29 Beautiful Degrees

Happy Sunday everyone! What a glorious few days we've had and today tops it all with more nice weather for tomorrow. What a great way to end the month of September. Did I just write that? Another month is about to end, how did that happen!

This past week was a good one. We didn't do too much but we took advantage of the nice Fall weather by spending a lot of time outside and enjoyed many walks with the pooches. The highlight of our week was Thursday when we went apple picking in Havelock, a cute little township in southern Quebec, about one hour from our house. The place we went to is called Le Vignoble du Marathonien. It's a combination of an orchard and a vineyard. The wines and Icewine they produce are sold at our local liquor store. At my brother's recommendation, we bought a late harvest Icewine which won many awards....maybe for Thanksgiving. We picked two 10 pound bags of apples, had a picnic lunch on the property and visited with the residents billy goats, to Cooper & Spicy's delight. A wonderful day and a nice change of scenery.

When we got home from apple picking, we looked at the weekend forecast and decided to plan a family gathering for yesterday. Given that those gatherings are outside, we always rely on the weather so we invited my brother, sister and our two nephews. Including us...6 people in total...as per COVID regulations LOL! As fate would have it, on Friday, our government issued a 28 day COVID challenge....not about weight loss or no alcohol....but about no social contact for 28 days. We tossed and turned all night about whether we would go ahead, consulted with my siblings and in the end we decided to go ahead with our gathering knowing that it would unlikely contribute to the growing number of COVID cases. Those that know us well will know that we usually go by the book, follow strict guidelines but we had no qualms about going ahead knowing full well that this might be the last time that we can all see each other for a good while....unless Fall lasts well into December, outdoor gatherings will become a thing of the past. We had a great time and the food was delicious. We had chicken kabobs on the charcoal grill, Persian Rice and a greek salad...for dessert, an apple cake made with our hand picked apples.....we also used the opportunity of being together to celebrate our nephew's upcoming 25th birthday. Sean was happy to get to swipe the candle...very proper during these pandemic times.

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

A lonely apple waiting to be picked.

A beautiful day of sunshine to apple pick.

Anne, Spicy and Cooper relaxing beside
the pond at the apple orchard/vineyard.

A doggie / billy goat meet and greet.

This fellow paused for a close-up.

Fall colour just about to reach prime here.

Nothing better than a nap on the ride home.

Russell and his paw-sy...Spicy and Cooper.

Sean swiped out the birthday candle 
on his cake at our rassemblement.

...and the 'Challenges' keep coming...stay well.

Goodbye Summer

 

Happy Sunday everyone! The last Sunday of Summer 2020. It's been a good one and went by too fast.  We are not ready to let it go just yet.  This past week, although it's been a tad cool, we sat outside in the afternoon every single day. Our patio heater wasn't working properly so we placed a service call. The earliest date we could get is in two weeks so Russell came to the rescue....he took it apart, cleaned it, put it back together and it's been working like a charm. Way to go Russell! I must say it makes quite a big difference having it on. We wear a fleece, I have a blanket and my Uggs just for good measure. It's all good. There is something to be said about wanting to be outdoors as long as we can at this time of year.

On that note, we got our awning permit last Monday and we have a tentative installation date...week of October 26. This just might extend our patio season into November! Once the awning is done (it takes one day to install), then we will get the measurements firmed up for our patio railing. Until that's done, we will simply use the doggie baby gates that we almost threw away so many times. It will all come together and we're grateful that it's looking like this year. 

These past few weeks have brought back the wonderful memories of our trip to Scotland and Ireland last year as well as our trip to Iceland three years ago. It's been fun to go back in time and relive those amazing adventures.

I started homeschooling with Cooper....hahaha! We practiced a few things that we learned last year and we did a course outside: jump, figure 8, jump jump, heel and spin then another figure 8. I know, it sounds crazy but Coop enjoyed it. Working outside is very different than inside with all the distractions so it's a bit more challenging for the Coop but that's a good thing. Spicy was happy just to watch us. 

The new season brings cozy meals so on the menu tonight is our first chicken pot pie of the new season. This morning, I also made a double batch of a 52 Garlic Clove Soup....double that is 104 cloves. Lots of garlic peeling went on in preparation for this soup. Last year, I was able to find the peeled cloves at Loblaws but not this year so I did it all by hand. That soup also has onions and lots of ginger. It actually doesn't taste like garlic but the heat comes from the ginger. It is our "go to" soup for cold and flu season. I always have some in the freezer. Having said this, with mask wearing and the sanitation measures in place, I would expect that the flu and cold season may be lessened this year. Time will tell.

A good friend of ours tested positive for COVID last Monday. She is 29. She is the first person that we know who has the virus. She's had all the symptoms and is starting to feel better but it's not a walk in the park. We made her a batch of homemade chicken soup and put together a care package which we dropped off in front of her patio door. We are in daily contact with her. We wish her a good recovery.

That's my blog for today. This week is looking to be beautiful, weather wise. I also heard that Fall will actually be nice and last longer than normal. Fingers crossed. I wish you all a good week. Stay well and healthy!

Cooper and Spicy and late Summer Rudbeckias.

Even Cooper can have a bad hair day.

Tongues out everyone.

Cooper loves to work!

Spicy says I can still see you!

Snug in my Uggs.

