Flag Day/US Army Birthday Outtakes

Woo, everypup and almosteverycat.  It's me, Dave.  As Zim mentioned on Tuesday, we apparently weren't too cooperative for our Flag Day/US Army Birthday photos.  I'm not too sure what Mom had to say about that; I wasn't really paying much more attention than Zim was.  Anyway, Mom sure downloaded tons of pictures - you saw some on Tuesday and another one yesterday.  While she was shooting yesterday's, there was a lot of talk from Mom about "nonoZimmiegetyoursnooteroutoftheplanter!" but Zim said it was Wordless Wednesday so he didn't want to put that part.  Besides, he wasn't really listening anyway.  Ha woo.

I have more of the good ones to show you today.  I'll just sort of narrate what was going on.

In this one, I was pretty sure I saw some cats in our garden.

"Zim!  I think some of your cat friends are over there!"
"Hey, girls!"

Zim saw them, too, and gave them his million-dollar smile.

Then I saw Maude the Bully Cat (TBC) and gave her my warning:

"Hey, Maude!  You better not come over here!"
"Ha roo roo roo!"

Mom could have offered a whole watermelon at that point and I really wouldn't have cared.  TBC was on the prowl and I wasn't going to let her invade our space.  (Again.)

"I'm serious, Bully Cat!"
"Ha roo roo roo!"

I think somebody slipped some silly sauce into Zim's breakfast, 'cuz he just couldn't stop laughing the whole time!   Mom said a whole lot of stuff and I think she might have even offered me that whole watermelon if I'd just look at the camera... but I just couldn't do it.  She finally said it was time to go inside.  Zim was a bit concerned about her.

"Mom?  Are you OK?  You seem a bit ... frazzled."

I think maybe the heat was getting to Mom.  We went in and decided to come out again in the late afternoon.

You KNOW what I had to do before we could start posing for our afternoon session.

"Hey, Bully Cat!  Are you still out here?!?!"

I had to make sure the coast was clear.  I thought maybe Fluffy Black Cat was over in her yard and Zim thought Maude had gone home, so we checked for them both.

"I've got your 6, Dave!"
"Got yours, too, little bro!"

I was pretty sure Fluffy Black was over nosing around in our Mums, but she's never threatened any of us, so I'm cool with her.  Zim gave up on TBC and Mom pretty much gave up on trying to get us to pose together ... but Zim didn't give up on Fluffy Black.

"Hey, Fluffster!  Are you over there?!!?  Wanna hang out together?"

At least the plants in the big pot look like they're looking at Mom, with big geranium eyes.  Ha woo.

Mom decided to get between Zim and Fluffy Black ... and got this shot:

I think that was right after the one of Zim with his nose in the plants, but Mom said "Good enough!" and called it a wrap.

I hope you enjoyed our photo shoots for Flag Day and the US Army birthday!  Now let me go see if Mom was serious about that whole watermelon.  Or at least a little piece of the cantaloupe she sliced up last night!

Luv,

Dave

Wordless Wednesday

Play bows,
Zim

Flag Day/US Army Birthday!

Ha roo, pups and cool cats!  SGT Zim here today to tell you about TWO big celebrations at Ao4 Headquarters!  First off, it's Flag Day in the US! This day marks the anniversary of the adoption of our nation's flag back in 1777!  As part of our celebration, Dave and I posed by our flag:

There was a lot of talk about us not being too cooperative, but I wasn't really paying attention, so I can't tell you much about it. I do know that it took two photo shoots, a bunch of tries to get the "money shot", and we'll have a few days of "out-takes" to share with you.  We had tons of fun!

Dave and I even posed individually. Here's one of me:

"Happy Flag Day!"

And here's the Deeve:

"Happy Birthday, US Army!"

He looks really cool there, doesn't he? He was doing his tough-guy look the whole time. Check him out in this one:

"Anybody tries to touch this flag and they'll have ME to deal with!"
"Way to be, Dave!"

I couldn't help but admire him!  Seriously - is he the best big brother a guy could ask for or what?!?!

Today is also the 236th birthday of the US Army! I'm not sure how much that is in dog years, but it's a LOT!

Happy birthday, US Army!  HOOAH!!!!

We were having tons of fun not cooperating, but decided to give Mom the "money shot" after a while. We both opted for the tough guy look.

Happy Flay Day everyone!  And Happy Birthday, US Army!!!

Play bows,

Zim (and luv from Dave!)

