The Daily Diary

You will find a report on the recent activities here.

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August 6, 2010

It's going to be a busy day today. Many arrivals for the weekend. It is hot and humid already (8 am) and there is fog lingering off shore. Mary was up several times last night because Morgan and Cocoa could sense the thunder and lightning in the distance and they were very uneasy. At 6 am, she decides she can't get back to sleep, so she gets up and makes muffins - lots of them in different flavors - bran with cranberries, oatmeal and chocolate chips, banana and strawberry. All very delicious! Emma keeps her company in the family room, hoping, no doubt, for a sample. When Cathy starts our breakfast however, she runs out to the mudroom, determined to be the first one to eat. It didn't take Emma long to figure out that, if she played it cool and was very quiet about it, she could scarf up leftovers without Cathy noticing. After that first day, Cathy decided that Emma should eat first, by herself, and then go outside with a couple of her biscuits. That way, we get to eat breakfast too.

Toby, Rusty and Bear all arrive at the same time for a play day. Whitley and Ledi arrive shortly after. Everyone has lots of fun doing meet and greet. Old Whitley is in liver failure and not expected to live much longer. Mary and Cathy are so glad that he is here and they plan to spoil him. He always was very thin but now he is skeletal. Cathy's heart breaks when she sees him. He is full of surprises though and he runs up to her, rubbing his head against her legs. His spirit is just as lively as ever and he wants to get to know everyone  and be part of the gang. Ledi, on the other hand, seems to have gained all the weight that Whitley lost. She is quite chubby and, according to Marco and Suzanne, still very fond of eating anything paper. Mary and Cathy have already prepared for this, putting away all the important paper stuff in the desk drawers. They briefly discussed asking for a security deposit just in case Ledi decided to dine on the bills in petty cash (last time she was here she ate $25 worth of bills). They decided forewarned was forearmed and decided to keep a careful watch on her instead. There's a pool going amongst the pack as to how long she can go without swallowing something valuable.

We wait till big Henry gets here to go to the beach. Henry is staying the weekend and he is really looking forward to it. We have a wonderful time at the beach and get back in time to greet Sasha. She is kinda sad that she missed the swimming today but Mary tells her not to worry - she'll have plenty of other swims while she's here. After dinner, we welcome Kasper to the pack. He'll be staying here for almost three weeks so we tell him to take it easy for the first couple of days. Don't want him getting all tired out too soon.

August 5, 2010

Wow! A second consecutive day of fog and rain. It's a record. Fortunately, it clears enough at times for us to go out and play. Ella I comes to stay for a long weekend and she's very "border collie" excited. She's a snatcher - she'll snatch anything she can - a toy, a ball, a shoe, a hat, a stick. If someone else has got it, she'll snatch it. This drives Murphy wild because he has two special toys that he loves to chew on and she and Pepper are always grabbing them from him. Jenny arrives with Jim and Ann and Mary goes out to greet them, forgetting all about the bacon cooking in the frying pan. Cathy is reading her book when she smells something burning and looks up to see smoke billowing in the kitchen. She jumps up, turns off the burner and puts the deep fried bacon and frying pan in a safe place till it cools down. Mary is outside still chatting away with Jenny's humans when Cathy sticks her head out the door to announce the ruination of the bacon portion of breakfast. Mary is chagrined but not too excited about her latest culinary adventure. She gets a lift from Ann and Jim to Rollie's to pick up the old Subaru, which has had a major repair job done.

A bit later, Joe comes to do some work and and we play outside while he and Mary weed and Cathy prunes the humongous Yews flanking the front steps. Mary says that she feels like she's in a Steven King novel every time she walks down the steps because the Yews are almost grown together and it's very spooky walking through them. Cathy wields her clippers and Joe disposes of the cuttings. They are lovely and healthy so a haircut shouldn't hurt them at all. It's still foggy when we have dinner. When Ann comes to get Jenny, she brings a container of bacon, wrapped in a pretty blue ribbon to replace the burned offering of this morning. Cathy laughs when she sees it and Mary has a good chuckle too.

August 4, 2010

We wake up to a windy and rainy day. We manage to go out and not get too wet. Tanya calls to cancel Lola's play day (she won't miss much since it's supposed to rain all day). Randy and Marlene are here to pick up Oscar and Micki. We are sad to see them go but hope they'll have a return visit soon. Mary tells Marlene how much we enjoyed the homemade dog biscuits - Milk Bone biscuits are really good but they can't compete with home baked cookies. It's cleaning day so Rose and Krista arrive promptly at 10 am. Mary and Cathy take their books and all of us into the sunroom for a nap session. We stay there until the rest of the house is cleaned and then we move into the living room. John and Camille are here to take Riley and Roger home. They get a good laugh out of hearing about Roger's exploits. He really is a very intelligent dog, and very determined to have his own way.

A bit later, Buddha departs. Then Jake, the Border Collie arrives. He's only here for a couple of days but his human forgets to leave his food. No problem - he can share with Morgan, Cocoa and little Henry. It's raining really hard so we stay inside for the afternoon. At one point, Morgan and Cocoa sense thunderstorms and they both start to shiver. Cathy scoops Cocoa up into her lap and covers him with the fleecy blanket she keeps handy. He's asleep in a couple of minutes. Morgan goes and sits beside Mary's chair so she can calm him with some pats. We get some sad news from Kim and Grant - Big Lou, their Bernese Mountain Dog, has died. He was a lovely dog and we will miss him. Mary and Cathy get busy composing his Memorial on their web site. His sister, Lotti, a Great Pyrenees will be coming to say with us later this month. She will be here at the same time as Molly S. and Lucy R, who are also Great Pyrenees. Cathy will be taking some photos then, I'm sure!

August 3, 2010

Another hot and sunny day. Andy is coming at 7 am to give Topaz a lesson so we are up at 6 am to feed the horses. Mary saddles Sonny so she and Andy can take the horses to the beach for a nice hack. Just as they return from the beach, Big Henry arrives. Cathy goes out with a lead so he won't spook the horses and lets him into the front yard. We bark a welcome and Cathy lets us out to greet our friend. Murphy and Little Henry are especially glad to see him and the three of them immediately start a game of Tag. Mary and Cathy sit down to breakfast and get a call from Huston's human asking if Huston can come and stay for a while due to a family emergency. Mary says of course he can come and she offers to pick him up later this evening. Our friend, Trooper, goes home with his family and we hope to see him for a return visit very soon.

Cathy is going to the shopping centre to do errands. When she returns, there are lots of groceries to put away. Then Wayne comes to get Fidelle and he and Cathy talk about the big trip he and Rachel are planning for next year. A two month bicycle trip from Vancouver down the west coast to California. And on a custom built tandem bicycle! What an adventure that will be. Kim arrives with Allie and laughs when Allie trots into the house with Cathy, with not even a backward glance or goodbye hug. Now that Allie's here, it's time for our beach walk and we head down the path, anxious to get in the cool water. We get back just in time for Henry to go home with Rhonda and Ron. Cathy serves up our dinner a bit early so Mary can make a quick trip to Halifax to get Huston. She is back in record time with the handsome Huston but, unfortunately, he forgot his new bed and has to make do with his old one. Cathy puts one of the other dog beds underneath it so it will be nice and comfy for the old guy. He and Emma introduce themselves and they settle down for a nice natter. They will be sharing the mudroom for the next few days so, hopefully, they will get along.

