Spring cleaning and lots of grooming

Hello everyone and Happy Sunday! A cloudy day for us, with a bit of rain. The kind of day to just chill, relax and catch up on my Netflix series, Scandal. I have two seasons left to watch, shouldn't take me too long. My fried Pat finished last week. I keep asking her to tell me how it ends but she refuses 😜

This past week was a good one and brought my first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. I got it on Wednesday and all went well. The process was flawless, in and out in 25 minutes. We both feel very good about this. 

Our weather really warmed up, especially on Thursday. The temperature was a balmy 22 celsius. We spent a good part of the afternoon on the deck, taking it all in but not before we got some major Spring cleaning done. Russell washed all the windows, inside and out. I washed the living room curtains in the bath tub. They came out super clean and smelling fresh. I also washed all the doggie blankets, our bedding and freshened up Russell's grooming room. 

This is the worst time of year in terms of trying to keep the little paws clean. Our snow is now all gone and the grass is very mucky. On Friday, with all the rain we got, we actually had puddles of water in the backyard. Spicy desperately tried to find a little patch of snow but there was none to be found. Cooper being Cooper loves to scratch each time he does his business.....he seems to really enjoy kicking up the grass and muck! Needless to say, we have to rinse out their paws many times a day. That's OK, we have a system and our pooches don't mind. This will all end once the grass is nice and lush. A small price to pay to have Winter behind us.

We ordered a rug for our deck, it should come this week. It will add a nice touch of brightness to our outdoor space. I'm hoping that pansies will be out soon, maybe for Easter weekend? I love pansies at this time of year.

Cooper and Spicy are doing well. They also had a good week and practiced some good routines. Coop is still trying to learn how to read....he hasn't caught on yet and is probably saying to himself "why learn how to read at my age"? On April 1, they start a new Spring Fitness Program with Fun Fit Canin. It will be a month filled with new exercises. They can't wait 😊

That's my blog for today. I leave you with some photos of our grooming salon, just for fun. I will now get comfortable in the living room and watch a few episodes of Scandal. I have a shepherd's pie ready for dinner. Russell is in the garage teak oiling our outdoor table and chairs. Our pooches are having a siesta. Their internal clock will wake them up around 2:45 or so....just in time for their 3 pm dehydrated chicken treat. 

I wish you all a great week, leading up to Easter weekend. Stay well and healthy!

The grooming station complete with table and
stand drier.

All the tools of the grooming trade, new 
addition is the cordless Dremel nail grinder.

The set tub is the perfect size for Spicy...
Coop needs a human size tub.

Cooper enjoys his paw spa...just a
quick dunk and done.

Spicy gets her "lady parts" washed
on a regular basis...
she likes to be squeaky clean.

All the comforts of home on the deck.
Spicy knows the best spots to chill.

Cooper always keeps an eye on the 
action in the yard. The new glass 
railing makes it easier.

To beat the sun and heat we had sunshades
installed with the awning...they work perfectly!

Spring has sprung

Hello everyone and happy Sunday! We're enjoying a beautiful Spring day, as such today's blog is being written on the deck. It feels so good to be outside!

All is good with us. We had a good last week of Winter. We still have some snow in the backyard but I suspect it will be mostly gone by the end of this week. Spicy is already in the "I only want to walk on snow" mode... avoiding the grass at all cost! Cooper doesn't care. Walking on the snow is a good thing anyway, keeps the paws cleaner. Yesterday, we went for a walk by the lake and both got pretty dirty. Russell had to do a thourough wash up when we got home. That time of year...muck and ticks. Yep, the ticks are apparently out and about.

The vaccination is going well in Quebec. I suspect my age group will open up in a few weeks. I look forward to getting my jab. Everyone I talk too is starting to feel a little better about this pandemic. It's far from over and there is still lots of unknown but we're going in the right direction.

On Friday night, we had an impromptu FaceTime with June, a staff of our favorite hotel in Barbados, Southern Palms. It was nice to talk to her. The hotel is open with skeleton staff, basically no tourists to speak of. Barbados still has a morning and evening beach curfew. Russell watches the beach on webcam every morning. It's very quiet. We hope and pray that the island recovers from this. Travelling is not on our radar screen by any stretch but when it is, we hope to go back to Barbados. Much too soon to plan anything but we can always dream.

Our pooches are doing well. They both had their monthly bath today...needless to say, we're not going for a walk. Let's keep them clean just for one day! Cooper had another B-12 injection last week. His weight continues to be stable. He goes back for a quarterly check up and blood work with the internist at the end of April. Spicy is doing well also. Both are full of life and are happy pooches 😊

Russell continues to make progress on his Family tree. Last week, as it was St-Patrick's day, he decided to dig into his father's line, and in particular his father's mother - Mary Ellen Scullion, a very Irish lady. The Scullions have been giving Russell challenges for a long time, with much difficulty in tracing records. Russell told me he used an untried method to try to break this dead end on the Scullion line, using a feature that allows him to see who else might be looking for the same person he is researching. Must have been the luck of the Irish because a major discovery was made yesterday. Not only did Russell find more Scullion ancestors, he also found new 3rd cousins, the Birds. Two of them, Sue & Deb, live about 15 minutes away from us. We actually visited them in Barbados a few years ago. In an almost unbelievable twist, Russell grew up in the same neighbourhood with these cousins and they never knew there were related. It seems that Russell's great, great grandfather and the Birds great, great grandmother were first cousins. You can imagine the excitement that came with this discovery. He was quick to let them know! Russell actually went to grade school and high school in the same classes with Gary Bird, his newfound cousin. An interesting bonus discovery is that the name Scullion likely came from the work of his ancestors as they toiled away in a scullery (small dingy kitchen) and hence became known as Scullions. Fascinating stuff!

