lumpy landings

Yesterday did not get off to a good start. I stepped outside to check the dogs and went airborne off the stairs. I landed just outside the left frame of this picture.How nothing got broken I don't know. Just some scrapes and what I suspect will become a lot of stunning bruises. I'm feeling pretty stiff today. note to self....don't wear Crocs on wood that has a layer of dry clay topped with some fresh rain. It's like snot.

It was not a good "dog" day, either.

Now, on to more fun stuff.

While we still had the use of Tom's skidsteer last week we continued some cleanup and various projects around the place. One job was the revamp of the fuel shed. Amongst the junk we removed from it was this old brass fire extinguisher. Too cool to throw away.As I took pictures of that job...Art took a picture of me taking pictures.Job done. Take me home, Jeeves.This is one of those "oops" moments. I'm far from being a master of the skidsteer and sometimes a sudden jerk can make an entire load slide off. I was attempting to move this pile of OSB and .... well .... it's slippery stuff.Art was annoyed, but after I got out to assess the situation and pause for a moment, I said "well, there's only one thing to do at a time like this" and pulled out my camera. He wasn't quite so mad after that.

The local arena is being renovated and they were throwing away all these heavy duty doors. Art has just the project in mind for those, so we made a pretty good score.Did I mention the cows are back? Well, with them comes a LOT of dung which Xena thinks is okey dokey. Not only is it green and smelling fine, but it can be very becoming when worn just right!After the skidsteer was gone, it was time to get ours going again. It's been dead for awhile. Art rebuilt the carb (I helped) and installed it (I helped).Note how Cleo is right there, underfoot?She does that alot we've noticed. She's not as equipment savvy as Xena, so we have to be careful to not run over her. But at every job we're doing she's right there. The drilling of post holes (picture on my last post....which I can't believe no one commented on, by the way), cutting wood on the saw ..... Don't fall for those sad eyes.So, our skidsteer started up right away after the new carb was put in. Yay! All that's left is this grease spot where it sat for the last long while.Unfortunately, it's now up on blocks again because the chain that drives the wheels on one side has broken. That repair should only take a day or two and this time it's not blocking the driveway.

We've been getting some rain (and cold) lately along with booming thunder and lightning. When it really crashes, the dogs bark, like they can chase it away.After a good rainstorm (and it's dried a little), the dirt is like a fresh layer of talcum powder. Animal footprints show up really well. When we went for our morning walk, we found these tracks leading all the way down our driveway. They look a lot like human barefeet. They are from a black bear.The next day, after seeing these, we were on our walk again and my heart lept into my throat when I saw something big and black in the trees not far from us. Turned out to be a cow, but boy did it give me a fright!

Speaking of going for walks .... look what I dug out of storage.10 years ago I used to run. I miss it. Sara has inspired me to be more active and I'd like to work towards getting back to running (don't worry, I'll walk a little more first).

I had occasion to do some sewing the other day, so pulled this out.It used to belong to my Mom. She was a pretty accomplished seamstress and made many of our clothes when we were kids. The sound of it whirring brings back many memories of her working through the night on some project or other. And it used to mess with the TV reception (in the days of rabbit ears, before cablevision) so she could only sew during the commercial breaks of the Saturday night hockey games or my Dad would be yelling. Anyhow, when she wanted to trade it in on a new one, with fancy zig-zag stitches and all, I begged her to give it to me instead. I'm glad she did.

This is a spider plant that my friend Rhoda gave me. It used to look so much better. Ewie has taken a sudden interest in it and keeps chewing bits off. Years ago, Chickie used to go crazy for one of these and I had to hang it where she couldn't get it. I did some research to see if it was poisonous and learned that for some cats it is just like catnip. Chickie seems to be over that fetish and for months this plant has been undisturbed. But now Ewie is after it.I found a suitable substitute for my favourite coffee, Starbucks French Roast. At least it'll hold me over until our next trip to Costco.I've tried several of the dark roasts they sell in the stores here and they are all crap (in my opinion). Too acidic. This may seem extreme, but I don't brew it like Espresso. I just use it as I would normal coffee and it is quite wonderful. Wonderful indeed!

