Toad on the road

This afternoon, we went for a walk at Fairy Vista Trail.  It was sunny and not too cold. Quite a few people were out, including many dogs.  As we were walking, we saw a toad cross the trail very slowly.    Cooper was of course intrigued by it but that's about it.  He didn't even try to grab it. They both stood still long enough for Russell to take a picture.  Another life experience for the Coop! Having said this, when we got home, I Googled "toads and dogs" and found out that toads can be poisonous to dogs, especially in the US. Interesting fact to know.

We had a good week.  Russell and I went back to the gym.  I went to a few spinning classes, including one this morning.  The forecast for this past week was supposed to be rain all week.  It turned out that we did get some rain but also some sun.  Oh, did I forget to mention that we also got snow?  We woke up to snow on Tuesday morning.  It was actually nice while it lasted. So quite a mix of weather but that is to be expected at this time of year.

We bought a pumpkin and Russell will carve it in the next day or so.  We do not know if we will have kids on Halloween night but we will be ready.  Our neighbours down the road will send the kids up to our house if they get some.  If we don't get kids, I guess Russell and I will have to eat the mini chocolate bars that I bought.....maybe just one a day....

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to attend, as a volunteer, a Therapeutic Paws of Canada dog evaluation.  Six dogs were being evaluated as therapy dogs.  As one of the volunteers, I had to play the role of an older person on crutches as well as drop a stainless steel bowl on the floor to gauge the dogs reaction to a sudden loud noise.  There are twelve tests that the dogs must pass in order to be certified.  This was a great experience for me, especially since we want to get Cooper certified next year.  I got to see first hand what we will have to do in order to pass the tests and what we need to work on in order to get there.  Not a whole lot actually.  No doubt that Cooper would make a great therapy dog.

I end this blog by sharing a recipe with you, which I already shared on my Facebook page. It will no doubt boost your immune system.  It is a "52 garlic clove soup".  I made it last Friday and doubled the recipe....so I used 104 garlic cloves.  Yes, I counted them all! It is delicious, not garlicky at all but spicy because of the ginger.  You should give it a try.  On that note, I wish you all a great week and a Happy Halloween.  Cooper's Halloween picture will be in next week's blog.

Cooper investigates his first toad.

26 garlic cloves (unpeeled)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) organic butter (grass fed)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder
1/2 cup fresh ginger
2 1/4 cups sliced onions
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
26 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup coconut milk
3 1/2 cups organic vegetable broth
4 lemon wedges

Preheat oven to 350F. Place 26 garlic cloves in small glass baking dish. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and toss to coat. Cover baking dish tightly with foil and bake until garlic is golden brown and tender, about 45 minutes. Cool. Squeeze garlic between fingertips to release cloves. Transfer cloves to small bowl.

Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions, thyme, ginger and cayenne powder and cook until onions are translucent, about 6 minutes. Add roasted garlic and 26 raw garlic cloves and cook 3 minutes. Add vegetable broth; cover and simmer until garlic is very tender, about 20 minutes. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return soup to saucepan; add coconut milk and bring to simmer. Season with sea salt and pepper for flavour.

Squeeze juice of 1 lemon wedge into each bowl and serve

Cranberries anyone?

This past week went by very quickly.  Maybe it was because it was a short one....however, when you are retired, is there such a thing as a short week?  Regardless, it went by fast and the weather was cloudy and rainy for the most part.  We lucked out though on Friday when we went to the Bala Cranberry Festival. The sun came out and it stayed out until we got home, then it started raining.  We had a great time.  We took Cooper with us and he also had a great time.  He walked nicely, watched an outdoor band and sniffed all the cranberry goodies that were being sold.

We bought cranberry tarts and loaves.  We bought white chocolate covered cranberries and apple juice dried cranberries.  Yummy!  Cranberries are good for you so might as well eat them in every shape or form....After doing the town, we went to Johnston's Cranberry Marsh where we got to see the cranberry bogs.  Pretty neat. Did you know that cranberries do not grow in water. They grow on a low, dense ground cover.  The beds are then flooded to make cranberry picking easier. We also visited Muskoka Lakes Winery and bought a blueberry port.  Something different to try maybe on a cold Winter night.  All in all, it was a fun day and we are glad we went.

We didn't do a whole lot this past week.  We both wanted to go back to the gym but decided to take the week off. We will be back at it tomorrow.   The leaves are virtually all gone now.  I finished mulching today and cut back some plants.  Russell cleaned the eavestroughs.  We also turned on our heating system.  Our floors are nice and toasty now.  We made a pile of leaves and Cooper ran in them while trying to catch my beat up hat.  I took a small video of that as well as a video of Cooper weaving through Russell's legs.  It's a game we play often, and it is especially frustrating for Cooper when all he wants is the treat that Russell has in his hand. Even more frustrating when the treat is a small piece of cheese....  He huffs and puffs while weaving through the legs.  Quite funny.

That's about it for this week's blog.  It is supposed to rain all week in the Huntsville area, I think in Toronto also.   I hope they got the forecast wrong.  It was supposed to rain all day today and so far we've had nothing but sun.  Have a great week everyone!  Enjoy the video with music!

