young men

I can't help but think about those young men, really boys, that we shared a few drinks and laughs with at Punta Cana. They were finishing up training to be merchant marine sailors and were going to be deployed to the middle east… at least that's what I remember. Those boys were just dumb kids with no real understanding of the world, or politics, or how some American citizens were being manipulated by billionaires and war mongers. They believed everything that they were told. There was only one critical thinker among the bunch. I hope they are out of harm's way… but know that there are many other young people in the line of fire. 

https://youtu.be/SgpiQF_ulzM?si=-p3nHttEaejtzZny (All the fine Young Men)

Yesterday was another snow day! Today was mostly sunny and 6C! Beautiful!

Chapter 47 Cato and Bailey Eat Grilled Cheese

The parrots had already eaten their supper when it seemed that they could smell toast, or at least something good cooking. Cato hoped that Laura and Carm would share whatever it was that smelled so good - Bailey was sure that they would. They tried to be patient and made sure to shout out 'Supper' at frequent intervals. The smell was making their tummies rumble.

Finally, Laura walked over with a plate in her hand and started handing out food. Grace was pretty sure it was a grilled cheese sandwich, although it had been a long time since she'd had one. She grabbed it out of Laura's hand and took a big bite. 

Bailey was next. He was so excited that he fumbled it and it dropped on his cage floor. Laura quickly opened the door to retrieve it to his dish. He was a bit more careful when he picked it out of his dish. His eyes flashed as he bit down into the toasty, cheesy, buttery goodness.

It was finally Cato's turn. She didn't make the same mistake that Bailey made, instead she put it into her pellet dish and just picked it partially up to take bites. 

The parrots were all happy and didn't leave a crumb of their treat.

https://youtu.be/6dAavO8TtsE?si=-GapM0K2z-PRUbYN (Cheeseburger in Paradise Jimmy Buffet)

Awesome!

"no where to go!"

"grilled cheese sandwiches - missing chocolate milk though!"

the eye doctor

It's been a grey day with temps below zero in the morning and slowly rising as the day has progressed. We had to take a trip into the city for eye doctor appointments which took ages and ages… The roads were snowy on the way in and slushy on the way home. Not my favourite! We stopped at Costco on the way home to fill up on gas and groceries. Gas was $1.59! Yikes. And we couldn't get tofu or yogurt :-(

Yesterday was sunny and the wind had died down so we took a trip to Mom & Dad's to help them set up their new computer.

The world is getting crazier by the day… hopefully something good happens soon although it's not looking likely. I wonder if we'll have trouble getting to Europe or worse yet, home, in just over a month!

I seem to have left my brain in the city though as I struggled with this story!

Chapter 46 Cato and Bailey Learn about the Eye Doctor

All the animals in the house were dismayed when it seemed that Laura and Carm were getting ready to go out. Cato and Bailey were surprised as Laura hadn't even walked on the treadmill and it seemed like she does that everyday. The dogs were not happy either as they knew they'd have to stay in the bedroom.

Grace could see the clock from her cage and saw that it was only 9 in the morning when Laura and Carm left the house - it seemed that there would be no toast for breakfast but at least they had their regular breakfast. The parrots quietly talked amongst themselves as the morning seemed to drag on forever. They all wondered where the people had gone.

Finally, well past lunchtime, the dogs shouted out that Laura and Carm were home! Big bags of food were brought into the house and put away in the fridge so they knew that the people had been shopping, but why did it take so long? Cato and Bailey were happy (so was Grace), as Carm started making toast right away! Hurrah! It was late but there'd still be toast. 

While they were eating, Laura told them about the eye doctor appointment that she and Carm had gone to. She told them that they had to look at little letters on the wall through a weird contraption and that the doctor had also put drops in their eyes that made them see funny. None of the parrots had ever been to the eye doctor. Laura told them that there weren't eye doctors for parrots because parrots can't wear glasses. This made sense to Cato. She reminded Bailey that Laura and Carm wear glasses so that must be why they had to go to the special doctor.

https://youtu.be/jxcZAHTyVCI?si=q3Bm6zdkJTS-DNc6 (Wear my Sunglasses Cory Heart)

Awesome!

