Frost

Boy, it was chilly this morning.. i slept in, and at 8 am, it was 1 degree… so imagine how cold it was earlier… just couldn’t stay awake this morning..i don’t sleep-in very often, so it was nice for a change..

Larry and i went to a “Garlic Festival” yesterday… they had an old tractor parade, and several of the hit mad miss motors that he likes, I had bought my garlic a couple of weeks ago, so i really didn’t need any… they also had some garlic mustard that i would like to have bought but they sold out the first hour…i did taste it and it was nice… will ask her if she will make some more this winter… they were also selling garlic powder, but i thought it was a bit expensive… about $12 for about 4 oz… i like fresh garlic… 

Then we went out for supper… and cards, and we got our butts kicked, and of course the guys won’t let us forget it… only the four of us this weekend, Clara is in PEI, and her hubby Steve is in Fort St John hunting with his boys…we are having thanksgiving here, deep frying one of our turkeys..

Cleaned out a bit of the garden this morning… the beans, zucchini, lettuce, and a few weeds…gave them all to the chickens… the new hens sure have tamed down, when they were in their original pen, they were really flighty, i would walk into the pen and they would hide in the back corner, but when i put them into the new chicken house with the 5 old hens, they calmed right down, one even came up to me for a treat… no eggs yet, it will be a couple months yet as they are only 3 months old.. we will get the meat birds and turkeys earlier next year..and be all done by end of June..

I get the whole day by myself tomorrow..Larry and Joe are off to Alexis Creek, a friend of our lives up there, and she has a part of one of Larry’s motors as a flower pot, and she said he could have it… it is the only  part left that he needs… a nice quiet day and then Agility with Levi at 5, and i just might stop and get myself some Chinese take away… they have the very best Ginger beef..  not quite sure what i will do tomorrow, clean up a bit, and then sit and spin for a while, then knit and then read… I am reading ‘The kite flyer’, very interesting, and then i plan on reading his next book, about the women in Afghanistan..what a strange country…

Retreat time is getting closer… i can hardly wait… talk to ya soon……this is willy… getting very old, he is at least 18 years old..

One less chore

One less chore to do now… we butchered the turkeys this morning… they were so easy to raise, and really didn’t eat much, they were too big though, and only 3 months old.. should have done them 2 weeks ago, but it has been years since we have had turkeys, i forgot how fast they grew… hens weighted 18 lbs, and the toms  weighted 26 and 24 lbs.. sure glad Larry doesn’t mind helping me, I can remember years ago,(BK)(before kids)..i would do them myself, one year we had 35 turkeys..and i did them all by myself..nothing nicer than homegrown turkeys, we fed them extra cracked corn… should taste good… we are going to deep fry one for Thanksgiving…

Went to a baby shower yesterday, I can’t remember the last shower i went too, it was so long ago… one of our agility friends had Invetro, and both eggs took, so they had twins, Suzie is so tiny, she had a tough pregnancy, but the girls, Caleigh, and Madilyn are just too cute… even got to hold one most of the party..Suzie and Josh made out like a bandit..tons of stuff.. and lots of stuff for 2  years olds… really cute, one forgets how tiny 6 week olds really are…

Things are getting closer for the Desert Mesa Retreat…i can hardly wait… I haven’t been away since Sept long weekend..then i think i am done going away for awhile… Levi isn't’ ready for agility trials yet… probably in the spring… i might take him to one in Kamloops just to get him used to the hustle and bustle… 

Guild is getting ready for our show in the local Art Gallery… should be interesting.. we are able to sell things, think i might sell my “Shetland shawl” knitted in the feather and fan pattern, i don’t wear it much… I also finished both shawls that i was working on… the purple one for my 60 year Vet, and the alpaca one for my friend who lives in the bush without power… and have started the one for my agility instructor who will also be 60 in Dec, so i have plenty of time, I am doing that one out of super wash blue faced Leicester, dyed a lovely raspberry colour… it is knitting up very nice…  better go  take care  hugs

Indian Summer

What a  beautiful day, today and yesterday…over 30 degrees every day… and cools off at night…

Nothing to interesting around here… slowly harvesting the garden… did some beets, didn’t get many jars, but i had bought 10 pounds when i was at the coast…have one more small batch to harvest.. lots of baby carrots… i don’t normally like carrots, do not like them cooked… but don’t mind them raw…or in carrot cake, or carrot marmalade..but i do love baby carrots, raw or cooked… we are leaving the spuds till they set their skins..hopefully they won’t be as mushy.. 

