Auntie Colleen's Blog

This is priceless and so I present:

Shaun walked out the front door this morning to see an owl with a huge wingspan disappear around the corner of the house. Later we went looking for him, only to find him in the tree outside our window, perfectly framed for a photo. Or 100. Less than 20 feet away, right at eye level. He saw us right away and kept a close eye on us for about an hour, after which he seemed to decide we were pretty harmless and boring. He stayed all day, until just before dark.

 

One of the squirrels took great exception to him, ran at him, practically touching him at times. The owl totally ignored her, as well as a nuthatch and cardinal that rushed him. I was holding my breath since owls eat squirrels and birds. Sometimes he slept. He winked at me twice.

 

He is a Barred Owl. Also known as a Hoot Owl. Sometimes mistakenly called a Bard Owl. Bard Owl! So of course I named him Shakespeare.

 

I did not see Shakespeare today, and the feeder activity went back to normal. However, as Shaun and I were eating dinner, we heard the unmistakeable sound of hooting in the cedar trees outside the window.

 

He's pretty amazing but I don't want any of my furry or feathered friends hurt. I guess you can't teach an owl to become a vegetarian. 

 

 And that is Auntie Colleen's blog!

Blog Drought

Is anyone out there suffering the effects of blog drought?  If so, I apologize!  I've been busy knitting for the sock giveaway.   And, I am keeping Taffy busy helping me with the knitting and we are on the last pair of socks now.  So... soon there will be pictures zooming across the airway so everyone can choose the ones they like best!  I haven't taken the pictures yet, so I have to do a lot of picture taking as soon as this last pair is done!  And then, there will be a huge blog to catch you up on what we've been doing.  The weather has been wonderful for pooling and we spend just about every afternoon out by the pool with our books.

Back in Canada, it looks like Munchie is getting too big for these jammies, but it makes such a wonderful "Good Night" picture, I couldn't resist using it to say Good Night everyone - back soon!

Best and Worst

Hi everybody!  This is Taffy....

.... and this is my mostest favouritest dress of all the dresses I've ever had!  It is a princess dress and I feel as beautiful as Vanna White when I wear it.  It is the best!  Up in Canada........

.... they got a lot of snow.  This is a picture of Denis' van in the big city where they  live.  They usually don't get much snow there, but they got quite a bit.  And where Mommy works....

...it was even worse.  It was a blizzard there and no fun for driving...at all!  They all thought it was the worst!  Some of it has melted now, since they have had a nice mild spell since then.  Now Mommy's parking lot looks.....

.... like this.  The parking lot is bare, but there are huge snow banks!  Yesterday....

.... Squeegie sat impatiently waiting for Poppa to come to the table for his breakfast.  Squeegie seems to be always waiting for Poppa to come for something!  Anyway....

... it got up to 85 degrees on the Farenheit scale where we are and Poppa thought that was the best!  But, the day before that, on Tuesday.....

... we went to this place for Poppa's and Squeegie's birthday dinner - and we all thought that was the best!  Still and all...........the very, very, very BEST for me was......

... my bee-u-tee-ful princess dress and sitting with my big brother, and my little friend Minnie!  Love to all from Florida!

Happy Birthday Poppa!!

Today is Poppa's birthday.  He decided he was going to be completely.....

.........lazy and take the whole day off!  So after a quick trip to the store for some water this morning, he moved out to the pool and read his book.  Brief stop for lunch, then......

....... he stopped to admire the lovely parcel he received from Mommy, Daddy, Munchie and Little Smiley - he loves nuts and was very pleased!  He took a few minutes to......

........ read a couple of e-mails he received - from Uncle David and another from Aunt Grumpy.  He had also received cards from home, in the mail, from Auntie Denise, Uncle David and Aunt Grumpy.  The phone rang a lot today.  He received phone calls from Gramps and Granny, Auntie Denise, Uncle Leonard, Mommy and Daddy and the little boys, Aunt Jeannie and Kev-Inn.  The folks from up north were complaining....

... about the blizzard that hit our region over the last couple of days.  Mommy took this picture out the front window where she works.  She was telling us that she got stuck twice that day trying to get home.  I don't think she was too impressed.  However, some people.....

... seemed to enjoy it, and perhaps others........

....... weren't quite sure whether they liked that cold or not - and weren't too sure about their hat either!  Mommy wanted me to explain that she found tiny fingerprints on the camera lens after she took the pictures - oops!  Anyway, Poppa explained to everyone that he hadn't gotten the snow blower out at all down here, and didn't seem to need winter coats and hats either.  I have more snow pictures, but this post belongs to the birthday boy!  We are going out for dinner on Tuesday, so we had supper here and then watched some TV - though I think maybe I heard little snoring noises coming from Poppa's part of the room?!? So.......... HAPPY BIRTHDAY POPPA!  We love you!

