Our theme song should be The Beatles, "Hello, Goodbye"

If you don't understand my title, chances are you're too young, or not British, or just don't get my sense of humour.

How to work off that Christmas Day food

Location: Peoria, Arizona, USA
Housesitting: Fanci, a small standard poodle
Weather: 55ºF (13ºC) and breezy
Forecast: High of 55ºF (13ºC), low of 43ºF (6ºC)
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Note: You'll see some photos with grey skies and darker land than the others. Without realizing, I clicked on one of the filter settings on my phone. There really were blue skies and the land wasn't that green. Oops!

Today we went to the Thunderbird Conservation Park in Glendale, one of the neighbouring cities that makes up the Greater Phoenix area. It's a 1,185 acre park dedicated to preserving the desert environment. It has about 15 miles of multi-use trails of varying lengths and degree of difficulty. As we didn't have the trail map with us, we just started by following everyone else. I was surprised by how many other people were there. 

Dr. Phil and "The Honey-Do List"

Location: Peoria, Arizona, USA
Housesitting: Fanci, a small standard poodle
Weather: 64ºF (18ºC) at 4 pm
Forecast: High of 64ºF (18ºC), low of 49ºF (9ºC)
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My husband, Greg, is a handyman. When he feels comfortable with a house sit, he'll tell me to ask them, in one of my emails, if they have a "honey do" list. Before I could write this post, I went to my friend, Google, to see whether it was "honey-do", or "honeydew". Hey, I'm an English teacher, so of course I care about such details.

Re-aligning a gate last year - #1 on a wife's honey-do list!

Keying in "honey do" (my first guess), right after the dictionary I come across a Dr. Phil advice link ... of course I clicked on it! I now know there may be relationship/sex issues linked to those who don't follow through on a honey-do list. I rarely have a list as Greg gets most jobs done before they ever get to a list, or sometimes even before I even notice them! So, no worries there, Dr. Phil :)

For those who may not be familiar with Dr. Phil, he was a psychology advisor to Oprah many years ago, and has his own spin-off relationship TV series. I think Oprah is probably known worldwide.

This is our third sit at our current home. The homeowners are well aware of Greg's abilities, and hopefully know that he doesn't do any more than is requested, or without checking in with the homeowners. For this visit, the owner mentioned to Greg that the wooden bench needed oiling and he'd be welcome to do it if he wanted.

Here's a photo of the bench, in the back yard, from our visit a year ago.

First Greg sanded it, and sanded it again, and sanded it again. He doesn't have his power sander with him either, so it was done by hand.

See the before-and-after? Good job Greg!

He did the oiling over a few days, so I was able to get photos of it at various stages.

"Hmmm, that small can's not going to be enough"

"Hmmm, may need another coat?"

We sent photos to the owners as it was progressing, and they were thrilled with it. They decided it would now go in the front yard.

Yesterday Greg was finally satisfied with it ... or, at least, I think so.

So, here it is, under the "Christmas tree" (see the baubles?) at the front of the house. Nice, eh? (a little Canadian there, as that's how Greg would say it).

Once we put the cushions back on, we had Fanci pose for a photo. The bench had been drying for a couple of days, and we checked it for any tackiness. All clear for the photo.

Fanci's modelling her Christmas bandana too

Once Fanci was off the bench, we could see faint paw prints. I told her owners it reminded me of kids who need to make their hand impressions in wet cement. Fanci put her mark on the bench, but it was just dust and didn't stay.

So, the "new" bench is Greg's Christmas present to the owners, I guess. We already ate and drank the Christmas presents they left us! OK, Greg, I ate most of the chocolates, I'll admit that, but you helped me with those cookies ... and shared the wine!

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Note: Photos of pets and homes are only used in the blog with the prior approval of owners.

My Top 10 List of Outdoor Displays

Current location: Peoria, Arizona, USA
Housesit: Fanci, a small standard poodle
Weather: currently 54ºF (12ºC) at 10 pm
Forecast: high of 60ºF (16ºC) low of 49ºF (9ºC)
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We were here for the Christmas holidays last year. Well, to be politically correct, I probably shouldn't use the word "Christmas". That's a story unto itself, which was told last year. Check it out, if you didn't see it, or don't remember.

Last year I was impressed by the various outdoor decorations, especially the way so many cactus were dressed up with elves' hats. This year, however, the decorations were slower to appear, and less plentiful. Maybe it's because I'm repeating the experience, but I really do think there's been less of an effort this year.

Before I start this year's Top 10 decorations, I'll share my favourite from last year ...

It looks like a White Christmas in Phoenix!

You may recall that just two days ago we did a Christmas shopping trip to Petsmart. Here's Greg, happy with his selection.

