Bieber alert

After our time at Novo Spa, Gord and I walked to Yorkville to have an early supper.

When we passed by the Hazelton Hotel, there were people gathered in front of it.  We asked what was going on and apparently Justin Bieber (who is in town to do a couple concerts) was staying there and was leaving any second.

We waited for about five minutes and then left ... no sign of the Bieb and we were hungry.

Even Justin Bieber's bus can get a parking ticket.

Novo Spa, Toronto, ON

Rather than buy each other something for our birthdays that we don't need, Gord and I treat each other to treatments at a spa.  This afternoon we went to Novo Spa in Yorkville for my birthday ... we'd never been there before.

Here's the ladies' change room ...

Toronto's Festival of Beer, Toronto, ON

I received a couple media passes for the 19th Toronto's Festival of Beer ... it's at Exhibition Place all this weekend (not far from our 'hood so we walked down and back).

Toronto’s Festival of Beer is a celebration of Canada’s rich brewing history, hosted by experts of the brewing craft from around the world. Featuring 200+ brands onsite, this is Canada’s premier celebration of the golden beverage! 

The Festival boasts over 60 brewers featuring more than 200 brands from all over the globe. From lagers to stouts, fruit beers to ales, we have something for everyone! The Festival features more than just beer though; there are several non-malt based beverages available including wine, ciders and ready-to-drink beverages. There are also a number of food vendors onsite serving up delicious meals. Whether you’re looking for oysters, poutine or a burger, you’ll be able to find the perfect thing to satisfy your appetite! 

Book ~ "The Essentials of Business Etiquette: How to Greet, Eat, and Tweet Your Way to Success" (2013) Barbara Pachter

From Goodreads ~ The trifecta of business success! An expert in the field explains how to master three basic but commonly difficult situations requiring proper business etiquette.

"The Essentials of Business Etiquette" offers 101 crucial etiquette tips for improving behavior when greeting, eating, and managing social media with customers, partners, coworkers, supervisors, and in other business relationships. Pachter covers such topics as distributing business cards, using the right profile photos on social media, email and smartphone etiquette, Skype interviewing, and using Twitter appropriately. 

With my job, in addition to conducting seminars, I'm in a lot of client and prospective client meetings, work functions, lunches, etc.  I enjoyed this book because it was a good reminder of what to do and what not to do in business settings but also in life in general.  For example, I knew that when I'm finished a meal to put my silverware on my plate to signal to the server that I'm finished ... but I didn't know that my knife should be up and down on my plate and my fork should lay across under it (otherwise he/she might think I'm just taking a break).

There are 101 tips included in four sections:

1. Greet
1. Part 1 - Establishing rapport
2. Part 2 - Maintaining a professional image
2. Eat
3. Tweet
4. Career

Here are some examples of the tips:

• What's in Your Name? A Lot!
• Kissing Colleagues: Is It Ever Okay?
• The Thumb Joint Connects to the ... Thumb Joint 
• Business Cards in a Social-Media World
• Refined Regifting Rules . . . Really
• Body Language: What Your Posture Projects
• Speak Up! We Can't Hear You
• The Do-Not-Say List
• Be Direct! You're More Likely to Get What You Want
• What to Do If You Are Interrupted
• Are You Really Going to Wear That?
• How to Dress for a Promotion
• Chipped Green Nail Polish and Other Grooming Mistakes
• Place Settings: The Secret Language of Dining
• Treat the Wait Staff with Respect
• Man, That's Rude! Five Don'ts for All Phones
• Man, That's Really Rude: Tips for Cell Phone Users Only
• Don't Ruin Ur Career: Texting Guidelines
• Are Facebook ... Twitter ... Any Social Media Necessary?
• Email Etiquette 1: Avoid Saying or Doing the Wrong Thing
• Don't Put Yourself Down: Accept Compliments
• Moving On? The Etiquette for Leaving a Job

I liked the writing style ... the tips were short and snappy and had real-life examples and questions/answers.  This book is a fairly quick read but should be kept nearby if you never need to refer to it.

I received a copy of this book at no charge in exchange for my honest review.

Happy birthday to me!

51 years ago today ... at 2:12pm ... I made my arrival into the world at the Grace Maternity Hospital in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Here I am at my first birthday party ... celebrating with cake and a washing machine.  Good times!

Click here to see who shares a birthday with me.

Happy 11th anniversary to Gord and I!

