BIG DAWG AND FREEWAY*

a day filled…..

2012-02-14T06:09:00.001-08:00

may your day be filled with love..

and flowers…

and chocolate…

Here’s wishing all of you in blog-ville a very happy Valentine’s Day..may you be surrounded by those you love!!

Staying focused…

2012-02-04T19:42:00.001-08:00

The long days of winter can be cold, wet and white…

Today on the other hand was a day filled with sunshine, blue skies and warm temperatures..one may even call it ‘balmy’!..hardly a normal February day..

and the best thing about today was the fact that Doug has the weekend off..after working the whole month of January with only three days off..it was time for some fun..

We headed east towards Abbotsford and the RV show at the Tradex..

…filled with anticipation..more tire kicking and cupboard door slamming was in our future..whoo hooo…!

We paid our admission…$7 each…two coupons..for a dollar off…what a deal..

The place was packed with everything a RV’er could dream about…even my parents were there ‘dreaming right along with us…’

We meandered the aisles..perusing a few of the fifth wheels…and the motorhomes…did anything really strike our fancy?…

not really…sure there was some very nice rigs..too nice for the ‘bus load of dog and cat hair we are going to have’..

Within two hours we were back in the car…heading for the cheap gas at Costco…..$1.12 a liter…$4.21 a gallon for our American friends..

…all that tire kicking made us hungry so we headed to..

..lunch was delicious..sure have to love when salad, bread, main course, dessert and tea or coffee are included in the price..

..one more RV stop for us ..we continued east towards O’Connor Rv in Chilliwack to have a look at a new 2012 Bounder…

..sure is hard to stay focused…so many motorhomes and so much time to look and dream…

..it is difficult to want something … you can picture it in your mind..now we just have to make it happen…

One day at a time…our ‘afternoon date’…draws to a close as we head west towards home..both lost in our own thoughts…wishing and hoping…

..onwards to the reality of our life for now…as we say so long to the white capped mountains…

Tucker is waiting patiently at daycare…

..we are holding on tight to our dream…

Dead calm?

2012-01-28T00:37:00.001-08:00

Is my blog ‘dead in the water?

Is it just lying dormant?

Or maybe just ‘hibernating’ till spring?

Or is it on ‘hiatus’

hi·a·tus/ hīˈātəs/

Noun:

A pause or gap in a sequence, series, or process.

What ever I want to call it…and it seems there are a few names for having no ‘action’ or ‘re-action’ what so ever…

This blogger has been inactive in the writing and the reading/commenting department this month…

No real reason..just focusing on life in general…and taking a break from the land of computers.

My view every night after dinner has been this…

I have been enjoying my new/old hobby..the art of creating something with my own two hands is quite enjoyable….

the blanket is growing slowly as I knit away the winter doldrums..

so much so that I have two projects on the go now…

My second project is called the ‘potato chip’ scarf…

so as you can see rather than sitting at the computer in the evening…

I am enjoying my new found interest…

that is of course until camping season is upon us again..and for that we are counting down the months…

soon our beloved ‘Little Dawg’ will be freed from his underground enclosure..

and our 2012 camping season will begin…

A wintery weekend?

2012-01-15T01:13:00.001-08:00

Now we all know that it is mid-January..but here on the west coast of British Columbia the weather has been more spring like than winter…

That was until today…

this morning I opened the blinds..and viola…

oh sure I know it is only a minimal amount of the white stuff…but it is white still the same..the skies were gray and the snow was still falling…

A wet and slippery morning…

Me?..I stayed inside….the windex, paper towel, swiffer, Mr. Clean and the dirty laundry were calling my name…

I had ignored the housework long enough, time to get at it..

Within a few hours…all the inside chores were done…and the view outside was much better…perfect blue sky…

Tucker and I headed to the park so he could chase the ball..the bright orange ball should be easy to find in the white snow..at least one would think so?…

It was not so easy…after a few throws I managed to lose sight of the ball..buried in the snow..and the nose of our boy was not working as well as it should have!!

He did manage to finally sniff it out…after much circling and back- tracking..he had success!!

”who me?..I didn’t lose my ball..I knew where it was the whole time?”..just having some fun!!!

..a cold winter day is a perfect day to sit by the fireplace and re-teach one’s self how to knit?..

Google is the best for learning how to …cast on…knit and purl…

oh, sure I have knitted before …maybe 27years ago..

a new found/old hobby…

..soon this ‘scarf’ will be a blanket…only eight more balls of wool to go…maybe it will be done by the summer?

inside the ‘vortex’

2012-01-11T21:28:00.001-08:00

January is almost half over…there have been no pictures taken..that was until this morning…

I was riding on the sky train..plugged into my ipod..oblivious to the surroundings..that was until I glanced out the window…

The sunrise was an amazing array of pinks and blues..but I had no camera..only the one on my phone…

..not bad for a cell phone photo….so pretty …too bad I had to go into work..would have been a great day to keep on riding the train to the end…going for a walk on the seawall at Stanley Park..

..and then maybe take the little ferry over to Granville Island..

but it was not too be…work was calling..this picture perfect day was going to have to be seen from inside the ‘vortex’!…

The only view I really liked today that I saw was…

my feet up on the coffee table …lunches are made..dinner is ready to go…time to relax after yet another day at work…

onwards to Thursday…soon the weekend will be here…

…maybe it will be a picture taking opportunity….

The power of words…

2012-01-06T20:46:00.001-08:00

“If someone were to pay you 10 cents for every kind word you ever spoke and collect from you 5 cents for every unkind word, would you be rich or poor?”

Some words make you feel good while others can ‘cut to the quick’..

Blogging has brought out a side of me that I did not know even existed..some traits are good and some not so good..

Once a post is complete..oh sure it can be deleted or ‘tweaked’ if you don’t quite like how it sounds…

Writing a blog puts your life out there in the land of technology for all to read… It can be a slippery slope..and it is a chance you take…

You may get some who feel that they can say whatever they want… which is fine..we all cannot agree…

I have been pushed down the slippery slope a few times..the constructive criticism can be very helpful to make me realize what is truly important…

So for me it is time for a re-evaluation of this blog…

I have come to the conclusion that the blogging stats are not important..

Never mind how many followers, posts or comments..none of that is of any importance…

Even if no one read or commented I would still blog..

This is my virtual scrapbook…a memory book on line..lightweight and easy to pack when the time comes…

I am going to expand my creative writing skills all the while living our lives…

So for 2012 and beyond…living my life is the most important thing …

I have given myself a good talking too and for once I am going to listen..

Time to expand my horizons..pick up a new hobby or maybe an old one…

Not to worry Bigdawg and Freeway will still be alive and well…but just in a different way…

Priorities in life

2012-01-03T21:51:00.001-08:00

My life is filled with what I deem to be my priorities..

my husband
my daughter
my family
my pets
my friends
my peace of mind
my happiness
my dreams

Is this the right order for me?..or should my happiness come first?..and then my peace of mind and then all the others will fall into place where they belong?

life is indeed too short …to be wasted worrying about what others are thinking or are doing…

We are all individuals with our own thought processes and our own ‘crosses to bear’..

We have no idea what is going on inside someone else’s head unless they are going to share..

I am not a mind reader…and never claimed to be one…

I have spent most of my life always worrying about what someone else thinks of me….

did I say or do the wrong thing?
have I offended someone?

if I have, I will apologize?

Is that a sign of weakness or is it a sign of needing to be liked?….

People come into our lives..some stay forever and others move on….so be it…

As we embark on a new year…I am re-evaluating my list of priorities…

BC Jeep Club…

2012-01-02T20:30:00.000-08:00

December 27th 2011

A four wheeling Jeep day for Doug and the boys from the Jeep club…

It was a rainy wet day..a typical December day…post Christmas and pre- New year’s adventure …I did not go along on this muddy, snowy ride…..

just the boys and their toys…

lots of jeeps and even one from California…the pretty yellow one…

..Doug said this jeep didn’t last too long..the driver took one look at where they were heading and high tailed it back to the pavement..My guess would be is that he is use to sunny California skies..not the grey, rainy, snowy weather of the west coast…

..so pretty…with the snow on the trees…

..these BC Jeep Club boys are very adventurous…

out of the snow…and into the rain and the mud….note the umbrella…only in British Columbia do you see that??!!!

and yes..that is the road..looks more like a river to me..but what do I know??…

jeeps doing what jeeps are meant to do…at least we know that no one can call our jeep a ‘pavement princess’…or a ’mall crawler’…

..Doug made it home safely…just dirtier than when he left home!!

A dirty jeep is a ‘happy jeep’…nothing like getting some ‘mud or snow on the tires’!!!

Paw-ty all night….

2012-01-01T20:03:00.001-08:00

Our New Year’s eve was a quiet one..a couple of glasses of wine and some appetizers..and we were in bed before the stroke of midnight..

…but our four-legged boy was a ‘paw-ty animal….a New Year’s eve Paw-ty for all the poochies at Uptown Dawg…

And the ‘dogs’ know how to ‘paw-ty’…

First there was time for a few head shots..dressed in their New Year’s eve finery..

..and then they ‘paw-t-ied’..

and our Tucker was even trying to sneak a ‘kiss’ in before midnight?..

..the ‘dawgs’ are getting sleepy…

..is the ‘paw-ty’ over?..

…. a ‘bed full of ‘paw-ty animals’..here is a close up..note where our boy is resting his head?

..now you know of course if you ‘paw-ty’ all night?…

…you will sleep all day…

Rest well Tucker, you ‘paw-ty animal’!!!

2011 Recap…

2012-01-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

2011 is almost over..another year closer to 2014…what were the highlights of this year?

