We see lots of hikes in our future today!
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We also see gaining new friends via the Blog Hop. Come Hop with us.
Jul 312010
Jul 302010
Lapdog and laptop compete for space.
Guess who wins?
Got time for an ear scratch?
The Queen is shocked she has to share her couch with a human.
Jul 292010
Our hu-dad is old enough to remember some dare devil named Evil Knievel. And he claims that Knievel used to jump canyons. And why does this come to mind right now?
Out for a hike, and this huge canyon blocked our path.
Evil Qanievel!
Jul 282010
Hiking with The Herd often has its challenges, but this time of year is particularly difficult. Sure, the heat has been a little challenging the past couple of weeks. And we always have some creatures to deal with that appear in the woods. But right now, there is a distraction that no one can resist.
Smack. Smack. Smack. Can we wait right here for a second?
Lip smacking good.
Berry picker extraordinaire
That puts a smile on a pup's face.
Wild Blueberries
And where is the black and white team?
Wild Blackberries!
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LAST CHANCE! With only 10 days left until Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation Annual Downtown Dog Walk, you need to hurry if you want to enter the WALKING WITH THE HERD CONTEST. Just complete this form, write a check, and mail it in for a chance to win the grand prize – a t-shirt with a picture of YOU (courtesy of the magic of Photoshop – unless you want to come walk with us) and The Herd leading the parade.
Jul 272010
Last week, we showed you how Ruby was staying away from the table during dinner. And that was absolutely true again this week. Well, until the humans kept sitting around the dinner table long after they had finished eating. They just sat there and talked and talked. You see, our hu-aunt (hu-dad’s sister) had come up for the weekend and was staying with our hu-grandmom, so the hu-dad went over there, of course, and they were enjoying catching up. Apparently, the talking went well beyond the normal restraint time for certain Siberians. The first sign of this was when the hu-dad looked across the table and saw the sight in the first picture below:
Are you done with all of those bowls?
Do I smell some pulled pork up there?
Hey, I am being better behaved than Mr. Goody Four Paws down there. Shouldn't you give me something for that?
A toast to your great behavior!
That is NOT what I had in mind.
Jul 262010
Sunday was predicted to be the hottest day of the year and, pups, they were right. So we did our Sunday morning stroll up past the ski resort and across our field, had some brunch in Downtown Waynesville, picked up some dog food, and then crashed at home Sunday afternoon. High temps on Tuesday are supposed to be 10-15 degrees F lower – YES. So, today, we just share a few pics from our Sunday Stroll.
Walking past the piles of water pipe at Cataloochee Ski.
All of the water lines will help them make even more snow this winter.
Looking from the back of our property and seeing water lines to the top of their mountain.
Then we have to visit our favorite tree (by the way, you can see the ski trails - look just to the right of the top of the tree)
Qannik enjoying the shade from our tree (and you can see how big the trunk of the tree is).
By the way, about that field mowing.
Kiska thinks the hu-dad is getting really slack in his mowing duties.
And back to the house for nap time.
Followed by, well, more nap time.
Jul 252010
We had brunch in downtown Waynesville like we often do on Saturday mornings. We can get a table on the sidewalk, park The Jeep with The Herd within sight of our table, and enjoy things before it gets too crowded. One of the best aspects of a sidewalk table is to watch all of the visitors – and there are certainly a lot in town since this is the official kick-off weekend of the 27th Annual FolkmootUSA, a two-week celebration of the world’s cultural heritage through folk music and dance. But of all of the tourists on our sidewalks, one in particular caught our eye. We found out that we had a lot in common, because he is also a rescue and was adopted from our friends at Southern Siberian Rescue.
Hi, my name is Chinook, and this is my pal behind me (the hu-dad forgot Chinook's friend's name. Yet another demerit).
Don't you love my baby blues? (And the nameless friend sniffing Hi to The Herd in the Jeep).
But, I am a Siberian, and this whole flashy beast thing is so yesterday's news. Let's move along.
Jul 242010
The view yesterday from our front porch.
When we describe where we live, everyone assumes it is idyllic. Don’t get us wrong, we love living here, but there are things that you have to learn to live with. Unpaved roads. Mud and rock slides. Electricity that works MOST of the time. And a lack of broadband internet. Cable modems and DSL are simply not options. Satellite internet is the only possible broadband option.
Our first satellite internet choice.
If you google satellite internet, you discover there are only a few options for home users (i.e., avoiding spending a few thousand dollars a month). Our first satellite internet provider was fine when it worked, but it took three attempts to get it installed (the first two times, the installer never showed up). And then, after a couple of years of service, the equipment broke down and we were told it would take 6 weeks for a repair person to show up. We cancelled the service.
Can you hear me now?
Since then, we have been working with laptop cell phone technology. The company we picked is the ONLY cell phone provider who’s signal actually reaches the house. Some of the time, it is actually a 3G signal. Not a lot, but some.
Deja vu all over again.
So yesterday, we had a new satellite internet provider installed. This blog is being written on that signal. May the signal last!
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Over the last several weeks, we have had several readers ask if there was a way to subscribe to this blog. Using a tool like Google Reader, you only need to put the home address in, and the automatic feed will work. But we have also added a “Feedburner” email alert at the top of the right column of this blog. Simply enter your email address, and you will get an email from us every day letting you know what is new. Try it out – top right column.
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Like our communication theme today? Well, the last part of communication is talking to other pet blogs. Today is Pet Blogger Hop day. Review the list below, go exploring for other blogs, and hop around the web. Oh, and make sure you join as well.
Jul 232010
The hu-dad is chuckling at how many weird google searches will land on this post with that title, but this is a decidedly family oriented blog. Though these pictures are exposing more of Kodiak than you have ever seen before.
We actually need to go back 7 weeks for our story. We told you about the vet visit for all 6 dogs and said things looked good, but we were waiting on lab test results. Everyone was good except Kodiak, who showed a little depressed white blood cell count and elevated bilirubin in his urine. Those readings were still in normal ranges, but enough different to monitor.
Fast forward to last week and we noted that Kodiak had lost a pound since the vet visit and was not looking the way we want. Back for more blood tests and urinalysis where red blood cells were detected in his urine.. Yesterday, Kodiak had an ultrasound performed. The good news is that no masses or tumors were detected. There were signs of a urinary tract infection and a sterile urine sample was taken (meaning, they take the sample directly from the bladder with a needle). We are still left with the mystery of why he has lost weight and exactly what is the infection he has (they may or may not be related), but good results so far in what we have ruled out.
Sorry for the lengthy set-up, but an ultrasound requires, well, exposure. First there is the IV, which creates what we affectionately call the reverse poodle look.
Be jealous, poodles. Oh, and ignore the hair on the rug.
But don’t think anyone will notice that considering where else had to be shaved:
This picture was carefully edited to keep our family blog rating.
Don’t think that hair will grow back by our fundraiser at Sarge’s Dog Walk, but a good cause calls for a little sacrifice. Since when is a Siberian Husky looking to add fur?
Thinking of finding Hair Club for Dogs.
Jul 222010
We went hiking down through our field past our favorite tree.
Checked in on our neighbors at Cataloochee Ski to see how the new water lines and snow guns were coming. See the big water line being buried up the mountain (Click to enlarge if need be)? Lots of snow to come this winter.
Got to the bottom of the field and started walking back up. But do you notice what needs to be done?
Yep, the hu-dad needs to crank up the tractor and mow our field again. Some of the grasses are over our shoulders!