The Undeniable Truth about Arizona

In 2013, Peoria, Arizona (where we currently live) was rated #7 of the top USA cities for early retirement. In fact, the photo used for the article in the above link, as seen below,

Doesn't everyone do all their Christmas shopping at PetSmart?

OK, enough of me whining about the cold weather here in Arizona; let's move on.

Let's first go back to this time last year. Same home, same dog (Fanci), and - as you're about to see - same Christmas shopping.

December 2014 - Greg at PetSmart

The Joys of Tweets & Texts!

So, my focus lately has been on the (poor) weather here in the Phoenix, Arizona area. 

Here's this morning's local weather update on Twitter:

Being grateful, on a cool rainy day

In my previous post, I compared the Phoenix, Arizona temperatures to our hometown of Niagara Falls, Canada. A little disheartened, I realized the daytime temperatures weren't that far apart. Yet we have come to Arizona for the warmth and sunshine. Here's a photo outside today, once the rain had eased up. The temperature at 8:30 am is 44 F (7 Celsius).

New Movie Sequel: The Hunt for Red "December"

Earlier this year we house sat in Tucson, in the Catalina Foothills. We saw some beautiful sunsets, and I did a post about it, "The Old Adage of Red Sky at Night".

The reason I mention this is that tonight's sky had a patch or two of dramatic colour in it. It was more vibrant than it shows here, and there were definitely patches of pink/red.

Sherlock Holmes, where are you?

On a rather dull weather, cool day, we went for a walk with Fanci today. We went outside of the gated community, and walked the scrubland area. We were last here in February, and, like many places, new housing development is progressively expanding the residential areas.

The area we first walked today was undeveloped at the time of our last visit. If you look at the section of a map near the end of this blog post, you'll see in the lower left area how housing has been approved. Here are photos of it today, taken from the street-side, over the wall surrounding the neighbourhood:

A concrete pad for a new house - no basements here

Taking a closer look at nature's beauty

I've now been writing this blog for over a year. I'm thrilled to say that some followers have been with me since the beginning. The complication with that is, given we're currently repeating a house sit we did twice last year, it poses a problem in that I don't want to repeat last year's content. However, chances are we'll repeat many of the things we did last year. It'll be a challenge.

For those who are new to the blog, I'll give a short introduction. We're living at Trilogy at Vistancia, in Peoria, Arizona. For those on Twitter, take a look at @TrilogyAZ. It's beautiful. It's like living at a 5-star resort, but you have your own home too. We are so happy to be here. Take a look at the current promotional video for this community.

Today in not-so-sunny Arizona

Arizona is known for the high number of days it has sunshine each year - 299, to be exact. Today is not one of those days. It's been overcast most of the day, although this morning was bright and sunny for my walk with Fanci.

On the bright side of things, here are some of the beautiful blossoms I saw today on our walk.

We've arrived in sunny Arizona

We've returned to our first house sit home in Peoria, Arizona. Last night we stayed in Holbrook, Arizona, home of the famous Petrified Forest National Park. We visited the park last year, and did a blog post about it, as we found it so interesting.

There are flowering trees and bushes everywhere in this community

Warm sunny days are on the horizon

As many of you know, we're currently on the road, travelling from Canada to Arizona. The photo below is of our "herd" a few months ago. I'm pleased to say that, looking at this same shelf just before we left, many of these "friends" have left home. My husband often calls me a "rotten shepherdess", because I get attached to them and hate to part with them, but I'm doing a better job these days. I'm sure he'll have no problem replacing them though, as he always does!

Heading south, in search of warmer weather

Today we started our journey south, heading for Arizona for an upcoming house sit in Peoria. We'll be returning to our first house sit with TrustedHousesitters, to once again spend time with our friend, Fanci.

Fanci

Three of our sheepish friends left the herd today

Today we’re travelling back from St. Thomas to our home in Canada. In keeping with our blog name, “Have sheep, will travel”, we brought along three friends on this trip: left to right – Savvy (from Savannah, Georgia), Slippery (check out the feet), and Disco (again, check out those dazzling ears and feet).

A visit to the beautiful island of St. John, USVI

Today was our final full day in the US Virgin Islands, at least for this trip. We chose to take the ferry from St. Thomas to St. John, its smaller sister island. Here's our ferry, which was far smaller than I'd expected.

Being tourists in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas

Our house and pet sitting assignment in St. Thomas finished yesterday. We now have a few days on the island to be true tourists, without any responsibilities, before we return to Canada. So, we chose a hotel in town, and purposely left the walking areas of the town until now.

We started the day out with breakfast at Gladys' Cafe. This restaurant has a great rating on Tripadvisor, and it is well-deserved. The building itself is a converted warehouse that dates back to the 1830s. Most of the buildings in the downtown area are from that era. The staff were friendly, and Gladys herself was happy to pose for a photo.

Isn't the selection of fruit so colourful?

