Weekend Summary

I’m not sure where to begin, I should be working on an estimate and a schedule, however still waiting on parts for my computer and this throws me for a loop, I struggle to regain my focus and so finally when I’m totally discombobulated I decided to type some on this until I regain my equilibrium. My first meeting for today cancelled, my second appointment went off without a hitch, but then my third stop which was for my computer parts didn’t conclude successfully and so now I’m refocusing and I’m, busy re-planning the next steps and this for some reason is always hard for me when my day doesn’t unfold as hoped.The following picture was taken on my way to my first appointment. It was in a very pretty part of town.

I worked again on the Sheep Ranch Friday after work, all day Saturday and then again for a couple of hours in the afternoon yesterday. It was an interesting weekend with very little sleep on Friday night due to an asthma attack that kept me awake. I then put in several long hours on Saturday and I literally don’t remember when finally I fell asleep Saturday evening. The last thing I remember is sitting on the bed! The following picture is one of the bottle fed babies who while he doesn't get bottle fed any more still thinks he should!

One of my projects on Saturday was to construct some parts and pieces to make a creep pen for the baby lambs. They need to be able to eat some high quality feed without their mom’s getting it all. It was a fun and interesting exercise and I was very pleased with the final results. In fact helping move some of the pieces into place was my task on Sunday afternoon. I haven’t seen it work in person yet, however I am in receipt of a picture which showed happy lambs eating away.

Picture one is the work in progress, picture two is when it was all done.

Tasks at home are also piling up too, so likely tonight I will end up doing some work there. I have a fair bit to do so don’t want to wait too long to get it done. Last week I removed the old tub surround in our bathroom as it had deteriorated over time due to the poor choice of material the builder used when he built our place. Now it’s waiting to be put back together so there is no shortage of stuff for me to do.

The following are some pictures I took at a museum close to the farm. One is a painting of the original buildings on the farm. The next is a photo of when the original barn burnt down.

Well, Monday night I arrived home and cleaned a year’s debris from the gutters, water can now flow unimpeded once again. Tuesday, Canada Day, I got up at 4:30 AM and drove to a client’s job-site in Camrose, Alberta to deliver some materials they had ordered. This was a pleasant and uneventful road trip and I was back home by 11:30 AM. Then I thought I would grab a nap, this didn't happen as others in the household decided that they were done napping and we should all be up! I then went and cleaned a bunch of garbage out of the back of Kelsey’s truck (The Dragon) and went and got a new box liner for it. Following this task I tackled the back yard and got it cleaned up. Discovered two new trees growing right where I would want them too if I had chosen so was excited about that.

Now it’s a bright and sunny Wednesday morning. I have just delivered Cubber to work and I am finally sitting at my desk contemplating what to do next. There is a lot to be done and sooner rather than later I have to get to it. Hope you have an excellent day wherever you are when and if you read this.

Mid week Chores

Just a brief update as I have some things that sooner or later I have to get too. It’s sunny and bright right now with the promise of rain and cloud later on if the weather man is to be believed. Its early, however sunny and bright as the longest day of the year just came and went.

This following is a photo of a little lamb who is all tuckered from the strenuous journey of coming into this world. Here is a little history for you, one year for my birthday Mom and Dad gave me a orphan lamb. Her name was Nickie and she was a little black lamb. She lived with us on the acreage until I left for my summer job, at that point she moved to live with the flock for the rest of the summer. For this reason I have a soft spot for black lambs.

I worked only one day at the farm so far this week, Kelsey and I arrived at the yard about 5:30 PM. I was able to wrap up chores with only minor incidents and Kelsey got the majority of the yard mowed.

Part of chores is climbing into the hayloft for a bale of rich hay for the runts and quad momma's. This is a picture of the stairs to the loft.

I didn't get out last night as I had a late meeting and basically went home, ate a late supper and called it a day.

This isn't a very long post; however had some cute “baby” pictures so thought I would get them posted.

This picture is of one of the new Momma's with her triplets.

Clubbers first day of work for the summer starts today, I hope he does well this year. He managed to get his learners yesterday which is really cool.

What a wonderful day I love sunny Sundays this one started by taking the kids to work. Each of them was working today.

After delivering the kids to their respective places of work, I came home picked up some groceries got cleaned up went off to meeting. Following this I came home, got some lunch, got changed and went to work on the sheep Ranch. Pictured below is an aerial view of the Sheep Ranch currently. 

Arrived at the ranch to find that there had been a plethora of babies born this morning; this in turn required processing several older babies, emptying their pens, cleaning their pens and then bringing in the new moms. Processing consists of tagging the ears, de-nutting the boys and docking the tails for both boys and girls. The photo below was taken on my way out to the Sheep Ranch.

Once this was done we took a wee break for sausages and pancakes, strawberries and ice-cream. Right after lunch we moved a freezer and then it was off to process more lambs. This is a opportune time for giving their moms a pedicure which they don't seem to relish at all. In fact a couple today were down right bi*#€y about it.

When we got to the final pen, we were just in time to welcome a new little lamb to the farm. Fortunately we had made room so it was very straight forward to get mom and baby tucked into a nursery pen.

The following was taken as I was leaving the Sheep Ranch. This is one of the "free range" babies that is a very good escape artist.

The last item on our agenda for the day is chore time, time to fill the waters, feed the grains and finally the hay.  We wrapped this all up in time for me to drive home through the countryside in the gorgeous evening sunshine as the sun started to set over the western horizon. 