Just For You - On Monday

Ha roo, pups and cool cats.  It's me - Zim.  I know a lot of you might not work from home like Dave and I do.  Some of you might have those "8-5"-type jobs.  You know who you are.  And so, just for you, on this Monday, I will do some extra work.

"This nap's for you!"

They didn't put the Siberian Husky in the Working Group for nothing, you know!

Play bows,
Zim

Serene Scenery Sunday

Ha roo, pups and cool cats.  It's me, Zim, here with Serene Scenery Sunday.  I was going to repost the photo I shared with you on Wednesday, but apparently some of you didn't think that looked serene.  Trust me -- it's a great stretch!  Take it slow, build up to it, and give it a try!

Anyway, so let's get to today's look at serenity.  There's always something soothing to look at out on the deck.

I have a great view of the west from this vantage point. I can see the day lilies down in the garden, check the yard for my kit-cat pals, and oooh... here's a pretty sunset from the other night:

Isn't it cool? Or I guess more like hot... but it was really beautiful!

The following night, we went out on the deck, looked just a little to the south of where the sun sets and saw this cool cloud:

Mom thought it looked like Richard Nixon. Whoever it was, he brought us some pea-sized hail. I didn't get to go play in it, though.

Wait a minute... let me check to the north a bit.

"Hey, Maude! Is that you over there?"

It wasn't her. She lives over there, though.

Lemme see... what else?  Oh!  Dave's having a serene weekend, too. Check him out:

I think he's convinced Mom to let him keep the new bed AND his poufy bed!  Isn't that great news?!?!  And it's got him feeling mighty serene!

Have a great Sunday, everyone!

Play bows,
Zim

Movie Night Tutorial

Woo, everypup and almosteverycat.  It's me, Dave, here with a photo tutorial of how to help your biped with Movie Night.  There's lots of ground to cover, so let's get going.

First, you have to keep an eye on him or her.

"Hi.  Whatcha doing?  Watching a movie?"

If there is a sad, scary or suspenseful part of the movie, your biped might appreciate a soothing touch.

"I'm here for you, Mom!"

Giving you chin scratchies would help add to the movie experience.  You might have to reposition yourself for that.

"Ohhh.... yeah.  Right there!"

Check the TV from time to time, to see if there's a good time for a break.

"Is that a little pause in the action?"

When you find a good stopping point, send a mind-meld message, as strongly as you can!

"It's time to hit the kitchen for a snack!"

I hope this has been helpful. I don't know how my mom would get through Movie Night without me!

Luv,
Dave

Photo Finish Friday

Ha roo, pups and cool cats.  It's me, Zim.  This week's Photo Finish Friday post goes to the tune of "I'm A Girl Watcher" by the O'Kaysons.   Ready?

♫  I'm a cat watcher...

♫  I'm a cat watcher...

♫  Watching cats go by...

♫  My, my, my!  I'm a -- sing it with me, Dave!

"Zzzzzzz...."

OK, I think I might have to go solo on this one.

Have a great weekend, everybody!

Play bows,
Zim  ♫  Here comes one now... ♫ 

Disturbing the Morning Routine!

Woo, everypup and almost everycat.  It's me - Dave.  You know how Zim told you about our morning routine?  Well, it was more like the Spring routine - where we go for a walk, then have coffee on the deck. Even though it's been pretty warm here lately (100 degrees Fahrenheit, give or take), we can still go hang out on the deck in the morning because it's all shady there.  So there we were yesterday...

I was getting all nice and relaxed, like this:

Then I struck a different pose and Mom snapped it with her iPhone and did some sort of weird effects on it with her Instagram app - like this:

And then Mom looked over at Zim and saw him doing this:

He was play bowing and trying to reach his feety-feet under the gate at the top of the stairs! Mom got up to see what he was doing (she was afraid there was a big bug or spider or something that starts with an "sn" and rhymes with "lake"...).  Imagine her surprise when she looked over the railing and saw ... this:

Can you tell who it is? On OUR deck?!?

"Meow."

That's right - Maude, The Bully Cat. On our deck!  Did I mention that part yet?

Talk about disturbing the morning routine!  Woo!  I like laying there listening to the birds, watching the occasional bunny hop by, seeing friends walk their bipeds past the house ... but the Bully Cat?  Joining us on the deck?  I think that's going a bit too far!

Luv,
Dave

Wordless Wednesday

Play bows,
Zim

My Poufy Bed?

