March 30, 2012

Apparently it is National Cleavage Day.....really.  This just isn't a made up thing, it is actually sponsored by Wonderbra....just some food for thought.

Well dear friends it has been a month since my dear Oliver left us, and I am especially weepy today. So I thought in order to cheer myself up I would share with you our last big holiday together.
Last year for my and Oliver's birthday we went on the grande tour.  The royal family has nothing on us.  We started out at Jasper Park Lodge and they just loved my big lump of lab, and every where we went it town they welcomed him with open arms.  For our last walk for the night, we went around the golf course. It was beautiful, only did I find out after we had been home for a couple of weeks, that very same night at the golf course a momma grizzly and her cubs were also out for the last walk of the night.

From Jasper we ventured on the Blue River B.C. to Mike Wiegele's helicopter skiing resort, the main resort was closed for renovations, but we stayed across the street at the Motel. One of the best restaurants that I have ever ate at. There is a big lake in the town of Blue River.  An amazing beach, which Oliver took to naturally, and in he went.  Apparently since our trip to the coast he learned a new treat, jump in the back of Mom's SUV, soaking wet and then have a really good shake. I was picking up sand forever.  We spent a day in Clearwater, which is very dog friendly, found a great little health food cafe, that let me and Ollie sit on the patio and have pizza and a glass of wine, well I had the wine, he had some of the pizza.

Back to the motel and they have horse back riding available at the campground there. We were again out for our last walk to the night when Oliver discovered the horses.  There was a Kodiak moment when one of the bay horses leaned down and was nose to nose with Oliver. It was a beautiful picture, and just where was my camera...back at the motel.  That night we also watched a pack of coyotes playing in the road, they were having a ball, but when they thought someone might be watching they hide, and then came back in the middle of  the road and just were giving her.  Coyotes are one the few animals when they reach adulthood, play for the sheer fun of it!

We then headed back to Jasper and home. Spent one last night in Jasper and then back home. It was a wonderful vacation!

March 22, 2012

As I am working on this, it is snowing big Christmas snow outside, it is actually pretty if I didn't have to go latter and shovel it! The other day my neighbors chickens were outside the coop sunning themselves and scratching up things, now they are no where to be found, probably huddling in the coop looking at each other going WTF?

Spring time in Alberta, wait a minute and it will change!

I am finally putting one foot in front of the other, and we are looking into getting a puppy at the beginning of Spring. The mom hasn't gone into heat yet, but God willing she will soon.  He will be an English Lab, just like my Oliver, but having said that it doesn't mean that if a rescue dog finds our hearts we will not ignore it.  I thought about fostering, there are so many rescues that are in need of foster homes, but I just can't.  Even though you know they go to good forever homes but I couldn't stand losing another dog.  That is why among many reasons I can't volunteer at the Edmonton Human Society as a dog walker, do you have any idea how many dogs can fit into a Saturn Vue!  At one time!

My tattoo of Oliver's paw is finally healing and looks awesome. However because it is on my foot, I did lose some of it.  So back I go in May to get it "touched up" Like the pain wasn't enough the first time!  It sort of looks like a ghost print right now, but it is still beautiful. And everyone that said I was crazy getting my other tattoos, never said on thing bad about this one....
Enjoy the snow everyone.........

March 15, 2012

Beware the Ides of March!  I was having a sad day today, just missing my Oliver, but each day is getting a little better.  A friend stated that she will miss seeing Ollie on this blog and told her never fear he will be here from time to time.  I still haven't put his dishes away and I am constantly tripping over his bed in my office...
So this is for C.D.

