Sierra-dog blog

Thank You!

2010-11-11T08:58:00.001-07:00

Hi All,

Sierra's peeps here...

It has been two weeks now since our dear Sierra passed away. These have been difficult days for our family, but they were made easier by all of your kind thoughts and words of comfort. We have received so many wonderful emails, cards, gifts, calls, and of course your comments left on this blog which overwhelmed us with the depth of compassion shown from each and every one of you.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

It is a true gift to have friendship and support from all over the world.

Halloween was one of Sierra favorite holidays as she got to lick all the sticky gooey candy covered faces and fingers of little munchkins who came to visit our house. Unfortunately for Sierra one of her peeps (who shall go unnamed) felt it nessassary to dress Sierra up in all sorts of ridiculous costumes for the occussion.

Here are some pictures of Sierra in years past which made us smile. This year she probably looked down on us from heaven and said, "Ha! No more silly costumes for me!" Poor girl, she really was a trooper about all those costumes for the amusement of her beloved peeps.

Saying Goodbye to Sierra

2010-10-28T14:30:00.002-07:00

Hi All,
Sierra's peeps here.
Sierra took the summer off of blogging, and then extended her summer break into the fall. She was just having too much fun! There was swimming and hiking- and even a trip across the country. She really had a lot to write about, just not the opposable thumbs to do it, and her secretary ran off to Sedona and was just plain lazy.

Now it is with heavy hearts that we must let you know that Sierra passed away early yesterday evening from what we think was a stroke. We are deeply saddened by her early and sudden passing. We thought we had many more years with her. She was our sweet girl and will be missed more then can be expressed. We are so sad. Can the word "sad" even come close to explain the deep emptiness that fills our hearts and our home today? She would have celebrated her 8th birthday next Saturday. Our young(ish) and healthy girl was fine one minute and then she was gone. The above picture is one LL took of Sierra yesterday just minutes before her “neurologic episode”. LL spent the late afternoon in the garden brushing Sierra and taking her picture next to some new plants that had just been planted. Little did she know this would be her last picture of Sierra. They had a beautiful last day together and Sierra died quickly and comfortably, lovingly surrounded by her "peeps".
Sierra lived a full, healthy and extremely adventurous life. She was an unwavering example of zest and enthusiasm for living everyday to it's fullest. We would be remiss not to show you what her last days of life where like. So after some grieving time we will continue to blog, sharing pictures of our last summer together. She did so much! She would want you to see all the fun that was had, and we think it will be good for us too. As we share her stories with you over the next weeks we hope time will heal the brokenness, replacing sorrow with appreciation and gratitude for the love that came to us in the form of a little golden pup named Sierra-dog.

Sierra-dog

November 6th, 2002- October 27th, 2010

Grand Gulch Mine

2010-07-20T07:00:00.005-07:00

Hi All! Sierra Dog here.

Tomorrow we're going to Sedona to pick up LL!
We're so excited to see her!

I told Breakfast Man that this is his last chance to slip some airplane pictures onto my blog before LL gets home. Back in April, when we took family pictures in Sedona, we were on the way home from camping at Grand Gulch Mine, Az. It's northwest of the Grand Canyon near the Utah and Nevada borders.

On the way, we got gas at Grand Canyon Caverns.

The mine and the airstrip are on the mesa, and this is the canyon we hiked.

LL got a picture as we landed:

Our friend Dale was already there.

When Breakfast Man grows up, he wants to be just like Dale.
Dale lands at lots of neat places, and has a beautiful shiny airplane.

We checked out the old mine equipment.

Hiked down into the canyon,

and back up this great ridge back to the runway.

Good thing we have an airplane-

this truck doesn't look like it'd make it all the way home.

The Super Trail

2010-07-18T19:34:00.000-07:00

Hi All! Sierra Dog here.

One of my favorite jobs is bringing mail in from the mailbox. On Thursday I brought in an envelope addressed to Dexie & I. It had pictures of Augie & Ti, our handsome long distance boyfriends!

One of Breakfast Man's friends wanted to hike Mt. Wrightson, so we went hiking EARLY this morning.

On the way down, we took the Super Trail from Josephine Saddle. It's almost 2 miles longer, so it's not as steep, but the views are great. It's a good trail, but I'm not sure why they named it the "Super Trail"- they didn't know that I'm a Super Dog with X-Ray eyes.

A few of my favorite things...

2010-07-03T11:53:00.000-07:00

Hi All! Sierra Dog here.

It's hot in Tucson, so we've been in the pool everyday.

Here are some other places I like to swim:

The Salt River, at Gleason Flats.

Beaver Creek

White River

The Dolores River, near Gateway Colorado.

Rattlesnake Creek, near Klondyke Az.

Oak Creek, near Page Springs.

LL has 2 more weeks of class.

We really miss her and can't wait till she gets home.

Helpful Household Hints

2010-06-28T23:09:00.000-07:00

Hi all! Sierra Dog here.

