Christmas 2014

This my 13th Christmas with Alanea & Dave.  I am very happy with everything  Here are some nice photos.

The weather has been very good, cool but sunny for the past few days.  I have to wear my hoodie jacket that Alanea bought for me.  Dave takes me everywhere and we get an early start every morning.

January 1st will soon be here.  I hope that the weather stays sunny because Dave said it can only get warmer.  The Mimosas will soon be blooming and that is another photo / blog post for sure.  This year they flowers on the trees should be brilliant / brilliant.

Alanea just received the NCIS New Orleans ornament today in the mail from her sister in Toronto.  She went there on vacation 2 weeks ago.  Holy Creole Christmas.

Why I like to go to Italy

Dave & Alanea took me to Italy again.  This time we only went to Italy overnight and stayed in the same hotel in Ventigmilia.  Ventigmilia is only a few kms beyond the border with France but it is quite different.  Every Friday there is a big outside market where you can buy lots of clothing and fancy stuff.  The inside market has very good and colourful food and I saw a swordfishes head with a very long nose.  The best part is going to the restaurant with Dave & Alanea especially this time because we sat in the warm sun on the patio on the sea.  Dave took a few photos and there is even one of me sleeping at home.  It is exhausting to have to keep Alanea and Dave entertained.

Working and reading stuff

Sometimes Dave and I just sit on the couch and read.  Today we were looking at some information the Uncle Jeff sent from China about the Russian currency markets, what's left of it.  Uncle Alex is feeling the pinch because his business is in St Peterburg.  I will hear all about it tomorrow when Dave, Alanea and I go to their house for cocktails and cookies.  It is close to Christmas time and the weather is bleak but not cold, maybe 14 degrees during the day but very humid.  I am eating everything that I can get because it is cool.  In the summer I eat less but Dave says I am part Labrabor Retriever, the belly part.  Alanea is working hard.  I posted a photo of Uncles' Brad and James and Chester's new kitchen.  I might go there and get something to eat.  Dave is reading 50 Shades of Grey, he said that the only thing missing is the Border Collie, inside joke.

Me at the vet

I went to the vet again and she said that I am OK, Dave has to hold me tight when she takes a litre of blood out me.  Alanea thinks that I need to go to the vet to check my kidney function but I am doing good.  I pee like a moose and eat like a Labrador Retriever, no flies on me.  Dave and Alanea are thinking about a trip to Italy just for supplies, you know what that means Italian wine.  It is December and the vines are dormant but there are Christmas markets and creches popping up everywhere.  I will post a few more times before Christmas to make sure everyone knows whats up.

Christmas appoaching

Dave and Alanea went to a Fete de Noel today but I stayed home because Alanea said it was too busy there.  I know that she really just wanted to go to the only restaurant in the area that does not welcome dogs.  It serves her right that they were full and she did not reserve a table ha ha.  We are doing our best to stay busy at a boring, rainy time of the year.  Today it is sunny and 12 degrees.

 We make pizzas, and go for walks when the sun shines.  Dave gets busy planting bushes and Alanea does intellectual stuff.  Me, I supervise.

Alanea takes care of me.

I got my new stash of food today and I was very impressed.  Alanea orders on line and the goodies
come right to my door.  Alanea and I are very good friends.  I am so happy, new cookies and food.  Dave does not care, he's a dork.  Pain in the ass.

My friends

It is not always easy to post on my blog because Dave and Alanea keep me very busy.  I watch everything.  I thought that I should post some pictures of my friends Chester and Cargo.  Dave will take some pictures and I will post them next week.  It is fall in the Var, cloud and sun 10 to 15 degrees but damp cold.  Not like Toronto cold but the kind of cold that goes right through to your bones.  Christmas is coming and my auntie Jane's birthday is November 29.  Dave bought new shoes or around the house stuff because his other shoes are for the gym.  Chester is at his house and doing very well.  He is a swimmer with a special life jacket now.  Cargo just likes to chase a frisbee in the ravine in Toronto.

Dave in England

Wow Dave went to England for a few days and did a bunch of things.  I cannot easily go to England because for various silly reasons but that's OK for now.  Dave saw the poppy exhibit at the Tower of London, he met Chester the baby Schnauzer, he walked around Guildford and London, drank Coors Light beer and best of all he spent time with Brad and James my friends and Oscar's family.  Dave said the new house is great and that Chester has taken over completely.  When I meet Chester I have some very funny stories to tell him.