Sister Sarah, Teena, Gord and Ken 
July 26, 2002 ~ 5:30pm
City Hall, Toronto, ON

Here's the card Sister Sarah made us last year to celebrate ...

Book ~ "Too Close" (2013) Elizabeth Krall

From Goodreads ~ What rules would you break for the one you love? What lies would you tell?

Three weeks before their wedding day, Nicola and Greg discover that they may have the same mother.

They met when Greg joined the San Francisco newspaper where Nicola is the travel editor. After six months, eager to start a life together and raise a family, they decide to marry.

When Nicola finally meets his family in Seattle and mentions the circumstances of her adoption, Greg’s horrified mother is forced to reveal the shameful secret she has kept for 36 years.

As they struggle to deal with her revelation, their relationship is challenged and strained. If his mother’s suspicions are true, they will be forced into a devastating choice: break all of society’s rules and fight for their love, or break their hearts and give each other up. It will be the greatest test their newfound love has faced – and their love may not survive.

Nicola and Greg have both had their hearts broken.  Nicola breaks her "no dating anyone at the office" rule when Greg joins the newspaper as an accountant.  Very quickly they fall in love and make plans to get married.  Those plans all come crashing down when Nicola meets Greg's mother, Mona, for the first time a couple weeks before the wedding.  Mona reveals that when she was a teenager, she was messed up on drugs, ran away with a band, got pregnant by one of the band members (she doesn't know which one) and gave the baby away to a stranger in a park ... and Nicola might be that baby (she was adopted).

Very quickly Mona and Nicola do DNA tests and mail them away.  As they wait for the results, things understandably get tense between Nicola and Greg and their families.

Scene: Nicola and Greg have returned to San Francisco after the weekend in Seattle with Greg’s family. Their fight is unresolved, and he dropped Nicola at her apartment and then drove off. Nicola has been to Sausalito to tell her parents what Greg’s mother said, and now she has arrived at the marina where Greg’s boat is moored.

The marina’s parking lot was still and quiet when she arrived shortly after 11pm. A faint mist hung over the dark, calm waters, and she shivered in the cold. It crossed her mind that he might not be here. He could have gone to see Sam and Debbie, needing reassurance and comfort as strongly as she had. He’d certainly had none of that from her today. Would he even want to see her?

Please be here! Nicola thought, as she ran towards the pontoon. Please be happy I’m here. I’m sorry I was such an idiot!

The security gate across the pontoon brought her to an abrupt halt. Locked, and at this hour there was no one conveniently coming or going. She fumbled out her phone.

“Oh, my darling!” he said. The tears welled again as she heard the joy and relief in his voice. “I should never have let you go off like that. Where are you? At your parents’ house, or your place?”

“Actually, I’m in front of your security gate.” There was no reply. “Greg?”

Then she heard the sound of feet slapping against the wooden walkway and saw his dark form running towards her along the pontoon, from bright to shadow to bright as he ran under the overhead lights. He wrenched open the gate and they were in each other’s arms, laughing and apologizing and not quite crying, and kissing as if it was their only hope of salvation.

Nicola and Greg try to carry on as if things were normal ... Greg believes the results will be negative so it's a non-issue.  Nicola, though, is thinking about the various options:

1. If the results are negative, they carry on and get married as planned.
2. If the results are positive, they break up and never see each other again, which would break their hearts.
3. If the results are positive, they stay together (but don't get married) and don't have kids.  This is incest, thus illegal, and both could be sent to prison for a couple years.  This also goes against Greg's religious beliefs as it would be a sin.

Interesting premise, right?

I liked this story and was curious to see how the author would end it (I'm not going to spoil it so you'll have to read it for yourself!).  I liked the writing style and kept wanting to read more so I could see if Nicola and Greg were indeed half-siblings and how they'd deal with it.

For the most part, I liked Nicola and Greg.  I got turned off from Greg at times and thought he was an A-hole, though, when he went into his "holier than thou" rants and stormed off.  I would have liked to learned more about Mona and why she had run away as a teenager and did the things she did.  Plus once her big reveal happened and they did the DNA tests, she pretty much disappeared.  Nicola and Greg went Fifty Shades a couple times which I thought wasn't necessary because it took away from the main story ... it didn't fit in the story for me.

I'd recommend this story if you are looking for a different kind of love story.  As a head's up, the language and activity are for a mature reader.

