Play Ball!

Harley with two of her balls.

Summer, Winter, Spring, or Fall. Every season is a great time for playing ball! And here at the FiveSibes™, we all love our balls! Especially our alpha queen, Harley, is our resident Queen of Balls. She has a whole collection of them - including her new favorite a hot pink glow-in-the-dark one! (Yes, it really glows and makes for some fun games when the lights are out!) While all our Sibes enjoy the squeak or toss of a ball, it's Harley who is addicted to them! Whenever she sees one or hears one squeak in our hands, she lights up and animatedly waits for a vigorous game of Fetch! or I Have the Ball, So Catch Me If You Can. That later game is pretty self-explanatory and results in everyone running back and forth across the yard chasing Harley as she flies with one of her beloved balls in her mouth. One time, she managed to get three - yes, three - tennis balls in her little mouth all at one time. She had us running pretty good for that one as we all tried to catch her to get those darn tennis balls out of her mouth. (Needless to say, we do not ever use tennis balls anymore.) So naturally, when Kol's Notes K9  Kamp Challenge "Play With Your Balls" came up, we just had to participate!

"Ball...Ball...My Ball...Toss My Ball...Ball...!"

As you can see from this pic - Harely has her "crazy eyes" on as she waits for me to drop her new hot pink (her fave color) ball for a game of Indoor Fetch. After a few days of rain, a little Indoor Fetch is what's called for. This always ends up with balls and Huskies bouncing all over the kitchen, nook, nook bench, and (oops!) sometimes even a little counter surfing to catch it!

 

We have pink balls...

 And bright blue balls...

  We have yellow balls, rainbow balls, green balls, squeaky balls, fuzzy balls, and water balls. We have little balls, big balls, hard balls, soft balls, soccer balls, beach balls, donut-shaped balls, and pool balls. We have a ball for every day and a ball for every Sibe!

The pool is a great way to get in a little ball play and get some exercise in the warmer weather while still keeping cool. The Sibes love to poke the ball and try to catch it as the water floats it along. They will get in and out of the pool, splashing around to try to catch it with their paws and jaws...but wind up sending it bouncing along its way in the water until either one of the Sibes (sighs) pops it or sends it flying across the deck causing the Huskies to all clamber after it in a mad chase to see who is going to get the ball. Then we hu-family members pick it up, toss it back in the pool, and the water ball games begin again! 

 Harley moving in for the catch!

 

Call the MLB! This girl never misses a catch!

So you see, the Sibes do so love playing with their balls! (Now, what did you think we meant?!) And all this ball playing and running and tossing and splashing around sure is great exercise for all of us, Sibes and hu-family! And the exercise doesn't stop when the ball stops bouncing either. Here is a little video of our Harley after playing Fetch! She always gets a case of the post-ball zoomies!

With our love of the sport, we are all very happy to be getting fit while having a ball participating in the Kol's Notes K9 Kamp "Play With Your Balls" Challenge!

        Have you played with your balls today?

K9 Kamp

Happy Birthday Hu-Dad!

"Today is a very special day! I'm off 

the to the dairy for a special treat!"

"I'll keep watch!" woos Gibson.

"Gib, is that him???" asks Harley. 

"Not yet," says Gibson.

 "Wooo...are you on your way???" 

asks Bandit over the phone.

"I'm not done wrapping yet!" exclaims Chloe.

"Woooo...is the coast clear?" asks Wolf. 

"I have the cake!"

"Done! Shhhhh....I think he's home!!!"

"Wooooooo! We are so excited!!!"

"Here we go!!! Here he comes! Shhh...."

"Surprise!!!"

 "Happy Birthday to wooo...

Happy Birthday to woo...

Happy Birthday dear Hu-Dad...

Happy Birthday to wooooooooo! 

We love woo!"

Here's a little video just for our Hu-Dad!

