...Sailor's Delight

Took this around 9:30 pm last evening. It was a lot more spectacular before I dragged out the camera and found something to put on my feet. But anyway, it was very pretty. 

Toad in the Hole

Mike found this little fellow under the house when he was pulling off the skirting. He's been relocated to under the travel trailer's deck. 

Impeded Progress

Hearing about the weather gets tedious and tiresome, doesn't it? It's what people talk about when there's not much else to say...and maybe that's why I'm mentioning it today.

The last couple of weeks have been cool and unstable...long heavy showers and thunderstorms that make it hard to get a lot done.

And now its so bloody hot that you can't get a lot done either. It's 35 degrees outside, and no shade available in any area where work needs to be done...so we're inside. Mike spent the early part of the morning pulling the skirting from under the house, and shimming the "shady side", but by noon it was cooking. He's having a siesta, and will resume work after supper, when it's a little cooler.

The forecast is for continued extreme heat tomorrow, cooling as the week progresses.

Field Pussytoes

Apparently, the male and female plants are distinctly different, and in some areas the male plant is rare or absent. They can produce seed without fertilization; the new plants are genetically identical to the mother. We have several patches of these.

Lucy is home and is doing well. She has to be leashed for 8 weeks - and no playfighting, either. It's going to be difficult to explain this to Jasper! 

Very quick update

Lucy's surgery was moved up, and she had her knee surgery yesterday. She'll be home later this morning, and has to rest and not run or play fight for eight weeks. That's going to be difficult.

In progress news, Mike is constructing a doghouse to fit three. Pic coming soon.

More Sunday Pics

Narcissus anemone

What could be cuter?

Buck



Gillis checking out tiger lilies.

Pics from a Sunday afternoon walkabout

Robin in the loafing shed. She's been sitting on eggs for a few days now.

American Vetch

Prickly Rose

Bunch berry

Tiny, Hungry, and Fearless

Just before suppertime, I brought the hummingbird feeder inside to clean and refill. It was gone from its place at the woodshed for all of five minutes, and when I took it back to hang it back up again, a male caliope hummingbird came to the feeder while I was still holding onto it.

This morning was rainy - we burned a large stump pile yesterday and today. We cut a few downed trees into firewood, and there's a new windfall leaning on a fence, so we're going out now to buck it up.

We're waiting for a sunny day to begin levelling and insulating the "house".

"You must know you are in paradise..."

Got a nice email from Jan today, after seeing pics posted of Buck and Rupert. She said, "You must know you are in paradise..."

And we are. This is the most beautiful place I can imagine being.

To look at our property, at first glance you think..."wow, lots of clearing done...but there's so much to do." There are large patches of bare earth. There are windfalls lying around, roots protruding, firewood scattered in several areas and trees waiting to be cut into firewood. There are deep muddy tire tracks in places. There's stuff piled up because we don't yet have anywhere to store it. Things look rough, and unfinished...

And then you take a walk around, and see the incredible plantlife. You see signs everywhere that wildlife frequent our woods, and if you're very lucky, you might see Mama Moose and her new calf in the back by the meadow. The air is filled with birdsong, and the aspens tremble and sway in the breeze.

We have the company of three adoring dogs, a noble and beautiful horse, a funny and adorable donkey, and a small grey and white cat.

I do know we are living in paradise, and sometimes it takes my breath away.

Look Who's Here!

After three months of waiting, I have Buck home. I'm beyond happy. He & Rupert had a rocky hour or two when they first met, with pinned ears, chasing, and a half hearted nip or two, but seem to have reached a truce, and are tolerating each other's company. I think they'll be fast friends very soon. 

A Small Life Lost

A few minutes ago, I heard something that sounded like a rock hitting our living room window. I went out to investigate and found a Three-Toed Woodpecker lying on the ground, on its back. I carefully picked him up and held him to keep him warm, and after a moment, he died. Poor little thing.