The Night Market at 99 Sudbury, Toronto, ON

We got a notice in our door last week that the Night Market at 99 Sudbury was starting up.

99 Sudbury is throwing a weekly night market curated by Foodea every Wednesday evening from 5pm-10pm in The Gallery.

Vendors will include farmers with fresh produce; grocery items from local purveyors like cheeses, breads and meats and locally made products like sauces, pickles, preserves and baked goods. Food vendors, including local restaurants, pop ups, and food trucks will sell freshly made food to eat at the market or to take home. Stay for a drink from one of the local drink vendors including wineries, spirit distilleries and breweries. Retail vendors including artisans will be on hand selling clothing, jewelry, art, crafts, flowers and more.

The market will take place in the 99 Gallery space every Wednesday evening beginning July 3rd, 2013 and running until October 2013.

Since it's in our 'hood, Gord and I checked it out this evening.

Before we even went inside, there were a couple food trucks parked outside the door.

If you have a dog, you could buy it some treats.

Book ~ "The Customer Service Solution" (2013) Sriram Dasu and Richard Chase

From Goodreads ~ "The Customer Service Solution" explains how consumers perceive services and shows you how to enhance the customer experience - every time.

In this economic climate, the customer service experience is more critical than ever. Most leading service firms advocate the TLC mantra: Think Like a Customer. That's a good practice but first you have to understand what your customer is thinking and feeling. Today's business leaders cannot afford to neglect the psychological principles that govern customer satisfaction and long-term loyalty.

What are the factors that really determine customer satisfaction? Two of the nation's leading authorities on service psychology, Sriram Dasu and Richard Chase, have written this groundbreaking guide that identifies and demystifies the psychological triggers behind customer behavior. You'll go where customer satisfaction surveys, mystery shoppers, and focus groups can't - and learn exactly why customers respond and behave the way they do.

With findings drawn from behavioral science research, this book provides all the tools you need to evaluate your current service platforms and design future strategies to enhance customer perceptions positively and drive your sales.

"The Customer Service Solution" illustrates why even companies with high levels of satisfaction are missing tremendous opportunities by neglecting the emotional elements that govern consumer interactions.

This book will show you how to:

• Shape and manage customer perceptions 
• Understand implicit versus explicit outcomes 
• Develop the roles of control and choice among buyers 
• Design emotionally intelligent processes 
• Build trust among customers

Whatever your business may be - healthcare, hospitality, financial services, e-commerce, and more - this book is an essential tool to help you increase profits by leveraging your company's customer experience.

Regardless of the industry you work in or the job you do, chances are that you have some contact with a customer or client, whether it's an internal or an external customer.  No matter how well you (or your company) think you are relating to customers, it wouldn't hurt to read this book to ensure/confirm that you are doing the right thing or to improve what you are currently doing.  No doubt there is always room for improvement, right?

This book walks you through the process with the following chapters:

1. Customer service solutions:  leveraging customer psychology to design service operations
2. Designing emotionally intelligent processes
3. Engendering your customers' trust
4. Shaping your customers' perceptions of control
5. Sequencing the experience
6. Time warp:  duration management
7. Attribution:  ensuring that you get your due
8. Putting the concepts to work

There are lots of real-life examples in the chapters to help you relate.  At the end of each chapter, there is a conclusion to pull together what you'd just read.

Book ~ "Texts from Bennett" (2013) Mac Lethal

From Goodreads ~ Hardworking Kansas City rapper Mac Lethal has a problem, and its name is Bennett. His wannabe gangsta cousin is seventeen, uses drugs and foul language, claims to be 13%, and swears he speaks "da female language" (strangely that last one sort of seems true).

But as different as they are, when Bennett and his mom lose their home, Mac’s got their backs. They’re family after all. Sure, it takes patience to live with the eternally smoked-out Bennett and the pill-popped Aunt Lily but he can handle it.

You know who can’t? Mac’s very pretty, very WASPy, very uptight girlfriend. So as his once-peaceful household gets completely crazy, Mac learns that wanna-be-Crips are thicker than water, that his little cousin - flawed, irreverent, and basically a Saturday morning cartoon gone horribly wrong - has become his mentor, and that he really has no idea what’s up with girls.