January…

we spent the weekend visiting our friends Harry and Elaine MacFarlane at Maderia Park on the Sunshine Coast.

and the first winner of the Olympic mitten contest too

and then I won the Chocolate Cheerioes from Paul and Marti…

the year started off on a good note..now the shortest month of the year..February..

was filled with our daughter moving to Maple Ridge…I was a winner again..of a Streets and trips from Rick and Paulette..but the real highlight of the month was the meeting of the class of 2014…we spent two nights in the company of Steven and Linda…in their beautiful home in Sammamish, Washington..

we had a lovely visit spending time in their lovely home by the lake…going to the Rv Show in Seattle, Pike Place market and the Snoqualmie Falls…

We only hope that one day they will venture north to British Columbia so we can show them the same hospitality!!

spring has sprung …the grass has riz…March is here..

the month of March was pretty uneventful…we spent almost a week cleaning the condo next door for our friends..it was a lovely mess…

in comparison to ours…

we also found a contender in our quest to find our ‘home on wheels' for 2014…

even as I write this almost twelve months later..this is one we still like…

April…showers …

well..it started off with the dreaded anonymous with regards to stinkin’ pancakes and went from there…

I hit a comment milestone..and the winner of yet another pair of Olympic mitts was the Bayfield Bunch..

..my favourite post this month was titled ‘unconditional love’..and we all know who the subjects were…

so after April showers..comes May flowers…and a meeting of bloggers…

we spent the night over on Vancouver Island and visited with Rick and Paulette..everyone’s ‘go to guy’ in blogville!!!

the other highlight of the month of May was our ‘camping trip’..

it was more of a lowlight in the grand scheme of things but it was a lesson learned..

June was filled with with a whole lot of nothing…only eight posts for the whole month..blogger’s block was the theme …although we did take a day trip to Porteau Cover..

July was our time for summer vacation..and blogger meetings!!!…the Oregon coast for two weeks…

We met Russ and Donna Krecklow in Eugene, Oregon..

and then it was on to Port Orford, Oregon..

and Gordon and Juanita and ‘Abby’ Pierce..

we had two glorious weeks in on the Oregon coast!..

on the way home we met up with Dave and Carol Krajcar, in Vancouver, Washington..they treated us to a delicious lunch and some great conversation..once again meeting a fellow blogger is like meeting an old friend!!

once we arrived home we thought this month couldn’t get any better…then we made a purchase…

our beloved ‘Little Dawg’!!!..welcome to the family!!!

the summer was going by very quickly and we were busy getting our little house on wheels ready to use…

August we used our little trailer a few times ..making one trip to Mount Vernon, Washington…another meeting of bloggers..Judy and Everett Ross..

new friends that we felt like we have known them forever!!..we had a lovely visit and wished it could have been longer..my ‘blogging sister’…~~hugs to you my friend~~

..This month was filled with visits too…yet another meet and greet at Monck Park in Merrit….Doug and Toni Laird..fellow BC’ers!!

we had yet another lovely weekend..roughing it in the heat of the Nicola Valley!!..a new found favourite campground!!!..every campsite has a view of the lake!..can’t get much more perfect than that!!

September..back to work..

but wait..one more weekend….this one was our last with our little pop-up trailer for 2011…

and then our lovely daughter moved into the condo next door…

and finally there was a family dinner with the guests of honour being my aunt and uncle from Germany..

October was a month filled with work ..walks on the dyke and a blog nomination!!

November..the highlight so far this month ..being my least favourite month of the year..

is the Radial Head Fracture that Carlie suffered with…

I can only hope that there will be a better highlight?..no this was it…more like a ‘lowlight for her’…

December…

the month with a controversial post with regards to ‘what was deemed a generalization of what I call the ‘now generation’..

It just proved that we are not all the same and we don’t all agree..we can agree to disagree and move on…

..Christmas arrived …ready or not…

..a day filled with presents, food, fun and family…

and one last meet and greet for the year 2011….our lucky number 13…

Allen and Lolita DuGuay..

..I wonder who we will meet in 2012?

What was MY favourite post this past year?..

I like the one titled ‘the shoes of life’..it was an ‘off the cuff’ kind of post that was developed from an email my Dad sent…

2011..how many miles did we travel??..give or take a few side trips while we were on vacation..

from January to mid-July…3574 kilometers..

and then from mid-July till December…2447 kilometers..

for a grand total of 6021 kilometers or 3742 miles..all in the name of seeing this beautiful country that we live in!!

So there you have our re-cap of 2011…

Happy New Year to all of you in blog-ville..may 2012 bring you good health, happiness and safe travels!!..may our paths cross one day soon!!

Cheers to you all!!..thanks for following along with Bigdawg and Freeway!!..we hope that 2012 will be blog-worthy!!!!!

Thirteen

2011-12-31T17:24:00.001-08:00

As the year 2011 draws to a close today we are heading out this afternoon for the final meet and greet of 2011….hard to believe that we are at 13 bloggers already…

Each blogger we have met has been like meeting an old/new friend..and we are sure that #13 will be like all the others before…

Lucky # 13 on our blogger meet ups??

Well..it is Allen and Lolita from Corona, California..

We are meeting at the Olive Garden in Langley…a favourite restaurant of ours and theirs…

armed with our token gift for our new ‘blogging friends’..

We dropped Tucker off at his favourite place..for a New Year’s eve “paw-ty’!! ..and then we headed towards Langley..

Allen and I had spoken on the phone on Thursday night to confirm the lunch date…We waited outside for a bit..it seems that the directions they had gotten had them a bit ‘lost’

Doug was thinking..oh no..the number 13..were they actually going to show up?

But a few minutes later they arrived..the #13 is once again a lucky number…

We all headed inside the restaurant and we were seated and chatting in no time…the subjects ranged from life, working, rv purchasing/rentals, kids, travelling , blogging and bloggers…not to worry it was all good, of course…

Our thirteenth meet and greet was a success.. I really had no doubt that it would be…

Another set of new ‘friends’..our list is growing….

Some have said.. ‘won’t you be lonely when you hit the road?’..and our reply is..’not a chance we have ‘friends’ all over the country’…

Thanks for taking the time to meet with us, Allen and Lolita!..we hope that our paths will cross again, one day soon..

Safe travels to you as you head south towards home and sunny California..

and thanks for treating us to lunch and the bottle of wine!!!

Cheers to you both!!!

‘Bear’ naked?’

2011-12-30T21:40:00.001-08:00

When I was growing up the family tradition at Christmas time was not to take the tree and all the decorations down until January 7th…Ukrainian Christmas…I was told it was bad luck…??

Never being one to stick to the old tradition..we made our own..or rather I did..I just liked the idea of starting the new year off with a clean house..void of all the Christmas Clutter..

So this afternoon was the day for the ‘major clean up’…

First I brought out the bins…

..then it was time for every thing to get ‘naked’!!..even the sundeck railing….you first..

..so long Christmas tree..you were pretty while you were ‘dressed’…but into the box you go….

..banished to the bins for you, my pretties…till next year.…and down to the storage locker you will go…

..it is time for semblance of ‘normal’…

..the ‘bears are back’..

and the ‘office’ even looks sort of organized…

..the dining room nice and tidy..

..and the living room looks so big now…’bear’ naked’…

..now we are ready for 2012..but we have one more adventure tomorrow…

..Lucky thirteen??

Life lessons…

2011-12-27T21:07:00.001-08:00

There are many life lessons that I have learned over the years…

eat your vegetables
be polite
say please and thank you
hold the door for someone
mind your manners
wipe your feet before coming inside
if you don’t have anything nice to say..keep your opinions to yourself

These are some rules that I do try and abide by..but you know of course some days you wind up in the ‘dawg house’..

now speaking of the ‘dawg house’…

I found the ‘15 rules of life’ that we can learn from our four legged friends on the internet today..and thought that I would share them with all of you…

‘ clean your plate..

All too often we let our food go to waste, throwing out wilted vegetables and days-old leftovers. No canine worth his or her chunks and gravy would ever let such a thing occur! Learn from your pooch and lick that plate clean. Just make sure you portion properly before eating every last kibble and bit!

take naps..

We live in a fast-paced society that doesn't value the power of unplugging. Learn from your dog and take some zzz's to replenish. Napping is heart-healthy and may also help you learn. Maybe it's time to try that new trick after all!

sniff it out…

Whether it's a new business deal or a potential mate, the power of research cannot be underestimated. The first thing our furry friends do when they meet each other is sniff to approve. Learn from your dog and don't jump into any commitments without first sniffing out the situation. If it smells fine, it's OK to play.

see your partner with new eyes..

Ever feel invisible to your partner but not your dog? Learn from your pooch and welcome your honey home with lots of excitement. Who wouldn't want to be greeted by a jumping, kissing, tail-wagging lover? Your partner will feel appreciated, and you will benefit from practicing seeing him or her with new eyes.

find something you love and do it over and over again..

Just like dogs can play fetch all day, find something you love and start doing it --over and over! Not only will it be a lovely joy-trigger each time, but you'll also get better at your passion the more you practice.

breathe deeply…

While canines pant to regulate their body temperature, we too can create balance by remembering to breathe deeply -- in and out. It might not make you any cooler, but doing so can regulate our emotional temperature and bring us some much-needed stress release.

speak up…

Why did your pooch just bark? Whether it's to warn you of a foreign invader (falling leaves count!) or to tell you something (most likely that they are hungry), our furry friends speak up. So listen to your instincts and tell someone how you feel and what you need -- you might just get it!

learn to receive..

For many of us it's easier to "do" than to "be." pooches know how to give love, but also how to receive it! Instead of doubting your self-worth and keeping love at arms-length, practice receiving it in all its many forms. It may even feel better than that belly rub your pooch asks for!

know who you are..

