National Dog Day!

Happy Sunday and Happy National Dog Day to all dog owners! A very special day indeed and a good excuse to give our two little ones their favorite treat...Kangaroo Tendons.

This morning started out cloudy, then we had rain, and it's now sunny. We're sitting outside enjoying every moment of what is left of Summer. I know it's not over yet, by a long shot I hope, but it's the end of August and we all know what's coming down the road, weather wise.

This past week was good. I had my first "dry needling" treatment for my jaw. I have a second one tomorrow. I feel an improvement is on the horizon. It's all good.

Spicy and I had our second monitored visit for the dog therapy program. We went to a retirement home in Pointe-Claire and the set up was different this time. Rather than visit the residents in their room, we sat in the lobby and waited for people to come to us. I must say that I am grateful to have three monitored visits before we venture out on our own. There are lots of important things to learn about the process, such as learning that not everyone wants to meet a dog, no matter how sweet the dog is. During our visit, there was a nice woman who had a bad experience with a dog years ago. She sat across the room and watched us for a while. Towards the end of our hour long visit, she expressed the desire to meet Spicy. So, we walked towards her, I picked up Spicy and she patted her, even gave the Spice girl a treat. It was a nice experience. We have our last monitored visit this coming Thursday.

Friday was an emotional day as we buried my parents' ashes. Despite our sadness, we felt at peace knowing that they are together forever. Afterwards, we all had a nice lunch at Le Gourmand. It was good to get together and share a few laughs.

I went to the gym four times last week. I'm pretty much back on track, so is Russell. In the next few weeks, I will resume training with Cooper. I'm hoping to register him for Rally-O Novice. I have already registered Spicy for Basic Obedience, Level 2, starting September 12. Fun stuff on the way for our two pooches. In the meantime, they seem to be having fun chasing the resident rabbit. Mr. Bunny was absent all Summer long but made a comeback a few days ago. Cooper is totally obsessed with the rabbit so much so that today he got confused and mistook a squirrel for a rabbit. We haven't seen the rabbit today, silly dog!

That's my blog for this week. I leave you with a few doggie photos, being National Dog Day and all. I also found a photo of me sitting on the Spanish Steps. Have a great week everyone and enjoy the upcoming Labour Day Weekend! Our week will be good, especially Tuesday as we will celebrate our 36th Wedding Anniversary. Weather permitting, we have something special planned!

Cooper and Spicy say, enough photos...we want the
Kangaroo Tendons!

Spicy says we almost caught that rabbit, right Cooper?!

Nothing like the wind in your hair on a park bench in Lachine
 with Spicy, Terry, Sparky and Cooper, while out for a walk.

Last weekend, Sparky, Spicy and Cooper lined up by the back
door to see what is going on inside...treats maybe?

Different day same line-up at the Moshers'...
what is inside that is so interesting...food maybe?

Me on the Spanish Steps in Rome...a wonderful place!

Our garden pagoda

Happy Sunday everyone! Another beautiful Summer day and more on the way this week. We haven't had much rain since we've been back from Italy. We were supposed to get lots on Friday, didn't get much, not enough to soak our flower beds. I planted more perennials today, I had a few holes to fill.  I think I'm done now. On that note, we had a space between a cluster of Rudbekias and Zebra grass that needed to be filled with a little something. I found this cute Pagoda, which fits perfectly in that spot. When Cooper spotted it from the deck, he growled a little, probably thinking it was a little man or something. He had to go and sniff it, so did Spicy. It was totally hilarious to watch. Once they became acquainted with the pagoda, all was fine.

