Thanksgiving 2021

From our home to yours - we wish all of you a HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, KJV

"Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen."

Revelation 7:12, KJV

From all of us 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!!!

Mags and Ragnar

Much Better!

Greetings to all!  It's me, Mags.  Ragnar and I are sure glad we have our vet appointments behind us now -- his was yesterday, as he mentioned, and mine was last week.  I had to fast, too.  Fasting means not just skipping breakfast, but also no treats on our walks -- and wowzers, we sure didn't like that! (Also, for the record, I do NOT like eating breakfast without Ragnar. It just doesn't seem right.). 

Anyway ... today is a new day! Not only did we get to eat breakfast together, but on our walk ...

 

"Can you two sit, please?  Who wants a cookie?!?"
"Did she say, 'Cookie'??"
"I distinctly heard her, Mags!"

"This better not be some kind of cruel hoax!  Ooh!  I smell apple-peanut butter!"

"We LOVE the apple-peanut butter ones, Mom!"
"Good puppies!!!!!"

We were duly rewarded for posing so nicely.  Ragnar even gave Mom a hug, which prompted her to give us another cookie.  SUCH a better day today!

Yours sincerely,

Margaret Thatcher

Pouting

Hi everybody.  It's me, Ragnar.  I'm pouting today.

Me.  Not being happy.

I'm also starving.  Something about "fasting before a routine vet appointment".  What a bunch of ... well, you know.  💩

Do you have to fast before appointments, too?  Mom swore she'd make it up to me later.  I think I need some of those Sweet Potato Chips, don't you?

Sköl!

Ragnar

Suspicious Characters

Greetings to all! It's me, Mags. Given Ragnar's ... umm ... difficulties depicted in yesterday's post, we knew we were going to have to keep our eyes peeled for trouble on that walk.  Sure enough, we came upon some mighty suspicious-looking characters before too long.  We moved in to stymie any problems before they started:

"Alright, FREEZE, Snowman.  Oh ... I mean 'hands up'!  Poor choice of words ..."
"Mags, the dino looks like he's going to be trouble!"

The snowman was cooperative enough, but like Ragnar said, that dinosaur was trouble!  We kept an eye on him until we got to the end of the block!  You never know!

Yours sincerely,

Margaret Thatcher

I Can't Go Into Detail ...

Hi everybody.  It's me, Ragnar.  Yes, again.  It was going to be Maggie's turn to blog, but ... umm ... I can't really go into detail, but I may be in a bit of trouble.

 

"Hey, wait a minute.  Where did Mags go?!?"

"Please send help."

I was framed.  REALLY!

Sköl!

Ragnar 

Cookie Break

Hi everybody! It's me, Ragnar. The other morning on our walk, Mags and I were just SURE we needed a cookie break. We were at The Top Of The World and it was super windy, so ...

 

"Mom?  It's time for a cookie break."
"Tell her to hurry, Ragnar.  There's a fur-nado blowing in!  Check out my neck!"

Check out what it did to our floofy tails, too!

 

"Feels kind of good, doesn't it, Mags?"
"Everything feels good after a cookie break!"

Hope you're having a great weekend!

Sköl!

Ragnar

A Breezy Day

Hi everybody!  It's me, Ragnar!  The other morning when we walked to The Top Of The World, our mom took pix (as usual) AND shot some video!  Want to come along with us?  It'll be almost like being there!  Ready?!?  Let's GO!

First, let's head out on the trail ...

Me and Mags, heading out!

And now ... let's watch a compilation of vids -- on the trail on the way out, what it's like up top, and then back on the trail leading to our favorite farm!

Pretty cool, huh?  (To watch on YouTube, please click here.)

Here's a shot of us on the cliff edge up top:

 

Mags and me!

I thought I saw something down below and was keeping an eye out. You know - safety first and all!

I hope you enjoyed our trip to The Top Of The World!

Sköl!

Ragnar

How Sweet!

Greetings to all!  It's me, Mags!  Have you noticed over there in the sidebar of our blog, there are some recipes?!?  One of them is for Sweet Potato Slices.  Well ... guess what our mom made for us yesterday?!? Check it out:

Baked Sweet Potato Slices!!!

Oh, YEAH!!! She used her mandolin and sliced them super thin, so (a) they only took an hour and a half to bake and (b) they're super crispy! ... at least I think they are. Perhaps we need to try another one ...

"Gee ... I can't remember either, Mags ..."
"Yeah.  We definitely need another go at them!"

I was right.  Super crispy!  And super sweet!  AND sweet of our mom to make them for us!

A side benefit was that our house smelled heavenly all afternoon yesterday.  Ragnar and I heartily recommend these!  Just ... keep them away from your bipeds; they'll want to snack on them, too!

Yours sincerely,
Margaret Thatcher

Wordless Wednesday

Mags and Ragnar

New Pose

Hi everybody! It's me, Ragnar. I came up with a new cute pose the other day.

Me.  Ragnar Jimmysson.