It's Memorial Day Weekend Blog Hop! Tips on Keeping Pets Safe While Having Fun & Honoring Our K9 Vets

Wolf Salutes Our Veterans

Memorial Day Weekend. You can feel the excitement in the air as the summer is unofficially kicked off...in some areas the balmy weather is just arriving and pre-season to-do lists include opening up the family swimming pools, cranking up the BBQ grilles and filling the air with delectable smells, hearing the hum of lawn mowers trimming the grass, and packing the family car for the first long weekend jaunt of the season. Please keep in mind that in all of the fun of having backyard parties, folks visiting, and road trips, please be sure to keep the furkids safe. Some tips to remember to have a fun and safe holiday:

• Keep pets in a separate room or kennel while guest are arriving and leaving to avoid any escapes and to help quell any anxieties.
• Keep collar and tags on in case they get spooked or sneak off.
• Keep a leash nearby for emergency roundups.
• Keep lit candles and lighters out of their reach.
• Keep them away from hot/flaming BBQ grilles.
• Do not use pesticides where your pets will be.
• Watch out for poisonous yard plants.
• Keep access to swimming pools limited so the furkids can not accidentally fall in. Have an access ladder or float available in case they do.
• Keep backyard gates closed and locked. 
•  Keep a watchful out for foods and beverages that are harmful, i.e. alcohol, chocolate, onions, grapes, certain nuts, chicken bones, caffeinated drinks (including that iced tea and iced coffee!), garlic, and salt. And ladies, watch those purses! Gum with xylitol, pain relievers, and medications are toxic to dogs! For a full list of harmful foods, visit the ASPCA website.
• Keep your vet, after hours clinic, and poison control numbers posted near your phone and in your cell phone. 
• If you are traveling, please be sure to safely restrain your pet either with a pet seat belt or crate. And NEVER leave a pet in a hot car, even if the windows are cracked. If you see a dog in a hot car, report it immediately and get the pet help! (According to Mydogiscool.com, even if it is an 82°F day, inside a car the temperature can be a deadly 109°F !)

But let's not forget the real reason for the holiday. Memorial Day. A Day to remember our veterans and their sacrifices so that we may all enjoy the fun and frolicking times. We pay homage to our veterans, both two- and four-legged. Since this is a canine blog, I'd light to highlight some of the K9 veterans and say a big "Thank You" for all they do, do, and will continue to do in years to come as working canine soldiers.

The U.S. War Dogs Association would like to honor the United States War Dog with their own commemorative stamp. You can sign the petition to have the War Dogs recgonized on a U.S. Postal Stamp by visiting the War Dog Commemorative Stamp petition site.

To view videos and photos of War Dogs, visit the U.S. War Dogs Association website.

Did you know that the Siberian Husky and Malamutes were used as War Dogs during WWII? I have also previously written about Buck, a Siberian Husky pictured here, who was the U.S. War Dogs Ambassador. For his service, he deserves to be remembered. Buck journeyed North of the Rainbow Bridge on March 23, 2006, but his service and story will always be remembered. Buck - you did us proud.

Harley reading about War Dog Buck, the Husky.

If you'd like to learn more about Buck and the War Dogs, you can visit Buck's Heroes.  As many of you know from previous posts, this is a beautiful book we purchased and have on our bookshelves here at the FiveSibes™ homestead and is a fitting book to read this Memorial Day. 

Harley looking at the illustrations of K9 heroes.

Beautiful ill-

ustrations 

depict the story about how Buck and his handler, Vietnam War veteran Johnny Mayo, visit the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C. 30 years after the war to meet up with other handlers. While there, Buck starts to see and hear the ghosts of war dogs past, who tell Buck the story of what it was like to be a canine soldier serving with, and protecting, their soldiers in the field.

Did you know you can adopt a military working dog? For more information, visit the Official Department of Defense Military Working Dog Adoption Website.

We would like to take a moment to honor all the military and police K9 soldiers and their handlers for the work they do, and dedication they have, each and every day by viewing this video tribute to them:

 
For a beautiful tribute to our human soldiers from the Uniformed Services Benefit Association,

please click HERE.

This Memorial Day post is dedicated to my late Dad, who served with the U.S. Army's "Big Red One" First Infantry, and his second tour with the Rainbow Division, 16th Infantry. This photo was taken of him during WWII on base with two of his furpals. His compassion for, and love of, dogs is just part of his legacy.

  

Our FiveSibes™ Family wishes everyone a happy and safe Memorial Day weekend!

Join the Blog Hop!  

Play Ball on a Wordless Wednesday! Captions?

Wordless Wednesday

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

We Need Your Help!

Please vote for the FiveSibes™ Tales small book publisher, ArcticHouse Publishing, as we compete for a grant to expand to help authors bring their "life's little stories" to print as a beautiful book via editorial, layout & design, and illustration services utilizing resources in the community. Help us help ArcticHouse to bring more pet stories to print! Just click below, search for ArcticHouse Publishing, Kingston, New York, fill in a little info as a "Fan" of the business, and vote! It's that simple! 

