Who We Are

Friday, August 23, 2013

Photo Finish Friday!

Ha roo, pups and cool cats, it's me, Zim!  Just a couple pix for you that pretty much exemplify how Cam and I spent some of our time this week.  OK... a lot of our time this week.  Ready?

Any guesses as to what Cam's doing here?

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I didn't take the picture; Mom did. I do know what she was doing, though. Or at least what she was looking at.  If she was wearing a Cam cam (ha roo!), this is what you'd see:

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"Y'ello!"

Or should I say "who". Ha roo roo roo!

I quickly launched to gain the high ground; Cam launched at me!

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BOOM!

So, yeah.  We've been doing a lot of that this week - in-between walks and adventures and stuff.  

From me and Cammie - happy Photo Finish Friday!

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"Have a lovely weekend, everyone!"

Play bows,
Zim

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Guard Duty: The Inner Studio

Hello, everyone, it's me, Cammie!  I told you about the challenges of guarding the outer Studio the other day - now let's take a look at the inner Studio!

There is a set of French doors leading into the inner room, leaving the area wide open and vulnerable to intruders.  It's important to post myself very strategically, like so:

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See?  No one can get in or out without me knowing about it!  It's perfect!

I did have a really, really strange dream in there one day, though.  I was hard at work when ... well ... I felt like someone or someTHING was looking at me!

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"Well, well!  What do we have here?!?"

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"I've never met her, have I, Zim's mom?"


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"Hey!  Hey, new Siberian!"

I heard my mom talking to someone, mentioning that I like to de-stuff stuffies, then sensed rather than saw sudden motion, like someone quickly fleeing the scene.  Almost ... scurrying away like a rat!  I came to immediately and made a thorough search of the Studio.  I even checked out the windows.

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"What a strange, strange dream!
I might have to lay off the salmon Zuke's before I stand Guard Duty!"

I wasn't sure what that was all about.  But I did feel the need to do a little de-stuffing!

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"Showing my skills, just in case!"

I also had Mom shut the doors to the Studio as an added safety precaution! 

That's what it's like to guard the inner Studio.  My duties also involve modeling Mom's bags.  I'll show you what she's been up to soon.  In the meantime, I think I need to check around that room one more time!

Cammie!

Editor's note:  Today's blog post guest star was none other than Roger the Rat!

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Guard Duty: The Outer Studio

Hello, everyone.  It's me, Cammie.  When Mom goes downstairs to work in her Studio, it's up to me, the Head of Security, to stand guard!  The Studio consists of two rooms, so I really have my work cut out for me!  Today, I'll let you in on a few nuances of standing guard in the outer Studio!

I frequently post myself here, in front of the sewing table:

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When I lay here, I not only block the way into Dad's office and the bathroom, but I have a view into the workout room, the Gallery that leads into the Library, and I can almost see the stairs.  It's a very strategic post!

Sometimes, Mom does a lot of work in the inner part of the Studio, and I need to keep an eye on her AND Dad. In that case, being back by the doors to the lower deck is a good idea:

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It's a nice area back there - and there is plenty of room in case Zim comes in and wants to engage in a round of zoomies or wrestling or something.  I mean... if it's break time and all.

Oh.

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"Oh."

Oh, I know what you're thinking. That wicker loveseat looks mighty comfy, doesn't it? I wondered about that myself and asked Zim about it. Pretty much everything he knows about it can be found at this link. The important part, anyway.  It's worth taking a look, believe me!  In fact, I learned a lot myself...

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"I'd be able to see almost ALL of the downstairs from up there!"

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"Testing... 1,2... testing!"

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"Zimmie said I'm not REALLY on the furniture if one or two of my feety-feet are still on the ground."

I think it's much more inviting than the sitzbank, don't you?  And would make SUCH a very good guard post!

I'll fill you in on guarding the inner room of the Studio soon!

Cammie!

