Christmas came and went...

Amazing to think that Christmas is behind us for another year.  This year, for some reason, it seemed to have come and gone really quickly.  We had a nice one nonetheless, quiet, just the three of us.  We did "Facetime" with my family and it was nice to see them, even from a distance. We will do it again on New Year's Day.  The weather wasn't the best so we stayed in all day and just lounged around.  Although we had planned to watch some movies, we didn't, but we did watch the Rockettes Christmas Spectacular Show that we have on DVD.  We saw the show in New York City a few years ago and just loved it.  It is a great show to watch, especially on Christmas Day.  Those Rockettes sure have nice legs!

Boxing Day was also quiet and we spent the day relaxing.  It was actually nice to just do nothing.  Yesterday,  I went back to the gym and life was back to normal, until New Year's Eve that is....

We haven't seen the sun much lately, although it did come out today for a little bit.  It sure doesn't feel like a typical Muskoka Winter.  We have no snow to speak of and the temperatures are mild.  So much so that the Arrowhead Provincial Park has been closed for the past few days due to the slushy conditions. The temperatures will drop this week so hopefully the park will reopen tomorrow or Tuesday. I do not mind if the weather turns cold but I want the sun badly.

Cooper also had a nice Christmas.  He didn't have much to do other than get a few special treats and lounge around.  Such is a dog's life!

Not much is going on for us this week.  We hope to stay up until Midnight on New Year's Eve but I'm not holding my breath....As for New Year's Day, Russell will be watching the College Bowl Games and I will be cooking a turkey.  I didn't think to buy a turkey before Christmas, thinking that I could easily find one this week.  My mistake....oh I did find one, one of 5 left at the grocery store.  And a big one...a 20 lb one!  But I bought it anyway so lots of leftovers will be had!

I leave you with two pictures.  One is a collage of Christmas decorations that my brother Francois,  sister Lynn and I, as well as my two nephews, Sean and James, made over the years.   My parents put them up every year at Christmas.   The one that I made is at the bottom left corner.  I was 5 years old when I made this work of art!  Those are nice memories to treasure.  The other picture is of the Coop  lounging on Christmas Day.

I wish you all a great week and hope that your New Year's Celebrations are great!  I will write again in 2015!

Memories of Christmas past.....

Did I hear someone say, it is treat time...guess I'll get up!

Christmas Wishes to all!

Here we are, December 21, 2014.  The Winter Solstice and just a few days before Christmas.  For many, this will be a busy week.  Kids all over the world are getting excited and hope that Santa will be good to them.  As for us, we are ready for Christmas.  It will be a quiet one, just the three of us.  I will be preparing a few special meals, we will be watching some good old Christmas movies and Russell will have a nice fire going.  We will be doing "Facetime" with my family on Thursday.  Not quite the same as seeing them in person but it will be nice to see everyone's face.

This past week was, shall I say, "crappy".  Our little Cooper came down with a case of dietary indiscretion, as the vet calls it.  I will spare you the details but, for 48 hours, every 3 hours, the Coop was "indisposed".  As you can imagine, with any dog, this is not fun, but when your dog has a long coat like Cooper, well, let's just say that we made good use of our laundry tub, day and night.  We did go to the vet and he was given some antibiotics as well as some probiotic powder that we sprinkle on his food.  It took him longer than anticipated to recover but yesterday morning, at 4:30 am, he gave us an early Christmas present:  two nicely formed Yule logs!  I am happy to say that he is back to his old self and we resumed our walks with him yesterday afternoon.

Today, we went to Arrowhead Park for a nice walk in the forest and we bought our Winter Pass.  The park opened its Winter season on Friday.  It is a great place to go for walks, snowshoeing, cross country skiing and skating.  We plan on making good use of the park in the next few months.

All is good for Russell and I.  A few more workouts until Christmas then we will take a short break....I will resume my Bootcamp on December 27.  No rest for the wicked.

This ends my blog for today.  I include two pictures that Russell took.  One of Cooper by the Christmas tree and another one which we find quite special.  Russell took that photo of Cooper one year ago and we put it in this cute frame that I found in Huntsville.  With a Christmas teddy bear around it,  it makes for a special Christmas picture.

Russell, Cooper and I wish you all a wonderful Christmas.  May it be a very happy one!

Cooper asking...how much longer do I have to pose?!

