Finally!

Hello, everyone!  It's me, Cammie!  Maggie and I are thrilled to report that we finally have our first measurable snow of the season!

Me and Mags

We celebrated by taking Mom and Dad out for a walk.  The snow was still coming down.  Check out how happy Maggie was:

"This is so AWESOME!!!"

It really was great!  We stuck to the streets going up and down the big hill, as they hadn't put chemicals out yet.  The snow wasn't as deep for Mom and Dad that way.

Mom and Dad were happy we wear such strong harnesses; Maggie was pulling like a ... well, like a sled dog, frankly.  Me?  Nah.  I was careful not to pull Mom; we don't want her to fall!

Me, walking like a good girl

Don't get me wrong.  We occasionally broke into Crazed River Otter Games, but I made sure we only did that on flat ground, not on hills!

We got to go down part of Hudson Trail; it was such a beautiful Winter Wonderland!

"Look at how beautiful it is!"
"I see birdies!"

"This is so fun!"
"Faster, Dad, faster!  Let's GO!"

We walked past Murphy's house...

"Murphy?  Are you out?"
"It's us!  Are you there?!?"

...but sadly for us, he wasn't out. He must have been inside watching cartoons with his little biped!

We had a great rest of the walk.  Mom's iPhone froze up, so she couldn't take any more photos, but trust us - we had a blast!  More Crazed River Otter Games, lots of trudging through deep snow, and Maggie had her face all covered with snow and looked super cool.

I wish all of you could have come with us.  The great news is that it's still coming down, so come join us, if you can!

Cammie!

Wordless Wednesday

Yours sincerely,
Margaret Thatcher

Box-A-Palooza!!!

Greetings to all!  It's me, Maggie!  Wowzers, did I get a great surprise yesterday!  I had helped Mom and Dad haul all the Christmas decorations and everything back upstairs to one of the guest rooms quite a while ago, but thought Mom had been dragging her feet putting everything away.  I learned why some time yesterday afternoon:  she ordered plastic boxes to do some reorganizing!  And guess what they came in?  BOXES!!!!

"Look at all these BOXES!!!"

We're talking boxes in boxes in boxes!!!  It was -- wait.  Can you see me in there?  Let me move the crinkly paper a bit.

"Let me just ..."

OK.

"Can you see me now?"

Oh, it was just awesome, friends!  I know especially my kit-cat friends can appreciate what a great occasion this was!  I mean, talk about box-a-palooza!!!  And crinkly paper, too!

"What a momentous occasion!!!"

Then I thought CAM!  Cammie should come box with me, right?  I got out of my box and went to get her, but she wasn't really up for boxing.  (I know.  I don't get that, either.)  Here's a little film Mom put together; it's short.

To view on YouTube, please click here.

I tried.  Really, I did.

"Would any of you like to come box with me?"

You're all welcome to come box with me. Oh! And file this under "it only gets better" -- we're expecting more boxes today! This is so awesome!

Yours sincerely,
Margaret Thatcher
Honorary Kit-Cat

Say It With Photos

Hello, everyone.  It's me, Cammie.  Want to hear a story?  OK.  I'll say it with photos.

I was playing with Pink Pig again the other day.

"La la la la la..."

"No, I know.  This is NOT Pink Pig."

"This is my pumpkin."

See... originally, I was playing with Pink Pig and Maggie had the pumpkin.  Then I said, "Hey, Maggie, let's switch!" and ...

"Are you sure you're ready for this?  Brace yourselves!" 

"Wow, Cam!  Really?!!?  I get to play with Pink Pig!?!"

We swapped toys real fast, before Mom could say anything about it.  And then ...

"This is AWESOME!!!"

Uh oh.

PIG DOWN!  PIG DOWN!!!

There's talk of Pink Pig seeing the surgeon some time this week. I'm not an expert, but I think a major-league Rhinoplasty is in order. At least.

(Mom says as long as Maggie doesn't swallow the stuffing and just does this to toys, all is well!)

Cammie!

Serene Scenery Sunday

Hello, everyone!  It's me, Cammie!  Mom and Dad made a short trip out to Tuttle Creek State Park yesterday.  Mom was really happy because she hasn't been out there for quite a while - and because it was just nice to go somewhere with Dad!  She was also pleased to see some birds while they were out there!  Perhaps a few of her shots will help you find your inner serenity ...

She saw this Great Blue Heron fishing in one of the little beaver ponds:

"Heeeeeere fishie, fishie, fishie..."

The sun bleached him out a bit, but mom took a couple shots anyway! Check out who was hanging out with him:

"Look over this way.  I have a few fishing buddies."

Mom didn't even see the Mallard and Green Winged Teals until she uploaded the pix to her computer!

She did see these guys swimming around:

Mr. and Mrs. Hooded Merganser

After she dove a few times, Mrs. Merganser shook her feathers out and displayed the perfect Bride of Frankenstein do:

Is that awesome or what?!?

