a musician

Just a quick story!

Chapter 21 Cato and Bailey Meet A Musician

It was early afternoon and the parrots were enjoying the music playing on Laura's speaker. She had it playing a bit louder than usual as Carm was not home. It wasn't time for glop yet, but it was on their mind when suddenly Adia and Lupa started barking. They wondered if it was someone coming. Lupa was barking in a way that it sounded like a stranger was coming into the house so they were all a bit worried.

Laura ran to the door to say hello and they heard that his name is Andy. Cato wondered if it was the same Andy that she'd seen in a movie about toys, but when he came in she saw that it wasn't. Still, the birds all agreed that was interesting to have someone new in the house.

The people sat down on the sofas right near the parrots which didn't surprise them at all as they figured that Andy had come to see them. After a lot of talking (which they didn't find very interesting), Laura asked Andy about his music. They were surprised to learn that Andy was the drummer on some of the songs that Laura plays. Bailey thought that was cool and that maybe he'd be a good drummer too so started banging on the paper tube that stuck out of his cage.

https://youtu.be/VZENwdjxlSU?si=AVjTFggxUnNXUe3t  (Don't Fall in Love with Me  Windfall78)

Cato and Bailey were excited when Andy started playing some of his music especially when he played the new songs that he is writing. They loved all the different sounds and couldn't help singing themselves. All the parrots started singing and dancing. The song was about a boat which made Cato and Bailey remember the boats in the lake. It sounded like it was a big boat with room to sleep so they knew it wasn't one from their lake. They were sad when the music ended and Andy left as it was the most fun they'd had in a long time. They hoped that Andy would play more music for them another time.

Awesome!

"video chat with Ruth"

Cato and Bailey meet Pat

It's been bone chilling cold the last few days but thankfully the mercury rose to -12C this afternoon which felt almost balmy after the -27C wind chill of the last few days. We were all happy to rebreak our snowshoe trails before the clouds socked in again… I believe we are in for a snowstorm tomorrow which will mean we have to redo the trails again but I'm good with that!

Carm and his friend golfing buddy, Andy, met up at a new local indoor golf range and then came back here for a slice of last summer's zucchini bread. I'm excited to go with Carm so that I can work on hitting the ball! Maybe I'll even take some lessons and play a few 9 hole rounds with Carm over the summer. 

I've never been a person who enjoys physical effort… until… the last few years! I've gotten to a point where I enjoy the effort. A lifetime of pushing myself through depression is paying off in spades these days as I can put in the same effort now, while I'm feeling strong, and get results. I've got lots of practice challenging myself when I'm having mood issues (which are also surprisingly physical) so I just keep the pressure up. Which is good practice for the next time I'm low 😀  Some people might think I'm crazy (they aren't wrong!), but it's what keeps me putting one foot in front of the other when times are hard.

Last night Pat came for supper - the first time since Cato and Bailey arrived, so that's the theme for today's story for Ruth.

Chapter 20 Cato and Bailey Meet Pat

Cato and Bailey had just started eating supper when the dogs made a ruckus. It seemed that someone was coming to the house. They could tell that Adia and Lupa were really excited, and when the visitor came into the house Grace got excited too.

Grace told them that Pat was here! They were curious and wondered if she would think they were beautiful. When Pat finally came to say hello to them, she seemed familiar so they thought that they remembered her from a long time ago. Of course Pat remembered them! Pat talked quietly to them which and told them how beautiful their pretty wings are. Cato and Bailey really liked that. They thought that Pat was a nice friend for Laura and Carm to have.

Grace told Cato and Bailey that Pat comes to take care of her and the dogs when Laura and Carm go away. She told them that Pat makes good food too and that they all liked it when she stayed, even though they missed Laura and Carm.

https://youtu.be/fiMJk7trF00?si=nN2T_sAn_qUAzqbu  (Summer Side of Life Gorden Lightfoot)

After the people ate their supper they all sat down in front of the TV. Cato likes it when the TV is on so she was excited. Sometimes it is just the boring news but tonight Carm played something called Star Trek which Cato thought was very interesting. She liked how the people all looked different and sometimes didn't even look like humans at all. Bailey wondered if there were ever parrots on the TV. His question was answered when the humans started watching the next TV show - there was a cockatoo! All the parrots thought that was very interesting and that perhaps someday they could be on TV too.

