Happy Independence Day!

Today is the day we, in the United States, celebrate our independence from Great Britain. It is a way for us to remember the freedoms we have won, and the rights that are so important to us. It is hard to believe that there are still so many out there in this world, who do not have the same rights and freedoms that we take for granted every day. We are all extremely lucky, and should feel very proud of what we have with our democratic society.

I would also like to say a huge THANK YOU to all our service men and women, both at home and abroad, for the greatest commitment, and often times sacrifices, that they give to protect not only OUR freedom, but also to help those in less fortunate countries, try to gain their freedom and stand up for their rights. Although there are some people do not support what they are doing, we should always support the people who are willing to put their lives on the line for the freedoms we live with each day.

So, remember to not just celebrate this July 4th holiday with fun, family and fireworks, but to remember WHY we celebrate it, and just how lucky we are to live in such a great country.

Also remember to remind your humans to keep you doggies safe. This time of year is the busiest time for shelters due to dogs and cats, who are frightened of the loud noises. It is always much better to leave us home than to take us with you! Believe me, we will be much happier!

Hollybollyboo
(I'll be hiding in the basement)

Tagged!

I've been tagged by my new friend Sasha, to woo about my humans. They're pretty boring, but I guess they are pretty important since they feed me! So, here goes.....

Mom is an animal freak! Ok, maybe not "freak", but she does love them very much. She is a vegetarian. She supports lots of different animal welfare groups, such as the ASPCA, National Wildlife Federation, Defenders of Wildlife, lots of doggie rescue groups (see my sidebar), our local Nebraska Humane Society. She also sponsors Echo, a wolf, and Willow, a coyote at Wolf Park. She also participates in a transport group that looks for people willing to help transport doggies and kitties to new furever homes, or rescue/foster homes. We don't get many out this way, but so far she has participated in four.

She works for a local life insurance company that has been in business since 1890!! She is a Business Specialist in the claims department. She goes to lots of meetings, and is involved in lots of projects. Apparently she has to know everything about everything, so she can do anything that has to be done. Whatever the heck that means!

She is not from Nebraska originally. She was transplanted here by her ex, who was in the Air Force. She grew up in both Illinois and also Minnesota. She also spent four years in Japan, which is where she got her kitties, Alex and Kirby, who are both at the Rainbow Bridge now. She really wants to go back to northern Minnesota, cuz she knows that would be a great place for us since they get lots of snow, and don't have the heat and humidity like we do here. Plus, Nebraska is pretty boring, and Minnesota has lots of lakes and forests and much more fun things to do. All we have here is corn!

Dad is an electrician. He works at a really big place where he is responsible for fixing things, and wiring things. He basically keeps everything running like it should. Wonder why he won't let us keep running like we should?

Dad is great because he takes us for walks every morning when he gets home from work. We really look forward to those! Then he feeds us our breakfast, which is the most important meal of the day!

One other great thing about my humans is that there is always one of them home with us! Well, unless they go somewhere together (like dinner) but we always have a napping partner. Dad sleeps during the day cuz he works nights, so we take turns napping with him. Mom sleeps at night, cuz she works days, so we have her to nap with then. You can't get any better than that!

We are pretty spoiled here. Considering the medical issues we all have, it's amazing they put up with us. We eat 3 different kinds of food because of diet issues. There are more pet meds and supplements in our house than there are human meds! Feeding time is always an ordeal to make sure everyone get their meds and the correct ones! We also have plenty of yummy treats, lots of which mom makes herself, chewy's, and lots of toys.

Mom and Dad also volunteer their time with Therapy Dogs, Incorporated. Kona, Abby, Samuel and I are all registered therapy dogs. We visit local nursing homes, assisted living centers, hospitals, and hospice care facilities. Dad always takes Kona, but mom takes turns with me, Abby and Samuel. Abby hasn't gone for quite a while because of her missing hair issue, but since it is starting to finally grow back, hopefully she will get to go again soon! We all love the attention!

Well, that's about it for the boring humans. I will tag Kelsey and Smokey, Star and Sherman, and our newest husky bloggers Quincy and Tristin.

Hollybollyboo

I Won!