LL has been gone to her class for 10 days now. We really miss her.
Before she left she kept going on about everyone starving and the house burning down while she's gone but Dexie and I are doing fine.
We've been swimming every day, and our food tastes exactly the same as usual.

In fact, Dexie has gone all Betty Crocker on me, and wants to share a kitchen tip:

The oven is not a good place to store tupperware,

especially if you'd like to use the tupperware again.

Mt. Wrightson

2010-06-20T23:23:00.000-07:00

Hi All! Sierra-dog here!

You haven't heard from me lately because I've been keeping LL too busy. Right now she is in Sedona for a few weeks taking a class, so I got Breakfast man to post today's pictures.

We hiked up Mt. Wrightson.

Dexie says: "Follow the red line to the top of the mountain!"

and off we went.....

Great view, but we still hadn't reached the top.

Finally! 9,453 ft. above sea level, and Mt. Hopkins in the back ground.

Looking north toward Tucson and Mt. Lemmon.

Time to head home. That's a long way down.

Siesta at Bellows Spring.

We had a great day!

A Thankful Thursday to remember

2010-05-28T14:31:00.000-07:00

Hi All! Sierra-dog here!

This morning LL told me that I would be going to the vet.
Here I am in the car feeling not so excited about going.

But once I was there I was totally fine. I was the best patient ever!!!

My vet looked in my eyes,

and looked in my ears, and several other unmentionable places. (Blush) Then a few pokes and I was done!

I was such a happy girl!

Since I was so good I got to do a little shopping. I picked out snacks,

licked at few stuffies, (FYI: purple octopus patootie= not so yummy)

and did a little shopping for friends who have birthdays coming up.
(Doesn't that cat look like my bro, Peanut?)

I wanted LL to get me this foot,

but it freakishly looked like her own- same size and everything!- so she wouldn't get it for me.
"Come on LL! I won't confuse the two! Promise!"

It was a great day after all!
Both LL and me went to our doctors today, and both got excellent bills of health. To say that we are thankful would be putting it mildly. We are thankful for the good news, for the times we have together, and for each other to love. Especially in these times when so many others we know are grieving the loses of their health and their loved ones. Our hearts and prayers go out to you all.
Take the time to give your peeps a hug today and let them know you much you love them.

Fuzzy, wasn't he?

2010-05-21T19:10:00.003-07:00

Hi all! Sierra-dog here!

In my last installment we were all left wondering, "What did Sierra see on her trip in the area around Globe, AZ? We can barely stand it! What was it Sierra?"
It was so fun to paw through your guesses, they were great!

Well- it was a bear! A cub!

The peeps are making me post all of the pictures (even the fuzzy ones, sorry) of this bear because it was really something special that they saw it.

Here is what happened according to the peeps who were sitting in the cab of the truck:
LL: *Gasp!* What is that running across the road? A bear!
BM: It's a cub! He just came from over that hill.
LL and BM in unison: Where is the Momma bear? *Frantically looking around to see if they could see her, to no avail.*
BM: Where are the dogs?
LL: They are in the back- they are fine. What are they doing? They don't even seem to notice. Thank goodness!

The cub noticed the truck and quickly moved to a tree and started to partially climb up, looking startled.

Not wanting to frighten the poor baby any more they kept the truck moving, snapped a few more pictures and left.

Here is what happened according to the dogs who were sitting in the back of the truck: (ie Dexie and me):
Dexie: *Yawn!* I am so tired!
Me: I know! All that swimming really wears me out.
Dexie: Do you want some more lemonaid?
Me: No thanks, but will you pass the sunscreen? I think it missed a spot."
Dexie: Do you think I look fat?
Me: NO! In fact your coat looks great, especially after that algae bath.
Dexie: I still think you pushed me!
Me: I did not! Hey, what are the peeps doing? I think we slowed down.
Dexie: Oh, they are taking pictures again. Those crazy peeps are always taking a picture of something.
Me: Thank goodness it not of us this time...
Dexie: Yeah, for once! Hum... I'm going back to sleep.
Me: Me too. *snor*

Yep, we kinda missed it.

San Carlos camping, We saw a ??????

2010-05-19T12:03:00.001-07:00

Hi All! Sierra-dog here. My latest adventure included some Truck Camping on the Apache Indian Reservation outside of Globe, AZ.

It was super pretty there.

I drove.

Just kidding, BM said that I couldn't. So I was the navigator. I took this job very seriously and didn't lay down on the job...

much.

The peeps ate at their favorite restaurant in Globe. They think it is a must-stop if you like little dive restaurants were they serve Mexican food and chips with butter on them. Yummy and TOTALLY low-cal. *Cough, yeah right, Cough*

Here is our camp site. It wasn't bad! What was bad was the graffiti on the rock. At least it was pleasant.

I even got to sleep with the peeps in the back of the truck because I am special. Err.. Dexie got to also.

We started in on our hike down the creek when the peeps noticed how warm the water was.