Woo, everypup and everycat.  It's me, Dave.  As some of you may know, I don't really like change.  My mom has learned that she needs to ease me into some new things slowly - mostly when it comes to furniture arranging or routines or ... a new bed!  So imagine my surprise when she came home from some store the other day all excited about a new bed for me.  It's all flat-like, but has something called "Memory Foam" in it that makes it comfy.  Hmm.  She said it was for in the Studio, to replace my Poufy Bed.  Replace my Poufy Bed?!?!?  Is she crazy?!?  I've had that for years!

She rolled up my Poufy Bed and put it next to the new bed.  I forced myself to try it out.

Well, OK. It really is pretty comfy. But it's FLAT! Without my Poufy Bed, how will I do cute poses like this one:

At least I still have my really cool & comfy Texas Flag pillow.  I really think Mom needs to reconsider this change - don't you?  Or maybe she could make me a new poufy something to go with this new bed and my Texas Flag pillow!  What do you all think?

Luv,
Dave

Work, Work, Work!

Ha roo, pups and cool cats.  It's me - Zim.  An exhausted Zim, I might add.  I've been helping Mom with Studio stuff.  Sure, Dave's her Guide Dog for the Color Blind, but I have my duties as well.  Mostly, I head up Security, but I'm also into Quality Control and "duties as assigned".  Take the other day, for example...

Mom promised a friend she'd post a tutorial for a pillowcase she's made numerous times.  She got the instructions all written up ... but what about a photo of the finished project?  That's where I was needed!

"You want me to show off this pillowcase?"

Yep. A modeling gig. Oh, the work involved!

For the "money shot", she wanted a pic of me with my head on the pillow.

"My name is Zim and I endorse this product."

It's a good thing I'm a member of the Working Breed class otherwise this could have been way too much to do in one sitting.

"Does this shot make my ears look big?"

I need to get some rest.  There's no telling what's going to be my next "duty as assigned"!

Play bows,
Zim

We'll Quit Horsing Around...

...right after this post!

Ha roo, pups and cool cats!  Zim here with a wrap-up of our very cool adventure to Fort Riley.  As you may remember, we headed out there Memorial Day weekend.

Did I mention I got to ride shot-gun? Dad drove and Dave sat in the back with Mom.

"Are we there yet?  Are we there yet?  Are we there yet?  Ha woo.  Just kidding.
Turn left here, Dad."

Anyway, we showed you pix of a special War on Terrorism memorial, spent Wordless Wednesday and the following day showing you some cool vee-hicles, then Friday and Saturday showed you two really special tributes to horses! Today, I want to show you my favorite statue of a horse! It's right over here:

"It's a Drill Sergeant!"

Isn't it cool?!?! I like it because it's a mounted Drill Sergeant and I was named after a Drill Sergeant!

This guy is wearing a uniform worn in the early part of the 1900s; the statue is a tribute to the US Cavalrymen and their horses who faithfully served our nation! The statue is called "Duty" and was dedicated in October of 2003.

He's holding his saber up, saluting!

"Mind if I tag along, Drill Sergeant?"

I hope you enjoyed our adventure at Fort Riley.  Dave and I loved showing you around!

Play bows,
SGT Zim

More Horsing Around at Fort Riley

Woo, everypup and everycat.  It's me again - Dave!  I hope you've been enjoying our cool adventure to Fort Riley.  Today I want to show you a very special statue over here by the US Cavalry Museum.

Me, Dave, in front of the Cavalry Museum

Mom wanted me to say first that the Cavalry Museum was built in 1854; it originally was the post hospital.  In 1889, it became the post headquarters and in 1957 the building was turned into a museum.  We had to remind Mom that this is our blog and she doesn't need to turn this into a big "history of Fort Riley" thing... so let's move on to the statue I wanted to show you!

Civil War Horse Memorial

This statue was donated to the US Cavalry Museum by Paul Mellon (yes, that Paul Mellon) in 1997.  Mellon served and trained at Fort Riley during WWII and was very proud of his service.



The Civil War Horse statue is dedicated to the million and a half horses and mules of the Union and Confederate Armies who were killed or died from disease during the war.



The riderless horse is a reminder of the ravages of war.  We should never forget those who sacrificed their lives, who served and serve, so that we can enjoy our freedoms.

Tomorrow, Zim will show you one of his favorite statues on post involving a horse!

Luv,
Dave