Waiting patiently for Christmas....the Coop is ready!

The Christmas Elves are getting busy....

It's Christmas time all over the world. Busy times for all, nostalgic times for many and happy times hopefully for most people.  We often hear that Christmas is for kids.  I think Christmas is what you make of it. We don't have children but we have one beautiful dog who brings out the kid in us all the time.   So, we are getting ready for Christmas, like everyone else, and we're almost ready.  Most of my baking is done, our Christmas cards are mailed and our outdoor tree...well, it's still standing straight, although much thinner than when we got it.  We caught the deer nibbling at it 4 times today....just imagine what they do at night.  But there is a bright side to this:  the 400 mini clear lights that I put on the tree are now looking much brighter as they are not hidden by the thickness of the branches.....

This past week was busy.  Our trip to Toronto was delayed by one day due to the storm that hit Ontario on Thursday.  About 15 cm of snow fell but some of it has already melted due to the mild temperatures. Cooper had a great time playing in the fresh snow and we took some pictures. He simply loves the snow!  We left for Toronto Friday morning and came back yesterday. The roads were perfect. We had a good time although is seemed a bit rushed.  Everytime we go to the city, we seem to have a number of errands to run and, as Russell said to me yesterday, we, or I, always add on, trying to do too much in so little time.  Nonetheless, we had a very nice dinner at our favorite restaurant in Yorkville, Dimmi Trattoria, and you could feel the buzz of Christmas.

While we were in Toronto, Cooper was at Camp Talemaker.  During his visit, he bonded with Spice and they both played really well together.  I include a picture that Darlah took of the two of them.  I think they make a nice couple.....he had a great time as always.

Not much else is happening.  We have some appointments this week and Cooper will have his last doggie day care visit for the year.  Wow, amazing to think that in just a few weeks we will start a brand new year.  The weather forecast for the balance of the year is not bad at all, if I say so myself, although we all know that it can change very quickly.  But for now, we will take what we get....milder than normal temperatures.

This is it for this week's blog.  I wish you all a great week ahead and may your Christmas preparations go smoothly.

Christmas Elves.....hard at work or hardly working.

Spice and Cooper survey the yard at Camp Talemaker. Is Spice flirting with the Coop?

The Coop on a rescue and retrieve mission with his fave toy.

The Coop about to take flight.....

It's beginning to look, and smell, like Christmas

As I am writing this blog, the house smells delicious. I have Chewy Molasses Cookies baking in the oven and my favorite candle for the holiday season is lit, Blue Spruce scent.  I just love the smells that Christmas brings!

All is good for us and this past week was good.  Cooper's dental procedure went very well and his teeth are pearly white. We are very pleased with the results.  With daily brushing, he should not need to have this done again any time soon, if ever. When we brought him home, he was a bit wobbly and quite subdued for a few hours but by dinner time, he was almost back to normal.  He ate his food with gusto but didn't feel like playing that night.  The next day, he was back to his old self.  That's a good job done!

My car was at the repair shop for one full week.  I got it back yesterday.  Did I ever mention that my MINI Countryman is yellow, as in lemon.....OK, to be fair to MINI, of the two fairly major problems that I had with my car this past week, one what not entirely caused by the way the car was built.  There was a mouse nest in the air cleaner which prevented the car from driving properly.  Now, one would think that the car could be built so that this little incident wouldn't happen....so the first problem was not MINI's fault, but Minnie's.  The second issue was totally MINI's:  the fuel pump had to be replaced.  Not something that we would expect to replace on a 3 year old car.  Needless to say that our faith in that car is gone, especially when we take into account the other problems that we've had since we got it.  Enough ranting but it is frustrating.  Two good things came out of this:  we found a great repair shop in Huntsville that services European cars.  Far better than having to drive to Barrie to go to the MINI dealership and much better service.  The other thing is that we now know that we can live with one car between the two of us.

Yesterday, we had the pleasure of having my good friend, and former colleague, Anne, over for an overnight stay.  I hadn't seen her since I retired so it was truly wonderful to see her again.  Needless to say, we had a lot of catching up to do and some of it was done while taking a nice walk in our neighbourhood. Anne loves College Football so Russell had a good excuse to watch the games... Cooper was a gracious host and even went up to her room this morning to give her a little wake up call......

