Last Weekend in the Meadows ...

October 15, 2016

 

We headed back up to Mazur Meadows last evening ...

enjoying a quiet time by the campfire ...

When I awoke in the morning ...

I saw that John's truck was pulling up behind our trailer ...

John and his son ... Adrian ... were up early ... to go hunting ...

It was a successful hunt ... and now it was time to dress out the deer ...

and get it ready to take to the butcher ...

 

After lunch the guys decided to shoot a few rounds of shells ...

trap shooting with flying clay discs ...

 

Denise I decided to go for a hike ... to check out the fishing holes ...

while the guys were playing ...

Adrian had gone out hunting again with his dad ...

bringing back a grouse and rabbit ...

 

Rocko was making his special sauce again ... to have with penne this evening ...

Lindsay was in charge of the garlic bread and caesar salad ...

We managed to enjoy our dinner ... before the rain started to fall ...

Ranger and umbrellas kept us dry ... throughout the night ... sitting by the fire ...

This was our last evening to be together out in the wilderness ...

It was getting late and I was ready to call it a night ...

but before I said goodnight ...

I ended up making some "Grillers" for the guys ... as they were needing a midnight snack with their sociables ...

psst ...

I also knew once they would ingest some food ...

it wouldn't be long before they would be ready to call it a night ...

tee hee !!!

 

 

 

October 16, 2016

 

Everyone was busy ... packing up all their belongs ...

to head out of the meadows today ...

Once we were all packed up ... other than the quads and fishing poles ...

The four of us went for one last ride ...

and try out the fishing spots ...

We could see the fish swimming in the ponds ... hoping to catch one ...

we did have a few nibbles ...

but Rocko was the only one that caught a trout ...

This one released back into the water ...

It had started to rain a bit ... so we left the fishing spots ...

and just went for a ride to the other side of the creek ... up to the mountain ...

I was happy that I put on my rain gear ....

Upon returning back to the campsite ... the quads were put onto the trailers ... now ready to go ...

We did have a quick lunch ... roasting smokies over the campfire ...

before making our journey home ...

We thoroughly enjoyed all our weekends ...

here at Mazur Meadows ...

 

 

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving Day ...

October 10, 2016

I was the first one to get up this morning ... and ... OH MY GOODNESS ... !!!

What a surprise ... to see the amount of snow outside the trailer ...

It wasn't long before John came knocking on the door ...

and I was only able to crack it open ...

John had said that if we wanted to save the awning ... we would have to try and get out ...

to remove the heavy snow off the awning ...

Mike got dressed and squeezed his way out of the door ...

Everyone was up and about ... clearing snow ...

it was nice to get help ... as I was busy cooking up some breakfast ...

and put the coffee on ... for anyone that needed some ...

I was so excited ... I LOVE snow ... !!!

The others were scrooges ... buh ... humbug ... !!!

I loved seeing the snow on all the liquor bottles and glasses from the night before ...

little did they know that they would be snow covered ...

guess they should have put things away ...

The guys had already gotten the campfire going to warm up ...

after working with the snow ...

I couldn't wait to get outside and play in the snow ...

the snow conditions were perfect for building a snowman ...

Little Hunter was just as thrilled as I was ...

Isn't nature wonderful ...

Just love seeing the beauty of fresh fallen snow on the trees ...

The day was already warming up ...

chances are it will disappear quickly ...

Happy Thanksgiving's Day ... !!!!

 

 

Thanksgiving Dinner ...

October 9, 2016

We were going to have our Thanksgiving Day dinner today ...

as tomorrow will be a travel day for many of the families ...

So ... I was going to attempt to make a pumpkin pie in the travel trailer ...

This will be the first time baking in the oven ...

The pastry was easy ... as I normally make it by hand ...

 

The filling was usually made in the food processor ...

to get a very smooth consistency ...

The little hand held beater ... worked really well ...

It took a little more elbow grease to mix it up ... ha ha ... just kidding ...

The filling mix ready to be poured into the pie shell ...

the put in the oven to be baked ...

 

Next the red cabbage was sliced and put into the pot ...

along with an apple to sweeten it ...

brought to a boil and then simmered until it was tender ...

This side dish of "Blau Kraut" will be served this afternoon ...

Rocko was preparing the whole pig for the open fire spit ...

and Denise had prepared the stuffed turkey ...

that was going to be cooked in the barbecue ....

The guys kept a close eye on the spit ...

turning it once in a while ... making sure all sides were getting cooked ...

Rocko continued to baste it for 6 hours ...

Once it was cooked ... it was taken off the spit ...

placed on the covered table ...

and was carved and cut-up into serving pieces needed for this night's meal ...

The turkey was also taken off the barbecue ...

Denise and Lindsay carved up the turkey ...

The rest of us finished up all the fixings ... and had it everything ready ...

once the meat was ready to be served ....

What a feast we had ... it was absolutely delicious ...

Grateful we were able to have this meal and share it with so many of our friends ...

Dessert was served later ...

and the pumpkin pie with whipping cream ... was a hit ...

and was enjoyed by all ...

 

As you can see ... the Blue Jays game was on in the background ...

