Wildlife in this weather

The local Super-Valu had a package in the meat section marked "free - bird fat", so we brought it home and put it in this suet feeder. Haven't seen any birds coming to it yet. Before the snow there were some Stellar Jays which ravenously gobbled down unshelled sunflower seeds I had out there .... in between rounds of taunting the dog. A couple of times we've seen a humungous owl fly across the yard. It was either a Great Gray or a Snowy. I hope he comes around again so I can get a better look. At the bottom of Savory Road, where it meets with Highway 16, is a gravel pit where road killed animals are put. Perched in the trees all around are eagles and ravens. When we drove by yesterday I couldn't count how many there were ..... must have been 20! It was amazing.Inside the house are predators of a different kind. Actually, Blackie is taking a break from scouting the basement for any little mousie-like critters that sometimes try to sneak in. He's helping me work on my blog (I know cat's aren't allowed on the kitchen table .... don't tell Art, 'kay?). I don't know where Chickie is ..... napping somewhere I'm sure.The kitz aren't the only ones who like to mousehunt, we've found. Xena finds it sporting good fun, also. I saw her tossing something around outside the other day and when I took a closer look could see that it was a mouse-popsicle. She doesn't eat them, just flings them around. When she's done, Art throws them onto the shed roof and the birds take them. In this video, she is burrowing in the snow and I'm pretty sure that's what she's after. Either that or she's just plain nutty, which is distinctly possible.

Snowfall Warning

We've been plowed out twice, stuck once, and last night it snowed a bunch more with some high winds which caused drifting and now we need to be plowed out again. And this warning says we're going to get more snow. Sheesh! It's only been 10 days and we've had more of a winter than we did all of last year. Pretty soon this snowpack on our roof (which you'll note is now covering the upstairs windows) will meet with the snow that is piling up on the ground.Art is working on getting the snowblower working and there's talk of his brother Tom putting one of his bobcats (machine, not animal) up here so we can plow paths to the sheds and around the yard. Stay tuned to Art's blog for details on that. For now, he's driving around with super mean chains on the truck.

I managed to dig out some old wool and a crochet hook I had packed away, found a pattern on the internet for socks and am trying my hand at making up a pair. I know that traditionally socks are knitted, but I can't find any of my needles. Besides, I prefer crochet. This is pretty snazzy wool, don't ya think? I wonder if Art will wear them once I'm done. I may have to mail order some supplies from Mary Maxim.

Let there be light

Well, it was fun while it lasted. Our power and phone just came back on. It was kind of like camping, but in a great big warm house. Now, to get that driveway plowed. 1 kilometre is a lot of shovelling!

What's this white stuff, Mom???

Is the question Xena is probably asking in her doggy mind. She sure is having fun. Unfortunately, all her outside toys are now buried, so she keeps trying to take her inside toys out with her.
Check out Art's blog for another video.

Incommunicado.....sort of

We had quite a surprise when we woke up on Friday morning. It was snowing! (the day before we were out in T-shirts). Art took pity on me working at the dump with nowhere to take refuge, so we hooked up the Boler and took it out there. Xena and I are about to hunker down inside as the snow starts to really accumulate.About 10:00pm on Friday night, the power went out. It snowed hard all night and most of Saturday. Look how deep it got in just a short time!I really should have phoned my Mom to wish her an early Happy Birthday .... HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM !!!! .... because by Sunday morning the phones were out. The sun finally came out and the world looked beatiful. This is one of the views from our veranda.This is one of my birdfeeders.With the power being out so long, we were getting concerned about the freezers thawing, so Art fired up that big generator we bought a few months back.Thank God for that thing. It has now been 4 full days without power. We even have been able to watch a little TV because of having that generator. And now, today, we got the computer going. Seems strange, doesn't it? We can't contact the outside world because the phone is out and the driveway is impassable, so we've had to resort to the internet and email, asking for people to make calls for us.
Do you remember that confused lilac bush I told you about? Well, it got that shock I was worried about. Here she is today. Looking pretty sad.And while I was out there I saw this big snow pack hanging off the roof. Wild, eh? It is slowly slipping off, but by the time the sun hits it it is setting, so doesn't warm up much.Here's what it looks like through the upstairs windows.So, today it's -12 C and and we are hunkered down for the duration. Art got out yesterday (so we can get out in an emergency), but he almost did not get back up. It was a terrible strain on the truck as our driveway is not plowed, so we won't be doing that again. Don't worry about us, though. We have plenty of wood for the furnace, food, water and and about a week's worth of fuel for the generator, stove and lanterns. We've put out a request (via email) to have a snowplow sent. In the meantime, we are quite comfy cozy.
Stay tuned for further updates. I will try to post again soon and let you know how we're doing.