A rainy day

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a good week and that the return to work/school for some was uneventful. My good friend Eve has been working from home since April and is returning to the office tomorrow. She and her colleagues will be alternating weeks. Working in a office sure will be different.

All is good with us. We had a good and productive week. I started some Fall cleaning in the house. Got the kitchen and our ensuite bathroom cleaned, from top to bottom. I also looked at my closet and decided that it was time to purge a little. My motto is as follows: if I haven't worn something in two years, then it's time to dispose of it. The same goes for anything else we have in the house. When feasible, I donate. My next project is to clean out the storage room in the basement.

Although it is technically Summer, it feels more like Fall. Our weather has been good but cooler, in the low twenties. Not bad but in the shade it feels cooler. That's OK. I'm not complaining in the least. We continue to enjoy the outdoors and eat outside. 

With the new season that is upon us comes wonderful vegetables such as golden beets, brussels sprouts and of course squashes...my favorite being the Delicata. I've been buying it by the dozen, almost 😋Apples are also making their appearance. In a few weeks, we plan on going apple picking. Can't wait.

Fall would normally mean that I would resume Fun Obedience Classes with Cooper...sadly not this year. So home schooling it will be for the Coop...and Miss Spicy. Two for the price of one I say! I know that Cooper will miss seeing his Havanese friends, Macey and Blu-Belle, and I will miss seeing Eveline, Lillian and Wanda, our instructor.  😞

Despite the pandemic, NFL football has resumed. Russell is happy although he says it's not the same to watch a game with a fake audience. The upside, with no audience, he can hear better the quaterback's calls!

This past week has brought back many memories of our wonderful trip to Scotland and Ireland one year ago. All I can say is that we are so happy we took this trip last year. Originally, we had planned on going in the Fall of 2020 to celebrate Russell's 65th birthday last February. Then, we thought, let's do it sooner. The saying "don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today" has never been more true...in a non pandemic life of course.

Today is bath day for our pooches. Russell did his usual magic. Cooper & Spicy are looking and feeling so clean and they smell wonderful. Today is also "September 13 Miracle" day in Montreal. All we had to do was place a bag of non-perishable food on our doorstep at noon. It was picked up by a volunteer and will be redistributed to those in need in our community. Such a good cause.

This coming week is looking to be beautiful, weather wise. I might do a little yard cleanup. We also expect our awning permit in a few days. We will then submit it to the awning company and cross our fingers that it will be done later this Fall. If not, then next Spring. 

That's my blog for today. The rain has stopped, yay! I wish you all a great week. Stay well and healthy!

Spicy in her favorite TV viewing
position.

Cooper truly watches TV and a few 
 dogs in a commercial will always have his
attention.

Nose to the ground...Cooper has amazing
skills at finding "treasure" in the backyard.

Cooper snug in his favorite chair on the deck.

Spicy doing her walk about in the yard.

A slightly tossed hairdo for 
Spicy.

The bird-feeder has seen lots
of action this season.

An awesome cloud display yesterday.

A nice Labour Day Weekend

Happy Sunday everyone! Here I am, writing my first blog of a brand new month...one that will take us closer to a new season. Yikes, where did Summer go! September has been nice so far with temperatures feeling like...well, September. We are still very much enjoying our deck and plan on doing so for many more weeks to come.

This past week was a good one. Our weather was good for the most part. It's been a week of total relaxation for Russell and I...no workouts other than walks with the pooches, no gardening other than grass cutting and we indulged in some really good meals...smashed burgers last Thursday (to die for and a repeat), chicken wings on Friday and smoked ribs last night. Doesn't get any better than this and it's good for the soul. To Russell's chagrin, salmon is on the menu this coming week....back on track but not before we have my famous ham & cheese pasta dinner tonight!  I also made Peach Crumb Bars....a recipe from my friend Diana. Delicious and very peachy!

We are still waiting for our back deck awning permit. The City of Beaconsfield issued so many permits for all kinds of outdoor renovations this year, it's just incredible. We hope to get it next week. It will be tight to get the awning done this year but we're hoping. In the meantime, we are waiting for two quotes: one to get the deck railing changed to clear tempered glass panels and another quote to get an infrared heater installed on our back deck wall.

With the season about to change comes darker mornings. For the past two weeks, we have been sleeping in until roughly 7:15 am. How crazy is that! Russell and I have always been early birds and used to wake up around 6:30...now we sleep in....which is not sleeping in for most people LOL! Cooper & Spicy go with the flow and we actually have to wake them up sometimes. It's all good.

This week, we had our usual walks by the waterfront in Pointe-Claire but the past few days, we went a little further and went to the Edgewater Park, another beautiful waterfront park in Pointe-Claire. This park used to be the home of The Edgewater Inn, a hotel, bar, restaurant.  Russell and I went there often when we were dating some 40 years ago. Today, we sat on a bench, overlooking the lake and the many sailboats out for a cruise, while remembering the days of going to the Edgewater Inn.

That's my blog for today. I hope everyone is having a nice long weekend. Stay safe and well.

Cooper and Spicy were quick to perch on a large boulder
at Edgewater Park. They enjoyed the wind and views.

There was plenty of room on the boulder for the three of us.

Spicy just hanging around, waiting to taste
test a BBQ treat.

Cooper is a handsome and happy boy!