Slip sliding away ...

both literally and figuratively..

I blink and another day of holidays is gone

We walk at the farm and all of us *- even staid Brody- enjoy charging across the pond's ice surface!

* well nearly all of us ~Thea and Kizmet don't slide - they curl up by the fire and wait for meals and cuddles

Holiday Happiness

We've been on holidays last week and this week.

Lovely lovely treat to be down here together for this long.

It's been pretty peaceful generally speaking

Dad and his wife came for Christmas Eve, Big T's mom arrived Sunday for 3 nights. All easy guests relatively.

We have a number of rabbits here - Puff needed grooming desperately (he still needs to be finished) and a new Angora has joined us from a shelter with 8 little ones -too small to leave with a pet sitter for 2 weeks. The dog contingent has been supplemented with one small spaniel puppy we are fostering as well. Busy times. As usual I wonder how I manage when I have a day job too!

the season of wood

is upon us again ...
the wood pile dimenishes is restocked and dimenishes again

The big dogs love wooding - they explore the woods and race back whenever the saw stops.
Brody isn't as big a fan - he tends to sit in the vehicle while the saw buzzes. He enjoys the walking elements and riding on the atv though.

If it's below 5 degrees out Thea stays home to watch the fire!!

Unrelated note - the green onions continue to flourish in the garden despite snow and frost!!

sweet day ...

• gardened - veggie beds are in amazing shape
• all garlic is planted (93 cloves in total)
• fertilized the asparagus and mulched it
• played agility with the dogs
• went to town
• had a lovely fire
  

so far a perfect day! and a yummy dinner planned with my favourite radio show ahead so it isn't getting any worse

(if you don't count Brody waking up at 7 am like a little alarm clock)

flowers

in November - found on one of our walks last weekend - how cool is that?




'nuff said!!

85 cloves of garlic

85 cloves of garlic actually take way less time to plant in a nice friable fluffy bed then you'd think!

I picked only the biggest best large cloves this year so am excited to see next year's results all ready - this is garlic that has been grown here since before 2006. The first year it was tiny - each year the bulbs have gotten successively bigger and healthier with bigger cloves too. Next year I'm trying my first brought in garlic - I'm planting a head of Korean garlic from a local organic gardener.

The asparagus is looking pretty amazing ... I'll try to grab a picture tomorrow if the sun comes out.
Bunny hutches are tucked up for winter.

On a sad note little darling Daisy died last week. She was the oldest of the does and had a happy year with us so I can't be too sad but I will miss her bossy funny ways.
My home computer is blown up which is a drag except it might force me to get a new one sooner rather than later!

Happy Late Hallowe'en

one of our pumpkins - carved by Thea's godmother ... of Thea ~ amazing!!

House Guests .. wooding.. walking.. planting

We have two house guests short term ... 2 African Pygmy Hedgehogs have moved on to the front porch - they are fascinating creatures - make the neatest noise when they want you to leave them alone .. but they have settled in fairly happily and are eating and drinking fine.

Big T and I worked outside for the morning - got all my little useless wood pile cut - and moved in to the house for this autumnal burning. Big T moved all his fence post wood so there will be a place to park the trailer for the winter that means we can get it out easily for our March driving adventure.

Then we headed up to the highway to our meeting spot for the hedgehogs - and hooked up with a generous donor who wanted the rescue I volunteer for to have a NICE crate too .. visited Chapters too. Got an interesting looking book called The Daily Coyote. Will report more when it's read.

Got back from driving and dragged Mum and Wilkie out for a walk. Good sports both of them! Wilkie had a tick on her - BLECH! Then back to the school house where I planted 20 daffodil and tulip bulbs. Hope the squirrels leave them alone! Twice as many left to be planted - a birthday present from Dad and Jean. Lucky us - we'll have them to enjoy for a LONG time - and should get more every year!

Spaghetti with OUR own sauce. Delish! Totally delish. Makes all the work and worry so worth it.

Big T made a fabulous loaf of his bread too. How lucky can I be?

sunday morning and all is well

The fire is roaring already

No doubt about it - fall is here

We took down the tent trailer yesterday as another dry beautiful day may not happen til after snow hits.

We walked, we had Dad and Jean for lunch and a lovely visit. We walkd some more, then we wooded a bit. We should have gardened but hey you can't always fit it all in.

Carrots are still growing. Sunflowers are drying away. I can see why people who love fall love fall. I would love fall if it didn't mean winter was around the corner.

Giving Thanks

The fall colours are perfect this weekend and the weather is glorious - frost last night but hot yesterday. Amazing. Grass is greener and more lush than it's been in two months.

We went for a lovely walk at the farm, Big T, Mum, her dog Wilkie, Sampson, Sally, Thea, Brody and me.. it was lovely. I cut a bunch of my pile of wood. I like chainsawing - so constructive! I played agility in the afternoon which always puts a smile on my face.

Mum arranged for the grass to be cut while we were away. What a nice treat. So thoughtful given our busted borrowed mower.

For dinner we had chicken legs baked with roasted root veggies - garlic, onion, potato, carrot - DELISH! Added corn to the meal and it was perfect!

Tonight dinner at Mum's with my cousin Jackie.

It's been a tragic year (2 years? 3 years?) Losing so many we have loved so much. But ... still lots to be thankful for. Lucky us to even know how much we have lost.