Took Levi to agility last night… just love my class now as i am getting semi private lessons…. everyone who started with me has quit… one girl moved to another night, so when i showed up last night… just me and the instructor Maureen, and her hubby Rob… Rob has been a armchair instructor for years, he could point out our mistakes, but he didn't run a dog.. , they got back one of their standard poodle pups, and she is going to be Rob’s dog… so he was running with me last night with one of Maureen's trained dogs, as he needs the skills, and i have the skills, but not the trained dog…although Levi did really well last night… but boy is he stubborn… he wanted to do the Teeter, and i wanted him to do the tunnel..so we worked on it until he finally figured out to do it my way…at least 7 tries before he finally listened to me… he seems to enjoy it… and he is very fast… so that means i have to get faster too… so maybe i will start walking with him…walk 15 steps and run 15 steps..until we are running… eh right… will give it a try.. Dixie, the

un-agility dog, and Levi..he is feeling so much better, when we got him, his nose was very rough,and dry, not wet or shinny, the same with his feet, his feet were so rough that when he put a foot on you it caught on my clothes, even my blue jeans… his nose is almost all nice and smooth and wet, with just one little corner rough, and his feet are nice and smooth too, we changed his dog food, as i figured he had allergies to grains… his stomach gas has smartened up too..he has settled down, and doesn’t follow us everywhere now… we are both pleased with him…well better go and get supper started, Joe the oldest child is coming for supper, and we are trying bar b qued roast and veggies again… hopefully i won’t cut myself this time…take care…. sheila

September YUCK

Just where has the summer gone..it is hard to believe we are into September and the days are getting so short … it is dark by 8 pm already…

Sorry I have been so slack about writing.. Jesse and I went to an agility trial on the long weekend.. in Kamloops..actually Heffley Creek, on the road to Todd Mountain… or Sun Peaks..everyone calls it Sun Peaks, but the mountain is still called Todd..and i used to live in the area, so it will always be Todd Mtn to me… We had a great weekend, my agility partner couldn’t make it that weekend, she had a wedding to go to, so she lent me the camper van, and Jesse and I went on our own… sure missed Denise.. but we had other friends there, so we had a good time..and Jesse finally got her finally starters game.. “snooker”… very much like the pool game… a red jump and then any other obstacle… we have had a hard time getting it, as Jesse is a little slow… but we made it this time..which is all i really wanted… Jesse is retired now… she is living with Daughter in laws mother, and i am not taking her to classes when someone else has her… i know it will be hard on her, and me too, but the last couple of months i only got her the day of the class for a couple of hours..Joe took her back to his in laws on Monday, L and i were out for cards and supper, which was good, or i would have cried when he took her…just writing about it makes me teary…. i have Levi now, and hopefully he will enjoy agility, and be good at it..he is fast and just needs to learn the commands…

Garden is slowing down… sure have a lot of cukes… long English, so going to do some more pickles… i have lots of jars of dills, none of them are full as there is just a few in each jar as they are growing slowly…I bought some garlic from the garlic guy in town… going to plant a bed … the hot Russian red, i use so much… and it is so much cheaper than buying on the internet… they ask $3.5 a bulb, and the local guy is asking $4 a pound… not as big, but it will do… they are having a Garlic festival on the 27th… i think we will go as they have the “hit and miss motors” that L enjoys… and they have some garlic mustard… and garlic powder which i don’t use much as i prefer the fresh stuff…Next day, Saturday the 12th … had to go to town to get some peppers for the pickles and turkey grower.. this will probably be the last sack of grain for them… they are getting big… and i don’t want them too big…hens should be okay, but toms will be too big soon… both Larry and I really enjoy them…wish we could hatch our own… think i might try and find some Bourbon Reds turkey… they will lay and hatch their own offspring.. and they are neat birds… we had a tom a long while ago.. and he would escort out anyone who drove into the yard… he would run in front of the car out to the front road… and walk back… and he was always under our feet, but that was before Jackson… who would eat him now…but maybe i can talk L into making a good pen for them…

We are off for supper tonight, it was my turn to cook, but Steve had to work today, so they won’t be here till about 6:30, so we are going up to their place, it will be much easier on them…just the 4 of us this weekend…others are busy…

Mom had a scare the other day… she passed a school bus with its lights on… said she couldn’t stop as she was going too fast… she is 83 now… and this is what i worry about… why was she going that fast, and she said it was at a 4 way stop… so why couldn’t she stop… oh well… guess my brother will have to deal with this..my sister in law is really good to her..I don’t usually see her drive as she likes me to drive when i am down there…

What a beautiful day today… had to put the swamp cooler on… getting too warm in the house..Larry is  having a nap as we are usually up late playing cards…  better go and pick Clara some carrots, she loves the baby carrots, and i don’t know how we will keep them this winter… got a bunch of beets to do too…well i  had better sign off… have a great day….

this is Levi on his dog house…need at least one picture .. sheila