An Evening Stroll with little Benji

We have been having a heat wave for the past 2 weeks, making it difficult to walk or bike or do much of anything until the hour before sunset.  Today it was 105 F with the humidex, something we are NOT used to her in Northern Ontario, Canada.  I had to wait until after the sun went down to go for a walk, and it was still 100 F with the humidex (humidity).

 As the last bit of color started to fade from the sky, we set out.  Benji likes his stroller, but unlike Mac, who lay down and relaxed during his strolls, Benji paces from window to window, looking out.  I'm not sure how much he can see as the poor guy has glaucoma in is left eye and his right eye has cataracts.

Benji in the stroller

 My asthma was bad so we couldn't go far, just for a short half hour jaunt.

 The sky was beautiful, and my camera took some amazing night shots (making it look much brighter in the photos than it actually was.  It was dark out.).

St. Joseph's school (closed down ages ago)

 The photo above shows the remains of my old elementary school, St. Joseph's.

 For some reason, I really like the looks of the old house in the above photo, especially at night.

 This poor dog is ALWAYS outside on a leash, no matter when I walk, bike, or drive by, day or night.  He was very friendly to me, wagging his tail and giving kisses, but when he noticed I had a dog in my stroller instead of a kid, went mad with barking (just like Mac used to).  His owner came out to yell at him but did not let him in.  I'm sure the dog must go inside and it must be a coincidence that he is just out when I go by, because he looks well cared for, and well groomed.

 This is the Bank of Montreal, where I opened my first account at the age of 5.

I lived on the top floor of the house above until I was almost 5.  Then we moved one whole block away, lol.

 The night sky was just gorgeous tonight.

 I love these flowers; I think they are called Mallow.

 I also love the look of the big house on the corner in the photo above.  The church down the street is all lit up.

 I liked the way the trees leaned over the sidewalk here. 
The bus photo, below, didn't turn out, but I love the way it looks anyway; sort of like it's under water, or in a dream.

And there's my house.  My parents house, where I"m currently living until I can get my own place again.

More Photos from our trip to Guelp

My Dad and I went for a nice walk while Mac was in surgery.  Mac only had a 70 % chance, so I was terrified.  I prayed, and visualized him walking with me, healthy and strong and happy, as I walked by the river.  After our walk, we went downtown for lunch.  Dad saw a sign for the Vienna Restaurant, and we had to eat there, since he's from a small town just outside of Vienna.  He was very pleased with the meal, and the waitress liked him so much she gave us our drinks for free.  The cook made the Wiener Schnitzel especially for Dad.

Dad's special lunch at the Vienna Restaurant in Guelph, Ontario.

Dad outside the Vienna Restaurant, in Guelph, Ontario.

Best name for a  pub ever, Frank and Steins!

Downtown Guelph, Ontario.

Dad, walking downtown in Guelph, Ontario.

Me on the covered bridge in Guelph.

View from the covered bridge.

Me, hiding behind a tree.

River in Guelph.

Dad on covered bridge, Guelph Ontario.

Dad smiling..miracle!

Pretty river in Guelph.

Dad.

Cute little mall in Guelph, Ontario.

"Outdoor cafe" inside cute little mall in Guelph.

Gorgeous church in distance.

Me feeding the birds outside the room.  Smokey said hello to each and every bird,
and was disappointed when I told her they couldn't talk, lol.

Cute squirrel begging for more food.  He came every day.

We came back to the room after lunch, and called the veterinary clinic, to find out that Mac had made it through the surgery, responded well, and there were no complications, thank God.  He was walking better the next day, eating, and getting stronger.  On Friday they released him.  Smokey was very happy to see him again, and greeted him with, "How ya doin, dog?"  I was worried about the 10 hour drive home with a dog only 2 days post op (he has a huge line of stitches down his throat and neck...like someone installed a zipper, poor guy).  He was good on the way home, except he refused his dog food.  He had to have his pills on a full stomach, so I had to stop and buy him a burger the first time, and a chicken wrap the second time.  He loved it, and took his pills with no problem (hidden in peanut butter).

Smokey in her travel crate on the 10 hour drive home.  She LOVES car rides. That's part of
Mac's huge crate next to Smokey's.  On the way to Guelph, she was up higher , and could see above the bumper pads. 

On the way to Guelph, I had Smokey's cage up higher, up past the bumper pads.  When Mac sat up they were face to face.  Smokey didn't like that, lol.  She said, "Kathy, help me!"  When I looked I saw she was looking directly into Mac's mouth, which was wide open because he was panting.  She's not afraid of him, but didn't seem to like the look of those big fangs, lol.  She told him to "Go lie down!"  and he did.  She's so funny.  On the way home, I put her cage lower, so she couldn't see over the bumper pads. Mac only got up a few times, so I needn't have bothered; she would have been fine up higher.  She was still high enough to see out the side window, and she really enjoyed the drive. She's been asking to go for a car ride again, lol.