Signs of Spring

Happy Sunday everyone!  Hope you're all having a nice day.  Not sure what the weather is like in other parts of Canada or the world, but in Muskoka, it is sunny and a tad warmer than it's been.  Spring is on its way, slowly but surely....although "they", the so called weather specialists,  are calling for up to 10 cm of snow in our neck of the woods tonight.  I envy Russell's cousin Holly, who lives in Calgary, and enjoyed pizza and wine on her deck last Friday night, with +20 temperatures.  But there are signs that Spring is in the air:  the springtails, or snow flees, have surfaced on the snow.  We have seen some buds on some of the trees during our walks, and the snow is truly melting.  And, let's not forget that Easter is upon us, and Easter always brings a renewal of some sort.

This past week was good and was filled with "this and that" and went by very quickly.  We went to Arrowhead Park for a number of walks. We always enjoy those walks. We had the pleasure of having Terri and her aunt Diana over for tea on Wednesday. It was very nice.  I bought myself some "skinny" jeans....well, maybe not as skinny as the ones that young girls wear, but they are tight enough.  We met with the lady who will do our hanging baskets for the front porch.  It was nice to see her again and talk flowers.  Russell got his first Canada Pension Plan cheque.  Wow, that was an exciting day for him!  Good for you Russell. Well deserved!  

We have some fun things on the go this coming week.  We are off to Toronto again on Thursday, this time to see Neil Diamond at the ACC.  It should be a great concert.  We will first drop off the Coop at Camp Talemaker then make our way to Sherway Gardens for a little shopping.  We need a few things for our June trip to Mayan Riviera.  After our shopping spree, we will go to our hotel and get ready for the concert.  Maybe I will wear my skinny jeans.....Anyway, it will be fun to do something different, like go to a concert.  When Russell bought the tickets a few months ago, he bought the "Art of Love" package, which includes special check-in and pre-show drinks and appetizers.  We're going all out for this event.

We will be back home on Friday and get ready for some company on Saturday.  More on that in next week's blog but we look forward to Saturday!

That's it for my blog this week.  I leave you with a couple of pictures that we took of Cooper last night during Earth Hour.  For a little while, it was so dark in the house despite the candles that we couldn't find Cooper.  We were afraid to walk around and step on him.  Then Russell got a flashlight and found him by the back door.  The Coop then decided that sitting on the fireplace hearth was a good place to be.  So we got some pictures of him.  Russell also took a picture of someone fishing on Lake Robinson yesterday morning.  Ice fishing is just about done now.

Have a great everyone and enjoy the upcoming long weekend!

Cooper found a spot of light during the Earth Hour black-out.

So comfortable that he had a nap!

Ice fishing on Lake Robinson a 400mm lens helped get the shot.

Apparently Spring has arrived....

The past few weeks have been fairly mild considering where we live but since Spring arrived, we've had Winter temperatures again.  Today, it feels especially cold even though it is only -9 C but the wind is wicked.  We went for a walk after lunch and we cut it short as we were freezing.  The hats, gloves and scarves didn't stop the cold from getting right through us.  I suppose we have to be patient and let Spring settle in before we can really enjoy it.

I often like to go back to previous blogs and see what we were doing around the same time, a few years ago.  Well, exactly three years ago, we were back in Huntsville, just for the day, looking at the progress of our home, this time to watch the roof being erected.  The weather then was +20 Celsius and there was no snow on the ground.  I thought I would include a few pictures just to show you.  The Spring of 2012 was truly amazing.

This past week was good and went by quickly. Our St-Patrick's Day dinner was excellent and Russell enjoyed his Dublin Coddle.  Even though I made half the recipe, he had enough for lunch the next day.  As for my Irish Whiskey roasted salmon, it was also very good.  We were in Toronto on Thursday and had a good day. There is no snow whatsoever in TO.  It was nice to be able to walk outside without boots.  Cooper was at Camp Talemaker and also had a good day.  We were back in Huntsville by the stroke of noon on Friday.

Not much else is going on in our lives.  Like everyone else, we are anxious for the warm weather to arrive and stay.  We look forward to some Spring cleaning outside and get the yard ready for Summer.  On that note, we were in touch with the owner of the Variegated Devas' Nursery to inquire about customized hanging baskets.  Last year, for the first time, we bought our baskets from that nursery.  We were so pleased that we thought about doing the same this year.  Since the flowers are grown from seeds, they need to be ordered soon.  We will do so in the next couple of days.  Just have to think about the colour scheme......

