Trick or Treat

Well the end of October is here and boy is it making quite the exit!  We have high winds and drenching rain and severe storms.  Most of the areas around us have postponed trick or treat night.  I mean what fun is there in row boating door to door only to get water logged candy? There are only so many "sea fisherman" costumes that could withstand this kind of punishment.  Of course this puts me in quite the predicament.  Are there trick or treaters knocking at my door? No.  Do I have candy? Yes.  Do I love candy? YES!  How will I be able to resist the big assortment bag of Twix and Milky Way and Snickers bars?????  I mean there is the bag - just sitting there in the dining room.  Full of candy.  Calling my name. Okay. Okay.  So maybe not FULL of candy.  Maybe there was a test run to see if this particular batch of Snickers Bars were delicious. And MAYBE there was also a test run to see if the "Fun Size" Twix bar could measure up to its full size counterpart.  And MAYBE a Milky Way makes quite the perfect end to lunch.  Alright maybe...the truth is..... that we live out in the country.  That at MOST we get 3 trick or treaters but often our trick or treat count is zero.  Maybe Mr. Yesteryear Acres questioned the necessity of me buying a big bag of trick or treat candy. Maybe I countered with - I am SURE we will get some trick or treaters THIS year.  We need to be prepared!  And maybe....the storm took any last chance of that happening so now I obviously cannot let the trick or treat candy go to waste!  Trick or Treat! Mmmmm Snickers!  Gosh I love trick or treating here!

Ladybug Invasion

OH. MY. GOSH.  We are under attack!  We are under siege!  We are outnumbered!  IT IS THE LADYBUG INVASION!  I am not even exaggerating.  Every year we do have ladybugs that make it into our house.  I will have a few hanging around the ceiling fan and several that hang out on our bathroom window.  It is annoying but certainly nothing to get worked up over.  Well this morning, Mr. Yesteryear Acres said that it looked like the ladybugs were back.  I said, "Ohhhhhh....UGH!" as I knew that we would be pestered by them for the next few weeks. After lunch, Mr. Yesteryear Acres called me on the phone to say we were being invaded by ladybugs.  Of course I thought he was exaggerating but nooooooo - this was a legitimate invasion of mass proportions!

See at first it seemed all quite innocent and harmless.  Just a few ladybugs.

But then more appeared

And then they started flying in masses RIGHT towards Yesteryear Acres!

Those are not birds you see!

It was like a horror movie of The Ladybug Plague!

Swarms of ladybugs filled the air.

And then they started landing EVERYWHERE!

Mr. Yesteryear Acres went outside to take the pictures and when he came to the backdoor - he was literally covered in polka dots!  I almost didn't let him in the house.

This is the window near my desk and computer.

The ladybugs were all trying to come in the window!

Just when I thought - I WILL NEVER GO OUTSIDE AGAIN......I found something even more horrifying.  The ladybugs were coming in by the hundreds UPSTAIRS.  We still had 2 window air conditioning units installed upstairs and the ladybugs were all flying in through the vents of the air conditioners.  I called Mr. Yesteryear Acres to RUN in the house and get the air conditioners removed ASAP!  Oh my gosh.  They. Were. Everywhere.  I spent almost 2 hours vacuuming up ladybugs, running outside, emptying the ladybugs, running back inside shaking the ladybugs off of me and then vacuuming again.   I was totally not happy.  I knew it was bad when my son came upstairs and gave me a hug.  I am not an insect lover.  I am not fond of bugs.  I do NOT like bugs landing on me, flying around me, or hitting me in the face and I certainly don't like vacuuming bugs for hours! WAH! There is no room for ladybug doodles here! Ladybugs - GO AWAY! 

