It was a white Christmas...

...in Montreal.  Plenty of snow for Cooper to play in and get snowballs all over his soft coat.  We all had a great Christmas and our family was very happy to meet Cooper.  The drive to Montreal was uneventful. Once we got to my parents' place, Cooper was a little disoriented, having to get used to a new place and new people to meet, but he was very well behaved once past the "snooping around" stage, which lasted just a few hours.  He did not go near the Christmas tree, it was as if it didn't exist. Cooper behaved the same way at Russell's mom's place.  We were extremely proud of him for behaving so nicely, but then again, we were not surprised.  Cooper is a well balanced dog, sure he has his moments like all dogs, but he is also very calm.  This was his first major trip and it was a success.  It was a lot for him to handle, two new houses to sleep in, Christmas smells, many people to meet, non-stop disruptions during the day from the comings and goings of all of us, having to find new favorite spots to do his "business", but he took it all in stride.  I would be remiss if I didn't add that we treated Cooper to a few small pieces of turkey....he sooooo enjoyed that!

As we were driving back home yesterday, Russell and I were reflecting on the past few days.  It was nice to spend Christmas with our family and Cooper added a bit of "je ne sais quoi".  We both felt a surge of pride for Cooper for having been such a good dog.

So, we're back home and a more normal life has returned for Cooper.  One of the things that we must do this week is buy him a winter coat and booties.  Although he probably may not need those in Toronto, he certainly will in Huntsville.  The snowballs caused by the snow in Montreal were not a fun thing to have, it was even worse when salt got in his pads and the snow formed iceballs.  We were as careful as possible to make sure he didn't walk where there was a lot of salt, but it is a winter reality and we must be prepared.

On the log home front, the sub floor is now complete and I attach a picture sent to us by Matt.  This picture was taken at dusk on December 23.  After the Christmas break, the work for the geothermal heating will start, Matt will continue to work on the log home, with an expected delivery to the site around mid-January.  It will be very exciting to see our house erected on the foundation.

I hope you all had a great Christmas.  I attach a picture of Cooper taken at my parents' house, by the fireplace. He is such a poser..... Until next blog, have a great week.  I will write again in 2012.

Merry Christmas to One and All!

Well, this is it.  One week today it will be Christmas. This means that Cooper gets two weeks off from Obedience school...he is happy about that! But we will keep at it, at home, every day, for short sessions at a time.  Training is actually fun and the best part for Cooper is that he gets to eats lots of treats, and some of those treats are quite high value for him!  I have to share with you a funny story.  This past Thursday, we attended his first Obedience class.  It was very good, 6 dogs with one instructor and the class lasted one hour.  During the class, Cooper got a bit tired of the treats he was getting, as such he was a tad excited and disrupting...to distract him, the teacher gave him a beef bone filled with Cheez Wiz.  He went crazy for the bone and ate all the Cheez Wiz.  Just imagine, his little face was yellow with gooey cheese.  It was actually funny to look at but very messy (personally, I didn't care for that look but I let it pass).  Needless to say that once we got home, the first thing we did was washed his face with soapy water.

I have to say that all the training that we are doing with Cooper is paying off (thank you Russell!).  We are seeing a HUGE difference when we take him for walks. The teacher says that, ultimately, when walking with a dog, we should not "feel" the dog at all, in other words, it should be as if the dog is walking by our side, with no leash.  Well, we are probably 80% there.  I went for a walk with Cooper twice this weekend, alone, for one hour each time, and I totally noticed the improvement.  It was as if we were just both out for a walk, walking side by side, looking at each other from time to time. I was very impressed.  I should add that during this afternoon's walk, Cooper and I came face to face - rather nose to nose with a Rottweiler.  I asked Cooper to sit, the owner of the Rottweiler asked his dog to do the same, and both dogs were just looking at each other, no barking, no pulling on the leash.  Then they nosed each other for a few minutes and that was that.  Nothing more, nothing less - doggie heaven.

This past week, we took Cooper to daycare for 2 hours at Doggie Central, The Garage.  This was our first time away from him since we got him 5 weeks ago.  The experience was very good for Cooper.  As for Russell and I, we had lunch at a restaurant literally 3 minutes away from the daycare.  It was actually nice for the two of us to enjoy a meal in a restaurant and we did have a good time, although we looked at our watch more than once. We both looked at each other at one point and realized that we really missed Cooper.  He is truly part of our family unit.

Other than that, it was a good week for all of us. My Christmas baking is complete, we are getting ready to go home for Christmas.  We first have to go to Huntsville this coming Tuesday to meet with Matt and tie up a few loose ends before the Christmas break. Matt is actually working at our lot all of this week, getting the sub floor ready.  We will bring Matt some of our Christmas cookies.

We also have to give Cooper a bath before we go home.  He will be smelling sooooo good and be all fluffy.  I just realized that, so far, the blog has been about Cooper, well almost.  He is just such a big part of our lives now that everything we do involves Cooper. Yesterday, Russell and I had to run a few errands so we took Cooper, and we each took turns to wait outside with him while one of us would go in to a store.  That reminds me, yesterday we had to throw away his favorite toy, a crinkle newspaper.  It was getting too dangerous for him to play with. So, while running errands yesterday, we went to every pet store possible to try and find this same toy.  No luck, until we found Pet Value, which had 4 "newspapers" left.  It turns out that this toy is now discontinued.  I bought all four!  I was like a kid in a candy store, so happy to have found Cooper his favorite toy.

I guess this is all the news I have for this week.  Cooper is now watching football with Russell, patiently waiting for his dinner. I now have to fill Cooper's stocking, and Russell's!  I hope you all have a great Christmas.  I will do my next blog around December 27.

Merry Christmas, from Anne, Russell and Cooper!  xoxoxo

It's beginning to smell like Christmas....

I started the Christmas baking today and Cooper is guarding the oven,  patiently waiting for crumbs to hit the floor...either accidentally or on purpose...he doesn't care.  I am actually very careful to make sure raw cookie dough doesn't hit the floor as I read that it is bad for dogs and humans alike. In any event, the baking has started and I still have more to do, including a batch of dog cookies for Mr. Cooper.  Unlike other years, where I would do all my baking  in one day due to time constraints, as a retiree I now have the luxury to spread the baking over many days.  Very nice!

On the log home front:  the foundation was inspected and approved, therefore backfilled.  Geothermal drilling is finished.  We contracted with our snowplower in Huntsville, just in time for all the snow that fell this past week. Huntsville was to get up to 20 cm of snow this week.  Can't wait to live there! We need to keep our driveway clear for Matt and the crew over the coming months.  All is tracking fine for the house and we expect to go to Matt's Yard and Huntsville one more time before Christmas.

