Gorgeous Fall Colours

Happy Sunday everyone! It is a little overcast at the moment but the sun should make an appearance later. The forecast for this week is quite nice. What a great Fall we've had.

Today, we remember our little girl Spicy who would have been 14. She was exceptional in every way and we miss her always. She holds a very special place in our hearts. We hope she is celebrating in style with her buddy Cooper 💕

This past week was good. The weather was fantastic and we took advantage of it. Russell used his drone to take lots of photos of the gorgeous Fall colours in our neighbourhood. Quite amazing to see all those Fall hues from 150 feet in the air. His timing was perfect as much of those leaves have now fallen, thanks to the high winds from yesterday. 

Our adorable pooches are doing wonderful. Merlot had his Lepto shot on Monday and all went well. Sherlock graduated from Basic 1 Obedience yesterday with flying colours. We are proud of our little guy. Next up is Merlot who starts class this coming Saturday, round two for me. It will give me an advantage over the other handlers LOL! We will do Basic 2 sometime in 2025.

My back seems better however my knee is giving me a lot of issues again. When I have my physical in a couple of weeks, I will request another x-ray. Perhaps it's time for a cortisone shot. We will see. Russell is still waiting for a surgery date. It would be nice if it was before Christmas. 

Halloween is Thursday and the forecast is looking nice and warm. I haven't bought any goodies yet but I will in a couple of days. We will give out as we have in the past few years, a bench set up on our front walk with a few bowls filled with treat bags. It's easier for us and not disrupting for the boys. The kiddies, young and old, can help themselves....but we will be watching from our dining room window 😈 I will post pics of our set up in next week's blog.

That's my blog for this last Sunday of October. Next week, we move the clocks backwards one hour. We can't wait to see how Merlot and Sherlock will adapt..both from a sleep and meal time perspective. These two truly have an internal clock that is perfectly synchronized 😆

Have a great everyone! I will write again in November!

With the drone 150 feet up, looking Southwest
down our street, Avondale...amazing colours.

Another drone view of our neighbourhood, the
colours are stunning.

Our front yard maple in full glory
against clear blue sky.

A proud day for me and Sherlock as we pass
Basic 1 Obedience with flying colours.

The boys were not impressed with the
Habs loss to the Rangers!

We will do tricks for treats or
tasty maple leaves.

Merlot comfy and keeping an eye on 
things!

Happy Heavenly Birthday to our precious 
Spicy girl...celebrate well with your BFF
Cooper.

A special birthday moment captured for all time,
October 27, 2023.

Warm days ahead!

Happy Sunday everyone! Another sunny and warm day on the way. The past few days have been wonderful and the next few will bring unusually warm temperatures. We will take it. 

This past week was good. Russell is getting used to his APAP machine. He needed a few adjustment but all is good now. His Apple watch tracks the various sleep stages. The number of hours he is spending in a deep restorative sleep have increased quite a bit. It's all good.

Merlot and Sherlock are doing very well. They seem to eat less grass now and have switched to fallen leaves LOL! They are both so funny. Merlot will get his first Leptospirosis shot on Tuesday, followed by a booster in a few weeks. Sherlock and I will have our last class this coming Saturday. I am confident that he will graduate 😊 

I am doing well although my knee has been acting up. I was not walking well last week but it seems better now. Having said that, my limping has screwed up my back which is not good at the moment. I will see my osteopath this week so hopefully it will help. As a result, the yard work is on hold. 

Russell has been showing me bit by bit how he does the daily grooming so I can take over (for just a few days)  when he has his knee surgery. He has so many new products that he is using now, I can't keep track of all of them. Two products in particular that he really likes are Animasoin Bio degreaser and deshedding shampoos, both used by Myriam. They are wonderful products and work really well on Merlot and Sherlock's coats. 

Last Tuesday, I met up with my friend (and dog trainer) Wanda. It was good to catch up with her and get precious training tips and tricks. I'm always grateful for her good advice. 

This coming week is busy with a bunch of appointments, including getting our snow tires. The driveway snow markers were installed last week. It's that time of year.

Those are my little news for today. Have a wonderful week everyone!

Sherlock and Merlot were introduced to the 
hurdles...quick learners, they both got it!

The boys enjoying fine weather on 
the deck.

The comfort of a blanket on a chair...
priceless.

On patrol keeping the yard
safe from squirrels, one squirrel
at a time.

Merlot contemplating which toy to play
with next.

Fall colours have come to Edgewater
Park.

A winding pedestrian/bicycle path adorned
with Fall colour at Edgewater Park.

Spicy and Cooper always enjoyed 
lounging in the living room...
this moment from October 6, 2021.

Happy Thanksgiving!

