It has been a busy fall!

 I guess it has been many months since the last post - this one will be a big catch up post before we head into the Christmas season.

Ruby continued to adjust to her new family, and learning new things.  She chases her tail, loves the back (patio) room, and absolutely adores going out in the back yard. She also has quite a side-eye/sassy attitude at times.

Ruby loves to be outside in the yard!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/8QRN8aXJxmCHe6ii8 

In October, Wendy and Eric visited Manitoba and were able to be part of the Thanksgiving celebration. While in Portage, Wendy got her hair coloured – all pink this time. Adam was up in Attawapiskat (west side of James Bay, about 1100km north of home) for work, and Ruby was with Parker and Jaclyn at their place. During our week of vacations, we also went to a hockey game, toured the Western Canada Aviation Museum, visited Camp Hughes (1.5 hr west of Portage, where Eric’s grandfather trained prior to heading to France during WW1), and did some hiking at the Spirit Sands in Spruce Woods Provincial Park.

Arriving in Winnipeg for a week long visit!

The Thanksgiving crowd

We all fit around the table!

Fully pink!

Spirit Sands - there was nobody there!

Spirit Sands rope ladder

Sand was in whatever direction you looked

On returning home, Ruby started Level 1 puppy training class at McCanns (15 minutes from Dundas). Adam took part in some November 11th activities and we actually got a photo of him in uniform! Jaclyn had a big birthday celebration in November and we went out to dinner with Jaclyn and Parker plus her father and brother before going to do some (dark) bowling. Adam travelled to Wainwright AB for a Canadian Armed Forces training course and graduated around the same time that Eric’s parents celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary.

Comfy and happy

Jaclyn's birthday party

Captain Seidlitz

She is a happy girl!

At puppy class

In December, Eric’s classes ended, and Wendy’s office moved within the hospital. Ruby learned all about snow (she was originally from San Antonio TX) – she seemed to enjoy it. 

We also began our most recent renovation project to change the look of our living room fireplace and mantel. It was too formal for us and hadn’t been updated since 1964… so a refresh was in order. We will show more details in a later post, once it has been completed. 

This week, Ruby graduated from her Level 1 puppy class this week to move on to Level 2. 

Getting ready to be evaluated

She passed!

Next post will after our fireplace renovation is completed... and, in all likelihood, it will be after Christmas as well.

Early August in our neighbourhood

August is typically a slow month around here, and this month is following suit. We take Maddy out for a walk most evenings and usually go to the local park. Below is a quick video of the previous visitors to the park that were not sure whether they wanted to play. They normally come out at night, but this time we spotted them at dinner time!

If the video doesn't play, click https://goo.gl/photos/cgE1wCBTbwcpqpKn8 

https://goo.gl/photos/cgE1wCBTbwcpqpKn8

This is another common sight around our place on weekends, and they were apparently out taking video of the Dundas Valley using the Lancaster Bomber this fine Saturday morning. FYI, a 60-minute flight in this beautiful (but loud) aircraft is $3,500 (http://www.warplane.com/aircraft/flights/buy.aspx).

If the video doesn't play, click https://goo.gl/photos/wD3p7wxPU2Gufn4g9

https://goo.gl/photos/wD3p7wxPU2Gufn4g9

On Monday, Wendy had some surgery on her thumb to fix a longstanding problem. Here she is showing all her "pink" things. Although hard to see, you may be able to detect a slight pink tinge to her fingers (they spread a sticky pink solution on them prior to surgery... it is hard to get off). As well, you can see her sort of pink scarf/sling. That was Eric's idea to help keep her hand elevated for the first 72 hrs. If you look a little higher, you might see her pink hair! Yes, that is truly pink hair (on the front, at least). She wanted to try something a little different and see whether a splash of colour would change things. She says it doesn't make her feel too differently, so she will see whether she will repeat it in the future. To round out the ensemble, she also wore a pink watch, a shirt with a pink butterfly, and stood in front of some pink flowers.

All in pink!

Wendy will be getting the bandage off on Friday and is hoping to return to work on Monday. Until that time, Eric is going to be tying her shoes.

OK, you've got to admit that it would be entertaining to watch Eric tying (or struggling to tie...) Wendy's shoes!

March and April - summer, winter, summer, winter, etc.

Since March, we have kept as busy as usual and were able to get outside more.

Eric and Murray decided they needed to just get out and do something active, so they took a trip down to Niagara Falls for a day long photo safari on March 12th. They hit the Butterfly Conservatory, the Niagara Floral Showhouse, and went on Journey Behind the Falls tour. Here are a couple of Eric's pictures.

For a theme day at work, Wendy decided to have pink hair colour sprayed at the back of her head. That stuff got absolutely everywhere...never again!!

A few weeks ago Parker completely shocked us by asking if we could get him some....





...wait for it...

....JEANS!

After getting over the shock, we went out to the stores and got him his very first pair of jeans. Both Parker and Adam despised jeans (in favour of sports pants of various types). Not sure what came over him, but they look pretty good on him. Yes, he is getting taller - around 5' 8" now!

His very first pair of jeans

The weather in March and April has been, well, kind of changeable. We have had some summer-like weather and some decidedly winter weather recently. Our taking off the snow tires probably is part to blame for the cold weather bit...

Our crocuses decided to bloom in mid March - they actually wilted because of the heat soon after.

Of course, after the heat came the snow! Here are the same flowers a while later...wilted and frozen!

Not long after, we got yet another winter/April storm and this one 'almost' closed the schools. Below are a few pictures of it getting started.

Maddy was not impressed at having to plow through snow in the back yard. She was just getting used to playing on the grass.

Maddy, ready for spring...

Adam needed to shovel in the morning, as close to 6" fell overnight.

This week Eric turned 52 and Wendy took him out for dinner at a small restaurant in Dundas called Il Fiasco. Nice little restaurant right in the middle of downtown Dundas.

Maddy needed a haircut really badly, so this weekend she went for her spa day in Ancaster. Below are a few pictures to show how much she changed after a simple grooming. She was almost completely grey before she went.

Muddy feet from the back yard, just before leaving for her haircut

Once she returned from the groomer, she was an almost completely different dog. From grey to brown in just a few hours!

Not impressed to be feeling so "naked"!

Despite feeling chilly, Maddy is happy that the grass is no longer covered in snow. Unfortunately (and not unexpectedly), we are expected to get yet another winter storm (snow then rain) tonight, so it will be messy for her to go outside. She will at least be easier to dry off than before her haircut!