chapter 31 & 32

Two new chapters. Not much else going on!

Chapter 31 Cato and Bailey See Clearly

It was another sunny morning with the usual routine. Cato and Bailey enjoyed time out of their cages while Laura and Carm cleaned up and made breakfast. After what seemed like ages to Bailey (he was hungry), they had their breakfast and Laura disappeared into the basement where lots of loud grunting was heard. Laura had told the parrots that she was lifting weights and that it was hard which is why there was so much noise. Cato couldn't imagine making that much noise but then realized that she likes to give big 'whew's as well! Bailey thought that he was better at making those noises. Grace just thought everyone was crazy with so much huffing and puffing.

Later, after Laura was back upstairs and walking on the treadmill she started singing a song over and over again. She told the parrots that this was a song she liked to listen to when she was feeling discouraged because it talked about better days and that sometimes she needed a reminder that a good day will come. Today wasn't a discouraging day for anyone though. Cato and Bailey thought that the song was good for any day and agreed that seeing clearly with blue skies was a good thing.

https://youtu.be/wdJwFd4jv9w?si=hwOkPvyJjcNjd11g (I can See Clearly Now Johnny Nash)

They weren't feeling discouraged because Laura kept telling them that their Mom was getting a bit better every day and that someday soon they'd see her again. This made them feel happy in a contented sort of way. Cato and Bailey agreed that spending time at Grace's house was okay even though they missed their real home. They knew that fretting wouldn't make time go faster and that they had to focus on feeling good every day. Bailey thought it would be easier to feel good every day if Laura and Carm gave him more snacks but then realized that he was still full from third breakfast!

Chapter 32 Cato and Bailey Watch a Haircut

Cato and Bailey were surprised to see Lupa acting so weird. She seemed to be trying to hide, which was not like her at all. Cato wondered what was happening. She could see Carm carrying a big board which Grace said was a grooming table and that some dogs have to get haircuts on it. She told Cato and Bailey that she sometimes had her wings clipped on the same table and that it was really no big deal.

There was a clattering sound coming from the kitchen and they could see Carm and Laura standing around Lupa. They seemed to be standing there for ages but suddenly Laura was carrying Lupa outside and Carm started sweeping with the broom. They were curious about why it took so long to clip Lupa as they knew it only took a minute or two to trim their wings.

It wasn't long before Lupa was running around and the parrots could see why it took so long! All of Lupa's hair was cut short. Cato could barely recognize her. Bailey thought that the hair cut was too short and was glad that he wasn't a dog. He thought Lupa was coloured like the parrots but that it was a shame that Lupa's tail wasn't red like his.

https://youtu.be/1EQyS4Pbmw8?feature=shared  (Barbershop quartet Muppets)

Awesome!

"sunshine at 4:30 peeking into the livingroom still"

"85 days since last haircut"

"last night's lentil & barley soup"

the whistle blows

It was an exciting but ultimately disappointing morning here (really anywhere in Canada)... I watched the hockey game from the treadmill and I'll have to say that my pace was much faster than usual!

We had a bit of snow a few days ago so I got out on the snowshoes yesterday afternoon to start remaking my paths… which had all blown in :-( It was impossible to see where the old ones were so it was a deep and exhausting loop or two. Today I hit the trails again and pounded down another few paths. I thought my heart was going to beat right out of my chest! It was hard work!

Carm had an exciting morning driving to the city to pick up his new golf clubs! He's meeting his buddy tomorrow to test them out 😀 

Chapter 30 Cato and Bailey Watch Hockey

It had been quiet in the house in the morning although the parrots could hear clunking and groaning that sounded like it was coming from downstairs. They were sort of used to it but wondered what the noise was and why Laura always came upstairs huffing and puffing. Cato and Bailey liked to join in with the huffing, they thought it was funny.