August 2, 2010

It's the Monday of the long holiday weekend and it's managed to remain hot and sunny throughout. After breakfast, most of us went to the barn to keep Mary company while she cleaned up. Emma elected to stay with Cathy in the hope that she might get another breakfast serving. Fidelle and Trooper started a game of Mulch Pile King and, before long, everyone was running up to the top of the mulch pile and getting pushed back down again. Buddha just sat by and scolded the rest of us, saying that we were going to get into big trouble. After we were all tired out we headed to the water buckets to have a long, cool drink and a rest. Ringo, the Greyhound, arrived for a month long stay and he was happy to see all of us. His first question was "Have you been to the beach today?" We told him that he hadn't miss the beach walk so he was even happier. Mary and Cathy's niece, Stephanie, arrived for a visit with her two fur kids, Chloe, the Bulldog and Brindi, the Beagle so it was time for more introductions and bum sniffing. Stephanie is a big horse fan so when Mary proposed a bath for Sonny and Topaz, Stephanie agreed and as usual both of them ended up wet and dirty while the horses were clean and shiny.

Tom and Huck                     New Waterfall  

Time for our beach walk and we dashed down the hill. Micki was so excited he could hardly keep from tripping over his own feet. He wanted Mary to start throwing the balls before we'd gone ten feet. Oscar just shook his head and loped down the hill so he could root through the piles of seaweed looking for seafood. Riley elected to join us but Roger had to stay home because he's too much of a flight risk. Seymour and Trooper roared down the hill and were waiting for the first ball to hit the water so they could race for it. Pepper and Brenna were chasing one another through the beach grass and chattering away until they decided to steal a couple of the balls. Little Buddha tried to fetch the ball but it's too big for her to pick up so she resorted to digging a hole to bury it in the sand. The water was very refreshing and Mary took some photos and video of us before we headed back home. Seymour got picked up by his humans right after we got back but it turned out that Roger, Riley and Trooper are all going to stay an extra night. We had a nice dinner and then relaxed for the rest of the evening.  All in all, it was a great Natal Day weekend.

August 1, 2010

Can't believe we're having such wonderful summer weather. Mary is taking us to the beach for an early morning swim but first she has to find Roger. She calls and calls but he's disappeared. Cathy tells her to get going cause we're all anxious to get started and she'll find Roger. Sure enough, just as we disappear down the path who comes strolling up from the field but Roger. We have a really good time in the water. Winston doesn't swim but he loves to run up and down the sand, chasing everyone else. When we get back to the house, eager for our breakfast, we ask Roger where he disappeared to but he is being very reticent and won't tell us. Doug comes to take Winston home and we tell him that we will see him again in September.

Joe comes to do some chores. He and Mary get busy in the barn. They finish the floor cleaning in the stalls and then get Cathy's Boy Toy (named Puck) ready to be set out in the garden. Cathy is in the pond garden getting a place ready for him. She and Joe move him from spot to spot, trying to decide which is the best location for him. Finally, they opt for a spot behind the concrete bench, between a Canadian Holly bush and a Crab apple tree. Joe levels out his resting place with mulch and then finds three large rocks to hold him steady. He looks good, his base hidden by the Boxwood shrub. Let's hope his finish stands up to the elements. Now Joe is dismantling the fence between the garden shed and the vegetable garden. He and Cathy take down some of the Staghorn Sumac and Willow trees which have grown up around the shed. It opens up that area nicely and allows more sun to get through. Mary says we're going to the beach to cool off before dinner and we all agree.

Puck up close                     Puck at a distance

After Cathy gives us our dinner, she and Mary discover they forgot to take something out of the freezer for dinner. Oh well - it will have to be fish and chips from Dudes. Only, when Mary gets to the takeout, there is no fish left. She opts for hamburgers instead and has to wait almost an hour for the order to be ready. She is convinced that the cook was a little too "mellow" to keep her mind on the cooking. She and Cathy laughed about it at home when they discovered that the burgers were a little too pink and there were no condiments to be found. Tonight's movie is "the Losers", a surprisingly good action film.

July 31, 2010

Sun streaming in the windows makes it impossible to sleep in, which is okay because Winston, the black Standard Poodle, is coming at 8 am. He's a very nice fellow and he jumps like a goat when he gets excited. He and Murphy hit it off right away and they tear off to explore together as soon as breakfast is over. Mary and Cathy are able to relax over breakfast and Nora calls to say she will be a bit late picking up Casey. We help pack Casey's bag (don't forget her bed) and she barks her good byes to us as we stand at the gate. Cathy gets Joe and he mucks out the stalls so Mary can power wash them. It is hot and sunny and Cathy is inspecting the front flower bed when she spies a fluffy white tail over by the manure pile. It's Chanel #5, and he/she is digging some tunnels for quick entry and exit. Joe says he/she won't be a problem as long as we don't try to get too close. Don't worry, we have no intention of getting intimate with a smelly old skunk. Buddha, the lady Pug, arrives and is soon busy introducing herself to the gang.

Meanwhile, Roger is wandering around the fences, acting very nonchalant. Mary looks out into the the horses' turnout area and sees Roger, heading down the hill on a mission with his nose to the ground. She figures he wriggled under the gate when she wasn't looking. She gives him a good scolding and puts him in the house, unbeknownst  to Cathy. A few minutes later, Cathy opens the front door and heads over to the pond garden, with Roger accompanying her. She closes the pond gate so Roger can't get in and starts weeding and deadheading. Mary comes over a few minutes later and asks her if she's seen Roger lately. She explains about his earlier attempt to go walkabout and now he can't be found. They start the "Great Escape" search routine. They check all the fields and all the rooms in the house, calling Roger's name. Then Mary takes the truck and makes a slow trip down the driveway, hoping to spot him on either side. Cathy goes upstairs and makes a visual scan of all the fields surrounding the house but there is no sign of him. Mary returns and Cathy goes over to the pond area, calling his name. All of a sudden, Roger comes trotting over to the parking area, looking very pleased with himself. He must have squeezed through a gap in the wire, and circled round to the empty lot next door, made his way to the fence and started barking for Mary to come and find him. What a little devil he is. Mary finds the gap in the fence where he pushed his way through and secures it. Cathy gives him a good talking to and tells him no more unsupervised outings. Riley has a resigned look on his face as if to say it's like water off a duck's back. Roger will do what he wants and to heck with the consequences.

Zack arrives to mow the grass so we nap in the house until he's finished. Then it's supper time and we all get one of those delicious oatmeal biscuits for dessert (except Emma, Brenna and Pepper can't have any cause they have food allergies, so they get to eat their hypo allergenic treats). Mary and Cathy are too tired to make dinner so they just snack on leftovers. The movie tonight is "Clash of the Titans". Mary finds it pretty boring and goes to bed early but Cathy thinks it's great (special effects are awesome).

July 30, 2010

The rain and fog clear up overnight and we wake to a sunny and warm day and Trooper, the Black Lab, arrives before breakfast. He's a swell guy who likes everyone he meets and is so well behaved he makes the rest of us look like delinquents. We have a little chat with him and promise we will give him extra dog biscuits if he doesn't show us up too much. Being the nice guy that he is, he agrees to our proposal.