The shoe struggle is real… I walked in the new grey ones again, and again, by 50 minutes, a blister was forming… I had to go back to the old worn pair to finish my walk. I guess we'll have to check out some shoe stores in the city, but gosh, if it takes 50 minutes to tell that a blister is forming, how the heck will I try them out 😞 

I've started adding a few 'skips' into my morning basement routine - I haven't gotten totally tangled up in the rope… yet! It's hard to remember that when I was a kid I could skip for ages. Now I can't even skip for a minute without nearly passing out. The visual is bad, but think of an ungainly elephant jumping up and down 😱  I want to add more impact exercises to increase bone density - I'm not certain that skipping is enough force, but it's at least a start.

Awesome!

"a visit with Carm's friend"

"warm enough to get outside for a bit"

"doing 30 skips without falling face first onto the floor"

another cold snap

It was a blustery and very cold day on Saturday. Carm had to snowblow in the -18C (not counting wind chill), so by the time he spent 1 ½ hours outside he wasn't keen on snowshoeing… I'd been out with the dogs a few times already and wasn't wanting to spend more time outside either! The dogs could barely stand being out for long enough to do their business so a snowshoe was out of the question for them.

Instead I rushed around making food for the birds, food for us, laundry, etc… 

I've come to the conclusion that my new treadmill shoes are not the greatest. They seem way hotter - I have been switching to sandals for the last 10 or 20 minutes - and they are a bit too tight. Plus my feet seem to hurt more, in fact they are what is limiting my walking time, not my legs. Luckily, I have one more pair to try… I think they will be better.

Chapter 18 Cato and Bailey Smell Good Food

It was in the afternoon, after toast but before glop, when Cato and Bailey smelled something good cooking. They wondered what smelled so good. They couldn't see very well but it seemed like Laura was cooking some ground beef. Then they saw her add little brown things which Grace said were lentils. Then Laura added some paprika and basil from her garden. 

They thought it was nice to have something that was grown outside, even though they couldn't see the pots that Grace said were on the deck. Grace told them that Laura cuts it in the summer and stores it in the freezer. She said the herbs made things taste nice and told Cato and Bailey that Laura said there were health benefits but couldn't remember what they were. It didn't matter to her as it made food taste good and that's all she cared about.

The parrots all wondered what this would taste like and hoped that they'd get some in their supper.

https://youtu.be/b12Ec1F1bGk?si=7Q6R0DHMRnmiQC9u  (I feel Good Beres Hammond)

While this was cooking, Laura played them some music. Cato, Bailey, and Grace liked to sing along, and even Adia and Lupa joined in. They really liked the song about feeling good and agreed that they all felt good too.

Chapter 19 Cato and Bailey Learn About Hope

All the parrots were happy to have the sun shining into their cages this morning. They hoped that Laura would sing the good morning song and she did. It was a good way to start the day. Soon, after Carm took the dogs outside and they finished their breakfast, Laura put the dogs in their crates so that Cato and Bailey could come out of their cages. They were happy to stretch their wings but were anxious for breakfast too.

Bailey wanted Laura to hurry up and get out of the way so that Carm could give him some banana. Cato waited for Bailey to finish eating so that he could feed her. She thought this was the best way to eat banana as then she didn't have to get her feet sticky.

https://youtu.be/OOCIptDK6B8?si=UF5il3owXO4Qhb2L (Good to be Alive Andy Grammer)

While Laura was cleaning their cages, she told them a story about many years ago when she was sick. She told them that the illness made her brain sluggish and that it was hard to remember things. She worried that she'd never be able to think and remember ever again, but she was happy to tell them that with patience and by not giving up she got her brain strength back. She said it was hard work sometimes and that there were times she wanted to give up and cry, but never gave up. She told them that Grace had helped her keep going even when it was hard. 