This was a very good week for all of us.  Cooper kept busy with lots of walks,  lots of training and he is "getting it".  I have to say that Russell is doing an amazing job at training Cooper and it is very noticeable, even by complete strangers - one fellow with a Weimaraner even said he'd trade dogs with us. When we walk, the leash is loose and he constantly "checks in" with Russell. We don't overdo the training but we keep at it. We used our 30 feet leash a number of times so that Cooper just could "run like hell", a Havenese trait, and boy did he!  I tried to get a video but he was too fast for me.  I will try again this week.  Russell and I had our monthly haircut appointments in Toronto this past Saturday.  We took Cooper with us, although we were debating on Friday night if one of us should cancel and stay home with him.  We didn't know how he would behave, especially since the hair salon is in the Commerce Court building, below ground level.  In the end, we decided to bring him with us.  What a good dog he was!  We took him in his sherpa bag since dogs are not allowed in the Toronto buildings, but he was on a leash at the salon.  We were there for almost two hours and he sat/slept on either of one of us almost the whole time - while stealing kisses from almost everyone who walked by.  We each took him to the street level once for a bio break.  As an aside, if you wonder why it took two hours for both of us to get a hair cut, it is because Russell's hair cut takes as long as mine, if not longer.....I know, it's hard to believe but it's true!  Our hairdresser was over the moon with Cooper and so were other clients.  We were very proud of him.  But we did something very important:  when we take Cooper to a new place, we now ask people not to make a big production about meeting him, so that he doesn't get all "jacked up". This may sound like we are taking the fun away from him and the people he meets, but it is a good way to make sure that he behaves properly and doesn't get too excited.  It is a win win win for us, for the people we meet and for Cooper.


I want to add that the downtown Toronto experience was a very good one for Cooper.  He came to us 4 weeks ago and his socialization process had been very well begun by our breeders, and I will say that they did a super job at it.  One would think that being in the downtown core, with traffic, sirens, streetcars, and all,  that he would be somewhat scared.  Not at all.  For Cooper, downtown is no different than living outside the city...romping in the park.  We had to take an elevator and he loved the ride.  The only time where he felt a little funny was when we stepped on the lobby floor of the Commerce Court building.  That floor is super shinny and he was afraid to walk on it.  He also barked at the large elephant sculptures in the Court yard....once I kicked them...he figured oh, these are nothing!

Today, we took Cooper to another play session at Doggie Central.  This time, there were about 15 dogs and he had a great time. The dogs were his size or smaller. Cooper was by far the most behaved, and I am not saying this because he is ours.  It was obvious to other dog owners that he was well trained.  Some people could not believe that he is only 7 months old. Also, I have to add that everyone that meets Cooper cannot get over his majestic looks.  If you know about Havanese dogs, you will know what I mean.   We will keep going to the play session every week as this is very good for him to meet and play with other dogs.  This coming Wednesday,  we will also take Cooper to daycare for a few hours, which is also at Doggie Central.  This will be the first time that we are away from him but it is very important to start working on the separation process, to avoid separation anxiety down the road (both for Cooper and us).  Not that we intend to leave him, but it is inevitable that there will be times where we will have to leave him either alone at home or in daycare for whatever reason.  This will also give Russell and I a chance to have a few hours alone, and perhaps enjoy lunch out somewhere or run errands. I already know that the first time we leave Cooper at daycare, we will be totally thinking about him, but we must do this.  I will report on this next week.

Russell's arm is doing much better and he probably needs only one or two more treatments.  All is good with me, I haven't slept this well in months.  I used to think that I probably had insomnia but if I did, I no longer have it.

This week, we start Obedience training with Cooper.  It will be every Thursday afternoon, for 8 weeks, with a break between Christmas and New Year.  The training will take place at Scholars in Collars in Burlington.

I have to end this blog by saying, again, that we just love Cooper so much.  He is everything we had hoped for in a dog, and more.  He is truly a delight and brings us so much joy.  He will be meeting our families for the first time at Christmas.  They are looking forward to meeting him.

Have a great week everyone and I hope that your Christmas preparations are doing well.

Not an ordinary week...

Russell and I come from the school of thought that, in life,  things happen for a reason, and the reason is always revealed in time.  This past week was a very difficult week for us.  We came to the realization that we were not equipped to have two dogs.  There is no other way to say it.  No need to get into details as we would not have made this heartbraking decision without giving it a whole lot of thought.  So, sweet Maxine was returned to Nathan and Darlah, our breeders.  What we want is to care for Cooper wholeheartedly, fully, completely, and give him the best life that he deserves. And we know that we can do that.   We also know Maxine is well taken care of with Nathan and Darlah until her forever home is found.

So what did we do with Cooper this week:  we played retrieve and he is very good at it.  He also learned how to do a "high five".  We practiced the various commands and he is now much better with Sit, Stay, Come and Down.  On Thursday, we went for a nice long walk in downtown Oakville.  He truly is  a "chick magnet".  Women adore him and just want to pat him. Even one older senior man said he was a cutie. Truly, everywhere we go, he gets the attention. We particularly like to plan our afternoon walks with the end of the school day so that he gets to see all the high school children leaving to go home.  Many of them will stop and ask if they can pat him.   On Friday, we took him to the Vet  for a general health check. That was a first experience for us, not for Cooper.  He did very well, the Vet could not get over how well socialized he was and how quiet he was when he put him on the examining table.  Although he thought Cooper was taller than the norm for Havanese, he liked the fact that he is very lean, which is a good thing.  He weighed in at 5.4 kg. The Vet was very nice, he took the time to answer all our questions.  We are planning to have Cooper neutered in February - ouch!

Today, we took Cooper to Doggie Central, the Garage, in Mississauga.  This was our first time there.  We took him to the Small Dog Play session, where dogs of all breeds gather to play, without a leash, indoors. For some reason, today Cooper was the only dog there so he had the whole place to himself.  He hurdled, ran like crazy, played retrieve with us and ran through an agility tube.  He had a lot of fun, we were there for one hour and I can tell you that he was dead tired at the end of the play session.  We plan on doing this from time to time as it will give Cooper exposure to a different environment, and other dogs (although none today).  It was a lot of fun for all of us.  As I am writing this blog, Cooper is crashed out on the floor, but have no fear....he will wake up for dinner in 15 minutes or so....the second he hears the food bowl and measuring cup.

Russell is getting better following his fall but he had to get more treatments than we anticipated.  He is getting some acupuncture, ART, physio, the whole nine yards.  His range of motion is getting better but he is not quite there yet.

On the log home front, we went to Washago and Huntsville yesterday.  We first had a meeting with Matt and Ali and went to the Yard where our log home is being built.  The build is coming along very nicely.  It is very impressive to see the detailed work in those logs - Matt is a true artisan and a master carpenter.  Then we went to our lot to look at the finished foundation which is ready for inspection this week.  Huntsville had 6 centimetres of snow.  This was Cooper's first time walking in snow.  He hopped through the snow like a jackrabbit, bouncing up and down, while gathering little snowballs on his hair which he nibbled on as an added source of water.  Quite funny to watch.  I must shop for a little fur coat to protect him from the cold.

So things are progressing as planned, and we expect the log shell to be erected on the foundation in January.  2012 will be a great year!

I attach a few pictures taken yesterday and a short video of Russell and Cooper in Huntsville.  Have a great week everyone.