After breakfast, things really get rolling with a bunch of arrivals that swell our ranks. First, Simon and Toby join us for the day, followed very closely by Rusty. Sometimes we think that Rusty is going to explode, he gets so excited and can't stand still ... he stamps his feet and squeals ... pretty funny to watch, actually. These guys are just getting settled when Oscar, the Boxer mix, and his faithful sidekick, Micki the Beagle, drive up and begin sniffing around. Micki goes right up to introduce himself to Roger but, as usual, Roger's only concern is the quality of the dog chow being put away in the mudroom. As luck would have it, Marlene and Randy had packed a big bag of delicious homemade dog biscuits for their boys and they are so good that Mary has to restrain Cathy from eating them. They smell just like freshly baked oatmeal cookies and I'm sure there's enough for us to have some too. Yippee! Seymour is the next to arrive and he is in fine form, just dying to get to the beach. Last, but certainly not least, Tina arrives with Pepper and Brenna, the lovely Collie girls. She brings a scrumptious treat for Mary and Cathy - Triple Chocolate Cheesecake. Man, we are going to eat well tonight!

Guess we'd better get some exercise first. A long swim at the beach should do the trick. Off we go and it's heaven to get into the cool water. After an hour of splashing through the waves, we head back up the hill to collapse on the veranda. Some serious napping ensues, while Mary and Cathy do some outside chores. Mary comes face to face with a new neighbor - Chanel #5 , a little skunk who's taken up residence in the horse manure pile. He/she is awfully shy and scurries away until Mary leaves the pile and closes the gate behind her. We are not too worried about meeting him/her since the manure pile is all fenced off and we can't get near it. After dinner, Scotia departs and Miles and Bruce come by to get Rusty. They stay for a garden tour, followed by a chat and a a glass of a nicely chilled Rose wine on the patio.

July 29, 2010

It's a nice breezy morning with rain in the forecast. Mary and Cathy are going to town today and Joan is going to stay with us so there's a lot to do before she arrives. Andy comes at 6:45 and he and Mary take Topaz and Sonny down to the beach for a nice ride before breakfast. Henry arrives just as Andy and Mary are getting back to the barn and Henry does a little prancey dance for Topaz and Sonny before Cathy manages to get him in the into the front yard. Lottie, the Great Pyrenees, is going to stay with us for the day and she arrives just before Gordon and Karen come to get Brea. Cathy thanks them for the Tim Horton card - she loves to get an icy cold cappuccino when its blazing hot and she's up at the Porter's Lake shopping centre, doing errands. Wayne brings Fidelle for her extended long weekend and she is really happy to see everyone. Meanwhile, Roger is up to his old tricks in the house. Cathy hears a crash in the spare bedroom and rushes in to find that Roger has somehow managed to wrest the top of the storage container off and is trying to chew through the bags of kibble stored inside. Man, that dog should be working Search and Rescue - he can smell a dog biscuit from a mile off and dig through concrete to get it!

Well, the rain and the fog have moved in as Joan and her little ones, Whiskers and Harley, jump out of the car and rush to the door. We all run to greet them and Harley leads us outside so he can check to see if anything has changed. Mary and Cathy take off and Joan makes sure everyone is accounted for before starting her work on the computer. We pass the day taking naps and going outside for walks when it isn't raining too hard. Stryker and Zoomba go home with David and Henry departs with Rhonda. When Mary and Cathy get back, Joan describes the day's events, including Whiskers' romancing of Lottie. We have our dinner and then Emma, the old Yellow Lab lady arrives. She is spending the week with us. A quiet evening with Lottie departing to go home to Mineville.

July 28, 2010

A beautiful day dawns - bright and sunny. Cathy got up early and saw the eastern sky painted with orange and pink hues. Today is cleaning day so there's no lounging around in bed, even for Cocoa. Lola arrives for some play time and then Krista and Rose drive up. Mary and Rose discuss the effect of cabbage moths on vegetables and Mary recommends BT ( a natural pesticide) to Rose. Kevin comes to take our girl, Maya, home. She is very happy to see him but a little sad to be leaving us all. Not to worry Maya, we see you in October, if not before. Cathy is off to do some errands at Porter's Lake and , on the way back, she sees Joe on the side of the road. He is just getting home from Darryl's place and is ready to start work on the farm.

After cleaning the barn, he and Mary tackle the finishing of the waterfall. They take us down to the beach so we can swim and they can collect some nice flat rocks. Cathy is busy doing laundry and making beds. She welcomes Roger and Riley who will be here over the long weekend. Roger is in top form, overturning the garbage can and trying to chew open a plastic bag of dog food before he's even been here for five minutes. Riley runs out the sunroom door, trying to put as much distance between himself and Roger as he can, so he doesn't get implicated in the food blitzkrieg. When we get back from our swim, we are glad to see our old friends. Now Cathy joins Mary and Joe as they place the flat stones and start the pumps back up. Cathy is busy mowing grass and pulling weeds and both Joe and Mary join in after the waterfall is in place. Dinner is quite lively with Roger declaring several times that he can't possibly exist on such slim rations and what are we trying to do - starve him to death, yada, yada, yada. Lola goes home and we relax in the living room. Seems awfully quiet with only the nine of us.

July 27, 2010

Our pal, Big Henry, arrives on this nice sunny morning and he's primed for some fun. There is a ton of stuff to do in the garden today and Joe arrives to help us. First, though, we say goodbye to Chaucer and Eegn, as Jude and Lola come to collect them. Eegn is pretty tired - I'm sure he'll sleep well for the next few days. It's getting very hot so we find a shady spot to lay down and watch Mary, Joe and Cathy work. They are getting the water system working again in the pond and they manage to get both pumps functional. Now all they need to do is get some big flat rocks to make the waterfall a little more spectacular. It was nice the old way but pretty quiet too, so Joe wants to make it a bit more lively.

The mulch pile beckons to us so we start a game of King of the Mulch Pile. Murphy manages to stay on top the longest so he wins. Cathy gives the Toy Boy another coat of spray granite and sets him out to dry so she can put the acrylic topcoat on tomorrow. Rhonda gets Henry and we have a good dinner. Mary makes a lovely beef and dogfood soup for Zoomba so he can get some food down. He appears to have a sore tooth or mouth and hasn't been able to chew his kibble. First we though he was just being picky about his food but then he wouldn't eat dinner last night or breakfast this morning. He ate every last slurp of his soup so that's good. We sit around and relax until Patrick comes to pick up Dustin. Boy, Dustin must really love him - he can't stop jumping up and down and barking.

 July 26, 2010

Another great job of weather clearing overnight brought us sunny skies and a brisk north-westerly breeze. Douglas, our farming neighbour is busy cutting hay across the road and it looks like he will actually get it to dry today. There were no comings or goings today so we didn't have any excuse to bark a lot and had to settle for entertaining ourselves. Murphy and Maya started us off with a wrestling match before breakfast which was refereed by Henry. I think it was a draw. Andy, the horse trainer arrived early to school Topaz so we watched through the fence until we got bored. After the lesson, we watched Mary while she did the barn chores hoping we might get the opportunity to grab a stray horse bun but no luck.

After lunch we dashed down the hill to cool off in the water and that was loads of fun except someone is biting the orange balls too hard and making them collapse. Dempsey, the Boxer with the jaws of steel was a prime suspect but he professed his innocence. Mary just put the collapsed ones in her pocket and brought them home to re-inflate them. While we were gone Cathy was busy in the basement painting her little Toy Boy so he can go stand in the garden. He used to be a gold color but now he's a granite color which is much less tackier. We had dinner and Dustin got a call to say that he would be staying an extra night. He just wandered back to his usual sleeping spot and dozed off. That Dustin's a pretty cool dude.

