Green Wellies

Two dogs on the beach...

The morning beach walk resulted in some serious wave watching...

Then it was off to find sticks and race the sands...

Good dog, Casper and good dog, Indy!

Have fun...

* with some help from imagechef.com

Casper welcomes his new "brother"...

Meet Indy, the latest addition to our household menagerie.  He's just four years old and is a Parson Russell terrier.  He was ferried to the Sunshine Coast yesterday, by his owner...a kind and gentle woman who has raised a kind and gentle dog. She came to the decision to find him a new home, due to a family member's allergies.  He's everything you'd want in a little dog and more...fabulous on or off leash, very obedient, loves the beach, aims to please and has a heart of gold.  He is settling in like a real trooper.  We will run with him, play with him and love him, in the manner that he's accustomed to and rightly deserves.  Casper thinks he's the cat's meow and the cat is warming up to the idea.  He's landed in a good place.  We welcome you with open arms, Indy...

* During our initial beach walk, Indy's owner took this photo of him and Casper racing the sands...no paws touching.  Indy loves large sticks and Casper did his best to follow suit!

No Michelangelo, but it works for me...

I can't put that paint brush down.  Three walls in the living room were already white, but the fourth was floor to ceiling dark knotty pine boards.  It was calling to me.  I don't know why I haven't tackled it by now.  The hard part about painting any room is knowing that everything has to be moved, unplugged, vacuumed, washed and piled in places where there's very little space to begin with.  I was game.  I would stand and stare at the dining nook and watch the light bounce off the walls, so I was primed to start priming again.  Now I'm head over heels in love with a white wall.  The ancient chair, our family seat and hung flat Shaker-style, was built by my great grandfather and the two sides were the only bits left in my grandmother's attic.  It takes center stage on that wall and now I can actually see it.  James Horatio Holmes would be pleased.  This one's for you, Great Grandpa...

And he can cook, too...

Jayne and I had an incredible time with our brother, Phil and his wife, Janet.  For the most part, the weather was kind and that meant beach walks both here and at Jayne's.  It wasn't long before the beach glass bug struck and pockets were being filled...

We walked and walked, much to the delight of the dogs in tow (Jayne is still laughing in this photo, after repeatedly warning us about holes along the breakwater, only to stumble into one herself)...

 

We marched along a trail dotted with old logging equipment, perfect for a brother and sister photo opportunity...

We built our own inukshuk and it was a real group effort with my niece being part of the fun...

It ended up looking like a rock version of a sock monkey...

We left him watching out over the ocean...

What really happened was that we played and played all day, laughing and joking around from morning until night.  Janet is like a sister to Jayne and me and has the most wonderful outlook on life that we find contagious.  Even after so many years together, my brother is still her dear, dear sweetheart and we love her for it. 

Phil was like my own personal Mr. Fix-it (I didn't ask him to be...honest).  He put in new kitchen taps for me, changed some door knobs, filed down an old skeleton key to fit the lock on my door, fixed one of the cupboard doors so now it really closes, urged me to buy a rice steamer (I did and have been eating rice ever since), filled in cracks that stuck out like a sore thumb after I'd painted the dining nook's walls and gave us a lesson on toilet tank 101, complete with flashlight so that we have a real understanding of its internal organs and how to fix them.  But, that's not all.  Phil can cook up a storm and we all pitched in as sous chefs, chopping, dicing and mixing according to his instructions, with the end result being some of the best meals I've had in ages...his own special pasta with barely cooked crunchy veggies and a rice and veggie stir fry that would be hard to beat (scallops and tiger shrimp for the non-vegetarians in the crowd, namely everyone but me).

A week wasn't nearly long enough.  He needs to either open his own restaurant or come to visit much more often.  Thanks for those wonderful, happy and laughter-filled days...the memory of our time together warms the cockles of my heart.

Sister love...

I will be away from the computer for a week or so.  My brother, Phil and his wife, Janet are driving across Canada to the west coast to visit my sister and me.  They should be arriving tomorrow, weather permitting.  They've had nothing but rain and fog for most of the journey...not the best way to see the sights through northern Ontario and across the prairies.  We've had nothing but rain on the coast for days on end, too and I've got my fingers crossed that the sun will be back on the Sunshine Coast when they get here.  The garden is a soggy mess and the high winds have toppled most plants.  They will be staying with me for a couple of days and then we are heading north to my sister's place for a few days.

I went through some vintage family photos and found some of Phil and me together...Jayne didn't arrive for another fourteen years...a most welcome surprise for the whole family.  It's apparent from looking at the photos that I wouldn't let go of him for a minute...I'm either hugging him or have him in a headlock.  Just wait until he steps out of the car tomorrow...some things never change!

IMAGINE PEACE...

On October 9th, Yoko Ono will unveil the IMAGINE PEACE TOWER on Videy Island, Reykjavik, Iceland.  It is dedicated to John Lennon, on what would have been his 67th birthday.  You can read so much more about this wonderful event here and watch a video of Yoko explaining the intention behind the dream.

I will be lighting a white candle and joining the energy of millions around the globe in sending out thoughts of peace for all mankind.  Imagine...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM CANADA

I send out a very hearty and heartfelt Thanksgiving to friends and family around the world.  May your life be filled to the brim with bountiful love, joy and laughter.  I give thanks for the friendship from each and every one of you.  I feel so grateful to be sharing this part of life's glorious journey with you.

And the minute you get the chance, please, please read this wonderful book by Elizabeth Gilbert...