pictures!

"Here we are at the Walk. Luni and I were so excited that we were ALREADY pooped by the time we got to the trees to start the walk. We posed for a picture with mom. I was already so tired I decided to lay down."

Auntie Laura and the twins

Kito told us, "Luni and I sat and admired the cool buildings in downtown Miami. I had to show my lil' sis around! Show her the ropes! She’s never been downtown!" Wowzers, we've never been around tall buildings like that, either!

"Ooh, Cheeto, look at the pretty buildings!"

"So once we got familiar with downtown," Kito continued, "Luni and I decided that mom looked hot, too. So we wanted to get in real close and breathe on her. We figured we could cool her off! She laughed and said something about having her own built in heater? I don’t know. We love to help out, though."

Siberian air conditioner. Ha roo roo roo!

Kito said they got to see ALL KINDS of puppers. "Little, big, Red, white…every kind of pupper was there! We even saw a really nice greyhound that was up for adoption and mom wanted to take her home. I reminded her that she almost can’t walk the 3 of us!" Yeah. Our Mom and Dad have this "one arm per Sibe" ... or "one Sibe per arm" rule. Something like that. Doesn't make much sense, does it?

Luni was being her usual, happy self! Look at her smiling here!

I'm so happy!

Now wait just a Sibe-plucking minute! Auntie Laura!??! What is that in the lower right corner by Luni's foot?!!? Were you plucking her fluff!?!? Are we Sibes not spared from that horror at any event?!? Sheesh! You really owe Luni for that!!! We are aghast - I mean ... you were at a Humane Society event; did no one stop this madness? (Luna, our mom is a pluck-a-holic, too. We understand what you're going through!) OK... back to the Walk...

Here is a picture Kito and Luna's mom took during the actual walk:

"We took a few shortcuts through the grass because mom said she didn’t want me to have a heat stroke? Don’t know what that is, but I sure had fun!" That was totally nice of Auntie Laura. And almost makes up for plucking Luna. Almost.

Kito continued, "I introduced my lil sis to a thing called “ocean”. I saw it for the first time last year…" Zim is still trying to get one for us here in Kansas. They really look so cool!

Look, Luna! The ocean!

"Oh, and then we posed for a minute with mom and our other auntie Amanda....

"She ALSO supports the Humane Society! She raised money too!!!" Way to GO!

By this time, Kito said they were POOPED! He told us, "We were almost done but we were HOT." Check out Luni's tongue! Ha roo!

According to Kito, "After the walk mom got us ice cubes and put them in my bowl. I was thrilled!!! I ate about 50 ice cubes! Auntie Amanda was putting ice cubes on Luni's paws! It was so funny." Kito - Ammy loves ice cubes, too!

Kito and a bowl of cubes!

Luni was falling asleep sitting up! Ha-rooo roooo!

Sleepy Luna

"We had a lot of fun, and went home shortly afterwards. Luni and I slept the rest of the day! We had fun, but were happy to be back in our air-conditioned house, with brother Timber. He missed us a lot ... I told him that he would’ve been VERY hot, so he wouldn’t feel that bad that he missed it… Mom says she might take him next year!" That would be so cool!

Kito, thank you for sharing your special day with us! Those are totally awesome pictures. We are so proud of you and Luna for working so hard to raise money for the Humane Society - and we're proud of your mom and Amanda, too! For all you do, Kito and Luna, we salute you!

The Army of Four

Baked Empanadas

Ha roo, pups! It's me - Zim. Drill SGT Zim. And you know how I LOVE being on KP duty! Trust me, pups, the kitchen is where it's at! I helped make Baked Empanadas the other night, and some of my pals have encouraged me to share our secret recipe. So here's how Mom and I make Baked Empanadas! This is aimed mostly at your biped, with helpful tips from me about what you can do!

First, clean the kitchen really well. Scrub all the counters real good and everything. Wash your hands, put on your cool apron and let's get started on the filling! You can put ANYTHING in there, but here's our "regular" filling.

2 Tbs. canola oil1 large onion, chopped
1 can Summer Crisp corn, drained
1 can black beans (free-holies!), drained
1 box Boca Crumbles or other “fake” beef
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 tablespooon or so chili powder
1 teaspoon or so cumin
cayenne pepper, oregano leaves (dried) - I have no idea how much. Just "some".
¾ cup water, maybe 1/2 cup
shredded sharp cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese

Heat oil in sauté pan over medium/high heat.