Thank you to everyone who voted for the picture of me with my ME stuffie, Holly Go Lightly! I won the photo of the month vote, so you will see this picture of me on the Dogs With Blogs web site for the month of July.

I also want to thank my good friends Thrawn, Tucker, Dot, Samantha, and Bear of the Brat Pack (aka The Five Happy Hounds ) who nominated my photo. That was very sweet of you and I so humbled by your thoughtfulness!

I would also like to congratulate all the other nominees. They were great pictures, and voting was close, as all were very wothy of winning!

The human woman is on vacation all next week, so hopefully I will be able to post a bit more often. She isn't going anywhere, or doing anything. Well, she's suppose to be working on scraping wallpaper and also, with the help of dad, putting in our new wood flooring. We'll see how ambitious she actually is come Monday!

Till later.....

Hollybollyboo
(I'm so very excited!)

Photo of the Month

I am so excited!! I have been nominated for Dogs With Blogs Photo of the Month for June, by my friends the Brat Pack! They really liked the photo of me with my ME stuffie, Holly Go Lightly! I feel so honored! Thank you so much!!

If you would like to vote for me, please go to the Bone Zone and place your vote! There are a lot of really great photo's there, including my very good friends the Ao4!!

Go vote for your favorite. And good luck to all the great doggies who are nominated!!

Hollybollyboo

Things About Me

I was reading my friend Lorenza's blog, and she had a great idea which she got from The Dogs of Jackman Avenue, to share information about yourself, then invite your doggie friends to do the same. I think it's a great way for my doggie friends to get to know me even better. And, hopefully, they will share the same great things about themselves, so I can get to know them better!

So, here goes......

1. Your age? About 2 1/2

2. Your age when came to live with your people? Approximately 1

3. What color is the collar you’re wearing right now? Green with blue and gold.

4. Who is your favorite person other than the people you live with? My cousin Tracey who doggie sits us when the humans go out of town!

5. How much do you weigh? Wow, do I really have to tell? Ok, 122 pounds - but I have a medical condition (hypothyroidism) so I have an excuse!

6. Most expensive thing you’ve ever chewed up? Nothing that the humans are aware of!! And, since Sam is the usual suspect, I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that I might incriminate myself.

7. Do you like other Dogs? Some yes, some no. I'm very picky.

8. Who is your best non-human friend? I like to hang out with Monty in the basement.

9. Squeaky Toys or Tennis Balls? Actually, I prefer stuffies.

10. Do you like to be brushed? Ummmm, I hate to admit it, but I don't really mind it! It makes me feel better.

11. Peanut Butter or Cheese? How about peanut butter with cheese on top?

12. Do your people cut your toenails? Yes

13. Any formal education? Nope

14. Couch potato or Energizer Bunny? Definitely both! I love to go for my morning jogs, and could run and run. But, I really love my naps ON the couch!

15. Five nicknames your people call you. Hollybollyboo, Hollyboo, Bollyboo, Boo, Boo Monster

16. What is your best trick? The drop and roll over to show my tummy so I can get it rubbed!

17. Do you like kitties? Yes, very tasty!! Just kidding! I liked my Kirby, but not sure about any others.

18. What did you have for breakfast? 1 1/2 cups of my Barking at the Moon dry dog food.

19. Can you hunt (aka have you ever killed anything living)? I am a terrific hunter!! I have caught birds right out of the air, a baby squirrell, and a rabbitt too!

20. When & why was the last time you went to the V.E.T.? I went just a few weeks ago to have my thyroid tested since I was loosing all my fluffy fur and getting even fatter.

21. Where do you sleep at night? My 3 favorite spots are in this order: 1) the basement mattress the humans have on the floor for me, 2) the spare bedroom bed, and 3) the living room floor under the ceiling fan.

22. Do you like to swim? Yes, but in a lake, not a pool.

23. Can you make puppies? NO

24. Do you give kisses? Absolutely

25. Can you potty on command? Um, no. That would require me to obey, and I only do that when I want to!

26. To Cuz or not to Cuz? Definitely NOT!! In fact, I just sent my yellow Cuz to Turbo!!

Well, my doggie friends, I hope this helps you learn a bit more about me. I hope you will copy these questions, and answer them on your own blogs!!

