HAPPY NEW YEAR

To all of you may the new year be full of many good things that include good health and happiness.

Fourth Advent

May all of you have a lovely Christmas and a Happy New Year. We are wishing you all the very best of the season.
Buddy decorated this tree proudly. He hopes you like his work.
As you can see Ellie is taking ownership of Buddy's tree. 
And the snow has finally made a brief entrance in our area.
Here's hoping you are all well and ready for any upcoming the festivities. Have a great time.

P.S. The gingerbread house was built today. We were delayed but we got it done.

From Advent to Advent

On Sunday December 2 the three of us took flight. We wanted to have the repeat experience of our delightful earlier holiday. Once we entered this lobby the fun began. Staff right away recognized us and came shaking hands and hugging us. Buddy was so happy that they still knew him by name!

Since it's the season for giving we brought lots of goodies including fancy chocolates, colouring sets and a water paint set. We gave extra tips too. Still we were most happy because what we got was priceless, lots of heartfelt affection.

With limited means staff was getting ready for the upcoming holiday by adding decorations to make it special for their guests. They work so hard at that.
And they made us feel super welcome with many gestures of gratitude.

A week passes very fast when there are many fun things to do. Buddy never missed the evening shows. We were happy to see they had a different venue this time but that just makes for more work for the entertainment team. They also included Buddy into their routines. 

A most spectacular show was the Water Ballet in the shallow area of the pool after a poolside BBQ buffet dinner.

Sunday December 9th we were given a very special lunch because they really want Buddy to come again. Once again it was time to head back that home eve.

Advent to Advent in Cayo Coco was so delightful. My feeling is Buddy and I will go again. We feel like we have found a second home where mutual affection makes all the difference. 
The next two advents will be spent doing stuff for our friends and family near and far but from our home.

KITS and ADVENT

The gingerbread house will be ready by Sunday just in time for the first Advent. Do you do anything special each Sunday leading up to Christmas?

ROSEY

May those of you who celebrate THANKSGIVING on November 22 have a safe and very special day where ever you are. All the best is wished to you.

At the Royal

Each fall the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair comes to our city and we make an effort to go. We enjoy seeing the animals and the various displays. This year my attention was captivated by this.

As soon as I saw the letters on that machine memories flooded into my heart!
"Look Buddy remember this?"
"Oh it's like ours," he said ginning. 
We turned to get a better view.

We had owned an old red Cockshutt model 40 (1950) when we owned a farm, our home away from the hectic city life from 1988 to 2005. 
Even Buddy had turns at the wheel on the back field trails.
I miss that part of our lives. My dream was to retire to the farm but hubby could not bare to leave his well established practice. 
Now we enjoy all things farm at the Royal.

Perplexed

 At the pond we saw lots of familiar bird types but recently we came upon on pair of fowl that has us perplexed. Any idea what these lovely creatures are known as?

They have red on their heads and a white ring around their neck. The body is mostly black with some white spots at the wings. They were very patient as many stopped to photo graph them. I was impressed. If only I had taken my Rebel with me that day.

Orange and Black

It was a warm sunny day. It felt so good that Buddy and I decided to drive over to Toogood pond and take a walk. I couldn't resist the photos of this tree. The black and orange hues just made us smile and think of Halloween.
Do trees ever invoke you to think about things?

CATIVATING

 Recently while strolling by the pond Buddy and I were puzzled by some tiny creatures along the walkway. There were many all along the route. We stopped and examined the situation. This is what we found.

The group of three had us wondering what they might be discussing. Any thoughts on our speculation?

Time to Snooze

While the wind was blowing and the rain was drizzling Buddy and I were engaged in reading the Kindle version of the latest book  Dulcy, A Cat's Legacy by Dee Ready. Ellie, at the foot of my bed, looked on but she couldn't seem to stay focused. 
She's telling us it's time for a snooze.

Quiet Time

It is around 2 on a Thursday the afternoon around the city centre park in Ciego De Ávila. Where are all the local people? We sat on a park bench and ate a picnic lunch. It was just too quiet. 

Buddy leads the Way

Buddy chose his destination on the 15th of September. We had searched for days to find the right place for his budget. Any place that had reasonable weather was checked. But on that afternoon the right price and location and reviews all just fell into place. He had one final request. He wanted Dad to join us.  A quick call to confirm if Dad wanted in on the deal and we committed to an all inclusive resort in an unfamiliar place on the beaches of Cayo Coco. Cuba, a country, until now one we had never wanted to go to, was in our future. Buddy led the way. A week later we were flying into the unknown and we are not sorry. It was an amazing way to spend the last week of September together. It was Buddy's trip.

Colours of Fall

                Happy Thanksgiving Canada!

