Canada Day Weekend

Hello everyone and Happy Canada Day! It's been a beautiful weekend so far, with some rain this morning, but the sun is out now. A beauty of a week on the way, feels like Summer is finally here to stay.

All is good with us. I find it hard to believe that tomorrow is the 1st of July. As much as we're looking forward to our trip in September, I really want the next two months to go by slowly. Summer is so short, we want to take it slow and enjoy each day.

Last week, I had my first physio treatment for an ache I've had in my left thigh. My issue seems to be a form of hip impingement, nothing too serious but I've had this for two months now so I thought it was time to look into it. The treatment really helped and I religiously do my four recommended exercises/stretches each day, well almost each day. I will have another treatment on Tuesday and maybe one more after that. I still go to the gym but there are a few things I can't do. The joy of getting older!

Our pooches are doing well. We've been taking them to the park for our daily walks, not as hot as the pavement and a nicer scenery.  Each time we go, we meet people who are in awe with Cooper & Spicy. They want to say "hi", they want to pet them, it's really funny to watch. People of all ages too. On Friday, we had an impromptu dog therapy visit with a group of seniors having a picnic. We spent some time with them and made them smile.

One morning last week, Russell finally caught the hummingbird at the feeder. He had his camera ready. What a beauty!

Our next door neighbour listed her house two weeks ago and it sold in three days. She came over last Sunday to let us know. Her husband passed away last December. The house is old and has never been renovated so we thought for sure it would be a "knock down" but it looks like it won't. The new owners will most likely renovate. Time will tell.  Our doggies will miss Mimi, she is a lovely lady.

Not much else is going on with us. This coming week is, again, filled with afternoon appointments. One of them is for Russell, he is getting a Spa Pedicure. Good for him!

I hope you all have a wonderful Canada Day and have a chance to celebrate this great country we live in. Have a great week everyone!

Spicy and Cooper taking a break lakeside while on our
walk in Park Alexandre-Bourgeau.

The dynamic duo hot on the trail of a cat just beyond the
fence in the backyard...the cat loves to tease.

Ms. Spicy always has a smile.

Cooper is enjoying his soothing bed more and more...
it is a great spot to have a chew!

Ruby throated humming bird at the back-deck feeder.

Front yard cranesbill geranium coming along nicely.

Backyard peony...bright red. Here today...
gone tomorrow.

White peony...so lovely and delicate.

St-Jean Baptiste Holiday Weekend

Happy Sunday everyone! A beautiful day for anyone celebrating the national holiday of La Belle Province. It is hot, sunny and breezy. It is rather quiet in our neighbourhood though, I guess some celebrations will take place tomorrow. We went to the park for a nice walk after lunch and it was packed with families having a picnic by the water. Practically everyone wanted to say "hi" to the Coop & Spicy. They always make people smile. A young woman asked her husband to take a picture of her and our doggies. How sweet!

This past week was good and busy. On Tuesday, Cooper's soothing bed was delivered. He likes it but not as much as Spicy. That's OK. By the way, those beds wash really well. I was concerned that they would rip apart in the washing machine and dryer, but they came out good as new. On Thursday, I had my physical. I quite liked my new female doctor. The appointment lasted 1.30 hour, very thorough exam. I had an ECG (normal) and blood work done. I should get the blood results on Tuesday. All things being equal, I'm in good health.

On Thursday afternoon, I went to the Marche de l'Ouest to buy some ribs for the weekend. I met up with my friend Lillian for coffee (sometimes last minute plans are the best) and we went to Dollarama to buy more orange cones for our doggies. I know have 46 cones. The course for Level 2 training is set up. Thanks to Russell for setting it up, as I was challenged by the design! I spent a bit of time with Cooper, walking him through the maze. For this particular level, I can only handle one dog at a time. This level will be more challenging but we will nail it, of that I have no doubt.

We are now getting really excited about our trip to Scotland/Ireland in September. Today, our good Irish friend Pat sent us a proposed itinerary for both Cork and Dublin. It looks amazing! Thanks a bunch Pat!

Our VegTrug is doing incredibly well. The coriander is growing like weeds. I used up quite a bit yesterday for a citrus marinade that I made for chicken. Our lettuce is also in full "bloom" and delicious. Our strawberry plant is doing well and we pick fresh strawberries every day. I have a separate planter for basil, not enough room in the trug.

