The Next Chapter

Good Morning. Looks like another beautiful day ahead of us here in Edmonton on the planet Earth. The sky is that gorgeous powder blue shade of perfection and the sun is shining and there appears to be no breeze. I think the forecast is for +17 degrees celsius today, sounds like summer to me.

Yesterday was a great day as I started out with a coffee date at my friend Gillian’s house. We drank coffee and ate coffee cake and laughed and talked about work (never a laughing matter) and enjoyed each other’s company. We are going shopping on Wednesday to West Edmonton Mall after work. I want to pick up a new dress for my nephew’s wedding at the end of June. I haven’t been to the MALL in years, will be nice to get out again. My family came for a visit shortly after I got home. My son-in-law had an appointment so my daughter and the grand pups Aspen & Milo stayed with me and we even had the time for a walk around the park like old times. Felt strange without Mr. Alvin but he was with us in spirit. My daughter helped me with some computer things and we had coffee. The pups and I hung out for a few hours while the kids went to visit a friend nearby. Perfect day. I did some work and had some fun. Used to oven to cook supper. I am learning more and more about the computer. Managed to get some more photos. I airdropped some photos but they did not go to my photos so I have to figure out how to move them to PHOTOS. In time.

This is the whirly that my friend Jessica from next door had created as a memory gift of Alvin. Isn’t it gorgeous. There may be a better name for it but it is what it is. I have included some photos of Aspen and Milo. Aspen loves to sit and look out the window. My living room window is close to the floor so while laying on one of Alvin’s many beds, she can rest her head on the window ledge and look out. I turned off the register temporarily so that it would not cause any issues. Both the pups like to look out of the window and I guess they are no different from us. I love to look out the window at the world in my neighbourhood as well. I am so grateful that I was able to spend the time with them.

Gift from Jessica

Aspen & Milo visiting

Keeping an eagle eye on things

Aspen & Milo

Cuteness

Aspen loves looking out

Little story about our walk. When we arrived home, I noticed some garbage out front so I gave Aspen over to her Mom and I grabbed a tissue out of my pocket to pick up the trash with (was piece of styrofoam) and noticed some green and as I went to pick it up, I realized it was a $20.00 bill, intact. So I scooped it up. My son-in-law told me that it was payback for my efforts in picking up trash in the neighbourhood. I like that sentiment. Still wondering who dropped it and if someone actually came to the door and asked about it, I would give it to them in a heart beat.

Aspen & Milo do not especially love their food but I managed with some trickery to get them to eat. Aspen ate all of her food and Milo about half, Grandma scored. I was grateful to have some treats (healthy treats) in the house. After supper I watched “Top Gun Maverick” and loved it. The kids picked up the pups just after 8:00 p.m. and I decided to watch another movie. I had watched the trailer for PLANE and decided to watch it. I really like Gerard Butler. It was a great movie. Not that I usually rent two movies in one night but felt like a movie night minus the popcorn.

Then it was bedtime. I am so grateful for all the blessings in my life. I even put out some of the patio furniture so the deck looks like summer is coming. I figured if it rains it will wash off the dust from being in the garage. Also hooked up the downspout to the front of the house again. Maybe not called downspout, it is attached to the downspout so that the water will run out onto the grass and not into the foundation.

Time to fly here. Lots to do. I need to wash a load of towels, at some point go out and pick up trash in the neighbourhood, have coffee and wash main floor. Likely there are a few more items on the list but time will tell. Also walk. I want to walk although being out for a couple of hours or so picking up trash will likely suffice.

I hope that you have an awesome day. Cannot wait to have some coffee.

Continuing to live this life with kindness, respect, compassion, patience, love, laughter, understanding, gratitude, focus, possibilities, coffee and forgiveness.

Always, Carol & Alvin (My Forever Angel)

Last Half 2022 – September

Good Morning ALL! The sun is up and shining brightly, I fogged up my glasses when we were outside just a few minutes ago. The air is crisp and definitely sweater weather at this moment. I am grateful for the reprieve from the hot temperatures. The sky is blue with wisps of white long clouds here and there. It has been since before ten p.m. last night that both Alvin and I had anything to eat or drink. I feel so badly for Mr. Alvin but he has been a real trouper and has not really fussed as yet. Even when I laid back down when typically we would be getting up for him to have his breakfast, he did not fuss and laid down beside me. I will not eat or drink around him. I usually do not eat until after 10:00 a.m., so my tummy is not rumbling. He is likely wondering what is going on. Also, I opted not to take him for a walk as he usually gets thirsty and drinks water and he is not allowed to eat or to drink before his ultrasound. Last night about 12:30 were up and outside. He had to poop. No surprise. Oh, the “Pooping Tales of Mr. Alvin.” So it was back to being very loose and lots of it. OMG. I managed to collect it all so that neither of us would step in it at a later time. It is difficult holding a phone and a poop bag at the same time, lol. Really not funny, but yet it is. Isn’t life wonderful?