Josee Josie

I'm sorry you haven't heard from me lately, but we've been very busy. Seems the to-do list is long and the season is short, so we are always on the go. When I do have a spare moment I'm researching my family tree. Proving to be a little bit obsessive about that. I'm not really doing anything else. I take pictures, but not fervently....more for documentation of the work we're doing. I don't have any knit or crochet projects going. Maybe more balance is required. We took the D-Day weekend off, and I was just wiped out.

We built 3 gates. One on the road to "Gramma's" .... (before) ........ (after) ....One near the house .... (before) ........ (after) ....And one at the entrance to our driveway from Savory Road. Art has those pictures on his blog.

There was a lot of drilling post holes ....cutting boards ....and haulin' stuff around. Art was getting tired, so Xena took over the driving for awhile.We even stopped to watch this guy (actually, there were two, but one had gone into the trees) cross the field nearby.It was very tiring ....and thirsty work ....
But all in all, very satisfying.One day in there we had a visit from Viki's parents, Al and Jean (Vicki is Cleo's former Mom). They came to see Cleo, but I'm pretty sure they also came to see us (wink).It was funny because Jean is obviously not crazy about the dogs being all over her, but they were loving her to death.

The boards we've been using to build the gates are off this old shed. It's the one that was holding up that tree that fell down a few months ago.The planks are fir and have a natural weather-worn beauty, so we're going to clear-coat them rather than paint. Slowly, this monstrosity of a building is disappearing. Here it is from a different angle. There are still two more trees growing up through the middle of it. One is dead, so it will have to come down soon.All of this gate/fence building has been in aid of the return of the cows.and evidence of their return is obviousThe gate project was a good one, but I have two complaints. I don't work well in the heat, but it kind of came and went, so it wasn't horrible horrible. Actually, Art found my sweaty dirty face amusing so posted a quite UN-flattering picture on his blog. Yeesh! My second complaint is the *&%$! black flies. They were thick at times and although I was well protected with bug repellant on exposed skin, I forgot to put it on UNDER my clothes. Black flies are insidious. They crawl into your hair and under collars and up pantlegs. I don't feel them bite, but am left with golf ball welts. I hate them.But the bugs here are nothing compared to those farther north. A few years back we went to the Northwest Territories in June and holy cow, I couldn't talk while walking outside for fear of the bugs getting in my mouth. This is the repellant they sell in the stores.The bottle on the left is what you can buy here and in the south. Nothing stronger than around 24% deet. The bottle on the right .... 95%. It melts plastic. Amazing stuff. You might not even be able to buy it anymore, who knows.

Other things that are new.... Cleo is becoming less afraid of water. There's a picture above where she is drinking from Art's cup. Xena is showing her that it's fun to drink from the hoseand little by little Cleo is getting closer and closer.The garden is growing like mad. All the veggies are doing very well, but also the lilacs are in full, glorious bloom.I love lilacs so much and they really thrive here. The whole of outside is sweet with their aroma. Last year I mail ordered some live plants called "Josee". Part of the attraction was their name (I have a niece named Josie). They didn't arrive until late Fall and I wasn't sure they'd make it. We put them in a tire, covered them with moss and I kept my fingers crossed. Come Spring they didn't look too good. I think 3 of them are sticks, but the 4th has made a comeback.It's uplifting to see because 2 weeks ago Josie (my niece) was badly injured in a boating accident, her foot close to being severed by the propeller. It's sad because she's young and active and vibrant, but this summer isn't going to be a lot of fun with a tough recovery ahead. So, every day, when I go out to check the progress of my little Josee and protect it the best I can, I think of Josie.

a quick update

Art and I have been working like dogs the past while. Making hay while the sun shines, as it were. The neighbours' cows snuck in one day, which prompted us to repair fences, which lead to installing gates. Two done .... one to go (some pictures on Art's blog, more to follow here). When we started it was cold and snowing, now it's almost too hot to be out there (I'm getting sunburn on my arms). It's only been a week or so. Crazy.

We only have use of the skidsteer for a few more days, so we don't want to waste the opportunity. We've been so busy, there's just been no time for anything else, including doing the dishes and stuff. Inside the house kinda looks like a bomb went off.