Logs and Dogs

Another week has come and gone without a dull moment.  On the log home front, our future house is now starting to look like a home.  Matt sent us the attached picture to which Russell added the description of the main rooms.  The foundation was poured last week and the forms are coming off tomorrow. The drilling to install the geothermal closed loop will be done this week. Russell and Cooper will be going to visit with Matt this week to get an overall update on the project, and will then go to Huntsville to get pictures at the lot.  I will stay at home with Maxine and have a girls day.  Although we have been very busy with the dogs for the past two weeks, the construction of our log home is never far from our minds. In the next few weeks, we need to lock down the supplier for the roof and flooring.  By end of year, we will firm up our appliances as well as firm up the order for the harvest table and accent pieces.

On the dog front, I have lots to report.  Cooper has now been with us for almost three weeks and feels completely at home.  He knows his way around, he knows our habits and most importantly he recognizes the sound of the measuring cup I use to measure his food!   As for Maxine, she has been with us for almost two weeks and also feels at home.  Being younger, she is more tentative about exploring our home but she discovers something new every day.  She also recognizes the sound of the measuring cup!

This past week, we started feeding both in the same room.  It is a bit of a challenge since Cooper gobbles down his food in less than 30 seconds, while it takes Maxine about 3 minutes.  So the challenge is to keep Cooper away from her bowl. Whatever we are doing is working.  Once Maxine is done eating, Cooper "vacuums" the floor for any crumbs - we were thinking of changing his name to Hoover.

Something knew happened this week:  Maxine sought refuge in her crate for the first time.  We have two crates set up in the dining room, and the doors are always opened. Up to now, neither of the dogs had used them.  The crate is really meant to be a "den" for the dogs if they want to be alone during the day. So, when Maxine feels a little overwhelmed by Cooper, she now goes in her crate.  The trick is for her to keep Cooper from entering the crate....Maxine also now hides under one of our chairs in the family room, again to get Cooper away from her!  It may sound as if Cooper is always chasing her but the reality is that their puppy play can somewhat be challenging for Maxine at times, given her size, so when she's had enough, she sends him the message by hiding or retreating somewhere. To be fair to Cooper, I should add that more often than not, Maxine starts the "fight".  It is really funny to watch.  This is probably a good place to say that Cooper and Maxine have different personalities.  Maxine is very independent and has no issues having a nap in another room, away from us, while Cooper must be near us all the time.  As I am writing this blog, she is having a nap in her doughnut bed in the dining room, while Cooper is sleeping at my feet, although their preferred nap zone is the bay window where they can watch the birds, squirrels and get warmth from the sun.

We have been going for walks every day.  We have also been practicing using the leash on Maxine in our backyard.  She is getting more comfortable with the leash now.  She goes for her second shot this coming Friday.  After that, we can take her everywhere on a leash.

Last Wednesday was Cooper's last Obedience Class in Ajax.  He received his diploma and also won first place in the "Fastest Sit" competition.  Way to go Cooper!

Finally, on Friday, as we were coming back from our walk, Russell took a tumble in the backyard.  Of course, his first reaction was about whether he had fallen on Maxine or not.  My first reaction was whether Russell had hit is head on the concrete or not (I love our dogs but I love Russell more).  Russell is fine although he had to get Active Release Therapy yesterday to relieve the pain in his elbow/arm.  A few more treatments to come but all is good.

So, another week is about to begin.  Have a good one everyone!

 I attach a very short video of Cooper and Maxine's Retrieve game this morning.

A day in the life of Cooper and Maxine

Wow, what a busy week it has been!  On the log home front, not much to say other than things continue to progress.  It is now the race against the snow....we hope to have the shell of our house erected on the foundation and enclosed before winter sets in for good.  We will get a progress update from Matt his week.  But all is progressing well.

Our priority has somewhat shifted since the arrival of Cooper and Maxine.  Before I go into too much detail about these two little darlings, I want to say that, although I had intended to start a "dog blog" just for the dogs, I find myself with little time to do so. I was really fooling myself to think that I would have time to blog every single day....between the dogs, Russell and the household (in no particular order), I find myself quite occupied - even as a retiree! I would be remiss if I didn't add that it is the same for Russell.  Having two dogs is really a joy, but to be fair to them, we owe them our full attention, which is what we are doing. So, we changed the name of this blog to reflect Cooper and Maxine, as such, I will spend time talking about them in my weekly blog.  Once things settle down (when???), I may have more time to do a blog just for them.

This past Wednesday, we picked up Maxine and we are now one big happy family.  Both dogs are adjusting quite well to one another, although, when they play together, it is a bit on the rough side for my liking, but I am getting used to their dog play.  They are not harming each other, but we have to be mindful that Maxine is only 10 weeks old, compared to Cooper who is 6 months.  He has the weight and height advantage on her.  Having said this, Maxine is one feisty little gal. She stands up to Cooper in more ways than one.  Once she is more grown up, we believe that she may overpower Cooper, but time will tell.  From my perspective, I am happy that little Maxine is a tough little puppy.

They both sleep through the night, for the most part.  We have had to take Maxine out twice during the night (around 3 am).  I think that she is still adjusting to her new home and her previous routine has been somewhat upset.  As for Cooper, he sleeps through the night, no problem.  Our day starts around 6 am, and the first thing we do is take the dogs out to do their business.  It is dark at 6 am, and although we have spot lights on in the backyard, I am still afraid to run into skunks or other animals.  So, I take a quick peak through our bay window to make sure that no critters are out there, then I go out with the dogs.

A day in the life of Cooper and Maxine is quite simple:  get up, poop, eat, play, nap, go outside, go for walks, and this goes on and on.  This routine will be more or less the same for the next few weeks, until Maxine gets her second set of shots, which is on December 2.  At that time, she will be protected against viruses that can live in all public places where dogs go (parks, pet stores, streets, etc).  Until then, we must put Maxine in a pouch when we go for walks so that she doesn't touch the ground.  The virus, called Parvo virus, can be fatal to any puppy who catches it.  Cooper is totally protected against this virus since he has had all of his shots.

We are also working hard to housebreak Maxine.  She is doing well so far, but we must always be vigilant for any signs that she needs to go out.  This takes up a lot of our time, but it will all be worth it in the end.

So far, it's been what we had been hoping for.  Cooper and Maxine bring us a lot of joy, laughter and they are just so sweet.  I particularly love it when either one of them will have a nap in my arms.  So far, Cooper appears to be a mommy's boy but that could change.

I must talk about the training that we are doing with both dogs.  I say "we" but Russell does a lot more than I.  He is really good at training the dogs to "sit", "stay", "heel", "down",  and "come". Cooper is much more advanced than Maxine since he has already been at training school, but I have seen a huge difference since he has been living with us.  Russell is patient, but he also has a great voice for calling the various commands, which is key to this training.  As funny as this sounds, it is important to sound very entusiastic or animated when you train and call your dogs.  The tone of voice has to be friendly, happy.  This is something I have to work on.  Not that I am not happy or friendly when I talk to the dogs, but I have a hard time acting silly or animated when I train.  It doesn't come naturally with me, as it does with Russell.  I will work on it this week.