Being aware of the Tsunami Evacuation Plan

We commented on this sign when we first noticed it. It shows what to do in the case of a tsunami. More clarification on this at the end of this post.

It's a one-ship day; let's go to Magen's Bay!

Remember that view of Magen's Bay from a few days ago? Here's a reminder.

How many cruise ships are in town today, you ask?

Today was a "5-ship day". Charlotte Amalie, the capital of St. Thomas, is a cruise ship port. When you live here, you take note of the number of ships due into port, as it can affect your travels on the island.

Check out the photo below, from today's local newspaper. For a town of approximately 11,000, that's quite an influx of people for Charlotte Amalie. There weren't any cruise ships in town on Saturday, November 21st. We drove through town and every store was closed; it was like a ghost town.  One of St. Thomas's attractions is that it is famous for duty-free shopping, so when the ships aren't in, there's no point in opening the stores.

The Allure of the Seas must be a huge ship

"Put the lime in the coconut ... Doctor! Is there nothing I can take?"

As volunteer house and pet sitters with TrustedHousesitters, we take our responsibility seriously. Most homeowners put their pets as the priority over their homes, but we make sure to care for and respect both.

Frankie, who really needs to get that ear fixed!

University life in the Virgin Islands

The University of the Virgin Islands has its main campus in Charlotte Amalie, the capital of St. Thomas. The university's 2800 students are on two campuses; two-thirds in St. Thomas and one-third in St. Croix. There isn't a campus on St. John, their sister island.

Again, see how steep the land rises up from the water?

Things are not always as they seem ...

Apparently the Roman poet, Phaedrus, can take credit for having said "Things are not always as they seem; the first appearance deceives many." Such was the case for me when I looked out into our "back yard". The treed area didn't hold much interest for me. From my perspective, as the greenery grows, the ocean view is being obstructed. Today, however, I went beyond the first appearance.

Just another day in "America's paradise"

On the cover of the free glossy tourist magazine here, it bills itself as "your guide to America's paradise". Given some of the views we saw today - well I saw, more than Greg, as he does the driving - it may just justify that title. It certainly is a picturesque island with all its sandy coves and shades of blue and green.

Skyline Drive, a great viewpoint to see one of the many coves

We now live at the bottom of Suicide Hill

Yesterday we travelled to St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, for our first house sit of our "winter" season. On our second flight, we saw the sun rise. This photo doesn't do it justice; it was beautiful.

Volunteers going to Nicaragua

Tomorrow these sheep will leave our home, to start their journey to Nicaragua.

(L to R) Bambi, Vaquera with Rhoose in front, Belly, and Nico

Snowbirds looking forward to flying south

Meet (L to R) - Belly, Jelly, and Mouton (French for "sheep"). These are the latest to join our family. My husband urged me to take Mouton to live with our youngest grandchild, Soleil (French for "sun"). Not my idea of a child in need, with all the toys she has, but I reluctantly agreed. Maybe Mouton can be donated back to our cause at some point?

Appreciating the Niagara Region, right in our backyard

Travellers often take for granted what's in their own backyard. That's the case for us sometimes, here in Niagara. I've often thought I should do some posts of the Niagara Peninsula, for those who read this blog but have never visited. It's maybe not the best season to see the falls themselves, and the fall colours are not in their prime either. However, I've noticed some colours here lately that I'd like to share.

Last week I went to a mall close to our home. Given that the fall colours are just about over, this view of the Niagara escarpment caught my eye. On a warm, sunny day these colours were actually more dramatic than the photo reflects.

Why the silence from me about Cuba?

A friend recently mentioned that she's been waiting for the blog of our September trip to Cuba.

The sea looks dark here, but the variety of blues and greens is really quite beautiful

I struggled to find an answer as to why I hadn't done a post. Given time, I've come up with these reasons:

Thinning out the herd

At the start of this year, I set a challenge to try to reach as many countries as possible with this blog. Although there's been a lull in my writing since we returned from our winter travels, I've still picked up a few more countries recently, namely Kenya, Ireland, Ukraine, Iran, Romania, and Singapore. This blog has now travelled to a total of 25 countries. I'm impressed.

Keeping in mind the title of this blog, I've fallen behind in sharing sheep stories. For those not familiar with the reason for the title, you can find out more under the Welsh flag to the left on this page.

While in Wales recently, we added two sheep to the herd ...

Her name's Slippery - check out those feet!

Family reunions

This trip to Wales, my third this year, was to arrange and attend my mother's funeral. My mother and I had pre-arranged her funeral two years ago, when she was first diagnosed with inoperable cancer. I encourage others to do the same, especially when your end-of-life can be somewhat anticipated. It certainly relieved family members of the burden of lots of planning. I was still somewhat surprised by the number of things that needed to be dealt with, but the family worked together to get things done.

