Sunday Stills: Fur and Feathers

Posted on November 7, 2021 by Mama Cormier

….thanks to Terri from Second Wind Leisure for hosting Sunday Stills https://secondwindleisure.com/2021/11/07/sunday-stills-fur-tastic-paws-and-birds-of-a-feather/

With the time change Frances’ schedule is all out of whack today. When she started to cry at 4:00 this afternoon I couldn’t figure out why and then I realized that her internal clock was telling her it was dinner time. I decided to distract her a bit and I took her for a walk for as long and far as she would let me. As she approaches 15 years of age her walks are getting shorter all the time.

P1070946 — Senior Frances, still enjoying the water

P1020396 — Newest friend, Olive as a puppy

P1070931 — Olive at the cottage with Frances

My favourite photos of birds

91235-B54-EDAF-4-AE3-B88-D-211-D84-C5-B0-E8-1-201-a — Blue Heron. at High Park

59-DD56-C8-DF5-D-4096-975-C-BF8-E6305-ACD4-1-201-a — Emu at High Park Zoo

63992-A78-0374-4-BE7-A9-C8-D3385-AA195-FD-1-201-a — Sparrow in the park

59-EAD7-BB-F1-EC-498-A-B822-D6896943-D79-A-1-201-a — My owl watercolour

26-A49676-9552-4942-B0-BA-8-CFC88-C8098-C — Swan at Col. Sam Smith Park

7-BEDFE63-B5-DB-4-CA3-A1-C3-C3367-BB1-E98-F — Baby Robin

91-D8200-A-5818-42-FF-A45-C-58418-FE292-EB-1-201-a

A Week of Firsts: New House, New City, New Gap, New School and a Visit to the Hospital

Posted on September 10, 2021 by Mama Cormier

Gaelan and her family left on September 3rd to drive from Sparrow Lake, ON to Moncton, New Brunswick where their first home awaited them. The trip itself was pretty uneventful but they enjoyed the scenery and eating in parking lots. On day three arrived safe and sound. The moving van arrived the next day but they had Winnie’s bed and a mattress delivered earlier in the week.

1422912d-1e80-4e30-924d-e882ab668db9 — On the last leg of the their trip. Winnie and Lucy are exhausted.

After checking out the new house the family took a 20 drive to the ocean where Winnie was in fine form.

777a5a3f-fc68-4aed-948d-a10ce3a764b2 — Immersing herself in the culture of the east coast

On their first day in the new home Winnie lost another tooth.

376e5e14-4619-4335-83c7-4c8065187e5d — She can’t wait for the tooth fairy to visit

On Wednesday Winnie started her first day of school in a new school in grade one.

After a wonderful first day of meeting new kids Winnie came home and promptly fell off a bed and bit through her upper lip. Another first was the trip to the hospital where luckily it was determined that she wouldn’t need stitches, just a steri-strip.

Winnie returned to school on Thursday and had quite the story to tell her new classmates. A special thanks to Winnie’s parents for the wonderful photographs.

Our Old Trusted Friend

Posted on August 26, 2021 by Mama Cormier

….on this day, August 26, International Dog Day I am dedicating this page to Frances

Frances came into our lives over 14 years ago when she was only two months old. My husband has always said the she is the best dog he’s ever owned. I say he because Frances is truly my husband’s dog but in the last few years when her energy levels dropped and she was only interested in short walks I’ve become the dog walker in the family.

C425-A337-1-E65-4-BD2-89-BF-91313363-BDFE — 2021 …. a little greyer around the muzzle…..chilling on the deck at the cottage

Sunday Stills – Celebrating National Pets and Kids Day

Posted on April 26, 2021 by Mama Cormier

….not sure if this is strictly an American thing but thanks to Terri Webster Schrandt for hosting Sunday Stills https://secondwindleisure.com/2021/04/25/sunday-stills-celebrating-pets-and-kids/

After doing a little research I did discover that today, April 26th is recognized as National Pets and Kids Day in the U.S. It is intended to raise awareness of the importance of picking the right pet for children at the right time. It’s an important decision that can lead to a lifetime of bonding between pet and child.