Sheep Ranch Adventure Entry #1

A big new chapter in life for me is underway. Thanks to a promise to my wife to move if she ever found something for cheaper rent than our mortgage, in short order we are moving to a small house tucked in some trees on a Sheep Ranch not too far out of town.

It’s an old ranch, has been in the family for over 100 years and in some ways its showing its age. However, I am going to start recording for interest sake the adventures we are having, I am really, really excited by what lies ahead.

I am going to do lots of before and after pictures. We should be moving sometime in the next month so will be interesting to see what unfolds. I am anxious to actually be on the ground, right now while I have already started working with the shepherd and the sheep, it is still a bit hit and miss as I am going out after work and then travelling back to town once the chores are done.

I have already arranged for the various scrap iron pieces lying around to be salvaged and hauled away. This will begin once summer lambing is over. Currently we are right in the middle of summer lambing and bursting at the seams. We really need to expand the facilities and are in catch-up mode big time right now. Already we have constructed two nursery pens, hope to do one more this weekend. Have to come up with some type of feeder along the edge of pens to improve feeding and feeding times. Have to construct and plan an orphan pen and then start on rebuilding numerous fences. It’s been very rainy the last few days, this means mud to our eyeballs and its very evident we have a ton of cleaning and grading to do. Drainage has to be addressed so that we don’t end up with such a sludge pit the next time around.

Journal Entry #15

Journal Entry #15

Feb 25th, 2013

My heart is still so heavy for my friends! I know they are hurting and I’m so powerless to help or encourage in anyway except to love and pray for them! There are many difficult days ahead and I hope that God can be the comfort to them all that He continues to be for me!

The following was a shot of the sunrise as I was driving to work this morning. It’s a little blurry however I am liking the promise of the sunrise on a brand-new day!

I had a meeting at the office this morning and now I’m on my way to Saskatoon for a meeting I have to attend tomorrow morning.

My trip was uneventful and I arrived at some dear friends in time to have supper together and they kindly had constrained me to stay with them tonight! As you can see in the photo attached this was no hardship at all. The following is a picture of the dessert they shared and the room prepared for me!

How I love these folks, what an uplifting evening and time! The heartwarming welcome and spirit in this home is second to none!

Journal Entry #14

Journal Entry #14

Feb 24th, 2013

I awoke to a text from Kelsey the two alarm fire in Calgary last night was Taylor's house! It's where the girls stayed the night before they left for Arizona!

Thank goodness for a comforting meeting this morning! Not sure how things will unfold from here! For now we just standby as the minutes tick by! Sometimes that's the hardest part! We found out just now that they think there was someone in the house! How my heart aches for our friends.

This is definitely pre-occupying the majority of my day! My mind keeps going over every scenario and I'm still no further ahead! Now I have to go on with my own responsibilities and somehow keep focus while all of me struggles with all of the unanswered questions right now!

Finally made Cub the homemade hamburgers he's been asking for! They were good and along with corn on the cob made a very scrumptious supper! Now just time for a quick bath and I'm off to gospel meeting! I'm anxious to go as I know it will help calm the turmoil roiling around inside me right now!

It was a very comforting meeting. I love when I feel God's promise so intensley! "Joy and sorrow interwoven, love in all I see!"

Journal Entry#13

Journal Entry #13

Feb 23rd, 2013

It's 7:30 AM and I could be sleeping! However bodily functions, a geriatric old cat and my foggy old brain all seem to have other ideas! Hence one of the reasons for starting this now!

I do know that to preserve my sanity and keep from getting sucked into a pit of poor me! I'm going to have to get up and get busy with something as the alternative means getting to deal with difficult things later on!

I do hear the dog rustling about now too so with him added to the mix it shouldn't be too long and this day is truly underway!

Another death fairly close to home in our city! A young mother has succumbed to cancer and leaves a young husband and two  little children! I didn't know her personally but know lots of people who did! It also has such a large impact because of her young age!

The girls adventure continues and slowly temperatures in their part of the world are returning to what you would expect desert temperatures would be!

It's 10:11 AM, just had a very nice visit with my mother-in-law on the phone! Managed to get cleaned up from breakfast while we were chatting! Now that the dishes are done and kitchen cleaned its time to focus on the next task!

It's a very good thing I made my bed already as it would certainly be tempting to crawl back in there right now! It's still quite cool in the house and the be is so warm and cozy that its very tempting today!

It's about 1:30 PM on Saturday Aft and I'm currently in a car wash! I did chill for about an hour and then walked Hobbes am now getting ready to head to the barn to walk Leo!

Walked and groomed Leo! He's ready for spring and starting to shed his winter coat! It was super nice and warm out so I really enjoyed my time with the old fellow! At the very end he lunged at me but he missed fortunately!

So I downloaded some food directions my little sister put me on too! Lets see if it works! I am also going to start getting and recording check marks! I think this will help my sleeping! I will of course journal it here!

Glor has decided that Cubber and I should go out for supper so we will likely do that!

For a little while this afternoon it was fun to chill in the living room with Gloria and Liam and of course Tigger and Hobbes!

I did end up going out for supper with Liam! Starting tomorrow I'm going to cut way back on the amount of carbs I eat! So tonight I started this by ordering vegetables as my sides! I tried to give my toast to Cub, but he didn't want it and I ate it instead!