Weirdness started when Laura started walking in place on the machine in the livingroom… often she would talk and laugh, sometimes she'd sing out loud, but this morning she was shouting and sometimes even swearing! They couldn't believe their ears! It was weird too as Laura had turned on the TV in the morning which never happens. Soon, Cato realized what the shouting was about - it seemed to be louder when the TV showed a bunch of people chasing a little black dot. Bailey could see it too. Grace asked them what was going on but Cato and Bailey had no idea why this was so exciting. Laura told them that it was a hockey game and that Canada was playing the USA for the gold medal in the Olympics and they all agreed that it was very exciting.

https://youtu.be/F5I_zaqM8LM?si=O3pf_EB8UjAcAW5Q (Hockey Song Stompn Tom Conners)

Everyone, even the dogs, got excited and started shouting along with Laura. It seemed too that Laura was walking faster and faster till she was almost running! It was all too exciting! But then, after quite a long time there was lots of swearing and the TV was turned off. Cato wondered what had happened. Laura told them that Canada had lost the game which they all felt was sad and a bit unlucky for Canada.

Awesome!

"my new walking shoes! I love them!"

"fresh snow"

"watching Lupa power through the deep snow"

"a few minutes of sunshine"

"getting to the number of reps that I was doing in September"

clodhoppers

Shopping is not really my thing, although I do enjoy the occasional trip, especially when I go with Mom or Kirsten, but yesterday it was just Carm helping me with the dreaded shoe shopping… Ugh! I have so much trouble with my feet and lately my good old pair of treadmill shoes has seen their last days. 

I've tried a few new pairs of sketchers that I'd picked up at Costco over the last year but they were not the greatest. The first pair that I tried were the step in kind, but they gave me a blister… The next pair was a slightly different style - no blisters but reasonably uncomfortable. I couldn't even get through an hour without having to change to a pair of sandals which give no support. I have been wondering if I need to take a break from walking :-(

So… first stop, first pair of shoes (Asics) I tried seemed to be good, or at least good enough to bring them home for a few minutes on the treadmill. I tried a bunch of others on but they were awful.

Next store I found a different style/brand (Hoka) that also seemed good so I purchased them too. Yesterday I walked for a bit in each pair - one was okay, the other was great, but I'll try a few minutes again today to confirm - I like the look of one better than the other, and they are also half the price of the Hokas, but they aren't as comfortable. After I tried them, I went back to the black pair of Sketchers and couldn't believe how bad they made my feet feel compared to the two new pairs…

I'll give each pair a few minutes today to confirm! (update: hokas for the win!)

We've been treating ourselves to crispy roasted potatoes a bit lately. I steam them and put them in the fridge overnight so that they change to resistant starch which is good for the microbiome! I toss them with a bit of olive oil and basil garlic salt, smash them onto a baking sheet, spray with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with parm. They go into the airfryer for about 20 minutes to crisp. Today I'll make a tahini garlic lemon sauce to dip them into :-) We'll have some tuna, red pepper, and white beans that have been cooked with mushrooms & peppers. Filling!

Chapter 29 Cato and Bailey Help with Housecleaning

Cato and Bailey wondered who would be coming to the house as It seemed like just a few days ago that Laura and Carm were getting ready for company. It was obvious when the person arrived as Adia and Lupa were running around excited and barking. They were surprised to see that it was Krista the housecleaner again! It had been a month since she was last here but the time had gone by so quickly that it seemed like it was just the other day.

The parrots were glad to see that the dogs had to spend time in their crates too. Cato thought that Krista was nice even though she had the noisy vacuum. Bailey and Grace agreed with her. They found it interesting to see her run her cloth over all the surfaces, picking up their discarded toy parts and bits of pellets. Laura and Carm did that every day but it seemed to always need to be cleaned.

They were glad that Laura and Carm didn't go away again as they get a bit bored and run out of things to say to each other. They wished that the people would leave the music playing while they left the house so they didn't have to hear the dogs howling so much. They couldn't decide which was their favourite song although they did agree with Laura that the Eagles were a good band.

https://youtu.be/gWVDjgC0NVA?si=y70Kx9o6rY7yuJSF  (Peaceful Easy Feeling Eagles)

Awesome!