Rupert Comes Home

This morning we installed a length of electric fencing to contain Rupert and Buck to our east pasture. When that was completed, we borrowed a neighbour's horse trailer and made the journey to 70 Mile to pick up Rupert. His previous owners gave us 12 bales of hay as well. It took four of us to convince Rupert that it was a good idea to get into the trailer, but after a couple of minutes of strenous dragging and pushing, he was safely inside, and we headed toward Lone Butte; Mike driving very slowly to give Rupert the smoothest ride possible. We arrived home and got Rupert unloaded...he was sweating and stressed from the journey, but instantly recovered his composure and was soon happily having a dust-bath in his new pasture. We introduced the dogs one at a time, on leashes. Gillis keeps trying to chase Rupert along the fence. Jasper went into Rupert's pasture, and was promptly chased back out by a very spunky miniature donkey. Rupert has settled in well. We gave him a good brushing to get out a lot of loose hair, bought him two different mineral licks to enjoy, covered in in all natural bug repellant, took him a bedtime carrot, and said "goodnight" to him a few minutes ago.

Loafing Shed

All energies this week have been devoted to completing the loafing shed in the east pasture to give Buck and Rupert shelter if they want somewhere to stay out of the sun, rain, sleet, hail, snow etc. We've been working flat out for several days, and finished it about 5pm.

On Friday, it rained hard all day (first fully rainy day since we've moved here), forcing a work stoppage for the day. While we were stuck inside, a very industrious pair of robins began construction of their own - a new nest in the unfinished loafing shed. We've had to keep working over the weekend, so the robins have had a choice - wait for us to finish, or relocate. It seems they've waited patiently for us to clear away, and now are free to finish their home.

We're bringing Rupert home tomorrow! I'll have adorable donkey pics posted by Monday night.

On the Injured Reserve List...

Lucy has torn a ligament in her right hind leg. She's been limping since Saturday evening and was at the vet today (they couldn't see her yesterday). Gillis led her on a high speed squirrel chase on Saturday, and she pulled up lame. Surgery is booked for June 26. She's already adept at being a "tripod", is getting around fine, and doesn't seem to be in any distress. She needs help to get in and out of the truck, and can't jump up on the bed (yay!), but otherwise, it's pretty much business as usual for her. 

Hoodlums

The neighbourhood is being terrorized. Who'd have thought it? Noise and ruckus in the wee small hours...the neighbours' garden badly damaged...attempted break and enter onto our property. What kind of place have we moved to?

We were woken early this morning by a disturbance outside our front gate.

The culprits are a roving gang of juvenile bovine maurauders...free range cattle who've intrudued a little further than their welcome. We live in free range country; ranchers are allowed (with a permit, I presume) to turn their cattle out to graze on crown land within a prescribed area after May 15. Notices are posted in the local paper that it's up to private land owners to fence cattle out if they don't want company. Luckily we installed farm gates at the end of our driveway last week, and were saved from mooing mayhem. Our neighbours, who haven't fenced the rear of their property didn't fare so well, and are outraged about their trampled flowers and veggies.

The gang seems to have left the area, and were last seen heading east up Inman Road.

A Better Day, Today

The tears have stopped, and today I went to the garden centre to get flowers to plant around Su's grave. Mike is working on the roof beams for the loafing shed today, and I've been busy doing mundane houseworky things. We've had a hummingbird visiting the feeder we put out early in the week. 

Remembering Su

We lost a well loved member of our family today.


Sushi
May 9, 1990 - June 2, 2006

Always dignified, and so very independent. She loved sunny windows and could smell a can of tuna before it was opened. "You were a very good cat".

Su is buried at the foot of a spruce tree, where I can see from our kitchen window, wrapped snug in her favorite blanket.

I'm too sad for words today.

A Walk Through our Woods - Star-Flowered False Solomon's-Seal

 

A Walk Through our Woods - Grey Reindeer Lichen

 

A Walk Through our Woods - A Stately Stump

 

A Walk Through our Woods - Wild Strawberries

 

A Walk Through our Woods - Heart-Leaved Arnica

 

A Walk Through our Woods - False Morel Mushroom - No Thanks!

A neighbour brought a tub of these for us to eat - he swears they're excellent. We looked them up in several field guides - all assure us they're poisonous. They contain the an ingredient found in rocket fuel...if you boil them vigourously you can somewhat dissipate this substance. We'll be buying our mushrooms at Save-On, thanks! 

A Walk Through our Woods - Early Blue Violet

 

A Walk Through our Woods - Creamy Peavine

 

A Walk Through our Woods - Indian Paintbrush