Memory Lane

It's a quiet evening, Sawyer is fast asleep on the floor, while the rest of the family members are quietly absorbed with their Christmas gifts.  I chose to stroll down memory-lane, viewing photos of Sawyer-Doodle-Bug and post a series of random photos of him.  Sigh...how quickly he has grown.

lounging in the kitchen - Aug/10

my baby... aug/10

playing peek-a-boo in front garden - sept/10

aborted attempt to descend the stairs - Oct/10

with his harem - Nov/10

Lasalle Pk - Nov/10

Sawyer admiring his 'godmother' SC & Hurley - Dec/10

Sawyer & I cuddling in his GIGANTIC crate - Dec/10

First Christmas

Sawyer's first Christmas was full of excitement, treats and delight!  It all started with a 6:30 am wake up call, followed by a delicious breakfast and a refreshing walk.  That just wasn't enough for Sawyer-Doodles, he felt compelled to share his Christmas joy with the remaining sleeping family members.  MJ was a great trooper getting up at the crack of dawn, followed by Mom and TJ trailing behind.

The festivities began with fresh berry salad, yogurt and orange juice.  Papa prepared a delicious pot of fair-trade coffee, with a generous shot of mocha-flavoured Kahlua... nice little kick-start to the day!   With a little food in our bellies, we proceeded to the gift-giving.  MJ's strategy of giving Sawyer his gift  first ( scrumptious doggy candy cane) bought us some time to open our gifts and to put on our goofiest faces.

Although we did not share our delicious eggs Benedict (accompanied with Brie, bacon & asparagus) with Sawyer, he did find a way to find a few delicious morsels on the counter.  Sawyer is, nonetheless, a very clever and resourceful dog and will most certainly never go hungry in our household!

From Sawyer and his faithful & loving family, we wish you all a MERRY CHRISTMAS AND JOYEUX NOEL A TOUS!

Cuddling

JOY!  Big sister MJ is home from school and Sawyer couldn't be happier.  He regards MJ as his den mate, playmate and life-size chew toy!  After a full day playing together, a cuddle on the couch is well deserved.

Bruce Trail - Waterdown

Last weekend, TJ, Sawyer and I attempted another portion of the Bruce Trail, starting on the west side of Hwy 6 (parking at Old Guelph Rd) and heading east towards Waterdown.  Although this trail begins in a noisy high-traffic area,  the trail afforded us with interesting sights, one of which was the ruin of yet another old homestead (rusty trike included).

Sawyer was quite keen to explore the ruins but more interested in the smells.  He continues to attempt to remove his gentle leader allowing him control over our walk (NOT!).  However, being the softies that we are, we allowed him 5 minutes gentle-leader-free before TJ begged me to put it back on.

This short trail begins through a tunnel going under Hwy 6, then proceeds up cement steps leading to the old homestead, then meanders through the woods, along a rocky trail along the escarpment.  We passed by an outcrop of old rusty metal buckets & barrels, which I believe was an old garbage dump.  Having a fascination with the past, I had to rummage through the debris of broken pottery, glass and even old shoe leather,  letting my imagination go to yesteryear.

 

We turned around once we reached the old quarry.  Sawyer-Doodle-Bugs (his latest nickname) had had enough and welcomed the warm, cozy back seat of our car.  As they say, a tired dog is a good dog!

In search of snow in Ontario...

Earlier this week,  Sawyer and I drove towards Niagara Falls in search for a glimpse of snow. I just wanted  Boy Wonder to have a good romp in the white stuff.   Call me crazy, but having originated from La Belle Province, I learned to love and appreciate a good snowfall.  Seems that many surrounding communities have recently been hammered by hefty snowfalls, leaving us with bare asphalt.  Argh!

East Dell Winery

After a 20-minutes drive, I soon realized my wish was not to be.  So, off I exit in Beamsville heading up the Niagara Escarpment.  I finally parked my car at the East Dell Winery, knowing there were hiking trails in their backyard.  Sawyer was keen to get out of the car and off we went, walking on lightly snow-dusted trails.  I soon realized we were on a portion of the Bruce Trail, between Mountain and Quarry Roads. This hike offered a view of East Dell vineyards & Heron's Nest cabin, hills, a waterfall, a creek, farmer's fields and a wooded area.   Such beauty at our doorstep!

East Dell vineyards, Beamsville, ON (Lake Ontario in distance)

Heron's Nest Cabin, East Dell Winery

Bernese Mountain dog in training!

Whew!  End of that hike....

Seventy Pounds of Love

Just returned from a visit to the vet for a weigh-in... for Sawyer, that is.  He was not keen to jump on the scale, but would rather chase the resident cat.  However, by placing his favorite treat, Benny Bully's Liver Chops, on the scale, we  managed to convince him to stay put for a few seconds.  Mission accomplished.  Our 6-month old boy weighed in at a hefty 69.4 lbs!!  YIKES, we'll have a small horse on our hands in no time!

