Monday, May 24, 2010

Invasion of the Hummers

Just went out to feed the hummingbirds... they are going thru 5 cups of syrup a day.... anyway they had been out of feed for about 30 minutes, I walked out with one feeder upside down, and instantly there were 2 Rufus's trying to feed out it UPSIDE DOWN...so i turned it right side up and just stood there... instantly there were at least 10 hummers there feeding out of the feeder, I didn't even get it on the hook, so i just stood there and marveled at them... i could feel the breeze of their wings on my face, and they were flying between me and the feeder..6 inches at the most... We have more that we can count.. especially at night when they are fueling up for the night...i did count at least 20... and this is before they have their babies.. Clara was here last night trying to get pictures of them, but she couldn't get close enough... now we know... starve the little suckers and then feed them out of one feeder...
Weather sure has been cold... freezing every night... feel sorry for all the folks who buy their bedding plants too early... i did buy the tomatoes, but left them under the roof of the porch and they are okay.... poor Yankee hasn't been out for a week, cold cold wind...
Larry has never like his name, so he decided he wanted to be called "ED" his name is Edwin Larry....so he taught the bird to say... "where Ed"  "Here's Ed", and he (Yankee) is driving me nuts with it... he has also learned to say  "Yankee is an Eagle"..
Meat birds are growing fast, a couple more weeks and they will be in the freezer..also have 2 turkeys sitting on eggs, should have chicks by next week... maybe... have to go find a picture of them... nope can't find any... better go take some... they are so pretty...   Off to agility tomorrow... hope Levi goes well, Denise and I are off to a one day trial in Kelowna, at the park just as you cross over the bridge... beautiful park, right next to the lake, just hope it is warm, but will take my winter coat just encase..Still trying to decided if i am going to go the  Regional, just to help out and volunteer...better make up my mind soon... will probably go down on Friday and spend Saturday with Mom, and then go to the trial on Sunday (that's the day they need help) and then just come home from there..It is in Abbottsford... should be fun... just have to decide to see if i can afford to go............have a great day

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

ZERO, ZIP, NADA

Yup.... a truly rotten weekend... sorry I have taken so long in writing about our escapades at the Leaps and Bounds Agiltiy trial this past weekend, cuz i was worn out... kept falling sleep all day on Monday.....We left Merritt around 1 PM on Friday, had a good trip down to Cloverdale... Denise brought her GPS..I have never had anything to do with one... so she programed in the address and away we went..we took 176 St... which turns out that I know it well... I never pay any attention to the street numbers when i am down there, I just know where to go..but it is a wonder that the GPS knows where to go... anyway..we had to stop at Sears as Denise need new runners and I forgot my sweater... and was lucky to find a very warm hoodie with a zipper..which i wore most of the weekend... anyway... we got there in plenty of time, I volunteered to change jumps for the evening, so i didn't have to do any during the weekend... I don't mind volunteering as i get to watch every dog, and every handler so i learn lots of tricks..We headed off to mom's for the night... had a nice warm shower and then off to bed... but of course we never sleep well the first night... and I had forgotten Levi's bed in the truck and he won't settle down..but i wasn't going out in my nightie for it... We stopped for breakie at Timmie's, Levi sits in the drivers seat while we eat... when we got back into the truck, Denise tried to put Levi into the back, and Pip (her dog who weighs all of 7 lbs) growled and Levi won't go into the back..turns out Pip got into the cooler bag, and he ate over half of his treats, got into Denises salad, so he won't let Levi into the back... didn't want to share i guess..we laughed as we figures Levi was playing Lookout for him...Gail and Karen came to support their Spinny friend (me).. and of course Levi just wasn't with the program... too busy looking around, and checking out the ring crew.. so we never did get a clean run.. and way over time in every run...very frustrating... but i wasn't the only one with a dog not paying attention... we slept better Saturday nite, and didn't get finished until about 5:30 as Denise and Pip are running  the Masters courses and they didn't get finished too early... there were at least 75 Master dogs compared to 40 Advanced dogs and 30  starter dogs..I have to keep telling myself that is is suppose to be fun... took Levi to classes on Tuesday,(we have moved up to Maureen's home place for the summer so our classes will be during the week now.)... and of course Levi ran okay, not great but okay...did everything I asked of him, still not too fast but better than the trial..
Came home to some nice gifts from Joe's new girlfriend and her kids... a shade tent, a bouquet of flowers and a gift certificate to Garden Sushi... we told her she didn't have to do it, but Joe says she likes to do things like that...Matt gives me my BCAA membership for Mother's day and my birthday, and Joe gave me a card and a coffee mug..(a new dishwasher is coming)...and Mom gave me $$ for part of the shade tent...
Joe brought home 2 laying hens this morning, they stopped at the boat launch on Nicola Lake, and Joe found 2 young laying hens... they were friendly and he didn't have any problem catching them... so we have two new girls in the bunch..   this is Denise and Pip.. good picture of her, but not great one of Pip... also now known as TC ( trash can)

