Here's to a new decade!

Happy Sunday everyone! Our green Winter is about to end tomorrow, according to Environment Canada. I must say that we are looking forward to a nice, thick layer of snow. Following some freezing rain last week, then mild and cold weather, our backyard has become quite treacherous. Funny, as I was looking at last year's blog on this date, we were under the same icy conditions. Grass covered with a layer of ice is not a good thing. Thank goodness for our crampons. Not ideal for our pooches but they are smart and they know better than doing the zoomies in the backyard.

So, Christmas has come and gone in a flash. It was a nice day and a wonderful family gathering. Everyone enjoyed themselves and devoured the turkey.  Our parents were in our thoughts and would have been happy to see us all together. My sister gave us two Havanese ornaments to add to our doggie collection, each picked with Cooper and Spicy in mind. Very thoughtful and they have a special place in our tree.

We haven't done much since Christmas other than go for walks and watch some movies. Russell came down with a bad chest cold two days ago and I now seem to have caught it....for both of us, it seems to be a combination of cold and flu. Body aches, chills and a cough. We'll get over it. We keep telling each other "suck it up buttercup".

Somehow, it doesn't feel like the end of the year, maybe it's because of the weather. Not sure but it's hard to believe that New Year's Eve is just two nights away. Will we stay up until midnight? Time will tell.

Cooper & Spicy are doing good and seem to enjoy the quiet times we've been having. It's all good.

I leave you with some photos from Christmas day and a few taken outside today. By end of day tomorrow, the backyard should be covered with lots of snow.

We wish you all a happy and healthy 2020!

Two new ornaments for our doggie corner on the tree...
thanks Lynn, they look just like Spicy and Cooper.

A traditional Christmas dinner with all the fixings..it was delicious!

Cooper and Spicy were perfect hosts on
Christmas day!

A little "turkey" training to keep Cooper and Spicy in focus.

Spicy loves her 'daddy' time!

Not to be outdone....Cooper found his 'daddy's
lap.

Spicy and Cooper explore the icy backyard....carefully.

Looking for a spot of snow, none to be had.

Spicy surveys her domain...longing for some snow.  Boots and crampons, essential!

Merry Christmas / Joyeux Noel!

Happy Sunday everyone! A beautiful, Spring like day, with just a touch of snow on the ground. It may not be a whitish Christmas after all...some mild temperatures on the way for the next few days.

Here we are, just a few days before the big day. We're ready for Christmas. Tonight, I will take the turkey out of the freezer, leave it in the fridge overnight and start the thawing process tomorrow. It's a big bird, 20 pounds. I will put it in the oven on Wednesday, at noon, it will be ready by 5 pm, will let it rest for one hour, then dinner will be served at 6 pm or so. My sister, her two sons, and my brother are coming over. It will be a nice family dinner. We will miss our parents, mine and Russell's, but they will be in our thoughts, as they always are.

Now that we have Winter Solstice behind us, we can look forward to longer days. Lots of sunshine on the horizon, so the few minutes of sunlight that we gain every day will be noticeable. It's all good.

This past week was relatively quiet. Our weather was nice but very cold for a few days. We didn't walk much. Yesterday, the temperature was -10 celsius, no wind, so we ventured out for a walk. It was beautiful by the lake. It felt good to be out, getting some fresh air, good for the soul. Cooper and Spicy enjoyed it and didn't need to wear booties. Today was another great walk, much warmer than yesterday.

Russell had his last workout of the year last Friday. He's off now until January 3. As for me,  I decided to try out a new fitness studio in the new year. I start on January 6... a new year, a fresh start. It's in Pointe-Claire Village, literally five minutes from our house. I will give it a try and see what happens. The classes will be similar to Orange Theory but on a smaller scale....the workouts will be based on the HIIT concept, High Intensity Interval Training.  I found myself needing a change of scenery so we'll see. I will miss my buddies at OT though.

That's about it for this pre-Christmas blog. Russell is watching football, interesting games at this time of year. Cooper & Spicy are having a nap...more like patiently waiting for dinner. I'm reading a good book and listening to music. We are still playing Christmas music, sporadically.

The four of us wish you all a wonderful Christmas!

Our Family Christmas photo 2019.... we
wish everyone a Merry Christmas!

Spicy and Cooper wish all their furry friends a Merry
Christmas filled with lots of love and treats.

The Christmas tree downstairs....
lots of goodies for Spicy and Cooper!

Ice is building up on Lake St. Louis...
nice scenery.

Cooper, Spicy and Russell stop for a
quick photo on our walk in the park.

Wonderful ice patterns on the shoreline
of Lake St. Louis.

Backyard bench nicely draped in fresh fallen snow!

A very quiet December Sunday

Hello everyone! I hope your Christmas preparations are going well. Ours have slowed down for now and will pick up again a few days before the big day.

A very quiet Sunday for us today. It's nice to get those days once in a while. I had planned on running a few errands but decided against it. We had also planned on going for a walk but then the wind picked up and we thought, why not stay home and cozy. Our weather has been a real roller coaster for the past few weeks. No snow to speak of but temperatures have been going up and down. There is a cold front coming later this week with the chance of a few snowflakes.

Last week was good. We had numerous walks by the waterfront in Pointe-Claire. We also used the tennis court at the park as a "dog run" .... it was fun to practice long distance, off-leash, recalls. Cooper and Spicy enjoyed it, so did we.

Coop and I had our last Fun Obedience class last Tuesday. It was a combination of "novice" routines for the pooches and some finger food munching for the humans. Fun was had by all. We resume classes in the new year.