Queen of the Leftovers

I know one shouldn't bequeath titles upon themselves but....I am Queen of the Leftovers. On any given day, I can open the refrigerator and transform whatever leftovers are in there into a new and exciting dish. I have mastered the art of Spicy Thai Soup made with an incredible assortment of "what the heck is in here?"  Wheatberries?  Check! Normandy Vegetables? Check! Quinoa? Check! Eggs, pork, chicken, roasted veggies, cabbage, eggplant, Check, Check and Check!  It always comes out delicious! To be fair, if you put enough Thai chilis and spices in the soup, no one can really tell exactly what is in there. AND my soup is such a great "Soup O Fire" that in about an hour............your colon will be nicely scrubbed clean. The soup is practically zero calories in the end... Bonus! Tonight I thought the cards were stacked against me in coming up with a last minute dinner reinvention.  Leftover beef.  Roasted potatoes. Onions. Peas.  Beef gravy......OH PERFECT.  I just whipped up some homemade "corned beef hash" minus the "corned".  A few fried eggs and VOILA! Let me just say - the leftovers are now delicious!  I know this to be true because I am surrounded by a four-legged tail-wagging crowd of approval.  Now that the refrigerator is empty, tomorrow I will have to start from scratch and make all new ingredients for what is surely going to be Friday's leftover surprise meal.  Thank goodness I am the Queen!

Sunny Monday Puppy Happiness

The sunshine felt SO good today!  This weekend was so cold and windy.  I think I spent most of the weekend wearing two jackets AND my hood! I wasn't quite ready for the deep freeze yet!  Today I actually got to walk outside jacket free.  It was lovely!  The puppies thought so too!

Okay my sweet Goldendoodle Puppies.......get ready for your adorable Monday Puppy Picture Photo Shoot

Ready? Set? GO!

Perfect!

Thank goodness I have a fast shutter speed!

Because one second later....they were off to have fun!

Awwwww - I love Birdie's Goldendoodle babies!

Nutmeg's Red Caramel and Chocolate puppies are just beginning to open their eyes

Little peeks of cuteness!

Happy Monday!

I could spend every day admiring Nature's Beauty

One week ago today I returned from Vancouver where I proudly watched my mom receive her major award.  The Gala and award night was simply magical.  I was so proud and the event was a culmination of all the awesome work my mom has done.  I wouldn't have wanted to miss it for the world.

The Gala was a huge starry filled event of happiness.

My mom looked amazing up on the stage and on the big movie screens around the ballroom. We all smiled all night long. 

Vancouver is an amazingly beautiful city.  There are museums and stores and parks and waterfront and the list goes on and on. Where was I during every free moment?  Loving Nature of course!!!!!  I can never get enough of Nature's beauty! So here is the picture overload!  

There are totems to be found everywhere

If you look just a little left of the center of the trees - you will see a bald eagle flying.  That one flew right over my head!  

Here is the treetop canopy.  You could walk above the forest floor from tree to tree.

There were trees in this forest that were 1300 years old.  They were SO tall and SO majestic.  I had to just give them a big hug!

The suspension bridge that goes over the gorge.  It was a little wobbly but definitely worth the adventure!

I literally just stood here in silence and took in the beauty.  The air was crisp and fresh.  The trees smelled so good.  The forest was complete serenity and peace.  I could never tire of this.  I wish I could visit this spot every day.

This was a huge catwalk that jutted out from a cliff face.  

Nature all around!

Glass walkways way on top of the gorge

Sea to Sky Highway

Squamish, BC! I could not stop looking at this view.  I think I would be happy living in a tent right in this spot.  So beautiful!

This forest was SO green.  The picture doesn't do it justice.  My sister and I kept calling it a "fairy forest" as it just looked magical.  It looked like one of the places on that list of "places you must visit."

The fairy forest trail led to this view.  I just stood here in awe. Nature's Wonders....right before my eyes.

Bear number 1.  Yes that is me.  Yes I know - don't approach the bears.

So, I am sure this is a mystery person that is close enough to take this picture of the bear eating berries off the bushes.

More Fairy Forests.....Whistler BC

Bear Number 2.  I am a very good bear spotter.

Waterfalls are so breathtakingly beautiful!

Ahhhhh.  So peaceful!  I love to just stand there and listen to the water cascade down the mountain.

Bear number 3. It was a good day for bears!

Some people have this sunset view EVERY single night! WOW! I think I would have to take a picture every night!

This is Beaver Lake in Stanley Park.  The park is literally DOWNTOWN - with buildings and freeways and hotels all around.  Once you enter the park, thoughts and visions of metropolis vanish.  It is nothing but peace and quiet and nature.  I loved it so much. I would walk here every day!