So, just a few weeks before Christmas.  Busy times for everyone.  We are off to Toronto on Thursday for a much needed haircut.  It's been 8 weeks since our last haircut and it shows.  My hair is a mess and Russell looks like he is growing Chia grass on his head.....We will stay overnight and plan on going to the Toronto Christmas Market at the Distillery District.  Cooper will be at Camp Talemaker.  He hasn't been for a while so he tells me he is looking forward to it.  Who wouldn't!

I leave you with a few pictures that Russell took of our Christmas decorations. As for our outdoor Fraser Fir Christmas Tree, and as predicted last week, the deer have been doing a good job at trimming the bottom of the tree! We may not have an outdoor tree by Christmas after all......hope Santa doesn't mind. I wish you all a great week!

The Coop loves to oversee all household activities and dresses the part.

The Coop giving Anne some much NOT needed direction.

Fresh Fraser Fir wreath on the great room wall.

Christmas has almost arrived in the great room! Come on Santa.

Welcome December!

It's hard to believe that tomorrow will bring the last month of the year, along with Christmas and all that it entails!  It sure doesn't feel like December out there.  Our snow is all gone except for a few patches here and there.  Russell took this picture of the deer this morning and you can see one tiny patch of snow.  The long range forecast doesn't call for much snow either...so, could it be that we may not have a white Christmas after all?  Only time will tell.

It is starting to feel like Christmas in our house.  Our trees are up, inside and outside.  I will post some pictures next week.  I'm not sure how long the outside tree will last.....We put it up yesterday afternoon and the deer have attempted to nibble at it a few times today.  If it wasn't for Cooper giving them a little bark, they would have had a feast, no doubt.  Not sure what will happen tonight...we are making it easy for them to find it with the lights on and all.  Oh well, if they want to nibble at it, so be it. It is the season for sharing after all!

On Thursday, Russell watched Thanksgiving football.  He wanted a snack in the afternoon so I made popcorn.  Guess who had a taste of it?  I couldn't resist taking a few pictures.  Dogs do love popcorn!  On the topic of the Coop, he is getting his teeth cleaned this coming Tuesday.  He went for his anesthetic blood work last week as he will be put under for the procedure. We will drop him off at 8 am and pick him up in the afternoon. This will be the first time that we get his teeth cleaned.  They are in pretty good shape, thanks to Russell who brushes his teeth every morning,  so we thought now would be a good time to do it.  He will not be allowed breakfast that morning so we will have to keep him occupied until it's time to leave for the animal hospital.  I just know that he will be giving me that look that says "where's my breakfast"?

On Friday afternoon, Saba, the newest Golden pup on Forest Hill Lane, came for a play date.  It was the first time that the two dogs played together, off leash.  The visit went very well and I think that Saba was quite tuckered out after their play!

Not much else is going on other than my car is in the shop, again, I have a bad case of allergies and Russell is enjoying his new camera (early birthday gift).  The days and weeks sure go by fast, no matter what we're doing.  That's it for my blog today.  I will now bake my first batch of Christmas cookies, with Christmas music on,  and Russell will be on hand to taste them.  I wish you all a great week!

The locals....looking for lunch...the Christmas tree might be tasty.

More popcorn pawlese!

One for Russell and one for the Coop of course.

What a difference a few days make....

One week ago today, we woke up to 12 cm of snow. We thought it was a lot for the first real snow fall of the season but we figured that would be it for a while.  Oh, we were so wrong.  It basically snowed every day this past week and we got lots of it, probably a total of about 2 feet.  The worst day was Thursday, the day we had planned to go to Toronto for the day.  Needless to say we didn't go.

This morning, we woke up to almost half of it gone.  I guess Mother Nature thought it was time for a bit of a meltdown.  Well, a meltdown it will be, with lots of rain in the forecast for tonight and tomorrow.  What a difference a few days can make!  Having said all this about the amount of snow we got, it is nothing compared to what Buffalo got. One thing is for sure, the weather is one of the few things in life that we have no control over.  It will be what it will be.

So, this past week was quieter than planned due to the weather.  It was actually nice to stay in the house and cocoon a bit. We put up some Christmas decorations, watched some TV and played silly games with the Coop.  We did manage to go to the gym a few times despite the weather.  It is starting to feel like Christmas is just around the corner though.  Today, we went to Sandhill Nursery and picked our inside and outside trees.  They will be delivered this coming Saturday.  We also bought a few wreaths for the front and side doors and one for the great room.  They are beautiful and smell so good!  By this time next week, our inside tree will be decorated and all lit up, as well as the outdoor tree.  Can't wait!

