COUNTING AND COPING

Our struggle with outdoor doggie
washroom conditions are real!
TAKEN: JANUARY 22nd, 2026

Yesterday morning, the control panel on my 60V Greenworks electric snowblower, bit dust. 

Even worse, their service department confirmed the part's backordered, and they cannot offer a timeline for shipment. I automatically knew I would be back to manually shoveling snow.

Now, as I have written here before, at Old Bessie, our gas-powered beauty of age does the heavy lifting - but I am responsible to clear entrances, decks, and dog trails; that our old girl cannot access.

Well, just as my winter clearing lifeline went on hiatus, The Weather Network announced that we were to receive 40+cm of snow (about 16 inches for my American readers) forecasted to fall within 24 hours. 

So, shovel in hand, I was dealing with the accumulation I had missed through the day last night until I was ready to go to bed, to ensure by morning we could open the back patio door, and that the dogs had a path at 6am.

By 6am this morning, Mother Nature added another 8+ inches fallen, which told me that we were only about half-way there before we might receive any reprieve.

Out went my travel buddy hubby with Bessie blowing in the dark, as I took shovels to the decks in my PJ pants. We worked our way of digging out from the accumulated snow and as the sun rose the blizzard continued. 

Then our obvious problem hit. It was on my 9:30am break, where the dogs go to do their business. 

Where the hell do they go?

All I can say is that from the photo I am sharing… their struggle was/is real. 

Hope I can see their eyes peeping over the banks by this time tomorrow!

#yagottalaughaboutit

AMAZING HUES OF BLUE

Our rooftop view from the
Plaza Forum By The Sea
TAKEN: NOVEMBER 28th, 2028

On our second last vacation day in Cancun, we hopped on city transit and headed to the heart of the hotel zone. I know some people might be worried about travelling in Mexico but if you use common sense, you will easily stay out of harm’s way.

For a whopping 18 Pecos, which is about $1.50 Canadian, we boarded an air condition bus and made our best guess where to get off in the heart of the action. Tourist trap/photo op destination - CoCoBongo!

In pursuit of that destination, we came across signage for Playa Gaviota Azul. Trouble was when we arrived at the street level, they wanted to charge us admission to allow us to enter. As cheap as this may read, paying to walk a public beach has always been a hard no for my travel buddy hubby and me.

So, we headed back out to Kukulcan Blvd and kept going. First up was CoCoBongo, and then into the area mall Plaza Forum by The Sea. Though I have never been a shopper for travel t-shirts or trinkets, every once and a will you hit the jackpot.

That day it was entering into a restaurant with a balcony that produced the pic I snapped above. Just look at those amazing hues of blue. One of hundreds of examples of how beautiful the beaches in Cancun proper are - absolutely stunning.

Though we both agree we would never stay at the same resort we are stayed at, we do agree that we would return to Cancun; even for a quick 4-day weekend getaway. 

Clean, friendly, economical, and beautiful beaches. Next up?

A cousin’s vacation (with one of my aunts) at the end of February to Huatulco. Can't wait to soak up the sun and snorkel along the Mexican Pacific coast in Oaxaca; as my cousin and her husband have chartered a 62 foot yacht for one of our excursions!

As I type, I can't help but wonder if our spouses will have a fighting chance that week, to get a word in edgewise!!

#Yagottalaughaboutit

A view of blue from our balcony... 
Having a drink with my DAD!
TAKEN: NOVEMBER 24th, 2025

Even Beatlejuice was blue!
TAKEN: NOVEMBER 28th 2025

EMBRACING SMALL WINS

What a beautiful view!
TAKEN: SEPTEMBER 27th, 2025

Just like the movie Groundhog Day, we landed at the cottage Friday night to wake and experience yet another full day dealing with ice storm carnage. The photo I am sharing above is after burning brush nonstop for over seven hours.

The exciting thing I am sharing in the photo is that if you look at the railing fence at the right of our property line the pile of consumed brush that began being piled there, burned, and replenished multiple times is finally gone.

The even better news that the pre-piled was finally gone, was that I hauled brush off the ATV trail and behind the cottage for much of the day; with a very big bonus of additional and unexpected charcoal being produced.

I know it must be getting tired reading about these dumb milestones, but do you know what is even more tired?