Last night, Russell smoked some ribs on the Big Green Egg. They were the best ever, cooked "low and slow". Tonight is a lighter meal, chicken kebabs and a tomato/feta salad with orzo. Yummy!

Those are my little news for today. I leave you with some random shots of Cooper & Spicy. You will notice Spicy on "her" chair...not kidding. When it's just the two of us, I bring out three cushions, the third one for Miss Spicy. She is a diva, what can I say. It's hard to believe that she's been living with us for two full years now, what a wonderful addition to our family! Tomorrow is a holiday, nothing is opened in Quebec. We may hear fireworks tomorrow night, or maybe even tonight. Have a great week everyone, another long weekend coming up!

The strawberry plant in full sun, produces some awesome
berries, the birds have even tasted and they approve!

The VegTrug in full season on the back deck...
lots of fresh greens.

Matching soothing beds for Cooper and Spicy...it is a
dogs life!

....ah, that smile Ms Spicy!

Cooper loves a good chew and the back
deck is the perfect spot.

Spicy and Cooper in position to sniff the
aromas coming from the Big Green Egg
smoker...baby back ribs...yum.

Spicy at her command post...she sees all....this is her chair!

Level two, pylon challenge set up and ready for training...
no short cuts allowed!

Happy Fathers' Day!

Hello everyone and happy Sunday! What a beautiful day to celebrate Fathers' Day. Russell and I miss our dads, especially on this day, but they are always with us in our hearts.

Today, we had my brother, sister and nephews over for lunch. It was a nice family gathering. It was good to be able to eat outside and take in the sun and warmth. Cooper and Spicy were gracious hosts as always and enjoyed being on the deck, smelling the hot dogs that their daddy cooked on the barbecue.

This past week was good. Our weather cooperated for the most part, with some good amount of sun and some gentle rain. Our garden, flower beds and grass are thriving. It took a while to get to this point but we have arrived.....when I look at last year's garden photos, I can see how behind we are in terms of blooming, but we are quickly catching up.

Yesterday was a rainy day. I looked at our pooches lazing around on the couch so I decided it was time to teach them something new. Russell sent me a link a while back with new training challenges for the dogs, involving going through mazes, etc. So, we tackled Level 1 with flying colours. I had an incredible amount of fun doing it, so did Cooper and Spicy. On the next rainy day, we will work on Level 2.

Russell is doing well. His new knee is performing at it should, however, with a new knee often comes a new gait so it is causing some issues with his left foot. He consulted a podiatrist and he has capsulitis of the second toe, a condition where the ball of the foot beneath the toe joint takes an excessive amount of weight bearing pressure. He had a laser treatment on Friday and is wearing a special tape around his toes. So far so good and hopefully the inflammation will go away.

This coming week is a bit busy, with some appointments here and there. I also have my physical on Thursday with a new female doctor.

That's my blog for today. I wish you all a great week!

A lazy rainy day for Spicy and Cooper...time for some
new training challenges!

The challenge, manoeuvre the pylons without
jumping over them.

Mission accomplished, these two are very
quick learners!

Francois looking good in a panama hat on the back deck,
for BBQ lunch, on a nice sunny Sunday with family.

Sean and James enjoy the day.  Good chat and laughs were
had by all.

Glorious Sunday

Hello from sunny and very warm Beaconsfield! What a glorious day, it doesn't get any better. We're on the deck now, enjoying our first Spritz of the season....the perfect summery drink to have on a hot hot day, 33 celsius at the moment. Beautiful!

The past few days have been just as nice. The weather has given me the boost I needed to get some serious gardening done.  I've been spending my time digging up dead plants and prepping the beds for the new ones.  I made two trips to Jasmin Nursery and bought quite a few perennials. They are in their spots, waiting to be planted tomorrow morning when the sun is not so hot. Our VegTrug is thriving,  the lettuce is ready to eat and I use our herbs on a daily basis.

We've been barbecuing quite a bit and eating our meals outside.  Last night, we sat outside for a long while and listened to oldies. It was really nice. Cooper and Spicy have also been having their dinner on the deck. They quite like alfresco dining!

Rhubarb is now available in the store. I made an amazing rhubarb and blueberry crisp on Friday. We love the combination of the two. So delicious. A nice treat for the weekend.