My parents closed the deal on their house so it is now officially sold. We will be going to Montreal at the end of April to visit them.  We look forward to it.

That's about it for this week's blog.  In addition to some "flashback" pictures, I include one that Russell took of a hummingbird nest while on our walk today.  I wish you all a great week.

Anne and Cooper catching some rays as the walls go up.

View from the berm.

Short sleeves in March....2012!

Hummingbird nest in Arrowhead Park....new occupants soon?

Happy St-Patrick's Day....a little early

Happy Sunday everyone!  We woke up to clouds this morning but this day has turned out to be quite nice, sunny and rather warm.  The snow on the deck is now completely gone and we have a patch of grass in the backyard.  Now, how good is that?  I might just sit on the deck once I'm done writing the blog....

This past week was a good one and the weather also cooperated.  On Tuesday, we decided to go to Bala and walk the trails at the Johnston Cranberry Marsh.  The trails are fairly easy to walk but it was a nice change from staying in the Huntsville area.  When we got there, we were greeted by Trooper, the owners' golden retriever.  He followed us the whole time.  What a gentle dog he was.  After the walk, I went to the store and bought some cranberry goodies, maple syrup and some local cheeses.  It was a fun day enjoyed by all.

On Wednesday, Terri and I had our girl's lunch date.  It was nice to catch up on things.

We had a little bit of excitement one late afternoon last week.  We were watching TV in the Muskoka room and all of a sudden, there was a baby raccoon staring at us through the window.  You can just imagine Cooper's reaction when he saw the critter looking in on us.  Luckily, he went away and we haven't seen him since.

I did a bit of baking this past week.  Terri gave me a recipe for healthy chocolate chip cookies, made with flaxseeds, applesauce and dark chocolate. I made a batch and they were delicious.  Then Russell saw this recipe for a Guinness Gingerbread Cake and thought it would be a good thing to have for St-Patricks' Day.  I made the cake yesterday and we had a piece last night.  It was simply divine!  I gave some to John & Terri today and thanked them for helping us eat it.....I cannot imagine Russell and I eating the whole cake.  It was good though and we still have some left for tonight, and tomorrow, and Tuesday.....Now, you're probably wondering what I will be cooking for St-Paddy's Day.  I will make a Dublin Coddle for Russell.  It's basically a sausage, bacon, onion and potato hotpot, which cooks for 3-4 hours.  As for me, I will treat myself to an Irish Whiskey roasted salmon fillet.  Yummy!

There is one other thing that I did this past week:  I booked us a trip to Mayan Riviera for one week in June.  We've been debating where to go next Winter and Mayan Riviera was highly recommended by many people, including Scruffy....  We took her recommendation and thought, why not check it out first just to make sure we like it.  More on that trip as we get closer to the date but it's something to look forward to.

We're off to Toronto on Thursday for our 6 week hair cut.  Cooper will be at Camp Talemaker for the night.  I'm hoping the weather cooperates so that I can wear shoes and a spring coat....wouldn't that be nice.

That's it for this week's blog.  I include a few photos that Russell took of Cooper earlier this week when we had more snow and a few taken in Bala.  I wish you all a great week and for those of you on March break, have a safe and fun week. Today is my brother's birthday so a huge shout out goes to Frank!  I leave you with a quote by Adrienne Cook:  "St-Patrick's Day is an enchanted time - a day to begin transforming winter's dreams into summer's magic".

Anne, Cooper and Trooper relaxing after a trail romp.

Treats and a sip of water on the trail...what could be better.

Cooper in a stiff breeze.

Ahhh...it is better to look into the wind, now I can see.

A snow free deck at last!

What are you guys watching and do you have any treats?!

The residents of Forest Hill Lane

Happy Sunday everyone!  Hope you had a good night sleep.  Nice to wake up in darkness again but oh so nice to get that extra hour of daylight!  To top this, the forecasted temperatures for each day this week are above 0 Celsius.  Wow, what a week it will be!