Two sexagenarians working alone without help (except Hughie with the one tree) to clear the land of massive amounts of debris.

I know we could have easily hired someone to do it but what I find somewhat troublesome is that neither of our boys have visited this year, let alone offered to help. I am shaking my head at the thought of it.

When my travel buddy hubby and I talk about what we have accomplished financially in the almost forty years we have been together, I think he has the best plan for how to approach the distribution of it.

I mentioned giving it all to the OSPCA, but he has a better idea.

Apparently, according to him…. WE ARE GOING TO SPENT IT ALL!

#yagottalaughaboutit 

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!

A IS FOR AUDIO

 

Allow me to introduce you to Blue
TAKEN: MARCH 31st, 2025

CLICK HERE: To listen to Rhondi read this post on her new podcast platform

Today is day one of the annual April A-Z Challenge. You know the drill, I muse about a letter a day for 26 days of this month; with Sunday's off for good behaviour.

Well, this post marks my fourteenth offering of the letter A, for the April A-Z. I still find it hard to believe that I have been taking part in this challenge since 2013, and I have never used the same word twice. My, how time flies when you’re having fun.

Entering 2025 brought a big change to my wee electronic journal. Toward the end of last year, I commented to my son that I thought I may want to connect with a podcast platform and start recording my offerings. You know, so that followers could listen rather than read if that was their preference.

Low and behold, Jukebox bought me a microphone for Christmas and something that was just a passing thought, became a reality over the December holiday break.

Now, what I thought would be fun has turned out to be far more challenging than I ever expected. With no skill set in recording, nor software to edit the audio, I find myself doing multiple takes so I stay at a steady pace, without screwing up the entry I’ve written.

I am not sure how this will work for me mid-challenge, because I always travel for the second week for my birthday. I'll definitely write and post while I am basking in the sun but I have decided not pack my blue snowball mic for I fear I will put too much focus on recording rather than rays. 

That said, I have decided to record after the fact and add link to the offerings from my PodBean site once I get home and continue on from there. At least that's my goal. 

I can only imagine how hectic it will get, now that I have doubled the work for each letter.... Because I know first hand, that this annual posting ritual is going to take a toll on me.

Just like it has every other year!

#yagottalaughaboutit

WALKING ON SUNSHINE

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

CLICK HERE: To have Rhondi read you this post on her new podcast platform

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!!

FROZEN FRISBEE FUN

Getting the doggo's some exercise
...during a Polar Vortex
TAKEN: JANUARY 22nd, 2025

CLICK HERE: To listen to Rhondi read you this post (via her new podcast platform)

This morning, I was on my socials, and a photographer friend of mine posted a pic of a photo shoot his was doing. His caption read, "it sure is a chilly shoot this morning! Brrrr!!"

His buddy comment immediately and pointed out that he had spelt chilly wrong. Then corrected it by saying that this week it should be spelt “F’n cold!”

I literally laughed out loud and instantly liked the comment.

Running a doggie daycare, which touts a strict schedule of daily activities, does not bode well during a Polar Vortex. Suffice it to say, the show must go on.

As you can see by the photo I am sharing, Katie and Miya were making the best of it this morning.

I don’t think I have ever shared here, that we have an older home. Though well built in the 1980’s, we are at the mercy of electric baseboard heat. So, all of the oversized windows have insulated windows coverings to help mitigate the winter expenses.

On a day like today where the mercury is stuck at -25C, I keep the curtains closed. When our 9:30am break rolled around, I knew it was too cold for my pups. So a quick zip to do their business and I got them back into the house at once.

 By lunch, my app read it was a whopping -22C outside. With the girls very antsy, I decided to try some of our regular activities to burn off some of their energy. First try, I threw the frisbee three times and got them back into the house to warm their paws.

Half hour later, I gabbed my camera to show just how obsessed these two are with retrieving.

Miya, whose rubber frisbee matches her fur coat, was all in. Katie, seen bringing up the rear in my photo, just carries her favourite pig after she retrieves. She chases Miya, bouncing and slamming her pig into her, producing a very loud series of ‘oinks’.

This week is the first time I wished I would have trained them to wear those stupid looking booties I see dogs wearing. Only booties, no coats.

If they will swim in ice water at the cottage in the fall, the last thing I need to spend money on is a wardrobe. 