Christmas in Toronto

Yesterday was a rather cold and overcast day so all five of us (Sawyer included) had a lovely afternoon nap.  Nothing like a lazy afternoon.

After a belly full of ribs, sausages and broccoli (Sawyer excluded), we agreed as a family to see the Christmas lights in Toronto.   So, off we went with Sawyer loaded in the back of the SUV.

We chose to park underground near the Dundas Square, rather than waste time looking for the non-existent cheap parking.  This was Sawyer's first experience underground and in the city.  We headed for the stairs  but for some reason Sawyer was freaked out and absolutely REFUSED to budge.  No amount of treats conned him to move.  So, on to plan B:  the elevator. Another new experience but we decided to casually enter the elevator and Wonder Boy had no qualms whatsoever.  Fooled him one more time!

The city was vibrant with noise, lights & the bustle of people shopping.   We walked for an hour exploring the core and soon realized how few patches of grass were available for dogs.  Thankfully W knew his way around and soon found a semi-green patch of grass near Ryerson University for Sawyer to frolic in.

MJ & Sawyer in Dundas Square

Then off we walked to the old Simpson's Department store (now the Bay) to enjoy their annual interactive Christmas windows.

On our way to Nathan Philip Square, we met up with a homeless man lying over a warm grate, surrounded with food donations, Tim Horton's cup and a few scattered coins.  I approached him and enquired about his well-being.  He assured me he was "ok" but  "tired" and proceeded to cover himself with a thin blanket and resume his sleep.  I left him some coins, in the spirit of Christmas giving and caught up to the family with a heavy heart.  

The skating rink in Nathan Philip Square was packed with seasoned and new skaters.  There was a beautifully decorated Christmas tree near City Hall which MJ & TJ reluctantly posed for to keep me and my blog happy.  Sawyer was less cooperative but appeared to enjoy being in our company.  It had been a long time since we'd had a family outing and all agreed it was good for the soul.

First Snowfall

As you can tell, I'm becoming a fan of Youtube.com.  Every opportunity I get, I pull out my handy Canon PowerShot digital camera and try capturing video clips of Sawyer at his best.   Youtube offers easy upload features and within minutes, videos are posted for all to see (with the option for your uploads to be private as well).  Ok, enough about YT...

This past weekend was such an opportunity, with our first blanket of snow.  MJ happened to bless us with her presence and much needed entertainment for Sawyer (or as SusanHC prefers calling him, "Wonder Boy").  Sit back and enjoy Wonder Boy, MJ and the white stuff I cherish!

Tap Dancing with a Pear

After a full morning playing in the backyard, I gave him a special treat - a fresh pear... not just any pear but an organic Bosch pear.  (this dog has a better diet than many humans!)  He usually devours this delicacy but for some reason he seemed quite fascinated swatting it over the hardwood flooring.  I decided to video tape his interaction with the pear.  Check it out.... by the way, he did manage to consume his treat in the end!

Guelph Santa Claus Parade

Yet another outing for Mr. Sawyer, this time as a spectator at the Guelph Santa Claus Parade.  First, we whisked sister MJ away from her studies to catch a bite to eat at the famous Angels restaurant for a very late breakfast, followed by a short walk to downtown Guelph to watch the annual festive procession.

In order to get in the spirit of Christmas, we adorned Sawyer (and MJ too!) with a cute pair of antlers, while Dad modeled his Santa shirt.   Sawyer was NOT impressed with us but finally succumbed to the humiliation.

During the parade, we realized that the sound of drums & bagpipes was not Sawyer's cup of tea (not an ounce of Scottish blood in the boy!).  He became very agitated and tried to high-tail it out of there.  However, MJ soothed him and he reluctantly joined us to watch the various community groups display their festive decorations and costumes.

We stayed long enough to watch big brother TJ perform with the Magnolia Brass Band playing a medley of Christmas jingles.  A very proud moment for the whole family.

The adventure ended with a brisk, cold walk back to the car, followed by a cozy warm snooze in the car ride back home.  A good day was had by all.

Friends.... and more friends

It has come to my attention that a few more of Sawyer's friends failed to be mentioned in my previous blog, so here goes:

Sawyer loves to romp around at Lowville Pk with this beautiful blonde, Sophie!

Sophie's new sibling, Charles/Charlie/Henry (apologies to "N"for my poor memory!)

Last but not least,  Dakota, the gentle giant, a lovely Newfoundlander.

Mon petit gourmand

Take a moment to view the following photos... 

What do they have in common you say?  How do they relate to Sawyer??  Well, yes, they are all gluten-free and most definitely edible.  Lately these are foods, carefully prepared by hubby and I, were graciously enjoyed by our lovely Sawyer.    Ahh-haa, yup, this puppy is quick as lightening when it comes to unsupervised food on the counter or dining room table.  He has managed to gobble down a lovely whole roasted head of garlic laden with butter (and he stunk afterwards), half a banana WITH peel attached, THREE (not ONE) but THREE gluten-free muffins and a failed attempt at a roasted leg of lamb, which hubby rescued in the nick of time.  

We do love ya Sawyer...