Last Day of Fishing ...

May 21, 2017

All of us decided to go out on the lake ... to do some evening fishing on our last night in the park ...

Lindsay and Krista decided to come fish in our boat ...

as Rocco and Denise had a full crew ...

It was perfect so that everyone got a chance out on the lake ...

whether they were fishing or just cruising ...

When the sun was setting behind the mountains ...

We made our way back to the campsite ... 

and once again plunked ourselves down in our cozy lawn chairs ...

sitting around the campfire ...

It would be busy in the morning ... with everyone getting packed up to head back home ...

 

 

May 22, 2017

A few of us did go fishing one last time ... after we packed up our campers ...

It was another successful fishing day ...!!!

These 4 ended up finding there way into our freezer ... for us to enjoy another day ...!!!

 

This was the first May long weekend that we had spent camping ...

I am sure it won’t be the last ...

We’re hoping some of our other family members ...

might be able to join us ...!!!

 

We had so much fun ...!!!

 

Weekend of Fishing ...

May 18, 2017

Camper was loaded and we were off to Premier Lake ...

for the holiday weekend ...

to go camping and fishing ...

We arrived at the park and first of all we launched the boat ...

then made our way to the campsite ...

set off the boat trailer and then set up the camper and campsite ...

Once that was done ... we walked down to the lake to go out fishing ...

until the rest of the gang showed up ...

We spent the evening helping the other 3 families set up camp ...

 

May 19, 2017

We were up bright and early ... a beautiful day ...

the grilled fired up ... coffee brewing ... it was perfect ...

Mike was in charge of frying up the bacon and cooking the eggs ... 

while I set the table and made the toast ...

We enjoyed a lovely breakfast ...

John ... who was camped across from us ...

was the only one up and he decided to join us for a cup of coffee ... 

while waiting for the others to rise ...

The breakfast dishes cleaned up ... and a few other tasks completed ...

before we headed out on the lake ... to fish for a few hours ...

Returning to the campsite for a lunch-break ...

The fish were cleaned and ready for this evenings meal ...

We did go for anther cruise around the lake ... and fishing ...

It was a beautiful warm afternoon ...

After dinner ... 

all of us gathered around the campfire ...

spending a wonderful evening together ...

 

 

Garden Cleanup ...

April 20, 2017

Today we were focusing on the garden ...

It was going to be a nice day ...

the perfect time to prune the fruit trees and raspberry bushes ...

James seemed quite interested in what Grandpa was doing ...

Perhaps he'll take over this job ...

sometime in the future ...

 

It took a few hours to get the pruning job done ...

It looks much better ... being cleaned up ...

The kidlets helped with gathering the branches ...

to be burned in the burn barrel ...

hmmmm ... looks like they are sitting down on the job ...

It was getting close to lunchtime ...

The coals were perfect to have a weiner roast ...

Ella helped to bring out all the items needed ...

to doctor up our hotdogs ...

We luv these kind of days ... hanging out by the fire ...!!!

 

After all our jobs were done outside ... and dinner was done ...

We nestled down on the couch to watch the hockey game ...

Ella and James were so excited ...

when Grandpas beer glass lit up ... when our team scored a goal ...

It was a great day ...

with what was accomplished in the garden today ...!!!

Waiting For Oma ...

September 4, 2016

Mike ... Nathan and the kids were needing a break ...

It was time to jump in the pool and play ...

Ella wanted to show everyone how she could swim with her Mermaid Tail ...

After a while of swimming ...

they all jump into the hut tub to relax ...

and waiting for Oma & Joe to arrive for dinner ... 

Finally Oma and Joe made it ... Oma's request for dinner was BBQ'd steak ...

and all the fixings ...

I can tell you that no one else minded either ...

 

Another surprise for Ella ... 

Oma & Joe brought a DQ ice cream cake for her Birthday ...

Ella was also thrilled to receive some cash in her card ...

She's one lucky little girl ...

 

After spending time with Oma & Joe ... before they left for home ...

The kids wanted to have a fire in the fire pit ...

and roast some marshmallows ...

I couldn't believe that they still had any room in their tummies for more food ...!!!

  September 5, 2016

Craig had found Nathan's old battery operated toy truck with many wheels...

this crawler truck would go up and down stairs ...

and as you can see ...

it even drove over Ella ...

Nathan was enjoying having a turn playing with it ...

While Nathan and the kids were getting ready to head back home ... after a busy fun weekend ...

I was out on the back deck ...

gathering all the swimming gear ... when I approached the Mermaid Tail ...

a beautiful dragonfly was resting on it ...

Of course ... it was a perfect photo opportunity for me ... 

the kids eventually came to see the dragonfly ...

We had a great ... busy weekend ... !!!

Mike and I were so ready to sit back and relax now ...

 

 

 

Mayook Work Bee ...

May 1, 2016

Today was the day to head down to the schoolhouse ...

and spend the day working ... cleaning up the grounds ...

It was still okay to have a couple of bonfires to burn the brush ... trees and limbs ...

A few of us would pile up the twigs and branches ...

then wait for Barb to come with the tractor ...

for us to put them onto a brush rack ...

Barb would then take it either to the fire ...

or to a new pile to be burnt at a later time ...

It was fun watching Barb maneuver the tractor ...

as this was her first time working the controls ...