"healthy eyes"

"getting home safe and sound"

"Zootopia! Cute movie to watch on the treadmill"

"not missing a day yet this year although only walked 20 minutes today"

"chicken shwarma sandwich"

detour

Spring has taken a detour, blown off course by a gusting wind. Snow swirls across the field, sometimes almost obliterating the road on its southern edge. It's a good day for staying mostly inside - cold and blowing snow make the roads icy and snow covered.

I've gotten out of the daily habit of writing something - it seems like my creativity has taken a hike! Hopefully it's temporary but even so, already I've written almost as many blog posts as last year in total! I just have 20 to go 😱 Last year must have been a doozy!

Saturday we drove into the city to have supper with Carm's nephew Justin and his partner Sonia. Carm's brother Frank and sister-in-law Tammy were also there. We hadn't seen them, except for a few minutes here and there, for absolutely ages! That's my sign to get busy and start having people out for lunch or dinner more often! I've been remiss in that for a few years now… Part of the problem is trying to figure out what to serve… I've been in a bit of a rut cooking wise for two years… it's so much easier to create meals when they are centered around a bit of meat…

I think today would be a good day to comb through my menu records to come up with a few ideas and WRITE them down - no excuses!

Chapter 44 Cato and Bailey hear a Song

All the parrots were quietly grinding their beaks when Laura interrupted the peace with a crazy song about a dog and a window. After a moment Cato decided that it was a good song to dance to and that it was even okay that Laura was singing along.

Laura stopped singing to tell them the story about Grace's Dad whistling this song to Grace when she was still in the egg. He also sang the song to her when she was a tiny chick.

Grace couldn't remember but felt that the song sounded familiar and that it gave her a nice feeling inside. Laura reminded Cato and Bailey that they would have heard Grace's Dad too as he lived across the aisle from Cato and Bailey's parents. They thought that it was nice to think about.

https://youtu.be/Aqwq4AgMiik?si=xvkyEhQc5Pt1Ds6d (how much is that doggie in the window patty Page)

Chapter 45 Cato and Bailey are Kept Awake by the Wind

The roar of the wind hitting the house kept everyone awake all night, even Cato and Bailey had trouble sleeping with the noise. Grace could remember the wind being that noisy in the past so she wasn't too worried that the house would blow down but Cato and Bailey weren't so sure.

When Laura opened the blinds in the morning they were surprised to see snow on the trees as they thought the wind would have blown it all away. But instead the snow seemed to be plastered on the trees in a more permanent fashion. Laura said it was because it had been raining before the snow started so it stuck to everything like glue.

It sure didn't seem like spring was here, even though they could hear the lonely sound of the red-winged blackbird calling outside. Cato thought that he sounded cold so Bailey wondered if there was a way to invite him into the house, but Grace said that they are a bit shy and didn't like people like parrots did.

The blustery wind reminded Laura of the story about the three pigs and the wolf blowing down the houses so she read it out loud to the parrots. They were glad that the house was not made of straw because it surely would have been blown down by the wind. It made them wonder a bit if the wind was really a wolf trying to get inside. Bailey thought that was a scary idea and didn't want to think about it at all. He thought that hopefully the house was made of brick and was sorry to hear that it was made of wood like the second house the wolf blew down. That made him scared, but then realized that it would have been blown down by now so maybe the wood was more like brick!

After the story it was time for toast which distracted everyone for a while.

https://youtu.be/2vRsEC65NTA?si=nPqB9SPKW-Q2hiMv (Against the Wind Bob Seger)

Awesome!

