A Beautiful September Day

Monday was another warm, beautiful day--the kind we should have had in the Summer, but at least we are having Summer, now that's it's Fall!! Dave came up on Sunday and we gave Duffy a bath outside.  He's happier outside and it sure saves my back and knees, as I'm not kneeling by the bathtub for an eternity. He didn't loose a lot of hair during the bathing, but afterwards, when we brushed him...yee gods!! Will this shedding ever end? Outer long coat, soft undercoat. On and on!!! In the past 2 months, I think we have brushed enough hair for 2 other dogs!! Anyway, here he is in all his glory.

In the afternoon, we went to the vet and therein lies another tale. I go to the Edmonton Holistic Vet Clinic, but they are just about as reactionary and behind the times as the rest of the vet clinics.  I have a sneaking suspicion that I might just end up opening a training school for dogs for those owners who don't want to have their dogs vaccinated, especially when useless vaccines like bordatella are being required. I am very frustrated with this. I wish I knew of some other folks around this area that didn't vax.

Setting this aside, it was a glorious evening with a most colorful sunset.

To the Birthday Girl, Jolene!!!!!!!

Today my friend Jolene turns 50, and joins the half century club!! We met on FB and email first and because our littermate collie dogs were both bratty, challenging dogs!!! That gave us quite a bond right there!!! It was so good to talk to someone who was struggling with so many of the same issues.  Then we met up a dog show here in Edmonton in October 2008, and have met at subsequent Edmonton and Camrose shows. I love seeing and talking with Jolene--she's warmhearted, caring, funny, hard working, principled, and loves her family, her friends, and her dogs. And everyone in turn loves her too!! And she has the loveliest smile!!

"And don't forget that I like to keep my setup area at a dog show neat and clean and I HATE fluffy pet feet!!!!!!!!!!"

I am looking forward to seeing her again soon, when we go down to Lethbridge in October and hopefully at some dog shows after that. I also look forward to many, many more years in which I will count this wonderful woman as my friend!!

Happy Birthday Jolene!!! You deserve the best of birthdays and the best of life!! So celebrate the last 50 years and the next 50 years!!

And then celebrate some more!!

 Love and hugs and kisses Birthday Girl, from Duffy and I!!!

Puppies and other doggy stuff

Ack! What are these things that appear mysteriously all over the house on the floor? Do they belong to Duffy? Yes they do, as we continue with 2010, the year of the big shedding aka the shedding that never ends! I brush and brush and brush and get buckets of hair off him and he's still shedding!! I vacuum every day and in an hour the floor is hairy again!! What a joy!!

Oh, there's the culprit doing his doggy aerobics and spreading his hair around!!

And here he is, making sure that I am following him as we play hide and seek with "Fluffy Ball"!!

And we come to the puppies--last Friday, Edith and I delivered 13 of the 16 puppies for new residents.  Sadly 3 people had already passed away.

Delivering the puppies to men is always a hoot--they get this quizical smile on their faces and feel kind of silly, but kind of like it too!! Some will say that they will give it to their grandchildren--sure you will!! Hahaha! We had help from one the staff on the Chinese unit--she found each one of the residents and translated while I explained to the resident that this was a gift to welcome them to the EG.  Then they were coached either by her or in one case a daughter to say "thank you" in English!! They did so and they bowed and I bowed and said "You are welcome". On another unit, one lady just wanted to talk and talk. Turns out she was a war bride, born in Scotland, said that she was the youngest war bride and the last war bride. She's 88 and full of spunk and will to carry on, even though she's been in a wheelchair for 10 years.There's so much history and lives well lived in all these people.

Remembering an Anniversary

Today would have been my parents' 61st wedding anniversary.  I am so glad that they did get to celebrate their 60th last year no matter what the marriage had been like.  We had a little party on the unit on Sunday, September 6. So here are some pictures from the last couple of anniversaries and the party last year.

2006--Rooftop Garden

2007--They came to the house and we had a BBQ.

2008--their anniversary fell on the Wednesday Coffee and Cake day, so I baked a cake and the other residents joined in to help celebrate. Here something has caused Mother to get the giggles--Father, who can't hear is looking at her like,"What's wrong with you?"LOL

2009--60 years!!

With the cousins and second cousins and Father's niece.

Father and Rhona, his eldest niece. He babysat her and her younger siblings--he's only 11 years older than her.

Duffy was there too!!

I had to fill in for Mother in the cake cutting.

Many thanks go to SWD for helping to put on the party, decorate, and serve, and especially to Diane for baking the cake! You ladies are the best!!