July 25, 2010

Rain, rain, come and stay. It's pouring when we get up early so we dash outside and then come back in and go back to bed. We will have a lazy day with no garden work.

Isaac's human, Doug, arrives to take his big boy home. He brings some lovely tarts and muffins baked by Kaireen. Also gifts for Mary and Cathy from their last visit to Thailand. How wonderful! They were in New Brunswick this weekend helping with a show for English Setters.

Steph and Chris come to visit and the humans have Barbecue Ribs, Grilled Potatoes and Onions, a lovely crisp Rose wine and Coconut Velvet Spice Cake for dessert. Delicious!

Seymour, Winnie and Nicki all depart for their respective homes. We have a quiet evening of reading.

July 24, 2010

Another hot and sunny morning and another busy time for the driveway gate as well. We are just finishing breakfast when Seymour, the tall and handsome Hound mix, arrives. He has very long legs and likes to jump over the gates in the house just to show off. Next to arrive is Murphy S, the Golden Boy, who is back for his second stay and very excited about seeing his buddies again. He is kind of perplexed at first, since none of the friends he made on his last visit are here. This is a whole new bunch of friends except for Henry, Morgan and Cocoa, who are here all the time and are more like hosts than playmates. He introduces himself to Brea and Casey B, the more mature Lady Labs, and neither one of them is interested in a game of chase. Next he tries Dempsey and Isaac, and although they are friendly, they say it's too hot to play. Not to be deterred, he seeks out the only other Golden Boy in residence, Eegn, but he is too busy napping on a dog bed with Dustin to come out to play. There are a bunch of little critters, who make it clear they don't want his big feet in their face ... that would be Henry, Chaucer and Nicki. The two giant size Bernese Mountain Men, Stryker and Zoomba, both talk like Arnold Schwarzenegger and then go back to their body building routine. Murphy figures if he ever gets into a wrestling match with them, he'd be toast. Finally, like it's fate or something, he meets Winnie, the Yellow Lab, and falls in love. They run off into the field and play chase, they wrestle, they roll in the grass. It's heaven.

Later, Scotia the Sheltie Princess, arrives and then Mary goes to pick up Joe and they get a truckload of feed for the horses. After the feed is unloaded, we all go with Mary and Cathy down to the south east corner of the property and pick red currants so Mary can make jelly. It is loads of fun to play in the tall grass and threaten to bump into the already picked bowl of currants. Cathy tells us if we spill them, we better high tail it out of sight, but the pheasants on the other side of the fence kept hoping some of the tasty berries get left behind for them to clean up. We stop for lunch and a rest in the shade of the house since it is very hot outside. Then we welcome another new arrival, Maya, the Labradoodle. She is a lovely gal, very sweet tempered and loads of fun to play with as Henry soon discovers. Actually, it's kind of funny, since Henry looks like a little version of Maya.

         Simon says: "Look left."                  Simon says: "Look right."        Simon says: " Look straight ahead."

"Sit. Ha, gotcha Henry. I didn't say Simon says."

Huston takes his leave soon after to return with his human, Barbara, to the quiet of his cottage on the Northern Shore. The hot weather means frequent trips to the water buckets and a few sprays with the hose, which keeps us refreshed. Time for Joe to go home and we have our dinner. The evening is spent relaxing while Mary and Cathy watch the movie, The Road. An excellent film, we gather, from their comments.

July 23, 2010

  Good Day all. My name is Chaucer and I have been asked to write today's Diary since this is my first stay at Country Critter Sitters. I have never stayed at a farm before and I'm having a great time. There are many different types of dogs here as well as interesting people and other characters. I've asked Cathy to take some photos today so you can get a better idea of how we spend our days.

It's a hot sunny day and I'm up at 5:30 but no one wants to make my breakfast so I go back to sleep on Cathy's bed with Cocoa. He's being very nice about sharing the bed with me. I'm wearing a bell - Mary and Cathy say that it helps them to keep track of me but it also makes me feel quite important. We have been quite busy this morning, starting with the arrival of big Henry, followed by Simon and Toby, Rusty and Rufus. They have all come to spend the day with us. How nice! Rufus' human, Jean, stays for some coffee and Squash Muffins and conversation. She and her m0ther, Kathleen, and daughter, Sheila, are all very busy getting ready to move to a condo in Dartmouth. Jean has a lot of things to go through and either pack or dispose of so you can imagine what that's like, especially in this heat. She deserves a break and Mary gives her some muffins to take home to Sheila and Kathleen.

Time for our photo shoot. Cathy grumbles that the light isn't very good - it's direct sunlight and very harsh but she gets some pretty good shots of me. Here's me chatting with one of those characters I mentioned - St. Francis of Assisi. Nice guy but he doesn't say too much.

Here's me playing with some of the other guests - Casey, Stryker and Henry.

Here are a couple of other characters behind me, working in the garden. This place is full of eccentrics. These guys are out in the sun all day long and never drink any water. Go figure!

There is lots of lovely green grass here and everyone loves to roll in it, getting a good back scratch.

There is a beach walk just about every day but usually Cathy stays home so I've decided to do the same and keep her company. The other guests love to swim and wade in the waves and chase balls. I'd just as soon have a nice relaxing nap, on a pillow, under the computer desk. When they return from their adventure, there is lots of panting and slurping as they drink cool water from the buckets scattered around the veranda. There are many different things to do here during the day and my favorite is sitting outside with Cathy, watching the other guests play and wrestle. Of course, I accompany Mary to the barn when she goes to feed the horsies and put them to bed. It's the last chore of the day before we all go upstairs to bed.

July 22, 2010

A welcome change in the weather. We're having rain for which the flowers are very grateful. Unfortunately, it is accompanied by thunder showers which causes some anxiety amongst the pack members. We are glad when it passes over and we can relax. Mary and Cathy are busy getting ready to go to lunch at Rusty's. His humans, Miles and Bruce, have been asking them to come visit for a while, so they decided to ask Joan to sit with us for the afternoon. They are supposed to leave at noon but there is no sign of Joan so Mary calls her to find out if there's a problem. Well, the problem is she forgot she was dog sitting today! Not a big problem. Mary calls Bruce to explain that they'll be late and Joan rushes over, apologizing profusely. She quickly gets the low down on who's here and any idiosyncracies which might be a concern. There are very few since we are all good dogs and get along well together.

Joan takes us for a couple of walks and sits with us while she works on her computer stuff. We take advantage of the rainy weather to get caught up on our beauty sleep. Remy goes home with Judy and Rory and Malachy's human calls to say he will be be picking them up earlier than scheduled, between 5 and 6 pm this evening. Mary and Cathy are having a wonderful time at Rusty's. Bruce and Miles made a truly delicious seafood repast with strawberry crumble for dessert. Rusty has a gorgeous property in Gaetz Brook with a lovely backyard on the lake. The gardens are lovely and the house is to die for. He's a lucky mutt! When Mary and Cathy return home, Cathy starts our dinner right away but Tyson comes to get Rory and Malachy before they can eat. We say goodbye to them and hope to see them again soon. The rain has stopped, the sun is coming out and there's a big rainbow over East Chezzetcook. Looks like it's gonna be a nice day tomorrow.