From our family to yours, we wish our Canadian friends a Thanksgiving filled with the warmth and happiness of the season. On this day, and every day, Russell and I are grateful for what we have...each other, good health, the comfort of a good home which so many don't have and all the little things that can easily be taken for granted. We are also so grateful to have Merlot and Sherlock in our lives. Those two little munchkins have brought us so much happiness. They are special in every way 💕 

This past week was good. The weather was nice for the most part but it is getting a tad cool. Although we are still spending some time on the deck, we have started transitioning into the living room. It is that time of year. I am also transitioning from wearing shorts to leggings 😆 

Russell is doing well. He got fitted with an APAP machine after being diagnosed with severe sleep apnea, following his pre-op tests mid-August. He has none of the symptoms so it came as a surprise. The use of the APAP will help maximize the flow of oxygen, which in turn will help make recovery from surgery that much easier.  Russell also met with his doctor following blood work he had done last week. His iron level is low so he is on an iron supplement. Otherwise, all is good and we are awaiting a date for surgery.

On Tuesday, we had an impromptu visit from Myriam. The boys were happy to see her. It was nice to catch up and brag about the escapades of our duo.

I had planned on doing some yard work but I got lazy. Maybe later this week. As Russell keeps telling me, the plants are not going anywhere LOL! 

Merlot and Sherlot are doing well. They are truly happy boys. Sherlock did good in class yesterday. Three of the dogs were rowdy but that didn't stop him from keeping his focus on me. I was quite pleased. 

I watched the HABS opener on Wednesday. I went to bed with a big smile on my face as we beat Toronto. I won't talk about the loss to Boston on Thursday but last night's game was close to perfect in every way. The HABS beat Ottawa, first time since March 19, 2022 👏

We will have turkey for dinner tonight. It is all prepped, waiting to go in the oven at 1 pm. It will smell good in the house. I think it will be the first time that our boys are exposed to the aroma of roast turkey...I wonder if they will like it 😋

I leave you with some random photos taken last week and one of Cooper & Spicy. We may not talk about them much but they are always in our hearts. Happy Thanksgiving friends! Have a wonderful week!

From our home to yours, Sherlock and
Merlot wish everyone Happy
Thanksgiving!

Ahhh...all the comforts of home!

Is it a new dance craze or a wrestling match...
only Sherlock and Merlot know for sure.

A standoff moment waiting for the home opener
hockey game with the Habs....Merlot is asking
Sherlock who will win?!

Sherlock basking in the morning
sun with auburn highlights
dancing in his hair.

Merlot keeping an eye on the backyard from the 
comfort of his 'perch' with the ever present
giraffe.

Some well deserved living room
down time after a full day of play.

Fall colours have emerged in the front yard.

Cooper and Spicy enjoyed the opportunity to 
be photographed (treats involved), this 
moment captured October 1, 2020.

Hockey season has arrived!

Happy Sunday everyone! It's a little on the cool side this morning but sun is on the way. The past few days have been gorgeous. What a beautiful Fall we've had so far 🍂

This past week was good. Little Merlot, as Dr. Javard so affectionately calls him, had his last follow up on Tuesday. His kidney levels are all normal and there is no evidence of kidney damage from the Leptospirosis bacteria. His file is now closed. We like the sound of that!

We enjoyed a few walks by the lake. The leaves are turning in some areas but we find it is slower this year. Not much colour on our street or in our own backyard. 

Sherlock had his fourth training class yesterday. He did very well. Our instructor likes how he focuses on me throughout the whole class despite distractions from the other dogs (and some barking). This week, we need to practice the "down" command. It is not perfect yet 😉 Three more classes to go then it will be Merlot's turn. 

Russell is doing well. Things are in motion for his upcoming knee replacement surgery, likely before Christmas. The anesthesiologist called again on Wednesday to follow up on his pre-op tests. With his age, the focus is on making sure his oxygen levels are optimal for both surgery and recovery. He has a good team behind him.

The NHL pre-season is now over. I watched all the HABS games and media posts. Across the league, it was a pre-season filled with strong emotions which led to many injuries for some top players. Let's hope it is not a precursor for the upcoming season. For the Montreal Canadians, the season starts this coming Wednesday. GO HABS GO!

Today is bath day for our pooches. I will go to the Pointe-Claire outdoor market to buy some fresh vegetables then I will get a bit of yard work done. Tomorrow, Sherlock gets his Lepto vaccine booster. The next few weeks are filled with appointments here and there, including getting our snow tires installed. Yikes!

Have a great week everyone! Turkey time next weekend!

It is mine...no it's mine...the tug-o-war 
over the Halloween Pumpkin tug toy!

Sherlock waiting for his turn during 
the training session...he has focus!

Sherlock is a tired pooch post training...
here he is sitting on 
Russell's lap, head on the table snoozing.

Merlot at DMV,  happy with the
good news about his health

The boys looking for ticks or maybe a 
squirrel or a cat...they have it covered.

Nothing better than a good puppy play session.

Watching the Vice Presidential debate...
not too exciting.

Dew on the grass in our backyard
planters.

Cooper on watch duty while
Spicy snuggles on a blanket, this
moment captured October 18, 2023.