Update from the Home Front

Hello everyone.  I guess its about time I update everyone on the happenings up north in Canada.  A few weeks ago Gramma Grace had a fall at the retirement home and was badly bruised and bumped. The staff at the Atrium called an ambulance and Gramma Grace was thoroughly checked out and it was determined that nothing was broken - just bumped and bruised.  Since her memory is failing her at what seems a fairly rapid rate, she does not remember falling and is mostly somewhat confused about why she is in so much discomfort when she moves.  Therefore, she has been rather immobile since it happened which is probably contributing to the slowness of her recovery.  Auntie Cecile and Auntie Colleen have arranged for a personal service worker to help her in the mornings and the evenings with the tasks involved with getting up in the morning and retiring for the night.  Hopefully this will expedite her recovery.  Moving on..........about two weeks after Gramma Grace fell (in her room at the Atrium), Aunt Peggy took a fall in her driveway.  It has been extremely cold in Canada for the last while.  But - they had a mild spell and the snow melted and everything was damp and drippy.  Overnight it turned cold again and all the damp and drippy stuff froze solid.  Against the advice of Kev-Inn, Robbie, Cousin Anne and Auntie Cecile - Aunt Peggy looked out the window - saw the sun shining and decided to go out to retrieve her garbage can from the end of the driveway.  Of course, with her impeded vision, she did not see the patches of ice in the driveway and down she went.  Like Gramma Grace, she ended up badly bruised and bumped.  After a visit to the emergency department at the hospital she was sent home with the diagnosis of badly bumped and bruised, but not broken.  Similar to Gramma Grace and like most elderly people (she will be 98 in March), she was slow to recover and finding it difficult in her home with no "every day" visitor while I am in Florida.  Consequently, Cousin Anne kindly travelled a fair distance (especially in a Canadian winter) and arranged for Aunt Peggy to stay at the same retirement residence where Gramma Grace is.  As of the last report from home (she has been there about a week), she is much improved and able to get herself up and dressed and off to the dining room for meals.  She is still in some pain, but Tylenol seems to alleviate it enough to make her comfortable.  On a cheerier note....

...... Auntie Colleen received this "wild and woolly" pair of socks in the mail from Florida this week.  Hopefully - now that I have sent three pairs, she will have enough to keep her going until she gets some more in the sock giveaway.  Taffy tells me she has been keeping you all up-to-date regarding that.  We ended up with eight people in the giveaway this year - in no particular order - Mommy, Auntie Colleen, Auntie Denise, Auntie Pauline, Gramma, Lucy & Susie and Taz (these are all people at work!).  It'll be a banner giveaway and I have about half as many socks made as I need to start the choosing!  Poppa and I have been busy doing something next to nothing, but different than the day before (anybody recognize that line?).  We've shopped and driven around and swum and lazed and played computer games and watched TV.  Poppa has gone golfing with Squeegie - I didn't get a picture - I was on the phone when they left - next time - I promise.  I received these...........

.........two pictures....

....... from Mommy of our little men in the tee shirts I sent them last week.  I'm not sure if you can see - but they are covered with skulls wearing sunglasses.  I think they are a tad outre, but apparently the little boys loved them and I knew Mommy would think they were hilarious - so I sent them.

Taffy's Back....

Hi everybody!  Nanna is still knitting a lot when she is home....so I'm writing another blog for her.  She has about half the socks .........

.... knitted for the giveaway.  It was hard for me to pile them up, so they don't look very tidy or pretty like when she does them.  Her plant is going.........

.... wild!  Look at how tall it is - even taller than the first one, and I thought it was pretty tall!  The old stalk is withering up, but the new little one....

..... is growing like a good weed and it is becoming two separate ones!  Maybe we'll get two flowers at once.  We are having lots of fun keeping our eyes on that plant - even Poppa who has assumed the responsibility for keeping the water at just the right level.  It appears that he is doing a great job!  And.....

...... the hibiscus outside are flourishing in the nice weather we've been having.  This is.......

..... Squeegie.  Remember last time he was waiting for Poppa to get his bathing suit on??  This time he is waiting for Poppa to get ready so they can go to the grocery store - that is the list he's holding.  He seems to wait for Poppa a lot!  Munchie and Little Smiley went to the pet store........

.... recently and bought a big fish tank.  They haven't put the fish into it yet - but here they are checking them out to choose the ones they like best.  I think they are going back to the store one day this week to buy the fish - they have to wait for the water in the tank to be the perfect temperature.  Mommy thinks Daddy is even more excited than the little boys!  And....

..... Mommy sent us this picture.  She took it at a store close to where she works - and assures us that this is not her cup!  We are wondering though - because she is a coffee-holic!  One more thing......

........ here is another of the fashionable outfits I got when Nanna went shopping for me!  It has a little sweater over a tank top, so I can take the sweater off when the weather is hot!  And, the sweater.....

........ is short, so I get that layered look like all the girls are wearing these days!  Don't I look cool??!!

Hi Everybody!

It's Taffy here again!  Nanna is so busy knitting socks to get them ready for the giveaway, she doesn't have time to write a blog for you.  So... I decided I would try to fill you in.  First of all....

... the little tree at the front of our Florida villa is already sprouting new growth - even though it is still supposed to be winter here.  The groundskeepers usually cut these trees off in February when winter is deemed to be over, but ours got cut early this year and is doing really well already.  The hibiscus bush....

.... at the front of the garage is blooming too!  It looks very pretty - just like....

.... my new friend Minnie!  Isn't she cute?  Nanna brought her home for me the other day.  It was too hot for me and Squeegie to sit in the car while they shopped, so Nanna brought me a surprise!  I love Minnie Mouse!  I took her out to the lanai with me while....

... Squeegie waited inside for Poppa to get his bathing suit on.  Nanna was in the villa checking....

... on her amaryllis.  The first bloom is all shriveled up, but the other sprout is growing very tall and looks like it will be ready to bloom soon.  And -

... there is a new stem peeking out at the bottom.  I thought Nanna was going to have a fit when she saw it, she was so excited!  Geesh!  Last, but definitely not least.... I got some gift cards for the Build-A-Bear store for Christmas and Nanna took them with her when she went with Poppa to the Florida Mall.

..........this is my new purple mini-skirt with a new girlie top!  Isn't it nice??  I'm so pleased!  I just love getting new clothes.  I also got new undies....

.... and since I forgot to cross my legs like a lady in this picture you can just see a little bit - they have purple stars on them.....so pretty.  I got some other stuff too - but I'll save that for another blog.  Poppa and Squeegie have gone to the store to get a lottery ticket, but they should be home soon, so I'd better get off the computer!  See ya soon!  Love from Taffy!