My Latest Adventure

Ha roo, pups and cool cats!  It's me, Zim!  Sorry I'm late today.  It would appear, from the scents I'm picking up, that someone was out cavorting with Border Collies and stepping in goose poop this morning rather than taking dictation to put the latest Ao4 Digest post up.  Ahem.  Perhaps more on that in a day or two.  Perhaps.

Anyway ...

The other day was cold and overcast and windy - what better time to head up to the Top of the World!  Since I'm so late, I'll cut the chit-chat to a minimum and share some pix!

I had a good walk around when we got there.

Seriously.  This place is Snoofin' City!  It's great!

"Someone's been here.  Quite recently!"

I smelled multiple pups.  Their scents were so fresh, I had a feeling they had just been there!  I looked out on the horizon and thought I saw them!

Mom said she didn't see anyone.  I recommended she zoom in a bit and reconsider.  Check this out:

The snoofer knows best.  Am I right here?

"I can't believe you'd doubt my super-snoofin' powers, Mom!
And ... you might want to stop leaving your glasses in the car."

So anyway, I got to meet those guys.  The really tall guy was a white German Shepherd - he towered over me big time!  The other guy was a maybe Husky/Bernese Mountain Dog mix.  Mom thought he was all kinds of cute.  Both of them, really ... but the German Shepherd kept putting his hackles up and what with him being off-lead/not restrained, that made Mom a tad nervous.  That explains why there are no pix of us together - Mom was busy making sure everyone stayed cordial and didn't want to complicate things with the camera.  Safety first!

It was a great afternoon up there and the three of us guys really did get along great.

"What a great adventure!"

I'll post some more scenery pix tomorrow; I sure wish you could have joined us!

Play bows,
Zim

Back to Work!

Woo, everypup and everycat!  It's me, Dave.  Zim and I had just a wonderful time at the Blogville Valentine's Ball.  Cinderella was the belle of the ball - so fun and kind and charming, and such a lady!  We were so honored to be her dates!  It's back to work today, though, and I'm hard at it!

"Hold it right there!"

I'll be in the living room, holding the cabinet door shut, if anyone needs me!

Luv,
Dave

What a Ball!

Ha roo, pups and cool cats!  It's me, Zim, here with my big brother Dave!  (Woo, everybody!)  As many of you know, the hottest place in all of cyberspace tonight is Blogville's Valentine's Ball!  This bash, sponsored by Mollie and Ranger, is the place to be!  We are honored to not only have been asked to attend, but asked by the most gorgeous Boxer in all the land!  That's right, we're taking Cinderella to the Ball!

We couldn't believe it when she asked us!  We assured our buddy, her brother Casey, that we would take very good care of her!  We'll be respectful and polite and fun and we promise to have her home by midnight!

Dave drove us down to Texas to pick her up, then swung back by our house for Mom to take a picture of us.

Let's get this show on the road!  We hope to see all of you there!  Happy Valentine's Day!

Play bows,

Zim  (and luv from Davy!)

Wordless Wednesday

Play bows and luv,
Zim and Dave

This One Wouldn't Be A Stretch!

Ha roo, pups and cool cats!  It's me, Zim.  As many of you know, as a Working Breed, I not only do a ton of work here at Ao4 Headquarters, but I'm always looking for the perfect career move.  Now that Dave has a lot of customers lining up for him to style their hair, I thought I should look for something new, too.  Dave said he heard about the perfect place for me on the radio and recommended I go check it out.

"Dave!  That's PERFECT!!!  I'm on it!"

So that afternoon, when it came time to head out on an adventure, I told Mom I had something specific in mind and jumped into the Navigator's seat.

"Oh, yeah!  Turn here, Mom!"

Mom pulled into the parking lot and we got out to investigate.

" 'Yoga For Life'.  Yeah, this is the place Dave told me about!"

"C'mon, Mom!  Let's check it out!"

We headed over to the yoga place - can you see where I'm heading with this whole thing now?  And how brilliant Dave's idea is?  