I would also like to send a HUGE THANK YOU to my good friend Sitka and her human for the following totally awesome photo. I absolutely love it!!!

That's my darling Dave of the Army of Four!! Don't we look good together? I can't wait till the day I can actually met him for REAL!

Hollybollyboo!
(having sweet Davie dreams)

I Love My Dad!

My dad is very cool! Here are a few reasons why;

He takes all 5 of us for a walk/jog every morning when he gets home from work! Well, he actually has to make 3 different trips, cuz he takes me and Monty first, then comes back and takes Samuel, then finally the gimpys, Abby and Kona (Kona's a gimpy simply because he's slooooowwwwww).

He also takes the time to brush us with that evil Furminator! Well, we may not like it, but it really is good for us to get rid of all that fur when it starts to get really hot outside! And, since getting rid of some of that fur makes us cooler, I guess it's ok....for now.

He is also in charge of yard clean-up and maintenance. That way we always have a nice fresh yard to do our business in. And, with 5 of us, that's a lot of business! He's still trying to talk mom into helping with that. But she said if she has to do it, she'll just hire one of those companies to do it!

Dad is also great to nap with! We all try to take turns with him. Sam is usually the one to hog the bed though. The rest of us usually just take turns laying around the bed. Here is a good picture of most of us snoozing with dad while he naps on the couch. That's Samuel helping hog the couch!

Here I am getting some much needed attention and snuggling with dad while he tries to feed Monty. Everydog else is hanging out to see if they can lick the bowl when he's done. Especially Samuel, he's quite the vulture! See how he's eyeing the bowl?

Dad also likes to buy mom cool Husky/Malamute stuff. Like the license plates, and Husky stuffies (which she puts on shelves where we can't get them).

Well, I just wanted to say what a great dad I have, and how much I love him. And you can tell, he sure loves all of us too. So, HAPPY FATHERS DAY to all our dads, who give us the love and attention we all certainly deserve.

Hollybollyboo
(here's to you dad, you ROCK!)

This is Sooooo Cool!

More cool presents! Dad found some exceptionally COOL presents on e-bay (his favorite shopping place). Take a look at this!

Do you know what this is??? It's a personalized, airbrushed license plate with a picture of me (ok, a Malamute, but close enough) and my name on it!!! It also comes with a very pretty sparkly frame! And, dad, being the nice guy he is, got one for ALL of us! Look how pretty they are!!!!!!

Abby and Samuel's are both blue eyed Sibes, just like them! We are all very excited! Mom is going to put them up on the wall. She says they are way to beautiful to put on a car. She is very happy dad likes to buy her cool things....especially when they deal with her beloved fur kids!

If you are interested in getting your own personalized license plate, check out the sellers e-bay store here. You get to pick the color of lettering, and the color of the frame, and they are very inexpensive!!

Hollybollyboo
(shop-away my doggie friends!)

ME stuffie!!

I got the coolest new stuffie! It's a ME stuffie!

Here's how it all started. A very worthy organization called Save our Siberians - Siberspace Rescue Fund, who helps raise and disburse funds to Siberian Husky rescue groups, was having an e-bay auction. The money raised is disbursed to rescue groups for non-routine medical espenses, medications and surgeries. You can read about some of their current rescue projects here.

Well, I saw the coolest stuffie, and knew immediately that I just HAD to have it! And, as you all know, when I really want something, I GET IT!

What I got was a stuffie named, now get this............Holly Go Lightly! See how cool it is??

She has a really cool bandanna, she barks, and even says "Hi, I'm Holly Go Lightly!" How cool is that!?!?

I really like my new ME stuffie! I will have to be sure that stupid and pathetic Samuel doesn't get a hold of it or he will de-stuff me! Mom put it up on a shelf, and will only bring it down for ME to cuddle with. I would never destroy it, cuz it's a ME stuffie!

Hollybollyboo
(forever immortalized in a stuffie)

Twins?

