All Hail the Queen: Happy Birthday, Harley!

Our beautiful blue-eyed alpha queen Nanuk "Harley" Mari turns 12 today! 

Wow! I can hardly believe it was a dozen years ago she first entered our hearts and home as a 7-week old pup! My daughter always wanted a Siberian Husky, and I have to thank her for introducing me to the breed! We drove an hour south of where we live to check out the stunning black and white, blue-eyed puppy and it was instant love between her and my daughter. I remember on the ride home, it was a torrential downpour! But Harley didn't mind. She climbed up by  my daughter and fell asleep as the water came down in sheets against the rear car window!

Twelve.

I think someone has not told Harley her real age, for (thankfully) she thinks and acts like she is still a pup! What's age after all, but just a number?

Full of sass and Husky attitude, Harley is an exceptionally smart dog.  Sometimes too smart! She loves to sit and listen to our conversations and will join in occasionally! She has the pack's worst voice when howling, but the rest of the pups convinced her that her voice is beautiful, so she proudly howls away in a voice that sounds more like an injured animal rather than a singing one! Honest. Even our neighbors checked to be sure everything was okay after hearing that sound (her voice) for the first time. She is petite at 48 pounds (compared to our others), with little ladylike paws, but she is strong and can body slam you with the best of football players, literally leaving you breathless! She loves pizza "bones," ice cream, and licking my (paper) plate clean of buttered blueberry muffin crumbs! As sweet and charming as she can be, she is also dubbed "Snarley Harley" for you never want to wake this girl from a sleep! She loved snuggling up against her true love, furangel Gibson, and all his wooliness. It never ceases to amaze how nine years ago she took the three Pupsters under her wing and became their surrogate mom, loving them and teaching them the Husky way as if she birthed them herself.  

She is proudly the subject of her own book, my second

FiveSibes™ Tale, Getting Healthy With Harley. And, while she is not a cuddler, she enjoys a good back scratch, and loves to play! Her favorites are a good game of Fetch, Tug o'War, and our very own "Slide-the-Sibe" (a game we made up when she was just a pup, where I stand with my legs apart, pat my thighs,  and she rushes through them, then turns, chases her tail, play growls, and charges back to do it all again)! While she gave us a recent health scare (I'll be posting about that soon), I hope that we have many, more years with this amazing gal! Harley, we sure do love you!

 

 
One of the best parts of any birthday is the cake, of course! And not just for the Birthday gal, but for the whole pack! Nom-nommms!

"Cake doesn't ask silly questions. Cake understands." ~Topperoo

 A little video of the eager nom-nom session...

(May not play on all devices).

Her very best gift today came from Mother Nature herself! Several beautiful inches of fresh, white snow. A Siberian Husky's dream!

 

 
 
And since today is our back to Flashback Friday post, we are sharing this video from two years ago when Gibson, who was SO in love with Harley from the first day he met her, was here to share in Harley's birthday celebration. I hope you enjoy this fun trip down Memory Lane with us...

 

Flashback Fridays are brought to you by us - the FiveSibes - and now also our co-hosts, Love is being owned by a Husky each Friday. We hope you'll find a photo or video from Memory Lane, post it, and link up to our blog hop each week! If you don't catch it on Friday, you can link up any time during the week!

 

We are also joining The Pet Parade! Please be sure to pop over to the hosts Rascal & Rocco, Bionic Basil, Love is Being Owned by a Husky, and Barking From the Bayou blogs to visit all the pet stories on parade!