Hello Fall 2024!

Happy Sunday everyone! Another beautiful day on the way. The last few weeks have been simply spectacular! 

This past week was good. Russell had a bit of a set back, saw his doctor last Monday and was put on antibiotics. He seems better this morning although he still has a nagging lingering cough. His focus now is to recover completely from the effects of COVID and stay healthy for his upcoming knee replacement surgery, which could take place in the next few months. This means taking the necessary measures to avoid catching anything else between now and then. The same goes for me. If I get sick, I can't be a good nurse 😏 

Our boys are doing very well. Sherlock got his Leptospirosis vaccine last week. He had no reaction whatsoever. He will get a booster in three weeks. Merlot will get his first shot mid October. As I'm writing this blog, they are both chasing each other on the deck. They are hilarious to watch. The giraffe is in the mix again today after taking a back seat last week for a few days...the pink rabbit took over.

We haven't done much yard work yet but Russell got me some long handled shears which will make it easier to cut back all perennials....my back will thank me for it. 

The HABS training camp started last Wednesday. I've been following the exploits of the new recruits and listening to the various media posts. The home opener is on October 9 against Toronto. I can't wait! I am hopeful the 2024-2025 season will last longer than last year. It is a wonderful time of the year 😄

Yesterday, Sherlock and I had our second Obedience class. I have to say that the training we are doing at home is paying off. He is doing quite well and makes me proud. Having done this class before also gives me an advantage. I have learned a number of little tricks over the years to make any type of training more fun and showing lots of enthusiasm is one of them. It works every time!

So, today is the first day of Fall. In honour of this brand new season, I am making a chicken pot pie for dinner. Yummy! 

That's my blog on this first day of Fall.  The rest of the day will be spent doing what we love to do on a Sunday at this time of year...watch football, read a book, play with the pooches. We might get a few walks in this week. We will see how Russell is doing. 

Have a great week and a beautiful Fall!

Sherlock and Merlot together at the
ready by the BBQ...hurry up and
start that BBQ Russell.

Keeping an eye on the backyard is
hard work but these two are up
for the challenge.

TV time in comfort...Russell enjoys his spot
on the floor LOL!

Merlot spotted a squirrel and chased
it up the tree...he was standing
guard to make sure it didn't
 come back down.

Merlot having fun breaking in the pink
rabbit, it was a Spicy toy.

...over to Sherlock to continue the effort to soften
up the rabbit.

Nap time for Merlot.

BBQ attendants...

The year of the spider....this one
set his web up on the deck.

Best time of the year for HABS fans!

Marching into Fall colours, this moment with 
Cooper and Spicy captured October 1, 2020.

Summer in September

Happy Sunday everyone! Wow, September is turning out to be quite beautiful. We are enjoying every minute of this Summer type weather. I read that this will continue well into October. Bring it on!

This past week was good although on the low key side. Russell is recovering nicely from his encounter with COVID. I thought I could escape it but I didn't. My symptoms were milder than Russell's, the worse one feeling low energy. This too shall pass. 

We didn't do much other than enjoy the gorgeous weather. We got a bit of work done outside and cut the grass. We had planned on going apple picking but we didn't feel up to it. It's on our agenda for this week.

Merlot and Sherlock are doing very well. They are both such wonderful boys, each with its unique personality and very endearing.  We have nicknamed Sherlock "FOMO", for Fear Of Missing Out. He doesn't miss a beat, what a character! Merlot is a snuggler through and through. He loves the comfort of his blankets and adores being picked up.... but he also loves to play "catch me if you can" with his buddy. He's very good at that game! Those two have become very close yet they are independent in their own way. It is nice to watch them grow.  Sherlock is now 10 months old and Merlot is coming up to 16 months. We have a 1st birthday coming up in November!

Yesterday, I took Sherlock to his first Obedience class. He made me proud. There were six other dogs with us. It's a small class with lots of space to practice. Our instructor is Janice, she  taught Cooper and I back in 2016. It was nice to see her again. The assistant instructor is our front door neighbour Peter. We have six more weeks of training then it will be Merlot's turn. It's all good and fun.

On Tuesday, we decided to book our trip to Italy for May 2025. We will start off in Sorrento as our base camp for one week. We will be staying at our favorite hotel, Bellevue Syrene. We still have lots to explore in that area. On top of our list is to have dinner at Lo Scoglio, in the seaside village of Marina del Cantone on the Amalfi Coast. Highly recommended by many. From Sorrento, we will make our way to Rome for 4 nights, staying at another of our favorite place, Hotel De La Ville. Unlike all of our previous trips, we will be flying out of Montreal. It will be so much easier than going through Toronto. Our pooches will be boarded with Myriam. Easy peasy. 

Those are my little news for today. Russell is getting ready to give our boys a bath. I might do a bit of yard work. Tomorrow, Sherlock gets his Leptospirosis vaccine. It should go well. Merlot gets his mid-October.

Have a great week everyone! 

On the steps...BBQ Buddies hoping for a
tasting....not happening

A fragrant stream of applewood
smoke reaches for the sky. Wings
for dinner.

Sherlock and his giraffe...can you
see the auburn coming in on his coat
in the bright sunshine

The boys bouncing on the trampoline.

Merlot inspecting the yard beyond the fence.

Merlot loves his comfort.

