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.