See?  Look at all the trees in this forest!  It is so beautiful.  Did I mention I love nature?  And trees?  And forests?  LOVE!

One last adventure before I headed back to Yesteryear Acres.  

Whale watching! And yes....despite the frigid temperatures it was AWESOME! That's a humpback right behind me.  AND it swam right up to the boat, stuck its head out and looked at us and then swam under the boat on his way.  AWESOME!  I LOVE NATURE!

Subconscious Alarm Clock

Do you ever have one of those nights where you wake up a bazillion times in the middle of the night because you have to wake up early the next morning? You know you desperately need the sleep but your mind wakes you up every half hour just to remind you to wake up early.  That was my night last night.  I don't know why my mind can't just set itself to wake up when the alarm goes off rather than make me worry about whether the alarm will go off.  It is an odd torture. "Hello...I know you won't be getting much sleep tonight because you have to get up early.....so I am going to make sure you don't sleep at all."  Thank you sub-conscious alarm clock!  How thoughtful!  Of course, I did wake up on time so the extra sub-conscious reminders were totally unnecessary. Our first few puppies were picked up by their new families this morning before the sun was even awake.  I can't say that I looked my best, but thankfully it was still dark outside! I was up early and had the puppies running around outside to do their early morning business right on time.  It was worth getting up early as the puppy families were soooooooo excited and sooooooooo nice!  I even got a few presents today which TOTALLY made my day even more awesome!  I hope that all the new puppy families are safely at home with their new furry babies enjoying their happy puppy weekend.  It was a puppyful wonderful day!

Trifecta of Fun

I am pretty sure when you are done reading this blog, you will be consumed with jealousy over my most awesome day. One would be hard pressed to top this much awesomeness! First, I went to the gynecologist for a VERY long overdue medical check-up.  When I say very long overdue, let's just say, the doctor almost forgot who I was! Yes. I was scolded.  Sometimes it is hard to find the motivation to go to a doctor when you feel perfectly fine.  I mean let's face it.... there are much better ways to spend a day! I finally acquiesced and went to my gynecologist appointment.  While I was with the doctor, she asked me when my last mammogram was. Hmmmmm.  Last mammogram? I said, "it wasn't that long ago.....I think I had one when I was 35."  The doctor then said, "soooooo 13 years ago?!!"  ACK!  How did that happen???  Wasn't I JUST 35????  So guess what I got to go do right after I saw the gynecologist? OH YES.  I got to go get a mammogram.  See?  You are so jealous.  You are thinking, "WOW!  WHAT AN AWESOME DAY!"  I have to admit, the mammogram was really simple.  I was done in less than 5 minutes and I was thinking now I can check that off my list for YEARS.  At least that was until the radiologist said to me, "See you next year.  You are at the age when you need this done every single year."  WHAT?!  I am old AGAIN?!  What is this?  Some kind of conspiracy? I called Mr. Yesteryear Acres from the car to let him know that I was finally on the way home when he asked me to stop by the store to pick up a few things.  UGH.  I was waiting at the pharmacy window FOREVER when the technician asked me if I would like a free flu shot.  FLU SHOT?!  OH BOY!  Yes please!!!!  Sign me up!  The flu shot was JUST what I needed to complete my trifecta of fun!  What an awesome day! Doctor, Mammogram AND Flu shot!  I wonder what tomorrow will bring?  Dentist maybe?!  I haven't seen him in a while........Maybe I can schedule that AND have my eyes examined and get reading glasses cause evidently....I am old enough for that too!

Today's Blog is Brought To You By the Letter L

Way way way back when my sister and I were little we had a contest to see who could take the longest to say the alphabet. On her first turn, she took about a minute to run through the alphabet.  My turn followed and lasted 5 minutes.  Then her turn was again right around 5 minutes in length.  Then I said, "Oh yeah....well I will say the world's SLOWEST alphabet.  40+ years later.....I am giving my sister the Letter "L" in honor of her birthday today. Aren't I a great big sister? Just what she ALWAYS wanted....the letter "L". Just in case you think that is ALL I gave her, I also gave her some Luxurious Lovely Lounging pajamas when we were together in Vancouver last week.  We definitely got to spend some fun sister time......

