Just Me?

Hi everypuppy and everycat! It's me - Ammy! This is so exciting! Remember I told you the other day that I got to go to the Top of the World with Mom?!?! Just the two of us! I went one other time with Zimmie and Mom, but this time when she asked, "Who wants to go?" I was the one who came running and Zimmie was sleeping and so just the two of us went! I can't wait to show you what we saw!

Let's go! Here's how we know where to turn:

It was very, very windy the day we went. Look at how funny I look here:

It was the wind! Here's a little vid to give you an idea of what it was like:

Did you see where Mom panned over to the field? Now you know why they call them "amber WAVES of grain"! They were waving a lot that day!

Get it? Hee hee hee!

Here's a look at the horizon:

And here's a look at the trail:

We call that one "Tumble Weed in Sibe Shadow". ☺

Hee hee hee!

Let's go check the view of the Flint Hills.

Over this way - look!

Isn't it pretty?!? And lots more amber waves of grain.

We did lots more walking...

...then got back into the car and headed home.

I sure wish you all could have been there!

Love,

Ammy

Wordless Wednesday

Love,
Ammy
Resident Meteorologist, Ao4 HQS

Energy Download!

Ha roo, pups and cool cats! It's me, Zim! I got to go to the Top of the World the other evening. Remember the somewhat striking sunset Ammy showed you the other day? You know... the shot Mom took on her way somewhere? Ha roo - she was heading to the Top of the World with me! Something about "someone being spun up", blah, blah, blah. All I know is I got a cool adventure out of the deal!

Here's what the sun looked like by the time we got up there:

Isn't that cool? Or... hot. Anyway, let's hit the trail!

We had a great walk. Lots for Mom to see, lots for me to snoof. Here are some cool scenery pix (we warned you we can't resist our Fall colors!):

I like how Mom framed the one above.

We found more of those tiny white, wild Asters up there:

They're like micro-mini daisies, aren't they?

I checked messages up there, too.

In fact, that evening I met up with a bunch of pups and their peeps up there. My best buddy in our neighborhood was up there! None of our pix came out very well; we were all moving around like crazy and it was getting a tad dark by the time I met up with them. There was my buddy Harper (he's a PBGV and he's really cool), a collie, a Blue Heeler who looked like Gus, a couple hunting-type dogs, some lab mixes, and a little Bull Terrier girl who'd just been rescued who looked a lot like Woodrow!

Back to the trail. We saw what's probably the last of that Blue Sage stuff...

...and a lot of other stuff turning deep shades of red!

I like red. But enough taking pix of foliage; let's get walking!!!

What a fun evening! I love being an explorer pup, but it was all I could do to drum up a good round of zoomies when I got home. Wonder what that whole "someone being spun up" thing was about.

Play bows,

Zim

More Scenery Monday

Woo, everypup and everycat. It's me, Dave. Like Ammy said yesterday, we've got all kinds of cool scenery pix to show you, so we're going to work them in throughout the week. The first pix I have for you are from the trail walk Zim and I took - remember that?

Here we are, heading to the trail:

That's Zim on the left and me on the right. And our "good neighbor bag" in the foreground. We never go anywhere without a baggie!

We go through an undeveloped area to get to the trail, and there's no telling what we'll see there! Check out these sunflowers growing right out of the pavement!

Mom says that just goes to show you that if you try hard enough, you can do anything - or something like that. And that there's beauty all around you, if you look for it.

Here are some tiny wild purple Asters growing on the curb:

...and some white ones, too.

The white ones were fuller and fluffier. Zim found more of those and stopped to admire them.

Tasty!

We also saw this double-headed wildflower!

Pretty cool, huh?

My last picture for you is a special request. A certain very bee-woo-tiful Malamute, Hollybollyboo, left this comment our Photo Finish Friday post: "Oh Zimmie! You are gorgeous!! Those pics are absolutely incredible!! Ummm, can you have your mom get some of Davie like that for me???" Woo. We aim to please.

Where's the birdie? I hear a birdie!

Luv,

Dave

Serene Scenery Sunday

Hi everypuppy and everycat! It's me, Ammy, here with Serene Scenery Sunday. I had a hard time deciding what scenery pix to post today; it's a gorgeous, colorful time of year here and we have all kinds of beautiful things to show you! Stormy said I should post some sky photos I've been saving (she knows how much I love studying the sky!) and that we can post the other ones during the week. Isn't she sweet!?! Let's look to the sky!