"cosy in the house despite the howling wind"

"visiting with family'

paper napkins

Spring is in the air! Or at least the possibility of spring is in the air. It's already been a few days since the geese started coming back 😀 

There was some sad news in the obituaries today… my old boss, Jack Drawbridge, passed away a few days ago. I'll time travel back to mid summer in 1981 while I was between the last days of high school and starting my adult life. I know I've shared the story of Mr. Jenkins, my friend June's dad, who heard me lament on my lack of direction so offered me a temporary job as a contractor to the government 'documenting master files'. I had no idea what that meant, but started the job anyway. The contract was working for Jack in the Data Management branch of Industry Canada (or whatever it was known as way back then) and I was to comb through listings of files to figure out which were the main data files. I had no idea what I was doing, having had NO, ZERO, NADDA, experience in computing. 

With Mr. Jenkins, and Jack's help, I managed to bumble through! As the contract neared completion, Jack came to me with an offer - if I'd take a typing class he'd hire me (on contract) as a data entry person. So I took that class and started a 29 year career in Data and Repository Management. Jack was a true mentor, often dropping in to my office with pen and paper to talk about data architecture, data and information management, methodologies, data redundancy, documentation, system life cycles, etc. He never talked down to me or made me feel like I didn't know anything - I was part of the team. Our informal meetings were instrumental in developing my passion for data dictionary and repository management. He pushed me to become more than a data entry clerk, getting me involved in managing and developing the software that we used to accomplish our goals, designing data structures, and more importantly helped me to develop a view of the bigger picture.

I was just 19 years old when I started working for Jack and living on my own in the city for the first time. I remember one day being so exhausted from whatever was happening in my life that I fell asleep at my desk… Jack walked in, saw that I was asleep and tiptoed back out! Yikes! He was so understanding. A few years later my boyfriend Steve broke up with me and I was devastated beyond words. Jack was there with a shoulder to cry on. In some ways he was like a stand-in dad when mine was cities away. He was always kind and supportive.

I am blessed in so many ways to have had him as my mentor. And I've never looked at a paper napkin the same again! Jack couldn't talk without drawing it all out and many a lunch was spent doodling on a napkin as we tried to reshape the world.

Chapter 42 Cato and Bailey Learn about Freezing Rain

It was darker in the house than normal so Laura turned on the lights around Cato, Bailey, and Grace's cages. Cato wondered why it seemed so dark and knew that it wasn't sunny, then Bailey pointed out that the windows on one side of the room were blurry. Laura and Carm were talking about freezing rain, which they figured was regular rain but frozen. They all wondered what that would be like but were glad they were inside as it didn't sound like a very good thing.

It was so dark that all the animals in the house just felt like sleeping and napping all day.

Later in the afternoon, Laura put Adia & Lupa's travel clothes on them so the parrots knew that they'd be alone in the house for a little while. They wondered why Laura and Carm would go outside when there was freezing rain but Laura said there was more regular rain and not as much ice as was expected. Bailey wondered what it would be like outside if ice was coming from the sky. It seemed that it was different from snow which they knew about from looking out the window.

Cato thought that it was a good day for warm glop and was surprised when Laura didn't warm it up enough. She had to spit it out because it was so cold. Thankfully Laura realized what the problem was so warmed it up properly. It was much better then and warmed Cato's tummy. It was still warm when it was Bailey's turn which made him happy. They wondered if it was a good day for Laura and Carm to have warm glop - they called it soup but it seemed just like chunky glop to the parrots.

https://youtu.be/MdhRhGX3AG4?si=Qx15_6HktY_ZQyD3 (Rainy Day People Gorden Lightfoot)

Chapter 43 Cato and Bailey Hear Geese

For a few days now Cato and Bailey could hear a strange honking sound whenever Laura or Carm opened the door to outside. They could even hear it sometimes when it was quiet in the house. It sounded familiar but they couldn't quite remember what made that sound. Grace told them that Canada Geese make that sound when they are flying in big flocks! She'd even seen them flying overhead in the fall. Laura had told her that the geese were flying south for the winter and that they'd come back in the spring.

The parrots were very excited to hear this as it means that spring is coming! It seemed almost impossible as they could all see that there was still snow on the ground outside, although there were lots of spots where the snow had disappeared. 