We have already enrolled Maxine for training, starting second week of December.  Cooper will also join the class.  You never get enough training and socialzing.

Finally, everyone that we talked to said that our lives would change once we would have the dogs.  That is true.  We now have wet wipes in our cars, and every room in the house, in case there are accidents.  We carry poop bags in every coat pocket and in our cars.  We also carry treats in our pockets for training.  I have squares of paper towels lined up on the kitchen counter to wipe their little faces when they drink water, so the water doesn't drip on the floor.  Cooper doesn't seem to mind but Maxine hates it - with time she will be conditioned to love it!  I have towels on the back porch and by the front door, ready to wipe their paws if the weather is bad. So our lives have somewhat changed...but we get so much from both of them.  We truly love our dogs and look forward to many years of happiness with them.

So much to say and more to come. I must go and hug the dogs now (oops...and Russell too). Until next blog, have a great week.

All is Well!

This past week has been exciting in many ways. Let me start with the building of our log home. The forms for foundation walls were erected on the foundation footings. Concrete should be poured into the walls this week, assuming all hunting has been had... Most importantly, our water supply has been secured: the "Well" has been drilled to a depth of 365 feet in pure Canadian Shield Granite, with an amazing flow rate of 6 gallons per minute! This is quite amazing considering that the average flow rate is 1 to 3 gallons per minute and no well driller will guarantee a flow rate in excess of 4 gallons per minute. We are very happy with this as there is absolutely no way to predict what the flow rate will be. It can vary from one lot to the other. This, for us, means luxurious shower times with simultaneous toilet flushing!

So, all is on track with the building of our home in Huntsville. Matt and Ali came back from vacation last Thursday. It looks like they had a great time. During their absence, more progress was done on the actual log home, as witnessed by us today when we stopped by. Everything is going as planned and we are getting closer to the day where we will move to Huntsville.

Of course, the biggest event for us this past week was the arrival of Cooper, our first dog - a Talemaker Havanese. We picked him up on Wednesday and he has been a joy for us even since. He is such a wonderful dog, well behaved, socialized, trained and so more fun to be with. Most importantly, he brings us so much love and happiness that words cannot describe how we feel about him. I could go on and on but I will not. Instead, I plan on starting a blog just for the dogs, in the next few days. This coming Wednesday, we are picking up Maxine, so we will have our hands full until Maxine, like Cooper, adjusts and settles into her new home. Both Maxine and Cooper will get along just fine, they already know each other and Cooper will be a great big brother. Cooper, at the moment, is getting our full attention, 24/7, and this will continue when Maxine comes home. Both dogs will be well loved, no doubt about it. At the moment, Russell and I are overwhelmed with how we feel about Cooper. He is everything everyone could hope for in a dog, and more. We know we will feel the same about Maxine. It will be even better to know that Cooper has a buddy to play with. But, like in real "human" life, when a second child is born, the first child may become "jealous" so we will need to be mindful of this, especially since Maxine will be so much younger than Cooper . We are confident that we will manage very well.

As I am writing this blog, Russell is playing retrieve with Cooper. He just loves this game. Did I forget to mention that Cooper loves eating...he eats his meal in less than 60 seconds. His favorite TV channel, which happens to be ours, is the Food Network. Who would have thought???

So, all is "Well" with the newly extended Duncan family. Until my next blog, I wish you all a good week. Once my "dog blog" is up and running, I will give you the link. I plan on updating the dog blog as often as possible, maybe daily.

Anne, Russell & Cooper

Random thoughts....

Week of October 31, 2011....Halloween night. We had about 45 young and older kids, gave away all the candies except for a few that we kept for ourselves :-) As usual, Russell was kneeling on the floor by the front door and scared the little kiddies even before they got to ring the door bell. He always does that, one older kid even remembered Russell doing this last year. On Wednesday, we went to Washago to meet with Matt and Ali for a quick meeting. They are currently on a well deserved vacation somewhere warm. We then went to Huntsville to meet with our lawyer to sign off on some papers, additional bureaucracy related to us having to release the right of way to Hydro and Bell so that they can complete the task of supplying power to our property. We visited our site and there was more progress. I attach two pictures: one of the Stone Slinger and one of the foundation which is one step closer to being done. The Stone Slinger is used to dump sand and stones, rapidly, in the foundation in order to build up the base before pouring the concrete floor. We met Glynn Robinson, aka "Blackie", who was overseeing the work being done. We had met Blackie before as he did our septic system. By the way, Blackie is a prime hunting outfitter/guide. Speaking of hunting, not much will happen at our lot this week at it is hunting season and most of our tradesmen, actually most all tradesmen up North, are hunters. As long as they do not go after the deers or turkey on our property, we wish them good hunting!

Wednesday night, we took Cooper to his second training class. Cooper was good, although he was a bit tired and not as focused, but....he had a good reason for being tired. Fiona, one of our breeders' damns, had her 5 puppies early Wednesday morning. As a result, the Talemaker family, dogs and humans, including Cooper, were up most of the night and morning. I am happy to say that the five puppies are doing well, although Darlah's maternal energy and reserves are being used to the maximum as these pups need extra TLC during this critical early phase. Cooper was nonetheless happy to see us and we had a good time with him. We are, of course, waiting for the big day, Wednesday, November 9th, when we will bring Cooper home for good. We cannot wait as it feels like Christmas will arrive on Wednesday. We do not know what to expect when Cooper first steps into our home but he will certainly be well taken care of and pampered, without overwhelming him. Our home is ready for him.

Today, we came back from Montreal, where we spent the weekend with our respective families. It was nice to see everyone again. I had a nice lunch with my parents at the Willows Inn in Hudson. The weather was beautiful. Saturday night, we had dinner with Russell's mom in the old Pointe-Claire Village. It was also very nice.

A few other thoughts: our fall pots are planted, they look really nice with some twigs and magnolia branches. I will soon start Christmas baking, including baking for the dogs....more to come on that. Tomorrow night, we are going out for dinner, just the two of us, our last evening out, for a little while until the dogs can stay home alone....having dogs really is like having children, in some ways. They will change our lives, no doubt about it, but not for the worse. We are really looking forward to welcoming Cooper, then Maxine, to our home.

Until the next blog, have a great week.

Tricks...and Treats!

