The Backyard Bird Patrol

Happy Sunday everyone! It's warm, sunny and the only sound is coming from the birds. We're on the deck now, enjoying yet another Summer morning. I can't believe this is the last week of July. 

It's that time of year when Mother Nature decides she's almost done showing off. The lush, emerald-green grass that made everything look like a postcard has been replaced with patches of straw-coloured grass. Our pooches, of course, couldn't care less. Every blade has a story. Their enthusiasm never fades even if the lawn does. Bonus...Russell doesn't need to cut the grass as often.

And then, there are those Brown-headed Cowbirds that have invaded our backyard. While Russell and I admire the goldfinches or cardinals, Merlot & Sherlock are obsessed with the cowbirds. They come in a flock, land on the grass then fly away as soon as our boys try to chase them. The deck transforms from a viewing platform into a launch station. I captured Merlot chasing them the other day. It's a very short video but if you look closely, you see the birds flying away. To say they are obsessed is an understatement. Not that long ago, the squirrels ruled their world. Now, they barely earn a second glance. One has to wonder what will be next LOL!

Merlot became a dad a few weeks ago...three beauties and they look just like Merlot did when he was a puppy. We look forward to seeing how those pups will turn out. It's exciting. I guess that makes us doggie grand-parents and Sherlock is an uncle (they are after all 3/4 brothers) 😍

Our boys got a new toy from their Havanese friend Tinker. They both enjoy it but Merlot is the one most obsessed with it. He can be such a goofball and he excels at entertaining himself. Sherlock is a bit more reserved, although he has his moments of craziness, especially around meal times LOL!

That's my blog for this week. I leave you with some videos taken last week and a few photos. I thought I would include one of Russell and I taken by our friends a few weeks ago. I quite like it. Have a great week everyone! 

Butt to butt...they are on
watch for the comings and
goings.

Merlot is a very proud father of 
3 gorgeous pups...all with his
markings.

A delightful lunch at friends and are
you taking a photo of me taking a photo of you?!

Morning wags...everyone's day should

start this way!

Merlot has not quite figured out how fast 

birds are...maybe he will one day.

Fun with the new bunny from Tinker....Merlot 

is a self directed ball of non-stop fun.

Sherlock is all smiles...particularly when it

is close to meal time.

Merlot and the maze...no short-cuts allowed.

Sherlock knows how to navigate these cones.

Spicy and Cooper reaching for the 
sky and they look for treats from
above...this moment July 13th, 2022.

Remembering my sister

  

Today, I remember my sister Lynn who passed away unexpectedly last week. She was my baby sister. As children, life was simple. We shared a world of imagination, laughter and the quiet certainty that we would always be part of each other's story. That wasn't meant to be.

Throughout the years, her life became such that it pulled us apart more than either of us probably wanted. Although we became estranged in the few years before her passing, I am reminded that while relationships can sometimes be complicated, love, loss and remembrance can exist together. 

Lynn brought two wonderful sons into this world, my nephews Sean & James, two of the finest young men I know. That is her legacy worth honouring.

I will remember Lynn as my little sister, the one who came along sixteen months after me, whom I looked out for long before either of us knew what that would come to mean. She was also my brother Francois's older sister. He is grieving her loss alongside me. 

Lynn can now rest. I truly hope she has found the peace that eluded her most of her life. She will always have a place in my heart.

Until next week's blog, take good care of yourselves and those you love. 

Two sisters...without a care in the world.

Savouring Summer before it slips away

Happy Sunday everyone! Another gorgeous morning in Beaconsfield. The forecast for this upcoming week is looking spectacular. We are making the most of these beautiful Summer days...spending time on the deck, eating outside, simply soaking it all in before July quietly slips into August. 

This past week was good. Russell kicked off the week on a cleaning spree...washing all windows, deck glass panels and even our kitchen light globes. He was on a roll and there was no stopping him. And before anyone asks, he's not for hire LOL!

