The New YEAR 2022

Good Morning ALL! How are you on this Thursday, January 27, 2022? Alvin and I are well. Dark outside at this time but cannot wait until the sunrise. They are so beautiful. Sometimes filled with shades of pinks and purples other times yellows and oranges. No matter the colour palette – they are so gorgeous. There is something about a sunrise that just brings a smile to my face and joy to my heart. I should have downloaded/uploaded the photos that I snapped the other morning with my phone. So pretty.

Well Mr. Alvin has started something as of the past few weeks and that is sometimes he will not drink from his water dish/bowl without me beside him and actually touching him. He barks if I am in another room forcing me to stay with him while he drinks. I am not sure what has got into him. He can see, I am sure of that. But his anxiety level seems to have increased. I will continue to be patient with him and help him through his senior years. Just like he helps me. He has medication for anxiety but I do not want to give him pills all the time because he seems calm most of the time. Anyway, something to monitor. Keeping him happy, relaxed but most of all healthy during these times is paramount. We, I need him to be in good health.

Yesterday a small fleet of small caterpillars with blades were out moving the snow around. They did not have the trucks out hauling away the snow. I am not sure if the City is planning on doing that or not. Should check the City Website and see. A City of Edmonton vehicle was parked out front on the street yesterday and she was checking out the neighbour who parked their truck on their lawn. She spoke to someone on the phone and took some photos and left. It was later when the cats showed up in the neighbourhood moving snow around. One of the drivers got out of his machine and went to their door and spoke to them. The Mrs. came out and moved the truck off the lawn. They pushed all of the excess snow onto their lawn. They have a massive amount of snow on their lawn. Hopefully it melts and does not flood their basement in the spring. Thankfully most of us are up sloping down to the street. So we should be okay. Anyway they can now park on the street. I was wondering if they are going to do that with all of the snow? That would be a mess. Time will tell. There were some of the big graders out here yesterday as well. In all of the almost thirteen years since I moved here, I have never seen that many graders/cats out for this length of time.

Well that is my news for now. I am looking forward to that first cup of coffee this morning. I can smell the aroma floating up from the kitchen and it tickles my nose and warms my heart and soul. I love, love, love COFFEE. Did I say that I loved coffee, lol? Yup, I do.

Have a wonderful day. If you love coffee, I hope that you are able to have a cup or the beverage of your choice. Something that would be a good way to start the day. Be safe and kind to yourself and to others.

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

Always, Carol & Alvin

P.S. yesterday I helped my neighbour give Mr. Bogart his pain meds and medicine. Not an easy thing to do with a big cat. He weighs I think she said “17” pounds. He had to have surgery to put in shunts as he was playing too hard with his brother and was injured. Yikes. Wishing Bogart a speedy recovery.

The New YEAR 2022

Good Morning ALL! I hope that you are well this Tuesday morning. The only light out of my office window is coming from a upstairs window in a house behind me. Feels strange. I cannot wait until it is light earlier in the morning. Alvin and I had a choppy sleep as we were up at the usual 3:00 a.m., then he figured should be breakfast time at 4:00, then 5:00 and finally got him to sleep until 5:30, although likely we should just stay up about the 5:00 point. Oh well. He ate, then went outside again and then we hit the sofa until 6:45 a.m. when we were roused by some heavy duty barking/growling from out back. I ran into the kitchen and turned on the light and went to the back door but then it stopped. Not sure what happened. Perhaps there was a coyote coming down the back lane and one of the neighbour’s dogs were outside in the backyard and they could smell each other. I do not think that it was worse than perhaps that as I did not hear any more commotion and certainly there would have been more noise. Most of my immediate dogs do not leave their pups outside for any length of time, only to pee and poop.

Certainly was a brief scare early in the morning.

The big news in the neighbourhood was last night the city graders, two of them started about 3:00 p.m. on our street, graded the snow into “windrows” or “banks” along the side of each street. So people were still parked out front so I texted one of my neighbours so that she could move her car and others were out moving them. Some people on the street north of us left their vehicles out front and they now will have to shovel themselves out. The poor guys in the graders. Anyway. They did a pretty good job although it may be spring before I can locate the storm drain out front. The house directly in front of me at some point during the night parked his flatbed truck on the street which is partially blocking traffic coming in and out of that street and they also drove their other truck onto their lawn. They always park their vehicles on the street as apparently they use their garage for something else. Gossip on the block said “man cave” and it wasn’t actually gossip as one of my neighbours was speaking to them shortly after they moved in. They have a sporty car that is usually parked on the street so not sure where it disappeared to. Not my problem. They are blocking the sidewalk to pedestrians. There will be no parking on the street now with four-five feet banks of snow/ice chunks on the side. Usually we have so many people parking on the street that it brings the traffic flow down to one lane. People have to wait and take turns coming down the street. Kind of annoying. They worked on grading the street right down to the pavement until after 6:00 p.m. I can actually see the pavement now.

