When Will Spring Be Here???

We woke up this morning to another big dump of snow.  This time it is extremely wet and heavy snow.

We shoveled the driveway and then headed over to our neighbor (Kim's) to take care of hers also.  She looks after our place when we are away and we don't often get the chance to pay her back.  She is at work so we managed to get her driveway done before she got home for lunch.

Rick (blogger "It's About Time") always says that Tom needs to stop washing the truck.  Every time he does a snow storm hits Toronto.  You are right Rick.  I need to lock away the garden hose.  It happens in the summer also.  I hate for him to wash the vehicles too close to a long weekend.  You would think he would learn...ha!ha!  But again you can't let those salt munchies stay on the vehicles for too long.

Granddaughter, Taylor and her boyfriend, Cam,  headed to Cancun yesterday.  I wish she had room in her suitcase for her Grandma!!   I am sure they will have a great time and I will look forward to seeing the pictures when they get back.  The sun and beach will do wonders for the healing of that broken ankle Pookeroo!!

Our son, Stuart, works for a company called Invisible Fence.  They sell collars for dogs and install wiring that allows animals to run free in their yard without a fence.  The dogs are trained so that if they go past the perimeter they get a small shock from the collar.  They learn quickly what their free area is.  This saves the owners from having to install expensive fencing and protects the dogs from running off the property and getting hurt.

He and his dog Ellie were on CTV News and the following article appeared in the Barrie newspaper yesterday.  A great program that will help to save the lives of many of the furry friends in Barrie and area.

Ellie, a three-year-old retriever, tries on an oxygen mask with the help of Invisible Fence’s Stuart Reece, left, and Barrie firefighter Kirby Clancy. Invisible Fence donated 10 kits of the life-saving masks to Barrie Fire and Emergency Services. Known as Project Breathe, the Invisible Fence program will provide kits containing three masks of different sizes to be supplied for fire trucks. J.T. MCVEIGH BARRIE EXAMINER

Ellie is a patient dog.

For nearly an hour, the three-year-old retriever was petted, photographed, videotaped, and even had to wear a tiny plastic fire helmet, all while she modelled the latest in rescue gear for the Barrie fire department.

Invisible Fence of the Greater Toronto Area has donated 10 pet oxygen mask kits to the city’s fire department.

“Every year we attend house fires, and we have the misfortune of having a lot of family pets die,” said Deputy Fire Chief Rick Monkman. “It’s devastating for the family, because the family pet is family.”

The credo of any fire service is to save lives, and pets are no exception. The Barrie fire department has had donated masks in some of its vehicles and have been used with some success, but this donation brings the force up to a full complement on all of their front-line vehicles.

Invisible Fence’s Project Breathe was established by the company to equip every fire station in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom.

To date, the company has donated 10,000 pet oxygen masks to fire departments.

“We just want to recognize the hard work that the Barrie fire service does in protecting families as well as four-legged members of the family. We know how important they are as well,” said Invisible Fence’s Stuart Reece. It’s not unusual for firefighters to see family members already safely outside a burning home and go back inside for the family dog or cat.

“Our crews in the past — when it is safe to do so — go into the house to search for the pets,” Monkman said.

“We do treat the animals as family and we do go out of our way to find them and if we need to, treat them at the scene.”

“Just like any oxygen mask, these ones are fitted to be able to deliver oxygen to the animal who has suffered smoke inhalation,” Reece said.

In the past, a mask designed for a child was held close to the animal’s snout, but it wasn’t as effective in delivering life-saving oxygen. The three sizes of the pet mask kit accommodate any size of household pet.

“This gives us the opportunity to treat the animal with a fitted mask that is made for that purpose, whereas in the past we have not had that opportunity on all of our units,” Monkman said.

“So this is a very big moment for us as we are now able to give that extra bit of treatment for the families.”

Until Next Time - Safe Travels !!