Bye Bye January!

Hello everyone! Last Sunday of January, yay! Now to get through February and we're good to go 😂Our weather today is sunny, a bit on the cold side but not bad. It's been a very cold month so hoping for a milder February.

This past week was uneventful except for Cooper's dental surgery on Friday. Russell dropped him off at 9 am and we both picked him up at 3 pm. Spicy held the fort while we were gone. All went well and Coop is recovering nicely. We have to soften his kibbles for the next 10 days and no hard chews or treats allowed during that time. We put away their enzymatic dental chews for now, much to their chagrin. If we could keep them separate, Spicy could have one but that's not the way we roll. They also can't have their beloved daily 3 pm crunchy dehydrated chicken treat. Not to worry. Instead, we are giving them a few freeze dried chicken pieces which I break apart into tiny flakes. They each get a little bowl and are happy as can be! I came up with that alternative yesterday. Just our way to keep a sense of normalcy for the next 10 days or so 💖

When our vet called on Friday to let us know that all went well, we booked Spicy's loose tooth extraction for February 21. We discussed it at length and decided that it is best to remove it rather than wait for it to potentially break or fall off, avoiding any possible complications. It's a very small tooth so it will be a quick procedure, albeit still requiring full anesthesia. 

Not much else is happening with us. Last Thursday, we had our bi-weekly video chat with Roland, our former neighbour from Mississauga. As always, it was nice to catch up with him. This morning, we chatted with my brother. 

Russell and I seem to be in a groove now with our good eating habits. I've been adding lots of vegetables to our meals and I've become creative in cooking them. Variety and flavour, two key ingredients 😋I also introduced Russell to a new grain...farro. He likes it a lot!

We haven't walked much with the pooches, maybe twice last week, just too cold for us and them. We will resume our daily walks this week.

That's my blog for today. Russell and the kids are napping now. They will wake up as soon as they hear me prep their 3 pm treat. Later we will watch football, the last two games before Super Bowl. I leave you with a few photos of Cooper & Spicy and one of Cooper with my dad. I found this photo on Friday and thought it was fitting as Saturday was my dad's 4th anniversary of his passing. He loved the Coop to pieces and I know that he was watching over him while he was getting his dental procedure done 😘

Have a great week everyone!

Where have all the chews gone....now
we just lounge hoping for their return.

How do you like my new hair-do!?

Think I'll just hide under this
blanket, no one can see me now.

Cooper post dental surgery...ready
to roll.

Cooper just had to ham it up with 
the vet tech...tongue out and all before
heading home.

Still a little sleepy post surgery and the pain meds
have just kicked in.

Cooper and my Dad, what a 
bromance they had!

Brighter, longer days

Hello everyone and happy Sunday! Today, we are enjoying a relatively mild day compared to last week. We might have escaped the big dump of snow that was predicted for last Monday but we made up for it with very cold temperatures for a few days. Despite the cold, on a bright sunny day like today, we are truly noticing that the days are getting longer. When we take the pooches out after their 5 pm dinner, we no longer need to turn on the outside lights. It's happening...brighter, longer days. Spring is around the corner. 

The four of us had a good week despite the cold. We didn't walk much, actually today was our first walk with the pooches since last Sunday. We did have some fun in the backyard though, recall games and running around the paths. Russell got himself a hoodie to wear under his Winter coat. It keeps his head warm when outside. Of course, Coop & Spicy had to sniff it, they liked the softness of it. 

Yesterday morning, Cooper broke a tooth, an upper incisor. It happened while Russell was brushing his teeth. We immediately called the vet and were fortunate to get an emergency appointment literally within 20 minutes. The vet on duty did a thorough exam and prescribed an anti-inflammatory for 7 days. We also got some pain killers just in case but Cooper seems totally fine. We looked at what's left of the tooth and surrounding gum area this morning and there is no swelling.  Tomorrow, we will get a call from our regular vet and schedule the extraction for this week, most likely Tuesday or Wednesday latest. That tooth had been dead for at least 8 years, most likely from a trauma caused by a hard Nylabone or an antler chew. We've had it checked every year and there was never a need to extract it. Needless to say, we haven't bought any of those hard toys/chews since. 

Spicy also has a loose bottom incisor, which was noticed by our vet and us during her wellness exam last October. We will have it checked again in the coming weeks then decide on next steps.

It's a big football weekend. This is the time of year when I get excited about the NFL games. Yesterday, we watched the Bengals and Titans (Bengals won). We also watched the 49ers and the Packers...the 49ers won. I was happy about that....not because I really cared about one team or the other...because I wanted the so good looking quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to win 😂This afternoon, the GOAT is playing against the Rams. That could be a very intense game, we shall see.

That's my blog for today. Not much on the go this coming week other than Coop's dental surgery.  We will be glad when that's over with. Fingers crossed that all goes well.

Have a great week everyone!

Workout room buddies, watching me as I spin.

Spicy says, I know you are in there somewhere.

Cooper wanted a sniff of the hoodie as well.

Spicy is an accomplished back of sofa surfer.

Cooper loves to face plant in the 
doggie bed. What a messy but cute face.

The calm before the storm

Happy Sunday everyone! Another cold but sunny day. When we took Cooper and Spicy out at 6:30 this morning, it was -26 C. They didn't seem to mind and both took their sweet time to do their business. Neither lifted their paws....when they do, we pick them up and bring them in. Russell and I couldn't wait to get inside and have a cup of hot coffee. The temperature is now a balmy -12. 