July 21, 2010

Wow! Another beautifully sunny and hot day in Seaforth. We have given up wondering why we're being blessed with such great weather and are simply enjoying it as best we can. It's our cleaning day today  and Lola shows up for her play day, eager to go for a swim. Mary explains that the beach trip will happen later on. A honking big truck arrives with twenty yards of bark mulch from Truro and soon there's a big pile over by the garden shed, just waiting for Joe to deliver it to various spots in the gardens. Krista and Rose start the cleaning routine. Today the windows on the west side will have the screens removed so the glass inside and out can be washed to let the sun shine through. Mary and Cathy do some chores around the house and barn and then get us ready for our dip in the ocean.

Our objective - Stay out of the way of the house cleaners. This will be easy since we will be down the hill, hiking over to Cape Antrim. Once we get there, we walk around the sand bar with Mary and chase lots of balls. The water is so cool, we don't want to leave it. Eventually, we make our way back home, where Krista and Rose are all finished and the house is sparkling clean. We are really thirsty and we dive into the buckets of cold water that Mary sets out on the veranda. Meanwhile, Joe is busy mulching the Buddha bed so we sit on the deck, keeping an eye on him and snoozing. Bear comes to visit for a couple of hours while his family goes to see a movie. We relax until dinner and then say goodbye to Lola till next week.

July 20, 2010

Another scorcher but there's a lovely breeze to cool us down. We're up early to say goodbye to Zita. She's flying to Goose Bay today and Patti takes her to the airport at 8:00 to catch her flight to St. John's. Bon voyage, Zita and hope you like your new home in Goose Bay. Henry pulls up at 8 and shows us his new haircut. Tres chic, buddy! After breakfast, there's the barn chores. Plus Mary is still trying to decide how to reconfigure the pond pumps. Mary stuffs nine of us into the old Subaru to go to Grand Desert beach. What a treat! We have a great swim and a good run down the sand flats. Meanwhile, Cathy is back home saying goodbye to Sophie and hello to Dempsey, the big goofy Boxer. We arrive home and greet Dempsey with some initial trepidation, as usual. He's a sweet guy but his greetings are very "in your face" and he snorts a lot so some of the guests don't know what to think.

Mary and Cathy do some garden work (Cathy finally finishes weeding the Buddha bed) while we play in the grass and drink out of the big red tub at the water pump. Then it's nap time and everyone finds some shade to relax in and catch ZZZs. Zoomba and Stryker arrive mid afternoon and they're pretty excited to see us. They are two Bernese Mountain dogs and Zoomba is quite shy until he gets used to us.  He and Stryker stake out one of the poplars along the driveway fence and relax there until it's time for dinner.  We say goodbye to Henry and Kasper and eat our kibble. We're quite tired out from the sun and swimming so we're soon sacked out in the cool house while Mary and Cathy eat dinner. Boy, this is turning out to be a great summer for us dogs!

July 19, 2010

The weather people strike out again! Not a smidgen of rain in sight. Hot and humid and it's only 8 am. This morning is very busy and we have to run to the driveway gate and bark several times. First off is Topaz's schooling lesson with Andy. After breakfast, Brea arrives and Sasha departs. Brea is a lovely Black Lab lady, kinda shy but very sweet. A few minutes later, Casey B, the Chocolate Lab girl with the permanent wave in her coat, arrives with her humans, Nora and Brent. Nora brings Mary and Cathy some gently used dog food dishes (always appreciated for those guests who sometimes forget their own food dishes) and a box of chocolate pralines. Casey, as usual, brings tons of food - kibble, yogurt, fresh vegetables, and cans of salmon. I guess that's what makes her coat so soft and shiny. There is a quick vote on a beach trip and off we go. Mary brings her video camera and phone to take some pictures of us having fun in the waves.

We play at the beach until we're exhausted and then it's time to head home, just in time to say goodbye to Molly S. We have a good nap until Cathy prepares our dinner and then we stand around barking, whining, baying and squealing until we've all eaten our fill. Allie heads home with a promise to be back soon. Then it's little Barney's turn to greet Meg and say goodbye to us. We're really going to miss the little fellow, especially Little Henry. They're best friends and hang around together, getting into mischief and bossing the big guys around. Meg has brought Mary and Cathy a bottle of lovely pink wine. She says there's nothing more relaxing on a hot day than sipping chilled rose in the shade. We may see Barney again in October when her sister gets married. It's going to be another hot night - hopefully there will be a cool breeze so we can get some sleep.

July 18, 2010

Another blazing hot day but there is a nice cool breeze which provides some relief. Mary and Cathy have a nice leisurely breakfast and read the papers while we nap indoors, out of the heat. Joe comes down after church and he and Mary rake some of the mown grass because it's too long to leave on the lawn. Cathy gets busy in the Buddha garden. The weeds are as tall as the daylilies and will choke them out if they aren't pulled. Down to the beach for a swim and then we say goodbye to Licorice and Nanu. After dinner, Steve comes by to get Biscuit. Hope it cools down some tonight.

July 17, 2010

It's hot, even when we first get up. We'll have to make sure that Mary checks the humidex periodically so we don't overdo it. Mary gets Joe and he starts in on the barn chores. Mary and Cathy decide that they have to do something about the mats on Molly's front legs. She is wandering around, obviously uncomfortable and no wonder. The hair is matted so tightly that Mary has a heck of a time just getting the scissors into them. Cathy holds Molly's leash and talks to her while Mary works away. The pile of hair grows and Mary can see how irritated the skin is underneath the mats. She would like to give her a bath too but it just isn't feasible. She's been a good girl to sit still for so long and Mary gives her some treats as a reward.

Inez comes to get Charlie and Belle and they are both very happy to see her. Cathy puts their beds in the back of the car and Charlie jumps right into his with no help needed. Belle, being older, requires some assistance but she, too, is soon settled and ready to go. We will see them again in August. Cathy has to go to the store to get some of the ingredients for dinner tonight. Curried Mango Chicken Salad is on the menu and it sounds delicious. While she's gone, we toddle to the beach and have a nice refreshing dip. Just as we return home, Vicki shows up with Sophie. Vicki is going to the Island for the weekend so Sophie will stay with us till Monday. Cathy drives up with her groceries and thanks Vicki for the iced coffee she so thoughtfully brought with her. It is so hot in Porter's Lake, it's hard to imagine doing anything requiring physical exertion. We have our evening meal and just get our Milk bones finished when here comes Zach and his helper to mow the lawns. We gratefully move inside for a nap while the grass is cut. A little later, we watch Malachy try to romance Winnie with his version of the Tango. He's quite spry for an old guy but Winnie doesn't like his dance moves and hurries out of the room. He pursues her, dancing away but she eludes him and escapes outside. I guess she's more of a Waltz kind of girl. Mary sits down to watch "The Bounty Hunter". Cathy would rather read since she read a pretty cutting review of Jennifer Anniston's performance. After half an hour, Mary is fast asleep and even the dogs are ignoring the movie. Time for bed!

July 16, 2010

Foggy this morning but guaranteed it will be hot and humid well before the sun slides over the yardarm. Simon and Rusty arrive, one after the other. Little Toby has to stay home today cause he's not feeling too chipper. Our old friends, Licorice (Black Lab) and Nanu (Golden White Retriever) arrive a little later, just after our other old friend, Sasha (Yellow Lab). It's a big hullaballoo, as everyone sniffs and snorts and chases each other around in the front yard. Mary and Cathy do some garden work while we follow them around, picking up tools, gloves and anything portable and chewable. We are anxious to get in the water so there's quite the commotion and we serenade Mary in our best voice as she rounds up her gear. Off we go, down the hill and the last one in the water is a rotten egg!