Alvin has his ultrasound appointment today. He is to be at the vet clinic for 10:00 a.m. We will be walking over there and will leave the house at 9:40 a.m. Thankfully it won’t be too hot to walk. Our friend Gillian offered us a ride should the need arise but I think we should walk. Normally he would not drink water on the way to the vet and it is not hot out, so we should be good. I have been tossing around whether or not to take his blue blanket and I think that I will. Does not hurt to have something from home for the little guy. I always feel badly leaving him as he suffers from anxiety. He knows the Dr. and her staff very well as we are there a lot but still not home and not with his Momma. Afterwards I will come home and drown my sorrows in a mug of coffee. Then I have some housework to do while I wait for the phone call to come and pick him up. It will likely be later this morning or early afternoon. It all depends when the Ultrasound Technician arrives at the clinic and they do the procedure. He will want to come home as soon as he is able for sure. Other times when he was sedated as soon as he woke up, he was looking around for me and crying to come home. Typically they keep them for a few hours while the anesthesia wears off but not him. Depending on how sedated he is, I am ask Gillian for a ride home.

Well time to head into the shower. I wanted to stay in bed as long as possible to keep his mind from food and water. I guess me having a shower does not help but I need to have one. I am not sure if he would be thinking of that or not. What does a dog think about other than food? Squirrels, cats and birds! Sniffing grass! Alvin thinks about me. I am pretty sure about that.

I hope that you have a great Tuesday. Today and tomorrow and I am at the office for Thursday. I am grateful that Sonia, next door is home and can watch over the boy.

Continuing to live this life with kindness, respect, compassion, patience, love, laughter, understanding, gratitude, focus, possibilities and coffee.

Always, Carol & Alvin

P.S. the trees are sparkling in the morning sunshine. Oh so pretty.

Last Half 2022

Good Morning ALL! How are you this beautiful Saturday morning? We were up “early” as per usual but up to stay just before 8:00 a.m. I decided because I was not quite certain how high the temperature is going to rise today, that perhaps we should walk this morning while it is relatively cool. First off, I had opened the main floor windows. Alvin was excited and headed for the door, that could mean only one thing – that the boys, his friends next door, Humphrey and Bogart were outside also enjoying the beautiful morning. So out we went. He walked across the deck closest to the house as he always does before heading to the lower (middle) part of the deck and then jumping down to the grass area. Immediately on the grass, he went to the fence and started looking through the cracks. I noticed that their patio door was open so I knew that the cats were outside. Sure enough Alvin spotted Humphrey and I could recognize his meow meow. I figured that I would take a peek through the fence and I could see our Humphrey as well. We spent several minutes out before I heard Sonja. I was up on the steps to the deck when I noticed Bogart on top of the gate with Alvin below saying hello. It is a funny story, Bogart will not listen to Sonja but he will listen to her partner Steven. So funny. If Steven goes outside, Bogart hustles back down to where he is supposed to be. We had a little visit before we all returned to our homes. I emailed our friend Pauline to see if she wanted to join us for a walk. It was shortly before 9:00 that we headed out the door and on our way to the park stopping every second or so to smell whatever may be hiding in the wet grass. It took us a few minutes to reach the park. There is a cool breeze and then a cloud would block out the sun and it would be more cool and then the sun back out shining down upon us. Lots of people out walking and one man with two small dogs. Everyone enjoying the fresh morning air including me and Alvin. Alvin stopped for a poop a couple of minutes before reaching Pauline’s house so I dropped off the bag in the garbage can on the sidewalk close by. Then we walked across the very wet grass and stood by the back fence to see if she happened to be outside, she was not. We waited patiently taking in the beauty of the roses and other flowers in her garden. The roses are loving all this rain. I don’t remember them looking so full and so many for a few years. There were no windows open so I did not call out for her. I gave Alvin a choice and this time he surprised me by wanting to continue on our usual walk which would take him by his BF’s house. They are at the farm but they were in town for a day as Teddy had surgery to remove a small growth on his eye and to have his teeth cleaned. They went home Friday. So we did not have a chance to visit with them as we were out visiting on Thursday night. We both enjoyed the walk and even walking through some wet grass. We were home by 9:30 ish. I put the coffee on to perk, changed sheets on our bed and then writing this post. The plan for the day is to do laundry, do some cleaning and reorganizing the garage and going through the odds and ends of jewelry and see what we have.