Here are two looks at our sunset from the 24th of September.

Let's get closer to the sun!

Aren't the colors great? Here is a lovely sunset from the 29th:

That one actually wasn't taken here at Ao4 Headquarters like all of our other sunsets. Mom saw it on the way somewhere and pulled over to stop and shoot.

Here's our sunset from last night:

Mom just took that with her iPhone; the Nikon's battery was being charged. Not bad for the phone!

And speaking of last night... you know what last night was, don't youuuuuu........?

Ah-rooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!

Mom took lots of photos of the moon last night. They are all in our Sunsets and Sky Shots set on FlickR, if you'd like to see them. Here are two of my faves:

Don't they just make you want to tip your snooter to the sky and howl!?!? Me, too. We actually did a lot of that last night. It made us feel very...... serene.

Love,

Ammy

PS: Mom had this song stuck in her head all night for some reason.......

Thistle Photos

Hi everypuppy and everykitty! It's me - Ammy! I got to go to the Top of the World the other day - just me and my mom! It was really fun (...except I forgot we'd have to get in the car to go there...) and I'll tell you all about it this coming week. Before I do, though, I wanted to share some special pix Mom took while we were up there - of some thistle! (The thistle made me think of our dear friends in Scotland.)

Would you like to see them? I know a lot of you (or your bipeds) share my mom's fascination with weeds wildflowers and so I thought I'd show you two that I really like. OK?

Here's the first one:

Please note the bumble bees! And here's the next one:

They aren't there any more; they flew away.

Do you know what I call that wildflower series?

Are you ready for it?

"Two bees ... or not two bees."

Hee hee hee. "Two bees ... or not two bees."

You didn't see that one coming, did you? Hee hee hee. Oh, I just love this one!

Love,

Ammy

Photo Finish Friday

Ha roo, pups and cool cats. It's me - Zim - here for Photo Finish Friday. A couple days ago, Mom did a photo shoot of me and I thought I'd share the best with you. Ready?

Here's my first pose:

Clearly, something caught my attention.

It was one of the most fascinating things to come my way all day. Ammy was captivated, too:

How in the world...?

I sat, fascinated. Totally enchanted. My reverie allowed Mom ample time to focus and shoot. Here's the crème de la crème, if you will:

Mom calls this collection Portrait of a Bird Watcher. No, there weren't birdies in the house, but Ammy and I thought there were. What had me so spell-bound? An iPhone App called iBird. Mom was playing the bird calls! As you can tell from my intensity, they are very life-like! I loved listening - and Mom loved getting the cool portrait shots! Something for everyone.

Play bows,

Zim

Honorary Kitty Cat and Bird Watcher

Hit The Trail With the Boys, Part II

Woo, everypup and everycat. It's me, Dave, here with Part II of the cool adventure Zim and I went on. When I left you the other day, we'd just gotten off the second part of the trail. Sure, that meant we were heading home, but when you walk with Zim it means you can find something to get into of interest no matter where you are.

At one point, I looked over at my little brother...

Hey, Zim - whatcha doing?

...and he was in full stalk mode!

Got something in my radar, Dave. About to pounce!

And look! Look what he got!

Ha roo, bug!

(You can click that for a closer look.) Of course, Zim being Zim, he didn't hurt the little grasshopper. He just communed with it for a few minutes, wished him a "hoppy day" (Ammy's not the only comedian in the family!) and we were on our way.

"Hoppy day." That's a good one. I've got to remember to tell the Yammer.

Then when Mom thought we were about out of gas and might pose for a couple pix, we hit our second wind.

Race ya home, Zimmie!

You're on! Last one back to Ao4 Headquarters has to buy a round of water!

Here we are in the home stretch.

I had him by a nose!

Zim and me back at Ao4 HQS

But really, I think we were both winners! It was a cool adventure. We walked for about an hour and it was all we could do to zoom around the house when we got back. Mom took the girls on a walk when we got back (you saw a couple photos yesterday!), so they were real happy, too. We all did zoomies together after they got home. Well... we zoomed and mom did that really funny, "You guys, PLEASE!" thing. Ha woo. I think she really likes it or she wouldn't say "please". Zim said she was asking for more - so we delivered!

Thanks for coming on our trail walk with us! Oh, and to answer one of the questions our friends the Bumpass Hounds asked, no, we didn't sing "Happy Trails to Woo" as we went. But ever since you left that comment, Mom's had that song stuck in her head. Good one, you guys!

Luv,

Dave