Monday, Monday

Dakota here.
I can tell you that there's absolutely no snow in the Catoctin Mountains. It's still hot here, and my winter coat is coming in. Really, I think Mother Nature must have a very sick sense of humor.
So, I heard from Patch and Kirby today. They are my friends who live in Mississippi. They spent an entire week at the Doggie Spa - which I understand is probably not exactly what their mom told them it was - while their people were in a place called Myrtle Beach. Having not been to either of these places, I can't provide an opinion - but I'm sure it's hot there too. Any way - Kirby has those dreaded worms from fleas. I think she's having some sensitive tummy issues, but other than that she's OK. Help me think good thoughts for Kirby. She's not a member of HULA - we really should have a HULA auxiliary or something for dogs who don't have the good fortune of being born Huskies - but I think she would appreciate the good thoughts.
I did hear that the good part of not being at home was there was no sign of the noisy thing her mom pushes around every day.
There's lots of talk around here about the first day of school. Both of the kids had their first day today, and The Mom has her first day later this week. All I know is that I can't go and when they go, they have their snoots in books all the time. Which leaves very little time for me.
Since it's supposed to be good 'in the long run', I guess I can be patient. I'm all for a long run.
And while these people are at school, I'm hoping they learn how to post pictures. What is the sense of keeping them in that little box?

Not much going on

Dakota here.
Not much going on here. The kid is home, and the house looks like they hid an entire box of yummies somewhere, and Bandit and I couldn't find them. Really, I don't know what these people are thinking. I can't even get to the toy basket in my room. That kid has stuff everywhere.

Have I mentioned the new loud thing that chases us and sucks up my valuable fur? This one stops every few moments, and I hear The Mom using 'those' words while she empties my fur and some dirt. It's difficult work leaving all that beautiful white fluff laying around, but, since I can't get to the toys, I have nothing better to do.

I did overhear The Mom discussing my groundhog with someone. I am sad to say that as we speak, the groundhog is riding on a big truck somewhere to some big pile of delectable garbage. Sigh. Meeshka was right, it's gone with the mole.

I'm going to go see if I can drop some more fluff. The Mom just put away the loud thing.

I've been tagged!! Twice!

Dakota here

Well, had the Mom been home this weekend, I'd have found out about this earlier. Instead she was gone - and she'd closed the door to her laptop. (I need to follow up on my laptop when I'm done this.) Thanks Turbo and Dusty! (And I was a yes for the opposable thumbs poll!!!)

So, here it is.
When you play this game, you get tagged. Then you write in your blog five weird or crazy things about yourself. You also get to tag five other dog blog friends so they have to tell five things about themselves. You need to list the five dog blog friends in your blog, and you need to leave them something in their comments to let them know that it's tag, you're it! time.
Here's my five funky things:

1. When I first came to live with The Mom, there was another dog living with them. His name was Lindsey's Sherlock Holmes. He was a very large Chocolate Lab, and a very good big brother. He taught me all about The Mom, and the two kids in the house. He's across the Rainbow Bridge now and I miss him.

2. I live with a CAT! Sadie the cat came to live with us when Bandit and Momma B did. We don't really get along that well, but I don't bite her as much as I used to. She has a very good left claw jab. (Ouch!) There's also a cockatiel and a beta fish at my house. (The Mom likes to tease my by having those tasty treats right in the house!!!)

3. I don't eat my treats right away - I like to hide my biscuits and come back for them at my leisure.

4. My very favorite food is anything with fish in it. I am particularly fond of fish sticks, which make a more than acceptable alternative to biscuits in my book!

5. I am usually called either 'KB' or 'Koda Bear'. The kids that were living here when I got here wanted to name me 'Bear', but the Mom decided on 'Dakota Moon Twenty'. Go figure.

I tagged Floss , The Rascals , Bosco , Dusty Dog (check out that yummy recipe) and Bond.

Tag, you're it!!!!

Sad news

This is the Sibe's Mom today.......

I just read that Susan Butcher passed away yesterday. Four time Iditarod champion and from all accounts, a great dog lover.

While I'm certain that Dakota is of the opinion that I should be pulling the sled and she should be mushing, I know she respects a great dog lover.

A sad day for those of us who are fans of the last great race.

What the @%*&?

Dakota here -
Look what I just found on The Mom's laptop (my new one hasn't arrived yet). I'm sure this is from one of those foolish emails that makes you send it to the 57 friends in your address book or have 34 years of bad luck.
She has a Husky. She should know better!

Interesting.......

Dakota here...........
The Mom is in the shower, so I'm surfing eBay with her credit card!!! It's true, you can buy almost anything on eBay, and I hope she doesn't get too excited when my new huskified laptop and a gross of chew bones arrive at the door.

I ran across this. Does anyone know what on earth a 'camel' is, and why would you be selling it with your sled dog?

Why would you be selling a sled dog anyway? We're supposed to own you!!

(Ground) Hog's Breath

Dakota here...........
I finally rooted out the critter living under our shed. I know Mom was sure it was a rabbit, but it was a groundhog! (Note that the picture is only a representation of the groundhog that I got from the internet, because my Mom is too lazy to hook up the Kodak software.)