I include a few pictures that Russell took last Thursday just to show how pretty it was.  Today, not so much.  The grass is showing again in Cooper's dog run and he is a tad confused.  He is now avoiding the grass and only walks on the snow.  Dogs have funny habits sometimes.

My mom will be celebrating her birthday this coming Friday so I end this blog by wishing her a wonderful day filled with happiness, love and all that she deserves!   Have a great week everyone!

Carport....and massive roof drifts!

Three foot snow drifts on the roof....made to take it!

S'mores anyone! Fire-pit is snowed in.

S'mores anyone...maybe by next Wednesday! Fire-pit emerges.

Let is snow!

Happy snowy Sunday!  We woke up this morning to about 12 cm of fresh snow.  At 6 am, when I heard the snow plow on our driveway, I just knew that we had had more than just a dusting of the white stuff.  Cooper was happy as can be and was hopping like a rabbit all over the snow when Russell took him out first thing.  He was so crazy that he was forgetting to do his business.....there is something about fresh snow that dogs seem to like.  After breakfast, we went back outside to play a little, shovelled the deck and made some paths for Cooper to run around without getting too much snow on his paws.  So, I believe that Winter has arrived for good, at least for those of us that live in snow country.

All is good for us and we had a good week.  On Tuesday, we had the pleasure of meeting Saba, John & Terri's new Golden puppy.  They came up for a visit and our dogs got introduced to each other.  Cooper barked at first and Saba was understandably scared but she quickly recovered. He is not used to being around young pups. There is something to be said though about dogs learning from each other.  Saba was unsure about going down the steps to the driveway but she followed the Coop's lead and conquered the steps.  Way to go Saba!

Today, we went to a Christmas Craft Show in Bracebridge.  It was a small show but nice just the same.  On the topic of Christmas, I bought a few outdoor pots for the holiday season and our kitchen window box is now filled with boxwood and red berries.  Looking good!

This coming week will be busy with a few appointments and a day trip to Toronto.  I hope to start putting up Christmas decorations next weekend.

I wish you all a good week.  I include a picture that I took of Cooper this morning out in the snow and one of the Saba and Coop introduction.  Enjoy!

The Coop on his snowy stump!

Saba and Cooper....meet and greet!

Three years already...

I hope you are all having a nice Sunday.  Not sure what the weather is like in other parts of the country, but I would definitely say that Winter has arrived in Muskoka.  Yesterday, it snowed all day and we got about 4 centimetres of snow up where we live.  Today, we should get another 2 cm of the white stuff, and more tonight.  The temperatures are not that cold but it is very windy.  Then again, it is always windy at the top of Forest Hill Lane.

Three years ago today, Cooper came into our lives.  He was 6 months old then, a happy puppy, full of life.  He is now 36 months old, still happy and full of beans, even cheeky sometimes....He is a wonderful dog. Our house wouldn't be the same without him.  He is truly part of our family.  Here's to you Coop!

This past week was quiet and we didn't do much. It rained a lot, it even snowed, but we did have one day of sunshine. That morning, Russell was able to capture the sunrise.  It was breathtaking, especially with the fresh snow on the ground. I hate to say it but, at this point, I'd rather have snow than rain.  We know that the snow is inevitable where we live so we might as well get it.  It is prettier and cleaner, although it makes for messy roads.  Cooper is now wearing his booties when we go for walks.

That's about it for this week's blog.   Tuesday will be a day to remember all those who fought for us and sacrificed their lives in action.  I wish you all a great week ahead!

Cooper at 6 months old....you can see the fun in his eyes!

Sunrise on Forest Hill Lane after fresh over night snow.

Did you Fall back?

Happy Sunday everyone!  I hope that you all enjoyed that extra hour of sleep last night.  We weren't sure if Cooper's internal clock would go for it but we all got an extra 45 minutes.  I was actually awake about one hour before we got up, just staring at the ceiling and watching our bedroom get brighter and brighter.  This morning was particularly bright and the sunrise was beautiful.