This past week was good and we resumed our "normal" routine. I went back to the gym and it felt good. It was nice to see my gym buddies again. We had quite a few walks with our pooches. Russell also resumed his regular workouts with his personal trainer. He also made an appointment with an orthopaedic surgeon for October 2 to get an opinion on his knee. A knee replacement could be on the horizon but we'll see what the doc has to say. Either way, Russell has to find some form of permanent relief down the road.  As for me, I continue to make progress with my jaw. I gained another two mm of opening. Tomorrow, I will have a "dry needling" treatment which may help. Dry needling is similar to acupuncture in that both use thin stainless steal needles. Both treatments treat pain to a certain extent, however dry needling is designed to stimulate trigger points that cause pain or discomfort. As such, the needles are placed in the muscles or tissue. A first for me, so we'll see if it helps. Nothing to loose, everything to gain.

On Tuesday, Spicy and I had our first monitored visit for the Caring Paws Animal Therapy Program. It went really well. We were accompanied by Maritza who taught us the ropes. We went to a retirement home in Dorval and visited with many residents. Each visit was individual, in the person's room. Everyone fell in love with Spicy. On Thursday, we have our second visit at a different place. We look forward to it.

Yesterday, we had the pleasure of having Sparky over for the day while his human parents were at a wedding.  Sparky is a Talemaker Havanese, seven years old. Sparky and Spicy share the same dad. We had a great day, went for a walk, played some and had some quiet time on the deck. Sparky is a good boy and it didn't take him long to feel comfortable in our home. Coop & Spicy quite enjoyed his company.

We have another busy week on the way, ending with the interment of my parents' ashes on Friday. It will be an emotional day for us but in a way it will bring a form of "closure", although I do not believe there is ever "closure" when you lose loved ones. Each of us have a little memento that we will leave behind with mom and dad, even a photo of Cooper & Spicy. We hope it will make them smile.

I leave you with lots of doggie photos and a couple from Italy. I wish you all a great week!

Did not take Cooper long to spot the pagoda in the back
flower bed...quick sniff, yes, I like it he says!

Spicy took time to strike a pose with a floral backdrop.

Spicy and Cooper confer on the pagoda...it is a keeper.

Even Sparky explores the pagoda

Sparky, Spicy and Cooper at the backdoor....they heard
a plastic wrapper in the kitchen!

Sparky quickly found his new favorite chair, my chair.

Posing for another photo and a treat maybe!

Sparky made himself right at home, good boy!

The famous Faraglioni sea stacks off the coast of Capri.
There was a traffic jam going through the arch.

Pope John Paul II is larger than life in this statue on the
busy shopping street, Corso Italia in Sorrento.

Another hot Summer day

Happy Sunday everyone! A beauty of a day, hot but not as humid as I thought it was going to be. Wow,  what a Summer it has been weather wise.  I read somewhere that we will continue to have this kind of weather well into Fall. I'll take it as long as the humidity level is not too high. On the topic of Fall, guess what I saw at our Metro last Thursday? Fall Mums! Way too early in my humble opinion.

This past week was a good one.  Russell went to the gym on Friday, good for him. He even did 32 pushups on his toes.  I didn't go but I promised myself I would resume my workouts this coming Tuesday.  Having said this, I didn't rest on my laurels all week. After taking a close look at our biggest flower bed in the back yard, and seeing how everything had grown, we realized that it was lopsided. We had tall Goldsturm Rudbeckias on one end, and compact Echinacea Pow Wow Wild Berry on the other end. So, I decided to transplant the Echinacea to other beds and bought dozens of Rudbeckias as a replacement. I also added many Crocosmia Lucifer plants in the back of the bed. It makes for a nice backdrop. So, all this to say that this was my workout for the past two days and I enjoyed it.... by next Summer, the flower bed will not be lopsided, at least that's the plan.

I must admit that I quite enjoyed not "having" to go to the gym. I felt like I was on vacation all week. Crazy isn't it? I cooked quite a bit, wanting to resume our good eating habits after indulging in the many good foods of Italy. I also took time to reflect back on our trip and was remembering a few tidbits worth sharing.