"finding shoes to try"

"another sunny day and dry roads for the drive into the city"

"crispy tofu"

chapters 27 and 28

I've fallen behind in posting again! I guess we've been a bit busy the last few days! Sunday afternoon Mom and Dad popped by for a visit. Tuesday we went to Marie's to celebrate Jerina's birthday. Today we visited Trudie & Leo and did a quick shop at liquidation. I found a burgundy long woolish coat for $20! It's not a full on winter coat, more for the shoulder seasons. I have a good parka (it's like being in a teddy bear), and a shorter puffer jacket, but nothing dressy. I think it will be nice for shopping and going out for lunch!

The warm weather, aided by a bit of freezing rain, has completely changed the snow. It's now got a hard crust that supports Lupa's weight so she's been zooming everywhere. It was nice having her contained within our labyrinth of snowshoe paths! 

Chapter 27 Cato and Bailey Meet Laura's Mom and Dad

Cato and Bailey were surprised when Laura and Carm started getting the house ready for company again. After days and weeks of hardly any company it seemed impossible that there were people coming again on Sunday since Laura's aunt Kari had been there just the night before.

The parrots were interested to meet Laura's Mom and Dad as they remembered the Christmas tree that Laura had told them was decorated for Valentines Day. They thought that Grace's grandma would bring toys for them but were disappointed that there were none. Laura had showed them the picture of the tree and it was covered with toys, including ducks. They thought it was very unfair for a tree to have all those toys while they had none.

They didn't really have no toys - their cages were filled with various things, but they thought the ones on the tree looked especially fun. In fact, Bailey had gotten a new rope perch just the day before and was already taking it apart! Laura said it was an old perch of Grace's that had a broken end but Bailey thought it was perfect for disassembling!

https://youtu.be/jv-pYB0Qw9A?si=6lcy8AOa4XJ7pLJ3 (happy Pharell Williams)

Cato thought that it was nice to have people talking and laughing, it made her want to laugh too. Bailey agreed, but thought there could have been food and treats involved!

Chapter 28 Cato and Bailey Remember Their Vacation

The house was quiet again in the afternoon on Tuesday. Laura and Carm had gone to celebrate their friend's birthday leaving the animals to look after the house. The parrots could hear Lupa and Adia howling in the bedroom and were glad that Laura had shut the door to the hall so it wasn't quite so loud. When the dogs were finally quiet, the parrots were able to talk amongst themselves.

Cato reminded Bailey about the big adventure that they'd had many years ago. They remembered driving in the car for a long long time, it seemed that they'd never get there. They were used to short drives to see family, and even a few times to stay with Laura and Carm but those were only one hour long drives. This drive was hours and hours long for a few days. They even had to sleep in a strange room. Bailey remembered that they'd gone to Florida which was in another whole country.

Cato and Bailey told Grace that they needed a special passport and other papers in order to cross into the other country. They thought they must be very important to have papers like that. Cato remembered that they were CITES papers because Cato and Bailey are an endangered species.

The adventure was a long time ago, so they couldn't remember many details but did recall seeing Ruth's friend Donna which was a surprise as they'd only seen her at their house and didn't expect to see her so far away. Ruth told them that Donna lived in Florida so it made sense to them.

It seemed that they'd been talking for ages when finally Laura and Carm came home in time to feed them their supper.

Awesome!

"fun party at Marie's"

"finding a cute long coat at liquidation"

"Trudie's cat's incredible yellow eyes"

"airfried tofu chunks"

two days of stories

We've had a few warmer days which is starting to affect the quality of the snow… instead of soft and fluffy drifts, there is now a crust of icy snow on top. Good for stopping the snow from blowing around so much but not as nice for snowshoeing. Still good, just not amazing! There's a potential for freezing rain overnight tonight which will really ruin things. But the weatherman has been wrong before!

It's been a busy few days with a trip into the city to celebrate Dad's birthday, which included a lovely lunch at 'Red Lobster', a supper visit with Kari, and a visit from Mom and Dad here yesterday afternoon (I'll talk about that tomorrow - it will be my story idea!).