So, here we are, at the beginning of November already.  Just a little over 7 weeks until Christmas and just a little over 3 months before our trip to Barbados.  It sure feels and looks like November.  On Friday, Halloween Day I might add, we had our first snow fall of the season.  The snow is still on the ground up where we live due to the elevation but it's gone everywhere else.  It is pretty though and Cooper is a happy camper.  He loves the snow and the icicles that form on the deck.  He's already had quite a number of them.  He thinks it's a wonderful treat.  On the topic of treats, we didn't have any trick-or-treaters this year, again.  I admit, the weather outside was frightful but the fire inside was delightful....Oh well, maybe next year.  I was left with a number of mini chocolate bars...I kept "some" but I packaged most and gave them to the Food Bank. As the saying goes, out of sight, out of mind.....

This past week was relatively quiet.  Russell and I went back to the gym on Monday, following our trip to Montreal.  I still do my Bootcamp four times a week.  We also had some vista pruning done.  Since we moved here, some of the trees have grown quite a bit and were starting to block the view of the lakes.  Bartlett Tree spent a good part of the day Tuesday pruning away, even in the rain.  It makes a huge difference and it will be even more noticeable next year when the leaves grow back.

We had a lot of rain last week so we didn't walk much with the Coop but we made up for it yesterday and today.  The next few days are supposed to be nice and warm.  That snow will melt for sure.

My parents are getting used to their new place and have been sleeping well.  They still have some reorganizing to do and they are taking their time.

Not much else is going on for us.  We are ready for Winter, well almost.  Russell will get our snow tires put on this week.  Our heating system has been tuned up and we stocked up on "dog friendly" salt for the deck.  Cooper's booties are lined up and ready for the first real big snow storm.

I include Cooper's Halloween picture as well as a few pictures that Russell took of the our first snow fall and the vista pruning.  I wish you all a great week and enjoy the brighter mornings....they don't last all Winter unfortunately.

Cooper being the original Sinner on Halloween!

Snow on the pumpkins and elsewhere.

Lone fir tree with a new coat of snow.

Pete of Bartlett Tree Experts...70 feet up and still climbing.

Brian just hanging around 65 feet up....loves his job!

A new beginning

Well, my friends, after 53 years of being in the same house, my parents moved to their new condo last Wednesday. For them, it is the start of a new and fresh beginning where they will make new memories, while not forgetting about old ones.  The move went very well and if you saw them today, you wouldn't know they had just moved in.  Russell and I were there to support them in every way and I must say that I am happy at how it all went.  We unpacked them over the course of two days and organized their new place as much as we could. My brother and sister took over after we left.  All that is left to do is a little bit of reorganizing and they have lots of time to do this.

For me, this move gives me peace of mind knowing that they no longer have to live in a big house, with lots of stairs and lots of maintenance.  As fate would have it, their good friends, and first neighbours of 53 years ago, now live in the same building. As the saying goes, they have come full circle.  We had the pleasure of being invited for a cocktail to their friend's condo after the move on Wednesday and it was really nice to see them again.  Not only did I get to see my parents' friends, but I also got to see their daughter whom I grew up with 50+ years ago! Life has a way to bring people together sometimes.  While in Montreal, we also had dinner with Auntie Lorraine.  It was nice to catch up with her.  She is such a young at heart and fun lady!

Russell and I drove home on Friday morning.  We couldn't help but notice the preparations underway on the Highway of Heroes for the repatriation of Cpl. Nathan Cirillo.  Such a terrible and senseless tragedy.

So, we're back home with our pooch and we missed him a whole lot.  Coop had a great time at Camp Talemaker as always.  Darlah gave him a nice bath on Friday morning so he was smelling real good when we picked him up.  He slept all the way home and then some. He had a real tough life while we were away......

The leaves are now completed gone.  Russell blew them twice this weekend and I think that this is it.  Now we wait for the white stuff.....but not before Halloween please!  On that topic, now that four families live on our road, we hope to have trick-or-treaters on Friday.  We will be ready with a carved pumpkin and goodies.

Today is a quiet and grey day.  We went for a walk after lunch and it was a bit chilly.  I put my gloves and scarf on for the first time.  It was good to get the fresh air though. Better get used to it.

This coming week means the return to the gym for both Russell and I.  We are having some vista pruning done on Tuesday and on Wednesday, Terri and I have a lunch date.  Cooper will go to doggie day care on Thursday and he will have a bath on Friday.  We have his Halloween picture already done. Look for it in next week's blog!