Maggie and I were happy to stay here and guard the house; we've had a busy week. Mom's FaceBook friends have already seen our most serene moment, but it's worth posting here, too. Are you ready?

❤❤❤

I know. Mom said it melted her heart.

Have a wonderful Sunday, everyone!

Cammie!

PUMPKIN!!!

Greetings to all!  It's me, Maggie.  I was looking for something fun and different to do the other day, when Mom, who knows what a VERY good girl I am, said ...

"Hey, Mags!  Wanna play with this?!?"
"Great Dane in the morning!  It's the PUMPKIN!"

You all know I've been eyeing that baby for quite a while now.  I've even snuck into the pantry where Mom stashes it if the door's left open and have grabbed it a time or two!  And Mom was offering me pumpkin playtime!  I thought it over ...

"Oh.  The pumpkin?  Well..."

And then ...

"WHOOSH!"

The pumpkin and I were GONE!  That's my tail in the upper right.  And no, I didn't take the GoughNut, too.  I sort of kicked that out of my way as I flew past it with the pumpkin.

Fear not! The pumpkin is still intact!  But WOWZERS, did I have a blast with it!

Yours sincerely,

Margaret Thatcher

Let's GO!

Greetings to all.  It's me, Maggie.  So there we were the other morning - Cam and I were all set to go on our walk, and Mom and Dad were still pulling on their winter coats, gloves, hats, whatever.

"Ready whenever you are, Mom!"
"I'm suited up and ready to GO!!!"

Honestly.  I don't know WHAT takes them so long!

"I thought we were never going to get going!"
"Well... maybe if you didn't play the 'Chase Me' game first..."

Well.  Sure.  I like to do zoomies before I get my harness on!  Where's the fun in just coming when you're called?  And why can't Mom run around the living room with her hat, coat, and gloves already on?!!?  That would streamline the process, too!

Yours sincerely,

Margaret Thatcher

Instigating

Hello, everyone!  It's me, Cammie.  As you know, Maggie and I play Crazed River Otter Games quite frequently - both here in the house and while we're out on walks.  You might assume that Maggie, being the younger member of the pack, is the one who instigates the game, but I have a confession to make:  oftentimes, it's me.  Especially when we're out walking.  I was the instigator this morning and Mom caught a bit of it with her iPhone.  It goes something like this ...

It starts with a silent, sideways glance at Mags:

"What a nice w---wait.  Are you...."
"..."

See?  That's me, there on the right.  According to Mom, it looks a lot like the look Suzanna Hoffs from the Bangles does in "Walk Like An Egyptian". You know the one:

Like that. That's all it takes.  And then we launch!

"Let the Crazed River Otter Games begin!"
"Ha rooooo!"

"Gonna get you, Cam!"
"Not if I get you first!"

The key here is to act quickly and launch into the game before Mom and Dad can put space between us.

"Uh oh!"
"BOOM!"

Unfortunately, they're catching onto my Suzanna Hoffs thing and usually separate us before we can have some fun.  Not this morning, though!

"That was SO FUN!"
"I know, right?!?  ' ♩Walk like an Egyptian ♩...  "

Sorry.  That song is stuck in my head.  

And that's how I instigate the Crazed River Otter Game!  It doesn't take much.  It's so nice to have someone who understands my non-verbals like Maggie does!

Cammie!

Wordless Wednesday

Cammie!

New Book!

Greetings to all!  It's me, Maggie!  You may not know this, but my sisters - my litter-mate sisters - and I are from a themed litter - we are all named after "Women Warriors".  We have Polargold's The Morrigan (Morgan), Polargold's Boudica (Boo), Polargold's Journey to Colestah (Journey), and me - Polargold's Margaret Thatcher. That's right - my namesake fought the Cold War! And lots of other stuff.

Anyway, Dad got this new book in over the holidays.  Now, Cam and I don't have quite the reading history the original members of the Army of Four had, but we are fairly well-read Sibes!  I thought I should check it out - especially given the title:  Warriors, Fighting Men and Their Uniforms.

"I wonder if my litter-mates and I are in here?!?!"

It's a very colorful pocket-sized book, jam-packed with illustrations of military uniforms throughout history.  Sadly, there are no photos of me, Morgan, Boo, or Journey.  Yeah, I know.  It's totally incomplete.

Yours sincerely,

Margaret Thatcher

Merrick Kitchen Bites Grammy's Pot Pie Grain-Free Biscuits Dog Treats

Hello, everyone!  It's me, Cammie, here with Maggie for another review for the good folks at Chewy.com.  The title of today's post is a real mouthful, isn't it?  And so are the treats we were asked to review!  Let's take a look at how it went!

Maggie and I were relaxing in the living room when FedEx delivered our package.  Mom brought it in and ...

"Girls!  It's for you!"
"A little tied up at the moment, Mom!"
"Gotcha, Cam!"