We had a great time ... all seated around the campfire ...

After dinner ... we continued to socialize around the campfire ...

into the wee hours of the morning ...

It was an amazing day ... !!!

 

 

Up The Mountain Again ...

October 7, 2016

We had finished up with our jobs that needed to be done ... before we left for Mazur Meadows ...

for the Thanksgiving Day weekend ...

Finally at the turnoff and Mike wanted to check the quads ...

He was hauling them up the mountain with the Jeep ...

and I drove up in the truck ...

It was around 6:00pm by the time we made it to camp ...

Once everything was unloaded ...

we started with making dinner ... firing up the camp stove ... we cooked up some Kokanee ...

to be served with pan fries and salad ...

When we finished dinner ... we headed over to the campfire ...

the guys had just started cooking their dinner ...

The aroma of the grouse and rabbit being BBQ'd was fantastic ...

Even though we had eaten not that long ago ... we had to have a taste of the meat ...

September 8, 2016

Mike and I were intrigued with the tripod ...

that was used the night before to barbecue the wild meat ...

Ernie had designed and built this ...

It could be set up anyway ...

and the pulley system allowed you to lower or raise the grate ...

(Perhaps Mike will build one as well ...)

It had rained overnight ... so more tarps were put up for cover ... just in case it started again ...

The guys went to get more firewood ... to have enough for the weekend ...

They all worked together ... to get the job done ...

Mike and I had hauled the little quad as well ...

we were hoping that Nathan and the grandchildren would come ...

but unfortunately ... the weather had turned for the worse in Alberta ...

a snowstorm brought things to a halt ...

Denise's grandchildren were excited to go for rides on the quad ...

in between the downpour of rain ...

They had so much fun ... as did I ... !!!

We chatted and sang songs every time we went around the trail ....

It was pasta night at the Potorti's camp ...

Rocko ... Dustin and Lindsay were the chefs for this meal ...

MMMMMM ... meatballs ... pasta ... sauce ... and garlic bread ...

I ended up making Plum Dumplings and brought Gitter Kuchen for dessert ...

It was a well received ... since I was the only one that brought anything sweet ...

Thank goodness the guys put up more tarps ...

the rain continued to fall ... most of the evening ...

We had a great time around the campfire anyway ... !!!

Camping In the Meadow ...

October 1 & 2, 2016

Mike and I decided to head up to Mazur Meadows ... with the travel trailer to get it set up ...

and bringing supplies needed for this weekend ...

and for the long weekend coming up ...

The weather was beautiful ... clear blue skies ... perfect for a walk in the woods ...

Denise with her grandchildren and myself ...

went for this hike ... the kids had a great time ...

and they were on the look out for edible mushrooms ...

We enjoyed a lovely afternoon and evening ... huddled around the campfire ...

when it started to get cooler earlier ... in the mountains ...

We woke up to another beautiful sunny day ...

after breakfast ... we sat around the campfire ... planning our day ... to go quadding ...

We did not bring our quads this trip ...

so Dave was kind enough to loan us his side by side ...

He had already gone hunting first thing this morning ... and didn't need it for the afternoon ...

We were delighted ... Mike got a few instructions and we were ready to head out ...

with Denise and Rocko ...

It felt great to be out in the wilderness ...

high up in the mountains ...

stopping to take a break in the meadow ...

All along the way we were in search of Shaggy Mane mushrooms ...

Our adventure from the start and back to the campsite was about 7km ...

Mike and I enjoyed the experience in the side by side ATV ...

We planned on bringing our quads out to the meadow for the long weekend ...

 

 

Back To The Garden ...

September 23, 2016

Nearing the end of September ...

the garden is still flourishing ... there is lot's of produce to take care of ...

to be processed ... or stored in our cold room ...

We also had the roofing crew come out ...

to install the snow rakes on the shop ... the last of the restoration jobs ...

 

 

Nathan had brought the travel trailer back home ...

we were planning to head out to the mountains for a few weekends ...

After inspecting the travel trailer ... Mike felt the brackets ...

that are to protect the back end from hitting the ground ...

needed some reinforcement ...

We also decided to put on new tires ... that were rated for the backcountry roads ...

 

We travelled about 36 km back off the paved road ... up the mountain ...

to a special little meadow ... where a few families were already set up ...

It didn't take us long to get organized ...

We enjoyed a lovely pasta dinner by the campfire ...

Oh yes ... and since it was the baseball World Series ... it was crucial for the guys to have the satellite ...

set up for the games ...

After the Blue Jays won ... it was time to celebrate by the fire ...

A beautiful fall day ...

stopping by the creek ... to take a few pictures ...

as we made our way home ...

 

Action Packed Days ...

August 17, 2016

Maren decided to go into town to visit with her family ...

so Mike and I decided to go fishing for the day ...

It was another successful fishing day ...

and made a delicious dinner for all of us ...

The girls had a busy day in town ...

After dinner they had some quiet playtime with puzzles ...

They love the big floor puzzles ...

and brought them upstairs for all of us to work on ...

Arden ... Brynn and Carys were happy when they finished the barn puzzle ...

