Game Day

Happy Sunday everyone! It is a bit chilly this morning, a cool -21 Celsius. We might not have a lot of snow but it's been a very cold Winter so far. On the plus side (there is always one), the sun is stronger and it feels wonderful 🌞 

This past week was good. Russell had a successful colonoscopy on Wednesday. I dropped him off at 7:30 am. He was the first one and was ready to go. It's always good to get these things out of the way first thing in the morning LOL! 

After a few nice wins for the Montreal Canadiens, NHL hockey is now on pause during the Olympics. I admit I need that pause too....watching the games and following the standings has been consuming a lot of my energy 😏 We have been watching the Olympics. We're up so early that we get to see a lot of it live. This morning, we saw Lindsey Vonn's last run come to an end. It was very disturbing to watch having followed her journey these past few days. 

Merlot and Sherlock are doing well. One day last week, we took the thinking game outside. It was very different, with the distractions from birds and squirrels. I gave them a break and let them cheat a bit.  I was keeping a close eye on them as I thought they were going to "mark" the cones at some point. That would not have been good LOL! 

Tonight is Super Bowl. We will be cheering for the Hawks. Although I never really knew who Bad Bunny was until a few months ago (please don't laugh), the half time show promises to be a fun and interesting one from what I read. If only for the "political" side of it, we will watch it.

Tomorrow will mark the two year anniversary of Cooper & Spicy's passing. It is a day forever etched in our hearts 💕 

I leave you with a few videos taken last week and some random pics. Good luck to all Olympians! Have a great week everyone!

Sherlock and Merlot decked out in the Hawks
gear ready to cheer them on to victory!

Merlot was keen to watch the Westminster 
Dog Show, he surely recognized his own
breed and was cheering on Cosette who
won Select Female.

TV time...where do the humans sit?  The boys
say get your own sofa.

Dinner time antics, Merlot flings his plushie

while Sherlock gives me the 'eye'.

 

Some al fresco training, Merlot and Sherlock

enjoyed the session and the many distractions

helped with everyone's focus.

Sherlock and his jumping routine.

Merlot is equally up to the jumping challenge.

Cooper in full flight clearing all
the hurdles - this special moment
captured March 6, 2021.

Spicy in hot pursuit of her pal Cooper as they
clear the hurdles in the backyard - this precious
moment captured, March 6th 2021. 

Hello February!

Happy Sunday everyone! A huge welcome to the shortest month of the year. Russell and I can now say that we're off to Barbados next month 🌴

This past week was good and very productive. We went through our closets and sorted out our beachwear. I got Russell a few pairs of cargo shorts and those Manmade T-Shirts that have become so popular, a Canadian-owned and Montreal based company. I bought myself a couple of cute dresses from my favorite store in Pointe-Claire Village, Artizan. We almost have everything we need. 

We got some snow last Sunday. Compared to previous years, we don't have a lot although it seems like we do as Russell keeps blowing the snow onto the barbecues. They are totally covered so no chicken wings on the BBQ any time soon LOL! I smiled when I looked at the video below of January 2021... that was when we didn't block off the yard in the Winter. I can't believe the shovelling I did then!

Merlot & Sherlock are doing well.  Despite the cold, they've been playing hard in the backyard. We haven't had a lot of walks as it's been too cold, not so much for the pooches, but for us. Some days were simply frigid. Somewhat milder weather is on tap this week. 

The 2026 Westminster Dog Show is on tomorrow and Tuesday. Myriam and Cosette are attending again this year. We will watch the Toy Group tomorrow at 3:15. Last year, Cosette won Select Female. Fingers crossed for another win! 

Russell has a routine colonoscopy on Wednesday. I can almost guarantee no walk for him on Tuesday LOL! 

The Winter Olympics start on Friday. We always enjoy watching the various events. I've been following the news surrounding the potential launch of Artemis II. Due to the cold weather in Florida, the launch date has been pushed from February 6 to February 8. I have a feeling that it will be delayed though. We'll see. 

That's my blog for this first Sunday of February. It is shaping up to be a month filled with big moments...Super Bowl, Russell's birthday, Valentine's Day, the Olympics, possibly a lunar spaceflight mission...no doubt with unpredictable moments along the way 😏

Have a wonderful week! 

We know that look these two 
give us, it is the "are you guys
going somewhere" look!

An early morning moment captured before the
break of dawn!

You have heard about Facebook FaceTime...
the boys take that to the next level with 
their version.

A pretty Winter morning with freshly
fallen snow in the backyard.

