Home Sweet Home

Happy Sunday everyone!

Here we are, back home after a wonderful vacation. To think that three weeks ago we were on our way to Edinburgh. Wow, how quickly it all went. When we think back on our trip, it seems like a blur as we saw and did so much. I'm actually glad I wrote a few blogs along the way otherwise I would be hard-pressed to remember everything.

We flew back from Dublin on Friday and spent the night in Toronto. Saturday morning, we picked up Cooper & Spicy and drove back to Montreal. It was a nice drive and we made it home in record time. Needless to say, our pooches were ecstatic to see us. As for us, we were beyond excited! They looked wonderful, having been bathed and perfectly groomed by Darlah. They didn't loose a beat when they got home....around 3 pm, they gave me the look that says "it's time for our afternoon treat". They had a great time at Camp Talemaker and we thank the whole crew for taking such good care of them!

We are still dealing with the jet lag but it's not bad. I think by tomorrow we should be back to normal. Having said this, we are actually feeling a little tired from our trip.  We were on the go quite a bit, wanting to see so much so we didn't have a lot of down time. Not that we're complaining. We did what we set out to do and have no regrets. Scotland and Ireland were always on our bucket list and we are so happy to have been able to visit these two beautiful countries.

We still talk about the train experience in Scotland which was absolutely magical in every way. I plan on writing a blog soon about it as there is so much that I want to share about the entire journey on the Royal Scotsman.

So, life is almost back to normal for us. Today we emptied the suitcases and did a few loads of laundry. A few more tomorrow. I bought some groceries and figured out our meals for the next few days. It was nice to get a break from cooking for three weeks and I'm now looking forward to cooking again.

Our weather is nice, a bit cool but the sun is warm. We resumed our walks with Coop & Spicy. They enjoyed it. We noticed how the leaves have changed during our absence. Come to think of it, when we left it was Summer and now it's Fall!

This coming week will be quiet although I resume Fun Obedience with Cooper on Tuesday. Training will go on until May. We missed the first three classes but I am positive that we will catch up quickly. We truly look forward to it. Next week Spicy and I will resume our visits at the seniors home.  Other than that, Russell and I will take it easy for the rest of this week. We plan on taking another week off from the gym, just for good measure.

That's my blog for today. I leave you with a few photos that Russell downloaded this morning. I wish you all a wonderful week!

Russell and I in the hills of Wicklow...below us, the
ancestral cottage of the Guinness'.

A lovely home reflected in the lower lake of a Monastic
town in the Wicklow hills.

The Monastic Tower in the graveyard of the Wicklow
hills.

Some of the 200,000 plus books in the Long Room of
Trinity College.

A small portion of the perennial garden of the
Powerscourt Estate.

Spectacular landscaping at Powerscourt....stunning.

A 3D gate at the Powerscourt Estate....the details
were fantastic.

The Westbury in central Dublin, our home away from
home for 7 wonderful nights.

Spicy has resumed ownership of her chair on the back deck.

Cooper has taken up his usual post on the
back deck on guard for intruders like
squirrels...bunnies!

Just home and they are waiting for the 3 PM treat...talk about
not missing a beat.