I had my second physio treatment and it went well. My daily stretching program is now firmly part of my day. It feels good in the moment, although some of the exercises are a little challenging. It's all about making steady progress, listening to my body and celebrating the small improvements along the way. As my physiotherapist said, it's a marathon not a sprint. One day at a time. 

Our boys are doing well. Their daily schedule is full. Between walks, fun games and the endless excitement of chasing birds and squirrels, there's never a dull moment. They sleep well at night. On Wednesday, we celebrated their two year Gotcha Day. Russell and I were remembering, with a smile, what our house looked like for the first six months or so...gates everywhere, watching them like a hawk to minimize/avoid any marking. Having two intact boys comes with its challenges but we navigated through it. Merlot & Sherlock have grown into young adults, each with their own unique personality, quirks and special ways of keeping us entertained. They have completely taken over our hearts...and our home 💕

That's my blog for today. I leave you with a few photos from last week, some short videos and our weekly memory photo of Cooper & Spicy. Have a great week everyone!

With the giraffe in tow, Sherlock 
and Merlot maintain backyard
vigilance.

In the dappled shade of the crabapple, these two
seem to be shouting, can you see me now?

Sherlock and Merlot were intrigued by the 
sound coming from the wall mounted 
speaker.

Everyone has a place reserved at the 
table for our morning rituals.

Daisies in bloom and the Daylilies
emerging behind a lovely scene.

Merlot thought better than to jump 

through the cones to get to the bowl LOL!

Sherlock says come on mom, this is 

too easy.

Merlot and his sofa antics.

And, the chase in on....squirrel alert at the far 

end of the yard - yet another escapee.

Spicy and Cooper constant
companions and always in our hearts,
this moment July 31st, 2020.

The Great Squirrel Chase Returns

Happy Sunday everyone! It is a gorgeous Summer morning. The temperature is just right. It feels good to be able to write my blog on the deck. Our boys are chilling in their favorite spot and Russell is catching up on the news. A quiet start to our day...that is until the squirrels start driving the boys crazy.

This past week had another mid-week interruption with Canada Day. It also brought extreme heat which was, at times, suffocating. We didn't spent much time on our deck up until Friday. We took Merlot & Sherlock for early morning walks. We weren't the only ones. 

Our crabapple tree is once again the neighbourhood squirrel hotspot so the chase is back in full swing.  Russell wrapped a piece of metal sheet around the tree to prevent our pooches from climbing. Last year, Sherlock ripped his dew claw trying to chase up a squirrel. We didn't want a repeat of this incident. They still chase but can't climb 😏 

Last Friday, I started a physio program to help me better manage the osteoarthritis in both my hips. This diagnosis was confirmed a few weeks ago. I feel fortunate to have such a good physiotherapist in Michael Ennis, from Kinatex. We've known Micheal for a long time and we have built a trusting relationship with him.  He's treated us for a wide range of conditions, including Russell's post knee replacement surgery.  I am optimistic that my commitment to doing the prescribed exercises will pay off. 

Yesterday, our Canadian soccer team ended their journey but they gave us something to be proud of. They belong on the world stage. Well done and see you in 2030!

The weather looks awesome for this coming week. We will enjoy it to the fullest. Have a great week everyone!

A moment of stillness in front of the daylilies
before the romp around the backyard.

Nothing better than a little down time on the 
patio with Russell.

Early morning siesta on the sofa
while it is still cool on the back deck.
 

Squirrel alert and what is this shiny stuff around 

the tree?!

Merlot doing his famous face rubbing.

Some cool fun in the basement...free style

amusement!

Cooper and Spicy taking a little break on 
our walk by the Lake - June 29, 2020.

Saying goodbye to June

Happy Sunday everyone! As we're about to say goodbye to June, we are finally enjoying some consistent warm weather. More on the way this week, bring it on!