The purchase of toys at WalMart and Pet Value? ABSOLUTELY.

Fashion - NEVER!

Heck, they have a fur coat... Just how many do they need?!?

MY MONTH OF MONDAYS

CLICK HERE: To listen to Rhondi read you this post (via her new podcast platform)

Well, after a two-week holiday hiatus, I went back to work on the 6^th of January. Also referred to by yours truly as my month of Mondays; cue in the Boomtown Rats to offer some musical perspective.

Officially in my fourth year with my employer, I must admit, I have a great gig. I primarily work from home, have a synergistic relationship with my boss, and truly enjoy what I do for a living.

The only way it could be any better is if when sipping my morning coffee, I was looking out at beach sand rather than snow. As I sit and sip my morning caffeinated concoction, I am excited to write that I am really looking forward to what this new year has to offer.

My travel buddy hubby and I booked a bucket list trip to celebrate my milestone birthday in April (his is in July and still in the planning stages). I don’t know about you but there is something really special about looking forward to a new bucket list destination and ultimately another passport stamp.

This one in particular, was a decade long decision for me, as this was the only sun soaked destination I recall my mother ever mentioning that she always wanted to go. So, I’m going.

Flight is just under six hours in length and takes off out of YYZ in 89 days. It’s a Sunday departure, so only thirty-three more Mondays until we leave.

...With twenty-four of those accounting for every single day left in the month of January!

#yagottalaughaboutit

KATIE LU IS TWO!!

 

Woohoo… Katie Lu is two!

And to celebrate her arrival into the world, she lit up all my socials, to a plethora of heart felt birthday wish across numerous platforms.

That said, I don’t like to think of my dogs as 'Facebook famous', but I will admit that they all have acquired their own hashtags and are never camera shy when duty calls.

Note: The word cookie may have been used to achieve her beautiful birthday portrait this morning. #yagottalaughaboutit

PS: A happy 63^rd birthday goes out to my big bro today as well.

PSS: Cheers to these two beauties having a great day!

TRAVEL DAY DROWSY

The three of us, in the air mid flight.
Just look at my sister on the end.
Adamant that she was unable to sleep on a plane!
TAKEN: NOVEMBER 13th, 2024

When it comes to taking a vacation, coordinating great flight times has become an obsession of mine. Simply because we discovered more than a decade ago, arriving into YYZ in the middle of the night was a hard NO for my travel buddy hubby and I; no matter how big the savings were.

Now, when my sister decided she wanted to join us at our favourite Mayan Riviera resort for a week, I warned her of our early departure intentions, which in turn secured us a midday return flight the following week. 

Her big concern was, "...I can't sleep on a plane." In her defense, we are far more seasoned travelers than she. We can fall asleep as soon as those booming jet engines are engaged before we back away from the gate.

Staying at a hotel close to the airport the night of the 12th to be ready for a 5am Air Canada check-in, her travel anxiety was firing on all cylinders and she was up all night. 

When we woke early on our travel day morn, she was curled up in the TV room with a blanket. Once again anxiously reaffirming to us, again, "...I can't sleep on a plane."

Knowing we were dealing with her lack of sleep, her next hurdle was to adjust to the fact that the Toronto airport is one of the most technically savvy in the world. Your cell phone and your airline app, have essentially replaced paper for a swift progression through check-in, customs, and security.

Not to judge, rather paint a digital technology picture, my sister has an old school flip phone. One she is very proud of I might add. So, we hooked her up with an older android phone we had, and as uncomfortable (and overtired) as she was, she was good to go. 

So much so, that as soon as we checked in to our very large resort, I made sure she was comfortable calling us using a VoIP app I had set up for her. As I wanted to make communication between our rooms worry free.

On a final note. I wanted to touch on the fact that the word 'can't' has never been one I have ever embraced. For me, my mantra is really 'die trying...'  and I always seem to figure it out!

That said, I wish my sister would delete the sucker from her thesaurus, or at least aspire to try to minimize its use. 

Because, as you can see in my photo above... She really CAN sleep on a plane!!

MY HEAP-O-HELP

Our sweet Katie taking inventory of
every one of her sticks being burned
TAKEN: OCTOBER 24th, 2024

Up until my beloved Annie passed, I use to introduce her fur followers Miya and Katie like this.

