Friday, December 31, 2010
Ringing in the New Year... in comfort
My chickens are well on their way to buying me an egg incubator so that I can raise chicks from egg right here at home. We are looking to hopefully acquire another Dexter or two to add to our herd which will mean beef sooner rather than later. I am also interested in a pig or two for meat for next Fall. The kids and I are looking forward to spring and gardening again. Although I'm still enjoying Winter and our lovely snow, I do look forward to the warmer days of spring.
So what are my plans for this New Years' Eve? Well... I am lounging comfortably in my husband's new Christmas pajamas that he left me for safekeeping while he is in China. 'Eat Pray Love' is spinning in the DVD player waiting for me and there is a big bowl of popcorn to go along with it. And while many people are out getting slobbering drunk right now, I however, am drinking iced tea out of my beer glass. I would hate to wake up to a new year with a hangover!
Wishing you health, happiness and prosperity in 2011!
See you next year!
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Quote of the Day
Anyway, the Quote of the Day is from yesterday and as my mind is exhausted I can't remember the conversation that brought on the Quote. We were in the kitchen finishing dinner and I made a joking reference to K being a redneck(which he is anything but... if anything I'm the redneck!)
F picks up her plate from the table and as she is bringing it to the counter she says, "Daddy, you're not a redneck... you're a skin-colored neck." Kids. What can I say?
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Pupdate Week 1
They are awfully cute, aren't they?
And they sure are growing fast!
I was going to try to get a picture of the pups with Dexter, our 3.5 pound Chihuahua, but Zama wasn't all that excited about the prospect. Maybe next week I will try for that!
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Christmas Puppies!
I let the dogs out and tidied up while K got the kids ready for bed. Indi and Dexter came back in when I called but Zama didn't. After the kids were tucked in, K and I put on our boots and coats, armed with a flash light and headed outside to look for her. I told him I wanted to check under the shed because if she was going off to give birth that would be where she would go.
Sure enough, upon calling her name we could hear her tail wagging against the underside of the shed.
This is the hole she had squeezed herself into to get under the shed.
K and I tried to coax her out with cheese but in the end he got the shovel and the six foot pry bar and made the hole bigger so that between the two of us we could drag her out by her hind legs. It took almost an hour. Had we left her under there, her puppies would have succumbed to the elements as it was -20 the next day.
She labored all night and into the afternoon yesterday before giving birth to her first pup around 1pm. The kids came in a got to see her have the next four pups. She did great other than being exhausted. I thought she was done after the fifth pup.
This is the eighth pup being born. My friend K requested the gory shots.
I helped with the last two pups as Zama was too tired. This one I had to break open the sac and lift its face to hers so she could lick its mouth and nose.
Here's a pup next to good old ET on VHS just so you can see how big they are.
Zama on guard with her nine pups. Risky and Dexter had come into the room and she was making sure they didn't get too close!
Risky and Dexter wondering what the heck is going on!
Mama and pups are doing well. Zama got up this morning when she heard me doling out kibbles and then she went outside which gave me enough time to change all the bedding and put the pups on fresh towels. The next task is to try and find out who the heck is the father!! We thought we had that figured out until the pups came out all black! Oops!
Sunday, December 19, 2010
A little Christmas Song
You know Indi
And Zama
And Dexter
And Risky
Puss
And Chocolate
And Vanilla
And Sir Loin
But do you recall the most famous farm animal of aaaaaaaaall?
Cornelius the Red Combed Rooster
Had a very shiny comb!
And if you ever saw it
You would even say it glows!
All of the other animals
Used to laugh and call him names
They never let poor Cornelius
Join in any Hobby Farm games
Then one foggy Christmas Eve
Santa came to say
"Cornelius with your comb so bright
Won't you guide my sleigh tonight?"
Then all the animals loved him!
And they shouted out with glee,
"Cornelius the red combed Rooster
You'll go down in history!"
Thursday, December 16, 2010
This is the thanks I get?
This morning I headed downstairs to make sure my computer hadn't died in the night and I found three little gifts from one of the dogs. I'm going to assume it was Zama but neither of them are talking...
And no, they didn't leave me Hershey's Kisses!
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
An 'EGG'-cellent day!
So what have I done to improve laying? More birds=More warmth in the coop and a 60 watt light bulb shining for 14 hours a day to replicate the long sunny days of summer. I know, I'm sneaky like that!
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Ready for the Holidays!
We're down to the last 11 days before Christmas and now that I'm completely ready(other than the fact that we have yet to find a fresh tree for upstairs and I haven't yet received my partridge in a pear tree) I don't have to worry about last minute shopping or the craziness that comes with it!
I got my parcels shipped yesterday which left me feeling a bit Scrooge-ish due to the astronomical expense of sending things! I was so pleased with all my gift baskets that it was a bit of a downer to have to fork over $80 to send two parcels. Needless to say I'm still happy that I sent everything and am looking forward to my family and friends receiving their goodies!
We decorated our downstairs tree a while back and its beautiful. I'm glad we have that tree up if nothing else!