Monday, August 19, 2013

Monday Mentoring

Hello, everyone, it's me, Cammie.  Zim and I spent a busy weekend here at Ao4 Headquarters but he always has a little extra time to mentor me.  Isn't he sweet?

I've been doing my best to keep Mom guessing about the bone-shaped mat bed.  Sometimes I lay on it and do cute poses:

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Leg-Extended Honey Bun

And sometimes I studiously ignore it.

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"No, really.  I'd rather lay here with my tail on this shelf."

Zimmie said it's time to step it up a bit - and he showed me what he likes to do with the bone mats!

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"Seriously, Cam.  It's exhausting work, but you should really try it."
"I get tired just watching you, Zimmie!"

Zim also recommended the same treatment for all beds in the house!  He's so wonderful to come up with these ideas, isn't he?  Mom seems to get excited about it - I even heard her talking to Dad about getting him a gift due to all his hard work on the beds!  Does anyone know what "I wonder if they make Sibe-sized scratching posts?" means?

That's our mentoring moment for this Monday.  Have a great week!

Cammie!

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Serene Scenery Sunday

Hello, everyone.  It's me, Cam, back with more photos from our trip to The Top of the World.  We saw so many wonderful things that Zim and I thought we should share some of them for Serene Scenery Sunday!  Would you like to head back there?  Let's go!

We walked and walked on this wonderful path for quite a while.

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I had the lead at first, but Mom kept stopping to take photos of wildflowers, so we let Zim and Dad get ahead of us. These are some of the things we saw:

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Goldenrod

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Pinkish-white wildflower.  ☺ 

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Prairie Petunia

We got walking again, then I thought something was chasing me.  I turned and ...

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"What in the ... oh.  TUMBLEWEED!"

Can you see it there on the left part of the path?  A tumbleweed.  I forgot about those things.

Here's Zimmie at the cliff:

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And here I am:

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Those are the reverse shots of the cliff shots we showed you Friday! Didn't we have a great view?!?  You can see forEVER up there!

When we walked down that gravel road, we saw more wildflowers, like this:

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Western Ironweed

Here's a close-up:

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Mom tried for about 920 hours to get a good shot of this:

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Blue Sage

It was a tad breezy and Mom's camera kept wanting to focus on other things.  So did Zim and I!

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"Was this place everything I said it would be, Cam?!?"
"Oh, yes, Zimmie!  I can't wait to come again!"

We had such a beautiful time up there!  We're glad we could share it with you.  I hope you feel nice and serene!

Cam!

Saturday, August 17, 2013

On Duty

Hello, everyone!  It's me, Cammie.  Zim and I will show you more of our pix from The Top of the World tomorrow, but Mom is heading out to the big lake with her friend in a little bit to take pictures of birds and flowers and Border Collies and stuff.  Since I've been named Head of Security, I'll be working the whole time she's gone and won't have time to make a blog entry.

Here I am, at my post:

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I'll be sure to work especially hard today!  Fear not - Ao4 Headquarters is in good hands, Mom!

Camo!

Friday, August 16, 2013

Photo Finish Friday

Hello, everyone. It's me, Cammie. Yesterday, Zim told you about us taking a road trip on Wednesday. It was just a practice run to see how we'd all do in the vehicle together. As he said, we all did great - so we got to go again yesterday!!!  This time, though, we went to an incredible place!!!  I thought I'd share the best of the photos Mom took with you for Photo Finish Friday!

Zim had told me about this beautiful place he gets to go to sometimes where you can hike and hike and hike and see for miles and smell EVERYTHING in the entire state of Kansas and parts of Nebraska and oh, my goodness!  That's where we went!!!  Let me tell you all about it...

 We got into the RAV4 and Zim jumped right into the front passenger's seat!

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"Sorry, Cam.  I called 'shotgun' yesterday."

That just did NOT seem fair!

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"I get 'shotgun' next time!!!"

Zim claimed there is some rule about not being able to call "shotgun" until the next outing has been announced. Hmm.