We have been pet owners for over 30 years. Our first pet, other than gold fish, was a golden retriever followed by a second golden. They were great dogs to have around children. When the kids grew up we adopted a mutt who instantly became my husband’s dog. Our daughters both became dog owners when they set up their own homes and our son who has moved about Europe for the last 15 years is sans a pet.

4-AE4-FA32-AA31-4352-A638-63-D4-C3561-AA7 — Lucy – Our daughter, Gaelan’s dog

06-CF200-F-7-E96-4354-A04-E-9-F6-C7-F1-E47-D1-1-201-a — Frances and Lucy – best friends for 14 years

9-E79-AAEF-CD8-F-4-D6-A-9-BD4-572010-E7-B0-CF — I have to admit that I was nervous when I first saw this photo but over the years these two have always gotten along

11-AA9-F4-B-3033-4-B70-AE2-A-1-FE18-B3-D0-A09 — Our eldest daughter, Andrea with Olive

22-FC9465-6820-4686-B263-04-CEA897-DB36 — Frances loving the snow

A270-DA1-F-043-A-4-C63-AC38-3-D6-FBC4506-E4 — When Olive and Winnie first met

B939-B2-B2-994-C-4-D55-A57-E-537-E386-B0-CAF — My cousin’s little boy and dog

E410657-F-CE6-A-40-E1-8-A06-03975462-FA62

F69351-DB-2-E81-4-EC5-8-F0-C-B5-D3149-E9-A9-B — Winnie and Lucy five years on

FF802-B44-FEC0-4510-B8-B6-913-A9-EF2871-F — Olive loving the water

Our PUPs for January Squares

Posted on January 10, 2021 by Mama Cormier

…thanks to Becky B for hosting January Squares https://beckybofwinchester.com/2021/01/10/square-up-10/

In our extended family we have three special pUPs. You’ve seen all of them at one time or another on my blog. Recently I posted a photo of Olive jumping up on the beach and I explained to some of you that Olive needed surgery. Well here she is back from the vet hospital. She ruptured a disc in her neck and after the surgery her prognosis is good. No jumping or running for awhile. That will be hard for this little girl.

The other two dogs are Frances who is 14 and Lucy who is 12 1/2. Their days consist of sleeping, sleeping, sleeping and eating and then sleeping some more.

A Photo a Week Challenge – Sleeping

Posted on February 15, 2020 by Mama Cormier

…thanks to Nancy Merrill for hosting A Photo a Week Challenge

I love how babies and animals look when they’re asleep.

P1050560 P1050127

Lens Artists Photo Challenge – Waiting

Posted on November 17, 2019 by Mama Cormier

…thanks to Lens Artists Photo Challenge for this week’s theme, ‘waiting’

Waiting for permission to get on the couch.

Waiting to start kindergarten

Waiting to see what Olive will do

Waiting in line

Waiting to be seated in the restaurant

Waiting for me

Just waiting for his turn to touch the car

Waiting for the pizza to come out of the oven

Waiting for her pizza

Sidewalk Crack Art #3

Posted on July 25, 2019 by Mama Cormier

…thanks to Carla Sonheim for bringing back the ‘sidewalk crack’

This one reminds me of our daughter’s Bassett hound, Lucy,

Dogs of Blogs – Day 2

Posted on March 3, 2019 by Mama Cormier

…thanks to Jess for hosting this challenge

Today’s dog is Lucy. She is a Bassett hound and belongs to our daughter in Hamilton. She’s getting on in years and she howls when she forgets where she is.

Our First Major Snow

Posted on January 19, 2019 by Mama Cormier

…..in week three of January

I thought we were never going to need the snow shovel this year but a big storm has moved into the northeast of the U.S. and southern Ontario. Here in Toronto it’s been snowing all day but very lightly. I did sweep the snow off the porch and did one pass with the snow shovel over the sidewalk this afternoon.

Forty kilometres west of here in Hamilton it’s been quite a different story. Lucy, our daughter’s dog, had to make a path through about 10 to 20 cm of snow to find a place to pee. This photo was taken about six hours ago. I’m sure the amount of snow has doubled since then.

Hopefully I can get out tomorrow and get some of my own ‘snow’ photos. They’ll be the first this season but Toronto often gets bypassed by the bigger storms.