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Monday 30 April 2012
Thanks for visiting Adventures of A Red Dirt Farm Family, I am currently working on reconstructing our Blog Site and plan by May 7/2012 to either be up and running or will post an update as to when we will be for certain. Please visit us again once we are refreshed to find out what adventures or misadventures we've been sharing. Also, I would love to have feedback, either by leaving comments below, or for any Facebook Friends, on my Facebook (or PM me), with anything you might like added to, or omitted from, the blog or any ideas at all you may have.
Looking forward to updating you soon, thanks for following along with us and may we all allow our week to be blessed!
Tuesday 24 April 2012
Sunshine, evidence of brighter days to come, offering breaths of new life to all things it envelopes including the winter weary body, between the cold, leering reminders of winter, we found and enjoyed the reassurances of the coming summer with the beautiful sunny days of earlier this week. The rain streaming down the windows as I type this update have me questioning it's whereabouts, but never the less our seasons are yet another one of God's promises to us and Lord willing it will be here (and gone for that matter) before we know it.
On one such sunny day earlier in the week the girls and I struck out to enjoy some time in our yard. This simple pleasure is all new to Bethany as the ground has just dried up enough, and she is only just becoming mobile enough, to enjoy some mini adventures on the grass. As Grace and I conjured up new ways of entertaining ourselves, we watched Bethany as she moved like a spider, first standing very still until a target caught her eye and then darting towards it, when Grace caught sight of her Soccer ball that had rolled under the fence and into the pasture field below our house, which is still a springtime muck hole. Deciding a game of soccer might be fun, I informed her that she would have to retrieve the ball herself since she was the only one of us wearing rubber boots and after a hearty pep talk concerning the electric fence she shimmied under the wire, stood up by the ball, and sank. Standing there on the grass in my sandals I watched Grace struggle to free her bogged rubber boots when from the corner of my eye a wiry haired creature on a mission raced into view then attempted to slither it's way under the fence to her big sister. Grabbing Bethany and coaching Grace on how to extract herself from the muck, it occurred to me that I would have to hove in and rescue her. With a quick "just let me get my boots and I'll be right back", I raced Bethany to the farthest reaches of the yard with the presumption that it would take her at least long enough for me to grab my boots before she reached the fence again. Hearing a frantic "Mom! The cows are coming!" I looked back to see Grace staring wide eyed as the cattle took interest in their visitor and surrounding her in a semi circle of bemusement stood chewing their cuds, and staring back. I yelled "don't panic, just wave your arms if they come too close", ran into the house, grabbed my boots, packed Beth back up into the yard and raced back to Grace. Heaving myself under the fence I grabbed Grace under the arms in attempts to hoist her out of the mud before our inquisitive critter returned, not able to budge Grace, I glanced over my shoulder to see that our great explorer had in deed returned and was shimmying backwards down over the hill and under the fence towards us, and the mud. Once again leaving Grace in the mud, clutching her soccer ball, surrounded by her onlookers, I scrambled under the fence to reposition Beth. Then, back under the fence, I hoisted Grace out of her boots and set her, sock feet, in the muck while I pried her boots loose. As I helped Grace jam her soggy feet back into her boots, drag herself and her ball back under the fence and up the hill, I examined the yard for Bethany's whereabouts, to find her climbing the deck stairs. Then I sank. Standing helplessly with my own boots submerged in the mucky mire, watching Bethany happily gurgle her way to the top of the rail less deck, I hollered at Grace to run and keep Beth on the deck while I freed myself. In the end I managed to unstick myself a bit easier then Grace (thankfully as I would have been quite a lift for her) and swept up the hill just in time to grab our little explorer as she casually walked off the side of the deck, into my arms, and on to her next big adventure.
This past weekend Mom and I packed up the girls and drove the 3.5 hours to Truro for a Horse Expo and to visit with some relatives for a few days. After enduring the conventional "are we there yet?" for the last 1.5 hours of the trip we arrived at our hotel, denoted by Grace's exclamation as to "who is that giant chocolaty man!?" upon her viewing the fifty foot high bronzed statue of a Native sporting feathers and a loin cloth in the hotels parking lot. As I often do in these places, I momentarily considered my lack of understanding for the theory behind Tourist Attractions and their fixation for the size of their token characters. As giant, personified Potatos, Blueberries, Ears of Corn and Whicker Baskets drifted inconsequentially through my mind, it occurred to me that I was thrilled to see that "Giant Chocolaty Man" standing before me in a skirt that could redden the cheeks of even the least reputable of ladies, indicating that we'd made it, and that if he were only a "Tiny Chocolaty Man" he'd be much less novel.
The girls enjoyed a swim in the pool while Mom and I dodged the tidal waves caused by exuberant water slide users and treaded in the midst of frenzied chaos, as what seemed like hundreds of screeching animals (not unlike monkeys) had their aquatic fun. The hotel was filled due to several large events happening in the city and because the walls were possibly constructed by some sort of paper product, we could, and did, hear everything. While thankfully the neighbours television did not stop the girls from sleeping as it blared into the wee hours, the Microwave in our room did wake Grace when it malfunctioned and began beeping persistently until I turned on the lights to find and unplug the cord. Finally all snuggled in bed again around 3:30am, we heard the television next door go silent and momentarily gave thanks that we may have some uninterrupted sleep, when a great bellow emerged from their room, and was apparently a declaration of the domestic dispute which would ensue until almost 5:00am. Not wanting to wake Bethany who was sleeping next to the rooms phone, by reporting the incident to front desk, and too scared to leave the girls alone and walk there, we lay in bed listening to the confrontation and hoped someone else would hear and report the incident. Finally the male participant left in a fury of profanity and all was silent. After reporting the issue in the morning, the following night passed uneventfully but for the hysterical giggles coming from the, now best of friends, next door and left me to ponder how exhausting a relationship like this must be.
