Work Day ...

June 6, 2017

Well ... enough of partying ... it was time to get some work done ...

Our neighbour had done some logging on his wood lot ...

He had set some logs aside for us for our firewood ...

Thank goodness for our trusty tractor ...

we were able to lift up the logs ... and set them into the bed of the truck ...

The loaded logs were driven to the edge of our field ...

where we unloaded and stacked them into a pile ...

to dry out for the season ...

 

June 7, 2017

We spent another day getting more wood and stacking it ...

We’re happy to have had this opportunity to add to our woodshed for next year ...

Our beautiful lilacs in full bloom ...

Always take time to smell the roses ... or lilacs ... !!!

 

 

 

Wood ... Then Pool ...

May 31, 2017

Another day of getting a few loads of wood ...

On our last trip down the hill ... we blew a tire ...

Guess there was a little too much weight on the truck ...

We were able to drive it into the field ... where all the logs were stacked ...

Mike then nursed the truck up to the shop and changed the tire ...

The ground was so soft  that there wasn’t any damage to the rim ...

After Mike was finished with all his jobs ...

He decided to go for a swim ...

It was still a little to cold for me to jump in ...

Mike pushed the solar blanket out of the for now ... we were waiting for the straps for the blanket to be delivered ...

The pool reel will be installed later ...

Mike enjoyed floating around the pool ... it was so relaxing for him ...

after busy day ...

 

 

Loading Logs ...

May 27, 2017

Another day of getting firewood ...

We decided to just cut cants and stack the logs in the field ...

to let them dry ... we would buck them up later ...

We were on a time frame to get the logs off the wood lot ... Mike cut the logs into 9 foot sections ...

Thank goodness we had the tractor to do the heavy work of loading and unloading ...

 

After we cut and stacked a couple loads of logs ...

I ventured down to the garden to start planting seeds ...

I love seeing the apples blosoms on the trees ... 

There was a few wasps loving the blossoms as well ...

It was time to get the seed potatoes planted ...

in the potatoe boxes ...

The growing season has begun ...!!!

 

 

Pool Opening and Firewood...

May 25, 2017

It was a stay at home day ... time to open up the pool ...

Mike brought all the tools needed to get the system running ...

The winter cover removed and we were ready to start filling the pool with water ...

It usually takes a few hours to fill it ...

The water level was reached ... all hoses connected ... it was time to start it up ...

With the warmer weather approaching ... it won’t be long before we’ll be swimming ...

 

May 26, 2017

Today we decided to get out onto the wood lot and start getting firewood ...

Our neighbour who had finished logging in the area ...

had set some stacked logs aside for us ...

We met Larry and Rosa getting their wood supply as well ...

With it being a beautiful Spring day ... I guess they had the same idea as us ...

The woodshed was empty ... so we stacked the green and dry logs in the back ...

where they have time to dry before we needed it for the winter ... 

It was a very productive day ... feels good to get a start on the firewood supply ... !!!

 

 

 

Done with the Firewood ...

November 10, 2016

Half of this large head of cabbage was going to be dehydrated ...

the other half is for Oma ...

It didn't take long to cut up the cabbage and spread it out on the trays ...

to be dehydrated ...

This was going to be our last afternoon ... cutting and splitting wood ...

down at Oma's wood pile ...

These logs were extremely heavy ... solid ... hard wood ...

 

Grateful for the tractor and the log pick ...

to move them to and on the tractor ...

The tractor was then driven to the truck ... where the logs were rolled off to stack ...

We drove back up to our woodshed ... and proceeded to split them there ...

This was the last of working on the firewood for this year ...

The woodshed was full enough ...

 

 

Early evening ... with the sun still on the mountains ...

Mike and I decided that it would be a good idea ...

to go for a soak in the hot tub tonight ...

to ease our aches from wrestling with the old wood pieces ...

 

 

Inside and Outside Activities ...

November 8, 2016

Another busy early morning in the kitchen ...
working with onions ...
grateful for my new dicer ...
It sure prevented a lot of tears ... just cut them up to fit in the dicer ...
and one push on the lid ... chop ... they were done ...
The chopped onions were spread onto the dehydrator trays ...
and put outside until all the trays were filled ...
preventing the onions vapours from taking over the kitchen ...

