A beautiful day in the neighbourhood!

Happy Sunday everyone! A beauty of a day it is, sunny, warm and a nice breeze. We're outside, enjoying the moment, listening to the birds chirping away and hoping that the hummingbird will come by. We saw it the other day close to our deck, saw it again a few minutes ago in the pear tree. We put up our feeder yesterday so let's hope it comes around. Russell has his camera ready just in case. I remember when he caught one in action in Huntsville. They are such beautiful birds.

All is good with us. We had a good week and the weather was pretty good. We were grateful to have some rain, it has really helped turn our grass around. The fertilizer and seeds are doing their magic. We have dandelions but that's OK. They are a good source of nectar for the bees.

Our crabapple tree is in full bloom and looking healthy. For the past two years, all the crabapple trees in the neighbourhood had some sort of a fungus.The trees never bloomed and lost their leaves quickly. Given that this fungus is airborne, there was no point in treating it unless all the neighbours did the same. This year, the crabapple trees are back, all of them. We noticed them on our walks this past week. Amazing how nature takes care of itself.

Our flower beds are doing nicely except for one in our backyard. You can see it in the photo. The perennials are coming up so very slowly. I'm not sure if our Crocosmia plants will come back, I haven't seen any sprouting yet. I have eight plants of those. We had them in Huntsville. I figure if they survived the Huntsville Winters, they should survive the Quebec Winters. Time will tell.

Russell and his new knee are doing well. It's hard to believe it's been over four months since he had his total knee replacement surgery. For sure, he will be good as new for our trip to Scotland/Ireland in September. All is good with me also. I spent a good part of the week looking for a new doctor. Last year, I joined the private clinic that Russell goes to. I had a very nice female doctor that I really liked. As I was getting ready to book my yearly physical two weeks ago, I found out that she left the clinic. No other female doctor at that clinic so I did not renew my "membership". I called around and visited a few clinics. The way I look at it, I pay so I should "interview" potential doctors. To make a long story short, I found a new female doctor. She seems nice enough. My physical is booked for later in June.

I also earned my water bottle at the gym....having completed four Mayhem workouts. Yay! It's all good.

That wraps up my blog for this week. The rest of the day will be spent relaxing while keeping an eye on the hummingbird feeder. Plank salmon on the BBQ for dinner, yum ! Have a great week everyone, last week of May!

Our crabapple in full bloom in the backyard just off the deck..
it is a double pink color...amazing.

Cooper looking majestic in the backyard...the grass is
coming back nicely.

Not to be outdone, Spicy strikes a pose...she likes the new
grass, it is tender on her paws...not like the rough straw like
stuff that is now gone.

Nothing like an afternoon nap on the back deck....Cooper
makes a great pillow according to Spicy.

Mayhem complete...and free
water bottles in hand. Me and pals
at Orangetheory.

A May long weekend

Happy Sunday and Happy Victoria Day weekend! This May long weekend marks the unofficial beginning of Summer. Yep, Summer is just around the corner. With it will come the hot temperatures that we love so much. Until then, we have to put up with a somewhat cooler than normal Spring. Our weather yesterday was quite nice though. Today, we woke up to light rain and a special weather statement calling for heavy rain and thunderstorms. It didn't materialize and by noon, the sun was out. It is now a balmy 20 celsius.  Never rely on the weather person!

This past week was good and relatively quiet. We did some work outside, raked the grass again and added some fertilizer. In a week or two, we will seed again. The grass is slowly coming back but the weather is not warm enough for the seeds to take. Most of our perennials are coming up but there are some that have yet to come up, especially our ornamental grasses in the back. We have five of them so the likelihood of all five being dead is pretty remote. Hopefully with the warmer temperatures on the way, they will come to life. Otherwise, everything is starting to grow the way it should. Our VegTrug is doing well and our tomato plants have lots of flowers. Yum!

On Friday, we celebrated our Cooper's 8th birthday. It was a fun day, with cake and all. The weather wasn't too good so we didn't go for a walk, instead played retrieve with his favorite lamb chop. Spicy was happy to share his cake.  Coop is a beautiful boy and we love him to pieces!

I went to the gym today, unusual for me to go on a Sunday. Today was the start of Mayhem Week...must complete four workouts in six days. It ends on Friday. Not hard for me to do as I normally do four workouts in five days but since I'm not going to the gym tomorrow, and maybe not Friday, I wanted to make sure I got my four workouts in....what do I get out of this? A free water bottle! Totally worth it!

Russell's physio journey is coming to an end. This coming Tuesday will most likely be his last treatment. His physiotherapist is very happy with the results and feels that Russell has reached maximum flexion in his new knee. Way to go Russell!

That's my blog for today. We are outside, enjoying this long weekend. I hope you are enjoying yours. Have a great week everyone!

VegTrug on the back deck is full and everything is
growing nicely...herbs and lettuce will be delicious. 

Two potted tomato plants...cherry tomatoes
 and beef steak...should be awesome.

Cooper and Spicy enjoy the back yard and
fresh air...lots to sniff.

Cooper had a great birthday celebration with all the
trimmings including a cake...8 years have flown by!

Always the gentleman, Cooper shared his cake with Spicy...
she never misses an opportunity to eat cake!

Happy Mother's Day!