Stormy of the Ao4 reminds my human of her sweet, departed Shula, who went to the Rainbow Bridge in November 2005, just a month before I was found. Mom says they have the same eyes, and extremely similar facial markings. Therefore, Stormy holds a very special place in mom's heart, and she often gets a tear in her eye whenever she sees pictures of Stormy. She says they are "good" tears, because it helps her remember Shula, how much she loved her, and what she might be doing around our house, if she were still here. I thought I would share pictures of Stormy and Shula and see if anydog else thought they looked like twins!

This is Stormy.

And this is Shula.

So, what do you think?

Hollybollyboo

The human woman is weird

Just like Turbo's human, my human is old. She is obsessed with 2 movies from the 1970's, which she has watched soooooo many times, she has all the dialogue memorized. Yes, memorized, word for word! It's quite annoying to hear her speak right along with the characters. Drives dad crazy.

What, may you ask, are these two movies? Jaws and Star Wars.

And, here's the worst part. Last weekend, there was a Jawsathon on HBO. Guess what she did all weekend? Yep, watched Jaws. What a loser.

And this weekend? Can you guess what's on HBO? Yep, Star Wars. ALL of them! Back to back, over and over. She is part slug, I swear!!! All she does is sit in that darn recliner and watch those movies!

She really needs a hobby.

Hollybollyboo
(bored)

More dead wildlife

Much to mom's horror, another poor creature has died at our paws. Well, teeth actually.

Here's how it happened. Dad saw a rabbit in the back yard, and decided he didn't want it there, so opened the back door for us to run out and chase it away. Only he didn't count on Sam actually catching it! As soon as he heard a squeal, dad realized his mistake, and said, "Oh S***!" Mom jumped up, and started running outside, but dad beat her to the scene of the crime, and had to force Sam to drop the poor rabbit, who was still screaming! The poor thing tried to run away, but it's back legs weren't working very well. Dad told mom to try and get it to go through the fence so it could get away. Only it was practically dragging it's legs and couldn't make it through the fence.

Mom was yelling at dad (words I can't print here) for being so mean as to let us chase the poor bunny. Dad said he didn't think we would catch it, and thought the bunny would make it through the fence. Oops, guess not. Hellooooooooo!! We're FAST!

The worst part was mom trying to pull open a spot by the gate for the poor thing to get through so it would be out of the yard. But, to her horror, it died. Right in front of her!!!! Then she was even MORE mad, and was in tears when she told dad not to EVER do something like that again! She loves her wildlife, and hates to have them killed. It really bothers her...a lot. She realizes we are all very prey driven, but she certainly doesn't want to encourage it!

Apparently Sam didn't realize the rabbit he eats for dinner, actually comes from a can, and not the back yard.

Hollybollyboo
(at least it wasn't me this time)

I've lost my fluffiness

I started losing my fluffiness last month. Mom thought it was a combination of the steroids I was on because of my itchy skin issue, and just regular coat blowing season. Only, I have lost WAY too much fur, and mom started to get worried. My fur was coming out in chunks, and looked thin, rough and broken. Even my beautiful top coat (the long guard hairs) was coming out, which usually doesn't happen. I'm not sure if you can tell from this picture, but I started to look "old" as mom called it, because I was more grey and white than black and white.

Here I am with my new quilt and pillow and you can kind of see how unfluffy I am. Whereas in this picture, I am VERY fluffy....

Because of my loss of fluffiness, mom took me too the vet and they weighed me, and I had gained 8 pounds, and am now up to 122 pounds!! Mom was pretty shocked, especially since they have been watching my food consumption very closely and feeding me those dreaded green beans! Then the vet took my blood to test it. She told mom I am hypothyroid, which explains my fur loss and weight gain. So, now I have to be on thyroid medication just like Abby, Samuel, and Kona.

I am already starting to feel better and am less hungry than usual. Hopefully my be-woo-tiful, fluffy fur comes back soon too!

Hollybollyboo
(feeling sort of naked without my fluffiness)

I'm IT - Again

I've been tagged by the Ao4! I have to tell 7 things about myself, then tag other friends. How cool!!

Let's get started!

1. First, and foremost - I love food!! Eating and chewing on a chewy are my most favorite things to do.

Well, that and.....

