Last day in paradise

Happy Sunday everyone! This is our last full day in Barbados, we fly home tomorrow. The past 12 days have flown so quickly, it's unreal. 

Here's a small recap since my last blog. Our week started a little on the slow side. Russell came down with a bug of some kind which lasted 24 hours. We're not sure what caused it. Ginger/lemon tea and bland food for a couple of days did the trick then he was back to his old self. 

We haven't done much since we got here other than relax completely. Yesterday, I finished the 963 page book that I started just before leaving, Southern Man by Greg Iles. What a book, what a story, very in tune with the world that we currently live in. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was the perfect vacation book.

We've been eating well, lots of fish. We went to a number of our favorite restaurants, Tapas and Champers. Last night, we went to Tides on the west coast and it was a huge disappointment. We had been twice before in past trips and really liked it but this time around, it didn't do it for us. The vibe and the food just weren't there. 

There are two cats that roam around the hotel. One of them reminds us of Sherlock 😂 only because she likes to stay close to people, most likely hoping to get some food. She doesn't beg, she simply lies down on the ground and pretends to sleep. We named her "mooch" although her name is Maxime. I am not a cat person at all but I do find "mooch" a little endearing. 

We will be going home with a nice glow and a good dose of vitamin D. We look forward to seeing Merlot and Sherlock again. We miss them a whole lot. We've been showing their photos to anyone who's interested LOL! We will pick them up Tuesday morning. No doubt they will be over the moon happy to see us 💕

Our routine will resume and so will watching hockey, starting with a game on Tuesday night. Thanks again Linda for keeping me in the loop with the play by play updates. Our Habs are doing so well, hoping to get that playoff spot. Then, on Wednesday, if all goes according to plan,  Artemis 2 moon mission will launch at 6:24 EDT. I will be glued to the NASA live TV all day!

That's my blog for this last Sunday of March. As we're about to say "au revoir" to Barbados, we're also saying "see you next year". We have booked our return for March 2027. Have a great week everyone! 

Panorama view from our balcony at sunrise!

A long view of the Dover Beach, 
end to end it is about 1.6 kms long.

Sunsets rarely disappoint and this one was
spectacular!

Here I am having a swinging good
time, with the waves crashing
behind me.

Can there ever be too many sunsets...
like snow flakes, no two sunsets are the same!

Sunrise from our balcony!

Two fishermen, wonder what they'll be having for 

dinner...a daily appearance on Dover Beach.

The All Star Barbados steel band, they are all

aging well and never fail to entertain.

Bajan vibes

Happy Sunday from beautiful Barbados! It's 6 am, we've been up for an hour, just like back home. It will be another sunny, hot and windy day although we are now having a little bit of rain. Liquid sunshine as we call it. 

Our journey to Barbados went very smoothly. We arrived last Wednesday and received a huge "welcome back" from the staff that we have gotten to know over the years. Hugs and big handshakes were plentiful. We had requested our favorite room and we got it. Our last visit to Southern Palms was in 2022. It feels good to be back.

We've been putting our steps in, walking up and down Dover beach. The sea has been a little rough with a red flag warning not to swim in a section of the beach. It's great for those who like to surf though. 

We've been eating well. The food at our hotel is delicious, especially the grilled Mahi-Mahi. We had dinner at Mimosa on Friday, it was also good. On Tuesday, we will be going to one of our favorite restaurants, Tides, on the west coast. Then on Thursday, we're going to Champers, another favorite of ours. 

It goes without saying that we miss our boys. We hear they are doing well. It looks like there is snow again back home. Hopefully this is the last of it. 

Although I haven't been watching hockey, I've been following each game thanks to my friend Linda who's been sending me the play by play by messenger. A few quick peeks at my phone to check out the score...can't help myself. What a win last night! 

Today is the famous Sunday Pie Lunch at our hotel...chicken pot pie, macaroni pie, shepherds pie...you get the idea. It attracts so many locals. There will also be a steel band playing. It will be fun and very Bajan.

That's my blog for today. Our photos are simple....sunrise and sunset landscapes. No two sunrises or sunsets are ever the same, yet each one feels like it belongs perfectly to that moment.  Have a great week everyone!

If you have ever watched the Simpsons...
you would know these clouds as puffy
Simpsons clouds.

A warm radiant sunset as seen from our balcony 

Pastel skies painted by the setting sun
and a lonely palm tree.

Magical colours and waves to match.

Me deep in thought; how are the boys doing,
what to eat, will the Habs win, oh and
where is Russell?

A lovely evening at Mimosa restaurant, 

seaside with Russell.

Early morning views from the balcony of

 our room at Southern Palms.

Counting down to island time

Happy Sunday everyone! We're half way through the month already. How did that happen! 

This past week brought a mix of crazy weather. We started the week with mild temps and gorgeous sunshine. We had great walks by the lake and it was especially nice to walk on grass. Then the ice storm hit us on Thursday, although it did not seem as bad as predicted. Since we had so much grass showing in the backyard, it made it easier to maneuver through the ice build up. 

Yesterday morning, we woke up to about 5 cm of wet, sticky snow. We immediately decided to put the slush suits on Merlot & Sherlock. It was a wise decision. They literally spent a whole five minutes chasing each other before they even got their first pee done LOL!  Watching those two crazy puppies play in the snow is pure joy 💕 Despite the heavy snow, Russell was able to use the snow shovel on the patio and I put my snowshoes to work to pack down the rest of the doggie yard.

Russell and I are officially counting down the sleeps until our trip to Barbados. Last Friday, we both had a pedicure. Despite having had an ice storm the day before, the parking lot was dry so I was able to walk out with my flip flops. When I got home, all the boys wanted to do was lick my freshly painted toes! You gotta love them!