Although Winnie had to be coaxed to go down the hill, once she got near the water she was ecstatic. She rolled on her back to scratch in the sand, dug around for buried treasure, swam as much as she could, and retrieved some balls when she found a few minutes to spare. Back home to have a nice nap before dinner. Mary cooked a roast beef for supper but it will be a late one cause Cathy has to go to a Community Hall meeting. When she returns Mary cuts a few slices off the roast but then turns away to get something in the mudroom. Faster than a speeding bullet, Kasper jumps up, grabs the roast beef and takes off into the sunroom. Mary shrieks like a banshee and corners him before he can even take a bite of it. Lucky thing the doors to the outside were closed or that's the last we would have seen of that particular roast beast. Kasper spends the rest of the night in the doghouse (figuratively speaking, of course).

It does beg the question though ... could Rory have been framed by the notorious Schnauzer gang? Mary and Cathy watch "Brooklyn's Finest" which is a pretty dark drama about the NYPD. At least Mary doesn't fall asleep during the screening.

July 15, 2010

Does this look like the face of a petty thief?

Let's ask him to account for the disappearance of six freshly baked Strawberry Muffins and a pitcher of coffee cream this morning.

Mary: Can you tell us where you were between 08:55 and 09:00 on Thursday July 15, 2010?

Rory:  I haven't been read my rights ya know! I wanna see my lawyer!

Mary: You've been watching too much Law & Order. Just answer the question.

Rory: I was with my friends, in the house, watching the weather channel.

Mary: We'll need to confirm your alibi so give us some names.

Rory: Well, there's the Schnauzer Gang - Little Henry, Krazy Kaspar and Bad-Boy Barney but I wouldn't count on them to alibi me. They were all talking about the muffins and they had a plan on how to get some. I wouldn't be surprised if they framed me.

Mary: Did you see Mary put a basket of muffins and a pitcher of cream on the dining room table, then go to meet the neighbor Jean and her dog Rufus, who had just arrived?

Rory: Sure, I'm a Golden Retriever ya know - we don't miss much in the food distribution system.

Mary: What happened next - and remember, you're under oath.

Rory: Well, my brother Malachy wanted to watch the Dog Whisperer so he changed the channel. I'm not a big fan so I left the front room and met the Schnauzer Gang in the dining room. They had figured out that none of them were tall enough to reach the muffins. I told them that Rufus had just arrived and like a pack of banshees they took off howling and knocked me down. I struck my head on the leg of the table and when I woke up all the muffins were gone and the pitcher of cream was empty.

Mary: So, you're claiming that you were unconscious when the theft occurred. What did you do next?

Rory: I quickly left the dining room so I wouldn't be found near the scene of the crime. They always blame the Golden Retriever in these situations, ya know. We got a bum rap. I brushed my teeth and had a drink of water. I head the scream from Mary when she came back into the dining room.

Mary: Why did you suddenly feel the need to brush your teeth?

Rory: Well, you can't underestimate the importance of good dental hygiene.

Mary: You wouldn't have been trying to get rid of any crumby evidence would you?

Rory: I don't wanna answer any more of your questions. I'm feeling kind of woozy after my bump on the head. I plead the fifth! Where's my lawyer? I 'm innocent!

Mary: Go on. Get out of here. We can't hold you without some crumby evidence but, be warned. We're going to be watching you very closely.

Rory: That sounds like harassment to me. You'll be hearing from my lawyer.

Mary: Just don't leave town, you hear?

Rory: You must be joking - I'll be busy watching re-runs of The Littlest Hobo.

What do you think ? Is Rory guilty or innocent ?

The rest of the day passed in a haze of heat as the temperature soared to 28 degrees. Biscuit arrived for a short stay and Allie also got dropped off in time for our beach walk. Henry had to leave early so he could make his hair clipping appointment, so the rest of us took off down the hill to jump into the cool refreshing water.  Mary timed Malachy on one of his dives - 72 seconds he was under water before coming up spitting and coughing. On the next dive, he got his rock within 15 seconds. Meanwhile, our newest guest, Winnie had arrived and she's a lovely yellow Lab who wiggles and squirms and seems to like everyone she meets. Mary, Cathy and Joe managed to get some garden work done in spite of the heat and after Joe went home, we had our dinner. After dinner Rufus took his leave and we laid around watching Winnie as she got used to the routine.

July 14, 2010

Today is Cleaning Day. Lola heard that it was going to rain so she decided to stay home and she had Tanya call us with the news. Krista and Rose get busy while we all adjourn to the veranda. We say so long to Jenny and Hello to Joe. He decided it was more fun to work in the rain with us than to stay home. He starts to clean the barn and is halfway to the manure pile when the heavens open up.  Mary rushes over with an umbrella and they duck into the barn until the down pour is over. Cathy is sitting with us when the cloudburst happens and it so fierce that the rain gutters on the roof are overwhelmed and the water pours out of them like Niagara Falls. We wait for a slow spell and dash to the barn to see what Mary and Joe are up to. They are building jump standards because Andy wants to school Topaz over some jumps for her next lesson.

Cathy decides to "help" by putting some stuff in order in the barn. Mary supervises so she knows where to find the stuff when she needs it. Krista and Rose finish up and we move back into the house for some lunch. Mary and Joe do some more chores while Cathy tackles the laundry and changes the beds. After our dinner is eaten, we nap while we wait for Kasper, the Schnauzer, to get here. He's hungry so Cathy fixes him some supper and then we go outside for a meet and greet. We are hoping that the sun will shine tomorrow - the flowers are all droopy from the rain and fog. Plus, there is still lots of weeding to do.

July 13, 2010

An overcast day with lots of fog. Big Henry drives up and Mary lets him into the front yard with the barking and howling pack of slavering brutes, baying for fresh blood. Ooops, I mean lets him into the front yard so the other guests can politely welcome him to the farm. He immediately starts a game of chase and mistakenly runs upstairs to Cathy's room where Cocoa, snoozing on the bed, springs up and threatens to tear his face off.  Henry is no fool and he backs out of the room and runs downstairs to the safety of the sunroom. So starts another Tuesday at Critter Sitters.

Jenny arrives at ten and is looking forward to a swim at the beach. Cathy says she has to pick up a few items at the grocery store so she's off. Mary cleans the barn and plays with us while we wait for her to get back. Well, three hours later, she comes tootling up the driveway and Mary wants to know what the heck took her so long. As usual, she got distracted when she went into the Dollar store to get some dish cloths. They were having a sale on hair accessories and she wanted to get some combs, barrettes and hair bands for Mary who is trying to grow her hair long enough to put in a ponytail. Then she went to the plant store to see if there was anything she should get for the garden (luckily nothing caught her eye). Finally she got to the grocery store but had a hard time finding a couple of items (dried cranberries and salt). Someone should show that Superstore how to stock their shelves - nothing is where it should be. Anyway, we are awfully glad to see her cause it means we can go for our dip in the ocean.

As usual, Malachy goes free diving for big pearls (rocks) and Mary keeps a close eye on the old guy in case he forgets to come up for air. The rest of us run and swim and have a jolly good time. Back at home and Mary and Cathy do some garden chores until Ron comes for Big Henry. We have our dinner and Mary barbecues steak for her and Cathy. Then Judy and Peter drop off Remy after getting caught up in a traffic jam on Magazine Hill. Belle and Charlie have a mutual grooming session and they carefully wash each other's faces and ears. We thought we would get some thunder and lightning but it must have been quite far off and only Cocoa heard it. He woke Cathy in the middle of the night, shivering and anxious. Cathy snuggled with him under the covers until he fell back to sleep.

