Oh joy, oh bliss, this week Mama bought Nicholas and I new toys designed by Cesar Millan! We watch him on the TV all the time and try to pick up training tips to help us be better behaved boys. We just love the guy! We each got the new Comfy Critters™ raccoons (mine is orange and Nicholas’ is blue) which are made of a durable canvas and to our delight they squeak! The Canadian Tire Store has the entire line up. The toys have an activity scale listed on the package with 1 being low for quiet time, carry and cuddle, 2 is medium for playing fetch or tug of war and 3 is the high activity level for out of doors where there is sufficient space to accommodate the dog’s maximum energy. Easy to find in the pet department as they have Cesar Millan’s picture on the packaging with his own beautiful shepherd dog.
We also got our weekly treat from Sobeys, the Pedigree Dentalbone® long lasting oral care chew. It sure is long lasting for Nicholas but I can tell you it doesn’t last too long in the powerful jaws on Big Buddy Bacon! We’ve been getting these since we were puppies. Mama buys them because they reduce plaque and tartar build-up, contain calcium to help promote strong and healthy teeth and they freshen our breath! We enjoy them because they are yum, yum good! We know a Sobeys bag when we see it and when she comes home with those bags we run straight to the kitchen, sit up very straight, looking as sweet as possible until she pulls out those tasty Dentalbones! Our brothers Theodore and Laddie, long pasted, got Dentalbones every week too.
Mama says their teeth were as perfect in old age as they were as puppies so we highly recommend them.
Open houses this weekend with Steven are at 16 Antler Crescent in Quispamsis this Saturday from 2-4 pm. This one-owner, one-level ranch style home features open concept, gleaming hardwood flooring, high-end appliances and sunset river views. On Sunday join Steven at 10 Thompson Place in Saint John. This two-level townhouse features hardwood floors, a valley view and it’s located near the Irving Nature Park, one of our favourite places, just perfect for outdoor enthusiasts both two and four legged!
We have a special Fine Homes International™ Open House hosted by Jody this Sunday at 59 Anchorage Avenue in Millidgeville. This beautiful waterfront family home has its own private beach (wouldn’t I love that!), panoramic sunset views, air conditioning for warm summer days and 5 huge bedrooms all with ensuite bathrooms! Hope to see you there.
I don’t ever remember April being so warm but then again I’m only 3 years old! Mama tells me she can’t remember it being warm this early either and she goes way back (don’t tell her I said that). With my big Newf coat I’m a bit apprehensive as to what I might run into this summer if it’s already hitting the 20’s C on our back deck. I’ll either have to stay close to the air conditioning or spend lots of time in the refreshing Bay of Fundy! Now that’s something to look forward to! Although it’s warm the trees don’t seem to be budding out but Mama says that will happen when we get some much needed rain to get them started. I really don’t like the rain much, it means that I track dirty footprints into the house and have to have my paws wiped before entering. It’s perfect when it rains in the night time and then clear in the next day! That’s probably just too much to wish for.
We’re all so excited to have our Auntie Blue, Uncle Clinton, Myra and little Lucas back from the south for the summer. They live not too far from us so we can have frequent visits. Our Auntie Blue is a real wiz, she can cook, bake, knit and sew with the best of them. She even makes homemade jams and pickles. Every year she makes Mama a batch of homemade strawberry jam, um, um good. Nicholas and I have had a wee taste on a cracker but Mama’s not too liberal with sharing Auntie Blue’s jam (just ask Daddy)! We just love our Auntie Blue and Uncle Clinton. Myra and Lucas had a good winter in the south. Lucas’ health has improved in the last few months and he is still making progress but is not yet 100%. He’s so happy to be home to his own vet here in Rothesay at Fairvale Animal Hospital where they take such good care of him.
The Team is busy with open houses this weekend starting Saturday from 2 to 4pm at 545 Lewin Avenue, West Saint John. The spacious family homes has large rooms, inviting fireplace, plenty of bedrooms and a stunning private patio on a mature lot. On Sunday drop by 28 John Street in Nauwigewauk from 2 to 4pm to view this lovely home with panoramic water and mountain view, large rooms, gracious Palladian windows, plus many upgrades including every man’s dream, the perfect oversized attached heated garage with epoxy flooring!
Nicholas and I are hoping to get a nice walk on Spy Glass Hill this sunny weekend. Hope to see you there.
Well you just never know what my brother Nicholas is going to get into each week and this week was no exception. Mama and Papa kept finding his favourite balls down the knoll at the foot of our driveway near the road. The one main thing Nicholas is just crazy about is playing fetch and the higher the ball will bounce the more insane he goes over it. I think he would play this all day if he could find someone to just keep throwing! I can tell you that Mama’s throwing arm is a lot stronger since she got Nicholas. I’m not at all interested!!! If you want to throw a ball, you can go get it yourself because you’d have a heck of a long wait for Big Buddy Bacon to bring it back to you. The few times I have gone for the ball it’s because I want to keep it and chew on it for a while, not to give it back (this annoys Nicholas to no end, if looks could kill). Every day Mama was going down the driveway to retrieve these balls after Nicholas was in the house. Why was he letting his favourite balls roll down the hill out of reach (we are on the Invisible Fence so we can’t get that close to the road)? Then our friend Judi figured out the answer. She noticed that he would let them roll towards the road when he heard or saw people walking along our street. Low and behold many of them would pick them up and throw them back to him! Hence the game of fetch continued with new players. The ones left at the street were from people who had had enough of the game and continued along on their walk. I could have told them what was going on after everyone went in the house but no one asked me!