We used to have two BBQ's - can you see 
them?

Merlot and Sherlock have locked in the 

'PLACE' command - a proud moment.

The battery powered snow shovel doing its

job...Merlot and Sherlock making sure Russell

does a good job!

Cooper and Spicy loved playing recall in the

 snowy backyard - that was a lot of shovelling, 

this moment January 4th, 2021

The good, the bad and the ugly

Happy Sunday everyone! We woke up to a balmy -22 Celsius, an improvement from yesterday morning's -25. Things are looking up!

This past week, leading up to yesterday, can be summed up as "the good, the bad and the ugly". It was a politically charged week, deepened by yet another tragedy in Minneapolis. It is becoming more and more difficult to make sense of all that's going on in the world. We find ourselves looking for more light....and there is more light. Our days are seriously getting longer.

Russell had his physical last Monday. All is good. He also received a gold star from his knee surgeon following his one year post op appointment. Dr. Thibodeau said it was one of the best knee recoveries she has seen. All thanks to the pre and post dedication to physical therapy and of course, the surgeon skills. Russell will be walking the beach in Barbados with a great stride!

Merlot and Sherlock are doing well. They had a routine appointment at the vet yesterday. It was nice to see Dr. Stiles again. They are managing this cold weather. They get many short trips outside. When they hop on three paws, it's time to come in. I'm becoming more creative with their training, specifically the thinking games. We are now combining some agility moves into our games. More on the agenda this week!

We are expecting some snow later today. It will be a quiet last week of January. Russell will attend the monthly municipal council meeting tomorrow night. He's trying to bring a few changes to some by-laws. It's keeping him very busy. 

Have a great week everyone. Let's all stay warm and keep calm 💗

The excitement of going downstairs is 
palpable for these happy boys!

Merlot in 'his' comfort zone surrounded
by his toys while napping.

Sherlock says can you tell I just
had a bowl full of water...is my 
face a little wet?!

The proof is in the x-ray, Russell's knee
looking good at one year post op.

Sherlock trying out the new hurdle routine.

Merlot is enjoying his approach to this new 

challenge.

Spicy and Cooper joined at the hip while on a
chilly walk at Edgewater Park,
February 2, 2022.

It was a snowy week

Happy Sunday everyone! It's 7:30 am and we've been up for well over two hours. I just spent the last 45 minutes watching the news coverage about Artemis II, set to launch around February 6. I am a passionate enthusiast about anything that has to do with space so this upcoming lunar spaceflight mission is right up my alley. It is especially exciting to have  Canadian Jeremy Hansen as part of the crew. His interview with Ian Hanomansing is simply fascinating.

Enough about space, back to earth and the reality of Winter. This past week was somewhat snowy although we didn't get nearly as much snow as our friends in Toronto. On Tuesday, we woke up to a little bit of wet snow so the boys suited up in their slush gear. We did not anticipate that they would get so many snow balls on their feet though....so much so that we couldn't remove their suits. A bucket of warm water took care of that little problem LOL!

The snow was wet enough to build a chubby snowman.  My back no longer allows me to build one from the ground up so I work with snow mounds. I say whatever works. I had fun and our boys enjoyed looking at it.

Russell had blood work done in preparation for his physical tomorrow. All is good. He will also have his one year post op appointment with his knee surgeon. 

On Friday, I had a spa pedicure. It was a cold day and it felt good to get pampered. Russell gets one this coming Tuesday. 

Merlot & Sherlock are doing well. They both enjoy whatever comes their way. They especially like their time in the playroom. When I say "place", they go directly to the trampoline and wait for whatever I have in store for them. Good boys 💕

That's my blog for today. We will go for a walk then I will get a bit of cooking done for the week. Tonight's dinner will be a braised bone-in ham. I have never cooked one of those before. 

Have a great week everyone!

Sherlock and Merlot inspect the visitor, the
snowman I made from the mounds we've
been shovelling.

Slush suits to the rescue in the sticky wet 
snow...the only 'snowballs' were on the paws.

Two on a trampoline....the boys patiently waiting
their turn to learn something new. This is 
called "place"

Sherlock put his best paw
forward as he snuggled on the
couch for evening TV time.

With the Christmas tree in storage,
Merlot is now napping in the same
spot under the table.

The morning workout, tamping down 
the heavy wet snow for the boys.

The boots tell the story. How many steps did
I take that morning?

Royal rumble in the fresh snow!

Spicy and Cooper were always helpful and 
intrigued when we made a snowman together, this
moment captured January 18th, 2021.

