Ontario Hotter Than Florida

Photo courtesy of vasofoto.com under creative commons license. To see more photos by vasofoto, click here.

Today it will be hotter in Ontario than Florida.

Today in Florida the current temperature will be 90F (32C). With humidity it will feel like 111F (44C).

Today in Ontario the temperature will be 95F (35C). With humidity it will feel like 116F (47C). Today's temperatures are the hottest ever on record for Ontario. Read more here.

Thunderstorm anyone?

Well, I poisoned our dog

I was concerned that Sophie wasn’t eating.

Recently I had put some pumpkin on her food for added fibre (vet suggested). I ran out of pumpkin and she was not in a hurry to eat her food without the pumpkin. I put a handful of raisins in her food and she ate it all. Then I had a gut feeling that the raisins may not be good for her so I checked on the internet. Sure enough, extremely poisonous for dogs and could cause acute renal failure. Why couldn't I have had that gut feeling before I gave her the raisins?!

I was so angry with myself. We have been so careful what we feed her, so the time I don't check before feeding her I give her something really dangerous.

I took her to the vet right away, and he induced vomiting. Yesterday she went back to have bloodwork drawn to make sure her kidneys were ok and she was free of raisin toxins, and it seems she is in good health.

It's well known we should not give chocolate to our dogs, but not many people know that raisins, grapes, and onions are extremely dangerous to dogs. 

Here are some human food items that are poisonous to dogs. Read list here.

Last Launch Of Space Shuttle

Our view of a previous shuttle takeoff from our Florida backyard.

Last shuttle launch. Unbelievable!

It has been part of Florida for so long. My boys would watch takeoff on tv, then run into the backyard to watch it in the sky. Several neighbours were in their backyards watching it too. We even saw a night launch once – super cool. We were all accustomed to the double-boom noise that shook the windows when it arrived back in Florida at the end of its mission.

End of an era.

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July to our American friends.

Happy Canada Day

Coast to coast grin, courtesy Huffington Post.

To our Usian friends, Canada Day is similar to July 4th.

1st July 1867 is the date Canada became a country.

Grade 8 Graduation in Ontario

Today is the last day of school before the summer holidays.

End of 8th grade is different in Ontario. By the way, it’s called Grade 8, and not 8th grade here.

In Florida, completing 8th grade was the same as completing any other grade with the exception of 12th grade. In Ontario they make a very big deal. Grade 8 graduation here is a formal event.

Last night middle boy graduated from Grade 8 with distinction (good grades). The graduation ceremony took place at the local high school. Youngest boy played the trumpet in the school band. Afterwards the “grads” went back to their elementary school for their 8th grade “prom”. Wow! Very fancy. The “dance”, otherwise known as (hanging out with my friends and eating the food) ended at 10:30 pm.

As these Ontario kids have attended an elementary school from Jr Kindergarten to Grade 8 (instead of middle school), grade 8 graduation is quite a right of passage. They are leaving behind their care-free days of elementary school, leaving behind recess twice a day, and entering the more serious arena of more homework, university entrance exams, and semester finals.

Middle boy had fun!

We have grass

We moved in in October, then winter came. Then a wet spring came and the grass was delayed for 6 weeks. Yesterday, we got grass. Yay!