We spent the next day enjoying the Horse Expo and then spent the afternoon at the beautiful walking park in Town where Grace and I climbed what is called Jacobs Ladder which consists of over 100 stairs leading to a trail above which takes you over a beautiful waterfall. We made it all the way to the top and halfway down before Grace declared her legs like Jello and had to then take several breaks on the final steps. While we were there we met 3 inspiring people who ran Jacobs ladder 10 times and then one of the ladies ran the remainder of the parks trails including many more flights of stairs, steep inclines, and left us winded behind her, huffing our way to the Falls and dubbing her the Bionic Woman.
Overall our weekend was both long overdue and absolutely wonderful, with many laughs shared and quality time spent.
While we were away Jamie had a surprise born in the barn, a young heifer whom we had turned out with the bull just last week, calved. While we declared our new bull "a keeper" for producing offspring so quickly, it seemed she was somehow bred without our knowing, and obviously much too young. However, she produced a nice big calf and both Mamma and baby are doing great. We also had a mature cow calve while we were away and has refused to claim it, Jamie has been tying the Cow twice a day to feed the calf, but the Mamma is miserable to deal with and continues to refuse the calf while shoving Jamie around and even crashing through gates. It is looking like this little one may have to be fed on Milk Replacer, which is less then desirable but can be the best solution when someone (Jamie or the calf) could get, and has already gotten, hurt.
On one such sunny day earlier in the week the girls and I struck out to enjoy some time in our yard. This simple pleasure is all new to Bethany as the ground has just dried up enough, and she is only just becoming mobile enough, to enjoy some mini adventures on the grass. As Grace and I conjured up new ways of entertaining ourselves, we watched Bethany as she moved like a spider, first standing very still until a target caught her eye and then darting towards it, when Grace caught sight of her Soccer ball that had rolled under the fence and into the pasture field below our house, which is still a springtime muck hole. Deciding a game of soccer might be fun, I informed her that she would have to retrieve the ball herself since she was the only one of us wearing rubber boots and after a hearty pep talk concerning the electric fence she shimmied under the wire, stood up by the ball, and sank. Standing there on the grass in my sandals I watched Grace struggle to free her bogged rubber boots when from the corner of my eye a wiry haired creature on a mission raced into view then attempted to slither it's way under the fence to her big sister. Grabbing Bethany and coaching Grace on how to extract herself from the muck, it occurred to me that I would have to hove in and rescue her. With a quick "just let me get my boots and I'll be right back", I raced Bethany to the farthest reaches of the yard with the presumption that it would take her at least long enough for me to grab my boots before she reached the fence again. Hearing a frantic "Mom! The cows are coming!" I looked back to see Grace staring wide eyed as the cattle took interest in their visitor and surrounding her in a semi circle of bemusement stood chewing their cuds, and staring back. I yelled "don't panic, just wave your arms if they come too close", ran into the house, grabbed my boots, packed Beth back up into the yard and raced back to Grace. Heaving myself under the fence I grabbed Grace under the arms in attempts to hoist her out of the mud before our inquisitive critter returned, not able to budge Grace, I glanced over my shoulder to see that our great explorer had in deed returned and was shimmying backwards down over the hill and under the fence towards us, and the mud. Once again leaving Grace in the mud, clutching her soccer ball, surrounded by her onlookers, I scrambled under the fence to reposition Beth. Then, back under the fence, I hoisted Grace out of her boots and set her, sock feet, in the muck while I pried her boots loose. As I helped Grace jam her soggy feet back into her boots, drag herself and her ball back under the fence and up the hill, I examined the yard for Bethany's whereabouts, to find her climbing the deck stairs. Then I sank. Standing helplessly with my own boots submerged in the mucky mire, watching Bethany happily gurgle her way to the top of the rail less deck, I hollered at Grace to run and keep Beth on the deck while I freed myself. In the end I managed to unstick myself a bit easier then Grace (thankfully as I would have been quite a lift for her) and swept up the hill just in time to grab our little explorer as she casually walked off the side of the deck, into my arms, and on to her next big adventure.
This past weekend Mom and I packed up the girls and drove the 3.5 hours to Truro for a Horse Expo and to visit with some relatives for a few days. After enduring the conventional "are we there yet?" for the last 1.5 hours of the trip we arrived at our hotel, denoted by Grace's exclamation as to "who is that giant chocolaty man!?" upon her viewing the fifty foot high bronzed statue of a Native sporting feathers and a loin cloth in the hotels parking lot. As I often do in these places, I momentarily considered my lack of understanding for the theory behind Tourist Attractions and their fixation for the size of their token characters. As giant, personified Potatos, Blueberries, Ears of Corn and Whicker Baskets drifted inconsequentially through my mind, it occurred to me that I was thrilled to see that "Giant Chocolaty Man" standing before me in a skirt that could redden the cheeks of even the least reputable of ladies, indicating that we'd made it, and that if he were only a "Tiny Chocolaty Man" he'd be much less novel.
The girls enjoyed a swim in the pool while Mom and I dodged the tidal waves caused by exuberant water slide users and treaded in the midst of frenzied chaos, as what seemed like hundreds of screeching animals (not unlike monkeys) had their aquatic fun. The hotel was filled due to several large events happening in the city and because the walls were possibly constructed by some sort of paper product, we could, and did, hear everything. While thankfully the neighbours television did not stop the girls from sleeping as it blared into the wee hours, the Microwave in our room did wake Grace when it malfunctioned and began beeping persistently until I turned on the lights to find and unplug the cord. Finally all snuggled in bed again around 3:30am, we heard the television next door go silent and momentarily gave thanks that we may have some uninterrupted sleep, when a great bellow emerged from their room, and was apparently a declaration of the domestic dispute which would ensue until almost 5:00am. Not wanting to wake Bethany who was sleeping next to the rooms phone, by reporting the incident to front desk, and too scared to leave the girls alone and walk there, we lay in bed listening to the confrontation and hoped someone else would hear and report the incident. Finally the male participant left in a fury of profanity and all was silent. After reporting the issue in the morning, the following night passed uneventfully but for the hysterical giggles coming from the, now best of friends, next door and left me to ponder how exhausting a relationship like this must be.
