More new experiences on the Sheep Ranch this weekend. Thursday night I arrived after work and got busy with chores, shortly  into the process I discovered that the first load of hay for next winter was inbound. (Noted on previous post) Then Friday, it was more of the same as pictured below.

 This was to be repeated again of Friday evening and also to a lesser degree on Saturday.

Saturday afternoon the custom hay cutter arrived and the first field of two was quickly cut-down.

 I don't think I've introduced you to Cricket yet, he's not really very friendly. His job is to help protect the sheep from coyotes and this he seems to do quite well when he is around the sheep. He's always around the sheep at feeding time.

Sunday dawned cloudy and overcast, I slowly got mobile and headed off to meeting as the clouds began to break up and the temperature began to climb.

We were invited to the Sheep Ranch for supper so in the time preceding this I purged my closet and dresser and got my clothing sorted for the move. It's always exciting when you find clothes you can fit that once were too small.

Had a excellent supper, changed and helped with evening chores. It was a interesting weekend.

The photos below are of the salad and my plate at supper.

After a excellent supper I changed to help with chores as a thunderstorm rolled in. The following is a picture of a new Mom in the upper right corner welcoming her new little lamb to the world.

Chores were pretty much done before the heavy rain started but during the heaviest part of the rain the dogs took shelter with us in the barn.

Via Facebook last night I learned that while it was cooking us here in Alberta it was finally Monsooning in Tucson. Due to the massive amounts of moisture our neighbors to the east experienced this past week, I am fairly certain they would be glad it was them and not us!

Anyhow before I get too carried away I want to wish, “Happy Fourth of July” to our family, friends and neighbors to the south. I am grateful we are your neighbors and I just had to share the attached picture someone else posted earlier today.

Just a short update on the Sheep Ranch, I arrived shortly after work last night to help out and found that in addition to processing babies, we were loading some straw bales for “Calgary Stampede” celebrations which have gripped this town for the next ten days and the first order of new hay was arriving to be stored away safe and dry in the hay loft. Yes I definitely got a workout last night.

The following is a poster advertising the Stampede, despite living here for the past 24 years I have yet to attend this event and who knows, I might get around to it someday. I have been to the parade once and it was not my cup of tea, hence ever since I have done my best to avoid it.

The following show how the hay arrived and how it made it into the hay loft. It actually went quite smoothly all things considered and following a small breakdown which was quickly remedied we got the hay away safe and sound.

The next picture was taken of the shepherd himself on our way to get grain last night. It was his birthday, hopefully he gets his birthday supper sometime this weekend.

The last picture is of the sky as we wrapped up chores for the night.

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!