2. Sleeping! Yep, I love to nap, especially on my couch, with my new quilt and matching pillow!! My other favorite sleepy spot is my bed in the basement where it's always nice and cool!











3. I'm very bossy. I'm the queen in this house as far as I'm concerned. I often "grumble" at the other dogs if they come too close to a toy, or a chewy, or my food, or mom and dad if I am getting attention. I usually get in trouble for it, and then get told "Holly, you be nice!" Whatever.


4. I LOOOOOVVEEEE Attention!!! Yep, I'm an attention hog. No one else is allowed attention if I am in the room. I make sure I butt right in and get the attention turned back to me where it belongs!


5. I am very lucky to have mom and dad. If they hadn't found me, I would most surely be dead. You see, I had a tapeworm, and it was starving me of anything I found to eat, which wasn't much, so I was skin and bones. I only weighed 79 pounds when I was found. Now, some of you may think that is big, but for me, who is 114 pounds now, that was really skinny. You can see the difference in these two photos.


<-- Old me.
New me. -->


The whole "diet" issue aside, I sure like the new "fluffy" me much better than the old "skinny" me!

6. I love being a therapy dog! It's so cool that I get to go visit sick people, and elderly people, and sometimes kids too! I do such a good job because I just love people and attention (see #4) so much!! Most people think I'm really beautiful and the more adoration I get, well, lets just say it makes me pretty happy!! Not to mention how good I make them feel too. That's what it's truly about!


7. When dad comes home every morning from work, I get so excited that I woo, and wooo, and woooo loudly, and do the whole body wag, and jump around like a little puppy! You see, I know that as soon as dad gets home that I'm gonna get my walk so I get REALLY excited! And then, when I get home....I get to eat, and then take a nap. What could be better?!?!


I tag Star and Sherman, and my good friends Kelsey and Smokey, and Tasha and Eva.

Hollybollyboo

Presents!!

On Saturday a big box arrived for me, only the human woman had gone out of town to Kansas City for the weekend with her friends, and dad decided to let it sit and wait for mom to get home!!! I kept seeing it sitting on the counter, and knew if was for me, and I was getting very upset that I couldn't open it!

Then, mom finally came home on Sunday afternoon, and she was very excited to see the box too! So, we tore it open. Here is nosey boy Samuel with his face stuck in the box. Those are my feet you see on the right side.

As you can tell by the extremely happy look on my face, there were some GREAT presents in the box!

There was a great magnet for the magic cold box that said "Bad to the Bone" and a cool Husky/Malamute pin which mom is going to put on her jacket. And, do you see the red thing? That's a mini hanging quilt with my sweet, adorable, darling Dave's eyes! And, it has a saying on it, "Ask not at whom the Siberian stares....The Sibe stares at you!" Mom hung it on the light dimmer knob which is on the wall right by the corner of my couch were I sleep. I can can now look up and see those be-woooo-tiful blue eyes looking down on me any time I want!

In addition to all those presents, there was a little package with something verrrrrry interesting in it. Can you see what it is?

That's Dave's fur!! And, it included a personalized note from him too!
Dave's mom even included a great present for my mom! Some cool earrings with pretty blue beads and a doggie bone hanging off them, and a be-wooo-tiful beaded bracelet to match! She loved them so much she immediately put them on and said she would wear them every day!

Finally, here is the main reason for the other really cool presents. It all started with an e-bay auction to help MaPaw Siberian Husky Rescue raise money for some rescued Sibes that needed medical attention. As soon as I saw the be-woo-tiful quilt and matching pillow, I just knew I had to have it....no matter what the cost. Good thing the mom doesn't care if I steal her plastic to buy things!!!

So here are some pictures of me enjoying my new gorgeous quilt and matching pillow. Don't you just love it?

I sure do!!! You can see how comfy and relaxed I look.

Thank woo sooooooo much to my sweet, adorable Davy, and the rest of the Ao4, and especially to their human woman for such wonderful gifts, and the be-wooooo-tiful quilt and pillow. I absolutely love everything!!!!

Hollybollyboo
(having sweet dreams tonight)

Only a month?