Monday, May 3, 2010

One very bored Austrailian Cattledog with his one and only ribbon from the last trail we were at... poor boy... 

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Cold cold May

Hi... sorry i have been so long getting back to ya all... L and I headed off to Ohlalla Washington on Saturday last weekend, a quick trip... we took oldest son's pick up, as we were picking up JUNK...for his old motors and drag saws... by the time we got to Merritt (20 Minute drive), i was feeling car sick..I have driven Joe's truck before and never had a problem with it, but for some reason when Larry drives it, he over drives it...and we sway back and forth... and I can not handle that... so I drove from Merritt to the toll booth... but that was as far as i could go..and then he drove, and i put the seat back and slept... made it to Mom's and headed for bed, and stayed there till morning... how i hate getting car sick, and i have been doing it all my life..you would think i would get over it by now..and it always takes me a day to get over it, so we talked youngest son into going with his Dad, and it was a good thing as they had a good time..Grandma gave them $$ for lunch as Larry wanted to go to "red Lobster"...which they did... they had laughs and travelled well together... I drove home and was fine...
Andrea and Sheila S and I went to one of the local schools on Wednesday,(one of our guild members is the Librarian there)... and showed off our spinning skills... we had a great time... and the kids were great, very friendly, polite, and very willing to learn... a couple of times we got overwhelmed as the classes changed, and there were 30 kids around 3 wheels, but we all had fun..
Levi and i were off to agility yesterday, and he is doing okay... he is not a speed demon, but i just want him to be calm and clean.. Karen and Gail, I will be down at Cloverdale again this coming weekend..for another trial, not sure if my friend will be there, as her little dog got into chocolate covered macadamia nuts, and plain macadamia nuts..and both are toxic to dogs...
I know it is time to change my picture but the tulips aren't open yet, and my batteries need charging, boy they sure don't last..
It is sure cold around here today... cold wind... there go my great plans for working on the garden and getting it ready for planting... only one of my 120 garlic bulbs came up... what a disappointment..will try again this fall..decided not to plant spuds as they go so mushy when cooked, over watered... unless i can talk L into making another bed for the spuds where they aren't close to the main garden, where they get sprinkled all the time...I am waiting on a whole box of tulips.. they are just about ready to bloom, they will probably bloom the weekend i am away...   I chopped off two of my rose bushes.. golden showers i think they were called... the shrub of yellow roses...they were getting very tall and spindly.. as i cut out the dead branches it really looked even worse... so we cut it all back... and then dug out the one by the deck that also was very ugly...Moved that one near the fence.. hopefully both will come back... my peach tree has blossoms.. hope it doesn't get too cold for it... as they are so good.. little and sweet..can't remember what they are called..it is a self pollinating tree... Well better go and start thinking about supper... beef roast, roasted potatoes, and Yorkshire puddings and gravy and asparagus..