The crocuses are out this week in Mama’s garden! Check out my new pic below. So nice to see the first blooms of the year, she gets so excited about it. Many of the perennials have pushed up through the ground as it looks like an exceptionally early spring. I had two more big swims in the pond behind out house this week. Whoa, it was so refreshing, I just jumped right in, doing my favourite stroke, the dog paddle, what else? Low and behold the Canada Geese that were floating around the far end saw me and headed right up to take a closer look. Honk, honk, honk. They must remember me from last year and wanted to check out my swimming abilities. I proved I was too fat to fly when I took a nose dive into that snow drift last winter but I can swim with the best of them. You take a closer look goose at the speed that I smoothly torpedo through the water, nothing but power and grace in motion! If I had to, I’m quite capable of saving someone too, it’s what we Newfs are bred for and it’s instinctive but hopefully it’s a talent I won’t ever have to use. Let me tell you that in the summer when Mama is in swimming I stay very close and never take my eyes off her. Little Nicholas got in to the pond this week to his ankles but it was too cold for the little guy yet. Wait until it’s warmer in the summer and he’ll be practicing his diving and swimming abilities. He’s as super-fast in the water as he is on land, a really strong swimmer but I don’t think he has the endurance I have for long distances. Last year at New River Beach a large Germain Shepherd ran down the beach and dove into the bay, swimming strongly after a stick her Papa had thrown. Nicholas just stopped dead in his tracks on the beach as he’s never seen another dog, dive and swim with this speed except him. (I just leisurely stroll in, no big commotion.) Well he took one look at the competition and he was all in. When the Shepherd’s Papa threw that stick the second time, Nicholas was gung hoe and gone before you could blink your eyes. I’d never seen him rally his abilities like this before and let me tell you it was something to see. He went swimming past that Shepherd, no problem at all. He was giving it everything he had (who’d know the little guy is oh so competitive). Every time that stick was thrown it was Nicholas who got it. Didn’t take very long for the Shepherd and her Papa to give up and go home, the game was over for them. I said, “Nicholas give her a change, you’re hogging the whole thing!” But no, he just couldn’t help himself. The only dog I’ve seen out swim Nicholas is his mentor, Thunder, the six year old Border Collie that Nicholas just worships. He’s known Thunder since he was six weeks old and Thunder taught him everything he knows. There are still lots to learn from the beautiful Thunder, that’s why we’re looking forward to play dates as the weather warms.
Sales just keep piling up this spring for Team Platinum! So very nice after a long slow economy to see things picking up for our sellers. Mama always tells them, “Be patient as when the right buyer walks through your front door and falls in love with the house, I’ll be asking how quickly can you move!” This is just the way it’s been happening too. This last month we’ve had sales at $179,900, $184,900, $274,900, $275,000, $299,900 $315,000, $588,000, $599,000 and $717,800. Whoa! Way to go Team Platinum. I’m so proud to be affiliated this winning crew.
My “Buddy’s Best -Paw Approved” ads in the Telegraph Journal have been well received with buyers and sellers alike who are enjoying reading them off to their children with all kinds of kid- friendly/furry friends, important facts! This week I’m featuring 3189 Rothesay Road. Perfect For Pampered Pets and the entire family! This inviting abode features huge rooms, huge private fenced yard, oversized pool, California whirlpool tub, carriage house, gazebo & stunning renovations! Just imagine the fun that can be had with this handsome two-storey carriage house, oh the parties we could have! Perfect for school age children, tweens and teens of all ages (plus their puppies of course, don’t be planning fun in the carriage house without bringing your puppy). All this plus this home is within easy walking distance to RNS, Rothesay Park School and Rothesay High School. But let’s not forget the easy access to miles of nature trails at Spy Glass Hill! One of Buddy Bacon’s very favourite places on Earth! If you see me up there, please stop and say “Hello”! I can totally fill you in on this stunning Rothesay property and any other questions you may have.
Open houses this week are Saturday with Steven at 33 Deveber Terrance, Millidgeville (beautiful updates and move-in ready with the M Gerald Teed Elementary just around the corner) from 2-4pm and Sunday he’s at 2808 Rothesay Road at the same time. This home has a lovely layout, granite & cherry kitchen, nickel door hardware throughout, a stunning 1.8 acre private mature lot that is sub dividable and a huge oversized 2-car garage with finished loft! Sunday from 2-4pm Jody is at 4 Crosswind Crescent with its modern open concept, stunning raised panel trim, finished walk-out basement, granite kitchen with fireplace and keeping room, impressive turned staircase and a master bedroom suite to die for! We invite you to drop by all these properties and have a look for yourself, we’re always happy to welcome you!
