It was a nice Christmas

Happy Sunday to all!  It's hard to believe that Christmas has come and gone.  I know, I say that every year but it's true.

I hope you all had a nice and happy Christmas. Russell and I had a lovely one with my parents and family.  It was good to be home for a few days and spend quality time just chatting away.  The weather was perfect for travelling and all went smoothly.  On Christmas Eve, we had lunch with Auntie Lorraine, Russell's aunt.  It was really nice to see her again and we had some good laughs.   We then had dinner at my parents' condo.  They made us a really nice meal and it was very relaxing.  On Christmas Day, my sister and her two sons, and my brother,  joined us for dinner.  Another nice family get together.  We returned to Huntsville yesterday afternoon, after picking up Cooper.

I read in Darlah's blog that Cooper and his furry friends had some duck treats on Christmas Day.  Yum, that must have been good.  Coop had a good time as always and the gals were apparently all around him.  He is such a charmer.  I include a couple of many photos that Darlah took while he was playing.  I will say that Christmas was not the same without our Coop but he was in his "home away from home",  happy and content.

I went back to the gym this morning.  Russell is going back tomorrow.  This coming week will be quiet and we want it to be relaxing, sort of like a "vacation" week.  Except for going to the gym, we will just go for walks, watch some movies and get ready for the New Year's festivities.

We still don't have snow although we got a bit of freezing rain last night but not enough to make the roads treacherous.  I think that some snow is in the forecast for this week.  That's OK.  It has to come sooner or later.  We basically have two months of Winter behind us.  Not bad at all when you consider that normally Winter lasts about five months in Muskoka.

My next blog will be in 2016.  Until then, I wish you a great week and hope that you have a wonderful New Year.  I leave you with a couple of family pictures that we took at my parents' place and a few of the Coop, courtesy of Darlah.  A special thought goes to Russell's dad who left us 14 years ago today. We miss you dad.  You're always in our thoughts.

The Pelletier clan:
my sister Lynn, my Mom, my brother Francois, my Dad and me 

Anne, Russell and Auntie Lorraine at Christmas Eve lunch.

Cooper giving chase to Casey...run Casey run!

Cooper in full furry flight.

Cooper surveying the action from the pool cover.

Merry Christmas! Joyeux Noel!

Here we are,  just a few days away from the Big Day!  Children from all over the world are waiting for the Big Man dressed in red and white.  Will he make a pit stop at 31 Forest Hill Lane?  I sure hope so!

This past week was good and busy.  We ended the week with our Toronto trip and we had a great time.  We left Friday morning, dropped off the Coop at Camp Talemaker, then went to Toronto for our hair cuts.  Following the hairdo, we had lunch at One Restaurant, in Yorkville.  I guess you could call it our pre-Christmas celebration.  It was truly lovely.  The food was excellent and the ambiance was great.  I had grilled calamari and sauteed kale......yummy.  Before going to dinner, we went to the Roof Top Bar of our hotel and had a drink on the heated patio.  How cool is it to be able to have a drink outdoors on December 18?  Then we went to our favorite restaurant for dinner, Dimmi Trattoria.  As usual, it was very nice and very festive.

We picked up the Coop early yesterday morning.  We were anxious to get on the road as they were calling for lots of snow in Huntsville and big snow squalls, with up to 30 cm of snow.  Well,  thankfully, the weather person was wrong and we only got a dusting, at least where we live.  The roads were good for the most part with the exception of a small area of near zero visibility.  Russell used his perfected driving skills and maneuvered through the area with no problems.

We got home to a pretty cool house, as in no heat.  When we woke up Friday morning, we realized that our water furnace wasn't working. Since we were leaving for Toronto, there wasn't anything we could do about it except place a service call.....they came yesterday afternoon but couldn't fix it.  The next service call is tomorrow afternoon. So much for emergency service.... We are grateful that the weather forecast is not calling for frigid temperatures. Our house is a cool, but manageable, 58 degrees F.  Russell has the fireplace going and I have an excuse for baking more cookies....with the oven on, the house stays that much warmer.