Just as it gets to the right temp, take it off the burner and take Dave outside. Come back in, wash your hands again, and bring the pan back up to speed.

Add onion; cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add drained corn and continue to “brown” the veggies. Let the corn get roasted-looking to enhance the flavor! Stay close to the stove, pups, as sometimes they pop right out of the pan and you can snag a kernel! Add beans.

At this point, and I'm just telling you how my mom makes them, realize you should have used the REALLY big sauté pan. Grumble for a while, then get out the pan you should have started with in the first place. Transfer everything over and put the medium pan in the sink.

Once the onions and corn are nice and browned, turn heat down. Add Boca Crumbles, then stir in taco seasoning, spices, and water. Continue to heat on low, until Boca Crumbles have absorbed all the great flavors.

Once your filling is done, set it aside to cool. This is a great time to take a nice long walk and/or run. Really. Here's what our filling looked like:

Mmm, look at those free-holies in there! I love those!

OK, once you've taken your walk, come back, wash those paws again, and let's get busy with the dough!!! Here's what you'll need!

1 ½ cups flour
1 cup Masa Harina
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup butter -- melted & cooled
½ cup plus 1 T. water
2 lg. eggs (used separately)
Kosher salt (or a big-grained salt)

Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or spray REALLY well with cooking spray. Actually, encourage your biped to skip the parchment paper. It will make your pans a MESS and maybe you'll get to clean them!

Preheat oven to 375 °F. Mix flour, masa harina, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. A really large bowl. Stir in melted butter. Whisk water and 1 egg in a small bowl to blend. Add to flour mixture; knead in bowl until smooth, pliable dough forms, about 2 minutes. Add more masa harina, if needed.

Wash hands and take your bestest kitchen helper outside. Say funny things like "Couldn't you have asked before my hands were covered in dough?" Ha roo roo roo. Oh, and wear your apron outside then wonder why the neighbors are looking at you funny. Ha roo roo roo. Come back in and wash!

Sprinkle masa harina all over the clean counter - or on a big SilPat mat. Working with small batches of the dough at a time, roll out as thinly as possible – less than 1/8" thickness. Using a 4" or larger diameter biscuit cutter, cut out rounds. Re-roll scraps and cut out additional rounds to use up all the dough. You should have at least 24 rounds.

Rollin', rollin', rollin' ...

A lot of masa harina is bound to hit the floor, so make sure you're in position, pups! And look cute! You may get a free-holie for all your hard work!

I'm here for you, Mom!

Place about 2 tablespoons of the filling in center of each dough round. You'll figure out how much will "fit". Top with shredded sharp cheddar or cheese of your choice. Yeah, pups. I know you want to see it. Are you salivating? Here you go!

CHEESE!!!!!

OK. After you put the filling and CHEESE on the dough, wet the edges of the dough a bit with water, then fold dough over, pressing edges to seal. Your mom can use just her fingers or the tines of a fork. Line them all up on your parchment-covered baking sheets. Here's the start of ours:

The stuffing process gets kind of messy. Since you've just taken your biped to the yard, she won't buy off on you needing to use the facilities. Send a mind-meld to one of your siblings and encourage him or her to ask to go out. (In the case of a non-multiple-pup house, just ask for yourself again. Whine a little, if necessary. Make it believable!)

Clean up and get ready to take Amber to the yard. Ask if anypup else would like to join you. Take the girls out. Come back in, wash your hands, then notice Dave asking to go out. Take both of the boys out, then give everyone a cookie. Wash your hands and get back to the rest of the empanadas. These are very important steps in the process, pups. Your biped will need a break, and you and your siblings can provide it!

After you've stuffed all the empanadas, whisk the remaining egg in a small bowl. Brush empanadas with beaten egg; sprinkle lightly with kosher salt. Bake until light golden brown, about 25 minutes. Sorry we don't have a better picture other than the one at the top of the page! We aren't sure what happened with the formatting on that!

While the empanadas are baking, clean the kitchen. Scrub those counter tops, do the dishes, then mop the floor a bit where your helper may have missed some masa harina. Trust me, there will be NO free-holies or cheese on the floor!

You've worked hard today, pups. Find a beam of sunlight and take a well-deserved snooze.

You've worked for it; sweet dreams!

Zzzz... cheezzzzzze..... free-holiezzzzz..... zzzzzz.....

Play bows and bon appétit!
Zim