Whether your dog is named Charlie, Munchkin or Mo, your pup quickly learns its name. And whenever that name is uttered, you-know-who will come running over. Explore who you are -- when you find it you will recognize yourself (hint: it might not just be your name!). Learn from your pooch and know who you are. Then let your freak flag fly!

take lots of walks..

pooches know how to laze around the house, but they also know how to get up and move their bodies. Take a walk a day with (or without) a friend, and enjoy the benefits of the outdoors.

drink lots of water…

dogs know that they need to drink water after they've exerted themselves. This simple act is true for us too. Keeping hydrated is healthy for your body and your mind. So drink up, the water's fine!

go ahead and get dirty…

Don't over think it! Want to join in? Just do it. Like the dog park, the world is filled with many games -- some cleaner than others. If you want to play, go get dirty!

shake it off…

Stuff happens. Whether you're caught in a physical or emotional storm or simply had to do something you don't enjoy (not another bath!) shake it off and move forward. The sooner you can do so, the sooner you can forget all about it!

good looks will get you anywhere…

Did your dog steal a lick of ice cream out of your bowl? Or perhaps ripped your favorite shoes to shreds? While you might be tempted by anger, most likely you will eventually look at your furry friend with love and forgiveness. Learn from your pooch! Play up your cuteness-factor -- it can get you out of difficult situations!

don’t hold grudges…

Know that crushed look that crosses your pooch's face when you say "no" in a stern tone? A few moments later it's like they have forgotten. When we become permeable like a pup, we can experience our feelings then move forward. This way we can enjoy the new moment instead of reliving past pain.’

So for me, after reading these 15 life lessons from a dog’s perspective..time for a little re-evaluation of my own life lessons…..

time for a nap.. have a drink of water…shake it off and then I am going to fly my own ‘freak flag’..and find out who I really am!!

This is why I ___?

2011-12-27T08:39:00.000-08:00

What is the definition of ‘family?’

fam·i·ly/ˈfam(ə)lē/

Noun:

A group consisting of parents and children living together in a household

The Christmas season brings most families together…

Most of us are fortunate enough to have family to spend some quality time with over the holidays..

I am the first one to admit that I have the unrealistic desire to have what is deemed the perfect ‘Hallmark Christmas’..

The perfect tree, perfectly wrapped gifts, perfectly presented dinner and everyone getting along..

Our family consists of my parents, and my sister and her boyfriend, daughter and son-in-law, my brother and his son..and the three of us..

We are a small group of very different people but we come together for the common goal of spending quality time together at Christmas…

Oh, sure we have had our moments over the years but on the whole we do get along and this year was no exception..

We laughed like we have never laughed before..the discussions centered around the family history..and as each tale was told we all said the same line?

‘This is why I ____?’

A lovely evening spent with the only people in the world who truly understand ‘why we ___?

Cheers to my family!..no family is perfect…we agree to disagree and move on…

‘Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family: Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.’
Jane Howard

I do believe I am on Christmas stuff overload…my mind is going in every different direction..…I am starting to repeat myself….

time for some retail therapy…

this is why I _____!…

I could fill in the blank with a different word everyday depending on the situation or the mood!..

last day of a four day weekend..where has the time gone!..

On this day three years ago?..our ‘golden boy’ arrived home…our lives have been enriched because of him!..

This is why I _____?

It’s a wrap…

2011-12-25T23:17:00.001-08:00

Or is it an ‘unwrap?’…..

Christmas morning was spent at Carlie’s..armed with our coffee and steamed vanilla milk we went over to see what ‘Santa’ had left for all of us…

with the ‘fireplace’ going on the TV..we had everything unwrapped..making quick work of all those pretty packages!!

Christmas breakfast was the standard..eggs benedict with a few potatoes on the side…delicious as always!!!

..even Oliver was wondering what was up this morning!!

..not exactly a normal Sunday at our house…

..well , normal for the other four legged boy…we broke a rule up at Mundy Park..off leash time ends at 10 am but we didn’t arrive until 12..

a quick run on the trail for our ‘golden boy’..we weren’t the only ones breaking the rules..I know it doesn’t make it right…but it’s Christmas, after all!!!

The wind was blowing and rain was coming down but Tucker doesn’t care..as long as he has a stick to carry and some water to swim in he is one happy boy…

…our family portrait …one wet dog and two soggy dog owners!!..and we are standing in a muddy area filled with ‘landmines’!!!..watch where you step……

This afternoon our Christmas dinner is at my parents in Coquitlam..

but not before a ‘clean up’..and we clean up pretty fine!..

..time for the token family in black to have their picture done…

dinner at my parents was a lovely affair..the food..the wine…the company was all good!!

an all round great evening to end Christmas 2011!!..we couldn’t have asked for more..

We had some laughs about the family history and the comment of the night seemed to be ..’this is why I _____’..I guess you had to be there but we all had some fun!..thanks for a great evening Mom and Dad…we love you both!!

so that is a wrap of our 2011 Christmas!!..thanks for reading along!!!

our Christmas Eve..

2011-12-24T22:42:00.001-08:00

The day before Christmas has always been a busy one of sorts..the last minute food items purchased..the housework and laundry complete..

Our evening was spent with our daughter watching a movie and eating appetizers..

..the presents are all placed under the tree over at Carlie’s apartment next door…

the only thing under our tree?..is Oliver..he seems to enjoy sitting under there?..I am sure he is wondering where are the gifts are?..

but if he didn’t chew on the ribbon and the pretty paper our tree would be occupied..

On this December 24th it also seems to be a time to pause and reflect on what the true meaning of Christmas really is…we saw this video on the news tonight..and I felt the need to share it..

this video has been playing every Christmas Eve on our local new station since 1998..and tonight was the first time we had seen it..

we consider ourselves most fortunate to have a great family and a warm place to live..we know there are many who struggle everyday of the year..

if only it could be Christmas time all year long…be kind to your neighbours and strangers on the street..

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!!

Merry Christmas!!!

2011-12-23T00:01:00.000-08:00

All of us here at Bigdawg and Freeway want to wish everyone in blogville a very Merry Christmas…

May your holiday season be filled with love, family and some fun too!!!

Happy Holidays to you all!!!

and to all our readers with ‘fur kids’…our ‘boys’ wish all the four legged readers a very happy holiday too!!!

see..they do like each other..

‘now get out of my photo “PO”…gotta show the readers my first gift…’

my day job…

2011-12-21T21:30:00.001-08:00

Working full time has it’s advantages…although part time would be nicer..but that is not to be…

I have been going to the same place or employment for more than 35 years…never did I think that when I began my ‘career’ of working that I would be in the same place for that length of time..

On the whole it has been a good place to work..sure there have been some issues…that is what usually happens when you work in a union place..

There is a great pension plan, vacation time, sick time benefits, and medical benefits are all aspects that have kept me there for such a long time..

I consider myself most fortunate …those 43 days of vacation and the 1100 sick hours that I have banked are the perks that have made this journey worth while..

This past week, I was given the task of ‘training a new employee’…not one of my favourite things to do but I will do it..

There are many things that I do in a day that I don’t even think about..that is until you have to explain to someone else how and why you do things that way…

My job is one of those ones that is easier to do than to explain..sort of the old ‘watch and learn’ and then you can do it..

Now don’t get me wrong, this new employee??…she came from another hospital..is trained as a ‘resident care aide’..but she has never pushed a bed or a stretcher… or worked in our hospital..so she is like a ‘fish out of water’…doesn’t know her way around the hospital so that in itself is a major issue…

I did survive her two days of training..now she gets two more days in a different area of our department..

Me?..when I started?..I got four hours, not even..and she gets four days??..how things have changed over the years…

so my day job?..is it my passion?..nope..just a means to the new beginning…I do wonder how many more staff I will have to train before it will be my turn to exit the building and never look back?

Bursting at the seams…

2011-12-18T20:00:00.000-08:00

‘

Once the holiday season is over..it will be that time once again to purge and purge some more….

My little office is bursting at the seams..

We have been using it as a temporary storage place once again…

the camping stuff
Patio chairs
an extra desk and chair
Air conditioner
The Christmas tree box and the bins for the decorations

this nine by nine room is getting pretty crowded…the walls are closing in…

and then today, Doug brings home an early Christmas present…

a new computer chair for me…

…nice and comfy..and much better than the very old one I have been using…it was second hand when we got it 8 years ago..

As I say so long to the old chair..I think of all the blog posts that have been done with me sitting in it…how many words..how many posts and how many comments??

Don’t know if Oliver is going to like this new chair but I am hoping he will come around to warm my back eventually…

I have organized the room so it looks a bit better…so for now we will enjoy our decorations and the holiday season…and we will worry about cleaning this up next year!!!

..even Tucker is getting into the Christmas spirit with the help of his ‘jingle collar’…

Under pressure…

2011-12-17T22:07:00.001-08:00

I will be the first to admit that I do work better ‘under pressure’…give me lots of time to accomplish something and oh, yes I will get it done..

But put me under some pressure ..and a time restraint..and I am a ‘woman on a mission’..

I was determined that this weekend I would make a ‘dent’ in the Christmas ‘chores’ that I have been procrastinating about..

First on the list of must do’s….was to venture downstairs to the storage locker and bring up all the bins of Christmas decorations and the ‘famous tree in a box’…yes, I know..actually there is two trees …one little one and a bigger one..

We have opted for the larger tree this year..in the hopes that the ‘boyz’ will just ignore it..

One day we will only have one bin of decorations, so for now I will enjoy decorating the tree…

Within a few hours…viola…

first the mantel was done.. I just love this ‘White Father Christmas’…he will make the ‘cut’ when the time comes…

I was going to stop here..but out came the tree..the mangled branches after it being stuck in the box for two years…

I struggled to get the lights just so…not perfect but it will do…

well, I got this far..but now it’s late…onwards to Saturday..

Doug was working part of the day…..so it was me and the tangles of outside lights..in the need of detangling and yet another extension cord…I wrapped the lights around the sundeck railing…

not going to win me any awards but at least it is starting to look like Christmas around here…

We put all our Christmas cards on the fridge…there is still some people who believe in the old fashioned way of saying ‘Merry Christmas’…I love getting the mail this time of year…Do you see your card??