We then noticed how much green stuff there was in the creek. BM says the warm water helps it to grow and it was EVERYWHERE!

Hum... more green stuff. LL called it "Algae".

A little down stream we heard a big "Splash!!!!" and Dexie was seen swimming through this!

Yuck!

"Um, Ma? Dexie says she needs some help getting out!"

Dexie: "Put away that camera and get me out! Oh, and you all can STOP LAUGHING and help me!" The poor thing looked like a green sea monster! She was not the least bit pleased with her little swim.

After that incident we decided to abandon the creek hike idea and go for a nice drive instead.

Dexie enjoyed the view from here much more then the creek. You can see how she is all cleaned off and her coat is very shiny. Who knew an algae swim would be so good for the furrs? I should have charged her for ~~pushing her in~~ kindly suggesting she may enjoy a therapeutic mud bath.

The peeps let us blaze the trail!

We found cow tanks and went swimming.

We were very pleased to see how BM's training on throwing sticks for us is progressing so nicely. He throws until his arm gets tired. Isn't he a great peep?

While on the drive guess what we saw? NO really, you're going to have to guess. Here are a few hints:
1) It was fuzzy.
2) BM and LL have never seen one in AZ before.
3) It's momma was not around.
4) We were glad we were in the truck.
Come back soon for pictures!

How to get a man!

2010-05-16T11:50:00.004-07:00

Well, as you know, Augie and Ti are my VBBs- Very Bestest BOYFRIENDS!
Some of the ladies have been writing in and asking, "How did you do it, Sierra? What do we do to get boyfriends too?" Well, ladies I have to say, "Just be yourself!" Once you show him your true furry fabulous self how could he not luv you? For instance:
Show him your winning smile,

Let him see your fantastic sense of fashion,

Show him your great sense of humor, and that you don't get grumpy (that often).

Let him know you're a good communicator.
"This means talk to the paw!"

Introduce him to your family. It's important that he know that your peeps are totally NORMAL- like mine! See...?

If you're into Sports that's a big plus! Show him how much you love Monday night football.
"Football, boring! Snor......"

Show him how selfless you are and how willing you are to share.
"This is my bone. Mine, Mine, Mine, Mine, Mine! I won't take me eye off it for a second."

But most of all remember- YOU ARE FABULOUS! (No matter what he thinks!)

Happy Mother's Day 2010

2010-05-08T16:13:00.000-07:00

We'd just like to say....

Happy Mother's Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Life is fuller with Mommy's around!

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mothers around the world. We are wishing you a very special day.
And special "Hello" to Gran-ma-ma. You are the best Mom ever!

Camping with the peeps in a plane!

2010-05-05T00:59:00.002-07:00

Hi All! A few weeks ago we went camping- for the first time ever! It was so fun! We camped from the plane. These are all the pictures we have (darn those batteries!) but we hope you enjoy.

Here we are ready to go! We were just so excited. New "Neck-R-Chiefs" AND a trip. It was a big day.

Safe and sound at Red Creek, AZ. Look at how green the desert was! (Yes peeps, this IS green- for us.)

BM landed us safely on the runway-type-thing behind us. (Yes peeps, this IS an airstrip- for us.)

Here is BM tying down the plane. That's Dexie grazing in the background.

There was lots of water, hiking, swimming, camp food and fun. But best of all was time spent with the peeps.
I love BM! Thanks for the safe trip!

How many licks to the center of a Family Pic?

2010-04-30T02:43:00.001-07:00

Hi All! Sierra-dog here.

I am about to take you behind the scenes of my little blog and show ya'll out there in blog-land how much work I put into my pictures.
Take for instance a family photo.

Awww, how sweet. But let's count how many pictures it took to get this one special picture.
Ready? Brace yourself....
1 . Run... ~~Forrest~~ BM...Run...

2. So close!

3. Oops, missing BM.

4. Me: "I DON"T WANT TO SIT UP!" Oh, and here comes BM- or at least his hand.

5. LL and me in a power struggle.

6. LL: Is something wrong with the timer?
Me: DUH!

7. Nice pants.

8. Boy, BM sure is getting a lot of exercise this way.

9. Don't sit on me!

10. Yep, we do it all for you.

How many bloopers do you go through until you get a blog-worthy pic? Are we ~~normal~~ just like the rest of you? =)

"S" is for Swimming

2010-04-22T00:32:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Sierra-dog here, and boy this is an exciting day! It's my first day of swimming for the season. Dexie can barely contain her excitement, or her tongue.

First toss!

First...wait for it...

...first plop.

Dexie's first fetch.

My first ball fetch.

Good job Dexie! (I taught her everything she knows.)

Wishing you the very best this swimming season!

Augie and Ti... Very Bestest Boyfriends EVER!

2010-04-13T00:36:00.003-07:00

Look what came in the mail for us from Augie and Ti!!!!!!!
Augie and Ti are so amazing. Just look at those boxes- so darling and creative! *Gush, gush*

Being the Very Bestest Boyfriends (VBBs) comes so easily for Augie and Ti. Dexie received a love note from Ti.