Cato wondered if the geese had gone as far south as she and Bailey had gone the year that they all went to Florida as she remembered seeing some out the window when they were there. She wondered if they'd maybe even seen some of the same geese that she heard flying overhead! Bailey thought that it was impossible as it was way too far to fly. The parrots all agreed that flying that far would be difficult and that they'd rather drive in the car to go so far away, and that maybe everyone should go south for the winter where it's warmer out.

https://youtu.be/ZtUDEEBagxk?si=jWlVNkoe6hNCxAVP (Hot hot hot Buster Pointdexter)

Awesome!

"not as much ice accumulation as expected"

"comfort food"

"ice on the trees glinting in the morning sun"

the hills are alive

The hills are alive with the sound of music… well, not the hills but the living room as I belted out favourites from the movie! I never realized how LONG the movie is - it took 2 long days of walking to get through it but time flew as the story unwound. I've seen 'The Sound of Music' countless times, yet there are still scenes that bring a tear to my eye. I got chills when Christoper Plumer sang 'Edelweiss'.

We were blessed with warm sunny weather the last two days, a bit of a break before we are iced over tomorrow…

Chapter 40 Cato and Bailey Watch Golf

The sounds on the TV on the weekend sounded familiar to Cato and Bailey. They could remember hearing the hushed voices when they were at their home with Ruth and John. Cato could see the TV better so told Bailey that it was a golf game. It seemed very boring compared to the movie that they watched with Carm and Pat the night before but they knew that John also liked to play golf so they payed attention so they could see what all the fuss was about.

Cato was surprised to see that there was a little white ball that looked similar to the one she was playing with in her cage that morning. She wondered if the ball on TV was as easy to break as the one she was playing with. Bailey thought that it must be a much stronger ball as it seemed that the men were hitting it with a big stick. Grace asked them if the sticks look like the ones that Carm had brought home a few weeks ago. Laura had called them golf clubs which had confused them as they thought a club was somewhere that people go to be with other people. Cato recalled that John sometimes went to what was called a curling club so they all wondered if the sticks would also be used for curling. Cato said that they were the same sort of sticks as the ones on the TV. 

Grace thought it was crazy to call a stick a club but the parrots all agreed that people sometimes have weird names for things!

The parrots talked amongst themselves wondering if Carm had gone to play golf with his clubs a few days ago when he went out and wondered if it was fun for him. It looked like it was a nice walk outside and it even seemed like it was summer where the TV was showing. They remembered hearing a summer bird just the day before so maybe summer was coming here too and soon they'd be able to go outside.

https://youtu.be/UK8YopKseO4?si=FvJaTWYBlg0hF_mR (Golf Tim Hawkins)

Chapter 41 Cato and Bailey See a Picture of Ruth

It was already in the afternoon and the parrots were sleepy from eating glop when Laura jumped up and ran over to the birds. They were startled and a little surprised that she had her tablet in her hands, but then thought maybe she'd be playing the whistling song that they like so much.

But no! There was no music, instead it was a picture of Ruth! Cato and Bailey were so excited to see the picture which helped them to know that Ruth is okay and that they'll get to see her soon. Laura said that she was outside for the first time in weeks and weeks. They were a bit confused by why this was a surprising thing as they hadn't been outside for ages as well, but then they knew that people went outside at all times of the year, even winter, and sometimes even in a blizzard (which they had only seen from a window). Laura reminded them that Ruth was still recovering and was unable to go outside before today.

Cato whistled and chatted to Bailey, but Bailey wasn't really listening. Instead he was imagining himself seeing Ruth again and thinking how happy he will be. Then he climbed to the top of his cage and hung upside down swinging in happiness.

Laura told Cato and Bailey that it would still be several weeks before they'd see Ruth, but they were okay with that!

https://youtu.be/_JoZS6LgqYI?si=5S6Kfz8vyoIFqJ1i  (You Should Be Dancing Bee Gees)

Awesome!