The rest of Saturday was spent shopping with all the other ‘crazy shoppers....and then tonight I gathered all the gifts we have purchased thus far..and out came the wrapping paper, ribbon and tags…two and half hours later…

this is the result…so pretty, if I do say so myself…

…at least now I can say we are getting close to be ready for next weekend…only a few more items to purchase and wrap..yahooie…

I am glad I work better ‘under pressure’….that procrastinating can sure get me into trouble…

Clawing my way out…

2011-12-14T20:28:00.001-08:00

Even a bad day is a good one as long as you are above ground…

Since I have been busy ‘clawing my way out of the proverbial bear pit’..this news item from a couple of days ago comes to mind…

A bear was spotted in downtown Vancouver..riding in the back of a garbage truck? There he is ..isn’t he a cutie?

can you imagine how the poor bear felt?..wondering what the heck?…why is my ‘meal on the move?’..’hey, just drop me at the mall…I have some gifts to buy!!’

Not to worry folks, the bear was tranquilized and sent back into the forest..no Christmas shopping for him!!

Mr. Brown Bear was not welcome to increase the Vancouver retail economy…

Speaking of shopping and Christmas..I really need to get cracking…..my state of denial has grown to the point of no return…

Time to get busy..decorating and wrapping the few gifts that I have already purchased…

How many shopping days left?…10?..where on earth did the month of December go?

..just a few photos from last Christmas to get me in the mood to decorate!!

better get busy….

oh geez…

2011-12-13T18:40:00.001-08:00

Now I will be the first to admit that my previous post seemed to create a differing of opinions.

We are all entitled to our opinions and I would never begrudge someone theirs.

Oh sure there was the usual banter back and forth and a difference of opinions…

I even received a private email disclosing some family facts, with regards to a ten year old who already has a cell phone, a laptop, xbox, wii, dirt bike..etc.. ..a very lucky boy to have all these items at such an early age…

One of the first comments I received did not agree with what I had written..they had said that my wording was a bit confusing..and a bit generalized..or as someone else called it ‘ painting everyone with the same brush’..

‘Fast forward to 2011 and we have what I want to call the ‘now generation’..kids that are between the ages of 20-30 and seem to think that they should have the best of the best..’

They are correct..it could be taken out of context..what it should have said was …some of the young adults between the ages of 20-30 that we have met seem to think that they should have the best of the best..

I am not apologizing for what I wrote..we are all entitled to our opinion…as a parent of one of these 20 something young adults..I was just observing some behaviour that made me wonder about why it was happening…

As I said yesterday…is the commercialization of our society that makes ‘some young adults’ feel the need to indulge in the designer clothes, purses..etc…??

Now at first I was just going to stay silent and not continue discussing this..that was until I got a this comment from ‘anonymous’

I agree completely with YsMum that you have painted everyone 20's something with the same brush. This includes all those fine young men and women serving in the military and giving their lives in places such as Iraq and Afghanistan - they are the young people you are talking about too.
My feeling is that people who attack younger generations are doing so because they are unhappy with their own lot in life and regret not having achieved their own dreams so lash out at others instead.
That's sad.

Now, this comment brought tears to my eyes..to think that someone would think that I was including the fine men and women that are serving in Afghanistan..

I would say that you, Mr. Anonymous are the one who is taking things completely out of context…..

did you just say it for cause and effect?

How dare you even think that I am that heartless?

And then there is the next sentence to say that …I am jealous of the younger generation because I am so unhappy with my own life and that is why I am lashing out..…my dreams are just fine thank you very much…

and if you were a regular reader you would know that..

once again someone who hides behind the dreaded ‘anonymous’…has put ‘black mark’ on what was only meant to be an observation on my part..

Will I delete the post from yesterday?..definitely not!

I will just be more careful not to generalize..

So the only thing I will apologize for is not proofreading a bit closer.

My life is not perfect and neither am I.….I am just a blogger putting my thoughts and observations out there in blog-ville…read if you want and if you don’t?…so be it…. my feelings won’t be hurt.

‘nuff said on that subject..now back to the regular programming…

The ‘now generation’..

2011-12-12T19:00:00.000-08:00

When I left home in 1979 I was 20 years old… I worked at the hospital in the Dietary Department. My starting wage was just $4.54 an hour in 1976…I had more money than I knew what to do with?

I rented a one bedroom apartment up the street from the hospital so I could walk to work.

It was a nice apartment for the price of $450 a month.

I had saved enough money to purchase all brand new furniture and kitchen items.. all the necessities…

For me, back then life was simple…no car..no cell phone…no desire for a fancy TV..mine was ‘fancy’..a 26 inch Magnavox..

To this day we still have the same coffee tables that I purchased back then..solid maple…sure they are scratched and dented..but they are the only thing I have left from that time in my life..other than Doug, of course..

Doug and I had just started dating…life was so easy back then…or so we thought…Sure we had our tough times…but we got through it…

Fast forward to 2011 and we have what I want to call the ‘now generation’..kids that are between the ages of 20-30 and seem to think that they should have the best of the best..

job
car
place to live
furniture
television
cell phone
computer
stereo equipment
fancy vacations
nice clothes

and when it doesn’t happen as quick as one would like..they make it happen..credit cards do wonders for the ‘self esteem’..

oh, sure we are just as guilty of have the desire to want something without having to wait for it…

But gone are the days of getting that hand me down couch, television, and the orange crates for coffee tables…or living in a friend’s basement just to say you live on your own…

or eating Kraft dinner, tomato soup or meat pies…

The ‘now generation’ isn’t lazy or unintelligent they are just impatient..there is no planning for the future or just waiting for something…instant gratification comes to mind…

Is this ‘now generation’ a result of the parenting or the environment of advertising or is it the old adage of ‘keeping up with the Jones’s?..I would say yes to all of those!

So since we are one of those parents with a 20 something year old..I do wonder how I could have changed things to make it better today..

We can learn from the mistakes and hope that history doesn’t repeat itself with the next ‘now generation’

The lesson to learn..be patient..it will happen…if you get everything now..what is there to look forward to?

Soaring with the eagles?

2011-12-11T18:06:00.001-08:00

This month is just flying on by…

is the tree up?
decorations out of the boxes?
wreath on the door?
shopping done?
wrapping done?
baking done?

That would be a resounding NO to all the above questions..I am in a bad state of denial…I thought for sure that this weekend I would at least get some stuff done..but it didn’t happen…

What did we do instead?

housework
grocery shopping
laundry

That was Saturday morning..in the evening we had a dinner engagement with Doug and Toni..a lovely evening filled with good food, and conversation…

Sunday was the usual stuff..a walk in Mundy Park for the ‘stinky boy’..we think he got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.. he has not been his usual self…

Tucker managed to roll in some form of ‘excrement’ that he found deep in the forest on the walk this morning..

Doug was none to pleased with our ‘poop boy’…when he got home…

This afternoon we packed a lunch and headed east in search of the large groups of bald eagles that were calling the Harrison Mills area, home for the past little while…

When we arrived at Kilby Provincial Park..the parking lot was full of cars ..everyone had the same idea as us....

There was dead salmon all over the beach…but the ever elusive ‘eagles’??..had vacated the premises…we looked and looked and saw a few way off in the distance..too far away for my camera…

One lady we spoke with said that ‘there was hundreds here yesterday?’..geesh missed it again…kind of reminds me of the tulip fiasco..two years ago…

no eagles here within picture taking distance so we ate our lunch in the sunshine..

‘Stinky boy’..guarded the campsite..waiting for the ever elusive eagle to make an appearance..

..who you calling ‘Stinky boy’.. all I smell is dead salmon..let me at ‘em!..then I will be the true ‘Stinky boy’..

lunch was done..our bellies were full…there was a chill in the air as the sun was setting behind the mountain……so we figured we would head back towards home…

Just before we pulled out onto Highway 7…

there it was…the ever elusive eagle in the tree..can you see him?

… in all his glory..looking down on all of us…then there were his buddies..over near the mountain top…

the soaring eagles…look like little specs to me…but it was them…

not a total ‘bust’….we continued on our way…turning right off the Highway at the Sasquatch Inn..to a new subdivision that backs onto the Harrison River..maybe?..there is more?

now this is the camera lens I need???..look at that big one?

the shoreline was filled with avid photographers..with their big lenses.and tripods..aimed at the mudflats waiting for that ever elusive eagle shot!!

there is a few eagles out there..

and then one decides to come in a bit closer..

time for a snack..

There you have it…our reason for driving all the way from Coquitlam to Harrison Mills..a few bald eagles..and a small dose of vitamin D..

..sorry ‘Stinky’ ..no swimming here for you…

This house faces the mudflats and the mountains..perfect view today for the residents of this lovely home…

you know some days you ‘soar with the eagles and some days you fly with the turkeys’…

..onwards to yet another work week..we are holding on ‘tight to the dream’..the last few days have been filled with roadblocks…..maybe we should learn to ‘jump the hurdles?’..or just continue ‘flying with the turkeys’ until it is our turn to ‘soar'?’

December 9th, 2006

2011-12-09T00:01:00.000-08:00

On this day five years ago…our ‘first boy’ was born…

Born in the town of Sooke, British Columbia at the home of Briar Glenn Farms.

He is a ‘Blue Seal Point Ragdoll’…

What is a ‘ragdoll'?’

A Ragdoll is a large (up to 30 pounds), minimal-shedding, non-matting lovable bundle we equate to the feline equivalent of the dog. They follow you everywhere, even to the loo.

Now, getting a cat was not in our plan nor was getting another dog..after our first golden retriever passed away..we were a fur free/pet free house….

We only had to vacuum once a week..no animal hair on our clothes or on the furniture…it was heaven~~

Then it happened..my friend Melanie adopted a ragdoll cat..his name was Blue..