I'm calling it the "Double Paw Dangle".  What do you think?

Sköl!

Ragnar

Today's Agenda

Greetings to all!  It's me, Mags.  We had our morning walk, then Ragnar and I had a nice breakfast, a slice of APPLE, guarded the house while Mom and Dad did some yard work, and now we're doing this:

 

Me and the best kid brother ever

There'a a chance that there is a lot of that on today's agenda. What does your Monday look like?

Yours sincerely,

Margaret Thatcher

Serene Scenery Sunday

Hi everybody! It's me, Ragnar. As you know, now that we've had some nice, hard freezes, we are once again able to do our walks up to The Top Of The World. We love it up there -- but we also love the trails that lead there! Mags and I especially like taking the middle trail in the first part of the park. It winds around a bit, then heads downhill into the woods!

 

"YAY!  The middle trail today!"
"Oh, BOY!"

Once in the woods, we usually go single file. I often get to lead the way.  There are SO MANY cool smells in there!

"Mags!  Be sure to check this tree!"

"Oh, wow.  VERY interesting, Ragnar!"

We have to go slowly down the hill, as there are a lot of rocks and roots that Mom and Dad could trip on.  That gives us more time to check everything out, so that's fine with us!

Another thing I love is what's at the bottom of that hill -- check it out!!!

"LOOK!  A BRIDGE!!!"

The boards are all creaky and stuff, so that makes it extra fun!

After a bit of an uphill climb, we're back out on the open prairie!

"I hear cows!"
"I do, too, Mags!"

Up at the crest of that hill, there's a farm with cows and horses.  We love looking over there to see who all is close by!  

The woods, the bridge, the open prairie & farm animals ... it all adds up to make for one mighty serene walk!  Thanks for coming with us!

Sköl!

Ragnar

Got You Covered

Hi everybody!  It's me, Ragnar!  We had another stellar walk up at The Top Of The World this morning -- here's a shot of us admiring the view:

 

Mags and me at TTOTW

It was super cold and frosty - just perfect for a long family walk! Which reminds me ...

The other day when we walked up there, I found an APPLE! I was so excited - I LOVE apples!!! It was a big one and I grabbed the whole thing in my mouth! Mom told me to "drop it!" and "oh, Ragnar, we don't know where that thing has been!"  I did drop it, 'cuz I like to make my mom happy, but I sure didn't want to. It WAS kind of funky, but it was still an APPLE!  Dad said he'd cover me, but I wasn't sure what he meant.

Anyway ... fast forward a day, and Dad went out to run some errands - to include picking up some groceries. Can you guess what he brought home JUST for ME?!?! (And Mags.)

 

"Oh.  My.  Thor!!!"
"Look at what your daddy bought for you guys!!!"
"Oooh, that's not your run-of-the-mill apple, that's a Honeycrisp!"

Maggie and I are sharing it -- we each get a slice a day; too much at one time could give us tummy aches.  It is SO GOOD.  I'll tell you what ... when Dad says he's got you covered, he's REALLY got you covered!

Sköl!

Ragnar

Today On The Trail

Greetings to all! It's me, Mags! We had a great walk this morning, the best part being on the trail to The Top Of The World. Here's the best view we had:

 

"Oh, what a VIEW!"
"Well, we agree, Mom, but ..."
"I see HORSES!  And COWS!!!"

Something for everyone, I guess!

We also got to walk in the woods, and did an awful lot of this:

 

"Ragnar, check this out!"
"I love this almost as much as horses and cows!"

So many amazing smells!  We even saw a deer!!!  What a great way to welcome in the weekend!  Happy Friday, everybody!

Yours sincerely,

Margaret Thatcher

Veterans Day 2021

The 11th day of November is Veterans Day - the day we in the US traditionally paid tribute to those who served in or who are currently serving in combat. It has become a day to salute all who have served honorably in our military. We (Mags and Ragnar) would like to honor our favorite combat vet today --- our DAD!!!

Us with our dad.  He's the one in blue.

We 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.

Us and our dad again!

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 Ragnar

(and our mom)

Wordless Wednesday

 

Mags & Ragnar

Rub A Dub Dub

Hi everybody!  It's me, Ragnar.  Yesterday, Mags and I got to have a shower and a blow-out.  Mom's been meaning to do it since we got back from our trip, but (a) there's been a lot going on and (b) she wanted a warm, sunny afternoon -- so yesterday it was!

I'll spare you shots of us in the shower and using the Master Blaster, but Mom did take some nice snaps of us out front!

Here we are in front of our biggest Burning Bush:

"Doesn't the bush clash with my red fur?"
"Grey and red go together really good, huh, Mags?!?"

And here we are in front of our mum's Mums!

 

"Mum's Mums.  Ha roo!"
"Yeah, yeah.  Isn't it time for a Super Cookie or something?!?"

Mom said we were as good as two puppies could possibly be -- and we DID get a cookie!  One of the big kind!  They're my favorite!  Totally worth the shower, blow dry, and photo shoot!