I am so grateful to Sonja for lending me her car after work yesterday so that I could pick up food (wet and dry) for Alvin. I can carry it for sure but a case of cans and a bag of dry food is awkward to carry. I always have to take strong reusable grocery bags. As I had the car I decided to go to the nearby convenience store and pick up a treat for the lone staff person, Michelle working at our vet clinic. While I was there I had a craving for Doritos chips and the pricing is so high, some bags of chips were almost $6.00 each. So they had a “deal” on these chips 2/$8.50. I bought two. So expensive. I am so glad that I do not eat them on a regular basis. So $22.00 later including a lotto ticket, I was out of the store and walking to the vet clinic which is located in the same strip mall. Michelle was just coming out to clean the door handle etc. when I arrived at the door so she opened it up. We chatted for a few minutes while I gathered Alvin’s food. She gave me the bottle of Tramadol that I had also requested. As I pulled out my debit card to pay for the items, she told me that debit is down. A previous customer had said that it was due to someone taking out satellite. Not sure about that but apparently out for millions of customers Canada wide. I found out later that it was a Rogers thing and that lots of people did not have access to even call 9-1-1. Scary thought. No internet, no cable and no cell phone. Technology is great until it is not. I didn’t check to see if they restored everything this morning but hope so. I had some cash with me which I almost never have and I do not have a credit card so I would have been hooped for sure. I paid cash for the items at the convenience store and thought that I may have had enough for the items at the vet but I was short. Luckily for me, Michelle said “we know where you live,lol” and is allowing me to pay for everything when we go next week for Alvin’s appointment. I was grateful for that. Back to the treat, I picked two different kinds of chocolate bars and gave her the choice. She was happy to have the treat. I was happy to give it.

So that is my life for the past couple of days. Oh, I did work yesterday. Busy as usual.

Time to have coffee and then eat something as I worked up an appetite.

Have an awesome Saturday.

Oh, just had a text from my daughter and she is coming for a visit tomorrow. YAY.

This is going to be a great weekend.

Continuing to live this life with kindness, respect, compassion, patience, love, laughter, understanding, gratitude, focus, possibilities and coffee.

Always, Carol & Alvin

PS: 31 days till I am 65 years. Forgot to mention that I was lucky to have the car yesterday as there were huge rain clouds looming and the forecast was for a storm. Luckily it was nowhere near what Thursday night was ……

The New YEAR 2022

Good Morning ALL! How are you this morning? Doing great, I hope. Alvin and I are well. He has an appointment this afternoon to trim his nails etc. Appears that we have some clouds in the morning sky which are masking the sunrise. The sun is shining and rising somewhere. Wished it was more visible to me. I was just outside with Mr. Alvin and it is so nice out. No wind, just calm and warm. I was checking over the back area and there is still so much snow and ice. It is more the ice that has me concerned. The snow is almost gone from the deck and once it is gone, Mr. Alvin will have to do his business in the grassy area which at this very moment is covered with 3-4 foot of snow at one end and about 3-4 inches of ice after that. There is only a small part of it by the back gate that is clear from ice and snow. I can see what I will be doing after Alvin’s appointment later this afternoon. I believe it is supposed to be about plus 12 degrees celsius. Which will help. I hope that we can get over to the vet without getting too wet and dirty. I am going to take a small towel with me to wipe his paws when we get to the vet, wet towel, I guess.

I have noticed a lot of folks complaining or at least mentioning that they are tired, almost exhausted this past while. I chalk it up to a couple of things “changing of the clocks here” and “spring.” Although we are getting almost to the two week point since the time change I think, and spring, well even though it is time for birth and renewal, coming out of a long winter, is exhausting. I think the majority of this is due to weather and time. What do you think? Although I am not a medical expert, just makes sense to me. If you are continually tired, please go to the Doctor.