Blue was my first introduction to the ragdoll breed…big and floppy… he was..just a great all round cat!!

fast forward to the land of internet searches…Found a breeder in Sooke, British Columbia…

Had to do some convincing for Doug to say yes to the commitment of getting another pet…we had said at the time that we would not get another dog but a cat?..well, maybe…

Oliver came home with us in March 2007…meowing all the way home..he was a noisy boy…what have we done???

none to pleased with us?…where am I going??..where is my mommy??..and my brothers and sisters?..who are you people?

He settled in fairly quickly…only a couple of accidents and then he finally figured out the litter box situation…

soon he had the run of the house…flopped himself over every chair he could find…

are we happy we adopted him?..of course..he is our ‘po-man’..short for Prince Oliver..

Happy Birthday PO!!!

he may be a lot smaller than Tucker but this one rules the roost!!..he is the boss and he is in charge!!

Dealing with…..

2011-12-07T20:48:00.001-08:00

The older we get the more we realize that life is full of disappointments..

Be it when you were a child and the reality of the tooth fairy, the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus comes to fruition..

Then there were the disappointments of not getting what you wanted for Christmas, or your favourite TV show is cancelled or not getting picked for the sports team or not being invited to a birthday party!

Life can be tough…then there are those dreaded teenage years..not getting a good grade on an essay..unrequited love…or not having the perfect date for the prom…

It is a wonder that we ever made it to adulthood..now the disappointments are still happening just on a bigger scale …what seemed devastating growing up..now seems so miniscule in the grand scheme of things…

Sure life is still tough..some days are good and others we just go through the motions..

The adult disappointments can be relationships, friends/family that move away, material things, employment, or monetary…

What doesn’t ‘kill’ us make us stronger…things happen for a reason…the old adage of the glass half full instead of half empty is a hard thing to swallow some days..but we persevere..

Oh sure our life is fine..we both work..we have our health and our family..we have dreams..but some days it sure would be nice to be the ‘family dog and cat’…

Oh, yes the life of ‘fur children’..the little one wants his ‘fancy feast’ before 5am..and the fireplace on when we get home from work….he is ‘easy peasy’ to please!!

and as for the ‘big one’..a day of daycare is in his book is a day filled without disappointment…just look at that ‘golden smile’!!

oh yes..the life of the Tuckmiester….we were told when we picked him up today that Tucker just radiates his ‘golden charm’!!

The life of a dog..never filled with disappointment because they find joy in everything they do!!

I have now decided that in my next life..which by the way will not have the word disappointment in it..I want to either come back as a ‘dog’ in our house or an employee at Uptown Dawg…the best doggy daycare in Port Moody!!

Floggin…

2011-12-03T21:07:00.001-08:00

First off.. I just have to say..’I so appreciate my blogging peeps..thanks for being out there in blogville…. I don’t thank each and every follower as they join along so this is my thank you to all of you who have persevered through the growing process of Bigdawg and Freeway.

There are days when it seems like we are just ‘floggin’ a dead horse’..and then I post an entry and you all show up!!..thanks for being there!..you are all a bright spot on a dark day!!!

Now onto our Saturday… Girl’s day out…

Carlie and I are off to the Westcoast Christmas Show at the Tradex in Abbotsford.

This is the fourth annual Christmas show but will be our first time attending….

I know I sure could do with some help in the Christmas spirit department so I am hoping this will help.

The Tradex is filled with everything Christmas..from festive trees and music, food, decorations and gift ideas.

Did this trip east on Highway 1 do anything to improve my Christmas spirit?..I was very hopeful..

We entered the Tradex and there was a display of poinsettias…now this is a good start..

there were Christmas Carollers…trying ‘really hard ‘ to sing!!…

and there was the display of Christmas trees…this was looking good!!…festive holiday spirit here we come..

We wandered through the displays…there was some seasonal Christmas items but it was more of the usual steamers…jewellery…flax seed…jams and jellies…it reminded us both of the PNE..and all the ‘stuff’ that is sold there…no purchases were made…

needless to say we were out of there after 40 minutes…

wallet was $14 lighter…and parking was free…onwards to lunch…Christmas spirit improved?..not!!

Olive garden and the famous salad was on the agenda!…

We then wandered through the shops in Langley…Bowring's, Bombay company and Michaels..just to name a few….now at least these stores were all decked out in their Christmas finery!!!

A lovely day spent with my darling daughter is never wasted..

Doug and I a spent the evening at the Keg Restaurant in Burnaby with our friends Steve and Melanie.

Wine..conversation and a great meal rounded out our Saturday..

the weekend is half over already!..where does the time go??

Banishment..

2011-12-02T20:45:00.001-08:00

Last weekend during our housework duties we made a decision to move a few things around…

In our kitchen is a pass through to the living room/dining room area..

so for a while I had put a desk and a chair and it was here that I sat on the computer doing what ever it was that one does on the computer..

From this vantage point, I could sort of hear/watch the TV and have a conversation with my lovely husband..

just me and the cat…

hanging out in the kitchen…

Now we have put the computer back in the den…so the cat and I are banished from the kitchen and the interaction of conversation..

the reasoning behind the ‘move’?..my rolling chair was making marks on the laminate flooring..

So now it is me on my computer in the den…with the cat warming my back….

and Doug in the living room on his…and watching TV..

From here I can still hear the TV…maybe we could Skype?..at least then I would not feel so ‘banished’..wonder if Doug would be willing?

Just another Friday night at our house…one day we will be living in about a third of the space so for now I will enjoy the new found ‘privacy’!!

Self-evalution?

2011-12-01T21:40:00.001-08:00

Once a year at work we are given a self-evaluation form..

A critique of your

work habits
work ethic..
organization
productivity
knowledge
skills
abilities
interpersonal skills
communication
attendance
punctuality

Now do you have any idea how hard it is to self-evaluate?

you have a few options..

improvement required
competent
commendable

just chose one the three options and be sure to make some comments or it will be deemed incomplete and you will have to re-do it..

Now I was not all that generous with myself using the competent column all the time except for twice…two commendables..

The comments were the hard part..yes, I am a good worker..punctual…very rarely call in sick…organized..blah blah blah…

Its a union place for heaven sake…you can pretty much do nothing and still have a job!…

A co-worker thinks pretty highly of herself and used the commendable column on all her selections..

boy oh boy talk about ‘tootin’ your own horn’…thinking she is ‘all that and a bag of chips’!!

She may be in for rude awakening when it comes time to do the review with the supervisor?..we will just have to wait and see…

me?.. I am more of a realist….no where near perfect…but I try…

How would you evaluate yourself as a blogger?..

some days I ‘need improvement.’. and some days…

‘Competent’…is my choice…some posts are better than others…some flow off the cuff…some just fall flat..

I can make something out of nothin’.. I am good at that!!..kind of like this post!!

Some days I feel very confined…can’t say what I really want to say..some topics just are better left unsaid or unwritten!!

Sure hope my evaluation goes well…

for the love of a golden?

2011-11-28T18:56:00.001-08:00

Dogs and cats come into our lives and are with us for what is deemed a short time..

Those of us who are animal lovers know the unconditional love that is received from having a family pet or two, in our case..

Even on a bad day..the wagging tail that greets us when we get home makes all the ‘working crap’ worth it…

We are very fortunate that we have two ‘greeters’ when we get home from working all day…Thank goodness neither one can tell time…otherwise some days they would be ‘mad’ at us for being ‘late’!!!

One thumps his tail madly and runs and gets a toy from his toy box and brings it to us..doing his little circle dance!!..don’t know if he really has to go to the bathroom or he is just happy to see us…

The other ‘greeter’?..he is a bit standoffish..and really doesn’t understand what all the fuss is about ..’geez, Tucker they always come back why do you act like such a goofball?’

Now where are all these thoughts coming from?..

Last week, I missed an anniversary…November 22, 2005..six years since we lost our first golden girl…

It was such a sad time for us..how could I have forgotten all about this tragic day…

What have I learned from my forgetting?…well, time heals…and your heart fills with the love of yet another set of ‘greeters’..

So for the love of a golden past..and a golden future I am most grateful for my two ‘boys’..…the unconditional love is payback tenfold..

may our house always be filled with ‘fur’!!…

Thanks for being there to greet us everyday PO and Tuck!!!

The Vortex…

2011-11-27T21:52:00.001-08:00

Sunday night is upon us…another weekend is done…

The ‘vortex’ is arriving soon…

the 530 wake up
coffee and lunches prepped
uniforms ironed
housework is done
groceries are purchased
jeep full of gas for the week
laundry done
some Christmas shopping was done
Christmas cards were mailed and two ‘surprise packages’

so as the vortex known as the work week is upon us..we hope everyone in ‘blogville’ has a great week..

sitting by the pool
or in the desert
or near the gators
or at the beach

have fun..and think of us as the ‘vortex’ sucks us in…we will escape the power by Friday..

Time’s a wastin’?…

2011-11-26T19:26:00.001-08:00

How can one comment make one have thoughts of wondering if blogging is time wasted?

‘life is about living the experiences, not about blogging the experiences! ’

Sure life is about living the experience and that is something we do enjoy..some things do not make it to a blog post..

Do I stress about not doing a post on everything we do or everywhere we go?..no, of course not…

If the ‘life experience’ is worth sharing then it will be shared. Does this make blogging, time wasted?..

or does it get to the point that your experiences get so far behind that you begin to wonder how you will ever catch up?..and then the blog goes by the wayside….

there are days or weeks when it is difficult to keep the post subjects interesting…life can be mundane..especially when we are just living life..

As all the snowbirds have flown the coop and are sitting in the sunshine…we are enjoying the dark, rainy days..filling our time with ‘life’!!

Not to worry we will’ keep the light on’ for all of you who have ventured south to enjoy the sun and warmer temperatures!

Time’s a wastin’?..I don’t think so…blogging fills the dark days of winter so I am glad that you are all out there living your life and blogging about it too!!!