Maybe not so much "tied up" as "Maggie had the entire scruff of my neck in her mouth".  Anyway, then Mom said it was a package from Sydney at Chewy.com -- well, why didn't she say that to begin with?!?!

"Hello.  What's that in your hand?"
"Y'ello."

We were asked to review Merrick Kitchen Bites -- the Grammy's Pot Pie flavor!

"They smell incredible!  What's in them, Mags?  Read the bag while I keep an eye on Mom."
"It says right here ... all-natural ingredients like real chicken, potatoes, peas, and carrots!"

"They sound awesome!  C'mon, Mom!"
"Yeah, Mom!  Enough suspense!"

Mom finally delivered the goods - and oh, did we like them!  Take a look at these tasty Grammy's Pot Pie treats:

Merrick Kitchen Bites Grammy's Pot Pie treats!
They look like little slices of PIE!!!

As you can see, they are approximately an inch and a quarter long; they're about a quarter of an inch thick.  They are VERY crunchy and hard, which is one of the things Mom likes in a treat for us.  She was also able to break them in half, unfortunately.  We thought the flavor was excellent!

"We should split another one ... don't you think?  How about it, Mom?"
"Yeah, Mom!  How about it?!?"

Mom was really slow thinking it over, so we decided to take matters into our own paws.  "Somehow" the bag was knocked over and Mags went in for the treats!

"Quick!  Get one for me, too, Maggie!"
"No sweat!  Good work knocking the bag over, Cam!  Oh, rats..."
"That's right, girls!  It's in an easy-seal bag!  Nice try!"

Can't blame us for trying!  We really thought they were tasty!  Mom said if we did one nice pose up on the stair landing, we could split one more!  We were on it in a flash!

"We love these treats from Merrick!"
"Thanks for the Kitchen Bites, Chewy.com!"

We give the Merrick Kitchen Bites Grammy's Pot Pie treats 5 out of 5 stars!  Many thanks to Chewy.com for allowing us to taste-test these wonderful treats!  We don't know who Grammy is, but she makes one mighty fine chicken pot pie -- we highly recommend surfing over to Chewy.com and ordering a bag for yourself!

Cammie

DISCLAIMER: We received no payment for this post, but did receive the Merrick Kitchen Bites Grammy's Pot Pie Grain-Free Biscuits Dog Treats free of charge from Chewy.com - in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are our own. And mom's.  Hers are usually the crazy ideas about breaking perfectly-fine sized treats in half and thinking an easy-seal bag is a good idea.  Think about it -- how fun would it have been if the treats had all spilled out?!!?

Serene Sunday Scenes

Greetings to all!  It's me, Mags, here with a miscellaneous bunch of photos of things we did this week that brought us a lot of serenity!  Let's cut with the chit-chat and look at the pix!  Ready?!?!

Mom still isn't 100% up to snuff, so I helped her take it easy.

"Stay here, Mom.  We should watch another episode of Dr. Who."

Not only did we get in some quality regular TV time, but there was a lot on Birdie TV this week:

"Mom?!?  There's a whole pack of little Juncos in the Ash tree!"

We got some nice all-family walks in - even though it was cold, gloomy, and drizzly out:

"Tell me this isn't great!  Isn't this great, Cam?"
"It's wonderful, Mags!"

Now, I found this next photo on Mom's iPhone.  It's weird, because the collar looks a WHOLE lot like Cammie's collar, but I have NEVER seen that super-squishy-looking piggy before!

Someone who looks like Cam and a pink piggy

Mom must have cheated on us with some other Sibe.  One with a collar that matches Cammie's.    And then took a picture of her.  Because I HAVE NEVER SEEN THAT PINK PIG BEFORE!!!  Funny, when I asked Cammie about it, she just started whistling and walked off.  Hmm.

Anyway ... here we are being super sweet on an all-family walk:

"Hello, Cammie.  How about a little ..."

"BOOM!"
"Umpf!"

Like I didn't know that was her and that pink pig!!!

Just kidding.  I was just playing with her.  I'm happy for her and her Pink Pig.

... Speaking of things I'd like to rip to shreds, here's Cam in a serene moment with our pumpkin:

Cammie, with the pumpkin, in the living room

No, I'm not really granted much access to the pumpkin, either.  Fear not, though - here I am playing ball with Mom:

"Great throw, Mom!  You want it back?  Chase me!!!"

We had tons of fun playing Siberian Rules Fetch.  We did that in the house a lot this week, since it's so super cold outside.

Mom is learning more cookie-icing skills, and gave them a go this week.  Here's what she came up with:

Mom's cookies

It made her feel serene to have a creative outlet - and it made Dad serene to eat some of Mom's "work".  We helped Mom by doing this:

"Zzz..."
"Zzz..."

Yep. Total serenity!

I hope your week was as serene as ours!

Yours sincerely,
Margaret Thatcher