"warm sunshine"

flood

We are in flood! Nothing to be alarmed about, it happens every year, at least once. Our property has a creek that flows through it which joins the river at the east boundary of our land. In the spring, or after a really heavy few days of rain (it has to be a lot of rain!), the lowlands flood as the watershed empties into the river. In the spring it's quite dramatic and more than a bit scary as the water rushes down like a rushing river. We are sure to keep the dogs far away as it would be instant death if they slipped in… or us for that matter!

In 1992 when we were looking for land to build on, I saw the advertisement for this land, but the ad mentioned that it floods in the spring. I had to put a lot of pressure on Carm to come and see it… the second we pulled into the field we knew it had to be ours, even though the lower part was fully flooded. It was clear that the hayfield and upper areas where we'd build the house  would be safe from flooding, and also that the land drained well with its dips and slopes down to the creek. We'd driven past it a few years earlier before it was for sale and had even pulled off the road to look at it - it was beautiful in the summer! 

We made a full price offer that day! And here we are 34 later!

The clouds came and went all day but we were blessed with sunshine for the visit with Jo Ellen and Don. It's been absolutely ages since they'd been here so it was great to catch up. I got a few things out of the freezer - leftover beef stew, green bean casserole, and even yorkshire puddings were heated up for an easy Sunday lunch  😀 

I wondered how the yorkshire puddings would be after being in the freezer for a few months, but they were great! Maybe not as awesome as fresh from the oven, but certainly acceptable, even for company. I think I'll make them ahead of time going forward as they are a bit fussy right at the end of meal prep and having them already cooked will take some of the pressure off.

After months of barely seeing anyone it's been a busy few days!

OH OH OH! I forgot to mention yesterday that we heard the first red-wing blackbird of the season!

Chapter 39 Cato and Bailey Meet Jo Ellen and Don

Cato and Bailey knew from experience that company was coming and wondered who it would be today. Pat the pet sitter had been here the night before, which they enjoyed as Pat talks very nicely to them and even sings a bit, so they knew it wasn't her. 

They were surprised and pleased that they got to meet new people. Laura told them that she used to work for Jo Ellen many many years ago, in fact, they were amazed to learn that Cato had known Jo Ellen since she was a tiny chick going to work with Laura. Cato could vaguely remember being in a little carrier with her siblings in a cubby under Laura's desk. Laura would take them to a room a few times a day to feed them and clean them up. Laura and Jo Ellen laughed about how many people, even men, would come into the Ladies bathroom to see Cato. Cato thought she must be very important to get so much attention. Bailey wondered why he never got to go to work with Laura but Cato reminded him that he was hatched at Ruth's house so she took care of him when he was a chick.

Laura and Jo Ellen also talked about the times Spike would go to work with Laura and sometimes get to have a nap in the sun spot in Jo Ellen's office. Cato and Bailey remembered Spike from a long time ago when they'd go camping with Laura. Grace told them that Spike had loved Jo Ellen as much as he loved anybody and would get very excited when she'd come to visit him here. 

https://youtu.be/-sVB91NTa4A?si=5UTToAeIaVaGAIcy (Dancing Queen Abba)

The parrots were happy to have visitors as the conversations were interesting and different from when it was just Laura and Carm. Plus the music was playing which they both enjoyed. Bailey thought he might like to sit on Don's lap - Don is Jo Ellen's husband - but Laura wouldn't let him out of his cage because they had their dog Romy with them and she didn't think that it would be safe. 

Awesome!

"visitors for lunch"

"leftovers from the freezer!"

"yorkshire pudding - even heated up from frozen!"

a whirlwind

I'm happy to say that my last post's whinging seemed to do the trick and I'm back to myself again! This time was a quick turn around in mood which I am thankful for. My trip to Ikea on Thursday with Mom and Kirsten was probably a factor! Nothing like time spent with loved ones, and a tasty lunch! I found a few treasures too 😀 

Yesterday we visited with Trudie & Leo after a quick trip into liquidation - I walked out empty handed which rarely happens but Carm was lucky enough to wheel out a new desk chair 😀 His old chair is more duct tape than fabric… well, not fabric, that horrible fake leather stuff that peels. Whoever came up with that material should be forced to live with it in their own homes. Let them vacuum up little bits of 'leather'...