A few more trips to the gym before Christmas then we're done for a few days.  Cooper will have his Christmas bath on Tuesday and we go home on Wednesday.  Mom and Dad are counting the days. Coop will be spending Christmas at Camp Talemaker.  We will miss him but we will see him again on Boxing Day.

I leave you with only one photo, the Coop's Christmas picture.  All three of us wish you a wonderful Christmas.  We know a few people that have lost loved ones recently.  We are thinking of you and hope that you find peace during the Holiday season. Hugs and Kisses to all!

Mr. Coop wishes everyone a Merry Christmas!

Will it be a White Christmas?

Well, here we are less than two weeks before Christmas. Will it be a white one or not?  Only time will tell.  I believe there is snow in some parts of the country but in our neck of the woods, not a speck of snow to be seen.  We've had nothing but relatively mild temperatures, clouds and rain.  I don't remember when we last saw the sun.  It is actually looking a bit sad out there, so dark and dreary looking and although not cold, it is very damp.  Ok, enough about the weather.

All is good in the Duncan household.  Like everyone else, we are getting ready for Christmas.  My baking is mostly done, and most of it frozen, ready to bring home on the 23rd. A couple more things to bake later this week, then I'll be done for good.  Today, we started our Christmas celebrations by having John & Terri over for lunch.  It was nice to get together and to toast the holiday season.  I made a good old French Onion Soup.  It was yummy and cheesy.  Russell had a nice fire going and it made for a cozy afternoon.

We have a busy week ahead with some appointments in town and a trip to Toronto on Friday.  This will be our last hair cut of the year.  The next one will be the day before we leave for Mayan Riviera in early February.  Then, next week,  it will be Christmas and we will be off to Montreal for a few days.  My parents are counting the days until we go home.  So are we.  It will be nice to see them again.

Cooper is doing good.  He was a good host this afternoon although he had moments of craziness.  They say that having a dog is like having a two year old forever.  Aint' that the truth.  But we wouldn't have it any other way.

This is a short blog.  As I'm writing it, I'm looking at the fireplace, which is still roaring.  I'm actually feeling sleepy just looking at it.  I think I will just sit in front of it and close my eyes.  Russell is watching football and I suspect that he may be watching the inside of his eyelids from time to time.  As for Cooper, he's out like a light.  That's what a Christmas celebratory lunch will do!

I hope you all have a great week.  I also hope that your Christmas preparations are going as planned.    Be safe on the roads if you go out.

Christmas wreath with fresh bows in the great room.

A 6 point buck graced our lot and munched on our Christmas tree.

More of the hungry herd of deer...they love a fresh Christmas tree.

A mild December day

Happy Sunday to all!  What a beautiful, mild and sunny day we're having.  It's hard to believe that this is December.  Not a flake of snow, none in the forecast for a while it seems.  Gotta love it, although I feel for the snow resorts and for those who truly enjoy the snow.  As for us, we are quite happy with this kind of weather, so is Cooper as he doesn't have to wear his booties for his walks.  

All is good with us and we had a good week.  On the house front, we had two showings, back to back.  I was always hoping for at least one showing during the holiday season so that we could show our house in all its Christmas glory.  And so we did.  We even had the Christmas music playing in the background.  Not sure if anything will come out of the showings but at least the interest is still out there, especially at this time of year.  We do expect that Spring will bring a lot more activity.  In the meantime, we are happy to have the luxury of time on our side.  As such, we have given a lot of thought to where we want to move next.  We originally thought about Cobourg but we have decided on Burlington instead.  This is where we lived some 31 years ago.  We like the area,  we know quite a few people that live in the west end,  it is close enough to Toronto and to many other smaller cities,  and it is also close to the Niagara region which we love.  It's all good.

I got some baking done yesterday and froze most of it.  I have more to do this afternoon and in the next few days.  We plan on bringing some to my parents when we go home in a few weeks and we also want to give some to Russell's aunt.  

Our workouts are going well.  We have renewed out personal training sessions at the gym for another six months.  I can now do three chin ups in a row.  Russell can do more.....lucky him.  