Oh, the clouds seem to be dissipating as I type these words and the sky appears to be brighter in spots. YAY. I hope that this will be a sunny warm day. We need some real warmth to melt that windrow out front. It is now a dirty pile of snow and ice and has reduced in size.

Well I have lots to do at work and might as well start a few minutes early. Mr. Alvin is resting on his little bed. I can smell my coffee just waiting for me to take a sip.

Wishing you a wonderful day.

Continuing to live this life with kindness, respect, compassion, patience, love, laughter, understanding, gratitude, focus and possibilities.

Always, Carol & Alvin

P.S. Was watching two of my favourite shows: 9-1-1 and 9-1-1-Lonestar. I am totally infatuated with Rob Lowe. OMG. Totally.

2021

Good Morning ALL! How are you doing today? I/We are well. I cannot even mention sleeping patterns. Certainly there are a great many folks out there who can attest to being woke up in the wees hours of the morning either by themselves or by their children or by their puppies. So as this seems to be our norm. End of story. The sky appears to be overcast this morning. Yesterday it started out with the odd snowflake which turned into rain. Our lunchtime walk was shortened as it was raining and I did not wish us to get too wet. We both had jackets on of course but still not a great idea when it was only +4 degrees celsius outside. The walk even though short was still most enjoyable. I was off work early to take Mr. Alvin to the vet for his regular 5 week or so appointment. It was raining out so I put on his sweater which I had rinsed out and dried as it was dirty and wet from our lunchtime walk and also put on his rain jacket. He actually did not fuss too much which was strange for him making me happy. He walked slowly and did not run ahead at noon and on the way to the vet. Not his usual self. He did not seem to be upset, suffering, in pain or anything. Just a slow day. That was okay. We arrived at the vet with a few minutes to spare and had to wait for a brief time outside while the last patient was looked after and then the door has to be wiped down. Inside I removed his jackets and then put his harness only back on as they now take all of our beloved pets to the back area instead of looking after them in one of the two patient rooms. I could hear another pup crying the blues and of course that did not help Mr.Alvin who at times made it known to all without a few miles that he was not having any of this nail trim business. Poor baby. He has never liked this and likely never will. Not that this is anything new for him as we go on a regular basis, like every 5 weeks. Oh well. Soon he was done and back to me to get dressed for our walk home. I also picked up his two bags of treats that were waiting there for us. He was happy to get home and have some of them. I do want to mention something. Is your neighbourhood filled with trash this spring? I could not believe the amount of coffee paper cups that were in the bushes lining the path along one of the walkways that we take to the vet. It was downright sickening. There must have been 50 or more. Trash was everywhere. What is wrong with people. As soon as it dries up a bit more so that trash is not wet and heavy to carry, I will be out cleaning up my beloved neighbourhood. Makes me mad, sad and disappointed that people do not care enough to keep their neighbourhood clean. I suppose some of the trash may be from people passing through, I really do not know. Just made me want to cry. I certainly did not want to walk there but had no choice.

Almost forgot that last night I attended a FB live Mary Kay “Masking party.” It was fun and I will say this if you have never tried their Charcoal Mask, you really should. My skin felt clean, soft, pores much smaller, and just so good.

Time to go and get the coffee brewing and soon get to work.

I wish you a wonderful Thursday.

Continuing to live this life with kindness, respect, compassion and patience.

Always, Carol & Alvin

2021

Good Morning ALL. How are you this morning? I/We are doing well. Just out of the shower and dressed and feeling so refreshed. Alvin is resting on his little bed in my office. Today, later this afternoon he has his regular nail trim and anal gland and ear check appointment. I will also be picking up the special treats that were ordered for him. He is doing well only having his food although he does ask for some things when I am preparing or eating. I cannot believe that it is has one month today that Mr. Alvin had the surgery to remove the stones from his bladder and some other tests. Amazing how much things can change in one month. I am eternally grateful. Now comes the dilemma for the future. Working at the office. At this time we are only required to go once a month or so but that may change. With his new food and doctor’s instructions to drink more water, how will that work? If I am not at home he most certainly is not going to drink more water …. if not able to go outside. He may in time be trained to pee on pads. Even on these one trip a month to the office, I am uncertain. If my neighbour is unable to come over …. what to do? Perhaps I can make arrangements on those days for Alvin to stay with his BF, if they are going to be at home. That would only work if I am required to go to the office once every month or so. We are in our comfort zone at this time, working and living from/at home. This next scheduled time for me to go to the office does not work out with my daughter’s schedule so I will see if I can change that as I do not wish to be catching the bus and then the travel time would be well extended passed riding in a car. Hopefully I can work this all out. But that is what is on my mind this morning. I am certain it will work out but will take some discussions for sure. Working from home has been amazing and I am hoping that I can continue until I am able to retire. I appreciate not having to spend hours travelling back and forth, the month saved on carpooling and bus passes/tickets, having the fridge to access for lunch instead of having to have a sandwich or something everyday. I feel that my well being, my peace of mind, my mental health is all the better for me working from home. Now that is not to say that some days I may be stressed but not nearly the pressures of working from an office. Big feelings today.

