Weekly Prompts Wednesday Challenge – Pernickety Pets

Posted on September 29, 2022 by Mama Cormier

…thanks to GC and Sue W for hosting Weekly Prompts Wednesday Challenge https://weeklyprompts.com/2022/09/28/weekly-prompts-wednesday-challenge-pernickety-pets/

A few years ago, before COVID, I looked after my neighbours cat while she was in the hospital. His name is Tober. My husband is allergic to cats so I went over to the house twice a day to feed him and I stayed for an hour to keep him company. I did this for six weeks. You’d think after all this time we’d have some kind of relationship but when he goes out he avoids me at all costs and heads straight for the neighbour across the street who used to leave him treats. How fickle.

A7-FDC444-80-F8-4-A8-C-8361-EFA9-C5-ABE1-C7-1-201-a

F1656237-3-D9-B-4767-AEF1-BD78-CCBFA8-A6

687566-E3-FD6-B-4-B7-E-90-BD-36-AE5-BC18-FC0

B0-A55-D58-BE65-41-E0-AE11-45564-D1-F86-E8

Even though we owned a cat for 12 years before my husband’s allergies kicked in, we’re definitely more dog people. Below is our daughter’s dog, Olive, who we dog sit periodically and our dog, Frances, is the last photo. Frances was a great dog, who loved the water and lived to the ripe old age of 15. We lost Frances almost a year ago.

418641-A4-0089-4107-A1-FD-A052-D172-B368

BE655-B2-B-2-C28-4822-ABBE-6546-EC4-AB6-FE

Feeding the Cows and Texture Tuesday

Posted on September 20, 2022 by Mama Cormier

…on the way to the cottage on the weekend I stopped at my favourite Vegetable stand

This vegetable and fruit stand is located at the front of a farm where they not only grow vegetables but they also raise cattle. Today they put out food that the children and adults could feed to the cows. If you weren’t careful they often mistook your phones for food and would reach out with their long tongues. Those tongues were rough and the nostrils were slimy with a textured pattern.

1-F11496-C-882-B-4-A1-C-9-F87-8173-C2-A0-FFCF

71270-F4-A-F1-E3-499-A-9100-F26347473-AF5

49-BCBDF2-D554-4-D6-D-A792-861-A05-E91-DA7

524-AAFB1-1-A2-E-45-CF-9135-BFEA4-C1-F4029

AC9431-A6-518-E-456-B-B8-F2-8-ECFAD3-CDCB3

93-EE5-DB3-203-A-4603-AFC0-286-DB5503827

77-C2-F51-F-F968-4165-BBEB-8-C6-A040-B1-DB3

BE8-AE98-E-8-C7-D-48-A9-8883-8-D43-BF72-B220

A84-A1685-9-AD2-461-C-A752-BFE53-EE6-E135

F657273-D-7576-4-B4-D-A44-B-C85-E466-F534-E

The Simple Things in Life

Posted on September 4, 2022 by Mama Cormier

….are often free or cost very little

My granddaughter and daughter are leaving today and flying back to New Brunswick. We’ve had a wonderful time going to the CNE, buying new clothes for school and Gaelan and I went to the theatre to see the show, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. All of these things were fun to do but when I asked Winnie what her favourite activity was, she said she loved swimming in the city pool and my neighbour’s pool. She also enjoyed our picnic lunch in High Park, walking through the High Park Zoo and climbing on the huge tree stump in the park. Twice she was treated to ice-cream from the ice-cream truck, once from me and then again from her aunt Andrea. You can see from the look on her face how special that was.

57-D3-BA2-D-4706-49-E7-B31-E-D5368-CDDB28-E

2-FEB9-CFE-D74-D-4-C86-B727-215-E0-FBED147

E839-F858-A4-FF-420-D-B37-F-D4-B577-E56-B44

C5880399-D9-FD-48-F5-9712-1-D469879-C87-F

9449929-F-3-F53-490-C-A90-A-E6487-FD98-F22 — *The Infamous Capybara*

869289-C8-7-B80-45-F3-9525-E07292-BB3-E7-C

A31402-E4-664-C-46-CC-A8-B3-1-BF01-BC9-A1-E8

7-E9-F31-D6-5617-4-F44-893-E-2636626-CB2-DE

7-E7-B9-B45-9-FB5-416-A-A07-C-E68-E033244-B0 — *Standing inside the hollowed out trunk*