We spent the next day enjoying the Horse Expo and then spent the afternoon at the beautiful walking park in Town where Grace and I climbed what is called Jacobs Ladder which consists of over 100 stairs leading to a trail above which takes you over a beautiful waterfall. We made it all the way to the top and halfway down before Grace declared her legs like Jello and had to then take several breaks on the final steps. While we were there we met 3 inspiring people who ran Jacobs ladder 10 times and then one of the ladies ran the remainder of the parks trails including many more flights of stairs, steep inclines, and left us winded behind her, huffing our way to the Falls and dubbing her the Bionic Woman.
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| JACOBS LADDER |
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| GRACE AND NANNY B. AT THE FALLS |
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| THE NEW HANGOUT |
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| GLO SAND ART, VERY MESSY ENTERTAINMENT |
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| WITH A VERY COOL OUTCOME, GLOS UP TO 4 HOURS |
Monday 16 April 2012
We were still 2 kilometers from home when she quit. That was it, unlike the last five times she stopped on our family outing, there was no persuading her otherwise, she would pedal no farther. I encouraged (begged really) her to consider the logistics of finding shelter there on the side of the road, and of course the cold reality that it was now after supper and apart from kicking her training wheels into overdrive and running some poor and unsuspecting creature down with her John Deer bike, we had very little menu options.
It had been a wonderful idea in theory, the four of us, little Bethany snuggled into her trolley behind my bike, heading out on a nice liesurely bike ride on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Jamie, a bit hesitant at first to join us as the day was slipping by and he had yet to finish up the barn chores, was quickly enticed by my "oh, come on, it will only be a twenty minute ride". So as we headed down the road and Grace announced that today would be the day she would bike all the way to the end of our road, our hearts skipped a beat. This is an easily achievable goal for anyone not still employing training wheels to stabalize themselves, I myself bike it almost daily, however pedalling all 8 kilometres at less then 5 years of age, on training wheels, in our eyes was a bit ambitious. Assuming she would change her mind, we set out attempting to discourage her along the way before she became to tired, and we had to somehow find a way to transport her, and her bike, back home.
Grace pedalled exuberantly along, abandoning her bike and running to the side of the road, if she heard anything that sounded like an engine. While Max bounded in and out of neighbours yards, harassing them and their own dogs, and causing Jamie and I to spend the entire ride yelling seemingly unheeded warnings into the breeze, thus leaving the neighbours to ponder our sanity. As we passed the warning Stop sign at the end of our road and the 4km mark, Jamie and I froze like deer in the headlights when Grace woefully announced that her "knee cap was too sore" and she could go no further. We immediately enlisted what seemed like the 50th rest thus far and convinced her to turn and head for home about 20 yards shy of the final Stop sign, after she contemplated the possibility that turning prematurely would put her on the failures list, she reluctantly began the ride home. After several rest stops and a few short visits with the neighbours it became apparent to Jamie that he was not going to be home in time to get his chores done and be ready for Evening Meeting at our church. So as I cajoled Grace to keep going and made random comments about how the exhausting headwind that had swept up "really wasn't so bad" and "we'll soon be heading downhill, so that will be fun", I looked up to see Jamie speeding away towards home.
It was at this point that Grace's exhaustion began to cloud her logic, she stopped pedalling, coasted to a stop and burst into tears. It was here, on the side of the road with home just out of sight around the bend ahead of us, that I silently ridiculed Jamie for abandoning us and myself for allowing Grace an adventure she couldn't possibly complete. When suddenly, in one last burst of adrenaline, she bailed ship yet again, leaving her bike askew and partially on the road as she leaped for the ditch to avoid whatever vehicle she could hear approaching, and from around the bend Jamie drove up with the car. No longer concerned with being a failure Grace quietly heaved herself into the backseat, leaving Jamie to load her bike into the trunk and I to pedal myself and Bethany the last leg of our journey home.
I was very proud of Grace's determination and her efforts to accomplish her goal, which she had been harbouring for some time now. So when I arrived home, over 2 hours after we left (the ride usually takes about 40 minutes) resigned to the fact we'd missed meeting, I was prepared to make her some hot chocolate and pamper her just a bit so her adventure would end, in her mind, on a high note. As I drove into the yard, unbuckled Bethany from the trolley, held her in one arm, stooped and unhooked the trolley with the other hand, then while still gripping the tiny writhing person in one arm, hefted my bike, and then the trolley into the building, slammed the door, locked it and all but crawled to the house, Grace ran up the hall, skidded to a halt in front of me and in an excited squeal announced that she and Jamie were going to look for smelts at the brook.
Today was another beautiful day on Misty Marsh Farms, so after an epic spring cleaning of all things fuzzy and life like in my fridge and cupboards, and hanging out a long line of laundry, we called Jamie's mom to ask if she would be able to watch Beth while Grace and I went to play with Hiccup. Grace had an unfortunate accident earlier this year where one of our Quarter Horses barged out of a gate where Grace was standing and ran her over, Grace received some pretty serious road rash to her face, but thankfully was otherwise fine. However, after this, she has been quite timid, even with Hiccup, so most of our visits are spent building her confidence back up, today she spent considerable time grooming Hiccup and then we played Simon Says with him in our Run-In shed. Simon Says with Hiccup involves both her and I taking turns being Simon while the other leads Hiccup and follows all the commands that Simon sends out to be done to, and with, gung-hoe pony pal, and is one of Grace's favourite games. Today the game lead us through some intimidation issues Grace has been dealing with and at the end of the day she was very pleased with her accomplishments and making plans for our next time out.
Jamie has been working off the farm the last few weeks preparing seed potatoes for planting. On the farm our calves are arriving healthy and strong thus far and we are making plans to wean our larger ones to make room for the new ones and to give the mamma's a reprieve before having their next calf. The fencing will soon get underway as well and it is looking as though it will be a relatively easy job since we had very little snow this year to bring the fences down.
Grace and I spent an afternoon planting many of our vegetables in the greenhouse in preparation for our garden so they will have a jump start. We try to freeze and preserve as much produce as we can to sustain us through the winter months, this both gives us the option of cleanly grown vegetables and also reduces the load on our grocery bill. My maternity has finally come to an end and while I knew it was coming, the notice did nothing to soften the blow. I have been busy researching some different methods of earning money from home, which will allow me to maintain the house and care of our girls, and I now have a couple of business ventures in mind. So with this, the prospect of building our new house, and all the typical activities that summer brings to the farm, we have much to look forward to in the coming months.