The first one was seeing a Maserati hearse near our hotel...never seen one of those before. I guess someone bought a ticket to a luxurious last ride. FISH AND LEMON:  if the fish is truly fresh, the restaurant will not attempt to squeeze lemon on it but rather leave it up to the customer to do so if inclined. LIMONCELLO:  we learned that basically every restaurant makes its own Limoncello. It is easy to make and cheap. So, being offered a "free" Limoncello after the meal may seem like we're treated to something really nice but it's something that every restaurant does for some of its customers. Having said that, it's the thought that counts but we thought it was an interesting tidbit of information given to us by a local. Truth is, I don't care much for Limoncello. GELATO: it's good but we're not big fans of it. In the two weeks we were gone, Russel had 2 and I had 3....yes, I kept count! PASTA: it's totally delicious, especially the fresh pasta served with a fresh tomato and basil sauce. We didn't eat nearly as much pasta as I thought we would. I guess the grilled Branzino was a better option sometimes. SORRENTO: in hindsight, we are glad that we made Sorrento our "base camp". It truly is a beautiful city, we think better than Posinato and less crowded, also much bigger. We would go back in a heartbeat.

That sums up my Italy "throw back" moments for now.  I leave you with a few photos from the trip, as well as a couple of our pooches. Both had a great week and were delighted to resume their normal routine. Just like humans, good to get away, good to get back home.  On Tuesday, Spicy and I will have our first of three monitored visits for the dog therapy program. It's taken a while to get to this stage, the program being handled by volunteers and time constraints on my part. Once our three visits are done, then we will do our own thing. Looking forward to it. On Friday and Saturday, we have Sparky over for a visit. It will be fun to seem him again! More on that in next week's blog.

Have a great week everyone and enjoy those dog days of Summer!

The Trevi fountain....a famous tourist attraction.

Can you see the splash my Loonie caused in the fountain...
tossed in to make a wish come true.

The crowds were thick at Trevi.

Russell at the Spanish Steps...a true shopping mecca
in this district.

An 'Accordion in Paris'...no it is in Rome in front
of the Pantheon while we ate lunch.

Me catching the many sites and sounds that surround
the piazza of the Pantheon.

A moment captured of Russell and I at the Bellevue Syrene
 in amazing Sorrento.

Peas in a pod....Spicy and Cooper ever watchful.

Time for a light nap on the deck on a hot day...these two
are virtually inseparable.

It is the "Most wonderful time of the Year" back to
school commercials and Fall Mums...pushing the
seasons along.

Good to be home!

Hi everyone! Here we are, back home, as if we never left. The only thing that's different is that I now belong to the sixties club! It doesn't take long to get back into the swing of things. Suitcases are empty, one load of laundry done, the rest tomorrow. Groceries bought for the next few days. We are still under the effect of the jet lag. Last night, I was wide awake at 1 am, went back to sleep eventually. We got up at 6:20 this morning. Russell had a nap this afternoon, I didn't, saving my sleep for tonight. Cooper and Spicy are back into their routine, maybe a tad tired from all the play at Camp Talemaker. It goes without saying that we were over the moon happy to see them yesterday, and vice versa. We were treated to showers upon showers of kisses when we picked them up. So good for the heart!

All is good on the home front. Our plants are doing well.  Harry, the nice man who looks after our house when we go away, watered all the pots and flower beds, every two days. I can't imagine what our garden would look like without water for 17 days.  The heat has been oppressive while we were gone, and still is today. I can't even stand being on the deck. That says a lot about how hot and humid it is. This morning, I raked the back yard in one corner, where all the apples from our apple tree have started falling. They were half eaten, some were mushy, very messy. It only took me 15 minutes to do all this but after I was done, I was drenched. Needless to say we didn't take our pooches out for a walk today. They go out to do their business and that's it, just like they do when it's too cold outside. Crazy heat!

This morning, my sister, brother and I made the final arrangements for the interment of our parents' ashes. We chose August 24 to do it, the date of their wedding anniversary. Together forever, in their final resting place.