Miss you already, Winnie! Love Oma

CFFC – Reminds You of Nature’s Beauty

Posted on August 3, 2022 by Mama Cormier

….thanks to Cee for this week’s Fun Foto Challenge https://ceenphotography.com/2022/08/02/cffc-reminds-you-of-natures-beauty/

D7-B9-E203-6-F55-4-C05-BFC9-5-BF232-D4-C0-E1-1-201-a

E30369-B8-B8-F0-483-E-9703-8-BFE2344-BDFE

6-B8-B4-C4-C-595-C-4146-ACE9-D64-BC698-C5-A9

0-B0707-D5-E720-45-FE-A32-D-A329-C622-BBDD

4-D3-B0-B3-F-F900-4-F5-B-8-F7-B-8-ECC290406-D8

4-C5-B1-AAF-BD2-E-463-B-B400-C538-C48-BF5-D4

73693-A9-A-5916-49-A3-9505-331-E6-B0-E56-BA

EBF114-F3-8362-430-E-8-D30-93-E991-CBF708-1-201-a

FDA1-B533-75-AD-4091-8-A8-A-32-A12286-B46-D

Taking My Big Camera for a Walk Yesterday

Posted on May 29, 2022 by Mama Cormier

….and capturing all these wonderful shots with my zoom lens

Yesterday was a wonderfully sunny day and I was hoping the the turtles would be out, sun bathing on the logs in the pond. I wasn’t disappointed.

40208-CF3-30-D7-4-B42-B019-E787-B2841-DFF

3-E964-ACB-4064-4131-9530-1054-DA613-DF5

4556-DA08-4-DD9-4-EA7-9-E43-C11018-AEA5-A0

A767-D7-DB-5306-4257-8411-ACFC8469-F31-B

05-E2163-D-BF0-E-4-EA4-B9-F5-B5-A48-ADC5-AD0

1-A84-BE30-26-C6-4-C23-BD06-30471-E0-F5-A34

After I left the turtles I came across a few more critters.

26026265-47-C4-449-A-BD67-5291924-FED52-1-201-a

96-FAAABD-8-EEE-4-D29-A7-D0-67815-D5651-AF-1-201-a

813-D0-DDE-3175-42-DB-9815-5019-BEB60-BEE-1-201-a

College Royal is Back

Posted on March 26, 2022 by Mama Cormier

….not as big as in years past but open non the less

In the past College Royal has attracted up to 30 000 visitors but in the last two years it was mostly virtual and this year it was limited to staff, students and family members. It was much smaller in size but we enjoyed our two days of exploring the campus, speaking to the exhibitors, learning new things, watching the dog show and walking through the barns.

If you had any doubts as to the what the University of Guelph is all about, College Royal highlighted the agricultural, veterinary and animal and food sciences. As a graduate of U of G I can tell you that there is much more to this university, i.e., Family and Child Studies, The Arts, Biomedical studies, Business and Economics, Athletics, Human Kinetics, etc.. Hopefully in future years College Royal will be back to hosting more clubs, more of the arts, fashion shows and will have more hands on activities and bring back the milkshakes.

629451-B4-6-B63-4891-9-FB4-B622-E07-BCA17

063-A7454-F6-E1-4434-B82-D-1-A2-F13-A1-E166

B368-A2-F8-2817-441-E-8298-C9-DF38-D63-BAC

ED3-E93-BC-6-D81-498-F-BC08-E3-ACBB6-E2-D11

410770-B2-BD03-4-BEA-8-F46-725-C57-C7819-F

A441-B080-7-E37-4038-96-C3-91-C1-DCD2-C945

A5-DF8-C0-C-1-BC5-485-E-ADD7-E8-CE81739-C99

6-CDA3-E04-3-F3-E-482-F-9-AAB-8-D0-E387-DA7-C8

DF2393-EF-2-F0-C-4826-BF26-DABFE1-C16-FF6

C22-D6-E30-FEE4-46-CB-A240-5-E384-A9804-C6

8271-E545-C9-EF-4-BD1-94-DF-1-B32-A647-D2-F3

63159-A6-F-A084-40-C0-9615-B7-B43-A12-EAAE

484-F6-A96-6-B98-4355-AD77-16-B83-D568-AB8

0-D015859-18-C0-45-AB-B2-F8-F8109-DAB474-C — Three Generations of Guelph students, past and present

Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge – Pick Any Topic From Her Photo

Posted on March 16, 2022 by Mama Cormier

…thanks to Cee for hosting CMMC https://ceenphotography.com/2022/03/16/cmmc-march-pick-a-topic-from-my-photo-2/

If you click on the link you will see the photo that Cee is referring to. It has horses, the colours green, brown and tan, summer, trees and two subjects. Here’s what I found in my archive of photos.