I went last night after work to put out the trash for this morning and the garage door wouldn’t open. So I lightly kicked at the door hoping to break the ice that was on the outside. Then I tried again and it opened but the weather stripping on the bottom of the door came off, all of it. ARGH. Annoying. I hauled out my ladder and tried to put it back to no avail. I texted several people before finding someone at home as it is really a two person job. One of my friends from a few doors down came over. It was starting to get cold out and the wind was blowing. The rubber would not go back into place. So I found that I could actually safely close the door and then I placed the rubber across the bottom of the door from the inside. I will have to fix it another day when it is warmer and will need some help for sure. There are just some things that one person cannot manage on their own.

Well it will be interesting to see if the City comes out and removes the snow or if it will remain for the rest of the winter. There will be no way of finding the storm drain without moving a pile of snow and ice chunks onto my lawn which will inevitably melt onto the street. So will have to wait and see. Not much that I can do now.

Have yourself a wonderful day. Enjoy that mug of coffee or tea this morning. I am.

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

Always, Carol & Alvin

P.S. perhaps I should download/upload the photos that I took of our streets and the windrows.

It is a NEW YEAR.

Good Morning and Welcome to a beautiful Wednesday morning.

I did not write my post yesterday as I was home from work feeling under the weather.

After sleeping and resting for the morning – Alvin and I went for a wonderful walk enjoying the sunshine in the afternoon.

 

Our streets are horrible.

Most especially in front of my house and my nearest neighbours.

At the other end of our street it is totally clear but that is a bus route.

Isn’t that wonderful.

We pay taxes.

 

I called the other night and the 48 hours runs out tonight at 6:00 p.m.

Please City of Edmonton do not disappoint me.

Please Mr. or Mrs. Grader please attend to this.

If they comes this morning most of the neighbours should be away to work.

I do appreciate their long hours at this time of year.

I hope so.

This is frustrating and annoying and dangerous.

The little boys going by in their trucks sure like to speed up and splash everyone/everything in sight.

I have seen it.

ARGH, some people.

Anyway, I am happy that spring is on the way.

This Sunday we push our clocks ahead by one hour.

 

Big News …

My eldest nephew is stopping by his Aunt’s house to spend the night on his way back to work.

I always look forward to catching up with him.

 

Well here it is almost time to leave once again.

Alvin let out a little some kind of noise, groan, I guess.

 

Wishing you all a wonderful Wednesday.

May you be surrounded by love and laugh, goodness and light.

Happy Wednesday.

Grateful to my neighbour for a ride to work.

Walking to the bus would not be much fun.

Especially on these streets.

 

Always, Carol & Alvin

 

Spreading kindness and respect to all I encounter.

 

Thought for the day ….

Good Morning and Welcome to Tuesday the 4th day of December, 2018.

Yesterday morning before leaving for work I shovelled the deck and the front walks.

Shortly thereafter it stopped.

YAY.

Doing the happy happy dance.

The drive to work was slow yesterday, very very slow.

We had one (I would imagine first snowfall driver) going less than 30 kms per hour.

Being careful is one thing but keeping traffic backed up is another.

The roads were not bad.

Just snow in the hood and any residential streets.

But main streets were pretty good.

Thank you to all the graders who were up and out early in the morning.

 

So great to come home from work and not have to shovel.

That was a blessing in disguise.

We went for a small walk last night as the walks by the lake are not plowed.

We struggled to get through the snow on Sunday on our way to and from Teddy’s house.

I don’t think either of us wanted to do that again.

ARGH….does that mean we are old?

No, just smart.

Exercise is one thing but ploughing through snow is another.

I received my very first Christmas Card yesterday.

I guess I am late.

Mine will be in the mail on Thursday and then hand deliver the others after that……

 

I think that I am beginning after all my years to actually “love” the mornings.

The quiet, stillness of the air.

Just getting ready for work with Alvin by my side.

Stopping to give him a massage a couple of times before I leave.

Picking up the poop.

Isn’t that what life is all about.

We “pick up the poop.”

 

Well words of wisdom and funny stories evade me.

I do hope that everyone is having a great start to their day or perhaps you are ending your day and in that case, I wish you a great sleep.

Happy Tuesday.

 

Special Hello to: my sister C and my friend V who are two of my favourite people on the planet.  They make me laugh, make me sing, can make me cry (in a good way) and are full of love and support.

Always, Carol & Alvin

 

 

Thought for the day…..

Good Morning and Welcome to Friday the 20th day of February, 2015.

Last night after work it was raining ….. someone got stuck in front of my house …. this morning the rain has turned to snow.

P.S. couple of neighbours and myself pushed the young lady out.  YAY.

We had been keeping the storm drain clear of snow and ice and the grader cleaned the streets so a combination …. SNOW, ICE AND SNOW.

Hard to see the storm drain and with wet snow packed around it ….. ruts making it hard to park anywhere.

That is our weather.

CRAZY ……….

Seems like everyone is experiencing there own kind of “weather” this winter.

 

I have been thinking lately about how I have been treating people and how I wish to be treated.

Sometimes we all need to have a reality check and go back to basics.

This is my mantra:

Lead with kindness, integrity and respect.

Be kind to yourself.

Be kind to all others.

Live your life with honesty and truth.

Be respectful of yourself and others.

It is not just a matter of being positive.

You have to live and give and give to live.

So let us all live a more kind, respect life with integrity.

 

I hope that you have a great day.

Be careful walking.

Special Hello to: my friends and family all over the world.

Always, Carol and Alvin