I got a love note from Augie!

Not only are the boxes pawsome, they had stuff in them too- GOOD stuff!

I got a mouse... which Dexie promptly wanted to steal. BM swooped in and saved the day.

Dexie got a raccoon...

Just when we thought it couldn't get any better we found more!

We each got Augie and Ti's very own Double Dog Bakery Natural Dog Treats! *Drool*

They are the best! (We are not just saying that because the boys are our VBBs. They are really, really good. LL and BM even threatened to try them, they smell so good. But we wouldn't let them.)

Sorry BM, those babies are ours! Mutts off!

Thank you SOOOOOO much Augie and Ti! We LUV you so much!

The treats are AMAZING. It was so hard to wait!

But I did, check out the video above!

Now for some action shots....
Mine!

Mine!

Thank you again Augie and Ti! You are the Very Bestest Boyfriends in the whole world!

Mooches Smooches to Augie and Ti!!!!!!!

A greatly needed outing

2010-04-09T09:40:00.003-07:00

Since life has been kinda quite around here lately when LL said "Let's hop in the car!" with major enthusiasm I was a little skeptical.
"Oh hum...a car trip. We are probably only going to the vet. Boooooring!"

A half hour later...
"Wait a minute! THIS isn't the vet!"

"We are at the State Park! PAWESOME!"

"Come on LL! We'll lead the way!"

Whew! That was quite a hike... look what we found...

Water!

And an Alien! Who knew they had these at the State Parks?

It was a wonderful day!

If your ever want to visit Montrose Pools like we did, go here:

From Tucson head north on Oracle road until you pass Tangerine. Look for the signs and the entrance into the park on the right. From Phoenix, take I-10 East to the Tangerine exit. Drive all the way down Tangerine until you get to Oracle. Turn left on Oracle then right into the park. Or- easier yet, give us a shout and we will join you! Leashed dogs are always welcome at the Catalina State Park.

Wordless Wednesday- Ahoy Mate!

2010-04-07T00:40:00.000-07:00

She's back from Costa Rica!

2010-04-06T00:05:00.001-07:00

Hi Ya'll! Big news- LL is back from Costa Rica! Ok, well she has been back for a little while, but she was super busy cozying up to a box of tissues for the last while, so things (like my blog) that did not involve turning over in bed, eating chicken soup, consuming a drug store worth of pharmaceuticals, or complaining incessantly about being soooo sick really took a back seat. Fortunately she feels much better and has resumed her position as my trusty editor and typist. Yea!

LL loved her trip and almost didn't come home at all. Gasp! She would have sent for me- I'm sure.
Here are her top 10 reasons for contemplating abandoning me and leaving me as an orphan with only BM to look after my care and feeding.
(She is totally joking, I'm sure. "Right ma? MA...? Right?" *Silence.* "MA! NOT funny!")

10 Ten reasons for staying in Costa Rica FOREVER:

1. The beach!

2. The beauty.

3. The group of amazing women who were all trying something for the first time. (LL is holding the blue and yellow board.)

4.The wonderful and talented surf instructors.

5. Accomplishing big goals. (Great job mom! Oh, I mean knarly dude!)

6. The waves.

7. The sunset.

8. The river rafting. (LL is in the orange shirt.)

9. The zip lines and meeting people who don't mind looking goofy too! (LL is in purple.)

10. Cliff jumping!

Top 3 reasons why LL came home from Costa Rica:

3. Hello? Who could stay away from this gorgeous face?

2. This one's not too bad either.

1. I think BM has this one in the bag. Awwwww. Look what was waiting for LL at the airport. So sweet!

Thanks for enduring LL's vacation pictures! I look forward to visiting you all soon and seeing what you have been up to.

Delay of Game

2010-03-05T18:41:00.000-07:00

Dexie has some news she just HAD to tell you. I, on the other hand, am very good at keeping my yapper closed. Baked beans anyone?

LL is going on a vacation for a couple weeks, so I'll be away from my blog for a while. LL thought letting us play with these giant stuffies would make the news easier to take, especially when she told us that we couldn't go with her...boy was she wrong.

Dexie: "WHAT? We aren't going too?"
Me: "I KNEW there was a catch to getting these stuffies. Ready Dexie? Do the sad face and make her feel bad."
LL: "I have never seen such faces on you two! I'll come back, I promise. Then I'll help you with your blog, Sierra. There may even be some awesome pictures to post when I get back."

So don't worry, folks. I'll be back blogging soon. Until then, I will be working on this stuffie. Although that may take a while!

I'll miss you all! Oh- and I'll miss LL too.

PS: Can you guess where she is going? Here are some hints:
1) She is going to another country!
2) The people in this country speak Spanish.
3) The country ranks first in the Happy Planet Index and is the "greenest" country in the world.
4) She will be spending most of her time doing this! (without me, boo-who!)