That wraps up my blog for today. The rest of our afternoon will be spent on the deck, with the music on. I wish you all a great week. Stay safe and healthy!

Shamrocks and whiskey for St. Paddy's Day!

Spicy got a little dirty yesterday, 
it is that time of the year.

Cooper loves to face plant in his
donut bed.

Spicy, my workout buddy,
always smiling

The ice has broken up on Lake St. Louis.

A few large ice chunks caught in the bay.

Our BFF Zoom chat companions...they 
know how to chill.

One down, one to go

Happy Sunday everyone! What a great and memorable day it is, Russell just got back from having his first dose of the AZ vaccine! A bit ironic since Russell worked for Astra Zeneca for 14 years before he retired.  His next shot is already booked for July 4. I have to say that when my hubby sent me a PM to say it was done, I became very emotional. It is so exciting to finally be able to really see a light at the end of the tunnel. It's happening and it feels good. Our government opened up the vaccination to the 65+ people on Friday morning.  Minutes later, Russell went on the Clic-Sante site and booked his appointment. Time slots get booked up in the blink of an eye. I suspect my age group will open up in a few weeks....I will be ready! 

We had a good week and our weather was nice but on the cool side for a few days. We started our week walking on the lake by the shoreline but had to move to the trails by Friday as the ice on the lake started to break up. 

I've been enjoying my March Mayhem workouts. They are excellent, with just the right amount of intensity. Cooper & Spicy are also enjoying whatever is thrown at them. My next challenge is to teach them how to read....you think I'm crazy, right? Our friend, and dog trainer, Wanda posted a video on how to teach your dog to read. I started with the word "down". It's a bit of a process and it's not happening yet but I have no doubt that it will 😏Once the word "down" is solid, I will move to the word "sit".

Not much else is happening. We are looking forward to consistent warmer weather. Our snow is rapidly melting. I'm always amazed how quickly it evaporates. The days are truly longer and brighter, more so as of today with the time change. It's all good.

That's my blog for today. I wish you all a wonderful week. If you're celebrating St-Patrick's Day, have a good one. I will be making my Dublin Coddle!  Stay safe and healthy!

Cooper and Spicy are learning to read and this 
means no verbal or physical cues!

The ice is breaking up quickly on Lake St. Louis.

The appointment for the first jab for Russell!

Welcome March!

Happy Sunday to all my friends! A gorgeous day in Beaconsfield today, lots of sunshine but a little on the cold side due to the wind. Unlike last Sunday, we didn't sit on our deck today, or all week for that matter. Our weather has been on the cool side, with some cold nights. 

Our first week of March was good and quiet. I sorted out our tax receipts, waiting on a couple more then I will drop them off at our accountant's office. I submitted the many veterinary receipts to our insurance company for reimbursement. It's a bit of a process, online, having to scan everything, getting the vet clinic to sign off on the claim forms, but it's all worth it. That's behind me now for a few months.

Our snow is slowly melting. Unlike last year though, we don't have ice in the backyard, so far. That's a good thing. Having said this, Russell put the crampons on our boots just to give us more grip. The doggie paths are well packed and hard but not icy. As for the snow banks, they have hardened quite a bit due to the colder weather and have become Cooper and Spicy's favorite place to roam around and do their business. It's been a tad problematic for Russell and I from a sinkage perspective.....trying to pick up after our pooches without sinking is next to impossible. That will change when our weather warms up this week. Our pooches will be smart enough to know that those snow banks are no longer safe to walk on....fingers crossed.

On the topic of snow paths, yesterday we had a bit of agility going on in the backyard. The Coop and the Spice girl had a ton of fun going over the jumps, back and forth. It was a great way to spend some time outside. Thank you Russell for capturing those moments. 

Our vaccination process seems to be going well. People age 70+ are now getting vaccinated. We suspect our turn will come sometime in April or May. Either way, it's good news and things are starting to really look up, especially with the newest approved vaccine.

I'm still watching Netflix's Scandal, 2-3 episodes per day. I simply can't stop. My friend Pat is way ahead of me so catching up to her is now impossible unless I binge watch. I haven't had any time to read books so I've got quite a stack of those waiting for me, as well as some unread books in my Kindle. My friend Lillian also dropped off a few about one hour ago. So many books to read, so little time. 

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

Cooper and Spicy enjoy the extra
high vantage point by climbing the 
hardened snow banks....
just don't poop there please!

Cooper loves to fly over the hurdles
in the backyard.

Cooper was leading the way with Spicy in 
hot pursuit over the hurdles.

Reward time for the pooches as they finished
running the course.

Cooper loves to fetch his dragon.

Spicy doing her "paws up" to get a 
treat after her morning grooming.