Halloween is a great time of year for children of all ages. Time to dress silly, collect and eat candies, do silly tricks so you can have your treats. This is Russell's favorite part of Halloween, asking kids to do a trick if they want a treat. He asked me to wear the Fish Head in return for setting up the X-pen. Picture attached to prove it. By the way, the Fish Head is a toy for our dogs, which is meant to be a little refuge for them to play hide and seek in. They will love playing with it. This past week, we took Cooper to his first training class. It was a lot of fun and it was a good way to start the bonding process until we bring him home for good on November 9th . He seems to be very food motivated. We actually were thinking that his name should be "Willdo", he 'will do' anything for food! Cooper is a very intelligent Havanese and he did very well at training. He is a happy dog. We cannot wait to see him again this coming Wednesday for another class. The hardest part for us is to leave him behind after class, but November 9th is just around the corner. We could have had him sooner but there was too much to do in our house which demanded our full attention. Once we have Cooper with us, we will be able to devote all of our time to him. It goes without saying that we are also anxious to get Maxie home on November 16th. I held her in my arms last Wednesday when we picked up Cooper at our breeder's home. She is amazing. Nathan and Darlah took her to the vet for the first time this past Friday. This was her first car trip and she did very well. She now weighs 3 lbs 8 oz, had her first shot and her microchip inserted. Russell and I also attended a dog behaviour seminar and it was very informative. We are glad we did it as we learned a lot.

On the log home front, things continue to progress although we have no pictures this week. We are going to Huntsville this coming Wednesday and we will also meet with Matt and Ali and get a progress report.

Our Mississauga home is now puppy proofed. Today, we bought the last few things that we needed such as gates, X-pen and more toys. We learned that the more toys dogs have, the less they will be tempted to chew on things. We also bought collars and leashes. Although dogs are not truly colour blind (they see color, but their chromatic acuity is significantly less than humans), it took me 30 minutes to decide on the colour of those leashes! I could not make up my mind. Russell was being very patient while I was choosing the perfect colour for Maxie and Cooper. Of course, we bought the matching collar and leash. Lesson learned, marketing targets humans not dogs!

So, that's an update of what we've been up to this past week. Never a dull moment, that's all I have to say. It's all good. I attach a link to a very short video of Cooper's first training class for those of you who are not on Facebook. I cannot stop watching it. There will be more videos of our dogs down the road.

Have a good week everyone!

The Foundation and more...

Another great week at the Yard and Lot! We visited Matt and his crew last Friday to get some action shots. Once again, we were impressed by the progress. So much happens behind the scenes and we are only able to share a glimpse of it. I attach a great picture of Matt, always upbeat, in his element and jovial no matter what - you can tell he loves his work, it is his passion.

We also visited our Lot and we were also impressed with the progress. We knew the foundation was to start last week but we didn't expect to see the forms already set, concrete poured and now the forms being broken down for the next phase - foundation walls. This time, we were able to really get a sense of the size of our home and where each room will be. Totally amazing!

On the dog front, a lot has happened also. We have started to prepare our home for the arrival of our two dogs. Each room in the house is being puppy proofed, making sure that nothing will get in their way, as we intend to give them full run of the place. We bought all the necessary gear: x-pens, donut beds, Sherpa bags, bowls, toys and more toys (Kong toys are great!). As per my last blog, Cooper will come to us first. According to our breeders, Nathan and Darlah, Cooper is quite the handful, extremely intelligent, a very spirited Havanese, BUT he could 'own us' without the proper training....hmmm...so what does this mean?? Nathan is currently taking his own puppy Roxie to Family Dog Training, at the Who's Walking Who school in Ajax. He strongly recommended that we take Cooper to the same class, even though Cooper is not coming to live with us for another two weeks. This will give Cooper a great head start. So, starting this coming Wednesday, we will be going to class with Cooper, in Ajax, and this will be for the next 5 weeks. In two weeks, he comes home to us, but in the meantime, we will start the bonding process with him once a week. We are very much looking forward to this, as this will be a totally new experience for us.

Also, on Friday, Russell and I will attend a Behaviour class at Scholars in Collars school in Burlington. This class is for the "would be dog owners" and it will teach us what to expect from our dogs in terms of behaviour. Once we have both dogs at home, we will take them to this same school for more training, starting early December. Like Nathan and Darlah, we also believe in teaching by positive reinforcement so this training will be beneficial to both the dogs and us.

On the Mississauga home front, we got a lot done this week. We painted the laundry room and painted the basement floor. Most importantly, we dejunked in a big way! Our basement is now a refuge to only a few items.

So, this was another good week in more ways than one. Attached is a video taken last Friday, hope you enjoy it. We do! Have a great week everyone!

Puppy love x 2!

Today, we visited with Nathan and Darlah of Talemakers Havanese. The purpose of this visit was two folds: first, to meet our gal puppy Maxie for the first time, which was born on September 5. As mentioned in a previous blog, the puppy stays with the breeder for 10 weeks, in order to be conditioned, socialized and vet checked for shots and microchipping. Today was the introductory visit with Maxie. Although we had been following Maxie's progress on Darlah's blog, and knew that she had won our hearts, we instantly fell in love with her when we saw her in person today. She's a spunky little thing, takes no guff from anybody, and is very strong. We decided to name her Maxie for her maximum attitude, which will blend nicely with ours :-) She will come home to us on November 23.

The second reason for the visit was to meet another puppy, a 5 1/2 months old, boy. We instantly loved him and decided to add him to our Family. His name will be Cooper and he will come home to us on November 9. We had originally planned on getting a second puppy in the New Year, so we are just a few months early, but with the benefit of having a second puppy that is a few months older than planned. We also had a different name picked for this puppy but for many reasons, we decided to name this one Cooper. He is very much like Gary Cooper, the famed movie actor, tall, a bit rough and tumble with chiseled good looks. So, now we wait the arrival of our two dogs with much excitement.

On the log home front, lots of progress was made this week. The lot is now ready for the foundation, which will start this week. The well should get started in a few weeks. As for our home itself, the height of the log walls is now 70 inches. Matt and his crew will start the roof in a few weeks. All is going well, although the weather has not been cooperating too much.

We got some good work done in our Mississauga home, and more to do in the next few weeks. We also started buying a few "dog things" such as gates and a few toys. It's all good. We now look forward to having Maxie and Cooper home.

As promised in my last blog, click this link for our latest Huntsville video. Enjoy and have a good week!

Fall Potpourri and Thanksgiving wishes!

Thanksgiving Monday, what a beautiful day and weekend it has been! Last week was also great on all fronts, with lots to do, which is why this post is a potpourri of various items. I want to start by saying that, when I retired, I truly thought I would find the time to write at least two posts per week. Although this sounds totally cliche, I do not know where the past two weeks went. I am busy in a good way, finding time to do things around the house, time for myself and most importantly time for Russell and I. Being retired is everything I had hoped for, and more.

Last week, we landed on the supplier for our log home flooring. The floor will be done by Nostalgic Wood, located in Mount Forest. Our floors will be made with engineered, reclaimed 150 year old hemlock barn wood. They will be beautiful. We also visited an appliance store in Collingwood and started getting a good idea of what we need to get. Specifically, we want an AGA stove, which is why we chose the Collingwood store, close to Huntsville for delivery, and it carries that brand of stove. AGA stoves are beautiful and the style will fit nicely with our log home.

We also bought two new leather couches at Rawhide International in Markham. The colour, Monte Cristo Wine, will be a nice complement to our wood floors.

Finally, we visited HD Threshing Floor Furniture in Cambridge which makes heavy duty harvest tables and accent pieces made of reclaimed wood (hemlock or pine) from barn threshing floors. This is where my retirement gift from Russell will come from: harvest table, side board and chairs. Beautiful furniture for our new home.