Chapter 25 Cato and Bailey See a Ukelele

It was another quiet day for the parrots on Friday as Laura went away to her parents house to celebrate her father's birthday. She told them that it was a big birthday for him Cato and Bailey remembered that it was too cold to go in the car still but they really wanted to see the Christmas tree at Laura's mom's house. Laura told them that it was decorated for Valentines Day and that she'd take a picture for them to see.

Carm stayed home with them but didn't play any music and didn't give them their glop so they were starving at supper time! Laura was home before supper though but they weren't worried about that as they knew that Carm is the one who makes their meals.

When Laura came home she had something weirdly shaped in her hands which made music. Laura told them it was a ukulele which is like a tiny guitar. They loved it when Laura strummed it to make more notes. They thought that it would be really nice to hear a song, but she said she'd have to wait for Pat to give her some lessons before she could make good sounding notes. Cato thought it sounded okay without it being a song. Bailey wanted to try it himself but Laura said no, that his beak would break the strings. Bailey thought that he could be careful but nobody else thought he'd be careful enough and that maybe he'd think for a second that it was a boing to be taken apart!

Chapter 26 Cato and Bailey Meet Laura's Aunt

Cato and Bailey had come to recognize when Laura and Carm were getting the house ready for company so they weren't too surprised when the dogs started barking on Saturday night around supper time. They'd already had their supper but were curious to see what second supper might be.

They were surprised to learn that Kari was Laura's aunt, even though she is younger than Laura by several years. Cato remembered some of her human aunts and uncles that would come to the cottage to see them. Bailey thought about how much fun it was when they had a big gathering and was looking forward to next summer when there would be parties again.

The people stayed in the kitchen for quite a while while Laura tried to make supper. Bailey heard her swearing a few times but didn't think he'd say those words himself (although he used to!). When second supper was ready the parrots each got a spoon of pasta with a weird sauce, not the one Laura usually makes. They didn't think it was very good. Cato thought it was pretty terrible to serve company such horrible food.

Cato and Bailey were having a good time listening to the conversations plus the music was playing which they both enjoyed very much. Cato can't help but whistle along, while Bailey whoops and shouts. Or is it the other way around? 

https://youtu.be/HasaQvHCv4w?si=ZBQrMeNCoW_v2t9M (Dancing in the Street Bowie & Jagger)

They were surprised that Laura wasn't dancing around with the music playing but realized that she doesn't usually when there are other people over.

Awesome!

"surprise visit with Mom and Dad!"

"still good snowshoeing"

"steak dinner"

lucky day

Friday the 13th, or should I say 'Lucky Friday the 13th!' as that was the day, oh so many years ago, that my father was born! It was a picture perfect winter day with bright sunshine and warmer temperatures. I was lucky enough to have dry roads on my way into the city to wish him a happy birthday and join him, Mom, and Kirsten for a luscious lunch at Red Lobster!

I meant to take a photo with him but stupidly forgot :-(

Chapter 24 Cato and Bailey Remember Their Tricks

It seemed that it would be a long and boring afternoon but suddenly Laura started laughing. She jumped up to show the parrots what she was laughing at. Cato and Bailey were surprised to see their sister Shadow on the video. They'd never met her in person but knew that she lived with Laura and Ruth's friend Maria. Shadow was the same age as Cato but was hatched later in the same summer.

https://youtu.be/uXlpSGyPGB4?si=TNlu0P7OD-j5-Cv4 (Shadow sorting blocks)

Grace was amazed at Shadow's skill in putting the right blocks into the right holes. She thought that if she was given a chance she could do it too. She remembered years and years ago that sometimes she'd do a trick of putting a toy into a dish.

Adia and Lupa watched too. Adia reminded Lupa that they had a toy a bit like Shadow's except that they'd have to flip lids to open compartments with treats. They hoped that Laura would be reminded of that toy so they could practice later in the day.

Cato reminded everyone that she used to do some pretty awesome tricks too! She remembered pulling a little wagon and playing with blocks. Sometimes she'd pull up a bucket that might have a treat. Her best trick though was lying on her back. Grace couldn't believe that Cato would do that! Laura showed her a photo of Shadow watching Cato on the video - it didn't look like Shadow thought it was a good trick.