Wow, things just keep getting stranger! Winter finally arrives on the 4th of April! Super cold Monday night (way below freezing) with little Nicholas needing to wear his heaviest coat just to go out for a few minutes and Mama and Papa bundled up in all their warmest clothes and complaining like crazy. I was fine with my big coat but I can see what they are talking about. Then we get the snow, freezing rain and then lots more rain. Oh, well, April showers bring May flowers!
This crazy weather doesn’t seem to slow down the buyers through as Team Platinum have been busier in the last two weeks than they have been in quite some time, selling four houses in the last week alone. Go Team go!
I personally took a spring break myself last week; you may have noticed I didn’t post my blog last Friday. Everyone else had a break this spring so I thought, hey I work hard too, think I need a little holiday. Nicholas and I didn’t go anywhere special, we just took it pretty easy, enjoyed sleeping in in the mornings, having a late breakfast and some nice leisurely walks in the afternoon. Had a few special dinners; roasted chicken with rice and veggies, our favorite, yum, yum! Just some really good R and R for the two of us and we got to visit with our dear friend Judi who we love sooo much! I’m back at it now fully revitalized and ready to roll assisting the Team where ever I can.
Open houses are busy this weekend; Saturday 2pm – 4pm in Kennebecasis Park, 62 Park Drive $315,000, mint condition, stunning walkout basement with fireplace, huge flat lot on the waterfront, great for kayaking and canoeing (swimming for Big Buddy Bacon), and 18 Forrest Road $250,000 perfect starter or retirement home with gorgeous living room and family room both with fireplaces, master bedroom with ensuite bath and fully finished basement. Sunday from 2pm – 4pm we have a new listing at 16 Antler Crescent in Quispamsis $340,000, 1800 square feet one-level, one owner, ranch-style, newer home with open concept, great layout and beautiful stainless steel appliances included as well as 43 Bel-Air Avenue in Rothesay (near Sobeys) an absolutely stunning brand new ranch-style home with every bell and whistle imaginable, open concept, high-end custom cabinetry, finished basement with fireplace and oversized 2-car garage. We welcome you to drop by and say hello at any or all of our open houses this weekend!
Happy Easter! Well, the first day of spring was great, blue sky, sun shining and most of the snow gone. We went for an extra big walk with Mama and Papa. Then pow! Next day we’re hit with the dreaded Nor’easter. We woke up to a white out! I kept wanting to be out in all that fabulous swirling snow but Mama kept a close eye on me and my outings in the yard were short lived. Whimpey little Nicholas spent the day curled up by the fire and wouldn’t come out to play. I have to remember that the little guy doesn’t have my big Newf coat which Mama says resembles a bear skin. It’s two lawyers thick with a good layer of downy fur close to my body and then my extra heavy thick fur coat on top of that. Great in the winter as I don’t feel a thing but not so good in summer when the sun is beating down. That’s when I hang in the shade and enjoy jumping in the Bay of Fundy for a refreshing swim every chance I get! Mama bought special commercial-quality clippers just for me this year to prepare me for summer time but that’s another storey! I must say that I already had my first swim of the year last week. Along our walk we were passing a pond and when Mama looked the other way, splash, there goes the Budster doing a strong dog paddle stroking out across the water. Yahoo! I love it. Nicholas looked at me as if I had two heads then put his paw over his eyes. He’s a great swimmer but doesn’t like the cold water. Mama yelled, “Buddy Bacon, you get out of that pond, now.” Out I come, sopping wet with the biggest smile on my face. I did a big shake. The water was running off me the whole way home so by the time we got there I was fairly dry (my coat is so thick it took about 6 hours in the house before I was fully dry). I’ve been watching that pond all winter and just waiting for the ice to melt. A few weeks earlier I got in as far as the edge up to my knees and was using my big paws to break the ice but Mama caught me and ordered me out. Sometimes I think she just doesn’t get it but I love her to pieces.
Hope you all have a very Happy Easter and that the bunny finds your house. He has always found ours but Nicholas and I can’t for the life of us figure out how he does it. We’ve looked in every nook and cranny but we see no sign of him and then Easter morning there are some wonderful treats for us. We’re both looking for the same thing this year. There is a new heavy canvas duck out and when you pull it’s beak it flies 100 feet in the air! Imagine what fun we can have with that! Nicholas drools just talking about it. We’ll each need our own as we don’t share that well. Wonder if we can play with it in the house? Not likely, we have house rules you know. All you furry friends make sure you stay away from the Easter chocolate as it doesn’t agree with us canines you know. We got Daddy another funny card. The front shows the fattest bunny rabbit you ever saw sitting back on his haunches with his big hind feet sticking up and says, “Iz hiding the candy in mah tummy”! He has a really guilty look on his face. Ha, ha, ha, ha. We love picking out these cards.
Our Team never has open houses on Easter Weekend but they are always busy Saturday and Monday showing houses especially to re-locators who like to fly in for the long weekend and locals taking a break and ready to search for their dream homes. We certainly have beautiful dream homes, one for every taste!
Until next week, we’ll talk with ya soon and enjoy a wonderful Easter Weekend!