Last week, I also learned how to "cut and paste", I returned my company car and got a new pair of glasses. So it's been busy!

On the log home front, it has also been busy. The blasting of our lot is now complete, with the removal of the huge bolders to take place this week. Those bolders will be set alongside our cliff. Beautiful granite bolders. We went to Huntsville yesterday to take a look and we could not believe the amount of granite that was blasted. The expression "you need to break an egg to make an omelet" is an understatement when it comes to the mess that is being done to our lot before the foundation goes in. The building of our home is also progressing very nicely. I will post a video later this week but needless to say that we are impressed by the progress. Matt and his crew have been going at it at a nice pace and the weather so far has cooperated.

While visiting all those places, we also enjoyed the beautiful Fall colours. The leaves seem so much nicer this year, very bright in colours.

So, today is the end of a beautiful Thanksgiving weekend. This week, we will start a Fall cleaning in our house, getting it ready for selling next Spring and for the arrival of our puppy in November. Tomorrow, we are also starting a liver cleanse for a few weeks. Fall cleaning all around! It's all good!

On that note, enjoy the week and look for a video to be posted by end of week latest.

The S...word was spoken in Huntsville.....

.....it Snowed in Huntsville yesterday, first snow showers of the season....something to look forward to when we move there next year! It was cold and windy, but that didn't stop us from walking around downtown Huntsville and checking out the progress on our lot. We also stopped by Matt's yard and we were very impressed by the work done on our home so far -- click this link to the video. We could easily see the layout of the house and where each room will be situated. We then met with Matt and Ali and had a very successful meeting. There are still a few items that need to be ironed out but for the most part, we are on track.

We had a good week otherwise. We went to Mount Forest to check out a potential floor supplier. The drive there was actually quite nice and we took in the Fall colours. We will be doing more of the same this week. Many of the suppliers that we are contemplating are located in the Collingwood/Orangeville area.

The weather is looking good for the upcoming week so we will do some work outside and get some fall planters in. I love this season and everything that comes with it. Until the next blog, have a great week.

And if you'd like one more peek at 31 Forest Hill Lane....check out this HUNTSVILLE Video Production web link - think you will enjoy it!

Things are looking up.....

What a week it has been! Since this blog is first and foremost about our Huntsville log home, I will give a short update on our project. As shown on the attached picture, Matt and Casey have been busy at the Yard. The first course of logs was put down, and the frame for the turret has been erected. So exciting to actually see part of our house being built. More progress will be done this week.

As for me, well, I am now retired. I am actually realizing it today for the first time. Sunday is typically a day where I get things done in preparation for the week ahead. Today, I did nothing of the sort. I went to the farmers market then we went for a nice Vette ride to take in the fall colours. It is a beautiful day.


As expected, last week was an emotional roller coaster, with the grande finale being last Friday. After an emotional employee meeting, where Michel spoke so nicely about me, and a standing ovation from all employees, I had lunch with my HR colleagues and Russell at a nice restaurant close to the office. We all had a good time, I laughed and cried but it was all good.



So, this is it. I have lots of good memories and I will cherish them forever. Now, Russell and I begin this new chapter together, 24/7/365, and we have lots of plans! My agenda is already quite full for this week, hope I have enough time to do everything.

On this happy note, I wish you all a good week.

This week will be a blast...

...in more ways than one! Lots of progress has been made on our lot, excavation is complete and the bedrock is completely exposed (and there is lots of it). Blasting will take place this week. We finally received our construction permit last Thursday so all is in order. The pads for our house have been positioned and Matt and Casey will start building this week.

This past Thursday was my retirement dinner. It was a very nice evening spent with good friends and colleagues, filled with emotions. I was presented with a beautiful, limited edition ( number 12 of 20), lithograph of Robert Bateman, signed by the man himself, a solitary loon on a peaceful lake. It will have a special place in our new home. Since I wanted to add my own touch to the evening, I had prepared a parody of the Green Acres show in a video format, with slides and lyrics typical of our new Huntsville lifestyle and mimicking Eddy Albert and Eva Gabor. It was very funny, totally unexpected and everyone enjoyed it. Of course, there was also a serious side to the evening, with speeches from Michel, my boss, and myself. Although I had prepared for this, I did not expect to be so emotional. But, in the end, I said what I wanted to say, with the last words being for Russell, who has given me unconditional love, support and encouragement throughout my whole career. A video was also shown with various employees speaking and sending me retirement wishes. There will be a day, soon I hope, where I will be able to watch this video without crying.

So this week marks my last week at the office, with my last day being Friday, September 23, 2011. No doubt it will be another emotional week... but it will be a blast to finally be able to say that I am now a retiree! When I write my next post, that is exactly what I will be.

I attach a video of Huntsville, taken on Saturday. Enjoy and have a good week.

Pondering my upcoming retirement.....

As I am thinking about the upcoming two weeks that I have left before I retire, Russell is slowly getting the pond ready for Fall. We will miss our pond when we move to Huntsville but we will have other things that will bring us as much enjoyment. Yes, two weeks left at work, with my retirement dinner this coming Thursday. I am looking forward to it but no doubt it will be filled with all sorts of emotions. My retirement "speech" is ready. It will be simple and will come from the heart. I will fill you in on that event next weekend.

Nothing to report on the log home front. I hope to have something to talk about next week. As mentioned in last week's blog, Treasure was nesting and she did have her two puppies on Monday, September 6. She had to have a c-section as her pups were too big, a whopping 9.5 ounces each. She had a boy and a gal. Both are doing very well and one of them should be ours to take home in November. Needless to say, we are very excited and we will follow their progress daily on the Talemakers blog.

Today is 9/11, a day for all of us to remember. Ten years ago today, I was checking in at my hotel room in Divonne, France when I found out about 9/11. I was there on business. Being away from home and my loved ones made it all so much worse. It was a terrible time that no one will ever forget.

I wish everyone a good week.

We seem to be on a Roll.....

Our septic system is installed...it is an engineering masterpiece! It looks great, so does the leaching mantel around it. Top soil has been added as well as grass seed. This will be a great spot for the dogs to run around. This week, we chose the well driller, we received a few quotes for the foundation and we will make a final decision on the supplier this week. We're almost there as far as locking down the contractors for the major parts of our construction. The permit is still being reviewed by the Town of Huntsville. Three questions were emailed to us, which were answered. We hope to get the permit approval this week. Matt has installed the pads in his yard, which will be used to construct our home. Time is just flying by and things are moving along.

This is the Labour Day long weekend and we just found out that Treasure is nesting - she is taking labour day to a new level, which means she will likely have her puppies within the next 24 hours. We will be watching the Talemakers blog daily to find out how the new litter is doing and our puppy-to-be.

On the work front, all is good. I have three weeks to go before the big day. Today, I cleaned out my closets and will be giving away my work clothes to the Interval House, a charity which is supported by my work place. This clothing drive will help prepare women re-enter the work force. It felt good to clean out the closets, especially for such a good cause.

