a night on the town ...

we went to a show at our national public radio's studio

Bachman and his wife and an awesome back up bunch ran through the history of the guitar playing a wide mix of tunes on a real range of guitars

it was fun :)

the wolf moon hanging on the CN tower was pretty cool too ;)

10,000 steps

That's supposed to be the goal for each of us to walk each day - to be healthy and fit - I don't know who came up with that target but Big T embraced it and is taking the dogs and I along with him - it's actually kind of fun to have a goal other than tiring the dogs out ;)

We try around here to do that - some days are easier than others - no doubt at all the days at the farm are the easiest to make our quota - but some days at work are a breeze too

some of the places we walk make adding footsteps to our total a real pleasure - we are lucky to be so close to a lake- this picture was snapped on today's walk. Too bad it isn't sunny but isn't it lovely?

how many steps a day do you take??

and winter wears on ...

it isn't all that cold .. it isn't all that snowy but somehow it's damp and cold and winter-like

given the amount of time we are spending driving from hospitals to work to home and repeating the round again I'm glad the roads have been ok

it's starting to be lighter a tiny bit later in the evenings ..so maybe just maybe spring is the air (nobody says you can't pretend to be an optimist sometimes)


set up the jersey wooly does and babies in a large pen area (6 feet by 10 feet) - so far so good ...
I'd be thrilled if I could have one large or 2 small groups living together

it's not 2010 yet

Sorry to break the news but I am going to celebrate the Chinese New Year this year - things are still a little rough and scary and I'm sure 2010 won't be a repeat of 2009 - so we'll just delay a little. I think this way I get til mid Feb to get things like sick father in laws, step dads, dogs, cats and rabbits sorted out - and maybe figure out what I want to do when I grow up by then too!!

Highway of Heros ...

Canada has a specific stretch of highway that all fallen soldiers travel. Because of Afganistan more soldiers than in the past have returned home, in hearses, and been driven along this highway.

It's a pretty emotional drive even when you don't know the specific soldiers. Today 4 soldiers and 1 journalist were coming home for the last time. I was an emotional wreck until I realized I could share the patriotism of Canadians with my blog.




Yup these are all different bridges along our route today. In all different areas. With all different people. Young, old, and everything in between. Lots of emergency services folsk join the vigil when they can.

The bridges along the stretch of highway are in populated areas- unpopulated areas and every thing in between. Today the entire highway (bridges anyhow) was full of people. Forgive the lousy pictures - but phone camera + moving car = blurry pictures.

I have had a few people close to me over in Afganistan and Iraq. Luckily for me I have never had to do this drive as part of the entourage with the bodies.

This was a bridge in a totally desolate area - I have no idea where the people on it came from; but that's an ambulance you see up there too!

This started as a totally grass roots show of patriotism and respect. Organized by no one special it took the governement quite awhile to rename this piece of highway "Highway of Heros" but they did eventually. We have travelled this road ahead of the convoy a few times now - including one of the first trips before we had any clue what this was about. Even then I loved seeing the flags. It was easy to tell it was something special even then.

I have always been proud to be Canadian. I love the grassroots, Canadian nature of this movement. Thank you folks along the 401.

been a good break ...

Nearly exactly a year ago we went for a long walk at the land and I found myself reflecting about all kinds of things .. most especially my aunt Ash http://vareharrifarm.blogspot.com/2009/01/lovely-sad-walk.html ( I know there is some way to rename these links but I have no clue how)

who knows what 2010 will bring? Not me that's for sure - more sadness inevitably, more joy hopefully and much love - this I know.

if you went down to the woods today

you would have gotten quite the shock!

Yup we wooded today .. and it was mucky enough there was no way I was ripping up fields with the truck - so off on the atv we barrelled - with the big dawgs running alongside (if you ever need to tire out a 7 month old golden retriever out - just come borrow the atv on the farm)

We found a dead tree Big T has been watching for quite some time - could get right to it with the the atv and the trailer only took a small piece of it out

He sawed it (using our still running brilliantly Stihl saw) up into chunks, I humped it to the trailer and then we rode out ... FUN and FRUITFUL

FABULOUS to get something done on the first day of a new year

it's going to be mighty hard to go back to work on Monday ....