On the drive home from Trudie's we decided that we'd venture out for supper - just the two of us to a local restaurant. We couldn't remember the last time we'd been out to a real restaurant, and not just a drop into fast food, just the two of us. I broke my plant based diet and had a huge chicken breast!

It's cloudy, wait, it's raining today which tells you that we are well above freezing. Yesterday we had sun and cloud, again, slightly above freezing. The wind was cold though.

My day wizzed by… starting with a long walk with Kirsten and then progressing to a few hours in the kitchen. I made some food for the birds, a big batch of airfried tofu, and a roasted vegetable soup which took absolutely ages with all the prep and roasting. Pat joined us for supper - she's a good sport about being served just soup and a few dinner rolls.

I missed two days of stories and have run out of ideas! I was tempted to paste all the existing chapters into Claude AI and have it write the next one! But I won't… that would pretty much defeat the purpose!

Chapter 38 Cato and Bailey Think in Swedish

The morning was a bit weird - Laura was up early and only walked for a short time and then started getting dressed like she was going out. Carm didn't seem to be getting ready for anything so they weren't worried that they'd be left alone but they did wonder where Laura was going.

As she was going out the door to the car, she told everyone that she was meeting her mom and sister at Ikea. They wondered what Ikea was but didn't have to wonder for long as Laura told them that it was a giant store with blue and yellow outside and all sorts of tiny rooms with furniture inside. They thought that it might be interesting to go themselves, but as usual, Laura said they had to stay home.

While Laura was gone, Cato and Bailey enjoyed Carm's company but they were disappointed that he didn't give them glop. They thought that things were better when Laura was around. 

When Laura got home she told them all about the amazing things that she had seen, however, it didn't seem amazing to them at all as there was no mention of toys. Laura showed them some pictures of some of the things she saw. They seemed to have weird names, like 'Hatten' for a table. Bailey was interested to learn that Laura had lunch at the strange place with all the weird names for things. He thought that plant balls and mashed potatoes sounded good, although Cato and Bailey both agreed that the peas didn't sound like something they'd want to eat.

https://youtu.be/C7dPqrmDWxs?si=N1XdM0mr_iZlD3Ay (Happy Pharell Williams)

Awesome!

"dry roads for my trip into the city"

"laneway ice melting"

"chunky soup"

misbehaving

Just when you think you are on a roll… a good roll… my brain misbehaves and slaps me in the face… On Friday I was a bit more tired than usual, then Saturday I could barely lift a coffee to my lips. Weights were out of the question and I only managed 30 minutes of very slow walking before I was done for the day. Mentally, I felt a small dip. I've been getting a bit better physically, although I'm still not great, but my brain has been throwing more negative thoughts at me forcing the mental dip lower and lower. 

Today I deployed emergency meds :-(

I'd been doing great since the first week of January and I guess I should be happy that I cruised along for almost 2 full months. You'd think I'd be used to it but honestly, it just feels like too much and I'm not looking forward to struggling for the next while. I'll keep at it though and remind myself that it is just part of my 'normal' rhythm. 

And that it could be so much worse. And I'll be thankful that my physical health is good and that I'm upright, moving forward with my life. I am thankful, grateful, appreciative even for my good fortune.

I just have to remember to keep moving. I just have to remember how much my brain lies to me.

It is a nice sunny day though!

Chapter 36 Cato and Bailey Remember Old Times

There was much excitement in the house mid morning. Laura had already finished talking while she was walking. The parrots all enjoyed listening to her talk and laugh on the phone, and they debated if it might be better than listening to her sing, but then decided that singing was nice, even if there was no whistling.

Grace had a chance to tell Cato and Bailey about the times when she used to go camping where people from all over would whistle back and forth with her. She told them that she would do one whistle, the people would do the same one back to her so she'd do a different one and they'd whistle that one back! She felt that she missed those days. Also, it reminded her of her friends Spike, Kabira, and Bella that went away because dogs don't live as long as birds. She told Cato that she liked to call Kabira 'Kabirdy' because they were good friends.