RECIPE:
Fruit Smoothies
This is my new favourite drink, and for anyone who wishes to enjoy the health benefits of the Avocado, but isn't a big fan of the taste, offers the perfect solution. The addition of this highly healthy fruit adds an extremely creamy texture but it's muted flavour is hidden by the other ingredients.
1 Banana
1 Apple
2 cups Frozen Strawberries ( you can use fresh as well, but the addition of frozen berries eliminates the need for ice)
1 Avocado
1 cup Greek Yogurt ( my new favourite food which combined with the Avocado adds a rich, creamy texture, but ordinary plain yogurt works fine also:-)
Put into blender, puree and enjoy!
It had been a wonderful idea in theory, the four of us, little Bethany snuggled into her trolley behind my bike, heading out on a nice liesurely bike ride on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Jamie, a bit hesitant at first to join us as the day was slipping by and he had yet to finish up the barn chores, was quickly enticed by my "oh, come on, it will only be a twenty minute ride". So as we headed down the road and Grace announced that today would be the day she would bike all the way to the end of our road, our hearts skipped a beat. This is an easily achievable goal for anyone not still employing training wheels to stabalize themselves, I myself bike it almost daily, however pedalling all 8 kilometres at less then 5 years of age, on training wheels, in our eyes was a bit ambitious. Assuming she would change her mind, we set out attempting to discourage her along the way before she became to tired, and we had to somehow find a way to transport her, and her bike, back home.
Grace pedalled exuberantly along, abandoning her bike and running to the side of the road, if she heard anything that sounded like an engine. While Max bounded in and out of neighbours yards, harassing them and their own dogs, and causing Jamie and I to spend the entire ride yelling seemingly unheeded warnings into the breeze, thus leaving the neighbours to ponder our sanity. As we passed the warning Stop sign at the end of our road and the 4km mark, Jamie and I froze like deer in the headlights when Grace woefully announced that her "knee cap was too sore" and she could go no further. We immediately enlisted what seemed like the 50th rest thus far and convinced her to turn and head for home about 20 yards shy of the final Stop sign, after she contemplated the possibility that turning prematurely would put her on the failures list, she reluctantly began the ride home. After several rest stops and a few short visits with the neighbours it became apparent to Jamie that he was not going to be home in time to get his chores done and be ready for Evening Meeting at our church. So as I cajoled Grace to keep going and made random comments about how the exhausting headwind that had swept up "really wasn't so bad" and "we'll soon be heading downhill, so that will be fun", I looked up to see Jamie speeding away towards home.
It was at this point that Grace's exhaustion began to cloud her logic, she stopped pedalling, coasted to a stop and burst into tears. It was here, on the side of the road with home just out of sight around the bend ahead of us, that I silently ridiculed Jamie for abandoning us and myself for allowing Grace an adventure she couldn't possibly complete. When suddenly, in one last burst of adrenaline, she bailed ship yet again, leaving her bike askew and partially on the road as she leaped for the ditch to avoid whatever vehicle she could hear approaching, and from around the bend Jamie drove up with the car. No longer concerned with being a failure Grace quietly heaved herself into the backseat, leaving Jamie to load her bike into the trunk and I to pedal myself and Bethany the last leg of our journey home.
I was very proud of Grace's determination and her efforts to accomplish her goal, which she had been harbouring for some time now. So when I arrived home, over 2 hours after we left (the ride usually takes about 40 minutes) resigned to the fact we'd missed meeting, I was prepared to make her some hot chocolate and pamper her just a bit so her adventure would end, in her mind, on a high note. As I drove into the yard, unbuckled Bethany from the trolley, held her in one arm, stooped and unhooked the trolley with the other hand, then while still gripping the tiny writhing person in one arm, hefted my bike, and then the trolley into the building, slammed the door, locked it and all but crawled to the house, Grace ran up the hall, skidded to a halt in front of me and in an excited squeal announced that she and Jamie were going to look for smelts at the brook.
Today was another beautiful day on Misty Marsh Farms, so after an epic spring cleaning of all things fuzzy and life like in my fridge and cupboards, and hanging out a long line of laundry, we called Jamie's mom to ask if she would be able to watch Beth while Grace and I went to play with Hiccup. Grace had an unfortunate accident earlier this year where one of our Quarter Horses barged out of a gate where Grace was standing and ran her over, Grace received some pretty serious road rash to her face, but thankfully was otherwise fine. However, after this, she has been quite timid, even with Hiccup, so most of our visits are spent building her confidence back up, today she spent considerable time grooming Hiccup and then we played Simon Says with him in our Run-In shed. Simon Says with Hiccup involves both her and I taking turns being Simon while the other leads Hiccup and follows all the commands that Simon sends out to be done to, and with, gung-hoe pony pal, and is one of Grace's favourite games. Today the game lead us through some intimidation issues Grace has been dealing with and at the end of the day she was very pleased with her accomplishments and making plans for our next time out.
 |
| LOTS OF BRUSHING FOR AN ITCHY, SHEDDING PONY |
 |
| PEP TALK |
Jamie has been working off the farm the last few weeks preparing seed potatoes for planting. On the farm our calves are arriving healthy and strong thus far and we are making plans to wean our larger ones to make room for the new ones and to give the mamma's a reprieve before having their next calf. The fencing will soon get underway as well and it is looking as though it will be a relatively easy job since we had very little snow this year to bring the fences down.
 |
| JUST SUN'N |
 |
| ENJOYING A +20 DEGREE DAY |
Grace and I spent an afternoon planting many of our vegetables in the greenhouse in preparation for our garden so they will have a jump start. We try to freeze and preserve as much produce as we can to sustain us through the winter months, this both gives us the option of cleanly grown vegetables and also reduces the load on our grocery bill. My maternity has finally come to an end and while I knew it was coming, the notice did nothing to soften the blow. I have been busy researching some different methods of earning money from home, which will allow me to maintain the house and care of our girls, and I now have a couple of business ventures in mind. So with this, the prospect of building our new house, and all the typical activities that summer brings to the farm, we have much to look forward to in the coming months.
 |
| I GOT SOME BOOTS LETS GO RIDING! |
RECIPE:
Fruit Smoothies
This is my new favourite drink, and for anyone who wishes to enjoy the health benefits of the Avocado, but isn't a big fan of the taste, offers the perfect solution. The addition of this highly healthy fruit adds an extremely creamy texture but it's muted flavour is hidden by the other ingredients.