Thank you!

Dancing Shadows of Love

 Paws gently touching

Through dancing shadows of love

Souls entwined forever.

~by Dorothy Wills-Raftery 

Shadow Shot Sunday 2

Newsy Tuesday: That Beautiful Face! A Portrait of Love: Gibson by JM, the DrawingMom

A well-anticipated parcel arrived and I have been so excited to share it with you all! When the delivery man dropped it off, I ran up the stairs, tore off the wrappings, and was so moved by what greeted me, that I ran right out and purchased a frame.

But I am getting ahead of myself. First...let me back up a bit (just like they do in movies)!

Gibson's Portrait by JM, the DrawingMom

While visiting one of our Blogger pal's great blog, Bailey Be Good, I was so thrilled to see a post where my boy Gibson's handsome face was staring back at me via a gorgeous, lifelike portrait created by Bailey and Nala's hu-mom, JM! I absolutely love this portrait. I am so happy she chose Gibson as one of her subjects and I now have purchased it to have and hold forever!

JM is a very talented artist who creates very lifelike works of animal art! Check out this video as she creates my still life of Gibson:

"Woooo....that is me!"

"Wolf, look at this beautiful drawing Bailey's Mom did of me!"

"Gib, that looks just like you, big brother!"

"Thanks, Bailey and Nala's Hu-mom, for drawing me! It looks just like me! And thanks, Mom, for getting it!"

If you would like a pet portrait of your furkid done, please pop over and visit Bailey & Nala's hu-mom - DrawingMom.com - and check out her fabulous work. You may even recognize a few other familiar faces there! Be sure to let her know Gibson sent you!

With Gratitude on Mother's Day

The Pupsters with their surrogate mother, Harley.

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms of two- and four-legged children! The Pupsters Chloe, Wolf, and Bandit gave their surrogate mom, Harley, some Sibe kisses and nose pokes as their special gift to her today!

Before we share our special Mother's Day video card with you today, I would like to take a moment to express my sincere gratitude. Yesterday, as you know, was a very sad day for us here with our sweet cat Smokie suddenly leaving for the Rainbow Bridge. I would like to take a moment to say "thank you" with heartfelt appreciation for all the wonderful comments, notes, Emails, and tributes to our sweet girl. This is truly a wonderful community of caring and compassionate pet lovers, and I'm so proud to be part of it. Your thoughts and wishes have been so comforting as we make this journey of losing Smokie and having to adjust back to a life without her. Our sidewalk is so bare without her furry self rolling to and from, waiting for her belly rubs. Her scampering across the grass, like a great gray huntress, is sorely missed. The constant friendly twitching of her tail and her sweet mews remains in our minds, wishing we could see her silly, happy frolicking one more time. I am thankful for all the fond memories as I look at her photos and remember how much we loved her. She is at peace at home now under a giant shade tree in our front yard that she once ruled. Binx is definitely missing his best friend and mentor. Life sure will be different without our Smokes there to greet us each day and to show Binx the lay of the land. Thank you so much, all of my dear Blogville friends (and some new friends too!) Your words have brought me great comfort.

Now back to today. It is a special day - it's Mother's Day. First, I am blessed to have a wonderful daughter who makes my job as Mom the best in the whole wide world! She is my daughter, my best friend, and the co-parent of our pack family! I am blessed to have a wonderful mom, who is an inspiration to me and a wonderful role model (and she is 90 years young!) And I am so lucky to have such wonderful furkids. Today, Mother's Day, I along with Harley, Gibson, Wolf, Chloe, Bandit, Binx, and Furangel Smokie, wish all the moms of both two- and four-legged kids many, many happy and wonderful treasured moments. We hope your day was a special one, and be sure to get in some extra hugs, kisses, and pats.

To celebrate in true FiveSibes™ fashion - here's a Mother's Day video card from our pack to yours. We hope you enjoy it!

Goodbye, Sweet Smokie

We are so sad to announce that our sweet Smokie earned her furangel wings and crossed the Rainbow Bridge suddenly today. I received a phone call this morning that she was hit by a car right around the corner from our house. A good samaritan (who did not hit her), named Gwen, stopped, picked her up, brought her to our vet, who rushed her into emergency surgery. Both Gwen and our vet called me to let me know what happened. Smokie did not make it...she passed from a brain hemorrhage, but our vet assured us that she did not suffer. My daughter and I are devastated. We were with her as she began her journey to the Rainbow Bridge, even though she had already passed. 