I wish everyone a happy and wonderful Mother's Day! If you still have your mom, cherish every moment with her....those moments are so very precious.

We're having a good day despite missing our moms. Russell's mom has been gone for 6 years now, mine just over 14 months. We miss them both and wish they could be with us today. We went to the cemetery for a little visit and brought them some flowers.  When we got home, I planted herbs and lettuce in our VegTrug. Now we wait for things to grow. This year, I planted lots of basil and coriander, my favorite two herbs especially in the Summer. We also have some chives, rosemary, thyme and some butter lettuce. In addition, I bought two tomato containers...cherry tomatoes and beefsteak tomatoes. This is a first for us so we'll see how they do.

This past week was good. Russell went back to the gym and he felt good about it. He also resumed his weekly physiotherapy...his physiotherapist was extremely impressed with the gain he made while on vacation. Not that it means anything to most of you but Russell gained 3 degrees in his "knee flexion" measurement since before we went to Barbados. He is virtually where he should be. He figures probably another month of weekly physio and he'll be done. Good for you Russell. You worked hard to regain your full mobility and it was all worth it.

Cooper and I had our last Fun Obedience class on Tuesday. We will resume in the Fall. We thoroughly enjoyed this year's training. We both learned a lot and had tons of fun. Thanks to Wanda for being so creative in her classes.  On Wednesday, Spicy and I visited a new seniors residence in Pierrefonds. It was a lovely visit and the residents enjoyed it.

I have been going to the gym on a regular basis, four times a week. I'm back on track since our trip but my left leg seems to be out of whack somehow. Not quite sure what it is, I have an ache that just doesn't want to go away. I may look into it this week. It's very annoying.

The weather is quite nice and warm today. We're outside enjoying it, so are the doggies. Russell will barbecue pork tenderloin tonight. It's been marinating for 24 hours. I made a lovely cherry tomato salad as a side, which will be topped with greek feta. Yum! Oh, I almost forgot, a nice bottle of vino to wash everything down. No sweets to finish dinner, instead we will have our nightly cup of peppermint tea. A senior's thing perhaps? Just kidding!  I'm enjoying my Mother's Day immensely, with Russell, Cooper and Spicy. Thank you all three of you for loving me the way you do!

That's my blog for today. This coming week will be relatively quiet....until we celebrate our Cooper's 8th birthday on Friday. I have a cake on order for his majesty. Have a great week everyone! A long weekend coming up!

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers of fur babies.

Cooper, Spicy and I visited my Mom and placed a small
bouquet for her and Dad to enjoy. Missed, loved and
remembered always and forever.

Russell, Cooper and Spicy visited his Mom...we placed
her bouquet and know that she and Dad are watching over
us...remembered and loved always and forever.

Cooper and Spicy on watch on the back deck...let the
Summer begin.

A beauty of a day

Happy Sunday everyone! I'm writing this blog on the deck, listening to the birds, enjoying the warm weather, 23 celsius, and having a little glass of vino. Why not, the deck season has started for us and the doggies. What a feeling to be able to sit outside after such a long Winter. It's the best!

So, our Barbados trip is now a thing of the past. We got home last Monday afternoon, after picking up our pooches at Talemaker Camp. They were super excited to see us, as were we. Our drive home was good, only took five hours. Nothing like Home Sweet Home!

Our week was normally busy. On Tuesday, Coop and I resumed our Fun Obedience training. One more class to go this coming week until next Fall. We will miss our weekly training. On Wednesday, Spicy and I visited John Abbott College and gave the students some much needed love before their exams this week.

I went back to the gym on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. I was originally thinking of taking the week off but I decided otherwise. Best to get back on track as soon as possible. Russell took the week off only because his personal trainer was on vacation. Lucky him... he resumes his workouts tomorrow.

Our big boy Cooper came down with some kind of a bug on Wednesday night. He didn't want to eat a thing, and I mean nothing, and was sleeping a lot. We took him to the vet on Thursday and got a full blood panel done, all was normal and he had no temperature. All this to say that he is back to his old self now. We are so relieved!

I spent most of today raking the dead grass in our backyard caused by the paths that we created during the Winter and the ice. Russell bought lots of grass seed and our plan is to seed and over seed starting this week. We should have some nice thick grass by mid-Summer! We have more yard work to do but raking the grass was our priority.

Not much else is going on. We look forward to the coming months, enjoying the weather and the outdoors. We also look forward to our trip to Scotland and Ireland in September. Lots of planning on the go. It's all good.

I leave you with a few photos from Barbados and a couple of our pooches enjoying their first deck experience this season. Have a great week everyone!

A splash of color on the back deck...
we call the snap dragons 'popcorn' snaps.

Spicy and Cooper....wondering where the snow went!

Cooper and Spicy supervise Mommy
rake the backyard.

Dover beach panorama from our balcony at the
Southern Palms in Barbados.

Russell fooling around with his Lensball, he calls this
Beach Ball in Barbados.

The "Coconut-man" coming down the tree after climbing
up with nothing but bare feet and no safety equipment -
his haul...a bunch of coconuts...we have watched him
do this for 25 years!

Flying home at 36,000 feet, the sky is amazing.

Last day on the beach at the "Pink Pearl" known as
the Southern Palms...me catching the final rays.