That's it for my blog this week.  We will have lunch now, then go for a walk with the Coop. When we come back, I will bake and the house will smell yummy.  I leave you with some pictures that Russell took of some of our Christmas decorations as well as a photo of the wreath we ordered for Russell's parents.  We will visit them when we go home.  Oh, by the way, the deer found our outdoor Christmas tree and started nibbling at it.  

Have a great everyone!

Christmas tree all decorated with Teddy on watch above.

A close up of some of the ornaments.

The stockings are hung by the chimney with care...

Terry and Art have their decorations up...watching us from on high.

Christmas Tree Trimming

Happy Sunday to all!  Ours is cloudy but not cold.  The snow that we got last Sunday is all gone, not a flake left on the ground.  We had a lot of rain this past week and some pretty mild temperatures.  Crazy weather.

This past week was quiet but good.  We bought our Christmas trees and they were delivered on Friday.  They are Fraser Fir and they smell so good.  The outside tree is about 8 feet tall and the inside is 7 feet.  Today is the day I trim the tree, right after I'm done writing my blog.  I already put 400 mini clear lights on the outside tree.  Now I'm waiting for darkness so that I can fuss with the lights.....and Russell will attest to that.  I will look at the tree from different angles, including from our kitchen window,  and rearrange those lights until I am completely satisfied that they are perfectly in place....that is, until the deer find the tree and start nibbling on it and move all the lights!

All the decorations are ready to go and I also have 400 mini clear lights for the inside tree.  Cooper has sniffed the tree once and that's it.  All is good he says.

The Christmas Music Channel is now on, as of today.  I love the Holiday music although I find some of the songs a little nostalgic at times.  I haven't started the baking yet but I bought all the ingredients, so I'm one step closer.  It's all coming together.

December is just around the corner.  Amazing that this year is just about done. We will be going to Montreal for Christmas this year.  We look forward to it.  In almost two months, Russell and I will be heading for Mayan Riviera for a little Winter getaway.  We are returning to the same place we went to last June, The Royal Hideway Playacar.  Can't wait!

This is a short blog as I'm anxious to start trimming the tree!  I only have two photos this week and one is of Russell sporting his new look.  He grew his beard for "Movember" and wasn't going to keep it. But I will say that I like it a lot.  I think it makes him look quite "Sean Connery-ish".  So, it's a keeper, at least for now.  Photos of our interior Christmas decorations and tree in next week's blog.

I wish you all a great week.

Russell and Cooper pose for a Movember selfie.

Ice flows down the granite on the Huntsville Summit Center road.

And so it begins.....

Happy Sunday to all!  We woke up to our first snow dump of the season this morning, about 10 cm of the white stuff.  As we went to bed last night, I was kind of hoping that we wouldn't get so much but in the end we didn't get as much as they were predicted so we lucked out.  But what we got was heavy and wet, the kind that makes it hard to shovel.

So, our snow routine has begun. I shovelled the deck, then made some paths in the backyard so that Cooper can play without sinking in the snow but most importantly so that he doesn't get snowballs on his coat.  When Russell took Coop out first thing this morning, he went nuts and ran around the backyard like crazy.  He does love snow! When he came back in the house, his undercarriage and paws were covered with snowballs.  We took him in the basement, ran him a bit hoping the snowballs would fall off but they were too thick and wet. That's when a hair dryer comes in handy.  All this before we even had our first coffee.  Now, let's hope that Cooper uses those paths.

Russell was quick to take pictures as it was truly beautiful out there.  Our Winter pots are so much nicer with a dusting of snow. When we woke up, our private road had already been plowed and our guy did our driveway mid morning.  We're off to a good start.

This past week was good and busy, although I came down with a stomach flu at the beginning of the week which kept me in the house for two days.  Luckily, I was almost back to my old self when we left for Toronto on Thursday morning.  We had a good time and the weather was nice and warm.  We got a bit of shopping done and had a few nice meals.

This is the last week of November and Christmas is just around the corner.  Time is going by way too fast.  Towards the end of this week, we will go to the nursery and pick our Christmas trees, and hopefully have them delivered first week of December.  I haven't started holiday baking yet but I will soon.

This coming week is busy with all kinds of appointments.  It is also my Mom's birthday on Saturday.  We wish her a wonderful birthday.  We will see you at Christmas!