They were amazed to learn that Laura said her brain got even better and stronger than it was before she got sick. And that it was important to not give up hope. Cato thought this was lucky and Bailey agreed. They told each other that they would help Ruth the same way that Grace helped Laura.

I wrote the story about Cato and Bailey too late Saturday to post but the good news is that Ruth asked about the birds - that's the first time in a very long time so she's making progress :-) Today I made sure to get the story done a bit earlier. My creativity is being strained to its limits!

Sunday: I tried the other pair of shoes… I managed 50 minutes of walking before I had to switch to sandals as it felt like I was starting a blister on one side. Will try again tomorrow. I'm hoping they just need to stretch a bit more.

It's minus 27C with the wind chill so I passed on the snowshoes… even though I was itching to go, but the skin on my face would have been brutalized. If there had been no wind (20kmph with gusts), I would have done it…

Awesome!

"adding another set"

"quiet afternoon"

"snow skittering off the roof"

"sunny Sunday"

mud run

It's a wild and crazy day! Not much sun and flurries later in the afternoon. I did something today that is so far out of my wheelhouse that I never would have imagined that I would do it myself… I got a little team together to do the Mud Girl Run this July!!! Two years ago I would not have foreseen that I would want to do any sort of athletic endeavour, least of which would be a mud run, but here we are and I'm super excited about it!

We tried a new restaurant in the nearby village which was okay although Carm said the fries were terrible and his club sandwich was mediocre. I had a philly cheese steak with a salad which was good but left me feeling ill from all the melted cheese - my guts are not attuned to rich food these days. However, as always, it was great to get out and spend time with friends.

Today was a rest day for me exercise wise… I did do a short, slow walk on the treadmill, just to keep my blood moving, but I didn't walk hard enough to work up a sweat. No snowshoes either.

Chapter 17 Cato and Bailey Walk on Sunshine

It was a bit cloudy in the morning so the sun didn't shine into Cato and Bailey's cage. They were a bit sad about this as they have gotten used to waking up and feeling energized by the sunshine. Laura said she felt a bit sad that it wasn't sunny as well, so to cheer everyone up, she played a song that makes her feel all sunshiny and happy..

https://youtu.be/9MTAhQIPMOU?si=DF2uQ4OiJkGlEs0Q  (Walking on Sunshine)

Everyone enjoyed it, singing along and dancing. And wouldn't you know it, the sun seemed to like it too as it pushed away all the clouds for a few minutes.

They all agreed that they liked the chorus best as they weren't sure about the love story stuff. Cato wondered what it would be like to walk on sunshine. Bailey thought it would be like walking on a sunny spot but Grace thought it was more special than that, that maybe her spirit would feel like it had sunshine. They all agreed that it sounded like a good thing to do.

Awesome!

"lunch with friends"

"signing up for Mud Run!"

when you open your eyes

The sun was back again today, perhaps for the last time for several days so we took advantage and hit the snowshoe trails again. Adia wasn't too sure about her outfit when we were putting it on her - she was shaking like a leaf - but seemed okay once outside. Lupa tries to hide for any sorts of clothing, including her harness, but once dressed, she's raring to go.

Chapter 16 Cato and Bailey Have a Good Day in the Sunshine

First thing in the morning Laura always sings the good morning song which the birds find enjoyable even though Laura is not a very good singer, but they like the words of the song. Laura was going to play it for them but she listened to the rest of the lyrics and thought it wasn't a good topic so she only played them a short verse. After listening to it they thought that Laura sang it okay and they hoped she'd continue to sing it every day.