"Dave's really come up with a winner of an idea for me!"

You've all had a taste of the Zen of Zim Zone ... and you've seen some of my great stretches and poses ... so what could be a better fit than for me to offer my services as a Yoga Instructor?!?

"Ha roo, lady.  Want to sign up to study the Zen of Zim?"

OK, so maybe she wasn't interested, and it might take a while for me to build up a client base, but it's worth a try!

"Let's go in so I can fill out an application!"

I'll keep you posted on how this goes!  I have to say, I'm mighty excited about the whole thing!

Play bows,

Zim

PS:  All my tests yesterday came out just great - I am one healthy 13-year old!  Yeah, OK, I need to gain a couple pounds, but we'll work on that!

Sorry I'm Late!

Ha roo, pups and kit-cats!  It's me - Zim!  Sorry I'm late posting today.  Guess where I was?

Yep.  At the KSU Vet Health Center.  It was my 6-month Senior Care Recheck.  I was really  good  very Siberian for my appointment.   You know - very friendly, but resisting initial requests to hold still for the countless procedures.  AND I made sure to leave plenty of fluff in the exam room (and all over a certain someone's clothes) for everyone to enjoy.  It was great!

Anyway - I'm going to grab a late lunch and a little stroll, then settle in for some sack time.  So far, everything has checked out A-OK; we should have the rest of the test results later this afternoon.

Hope your Monday is going well!

Play bows,
Zim

Serene Sunday Stuff

Woo, everypup and everycat.  It's me, Dave!  Not all of these are actually "scenery" shots, so I thought I'd change up the title of our regular Serene Scenery Sunday post.  But here's a collection of "stuff" from the week that made us all feel really good!

First up, I had my 30-day check up at the KSU Vet Health Center this week.  Here's a look at how that went:

Yep.  Squee Kee Moose came with me, for moral support.  How nice is that?  What a pal!  As you can see, we even got to share a beverage.  That was mighty thoughtful of our vet tech!  (Both Squee Kee and I did great, result wise.  I was concerned that he might need a Squeak-ectomy, but his squeaker is still going strong!)

Later that day, we got to do one of our most favorite things!

Yep!  A family walk!  It would have been better with Dad there, but he was actually golfing, which made him really happy ... so even though he was somewhere else, we were happy that he was doing something that gives him joy!  Or something like that!

That evening, we settled in for another one of my favorite things -- a Scrabble Throw-Down!

"Trust me, Mom!  Play 'azoturia'.  Run it through the built-in dictionary!
We'll clean up with that one!"

We could have had Dad with that one!  Oh well.  Next time!

Here's Zim, doing one of his most favorite things:

"Oooh, yeah!  Bott Radio!  Is Jay Sekulow on yet?!?"

Zim prefers The Jay Sekulow Show over music.  I don't quite get that, being into Brazilian Jazz and bagpipe music myself, but hey!  Whatever makes him happy!  He devoured quite a number of law books in the home of the Good Samaritan who picked him up off the streets (before giving up on him and taking him to the shelter).  He's quite the legal scholar because of that!  I think that might explain the whole thing.

On one of his afternoon adventures this week, Zim took Mom out to Keats!  They took another photo of the 1889-vintage church:

And they found this cool, old barn:

Mom is still learning the ins and outs of the new camera; to practice her close-ups, she turned to her two favorite subjects just this morning - my kid brother and me!  Here's Zimmie:

Mom panned out a bit for my shot, so she could get my signature freckles in there:

Oh, don't worry.  Yes, we were turning on the Harp Seal/Sad Eyes Look - but of course we got treats!!!  Now that's serenity!

I hope you have a wonderful Sunday!

Luv,
Dave

The Kid Next Door

Ha roo, pups and cool cats.  It's me - Zim.  Yesterday afternoon, after I went on a really cool adventure with my mom, I kept alternating between staring out the side window and going to the door to let Mom know I needed to use the yard.  It only took about 102 times before Mom stopped accusing me of wanting to go outside just because someone was out there and gave in to my request.