31-F1-ABED-6-C07-4556-B832-DD2028335-FB7 — Two tan bullrushes

C148-BA6-B-47-DC-414-D-AEE5-F2-DF6-F9-CB5-A0 — Trees and green

E79-F00-B5-2918-4-D0-E-8-CAD-9-C2-F71-DEE2-D4 — Green foliage

15-F82-C27-0189-4904-9-A8-E-FB4-F4-AA91030 — Brown snail

68-F14687-68-B1-47-CC-A77-F-F7-F9-BE52-FF67 — Brown pine cone

Horse

Friday Was Squirrel Appreciation Day

Posted on January 22, 2022 by Mama Cormier

….sorry that I’m a day late

It’s no secret that my husband is not a fan of squirrels but he isn’t completely heartless. Back in October of last year he heard this strange noise coming from the outside of the house. It was heart wrenching to hear because it was clearly an animal in distress. He quickly ascertained that the noise was coming from the downspout. Somehow a squirrel had managed to get stuck.

Kevin quickly removed the bend in the spout and lo and behold a tail popped out. There was no doubt that it was a squirrel but even after removing the extra bit of downspout the little fellow was still stuck. I suggested that he get some gloves on and gently pull on the tail. Unfortunately in doing so the tip of the tail came off. We knew that we couldn’t leave him like that so Kevin grabbed the tail higher up and pulled again. This time he was able to free the squirrel. You never saw a squirrel move so fast.

Over the next few months we’ve kept our eyes out for Stubby (Kevin even named this squirrel) and we knew he was okay when we saw him around the bird feeder. I’m glad to report that the tip of the tail is growing back.

00435-D0-F-FEF1-4-B88-B92-B-766-E2-F45-AC3-A

In honour of Squirrel Appreciation Day, Kevin has painted a picture of Stubby.

Feeding the Squirrels

Posted on January 21, 2022 by Mama Cormier

…away from the bird feeder

When we had the big snow storm and over 50cm came down our back deck was impossible to walk on and I couldn’t make my way to the bird feeder so I put seed on a plate and placed it on top of the snow as far away from the door as my arms would reach. I was hoping that the birds would see it and fly onto the plate. In fact, it was the grey squirrel who found the plate first and with some difficulty made his way over the deep snow and had quite the feast.

6490-A43-F-E44-C-4-FB3-B09-A-53-ADA94-C8400

B7-D3622-E-E8-E8-4-A68-B89-E-76684-E528-CA9

E9-CEB511-09-B5-4-E66-B4-BD-17-A516-A314-E7

2-BEE55-A8-152-D-4-AB2-B747-2-D873693-A35-E

8-A50-FF89-B98-D-4-A08-8-A57-0-F367-AF737-B4-1-201-a

43-D9-E43-A-F670-4949-B5-E3-DDC559-A2-DA59

C99-EAAA5-E79-C-42-CD-83-F6-B4-FAE3-FBB772

RIP Frances

Posted on December 18, 2021 by Mama Cormier

…I’ve been MIA for the last two days dealing with a very sick Frances

Frances was our beloved dog for over 14 years. It was just a few days ago that I announced that she turned 15 and little did I know that 5 days later she would be gone. It is never easy to have to make the decision to put down an animal. We both knew that the time would come when we would probably have to make that decision. Apparently very few dogs die naturally.

My husband always said that Frances was his dog but we had a special bond of our own. When I came home from work she would always greet me at the door and even in retirement she would come to me for walks. She loved going to the cottage with me, when Kevin couldn’t and she quickly learned that I had a soft touch when it came to doling out treats. Kevin always gave her liver treats before he retired for the evening but as soon as he went upstairs she would start on me. She knew she could break me down if she was persistent enough and she was persistent.

A couple of weeks ago I ran into a neighbour who was out walking her second dog. Her first dog had passed away a couple of years ago. Frances and Pichou were puppy friends. She was amazed that Frances was still with us and she declared that Frances was the last of the six or seven puppies that hung around together in the summer of 2007.

Every time we have a dog, my husband firmly announces that there will be no more dogs when the present one goes but this time he started thinking about the next dog he wants to own. This time I’m the one that says no more dogs (for now anyway). I was hoping that travel would be in the cards for us and having a dog just complicates that. It will seem odd though not having a dog in the house. We’ve had dogs for the last 38 years. Who do you think will win this argument?