Snowshoeing time

Happy Sunday everyone! We're almost half way through January, can you believe it! Our Barbados trip is just a little over 9 weeks away...not that we're counting 😁

All is good with the Duncans. We went to bed last night knowing we would wake up to a snow mess. It was snowing at the rate of 3 cm per hour then it turned into rain during the night. About 12 centimetres of wet snow got compacted into 5 cm or so. Needless to say it is very heavy and sticky... heart attack snow. The boys got to wear their slush suits for the first time. They didn't mind a bit and we didn't have to deal with snowballs. Russell used our electric shovel to clear the patio and our front walk...that shovel has been a godsend.  After I finish my blog, I will put my snowshoes on and tramp down the rest of the yard. A nice little workout for a Sunday morning.

This past week was good and very quiet. We had some nice walks with our boys and encountered a fox during one of them. He looked like he had mange, poor thing.

Merlot & Sherlock are doing well. We are fascinated at how each has such a different personality and yet they compliment each other so well. They both continue to enjoy their training activities. I have to say that what I learned from the Advent Calendar has been a breath of fresh air for me. Before Christmas, I felt like I was running out of ideas. Now, it feels like the ideas are endless LOL! Last week, I included some proprioception work, working the limb awareness and brain. It was fun.

We have a busy week coming up, with a few appointments here and there. I will also start sorting out our tax receipts. The email from our accountant yesterday reminded me that it's that time of year already.

That's my blog for today. Time to go snowshoeing! I include a few photos and videos that I took last week. Merlot is now obsessed with the turtle that our friend Gerda gave him last June. Check out the video of him tossing it like a football LOL! Have a great week everyone!

And the tussle is on, who will be the 
victor...a draw as usual with these two
besties.

Sherlock is very expressive, what
do you think he is thinking here?

Merlot and his buddy the turtle, he loves to 
toss and fling this little fellow.

Ready set, hut1, hut 2, hut 3, hike!

Some proprioception work for the boys!

The boys loved their 'slush suits' easy on, easy off

AND

no snow balls!

Cooper and Spicy on a stroll with their boots
on - this moment captured, February 1, 2019.

A cold start to 2026

Happy Sunday everyone! We hope you're all having a good start to the new year, albeit cold for some of us. Some mild weather on the way later this week though. 

This past week was good and quiet. Last Sunday, we got a lot of freezing rain. Our backyard was so icy, especially the patio area. Russell worked hard all day to remove the thick layer of ice. Every few hours, he added dog friendly ice melter and chipped away at the ice. By late afternoon, we had a bare patio. He did the same with the front walkway. The rest of the yard was also rough to walk on and our pooches knew it. They didn't even attempt to chase each other. Smart doggies. Then, on New Year's Day, we woke up to a few centimetres of fluffy snow and all was good again.

There's no denying it...the days are getting longer. We don't need to turn the outside lights on when we take Merlot & Sherlock out after their 4:45 pm dinner. I changed the timer on our battery operated candles in the living room. All signs that point to longer and brighter days ahead 😊

Despite the cold weather, we've had some walks, although shorter than normal. There is something rejuvenating about the cold. We haven't had much snow so the walking trails at the park are flat and easy to walk on. 

Merlot & Sherlock continue to enjoy their daily training activities. I discovered that the "bowl to bowl" activity that we learned from the Advent Calendar actually comes from the Vito's Thinking Game concept, a brain game created by Italian dog trainer Vito Cieca and used widely by Susan Garrett, a well known Canadian dog trainer. I have lots of ideas in store for our boys!

That's my blog for this first Sunday of 2026. We will go for a walk later then watch the Habs game at 2 pm. The Canadiens have been playing well lately, except for last night. Can't win them all. 

I leave you with some random photos and a few short videos of the boys. Have a great week everyone!

The squirrels have found their way on
to the deck, the Boys have picked
the perfect spot to keep an eye on 
things!

Merlot and Sherlock used extra
care to navigate the icy backyard.

Merlot enjoys his time on the couch especially
after he face plants and messes his hair.

Sherlock thought it was a good idea to test out
the computer chair in the TV room...his 
verdict, not so comfy for dogs.

Post Christmas naptime...time to relax, the
Boys know how to get comfy.

Merlot decided he needed one 
more snooze under the Christmas
tree before it was put away.

Perfect 'helpers', Spicy and Cooper helped
supervise Russell's physio after his first knee
replacement, this moment - January 22, 2019.