When you open your eyes

To a brand new morning

And the sun shines

Above you

You pull on your breeches and say

Oh well,

It's the start of a brand new day

It was sunny in the morning again and the clouds stayed away until later in the afternoon, just after Laura and Carm took the dogs snowshoeing. Cato and Bailey wondered if that would be a fun thing for them to do as well, but Laura reminded them that it was cold so they'd have to wear a snowsuit but they don't make them for birds. They'd have to wear boots too which they didn't think would be very good - how would they hold their snacks? Because surely there are snacks eaten outside. Adia and Lupa told them that there were sometimes tiny snacks but that it wouldn't be worth it for them to get their feet cold. When Laura is wearing her mittens there aren't so many treats.

https://youtu.be/R9ncBUcInTM?si=IoH76BgauNAQMb2D

Later Laura played the good day sunshine song which the parrots thought was a very good song. Laura told them that it was the song that she kept in her mind when she was going through radiation and had to hold her breath for so long so that her heart was not getting any radiation. They didn't know what that was but Laura told them that it was a life saver which they thought was good.

Awesome!

"another sunny day!"

"leftover buffalo tofu chili"

"perfect day on the snowshoes"

snowsuit

Well! It seems like the winter felt like parting the curtains on the sun again today! Another stunning day with gorgeous sunshine, brilliant white snow, and a powder blue sky. I managed to talk myself into starting resistance training again (hummm… Carm might wonder if that is resistance to house-cleaning, but no, merely resistance for my weak muscles)! Five minutes on the bike and then long enough on the treadmill to watch 3 'Schitts Creek' episodes. 

Today I retired my original walking shoes… they've done good service with around 2700 kilometers on their worn out tread. Enough to walk from here to just past Moose Jaw! All that said, it took 2 years!

After recovering from all that - it took ages to catch my breath and cool down - I had a coffee and then we stuck Lupa in her crate and popped Adia into the car for a trip to the pet store to try on outfits! Our snowsuit order was in! I poked around the store while waiting for the manager to dig out the coats and noticed the same outfit in black. So rather than taking the pink one out of the packaging we tried the black on her and bingo! An almost perfectly fitting snowsuit!

When we got home, I caught Lupa, jammed her into her outfit, then we hit the trails! The hayfield has a labyrinth of packed down paths that criss-cross and loop - another few days and we'll have the whole thing tamped down! Goals 😱 . I tried to keep a nice visual (I see it out of the kitchen window), but gave up after our second time out. Both dogs went crazy with joy 😀  Unfortunately whenever I tried to get a photo they'd end up under my feet which makes it impossible to get a good shot.

Chapter 15 Cato and Bailey Listen to Music

There was sun in the sky in the morning so everyone felt very happy. Cato wondered if it was summer yet, but Laura told her that there were still many months. Bailey thought that was too long and agreed with Cato that Laura should make summer come more quickly.

Laura was listening to music again which the parrots all really liked. Grace told Cato and Bailey that sometimes Laura dances around like crazy and that she likes to join in. Grace told them that there were some songs that Laura would play over and over again when she wasn't feeling well a few years ago and that sometimes she still plays them when she wants to feel upbeat and strong.

Grace said that she really enjoyed those songs as they made her feel good too and that she agreed with this song that said that she was born to be alive. She couldn't think of what other way there was to be born but didn't think about that too much.

https://youtu.be/vb5a-GYty-o?si=eOjHEmau4RahXd5w

Cato and Bailey were amazed and loved this song. They agreed that we were all born to be alive and that they were glad for the sunshine and that today was going to be another really good day. Bailey thought that it would be an even better day if he had more snacks.

Carm was busy again on the phone with Bell trying to troubleshoot our home phone issues… the tech on their end has possibly identified the problem - something about us having the same address as someone else (?)... they'll fix it and call back tomorrow. Note related, except that it was a scam that used Bell, Carm had a weird phone call from someone claiming to be Bell but obviously weren't… he asked the guy a few questions and got alarming answers 😯 We felt pretty bad for him as it seems he was in Myanmar and possibly a prisoner...

Awesome!

"Adia's new outfit"

"another sunny day!"