July 12, 2010

Well, today wasn't as boring as yesterday. Rory and Malachy, two Golden Retrievers, arrived right after breakfast for their annual vacation. Malachy is ten years old and a real sweetie who still likes to play, and Rory is six years old and very handsome. Everyone rushed out to meet the new guys and show them around the place. Then Joan arrived to stay with us for the day while Mary and Cathy went into Halifax. They've got a full agenda as usual ... deliver Poppy, Willow and Saki to their respective homes, lunch with friends and visit their mother. Joan brought her little dogs, Whiskers and Bear with her and we had fun playing with them after the fog cleared off and the sun came out. Joan took us for several strolls through the fields and when it got too hot we all headed for our favorite shady spot. As the heat and humidity increased we became more and more lazy so the afternoon passed quickly while we rested in the shade and then the fog rolled back in around 4 pm.

We were well rested and hungry when Mary and Cathy arrived home and Joan gave us all a good conduct report. We had our dinner and helped Mary with some barn chores and a poop patrol while Cathy washed our supper dishes. Ella's human, Margot, arrived to pick her up and take her home, and as usual they had a loving reunion. Ella will be thirteen years old this coming September and she's in excellent shape.  She's a very sensible Chocolate Lab who doesn't overdo it, takes leisurely swims at the beach and naps a lot.

July 11, 2010

BORING, FOGGY, HUMID, RAINY, SLEEPY...

SANDY WENT HOME.

July 10, 2010

No thunder and lightning last night and no rain despite the forecast. The humidity is very high and we are covered in fog but the sun is still baking us up above the fog bank. At times, it almost seems like it might get fine, but even a short walk seems like too much effort. Molly S finds it very uncomfortable with her heavy wool coat and she won't eat her breakfast. Mary is watching closely and she picks it up and puts it in the fridge in case Molly wants it later. Charley Mac gets picked up and as usual he is delighted to see his human and Mary and Cathy are also treated to some Disney World Chocolate. Riley St also departs after a very brief two night stay which has him a little confused. He is accustomed to much longer stays and he's not sure if he should be leaving so soon. Joe arrives and cleans up the barn but neither he, Mary or Cathy are keen to start any major gardening jobs in this heat. He does weed the gladiolas and Mary decides to go to Dartmouth and run a few errands so Cathy keeps us amused after she takes Joe home.  When Mary gets back it's time for dinner and Molly is still not hungry so she doesn't eat dinner either. No amount of coaxing or special treats will entice her but she does accept a couple of dog biscuits to keep body and soul together.

Later, Charlie and Axel hear the truck and there is a big and boisterous reunion with their humans. After they depart, we settle down and nap while Mary and Cathy watch a movie. Let's hope the weather improves overnight and Molly gets her appetite back.

July 9, 2010

Busy morning today!. Simon & Toby, Rusty and Sandy all arrive around 9 am. It's another hot and humid day but Andy is here for Topaz's lesson so Mary saddles up Sonny for a ride to the beach. Willow, Zita, Saki, Rusty and Morgan are handpicked to provide an escort to the water for Sonny and Topaz. They are very proud to have been chosen and are on their best behavior. Down the hill they go, quickly, so the flies don't bother the horses too much. It is a lot cooler by the water and there is a light fog blanketing the shore. The group trots and canters out to Cape Antrim and back and everyone agrees it was an exhilarating ride and lots of fun. We watch their progress as they come back up the hill and Sonny and Topaz get turned out.

Not too much going on in the afternoon. Huston, the Black Standard Poodle, arrive for his official summer getaway. He is sitting in his new bed on the back seat of the car and refuses to leave it. Cathy has to pull the bed out while moving him over to the other side of the seat. He certainly loves his new bed and will spend most of his time relaxing in it on the mudroom floor. Let's hope Ella doesn't get any ideas about expropriating it. A little later, we all go for a walk to the beach and it is refreshing to swim in the waves. Even Mary has her swimsuit on so she can join us in the cool water. Back home for dinner and we say goodbye to Rusty, Simon and Toby. Mary and Cathy have a treat for their dinner - fish and chips from the "Dudes". Then we all settle down to watch "A Single Man". It is a sad film but very well done and Colin Firth is amazing. Cocoa gets some anti-anxiety potion just in case the thunder storms arrive during the night. Even if they don't, he will still have a great sleep.

July 8, 2010

Foggy but clearing. Another scorcher on the way. Big Henry and Rufus arrive to play with us. Jean has time for coffee so the humans have a nice chat with freshly baked muffins. Joe does some mulching and then it gets too hot to work outside so he and Mary do some Repair & Maintenance chores in the cool barn. We troop down to the beach for a refreshing swim and everyone takes a turn at retrieving (see new pictures above). Little Barney, the mini Schnauzer arrives. He is a super cool dude and gets busy meeting and greeting everyone. A lot of napping going on the rest of the day as we try to avoid exerting ourselves in the humidity.

July 7, 2010

A lovely summer morning and it promises to be hot. Lola gets here after breakfast and then Krista and Rose arrive. Cathy leaves to visit Jean and do some errands in Dartmouth. Jean and Kathleen have sold their house and will be moving in August to a new condo in Dartmouth. They are being very organized and are sorting out their belongings and getting an early start on packing. They have a lot of things that will not be going with them so Mary and Cathy are benefiting from their largesse. Tools, gardening books, classical music CDs, and other assorted treasures are finding their way to the farm.

Mary goes to get Joe and they get ready for their beach expedition. Joe is going to cut some poles for Cathy's clematis trellises and we are going for a nice swim. The latest channel excavation has resulted in a big mountain of sand and a swift brook running into the ocean. Joe puts his rubber boots on to cross the brook with his tools while we dash into the waves. Poppy, Neena, Axle and Zita are focused on retrieving the balls that Mary is throwing. The rest of us run around barking encouragement. The temperature is up around 28 so the water is a welcome treat that helps us stay cool. We head back to the house while Joe is still busy cutting poles. We find Cathy back from her travels and hungry for lunch (late lunch - it's 2:45).

After eating, the humans do a few more chores and plant some more dahlias. Joe goes home as does Neena. Lola stays to have dinner with us but than hurries off home with Tanya. We all find a nice cool spot to relax and watch Mary and Cathy eat their dinner.

July 6, 2010

Tuesday morning dawns with fog and Henry follows soon afterward. Charlie Brown is thrilled to have Henry here as he is about the same size and he loves to wrestle and chase and have fun. Finally, someone who's not afraid to play with him. Mary checks on the excavator activity at the beach and they are now into day two of trenching the beach to allow the pond to drain into the ocean. This is the first time in twenty years that they have come back for a second day of excavating so needless to say we are expecting big changes when we finally get to go back to the beach. We stay with Cathy while Mary goes to get her teeth cleaned and the humid, hot temperatures soon have us sleeping in the cool of the house. Just after Mary leaves, Joey's humans arrive to get her and there is the usual excitement and a thoughtful gift of chocolate for Mary and Cathy and tasty biscuits for us. Soon after Mary gets back, little Rocky also gets picked up and and almost wiggles himself inside out when he sees Elsa and Chris. Another gift of chocolate, this time from Belgium - it's a chocoholic's dream come true. Then we go outside with Mary and Cathy while they plant some of their dahlias before we say goodbye to Big Henry and have our dinner.