"Meet our Miya, she is absolutely beautiful." Then, I would continue with,  "this is her little sister Katie... And she is simply beaut-EVIL!" 

It's always grabbed me a laugh to whomever was meeting them for the first time. But now that they are officially a pack of two, this little one has settled into not having to act out like she did, which I always felt was her puppydom combined with her need to be the center of attention.

At a mere twenty three months of age, I realize now how she struggled to fit in a pack of three. She always respected Annie as her pack leader, yet from the day she arrived, she terrorized Miya incessantly. I am pleased to report that said behavior has stopped since my sweet girl left us.

Now, I'm not in anyway leading you to believe that she has a halo over her head but her need to dominate over Miya is now very focused. 

You see, her retrieving instincts are so deeply routed through her DNA that we have to expel the energy multiple times daily. Frisbees, nerf footballs, rubber pigs, and of course wooden sticks.

Take a dog with no fear, that vibrates when you pick up a stick, and you can imagine how hard it is to do yardwork with a fire going. I'm not kidding when I type that I have to throw a stick into the gully before I place sticks on the fire; because I am afraid she'll jump in to fetch them.

Think a toddler sticking its tongue out an accessible electrical socket. Her extreme personality makes one of my very favourite outdoor chores, extremely stressful.

Which you would never guess by the angelic expression of joy she shoots at me whenever a fire is burning close by!

SHOVELING SUNSHINE

With only about 30% of the front leaves fallen,
it was time to start getting them moved into the gully.
TAKEN: OCTOBER 16th, 2024

It started last week. For my afternoon work break, I started shoveling the fallen leaves.  

You read that right, ‘shoveling’.

By dusk Thursday I knew I would spent the weekend in town, rather than going into the cottage. Simply because it hadn’t rained, and everything was dry. Shoveling dry foliage is much easier than the wet soaked crap, so by supper Saturday, though I was spent, all the leaves that had fallen to date were processed.

For those that have never tried it, I have been shoveling for years. You can simply move ten times more leaves by pushing them into the desired piles with a large snow scoop, rather than whisking a rake into the air trying to target where you want them to land if the wind cooperates.

I know I must look silly going through the motions, but I don't care. Believe it or not, my shovelling effort work more effectively than either of the two leaf blowers we own. Three if you count my travel buddy hubby plugging one of them in.

With 90% of the folks on the street retired and me working from home, I see and hear them moving leaves for weeks before we get on the band wagon. For us, it is a balance of finding the best time to blitz them, which usually happens when I see my neighbour next door blowing leaves back onto our lawn.

As I have always written here, I love fall. And this year has been a particularly memorable one weather wise.

The only downfall is I know what is on the way, and it is white, heavy, really annoying, and ALWAYS outstays its welcome.

Kind of like Donald Trump!

#yagottalaughaboutit 

FOR WHAT IT’s WORTH

My wee Annie taking in views
from her new anti-anxiety bed.
TAKEN: AUGUST 23rd, 2024

For what it’s worth, I hope I never experience another summer like the one I'm currently living. As I go through the motions for the last long weekend of the season, I am folding like a lawn chair and willingly admitting that I am spent.

Between medical trauma at home, multiple personal losses of loved ones, and day to day work stresses, this past week was the last straw. We were worried we were going to have to say goodbye to our Annie. 

Then, after a visit to the vet yesterday, and $400 later, she is home. They have no clue why she is ailing and what is going on with her. Par for the course for the summer of 2024; as it has been a summer of limbo. 

Seriously, the only thing missing from that visual being the catchy tune playing and Chubby Checker singing, because yours truly has been bending over backwards (to the point of breaking) since mid May.

That said, I want everyone to know that I know better than most the symptoms of depression. I honestly don’t feel depressed, simply overwhelmed and ultimately deflated.

What I will share, is that come hell or high water, this whole ‘one step forward, four steps backward’ bullshit needs to come to an end.

And though I try and pride myself on keeping my glass half full, somedays it feels like the water has been turned off at the spigot and the lake in front of me drained dry.

Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t all doom and gloom. I know my fear of the unknown is making me feel uncertain, which I have alluded to in previous posts.

