Old Advertising

There are still a few old buildings in our downtown sector that have some “heritage” character.  I had been waiting for an overcast day to snap some pics.  (Unfortunately, it was also very wind chilly.)  I grabbed my camera but put my cheaper lens on it.  This building is in a sketchy area and if I got rolled for my camera, at least they wouldn’t get my beautiful new lens.

billiards and tobacco

This building is currently standing alone, but I think both parking lots on either side used to have buildings on them.  The slogan is “everybody smokes Old Chum tobacco” – you can see another vintage sign here.

"finest pool and billiards parlour in town"

I like the gritty feel to the black and white print.  When taking the photos I could see that there was something painted underneath.

something blue?

I could make out an S, some other letters.  I googled a little bit and found a great set of pics on a blog here that shows what this painted sign underneath must have looked like.  It’s for Sweet Caporal cigarettes and the slogan was “smoke Sweet Caporal cigarettes”.  You can make it out underneath if you know what to look for.

on the other side

This painted ad was high up on the building and I think there was a single-storey building abutting this one, so that’s why the advertising was up high.

O-Pee-Chee Chewing Gum

Both signs have J. H. Pollock listed (phone 567!) so I am curious if that was his building and he housed the billiard parlour and smoke shop there?

couldn't quite make it out

but this must be the sign painter’s company.  Thomas G-something.

More photos in the set on flickr.

Corn Dog

For the past number of months, Ava’s had a couple of corns percolating on her back paws.  I have been keeping an eye on them and working on them.  Apollo has one (recurring) that I popped out in December, but these one’s Ava had just were taking a lot longer to get to that point.

Ava, classy girl

We came in the house yesterday and she was sitting like this.  ?? Anyway, last night after she’d come in from being in the yard, I worked on her corns some more.  She was such a good girl, very stoic.  I don’t have a corn huller, but I used this cuticle thingie and just kept working it.  The big one took a little more work; I had to soak it in some epsom salt water for about five minutes, then it was more pliable.

gross - I wouldn't have wanted to walk on those

I put some Abreva in the craters when I was done.  I had read somewhere that it may help prevent the corns coming back – what the hell, can’t hurt.  I also put some on today.

how they looked today

~~~

fanks, Mommy!

Last night Apollo was displaced and quite put out:

ha! I have the bed and you don't!

We are having our usual winter cold spot on the floor by the bay window, so we’ve had to move the beds away from the wall.  We turned them 45 degrees so they fit better in the space.  Apollo has adapted easily and now lies north-south, but Ava still bucks the trend and is taking up two beds by going east-west.  Poor Apollo.  This was after the corn-ectomy, so I let her be.

nose is north-south

Edited to add:  I didn’t realize that corns weren’t a familiar notion to other dog owners.  Sabrina had one that I removed a couple of times, Apollo has one that I’ve removed three or four times, and Ava has these two that I just took out and one more smaller, less bothersome one.  If you google greyhound corns, there are a lot of pages, but this one is pretty informative and this one shows how to hull them.

Booties

Another hectic week done – and January almost done, as well.  I set aside my West Coast socks and decided to try some baby booties:

the sole and just starting to do the "sides" of the bootie

I looked at many patterns and ideas on Ravelry, but these seem to be a good standard.  They are the Christine’s Stay-on Baby Booties.  I found another interpretation of the pattern here.  I looked at my sock yarn and found a nice, gender neutral turquoisey blue with a hint of green.  This is Knit Picks Stroll Tonal in “blue yonder”.  This is a sock yarn, but the wool portion is merino, so it should be soft and gentle for a baby.

Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to knit for the past couple of nights, other things to do.  I’m going to switch a load of laundry, then pick them up.  They shouldn’t take long – they’re very tiny!  I think I will do a ribbed leg on them instead of the eyelet and i-cord (both for speed and for ease of use in putting on/taking off).  I will also do a quick sock yarn hat to match.

Frozen banana disks

I always have bananas that are either too green,  and you wait a week for them to ripen, and then they’re instantly too ripe.  What to do … I think I saw this on Pinterest.  Slice them up, flash freeze on a cookie sheet, then throw into zippy bags.  I mostly use bananas for either smoothies or baking, so this will be ideal.
Sent from the Galaxy … Samsung Galaxy.

this is 5 bananas worth

I’m trying to work here

and this is what I have to put up with:

Ava was worried that I’d work right through her supper.

Doing Laundry

and <<stop the presses>> actually knitting!  After taking almost SIX MONTHS to finish the big fella’s socks, I looked in my knitting bag and I had almost forgotten about the beautiful socks that I’d started on our holidays:

West Coast Sunset socks

Indigo Moon Ultimate Sock Yarn, colourway “West Coast Sunset”, cast on Sept 30th, according to Rav.

not quite true colour representation

The red hues are deeper,  like in my post when the yarn was acquired.  I am doing a 3×1 ribbed leg, will likely keep it going on the instep, too.

The weather looks like it might be warming up; the poopers will be glad to go for a little walk soon.

until then, I'm snuggling on my electric blankie

~

baking in the sun

It’s been a year

since our little princess left us.

a couple of days before she left

In her usual spot on the couch, keeping watch over the neighborhood.  We miss her daily, and think of her often.

Huddle together for warmth!

This week has been very cold:

Yesterday ^^ was warmer than today.

Apollo has the right idea:

two blankets - electric on the bottom, princess on top

The sun doesn’t come around to the living room until mid-late morning, so they need their blankies to keep them warm.  Once the sun starts shining in, Ava absolutely bakes on her leather couch – and loves it!

here's another sock photo

I checked on Rav and I started these socks on August 1st – that’s ridiculous.  Long gone are the days when I could knock out a pair of socks for the big fella in a week.  [sigh]  Great colours, though – Trekking XXL in colour #450.

My nephew came for supper tonight – we had steak and the fixin’s as we usually do when he dines with us.  And I made lava cakes.  I haven’t made them in a long time … so good!  And so easy!  I mixed them together while I was waiting for a report to print, then popped them in the fridge until it was time to bake them off after supper.

Ava and my nephew had a little love fest going on.  He sat on the couch next to her and petted her the entire time.  After he left, she was insufferable.  She moaned and groaned and carried on.  I sat with her and scratched her brisket and rubbed her ears, but it wasn’t the same.  [big greyhound sigh]  Funny little dog.

Finally – and not a moment too soon!

Finished the big fella’s socks last night. -45 wind chill today.
Sent from the Galaxy … Samsung Galaxy.

Frozen Balls FTW!

When we last left our story, there were frozen chocolate chip cookie dough balls.  I did an experiment.  I took out 8 dough balls (to counteract the comment snark when I said 6 cookies …) and put them on a cookie sheet for 30 minutes.

waiting to bake

I baked them off for about 14 minutes:

looks good from here!

I would say the experiment is a success.  And I still have 24 more balls in the freezer.

Speaking of frozen (but not balls):

"no, mommy, I do -not- have to go outside in the -36° wind chill just yet. I can hold it."

and

"one way ticket to Florida, please"

Our very mild winter temps have turned more seasonal this week.  It’s kind of weird for it to be this cold and brutal and there to be so little snow on the ground.  Bizarre, actually.  Supposed to be this cold all week.