I was remembering when my parents and I went to the coast with Oliver.  He was all excited, a road trip, little did he know he was going to the ocean.  He did so well and we found amazing pet friendly hotels/motels along the way. He didn't even mind the ferry, but I would like a word with BC Ferries. You can bring your screaming children to the upper decks, but I have to leave my very quiet, very polite dog on the car deck, anyway, he loved the ferry ride to the island. Finally we get to Tofino, he fit right in, in town and everyone loved him.  Can't wait to get the hotel, Pacific Sands, awesome hotel. They provided a dog dish and his very own beach towel, and treats everyday we were there.  So we check in, get settled and off to the beach.  I can't wait, there are a ton of dogs, mostly labs on the beach and in the ocean, Ollie runs to the surf and proceeds to take a big gulp of water. He looks at me as if to say, Mamma this isn't Mill Creek Ravine!  If you don't think dogs make a face you didn't see my Ollie. That was the end of the ocean, he would walk on the beach farther up, but wouldn't not come any closer.  He loved to go hiking up in the rain forest by the hotel, and watch the waves, from a distance.  When we finally did find inland water, he thought he had died and gone to heaven and couldn't drink enough of it.

On the island there are these things called Banana Slugs, someone told me about them but I didn't believe them until I actually saw one with my own eyes. They are huge, and very slimy, of course Oliver just had to check those out, but then didn't give them a second thought.

 Guest of BC Ferries

 Grandma and Oliver, the closest he would get to the water

 Banana slug, these things stretch out bigger then my car:)

Just hanging out in the rocks, look at the cute face, don't you just want to kiss it a million zillion times!

On the way home we had to stay a night a Jasper Park Lodge, his very first time there, he loved it and the lake wasn't salty. Lucky dog he got to go twice in his life time.......

March 13, 2012

Do you believe that we are almost halfway through March already.  Where does the time go? Remember when we were children and Easter and Summer holidays seemed to last forever, although I am sure our parents didn't think the same way. My stay at home mother actually sent me to day camp for two weeks!  I hated every minute of it then, now looking back it didn't seem that bad, got to learn great life skills, like how to make a mat out of newspaper???  Sad thing is I could probably whip one up now in no time flat.  It was supposed to be for sitting around the fire, so you weren't sitting on the ground, mmm paper, fire, polyester clothing, wonderful. I think our parents were out to kill us, or if it didn't, it made us stronger.  Remember that line?  Also eat your dinner, there are people in China starving....I never figured that one out, by the time it arrived there could they actually eat it, and would they want to.  As I got older and braver I would tell them to mail it to them. I tried that once I think and you can guess what happens next.

I was on line today looking at how to get to Fort McMurray to visit with a friend, two things I discovered, I can fly to Paris cheaper, and the bus takes forever, but cheap.  Actually the airfare is about $1.98 but all the taxes they pile on top of that is outrageous, I just wanted a short flight not buy the flipping airline.  And not that I knocking the bus, what can you do on a bus for 5 1/2 hours, even I can't read that long.  Forget the high speed rail to Calgary, how about to Fort Mac, I'm just saying.

March 5, 2012

Just a few random musings on a snowing March evening.

Why is it a house is so quiet without a dog, even if that dog never made any noise.
Pure clean snow in the yard looks funny without dog prints and other dog things in and on it.  Upside, don't have to go outside and pick it up:)
Kitchen is so much bigger without a big lump of Lab trying to get underfoot and be the guest taster.
When an old friend calls after not hearing from them for a very long time, you can just pick up the conversation right where you left off oh so many years ago.
And last why does Herman for Herman's Hermits look exactly like he did when you had a huge crush on him when you were ten!

Enjoy the snowy weather.

March 4, 2012

I am sitting in my office at home in a too quiet house, who knew that one dog could fill up the space nicely. Still expect to hear him coming down the hallway. Anyway back to the story, I can hear this tippy tapping, and it is quite loud.  Even once in a while the magpies that live in my big pine tree will get into the eaves troughs and peck at seeds, but this was a way different noise.  I get up to investigate and there is this chickadee with a death wish apparently, flying repeating into the front room picture window and then comes around to the front room side window and repeats this action.  He just flies up the window and taps on the glass with his beak.  At first I thought that he was going for the transparencies that I have to stop the birds from hitting the window, but there is none on the side window.  It is the funniest thing to watch and he will keep in up for some time.

I have asked around and even at the Wildbird General Store and no one has ever heard of such a thing.  It is all very weird.When he is finished pecking away at the window he goes back his branch and just stares into the house, as if to say "let me in, its cold out here".   

I am sure it is the same bird every time, there can't be a group of crazy chickadees out there can there?

Just one the many things that make you go Mmmmmmmm.......