Getting Ready To Party!

We are sleeping all day, getting ready for the big party over at Arty's!  Have a wonderful last day of 2017 and we hope to see you there! 

How We Are Surviving The Cold

Those who follow us on Facebook (Hailey Merriland if you are looking for us) will have seen us complaining about the cold. Above is the forecast, in celsius, for the next week.  If you don't know Celsius: -15 is 5F and -27 is -17 F (and these are warmer then it has been, it has been as cold as -37C/-34F).  While these are not uncommon in our winter, it is a little early for a season for this cold. It is usually a week in January that is bitter.  The one good thing about it being really cold is that it rarely snows. You will see they are calling for a lot of snow next week (20 cm = 7 inches) when it 'warms up' a little. 

My test for how long I think it is safe to be outside is two fold. First, how long until the hairs in my nose freeze (one morning it was under 30 seconds).  Second, how long until one of the dogs is three-legged dogging it (this afternoon we got to 2.5 minutes)

These are the tricks to survive this cold:

-Count the number of winters until retirement (12) and know you won't have to live with this forever!

-Drink lots of hot drinks, especially hot chocolate with Baileys, Creme du menthe, Creme du Cocoa, and/or Maple Cream.

-Snuggle by the fire

-Wear warm clothes indoors and out. There is no judging others fashion when it is this cold. You wear what you need to to stay warm. We tend to judge those not appropriately dressed! 

-Don't plan on doing anything outside for any length of time. It has been so cold they have closed outdoor skating rinks! 

-Give the pups puzzles and play other mentally challenging activities like 'find it' and accept they may be a little restless but there is nothing you can do. Even in coats, pants and boots, it is not safe to be outside for very long. Any exposed skin is at danger of getting frostbite. 

-Go outside a little more often but for very short periods of time. I think the max in one trip has been 5 minutes.

-Phod suggests laying right down in the snow when your paws get too cold. After a few minutes you will be ready to race back to the house.

Stay warm dear friends! 

Not taken this week as it is too cold to take the camera out! 

Thank You Uncle Chris

Beside the big bone Hailey was seen eating on Wednesday (and a whole heap of other treats he brought to make up for having Emma move in soon), Uncle Chris brought us some new toys.

"Emma took the green one before I had chance to pick, sigh, she is always take everything."  Phod

"I think I will pick this one."  Phod

"Hmmm, what is this?"  Lee

"Looks like I got the smallest one, I will have to go and steal one of the other ones."  Lee

Thanks to Uncle Chris for the toys that are slowly being dead-ed!

Thank You Bentley - by Lee

This year int he Blogville Christmas Exchange, dear Bentley got my name.  I was soooo excited. I got to open it a little before cousin Emma arrived for the holidays. We will have to share enough stuff when she moves in for 154 sleeps. Anyway, back to my great gift.

It came in a beautiful bag. 

I gave it a good sniff to try and guess what it was. Phod helped. 

Inside was a very cool alligator. Did Bentley know that when I lived with my foster mom, my very special baby was a gator?  I love a gator. 

I sat down to play with it and it sort of disappeared. My brother thought it was for him. He tried a play out of my own book. 

Don't worry, I got it back! 

 I decided to take the stuffing out of his mouth before the squeakers, and over the course of a day or so, finished this project.

Thank you very much Bentley for such a pawsome toy! 

Wordless Wednesday - A Christmas Treat

Thank You Jakey! - by Phod

Hailey and I participated in the Blogville Christmas gift exchange today. We are thanking our friends in order of delivery, so I get to go first.

My pal Jakey (who Lady and Man have met in the furs) got my name this year.

There was a card with his picture and Arty (who I met) and Rosy's picture. 

Lady did let me open it a little bit early so I could enjoy it without Hurricane Cousin Emma!

Jakey knows about itchy skin cause his brother Arty lives with it. Fish treats will apparently help me from being too itchy. I eat fish food now.

They sure smelled good when Lady was opening them.

They taste really good! Thank you Jakey!

I am a good big brother (and I know Santa was watching) so I shared with Lee too. She also liked them.

There was also a toy inside for me. Fill it up Lady so I can get playing.  I would really like to see that unclose, so if you aren't too busy . . . . .

You move it around and treats come out, what a pawsome toy!

There was also a little something for Lady in the box!

Thank you very much Jakey, I love my presents!  

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you all a wonderful day filled with love, laughter, too much food and maybe a little magic!

Black and White Sunday - Santa's Helper

Our Christmas Card

Blogville Holiday Traditions - by the Lady

Our Hanukkah Tree

Our big celebration usually takes place in November, when we host our Hanukkah dinner. (For new readers, we aren't Jewish - we aren't Christian either - but over a decade ago we started having a Hanukkah themed party for something different - mainly because latkes are AMAZING!) We have Hanukkah dishes and decorations. We have friends over and we eat and talk and it is fun, but a lot of work for the Man. This year, it took 2 people 4 straight hours in the kitchen to produce lunch for 11 people.

