Mask on!

Happy Sunday everyone! Another hot and humid day, although the humidity has dropped somewhat. When we woke up this morning, it was cloudy. We took the dogs out and as soon as we got back in the house, it got really dark. Shortly after, we had torrential rain and thunder. By late morning, the sun was out in full force but it got really humid. I'm writing my blog outside now but I couldn't have done that an hour ago. I think more thunderstorms soon....

Today marks the second day where masks are mandatory in Quebec in all indoor public places, province wide. This will be our new way of life for quite some time, until possibly a vaccine is found. That's OK, we will do what we have to do to protect others and ourselves. The virus has not diminished, is not on vacation somewhere and is still very much dangerous and can be deadly. Enough said.

We had a good week. We took the dogs out for a walk every day except today. We truly enjoy going to the park in Pointe-Claire, by the water. It is always breezy and we like sitting in the shade and watching the boats. Nothing is more soothing than the sound of crashing waves. For now, we have to make do with those kind of waves, not the Barbados ones. That's OK.

The word "staycation" is used a lot these days, even by us. Since we enjoy life on our deck and plan on spending vacation time at home for the foreseeable future, we decided to install a permanent awning which will allow us to sit out, rain or shine, even maybe on a mild Winter day. Last Monday, we had a representative from Zytco come to our house to give us a quote. The awning will be made out of tempered glass and aluminum, UV resistant and built in shades to manage the light. Once we get the drawings in about one week, we will then have to obtain a permit from City Hall. Needless to say, we are not the only ones wanting to improve our outdoor space so it looks like we will have to wait until late Fall or perhaps early Spring to have the structure installed. Not a problem, we expected this but it will be a nice feature to have. We will at the same time change our deck railing to clear panels. So, a nice project on the go and we very much look forward to it.

On Wednesday, Russell had an outdoor osteopathy treatment with Melissa, his certified athletic therapist and osteopath in training. It was a much needed treatment, the first one since February. Needless to say, it was done in a very safe manner.

Yesterday, despite the heat, I decided to change part of our front flower bed. We had a few plants that were not doing so well and we needed more colour. I found nine daylilies on sale at our local market in Pointe-Claire. I spent a couple of hours digging up the old plants and planting the new ones. I have to admit that, up until now, I haven't felt like gardening much but that all changed yesterday. I am pleased with what I accomplished and it felt good to sweat and get dirty.

Russell and I continue to workout in our basement....not that we feel like it but we just do it. No doubt that working out at a gym is much more motivating but it is what it is. I also continue to have fun with our pooches. Because of the heat, we've been training in the basement. At the moment, I'm working on getting Cooper to jump through my arms, as opposed to a hoop. Work in progress but it's coming along. Thanks to Russell for helping with this process.

This coming week is promising to be a good one. On Tuesday, I will have a pedicure, my first since February. Wednesday is my special day.

That's my blog for today. I wish you all a wonderful week. Stay well and stay safe everyone!

Masks on for us and others, a sign of respect and care in
these COVID-19 times.

Spicy and Cooper taking time to stop and
smell the flowers from the back deck.

Cooper and Spicy in prime spots to smell
and sample last night's BBQ chicken kebab lickings.

Look mom...I messed up my top knot!

Ever present...Cooper is a joy even when he is lounging.

Last night's BBQ S'mores made using a chilli pepper holder with waffle
cones and all the other S'mores fixings! Yum!