That's it for this week's blog. I leave you with the photos that Russell took of our outdoor Wintery decorations.  I wish you all a great week!

Cardinal in the front hanging basket with snow orbs.

The globes decorated with berries and soft pine boughs.

Front door pots with birch, magnolia leaves and dogwood flank the entrance.

Back deck planter with a dusting of snow.

Cooper keeping an eye on all that happens in his domain.

About 1 foot of snow on the roof...a light load.

Planter wheel barrow almost buried.

Same time, last year

Another week has come and gone and it was marked by such tragedy.  Paris, such a beautiful city, will never be the same again.  So many lives were lost and so many lives will be forever changed.  Russell and I were in Paris for my 50th birthday.  Truly the city of love, the city of lights, the city where no one would expect such a massacre to happen.  Sadly, such is the world we live in now.

Here, at home, the weather continues to surprise everyone.  Today, we are enjoying a sunny day with a temperature of +10 celsius.  Given the weather, I thought it would be a good day to get our Winter pots done.  I spent the better part of this afternoon decorating our front pots with boxwood, dogwood, magnolia leaves, red berries and birch branches.  They look pretty and add some nice colour to the front. I also did the kitchen window box. I will post some photos in next week's blog. All that we need to do now,  outside, is get some wreaths for the front doors and, of course, the Christmas tree.  That will be in a few weeks.  All in good time....then we start the inside Christmas decorations...and play Christmas music!

Last year, at exactly the same date, we had our first major snow fall, and it snowed for the whole week.  I thought I would include a photo of Cooper on the tree stump, taken on November 15, 2014, and the same photo taken today.  Same time, last year.  What a difference a year makes.  By the time the snow was done, we had two feet of snow on our roof.  We're not complaining....if this weather keeps up until the end of November, we will have had one less month of Winter to deal with this year.  That makes me so happy!

I haven't started my Christmas baking yet but I will in a few weeks.  In the meantime, I am making a list of what I want to bake....some old favourites and a few new ones.  Most of the baking I make is for sharing with friends and family but we do indulge ourselves in a few bites here and there.  That is why we work out so hard after all.

Not much else is going on. This coming week will bring another trip to Toronto and an overnight stay for Cooper at Camp Talemaker.  Russell and I always look forward to this get away, so does the Coop!

I leave you with a few photos that Russell took of the Coop....he was practicing his lighting so he used Cooper as his "subject".  Russell also captured a fox that was out for a stroll on our septic berm and a beautiful sunrise.

I wish you all a great week.  May it be a peaceful one.

Cooper on his 'stump' November 15...no snow, 2015.

Cooper on his 'stump' November 15...plenty of snow, 2014.

The neighbourhood red fox navigating the septic berm.

Mr. Coop in the foyer awash in natural light.

Lounging...actually posing for his Daddy.

Moments before full sunrise as seen on the back deck.

A Time to Remember

Another Sunday is upon us.  Only six to go before Christmas.  After Remembrance Day, I suspect that the race to get everything ready for Christmas will be on for most people.  Some will start their shopping, baking, and even decorating.  But before we get down to it, we will take the time, on Wednesday,  to remember all those who fought for us and sacrificed their lives in action.

Today, we went for a walk at the Summit Centre and sat by the monuments that commemorate the many Canadians that fought in the war. Russell's uncle Charlie was one of them.  Lest we Forget.

This past week was great on all fronts, but I must say that the weather was truly out of this world.  We had two days of +20 temperatures, with beautiful sunshine for most of the week.  Can't ask for better weather in November.  The long range forecast continues to be above average and that suits us just fine.  On Friday, we were treated to a rain and wind storm and lost power for 10 hours. Our generator kicked in within seconds, so that was good. That same day, in the morning, we had a showing.  Not a good day to show off our house but, on the other hand, the view can be quite spectacular when there is a storm.

Huntsville has been hopping these past few days.  It is hosting the 2015 National Women's Under-18 Hockey Championship, being held at the Canada Summit Centre.  The tournament includes roughly 160 athletes traveling from all over the country to compete for the title as well as provincial pride. Some pretty powerful and talented women in this group! The gold medal game is today, at 4:30 pm,  between Team Manitoba and Team Ontario Red.  Team Ontario Red will be defending their gold medal.