While the details of the capture are fuzzy, I can tell you that I was interrupted during my through inspection......... well, I was lied to and told that I would be going bye-bye in the car. I dropped the groundhog, fully expecting to finish my inspection after an enjoyable ride in the car, but it disappeared during a brief incarceration I suffered at the hands of Momma B. I don't think that the groundhog got up and walked away, but I will continue to search.

More later.

One quick note - this groundhog did not squeak. My stuffed groundhog squeaked.

Lazy days and sun-days

Ugh.
Dakota here, reporting that at 9AM this morning, it was too hot to go outside. I've done what I needed to do, and I'm getting ready to lay on the vent in the cool, dark back room. Really, who's idea was all this heat anyway?

I'm not 100% sure, but I thought that I heard that one of the kids was coming over to visit me today. I guess that means that I'll have to rouse myself for a few moments, and act like I'm thrilled to see the kid while I check to see if she brought me anything.

Then it's back to sleep for me.

Does anyone know when the first snowfall of the year is scheduled to take place? A few years ago, Mom and Momma Bev took a trip (WITHOUT US) to a place called Deep Creek Lake in October. They took pictures of snow, it apparently snowed for a few hours there. October is a long, long way away at this point.

Sigh.

I'm outta here to dream of snow.

Goodbye, Mr. Chips!

Dakota - finally with some time to blog.
Chip went back home with his parents. While I enjoyed having my younger cousin, and teaching him the Husky way, I was somewhat releived to see him go. He's very vocal for all the wrong reasons, and he has not learned where to go potty. I don't really need Mom yelling every day because someone went poootttttttttyyyyyyyy in the house.
I still have not been able to push Mom in to hooking the digital camera up to my computer. The woman can be positively irritating at times. Something about lots of stuff to do. What could be more important than sharing my musings with the world?

If you have not done so, go to Meeshka's blog and sponsor my fine Husky girlfriend in the Blogathon. You'll be helping Huskykind, as well as other Northern friends. Hey, we may need them in the revolution, you never know. I snitched some money from Mom's tight little wallet - you can snitch some too. And while you are at it, check out the Harnessed to Hope site.

Assuming that our summer fun is about over - no more visiting family or baths or other such stuff, I should be able to get on to blog more often.

Chip the Cocker Spaniel

Dakota reporting from the front line........
Chip has been here a bit over a week now. He seems OK for a small guy. We spend a lot of time trying to teach him that I am the boss, that all toys are mine and that I am first for doggie love, puppy biscuits and time on Mom's lap. He is not a quick learner.
Bandit has confided in me that he does not like Chip - I think it's because Chip has a crush on me and Bandit thinks he is my number one man.
Little do they both know that I am an independent lady! No men for me, I'm foot loose and fancy free.

As soon as Mom gets off her butt and fixes the digital hook up, I'll post a picture of Chip. He has scoped out a favorite spot in the house - on top of the blanket chest in front of the windows. Since that's not my number one spot, I guess I can be gracious and let him stay there while he's visiting. I think his mom and dad are due back soon though.

Outdoor activities

Dakota here, posting from the deck, as I am currently not allowed inside. I understand all great writers, Hemmingway, Stein, some dude called Gardner, all wrote using the great outdoors as their muse. Me, I'm just out by default. According to Mom, who was yelling very loudly a few weeks ago about all of this, the new carpet is being installed again.
Same two guys we sniffed out last time. New carpet though.
At any rate, the new carpet is just in time for us to welcome my cousin Chip for a few weeks.
Chip is a Cocker Spaniel, and he will be staying with us while his family goes somewhere. I'm not sure why Chip has to stay here, and I hope it does not take him long to realize that this is a Husky house and I am top dog.
I'll post a picture for my Husky friends to see as soon as I can. Right now, it's back to lounging on the deck - Mom put out the big shade thing and lots of water for us - until we can get in for the final carpet approval.

Catching up

I see Dakota has been entertaining our loyal fans while I've been busy. Note to self - cruising the counters? I don't think so, young lady.

So, I'm at work. Because I have to be, that's why. And I get to come in on the fourth too. It happens, and I guess I am just going to have to deal with it. But, corporateamerica gets old. Very old.

Not much to discuss today. Dakota has been keeping you pretty well informed.

And there's a mess here.

Siberian's are not water dogs

Dakota here............
To take my cue from Tubey - rain is STUPID!
It's been raining here for several days. Mom won't let us play outside for long, we can't play ball in the house, and I'm tired of laying and watching the birds just take over the yard. I brought all of this to Mom's attention, and I was told to mind myself!! Of all the nerve!
Bandit is not happy. The vet told him that he could have no more cheese, no more ice cream and no more anything to do with a cow! I don't know if this means Mom has to remove all of the cow stuff from the kitchen or not. I plan on taking that up with her tonight.
Speaking of the vet - I got very excited when Mom told me we were going bye-bye in the car last night...... until I figured out that I was going to the vet for a booster shot. Now, I love a good car ride as much as any Husky, but this going to the vet's has got to stop. I did manage to register my displeasure by stepping in some good mud and getting in to the car. Then I woke Mom up at 1 o'clock this morning to do a nightly check on the birds and made sure I got good and wet before I got back up on the bed to sleep.
So now I'm practicing at the computer, and trying very hard to check out who has signed up for the Iditerod next year.

