It Really Feels Like November - Archer Days 6-8

We're starting to lose our colours. Down at the lake, our rock artist has been at work again making more little sculptures. November on the Great Lakes can be very stormy - today just grey. On one of the lakefront properties, they've planted this great bittersweet on the massive retaining wall. It's just at eye level - and so welcome to see such a happy colour scrambling over the limestone.

I don't remember this goldenrod when it was yellow - isn't it great now that it's creamy and fuzzy?

If the weather holds, will do my best to get out there and do more planting and cleaning up - the giant leaf sucking machines from the Town are doing their passes. It would be great to have the leaves off the grass and to the curb.....but it's so cold. My camera is still freezing and I've been inside for almost an hour. Not feeling like a rugged Canadian girl today - just want to drink coffee, read books and sit by the fire.

And again, this is the Archer warning.....from here on in it's all about Dog Guide Archer and his adventures with us for the month of November.

It has been an exceptionally social weekend for Archer. Friday, we headed over to Joanne and Owen's (sister-in-law & brother) for our 1st Friday family get together. Every month on the first Friday we all drop everything and get together for dinner. This time Joanne hosted and invited Archer to visit with his cousins - Percy the 3.5 month old poodle and Griffin, the long suffering Yorkie. Here is Andrew, who came back from University of Waterloo, entertaining the two younger dogs and trying to protect himself from their little razor teeth.

The next morning, Archer took a shower first with Kevin and then with me. I had my hair all lathered up - eyes closed - when I felt little lick, lick, lick on my knees - a very odd sensation. There was Archer standing in the shower with me, enjoying the nice warm water. So, this is good news for that sight-impaired marathon runner who wants to move on to triathlons. With Archer's boundless energy and love of water (see bath episode), I think he's a natural for triathlons.

No rest for the wicked, gave my friends Janet and Peter a call to see if their lab Abbey with the boundless energy might like to go for a walk.

We drove over to Bronte Park and did an hour run on the trail. It's quite fabulous - the whole area is leash free. The dogs love it.

After the walk Sarah, Janet & Peter's daughter gave the dogs a bath. She even gave Archer a spritz of cologne. He still smells quite lovely.

Back home that afternoon, Archer took his life in his hands with Hercules - he spent 5 minutes poking him in the gut, rear, head trying to get him to do something. Herc was great - just looked at him and kept his weapons of mass destruction to himself.

Today, Kevin took Archer out on his 4K speedwalk; we've played fetch for 20 minutes followed by another 3K walk with Carrie. He's eaten the peanut butter out of the Kong - decided against going into his crate....and now is fast asleep at my feet so I'll be able to get some stuff done. Not bad......that only took 4.5 hours.