5) The country's currency is the colón (colones plural).
6) The country's flag:

Any guesses?

LOVE is in the Air!

2010-03-02T01:25:00.002-07:00

Spring is here and LOVE is in the air! As you probably have heard by now, Auggie and Ti have asked me to be their girlfriend!

Can you believe it? I am just so amazed, surprised, and humbled to be asked by such wonderful, generous, handsome and CLEAN boys. I am truly smitten. =)
Aren't they just the MOST handsome boys you ever did see?
Well, a girl cannot keep her boys waiting and wondering, "What will she say?!", so I enlisted the help of my trusty sidekick, Dexie, and my very favorite stuffies to help me answer Augie and Ti.
And my answer is:

Thank you so much Augie and Ti! I am yours 4-ev-R! Hum... but two boys can be a lot to handle. Dexie what do you say to helping me out?

There's a happy girl!

We LUV you Augie and Ti!

And now for the blooper reel: Find a compfie seat, there's a lot!
So cute, but can't read the signs!

A little too much leg.

Something smells good over there.

Me: Must hold head still. No drop flower. Dexie: Why did I get the dumb bow?

Otta here!

Kisses to Ti.

Smooches to Augie. And sooo many more bloopers, but I think you get the point! =)

Contest winner! And.... did you hear the BIG NEWS?

2010-03-01T00:45:00.006-07:00

Announcing the Winner of the "Count The Puppy Tongues" contest.
This was a toughie! And the answer? 18! We had 4 correct answers! (Don't feel bad guys, this was a REALLY tough contest!!! I think some of the pictures were pretty sneaky about those tongues- or lack of them! Next time will be easier.)
We put names in a hat.... ('cause we are old school)

And I pick....

THIS one.

Drum roll please..................
I can't wait! Who is it?

It's KHYRA!!!!! Congratulations Khyra! If you haven't met my friend Khyra, she is a serious beauty of a Siberian Husky who REALLY loves the snow. Give her a visit if you get a chance. She and her peeps are GREAT and do wonderful things for puppy rescue. Three cheers for Khyra!
Khyra, soon you will receive your prize if LL can pry it out of my mouth first!

(Scary green-eyed monster not included.) The silly woman actually thought that she could sneak this in the house without me noticing! Ha!
All kidding aside, our sincerest CONGRATULATIONS to you, Khyra!
Thank you to everyone who entered! I wish we could send everyone one of you a treat for trying. =)

And...NOW FOR THE BIG NEWS!
I have some admirers! *Blush*
You have to go and check out Augie and Ti's blog for all the details. As you may know, Dexie and I have a HUGE crush on these boys, so I bet you can guess my answer! =)
Stay tuned for the official word!

We hiked! Also featuring the Tongue Game...Good luck!

2010-02-25T00:01:00.005-07:00

Hi Everyone! Do you want to play a game? It's called "Count the Puppy Tongues." (Ok, so I totally made that up, can you tell?)
How many pink puppy tongues can you count throughout this post? Biggify if you feel the need.
Here an example of a picture with 0 tongues.

And here is an example of a picture with 1 tongue.

Got it? (I know it's not that hard, but a prize is involved, so I had to be clear.) Leave a comment with the CORRECT answer and you will be entered into the drawing for a little goody! The contest ends at 6pm (Tucson time) on February 28th, so you only have a few days. Good luck!

Ready? Start counting from here...

We Hiked!

We have stayed indoors WAY too much lately, but the sun was shining and we felt like an adventure. "Ye-Ha!" (That's Cowgirl talk for "Let's go ya'll. I'm itching to hike!")

LL ties on my imaginary leash. Freedom! But I have to come when called EVERY time.

"No problem!"

"Come on guys, I'll lead the way to our special rock."

We found "our" rock.

It's a special place to take a rest.

Good thing, because Dexie was dead-dog-tired.

LL smelled "something funny." After a while she pin-pointed the cause of the lovely odor. It may or may not have been the cow poo-poo that I rolled in on our way to the special rock. "Perfume of the Desert Gods" I call it. LL begs to differ. You can barely see it in this picture, but it smelled GREAT and made my fur so lovely- trust me.

Good 'ol BM says: "That's ok, Sierra. I'll hang out with you."
That's why he is my favorite peep.

That is also why I'm not even the slightest bit tempted to yell "Boo!" and startle him while close to the ledge. Although I thought about it... for a split second.

A hike in the desert wouldn't be complete without a picture in front of a giant Saguaro.

Hey! Where is BM going?

He found some more great rocks!

Dexie liked this one. So did I!

BM: "Well girl, can you find our way back to the truck?"

Me: "No problem! Just follow me."

The END(s).

How many puppy tongues did you count?
Good luck!

A note from the Editor: Don't worry guys, we had plenty of water for Sierra and Dexie and ourselves while we were hiking. It was just a warm February day and they did a lot of running around. We obviously got a lot of shots with them showing off their pretty pink tongues! =)

Tucson Rodeo Days

2010-02-24T18:14:00.002-07:00

Look what I saw out my front door this evening.

