On this day, in 1982....

Today is our 34th wedding anniversary.  I honestly don't know where the years went but they have been great.  Here's to many more years of happiness!

So, what are we doing today?  Well, it so happens that our good friends from Perth are coming to Montreal for a business meeting so they will drop by shortly. It will be nice to see them again.  Later on, Russell and I will enjoy a simple, casual dinner that will consist of good artisanal bread, cheeses and charcuterie, all from Quebec of course....oh, I almost forgot, and a nice bottle of wine to wash it all down.

This past week was great.  We had a lovely boat cruise on Wednesday night with wonderful company. It was also nice to rediscover the Old Montreal.  It was packed with tourists. That night, our Cooper had his first overnight at Chez Winston.  It went very well and I think his human parents were more anxious about it than he was.  We will do it again soon.  Coop is now quite familiar with Tracy and Winston's home.  That's a good thing.

On Thursday, my parents and I went to Longueuil to celebrate my aunt's 90th birthday.  I got to see my other aunt (both are my mom's sisters) and I also saw my uncle JC.  It was a wonderful family reunion. Russell and the Coop held down the fort in my absence.

It's a short blog today.  We just got back from our walk with Cooper and are waiting the arrival of our friends.  I leave you with just one special photo.  I hope you all have a great week, leading up to Labour Day Weekend.  Wow, that time of year already!

A friend's visit to La Belle Province

Happy Sunday everyone!  Not a pretty day out there, raining cats and dogs but that's OK.  We need the rain.  I quite like rainy days sometimes as it's an excuse to curl up on the couch, read a good book and listen to some good music.  Funny, as I'm writing the blog, the song "I made it through the rain" is playing....

We had a great week, highlighted by the visit of my good friend Eve.  She took the train from Toronto and arrived on Thursday.  It was so wonderful to see her again and to really take the time to catch up on things.  Eve and I worked quite closely together for many many years so we go back a long long way.  Russell and Coop also enjoyed her company.  On Friday, we went back to her old neighbourhood in DDO and she saw her childhood home.  She even got to speak to the current owners and we got a picture of her standing in front of the house.  Nice memories for her and her parents.  We had a nice lunch in Ste-Anne-De-Bellevue and walked along the boardwalk.  I also took her to my childhood house and showed her the church where Russell and I got married.  It was a trip down memory lane for both of us.

During her stay, we had some good meals and some good wines. The weather was perfect and we spent all of our time on the deck.  Yesterday morning, I took Eve to the gym and we both did the VMX Rope Training Class.  It was her first time doing that kind of a workout and she did really well (it helps when you're in good shape). Perhaps there was a little bit of competition going on between the two of us which is why we both had such a great workout from it...also a good way to burn off those so-called empty calories that come from that good thing called wine.  Eve left yesterday and we already miss her.  We look forward to her next visit.

Cooper is doing well.  He finally started using his crate again.  He goes in almost every day now, for a little nap.  I'm glad that we decided to keep the crate.  For a while, we were thinking that maybe we should put it in the basement.  But the Coop came around and found his crate again.  This week is a big week for him....he will have his first overnight stay at Chez Winston on Wednesday.  Guess who will not sleep on Wednesday night?

While the Coop is at Chez Winston, Russell and I will be attending a wine tasting cruise in Montreal, leaving from the Old Port.  It should be a lovely evening.  We are going with a good childhood friend of Russell's and his wife and I look forward to meeting them.  The weather forecast is looking wonderful for an evening cruise.

I'm a little late writing my blog today.  That's because we had a lovely lunch at my brother's place and only got home a little while ago. My parents were there and my nephews came to say hi.  It was really nice to get together.  Francois made us crab cakes and a spinach and ricotta pie.  Yum.  He really enjoys cooking and is excellent at it.  I brought dessert, blueberry squares.  It was a great way to spend a rainy Sunday.  Cooper also came with us and he was a good boy.

That's it for this week's blog.  Another busy week coming up.  In addition to our cruise on Wednesday, I will be visiting my aunts with my parents on Thursday. I look forward to seeing them. It's been a long time since I saw them.  I wish you all a great week!

The threesome, Eve, Coop and Anne.

Cooper getting some good loving from Eve.

A busy afternoon in the locks of Ste-Anne-De-Bellevue.

A cicada on the deck.

Coop patiently watching the cicada.

Me and my hubby on the deck

Fall Mums have arrived!

Happy Sunday to all!  Our day started quite soggy but it's clearing up now and I'm writing my blog on the deck.  Got to enjoy every minute of the Summer....once you start seeing Fall Mums in the grocery stores, you just know what's around the corner...