As many of you know, Smokie was a starving, abandoned young cat when my daughter rescued her. She has been a loving part of our lives for over four years. She loved to roll in the grass, get her tummy rubbed, and we always joked that she was our "watch" cat as she was always patrolling and sunning herself in the front of our property as though she was the owner! We also dubbed her our honorary Husky cat as her long, thick beautiful coat made her fit right in our family of Sibes.

The Rainbow Bridge has welcomed Furangel Smokie

Smokie was not only a beautiful cat, she was a beautiful soul. She was so gentle cat and trusting. She was claustrophobic and while she would be invited into the house, clearly after a few minutes of investigating, she would quickly find her way to the front door and "meow" until she was let back out! She befriended my boy Gibson. Whenever Gib and I would take a walk, Smokie would roll over and invite him to play. They would spend time just sitting together and gazing off. 

Smokie and her boy, Binx.

One day, she brought home a friend...a scared, starving feral kitten my daughter named Binx and adopted as well. Together, Smokie and Binx would play, fight, sun, eat, and sleep together. He will be lost without his best friend. 

She did have one bad habit though - she loved to sun in the road. Luckily, we live on a dead end road, but we don't know if that is what finally caught up with her, or if she was just patrolling when her time to become a furangel arrived this morning. My daughter said she would like to think God needed her and that's why she was taken. Maybe someone up in Heaven needed a wonderful, darling cat for company - because she truly was the sweetest.

Gibson and Smokie just chillin' together.

While our hearts are broken at this tragedy, and we are still in a state of disbelief that our sweet Smokes is gone, we are thankful that she did not suffer. What we know now is, when she was hit, she became unconscious. Then Gwen, the good samaritan, gently spoke to her as they took her, coincidentally, to our veterinarian hospital. Upon arrival, coincidentally, Smokie's vet had just come in to work. She rushed Smokie right into surgery and we know if she ever had a fighting chance, she was in the best hands possible. 

We want to sincerely thank Gwen, a total stranger, for her kindness and compassion for stopping to help our baby and offering her comfort in her final moments here on Earth, and a heartfelt thanks to our wonderful vet and staff for trying to save her and helping her to have a peaceful journey. Smokie is now at the Rainbow Bridge, and we take comfort in knowing our other furangels are there to welcome her.

Smokie, this memorial tribute is for you: 

Rest in peace, our beautiful, 

sweet Smokie, girl. 

♥ We will love you and miss you forever. ♥

My Brother; My Best Friend

It's Cinco de Mayo - Celebrate!

 Pet Blogger Hop

Update on Wolf and a Thank You Note

Wolf went in today for his second post-surgical visit. He is healing well...and he had some of the stitches removed! Next week the rest will come out! I have now removed his E-collar (much to his happiness!) and his leg is now healing bandage-free! (He has a sock on it when going out to protect the stitches). He's now resting (and enjoying all the extra attention!) I have to say that I am very glad I made the decision to have the papillomas removed, only to find out that he had those lumps underneath. If you missed the post, you can check out my "Wolf is Home From Surgery" post for details and photos. My purpose for posting them is so if anyone sees these types of growths on their dog, have it checked out right away! They never bothered him or caused him any pain, but over a six-month period they did multiply in size and quantity, which is why I had him rechecked by our vet. Under all that fur, the hidden lumps could not be detected until he was shaved for surgery. For the baby of the pack, he sure is being a very good patient! And, he had a full rainbow of bandage colors to spruce up the healing!

 His leg after the growths were removed.

The many faces of Wolf, the patient:

Resting up with the family under big brother Gibson's watchful eye.

 First stroll back outside...with big brother Gibson right by his side!

Soaking up a few of the sun's rays during his first walk after surgery.

Relaxing with sister Chloe in the "Convalescent Bay" (after her laser treatment and anti-inflammatory injection for a pulled muscle after falling down the stairs).

Feeling a bit blue.

Watching Animal Planet.

Getting ready for bed.

❤ Good night and sweet Sibe dreams! ❤

We would like to thank everyone for all the thoughtful get well wishes, prayers, cards, and positive vibes that you have been sending to Wolf. He sure feels all the love and it's wonderful to have such a supportive community of friends here in Blogville! 

We also want to extend our thanks and appreciation to our wonderful vet and his team for all the great care they give to Wolf and all of our Husky babies!