STELLA ESCAPED

Our girl embracing an
autumn adventure.
TAKEN: OCTOBER 17th, 2025

After our epic day of burning on Saturday September 27th, we spent the next few weekends in town.

With a Baker’s Dozen dining with us for Thanksgiving, I had to steam clean our carpets the weekend before. A week after our turkey coma subsided, we were back to the cottage to begin shutting it down.

Because my travel buddy hubby cannot bring his work truck home throughout the week, we swap at lunchtime which has him picking up the car at home. In this instance, it had him taking the pups and me to the cottage to get the place warm and where I would finish my workday.

As I headed down the stairs, my immediate reaction was that someone had stolen Stella. As I sauntered toward the dock, I discovered that she had simply escaped. Will the fall colour in bloom, I thought she looked so pretty perched in our alcove, keeping our turtles company.

Not wanting to try and rescue her with the unconditional help of two pups, and a premonition that I would end up in the lake, I decided to wait until the next morning to hunt for the hip waders.

The next morning the closing ritual began. Up and out came the pedal boat and dock ladder, in came the ramp with Stella safely perched for the winter. With it too windy to burn, we managed to work at getting the cottage close ramped up.

With everything out and up the hill and the only task left is to shut off the water, we are officially prepared for the end of another cottage season.

...Which has been our 26^th.

Stella is all settled for the winter.
TAKEN: OCTOBER 18th, 2025

THANKS, BUDDY!

Wee Katie Kate supervising the
disconnection in progress.
TAKEN: JULY 1ST, 2025

The weekend before my mother-in-law unexpectedly passed, my travel buddy hubby and his best cottage mate finally coordinated the dissection of the last fallen tree (from the ice storm) stuck in our shoreline.

They had tried several times to connect but as it would have it, day-to-day life got in the way; until finally the morning arrived. 

A couple of efforts in July (one seen above) to remove the bulk of the tree from stump had my husband realizing that no matter what he tried, this sucker was NOT going to float away. It would have to be dismembered and removed to shore piece by piece.

With Stella (our floating picnic table) anchored to aid with keeping the tools dry, and wee Katie Kate once again was in supervision mode, the project began.

They landed in the water that Saturday morning just past 10am, I served them lunch around noon, and the last of the tools were slugged out of the water about 2pm. Words can’t describe how blessed we are to have such great neighbours in he and his wife. They are truly amazing.

So, check their effort out... Below are just a few photos of the last of the water trees from hell that have literally consumed our time since opening the cottage in May of this year.

Assessing to start...
With dogs in the mix.
TAKEN: AUGUST 23rd, 2025

Turn out my Dad's antique saw
worked best because of Katie Kate's help.
TAKEN: AUGUST 23rd, 2025

Hauling to shore on the home stretch!
TAKEN: AUGUST 23rd, 2025

Mission accomplished... At a cost of 
a couple of burgers and a beer!!
TAKEN: AUGUST 23rd, 2025

TROLLING THE SHORES

Miya Maria (left) and Katie Kate (right).
Soaking up the super fun Stella vibes.
TAKEN: AUGUST 9th, 2025

With us having to unexpectedly cancel my travel buddy hubby’s birthday weekend in Montreal, I decided to use my Triangle reward points to buy new super speedy trolling motor for our floating picnic table. 

Trouble was, with all the ice storm clean up, we never had the time to get it unpacked and attached when he was off in July.

Well, once we got my sister back home, we decided there was no time like the present to get the party started; and down to the dock we went to strap our girl into her shiny new double battery powered upgrade.

Honestly, I had no apprehension about it being Katie Kate’s first trek, which was probably my first mistake. To offer insight, I posted a series of neat photos on my socials with the following caption:

‘We got the pups out on Stella (our floating picnic table) this afternoon. A first for the wee Katie Kate.

It was spicy and dicey getting off the dock, and both girls only jumped off 4 times in the half hour we trolled. Which is probably why we were out only for half an hour!

Don't get me wrong, our dogs are very well behaved and very well socialized. They go everywhere with us. 

So, I shouldn't have been surprised that as soon as someone on shore acknowledged the pups off the chart "cuteness factor," off of Stella they went. Quickly swimming the fifteen feet to say hello to the people and kids waving. 

You know, I have shared here this season that I feel it may be time to tune up the fat lady and sell the lakeside shelter where we've spent the last 25+ summers.

Then we ultimately realize it will never be replaced... and how fortunate we truly are.

MY CANADIAN GIRLS

Happy Canada Day!
TAKEN: JULY 1st, 2025

I would be remiss if I didn’t put up my annual dog shot of the pups at the cottage on Canada Day. 

The last few years Miya has been my model; this year I thought Katie Kate could wear our Canadian (dollar store) crown.

With cookie pals behind my ears to bribe her, this was as close as she was going to allow me to put this silly thing on her head. Still a cute shot but this is what a hard NO from a cheeky yellow lab looks like.