We got out there and hey, how about that?  The Yorkie next door was out.

"Hey, what a surprise, huh, Mom?"

I greeted him ...

"Hey, kid!"

And I warned him that Mom had the camera.  Instead of looking away or rolling in the mud or something normal, do you know what he did?  Seriously.  Do you know?  He struck a killer cute pose!

"Hello!"

Check out the one ear up, one ear down thing.  That's a bit over the top, don't you think?

"I can do more!  Really!  I can!  I can do all kinds of ... hey, where are you going?"
Bounce, bounce, wiggle, wiggle, bounce, bounce!
"Dude ... relax, dude!"

He's got some poses down, alright, but he needs to tone it down a bit!  I should see if he wants to sign up for one of my Zen of Zim yoga classes.

Have a great Saturday, everybody!

Play bows,
Zim

Career Change?

Woo, everypup and everycat.  It's me, Dave.  So, there we were yesterday.  Just me and Mom, hanging out together.  As she likes to say, she was "one with the Siberian".  You know.  Bonding.  Like this:

Me and Mom

Then I felt some sticky stuff in her hair and asked her what it was.  She said something about a moose in her hair.

"WHAT!?!  It's not Squee Kee Moose, is it?"

I wouldn't put it past Squee Kee to hide out then surprise me!

Mom said she meant "mousse" not "moose".  I thought I should check through her hair just to be sure.

"Squee Kee?  Are you in there?"

Then I realized how much I liked going through Mom's hair like that and how much better it looked after I did.  It occurred to me - Zim's tried so many jobs -- joining the local fire department, giving tours of the Kansas Ocean in the trolley, cornering the snack market with his Stinky Goodness Treats, all kinds of cool stuff!  So I thought maybe I could add a job to my resumé -- hair stylist!  What do you think?!?

"Zzz..."
"Davy?  Can I get up now?  Davy?  Hey... does anyone smell Fritos?"

I think I'll sleep on it.  I'll keep you posted!

Luv,
Dave

My Pleasure!

Ha roo, pups and cool cats!  It's me - Zim.  As many of you guessed, yesterday's photo was me working!  Mom and Dad flipped the mattress and changed the sheets over the weekend and I was right there to help!

For some reason, Mom kept saying stuff like, "No, that's OK, Zim -- I've got this!" and "NoNo Really, Zim!" but hey, I'm a Working Breed pup; it is my duty and my pleasure to help out!

"Ha roo!"

Mom always says that no one can turn a 5 minute job into a 20 minute one quite like me, so I know she appreciates my great skills.  Don't you, Mom?!?  Mom?  Mom...?

"Fine.  I'll be out here in the dining room.  In the corner."

I think she just doesn't want me to over-do.

Really.  I don't mind helping.  Do any of you like to help out around the house?  Do your bipeds try to limit your activities?  I think they just don't want us working too hard - that's gotta be it, don't you think?

Play bows,
Zim

Wordless Wednesday

Play bows,
Zim

The Results of My Mind-Meld Message

Ha roo, pups and cool cats!  It's me, Zim!  As I mentioned yesterday, I worked so hard helping around the house and posing for the camera over the weekend that I couldn't resist sending a strong mind-meld message about going on an adventure.  It paid off big time!

Mom and I jumped into the car and headed off to Tuttle Creek Dam/Lake/Reservoir/Ocean!!!  I just love going there!

"You know what not to do in the gateway ... right?"

I had a good look around, then checked to see if anyone was down by the lake.

I wasn't having a bad fur day; it was Kansas-breezy out there!

I thought I saw someone!  Check it out!

A biped with one ... no ... maybe 2 pups!  Zoom in, Mom!

"Yep!  A guy with 2 Shelties!"

The plan was for us to wait for them to get to the top of the path and up into the parking lot before heading down toward the water ourselves.  You know - to give them their space.  We don't want to crowd or anything.  That was the plan - but instead I got to meet the Shelties!  It was really cool!  The male pup was kind of shy - which I totally understand; he'd been abused before this guy adopted him! - and the female was just as bossy as bossy can be.  I love that in a girl!  (She was just protective of her flock and I respect that.)  We had a nice visit and I got to hear their rescue stories and all.  Both of the pups warmed up to me by the end of our visit and I even let their person scratch my ears.