Alanea's birthday

Today is Alanea's birthday October 23.  I got up early to eat my breakfast with Old Dave and then I got a nice present ready for Alanea.  The present is a ceramic Seahorse or as the say in France a Hippocampe. I sometime go with Dave and Alanea to The Hippocampe restaurant on the port at Frejus for lunch and that's where Alanea got the idea.  Dave found the Seahorse, which he named Trigger, at a big pottery place close to my house (Alanea with rename him).  I have attached a Seahorse selfie.  Auntie Sharon was here for 1 week and I took them for a nice walk on my beach.  My good friend Anne got a beautiful flower for Alanea.  Now I am resting because Dave will take me and Alanea for lunch to a nice restaurant later.  Uncle Georg sent a very nice birthday email to Alanea from Denmark today.  Uncle Alex, Auntie Tatiana and Stephan have invited us for dinner tomorrow night.  I am quite busy these days.  Please comment if you want to see something special on my BLOG and Jerry what's wrong with the Toronto Maple Leafs?

 

Interesting Life

I have quite an interesting life here in France.  People come and go, I ride in the car to places I can hardly pronounce but neither can Dave.  Alanea keeps working and going off to funny places with long names and longer history (Alhambra, Les Issambre).  One thing that never changes is that people are still having babies, lots of babies.  Despite the craziness in the world and all of uncertainty people still seem to think that they can safely and confidently raise a child.  I am only 12 but I turned out OK I guess.

One thing that Dave keeps saying is, "these little children will never know a world without high speed internet and by the time they are old enough to swipe a finger across a screen the whole world will have changed again".  Well I don't get too excited about kids really unless they are the children of my friends and then I really like them.  Dave brought back Toronto Maple Leaf Jerseys for our friends' babies from Denmark.  They had twin boys a few months ago and here they are at home in sunny Denmark.

INTRODUCING

Noah and Lukas

Auntie Sharon's visit

I am very busy with Auntie Sharon.  Dave & Alanea took us to the beach yesterday and then they brought me home to rest.  They went back out and I slept on the couch while they went to Hippocampe a very nice restaurant in Frejus.   The weather has been good for visiting.  I am not sure what we will do today but I will post again as soon as I know.

Sharon's visit

Sharon, came from Toronto.  She came without Cargo her little boy, he is at the babysitters I put his photo on the blog to so everyone can see him.  Sharon came via London and she brought me

a nice new toy.  I will have a lot to post this week with Sharon here I am very excited and Dave is feeling much better.  Alanea is excited about having company (Roquebrune Sur Argens is nice but it is not Paris) but she is working too hard.

If Uncle Brad would send a photo of Chester I would post it too.

The Trauma or Why there has been no blog post since my birthday.

Dave has been resting a lot since August 17th because he had a little mishap while riding his bike.  Details are available but sufficient to say that he is much better after 3 weeks of TLC and pretty nurses patching up his road rashed sorry ass every 2nd day.  For those who don't know he broke his clavicle and scapula which is the most common cycling injury.  He is doing OK now except that today was the last nurses visit.  No more patches.
I went to the beach today with Dave and Alanea and took more pictures.  I love the beach and it sure is good to see Dave up and about.  Alanea has had her hands full with Dave but since he is in exile in his room we don't see much of him.  Alanea gives him good drugs to ensure that he stay out of sight.
More to come in a few days when I have more to say.

MY BIRTHDAY YA HOO

Alanea went to England for a conference and met Chesteroo in Guildford, Jame's and Brad's little boy.  They are all staying with Francis until they move to their new house, Francis is very kind.  He is a very good little boy but he had a little belly problem that is OK now.  Alanea says he is so black coloured that you cannot see him in photos unless he is on a light background.  Dave and Alanea took me to the beach today because it is my birthday.  I am 12 years old today and I am still going strong.  I have had an interesting 12 years.  Born in Stevenville Ontario I first me Alanea and Dave when they came to check me out at only a few weeks old, Dave said that I was small then but now I am big 3 kg.  I decided that I would let them take me instead of my brother because my brother was not so smart as me so once again proof "if you snooze you lose".  Alanea and Dave picked me up after Dave ran in the New York Marathon (because I could not go to New York) and the rest is history.  I had good friends in Toronto but I like it here too.  Sharon might come in September.  I am now living in France and staying happy by eating good food and avoiding the douche.  Unfortunately Aunt Francoise and Uncle Heinz from Switzerland inspired Dave to buy an outdoor shower and I got put into it because it is so hot here.  Another year and soon Uncle Georg and Aunt Birgit will be here from Denmark.  Maybe Chester will come to France for a visit or I can go there.