The freedom of a butterfly

There are many symbolic meanings associated with the butterfly, one of them symbolizing the passing of a loved one and the freedom associated with the end of life. When Russell's Mom passed away on Monday, October 7, at the Vivalis Palliative Care, a small decorative butterfly was applied to the door of her room.  This small gesture had a profound impact on us.  Mom was gone, free to join her beloved Art.  This poem about a butterfly was given to us by my aunt and uncle and I thought I would share it on my blog:

"A butterfly lights beside us like a sunbeam.  And for a brief moment, its glory and beauty belong to our world.  But then, it flies on again and though we wish it could have stayed, we feel so lucky to have seen it". Unknown author.

Terry was a wonderful lady and stayed strong to the end.  Russell and I are grateful that we got to see her one last time.  Although she was weaker when we arrived in Montreal last Sunday, she was very  coherent and we had some nice conversations.  When we left her room Sunday night,  she asked us to turn off all the lights and smiled. She was probably sending us a message that it was time for her to go.  We got the call at 5 am the following morning that she had gone into respiratory failure and we knew then that she only had a little time left.  When we got to the palliative care, she was gone.  She looked peaceful and her favorite music was playing in the background.

Her funeral service was beautiful and we couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day.  The sun was shining and it was warm.  Family and friends gathered afterwards to celebrate Mom's life.  It was nice to spend some time with Russell's sister and her family. Mom is at peace now, no doubt having a good laugh or two with Art, watching over us.

It feels good to be back home and to be able to sit back and reflect on the past week.  It also feels good to have our Cooper back.  We missed him a whole lot while we were in Montreal.  Of course, he didn't have time to miss us since he was having such a good time at Camp Talemaker.  But he was glad to see us when we picked him up on Friday.  He showered us with non stop licks and kisses!

Today is Thanksgiving Sunday.  When we woke up this morning, it was raining but the rain has stopped.  It is cloudy and a bit cool.  Russell has a fire going and we are taking it is easy today.  We will cook our turkey tomorrow.  We always name our turkey after someone who has made an interesting impression on us...... not always the best impression but not necessarily a bad one either.  This year, our turkey will be named Fabrizio.  You see, Fabrizio was the man in charge of the cemetery details for Mom's funeral.  He was present the day of her funeral to make sure that things didn't go wrong. And they didn't.  However, Fabrizio was quick to try to sell plots and what not to some of us, including my father.  We thought that was a tad cheesy to do this right after a funeral but, to give him the benefit of the doubt, he was just doing his job....so he did make an impression on us and we will name our turkey after him.  Hope it's a good one.

This coming week will be quiet.  Nothing special going on.  That's about it for this week's blog.  I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving.

Blown away .....me or the leaves?

Here I am, writing my blog on a cloudy Saturday afternoon, in front of the fireplace.  At this rate, we will be burning all the wood that we stacked up a few weeks ago....  Russell has had a number of all day fires so far this Fall and today is no exception. We love it, especially on a rainy or cloudy day.

This past week's weather was simply gorgeous.  Every day brought warm sunshine and a nice breeze.  The leaves are falling rapidly.  I used the leaf blower for the first time on Thursday.  Wow, I was almost blown away by the velocity of it.  It is a pretty powerful blower but actually quite light to carry on the shoulders.  It certainly does the job, although at the rate that the leaves are falling, it is hard to keep up.  It goes without saying that Cooper, with his full coat, is a leaf magnet.  He brings them into the house every chance he gets!  He loves running around in the pile of leaves.

We got a few things done around the house this week but I didn't finish mulching.  Every time I wanted to do it, something better got in the way, like sitting on the deck soaking up the sun.  Those days won't last so we want to enjoy every singe one of them.  I did get the winter gear organized and I also donated two bags of clothes that I no longer wear.  It makes me feel good to do this once in a while. We also made arrangements to have our boat put away.   On Wednesday night, Russell took his photography gear to the bottom of our driveway and took some nice pictures of the clear sky.  I attach a picture of the Milky-Way in its glory.  This is a hobby that Russell truly enjoys and Huntsville is a great place for it, especially for night photography.

Cooper had a busy week of his own. On Wednesday, we went to the vet for his yearly Lepto vaccine. As usual, he didn't flinch when the vet tech gave him the needle.  For him, going to the vet is a good experience.  He loves the technicians to pieces and they love him in return.  After the vaccine, we went for a walk near by just in case he had a reaction, which he didn't have.  On Thursday, the Coop had a play date with Brenna.  I promise to get a picture of the two of them playing.  They have become great friends.  I should add that we are pondering whether we should get a playmate for Cooper.  It is a big decision, which we will not make lightly.

Russell's Mom is holding on but is getting weaker and sleeps more. We do speak with her every day and we are in touch with the nurses and doctors on a regular basis. We are driving to Montreal tomorrow morning to visit her.  At this point, we don't know if each visit with her will be our last so we want to make the most of each.

That's about it for this week's blog. I wish you all a great week leading to the Thanksgiving weekend.

Anne with the Stihl, Magnum BR 600...a brute of a blower.

The Magnum and Anne make quick work of the fallen leaves.

Milky-Way from our driveway...awesome!