Here’s how you can get the most out of your holiday time in Canada this year. 　　Use National Holidays to Your Advantage　　To enjoy the longest possible stretches of free time, try adding your personal time off to nationally-celebrated holidays to create longer weekend breaks. 　　The Best Days to Take Off　　1、January 2: Add to New Year’s Day (January 1) to create a 2-day break before the weekend. 　　2、April 17 or 21: Add to Good Friday (April 18) for a 4-day weekend. 　　3、In some provinces and territories, Easter Monday on April 21 is a statutory or de-facto holiday, so you can take off April 17 or April 22 for a 5-day weekend. 　　4、June 30: Add to Canada Day (July 1) to create a 4-day weekend. 　　5、August 29 or September 2: Add to Labour Day (September 1) for a 4-day weekend. 　　6、December 26: Add to Christmas Day (December 25) to create a 4-day break. In some provinces and territories, Boxing Day on December 26 is a statutory or de-facto holiday, so you can take off December 24 or December 29 to create a 5-day weekend. 　　In addition, regional holidays such as Victoria Day, Thanksgiving, and Remembrance Day provide good opportunities for extended time...

　　Mark these dates on your 2025 calendar and start the year out right. 　　 　　Between Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Eve, the months of November and December are jam-packed. But January has arrived! Since it’s officially 2025, you might be breathing a sigh of relief now that there’s finally a break in the holiday action. 　　While the big holidays are firmly in the rearview mirror, there's still plenty to celebrate in the month of January, starting with some much-needed downtime. After that, there are host of holidays and observances to mark down on your calendar right through January 31. 　　There's Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which commemorates the leader's birthday on Monday, Jan. 20. It's a federal holiday, which means many schools and government agencies, like the USPS, will be closed on observance of the day. It also happens to be Inauguration Day in which the new president will be sworn in at the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, DC. 　　Aside from Jan. 20 (which also marks Blue Monday), you'll also find a variety of other days, weeks and observances throughout the month, including the Lunar New Year, which takes place on Jan. 29, as well as the Chinese New...

I​t's time once again for our occasional look at weather around the world. We start in western Germany, where freezing temperatures gave rise to a crisp wintertime scene that looked like something out of a fairytale in Oberreifenberg near Frankfort this weekend. The photograph above shows a small chapel surrounded by frozen trees, creating a surreal landscape that looks like it might as well be from centuries ago. There was plenty of fresh powder for skiers and snowboarders on Mammoth Mountain as moisture from an atmospheric river resulted in over 2 feet of snow being dumped in less than 72 hours. The photo above shows skiers going up a life during a snow storm on the mountain on Saturday. In a reminder that it’s not all cold and snow all over the world, down in South Africa, where summer is just beginning, constant rain and lightning led to play being abandoned during an important cricket match between Pakistan and South Africa. The photo above shows Pakistan's captain Mohammad Rizwan, left, and a teammate greeting supporters after play was canceled. ...

　　Here’s how you can get the most out of your holiday time in the United States this year. 　　 　　Use National Holidays to Your Advantage　　To enjoy the longest possible stretches of free time, try adding your vacation or personal time off days to national holidays to create longer weekend breaks. 　　For example, if you have ten days of vacation and are able to select the dates listed below, you can maximize your holidays over the course of 2025. 　　The 10 Best Days to Take Off　　1、January 2: Add to New Year’s Day (January 1) to create a 2-day break before the weekend. 　　2、January 17 or 21: Add to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (January 20) for a 4-day weekend. 　　3、February 14 or 18: Add to President’s Day (February 17) to create a 4-day weekend. 　　4、May 23 or 27: Add to Memorial Day (May 26) for a 4-day weekend. 　　5、July 3 or 7: Add to Independence Day (July 4) to create a 4-day weekend. 　　6、August 29 or September 2: Add to Labor Day (September 1) for a 4-day weekend. 　　7、October 10 or 14: Add to Columbus Day (October 13) to create a 4-day weekend. 　　8、November 10 or 12:Add to Veterans Day (November...

Cooper playing outside (iWitness user: cuscina) Is your cat grooming half her hair off or your dog licking his paws raw? It may well be your pet is experiencing allergies, one of the most common health problems for pets. Just like people, animals have allergic reactions because their immune system--the system that protects the body from foreign and potentially infectious substances--overreacts to some material. Almost anything--pollen, dust, an ingredient in pet food, a household chemical, an insect bite--can set off...

Seventy-eight million dogs reside in more than 46 million U.S. households, according to the American Pet Products Association and an increasing number of these furry companions accompany their families on road trips, day trips and even local errands. However bringing your pet along for the ride can mean added distractions for the driver and added dangers for all passengers, including pets. A recent survey conducted by AAA and Kurgo, a leading manufacturer of pet travel products, asked dog owners how...

If you're the average dog lover, you think your pooch could out-pose even those silky Weimaraners in the picture books. But if you're the average amateur dog photographer, your photos never match the athleticism, humor, or outrageous cuteness of the real thing. We asked pet photographer Mark Rogers, who immortalized our office dogs, for his best tricks for taking high-quality dog pictures -- without getting into stuff like f-stops and shutter speed. Here are our favorites: Time it well. If...

(Thinkstock | David De Lossy) When you're at home, Rover is everything you ever wished for in a dog. He's obedient and respectful. But when you're at work, his evil twin emerges.Each day you come home, you tally up the destruction ... today he chewed the remote control into a gnarled piece of plastic, and there's a bite out of your slippers. And the list just keeps getting longer and longer. Why is your normally happy and obedient dog pulling...

(Dean Golja) Emergencies can occur anytime and being prepared just in case, is the best thing you can do for your pet. Having a first-aid kit ready will help to reduce anxiety in the case of an emergency happening. Keep the kit readily available and periodically check to make sure all the items are up to date and present. A small plastic toolbox or fishing tackle box works well to hold all the necessary equipment. Make sure all of your...

so sweet (iwitness user: igot2havemore) Ticks are irritating arthropods that prey on our pets. Their goal in life is to find a warm-blooded creature so that they can feed. Veterinarians and pet owners have been battling these tiny parasites for decades and the war continues. Ticks are members of the Acarina order and are not insects. Ticks and mites are in a class all by themselves. In the transmission of disease, mosquitoes and ticks are the primary concern, with ticks...

(Artwork in this slideshow provided by Leif Parsons) Five professional animal lovers reveal actions and attitudes you can borrow from your furry and feathered friends. Celebrate EverythingEach time I walk into my apartment—even if I've been gone for less than a minute—my three dogs leap on me, kiss me, lick me, wag and bark, and show me their chew toys. I find it inspiring: Life throws a lot of junk in your direction, so you might as well get your...

(Jupiterimages) It’s spring time, and many of us are getting out into our yards to do a bit of gardening. We try to plan around our pets, and get plants that are non-toxic, and even pleasing for our animals to be around. We also try to use pet safe products in our gardens to keep our pets healthy. One area we sometimes fall short in is mulch. Can your mulch make your pet sick? Most types of mulch are safe...