It was a very nippy -9.5 degrees here this morning, warming up to about 5 degrees in the afternoon. I made an impromptu excursion to Kamloops today; it was a glorious day for driving. After the obligatory mug of tea upon arriving home, I finally got out into the garden. I mixed some sand and composted manure (thanks Buck and Rupert!) into one of the raised beds, and got the garlic planted. I hope I didn't leave it too late; if I did, I'll consider it a lesson learned and plant in September. If not, I'll probably procrastinate even more and leave it till November next year.
Mike and Cody are lounging around in Lansing, Michigan for the next 36 hours, and will be delivering steel to somewhere in Illinois on Monday morning.
All is well in our corner of the woods tonight.
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Sunday, October 05, 2008
Season's Greetings!
I woke to the first snowfall of the season this morning! We had heavy, wet flakes for a couple of hours, then some rain.
When the rain stopped, I decided to cut back some perenniels in the flower bed, and then finished digging out the last of the potatoes from the garden. There are still rutabagas, carrots, turnips and parsnips to bring in.
Mike and Cody are in northern Ontario today. The dogs and I are staying cozy inside this afternoon. There's a fire going in the woodstove, and the kettle is on for an afternoon cuppa.
When the rain stopped, I decided to cut back some perenniels in the flower bed, and then finished digging out the last of the potatoes from the garden. There are still rutabagas, carrots, turnips and parsnips to bring in.
Mike and Cody are in northern Ontario today. The dogs and I are staying cozy inside this afternoon. There's a fire going in the woodstove, and the kettle is on for an afternoon cuppa.
Friday, October 03, 2008
Autumn
After a beautiful "Indian Summer" extending into October, yesterday the weather turned and we were treated to a minor wind storm. 
One of our aspens just behind the greenhouse snapped off. We have a few new leaning trees in the forest too. Except for two days of rain a couple of weeks ago, we have had a fantastic early fall. It was 25 degrees here on October 1st, and that night we slept with the bedroom windows wide open.
The fall colours are at their peak, and the trees are beginning to lose their leaves quickly now.
Mike and Cody left yesterday after a week at home; they are in Edmonton tonight and on their way to Montreal. Cody will have a new province to add to his travel list. And not only is Cody a great little trucker, he finds moose, too! On Wednesday morning after Mike let the dogs out for their usual 6 a.m. outing the big dogs were hanging out on the porch waiting to come right back in, but Cody was out in the pasture barking. Mike went to investigate, and found a big cow moose. I got myself out of bed with the camera, but it was too dark and the pictures didn't turn out.
Rupert is back to being enclosed in his pen (which is actually the size of a generous back yard on a city lot). We spent Sunday afternoon revamping the fence and adding a farm gate so we can get the tractor into his pen in the winter to clear the snow (it gets past his belly height!) so he'll be able to get around better. He has been lame for a week (that's the second time since August), and is doing much better since he's been confined a bit. When it's hay feeding season, he needs to be kept separate from Buck, as he polishes off his own rations, and then goes and shares Buck's as well. He is prone to hoof abscesses, and has a history of foundering. We're not sure what's going on, and he's been seen several times in the past by the vet for the same symptoms. He's getting bute for pain in delicious but small bran mashes, and seems to be doing just fine since we've been able to curtail his gorging.
Both Buck and Rupert are getting very fuzzy in readiness for the cold weather. I'll make them a farrier appointment next week, and they'll be all set for winter.
One of our aspens just behind the greenhouse snapped off. We have a few new leaning trees in the forest too. Except for two days of rain a couple of weeks ago, we have had a fantastic early fall. It was 25 degrees here on October 1st, and that night we slept with the bedroom windows wide open.
The fall colours are at their peak, and the trees are beginning to lose their leaves quickly now.
Mike and Cody left yesterday after a week at home; they are in Edmonton tonight and on their way to Montreal. Cody will have a new province to add to his travel list. And not only is Cody a great little trucker, he finds moose, too! On Wednesday morning after Mike let the dogs out for their usual 6 a.m. outing the big dogs were hanging out on the porch waiting to come right back in, but Cody was out in the pasture barking. Mike went to investigate, and found a big cow moose. I got myself out of bed with the camera, but it was too dark and the pictures didn't turn out.
Rupert is back to being enclosed in his pen (which is actually the size of a generous back yard on a city lot). We spent Sunday afternoon revamping the fence and adding a farm gate so we can get the tractor into his pen in the winter to clear the snow (it gets past his belly height!) so he'll be able to get around better. He has been lame for a week (that's the second time since August), and is doing much better since he's been confined a bit. When it's hay feeding season, he needs to be kept separate from Buck, as he polishes off his own rations, and then goes and shares Buck's as well. He is prone to hoof abscesses, and has a history of foundering. We're not sure what's going on, and he's been seen several times in the past by the vet for the same symptoms. He's getting bute for pain in delicious but small bran mashes, and seems to be doing just fine since we've been able to curtail his gorging.
Both Buck and Rupert are getting very fuzzy in readiness for the cold weather. I'll make them a farrier appointment next week, and they'll be all set for winter.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
September
We've been in the South Cariboo nearly three years (already!), and after watching the seasons move several times through their cycle, I am declaring September to be my very favourite month of the year.
I love the cool crisp mornings (we've had frosts nearly every morning for the past two weeks), and I love seeing the subtle changes in the foliage each day. I like that the mosquitoes are gone, and that I can comfortably work outside with a sweatshirt or hoodie on. I like the fall chores...filling the woodshed, cutting kindling, planting the garlic, putting in bulbs, bringing in root vegetable from the garden, and burning branches and roots and that never-ending logging debris. I like knowing that there's enough hay in the hayshed to last until next August. I look forward to getting out my favourite sweaters. Tonight I'll roast my first pan of exclusively home grown root vegetables...potatoes, carrots, onions, parsnips, turnips, rutabagas, and beets...drizzled with olive oil, and flavoured with rosemary.