The parrots were sad to remember that Shadow had gone to bird heaven before Christmas but knew that they felt her presence sometimes when they were worried.

Awesome!

"Dad's birthday lunch!"

a routine day

I've missed a few days of posting stories so I'll bombast you with two. I don't have anything in the back of my mind for tomorrow so if you have ideas please float them over to me!

The bitter cold has left, maybe for the winter? Today the sun is shining again and I believe it's warming up to the single digits - minus that is! It's nice, but I hope it doesn't warm up too much as the snow is spectacular these days! Perfect for venturing out on the snowshoes. I got out there for a short walk on Tuesday, but yesterday I was too exhausted from the indoor exercise to even put my lined pants on, and certainly not enough energy to wrangle the dogs into their snowsuits! Today the fresh snow beckons!

I was thinking about how well Cato and Bailey have settled in and I think part of it is we have a fairly set routine so everyone knows what to expect when. Both Carm and I are big routine people, which served us very well during our working years. We had morning and evening chores figured out to the minute. We divided and conquered! We've kept it up during our retired years too… I'm not sure, but I believe it helps me, especially when I'm struggling. Knowing what has to be done when, keeps me moving when I need to and ensures that the mandatory tasks get done. The animals know what to expect so I think they are less stressed, although maybe they are more stressed when we have to break the routine.

I am mentally less flexible though which obviously has its drawbacks…

Chapter 22 Cato and Bailey Say Hi to Ruth

It was a normal day, much like every other one since Cato and Bailey arrived at Laura and Carm's house. They felt settled in and were used to the routine so nothing much surprised them. They'd heard Laura talking on the phone to someone (Grace said it was Laura's sister Kirsten) for a long time in the morning, but they were used to this and didn't pay much mind to the chatter.

A bit later in the morning Laura started talking to someone else and she seemed happy and a bit excited so they were wondering who she was talking to. They could barely hear through the phone, but then they heard Ruth's voice! They were very excited and amazed to see Ruth on the screen. Cato and Bailey were so happy to see her! They could see that she wasn't feeling well but Laura told them that she was on the mend. They were very happy to hear that!

Later, Laura talked to Maria, who is also Ruth's friend. She shared a song that she likes which the birds thought was a fine song. They hoped that Laura would play it often. They wondered if Maria was also a musician but Laura said she wasn't sure. Cato thought that anyone who plays music, even on their phone, must be some sort of musician or maybe a magician to be able to make the beautiful notes play.

https://youtu.be/U8QhB8_0t2g?si=RygejwWxR2C8Qinm (Mystical Magical Benson Boone)

All in all, it was a very good day for everyone!

Chapter 23 Cato and Bailey Wonder About Swimming

This afternoon Laura played a new song which everyone thought was a grooven tune. The parrots liked to sing along while the dogs danced at Laura's feet. Laura told them that the name of the singer is 'Teddy Swims' which they thought was a weird name and wondered if he swam in the lake like Ruth does in the summer.

https://youtu.be/JXAWPz8BwD0?si=D-dKQG8hg2O7F-mA

Cato and Bailey liked to think about swimming in the lake, although they never had done it themselves. They thought that it was like a giant bathtub but way too big for little birds. They'd seen other birds swimming in the water - Ruth had told them that they were ducks and had special feet to help them in the water. Bailey wondered how the ducks would hold their food if their feet were so weird. Cato reminded Bailey about the canary who used to live with them. He didn't use his feet at all to eat. Bailey thought it was strange, but figured that at least they didn't get sticky feet. Cato agreed as she didn't like to get her feet sticky, unless of course it was peanut butter toast!

With thoughts of swimming on their minds, all the birds dunked their heads in their water bowls to splash some water!

Oh, remember I mentioned skipping… I'll preface this to say 'GETTING OLD SUCKS'! It seems that I pulled something in my chest so I'm gimping around a bit. I only skipped for 30 seconds!!!

Awesome!

"video chat with Ruth"

"fresh snow on the paths"

"another day of sun! After November, December, and part of January under heavy cloud cover, the sun days have been fantastic!"

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!"