"dogs asleep in sunspots after playing outside"

"birds quietly napping after filling up on glop"

chapter 14 already

It was a great run of sunny days (or partially sunny days), but as winter still has us in its frozen grips it felt obliged to toss a bit more cloud and snow at us. It's not a full on snow day, just annoying flurries… and not even snowy enough to keep me home. Carm dropped me off at Mom & Dad's while he did all the shopping chores - I had a leisurely visit while he braved the crowds! If he wasn't a shopper I don't know what we'd do for groceries as it's like pulling teeth to get me into a store!

Chapter 14 Cato and Bailey Wonder about the Christmas Tree

Cato and Bailey thought that today would be a good day even though Laura and Carm went away for a little while in the morning. Laura told them that Carm was going to Costco to get more food for them. They hoped that he was buying the almond crackers that they like.

https://youtu.be/uSnpObUx71Q?si=EpBryDY6wjgTOt5K

Laura told them that she was visiting her Mom and Dad while Carm was shopping. They wondered if they should go too but Laura said it was too cold outside to risk them going in the car. They agreed that they didn't want to get cold feet. When she got home Laura told them that her Mom still had her Christmas tree up which didn't surprise them because they remembered that it was second Christmas just a few days ago.

Laura took a few pictures to show them and they were amazed by all the beautiful decorations. They thought that the decorations would be fun to play with. Bailey thought the tree could have all its little needles pulled so they wouldn't be so prickly looking.

Cato reminded Bailey that they were not allowed to play on the Christmas tree at their house so Laura's mom probably wouldn't have let them climb it anyway. She thought that some of the decorations might break if they threw them around but that it would be fun to try.

All the parrots were happy that Laura and Carm were home so early. It wasn't too late for toast and in fact they were still a bit full from toast when Laura made their glop. They weren't too full to eat lots of glop though!

I thought that after my walk with Kirsten this afternoon I'd be raring to get out on the snowshoes again today but alas… instead, I collapsed on the sofa with no motivation to get outside. My excuse is that it is snowing, but that's rather weak! 

I was a bit bored so opened the document that has a few years worth of suppers sorted alphabetically. It was from the COVID years so lots of recipes with meat which I'm rarely cooking these days (going on 2 years now!)... but I did see a recipe for Buffalo Chicken Chili which I'm going to adapt with beans, tofu, and cauliflower. Carm stocked up on Frank's Red Hot sauce without realizing that we already had gallons of the stuff - it makes sense to use some! And gosh, cauliflower and Frank's is a great combination :-)  (update: it was great! Will make it again.)

On another more irritating note: for years we had Koodo home phone which worked perfectly for years, but since Bell ran fibre down our road we switched our internet to Bell which included a home phone… It's been giving no end of trouble since it was installed after Christmas. In fact, just getting the phone number switched from Koodo to Bell was a royal pita which required I don't know how many hours of trouble shooting with Bell Customer Support. What a pain! I probably would have given up but Carm is persistent and excels at these types of problems!

I need some sort of sweater that is like a reverse vest - something that will keep my arms warm but not overheat my body. I've had issues with body temperature regulation for absolute yonks (it was terrible when I was on tamoxifen - I was always frozen), and these days I freeze in the afternoons, especially if I've walked… my hands and arms feel icy cold… but then in the middle of the night I sleep outside the covers in my cold bedroom - it's crazy! 🤪 

Awesome!

"visit with Mom & Dad"

"roads still okay for the drive into the city"

"chilling out on the sofa, feeling slightly tired but relaxed"

"the hush of a quiet house"

trying new glop

It is an absolutely glorious day! At -5C, it's the warmest it's been in ages plus there's barely the hint of a breeze. After doing my morning walk, then making hummus, roasted chickpeas, and a giant batch of glop, we dressed up Lupa and headed out on the snowshoes. None of us really wanted to come back into the house! When we did get inside, Lupa's legs were covered in snowballs - at least where her outfit didn't cover. Adia was fine without a coat, but she should have one by Wednesday anyway :-)

Chapter 13 Cato and Bailey Try New Glop

It was still morning time, but after 'third breakfast' when Laura told Cato and Bailey that she was going to make them a new batch of glop. They weren't too sure about this as they like the one that Ruth makes but thought they'd see. Laura told them that it would have butternut squash that she grew in her garden which they thought was pretty cool. Laura showed them out the window where the garden was but they could only see a white expanse. They didn't really believe her but then they knew that everything outside looked different when there was snow.