Well time to head on downstairs and get the coffee brewing and start work.

Grateful that Mr. Alvin is doing so well.

Grateful that for now I am working from home and hopeful for the future.

Grateful to be in good health.

Continuing to live with kindness, respect, compassion and patience.

Always, Carol & Alvin

2021

Good Morning ALL. How are you doing this Sunday, February 21, 2021. Today was my paternal Grandmother’s birthday. She was born this day in 1901. Her name was Stella and she was a force in all things from her love of football and hockey to baking and gardening and everything in between. She knew every player and theirs statistics in the Canadian Football League. Grandma even had season football tickets for the Saskatchewan Roughriders which were/are located in Regina, Saskatchewan (she lived in rural Saskatchewan) and never attended a game, this was one of the ways she supported them. Another was purchasing the annual fundraising dinner. ticket and never attended As much as she loved sports she loved her garden, most especially her roses. Flowers were her passion. She won horticultural awards in her hometown for her roses. Her garden was always beautiful. Happy Birthday Grandma Stella.

The sky is overcast here in Edmonton. The air is warm, I was just outside with Alvin who was digging up a chew treat from one of the snow banks while I was digging up something else (not really digging for me). After I finished I watched as he dug up the chew treat from the snow drift on the grass area of our backyard (which is small). He picked it up and then proceeded to hop up the three steps from the yard to the deck. From there he hopped up the three steps to the top part of the deck by the garage. It was here that he walked over to the snow that I have piled and started to dig. I was entranced. He had his head down in the snow, digging with his paws until he dropped the chew treat and then started to cover it with his nose. When done he raised his head which had been partially covered in snow and gave it a shake. All through this I had wished that I would have ran back into the house and got my phone to take a video. But my phone was not by the door and likely by the time I threw off my boots and grabbed my phone he would have been done. I really wanted to just be in the moment. After burying the treat, he walked over to the steps to come down and hesitated for a moment before making the leap down the steps. I always hold my breath when he comes down the steps. Also I need to share something else about Alvin. This past Tuesday as you know he had his regular nail trim, anal gland and ear check appointment in addition he was receiving some vaccinations that were due at the end of February. That morning I noticed something odd. There was colour in his pee. Now when peeing in the snow …. you notice things. The colour was red. Even after he peed, there would be a drop of red. My heart skipped a beat. This is never good. I called his Vet to let them know and that we would have to add some tests to the appointment and explained. So at the appointment they were able to take a urine sample by inserting a catheter and also did blood tests. They could tell it was not an Urinary Tract Infection or at least there were no crystals. The blood tests were inconclusive so the only other option was to book an ultrasound. So that I did. This coming Tuesday. I have not shared this information with many people. But after knowing this for several days and trying to remain positive and feeling like I need to say something, I have started to tell a few people. It is a big thing to keep all to myself. I am positive that he will be fine as he has been eating and drinking like normal. His sleeping has not changed – still as crazy as ever. He was a bit whiny yesterday but his paws seem to be bothering him which they do from time to time. Please keep Mr. Alvin in your thoughts and if you pray, in your prayers. I am hopefully for good results. This was why I wrestled about taking the video but I am happy that I stayed outside and did not miss one second of him digging up and re burying his chew treat.

Well it is almost 9:30 and I have to put on coffee and have breakfast as I am having a video chat with one of my friends. The other is spending time with her husband who works away from home and is currently at home for a few days. They are having some family time.

The sky is overcast and the wind is blowing. The only sounds are the clock ticking in the bathroom beside this room and the clicking of my fingers as they touch the keys on the computer keyboard.