Through this tradition, I now give Hanukkah gifts to my niece and nephew and they give me gifts. For 8 days, starting with the day of our Hanukkah party, which may or may not be at real Hanukkah,   we each have a gift to open. It is fun. 

Now on to Christmas. At some point I dress the dogs up for their annual Christmas photoshoot. They hate it!  Every year since I was born, my mom gives me an ornament for my tree. We have a small group of people we buy gifts for. This group gets smaller every year as in lieu of gifts we are doing more and more experiences (spending time together). The Man and I do stocking for each other. This has always been my favourite part of the day (and very much like my Hanukkah gifts, so I kind of get two stockings!). Generally his brother comes over for a couple days. At some point the Man cooks us a turkey dinner because he loves to cook. We then eat turkey for a week. Some years we go to a movie. Some years we stay in our pjs and play games, watch movies and eat.  It is very quiet and relaxing. I enjoy it a lot. 

At some point around the holidays I do see my sister and her family. Occasionally we have years where my parents may be around. (They live very far and you have to drive there, so it can be very unsafe to do so in the winter. I have done it before and it has been scary and not fun!)

That is how we celebrate the holidays here in rural Quebec! 

Welcome Winter

Happy Winter Solstice Everyone in the Northern Hemisphere! While we aren't huge winter fans, there is no point complaining as we choose to continue to live in a place with winter. Lady says only 12 more winters and then in her retirement she isn't doing any more! 

Happy Solstice!

Wordless Wednesday - Mrs. Clause

Dear Santa - by Zaphod

Dear Santa,

I know you are a nice guy cause you don't carry a stick. Men with sticks are scary and bad, and I need to bark and growl at them.

Lady says I don't know what naughty is, so I must be on the nice list. She will say I become a bigger suck with every day that passes. Since I need to be honest to you, I know she is probably right, but saying these things out loud doesn't help my tough boy image, so if we could keep it between us, that would be great.

This year for Christmas I would like Cousin Emma to be a better sharer when she lives here. She takes all my stuff. I would like Lady and Man to stop offering me things that aren't food (like fruit and veggies). I don't understand why they are trying to poison me.  I would like to be able to play Precious or disc all day. I would like to have better ears so I don't get as many ear infections and have to have ear drops. I would like to not to have to spend time at the kennel. I would like my people, especially my Lady, to be home all the time.  A couple yummy meat treats that I don't have to do tricks for would be nice.

If you have some extra magic in your bag Santa, could you please help the animals who don't have homes. If you could spread a little love to them and help some of them find forever homes (not with me, although Lady would love it, I don't want to share her or my stuff with anyone but Lee), that would be great.

Thanks Santa,

love Phod

Dear Santa - by Lee

Dear Santa,

This has been my best year ever. Except a small scratch mark on a door frame, I didn't destroy a single thing that wasn't mine this year. When Cousin Emma stayed with us for 3 months, I was very nice to her. I was left at the kennel a lot (a total of about 5 weeks this year) and I have even forgiven my peeps. I have done pretty well with my off leash training too. Phod will tell you I am the best big sister a guy could have.

Since I have been so amazing, I think I deserve some extra treats. I am not a picky dog and I know I will like whatever you give me. I just need lots and lots of treats. If you would bring some with fruit and veggies then I know Phod wouldn't like them and I could have them all to myself and not share. Just an idea.

I will do my best to be pawsome in 2018 too. I will be turning 8 in January, so I should be more mature, although with Cousin Emma here for 6 months it may be challenging, (although I could always blame things on her, right Santa?)

Thanks,

your reluctant elf, Hailey Bug aka Lee

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card count:
Us: 15 e-cards + 6 real cards = 21 cards
Peeps: 4 cards

Black and White Sunday - Winter Is Here

Do you see my bug in the snow?

Snuggly Saturday

Flower Friday - Looks Like A Critter

I have no idea what type of plant this is. We saw it in Jamaica. It reminded me of a critter of some kind sitting on a branch. 

Thankful Thursday - Thanks Phenny - by Lee

We were thrilled last week when the mail guy left a special parcel for us. It had come across the pond and was from our dear friend Phenny.  Even thought it wasn't Christmas yet, we demanded to get to open it!

Inside was 2 new toys, treats for the peeps, and 2 new snazzy collars.

While the next picture is not the best, it shows just how excited I was!

I channeled my inner Easy and in no time I had the toy ripped apart. 

Getting the fluff out

I did let Phod play a little before I destroyed!

Thanks again dear Phenny, you are pawsome!