November and the blog

Yes, it is understood that the blog has been in hiatus.   The pilgrimage to Virginia was true to form and Billy had a wonderful vacation.  The dog with the miles under his paws charmed the South yet again, winning friends and influencing local dogs.  Remus, the little Welsh, welcomed the Regalridgemobile and wagged for a solid three weeks.  There was  the requisite shopping, punctuated with coffee at the 7/11 as votes were cast for our presidential candidate.  Now, that was interesting.  The height of the piles of available red or blue containers depended entirely on the area of the convenience store  - the one located next to the hut advertising Thursday night "Bullets and Beer" had a smaller assortment than most.  It was time to buy Remus' dog license - and in this gated community in which we spend a considerable amount of time annually, the place to buy your license is, of course, at Bill's Gun Shop.  Yes, as odd as it seems to Canadians, they sell fishing, hunting and dog licenses next to high powered rifles and a plethora of handguns and ammunition.  Only in the south.  Sunday at the Jefferson was a weekly ritual, with our regular server offering up endless good champagne to accompany that outstanding afternoon of over-eating.  Our Ken's seven desserts was slightly under his high of nine achieved in the spring.  Linda had three crystal cups of chocolate mousse and was replete.   This year Regalridge was managed by a fabulous young woman.  Alisha has a dog 'outreach' business that includes training, exercise and house sitting.  She is reliable, responsible, and thoroughly delightful, capable of managing the Regalridge crew and assorted additions with ease.  What a terrific addition to our lives and a person highly recommended should such services be needed. 

Settled back into the daily routine, Lily arrived and offered a family of Airedale puppies.  All are well, fat and happy.  Lily is very, very proud.  Logan is the father and the puppies have the potential to be stunners given the parents' pedigrees and great looks.  The weather is finally becoming seasonal and the first hard frost was experienced this week.  Prior to that, the days had been early September-like, with warm to hot afternoons.  Still, the time has changed, daylight is shorter and evenings seem the longest period of each 24 hour cycle.  Some of the winter birds have arrived and Our Ken is handing out seed by the bucketful.  There is a new feeder for small birds and special fruit and nut seed is included in the daily menu.  Chantelle added a window feeder, supposedly for small feathered friends.  The Blue Jays did not get that memo.  One has become very, taken with the kitchen goings on, peering through the window while sitting on this exalted perch and is likely to move in at the first opportunity.   And there are adventures.  On this day, it was the appearance of  a pervasive black covering.  During the early morning stampede, Lee noticed the floor's call for a cleaning.  Somewhat surprised since it had not rained the day before, the mop was brought out for a little early morning exercise.  Three buckets later, and with a dent made in the film, there was a realization that 'something happened'.  On Our Ken's arrival two hours later, a bemused expression crossed that otherwise benign countenance.  The engineer among us had cleaned the oil stove the evening before - with a vacuum cleaner.  In went the soot and out it spewed, apparently.  There is no better avenue for spreading a full oily covering through a very large room than a powerful vacuum - words to live by.  So, hours of cleaning later, a start has been made.  There is no worry about filling time for the coming week.

The kennel is quiet and that is a good thing.

The house crew are well and impressed by Our Ken's prowess in motivating all of this great room activity.  Their paltry attempts of tearing apart the orthopedic bed and working as a team to spread chips of memory foam through the entire area look pitiful by comparison. 

Dinner has ranged from pan fried haddock to chicken wings with the lovely blue cheese dip; sirloin from the favourite butcher across the road to pot roast (first of the season); burger night to prime rib.  There have been multi-tiered carrot cakes (Our Ken had an annual celebration) and pumpkin pies, cranberry muffins and banana breads.  Cream of onion and tomato-basil soup have graced the table.   Apple crisp from brother Reg's apples and homemade bread have made appearances on Regalridge plates and platters.  And there is a strong rumour circulating that Christmas is coming. 