We are expecting our first big snow storm of the season tomorrow, us and our Ontario friends. It looks like the bulk of our snow will fall in the morning. That's a good thing as we can shovel a bit at a time.  I don't like waking up to a dump and have to rush out to clear a path for the pooches. 

This past week was good. Our only outings were a few walks and a trip to the vet. Coop & Spicy had some blood work done to check their kidney function, one month after starting their new heart medication. They both got excellent results. Cooper is still taking antibiotics every two days for his GI issues, the last pill will be on Thursday. Then we stop and see what happens. Fingers crossed that all will be under control.

Russell and I seem to be on a roll with our healthier eating habits. I've become more creative in adding more vegetables to our meals. I tried for the first time butternut squash noodles, very yummy. I like them better than spaghetti squash. I also bought a few Minneola Tangelos, so juicy and a bit tart. I will buy more this week. I've been making brussels sprouts slaw as a side dish...Russell quite likes it. This morning, I got a lot of food prep done for the week, I find it's a good way to stay on track.

Not much else is going on. We had a video chat with my brother this morning. It was good to catch up. Today is a big football day, the NFL Wild Card games. Tom Brady is playing now, and winning....gotta go watch the game.  I leave you with a few pics taken last week. Russell sent his frozen bubble photo to the Global Morning TV show and it was shown on Wednesday. Cool!

Have a great week everyone! 

A chilly walk with a super blue
sky at Edgewater Park.

Cooper loves his Christmas rat!

Spicy in full flight doing her version
of retrieve.

Cooper says "who's going downstairs with me".

Perfect snuggle time for these two.

Russell's frozen soap bubble made it
on air at Global TV.

A typical January

Hello everyone and happy Sunday! I hope your first week into the new year was a pleasant one.

Our week was good and very quiet. I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record when I say it was quiet ... what can I say. We are doing our part in limiting our contacts so we've cancelled a few personal care appointments that we had. Nothing that can't wait until next month. We haven't seen anyone except the odd neighbour here and there, a quick hello from across the street.

Our weather has been up and down the whole week...cold and warmish with a dusting of snow. We expect some frigid temps on Tuesday and warmer again later in the week. We are noticing that the days are getting longer, especially when we are in the living room. No need to turn lights on until almost dinner time. Very nice.

One day last week, we went down memory lane by looking at some old photos, some going back to before we got married. It was fun and it brought back some nice memories. We also moved our gym equipment to the spare bedroom downstairs. It is more cozy and better organized. That gave me the push I needed to resume my home workouts and it felt good. I'm currently doing a four week online strength training program with Obe Fitness, three times a week, 60 minutes each class. It is challenging and I'm enjoying it.  Russell and I also resumed our "better" eating habits. I made two delicious soups with the turkey stock and I introduced Russell to some healthy greens....swiss chard and beet greens. Success! All in all, a good start to the new year!

We've taken our pooches out for some walks by the lake and had some fun games with them in their playroom. Other than that, like us, they've had a quiet and lazy week, typical of January.

Nothing on the calendar for this coming week except a visit to the vet on Tuesday. Cooper & Spicy will get renal blood profile done, one month after starting Fortekor. Just routine to make sure all is good. 

That's my blog for today. Football is on the menu this afternoon for Russell, I will continue watching Bosch on Prime. Coop & Spicy's agenda is full...look out the front window, bark a little, nap a little, have a treat at 3 pm, then dinner at 5, a few trips outside. Busy pooches 😄

Have a great week everyone!

Some interesting ice formations on Lake
St. Louis on our walk with the pooches.

The snow made a lovely drape on the bench
in the backyard.

Cooper and Spicy love to lounge on "their" bed
and maybe have a chew.

Nothing better than a nap after 
lounging in the bedroom before
treat time.

Happy 2022!

Happy New Year everyone! We wish you only the very best as we enter a brand new year. May it be filled with good health and love!

This past week was nice and very quiet. We really didn't much other than a few walks here and there. We decided to take a fitness break for the holiday season and give our bodies a rest. We resume our fitness tomorrow. Last Friday, Russell looked at the calendar and said "Barbados is in 100 days". The countdown has begun, time to get the beach bods in shape 🏖

New Year's Eve came and went...as much as we tried to stay up until midnight, we gave in. There wasn't much that we liked on TV. New Year's Day was nice and I cooked a 20 pound turkey. I bought it last October, which is a good thing as large turkeys were hard to find this year. It was probably the most delicious turkey I've ever cooked.....we say that all the time but this one was extra moist. We ate in the dining room...very fancy 😂. Russell set up his camera on the tripod and kept clicking away during dinner. Some photos are goofy, that's what we wanted. I also noticed that little Spicy is partially hidden by the candle...should have moved it. Nice memories of a lovely New Year's Day.

As I'm writing this blog, I'm looking around and it's as if Christmas never happened. This morning, I put away all decorations, tucked away for another year. I also made a stock with the turkey bones. It simmered for hours while we were cleaning up the house. It will make for some good soup in the next few days.

We woke up to some snow, very light and fluffy. It's pretty outside.

That wraps up my first blog of 2022. Russell and the pooches are napping. I will now watch a few episodes of Bosch on Prime, really enjoying this police procedural series. Have a great week everyone! 

Cheers to a New Year filled with health,
happiness and love!

The table is all set for the feast...just us 4!

No cell phones at the dining table unless...it
triggers your camera.

Mmmm...that turnip looks delicious.

What are you looking at?

Look who joined us for dinner...
Spicy and Cooper.

Blow me a kiss.

Happy New Year from the four of us.

Trading pooches...they love it at the table.