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Today was Graduation Day for "Tsunami" at Companion Dog Training. She did very well and has made a tremendous improvement in these first eight lessons. I am hoping to join the "Hollywoof Superdogs" team eventually. But even for basic obedience I certainly recommend the Companion Dog Training of Guelph. If you'd like details, please Email me: oficserv@sentex.net.
| Here are some pictures of Su .. with myself trying to make her behave. In this I am reading her graduation records. | ||
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Su decides to jump all over the instructor! | | I have to show that Su can be inspected without biting the vet. |
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The instructor departs right laughing! | |
Monday 27th December 1999
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Boxing Day was hideous. Continual heavy snow "flurries" (that Canadian euphemism for blinding snow-squalls). I cleared out my driveway, deck and patio, in the morning after walking the dogs. By the afternoon there was more snow than in the morning! Ho Hum .. back to the snow blower. |
Christmas morning was very pleasant. Really cold tho' - wind chill of -22º. Walked Tsunami as usual (but precariously and avoiding the ice as much as possible). Had Christmas dinner with relatives in Kitchener again. The drive to Kitchener was normal, all roads clear and dry. Took some pictures of the Christmas lights on the way home.
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Wednesday 22nd December 1999 As I said last year .. this is my favourite day, when the sun begins to return and the days will become longer. It was also a special day (or rather, night) because the moon will be closer to the earth than it has ever been in my lifetime. When it returns to this position I will be long gone. This was the best picture I could get from my back yard, with my telephoto not even on full. I had to use a tripod. Even then the moon kept disappearing with the slightest vibration. |
Sunday 18th December 1999
Cinema this afternoon. Saw Robin William's latest: Bicentennial Man. Enjoyed this immensely. Made me laugh and moved me to tears (which is unusual for me .. but then I don't care for sad movies. This wasn't sad, just touching). "Bicentennial Man." Directed by Chris Columbus, from a screenplay by Nicholas Kazan, the film is based upon the short story by Isaac Asimov and the novel The Positronic Man by Isaac Asimov and Robert Silverberg. The film is produced by Wolfgang Petersen, Gail Katz, Laurence Mark, Neal Miller, Chris Columbus, Mark Radcliffe and Michael Barnathan. Executive producer is Dan Kolsrud. "Bicentennial Man" is distributed by Buena vista Pictures Distribution. There are plenty of sites on the Internet where you can look up descriptions of movies and any other info. I've put a link at the end of this page.
Received another Christmas card. It's quite large again, (about 800k and takes approx. 5 mins to load on a 32 modem) with animation and some sound. Click here to view . GREETING.EXE. This is about 800K and takes about 5 minutes to load on my 32 modem. BUT WHEN IT HAS FINISHED PLAYING, THE BEST WAY TO GET BACK INTO THE INTERNET IS TO CLICK ON THE MICROSOFT GREETINGS CARD SITE, WHICH WILL APPEAR. IT DOES NOT CLOSE BACK TO THIS SITE.
Tuesday 14th December 1999
Sue (tsunami) is doing so very well with her companion dog training. I am just delighted. I had not realized how much difference it would make having a proper trainer. Our goldens were always quite obedient, but it took a lot of yelling and carrying on. This is quite different. Now she actually wants to do whatever we are asking. It's very interesting, if you have the time, I recommend it.
Today we have the first real winter storm. This morning the temperature was 0ºC, but a high wind gave a windchill of -13ºC. Then the real storm started with freezing rain at about 13:00 hrs. turned to ice-pellets, then snow. It certainly looks a lot like Christmas!
The neighbourhood Christmas lights are quite spectacular this year. People seem to be having a competition. The new Noma Icicle Lights are particularly popular. On Saturday the Rotary Club "Sparkles In The Park" lights were ceremonially lit, attended by Santa Claus, who arrived in a carriage drawn by two very large gentle brown horses. The display is along a drive near the floral clock in the park on Woolwich St. Unfortunately we waited so long for Santa to arrive, that we were freezing and had to go before the lights were put on. We saw them as we drove away and will have to go back. They will be on until 31st.
Thursday 9th December 1999
Have the digital camera installation now. This car was my first picture. I think it is a bit too blue, but it looks very clear don't you think?
This evening I decided at the last minute to go to my annual dinner theatre treat at the Theatre in The Trees (at the University of Guelph Arboretum). They now have a home page and I have put a link at the end of this page. This dinner theatre has become a very popular event .. especially since they no longer allow smoking. Actually the ventilation still is rather poor and the heating of the room extremely uneven. All the perfomances were fully booked, so the organizers had arranged an extra performance tonight. As usual, it is a dress-up event. The dinner buffet was delicious: An array of decorative salads, rice, couscous etc. At the end of the salad table there were numerous (North American speciality) jellied salads, some with fruit and a sweet creamy sauce arranged in pineapple halves. These I still think of as desserts. The entrées were grilled chicken in a wine sauce and braised beef in a mushroom and wine sauce. My small glass of house wine (Piat d'Or) was $4.50., which I feel should have been $2.50 max.
The play was "Wife Begins at Forty", a comedy in two acts, by Arne Sultan, Earl Barret and Ray Cooney, directed by John Snowdon. The play addressed just about all the problems of marriage in later years. It was hilarious. Next spring, 5th Feb - 29th April, 2000 they will be presenting a British comedy "Beyond a Joke", by Derek Benfield and again directed by John Snowdon.
Monday 6th December 1999
Again took a ride with Cherry Bus Lines/Maxey Travel. This took us, for the afternoon and evening, to Cullen Gardens. We had a turkey dinner and wandered around the gift stores. There was a presentation - songs by a group of four. Then we walked around the grounds to viewed the spectacular miniature village with Christmas lights. Really pleasant ride, I certainly recommend it, whether you go alone, with your family, or with a group.
Cullen Gardens in summer.
Saturday 4th December 1999
The first days of December have been quite mild, about 45 to 50. This weather is being funnelled up from the south. The air is very humid, bringing mists and fine rain such as one would expect in B.C. or England.
This morning when walking Sue (the Tsunami) I met numerous other people with their dogs. One was a baseball player, so he could really throw the ball for the dogs and wear them out. One lady was a local artist.
Return to other months of Diary from Canada at http://www.sentex.net~oficserv/Canlet.html
Link to Theatre in The Trees at University of Guelph, home page.
Link to the Movies Pages at "movies.yahoo.com"
Visit a site for many photographs of North American Birds and animals.
Rhona Raskin Home Page at http://www.rhona.com.