Rain is forecast for the week end

It is a wet early fall day.  The news is filled with the launch of the Bluenose schooner.  Pictured on the Canadian dime, this is a major event and has drawn thousands to our UNESCO heritage town on the south shore.  Tide is high in a little more than an hour and the lovely vessel is poised to make her debut.  That's news in this little province.  It was a full day at Regalridge as well.  There was paperwork to complete, outside jobs to take on since this was to be the last of the warm sunny days for the next while and sorting to accomplish with the move of furniture complete.  Pictures were rehung and walls washed.  Concrete was poured by the alpha male and paint brushes were wielded.  Einstein has a new perch on the back of the living room sofa, an adequate spot from which to observe activity on the east side of the house and especially provenant for vicariously hunting birds. 

The kennel is quiet and the girls in season are doing their best to keep up the charade of concerned visitors.  Sarah is particularly helpful and encourages Marguerite.  Lori is embarrassed.  Scooter joins in when not balancing the ball on her nose - it is hard to bark and balance simultaneously.  Trebia bounces and barks, the better to push out that hound sound. 

The house crew are trying out the leather furniture.  Dolly has perfected the chair - hopping in and leaning back until the foot rest is engaged and the rocking stops.  With a sigh she then circles and plants herself, head on the arm and eyes closing.  Ken is again relegated to the couch.  Marilla has bounced up and off several times, not entirely sure that the lovely leather is an improvement over her couch of preference that disappeared from under her nose.  Charlotte is content to engage her dog bed and Piper holds all furniture in little regard, preferring the kitchen with its more central vantage points.  Billy is ignoring the change in the room, trying hard to maintain his composure as he attempts to follow his usual patterns, only to find a chair blocking his way. 

Meals included a lovely tomato basil soup, a roast chicken with roast potatoes and Our Ken's apple pie.  Life goes on. 

Hi ho!  Life is occasionally a little too busy at Regalridge.  Occasionally something slips.  The blog became subject to that slippage and is now back.  With dog shows, post-show visitors, puppies departing and the various committees and boards that take up inhabitants' time, not to mention time spent with the dogs, there were too few hours for a month.  Things are now caught up; the return to normal welcomed.  The weather has been interesting.  Lots of rain followed the summer drought.  Lots of rain sat on top of hard baked ground - and sat, and sat.  Still, the surface is sodden while digging down a bit offers powder.  It will take a while for the tables to rebalance and in the interim, more rain is forecast.  The apple crop is stellar as is the squash.  Tomatoes are abundant.  Flowers are again blooming, having taken a hiatus during the dry weather.  There are roses everywhere and finally dahlias are showing their colour rather than simply copious amounts of leaf.  Tony's 'taliban tree' is shedding its nuts and leaves are developing colour.  A trip to PEI last week end showed that the Island is shutting down for the season.  Fall has arrived.  There are moose appearing in school yards in Halifax (a first) and on roads in NB (not really news).  Cool mornings welcome the dogs and Jack has requested a coat. 

The kennel is quiet as is usual for the early fall.   There are girls in season and boys putting an exclamation point on the situation.  This, too, shall pass. 

The house crew bade farewell to Patti Labour Day week end.  Our old friend had a wonderful life, lived it long and well and maintained order amid the chaos for well over a decade and a half.  Life is not the same.  Piper, Marilla and Dolly are contemplating top dog status (Charlotte demurs) but each feels that it may be a lot of work for little gain.  Piper has all she can do managing Lee, noting that she already has a full time position with good pay and plenty of responsibility.  Marilla notes that taking on a job could cut into her play time - that would not sit well with Marilla.  Dolly is considering the job most seriously.  She likes life as it now sits but is Patti's sister and does have the ability to manage the unruly youngsters.  There is new furniture in the den and Dolly has taken up a position in the lovely leather chair, sorting out quickly that if the chair is tipped back far enough to allow the foot rest to elevate, the rocking stops and sleep can be had.  This, too, adds an excellent and elevated vantage point form which to supervise indoor activity. 

Part of the activity level late August and early September is the wrestling of the crops into submission.  There is applesauce and tomato chow, a plenitude of jams and jellies and pickled peaches.  There have been apple pies and baked apples, blueberry pies and jam.  Tomato and blue cheese soup has become a staple and is frozen for winter days.  Squash is only just starting.  Dinner was fresh haddock (Lee was in the city so found the fish truck) with squash, potatoes and fried green tomatoes.  Our Ken had apple pie.  All is well.