Rapunzel

I had a terrible day yesterday. No. HORRIBLE! As you know, I have very long hair, below my knees. I had left it braided for too long without taking it out and brushing it properly. When I tried to wash it yesterday it got all matted into a big ball. I tried all day to get it out. Art tried for 4 1/2 hours, finally giving up about 2:30 this morning. I knew it was hopeless, but went into a hairdresser today. They tried for a while, too, but the final prognosis was that it had to be cut.
I didn't sleep a wink last night, worrying about it. I've cried an ocean of tears. But what could I do? I couldn't let them take it all, though. They left one long section behind my right ear and braided it, but the rest is now short. I kinda look like Tom Jackson (only cuter, I hope). It feels SO WEIRD!!! When the wind blows, my hair moves. The one long piece helps me feel not so sick to my stomach.
I think I'll go cry some more now (don't be fooled by the smile).

Yummy in my tummy

Good God woman, don't poke that thing!Found this dilly in one of the barns. Even though it didn't look inhabitted, Art zapped it with a wasp bomb. Xena was doing her part by finding old dried up cow pies and giving them .... yup, a taste test. Mmmmmmm.There's only about 3 weeks left at the dump. One of the nice things about my drive in each day is seeing these 2. They had been laying side by side in exactly the same position as each other, but as soon as I stopped to take this picture one of them stood up. Every time I see horses I think of my niece Jodie and how when she was little would call them "oh-shee". Of course, the first time we heard her say that we thought she was swearing.Last week it poured (which gives me a whole new respect for people that have to work outside all year round). Then this boat showed up at the dump. Looks like the ark sitting up on that hill like that, doesn't it?.The weather has been terribly mild here. It's getting to zero at night, but hardly enough to leave frost. I even found this very confused lilac bush behind the house the other day. It must think it's spring or something. All new leaves and buds! Poor thing is in for a shock.But despite the balmy weather, the wind was a-howlin' at the dump. I do not like the wind one bit. I can stand the cold .... don't actually feel it. But the wind is another story. So, after 8 hours of that it was a wonderous thing to come home to this.The house was warm and smelled of simmering stew and freshed baked biscuits and apple pie. Art made all of this .... from scratch. What a wonderful guy.

Polar bears and woodpiles

This is Cyrus. I think he looks more like a polar bear than a dog, but he is such a nice guy. His owner seems to be a regular visitor at the dump (and a little more so now that I've shown an interest in his dog, which is a little weird, but hey .... it's a weird place).I found this camera the other day. I think I'll run a roll of film through it and see what I get. It's a Pentax for God's sake.While I've been busy slaving at the old dump, Art has been whiling away the hours collecting, chopping and stacking wood. That fellow can really swing an axe, let me tell you! We will be toasty warm this winter. Here, Xena is helping him. She likes to do that.Today was my day off and I spent most of it at the neighbour's. It was supposed to be a meeting of the women of the Community Hall Society to discuss an upcoming event, but really it was more of just a hen party. It was a lot of fun, but I ended up being there for much longer than I intended. I was supposed to be babysitting the dog because Art was working with his brother. When I finally did get home, Xena was not in her room and this note was pinned to the door.

Our angel is home

We picked up Xena from the vet yesterday morning. She seems to have made an impression on the staff there. They described her as "exuberant" and you'd never know that she just had major abdominal surgery. Well, ain't that the truth. She is definitely full of life, that little girl.

Look at what the high school threw away at the dump the other day. There is nothing wrong with any of this stuff, so I took it all home (except for the broken fridge, of course). Very useful in the workshop(s) and my study.These are 3 very large and extremely sturdy tables that Art has made a superb work surface out of in his workshop. He will be posting pictures very soon on his blog.

We miss our little girl

We took her to the vet in Burns Lake yesterday to get spayed. We pick her up today. She's always loved going to the vet (not sure if her opinion has changed now) because they are all so nice and they give her lots of "bikkies". She was so happy to be there yesterday she didn't even notice that we left.

Here are pictures of us out camping in the Boler. The first one is just after we got her in May and the other is about 3 weeks ago.

Proof

AHA! So that's what's been happening to the corn in our garden (as if I didn't know). Xena is a bit of a kleptomaniac and here is photographic evidence that she is our little corn cob thief. She doesn't just steal it, she holds in between her paws, strips the sheath off and then eats the kernels off the cob just like a person would .... using her teeth. Where does she learn this stuff?