1 Banana
1 Apple
2 cups Frozen Strawberries ( you can use fresh as well, but the addition of frozen berries eliminates the need for ice)
1 Avocado
1 cup Greek Yogurt ( my new favourite food which combined with the Avocado adds a rich, creamy texture, but ordinary plain yogurt works fine also:-)
Put into blender, puree and enjoy!
Monday 9 April 2012
The last date Jamie and I had alone together (and the first one since Grace was born 4yrs ago) would have been last August when he swept me off my feet with a MacDonalds meal on the fly and an intensely exciting night sitting under the stars with our good friend Ronnie sitting between us so he and Jamie could chat, watching diesel smoke erupt into the sky as more horsepower then any person can ever possibly put to practical use screamed down the track in front of us pulling it's cumbersome load in hopes of towing it the farthest. Tractor Pulls, while some may question the romance, and indeed would be entitled to, as we sat on the rock hard bleachers until the wee hours of the morning wondering if our hearing would ever return, and shivering because no one anticipated how cold the summer night would get, we enjoyed every minute.
Conventionally unconventional may well be our truism, so when Jamie announced on Saturday morning that he and I were travelling off Island to the Annual Breeding Stock Sale (or Bull Sale as we call it) to look for a bull to use on our heifers, I almost melted. It just so happened that our ducks were lined up perfectly so as to allow Jamie and I to spend the day together while Bethany stayed with Nanny Walk (Jamie's Mom), and Grace would spend her first night away from home with Nanny B. (my Mom). While I was a bit hesitant about the overnight stay, it quickly became apparent that she would be just fine when she climbed into Nanny B's van with only a casual "see ya on Easter" before she slammed the door. After an honest effort on my part to allow her the opportunity to separate herself with the grown-up dignity she was displaying so well, I flung the door back open, hugged and kissed her and took solace from her encouraging "you'll be fine Mom".
The Bull Sale, held at a testing facility where cattle breeding prospects are scientifically tested using DNA testing, ultra sounding, measuring and weighing, from November to April with the purpose of ascertaining all manner of information from carcass and meat quality, weight gain, docility, calving ease, prolific abilities and the list goes on.
A beehive of activity, The Bull Sale is a place where farmers gather with the like appreciation for good breeding and the mutual purpose of enhancing their respective breeding programs. A place where the farmer steps away from the front lines at home, dons their cleanest coveralls and publicly exhibits their often unrecognized aptitude for business in general and the ever important numbers involved. A place where carcasses, marbling and fat are among the most spoke about topics and gentlemen that wouldn't utter a word to their doctor about any issue above their knees, freely and casually discuss subjects such as the intimate measurements used to determine fertility among bull prospects, or the birth canal of young heifers.
The smell of grilled hamburgers drifts through the sale barn causing subconscious curiosity as to the whereabouts of the young prospects that didnt' make it. While in fact they are sent back to their farms, the smokey atmosphere and mouthwatering aroma add to the excitement. I don't frequent auctions of any sort, and so I am always impressed by the fast tongue of the auctioneer, sweeping the crowd up and cajoling higher and higher bids from even the creakiest of wallets. The smooth, loud callings seem to entice the fingers to twitch until the Bid Takers below indicate your twitch may cost you several thousand dollars, and more then once I had to sit on my hands, while I wondered why exactly my nose would itch at that precise moment. A complementary jacket is offered to whomever purchases the highest selling bull of the day and this year it went to the buyer of a 1600lbs 15 month old black Simmental bull which sold for $6900.00.
We arrived too late in the day to view the bulls prior to auction time, so Jamie decided, based on the test results in the sale catalogue which bulls would suit our needs. This time around we were not looking for a herd sire, only something to cross on our young heifers that would provide a smaller birth weight and an easy calving experience, and of course the genetics to grow and gain well once on the ground. In the end our chosen bulls soared beyond our price range and when a Red Angus, slightly younger then the rest entered the sale ring Jamie scrambled to find his results in the catalogue and tentatively raised his hand to hear "once, twice, sold!" We now have a Red Angus bull in our barn. Thankfully he should serve our purpose quite well, on second glance his results were quite respectable and once separated from his older sale mates, we were able to appreciate him as a very promising young prospect. However we both sat momentarily bewildered after the purchase, and since his sale price was among the lowest of the day, we couldn't help but wonder if a prize would be offered for the poorest bull purchased.
Our whirlwind day ended with a great meal out and we headed home to help offload the newbie.
Calves are arriving in numbers right now on the farm and while so far we haven't lost any (including a set of twins born last week), we would much rather have had them begin in dryer weather and realise that sickness may well be underlying. Jamie plans to begin fencing this week which shouldn't be quite as daunting as usual since our snow load was minimal this year and our fences are still in good shape.
After mounds and mounds of laundry and countless diapers, Miss Bethany seems to finally be on the mend after a trip to the Doctor confirmed that she had Norwalk Virus, which is apparently going around in our area right now. Despite being miserably sick she maintained her typical happy demeanour, smiling at me while projectile vomiting and giggling uncontrollably while her diapers seemed to explode. All things said, I just pray that no one else in the house catches it and it truly is on it's way out.
Have a wonderful week everyone, I feel as though I should insert an inspiring quote or some sign off phrase here, but my mind has already turned to mush!
RECIPE
Super Easy (And Delicious) Cauliflower
1/2 head Cauliflower
4 slices Smoked Bacon
2 cloves Garlic
2 tsp Olive Oil
Chop Cauliflower and finely chop Bacon, lay on baking sheet, cut Garlic Cloves in half and place on pan, drizzle with Olive Oil and mix by hand, salt and pepper to taste, roast on 350 degrees stirring occasionally until tender and slightly browned.