Sköl!

Ragnar

On The Trail

Greetings to all! It's me, Mags!  Wow, what a gorgeous morning we had here! For our walk, we went to The Top Of The World again -- it was great. Ragnar and I thought we'd share a few pix from that with you!

Here we are, heading up to the top:

 

Me and Ragnar, on the trail!

We ran into several nice pups (and their people), so I was making sure to check pee-mail along the way. There are SO MANY important messages left on the trail!

When you get to the very top edge, it's important to stop and take it all in.

 

"Umm ... you guys?  Mags?  Ragnar?  Could you ... uh, yeah.  Never mind."

We were thinking profound thoughts and couldn't be distracted.  Really.

And here we are on the road going to the other end of the top:

 

Me, a giant wolf, and Ragnar

"Just kidding.  Great shadow, Raggi!"
"Thanks, Mags!"

What an awesome morning on the trail!  Thanks for coming with us!

Yours sincerely,

Margaret Thatcher

Serene Sunday

Hi everybody! It's me, Ragnar. We had a great walk this morning - it was a picture-perfect Fall day! We thought this photo summed things up:

 

Me and Mags on Grand Mère Trail

We hope you have a beautiful Sunday, too!

Sköl!

Ragnar

PS:  Our mom had cookies.  ❤

Strike Out?

Greetings to all! It's me, Mags. We had a great walk this morning, hitting both CiCo and Anneberg Parks. Of course, in CiCo, we had our work cut out for us! First, we had to check for goats & sheep in some of the outbuildings ...

 

"Nobody over here, Ragnar!"
"I don't see anyone over here, either, Mags."

... then we checked the bigger corral where they sometimes practice riding horses or they have cattle auctions ...

 

"I think this is Strike 2, Mags."
"Yeah ... I can smell them, though!"

... and lastly, but perhaps most importantly, we had to check the Trippy-Trap Bridge!

 

"I'll keep an eye out for the Billy Goats, you check for trolls, Raggi!"
"I don't even see a trace of trolls, Mags!"

Well, sure.  Technically we struck out, but it's ALWAYS worth checking -- plus we had tons of fun sniffing where the farm animals had been!  It's all about enjoying the journey, right?!?

Yours sincerely,

Margaret Thatcher

Top Of The World!

Hi everybody! It's me, Ragnar! Now that we've had a few frosty mornings, Mom and Dad thought it would be OK for us to head out to one of our VERY favorite places to walk -- to The Top Of The World!

 

"This is so awesome!"
"It's great to be back on this trail, huh, Mags?!?"

We just couldn't believe it! So many cool smells! So many cool things to see! We have really missed this place!

 

"Greetings, people of Manhattan!"
"Sköl! everybody!!!"

We're so glad The Top Of The World is back in our lineup of walking routes once again!  Thanks for coming with us!

Sköl!

Ragnar 

Wrapping Up Illinois

Greetings to all!  It's me, Mags. Today, Ragnar and I are wrapping up our trip to Illinois!  As you may recall, our main mission was to spend time with our grandmother:

 

Me and Ragnar with Grandma!

We truly enjoyed our time with her!  By the way ... the painting on the wall behind Grandma is one she did many years ago!  It's one of the Beagles our mom grew up with!

Yesterday's Wordless Wednesday photo was taken in front of the Mascoutah High School. They have nice grounds to walk through there - and of course the statue of the Indian on his horse. We HAD to get another shot of that!

 

"Everybody look this way and smile!"
"I'm going for my Serious Look, Mags."
"Me, too, Raggi.  So's the Mascoutah Indian!"

They also have a super-cool mural of the Indian painted on one of the old buildings downtown:

"Cool!  Check it out, Ragnar!"
"Get a shot of us by this, Mom!"

They have a few murals around town -- we liked this one, too:

"Very historical, huh, Mags."
"Yeah!  Wow, would I love to explore that building!"

That building is the original mill for the town!  

One evening, we walked down to our aunt and uncle's house to see them.  On the way home, we discovered this:

"Gadzooks!  Get a load of the size of that kit-cat, Ragnar!"
"Should we do anything about that, Mags?"

I assured Ragnar that even though it was moving, we could take it, so no worries.  We just stared, then walked on by.

On another evening, we discovered something called "take-out" at a Mexican restaurant in town!

"Hey, Dad!  Grab me a couple tacos while you're in there!"
"I'll take some chick-hen enchiladas, please!"

Sadly, we did not get to eat the food there.  Maybe next time.

On one of our morning walks, we made an awesome discovery:

"Check it out, everybody!!!"
"It's the Illinois Ocean!!!"

We thought it was pretty cool -- some people may not have even known it was there!

It was a great week, but before we knew it, it was time to head back home!

"I've had a great time.  How about you, Mags?"
"It was super, Ragnar!"

Having said that, it's so good to be home!  Thanks for reading!

Yours sincerely,

Margaret Thatcher

Wordless Wednesday

Mags and Ragnar