Giant swinging suspension bridge

Walking through the treetops!

A Bald Eagle just flew over our heads. Awesome!

Who doesn't love trees!!!

On the Sea to Sky Highway

The waterfalls were breathtakingly beautiful

To say it was "foggy" in Vancouver would be an understatement

There was a huge freighter ship right behind us blowing its horn.....we could not see one inch of it!

All dressed up for the Gala

Whale watching in the freezing cold?!  Yes Please!!!!

Happy Birthday to my sweet sister who willingly went on all my adventures with me.....including the one when I said, "Hey, I know!  Let's walk up all 30 flights of stairs to our hotel room!"  Only a best friend sister would agree to that one!  And....of course...we made it with no problem!  See?  We aren't THAT old yet!

Happy Birthday!!! Enjoy your LETTER L!

Hot Date

Man!  Mr. Yesteryear Acres and I really know how to do a date night! After working all day, we realized we were out of milk.  EGAD!  AND we were almost out of puppy food! This is a serious emergency! I offered to run to the warehouse club to go get what we needed and then Mr. Yesteryear Acres said, "What if we BOTH go?"  What?  A date!  A real date?  My son agreed to stay home and take care of the puppies so that Mr. Yesteryear Acres and I could go dog food shopping together.  Yes folks - that is a real romantic date here at Yesteryear Acres.  We made the most out of it too.  We went up and down every aisle.  The only thing is, whatever we found interesting was always somehow related to the doggies.  For example, the warehouse club had a rebate sale on electric toothbrushes.  Did Mr. Yesteryear Acres and I think, "wow - that would be great for us!".  Nope.  We thought, "I wonder if the doggies would like their teeth brushed with this fancy electric toothbrush! It even has flossing bristles!".  Of course as we loaded up our flat bed with gallons upon gallons of milk and bags of dog food, we were continuously questioned as to what we do.  I said, "You don't like dog food and milk?!  It is better than cereal!  No tartar on my teeth either!"  Guess we don't need that toothbrush after all!

House Call

Today was a big day here at Yesteryear Acres. Our vet came out and did our yearly vet inspection and doggie health check-up day.  We are so lucky to have such an awesome vet!  She came with 2 vet techs to help do all the work.  Every doggie got a complete physical.  We had blood draws and heart checks and teeth checks and vaccinations.  The doggies got the complete works! The vet techs were prepared with nail clippers and ear cleaner and each time they examined one of our doggies they just smiled because our doggies didn't need any thing.  We kept hearing, "Wow!  Excellent!" and "You are such a nice doggie" and "Your doggies are SO sweet". The vet techs had health record cards for each one of our doggies and when the vet tech would ask the vet, "What kind of notes should I put in this doggie's chart?" The vet replied, "Write down Good Boy!"  It felt good to hear how nice and healthy our dogs were and how well cared for they all were.  She said she was so impressed with our doggies and puppies.  It was a long day but an awesome day.  Our doggies and puppies just showed off all day with their very best manners and everyone got an A+.  Who doesn't love a day like that! Thanks for the House Call!

Tail Wagging Welcoming Committee

Last night when I got home, I was welcomed with a parade of happy doodle doggies, happy doodle puppies and happy doodle people!  Mr. Yesteryear Acres was waiting in the driveway with the welcoming committee of wagging tails.  It was a great homecoming!  I am so glad to be back home and of course happy to do my weekly Monday Puppy Picture update!  

Ms. Cherry Blossom collar says, "Will you be mine?"

It was such a lovely day for playing outside

Or just hanging out and watching the leaves fall

Our Goldendoodle babies will be going home this weekend

Surprise! Kitten Doodle!  Gretel just LOVES to hang over the puppy box and play with the puppies.  She purrs the entire time.

Nutmeg's chocolate babies are SO cute.  The little girl on the right is a chocolate peanut butter cup baby!

The red caramel puppies have such beautiful silky coats.  They are so snuggable!

Happy Monday!!!!