January blahs, no more

Happy Sunday everyone!  Another quiet January week has come and gone.  We were supposed to have a huge snowstorm last Tuesday.  We woke up to some freezing rain followed by a little snow, about 5 cm.  We had a snow day anyway and cocooned all day.  I love those days once in a while.

The rest of the week was uneventful.  We really didn't do much except slowly get ready for our upcoming trip.  I haven't started packing yet but I'm sorting out what to bring.  We typically travel fairly light but this time we will be gone for 13 nights so we need a bit more clothes.

On Wednesday afternoon, it was dull and rainy so I decided to go to the mall to see if I could find anything for the beach.  Those who know me well know that I hate shopping.  I usually go to a store with a purpose. If I can't find what I'm looking for, I'm quickly out of there.  Wednesday was no different. I went to my usual stores, didn't find anything and walked out.  I was about to go back home when I spotted the Victoria's Secret store....I thought to myself, I wonder what it's like inside the store.  I had never set foot in a VS store before.  I figured, what have I got to loose!  Worse case, I will do like I always do, take a quick peak and walk out.  Well, to my great surprise, I spent one whole hour in the store and, with the help of a very nice sales person, left with a bag full of goodies. I literally felt like a kid in a candy store. All I can say is that it was a fun and wonderful shopping experience.  To be honest, I debated whether I would share this in my blog but I thought why not spice things up a little.  Oh, and a huge thanks to my hubby for suggesting, quite a while ago I might add, that I go to that store. Of course, at the time, I said, are you crazy?  So, a dull and rainy Wednesday turned out to be pretty amazing.  And guess what? I went back on Friday for more goodies!

Russell and the Coop are good.  Yesterday, we went for a walk at Morgan Arboretum.  It was a cloudy day but nice nonetheless.  Although dogs are allowed off leash at all times, we always keep Cooper on a lead.  Yesterday proved to be the right thing to do.  At the end of our walk, as we were approaching our car, a dog off leash came running towards Coop in a very unfriendly and aggressive manner.   Good thing Coop was not running free. Needless to say that a few words were exchanged between the dog owner and us.

A quiet Sunday for us and Mom and Dad came over for lunch. It was nice to see them and to catch up on things.  I wish you all a great week.  Groundhog day on Thursday.  I wonder what the little rascal has in store for us.

Anne and Cooper on the trail in
Morgan Arboretum.

Along pine lined trail in
Morgan Arboretum.

January Blahs

Here we are, the second to last Sunday of January.  I'm not trying to wish my life away but I will be glad when this month is over.  For me,  January is the worst month of Winter.  It just seems to drag on and on regardless of the weather and I find it a bit depressing.   On the other hand, I love the month of February for many reasons. It is the month of Russell's birthday, Valentines Day and it usually brings a trip somewhere warm.... sixteen more sleeps and we're off to beautiful Barbados.  We are both very much looking forward to it,  more so this year than in the past years.  Oh and the Coop will be spending his vacation at Camp Talemaker.  He is looking forward to it! 

Other than suffering from the January blahs, all is good with us.  This past week was quiet. We didn't do much other than the usual trips to the gym and walks with the Coop.  We watched some TV,  a few movies and the US Presidential Inauguration.  All were good to watch, in their own way.  

Cooper is doing well.  I got him a few new toys.  I thought it was time to add a few to his collection. We've been having good retrieve games with him.  If you've ever wondered what the Coop looks like without a top knot, here's a photo.  Last Friday, I picked him up from the groomer where he had a bath and for some reason, they forgot to do his top knot.  Poor pooch, he couldn't see a thing when he walked through the house.  We couldn't resist taking a picture but I was quick to fix him up.  I usually do his top knot twice a day, more often if he does a lot of face planting.

Not much on the go for this coming week other than apparently a Winter Storm on Tuesday.  So, we may just have a snow day and watch more movies.  

That's it for my blog this week.  We have some football to watch later on.  I'm not a football fan but I do become one during the playoffs.  Hoping New England makes it to the Superbowl.  My brother will be coming over shortly to watch the games with us.  I hope you all have a great week.

Something has Cooper's full attention...a squirrel perhaps. 

Cooper travelling his paths in the backyard.

Cooper says who turned off the lights...
ooh that is right, I don't have my top knot.

The Dead of Winter

Happy Sunday everyone!  It is a beautiful sunny Sunday, not too cold and no wind.  The forecast for this week is looking pretty good for the most part, with temperatures near the zero mark. Not bad of a Winter so far for us Montrealers.

Yesterday, I read an interesting article in the Montreal Gazette about "the dead of Winter". I had heard that expression before but never knew that it meant the point where there is more Winter behind us than ahead of us.  According to Dave Phillips, senior climatologist for Environment Canada, that date falls on January 21 for Montreal.  Yay, a good reason to celebrate this coming Saturday!

This past week was good. On Thursday, I attended a retirement lunch in Montreal. It was great to see everyone and celebrate Lise's retirement.