This is the first frost of the season, on the wild strawberries.

I found 'em!

Thank heaven....I found my glasses. I feel so much better now. I've got to stop putting them down in such stupid places. Trouble is, I don't need them all the time. Just for driving and watching TV, so they are off more than on and end up in some strange places.

We had quite an incredible weather day today. It hailed and snowed and got very cold. Then the sun came out and all was well again. It's not a lot of fun at work, though. My only refuge is my car. One of the down sides to working outside, I guess.But I did get this as I was coming up our driveway, so I'm not complaining. I just never tire of those sunsets. The skies here just seem to have more character .... at all times of the day, but even more so at dusk.And today we said goodbye to the cows. Walter came up and drove them all home, so "hasta la vista" babies. See you in the Spring!

Aurora Borealis

Around 11:30 last night, as I was taking the dog out for her bedtime tinkle, I saw what looked like a spotlight beaming up into the sky from the eastern horizon. Then I saw an identical one in the west. As I gawked around it was clearly one big bright white band stretching completely across the entire sky over our heads. Like we were in a big basket, looking up at the handle. It was the Northern Lights, although it didn't wiggle around or have colours. I called Art to come and look and then I attempted to catch it on film. Unfortunately, that's an impossible task without a very special camera.

I was so thrilled by it, I tried to find something about it on the internet. I found this website http://www.geo.mtu.edu/weather/aurora which allowed me to submit my observation, so maybe they will post my report. There's also this website http://www.northern-lights.no which reports high auroral activity right now (the geomagnetic field is unsettled), so maybe tonight there'll be another light show. Maybe you'll even be able to see it down south. I've heard of people seeing them in Abbottsford.

Enough with the Christmas ads, already!!

My good oath!!! May we get through Hallowe'en .... or Thanksgiving .... or September, at least??? I have been seeing Christmas ads on TV since before the first day of Fall for heaven's sake. This is just shameful. Before long they'll start advertising before Valentine's Day.

That's my 2 cents worth.

I can't find my glasses

I don't know what is the matter with me lately, but I keep losing my glasses. Art makes smart comments ... something about "that's the first sign you know". I just ignore him. The other day I was helping my nephew load something onto his truck, so put my glasses "in a safe place" .... on the hood of his truck. Didn't remember 'til after he'd driven off. My heart sank. I jumped in my car and started to chase after him, when I saw a glint on the side of the road. My glasses were intact! Phewwwww.

Now, I've lost them again. They've got to be in this house somewhere, but WHERE ???? Yes, yes I've tried those string thingies, but they make the arms too tight and I get a headache. I must be wearing them wrong. Anyways, I finally had to dig out my old ones. Aren't these ghastly? But at least I can drive.

My day in pictures

Art and Xena see me off as I leave for work (taken through the windshield of my car).The view from the top of our driveway (well not the VERY top, but the top of the part that goes down into the trees). I'm stricken everywhere I go lately with the beauty of the trees turning yellow. What we need are some maples to add reds and orange to the vista.The feathers in my cap. Getting quite a collection there. Makes me think of the white eagle feather that Art found a couple of weeks ago when we were at Cheslatta Lake. He ended up losing it, which turns out was just as well because apparantly it is illegal to even possess an eagle feather (unless you are Native Indian and have a permit that is). So, I wonder what you do if you just find one like that.I encountered this fellow along our road as I was driving home from work. I saw him go into the bush, so stopped the car, turned off the engine and got my camera ready. He kept poking his head out to see if I was still there and after a minute decided to just go around me.Now this is the top of the driveway, which is above the house looking back.And a beautiful sunset to finish a warm and peaceful day.

A time to reflect

Yesterday was a glorious day. I think a chinook was passing through (that's if we even get chinooks here ... all I know is there was a very warm wind blowing). There wasn't much going on at work, so I had some fun with my camera.Marilyn Monroe's got nothin' on this babe, eh.The trees are becoming beautiful in their fall colours, so it was a great day for taking pictures. This was on my way home, driving up our road.Blackie sitting on the veranda this morning, with a beautiful autumn backdrop.

The Dalai Lama

I love this man. I am captivated by him and all he stands for. He inspires me to strive to be a better person. He is in Vancouver right now. I wish I had known. I would have tried to get tickets to hear him talk. I did get to see him when he was here in 2004. That was a very special day for me. I have an unexplainable fascination with all things Tibetan and Buddhist.