Conventionally unconventional may well be our truism, so when Jamie announced on Saturday morning that he and I were travelling off Island to the Annual Breeding Stock Sale (or Bull Sale as we call it) to look for a bull to use on our heifers, I almost melted. It just so happened that our ducks were lined up perfectly so as to allow Jamie and I to spend the day together while Bethany stayed with Nanny Walk (Jamie's Mom), and Grace would spend her first night away from home with Nanny B. (my Mom). While I was a bit hesitant about the overnight stay, it quickly became apparent that she would be just fine when she climbed into Nanny B's van with only a casual "see ya on Easter" before she slammed the door. After an honest effort on my part to allow her the opportunity to separate herself with the grown-up dignity she was displaying so well, I flung the door back open, hugged and kissed her and took solace from her encouraging "you'll be fine Mom".
The Bull Sale, held at a testing facility where cattle breeding prospects are scientifically tested using DNA testing, ultra sounding, measuring and weighing, from November to April with the purpose of ascertaining all manner of information from carcass and meat quality, weight gain, docility, calving ease, prolific abilities and the list goes on.
A beehive of activity, The Bull Sale is a place where farmers gather with the like appreciation for good breeding and the mutual purpose of enhancing their respective breeding programs. A place where the farmer steps away from the front lines at home, dons their cleanest coveralls and publicly exhibits their often unrecognized aptitude for business in general and the ever important numbers involved. A place where carcasses, marbling and fat are among the most spoke about topics and gentlemen that wouldn't utter a word to their doctor about any issue above their knees, freely and casually discuss subjects such as the intimate measurements used to determine fertility among bull prospects, or the birth canal of young heifers.
The smell of grilled hamburgers drifts through the sale barn causing subconscious curiosity as to the whereabouts of the young prospects that didnt' make it. While in fact they are sent back to their farms, the smokey atmosphere and mouthwatering aroma add to the excitement. I don't frequent auctions of any sort, and so I am always impressed by the fast tongue of the auctioneer, sweeping the crowd up and cajoling higher and higher bids from even the creakiest of wallets. The smooth, loud callings seem to entice the fingers to twitch until the Bid Takers below indicate your twitch may cost you several thousand dollars, and more then once I had to sit on my hands, while I wondered why exactly my nose would itch at that precise moment. A complementary jacket is offered to whomever purchases the highest selling bull of the day and this year it went to the buyer of a 1600lbs 15 month old black Simmental bull which sold for $6900.00.
We arrived too late in the day to view the bulls prior to auction time, so Jamie decided, based on the test results in the sale catalogue which bulls would suit our needs. This time around we were not looking for a herd sire, only something to cross on our young heifers that would provide a smaller birth weight and an easy calving experience, and of course the genetics to grow and gain well once on the ground. In the end our chosen bulls soared beyond our price range and when a Red Angus, slightly younger then the rest entered the sale ring Jamie scrambled to find his results in the catalogue and tentatively raised his hand to hear "once, twice, sold!" We now have a Red Angus bull in our barn. Thankfully he should serve our purpose quite well, on second glance his results were quite respectable and once separated from his older sale mates, we were able to appreciate him as a very promising young prospect. However we both sat momentarily bewildered after the purchase, and since his sale price was among the lowest of the day, we couldn't help but wonder if a prize would be offered for the poorest bull purchased.
Our whirlwind day ended with a great meal out and we headed home to help offload the newbie.
 |
| TWINS! |
After mounds and mounds of laundry and countless diapers, Miss Bethany seems to finally be on the mend after a trip to the Doctor confirmed that she had Norwalk Virus, which is apparently going around in our area right now. Despite being miserably sick she maintained her typical happy demeanour, smiling at me while projectile vomiting and giggling uncontrollably while her diapers seemed to explode. All things said, I just pray that no one else in the house catches it and it truly is on it's way out.
 |
| MY CHARIOT FOR THE WEEK WHILE JAMIE WAS HAULING CORN |
 |
| BULLY WAITING FOR SUPPER |
 |
| A CARROT SNACK |
Have a wonderful week everyone, I feel as though I should insert an inspiring quote or some sign off phrase here, but my mind has already turned to mush!
 |
| GRACE LEADING BETHANY (IT'S THEIR NEW THING) |
 |
| GRACE CREATED A "TIME TRAVEL TRAIN" |
 |
| MAKING BREAD |
 |
| HOPEFULLY THE LAST SNOWMAN OF THE SEASON |
Super Easy (And Delicious) Cauliflower
1/2 head Cauliflower
4 slices Smoked Bacon
2 cloves Garlic
2 tsp Olive Oil
Chop Cauliflower and finely chop Bacon, lay on baking sheet, cut Garlic Cloves in half and place on pan, drizzle with Olive Oil and mix by hand, salt and pepper to taste, roast on 350 degrees stirring occasionally until tender and slightly browned.
Monday 2 April 2012
The Man In The Car, as he's been dubbed by our family in the last 24 hours, was first made known to us last night by way of his on coming headlights from out of the darkness. Headlights that, in ordinary circumstances, would have their own special place on the road, and yet as they approached, just didn't look right. We were returning home last evening after a wonderful visit with my parents, and as Jamie began slowing our car in preparation to turn onto our road it became apparent that those headlights were less in their special place, and more in ours. As Jamie swerved to avoid a collision, The Man In The Car became "The Idiot In The Car" and we all breathed a sigh of thanks that the potential catastrophe was averted. As we drove on, Jamie kept watch, in the rear view mirror, at the slowly disappearing taillights, which as they continued on further into the night switched dramatically from side by side to one on top the other, and since I was not watching the episode unfold, was slightly taken aback when my somewhat pensive (for that moment) husband releases a resounding "Oh, He's in the Rhubarb!"
My first reaction was to giggle (which is what the expression always makes me do), then as I looked behind us through the rear window, at the car that was quite apparently on it's side in a very deep ditch, "The Idiot In The Car" suddenly became "The Man In The Car" that likely needs our help. Turning our car around, with Grace prattling on in panic stricken jibber jabber, we pulled up alongside of him and Jamie stepped out, peered down into his passenger side window, hollered a few times and received no response, he was clearly breathing but non-responsive, so Jamie dialed 911.