Anyway, the other side of my ‘bitching about my really shitty summer coin’ is my more immediate remedy to help my negative mindset will be loudly listening to the Top 500 countdown on Rock95 outside all weekend. Forecast says it may be under an umbrella, as we have scheduled rain in the forecast.

See, that’s the forward and backward thing I just referenced. 

Hey, maybe I was just meant to master the Cha-Cha this summer. If that’s the case, call Dancing With The Stars.

...Because these last three months have deemed me a freaking PRO in that category!

#yagottalaughaboutit

STORMY WEATHER REFLECTIONS

Only once, in all of our holiday travels, have I been scared. 

We had arrived in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico, and in the middle of our first night and for the entire second day, an unexpected storm causing a flash flood ensued. We were hunkered down in our room, completely blindsided and pretty much gobsmacked at what was swirling around us.

By the time the sun rose, the pools at our large resort were overflowing, the roads in and out of the 1000+ room hotel were washed out. We were officially stranded.

This, in a lot of ways, is how both my travel buddy hubby and I have felt the last five weeks since his accident. And what we did then, is what we are doing now. 

Grabbing on for dear life, keeping the other safe, inserting a ton of humour into the situation; while exploring everything as much as we possibly can.

Rhondi Rule #506: When caught in stormy weather
... Just go with it!

Top Photo: The night before the storm hit
TAKEN: November 27th, 2019

Lower Photo: Just hubby and me on the beach !!
(Mid afternoon during the storm)
TAKEN: NOVEMBER 28th, 2019

My personal struggle in both situations, is that I have an extreme fear of the unknown. As a result, in my current state I am not sleeping as I should because my mind simply won't shut off. To compound things, I work from home, and my husband is housebound here as well. 

The truth of the matter is that we are both going stir crazy. Only being able to access two of our three floors, our living quarters are close. So, today on my lunch break, we began watching travel videos on YouTube. Not because there will be any travel in our future but because we are of the mindset that we will never say never.

On a more comical positive front, this morning we both laughed a hearty belly laugh as I cracked my first joke with regards to our situation at hand. I know we will be A-OK, because he also laughed then commented...

'Here we go', he said.  Already starting with the stroke jokes!!'

#yagottalaughaboutit

BORINGLY NORMAL NO LONGER

As the saying goes, life as we know it can change in a heartbeat. And in the last month, my travel buddy hubby and I are living proof that one day life can be boringly normal and in a nanosecond, it can be anything but.

Nothing prepares you for a life altering change. At one moment, my husband was kissing me goodbye on an early morning. 

Then, before we knew it, we were waiting for confirmation when he would be air lifted to St. Michael’s Hospital trauma unit. 

He moved, and once he arrived, he had emergency surgery to stop the internal bleeding, and by 1am the following morn, we knew the left leg would be saved and we were ready to boldly face the next hurdle. 

With his severely irregular heart arrhythmia challenges and no ability to administer those drugs with the brain bleeding still on the table; the worst fear was he’d have a stroke

Sunday led to Monday, and good progress had us out of the trauma unit the following Thursday, with him moved into a room. 

We had been nine days in the trauma trenches and survived, when early morning call came the following morning.

“During the night (at approximately 3am on May 31st) Mr. Peacock suffered a stroke.” The stroke team neurologist shared. 

“A blood clot left his heart and travelled to his brain. His right side and speech have been affected,” she continued. Not even remotely prepared to hear the words, I went numb. Again, we were back together, with me witnessing he was both physically and mentally spent.

Just a little over a month since our 'boringly normal life changed', we couldn't help but reflect this morning on the fact that tonight we were to be at Soldier Field in Chicago with 70,000 other Kenny Chesney fans to enjoy his Sun Goes Down Tour.

Thought we aren't in Chicago, we decided to blow the doors off and tour the local grocery store circuit together. 

We did a solid double header (in reference to the fact that we had tickets for Wrigley Field yesterday). 

First up was Food Basics, then we opened the sunroof and cruised to the other side of town to hit Wal-Mart. Radio blaring, no pups to worry about, we were hitting our semi-normal stride.

Kenny vs. Recovery. 
Thumbs up says it all!
Left - (c) Kenny Chesney Instagram
Right - TAKEN: June 15th, 2024

Because I am listening to Kenny live on #noshoesnation on Sirius as I type, I am sharing where our seats would have been for the concert tonight with a yellow dot on the left. 