This past week went by so fast, I can't believe today is Sunday.  We seem to always have something on the go these days and the next two weeks won't be any different but it's all good.

Cooper went back to Chez Winston for a play date.  He seems more comfortable at Winston and Tracy's house.  He apparently was in a playful mode as he ran away with a pair of socks that he found in one of the bedrooms.  That's what we like to hear.  Tracy always posts photos of the dogs playing on her Facebook page and we appreciate that.  It's nice for us to see Coop in a new environment and he seems happy.

On Friday, Russell and I went to the 2nd annual Montreal Ribfest held in Pierrefonds.  What a yummy way to benefit the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the West Island.  We bought ribs from three vendors and ate them at home for dinner.  My brother joined us and we literally pigged out...no pun intended.  He stayed over much to Cooper's delight.....the Coop loves nothing better than to wake up overnight guests in the morning.

Yesterday, we had a small family gathering  to say hello to my cousin Rick and his family who are visiting.  They live in Alberta.  The last time I saw Rick was probably 20 + years ago.  It was nice to see him again after all those years.  I also go to see my uncle Ron and aunt Lil, and cousin Roger. Long time no see.

We heard from the people that bought our house in Huntsville.  They have seen lots of wildlife since they've been there but the main attraction has been black bears right on the septic berm of the property. I wish we could have seen that when we lived there, I bet Coop would have loved it.  Their dog Gibson, like his predecessor Cooper, apparently loves to lord over his domain.  Can't blame him.

Today, I finished all the planting in the back yard.  Next on the agenda is to get some landscaping done in the front and a bit in the back.  We hope to get that done in the next month or so.  Other than that, we're in good shape.  I just have to buy a few Fall Mums to decorate the front of the house.

We are now enjoying the sunshine and a nice breeze, although it is quite warm out.  Russell got a Facebook memory from two years ago today...it was +9 in Huntsville and we had the fireplace on. What a difference two years make.

That's it for this week's blog. This coming week will bring the visit of my good friend Eve.  We look forward to seeing her.  I wish you all a great week and wish our Canadian athletes continued success...the Women are doing exceptionally well!

Montreal Ribfest.

The winners, Ribs Royale, so yummy!

Winston on the couch,  Sonam who is visiting,
in his doggie bed and the Coop wanting to play.

Coop's favorite place in the house,
this time he's leaning against the sofa, always checking out the neighbours.

Anne and cousin Rick.

Love this Summer!

What a Summer we're having, sunny and hot as the weather people predicted.  I must say that it's been perhaps a tad too hot this past week and we badly need rain but just the same, I think we're having a beautiful Summer.  May this weather continue well into Fall.

All is good with us and we had a great week.  I went to the gym five times and did all the classes I wanted to do.  I even tried the Cardio Box/Martial Fusion class.  Kind of crazy, high intensity and it requires a little coordination.  At times, my arms didn't quite follow my feet but I got the hang of it eventually.  I also tried VMX Rope training yesterday.....a little difficult to explain what it's all about so you may have to Google it but it's very hard.  I will do it again but I will need to pace myself rather than try to go at it like some crazy 20 year old!

Russell is also enjoying his workouts and likes his personal trainer.  She specializes in athletic training so she focuses on the right exercises that will not interfere with the joint pains that Russell has from time to time.  It's all good.

Cooper is doing great and seems to have completely adjusted to his new surroundings.  This past week, he had a play session with Sparky, another Talemaker Havanese who lives in Lachine.  It was nice to meet him and his human mommy.  They brought Cooper a toy and that has to be the best retrieve toy he's had in a long time.  I have to get more of those!  We've had some very good plays in the past couple of days.

On the topic of the Coop, we tried a new groomer in Dorval and we will not go back.  I will spare you the details but it was not a good experience for us.  So back to Spawsys for his next bath.  They did a good job the first time so we might as well carry on with them.

On Friday, we had auntie Lorraine over for lunch.  It was her first visit in our new house.  It was nice to see her and she finally got to meet the Coop.

It's a quiet Sunday, sunny and breezy.  I had coffee with my parents this morning, seems to be a new Sunday ritual.   We took the Coop for a nice walk by the Lakeshore after lunch and Russell may have found a spot for his sunrise photography.  The rest of the day will be spent relaxing on the deck.  I wish you all a great week and wish all the Olympic athletes the best Olympic Games!

Purple cone flowers in the garden.

Shasta Daisies at their best.

Our resident rabbit....Cooper loves to chase him.

Sparky and Cooper, smiling for the camera.

Cooper checking out the neighbours...again.

Anne and Coop overlooking Lake St-Louis.