Happy Rodeo Days everyone!

Happy Memories- A THANK YOU TO MAX

2010-02-10T02:44:00.018-07:00

Lately me and the peeps have been thinking alot about dear Max who isn't doing very well. *sad face*
His Momma has encouraged us all to take the time to take "Mom and Pup together" photographs. Fortunately, LL and I have had lots to pictures taken to document the great times we have together. When LL got home from work today we got out our pictures and found these taken of us when we were first getting to know one another. Ah, happy memories! During that time we got to spend loads of time together. Training her was so important! I thought you may enjoy seeing these good ol' times photos of "Mom and Pup together" and a few more of me as a pup. And a big Thank You to Max for reminding us about the importance of taking the time to remember the good ol' days, and to see each day together as a wonderful gift. May we encourage you to tell your loved ones how much you love and appreciate them this week- even before Valentines Day.

Not life, but good life, is to be chiefly valued.
Socrates

It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

A friend is one who knows you and loves you just the same.

Elbert Hubbard

It is not length of life, but depth of life.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

The language of friendship is not words but meanings. Henry David Thoreau

Happy Valentines Week! We love and appreciate YOU!

Formal(ish) Introductions: Part 4- Me! Warning- serious cuteness ahead.

2010-02-04T00:50:00.000-07:00

January 2003...

LL: Lets go look at some Golden Retriever puppies.

BM: But we don't have any puppy food!

LL: Well, we aren't going to get the first puppy that we see. We have to research this. We have to take our time and make the the best choice, silly.

They hop in the truck and drive the 2 hours to Sierra Vista, AZ where they saw this:

My beautiful mug.

LL: She's perfect, we'll take her!!!!!

BM: She IS perfect, but what ever happened to researching and not taking the first one we see?

LL: What are you talking about? Just look at her sweet face!

*Scratch, Scratch, Scratch. Pen swishes over checkbook. Man holding checkbook has a very smug look on his face. I lick it.*

They were sold, and my work began.

The peeps stopped at a big store on the way home and purchased puppy chow. (BM didn't rub it in that he was right- TOO much. ) They also got a DRD- a Dog Recording Device. Known in other families as a "digital camera."

They started documenting what I was doing- and I started my work right away.

I slept...

cuddled wth Lovie Lady...

and slept some more. (It was a long ride to my forever home.)

I trained LL to give me treats.

Me: When I sit, you give me a treat- Ready?

Me: Now, give me the treat. Good peep!

Training LL was hard work, so I had to sleep some more.

I modeled for my adoring fans...

and caught up on my beauty rest.

I taught BM to give me treats too.

Me: Ok, lets go over this again. I shake your paw, you give me that tasty morsel. Got it?

It wasn't all work, I taught the peeps to take time to play everyday...

and I even taught Uncle T the game of tug!

The peeps were coming along very nicely, but their training would not be complete with out learning to throw.

I taught them to throw balls...

and doughnuts...

It was hard work *yawn* but the peeps turned out just fine...

and I could finally sleep...some more.

Wordless Wednesday, from: Glacier Park September 2009

2010-02-03T07:49:00.000-07:00

Formal(ish) Introductions: Part 3- Peanut, the face of pure evil

2010-02-01T07:02:00.002-07:00

I looked up "pure evil" in an old dictionary and this is what I found: A cat with horrific mood swings...

...who, unsurprisingly, looked just like Peanut! Wait...it IS Peanut.

I'm sure he was nice once upon a time. LL and BM have had him for 9 years and they think he's the best cat ever. Although, sometimes they call him by his formal name: "The Honorable B.P. Fluffernutter Grumpous Extrodinaire". Kinda' telling don't you think? He was a little stray kitty that LL found when she and BM were dating. He lived outside before they were married, but LL wanted him to be a house cat when they got a house of their own. He was the Puma of the house until one day...

This is how he reacted when they told him they were thinking about getting a puppy (me).

He was not pleased.

When I came home, he was pretty sure I belonged outside.

Peanut: "Ma, please tell me that thing is staying outside!"

But I came in- except for the Kitchen, and he knew that.

Peanut: "Ha Ha! You can't come in here!"

Me: "Maybe if I just put a toe in LL won't notice."

The peeps thought he would warm up to me.

They thought wrong.

Peanut: "Ma, you've got to be kidding me."

The peeps pointed out how cute I was and how we were almost the same size and even the same color!

Me: "Help! I'm not so sure about this. I think he wants to bite me!"

Peanut: "Hum...maybe I'll bite her and see how she tastes."

Fortunately he didn't bite ~~much~~ and asked to go outside.

Peanut: "Let me out ~~you traitors~~, please!"

And that is where he has been for 7 years now.

Peanut: "Which is just fine by me!"

He's a tough 'ol cat who has survived all these years in the desert and seems no worst for the wear.

