Remembering Scruffy and Pepper

Happy Sunday everyone! Another gorgeous morning in Beaconsfield. We've been blessed with some pretty decent weather this past week. Everything seems to be growing faster than normal. Russell had to cut our grass twice, it is very lush.

In today's blog, I want to take a moment to remember two very special dogs. My dear friend Lori said goodbye to her beloved Scruffy and Pepper on May 17. Scruffy was 12, Cooper's almost full brother. Pepper was 11, Spicy's beautiful daughter. Despite the physical distance that separated us, they were part of our family and we loved them like they were ours. Those four little munchkins are now together, forever.

Scruffy loved his dragon plush toys. I think he had them in every colour and would bring them to bed with him at night. Pepper loved to mess up her hair and always managed to give herself some spectacular hairdos. The two of them always celebrated their birthdays in style with the most decadent birthday cakes. They had the most soulful eyes. They were one of a kind.

Thanks to this amazing foursome, Lori and I became good friends. Over the years, we shared a multitude of photos and videos of our pooches. We always marvelled at how alike they were, it was actually eerie. We leaned on each other as our dogs went through a similar health journey. Russell and I know too well the pain and heartache Roger and Lori are going through. At the same time, we also know that their hearts are filled with love and gratitude for the countless blessings that Scruffy and Pepper gave them. They lived the best life and made Lori and Roger's lives whole. Run free little ones, you will always have a special place in our hearts 💕

As we navigate through the sadness of Scruffy and Pepper's departure, we are at the same time filled with love and joy at the thought of welcoming Merlot and Sherlock in our home in July. Merlot got his Canadian Championship at the St-Lazare show last week. As for Sherlock, he is well on his way to get his Championship. Yesterday, he got 2 Best of Breed and 1 Best Puppy in Group and the weekend is not over yet.  Well done little ones!

Russell and I have a few local overnight trips planned in the next few weeks, one of them in Quebec City at the end of June. We are also busy getting a few things done around the house, inside and out. It's that time of year. I can't believe that this is the last week of May.

I leave you with a photo of Pepper and Scruffy with Cooper when they visited us in Huntsville in 2014. We didn't have Spicy then. We have fond memories of that visit. I also have two throwback photos of our pooches, they always make us smile. Last but not least, I include photos of the dynamic duo that will soon fill our lives with so much love and happiness.  

Have a great week everyone!

Cooper was a gracious host to Scruffy and 
Pepper at our Huntsville home, July 20, 2014.

Not easy to do but the duo always found a 
way to be together even on 1 chair....
August 1, 2021

Spicy and Cooper loved to walk by the lake
at Edgewater Park, June 29, 2019.

Merlot receiving his Championship ribbon
from the judge with his handler in
St-Lazare.

Sherlock sitting pretty at the 
show in Thetford Mines, where
he is making a major impression
with the judges.

Sherlock's Winning
Ribbon for Best Puppy 
in Group 

Long weekend vibes!

Happy Sunday everyone! This is the first long weekend of the Summer season and the weather is fantastic! We've had nothing but sunshine and hot temps since Friday, more on the way. It feels so good 🌞 

It has been a very busy weekend for us. We have been attending the Conformation Show in St-Lazare since Friday. It's an outdoor show so we are very grateful for this gorgeous weather. We got to spend some nice quality time with our boys. They are both showing this weekend and one of them might finish his Championship today or tomorrow. It's been so much fun!  I thought it was time to post a few pics of them, taken after their show bath...Merlot is one year old and Sherlock is 6 months old. They are simply wonderful and our hearts are full of love for them 💖

I am so glad that I got all my planting done last weekend. Everything is looking good. Russell cut the grass on Thursday. It was very long. We seeded a few weeks ago and it's made a huge difference. 

Friday, May 17,  marked what would have been our sweet boy Cooper's 13th birthday. It is a date that will always be in our calendar. Coop and Spicy are always in our hearts.

My brother is coming over for coffee soon. I have a few things to do in the kitchen then we're off to the dog show. Another sunny day that will require lots of sunscreen! Have a wonderful week everyone!

Tents set the scene for conformation judging
in St. Lazare sponsored by the Hochelaga
Kennel Club.

The 'Boys', Merlot on the left and his sidekick
Sherlock on the right hamming it up - getting
ready for the conformation ring.

Sherlock post show time bath...he
cleans up very well and he is a 
charmer.

Merlot post bath - he is ring
ready and a stunningly
handsome fellow.

A family birthday moment captured for all time...
Cooper's 12th birthday, May 17, 2023.

Cooper was always a gentleman, here sharing
his pup cakes with Spicy, May 17, 2023.

Me and Cooper in a precious moment never to be
forgotten, he was a loving gentle giant,
May 17, 2023.