This past week felt strangely out of sync with St-Jean Baptiste landing right in the middle. It's as if we paused for a day, then not quite settling into a normal rhythm afterwards. It will be the same this week. These midweek holidays are a good excuse to slow down and cook something special. On that note, we treated ourselves to a baked brie surrounded by warm peaches and prosciutto. It was so yummy. I have a special treat planned for Canada Day 🍓

Our boys are doing well. Merlot is back home from being bred for the second time. We've been asked if his behaviour has changed since the start of this puppy matchmaking process. Not in the least. He is the same crazy, sometimes goofy boy. They both get back in the groove very quickly. It's nice to see 😊

I tackled another gardening/weeding project last week...removing the Canadian Clearweed that was invading the Hostas around the spruce tree in the front lawn. We don't know where it's coming from but it's everywhere. It is easy to remove but not a back loving exercise. We have some in the flower bed closer to the front of the house, however, it is acting more like a natural ground cover and it's quite pretty. I'm not touching it. 

That's my blog for this last Sunday of June. Have a great week everyone and Happy Canada Day on Wednesday!

Brothers....reunited as Merlot returns from
his baby making escapades.

 

Nothing better than just hanging out on
the deck with the ever present giraffe.

 

Merlot relaxing in his chair after
returning home from Myriam's.

Sherlock at the breakfast table...
when are you serving me?

A baked brie surrounded by warm peaches
and prosciutto...yum!

Get the party started - Merlot is back in the house!

A fun yard run - catch me if you can -

 energy well spent.

A robin decided to serenade us as we sat on the 

deck with a loud song...volume up for this one!

Spicy and Cooper shared a pup-cone at
Wild Willy's...this moment captured
July 1st, 2019.

Happy Father's Day!

Today we celebrate all the amazing dads out there, in every form. This extends to all pet dads who are so special. Merlot & Sherlock are lucky to have Russell as their human daddy. We also remember the fathers who are no longer with us. Their love and memories continue to live on in our hearts 💕

This past week was good although rather rainy and cool. I was tempted to write that we haven't had the best Summer so far but to be fair, Summer starts today 😏 We had torrential rain yesterday, combined with thunderstorms, which caused floods in many areas. Thinking of all those who are dealing with the aftermath of those floods. 

The rain has created the perfect conditions for the grass to grow quickly... Russell had to cut it twice in four days. Our perennials are also thriving, they seem bigger than ever.

Merlot is away at Myriam's making babies. He should be home in a few days. Meanwhile, Sherlock is enjoying the one on one attention although he misses his buddy.  I've been keeping him busy with some enrichment games.  He quite enjoys the "find it" game now, which he didn't care for when I first introduced it to the boys. It's such an easy game to play, anywhere in the house at any time of day, and provides good mental stimulation. 

The sun is shining now, which is a nice change. It's been so gloomy the past few days but as Russell so well said yesterday morning, Sherlock is our ray of sunshine 🌞 Our boy is also bullet proof when it comes to thunder. Both are actually, which is a good thing. 

That's my blog for today. To all dads, enjoy your special day! Have a great week everyone!

Happy Father's Day! The boys
love their human dad!

Sherlock loves his 'lap time' with
me on the deck.

Sherlock is not shy and here he
is taking his place at the dining
table.

Sherlock and the giraffe on the 
sofa...his lookout buddy.

Nap time for Sherlock and the giraffe on the 
back deck sofa.

Merlot taking a little nap before his
visit to Myriam's to make some babies.

Sherlock loves this towel game and here he is in

all his glory.

That ball never stood a chance with Sherlock.

Cooper and Spicy on a family picnic to help
celebrate Father's Day...this moment 
captured June 21st, 2020.

A soggy Sunday

Happy Sunday everyone! We woke up to thunderstorms and rain. It will be a soggy day. Our grass is growing like weeds and is very green. 

It's already mid-June. The garden centres at the grocery stores are almost done. It's crazy how quickly the gardening season seems to come to an end, at least when it comes to planters and annual flowers. The Hostas that I planted are thriving and are looking very healthy. I am pleased.