I will enjoy and be grateful for each and every day that I get to spend with my friend and companion Mr. Alvin. I hope that it will be years but that is not for me to know that this point.

Have a wonderful day. I thank each and every one that reads my daily post. I love to write and it makes it even better to know that people love to read my words. I hope that most days – I bring a smile to your face, perhaps give you food for thought, and bring you some helpful information.

Take Care.

Continuing to live with kindness, respect, compassion and patience for all creatures.

Always, Carol & Alvin

One of my favourite photos of my boy.

2021

Good Morning ALL. Welcome to Tuesday, February 16, 2021. Last week I was writing the month of May in my phone log and this morning I almost wrote January. Oh well. Could be worse, I could be actually thinking it is January or May. Would that really be worse. Guess it is not doing any harm. Funny, actually. Sometimes our brains go in strange directions. Or at least mine seems to from time to time. Did you have a good weekend? I thoroughly enjoyed my long weekend. Teddy, Kobi and their Mom dropped a piece of “key lime pie” off just before my supper last night. Always nice to see the pups. They bring instant joy to the house. Supper was the last of the Chef’s Plate meals for this go around. Not sure that I will be ordering from them again or not. I think that I will just cook on my own for awhile. Last night’s meal was a roasted chickpea and red pepper dish with a tabbouleh salad and baked feta. It was quite good. I most especially loved the warm soft feta. Never have had that before and I really enjoyed the feta baked. I eat a lot of chickpeas and peppers roasted/baked in the oven so that part was not new to me. The tabbouleh salad I have made over the years a handful of times but I will be making the feta with a similar dish again. After supper, I had part of the key lime pie for dessert. It was different than I have had before …. but good. I watched a couple of my recorded shows and then it was off to bed. We had a good night sleep and of course, we were up a couple of times before the final get up and go for the day but that is okay. Life is what you make it. If I choose to be cranky and miserable and think that I am tired because of our odd sleep schedule then I have no one to blame but me. As we age and the same applies to animals ….. they have aches and pains and need to go to the bathroom at all times of the day and night. Alvin and I are on the same schedule in life so it makes it so much easier. I wouldn’t change a thing. I am grateful that I am working for home as I end up with a couple of extra hours of sleep. So grateful. I really hope that our employer decides to let us continue to work from home. We go to the office once every month of two and that suits me fine. It is great for Alvin ….. most especially as he is getting older. It would be an incredibly long day for him by himself and not being able to get outside when he needs to as he does now. Well looks like the sun is beginning to rise as it gets closer and closer to springtime in Western Canada.

Well it is time to head on downstairs. I put on the coffee when I had to take a quick break from this a few minutes ago to let Mr. Alvin outside. This afternoon at 3:00 p.m. – Alvin has his regular appointment and his two/three year vaccinations. His nails are getting a bit long as this appointment is a week longer I think than his last one and then two weeks earlier to have his shots. Kind of in between. Today is to be much warmer so we will be able to walk to Alvin’s appointment.

Take care on this Tuesday. Remember to live with kindness, respect, compassion and patience for all other living creatures.

Always, Carol & Alvin

Second Half of the NEW YEAR – last quarter.

Good Morning All. Alvin and I have company. Humphrey the cat from next door will be spending the day and evening with us as he has been having a few problems lately not recognizing his brother when there is a cat outside. Confused. Me, too. But I guess it is territorial thing. Which does make sense. Anyway his Momma has to go to the office today and to ensure everyone’s safety Humphrey is spending the day with us. He just walked into the office to join me and Alvin. Oh, good news Alvin slept pretty much through the night ….. first woke up at 3:54 a.m., so downstairs and outside for a pee and gave him his glucosamine chew and then to the sofa for some more sleep. I was wanting a bit more sleep when the alarm went off at 6:00 so I gave myself another 15 minutes. Definitely needed that for sure. Feeling pretty good after a nice shower. Alvin is walking about not sure what to think as it has been awhile since Humphrey has been here this early in the day. Thankfully they get along quite well. Both Lords of the Manor but they know their boundaries.