Today is my brother's birthday. He is coming for lunch. It will be nice to see him again. After he leaves, I will get some packing done. Russell is basically packed, I'm nowhere near done. It will all come together, it always does. 

That's my blog for today. The next one will be from beautiful Barbados! I leave you with a few photos and videos taken last week. The one of Merlot & Sherlock with their Barbados caps is now our screensaver on all our devices. They will be in our hearts every day of the trip 💓 Have a great week everyone! 

Bajan dogs on the beach...

Slush suits and snowball paws...did these two 
have fun romping in the sticky wet snow?!

Icicles graced the bird-feeders after
the 'big' ice storm.

Early morning catch me if you can in slush suits 

in the sticky snow...so much fun!

TV time normal moments on the sofa...

Post dinner nap for the boys and their toys 

Cooper and Spicy were dwarfed by
the mounds of snow in the 
backyard, this moment 
captured March 5th, 2023.

 

Spring forward into the light

Happy Sunday everyone! With the clocks moving forward, we are given the gentle promise of longer and brighter days ahead. I love this time of year even if it brings messy and sometimes treacherous outdoor conditions. 

Yesterday morning, we woke up to an inch of water covering our entire patio area. When we took our boys out first thing in the morning, they literally stopped dead in their tracks as if there was nowhere to go. It was actually funny to watch them. They have become quite the puddle jumpers. Throughout the course of the day, the water receded. As a contrast, we woke up this morning to a dry patio and a glazed and icy backyard. Grateful for crampons!

This is our last full week at home before our trip to Barbados. In preparation for this trip, I got one very important thing done.... I started a hard cover book that I bought in May 2024, Southern Man by Greg Iles, one of my favorite authors who passed away last Summer.  It picks up the story from the Natchez Burning Trilogy that I absolutely devoured in 2018. Incidentally, I read part of the trilogy during a trip to Barbados back then . Although I read most of my books on an e-reader, Southern Man is one worth reading on hard copy. I had promised myself I would start it before our trip just to ease into the story. I am 286 pages into it, 677 to go. The storyline resonates deeply with the world we're currently living in.  It will make for such good beach reading. 

We have a busy week coming up with a few appointments here and there. The weather tomorrow and Tuesday is looking beautiful, sunny and quite warm. I might just bring a chair out on the patio and get a head start on my tan LOL!

Russell is doing well and keeps busy with municipal matters that he's dealing with. He calls himself an agitator....he enjoys it immensely. 

I leave you with a few short videos that I took of the boys. They are enjoying their thinking games. I vary them daily and each game is a new challenge.  I also include a cute video of Merlot and his 4 pm routine every night. He spreads out his toys and goes from one to the other. Too funny to watch. While he does that, Sherlock is on my lap waiting for his dinner.

I end this blog by wishing everyone the best of luck in the Milano Cortina Paralympic Winter Games. Canada has three medals already, well done!  Have a great week everyone and Happy International Women's Day to all the incredible women everywhere!

Ice Ice Baby...the boys are studying their path
forward from the dry patio to the potty zone.

Sherlock and Merlot enjoying a patch of grass
at Edgewater Park last week.

Who needs to buy Swiffer pads when 
you have these two fluff balls.

Sherlock...sound asleep while the Habs play
the Kings! A 4-3 victory for the Habs!

Merlot on lookout duty!

Merlot navigating a new "thinking" course.

Sherlock is a quick study as he finds his way

through the course.

Rituals...Merlot has his and this one is always

at 4PM just before dinner...he gathers his

friends for a toss around.

Two chews to go please, Cooper and Spicy 
always enjoyed their chews and this moment
was captured March 22, 2018.

 

Hello March!

Happy Sunday everyone! We woke up to some cold temps but I see a warm up later this week. Yesterday was quite mild and sunny and it felt like a true Spring day. One morning last week, we were given another sign that Spring is on its way...there was the unmistakable smell of skunk. Yikes 😏

This past week was good and busy. Russell attended the monthly Beaconsfield council meeting and it got very rowdy. It made for an interesting night. I stayed home with the boys and watched CNN. Far more interesting LOL!

On Wednesday, I had an emergency eye appointment as my floaters were bugging me. I've had them for well over 20 years. I got a very extensive eye exam and all is good. I had this vision, no pun intended, that I would not be able to get on a plane due to some eye issues. 

Our boys are doing well. I signed them up for an online fitness program with Fun Fit Canin. The exercises are not complicated but they need to be done correctly and at a slow, controlled pace so the right muscles are properly engaged. My goal is to slow Merlot & Sherlock down when doing any type of training. Both get so excited, especially little Merlot. Sherlock is a bit more calm. They are still very much puppies at heart and such good boys 💕

Our nephews and Julie came over yesterday. They couldn't make it to our Christmas dinner as they were all sick. It was nice to see them again and catch up on life.

Those are my little news for this blog. It is school break this week in Quebec. The weather should cooperate for all outdoor activities. Have a great week everyone!

Merlot and Sherlock in a snow bank...fun times!

No theses are not new seat cushions...a daily
morning routine, pull out the chairs for a place
at the table for Merlot and Sherlock.

Dancing or wrestling...these guys
know how to have fun.

Merlot on the BOSU...good for
balance and coordination.

Sherlock did his thing on the BOSU 
too....excellent balance and topknot!

New snow, new day and more fun times!

Sherlock engaged in a new version of 

the 'thinking game'.

Merlot was up for the challenge of the 

'thinking game' too.

Cooper and Spicy looking like 
the perfect angels that they were,
this moment February 5th, 2022.