That's about it for my blog this week. I include a few pictures that I took of my parents' move, nice memories to have.  I wish you all a great week and a fun and safe Halloween!

Mom and Dad waiting for the movers.

They are here.......

All loaded and ready to be closed up for the drive...a 4 minute ride.

We are done!

All settled in and having a wine!

Cranberry Goodness

Happy Sunday to all!  There is a definite chill in the air but the sun is shining.  It was the perfect day to go the Bala Cranberry Festival and to visit the Johnston's Cranberry Marsh.  We had a great time and bought some cranberry goodies for the holiday season.  There were lots of people and lots of dogs.  Cooper behaved very well and, as usual, people fell in love with him.

All is good with us. It was a quiet week but busy.  We were in Toronto on Thursday and we had a great time.  We went to a new Italian restaurant for dinner on Prince Arthur.  It was good, the portions were too big and the ambiance was nice.  I guess the highlight of the evening, other than having a romantic dinner with my hubby, was that Toronto was hit with a huge rainfall that night.  Prince Arthur, amongst many other streets, was so flooded that the firemen had to come and open up the drains.  No one could drive or walk on the street.  All was back to normal by the time we walked back to our hotel.

My six-week Bootcamp Challenge is now over.  Overall, it was a great experience and I enjoyed the nutritional part of it. Most of all, this challenge produced some nice results which I'm happy about.   I have signed up to continue the bootcamp workouts and plan on continuing to eat the same, for the most part. It's not rocket science:  it is about eating clean, less carbs and more protein.  Having said this, I do believe in the 80/20 rule:  be good 80% of the time and somewhat bad the other 20%.  Life is short after all!

We are getting ready to leave for Montreal tomorrow.  We will first drop off Cooper at Takemaker Camp, then we will continue on.  My parents are almost ready for the move.  The movers come first thing Wednesday morning and all will be loaded and unloaded in one day. It will be a busy week no doubt but it should go smoothly.  It will also be a week filled with many emotions for all of us.  After living in the same house for 53 years,  this will be a big change for my parents but I know they will be happy in their new home.

The leaves in our trees are now almost all gone but one morning this past week, I was able to capture the leaves in their golden glory during the "golden hour", which occurs one hour before sunrise or sunset.  So beautiful to watch.

That's it for this week's blog.  Our bags are packed for tomorrow, as well as the lemon cookies that I made for my parents and for Auntie Lorraine.  We will get to see her on Tuesday night.  We look forward to it.  I wish you all a great week ahead!

Fall colour captured during the golden hour on our septic burm.

Johnston Cranberry Marsh being harvested.

Russell and Cooper take a break while Anne shops..yummy!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday for many reasons.  I love that it is in the Fall, when the colours  are at their best.  I love that it gives us a good excuse to roast a turkey.  I love that it can be as festive as Christmas but without the stress.  Most of all, I love it because it is the perfect time to be thankful for all that we have.  Russell, Cooper and I wish you a wonderful day!

The weather for this Thanksgiving Sunday couldn't be better.  We had rain almost every day last week  so the sunshine today is most welcome.  We went for a walk with Cooper earlier this afternoon and it was nice to get some fresh air and feel the warmth of the sun on our faces.  When we got back home, I got the turkey ready and it is now in the oven.  It smells good already and Cooper is pacing the kitchen.....yes, he will have a piece of turkey tonight, and tomorrow, and the day after....after all, we are thankful to have him in our lives and he deserves something good.

This past week was quiet but busy at the same time.  I went to the gym every day except Tuesday.  This Bootcamp thing is rather addictive.  I went again this morning as the gym is closed tomorrow.  Having said this, there will be no rest for the wicked as there is a special Thanksgiving Bootcamp class  at 10 am tomorrow, at Sandhill Nursery in the greenhouse.  The purpose of this special workout class is twofold:  raise money for our local Food Bank and burn off the calories from our turkey dinner tonight!  Russell and Cooper will be coming along and will watch me sweat it off.  It is expected that over 100 people will show up for this workout.  Should be fun and it is for a good cause.