So that was the result of my mind-meld message.  I wonder where I can con Mom into taking me today?

Play bows,
Zim

Workin' It

Ha roo, pups and kit-cats, it's me - Zim!  So ... yesterday Davy told you about Dad surprising Mom with a new camera.  To see what camera Mom uses for any of our photos (she changes things up a lot!), just click the photo.  That will take you to our Flickr page.  Once there, look over on the right hand side of the page and it will tell you what she used to take the shot.  For instance - take this pic:

That's my "I'm So Fascinated Look".  Pretty good, don't you think?  Anyway, click it!  A new window to our Flickr stream will open up.  Over there on the right hand side, right above the map thing, it displays:  "This photo was taken on February 2, 2013 using a Canon PowerShot SX50 HS."  Voilà, as they say.

I've been helping Mom learn more about the camera by striking cool poses for her.  Here's my "How Did You Find Me Behind This Chair" pose:



You can see it in my eyes, can't you?  Check this one out:



Can you guess?  Yes!  It's my "Harp Seal Look"!!!  Stormy taught me well, didn't she?

And then, since I had not only helped Mom get acquainted with the new camera but had also helped with some household chores yesterday, I thought one more pose would be appropriate -- "The Mind-Meld Look".

"Take me on an advennnnnture.  Take me on an advennnnnnturrrrrre... "

Oh, come on!  "Did it work?"  How well do you know my powers?  Of course it did!  I'll tell you all about it tomorrow!

Play bows,

Zim

Serene Scenery Sunday

Woo, everypup and everycat.  It's me, Dave.  This week's Serene Scenery Sunday post is a little different.  Dad surprised Mom with a new camera yesterday - one of the selling features is that it's supposed to help you capture "wildlife ... photography you never thought possible".  You know what that means.

Yep.  Lots of wildlife shots coming your way.

The Siberian Husky in the wild

The elusive Siberian Husky

Stay tuned.  I'm sure there will be many more wildlife shots where those came from.

Luv,

Dave

Mind-Meld Message

Ha roo, pups and kit-cats!  It's me, Zim, master of the mind-meld message.  Yep.  It's true.  Want to see how it works?  Let's go!

The other day, I started when Mom was sitting at the table.  She didn't have the camera or the iPhone ... but she did capture my fine, fine skills with the iPad camera.  It went like this:

"Look into my eyes ... deeper ... deeper ... yes, that's it.  Now concentrate ... breathe deeply ...
You feel the need ... no, more the desire to go outside ... outside ...
... ouuuuuuuttttt siiiiiiiddddeeee ... "

Checking to see if my message was received

"Oh, yeah!  Umm ... I mean GREAT IDEA, Mom!"

Always let the biped think it was his or her idea, whatever mind-meld message you were sending.  In my case --

-- it was to go outside to work on my really cool snow fort!

Happy weekend, one and all!

Play bows,
Zim

Photo Finish Friday

Woo, everypup and everycat.  It's me, Dave, here with Photo Finish Friday.  These pix don't really have any rhyme or reason to them, they're just some favorites that Mom snapped during the week.  Ready to take a look?

Back on our warm and sunny day, Mom tried to get a pic of us boys together.  We were both looking at the camera, when ...

"Hey!  Is that Fluffy Black Cat?  Come on over and get in the picture, Fluffy Black!"
"See what I have to deal with?"

It's easier to get a good shot of Zim when he's doing something he likes to do.  Like a day later ...

"Beautiful!"

Zim and I both think it's important to stop and appreciate the scenery while we're out on neighborhood patrol.  Here I am in that same field:

"Look at how tall my shadow is, Mom!"

We can always find something to entertain ourselves ... especially Zim.

"Slowly I turned ... "

My kid brother's the best!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Luv,

Dave