For Greg and I, this is our first visit to Wales in August, in summer. Well, it's certainly given us a new appreciation for Canadian summers. Let's just say the greenery is so lush in Wales as it rains often!

On the day before the funeral, one of the first few dry days we experienced, we walked part of the Wales Coast Path in my hometown of Barry.

This stretch of coastline is all pebbles and cliff-face

A mother's love is precious: the final chapter

If you look back at my posts of May 11 (Mother's Day), June 1 (93rd birthday), and August 1 you'll see tales of my time this year with my mother. Today's post is the final chapter in this story. Yesterday, my mother peacefully passed away.

June 1, at her 93rd birthday celebration (with her brother)

A mother's love is precious

A mother's love

Many who read this blog will be aware that my mum has health problems. At 93 years of age, up until recently she led an independent life; often walking a mile or two to the grocery store. Never having driven, she's stayed fit by regularly walking. Although as a senior she gets a free bus pass to travel anywhere in the country, she has kept up her walking. I think this is the main reason for her longevity.

The Welsh and the English gather to celebrate!

Being born and raised in Wales, I was used to hearing playful digs about "the English". The Welsh and Scottish have this in common; being raised with a humorous dislike of the English. The history behind this runs deep. However, this past weekend my husband and I, along with my mum, were surprisingly part of a gathering of the Welsh and the English, and only a few playful exchanges about this rivalry occurred.

My husband and I always visit Wales at this time of year to see my mother and celebrate her birthday. On June 2nd she will be 93 years young. So, we also planned our usual visit to my mother's only brother for a family meal. What we didn't know was that our relatives had planned a reunion. As we pulled up to the house, we griped that there were no parking spaces near my uncle's home. Little did we realize those car owners were there to see us!

The birthday girl with her cards and presents

Some of the many beaches of Barry, Wales

Most of our hometown days have been focused on spending time with my mother, who overall is doing well. However, this afternoon Greg and I went for a walk from our friend's home where we're staying. My previous post showed the infamous wide sandy Barry Island beaches. Today, however, walking just a short distance took us to a large pebbley beach.

A stroll at Barry Island beach

After taking a day to cope with jet lag, we were out and about yesterday. My hometown is Barry, Wales, which is a tourist destination, mainly due to its beaches. It's also famous for being the filming location of a hugely successful TV series, Gavin and Stacey. So, off to the beach we go!

Whitmore Bay, Barry Island (2007)

Dublin Airport

Greg and I are on a layover at Dublin airport, Ireland, waiting to continue our journey to Wales. We couldn't resist a quick post to share this gem ...

"RESERVED Reduced Mobility"

So, is it reserved for those with reduced mobility, or reserved for those who prefer reduced mobility? A puzzle, but certainly not very accessible, that's for sure!

We're looking forward to visiting my family, especially my mum, over the next two weeks. We'll also try to post some photos of Wales, for those who have never visited there.

There's no place quite like home :)

I'm happy to say that my mother was released from the hospital yesterday and is happily settled back in her own home. It was a good feeling to be able to chat with her today. We'll catch up on all the details when we visit her next week.

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A memorable Mother's Day

As most followers of this blog know, I started this to improve upon last year's emails where I couldn't remember who I'd told what, and likely repeated myself to many people too polite to tell me. Since I started this blog five months ago, it's morphed into far more than just the practical aspect for me. I've learned to share more of my personal thoughts and past experiences with others, some of whom are strangers to me. Given that I consider myself a private person, that has been quite a healthy stretch for me to make.

So, today I'll share my Canadian Mother's Day story with you. I say Canadian as my mother lives in Wales, where they celebrate "Mothering Sunday" earlier in the year. 

While on a bus tour of Snowdonia, North Wales
for my mum's 90th birthday

Good friendships last much longer than good chocolate

One of the simple pleasures of returning home is catching up with long-time friends. I mean the type of friends you know you can rely on for anything, even if what you're asking for might be inconvenient; they'll do their best to help you anyway. We are fortunate to have a number of such friends.

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We're sleeping in our own bed tonight!

Greg and I arrived back in Canada today, April 17th. I have to admit, although it's been a wonderful adventure, it is nice to be home.

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Greg, are you old enough to drink beer in Tennessee?

So, today we continued our journey home from this four-month adventure. We added three more states to our list, and finally crossed back into our home time zone. We left the Florida coast (far west side of Florida), travelled up through Alabama, then cut across the north-west corner of Georgia (blink and we would have missed Georgia), and have now settled overnight in Chattanooga, Tennessee (south east corner of the state). I'm still not quite used to seeing forested land, after months of desert and sand.

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The wildlife of Okaloosa Island

Yesterday we ignored the overcast weather and went for a drive and a walk at one of the shorelines that faces into the bay from Okaloosa Island. The water is quieter there, and also has more wildlife.