Our uninvited guest from last week, the buck, hasn't been back in Coop's backyard.  That's a good thing.  As a matter of fact, we haven't seen the deer much this week.  Neither have we seen the wild turkeys....they are probably in hiding as it is hunting season for the turkeys....very fitting on this special day.

This coming week will be busy as we are off to Toronto on Thursday for our haircuts.  Cooper will be spending the night at Camp Talemaker.  He will get to meet the new addition to the family:  Inula, a Tibetan Terrier.  We can't wait to meet her also.

On our return from Toronto, we will go to Bala for the Cranberry Festival.  We go every year and look forward to buying all sorts of cranberry goodies.  Then, we will be off to Montreal to move my parents.  Lots on the go!

I leave you with a few pictures that Russell took this morning.  The turkey is starting to smell really good and probably needs basting now.  Have a great day and enjoy the day off tomorrow.

Fall colours seen from our deck...looking at Lake Vernon.

Fall mums in the kitchen window box.

View from the kitchen window.

The grasses have gone to seed!

An uninvited guest

This past week was uneventful but did bring an uninvited guest into Cooper's fenced in backyard:  a young buck with an attitude.  On Thursday morning, I happened to look out the Muskoka room and to my surprise, there was the buck eating the acorns.  Russell was able to take a picture and, despite Cooper barking, he didn't go away.  Russell had to go out and scare him away, although that wasn't easy either.  That buck is as brazen as they come and stomps when things don't go his way.  He has been back many times and we are not happy about it. The last thing we want is deer poop in the backyard, but most importantly, we don't want a confrontation between the Coop and the buck.  Our neighbour John has offered to lend us his sling shot.  Apparently, a good shot at the behind may keep the deer away for good.  We may take him up on his offer.  We have not seen the buck today so perhaps he's off pestering other people.  We hardly have any acorns left now anyway so he may not be back at all.  Time will tell.

Other than that, it's been a quiet week.  The weather wasn't the greatest but we did manage to walk with Cooper every day. I had a head cold all week that just didn't want to go away.  Not sure how I got that but I'm thinking it could be from all the germs at the gym.  That didn't stop me from going to the gym four times this week, and again this morning.  I am in my 5th week of the Bootcamp Challenge and I really enjoy it.

Russell is doing well.  He bought himself a pair of steel toe boots and happily chopped some firewood yesterday without the fear of losing a toe.  He also blew the leaves almost every day this week.  They are falling quite rapidly.  One night last week, Russell went out to the bottom of our driveway and took pictures of the night sky.  He was able to capture the Milky Way.  He posted this picture on Flickr and over 30,000 people viewed it.  As a result, his picture was entered in a special category of pictures called "Explore".  Pretty impressive.

As I am writing about the Milky Way, I can't help but think about the stars and what is beyond and think about Russell's Mom who is watching us from up above.  This coming Tuesday will mark the first anniversary of her passing.  She is always in our thoughts and we miss her dearly.

Today is another soggy Sunday.  It is cold, rainy and very windy.  Russell has a nice fire going so we are warm and cozy in our house.  A good day to read a book, snuggle up by the fireplace, listen to nice music and just relax.  Cooper is having a relaxing day also, no walk for him today!

I wish you all a great week leading up to Thanksgiving weekend.  Stay warm!

The brazen buck....dining on freshly fallen acorns!

MilkyWay as seen at the end of our driveway at 9:30 PM.

Fall at its best

The first full week of Fall sure was spectacular on all fronts.  I do not recall the weather being so nice even this past Summer.  We sure took advantage of it.  We spent a lot of time outdoors, going for walks, sitting on the deck, gardening and also went to Algonquin Park on Friday to take in the Fall colours. They were at their peak.  We couldn't have picked a better day to go.  We walked many trails, some pretty steep, and Russell took wonderful photos, all picture perfect if you ask me.

It was a nice day.  We took Cooper with us and he was a trooper walking all those trails.  Needless to say that with his full coat, he is a leaf magnet, but he didn't mind, neither did we.  It was fun, we met lots of people with their dogs and it was just majestic to take in all the colours.  I can see why people come from far away just to see the leaves in the Fall.  And there were bus loads of people.  We brought lunch and ate it at the Lake of Two Rivers Picnic Ground and Beach then carried on for one last hike.  We got home feeling a little tired from all the walking but it was worth it.

Unlike last Sunday, which was soggy, today is another beautiful and warm day.  We will go on the boat after lunch and check out the colours from the water.  They should be very nice. Who knows, this could be the last ride of the season.