Impressive, but it is the photo on the right that truly makes my heart swell with joy, as he is officially out and about and ultimately on the right side of the soil.

That said, Lord knows if that sexy cart he was navigating today was a four-wheeler, he probably would have immediately rolled it in the produce section... taking out all of the organic tomatoes!

Too soon?

#yagottalaughaboutit

Z IS FOR ZOUNDS

Zounds! That is another April A-Z Challenge behind me.

Great 'z' word, too bad I didn't come up with it on my own. I read that the word is used to express surprise or indignation - so it was perfect. I'm surprised as well as a tad angered that I couldn't come up with a word on my own.

I don't know if any of my readers can relate, but I always get blocked for the my last few letters of the challenge. This year I had to head to Goggle to help me end my plight AND just like last year, I had to back date my final post.

The last few letters are always a slog. I believe in the eleven years I have done the challenge, only the first three were completed daily and on schedule. In fact, I backdated my  'from the achieves' effort because once the month had passed I decided that I didn't want to stop writing. 

This year, I was surprised how well I did each day on the fly. Very little filler, and I made an honest effort. The fact that I have never used the same word twice - is making each year more difficult. 

As I close out the 2024 challenge, my last task is to post a picture of someone/something that can anger me, frustrate me, but can also surprise me in general.

Thanks again for reading. It is truly appreciated.

Rhondi

Zounds! I can't believe she had to use Google!!
(#yagottalaughaboutit)
TAKEN: JULY 1976

W IS FOR WANDERING

Miya Maria and Katie Lulu
My famous Facebook wanderers.
(Photo copyright Meta via Muskoka Bulletin Board)

Because I am fortunate enough to work from home and run a doggie daycare hand in hand, I will confess that I steer a tight ship and an even tighter daily schedule. 

I know I shouldn’t laugh, but in all fairness, what I am about to share is really quite comical.

I will start by disclosing that we do NOT let our dogs wander willy-nilly. We have a large yard, yet once in a blue moon they make a break for it. Kind of like George Clooney in O Brother, Where Art Thou?

On this particular morn, break arrives and out the door they go. Annie heads into the gully and the other two follow. I call immediately from the back deck and only one of three return. I continued to call but no furbabies appeared. On go the Crocs, and to the top of the hill I go.

I immediately see them at the bottom of the hill and my tone changes; no reaction. They are literally 100 feet away at the bottom of the hill near the railway tracks. 

It wasn’t until I invited Annie to 'go to the Wal-Mart,'  that the wandering duo book it up the hill home. Less than ten minutes from me putting on my Crocs, we are all back in my home office and back on schedule. 

Minutes after we settle, my phone begins to blow up with messages. Goob even calls from work. It appears, in all their enthusiasm, they tracked (no pun intended) something into neighbours yard directly behind us. 

What I didn’t expect was that the post would go viral locally. Over a hundred shares, cross posted to multiple, to get these poor pup’s home. Seems there was a black and yellow missing in town, hence the post.

But, seriously, just look at the expression on Blondie’s face. I burst out laughing when I saw it. Instinctively she knew that she had ventured to the wrong side of the tracks. Those railroad tracks that is.

Hmm.... Perhaps Andy Warhol was right. With the whole '15 minutes of fame' theory. 

#yagottalaughaboutit

V IS FOR VOICES

 

Cruising the Mississippi River on the
Steamboat Natchez out of New Orleans
TAKEN: MAY 31st, 2019

S IS FOR SLEEPY

Law360 reported April 16th, 2024
that on the second day of Donald Trump's
"hush money" criminal trial he fell asleep.

There is so much that I could write here, but because I really try focus on the humorous, I am just going to leave this picture of the orange man that will be running in the next United stated presidential election. 

Late-night TV show host Jimmy Kimmel commented on the remarkable moment, joking: “If Biden is ‘Sleepy Joe’, I guess that makes you ‘Dozo the Clown’.”

Jon Stewart, host of The Daily Show, also made some hilarious comments, saying: “Imagine committing so many crimes, you get bored at your own trial. ‘Move on to the good stuff’.”

My fave has to go to Alex Cole via X: #yagottalaughaboutit