I also looked at my closet and tried to figure out what to bring to Barbados.  I did a little bit of online shopping for shorts and summer tops.  Amazing what you can find online.  Stores like Gap and Banana Republic have a great return policy and make it really easy to send things back.  Since I'm not always sure of the size, I usually order two different sizes and return what doesn't fit.  This week, I want to freshen up the bathing suits, some of Russell's t-shirts and shorts.  We leave in three weeks.  Counting the days.

Yesterday, we became members of the Morgan Arboretum.  The arboretum is a 245 hectare forested reserve on the McGill University Macdonald Campus in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue.  Dog walking is a privilege restricted to the members who have registered their dog with the arboretum.  As such, each dog must be evaluated for temperament before becoming a member (yes, even dogs have to pay a membership fee).  So, we took the Coop for his evaluation yesterday morning.  Needless to say, he passed with flying colours.  We look forward to many walks in the woods.

Russell has been spending time researching photo opportunities in preparation for our trip to Iceland in the Fall.  On the topic of photography,  Russell came in third in the Natural Landscape photo competition of the Lakeshore Camera Club.  The photo that he submitted is below, a beautiful sunrise taken in Huntsville.  There were approximately 90 entries in total, so well done Russell!

That's it for my blog this week.  I include a few random shots of Cooper (of course) and one taken at the arboretum yesterday morning.  I wish you all a great week!

Snow and icy frost meet the sunrise in Huntsville,
taken in February 2016.

Morgan Arboretum and one of the telescope
 observatory domes.

Cooper says, 'yes - of course I can walk on my
hind legs', now give me the treat!

Is it time to go downstairs to play?

A quiet January week

Happy Sunday everyone!  I hope you've all had a good start to the new year. Our weather has been all over the map....rain, snow, warm, cold, not your typical January weather, but then again, there is no such thing anymore as having "typical" weather.  Right now, we have a Smog Warning in effect, go figure. Today is a bit cold and I hear rain is on the way for Thursday.  Oh well, just a few months to go until Spring.  The days sure are getting longer and when the sun is out, it is even more noticeable.

Our week was good and quiet.  We put away our Christmas decorations last Monday and within a couple of hours, our house was back to normal.  We were thinking back about the holiday season and how quickly it came and went.  So much preparation and it's all over in a matter of days.  This year though we got to see everyone in our immediate family, including Russell's sister Darlene, Dave and Sara.  We hadn't seen them in a long time so it was really nice to get together and take the time to catch up.  Cooper was a good host and he got all the attention that he wanted, and more..... he is such a card!

Although this past week was quiet, we resumed our gym routine and our daily walks.  We watched a few movies and even booked our Fall trip...the one I mentioned in my blog last week.  We call this trip our 35th anniversary adventure....we will be going to Iceland.  We originally had planned on going to Italy but we're saving that for my 60th birthday (I'm not telling when that is..hehehe).  So, Iceland it will be and we are very much looking forward to it.  Russell can't wait to discover the many photography opportunities that this trip will offer.  I can't wait to try out the Blue Lagoon Geothermal Spa....my skin feels soft just thinking about it.

Today is a quiet day. I visited my parents this morning and brought them some soup that I made yesterday. We decided not to walk today, feeling kind of lazy. Russell is watching some football, Cooper is napping after a play session with his daddy. As for me, I am trying to finish a book that I started about three months ago.  A busy week ahead for us with a few appointments.  I also will be attending a retirement lunch for a former co-worker.  Really looking forward to it.  I leave you with some random pictures taken this week.  I wish you all a great week.

Even snowmen/women like to sit on a bench in the sun on a
wonderful day in Summerlea Park.

The patio furniture is well covered and waiting for Spring.

Cooper in one of his favorite spots...on the bed...
he is ready to nap. Now where is daddy?

Cooper says....You looking at me?!

A New Year

Happy Sunday to all and Happy New Year!  Here we are, on day one of a brand new year.  There are many new year's quotes but my favorite is this one:  "A New Year is like a blank book, and the pen is in your hands. It is your chance to write a beautiful story for yourself".  How true but sometimes life gets in the way and not everyone is able to write a beautiful story. We spoke to an old friend yesterday and found out that he has cancer.  We were very sad to hear this and can only imagine how difficult it must be for him and his family. Life is precious and we must enjoy every single day.

This past week was quiet.  We felt like we were on vacation.  Although we went about with our daily routine, we also took the time to just sit around and do nothing. We watched a few movies, went for some nice walks and started to plan our Fall trip.  More on that later.

Our New Year's Eve was quiet, just the way we like it.  To my surprise, we managed to stay up until midnight.  Cooper was sleeping soundly until we wished each other Happy New Year.  He wanted to be part of the action so we had a three way hug.  Today is another quiet day.  We have our own tradition on New Year's Day which is very simple:  we watch the Rose Bowl Parade, we have some nibbles at lunch and Russell likes to watch the various football bowls in the afternoon. Me, I like to read a good book and listen to oldies while basting the turkey.  As for the Coop, he splits his time between Russell and I.  A nice and relaxing way for us to start the new year. Nothing fancy but it's cozy.

That's it for my first blog of 2017.  I wish you all a happy and healthy New Year.

Cooper wishes everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year...
filled with lots of treats!

Cooper is thinking.....is all that cheese for me...please!

Just relaxing after a lovely New Years Eve feast.