My pack

Dakota here. A good night, mostly. Both my kids were home tonight, which makes Mom pretty happy. The older kid just came to visit me and to share her dinner with me. The other kid is here too - she came home to visit me and to share some time with me tonight.
The other kid has been sitting around a lot, with ice and water on her leg. I keep hearing something about pills and a spider bite. I tried to tell Mom that she's OK - I inspected and tasted both legs and they seem to be fine, but Mom isn't listening. She's making the kid sit and do nothing but watch TV. The kid could at least be playing with me.
Mom even came home early to be with me.
She's a good Mom. More so when she had both cheese and chicken for dinner. My belly is full, what with tasting for the older kid, tasting for the other kid, tasting for Momma Bev and making sure Mom shared her's too. She shares almost everything with me - except those round colored candies she's fond of.
So I did some online research on spider bites - the experts concur with me, the other kid will be fine. I hope Mom goes night-night soon - all of this visiting and stuff has tired me out.

The Sibe way or the highway

Mom has left for work, so I thought I'd sneak on and say hi to everyone.
It's been very hot here, way too hot for a Husky, so we've been laying around a lot. Last night, we played outside, but only for a few minutes. There has been no time to track the rabbit, the birds aren't in the yard and Mom hasn't even opened up the house in the back yard and pulled that loud thing out that she takes all over the yard.
I don't like summer. I don't like the heat and I am tired of being cooped up inside. Even with the cold air from the floor, I'm hot.
And Mom keeps using the b-a-t-h word.
I think it's time to make sure I get her attention and woo her out about that b-a-t-h thing. That involves the hose and her telling me how nice I smell. Rabbits don't smell like flowers, why should I?

PS - Bandit needs to smell like flowers too Mom.

Happy Meal!

Dakota again -
To make yesterday truly wonderful, Mom came home with a Happy Meal at lunch time! For those who don't know about Happy Meals, they are these box things that come from a place Mom calls 'McDonald's'. They are full of FRIES! Mom always shares her fries with us, so these are big favorites with this Husky.
There's also something in it Mom calls a toy. Yesterday's toy was this little thing that scooted across the kitchen floor and followed me and Bandit. I put a stop to it by slapping a paw on it when it came near me. It didn't come near me again. I'll be checking the kitchen out while Mom is at work today, making sure it does not come back.

Peace and quiet

Dakota here. After many weeks of furniture moving, painting, boxes going, boxes coming (you can't imagine all the time we had to put in checking things out), it looks like Mom has settled down and we finally had a normal evening. We played outside, we pestered Mom while she was trying to read her book and drink a beer. Then we moved inside to have dinner and play for a while.
I even left the cat be for the evening, I was so happy to be back to normal.
Mom is off to work today, and Bandit and I are going to nap. Then maybe woo at the rabbit living under the shed.

Long time, no blog

We found the computer again.
After weeks of redecorating, getting 2/3 of the carpet laid (don't ask), painting the kitchen - almost complete and a ton of other chores and stuff, we found the computer again. Dakota is laying beside me, almost asleep. She's recovering from last night's visit to the v-e-t-s for her annual visit to the spa. A couple of boosters later, and she's ready for anything.
I wish I was.
The vet hit me last night with the announcement that Dakota is now considered a 'senior dog'. Now, she's not quite 7. And I had heard that 7 was the year where dogs became 'seniors'. But I had not heard that 'senior dogs' should have blood work done every six months to check on thyroid and liver functions. I'm a bit skeptical about that. Just like I was a bit skeptical a while back where the temp vet (who was filling in for my usual vet while she was on maternity leave) told me that Bandit's yeast infected ears would be cured if I had his anal glands removed.
You ask me, this guy was way too interested in Bandit's a$$.
But, as I am not a vet and just the Sibe's mom, I'm going to research all of the above and make an educated decision.
After all, she's the only Sibe I have.

Sniff-fest

Grand and glorious sniffing at the house today, we had new carpet installed. Both Dakota and Bandit were fairly well behaved, considering they had to spend several hours watching the installer through the sliding glass door rather than helping the installer.
I'm sure the installer was thankful.
The house is a mess, the kid is home from college for a few short days and I think there's company coming.
But it's awful nice to be on vacation.

Sneaking out

As Dakota alluded to below, corporateamerica has kept me more than busy the past several days.
But, and I'm not sure Dakota knows this, I'm on vacation from corporateamerica starting Friday and lasting 11 glorious days. I can't wait.
No huge plans, other than getting out the paint and making the kitchen something significantly more livable.
Or making my Husky a new brownish shade. You know how they like to help.
Oh, and did I mention the new carpet? (What was I thinking?)

Here's one we call 'Best Friends'.

So, it's back to the grindstone here shortly. But, before I go........ we have been honored to find out that we were Turbo's 1,500th visitor. I see something about an offer to help shred cardboard.......hmmmmmmmmm....................not on the new carpet, I hope.