Grace, as she so matter of factly shares with everyone, has been "having issues with the cops these days" while the statement makes her sound like a 4yr old fugitive just trying to out run the law, she's been waking often having had nightmares involving the police, and often Firemen and Ambulances too. We have spent countless time explaining to her the important roll they play in our community, receiving a very receptive and appreciative response from Grace, only to have her, moments later, asking if she is going to be arrested for some misdemeanour or another, or if Firefighters take kids from burning buildings and put them in jail. So when she over heard Jamie and I discussing that the police and ambulance would arrive soon her jibber jabber turned into a frenzied high pitched squeal which blended perfectly with the approaching sirens. As the rescue vehicles arrived Grace, who was working very hard to hold onto her faculties, attempted her best nonchalant voice and asked if people who got in accidents went to jail. When I answered no and that everyone was there to help The Man In The Car, she asked if people who seen accidents went to jail. Realising where this was going, and that in her 4yr old mind, Grace assumed she'd been an accessory to a crime, I again answered with a reassuring "No, Honey of course not, this is all only about The Man In The Car and getting him out safely". This seemed to appease her for the moment when, in a very thin voice she asked "What about Kids that see accidents, do they go to jail?" Finally, changing the subject, I managed to distract her by explaining the scene unfolding before our car. At final tally, our call to 911 enlisted the rescue efforts of 2 Fire Departments (apparently we are on the border of jurisdiction and both departments answered the call) whom dispatched a total of 6 trucks, 2 Ambulance vehicles and 1 over taxed Police Officer, who along with his partner, was the only one on call for our end of the Island that night.
I couldn't help but be amazed that anyone can remain calm and oriented under so many flashing lights and still, the scene was perfectly choreographed as some Firemen directed traffic and moved rescue vehicles around as barricades, and others worked with the Jaws of Life to remove the entire passenger side of the car, door posts and all, to make it easier to lift the still unresponsive victim onto a stretcher. Grace switched back and forth, from asking me to recap with a play by play of what she could see plainly in front of us, and giving me a play by play of what I could see plainly in front of us. Finally after about an hour The Man In The Car became The Man In The Ambulance and was whisked off to the hospital. Jamie was asked to give a statement, being the one that called in the accident and upon speaking with the Police Officer learned that The Man In The Car was under the influence of unknown substance and they(The RCMP) had spent the evening looking for him.
In the end, the experience in itself was positive for Grace as she was able to see how the people she has been so scared of are so helpful and necessary in our community. Until last night, even though we'd told her, she hadn't truly considered that they are all members of our community, she was amazed at how many of them she knew and kept exclaiming, "Wow! I didn't know So and So was a Firemen!". It was incredible to see how quickly our call was responded to considering a large portion of our Rescue Team would have to travel from their homes to the Department and then to the accident scene. While the circumstances were less then desirable, and we have kept The Man In The Car in our prayers throughout the day, it was a privilege to see how well our Rescue Volunteer's operate and they are to be commended.
Our week, like most others, flew by with the typical day to day activities, it often seems as though we go to bed on Monday and wake up the following one wondering what in the world we did all week. Jamie went with his brother to a Heavy Equipment Show on Friday, so the girls and I struck out for Charlottetown to do some spring cloths shopping. We lucked out on our finds and Grace chose the MacDonalds Playhouse for what she calls our ladies lunch, where she played more then she ate and offered her Playground Monitoring services to anyone she didn't think was playing by the rules.
I've been weighing in weekly as part of a weight loss challenge with some friends and was down 3lbs last week, making it a total of 8lbs since I really started working on it about 6 weeks ago. I've started back to running and while it's still pretty slow, wheezy, spitty, I'm getting there and can't wait to build myself up to where I can enjoy it again.
The calves are starting to arrive and we had a set of healthy, strong twins born the a couple of days ago. It took a while for the Mamma to accept both as her own but is doing well with them now. Jamie is trucking for a couple of days with a farm that was unable to harvest their corn in the fall and are able to get it now, so Grace and I are on farm duties putting in hay and checking on potential calvers. She is out with Jamie more then I am and uses this to her advantage, ceasing the opportunity to tell me exactly "How Daddy does things".
Miss Bethany continues to fight whatever cold/flu she has been off and on for about 6 weeks. She is fine for a few days, then her sinuses fill up again, her tummy gets upset and so on, so tomorrow I will take her back to the doctor to find out what is up as she seems to be backsliding a bit again today. She is her ever happy self, full of giggles and smiles even when she is throwing up or fevered, it never ceases to amaze me how she remains so happy. She is walking and now running all over the place and developing her little character all the more these days, showing her inherent desire to tease those around her and make them laugh. Or scream in Grace's case.
That about sums up our excitement for the past week, I hope everyone enjoys a wonderful week ahead and as Grace loves to quote "Catch ya on the flip side!"
RECIPE:
JELLO SURPRISE
2 Pkgs Jello of your choice (2 different flavours, we like lime and cherry)
1tub Cool Whip
3 cups 7-Up
1 cup Sour Cream
Graham Crust
Prepare Graham Crust for a deep 9 x13 casserole dish and set aside. Dissolve 1 pkg Jello with 1/2 cup boiling water then add 1 1/2 cups 7-Up and 1/4 tub Cool Whip, let set until firm. Dissolve next pkg Jello with 1/2 cup Boiling water then add 1 1/2 cups 7-Up, 1/4 tub Cool Whip and 1 cup Sour Cream, allow to set until firm and top with remaining Cool Whip. This is pretty straight forward, my only suggestion is to allow your first layer to set completely in the fridge before adding the next one as it will float and mix with the other layer causing it not to set properly. The Cool Whip will separate somewhat from the Jello causing a creamy layer and a more Jelloey layer to each flavour with a zap of fizz.