In Keeping with Tradition…

2011-11-25T20:59:00.001-08:00

One month from today all the Christmas ‘hoopla’ will be done for another year..

(Oliver likes to sit with me every night when I am on the computer..its a daily thing..he makes a great back warmer)

All the shopping, wrapping, food preparation, and visiting will be complete…

There are many Christmas traditions..thinking back to the ones my parents kept going when I was a child..

the tree didn’t go up until my sister and brother and I were all in bed on Christmas Eve…
dinner on Christmas Eve was potato salad and European wieners
no stockings were hung
we each received a fancy bowl filled with candies, German cookies, chocolates and oranges instead..(how I wish I would have kept one of those bowls)

and my mom sent Christmas cards in the mail..(snail mail)

I left home in 1979 and some new traditions were created..

the tree is decorated by mid-December
Chinese food for Christmas Eve dinner
Stockings were a tradition we started in 1981

now as for Christmas cards?

with all the modern technology and the postage cost and time it takes to write all the cards and address all the envelopes…is sending Christmas cards going by the wayside?

Sure it is much easier to just send an e-card..or a message on face book…or just do a blog post and wish everyone a Merry Christmas..

Not that there is anything wrong with using technology to get your Christmas message out…

Is this deemed the ‘lazy way’ out..so easy to just hit send or enter…

Every year I say to myself..I am not sending cards this year..but I just can’t not do it..

So for me I like to do things the old fashioned way..

the cards are purchased…

the address book is up to date…

now it is time to put pen to paper..and sit down and write the cards…

I do like to open the mail box in December and see how many cards we get?..

Sure nicer than the rest of the year when all that is in there is bills and junk mail…

You can’t display an e-card on the mantle…

So as you can see I am keeping the tradition alive…

join me if you like..send your friends a personal handwritten Merry Christmas!! and Happy New Year....you will make their day!!!

Gobble gobble!!

2011-11-24T00:01:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post to wish all our American friends a very Happy Thanksgiving!..

May your day be filled with family, friends and turkey with all the trimmings!!!

Condone?

2011-11-20T19:37:00.001-08:00

What is the definition of being a parent?..

a home to live in
food on the table
love
guidance
education
leading by example
compassion
understanding
discipline

anyone can be a parent..children don’t come with an instruction manual or a return policy..

Being a parent is the hardest job ever..you try and do your best and some times it seems like your best is not good enough…

We have always kept the door to communication open and have let Carlie talk to us about pretty much everything..

Some would call it ‘oversharing’ while others would say ‘good for you’

As she got older we had always told her that if she ever needed a ride home..no matter what time of day or night we would come and get her..

no questions asked
no yelling
no screaming
no saying..’you are grounded, young lady!’
no arguing
no passing judgement

Now she has called us a few times in need of a ride home..and we have gone..no questions asked…

This was one promise that we kept with her…and for that we are most grateful that she feels like she can call us no matter what…

Oh, we have made our mistakes but on the whole she has turned out to be a fine young woman…

Now you may be wondering where this is heading..well…

it seems that our favourite commenter has returned..

Mr. Anonymous..

here is what he/she said with regards to our daughter’s injury on Friday night..

Anonymous said...

Getting drunk and breaking one's elbow is not something to be trivialized or rewarded for. It is usually a sign of a serious drinking problem.
I'm just shocked you would even be talking about this in a public blog.

so in answer to this comment I will say…

We do not condone our daughter’s behaviour..she is a grown woman and has a mind of her own..she works one full time job and a part-time one too..so there are weeks where she is working more than 60 hours….

Does she have a ‘drinking problem?..most definitely not..it was a night out on the town with her friends that ended with an injury!

Some bloggers would say just ignore the comment but this one was uncalled for…to say that we are condoning her behaviour and writing about it as a sense of reward is the furthest from truth..

I can remember when we were younger and would spend the evening at the bar..and drive home..that was the way it was with our generation..at least our daughter’s generation has the common sense to take public transit, a taxi, use a designated driver or call the parents for a ride..

Our lives are far from perfect and this blog is a recap of that not so perfect life!!..

Now as for you, Mr. Anonymous?…what kind of parent are you?..if you are a perfect one?..well, more power to you!!..I wish I could say that we are perfect but that would be unrealistic!!

Now for all the rest of the readers who were kind enough to comment and wish our daughter a speedy recovery, and without passing judgement or telling me that I should not have written about this accident…We want to say thank you…

This blog is far from perfect..it is our life…can’t be all fluff....some days just aren’t fluffy..some are ‘flat on our face..meet the sidewalk kind of days’…

..nuff said

Girls just wanna have fun?

2011-11-19T17:39:00.001-08:00

Our lovely daughter, (Carlie is in the middle) and her friends headed out last night for some ‘girl fun’…a bus ride..since they would be drinking..

I am glad that they were responsible enough to take public transit..just glad that I wasn’t on the bus…I am sure it was a ride filled with ‘giggles’..

just some harmless Friday fun filled with food and alcohol and good friends..

that was until 3am this morning..

a ‘face-plant fall’…an outstretched hand and we have an issue!!..

She made it home okay thanks to a ride from a friend..but this morning we had to visit the Eagle Ridge Hospital..

Diagnosis?..A Radial Head Fracture..

‘Trying to break a fall by putting your hand out in front of you seems almost instinctive. But the force of the fall could travel up the lower forearm bones and dislocate the elbow. It also could break the smaller bone (radius) in the forearm. A break can occur near the elbow at the radial "head."

Radial head fractures are common injuries, occurring in about 20 percent of all acute elbow injuries. They are more frequent in women than in men and occur most often between 30 and 40 years of age.

Approximately 10 percent of all elbow dislocations involve a fracture of the radial head. As the upper arm bone (humerus) and the ulna return to their normal alignment, a piece of the radial head bone could be chipped off (fractured).

Pain on the outside of the elbow
Swelling in the elbow joint
Difficulty in bending or straightening the elbow accompanied by pain
Inability or difficulty in turning the forearm (palm up to palm down or vice versa)

Radial head fractures are classified according to the degree of displacement (movement from the normal position).

Type I Fractures

Type I fractures are generally small, like cracks, and the bone pieces remain fitted together.

The fracture may not be visible on initial X-rays, but can usually be seen if the X-ray is taken three weeks after the injury.
Nonsurgical treatment involves using a splint or sling for a few days, followed by early motion.
If too much motion is attempted too quickly, the bones may shift and become displaced.

a two hour visit to the Emergency..one x ray and we were home again…

one arm in a sling..

a banged up knee..

did she learn a lesson?..well..more than likely not..

no.. the sidewalk wasn’t icy

no.. she wasn’t wearing high heels

and did she get a lecture..no..of course not..

we were just thankful that her friends looked after her and made sure she got home safely…

this injury is on the mend ..a sling for three days and then she can start mobilizing her arm..

nothing that a container of Ben and Jerry’s won’t fix..

that..and some ibuprofen..

Connection

2011-11-17T21:23:00.001-08:00

Life is all about the connection we have with family, friends and co-workers.

Relationships develop..some flourish and others go by the wayside..

It is those that we have a special connection with that seem to flourish.

The relationships with family is a special one..the history is the tie that keeps the family bonded together…

Friends come and go…some come back..and those are the friendships that we cherish..

Those friends are with you through thick and thin..good and bad..even if you don’t talk to them for a long time..

Some relationships may end but the time spent with a good friend is never wasted..there comes a time in our lives when things change and we move on..meeting new people but still remembering how special the ‘old friends’ are….

And then when you do get the opportunity to see them again it is like no time has passed..now that is a ‘true friend’

Then there is the relationship with co-workers..those can be difficult at times..

It seems that we spend more time with our co-workers than we do with our family and friends…

I have been fortunate in my working life to develop a few good relationships with some co-workers..some have moved on to different cities or retired but I still consider them to be part of my ‘working family’

The women that I work with that I think of as friends have been a part of my working life for a long time..twenty five years or more…those are the friendships that I truly cherish..

We have been through marriages, divorces, babies being born and raising kids...seeing these ‘friends’ daily has made heading off to work everyday much easier..

Some people you feel more of connection ….there was one friend that I worked with a few years ago…we met for coffee every morning and shared our lives with each other…

But the connection was one that went beyond a ‘working friendship’..

When I first met her, her married name was a name that I recognized from my childhood??

When I was growing up we had a neighbour..a family with four boys..my Mom babysat these boys..they were a wild bunch….turns out that Brenda, married one of these boys..

Today Brenda sent me this photo of the seven of us..I do believe it was taken at Harrison Hot Springs..

That is me in the blue jacket…my sister in the pink jacket and my brother in the red sweater on the right…

a great trip down memory lane..the boys?..don’t know who is who..but there names are

Robert, Steven Kevin and Andrew..

{Robert is married to my friend Brenda, Steven lives in England with his wife and two girls..Kevin lives in Kamloops with his wife, Julie and their two boys and Andrew?..he passed away when he was a young man.}

The world is a small place and you never know how you are connected to people..even those of us in blog-ville are connected..just through the wonders of modern technology there is a ‘sense of belonging’

Thanks for being part of my ‘connection’

Snow and more snow…

2011-11-13T16:05:00.001-08:00

Our original plan was to not be leaving Keremeos until after lunch..but ‘ole man winter’ reared his ugly head on our route home..

This was the view of the Allison Pass Summit this morning..and the forecast was for more snow today and tonight…

Needless to say we packed up and we were heading east before 10 AM

Our first stop will be the town Princeton..before long there was snow on the side of the road…and the snow level is pretty low…

We stopped for gas..and a coffee and then continued west towards Manning Park..still not too bad..

Then we rounded one of the many curves and the ‘winter wonderland’ began…

It was pretty except for the sand and gravel on the road…and the flying rocks as trucks passed..don’t follow to close or you will have a new chip in the windshield…

Speaking of chips in the windshield..we got a rock chip last Christmas heading to Keremeos..it had cracked further before long…making it’s way half way across the windshield..