LL worries about him all the time but he won't come inside unless it's cold and raining. Which is like ~~never~~ 3% of the year here in Tucson.

His major jobs are to lay in the sun, keep the pigeons off the roof, and to keep other cats from eating his food.

He is good at only two of those jobs. I bet you can guess which two!

Picture: Random neighbor cat on our back porch, looking very well-fed.

So Surprised!

2010-01-30T15:55:00.009-07:00

I am beyond excited. My WHOLE BODY is wagging! LL finally got home from her business trip and we had time to catch up with our blogging friends. I saw, to my delighted surprise, that I had received an award from Sugar. Thank you so much Sugar! Sugar has the most pawsome blog and has the sweetest Golden face I ever did see- no wonder her name is Sugar! Me and LL are so new to blogging we had no idea what to do with an award. (Newbies, augh!) Sugar's peep was so nice to help us out. That's true blogging friendship. Thanks Sugar's peep!
Check out Sugar's blog especially this one and tell me if you think we might be related.

Sierra-dog: 23/NOV/2003

I'm feeling the luv, and wanted to pass on the award.

This one is goes out to Augie and Ti.

I have to confess that Dexie and I have a HUGE crush on these boys.

Sierra: "Look, it's Augie and Ti's blog!"

Dexie: "Oh, I think I'm drooling!" *heart!*

Seriously, they're like super-model GRs. Oh my, so very, very handsome! *Blush*
I'm "Team Augie" and Dexie is "Team Ti". Good thing there are two of these gorgeous boys or else there may have been some serious fur flying around here! Their super pawsome blog is the reason I was able to convince LL to help me with a blog of my own. (Again, darn not having opposable thumbs!) Augie and Ti's peep was so super helpful and kind, and guided us on our way into the blogging world. Isn't that super nice? Thanks Augie and Ti! We give you a high-five!!

Formal(ish) Introductions: Part 2- Lovie Lady

2010-01-27T00:17:00.002-07:00

I'd like to introduce you to Lovie Lady. Sometimes I call her Walk Lady, Hiking Lady, Climbing Lady, Working-too-much Lady, Yoga Lady, Garden Lady, Flower Lady, Annoying-peep-with-the-Camera Lady, Training Lady, Puppy Raising Lady, Cooks-only-when-she-has-to-Lady. Yep, she has a lot of names. But the one I use the most is Lovie Lady because she LOVES me SO much.

She certainly does a lot of stuff, but one thing is for sure:
What she says goes! (in one ear and out the other. )
For example:

"No cats on the couch!"

"No babies on the bed!"

"No eating carrots in the Kitchen!"

"No grazing on the grass!"

"Sierra, come here!"

I think you get the point- she's the boss around here!

Public warning:

Sometimes I also call Lovie Lady the "Knitting Lady". There is a 99% chance that she will shamelessly try to publish some of her finished work on my blog!

Finished product, Gran-Ma-Ma's slippers

See!! I knew it! But don't I make a perfect model? And Dexie and I did help...

What do you help your peeps do?

Next time... Mr. Peanut, "The face of pure evil." (insert mysterious-sounding music here.)

Formal(ish) Introductions: Part 1- Tucson and Breakfast Man

2010-01-17T14:28:00.074-07:00

It has been so fun to get to know all kinds of new friends from around the world since I started blogging! What wonderful peeps and dogs we have met. "Hello!" to all of our new friends!
Since we are getting to know each other I thought it would be fun for you to know a little more about my peeps.

Where we live:
Breakfast Man and Lovie Lady (more on her later) live in Tucson, Arizona, USA.
We love it in Tucson because about 10 minutes from our house we get to hike here:

Tucson is located in the Sonoran Desert and gets really, really hot in the summer. Those tall things in the picture are called Saguaros and have big thorns on them so you really shouldn't do this:

Really, Lady what are you thinking?

"Why do your crazy peeps live there if it gets so hot?", you ask. Well, because both of these pictures were taken in December. (Just had to rub it in a bit for my friends like Byron who are living in the snow right now. Hi Byron! Stay warm!) October through May is so pretty here. It rarely gets below freezing and we get to play outside all spring, fall and winter. It's prefect for hiking, biking, climbing, flying (more on this to come), games of fetch- just about anything! During June, July and August and sometimes September we don't go outside unless we are wet or travel somewhere else. We spend ~~most~~ all of our time in the air conditioning or in the pool.

In Tucson there are a lot of people who live here in the winter and somewhere else in the summer. We call them "Snowbirds", aka: The smartest people ever. Someday the peeps hope to be smart.

A little more about Breakfast man (BM):
BM does bring home the bacon (yum...bacon...), but if he could, he would spend all of his time doing this:

Flying Pa's RV-7 in the middle of nowhere,

Flying our Cessna 172 over Pa's RV-7in the middle of nowhere,

Flying Uncle J's Cessna 140 with me in the middle of nowhere,

Flying Uncle J's Glider in the middle of nowhere, aka: El Tiro Gliderport.I think you get the point. He kinda loves to be up in the air in those silver birds and to borrow stuff from Uncle J. He taught me how to fly too! Here we are at my first lesson, age 12 weeks.