Generations

We traveled to Hannover to visit our auntie, mom's sister.

Sisters

Then we talked a lot. After a few days we were joined by more family. My great uncle and my daughter from UK joined in the fun.

Four generations of Kuhn are together on aunties balcony.
Her uncle is three years younger. She looks amazing at 91.

Uncle,niece,great niece,great great niece?
Or daughter, aunt, great aunt, great great uncle?
Either way it was an awesome experirnce for us.

I imagine many of you have quite a history too. I know Patty does.

On a Search

Tonight I leave with my sister to head over to Hannover.

We are meeting up with our auntie to see what family history

we can discover while she 's still able to remember.

Niagara on the Lake

There is a romantic town just along the Canadian side of the Niagara River. It houses some lovely inns, the homestead of Laura Secord and the Shaw Festal Theatres.

It's a fun place to catch a theatre performance, do a bit of shopping and dine at a nice local eatery.

Each summer we head that way to be amused and are never disappointed. 

Even the fine foliage that surround this historical area is a feast for the garden lovers and photographers.  

Steaming Along

    Once the steam engine locomotive was the marvel as it pulled goods and passengers along many rails. This is engine Ugly 62 that runs along the Spa Valley line. That every engine created has a name and number is not surprising.
Each locomotive had its owner, UGLY's being Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns Ltd. and each had a log of activities that was kept by its operators, a partnership that once brought wealth. The above website link has details in the Engines and Carriages on their side bar.
    Of greater interest to me was a company's logo, S.& L. MINERALS Ltd. secured along with the number 62 on the side of UGLY. It has a historical significance that dates back to King George lll and Cape Breton County, Nova Scotia and the W.Sydney and Loiuburg Railway, once the finest in all the world.

 
P.S. There are various videos for any of you who are train buffs on You Tube.

Buddy's Celebrating

Buddy picked out the cap for me.

He stands proudly clutching his new phone ready to go out to celebrate.
He has a lot that he's very happy about. His face shows no red blotches.

He is truly excited to point out that his skin has improved enormously. The plaque caused by the psoriasis is nearly all gone. An herbal supplement that he takes twice daily has made this possible. His almost normal skin has him voicing his joy daily!!
"Look my skin is back. I can see it."
The Bell skin product he takes is Canadian but can be purchased on line. Since his severe(85% plaque over the body)skin is now truly and remarkably better after taking Bell skin for 10 months, we are able to recommend it to others. Buddy started off with a low dosage once a day because we weren't sure of side effects. Finding none we recently allowed him twice a day dosage. Recommended is three times but he is improving just fine on his personal routine. Since this photo was taken his arms are now also completely free of redness and flaking. Only a tiny bit remains on his upper thighs and on his butt. It is also diminishing.

No Photos

Sadly my iPhoto program was updated at an Apple store after things weren't okay and now nothing works. I wonder at the level of competency of some staff. I assured them my files had an issue and that I wanted a complete restore. They told me they had a better way. I watched as they downloaded a file from another client while she had gone for coffee. They they added it to my files! they really are arrogant and believe what they do is correct. Apple to Apple is okay! HAHA! 
Buddy and I had some great shots to share but until my not being able to access my files my photo blog will have no photos:(

Canada Day

May this July 1st weekend be fun as we celebrate 145 years of Confederation. The moose it already in flag attire. I used to be a collector of bears but the moose managed to change things up. The child in me just had me do it. Hope you have a lovely weekend. I know Buddy and I shall be busy trying to stay cool during the heat alert we are under and the Mr. is likely to make a grand BBQ for us at least once during this time.

Antherium

This plant was a gift and I failed to get it's name. It sits in our family room blooming all the time and still I don't know it's name. Why?
I forgot to ask.
Then I did and a kind person from a warmer climate gave me the answer. 
Glad I asked.

Ripe

They have ripened right in the planter on our deck. We are so delighted because these were bought by our daughter as a trial last year. Earlier this February we saw that the plant has survived this winter. 

                         Sweet strawberries welcome back!

Hever Castle

   We had the most delightful time at Hever Casle in the UK recently and this coming weekend it will be a place of pomp and ceremony to celebrate the Queen's Jubilee. 
   The original castle was created in 1270. It is the site of great changes in British history. Once home of the powerful Bullens and Tudors, Anne Boleyn lived here as a child. And here Catholicism was renounced creating the Church of England so that HenryVlll could wed Anne, his mistress, and make her his queen. Her reign lasted 1000 days. Later Anne of Cleves, another of Henry's wives, also took a place in it.

  742 years later Buddy and his sister stand around the draw bridge. They are now part of that history for they have spent time at this site.