This morning?..a frosty windshield..and the crack is now all the way to the driver’s side!!

So if you have not noticed until now…there is always a line across all the windshield shots!!..

It is very evident in the final photos of our trip home…

The Highway of Heroes sign along the Freeway..

(Doug was in the fast lane doing 100kms and I was clicking away trying to capture the sign decorated with the wreaths for Remembrance Day..)

Time to get the windshield replaced…all in the name of the photo taking process!!

We are home now..safe and sound after our weekend away…Tucker is ‘tuckered out’..a tired dog is a happy dog..

and Oliver is happy to have his ‘peeps’ home!!

Okie Dokie?

2011-11-12T16:58:00.001-08:00

It never rains in Keremeos?..not this weekend..the clouds have rolled in and rain mixed with snow is falling this afternoon…

We drove to Okanagan Falls this morning to visit with Karen’s sister Cheryl, her husband Andy and her son Gordie and his wife Chrissy and their two kids..Katie and Gavin..

Cheryl and Andy have a new dog…her name is Jasmine..’Jazz’ for short

She is a ‘Maremma’ cross..cute as a button….we have never heard of this breed until this morning..

I had left the camera in the car so I ‘googled’ a picture…

this is not exactly her..but pretty close..

sorry ‘Tucker’ we still love you but she was pretty darn cute!!!

This was the Alison Pass this morning..a far cry from when we went through yesterday…

We have not been geocaching in a long time..we were stuck on #49 until today…#50..the Red Bridge..

We had to walk down the trail for about half a kilometer..

bush-wacking to find the geocache..

onto #51…the Grist Mill..

this was an easy one..we spotted it before we even got out of the jeep..

..lunch is done..Doug’s famous nachos..and now we have the white stuff falling from the sky…so much for sunny Keremeos?

…fast forward to this evening..it is barely 5 pm and it is dark already…the horses are fed…and now it’s our turn..time for dinner and then another quiet night in the village of Keremeos..

A good day for recharging our ‘batteries’..tomorrow we head home…I am sure that the ride home will be filled with snow..thank goodness for four-wheel drive..

Keremeos bound…

2011-11-11T19:32:00.001-08:00

Three hundred and thirty eight kilometers from our house is the small town of Keremeos and the home of Doug’s brother, Ron and his wife Karen…

We are spending the weekend in this tiny town on the Similkameen River..we have been here numerous times since they moved here in 1999..

We left before 6 am this morning and arrived at 10 am…the drive was uneventful..the only snow we saw was at the Alison Pass Summit…

The Remembrance Day Service was a lovely tribute to all the veterans…and was well attended by the citizens of Keremeos…

some think that Remembrance Day is..

a day off of work
a day to sleep in
a day to make ‘double time ‘ since it is deemed a statutory holiday..

For us it was a day thinking of all the veterans who served in all the wars to give us the freedom we have today…

So this was our way of saying “thank-you” for your military service.

..the balance of our day was filled with conversation, food and more food… …and now we are all relaxing watching TV.

We did have a small crisis though..no internet access…Karen made a call to her ‘computer go to guy’ in Saskatchewan (us in blogville have ‘Rick’ and she has ‘Brian’)

Crisis averted..now we are a lined up with our laptops!!..

Doug checked the Highway Cam website this evening and there has been a ‘dump of snow’..on Highway 3…(the way home.).good thing we are here till Sunday....stay tuned for more from Keremeos…

11/11/11

2011-11-11T11:00:00.000-08:00

Remembrance Day..Lest we Forget…

Remembrance Day is a time for all residents to honour, celebrate and remember those who fought for Canada. This year marks the 65th anniversary of the end of the Second World War..

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, Canadians are asked to pause in memory of the thousands of men and women who sacrificed their lives in military service.

‘In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.’

by John McCrae, May 1915

Is it possible?

2011-11-09T21:44:00.001-08:00

The dark days of November have arrived..how we are wishing for a sunny day…a day filled with blue skies…puffy clouds and all the time in the world to do with what we want..

instead we are saddled with dark, cloudy rainy days…up before the flaming orb in the sky has risen..and by the time we get home from work it is getting dark already..

Is it possible to dislike a month?..

I do believe it is…cause at the moment I dislike the month of November…the time goes back an hour and it feels like there is no time!!

We spend more than 12 hours just dealing with getting ready for work..commuting to work..coming home from work....lunches..dinner…repeat…the November blues have arrived…

Even Tucker and Oliver seem to be in the November doldrums..

..sleeping the day away while we are at work..and then there is the excitement when we get home..Park time!..too bad it is dark in no time flat..can’t find the ball in the dark…

before we know it…another day is done…and then we start all over again…

I miss the long leisurely days of summer…

So for all of you readers out there in the sunnier parts of the country..thanks for writing all about your ‘sunny adventures’….cause on these dark days…your posts are the one ‘bright spot’!

This weekend we will be on the hunt for the ‘flaming orb in the sky’…maybe it can be found?

What’s that smell?

2011-11-06T19:37:00.001-08:00

What smells?…how many times have we said that?

Do you have a favourite smell?

coffee perking

bacon frying

turkey roasting

brownies baking

bread baking

These seem to be the best smells indoors but what about outside?

fresh cut grass

laundry drying on a clothes line

campfire

for me these smells are the best…

Now today we had a new smell that we were privileged to experience…

there is our ‘sunshine boy’ waiting for the command to leave the ‘dawg-house’..and head on to the dyke!

we have been here a few times this fall and today the water was filled with reflections…

the ever present blue heron..sitting on a log..

and then there is the ‘crazy golden boy’..heading out to get a stick..isn’t the water cold, Little Buddy?

the dyke was a popular place today..filled with runners, dogs, families and bike riders enjoying the beautiful fall day..

not to worry Tucker there is another swimming hole coming up..

another fun day for our Tucker..it is all about the ‘boy’ being happy!!!..

one more Blue Heron..before we turn around..

our walk complete..we head back towards home…Sunday afternoon is done…but we have one more chore to do when we get home??

back to the topic of today’s post…SMELL…

can you guess why we would need this?

and some of this??

well this would be when you, dear readers, are most thankful that ‘smell-a-blog has never been invented…

Our lovely boy is in need of a bath?…first rinse is the tomato soup..

yes, Tucker you had better hide your face in shame?..

don’t be drinking the soup..

next step..the sudsy shampoo

I see you are still hiding your face…we all know what you look like…but only some know what you did to deserve this lovely ‘spa treatment’…

..better thank your ‘sister’ for the use of her bathtub and shower nozzle..hope you learned your lesson…

Lesson learned?..those smelly dead fish at the edge of the water are not for your enjoyment..rolling in them is not an option!!..why oh why do dogs roll in dead smelly things?

I am DONE!!!

2011-11-06T00:23:00.001-07:00

What am I done?…. working?.. dinner?..housework?…dishes?..

laundry?..groceries?…NO!?..

Well, I am done..doing the task of transferring all of the ‘trip journal entries’..pictures included to this blog…

and here I thought it would take forever…

not me?..only 79 entries needed to be transferred..I had figured it would take me a few months to sit down and get this job done..but nope..my

OCD kicked in…and I managed to finish this in less than two weeks…

Now those of you who still use trip journal website may wonder why?..well..for me, personally it was the cost of using the website..and the lack of ‘traffic’ and lack of interaction..

I had created three separate journals…79 posts…less than 2000 visits and the big one for me was the fact that there were only 23, yes 23 comments..

….we all came from somewhere and these entries are just a small peek into the history of Bigdawg and Freeway…

It was a bittersweet trip down memory lane as I re-read the entries and looked at all the pictures from our past travels…

Even reading the previous entries on this blog seems strange..so many posts and so many thoughts written down..the style has changed and the thought process along with it…

A lot of time has been spent keeping this blog alive..I never realized until I started going back to the beginning..

It makes me wonder if I only had the trip journal would I still be documenting our lives?..or would it be ‘dead in the water’??..

the blog stats speak for themselves…

526 posts

52565 views

132 followers

and 3809 comments..

I find it hard to believe that I actually have that much to say…and that people actually read it?

We have visited many places in the last three years..I cannot even imagine how many miles we have travelled?..how many gallons of fuel? and how many pictures we have taken??

But completing this task has just cemented for us..how much the love of exploring this great country we live in is what we really want to do..

a new view out the windshield..feeling the warm ocean breezes..the desert, the palm trees, the mountains, and the canyons..one day…this dream will come true..

So for now..we are ‘keeping an eye on the prize’…blogging forward..one post at a time…

thanks for being there every ‘step of the way’

One day you will be able to say ‘I knew Bigdawg and Freeway in the beginning’!!

halfway…

2011-11-02T22:01:00.001-07:00

Wednesday..half way through the week..also known as ‘hump day’
halfway home ?
halfway through the newspaper?
halfway to a thousand?

another Milestone has been reached..where am I??..halfway to 1000…

yes..500 posts…my ‘baby blog’ is halfway to being somewhere?..where? I have no idea?..but…

500 is a significant number…

the Daytona 500…the most famous race in Nascar..
Fortune 500…a list of the richest people..

Can you name some people who will still be famous in 500 years?..these woman are my top three!!

Oprah Winfrey

Queen Elizabeth
Princess Diana
Sue Bidniak?…somehow I doubt it…

but for now I will relish in the fact that I am on my way to 1000 posts..

We may not be travelling at the moment so some days it is more difficult to keep the blog alive..but I do try to entertain even with the mundane day to day stuff…

you know blogging may not make me famous in 500 years but I have reached a milestone all the same!!

Three…

2011-10-31T20:54:00.001-07:00

Three?…three happy’s..Happy Halloween…

Thirty one years ago tonight Doug and I got engaged!!..hard to believe that all that time has past by…’Happy Anniversary’ to us!!