Cato and Bailey remembered going camping with Grace too! It made them laugh to recall how much Laura and Ruth would laugh and laugh when they were camping together. Those were fun times although Grace thought that Laura didn't always laugh so much the next day!

Cato and Bailey had a minute to remember their dog friends Sadie and Gus. Grace remembered them too! They were at the cottage when she went to stay with them many years ago. She barely remembered the few times that she saw them here at this house too. Cato and Bailey had forgotten about that and were happy to have that memory. It made them feel more at home to remember that their whole family had been here together.

https://youtu.be/oMVe_HcyP9Y?si=UcQlL48DrQr0nc4y (We are Family - Sister Sledge)

Chapter 37 Cato and Bailey Dance Like Crazy

It was a morning much like every morning. A bit of sun made sun spots on their cages for a while, first breakfast was over, second breakfast was finished, third breakfast was just served. Laura was walking on the treadmill and singing loudly. Cato and Bailey thought walking was a bit like dancing, at least they thought that until later in the morning.

Carm was leaving the house - he said he was going to visit his sister Maria. Cato and Bailey wondered if it was the same Maria that is friends with Ruth, but Laura said that there were two Maria's! After Carm left, Laura put the music on the speaker and started really dancing. When the song about Rasputin played she really started jumping around. Cato and Bailey thought for a moment that she had gone crazy, but Grace reminded them that sometimes she does that. 

https://youtu.be/Nl_Eo2QzqU4?si=0rUXryEHGDy7eOIk (Rasputin Boney M)

The dogs got into the action, leaping and jumping around her. 'Hey hey hey'! Cato and Bailey decided that the song was a good one and could see why Laura was so crazy. They joined in, bopping their heads and swinging upside down from their cage tops. Grace sang along. Everyone went bezerk!

The parrots could see why Laura sometimes walked really fast on the treadmill! Although they couldn't really see the point in walking in one place not getting anywhere at all.

Awesome!

"music"

"egg salad on whole grain sourdough bread"

"signs of spring in the air"

low hanging fruit

It's another sunny day although it was bitterly cold overnight - I think it hit -25C which is more of a mid January temperature and not a March 1st temp! Maybe it was the last cold night of the year! Looking forward at the forecast we have the gamut of weather, including a possibility of freezing rain on Friday - we shall see! 

I haven't made it outside on our trails for a few days as I've been giving myself a bit of a rest but better get out there soon as it looks like the good snow might be finished. I think it was a record number of days of great snowshoeing this year!

I'm really stretching with ideas for stories now!

Chapter 35 Cato and Bailey Listen to Summertime

Everyone was enjoying the music this morning. When 'Summertime' played, Grace recalled the time she was driving with Laura and Carm to the trailer and this song played over and over again! She said that the first few times was fun and that everyone in the car sang along, but then when it kept playing she started to get sick of it!

She was so glad to get to the trailer and out of the car!

Cato and Bailey agreed with Grace that the song might start to be too much, but then Bailey thought that the Whistling song by Roger Whitaker that Laura plays them sometimes was better and that he could listen to that over and over again. The parrots all agreed that it was a much better song but that they actually liked most of the music that Laura played.

For fun, Laura showed the parrots the video with the song and they all had a laugh about the hair of the guy singing! Laura said that it was from many years ago when the style was different - Cato thought the people back then must have been a bit crazy!

https://youtu.be/qwIj_vuxdrQ?si=Zt2Ukcsk6on6AUPy (In the Summertime Mungo Jerry)

I've been spending a few minutes de-trashing the basement every night before bed. I just go and pick up one or two things for the garbage or recycle so slowly but surely things are getting in hand… however my trip down tonight was unproductive as I've done all the easy stuff and now things will start to get hard! I need to rent a tip!

In that vein though, yesterday I posted a 'free' ad on FB for a stack of egg cartons that we've been collecting for months. Two people responded so the cartons went on to do another duty!