This is a short blog as there is not much else to talk about except the weather!  Everyone that I spoke to this week was saying the same:  let's take advantage of this weather while it lasts.  And that is what we are doing.

I include a few of the pictures that Russell took.  Hope you enjoy them.  I wish you all a great week and I wish all of us more of the same weather in the weeks to come.

Sun peeking through a blazing canopy.

Autumn fire reflected on a watery mirror in Algonquin Park.

Roadside splendour.

Anne and the Coop on the trail...Hardwood Lookout.

A little rest break and photo op for Anne and the Coop.

Soggy Sunday

We woke up to fog, thunder, rain and now we have more rain.  Huge downpour and we've had about 1/2 inch so far.  It looks like it will rain all day....There are two events going on in Huntsville this weekend.  The Fall Fair has been on since Friday night and it ends tonight.  I feel bad for the organizers and the "fair goers".  Although Friday was beautiful, the weather hasn't worked in their favour.  It is too bad especially when these events are planned a year in advance and take place in the outdoors.  The other thing going on is the Sandhill Nursery Fall and Christmas Open House.  Although they have some tents to allow for some of the activities, much is happening outdoors in the gardens.  We had planned on going today, and we may go if the rain stops, but I'm not holding my breath.  Luckily, for them and for us, the Open House will go on until Thanksgiving Weekend. They do a wonderful job at decorating for Fall, Halloween and yes...Christmas.

So, it looks like this will be a quiet Sunday.  I have already made a batch of cauliflower and celery soup, marinated some chicken to be used in a Pho Soup that I will make for dinner tomorrow night. What else....I made some mashed cauliflower which looks like mashed potatoes.  Nice change and low carb if you care about that.  Two loads of laundry are done. It is 10:30 am and I'm now writing my blog.  Cooper is having a nap and Russell is doing some photography stuff on-line.  It's all good despite the weather.

This past week was uneventful.  Actually not true..... Russell was chopping some wood and....the axe fell on his foot and punctured his leather boot and of course the top of the foot.  The cut was actually relatively small with not too much bleeding but he did damage the tendon in his toe.  The toe is now limp and hangs down.  It's actually funny to talk about it now but it could have been much worse.  Guess what he will be buying this week:  steel toe boots!

We continue to have tons of acorns that fall on the deck and grass.  I can't believe that there are still some left in the oak trees after all the wind that we've been having.  The deer continue to spend a lot of time on our property.  Cooper was watching one that was awfully close to the front deck.  He didn't bark but he was growling a little bit.  When they get that close, he sees it as an intrusion.  I agree... if they didn't eat our plants, it wouldn't bother me but now they are becoming seriously brazen.  We are on our second, and last, Fall pot outside.  In a matter of minutes one day last week, when we had our backs turned, one came and ate the flowers.  Having said this, I guess it is better to have deer than moose in our backyard.  One late afternoon last week, a moose was spotted on the front lawn of the Huntsville Animal Hospital on Highway 60.  The attached picture was posted on their Facebook page.  That is the hospital where we go with Cooper.

This coming week is looking nice and warm so we may go on the boat.  We also want to go to Algonquin Park to take in the Fall colours.  Russell is following the leaf report.  We hope to go in the next two weeks.

Although we are done with agility for the year, we practice the Weave Poles almost every day. Cooper understands the "weave" command completely.  He just needs to learn to weave around each pole as opposed to every other pole.  But he's getting there.  Today will be a good day to do more training.

My parents are well and are getting ready to move in a month from now.  We will be there to make sure the move goes smoothly.  This will be their first move in 53 years.  They look forward to it.

This is it for this week's blog.  It is still raining, quite heavily.  Cooper just woke up and Russell will take him outside for his bathroom break.  He does not like the rain at all.  He will do as he always does when it rains: he will follow the side of the deck that is covered, and dry, and will quickly go down the steps and do his business.  Oh, but he will also be covered by a golf umbrella to minimize getting wet.  Spoiled or what?

I wish you all a nice Sunday and a great week ahead.  Today's pictures are of Cooper and the moose.

Moose on the loose at Algonquin Animal Hospital.

Cooper being 'knotty' with his gift from uncle Frank.

The Coop on deer patrol on the foyer steps.