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!