A few photos from a beautiful September day...
Rudy.
Aspens beginning to turn to gold.
Buck shaking things up.
Rupert
Fireweed
Sunday, September 07, 2008
Okay, an Update...
One of my faithful readers, "Retired in Vancouver", has gently reminded me I'm overdue in putting up a new post.
We've been busy... Mike and Cody were home for two weeks, the time flew! Thanks to my mom & dad's dogsitting service during their weeklong visit, we were able to enjoy a quick getaway to Jasper, Alberta. We got some of the insulation done in the shop (we need to rent a scissor lift to finish), painted the laundry room and installed our new washer and dryer, we've cut up and hauled windfallen trees, done lots of small scale burning, harvested veggies from the garden, and generally had a nice time. I drove Mike down to Surrey on Wednesday morning as the truck was at Cummins, and he arrived back home Thursday night as he got dispatched to Edmonton & didn't have to deliver till Monday. He and Cody left midmorning today, so they actually had 2 1/2 weeks here.
How are the animals? Well, Buck's leg is almost healed. Rupert is fine, and pleased that Cody has gone trucking again. Both Buck and Rupert are beginning to grow warm coats in readiness for the colder weather that's on its way.
Cody has taken great delight in tormenting Rupert, and is very lucky that he hasn't been kicked. He went to the groomer for a haircut on Saturday as he was getting scruffy. Rumour has it that he sounded like he was being skinned alive while he was being bathed!
Gosh, Rudy is a nice dog. He's been with us for nearly a month...he is very good natured and friendly. We had him at the vet's on Tuesday; he's got a nasty ear infection that he's had since he arrived. It's hard to get an appointment at our vet clinic these days, they are one doc short, as Brian broke his leg a few weeks ago when a horse fell on him. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Anyway, Rudy is getting ear drops and ear washes, and he puts up with it all like a trooper. He'd be completely happy if Lucy didn't spend half her time trying to intimidate him.
Lucy doesn't much care for Rudy yet. She watches his every move, and tries to keep him away from the other dogs.
Dear old Gilly is plodding along. His gait has become a bit odd at times, and he forgets we're outside with him, and barks to get back in the house because he thinks we've abandoned him. He is happy and in no distress. He made many trips to the end of the field with us last weekend.
And Jasper is...Jasper. Goofy as ever.
Molly is keeping the mouse population under control, and doesn't spend much time inside these days.
I've had lots of days off work for the last couple of weeks, and have been back to the grindstone since Friday.
Will put up some photos soon.
We've been busy... Mike and Cody were home for two weeks, the time flew! Thanks to my mom & dad's dogsitting service during their weeklong visit, we were able to enjoy a quick getaway to Jasper, Alberta. We got some of the insulation done in the shop (we need to rent a scissor lift to finish), painted the laundry room and installed our new washer and dryer, we've cut up and hauled windfallen trees, done lots of small scale burning, harvested veggies from the garden, and generally had a nice time. I drove Mike down to Surrey on Wednesday morning as the truck was at Cummins, and he arrived back home Thursday night as he got dispatched to Edmonton & didn't have to deliver till Monday. He and Cody left midmorning today, so they actually had 2 1/2 weeks here.
How are the animals? Well, Buck's leg is almost healed. Rupert is fine, and pleased that Cody has gone trucking again. Both Buck and Rupert are beginning to grow warm coats in readiness for the colder weather that's on its way.
Cody has taken great delight in tormenting Rupert, and is very lucky that he hasn't been kicked. He went to the groomer for a haircut on Saturday as he was getting scruffy. Rumour has it that he sounded like he was being skinned alive while he was being bathed!
Gosh, Rudy is a nice dog. He's been with us for nearly a month...he is very good natured and friendly. We had him at the vet's on Tuesday; he's got a nasty ear infection that he's had since he arrived. It's hard to get an appointment at our vet clinic these days, they are one doc short, as Brian broke his leg a few weeks ago when a horse fell on him. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Anyway, Rudy is getting ear drops and ear washes, and he puts up with it all like a trooper. He'd be completely happy if Lucy didn't spend half her time trying to intimidate him.
Lucy doesn't much care for Rudy yet. She watches his every move, and tries to keep him away from the other dogs.
Dear old Gilly is plodding along. His gait has become a bit odd at times, and he forgets we're outside with him, and barks to get back in the house because he thinks we've abandoned him. He is happy and in no distress. He made many trips to the end of the field with us last weekend.
And Jasper is...Jasper. Goofy as ever.
Molly is keeping the mouse population under control, and doesn't spend much time inside these days.
I've had lots of days off work for the last couple of weeks, and have been back to the grindstone since Friday.
Will put up some photos soon.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
The Tall and the Small
Our birdfeeders are a flurry of activity these days. The migratory birds are stuffing themselves prior to journeying to warmer places, and the locals are gorging too. Woodpeckers are year round residents, and their populations have increased in recent years due to the bounty left behind by beetle-killed pines. The peanut feeder is a bit tricky for them to access; they have to cling to the tree trunk and lean over. The smallest is a downy wookpecker, and the larger, a hairy woodpecker. They are very similar in appearance & markings.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
I've Been Everywhere, Man!
Cody Amos gets around! So far in his travels with Mike, he has been in: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Missouri, Minnesota, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania and New Jersey...not bad for a little guy who's only 9 months old! Mike has moved into the 21st century today and learned how to download and attach photos...so you'll be seeing more of their travels. Tonight they are in Tucson, AZ.
Cody is a good little traveller and is excellent company for Mike. Very soon they'll be home for some well deserved R&R.
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