This time I went to Venise!!

 Venise-en Québec that is!!  We went on a little road trip, to mark the fact that they've been married for twenty-five (25) years!  Yep, you've read that right, it has been that long since they tied the knot.

Anyway, here I am on our way to the spa, for one day, not a big outing but still I tagged along!

After them being in the baths, they rested and lounged outside...  The place was busy but also very zen - read quiet!

She sat in the sun as well, but it was quite hot and since she has two colors: white or red - she didn't do that too long...

Here I am, by the cold bath, at one end of the baths room...

different focus... my tail got wet during these photos... just saying!

They did two rounds, changing stations and getting "worked up" by the water jets...  Some of those jets were very hard, and they seemed to help them.  They went back outside to cool off and dry...

Below the deck, there's a fire pit and some Adirondack chairs, so people can talk there, as it is further for the "relaxation area"...  Here I am, looking pretty looking at the lake...

Oh, I almost forgot, she had actually brought a rock with her, that she painted, and leave it behind to be found... 

 
She painted a mandala type rock, and left it there.  It was well identified to the Bacefook group, if found they could post it there...

Last week she was saying the leaves had started to fall and we made fun of her... but look here, that is one dry leaf and they're more on the ground... darn!  So not ready for the weather change... even if it was a VERY hot and humid summer... better than snow any day of the week I say!!

Escaping Winter and Christmas Time All Together...

This year, Stinkypaw and her husband decided to escape for Christmas AND New Year and took me along for this ride! We ended up across the world in beautiful Hawai'i. Stinkypaw loves it there and she didn't want to go just for one week, so they manage to go for two beautiful weeks.

Here I am at the Honolulu airport waiting for our connecting flight to the Big Island.  They had just enough time for her to enjoy her (first) Mai Tai and him a Long Board.

I also made friends with these two!

As we were about to land in Kona, the flight attendant gave us all a treat, some deeeelicious chocolate covered Mac nuts.

My new friends wanted in on that treat!

Right after I enjoyed my yummy chocolate, I noticed the beautiful view on the Big Island, it is quite dry looking on that side of the island... Look at those waters, so blue!!

Since this was their # visit on the Big Island, these two knew their way around, so they went for groceries for the week, hit a place to eat for dinner and even booked themselves a Christmas Eve dinner! Our first morning came by, full of sun and oh so fragrant! It smells so nice and the birds chirping constantly, unreal! When they got back from their morning walk, Stinkypaw gave me this beautiful plumeria, so pretty, don't you think?

  

We've been gallivanting around the island. She always bring me with them, but depending where they go, sometimes I just stay chill in the car.

We made a pit stop along the way, where you could see many old lava trails left from the 1800 eruption, and how nature is slowly growing back among it all.  It is pretty fascinating when you think of it.

Hubby holding me down

Hubby had to hold me down it was sooo windy there!  I actually flew off when Stinkypaw took that first shot. It was somewhat scary if you ask me!

We ended up at the Black Sand Beach, that was so cool! Well, not really! The sand was VERY hot, but seeing all that black sand was cool!

 Plus we were lucky enough to see some sea turtles just enjoying the warm sand, quite the sight! Check it out!

The Big Island was, as usual (I'm told!), the calm and relaxing place it is.  It's not Kauai, but a close second!  We had a great week, visiting some, beaching most days, and did I mention doing sweet nothing but enjoying it all?

We flew back to Oahu, for our last week, and I actually got leid when we checked in!

Don't I look just like the perfect little tourist!  This is the view from our little lanai, in Waikiki, right by the marina, our new home for a week.  I'm told here it will be a very different vibe, as for one, they have friends they want to catch up with.  It is not quite the same as the Big Island, but as far as I know, it's still hot and I like it!

Today they actually meet up with a friend of theirs, from Australia, who is also in Waikiki, staying at the hotel next door from us! Talk about a coincidence! This is me posing as we're heading out to meet with this dude from Down Under for a bite to eat...  That Marina you see, is where they filmed the opening sequence in Gilligan's Island, remember that old show (way before my time!) from the 70s?

They met up with this crazy Aussie then went for a drink, or two, and I have a feeling that dude thought I was a weird little thing... but Stinkypaw stood by me!

Despite having a great time, and enjoying every little moments we could, it is time to think of heading home...

Yeah, so these two don't really travel light! I have prime sitting in her travel bag, and for that I am thankful!  On our way to the airport we stopped for a bite to eat at a local diner with their good friend.  She Hawaiian (born and raised) and she's like ohana to them.

Stinkypaw might look happy there, but deep down she was crying...hard.  She will miss her friend and that heat...

Here I am poking my head out for a breath during our long flight home.  Man oh man!  It is a beautiful place, but man it's far!

Over twelve hours in a flying banana isn't really my idea of a fun time, but it was a smooth flight.  Usually they try to cut their flight time in half by making they way to the West coast first which is about half way.  This time, because they were flying on points, they couldn't do that.  On the way there we had a short flight and then a long one, but coming back it was the opposite, so here I am trying to stay awake for the last leg of this journey home...

I don't look too back considering being stuffed in a bag for more than 9 hours! This is a little montage she did from the view we had upon our departure and the one we got upon arrival.  Quite a different scenery, wouldn't you say?

Aloha oe! I will see you again, it's a promise...

Local excursion up North...

Last time I reported any travel was our trip to Dominican Republic.  This time I made my way up North, about one and a half hour from home, to Hubby's cousin cottage.

Stinkypaw and Hubby were asked if they would babysit cousin's kids.  They have three of them, age eleven and eight for the twins.  They had hoped for clement weather so that we could do a snowshoe outing, but lucky as they are, it rained all week prior to our drive and with very clement weather so lots of the white stuff melted... They hoped it would not be the case up North.  No such luck.

The scheduled Saturday,  we ended up with the three kids in our car following cousin and his wife on what started as a beautiful sunny day. Within twenty minutes or so on the highway it quickly turned to foggy, gray and misty.  By the time we got to the cottage there was lightening, thunder and pouring rain.  The drive over went well, especially since the three trolls fell asleep rather fast and slept the whole way.

OK, I admit it, I slept too!

They're good kids.  They played games, with Hubby and Stinkypaw and by themselves, and they even did a talent show.  The rain turned to snow during the night, and it got cold.

As usual, being the friendly beaver that I am, I made a new friend... a little Greek sheep, she was so purdy!

The next morning it was so friggin' cold!  The car was frozen solid.  All the rain of the day before froze in the doors, and all over the car.  It took forever for it to get warm.  There's nothing worst, really than to sit in a frozen car.

 I will say this though, the view from the cottage is very nice.





 I'm sure it must be gorgeous on a nice summer day, with the lake and all, but in the dead of Winter?

 Nice and all, but man it was cold!