Awesome!

"getting inspired by Maria's list of gratitude!"

"the pattern of the shadow of branches on the snow"

"more sun!"

"the cantaloupe is perfectly ripe and sweet"

last day of February

This was all a few days ago, but I seem to be back to bad habits of writing a bit and then forgetting about it! I've been falling behind in my stories for Ruth…

It's another spectacular winter day! Yesterday was a snow day which filled in all of our trails again so we had a good time re-breaking paths this afternoon. It was mild, just -4C, so I just wore a base layer, a flannel shirt, and a down vest. And pants! And a hat which was quickly doffed and carried in my mitts.

Lupa had a hair cut on Tuesday so even with her snowsuit on, seemed a little cold and headed back to the house earlier than I expected. Still, we all managed 20+ minutes of high intensity work out! In the gorgeous sun!

I made a comment a few days ago about the snow starting to change texture… well, there's a tiny crust 10 cm down, but it's barely enough to make a crackle. The rest of the snow is deep and fluffy, except when I manage to find an old path (which are mostly hidden). I can't remember a winter with so many good snow days!

Chapter 33 Cato and Bailey Talk About Dreams

It was a morning like most others and even had a bit of sun. Carm had left the house and Laura was walking on the treadmill chatting with her sister which left time for Cato to tell Bailey about a dream she had last night.

She didn't remember all the details but recalled that she was on a spaceship like the one on Star Trek, a TV show that she enjoys. There were lots of weird aliens and humans, but also parrots. The captain of the ship was a parrot that was like one that she only vaguely remembered, a big blue and yellow parrot with a loud voice. Then the dream turned into a bunch of parrots and aliens singing and dancing! She couldn't remember the exact song, and thought that maybe it was just from her imagination, but it sounded like one that Laura plays every morning.

https://youtu.be/BCGH8eU-_lA?si=32CwvOTb-Q6IOv4B (Here Comes the Sun Beatles)

Bailey said that it sounded like a good dream and Cato agreed. He thought there should have been a picnic involved so planned to have his own dream tonight, but it would have a table full of supper and toast.

It's already Saturday and another warm day that popped up to 6C! The sun peeked out earlier but then the clouds socked in again (and then it cleared again). I may or may not get out on the snowshoes today… I'm having a bit of a rest day today as I'm exhausted! Too many long walks last week I guess. I haven't missed a walking day yet this year but haven't been super consistent with weights… I've put in a heroic effort on the treadmill and walked 116.5 miles which translates to 186.4 kilometers - just in February! Today I just walked for 30 minutes…

I watched a video by one of the doctors that motivated me to eat more of a plant based diet, although I have been eating yogurt & some fish on a regular basis. 

https://youtu.be/R2mevFTWsTM?si=MMu8Cu-8pBjAf3ca (Dr. Gregor)

Chapter 34 Cato and Bailey Try New Pellets

It was a day much like every other day but something had changed in Cato and Bailey's dishes. There were 2 new kinds of pellets mixed in with their current kind! Tiny ones and big stick ones. They weren't sure if they liked them at first, but after trying a few bites, both birds decided that they liked them very much indeed!

They were surprised with the change, but Laura told them that no stores carried their old brand anymore, and that even the distributors had none. For some reason they were no longer sold in Canada. Luckily, Carm found a brand that is available and even made in Canada which Laura said was a good thing. Laura told them that the company that makes the pellets is the same company that their dad was from! They thought this was very interesting.

Cato started gobbling the new pellets, starting with the tiny ones and ending with the big ones that she could hold in her foot. She liked these big ones as they were fun to eat. Bailey agreed! But then Cato thought that maybe they'd be better if they were soaked a bit so started dropping some into her water bowl. Maybe they'd make a great soup?

https://youtu.be/DVx8L7a3MuE?si=K2NG0qsXCymusAMk (Brandy Looking Glass)

Awesome!

"another gorgeous winter day"

"last day of February! Spring is just around the corner!"