Laura also told them that it would have red pepper and red lentils. She said that she'd put paprika in it for flavour which they thought was a good idea. There would be lots of red and orange things. She told them that she didn't have all the ingredients to make it like Ruth so they'd just have to see if they liked it.

While it was cooking Laura played a song for them. It talked about today being a good day which they agreed with. There was sunshine and Laura told them that Ruth was starting to feel better. This made them feel very happy.

https://youtu.be/H_GeXvPtp4s?si=KVwVumq9Z1B-HFwT

Cato and Bailey could smell the glop cooking and were anxious to try it. Finally it was ready so Laura took some out and gave it to them on a spoon. Cato thought it was good but maybe a bit too thick. She liked to eat it off the spoon but wasn't sure about having it spooned into her beak. She ate lots though. Bailey loved it and gobbled down tons. Grace liked it too. They thought it was warm and filling and that maybe they could taste a bit of summer from the butternut squash.

Laura told them that she made lots and lots of little cubes of glop that she will put in the freezer for lunches. That made them happy so they had a nap.

Awesome!

"a gorgeous afternoon outside"

"birds liked the new glop"

"leftover carmalized onion lentils, butternut squash, broccoli, kimchi, and sardines for lunch"

"grated tofu airfried till crisp"

chapter 12 reminising

Sunny morning again. Quiet day. I did manage to walk for an hour which exceeded my expectations… should have gone outside for a snowshoe too but was too lazy! I did manage to hammer out a bit of story at least!

Chapter 12 Cato and Bailey Reminise with Grace

The house was quiet, except for the occasional howl from the dogs. Cato, Bailey, and Grace thought that they were ridiculous as they knew that Laura and Carm would come home in time for supper. At least they hoped so.

With the people gone from the house there was plenty of time for Grace, Cato and Bailey to remember the summer that Grace came to stay with them years and years ago, in fact it was so long ago that it almost seemed like a dream. Laura and Carm had gone on an adventure without Grace. She was sad that they didn't take her with them, but Laura had told her that they would be in the truck driving for days and days. She wasn't keen on the idea of being in her little travel cage for so long so was happy to be staying with Ruth and John.

Grace, Cato, and Bailey remembered how much fun they had being outside where they could see the lake. Sometimes there were birds swimming in the lake - they all thought it was weird for them to be wanting to be in the water for so long. They all liked to take a bath but only to splash around for a while. They didn't understand how those birds could float on the water and thought that maybe it was magic.

Grace remembered how much good food she had that summer. She thought that Ruth was a good cook. Cato and Bailey agreed with her. They also agreed that the food was good here too, except Bailey thought that he would like to have more snacks.

Grace told them that when she got home from her vacation with them at the cottage, Laura would play a song for the dogs which would make them all excited and happy. The dogs told Grace that Laura made them listen to that song on their adventure.

https://youtu.be/XWVVFetjz8w?si=r3OM-3kC_XQlk80X

They were all happy when the dogs started barking like crazy, shouting that Laura and Carm were home. The dogs were really excited, but Cato and Bailey knew they'd be back so didn't think it was quite the miracle that the dogs did. They asked Grace if we never came home and she told them that sometimes a nice lady named Pat came instead which was fine because she thought Pat was nice too. Cato and Bailey wondered when they would meet Pat. Grace thought it would be soon.

Awesome!

"another sunny morning"

"quiet day"

second christmas

Last day of January… I've done well with walking and haven't missed one day yet in 2026 although there were days of only 30 or 40 minute walks. It's all good though as I caught up on other days for a total of 194 kilometers! If we hadn't had plans for the afternoon I would have tried to make it an even 200. I have to watch myself a bit though… I can get too competitive with myself and love streaks!