Merlot on his Muskoka chair or is 
that Cooper? Uncanny resemblance

Game on...the giraffe is always in play.

A little worse for wear the 
alpaca is missing a few body parts.

Cooper and his deck mate Spicy enjoyed 
surveying the backyard as seen in the 
photo from September 25, 2023.

Fall is in the air

Happy Sunday everyone! The air is fresh and cool this morning but the skies are clear. A nice change from the rainy day we had yesterday. When we took the pooches out at 6 am, it was only 7 celsius....Fall is in the air 🍂

This past week was rather quiet. Russell tested positive for COVID a little over a week ago, first time. He's not sure where he got it, it doesn't matter but clearly the virus is still circulating. One thing is for certain, we are grateful for the vaccines as we can only imagine how much worse he could have been. The first few days were rough, mostly dealing with respiratory and aching issues. Russell thought he turned a corner on Thursday then Friday was not so good. He is better now although his energy level is low and he has a lingering cough. I did not get it. 

On a more positive note, our little boy Merlot had his visit with Dr. Javard on Thursday. His kidney levels are back to normal, even better than we he left ICU on August 27.  Dr. Javard attributes Merlot's full recovery to his good health, youth and receiving prompt treatment when his symptoms first appeared. He will be on antibiotics for another two weeks just to be on the safe side, then one more follow up in early October, followed by the Leptospirosis vaccine. We have an appointment for Sherlock to get vaccinated in one week. 

With this frightening episode behind us, we can now focus on more enjoyable things such as Obedience training for the pooches. This coming Saturday, Mr. Sherlock and I will attend our first class together. Then, on November 2, I will do the same with Merlot. That's how I will spend the next 14 Saturdays. I look forward to it. Our boys should do well...we've been practicing at home. They love training for treats 😊

Not much else is happening. The weather forecast for this coming week is looking nice and warm. We are still enjoying our deck and are not quite ready to "move" into the house just yet. On rainy days such as yesterday, we keep warm with blankets. Merlot and Sherlock have enjoyed some snuggling moments with us 💕

That's my blog for today. I wish you all a great week!

A little impromptu training with Russell. 

A perfect duo from any point of view...
eyes on the yard.

TV time comfort.

Dancing in the yard...these two always find
the joy in life!

Sherlock with some cosy snuggle time
with me and plenty of blankets.

Merlot is an equal opportunity snuggler and
he loves a warm lap and blanket.

Ready for a little cone training.

Cooper and Spicy took their job of Neighborhood
Watch seriously as seen in the image
captured October 6, 2018.

Labour Day Celebration

Hello everyone and Happy Labour Day Weekend! We are celebrating...our little boy Merlot is back home and all is good!

This past week started with the best news. On Monday afternoon, we got a call from the ICU vet at DMV letting us know that Merlot's creatinine levels were back to normal, at 108,  the normal range being 44-159. He was discharged at dinner time on Tuesday after spending 4 nights in ICU. Just to give you a sense of how severe his condition was, his creatinine levels were at 590 when he was admitted on Friday, August 23. 

A PCR Lepto test confirmed that Merlot got Leptospirosis. As a result, it caused an acute kidney injury. Merlot's recovery is nothing short of remarkable. As Myriam said, this is the best possible outcome we could have hoped for. He is a tough little guy 💗 We always thought that the risk of getting Lepto was minimal given where we live but we are now told that the heavy rains have caused infected urine from rodents to surface everywhere, even in the best manicured lawn 😏 Food for thought for pet owners.

The discharge appointment was at 4 pm on Tuesday. Myriam and I went together, really grateful for her support. We were given instructions for meds, home care, etc. Easy peasy. We were so happy to see Merlot and he was so happy to see us. Mr. Sherlock and Russell were patiently waiting for him at home. It was the best reunion. It didn't take long for our boys to get back in the groove. It's as if nothing ever happened. 

Merlot will need some follow ups for a little while to make sure his kidneys are functioning properly. As such, he will be followed by Dr. Javard, the internal medicine specialist who took such good care of our Cooper. We specifically asked for him. We know him well and trust him completely. We will have our first visit with Dr. J this coming Thursday. It will be bittersweet to see him again.

Needless to say that Merlot's coat was not in the best shape when he got home and that could not be helped. Russell got on it first thing Wednesday. Bit by bit, he removed all the tangles, knots and mats. We know that Merlot felt so much better without those mats pulling on his skin. Then he got a bath on Thursday. It was a true labour of love on Russell's part. 

Those are my little good news for this week's blog. It's hard to believe that today is September 1. Sweater weather is upon us! I leave you with some pics taken after Merlot got home. As you can see, our boys quickly found their rhythm again. We love them so much 💕 Have a lovely week everyone! 

A welcome home tug-of-war...who will win?
It does not matter, just glad to see this
spirited action between these besties.

 

Sherlock says welcome home Merlot, are we 
watching TV or rumbling?

New play spots on the deck,
Merlot taking charge of the giraffe.

 

Side by side as they should be...looking up for
treats, birds or was that a squirrel?

Second day home after 4 days in ICU, looking
mat free, tangle free and handsome as ever.

Those eyes and that giraffe say it all.

Completely relaxed and laying on his
back, Merlot is home.

Relaxing in the park while out for a walk,
Coop and Spicy knew how to enjoy life...
this moment captured, September 3, 2020.