Some of the crew were working by the schoolhouse ...

Knocking down dead trees with the tractor while Larry was falling them ...

The fallen tree would be hooked up to the tractor ...

and dragged to the front of the schoolhouse ...

for another group to buck it up and be stacked for the bonfires ...

All of us pitching in to help ... hauling the limbs away and stacking the firewood ...

I had to chuckle with Shelagh when she used a Kleenex as earplugs ...

using the whole Kleenex instead of taking smaller piece off ...

We were almost done cleaning up ... raking ... and stacking ...

we were taking a well deserved break ... some with liquid nourishment ...

and for myself ... I needed a hot dog ... roasted over the fire pit coals ...

It was a grand day ... a lot was accomplished with this group ...

Well done ...!!!

 

Keeping Busy ...

April 16 & 17, 2016

It was a busy day ... getting the BBQ ready putting new grates ...

for a special dinner this evening ...

The kids figured they needed to help Grandpa with getting the grill top ...

to the shop to be cleaned ...

but first they wanted a free ride around the deck ...

The grandchildren also helped Grandpa ...

cut and gather up some firewood ...

and start the campfire for our lunch ...

These pictures were taken the day that Nathan and the family were heading home ...

spending some time hunting gophers ...

and just playing in the yard ...

Craig still likes to ride his first bicycle ... although I think he is a little to big for it now ...

 

 

Work ... Play ... Fun ...

March 29, 2016

Craig and James continued to haul the trees to the fire ...

Nathan unhooking the choker from the stumps ...

We were finished hauling the trees for today ...

Craig wanted to do an experiment of tossing a plastic bag into the draft of the fire ...

to see if the updraft would take the bag into the air ...

It worked and up to the sky it went for quite a distance.

The wind had picked up a bit ...

James And Ella decided to try and fly the kite ...

the wind was not consistent so it took them awhile to get it into the air ...

Nathan and Grandpa were sitting back ...

watching the fire and the kids playing ...

 

March 30, 2016

Early morning enjoying our breakfast before heading outside ...

for another day of working ...

The kids remembered that Grandpa had received a bib years ago for Xmas ...

and they thought Grandpa needed to put it on to protect his shirt ...

James had gotten some food on his shirt ... so I pulled out a bib for him as well ...

they all had a good laugh about that one ...

Ella piped in and wanted one as well ... I knew I had another one just for her ...

It was another beautiful day ...

before we started to work ...

we opted to go for a family quad and dirt bike ride ...

touring all around the properties ...

We also ended up hiking up the trail to Opa's resting place ...

what a beautiful view ...

Nathan was enjoying riding on the trails ...

that him and his brother Ian rode on during their childhood ...

He also tested out riding up the steep hill again ...

then Craig being of age that his dad was at the time ...

took the challenge to try out the hill ...

He did it ...!!!

Nathan went up to where he was on top ...

and guided him on the technique to make his way down ...

Craig was proud of himself for conquering it ...

just as we were all proud of hime as well ...

After our touring venture ...

we headed back to the bonfire to enjoy a well deserved lunch ...

James & Ella worked on creating their own little fire ...

to roast hotdogs and marshmallows

The clouds were moving in ...

it was getting dark ...

Ella took the picture of the mountains with the fire in the forefront ...

Beautiful ... !!!

 

Pulling Out The Trees ...

March 29, 2016

The kids love riding in the tractor ...

Grandpa is very careful when they are in the bucket ...

he was lifting them up into the air and lowering them back down ...

It's like being at the carnival ...

Mike has wanted to clear the trees from the back field ...

that had grown up into that area the last few years ...

Craig climbed up the trees to attach the choker ...

for Grandpa to pull them out by the roots ...

James and I ended up helping out as well ...

I would attach the choker around the stumps ...

then James hauled them away with the quad ...

taking them to the new slash pile for Nathan to limb ...

then toss onto the bonfire ...

It's great to finally get a few of these jobs done ... !!!

 

 

Bonfire Day ...

March 29, 2016

It was the perfect day to burn the slash pile ...

the kids were digging up gopher holes while waiting for Grandpa ...

to finish making a fire break ...

The boys and Grandpa lit the match to get this fire going ...

James and Ella taking a break from riding their quads ...

watching the fire burn ...

Nathan was busy cutting the limbs off the trees ...

so they could be thrown on the pile ...

The kids had a blast with Grandpa giving them a ride in the tractor ...

Mike was determined to finally get this old stump to the fire ...

Mike put a chain around it and started pulling it out of the bush ...

He then pushed it onto the road ... and Craig decided to stand on top of it before Grandpa ...

latched onto it ...

The stump was dragged out into the field ...

and push up onto the burn pile ...

It is going to take days for that huge stump to burn down into ashes ...

 

Catching Up ...

July 22 - 24, 2015

I love watching the hummingbirds gather around the feeder ...

Mother Robin was perched on the fence post ...

I was able to take a couple pictures of the two baby birds ...

their nest is in the plum tree ...

Due to the fire ban in the area ..

We decided to go and purchase a propane fire pit ...

placing it in the area by the hot tub ...

It felt good to get back into the garden ...

and gather some produce that was ready for the picking ...

Mike and I waited until nightfall ...

to sit out on this beautiful night ...

around the campfire ... !!!