I loved it! I go everywhere I can with him, and we have had some fantastic adventures.

When BM and I aren't flying around in the middle of nowhere we are building our own RV-8 together.

When it's done it will look something like this:

Cousin J built that one himself and we all think he did a great job. LL thinks it's super pretty, but I think it could use a bit more fur in it. I'll have to work on that.

I am super- lucky to have such a great peep. He is my very best friend.

Next up... Lovie Lady and Mr. Peanut.

Me: 1; Kids: 0

2010-01-12T18:15:00.010-07:00

Every once in a while, and especially around the Holidays, the peeps get all sentimental and talk about if it's time to add to the numbers of our happy little family. Yeah, I know. Crazy talk. That's the peeps for you. Always wanting more. More fur babies? I ask you, what more could they ask for than this?:
(Insert picture of our gorgeous selves looking very cute and well- behaved. Check!)

Then it dawned on me. Maybe, just maybe, they weren't talking about FUR babies. Maybe they were talking about those little things that cry, smell funny, and look kinda like peeps- only smaller. They are called "kids". That got me worried. What would happen if the peeps start to like kids better then Dexie and me? What would happen if the peeps started to think that kids are cuter and more well behaved? Will we be coldly brushed aside clinging helplessly to our DVD of Lady and the Tramp muttering incoherent sentences about Jock and Trusty being right all along? Something had to be done. Fortunately, I was able to get my paws on this picture that was taken at the 2009 family New Years get-together.

As you can see....

...I am no longer worried.

Big Fat Traitors

2010-01-04T08:47:00.003-07:00

It's just not in my nature as the sweetest Golden ever, but I have to say I am a little put out. I was looking through the pictures on Lovie Lady's computer and look what I found! Gasp! The peeps went out and had fun without me this weekend! Can you believe it? I thought they were going to work or something like that. But NO- they were having a blast and I wasn't invited... and here is undeniable proof. See?
They took off on Uncle J's ("Hi " Uncle J!) motorcycle and went somewhere totally fun without me!:

Breakfast Man tried to make excuses like, "Sorry girl, but animals aren't allowed at the Desert Museum." But look at all the animals they saw at the Museum.
Mountain Lions,

Bob cats,

Deer,

Prairie dogs, (dogs? See, there were dogs there!)

Harris Hawks held by the wonderful docents,

Even my cousins the Wolves were there!

And they have snakes at the Desert Museum,

Wait a minute! Snakes???

Never mind! Glad you had a fun and safe time without me peeps!

Happy Birthday Wishes to Breakfast Man

2009-12-31T02:21:00.014-07:00

+ a few years =

To my Best Friend:

Happy Birthday!

Love, Sierra-dog

Why not? Wednesday (A Skiing Adventure)

2009-12-30T23:41:00.007-07:00

Nordic Skiing for the first time with the peeps who had never been before? Why not?! That's exactly what we just did. It was PAWESOME! While spending Christmas in Sedona we headed up to the Flagstaff Nordic Center in Flagstaff, Arizona to play around in this white stuff. Breakfast Man says it's called "snow" and it's really rare where we live. I've only seen it twice before and never in my backyard.
Did you know you can eat it? Yum...yum...yum. (but watch out for the yellow stuff. Yuck!)

They were super nice, and even allowed peeps to ski on the Upper and Lower Dog trails too. Isn't that sweet of them?

Sometimes we would make our own trails.

The original plan was to go Skijoring with the peeps.
In Maine it looks like this:

In Arizona it looks, ummm... more like this:

After a few fumbles in the begining the peeps really got the hang of it! Dexie even pulled Lovie Lady a little bit. We are going to count that as Skijoring and check that one off the bucket list. Fun was had by all and we are definitely doing it again someday. The best part? A nice spot in the sun with the peeps after a great day in the snow. Check out Dexie really getting into the cuddling. Lovie Lady just luvs that. What a momma's girl.

Look Ma! I have my own blog.

2009-12-29T02:45:00.009-07:00

Hi peeps and pups! I am Sierra-dog. Nice to meet you. My goal for 2010 is to start a blog- and well, it looks like I am getting a head start on the New Year. A great big welcome to all who happen upon these pages. Trust me, if you were close I would give you a welcome lick, but since we are virtual friends you have been spared. If you are really feeling disappointed about that, click here.

Now, I want to make one thing very clear: I am a dog. I don't have opposable thumbs. Shocking, I know. I plan to get to the bottom of all that someday, but until then Lovie Lady has agreed to type for me. Isn't she a dear? (She put that in. Stick to the script lady.) She works a lot- a nasty habit which I intend to break her of- so I have to wait patiently for her to gather enough time to transcribe for me. Check in often to read about my adventures and all the news from my peeps. It's great to meet you. Come again!