The next batch of onions ... were sliced in the food processor ...

then spread onto the dehydrator trays...

The chopped onion trays were brought in ...

and stacked onto the dryer ...

The dehydrator was placed in the basement ... as the fumes were still strong ...

Mike and I decided to get another load of firewood ...
down on Oma's property ...
this pile of logs had been there for many years ...
We wanted to salvage what we could ... and the rest would be put onto the slash pile ...
to hopefully be burned to clean it up soon ...

The onions had finished drying ... around 10:00 pm ...

They were left to cool ...

and then poured into large mason jars ... for storage ...

 

 

Garden ... Kitchen ... Firewood ...

November 1, 2016

It's hard to believe that I am still gardening in November ...

The spinach was picked ... brought in ... washed ... and vacuum sealed in to bags ...

to be used in our morning smoothies ...

 

More carrots were picked ... washed ... cut and put into jars ...

to be processed ...

 

More jars of carrots for my pantry ...

Soon it will be full ... and well stocked for the season ...

 

November 2, 2016

Normally the garlic is usually planted in October ...

The ground was still warm in the raised beds ... there shouldn't be an issue ...

with planting them this day ...

It was a warm ... sunny day ... lovely day ... !!!

 

Mike and I decided to get another load of firewood ...

We were going to finish cutting the last of the pine wood ...

I won this pile of firewood four years ...

When we started to split some of the logs ...

the ones that had been laying on the ground for all those years ...

were infested with ants ...

Mike did spray the ants ... and then we hauled the logs down to the firebox ...

and burnt them right away ...

Ants are not what we want close to our log home ...

 

Love our new splitter and the log pick ...

the pick makes it easier to lift and maneuver the large pieces ...

to get them to the splitter ...

Oh my we are so close to getting done ...

it seems like we are just replacing the ones we are burning now to heat the house ...

If we had worked on it earlier in the year ...

it would have been full ...

 

 

Loading Up The Woodshed ...

October 22, 2016

We're still working any chance we get on the firewood mission ...

Another row almost completed ...

We're enjoying being out in the sunshine ... in this warmer weather ...

 

October 23, 2016

It was another good day ...

to get another couple loads of firewood ...

Completing the one row and starting the last row ...

I'm sure it'll be filled before the snow flies ... !!!

 

 

 

In The Paper ...

October 11, 2016

What a difference from yesterday ... waking up to snow ...

it was a beautiful day here in the valley ...

Perfect day to dig up more potatoes ... and also sweet potatoes ...

 

 

October 12, 2016

Another beautiful day to get firewood ...

Our new splitter is wonderful to work with ...

If the logs are too large in diameter to lift up onto the splitter ...

we can unlock it and stand it up ...

so that the sledge will come down on the log ... in a vertical manner ...

 

 

Oma and her friends ...

made it in the local newspaper ...

from their Scooter Race event for the Alzheimer Fund Raiser ...

Oma and I were going to the theatre ...

to watch the live production of ...

"Les Ballets Jass Du Montreal"

It was a spectacular ... amazing show ... !!!

(I had acquired these tickets from the Silent Auction from the Alzheimer event)

 

 

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 ...

 

 

Working Outside ...

February 20, 2016

We had full intentions on going for another load of logs ...

but when we started to drive along the logging road ... we were in mud and huge puddles ...

half way up the tires ...

It took us travelling on the road awhile to find a place to turn around ...

and head back for home ...

It will be a few more weeks before we can head out again ...

once the frost is out and the roads dry up ...

Mike spent the rest of the afternoon ...

giving the truck and trailer a good wash ... !!!

 

February 21, 2016

Since we were unable to get more wood ...

we decided to move the pile of logs from in front of the shop ...

to the area where the rest of the logs were piled up ...

First of all ... Mike had to plough the snow off the roadway ...

in order for us to drive up ...

Thank goodness for the tractor to load the wood ... into the back of the truck ...

with the last one topping the load which was 24" (61 cm) in diameter ...

We then rolled it into a pile and its new resting place ...

for at least a year to dry ...

until it can be split and stacked ...

It felt great to be outside working ...

the sun did make and appearance for a little while ...

later in the afternoon ...