 

August 18, 2016

I ventured down to the garden early this morning ...

to pick strawberries ... raspberries and apples for breakfast ...

Ellie loved to visit with Juno ... she would make her way to the see him ...

any chance she had ...

Once breakfast was over ... we got our day organized ...

everyone ready to head outside ...

Mike made sure that the quads were filled with fuel ...

for our adventure with the girls ...

We decided to travel down to the lake and then make our way thru Oma's place ...

travelling on the bush roads ...

Stopping on the hillside ... then hiking up to the top of the rock ...

to Oma & Opa's favourite spot ...

The girls know Opa from pictures and our stories ...

Maren was pointing ... showing the girls where our house was ...

far across the lake ...

We hiked back down the hill ... hopped on the quads ...

and travelled to the end of the road ...

giving them a tour of the area ...

Maren had invited her cousin to come out here for a visit ...

so the little ones could enjoy the afternoon playing ...

but first it was lunch time ...

Mike fired up the fire pit ... no open fires were allowed at the time ...

the girls didn't mind at all ...

they loved grilling up their hot dogs ...

using our crooked sticks ...

Finally the cousins arrived ...

they had so much fun in the pool and the hot tub ...

It was crazy busy ... trying to keep an eye on everyone ...

Arden ... Brynn and Carys were thrilled to meet their new cousin ...

and be able to hold her ...

This was Maren's last night with us ...

she would be heading for home the next day ...

It was an early night for the girls to go to bed ... as it was going to be a long trip ...

Mike and I helped Maren pack up the Van ...

and once that was completed ...

we were able to sit back and relax ...

and enjoy our evening ...

We had a wonderful time with the Roberts' family ...

hoping that they will make their way back here next summer ...

but this time ... maybe Jake will be able to stay a little longer ...

It would be great if Nathan ... Ian and their families ...

could be here as well ...

 

On The Hunt ...

April 14 - 16, 2016

Nathan, grandchildren and his hunting buddies ... (a group of 5)...

arrived Thursday evening ... for a weekend of hunting Wild Turkeys ...

There was a pot of spaghetti sauce made with fresh pasta and salad for the gang ...

After dinner they dressed in their hunting gear ...

and headed out to locate some Wild Turkeys ...

The guys headed out early this morning on the hunt ...

intending to spend the whole day out in the area ...

They came back once it was dark ... seeing and hearing turkeys ... calling them ...

but were unable to hunt on some of the private areas ...

The guys then cooked up dinner ... Nathan was in charge of the spuds ...

and John was going to BBQ ...

marinated elk steaks ...

Later they headed out to the shop to discuss their day ...

as well as taking the time to relax in the hot tub ...

before they called it a night and headed to bed ...

to get up early in the morning ...

for another full day of hunting ...

 

April 16, 2016

The guys came back from their morning hunt ...

to have lunch ...

Mike and the grandchildren had gathered wood ...

and started the fire in the fire pit ...

to have a feast of hot dogs and hamburgers ...

grilled over an open fire ...

Once their hunger was satisfied ...

they went out hunting with the quads ...

for a couple hours in the afternoon ...

wanting an early dinner so we would not be eating at 10:00 again ...

Mike and I had started dinner ...

wanting to have most of the food cooked by the time the hunters came back ...

The guys were informed that the Halibut fish would not be cooked ...

until they were all here sitting at the table ...

Grilled potatoes ... vegetables ... corn on the cob were ready ...

now it was time to fry up the fish ...

Everyone filled up their plates ...

and once they were seated ... not a word was spoken for a few minutes ...

almost could hear a pin drop ...

well ... except for the mmmmmmm's ...

I continued to cook up the Halibut ... grinning listening to the chatter ...

for dessert I had made a ... first of the season ...

fresh Huckleberry Pie ...

the hunters had never tasted Huckleberries ...

just unheard of for me ... these guys from Alberta ...

The guys ventured out on their last evening for hunting ...

arriving back once it was dark ...

and again going out to the shop for sociables ...

to talk about their days ...

Ending the evening ... relaxing in the hot tub ...

Nathan's hunting buddies left the next day ...

packing up their belongings while I made breakfast ...

Once they were all packed up we enjoyed ...

a hardy breakfast of eggs ... hash browns ... pancakes ... and a plate of fresh fruit ...

It was an exciting ... busy ... fun filled ... weekend ... !!!!

I would do it all over again in a heartbeat ... !!!

 

 

Moving The VW ...

April 14 & 15, 2016

Mike & I worked on getting the VW body mobile ...

using the tractor to lift it onto the little trailer ...

so that we could move it in and out of the shop ...

Mike backed the VW into the shop ...

he is going to start tearing it apart to work on the body ...

and get it ready to be painted ...

Nathan and the grandchildren arrived the evening on the 14th ...

they wanted to go in the hot tub ...

then sit around the campfire and roast a few marshmallows ...

before going to bed ...

The next day we met up with Peter and Carolyn ...

they wanted to take the kids out for lunch ...

before Ella had a dentist appointment ...

to have a baby tooth extracted ...

as her permanent tooth was coming in behind it ...

She was a great helper with helping the dentist do his job...

The Tooth Fairy had to come to our house this night ...