Mac Lethal is a white rapper who was living with his girlfriend, Harper.  When his aunt, Lillian, her boyfriend, Tim, and her son, Bennett, become homeless, Mac invites them to move into this home.  Harper isn't crazy about this but they had no money and nowhere else to go.  Lillian is a drug addict who dozes in front of the TV and Tim doesn't work and plays video games all day.  Bennett is 17, a wanna-be gang member and claims to have found out from a "family tree company" that he is 13% black.  He swears a lot and is always scheming to get laid (and succeeds).  He reminded me of a younger version of J-Roc from Trailer Park Boys ...



Having Bennett, Lillian and Tim living with Mac and Harper disrupts the household and by the end of the book, life has changed for everyone, surprisingly for the better as they become a family.

This book is written by real-life rapper Mac Lethal.  It's different from what I usually read (I'm not into rap and I'm not much of a texter) and I enjoyed it.

The writing style was interesting ... it was a combination of the story told in first person (from Mac's point of view), texts between Mac and Bennett and screenshots of texts between Mac and Bennett.  Mac's texts are easy to read ... Bennett's not so much as he texts phonetically (Bennett would probably type that word "fonetacly").  It slowed down my reading speed as I had to decipher what Bennett was saying (it took me a while to figure out what "N E" meant) ... but the style worked because that's how Bennett thinks and talks.  Bennett swears a lot, using the F-word and N-word often but doesn't see anything wrong with it because that's how black gang members like him speak, right?  Needless to say, this book is for mature readers given the language and activity.

I liked the characters.  When they first got together, there was definitely friction since their values were so different.  But as time when on, they grew to love each and learn from each other.

I'd recommend this book.

Book ~ "Emotional Vampires at Work: Dealing with Bosses and Coworkers Who Drain You Dry" (2013) Albert J. Bernstein

From Goodreads ~ Do you work with vampires?  Learn how to protect yourself!

Banish the bloodsuckers from your professional life. Whether it's a coworker, subordinate, or boss, there's at least one emotional vampire in every office. These people try your patience, sap your energy, and add an entirely unhealthy dynamic to workplace productivity. The bestselling author of "Emotional Vampires" and "Dinosaur Brains" shows you how to spot and deal effectively with these dysfunctional elements in the workplace: 

• Antisocials, who crave excitement in all its forms, including aggression
  If your boss or a coworker is trying to push you around . . .
  "Learn that the most important battle to fight with a bully is in your own mind." 
• Histrionics, who believe that what it looks like is more important than what it is
  If your boss thinks any problem can be solved with a motivational seminar . . .
  "Learn how to get a manager wannabe to actually manage." 
• Narcissists, who believe that the universe revolves around them
  If your CEO makes Louis XVI look like Gandhi . . .
  "Learn techniques that diplomats have used throughout history to teach infantile monarchs to act like grown-ups." 
• Obsessive-compulsives, who can't seem to see the forest for the trees
  If there is absolutely no task that your boss considers too small to micromanage . . .
  "Learn to be a Control-Freak Whisperer by seeing your boss's fear rather than your own irritation." 
• Paranoids, who think they've found the simple truths that explain everything
  If you work in a place where you can't get ahead unless you drink the Kool-Aid . . .
  "Learn how to recognize a toxic belief system before it poisons you." 

If you are in the workforce, no doubt you have worked with some of these vampires ... but didn't know what to do about it.  If that's the case, this book will help you. 

This book starts by describing the the different vampires along with examples ... there are later chapters giving a lot more detail about each of the different vampires and how to deal with them.  There is a quiz to determine who you are ... a rebel, a believer or a competitor ... which will help you deal with the different vampires.  Finally there are 15 signs that an organization is run by vampires for vampires.

Toronto Blue Jays 3, Tampa Rays 4

Gord and I went to the Blue Jays ball game this afternoon ... they were playing the Tampa Rays.  The Blue Jays had lost the first two games of this series so they needed a win today.

Carlos Delgado was getting inducted into the Level of Excellence before the game.  He spent twelve years with the Blue Jays (1993 - 2004) and retired from baseball in 2011.  As we were coming in, they were giving out a can with a ball inside to commemorate it.

The national anthems were sung by St. Michael's Choir ... they honoured Delgado by wearing his name on the back of their ball shirts.

Before the game started, they had the ceremony to induct Delgado into the Level of Excellence.

Duffy's Tavern, Toronto, ON

While walking around the BIG on Bloor Festival, Gord and I had a late lunch/early supper at Duffy's Tavern.  We like pubs and neither of us had been there before.