All and all we really enjoyed the day. Next year I think I may have to try and snap a photo when she’s a sleep.

... Though I am sure my result will be precisely the same!

#yagottalaughaboutit

A PAW-FECT TEAM

Katie Kate is the epitome of a great team player!
TAKEN: JUNE 28th, 2025 

What a week. 

I was so grateful when end of day Friday of the Canada Day weekend officially arrived. When we started our chores on Saturday morning, the magnitude of what had to get done really hit home. 

Finding a good balance of owning and keeping a home and a cottage maintained twenty kilometers from the other, has always been a challenge the last two plus decades. Throw in an ice storm of a lifetime and the reality that there will never be rest is a harsh reality.

We’ve always invested in the right tools to do the exterior maintenance efficiently but there is just so much we literally choose our battles wisely. Saturday was 'whipper snipping, leaf blowing, and clearing the upper drive and ATV trail', as I took the hacksaw to any saplings’ I wanted gone. 

With my travel buddy hubby in the hospital last summer, all our ongoing maintenance was overlooked; and the ache in my lower back Sunday morning was the reminder it was missed.

When I finished on the ATV trails and septic bed area, Miya and I headed to the top to see how our other crew was making out. As you can see, they were just finishing up and the team leader was rushing up the drive to give me her report.

Specifically, that her coworker WAS wearing his hearing protection, but NOT his safety glasses. After careful consideration, it was decided not to formally write him up. And that a verbal warning (this time) would suffice.

The corrective action was successful implemented once he began leaf blowing! 

#yagottalaughaboutit

Important Notable: Not a single treat was not used to entice a favourable recommendation from our paw-fect team leader!

Y IS FOR YUMMY

Doesn't my puzzle look yummy?
Katie Kate thinks so!
TAKEN: FEBRUARY 15th, 2025

A few years ago, I went to the local Habitat for Humanity, and for a whopping ten bucks I bought myself a puzzle table. Prior to that I have an old piece of plywood I would fetch from under the spare bed on Sundays, then I realized it was worth setting up a 'puzzle specific' table.

You can see I am sitting in front of our exterior sliding door but to my right there are big living room windows with base board heaters. Each year after the holidays are put away, I tuck the dining room table to the side to maximize heat output and minimizing the hydro bills.

For whatever reason, I tend to do puzzles with vibrant colour that also tend to have a focus on with food. The one after this one was yummy too – dogs making pizza!

I only puzzle from New Years Day until I leave for my birthday trip. Not only does it relax me, it helps we gain extra light in the winter months and relax while sports plays on the television in the background.

K IS FOR KINDRED

 

Our kindred sisters...
TAKEN: MARCH 7th, 2023

This is Miya (on the left) and Katie Kate (on the right). Sisters born eighteen months apart to the same Mum and different fathers.

Miya came to us via a CKC breeder once we discovered that our 10 year old yellow named Puddin' was full of cancer. After Puddin' passed, I was so lost without her, that I called my breeder to get on the list for another yellow. 

Well, that call came less than six months later. Now, we could have passed and waited for Minnie's next litter, but she had gone into distress and an emergency section had to be performed to save her nine pups.

The breeder instantly decided to have a full hysterotomy done, deeming Minnie sterile. If we wanted a sister to this black beauty, we had to buy a pup from the nine that were birthed on December 5th, 2022.

From the moment Katie came home, these two were inseparable and the best of friends. Our older girl, a flat-coated retriever named Annie, welcomed her as well and The Oreo Gang was back together just over six months since Puddin' died.

With Annie leaving us last September after a short battle with brain cancer, these two became even closer.

I say that they are kindred sisters, but it's more than that. The two of them, along with my travel buddy hubby and I, are all kindred spirits.  

Unconditionally connected for as long as we have time together on earth.

WALKING ON SUNSHINE

Miss Katie Kate embracing 
the double digit sunshine today!
TAKEN: MARCH 19th, 2025

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Even though it isn't officially Spring for a couple of days, the massive amount of dog crap land mines that have suddenly appeared in my yard have me feeling like it is already here. I don't know about you but I'm elated; about the warm temps, not the dog crap.

The last month or so had been brutal for me. Had a bit of a meltdown at work last week, as I can't seem to stay caught up, and in the background I am fixating on what is happening to us politically. That said, the state of world affairs, and my heightened anxiety isn't my point here today.

As I was basking in the sunshine this afternoon, enjoying the last doggie daycare break of the day, I was lucky enough to snap this amazing photo of Katie Kate. As cute as she is, she isn't the reason I wanted to capture this specific musing.

Today, I thought I would hop and share an important realization that crossed my mind as I entertained my pups. 

I literally chuckled to myself when I suddenly realized, what a sad state the world we live in is... when the weather man (who can never get it right) is the most reliable news source we have!

#yagottalaughaboutit

That is all. Thanks for checking in. Seacrest OUT!!