Today's story is a stretch! John reads them to Ruth every day but says she doesn't remember from one day to the next… She's still hanging on by a thread but I hope these little stories about her beloved birds will keep her going.

Chapter 11 Cato and Bailey Wonder About Santa

Cato and Bailey had already gobbled down their toast, (Grace too), when Laura and Carm started rushing around piling things into a box. They wondered what was happening. Laura told them that they were going out to their Christmas celebration. There seemed like a lot of things in the box and some things seemed to be food. Bailey thought that the food should be for him and reminded Laura that he might be hungry and want supper, even though it was still early.

Laura told them that they were going to her family's house but that there would be too many people so they couldn't come. They thought that was unfair and wondered if Adia and Lupa would get to go. Then Laura put the dogs in a room down the hall so they knew that no one else but Laura and Carm would go.

Cato and Bailey remembered their dad Buzz telling them about how Santa Claus grabbed his legs one time so they decided that they were glad that they'd have to stay home, just in case he was there. Laura told them that he wouldn't be there, but they were happy just in case. Cato reminded Bailey that it was Christmas just a few weeks ago so this was like a second Christmas.

https://youtu.be/uXK4rD3Jg2U?si=UWBLaVyXBtyiKE-Y

It was a quiet afternoon at home except sometimes they could hear the dogs making a loud howling sound. Cato thought that they were being silly and that they should just play with their toys like she does. Bailey agreed. Grace told them that the dogs always did that when they were left home alone.

We celebrated Christmas with my family today - every year the party gets a bit bigger as the young kids (in their 20s!) start to settle down with long-term boyfriends and girlfriends. They are all lovely additions to our expanding family. It was our first gathering since Graham's funeral so there were moments of sadness and loss.

Adia and Lupa only partially trashed the bedroom - only half the covers were on the floor! I think our little trip out on the snowshoes this afternoon before we left may have worn them out a bit. I should have put the spy camera in the bedroom so I could see what they are really up to! 

Awesome!

"family together"

"laughter at gift exchange"

"home in the light (barely)"

"dry roads"

figs

Just like the last few days we had some glorious sun in the morning but clouds by 11am… today it didn't clear up again. It was a busy morning with some basic house cleaning, an 8km walk with June, gift wrapping, and then the long process of making a fig, date, and almond cake. By 3pm I'd mostly finished my chores but was too exhausted to go for a snowshoe - it was still -17 anyway, which is a few degrees colder than I like!

Next was the hardest task of the day - coming up with a story about Cato and Bailey! I'm scraping the bottom of the barrel for ideas!

Chapter 10 Cato and Bailey Taste a Fig

Cato and Bailey wondered what all the noise was coming from the kitchen. It wasn't supper time so Laura wasn't making their food. They knew that it was usually Carm who made their supper anyway. Laura seemed to be running some loud machine which she said was a food processor that chopped things up. They thought that they are also food processors but don't make so much noise.

It did sound a bit like a big rain storm which made them yell a bit.

Laura told them that she was making a cake for tomorrow's Christmas celebration. They were a bit confused as they remembered Christmas being just a month ago. They knew they'd been living with Laura and Carm for a while but didn't think it was long enough to be next Christmas. Laura told them they'd only been here for a few weeks so it wasn't even close to being Christmas yet. They'd have to have their birthdays first.

Then the house started smelling really nice and they wondered what kind of cake it was to smell so good. Laura told Cato and Bailey that it was a fig, date, and almond cake which they thought might be good to try but Laura wouldn't let them have any as she said it was for tomorrow. Laura did give them a piece of dried fig which they thought was weird. They put it aside to try later.

Then Laura played them a song about figs which they thought was fun. Maybe they'd try tasting it but it was so sticky. There were tiny little seeds that seemed interesting though.

https://youtu.be/u8MtS9RPCG8?feature=shared

Later in the day they wondered if Laura and Carm were going to dress up the dogs in their funny clothes to go outside again, but Laura said it was too cold and that she was a little tired from walking so long and making cakes.