I attach a video of our lot taken last Friday. Enjoy! Video link

Where were you 29 years ago today?

Russell and I were married 29 years ago today, at 11 am, at a beautiful 300 year old Catholic Church in Sainte-Anne-De-Bellevue, Quebec. Where does time go? It's all been good, we've grown older and wiser but our hearts and minds are still young. The best is yet to come! It's been a busy week. I went to New Jersey on Wednesday to continue the transfer of knowledge with my successor then the US team took me out for dinner in Manhattan. It was a very nice evening, we had some good laughs. They also gave me a very nice gift, very fitting of NYC. I am anxious to find out tomorrow how they all managed with the storm that was to hit New Jersey and NYC today.

On Friday, we met with Matt and Ali to go over the recent activity on our home. The permit was filed last Wednesday, the septic is now installed and is apparently an engineering work of art! Excavation has also started, blasting follows. We will be going to Huntsville this coming Friday to check things out and take pictures. We also met with the electrician who will be doing the work on our house. Very nice man who has been in a family business for over 39 years.

On Saturday, we went to the 2011 National Havanese Specialty dog show in Richmond Hill. There were about 30 or so Havanese dogs who were competing for various prizes. It was a lot of fun to watch these cute little dogs parade in front of judges. We also saw our breeders with some of their own dogs. We spent the rest of the day in Toronto and stayed overnight at the Park Hyatt. We had a nice anniversary dinner at Sotto Sotto and came home this morning.

This will be a 4 day week for me as we are closed this coming Friday for a 4 day Labour Day weekend. Not a lot of time left at work and not a whole lot left to do. Just enough time to close the loop on some items.

29 years ago today, after the wedding festivities, we watched the San Francisco and Raiders football game from the Mirabel Hotel near Montreal before flying back to Edmonton where we then lived. I wonder what is on TV tonight??

Have a good week!

It's confirmed...we're expecting!

We received confirmation this week that Treasure is indeed pregnant with 4 puppies ( to be confirmed with x-rays on Aug 30). Her due date will be around September 7. I attach a picture, courtesy of Nathan and Darlah of Talemaker Havanese (http://www.talemakerhavanese.com/) . Originally, we thought they would be born towards end of August but that was before the ultrasound, which was done on Monday. So it's official, we will be the proud parents of a puppy sometime towards mid-November. We will be following the balance of her pregnancy on the Talemaker's website. Very exciting news. This also means that we only have a few months left to enjoy the free time that comes with having no children or pets...

On the log home front, this week was busy. Quotes keep coming in, this time for the foundation and the well. The milling of our logs is going great. Matt is happy with the logs, beautiful and big he says! The site has been stumped and is ready to excavate. Septic is under way, the filterbed will be ready for inspection soon. Matt was going to submit the construction permit to the Town of Huntsville today. Next Friday, we will meet with Matt and Ali again to review a few things, then meet with the electrician to review his quote. It's all coming together.

Only 5 weeks left to retirement. Russell is patiently waiting....

Have a good weekend!

Septic shock....

Since my last blog, we became seriously concerned that our septic permit would not be approved so we had to think about plan "B". We found this beautiful design for a custom log outhouse which we were just about to send to Matt for his review, then came the septic permit on Friday! It was a close call. Actually, the call was not so close, worst case we would have had to cut down many more trees in order to meet the inspector's original requirements, but in the end, all got worked out and we have the permit, with no requirement to cut down more trees! The septic permit is the first and most important step in the approval process for the overall construction permit. Next, we file all other documents, and we hope to receive final approval by end of August.

Logs keep coming and they are now in Matt's yard. That is very good news. Russell and I keep reviewing quotes, and shopping around to get ideas for light fixtures and other decorating ideas. We pretty well have chosen our geothermal heating supplier, as well as our electrician. Just need to fine tune a few details before awarding them the business. We are also shopping around for dog items such as bed, crate, toys, etc. We haven't settled on anything yet but are getting close.

I was in Montreal on Thursday for my farewell tour. It was nice to see everyone again but it was also emotional. I had a nice lunch with some of my colleagues. I will miss them. I will post a few pictures next week.

We are now enjoying another beautiful summer day, with a glass of wine and some good music. Cheers everyone!

If you're feeling nosey, check this out....

Meet Hammerhead....nice guy ( all 700 pounds of him )! It's been relatively quiet since my last blog. Permit approvals are a bit behind due to a glitch with the septic site but that will be fixed this week. Other than that, we are getting more quotes for the various components of our house (geo-thermal heating, plumbing, electrical, security, sound, lightening protection, etc.). Those can be complex and we need to really make sure the quotes include everything to avoid any surprises in the end. We met with Matt and Ali on Friday to go over some of those quotes. Things are progressing. Logs have arrived and Matt will start working on the house next week. After our meeting, with the Davidsons, we went to Huntsville to take more pictures of our lot, a video of which is attached. The lot has now been cleared and is ready for digging, excavating and most likely blasting. We then went to Deerhurst for an overnight stay. Saturday, we went to Port Carling to take in the Muskoka Living Interiors store. Wow, what an amazing store, so much to choose from. We didn't buy anything (yet) but left the store with many decorating ideas for our new home.

I have 7 weeks left at work. Without wishing my life away, I'm at the point now where I just want to get there. Things are slowing down a bit for me at the office, the transition to my two successors is going well (yes, it will take two people to replace me!!), all is in place for the big day, September 23. Until then, Russell and I will enjoy the rest of the Summer and take it easy. The start of the construction will coincide with my retirement, so we will be busy going up North on a regular basis and getting our Mississauga house ready for selling next Spring.

I almost forgot to mention that we will get our first puppy in November, not in January as we thought. Treasure (the mother) went into heat two months earlier than anticipated. Her puppies will be born around August 28 ( our Anniversary ), if all goes according to plan. Darlah and Nathan ( the breeders ) will keep them for 10 weeks to socialize and train them, then one of them will be ours to take home, around mid-November. We are extremely happy about having a puppy sooner than anticipated, although a lot of the work we want to do in our house will have to be done prior to November, but that's OK...it is perfect actually!

I will be visiting our Montreal factory this coming Thursday and say goodbye to my colleagues, many of which I have known for almost 27 years. If I could have done a cross country tour to say goodbye to every single employee, I would have done it, but sadly, it is not possible to do so.

Until my next blog, enjoy the video and the Summer sounds! Video link here; http://youtu.be/Ql4cS4eATIs

Birthday weekend

It's been two weeks since my last post. It's been busy, both at home and at work. Time to update everyone on what's been going on. On the log home front, we have spent quite a bit of time reviewing the house plans all the way down to the electrical blueprint. We are now done! Yesterday, on my birthday, we met with Ali and Matt to sign off on the application for the construction permit. We have also chosen the septic contractor. If all goes according to plan, Matt will submit the plans to the Town of Huntsville by end of next week. We are very happy with the way things are progressing. I feel like things are under control, and it's a good feeling. Matt and Ali have a lot to do with this. I know that we will most likely have to overcome some hurdles along the way, once the construction starts, but somehow, getting to this point was a bit overwhelming for me, being the detailed person that I am.