I am so grateful that I was able to get Mr. Alvin into the vet yesterday. His regular vet Dr. Karen was on a well deserve week long break and her replacement Dr. Meryam was so nice. We managed to get his regular nail trim and “stuff” done along with the ear exam and of course, the boy has an ear infection, not one but both. So $450. and change later we left the clinic equipped with two bags of food, one tray of canned food, bag of treats, bag of chews for his teeth, tooth paste, ear cleanser, more of the pain meds (Onsior) that he could take daily if needed and I think that is all but the “brief examination recheck”, ear swab and then the Osurnia for his ears. I am so grateful that I had the money to pay for this visit. I will say this again to people who are thinking about getting a pet ….. you have to look after them properly and that takes money, patience and time not just that you love that cute furry little guy or girl. I do love Alvin and he is not just the family pet, he is a part of our family. He deserves the love, attention, medical attention and all of that and more. According to the age chart at the clinic he is 65 and will be 69 next year on his 12th birthday, in human years that is. So he has surpassed me in age. I must always ensure that he is given the respect that age deserves. I am also grateful to my neighbour who lent me her car to take Alvin for his appointment and that we got in for 10:30 a.m. which was perfect. We even were able to go for a walk at lunchtime. Now armed with lots of food which should last until December we are good. He will have to go back next Thursday to recheck his ears as they only had one tube of the meds that I requested. The other option was drops that I would have to put in everyday and that would not work with him. So I wanted the ointment that lasts for a month. They had to put half in one ear and half in the other. Doesn’t hurt to ensure that the infection is gone. That is our story.

Wow, we are experiencing some beautiful weather. I am so grateful for that. My mind is wondering to the weekend with both Halloween and Tree/House Decorating happening. We may have Teddy and Kobie here for Friday until Saturday late afternoon. Lots going on. Just debating with myself about dressing up for Halloween. Has to be something simple as I will have the pups here. Food for thought.

Time to head downstairs and put the coffee on. So happy that Mr. Alvin is feeling better and happy to have Humphrey here for the day.

Wishing you a great Wednesday, yes it is hump day already. How did that happen?

Living my life with kindness and respect for all ……. are you?

Thank you for reading my post.

I/We shall remain, As Always, Carol & Alvin

It is a NEW YEAR.

Good Saturday Morning,

It is our long weekend ….

We were up about 4:35 earlier this morning.

After Alvin had finished his glucosamine chew, his chicken and rice breakfast, outside we went.

The air was so fresh, no sounds except for the early songs of some unfamiliar birds.

So sweet and delicate.

The sky was beginning to lighten.

There was a peace about it all.

I could have closed my eyes and stood there until the end of time.

After Alvin had finished inside we went.

Hitting the sofa for some further zzz’s.

Because there is no where on this planet that I would be up to stay up at 4:30 on a Saturday.

Okay, perhaps one or two.

But not today.

We enjoyed that quiet time on the sofa as my mind raced to the finish line.

Finally dozing off.

 

Alvin always is the one that motivates me to get going.

This morning was no different.

So up we were to stay.

The once super bright sun filled skies are now filled with some clouds.

There is a bit of a breeze but still beautiful.

While we just stepped away outside as Alvin gave me the word and downstairs we went.

He is still having gas.

His vet appointment was mainly his usual nail trim, anal gland and ear check.

All good.

His bum was tender due to his recent bouts of diarrhea.

Now isn’t that the way to turn the beautiful description of a morning out the window.

Anyway on our way to the vet he stopped and of course, as always had to POO.

Good news it was no longer “D” and starting to be normal.

Funny how sometimes normal poop can be so exciting and such a relief.

Perhaps overly describing the bottom end happenings, may be too much.

Alvin’s Vet gave him (we purchased) some probiotics.

I am glad that she did as he continues to have gas and no bowel movement since we went to the vet yesterday afternoon.

I am going to continue to think good thoughts.

 

My plants in the back garden just got a nice watering while we were outside.

Also Humphrey will be spending the weekend with us.

So I shall go and pick him up soon.

Check on Cynder as well.

First couple of things around the house.

Start laundry and such.

 

Outside the day is beginning for most people as I hear trucks running and dogs barking and law mowers buzzing.

I will say one thing.

Looking out my bedroom and living room windows this morning to see a bare street was so uplifting.

No snow, no ice …. just bare, glorious grey pavement.

The trees are beginning to bud and some are even in leaf already.

YES, it is May 16, 2020.

Life is good.

Sometimes we all need to be reminded of that ….

 

Well time to get things done.

Have an awesome Saturday.

Enjoy some time outside.

We all need to feel the sun on our bodies and the breeze on our cheeks.

Happy Saturday.

 

With kindness and respect,

I/We remain,

As Always, Carol & Alvin