Russell got the results of his blood work and all is good. Ever since he was diagnosed with Hemochromatosis last year, he's been giving blood on a regular basis to help reduce the iron in his blood. His iron level is actually below normal now so he will have to limit his blood donations next year.

I'm doing good and still get a weekly physio treatment for my left bicep. My progress has slowed down, it takes a while to achieve the last 30 degree or so of full range of motion. My only rehab exercises are snow angels on the floor and a hanging stretch done on a beam in the furnace room. I literally have to hang for as long as I can....roughly 15 seconds. Not easy but it should help me reach full range of motion. Gotta do what you gotta do.

Tomorrow, Spicy and I will bring Christmas cheer to the seniors at The Wellesley, our last visit this year. Then on Tuesday, we are doing a one time visit at a palliative care facility in Ile Bizard. The facility recently requested, if possible, the visit of a Havanese.  Spicy is the only Havanese in the Caring Paws Dog Therapy Program. We normally can't do Tuesday visits due to Cooper's Fun Obedience but since we don't have class this week, we will be very happy to bring smiles and comfort to those who are nearing end of life.  I suspect it will be a sad visit in a way but so rewarding.

That's my blog for today. Russell is watching football, the Pats won today! Cooper & Spicy are patiently waiting for their dinner in about 30 minutes. I'm reading a good book....the continuation of a quiet day for all.

Have a great week everyone!

The stockings are hung with care....Cooper and Spicy
know who will be there in a few weeks.

Upstairs Christmas tree in all its glory

Cooper and Spicy hanging out on a quiet Sunday, a prime vantage spot.

Cooper snug as a bug in his soothing bed...what a life.

Not to be outdone....Spicy in her soothing bed....comfy!

Is this all the snow we get...

The three amigos at their Christmas Party...Blu-Belle, Macey and
Cooper.

Prepping for Christmas

Hello everyone and happy Sunday! A cloudy day but it was brightened up by Auntie Lorraine's visit. She came over for lunch and we spent some good quality time with her. Cooper and Spicy were super excited to see her. She has a way with dogs, what can I say.

This past week was good. Our weather has been quite nice. We got a dusting of snow one day last week, that's about it. Rain is on the way for the next two days. Still not sure if we will have a white Christmas but I think yes.

We are slowly getting ready for Christmas. Yesterday, I finished all my baking. A good job done. I baked a little more than I was going to. That's the way it always is. Most of the baking is safely stored away in the freezer. We gave some to Auntie Lorraine today and I will bring a container to our last Fun Obedience Class on Tuesday. Russell's personal trainer also got to try some of the goodies. She loves them all!

Next on my list of "things to do" is to send a few Christmas cards. Then I will start thinking about Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.....prepping the special meals for those two days. What to buy, what to cook, what I can do ahead of time....I'm all about being organized, what can I say. That's why I alway make a list, and always check it twice.

Our pooches are doing well and seem to be excited about Christmas. Last week, I dropped Cooper's stocking stuffer on the floor without realizing it. First thing I knew, I spotted Cooper running around with the toy in his mouth. Naughty boy! We got their Santa pics and are happy with them. They make for wonderful memories.

This coming Tuesday, Cooper and I will attend our last Fun Obedience Class before the Christmas break. It promises to be fun for the doggies and the humans.

Those are my little news. I wish you all a great week!

Spicy and Cooper brought us to visit with Santa at
the Pointe Claire Plaza - it was their first visit with him
 and they loved him!

Cooper and Spicy gave the Christmas tree
a quick inspection..it passed the sniff test.

Spicy and Cooper on the lookout for one of their many
cat friends who visit the backyard.

We love the snow...when will we get some more?!

Spicy and auntie Lorraine with Russell and
Cooper in front of the Christmas tree...
Cooper had his best tie on...Spicy her
festive bow!

Welcome December

Happy Sunday to all! First day of December, crazy isn't it? It doesn't quite feel like Winter yet. It is colder but no snow in the forecast for quite some time it seems. Will it be a white Christmas? I'm betting yes.  We are still going to the park for walks and our pooches haven't had to wear their booties yet. Although they don't mind them, they do prefer to walk bare paws, given a choice.

Last week was good and a bit busy. On Monday, Spicy and I joined five other dogs at a dog therapy visit at John Abbott College. We had a great time and saw over 150 students. All were so grateful to be able to spend time with the pooches and forget about their exams. It is truly a great program and we enjoy it very much. Coop and I had fun at class on Tuesday. We have two more classes this year, then we break for Christmas. The rest of the week was spent doing our normal stuff, including a physio treatment for my arm and some routine blood work for Russell.

On Friday, we put up our Christmas decorations and our two trees. We have one in the basement, a simple one with just lights and some decorative mesh thrown in. The doggies Christmas stockings will be under that tree. The other one is in our living room. It has a "family/doggie" corner, just for our special ornaments. Cooper and Spicy seems to enjoy looking at it.

I got a little head start on my baking today. I made date balls, no baking required. So, maybe I didn't really bake? I also cooked a batch of my Delicata Squash....I discovered that squash a few months ago and I'm totally addicted to it. It is no longer available in stores or special markets.....but there is one place that still sells it.....and I bought 20 pounds of it last week. It sounds like a lot, well it is. It's about 18 squashes in total. Those little gems are taking up precious space in our fridge but so worth it.

That's my blog for today. I wish you all a great week. Let the Christmas preparations begin!

Santa has landed on his perch.

Cooper and Spicy always need to investigate
and sniff things...even Santa got the treatment.

Cooper and Spicy approve...Santa passed the sniff test.

The Christmas tree in our living room...the family/doggie
section of ornaments continues to grow each year!

Winter morning skies can be very special...this morning
the sky was on fire as seen from our kitchen.