As mentioned above, we spent a good part of my birthday in Washago, with Ali and Matt. They asked us to stay for lunch and Casey joined us. Casey will be working on our log home as well. It was very nice and I was touched by the fact that they wanted to celebrate my birthday. They are truly down to earth people and we enjoy their company. I attach a picture of Ali, Casey and Matt, as well as Matt's cows ( no photos of the pigs, 10 roaming turkeys, ducks and honey bees )!

The rest of my birthday was spent a home, quietly with Russell, which is what I wanted to do. Although the weather was very hot, we were able to sit outside in the shade, with a fan on! Russell gave me a camcorder as a birthday gift. I will learn how to use it tomorrow and I intend to make many videos in the future, capturing special moments along the way. I would be remiss if I didn't mention that Russell gave me a birthday card which, as usual, made me cry. This one was particularly special because of the words in it. Russell has a way to choose cards as if he wrote the words himself and the cards always seem to reflect a particular moment in our lives. I will cherish this particular card for a long time!

On the work front, I have been quite busy, actually busier than I thought I would be at this time. I have 9 weeks left before I retire. Time is just flying by and that is also a bit overwhelming but I will get there. Until the next post, stay cool!

La grande visite...

We had a great weekend. Mom and Dad were over from Montreal for the weekend and we took them to our lot yesterday. The weather was perfect, we had a nice lunch and enjoyed the beautiful view. They really liked our property and were impressed by what they saw. We were also impressed when we got there as the lot had been cleared of trees and brush to allow excavation for foundation. We actually were able to clearly see where the house will be situated, as well as the garage. On our way to the lot, we saw a deer with its fawn, probably no more than a few months old. It was a very beautiful sight.

We also saw many birds and figured out a way to feed them without attracting the bears. When there is a will, there is a way...

We will meet with Matt & Ali and Denise this coming Friday to review the plans once again, and fine tune the small details. Things are moving along just fine.

Introducing 31 Forest Hill Lane

We now have an address in Huntsville! The rural number 31 was assigned to our lot last week. We met with Matt and Ali on Wednesday to review the house plans one more time. We are pretty close to the final product. Matt also prepared a project timetable, month by month, from now on until July next year, which is the anticipated move in date. We expect to file the permit application by July 20. I attach the drawing of our house, which still needs some fine tuning, but this is as close as it gets. It will be very nice and unique.

After our meeting with Matt, we went to our lot, had lunch and admired the beautiful view. The lake was calm and the only sound we could hear were of the birds and the rustling of the leaves. We nailed an old horseshoe on a tree, pointing up for good luck. We also hung up a windchime. Next week, Matt will start clearing the lot and get it ready for the foundation, septic, and well drilling.

I will post more pictures later. Until then, I wish everyone a nice Canada Day weekend!

Turtle breakthrough...we have logs and more...

Finally, we have logs! I never thought we could get so excited about something but we are - Matt was able to source our logs from another supplier near Sudbury, not affected by the turtles. They will be delivered to his yard in about one week. Matt is as excited as we are! We are now approaching the final design phase. This week, we received the elevation drawings, still need to be fine tuned, but they are looking very good. I will post them once they are final. We will have a very nice house.

I took possession of my new retirement wheels yesterday, bright yellow MINI Cooper S Countryman ( all wheel drive ), a few months sooner than I thought but, as they say, you have to strike while the iron is hot. It drives very nicely and it is quite spunky.

On Wednesday, we will be going to Washago to meet with Matt to talk about the next 30 days and what needs to be done in order to file the application for the construction permit. Lots to do but so far, we are on target. After our meeting with Matt, we will go to Huntsville to look at our lot, which has been staked out by Matt. We haven't been back since mid-May. It will be nice to see the view now that the trees have filled in. I will have lots to report when we return. Stay tuned!

It's all as good as it gets!

It's been one week since my last post, not much has happened since last week, except that we decided to get a second puppie. We will get Mac in January, then Max in May or so, from a different litter, same breeder. Russell and I both wish we could get the pups sooner but all good things are worth waiting for. M&M will be very happy with us!

On the log front, the turtles are in our way, preventing the logger from getting our white pine logs. Matt has secured other options. It appears that the Ministry of Natural Resources is really getting in our way and we have to question whether those turtles are in fact endangered based on what we have been told. Regardless, turtles have the right to live and if it means getting our logs elsewhere, so be it.

I now have 3 months to go before retirement. Time is just flying by, I have to start thinking about my retirement speech....lots of thoughts are brewing, just need to put them together - any ideas from anyone?

Another week is about to start, who knows what this week will bring :-) It's all good!

And they called it...Puppy love

What a great day today was! We visited with Nathan and Darlah of Talemaker Havanese and met their 7 dogs - 5 generations worth, two of which will play a big role in the planned November litter. Fiona and Treasure will do their "deed" in August, with an expected delivery date of early November. One of the puppies will be ours to bring home when it is 10 weeks old, around mid-January. Mac is the chosen name for our future dog. He will have a great life with us in Huntsville.

The Footprint !

So, yesterday we were getting anxious to get things going in a big way, today we got the first footprint of our log home, at least for the main floor. This is very exciting. This footprint is completely in line with our wish list. We can't wait to get going. Job well done Denise, Ali & Matt! Anyone care to offer a perspective?

The March of the Spotted Turtle

The Spotted Turtle is an endangered specie in Ontario, as such is protected under the Ontario's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act. It is localized in Southern Ontario, specifically in the Sudbury area. The Spotted Turtles congregate in fall and spring. What does this have to do with our log home....our beautiful white pine logs come from the Sudbury region and the logger should be in the bush as we speak getting the logs, unless he is stopped by the March of the Turtles....if the Spotted Turtles get in his way, he will have to wait until they leave the area before getting our logs to Matt...so we have to let nature run its course and hope the Turtles march real fast.....

Back home

Back from Geneva, a few pictures of the Bain des Paquis, historic landmark which offers swimming in the lake, sunbathing, and most of all, great people watching. Good to be home, and most of all, no travel for the next three months, how good is that! Now, we need to continue to focus on our log home. Matt was in contact with the tradesmen this week. Nothing much for us to do at this point other than wait for the blueprints to be completed. We are getting anxious for things to start happening in a big way!

From Geneva with Love

I arrived in Geneva at 2:30 this afternoon. The weather was perfect, sunny and very warm. I went for a nice walk along the Lake Geneva. I took a picture of the famous Jet d'Eau, which is a large fountain in Geneva and one of the city's most famous landmarks. It is actually situated at the point where Lake Geneva empties into the Rhone River. I took a few more pictures which I will post when I return. For now, I wanted to make this post, which is memorable for me, as this is my last business trip to Geneva before I retire. I will always have fond memories of this beautiful city. Time to move on, and retire in Huntsville with Russell, my husband of almost 30 years and the love of my life. He will become more prominent in my future posts. Good bye from Geneva, I return home on Tuesday.