Our boys are doing well. It looks like Merlot will be a dad soon. This is so exciting and we can't wait to see the puppies. I guess that will make us "doggie grandparents" LOL! He will be away for a few days this week as another female is in her prime for breeding. Busy boy! Sherlock will once again get some one on one attention, which he doesn't mind at all. It's all good. 

It looks like the cardinal chicks were born sometime last week. There is lots of activities happening now, with feeding and all. We see both male and female in and out all day. When the chicks are fed, we can hear them from the deck. Noisy little things. We suspect they will start leaving the nest later this week.

The hockey season will end either tonight or Wednesday. The FIFA World Cup is under way and Canada has earned its first-ever World Cup point. Well done! We don't follow soccer but it's nice to hear that our country has done well so far.  

I leave you with a few photos taken last week and one of Cosette at the Colosseum. After her nice wins, she got to visit Venice and Rome. Lucky girl! 

Have a great week everyone!

Me chilling on the deck with the 
Boys.

Dual guardians on duty...the 
patio area is secure under their watchful
eyes.

Morning rituals, while we have a 
coffee ,the boys enjoy a seat at the 
table.

Merlot loves to spend time face planting on
 the deck sofa.

A must while in Rome, Cosette 
posed with the Colosseum as her
backdrop.

Merlot enjoys the crazy maze, his way....knocking 

a cone over and a short cut to get out LOL!

Sherlock can't be beat when it comes to 

running the maze.

The finch are taking advantage of the full

feeders.

Few things are as tasty as new grown grass.

Cooper with his chew and Spicy trailing
behind...these two were always a tight unit,
this moment captured July 5th, 2023.

Some Italian News!

Happy Sunday everyone! It's been a soggy morning and our boys look like little rats. We might get some clearing later this morning.

I start this blog with some exciting news from Italy. Myriam and her beautiful Cosette have won big this past weekend at the World Dog Show in Bologna.  More alphabet letters have been added to Cosette's registered name: 

It. Ch. / Can. GCHG / Am. GCH MBIS MBISS MRBIS MBPIS That's Amyla's Castle on a Cloud "Cosette"

Her four wins: 1st Place - Open Class, Reserve CACIB, Reserve World Winner 2026 and New Italian Champion 🎉

What an accomplishment for Cosette, Myriam and her talented handler Karyna. We are so proud of them and also proud to be part of Elevage Amyla's family.

This past week was good and brought some warm weather. I started, and finished, my backyard flower bed project. I had given myself three weeks to do it LOL! We chose to plant Hostas as it is a mostly shaded garden. I went to Jasmin Nursery and bought 16 plants, 5 varieties. All were planted very meticulously, keeping in mind the height and width growth of each. I also found a gorgeous decorative windmill. We are very pleased with the end result. Fingers crossed for lots of growth and beauty.

Our boys are doing well. Their newest obsession is the flock of grackles that has taken over our backyard. They try to chase them but the birds are one step ahead. It's their new form of entertainment from the deck. A nice change from squirrels.

It seems that the cardinals have now taken up residency by our backdoor yew. We have seen the female sit in the nest for hours at a time, then leaving. This has been going on for a week now. We're not sure what will come next. We wait and see.

That's my blog for today. I wish you all a great week!

The Boys, when you can't have the chair
to yourself, why not share?!

Part of the garden planting inspection crew,
Merlot up top and Sherlock below.

Proud Italian Champions, Karyna,
Cosette and her human mom,
Myriam.

Another ribbon to add to the collection,
an Italian BOS for Cosette and Karyna.

Before the BIG dig, clean-up and planting.

The finished effort complete with windmill

mobile and 16 assorted Hostas.

Dinner is ready....

Cooper and Spicy checking out what is 
happening at the table, this moment
captured August 1, 2017

 

Look closely - something's changed

Happy Sunday everyone! It's a cloudy morning, a bit on the cool side. I'm longing for those warm days when morning coffee belongs outside without having to reach for a sweater.  Summer has not arrived yet.