Three years ago, the raising of our log home took place.  We were the only "human" residents at the time.  Now, five families live on Forest Hill Lane, with a 6th one due to move in sometime this year.  I thought it was fitting to post pictures of the other "residents" of our road, courtesy of John and Terri.  For the past few weeks, with their trail cam, they have captured pictures of a number of foxes, porcupines, deer and a fisher.  They all seem to follow the same trail and appear quite busy at night, with their comings and goings.  We know, from one picture, where the porcupine's den is.  John actually followed the trail while snowshoeing one day and knew where to install his trail cam.  It's kind of cool to know what goes on in the forest while we're all sleeping.  As long as those critters stay away from our dogs, we're good!

This past week was somewhat subdued. Russell continued to recover from his virus and I think he's pretty much over it now. As for me, well, I should have known that it was a matter of time before I caught something.  So, my week was up and down.  I went to bed last Sunday night feeling like a truck had rolled over me.  Then, on Tuesday, I felt pretty good and stayed that way for a couple of days until Friday when I started feeling under the weather again.  I had to cancel some Bootcamp classes as I had no energy for an intense workout.  Having said this, I tend to bounce back pretty quickly so we did go for some walks with the Coop.  Somehow, getting some fresh air always makes me feel better.

I so look forward to the milder temperatures this week.  Anything above zero is considered mild at this time of year and with the sun being so strong, the snow may just start melting.  I'm hoping we can sit on the deck sometime soon.  Oh yes, Spring is coming!

Today will be a quiet day although I feel like I've done a lot so far.  I've already made a batch of pea soup and a chicken pot pie for dinner tonight.  After lunch, we will go for a walk then come home and chill for the rest of the day.  We're both back at the gym tomorrow.  On Wednesday, Terri and I have a girl's lunch date.  Looking forward to it!  Have a great week.  March break is fast approaching!

A porcupine heading to the den for the day.

A porcupine making a nightly outing.

A fox using the same "Critter Highway" as the porcupine.

The return trip...must have forgot something.

A fisher making its way along the path looking for a snack.

The deer of Forest Hill Lane.

A pileated woodpecker on suet.

A huge welcome to March!

What a nice feeling it is to know that the "usually" worst two months of the year, weather wise, are behind us.  I know that Winter is not over yet, not by a long shot I'm guessing, but I also know that it doesn't hurt to be positive and hopeful that Spring will soon be here.

Since our return from Barbados, it's been pretty cold but we have had lots of sunshine.  The weather today is nice and relatively mild and more of it on the way this week.  I went for a walk with Cooper after lunch and it was good to feel the warmth of the sun on my face.  Russell stayed home.  He's been under the weather for one week now, some sort of respiratory virus.  He did go to the clinic but there is not much that can be done, other than let it run its course.  He is feeling somewhat better today but not quite himself yet.  Hopefully this will pass in the next few days.  As for me, I am well and hope I don't catch it....

I've been spending some time on the internet looking at different potential locations for our 2016 Winter getaway.  We've been to Barbados more often than I can count, so obviously we love it, but it might be time for a little change.....so we'll see what we come up with.  We also want to go back to Italy in the next few years and are hoping to go to Ireland/Scotland at some point. We haven't been back to Europe since I retired in 2011 so we are now itching to travel again beyond the Caribbean islands.

Not much else is going on with us but lots going on with my parents.  It looks like they have finally sold their house after being on the market for about 8 months.  Not bad considering that only a handful of houses get sold in a given year in that area.  They are happy about it and so are we.  There is always some stress involved in selling a house and I, for one, am glad that this chapter is about to close.  They are truly happy where they live now and have no regret whatsoever about deciding to make the move to rightsize.

That's it for this week's blog. I leave you with a couple of photos that Russell took of the Coop and I as we were going for our walk today and some of Barbados.  Russell truly enjoyed taking pictures of the sunset, which was different every night.  He actually said that if he lived in Barbados year round, he would take a picture of the sunset every night for 365 nights, and each would be different while spectacular.  I wish you all a great week!

A palm hides the setting sun as it casts a golden glow.

Two best seats on the beach for this Barbados sunset.

Two surfers try to catch a final wave before the sun sets.

Right place, right time, sun sets can be a challenge to capture.

The Cliff Restaurant in Barbados....the view from the lounge. An excellent experience.

Anne and Cooper set for a wintery walk.

Down the driveway they go......