We sat inside where it was cooler.

They had some cool stuff around.

BIG on Bloor Festival, Toronto, ON

Gord and I went to the BIG on Bloor Festival this afternoon ... we'd never been before.

BIG on Bloor Festival, car-free Bloordale celebrates arts, culture, community & small business, on Bloor Street, Toronto, Dufferin to Lansdowne. We welcome everyone!

Bloor Street W between Dufferin Street and Lansdowne Avenue was closed off.

We started at Dufferin and walked west to Landsdowne.  It was quite crowded when we got there about 2pm.  This is looking westward at Dufferin.

There were about 200 vendors lining the street on both sides ... most weren't from the 'hood.

Book ~ "Amy, My Daughter" (2012) Mitch Winehouse

From Goodreads ~ Candid, compelling, and heartbreaking - a father's story of a talent taken too soon and a legacy that will live on for generations

On July 23, 2011, Amy Winehouse's family, friends and fans around the world mourned the tragedy that this remarkable, talented, and extraordinarily generous young woman was now gone. A legion of dedicated fans had lost their idol; a devastated family had lost their Amy. With this difficult news came an outpouring of love and grief from her fans, along with troubling questions about Amy's very public struggles with drugs and alcohol, as people tried to understand how such a soulful singer had been silenced so young.

Now, in this intimate and tender account, her father and confidant, Mitch, offers an inside view of Amy's life as she lived it, putting to rest once and for all the controversies that have long surrounded her. Sifting fact from fiction, he presents a portrait of Amy unlike any other, detailing the events and the people that shaped her youth - from her mischievous childhood to her grandmother's Jazz Age stories, to her father singing Frank Sinatra around the house. Shedding light on Amy's musical coming-of-age, Mitch explores how she honed her distinctive sound, created her unforgettable look, and channeled her own life into hits such as "You Know I'm No Good," "Rehab," and "Back to Black" - some of the most memorable and personal pop music in years.

While her beehive hair, larger-than-life voice and outrageous personality made her famous, her life offstage made her infamous. Here Mitch holds nothing back about Amy's addiction to drugs and alcohol, mixing the painful with the poignant as he describes the realities of her dependencies and the toll they took on the family and friends who refused to give up on her. Revealing the truth about Amy's substance abuse and dispelling many of the tabloid-fueled rumors about her tumultuous marriage to Blake Fielder-Civil, Mitch exposes the years of behind-the-scenes drama that consumed his life and explains how, for those who knew Amy in her last months, the greatest tragedy of all was that she finally appeared to be conquering her demons.

Filled with insights into Amy Winehouse's music, photographs from her life, and stories of the real woman behind the headlines, "Amy, My Daughter" is an emotional journey into music, addiction, and the unbreakable bond between a daughter and her father.

The only song I know of Amy's is Rehab, which I like.  I like reading bios/autobios and I thought hers would be an interesting story ... and it was.  This book is written by her dad, Mitch, and tells the story of Amy's life from her birth to her death at age 27 in 2011.

I enjoyed the writing style.  There was a lot of detail but I didn't find it was too much information.  I thought it was written in an honest manner and it must have been hard for the author to tell his story.  Her dad did so much to control her life, trying to save her from her dependency on drugs, booze and her ex-husband, Blake (who sounds like a jerk).  As I was reading this book, I wondered if there comes a point where a parent eventually steps back and lets their child take responsibility for their actions.  As a parent, that would be a hard decision to make knowing it could end badly.  As exasperated and pissed off as Mitch was at times with Amy, he never gave up on her.

There were times when I liked Amy and times when I didn't.  She would be very generous and a loving daughter.  But she was also selfish and self-centred even when she wasn't on drugs or booze.  She was an adult and though people called her on her actions, it wasn't enough to make her stop acting like a spoiled brat.

Mitch is donating all his proceeds as author of this book to the Amy Winehouse Foundation, which her family has established. The Foundation works to prevent the effects of drug and alcohol misuse on young people. They also aim to support, inform and inspire vulnerable and disadvantaged young people to help them reach their full potential.

Trius wine club - July 2013

I picked up our box from Trius at the post office today (we weren't home when they tried to deliver it yesterday).

Gord and I have been members of the Trius Wine Club (formerly the Hillebrand Wine Club) for over ten years.

Every month, 2 bottles of our best wine will be delivered to your door along with Winemaker Craig McDonald’s tasting notes and Chef Frank Dodd’s recipes.

