Today marked the Summer solstice in the northern part of the hemisphere, and that means the dog days of summer are close behind. With today being the “longest” day of summer, that means furpals had the chance to squeeze in more snoozes, romps in the yard, and dips in the pool than any other day this summer! And just how did the term “dogs days of summer” originate? It goes back to ancient times when folks looked toward the heavens and visually connected the stars to form images, now known as the constellations. Different cultures saw the stars take shape of different “pictures,” including dogs. The dog star, or “Sirius,” derived from an Ancient Greek word meaning glowing. Sirius is one of the brightest stars that is said to have risen and set with the sun during the summer period of June through September. And, according to The Summer Place , while the constellations have moved over time, the dog days of summer typically fall between early July and August, the hottest, most sultr...

This beautiful Shadow Shot of Chloe, as she watched my hubby fill the pool in the backyard, was taken by her mom and today's guest photographer, my daughter. We would like to wish all the Dads out there - both human and canine - a very Happy Father's Day! What is a Dad? “ A Dad is a person who is loving and kind, And often he knows what you have on your mind. He's someone who listens, suggests, and defends. A dad can be one of your very best friends! He's proud of your triumphs, but when things go wrong, A dad can be patient ...

  Chloe spots a visitor in the yard.. . "Harley, who is that kitty with Smokie?" "Chloe, if I can't eat it or chase it, I don't care." "Wooo...Harley, he's getting really close..."   "Wooo...Smokie, who is your new little furpal?"   "Meowwww. Why Chloe, that's my new friend Binx. He's homeless, just like I was." Binx...come join our family! Gibson says "hi" to Smokie. So the story of our kitties goes like this. Over three years ago, a starving and frightened long-haired gray kitten (a/k/a the honorary Husky cat), whom we named Smokie, sauntered by our house and met my daughter who immediately felt sorry for the beautiful, although very skinny stray. She fed her some salmon, and well, as they say, the rest is history! She never left us. I had checked the lost and found in the papers, the announcement board at the vet's, called several other area vet's and the SPCA to see if there...

Wolf stands proudly in front of an American flag. "You're A Grand Old Flag" Words and Music by George M. Cohan You're A Grand Old Flag, You're a high flying flag, And forever, in peace, may you wave. You're the emblem of the land I love, The home of the free and the brave. Ev'ry heart beats true 'neath the Red, White and Blue, Where ther's never a boast or brag, But, should auld acquaintance be forgot, Keep your eye on the grand old flag.

" The difference between friends and pets is that friends we allow into our company, pets we allow into our solitude." ~Robert Brault

The (clean) Girls The (clean) Boys It's been "spa" days at the FiveSibes residence, with last weekend being the girls' turn, and this past weekend was the boys' turn. The bath water was so brown, the groomer said they white pups were "stained." Now there's something we were never told before, but then again, this year they made it their #1 Top Priority to dig every possible inch of backyard dirt into what really resembles a meteorite crater. Mix in a very rainy spring, and there's a recipe for the muddiest mud puddles ever. Thankfully, they cleaned up pretty well!  Paws are looking good, too! All the vampire nails are nice and manicured, and all the boys' shaggies are trimmed neatly. I have to say it's quite a trip to listen to them as they are bathed, blown dry, clipped, and pedicured. Each one brings their own personality to the experience. Harley, our alpha queen, wife to Gibson, and the pups' surrogate mother, morphs in...