Out with the old....

...in with the new! The new
stainless steel bathing station 
ready for the 'Boys'.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Sunday everyone! We want to wish a wonderful Mother's Day to all the moms out there. May this day be special in every way. A loving Mother's Day wish also goes to all pet moms. You are all exceptional. I truly miss sharing this day with Cooper and Spicy, they hold such a special place in my heart 💖 Russell and I also have heartfelt thoughts for both our moms who are no longer with us. We miss them always, more so on this day. 

This past week was good. We got more work done outside. Russell cut the grass for the first time and seeded the backyard. Our front lawn needs a serious top dressing. We will be getting that done in the next week or so. Russell also teak oiled our deck table and chairs. They look brand new. I planted the herbs in the VegTrug...my usual selection of coriander, Italian parsley, basil and chives. I planted moroccan mint in a pot as it would be too invasive in the trug. Yesterday, I bought a few planters for the front of the house and deck. I also planted geraniums in the front barrels. My gardening is basically done for the season! Everything is looking good and colourful.

We got our grooming tub installed in the laundry room. I will post photos next week. It's looking good and it will be so much easier to groom our pooches. 

On Thursday, our good friend Errol stopped by to drop off two Dipladenia plants, pink and white. He said it was from our kids...such a thoughtful gesture. We would have never met him if it hadn't been for our walks at the park with Cooper and Spicy. 

We got to see some of the Northern Lights from our backyard on Friday night. Despite the light pollution, it was quite spectacular to watch. 

We have another dog show coming up this coming weekend, starting Friday. We will get to see our boys in action. It will be wonderful to see them again. Soon, I will post photos.....just keeping the suspense going a little longer 😊 Friday will also mark what would have been Cooper's 13th birthday. It will be a day filled with fond memories of our sweet boy 💝

That's my blog for today. Since it is Mother's Day, I am indulging myself by including photos of me and our duo. Have a great week everyone!

TV time with my blanket of
puppy love - May 8 2022.

A picnic with the duo at Edgewater Park,
November 6, 2020. It was a very warm day.

Sitting pretty in the shade on our walk,
August 13, 2017

Apple picking was a favorite outing with the 
duo, September 20, 2020

Cooper and Spicy loved going on picnics,
August 23, 2019.

The Dipladenia plants from 
Errol have a home in a planter,
on the bench in the backyard.

Hello May!

Happy Sunday everyone! It's a cloudy and gloomy morning. Rain is on the way and it's a tad cool. Not sure if we will sit on the deck this afternoon. We did every day last week, it's been nice to reconnect with the outdoors that way.

Yesterday, Russell cleaned the glass panels of our deck....ready for fresh sets of nose prints. Once again, we will share our lives with two wonderful Havanese boys, coming home around mid-July.  They are both in the midst of doing their championship. We attended one show last Sunday, a few more in the next few months. Russell and I are over the moon happy and our hearts are full of love for these two munchkins. More about that in the weeks to come. 

Until then, we are getting ready for this new adventure. We also have a few getaways planned, all in our beautiful province.  This past week brought many Facebook memories of our trip to Rome and Sorrento in 2023. It was a wonderful and memorable vacation, one that we plan to replicate. What better way than to do it for Russell's 70th birthday next year. As we reflect on last year's trip, we also thank our lucky stars that we returned from that trip on the day that we did. That is when our Cooper went into congestive heart failure. The next day brought an emergency visit to our vet and the rest is history. Our prompt actions gave us nine more months with our Coop 💗 

We got our new Palisade last Tuesday. Nothing beats the smell of a new car. It drives really nicely. 

On Thursday, I had lunch with Lise and Diane, friends and former co-workers. It was truly nice to get together and it was long overdue. Friday brought another lunch out with Pauline and Errol. It was fun to catch up. 

That's my blog for today. I leave you with a few memorable photos from Italy and throwback photos of our Cooper and Spicy. Have a great week everyone! 

The Church of Santissima Trinita
dei Monti sits proudly at the top of 
the Spanish Steps which were adorned
with a spectacular annual display of 
azaleas.

The Pantheon is majestic at anytime of day
and here with evening flood lights.

Russell in a quiet moment of reflection and 
people watching at Fauno Bar,  Piazza Tasso,
Sorrento.

The view of the swimming pier from our room
at Hotel Bellevue Syrene. 

Marina Grande and the wonderful coast of 
Sorrento.

2024 Palisade, thank you Emin 
Domi and West Island Hyundai.

Lovely lunch with the ladies.

Deck time was always a good time 
for these two besties - May 20, 2022.

Spicy catching a quick sniff of Cooper as he 
carries his chew - July 6, 2023.