Yesterday, I was in the front yard gardening, the pooches were in the house and Russell was getting ready to have a shower. I then heard them bark very loudly and excitedly, wasn't sure what was going on but I knew that Russell would deal with it. Sure enough, they had a reason to bark: there was a cat on our deck, by the patio door, looking in. I wished I could have been in the house to see Cooper and Spicy's reaction but the sudden bark was totally justified.  Russell immediately closed the glass doors and proceeded to the mud room door in order to scare the cat away. First time this happened, I hope the last. We have seen this cat out and about, not sure why he came on our deck. Probably exploring.

As we are approaching mid-June, we are also thinking about our upcoming trip to Scotland/Ireland in September, three months away. We've been reading a lot about both countries (thank you Diane for the fun article about Ireland). We will be in touch with our friend Pat in order to fine tune the Ireland part of our trip. As for Scotland, it's mostly planned as we will be spending five nights on a train going through the country side. Truly looking forward to that trip!

I leave you with random photos that Russell took in the garden today. We will enjoy the rest of this beauty of a day and take it all in. Have a wonderful week everyone! Go Raptors Go!

Spicy and Cooper assume their usual supervisory role...
they are awesome foremen/greeters!

Spicy showering me with kisses...such a sweetheart.

Not to be outdone, Cooper gets in on the kissing action, our big boy.

Spicy says...mmm this grass is lip smacking good!

Spicy making a wish on a dandelion fairy ball.

Working up a sweat in the backyard garden. Out with the old
and in with the new. It was a hard Winter on many plants.

Cooper and Spicy....the chase is on!

Getting ready for Scotland...what all well
dressed men wear in their hose...a Sgian Dubh
with the Duncan Clan crest and
motto "Disce Pati" - learn to suffer..

Welcoming June

Happy Sunday everyone! A rainy day for us, with a few breaks from the rain here and there. We use those breaks to take our pooches out. They come back in, wet feet and all, with lots of crabapple tree petals. That's OK,  Russell has been using his trusted Dyson vacuum all day to pick up flower petals strewn all over the house.

It's hard to believe that May is behind us. It hasn't been the best of month, weather wise. Having said this, our grass is growing like weeds and is very green. I'm still waiting for a few perennials to show some sign of life. Our Jack Frost in the front are blooming but they are late this year. My take on this  weather business is simple: it's out of our control but most importantly, I will take these cooler temperatures over what Mr. Winter brings. I do hope that June is warmer but it will be what it will be. 

This past week was good and quiet. Russell decided that it was time to stain our Muskoka chairs. We had those chairs made by someone in Bracebridge some 20 years ago. They are the real thing, made with beautiful cedar.  When we got those chairs, we lived in Mississauga. They followed us to Huntsville and to Montreal, always exposed to the elements. With a little bit of sanding and two coats of stain, they look as good as knew. While at it, Russell also stained two benches that we got in Huntsville and touched up our exterior dining table. Our deck looks lovely, with clean looking furniture. I bought a few pots of geraniums and a big strawberry pot. In addition to our VegTrug and our two tomato plants, the deck looks like a little garden. Despite the cool weather, we have been sitting out a lot. Cooper and Spicy love it there. They get to watch the neighbours and when they see a rabbit, they go chase it.

Last Friday, our niece Sara graduated from Lakehead University, Law School. This is her second university degree. We are very proud of her. We wish her only the best as she moves forward.

Cooper and Spicy also had a good week. Spicy and I had a lovely visit at the Wellesley Retirement Home last Monday. We ordered a doggie bed for the Spice girl. She quite likes it. Cooper uses his crate once in a while, has been since he was a puppy. Spicy has not set foot in it so we thought she might like a soothing bed. She does enjoy the comfort of blankets that we have all over our furniture but thought a bed would be fun. It turns out that Cooper also likes it so....we ordered another one today. What can I say, our pooches are a little bit spoiled.

That's the blog for today. I leave you with a few pics of the spoiled doggies and a couple of the garden. Have a great week everyone!

Spicy and Cooper on high alert on the back deck.

Cooper says, be quiet Spicy, we are hunting rabbits. 

Spicy enjoying her new soothing bed,
Cooper says, hey give me a try. 

Spicy....snug as a bug in a rug! 

Spicy with a funky hairdo...one of those days!

Jack Frost in bloom in the front garden.

Raised bed in bloom with lovely lime greens.