So, we've booked this coming weekend off. Saturday is the 65th anniversary of D-Day, so we are honouring the occasion by unplugging the phone, watching war movies on TV and eating junk food .... all day. Sunday .... ditto.

I'm smiling again

Well, I survived my dental crisis.

Not a single one of the horrible scenarios running through my brain came to fruition (my brain is NOT my friend).

In fact, I was very impressed with the attention and care I received. They got me in almost right away and glued that little sucker right back on. After Art's tooth emergency last year I've been dismayed about what services are available in this area. Vanderhoof sucks pretty bad and Prince George is not much better. Their dentists are part-time and I was told by one place that they only take emergencies on Mondays and you need to book an appointment for that. What the ????? Fraser Lake has a dentist but he's closed for vacation (or something) and his office is a couple of trailers hobbled together, which does not exactly instill my confidence. On the verge of tears, I stopped to take a few deep breaths as I looked at the lone number left in the phone book. It was in Burns Lake. That is such a one-horse town, my expectations were pretty low. But I was in for a very pleasant surprise. It is an actual proper clinic with a wonderful staff. Not only did I not have to wait til September to get in, they are a full-time operation. Not 2 days here and 2 days in Smithers, like some of the other "professionals". The dentist himself was a bit scowlie-faced, but had a very gentle touch, so I'll give him another chance. Art and I are both booked for cleanings and checkups next week. Of course, I'm nervous all over again because those are not pleasant for me either, but it's one of those grin-and-bear-it things.

Now that the weather is finally turning nicer (still close to zero at night, though) green is popping up all over. And outside projects are taking precidence. My genealogy and other computer related things are having to wait for a rainy day.

Snow tires can be stored for the summer .... That tree that fell down got all chopped up and cleared away .... this would be why it fell down .... Before .... After .... Now that we actually own our driveway we are planning to build a nice entrance. Art's going to build an archway and a bit of decorative fence. The lumber is now in place, ready for construction.We've been continuing to bring gravel, sand and topsoil over from our newfound "pit", for use in the garden and yard. Here we are giving the dogs a ride.It's not quite so squishy in the skidsteer. I had a lot of downtime when Art was cutting up that tree, so I really did bring my knitting along. Quite a versatile gal, dontcha think?Went for a walk the other day. It was snowing.I had to put these on. No kidding.By the way...those socks are the best! They are the nicest ones I've ever found. Cushy, soft and stretchy (perfect for my tootsies). So, if anyone is ever wondering what to get me for Christmas....these are the ones.

I've got quite a nice hummingbird commune going on here now. I'd say about 15 that hang around the front of the house and about 8 at the back. They are especially active at dusk and last night, as I was taking this feeder down to refill it, about 6 birds hovered around me. Three stayed sitting on it while I carried it away. I asked Art to take a picture, but then they all got scared. Just this one guy stayed.Xena and Cleo are enjoying themselves.

dental distress is mental distress

I have a fear of dentists and having problems with my teeth. Does the fact that I have 16 crowns tell you anything? This is one of them..... It has no business being in my hand. It should be securely glued to a tooth .... in my mouth! Yesterday I bit into a ju-jube and out it popped. If I was in Vancouver it would be no problem to get in right away to see the dentist I've grown to trust, but up here is a different story. I did find a place that would take me today, in Burns Lake. I'm way stressed out. Will report back later.

work, play, relax

We are taking today off because it's kinda stormy outside. Rain and hail and COLD.Even the hummingbirds are looking like they need parkas. I'll bet they're wondering why they ever left Mexico for this.But don't worry. I won't embarass you by crocheting silly little outfits like someone did for this poor fellow. How undignified.... c'mon.Mind you, I don't know what this person was thinking. Maybe it was really cold that day. Makes you go hmmmmmmm, though, doesn't it?We bought Cleo a new ball. It's actually a horse ball, but we gave one to Xena and she loves it more than any other toy. So we thought Cleo might like one too.The handle makes it easy for her to carry and easy for us to throw. But Cleo doesn't quite get it."don't need no stinkin' handle....gnarrr, gnarrrrr"

We're doing a lot of work around the place, with the use of Tom's skidsteer. I'm really getting the hang of driving it. I feel a little guilty (but not too much) doing the easy part while Art slaves away with all the manual labour. I should take my knitting with me, for the times that I'm sitting inside the cab with nothing to do (wouldn't that be a picture?). But I always have my camera, so tried to be creative.