It is hunting season in many parts of Canada and Huntsville is no different.  Deer hunting is currently under way, I believe for another week.  It breaks my heart to think that some of those beautiful creatures are being killed.  Even if we complain that they eat our plants, we wouldn't wish them any harm. Until yesterday, we didn't realize that it is legal to hunt on private property, as long as the hunter has permission to do so.  So, to our great surprise (and shock), as we were going down our driveway yesterday after lunch, we saw a hunter, all decked out in orange, with a high power rifle in hand heading towards the woods that belong to our next door neighbour.  Enough said.   We sure hope that our neighbourhood deer were not around.

Tomorrow will mark 4 years since we brought our little Cooper home.  He has brought us nothing but joy and love.  Wednesday is Remembrance Day and Friday is my sister's birthday.  So, a week filled with events of some sorts.  I leave you with a "pot-pourri" of photos.  Have a great week everyone!

Uncle Charlie, as we knew him.  He served his country well.

Anne and Cooper take a moment at the Summit Centre Monuments.

Cooper surveying the rain and wind storm from his fav perch.

Cooper homeward bound....he arrived in our lives 4 years ago.  Photo taken by Nathan and Darlah as we were leaving their house

All set to broadcast the Women's U18 Hockey Championship Game.

 A fox caught on the critter cam on the septic berm.

A deer posing for the critter cam on the berm....nice and safe.

November 1st: National Eat Your Kid's Halloween Candy Day

Happy Sunday to all! Not a pretty day out there, raining and windy but not cold.  Once in a while, I like a rainy day as it forces us to just stay put and relax.  And that is what we will be doing for the rest of the day after I put away all the Halloween/Fall decorations.  Getting ready for the next holiday season!

Halloween was a huge success on Forest Hill Lane.  For the first time since we've been here, we had two families with one kid each that came to our house around dinner time.  Wow, it was hard to keep up with the crowd.....  but it was nice to finally be able to share our candies with the little ones. As you can see from the photos, Russell took great pains in turning three pumpkins into spooky Jack-o'-Lanterns.  Those pumpkins are now scattered on our septic berm for the deer to eat.  I have to tell you that they ate all of the small pumpkins that we had in our wheel barrow, in about two days.  Russell was able to capture one in the act.  We never knew that they liked pumpkin so much.  What a great way to dispose of them!

So, today is Eat your Kid's Halloween Candy Day.  Hmm....I wonder how that works in real life.  I don't recall that special day when I was a kid.....

Today is also the beginning of a brand new month, the 11th month of the year.  Wow, I can't believe that Christmas is next month!  Our Independent Grocer already has all the Christmas decorations out and the local stores are gearing up for the holiday season.  What is missing is snow and that's fine with us.  November of 2014 brought a lot of snow in Huntsville.  So far, at least for the first week of this month, the forecast is nice and relatively mild.  Bring it on!

All is good with us and the Coop.  We didn't do much this past week other than going to the gym.    We had two full days of rain and I was still under the weather from that nasty cold.  Russell spent a lot of time blowing the leaves.  We seem to have a lot more this year, strangely enough.

That's about it for my news.  All the photos in today's blog are Halloween related.  I wish you all a great week and a good start to November.

Caught in the act. Pumpkin, a tasty treat for the neighbourhood deer.

Oooooooo....very scary!

The trio of pumpkins...how inviting!

Cooper in his finest spooky outfit...wishing all Happy Halloween!

A scary sunrise on Halloween Day in Huntsville.

The twins...same mother, different fathers.

'Tis the Season for Ginger....

Happy Sunday everyone!  Today is the last Sunday in October.  Christmas is two months away.  Next Sunday is November 1 and our clocks go back one hour.  But before all of this takes place, we will have Halloween!  We haven't had any trick or treaters yet since we've lived here but we hope that this year will be different, having a family with young children now living on our road.  We are prepared, pumpkins and all.  So are our neighbours.  If we get no kids, then we will have to either eat or dispose of those mini chocolate bars that I bought today.  Why is it that we always buy the things that we like the most!