Alanea and Chester in Guildford

Me on the Beach on my 12th birthday

Dave and me au naturelle in the back yard shower.

3 reasons why it is a great life

The Tour de France in Paris, me at the Cycling Club dinner and Dave's crepe creation.  Another Tour de France has come and gone faster than you can say Nibali.  The wonder and majesty of the TdF thrills cycling fans every year with the speed of the athletes outdone this year only by the attrition rate.  Injuries and fatigue considered "normal course" took out the big guns early but Vincenzo Nibali triumphed in Paris to the delight of fans all over the world.  Dave said that the big guns like Froome and Contador were missed if only as potential runners up.  Great to see French cyclists winning big.  The "Wiggins whiners" will have to wait until next year.  The photo taken from the TV is the best that I could do from Roquebrune Sur Argens.  Then last night Dave took me to the Cycling Club dinner outside in the village.  It was great but Gilbert, in the white shirt, said a joke in French about me that embarrassed the girls and made them squirm.  I was very happy to go despite the teasing and I got a piece of beef.  This morning Dave made a big crepe with peaches, banana, melon and raspberry topped with Greek yogourt.  I ate some too and it was very good.  My neighbours from Switzerland Uncle Heinz and Aunt Francoise left this morning but Uncle George and Aunt Birgit will come soon from Denmark.  George will give me something like salmon maybe.  I wish that the little ones were coming too but they are only a few months old and Maiken says it is too hot here.  No excuse (but love) for Iben not being here though.  Maybe she should have heard Gilbert's joke.

 

A Midsummers Day's Dream

Just in case anyone was under the misconception that I have an easy life in France I am posting a few recent photos.  It is hot here and I only go walking very early in the morning, Dave takes me for a PIP (poop inducing promenade) before he and Alanea go to the fitness club.  Dave and Alanea take me to the beach for a walk once per week and I really like running there.  I pretend that Oscar is running with me and I really am looking forward to meeting Chester so that I can explain a few important things.  I don't like to come home because it is more fun on the beach and I always have a bath when I get home.  Dave and I installed a moustique screen on the back sliding door.  I cost 23 Euros and made Dave work.  After it was installed and hanging I was confused but I soon figured it out and I can now go in and out freely but les moustiques must stay outside.  They are small but vicious here and Dave is scratching like a fool. Today is Samedi (not bad eh) and the Tour de France finishes tomorrow in Paris.  The Time Trial is today, Dave loves the TT.  Next week no TdF and life resumes it's normal pace.  Every year same thing 3 weeks of young guys dressed in sexy spandex riding hot bikes.  What's the point, I would rather ride in a clean car.

Italy trip for me hurray

Whoo, this time Alanea and Dave took me to Venise in Italy via Verona and Padua.  They really liked everything and Alanea took a lot of pictures.  She took so may that I am having a problem deciding what to post on my blog, ask if you want to see more.  In Verona, a 500 km drive, Dave found a nice wine bar call ZERO 07, I had some Prosecco sparking wine after Alanea did the taste test and determined that it was good enough for me to try.  In Padua Dave & Alanea left me in the hotel for a few hours and went to the Scrovegni Chapel to view the Giotto Frescos, they were very impressed, Dave the art guy.  Like the Last Supper in Milano you must book tickets ahead of time and you only get 20 minutes in the church to see the paintings by Giotto consider to be the first Great Italian master.  I prefer pasta but Alanea like art so I sit in the room.  In Venice Dave showed me the brightly coloured Gondolas but at 80 Euros per half hour and my aversion to water we decided not to ride one.  Oscar would have done it because he was used to boats in England.  Now Chester could do it too but not me unless Dave carried me.  D & A were very happy to get permission to take me to the Naval Museum at the Arsenale in Venise but after carrying me through the crowds for 5 days Dave was going to fire me out of a canon all the way back to Roquebrune Sur Argens, see photo.  On the way home we stopped again in Ventimiglia which is just over the border on the Italian side.  We like to stop there because it is a short drive home the next day, Dave & Alanea enjoy the ocean view restaurants and it is the last chance to buy Italian stuff like wine and finer pastas.  We had a great time and were away for 7 days which is our longest trip in the car ever.  I was tired but now I must go to the groomer.  If you want more info let me know!

A Bientôt