Awesome!

"cake for tomorrow"

"dried figs"

"a long chat with June - lots of talk about our trip"

learning about snow

The sun shone again this morning, but like yesterday by mid morning the clouds had returned. I guess we have to be grateful for every minute of sunshine but gosh - a full day would be great!

I finished the movie that I started watching on the treadmill yesterday… usually I try for light hearted comedies but this one was not… it was sweet and heart-warming but one of the main characters died from cancer which is too close to what is happening with Cato & Bailey's 'mom'. The fact that it was the other character's sister didn't make it less emotional! Oh, and there was Alzheimer's as well, just for another level of sadness… Sobbing on the treadmill is 'interesting'! The ending was happy(ish), considering someone died, which only made me cry again! Dooh! I'll try for something better tomorrow…

Carm has had some stomach upset for a few days so I've not been doing any cooking beyond the bare minimum. We think he drank some milk that was slightly off - not even past the best before date. Thank goodness for simple soups in the freezer. We did gobble down a full block of tofu with our supper though! I've been making it a bit differently sometimes and it's definitely gobbleable. I break it into bite sized pieces - it's important to tear it because that leaves rough areas to crisp up - toss it with spices and cornstarch, and then roast it in my airfryer. It comes out crispy, perfect for nibbling straight from the pan.

Chapter 9 Cato and Bailey Learn about Snow

It was mid day when Cato and Bailey saw Laura run after Lupa. They could see something in Laura's hand but weren't sure what it was but they could see that Lupa didn't want whatever it was. When Laura finally cornered Lupa they saw that it was some sort of outfit that her legs went into and it zipped up the back. They wondered why Laura would do that. Then they saw Adia get a jacket on. This is what happens when people leave the house so they thought that maybe the dogs were going somewhere.

It was quiet in the house when Laura, Carm, Adia, and Lupa left the house. Cato and Bailey asked Grace where they had gone. Grace told them that sometimes they all go outside to play in the snow. They asked Grace what the snow was like but she told them she'd never been outside when there was snow. She didn't have an outfit and told them that it was too cold to go outside without a coat. Cato and Bailey agreed that they would run away like Lupa if someone tried to put clothes like that on them. In fact, they didn't like the idea of clothes at all.

https://youtu.be/x0oc3IR4qGQ?si=qPIunzEGPmNG_syU

It seemed that the house was quiet for a long time although the clock showed that only 25 minutes had gone by. It was suddenly a flurry of activity when they all came back inside. White stuff was stuck to Lupa's legs and they figured that it was snow that they saw. They didn't think they'd like to have their legs in snow and were grateful for the warm house. They thought about how cold it must be to freeze water and felt a little chill at the thought. Luckily it was time for glop which warmed them up even though they weren't really cold. They happily forgot about winter as they gobbled the warm glop.

I mentioned earlier that the sky had clouded over this morning, well, as luck would have it the sun was blazing again this afternoon when we went out for a snowshoe! It was gorgeous but cold. Lupa ran the trails and had to be coaxed in after 30 minutes, but Adia was cold. We decided that we'd order her a snowsuit like Lupa's so dashed to the pet store in the local village to order 2 sizes. They should be here on Wednesday next week. Adia will look dashing in pink! The suits aren't lined but are windproof. If it was really cold we could layer one of her other coats on top. I think it will make these outings a bit warmer for her - goodness knows, Lupa doesn't seem to get cold at all in hers. The first time we started making our way back to the house, she zoomed out into the hayfield paths and stood waiting for us to follow.

The joy they bring is real!

Our favourite shwarma shop was right next door and since we hadn't had lunch and were starving from our frosty tromp, we succumbed to sandwiches. Delicious! It will be a light supper tonight!

Awesome!

"pink blush of morning sun"

"a tromp outside on the snowshoes again"

"Lupa's snowsuit"

"Lupa running up and down the trails"