Dad got his Dog Fancy magazine a couple days ago, and in it was a short article called "Could it be a case of THE ZOOMIES?" (page 42)

Now, those of you who are Husky (or Malamute) owners know all about the zoomies. The zoomies are when we get this rush of energy, for no reason, and just zoom around the house like psycho dogs, as if we are being chased by some unseen monster. It is lots of fun, and also a great way to burn off some pent-up energy. Sam is notorious for doing the zoomies. He just freaks out for no reason and stats running around the house and bouncing off the furniture and bouncing in little circles around the room. I do it too, but not as often.

Anyway, there was this article about the zoomies in Dog Fancy, and here is a bit of what it said...
"This amped-up, often naughty, play behavior helps puppies rid themselves of excess energy so they can fall asleep. Five or 10 minutes of zoomies burn up extra energy and allow your pup a better night's rest." blah blah blah.....
"Zoomies seldom last more than five or 10 minutes per evening, and that stage of development generally lasts only a month or so. Enjoy it while you can--puppyhood seems all too short once it's gone."

PUPPYHOOD???????? Ummmmmm, apparently someone forgot to tell this stupid human that Huskies and Malamutes do zoomies ALL THEIR LIVES!! What's this "month or so" crap? Sam is NINE!! And I'm TWO! I guess they didn't do very good research. I could have told them that the zoomies are very much alive, well into old age, when you are a northern breed dog! DUH!!!

Any other ADULT doggies out there still do zoomies?

Hollybollyboo
(another shining example of human stupidity)

A Very Sad Goodbye

It is with heavy heart, and tears in my eyes that I say goodbye to the tiniest member of the Dogs With Blogs group.

Our honorary "dog" Fufu, the Hamsterrier, has gone to the Rainbow Bridge to be with his Bibi. I think she was just too lonely without him, so called him to her.

Fufu was very special and unique. He had wonderful stories and adventures and got the BEST presents ever!

Godspeed sweet, adorable Fufu. I will miss you.

Hollybollyboo

Oops

Mom signed up for her final Clep test, Civil War and Reconstruction, which will mean she will finally be done with school, and get her bachelors degree.

She got a copy of the study guide from the library at Bellevue University, so she can study for her test.

Unfortunately, this is what she found the other day. Apparently Sam was a little bored, and there weren't any chewies around. Mom was NOT happy! Notice the partially EATEN pages!

Now mom's probably gonna have to pay a lot more money than she would have for just the test, and buy the school a new study guide.

She has learned her lesson though. She put the study guide up out of reach, and we now have plenty of chewies laying around.

Hollybollyboo

(glad it wasn't me)

Tummy Tagged!

Ah, my favorite sleepy position. On my back, doing the "air it out" pose.

I have been Tummy Tagged by Sitka and Boomer. Here's how it works; you have to post a picture of yourself in a vertically reversed position. A.k.a., tummy up!! Then, just tag three other bloggers and you're done!

Here is my gorgeous, and fluffy tummy.

I tag my beloved Dave, from the Army of Four, Lorenza, and my new friend Hobbes!

Hollybollybo
(feeling sleepy now)

A new friend

I have met a new, and quite interesting friend. His name is Hobbes, and he is an "Italian" Weimaraner. Actually, he is a regular Weimaraner, but is Italian!! He lives in England with his dad. He has a funny accent, but it is fun to read his adventures.

He is having second thoughts about his blog, so I told him to join our wonderful group Dogs with Blogs so he could meet lots of new friends and help improve his English.

Please stop by his blog and welcome him!

Hollybollyboo
(I love finding new friends!)

Another Present!!

I was so excited yesterday, cuz I got a present! Right out of the blue! Literally!

Mom had just gotten home from work, so I brought her my new present.

She was not happy.

Take a look at why......

Apparently this tiny baby squirrel fell out of his home that was in our tree. I didn't hurt him, I simply found him, and brought him in the house to show mom what a wonderful present I got!!

She was still not happy. She has "issues" with deceased wildlife. Animal lover that she is, this really bothered her. Then, to my horror, she picked it up in one of those plastic bags, and I never saw it again.

I went back outside, hoping to find another one. But, no such luck!

Hollybollyboo

(waiting for the baby birds to fall out of the sky next)