Three years ago today?….our ‘golden boy’ was born..

the ‘devil child’..today he is off to daycare to have a ‘birthday paw-ty’ with his ‘peeps’ at Uptown Dawg….should be ‘paw-some’!!..Happy Third Birthday Tucker!!!

oh..the shame of it all…not to worry..he never left the house in this ‘ensemble’!!

..he left wearing his ‘manly skulls scarf’!!..no black angel halo and wings for our ‘little buddy’!!..Par-tay on!!!

Tucker even got a present from his favourite worker at Uptown Dawg..thank you Kelly!!!..you really shouldn’t have!!

now speaking of Uptown Dawg …some of the poochies were really into the Halloween spirit!!..it was a ‘howling’ good time!!!

Tucker is having a sleep over tonight at the daycare…movie night with his ‘buddies'…we are hoping that he will have a ‘paw-some’ time!!..stay tuned…more pictures to follow..

through the wonders of face book…here are just a few photos of Tucker and his buddies…lounging on the couch…

sleep well ‘little buddy’…

An honour or a hoax?

2011-10-29T20:15:00.001-07:00

Over the years we have often received a message, a phone call or a piece of mail that has said..

“you are a winner'”….Me?..I am the skeptic..always thinking there has to be a catch..and usually there is…it is always going to ‘cost’ something..nothing in life is ‘free’!!

Well, this morning I received an email from someone named ‘Shumtzie’….

this is what email said..

‘Big Dawg and Freeway has been nominated for the Ninjamatics 2011 Canadian Weblog Awards in the Life and Travel categories.

The 2011 Canadian Weblog Awards are a juried competition with nominations open in 37 categories between January 1st and October 31st, 2011. The nominees shortlist will be announced on December 1st, 2011, and the winners will be announced on January 1, 2012.’

I checked out the website and found my blog name on the list for ‘Life Blogs’..looks legitimate to me…our blog is one of 75 in that category that has been nominated!!

The odds are against me with that many in the same category but..heck..it is an honour to be nominated anyway!!

so I guess ‘Shumtzie’ is a real person with a real website?

http://www.ninjamatics.com/canadian-weblog-awards/

..now onto the rest of our Saturday…we headed east towards Abbotsford..the land of Costco and cheaper gas!..

We stopped by to see Doug and Toni at Livingston Rv Park at 232nd Street in Langley on the way home..but the only one home was Parker the dog!!..too bad ..next time!!

While we were out shopping Tucker was busy with his ‘peeps’ at daycare…and he was also having a bath and nail trim..maintenance day for the ‘golden boy’!!..just a little trim???

Does anyone know what the difference is between a bad hair cut and a good one?

…..Six weeks!!

gone is Tucker’s ‘skirt’..trimmed down to basically nothing…we know it will grow again but geesh!!!..now his ‘butt’ looks like a white tailed deer!!

the end…

making work…

2011-10-23T21:28:00.001-07:00

Yet another weekend draws to a close…this time last year we were in Anacortes with our friends Gordon and Juanita..

now a year later..here I am…

cooking
cleaning
groceries
laundry
baking

there were no picture taking opportunities…so I am recycling some photos from that trip…

I sorted through some papers..I swear sometimes I think the paper just multiplies without us even looking….

I am always looking for ‘make work projects’..another thing I did this weekend was transfer our Summer Vacation 2008 from the trip journal website to the archives on Bigdawg and Freeway.

I checked on the ‘trip journal website’ and my stats for ALL 79 entries that are posted on there are….

22 comments
2965 views

It is an easy process to transfer the posts..just a bit time consuming adding all the pictures and making sure that I post the entry on the correct date each and every time..

you may ask why I am even bothering to do this task?..well..we all came from somewhere and I am all about being chronological..call it ‘obsessive compulsive’….

Sure I could just post the link to our other journal but I like the idea of all the entries being all together…

So now I have 15 done…only how many more to do?..tell me again why I started doing this?..

oh yes…..it’s all about the history of ‘Bigdawg and Freeway’..

so if you are interested in reading about a 3 year old summer vacation..click on the 2008 link..

there is always next weekend…or maybe this winter??..I am always ‘up for making more work’?

The wheels…

2011-10-21T23:26:00.001-07:00

The wheels on the bus go round and round..and take me to work….don’t be late because the bus waits for no one!!

for a nominal fee of $3.75 or $31 if you purchase a book of ten fare savers…

The bus ride portion of my ride is about a half hour..and this morning as I was riding I noticed something…

There are what seems to be some ‘common items’ that transit users bring along…

a travel mug..to keep that second cup of coffee nice and hot..and a no spill mug is a must!

a music playing device to ward off any unwanted conversations from fellow riders…..

and then of course there is the trusty cell phone that no transit rider is without..you just never know if the bus is going to be late..or there could be an emergency text message that needs to be sent..

a backpack to hold all the items you need to bring along..

a small collapsible umbrella..in case it rains..after all we don’t call this the ‘wet coast’ for nothing..

and then there is the free 24 hours daily newspaper….I for one, like doing the crossword..good exercise for the brain…have to ward off Alzheimer’s somehow..

so there you have the top six items that most transit riders have…

Now onto the etiquette of riding public transit…

Taking transit means sharing space ..some days it is like riding in a sardine can..so please use some common sense..and deodorant!

Courtesy seats …closest to the doors are for the elderly, handicapped and mother’s with strollers.
Move to the back of the bus so others can get on.
Please have your fare ready before you board the bus.
your backpack does not need a seat nor do your feet.
if your personal audio device can be heard by the other riders it is too loud.
if you are going to use your cell phone..please speak quietly..the rest of us really don’t care about what you did last night!!

remove your backpack before getting on the bus so you don’t hit other passengers with it as you move down the aisle.

keep the doorways clear so others can get on and off.

so there you have it folks..life of a transit user…just a few simple etiquette rules to make life easier for all who use the transit system..

aren’t you glad you ride the bus???

This is my stop….Sapperton Station…thanks for riding along and obeying the rules..

have a nice day…see you next time..

It is all about the ‘blog’..

2011-10-20T20:27:00.001-07:00

When I first began our journey of documenting our adventures and travels on line… I used the ‘trip journal’ website..there was a nominal charge for the usage of the website…

This was my first introduction to the land of ‘blogging’…it worked for me for a while but I felt like I was missing something …

Then I found the ‘blogspot’ website (free too) which I really liked… and Bigdawg and Freeway was born..

It took a bit of time to gather a ‘following’..and to receive some interaction from fellow bloggers…in actual fact it took a long time..at least 20 posts before I even got a comment…

I can remember back then I was just using it as a way of ‘scrapbooking’ our adventures…

and then I was hooked…we were making friends and connected with fellow bloggers who had similar interests…

I was always trying to be creative to get more traffic on my blog…then I read that if I visited other blogs and got our ‘name’ out there…..the more visitors I would have…

so now that I can say I have 126 followers..oh sure not nearly as many as some but a following still the same…I feel like I can say my blog is now out of the ‘baby stage’..and on to the ‘toddler level’…

Now I am in the process of transferring all my posts from my trip journal entries onto Bigdawg and Freeway..this is going to be a long process…

It is interesting to read the posts from three years ago…and see how my writing style has changed..and look at the pictures…taken with our old point and shoot camera…

We have come along way in the past three years…thanks for riding along…

Head on down memory lane…2008 had some great adventures…

The ‘Golden Boy’

2011-10-16T21:24:00.001-07:00

ah..yes the life of the ‘golden boy’..his is a good one..

Our Tucker has many nicknames..

The Tuckmeister
Dummerhoont (dumb dog in ‘german’)
Sunshine Boy
Stinky

Now who knows how one dog can get so many nicknames..but it just kind of happens…

His latest is ‘the golden boy’..Doug doesn’t like this one..it reminds him of the skids and skids of ‘Golden Boy raisins’ at work..

A sunny Sunday morning was ours to do as we wanted…today was a walk on the dyke in Pitt Meadows..now we have visited here many times… but today was a beautiful fall day..perfect for a walk….

or maybe a swim instead??

no ‘golden boy’ in this photo to ruin the reflection…

oh..here he comes…back from his run up ahead to check out the next swimming hole..

he ran the dyke twice or maybe three times..running ahead and then returning making sure we were still there..

..always hoping that someone will throw a stick…

a blue heron…sitting on a stump…

and an eagle on the treetop..

blue skies..green farmland…

and yet another place for a swim..Tucker spent more time running along the water’s edge than he did on the dyke..

time for a rest…for a second anyway…our ‘Fido’..so ‘houndsome’!!

life on the farm?..always work to be done..even on a beautiful Sunday afternoon…

one last swimming hole..

..another weekend is done..a Sunday full of reflections….where does the time go??

Angels among us…

2011-10-16T00:03:00.000-07:00

On this day one year ago..the blogging world as we know changed forever…a tragedy struck our ‘blogging family’…

so as we remember our ‘friends’ ..there are no words only a ‘quiet moment’..as we pause and reflect on the senseless loss….

‘It isn't what we write
It isn't what we say
Its how we feel deep inside
As we think of you today’

There isn't a day that goes by when I sign into my blog that Margie doesn't cross my mind..

Sometimes I wonder??….What would Margie say?..

Margie was the queen of commenting..her comments were a constant on my blog posts…as they were on all the blogs she read…..

Blog-ville will never be the same...gone but not forgotten..rest in peace Bruce and Margie…

26 years ago….

2011-10-15T00:02:00.000-07:00

October 15th, 1985 our lives changed for the better…on this day our darling daughter was born…5 pounds nine ounces and three weeks early… at 8:07 pm at the Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster, British Columbia..

babies are only little for a short time….but it still seems like only yesterday???..well, maybe the day before??… that we brought her home from the hospital…

Happy Happy 26th Birthday Carlie!!!

have a great day…you deserve it!!!..we love you!!!