The cost is about $40 a month and it's only available in Ontario.

Here's what we got this month ...

• Trius Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 ($14.95) ~ The recipe included that pairs with it is Chocolate and Red Wine Muffins (sounds delish!)
• Showcase Riesling "Ghost Creek" 2012 ($25.20) - We love rieslings!  The recipe included that pairs with it is White Wine Hummus (sounds yummy!)

Book ~ "The Big Book of Dumb White Husband" (2013) Benjamin Wallace

From Amazon ~ If you're not him, you know him.

He's challenged the grocery store. He's confronted the HOA. He's even taken on Santa himself. He doesn't usually win. These are the tales of the Dumb White Husband and they are all available here in this collected edition.

1. Dumb White Husband vs. the Grocery Store - John would rather sit and watch the game but his wife needs some things at the store. Can he complete the list and get back in time to see the end of the game? 
2. Dumb White Husband vs. Halloween - Every Halloween, Chris has the scariest house on the block and gives out the best candy. But this year someone is showing him up and he'll stop at nothing to find out who. 
3. Dumb White Husband vs. Santa - Erik has planned the perfect Christmas for his family. The plan is foolproof, bulletproof and flame retardant. Nothing can undo the hours of planning and preparation. Nothing except maybe odd-shaped packages, ill-timed fruitcakes or an errant neighborhood Santa Claus. 
4. Dumb White Husband vs. the Tooth Fairy - Erik always has a plan and he's sure he would have figured out the whole Tooth Fairy thing eventually. But when his three-year-old son takes a frisbee to the mouth, he's forced to speed things up. Between neighborhood kids with big mouths and unhelpful dentists he's going to need to improvise. Will he bend to the pressure of inflation? Will he get caught in the act? And, what do you do with those teeth anyway? 
5. Dumb White Husband for President (A novella) - There comes a time in every man's life when he must stand for the things he believes in. John doesn't believe in bagging his grass. So when a new allergy-prone neighbor gets the HOA to require it, there's only one thing he can do - run for President of The Creeks of Sage Valley Phase II. John, Chris and Erik put aside most of their differences to run a campaign that they hope will see John elected as President and end the meddling of the rule-loving new kid on the block. Will they succeed? It's doubtful.

There are five stories in this book and they feature neighbours Erick, John and Chris ... who don't like each.  The stories are cute and funny.  My favourite was Dumb White Husband vs. Santa ... all the husband wants to do is wrap gifts and he keeps getting interrupted by his neighbours giving him gifts.

It's a fun book if you are looking for something light.

Book ~ "Porch Dogs" (2013) Neil Dickerson

From Goodreads ~ Porch Dogs combines fine-art portraits of man's best friend with beautiful architectural documentation of the Southern porch.

Nell Dickerson fondly recalls childhood nights on the sleeping porch of her grandparents' Mississippi Delta home the sounds of katydids, cicadas, and tree frogs, the merciful breeze from the overhead fan. But during the heat of the day, the family sought refuge indoors, leaving the dog to his lonely vigil. "I felt like he understood that the porch was the gateway between inside and outside and that it was his duty to keep sentry there in case someone wanted to pass," she recalls.

Years later, Dickerson noticed that few new homes had porches, their residents increasingly dependent on air conditioning. "We Southerners used to be social," she notes. "Now, we risk losing what makes us Southern: porch sitting. But there is hope. Our dogs maintain the tradition."

Dickerson's incomparable photographs introduce an unforgettable variety of "house dogs," "yard dogs," "shop dogs," "swing dogs," "bench dogs," "top dogs," "under dogs," and "dock dogs."

Whether they're fans of photography or preservation, high art or humble canines, readers won't be able to keep from smiling at the array of delightful portraits that reflect the former cultural pastime of Porch Sitting.

I love dogs!  And I like looking at professional pictures to see try to see what the photographer saw and what caught their eye when they were taking them.

This is a cute book full of pictures of dogs who are house dogs, yard dogs, shop dogs, swing dogs, bench dogs, top dogs, under dogs and dock dogs.  Along with the pictures are descriptions of who the dog is and what they are/might be doing.  Here is a sample:

You'll enjoy this book if you are a dog lover!

Differences between Canadians and Americans

Please don't leave your dog in your car!

We are supposed to have a heatwave this week ... it was 32C (41C with the humidity) today.  That's hot!