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"You wouldn't be trying to pull the Sibe fluff over my eyes, would you?"

I asked to see it written in the rule book. I mean, I AM from Missouri, the Show Me state! I think it's only fitting that he show me! He said he'd get right on it. Sometime. Hmm.

Anyway, I forgot all about that soon enough.  Dad parked the vehicle, then Mom jumped out and led me out by my leash.  We stepped right into that magical place Zim had described!

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"Zimmie, it's everything you said it would be!!!"

We were at The Top of the World -- and it truly felt like we WERE on top of the world!  We walked and walked, and I think I did smell all the way to Nebraska!  When we got to this one cliff, Dad held our leashes and Mom went over the cliff a tad so she could get some pictures of Zim and me.

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Zimmie and me!

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"Did I tell you this place is great or what?!?  Take in those smells, Cam!"
"I love it here, Zimmie!"

Mom thanked us for not looking at the camera.  I think I detected a bit of sarcasm, but I'm not sure.  Zim and I were enjoying all the sights and sounds and smells too much.

We walked down a gravel road next; Mom took this artsy shot of Dad and Zim:

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I like the purple wildflowers!!!

Zim waited for us to catch up with him and Dad:

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"Let's wait for the girls, Dad!"

We struck some poses down where the road ends. Here's Zim:

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My brother, Zim.  AKA Zimmle Mawson, Explorer Pup!

And here's ME!

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Me.  Cammie.  D'Azul's Girl From Ipanema!

(We were safely home and all settled in before that storm hit, in case anyone noticed the awesome sky!)

We had a GREAT time at the Top of the World!  It was everything Zim said it would be - and more!  (Mom brought TREATS with her!)

Thanks for coming with us!  Happy Friday!

Camo!

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Road Trip!

Ha roo, pups and cool cats!  It's me, Zim!  Yesterday afternoon started like most other afternoons around Ao4 Headquarters -- lunch, a short walk, some zoomies, and then ...

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"C'mon, Mom!  It's time to head out on an adventure!"

Mom (of course) said she was in, then looked at Dad.  Dad said, and this is where things got interesting, "Let's all go!"  Wowzers!   All of us!  How exciting!  My instincts kicked in and I said it as fast as I could -- "I've got shotgun!!!"

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Me, riding shotgun.  View from Mom in the backseat, as she did NOT call 'shotgun'!

You've gotta be quick around here.

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"Rats!  I didn't know about that!"

Sorry, kid.

We headed out of town.  It struck me that if I was in Australia or the UK or places like that, I'd look like I was driving!

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"How cool would that be, huh, Dad?"
"Oh, yeah, Zim."

"Hey, looks like trouble up ahead.  We should slow way down."

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"But you're not reeeeeeally driving, Zim!  Is he, Daddy?"

Dad said I was doing a special kind of driving called "backseat driving" and it was every bit as involved as the real deal!

IMG_6128Zim
"What's with the dude with the flag, Dad?  And how do I get a gig like that?"

We waited somewhere close to a million minutes there.  I thought it was pretty cool, but never once did I get that guy to look at me.  I'm sure if he had seen me, he would have let us go sooner.

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"That was the 'Follow Me' truck.  We should be able to go soon, Zim!"

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"I mean 'Dad'!"

Ha roo roo roo!  Cam had it right the first time!

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"Oh, yeah!  We're flyin' now!"

Seriously.  Doesn't it look like I'm in the driver's seat?  Of course, I guess if I was in Australia, I'd be on the wrong side of the road.  That probably wouldn't be a good thing.

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"Ha roowooroo!  Probably  not, Zimmie!"

Anyway, we were just practicing going on a road trip.  All four of us hadn't ever tried going somewhere in one of the vehicles together.  Mom and Dad said we did so well that we can try it again soon!  Two things to say about that -- YEA! and I've got shotgun!!!!

Play bows,
Zim