This past week was good. We got quite a bit of work done outside. We are still attempting to grow some grass in the high-traffic areas used by our boys. We've been using baby gates to section off those areas to give the grass a fighting chance. Throughout the day, we open up everything to give the pooches a good run around. It's a bit of a balancing act between keeping the lawn healthy and making sure Sherlock and Merlot have plenty of space to run.

We are also redoing our back garden bed. Not much has been growing lately, likely because the weeds have been winning the battle and the soil has seen better days. At first, it sounded like a simple project. But I quickly realized that it wasn't. Thanks to Russell for helping me deal with the first step in this makeover...clearing out the old plants, weeds and whatever else decided to take up residence. I'm giving myself three weeks to complete this project.

Friday brought the end of the road for the Montreal Canadiens. While the season didn't end the way fans had hoped, they gave us one heck of a ride. They brought energy, hope and passion to the entire province.  Cheers to a well done journey and to what's ahead next season! 

I leave you with some photos and videos taken last week. Look closely, something's changed in the blog. Have a great week everyone and hello June! 

Nothing better than a walk by the
Lake and a patch of cool grass to
rest on...these guys know how to
live.

Did I say this is my chair, Merlot 
believes every chair could be his!

Sherlock likes to keep an eye on things 
on the back deck sofa

Merlot on the sofa surveying the
street...if I didn't know it was him,
you'd think it was Cooper.

New day new maze and this clever little fellow

takes on the challenge

Sherlock is a quick study and he mastered 

this maze easily.

Two tails wagging in unison...nothing could be

better.

A pileated woodpecker looking for lunch

in the railway ties in the back garden.

Happy "Gotcha Day" June 24, 2017...the 
day Spicy the diva join us in her "furever" 
home with her BFF Cooper.

A rainy Sunday

Happy Sunday everyone! We woke up to rain and cool temps.  It will be a sweater kind of day. Russell seeded in some spots yesterday so it's good for that.

This past week was good. Sherlock's tooth extraction site healed beautifully and the giraffe came out of hiding. That was the highlight of the week for our boys. It even made its way to the basement for some fun games LOL! All is perfect again!

The highlight of my week was the Habs' win last Monday. They have surpassed everyone's expectations in a big way. No matter what the outcome of the Eastern Conference Final is, we will be proud of their accomplishments. Go Habs Go!

Our sweet Merlot turned three last Friday. He enjoyed a little bit of cake and some belly rubs. We went for walk and ran into our friend Errol. More birthday hugs were had. Both boys tried a new maze with jumps and did very well. It was a good day 🎉

A pair of cardinals has built a nest in the yew by our back door.  Both the male and female have been in and out of it for most of last week but we haven't seen much action since yesterday, although we saw the female going in this morning. We're curious to see whether they decide to stay given the constant door traffic with the boys. Part of us hope they relocate if chicks hatch and the fledglings start their flying lessons. It could be problematic with our ever so curious pooches 😉 I suppose nature will takes its course either way. 

I leave you with random photos and videos taken last week. I also include two photos that came up as a memory of the pontoon boat that we had when we lived in Huntsville. Of course, we named it "The Coop". We had some good times on that boat. 

Have a great week everyone!

Sherlock and Merlot on the 
trampoline and guess who joined them,
the giraffe!

Merlot enjoyed his 3rd birthday on the deck 
with some cake - Happy Birthday Merlot!

A little cool on the deck, so it was
Uggs, a pashmina and the boys to 
keep me warm.

The COOP pontoon named after our best first mate 
ever... Cooper.

Russell at the helm and Cooper on watch with his
life jacket and hair blowing in the wind.

Beautiful crabapple blossoms set
against a perfect blue sky. They don't last long

A birthday belly rub for Merlot. Heavenly!

What could be more fun than a new maze

on your birthday - well done Merlot

To help celebrate the birthday, Sherlock also

ran the new maze - awesome skill.

Spicy on her chair and Cooper 
always nearby, this moment
captured, June 8th, 2019.