I wonder what the bunny symbol stands for ....



Art and Tom dug a Walipini and Xena is proudly overseeing the operation.She just looks so gorgeous sometimes.and when she's not supervising the hired help, she is scanning her domain.The cats, on the other hand, like to nap ..... a lot ....On our way home from town yesterday, we stopped to say hello to this guy.He was just down at the bottom of our property. When we were walking the dogs the other morning, we could hear him calling in the not too distant distance. That's when we want to keep the dogs close.As well as getting ready to plant the garden, we've had the odd home repair. Like this ........ danged thing came off right in my hand. We purchased one of those fancy-schmancy number keypad ones a while back, but do you think we could find it? No. Anyhow, this one does the trick quite nicely.In the Fall, we bought a really nice new window to replace the drafty, broken one in our kitchen. It arrived at about the same time as the snow, so the job had to wait for Spring. Unfortunately, it got damaged in a windstorm. I was very sad to see one of the panes all shattered, but Art says it can be repaired. I couldn't get a picture because of the glare, so put my polarizer on. Then it all turned pink. Kind of cool.

driving a skidsteer is FUN

I guess I had to post this after all the hints that Art was dropping on his blog. We had the loan of his brother Tom's skidsteer, so decided to haul a few loads of gravel from up the hill and put it on the driveway. I had my choice .... drive Betsy Ford (which is a standard, and I DON'T like to drive standard) .... or drive the skidsteer. EEK! I'd rather walk. We did a trial run with Betsy. Art put it in 2nd gear of "bull-low" and it was no big deal to drive, really. No shifting involved. Then I got brave and thought the skidsteer might be less intimidating. Once I was in it I was scared poopless, though. Did ya know those things don't have BRAKES?! ...... (of course, I found out later, that's because they don't need them)Well, after I'd asked Art 100 times exactly how to STOP and then practiced for a little while, I actually began to have fun.Then the only thing that got me out of it was the sun going down."See Mom, we told you it would be fun!"

Speaking of the sun going down ... a couple of days ago someone was doing a lot of slash burning to the west of us. A LOT. There was no breeze to blow the smoke away, so it just hung in the air. Made for a pretty spectacular sunset over our tire garden.And speaking of fire .... now that it's warming up a little we ALMOST don't need to light our woodstove as often. Pretty soon we'll be putting these away.We've been going for daily walks with the dogs. It's a nice way to start the day and Xena and Cleo love it. Have you ever seen a 100 pound dog bounce like a pogo-stick? It's pretty funny.Xena has been showing Cleo where all the best mouse holes are.She rather enjoys trying to get them to come out.I'd much prefer she chomp those than these.We took Cleo to the vet yesterday for her first checkup with her new "doc". It went pretty well until she tried to chomp the vet. That didn't win her any brownie points. It scared the poor woman, and us too. I guess more care will be required on future visits. We did ask about the whole "rock carrying" thing she does and were told that it's definitely a Rottweiler quirk but we should discourage it as her teeth are starting to show wear and dental repairs on a Rottie are extremely expensive (Art thinks the vet just doesn't want to get close to the jaws of death again).

I almost came home with another cat from the vet. There was an absolutely ADORABLE little guy hanging out in the office and I just fell in love with him. He is about 6 months old, all white (just like Ewie) and just kept cuddling me. And he had a sassiness that made me smile. I really wanted to bring him home. And guess what his name is .... Huey! Yup, it would be Ewie and Huey. Too cute! But, alas, I didn't bring him home. Three house cats is probably enough .... right? .... right?

Besides, look what I already have to contend with.He has figured out where I keep the stash of catnip and if I forget to close that cupboard door, Ewie actually goes and gets it. Finally, I sprinkled some on the carpet for him.Oh ya, here's one last pic of all of us crammed into the cab of Betsy Ford. The dogs were getting quite the workout following us up and down the hill about 8 times, so we decided to give them a ride. This picture definitely looks like there's more room than there actually was. I was hanging out the window trying to get pictures.