My first reaction was to giggle (which is what the expression always makes me do), then as I looked behind us through the rear window, at the car that was quite apparently on it's side in a very deep ditch, "The Idiot In The Car" suddenly became "The Man In The Car" that likely needs our help. Turning our car around, with Grace prattling on in panic stricken jibber jabber, we pulled up alongside of him and Jamie stepped out, peered down into his passenger side window, hollered a few times and received no response, he was clearly breathing but non-responsive, so Jamie dialed 911.
Grace, as she so matter of factly shares with everyone, has been "having issues with the cops these days" while the statement makes her sound like a 4yr old fugitive just trying to out run the law, she's been waking often having had nightmares involving the police, and often Firemen and Ambulances too. We have spent countless time explaining to her the important roll they play in our community, receiving a very receptive and appreciative response from Grace, only to have her, moments later, asking if she is going to be arrested for some misdemeanour or another, or if Firefighters take kids from burning buildings and put them in jail. So when she over heard Jamie and I discussing that the police and ambulance would arrive soon her jibber jabber turned into a frenzied high pitched squeal which blended perfectly with the approaching sirens. As the rescue vehicles arrived Grace, who was working very hard to hold onto her faculties, attempted her best nonchalant voice and asked if people who got in accidents went to jail. When I answered no and that everyone was there to help The Man In The Car, she asked if people who seen accidents went to jail. Realising where this was going, and that in her 4yr old mind, Grace assumed she'd been an accessory to a crime, I again answered with a reassuring "No, Honey of course not, this is all only about The Man In The Car and getting him out safely". This seemed to appease her for the moment when, in a very thin voice she asked "What about Kids that see accidents, do they go to jail?" Finally, changing the subject, I managed to distract her by explaining the scene unfolding before our car. At final tally, our call to 911 enlisted the rescue efforts of 2 Fire Departments (apparently we are on the border of jurisdiction and both departments answered the call) whom dispatched a total of 6 trucks, 2 Ambulance vehicles and 1 over taxed Police Officer, who along with his partner, was the only one on call for our end of the Island that night.
I couldn't help but be amazed that anyone can remain calm and oriented under so many flashing lights and still, the scene was perfectly choreographed as some Firemen directed traffic and moved rescue vehicles around as barricades, and others worked with the Jaws of Life to remove the entire passenger side of the car, door posts and all, to make it easier to lift the still unresponsive victim onto a stretcher. Grace switched back and forth, from asking me to recap with a play by play of what she could see plainly in front of us, and giving me a play by play of what I could see plainly in front of us. Finally after about an hour The Man In The Car became The Man In The Ambulance and was whisked off to the hospital. Jamie was asked to give a statement, being the one that called in the accident and upon speaking with the Police Officer learned that The Man In The Car was under the influence of unknown substance and they(The RCMP) had spent the evening looking for him.
In the end, the experience in itself was positive for Grace as she was able to see how the people she has been so scared of are so helpful and necessary in our community. Until last night, even though we'd told her, she hadn't truly considered that they are all members of our community, she was amazed at how many of them she knew and kept exclaiming, "Wow! I didn't know So and So was a Firemen!". It was incredible to see how quickly our call was responded to considering a large portion of our Rescue Team would have to travel from their homes to the Department and then to the accident scene. While the circumstances were less then desirable, and we have kept The Man In The Car in our prayers throughout the day, it was a privilege to see how well our Rescue Volunteer's operate and they are to be commended.
Our week, like most others, flew by with the typical day to day activities, it often seems as though we go to bed on Monday and wake up the following one wondering what in the world we did all week. Jamie went with his brother to a Heavy Equipment Show on Friday, so the girls and I struck out for Charlottetown to do some spring cloths shopping. We lucked out on our finds and Grace chose the MacDonalds Playhouse for what she calls our ladies lunch, where she played more then she ate and offered her Playground Monitoring services to anyone she didn't think was playing by the rules.
I've been weighing in weekly as part of a weight loss challenge with some friends and was down 3lbs last week, making it a total of 8lbs since I really started working on it about 6 weeks ago. I've started back to running and while it's still pretty slow, wheezy, spitty, I'm getting there and can't wait to build myself up to where I can enjoy it again.
The calves are starting to arrive and we had a set of healthy, strong twins born the a couple of days ago. It took a while for the Mamma to accept both as her own but is doing well with them now. Jamie is trucking for a couple of days with a farm that was unable to harvest their corn in the fall and are able to get it now, so Grace and I are on farm duties putting in hay and checking on potential calvers. She is out with Jamie more then I am and uses this to her advantage, ceasing the opportunity to tell me exactly "How Daddy does things".
Miss Bethany continues to fight whatever cold/flu she has been off and on for about 6 weeks. She is fine for a few days, then her sinuses fill up again, her tummy gets upset and so on, so tomorrow I will take her back to the doctor to find out what is up as she seems to be backsliding a bit again today. She is her ever happy self, full of giggles and smiles even when she is throwing up or fevered, it never ceases to amaze me how she remains so happy. She is walking and now running all over the place and developing her little character all the more these days, showing her inherent desire to tease those around her and make them laugh. Or scream in Grace's case.
That about sums up our excitement for the past week, I hope everyone enjoys a wonderful week ahead and as Grace loves to quote "Catch ya on the flip side!"
RECIPE:
JELLO SURPRISE
2 Pkgs Jello of your choice (2 different flavours, we like lime and cherry)
1tub Cool Whip
3 cups 7-Up
1 cup Sour Cream
Graham Crust
Prepare Graham Crust for a deep 9 x13 casserole dish and set aside. Dissolve 1 pkg Jello with 1/2 cup boiling water then add 1 1/2 cups 7-Up and 1/4 tub Cool Whip, let set until firm. Dissolve next pkg Jello with 1/2 cup Boiling water then add 1 1/2 cups 7-Up, 1/4 tub Cool Whip and 1 cup Sour Cream, allow to set until firm and top with remaining Cool Whip. This is pretty straight forward, my only suggestion is to allow your first layer to set completely in the fridge before adding the next one as it will float and mix with the other layer causing it not to set properly. The Cool Whip will separate somewhat from the Jello causing a creamy layer and a more Jelloey layer to each flavour with a zap of fizz.
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