Charlie and Belle have settled into the routine and are having fun roaming around the property. Little Henry and Charley Mac enjoy keeping them company. Saki and Willow look longingly at the gate to the beach and hope that we'll be heading there tomorrow while Poppy finds a nice quiet spot to stretch out and sleep.

July 5, 2010

We're up early, despite the thick fog. Good thing, too. Andy calls to tell Mary he's coming to give Topaz an early lesson. Doug, the carpenter shows up with splints on his wrists. He had that surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome a few weeks ago. Probably got it from hammering all those nails over the many years he's been doing carpentry. He's here to put the new West side dormer windows in. We're not in a rush to get the windows in but it's hard to keep a good man down and Dougie hates to be idle. His helper arrives to give him a hand.

We're busy cleaning up the barn and playing on the mulch pile, which has shrunk considerably due to Joe's efforts. Robert and Rose arrive to take their Lucy home. She tries to get them to follow her to the beach but Mary thwarts her escape. A short time later, Gordon drives up and Sydney jumps into the car, in a real hurry to get home. Cathy is down in the back of the basement, painting a big cherub that she picked up for a song last year at a Dartmouth Discount place in Burnside. She wanted it to put him somewhere in the garden but Mary vehemently objected to the garish gold color, hence the paint job. However, she runs out of paint so she makes a run to the hardware store where, of course, they don't have what she needs. She'll have to wait for a trip to the city to finish her project.

Meanwhile, Doug finishes up the windows and they are a big improvement on the old ones. Of course, Doug has done a thorough job with the caulking and insulating foam so he says Mary and Cathy should notice a big difference (no more wind whistling through the frames during those gales). Time for dinner and we're starved. Little Rocky samples a few other dishes before eating his own. We have a visit with John and Camille and Roger and Riley. John and Camille adopted Riley and he is very happy with his new family. He gets his own private dining room since Roger has no qualms about stealing the food right out of his mouth. Mary and Cathy are very glad that things worked out so well for Riley. They're sure that Christine feels exactly the same way.

July 3 & 4, 2010

Glorious sunny weekend. Much too nice to spend slaving over a hot keyboard.

                  Charlie Brown and Axel                   Joey

Charlie Brown and Axle, those two lovely Labradors, arrive right after breakfast. Axle is subdued in his greeting but Charlie Brown more than makes up for that by trying to get as close as possible to Mary and Cathy and all the guests. He wriggles and wags his tail and rolls over on his back. Whereupon Cathy announces his new nickname which, from this day forward, will stick to him like glue - Jelly Belly! Out we go for a good game of chase. Jelly Belly wants to play with the little guys, Joey, Rocky and Charley. That's fine as long as he doesn't trip over his big feet and fall on one of them. They're pretty quick to move out of his way, so no one seems too worried.

We're busy all day working in the gardens so we really enjoy our trip to the beach. A good supper and then we bid a sad farewell to Pelle. We hope to enjoy her company again very soon and Saki says he'll see her sooner since they live on the same street.

Saki                                         Henry

Sunday is lovely with a nice breeze to keep it tolerable. We have a leisurely breakfast and Mary and Cathy linger over their's, reading the Globe and Mail. We get a beach walk in early. Then, because Mary is resolved to rebuild the pond waterfall today, Cathy gets Joe right after church and they start on the remodel. She is being very ecological in her construction, recycling a barbecue grill, furnace filters and even the kitchen sink (just kidding!! - it's actually an old plastic laundry tub). Joe is very proud of the end result and Mary and Cathy agree that it's even better than the old waterfall. James and Nancy come by to get Rosie and Olive. They took a trip to Samoa and they brought back a beautiful, hand carved wooden bowl and some Samoan honey for Mary and Cathy. We also say goodbye to old Ben, who is very happy to see his human. Time to get Joe home before Belle and Charlie, the Welsh Corgis, arrive. They will be here for thirteen days and they are so thrilled. They are also happy that it's dinner time. Miles comes to pick up our friend Rusty, who is just about dead on his paws. It was a great weekend and tonight we will all sleep the sleep of the very tired.

July 2, 2010

Another early morning for us. Mary gets up at 5:30 to feed the horses and make bran muffins for breakfast. at 7 am, Mary and Andy take Topaz and Sonny plus Willow and Andy's dog, Charlie, to the beach. What a beautiful morning for a beach ride. While they're gone, we do our duty and drag Cathy out of bed. Cocoa decides he wants to sleep in but Rocky, Toledo and Joey all scamper downstairs to join in a chorus of howling dogs. Who can sleep through that?? We get our breakfast when the beach goers return and then we rush out to greet Rusty, who is staying the weekend. He's thrilled and allows everyone a good sniff before running off to explore. Jenny is the next one to arrive - she'll spend the day with us. Now we must say goodbye to our puppy friend, Toledo. He's had an absolute ball and is totally exhausted. He is very happy to see his family again and drives off, promising to return in the fall.

Time for Mary to take Henry and Cocoa to Sandra's for a bath and a haircut. While they're gone, little Charley, the Daisy Dog, arrives with his human, Mac. He runs right into the house, eager to meet everyone and play some games. Cathy decides a photo shoot is in order and we all troop out to the front lawn to pose for some pictures.

Then Mary arrives home with the newly shorn Cocoa and Henry and we all run around, sniffing and admiring their new haircuts. It's off to the beach for a nice dip before dinner. Old Lucy loves the beach but she has a hard time climbing back up the hill and has to stop to rest a few times. After a good dinner, we crash and hardly notice when Jane and Basil come to get Maudie and Skye. Jane has brought gifts back for Mary and Cathy, nifty little things that make you smile. We are very glad when bedtime comes and fall asleep as soon as we hit the dog beds.

July 1, 2010

Wow! 2010 is officially half over and it feels like it just began. It's a lovely sunny day and the weatherman says we can look forward to two weeks of the same. We're up early which is a good thing cause Andy calls to say he's coming at nine for Topaz's lesson. Cathy feeds us then goes out to admire her peonies which smell fantastic. It's the best year ever for them . The only problem is they all bloom at the same time and there's no way she has enough vases to put them all in. When Andy arrives, he and Mary decide to take the horses and his Yellow Lab, Charlie, down to the beach. He is a bit surprised by Topaz's evident enjoyment of the water. She has no fear and plows through the surf like she's been doing it all her life. They all have a super time, including Charlie.

It's another working day in the garden and Joe arrives to spread some mulch. Ella, the senior Chocolate Lab lady comes to stay for almost two weeks. She immediately goes to inspect her bedroom and check out the food situation in the mudroom. Unfortunately, Maudie and Skye have usurped her claim to the extra condo beside Cocoa's office. It's kind of a Mexican standoff until Mary shoos everyone outside. A little later, Molly S, the Great Pyrenees, drives up with Peter. She spots Lucy and the two old ladies shuffle off together to get acquainted. Joan comes by to get some well composted horse manure for her garden. The beach beckons so we head down there for some excitement. Mary takes some great photos. Cathy drives Joe home and prepares our dinner. Afterwards, Cocoa and Morgan get some of their anti-anxiety medicine so they won't be stressed by the fireworks which, this being Seaforth, will, no doubt, be set off by every Tom, Dick and Harriet in the village. Good thing they got it early because the action starts before it even gets dark. Cocoa is asleep by this time and dead to the world.