On that note, I seem to be on a ginger kick these days which is why I titled this blog 'Tis the season for ginger".  Oh, I didn't come up with that. My good friend Terri did, when she commented on my Facebook page yesterday.  I thought, what a great title for this week's blog.   For me, ginger, especially when used in baking, means Fall, Holidays, nice smells and yummy goodies.  Yesterday, I made Triple Ginger Cookies and this morning I baked a Crystallized Ginger Loaf, with a little caramel drizzle.  You see, I've been under the weather the past few days with a cold that just doesn't want to leave me.  I thought that baking something with ginger could be a good remedy..... so, Russell and I are enjoying these little ginger treats hoping that they provide some good medicinal benefits to our bodies.

This past week was good and quiet.  We both went to the gym but I skipped two days. I just wasn't feeling up to it.  Having said this, it seems that Russell and I are having a little "chin up" competition.  His trainer added chin ups as part of his training program.  Can he do one?  Of course he can!   Good for him.  Perhaps, one day, we will both be in the gym at the same time and compare notes....

On the home front, all is quiet for now.  Our last showing was during Thanksgiving weekend. Tomorrow, we will renew our listing for another three months.  Who knows what the next few months will bring.

Today turned out to be a beautiful, sunny day.  More of the same for the next few days.  It's all good.  That's it for this week's blog.  I include a beautiful sunrise photo that Russell took on Friday morning, one that I took late yesterday afternoon, while sitting in front of the fireplace,  and a few pictures of the Cooper.  Look for his Halloween photo in next week's blog!

Have a great week and a safe Halloween!

Fall Potpourri, scary pumpkin and a roaring fire.

Sunrise on the back deck...just after Blue Hour.

Mr Coop lounging with 'his' fav bone nearby.

You want me to be the floor mop/duster....Ok says Coop!

We're ready!

Good day everyone!  Hope you all had a great week.  Ours was good and the weather was pretty decent.  Unlike today, which is dismal and quite cool , but no snow.

Yesterday, like many other places, we had our first dusting of snow.  Cooper was as happy as can be when he first went out in the morning.  He loves the first snow of the season.  I guess the snow prompted us to get ready for Mr. Winter.  I cut back all the perennials that needed cutting back, Russell blew the leaves (again) and put the driveway markers in the ground.  I got all of our Winter gear out for when we need it....including the Coop's booties.  So, we're ready for another season.  All that is left to do is put the snow tires on, in a couple of weeks.

All is good with us.  Thanksgiving Monday was a quiet and very nice day. The weather was spectacular to say the least.  We spent most of the day outside and enjoyed some nice time on the deck, basking in the sunshine. I truly enjoyed the Charity Bootcamp that morning.  We ended up literally pushing a small fire truck to the Salvation Army, about two kilometers from the gym, and delivered lots of canned goods.  It was a fun thing to do for a good cause.

Russell has been taking some very nice photos of the outdoors.  The leaves are almost all gone now but the vista is beautiful to look at.  Soon, his photos will be of snow and ice.....each season brings something beautiful to capture.

The beginning of this week promises to be exciting....at least tomorrow:  the Blue Jays are playing in Toronto tomorrow night and, of course, it is Election Day in Canada.  Fun night on TV for sure.  Oh, and The Voice is also on tomorrow night!  The rest of the week will be quiet and I'm having lunch with Terri on Thursday.  Looking forward to catching up.

Today is a quiet day.  I went to my Bootcamp class this morning, then met with a good friend of mine, Nancy, who was in town for her son's hockey tournament.  It was nice to see her again.  After lunch, we took Mr. Coop for a walk and we are now chilling.  Russell is watching football in the Muskoka room, and I will relax and read a book in the Great Room with candles and music on.  Cooper will be going from room to room, trying to get someone's attention for a treat.  Little bugger that he is.....

Have a great week everyone!

First dusting of snow and Cooper investigates the fire pit.

Snow and Fall colour peaking through as seen from the deck.

Neighbourhood deer just off the driveway in the front yard.

Deep in the woods....Fall colour in front of our house.

All loaded up for the FITT Gym charity food drive.