Russell and I are not going back to the gym until later this week. No need to rush back. Tomorrow and Thursday, I see the physiotherapist and osteopath for my jaw. It seems to be improving. As for Russell, he had an MRI for his knee before our trip. The results are not too good: severe arthritis, torn meniscus and a few other things, all in the same knee. This week, he will make an appointment with an orthopaedic surgeon, as per his doctor's recommendation. Hopefully he will get pain relief one way or another. Walking in Italy was not easy, but Russell is a trooper.

That does it for my blog today. Next Sunday, I will write more about our trip. Russell will also download the many photos that he took. For today, I leave you with two photos taken from our balcony in Sorrento. Have a great week everyone and stay cool.

The view from above...seen from our balcony at the
Bellevue Syrene...this is a dock area and swimming
spot protected from the sea by a lava rock break-wall.

Terraced life in Sorrento...hotels/homes dot the hillside, as
seen from our balcony.

Gordon ... the Gin?

...or Gordon the Dachshund?  Here's a little story to start my mid-week Italian blog. Last night, we were having our pre-dinner Aperol Spritz at our hotel bar, waiting for the sunset. Down the stairs came a beautiful Dachshund, off leash, followed by an older man, who was clearly his owner.  The Dachshund, although leading the way to the bar, was glued to his human like you wouldn't believe. The man sat down, with his dog, and eventually his wife joined him, with friends.

We were mesmerized by this dog, who never left the sight of his owner but remained very watchful of everyone around him. Dachshunds are known to be good watch dogs and very loyal.  As we were getting ready to leave for dinner, we couldn't help ourselves and had to stop by and say hello. It was then that we found out the dog's name, Gordon, named after the older man's favorite brand of gin.

This morning at breakfast, we spotted Gordon and his owner.  Gordon was off leash again and truly looked like he owned the place, but never left his owner's side.  I wanted to take a photo but the man seemed to be on a mission so I let it go. I now wish I had.  Off we went for a two hour walkabout in town. When we returned, we stopped at the hotel lounge for a little pre-lunch Prosecco (what can I say, that's what people do in Italy). The lounge is filled with a lot of art pieces so there is a quite a bit to take in. As I was sipping my wine, I suddenly noticed a wall unit filled with Dachshund art pieces....as I took a closer look, I realized that they were all about Gordon. Coincidence maybe, I didn't think so. Being the inquisitive person that I am, I asked the concierge about Gordon and found out the reason why the eight year old Gordon was acting like he owned the place....his human is the owner of the hotel, Giovanni Russo. Now, I truly wish I had taken a photo of Gordon. Such a cutie! They were at our hotel for the night and left this morning to go back to their summer home on a private island. It so happened that we saw Mr. Russo's private island the other day on our way to Positano, photo below. So this is my story about Gordon. Maybe our paths will cross again one day.

The past few days have been wonderful. Monday, we went to Positano and Ravello. We were gone for the whole day. Positano is a beautiful place but crazy busy with tourists. Ravello, on the other hand, much more quiet and very quaint. The scenery is spectacular in both places.  Our day ended with a wonderful display of fireworks right in front of our hotel room, which marked the end of a week long celebration of Sant'Anna Festival.

We spent the past two days relaxing, walking around town and lots of time at the  beach. We swam in the Tyrrhehian Sea, the water is so soothing and refreshing.

So, this is our last night in Sorrento. Tomorrow, we're off to Rome, then fly to Toronto on Friday. It's been a great vacation and a wonderful 60th birthday celebration. I have lots more to share in blogs to come. For now, I leave you with a few photos. Ciao Ciao!

Gordon...the downward Gin dog!

An  artistic impression of Gordon.

A tribute to Gordon..long may he roam,  Belleveue Syrene.

The Summer home of Mr. Russo....the private island in the
distance on the Amalfi coast..Gordon owns Mr.Russo.

A view onto the beach in Positano.

The Positano coast is stunning.

Another view into Positano.

Positano is built into the walls of the hills.

Sant Anna fireworks display...our front row seat as seen from
the balcony of our room.

The show never stopped.

....and the finale!