On Thursday I will be baking again as I want to make up little baskets for F's bus driver, teacher and the neighbors around here that we actually like(he he.) Oh and we finally got our family picture done for our Christmas cards after three attempts. Its not that easy beating last years picture which in my eyes has been the best one yet! But I'm not posting the picture until I know that everyone who is supposed to get one already has!
Hope you all are enjoying the exhilaration leading up to this wonderful holiday full of family, friends and joy!
Friday, December 10, 2010
Quote of the Day
Me: What do you mean?
S: When you eat sugar does it make hair grow on your face?
Ha ha! When I was a kid I was told that eating spinach would put hair on your chest(I think it was spinach any way) so I hope that this generation doesn't think that eating sugar will put hair on your face!
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
The Woman Cave
My husband K knocked on the door earlier and upon my opening it he glanced around and said, "how's the Woman Cave?"
The Woman Cave is awesome! So if you have trouble finding me, I'm sure that's where I am!
Monday, December 6, 2010
My week in a nutshell
Last Sunday, the kids and I trekked to Edmonton because my husband K was flying in from his month away in China. Edmonton was a total gong show and I was in a rather heinous mood by the time we got home. Driving home in fog as thick as pudding and almost hitting a deer 100 feet from our range road didn't help the situation!
Monday was too long ago to remember whether I did anything worth noting... Tuesday same deal. Wednesday however we went to Sylvan lake to our rental house because although I didn't blog about it, I had to evict our tenants. They were losers and didn't want to pay us the money they owed so I had to give them notice. They were gone, thankfully but left the place a total mess. I mean seriously, they were there for a month, I don't know how someone who cooks out of boxes from Wal-mart could make an oven so dirty but she did. We did a bit of work around there but nothing major and left with plans to return on Saturday to do the cleaning.
Thursday I believe I scooped some poop from the cow field into my compost... I know, very exciting! Oh and put a coat of paint on F's room!
Friday- put a second coat on F's room...
Saturday we went to Sylvan Lake and spent the entire day cleaning up after a couple of filthy slobs. There were cigarette butts every where, cigarette ashes in the kitchen cupboards, broken glass in the dishwasher, closet door to replace, gross gross gross! I don't like other people's dirt! Especially washing the floor by hand beside the toilet- that is just nasty!
All four of us ate pizza, while sitting on the nice clean floor, for dinner. The kids watched movies on K's laptop all day. If we hadn't been cleaning up after other people it might have been a great day! We got home late, the cows were starving to death; positively wasting away so I had to feed them before anything else. We went to bed with plans to have a nice relaxing Sunday... HA!
Yesterday I spent the entire day moving furniture from one room to another. F decided she wanted to move back upstairs so we moved her bunk beds on Friday but the rest of it yesterday. Her new room used to be my computer room so we were moving that downstairs to what was her room( are you following?) Well the computer cabinet was too big to fit through the door so we had to move the spare bedroom into what was supposed to be the computer room and move the computer room into what was the spare room(I'm doing this on purpose I hope you know!) And after all that... I don't get very good wireless service way down here at the end of the hall! Bah!
Well now its Monday so you are all caught up on the last week of my life! Hope you enjoyed it and I promise to try to blog about something that is actually worth reading one of these days! Have a lovely day!
Monday, November 29, 2010
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Quote of the Day
S: "Mom! I pooped!! ... The big one is the mom and the little one is the baby... see?!"
Life's a Beach
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Quote of the Day
S: "Hey! I wanted to listen to that song!"
Me: "I didn't touch it, the song was over."
S: "No it wasn't!"
Me: "Yes , it was."
S: "Liar, Liar fur on fire!"
Hahahahaha!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Quote of the Day
Fine! I can't keep up with this kid's likes and dislikes!
Brrrrr!
We get this funny patch of frost on our dining room window when its really cold and F stood there this morning scratching a picture of a mad girl and a school with an 'X' through it to show her disgust with having to get ready and go.
The herd waiting for their breakfast. They were actually shivering. I feel really bad for them! It is positively nasty out there!
And yet... so beautiful at the same time!
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Millet Flat Bread
The recipe comes from a little booklet called Whole Grains in Motion that my mom picked up for me at her local health food store. It has lots of great recipes in it including a granola recipe that my kids love!
Millet Flat Bread
2 cups millet flour
1/2 cup stone ground whole wheat flour
3/4 to 1 cup buttermilk or water(depending on desired consistency)
1/2 tsp cumin seed powder
1/4 tsp turmeric(optional)
2 TBSP sesame seeds
1/4 tsp red chili powder
Black pepper to taste
1 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 TBSP Olive oil for frying
Mix together Millet flour, whole wheat flour and buttermilk or water. Let batter stand for 2 hours. Add spices and mix. Warm oil in a non-stick skillet on medium heat. Cook batter in pancake sized pieces for about 3 minutes or until golden brown on both sides. Let cool. Serve with yogurt or chutney.
I ate mine with a dollop of mango chutney! Yum!
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Old Man Winter has arrived
Both Guard Dogs have decided they are off-duty.
Cows in my neighbor's field; sometimes they are spread out like this, other times they look like a group of Emperor Penguins huddles together against the elements.
My own girls. They don't seem to mind especially since I'm feeding them hay and they don't have to walk anywhere to find food.
Braving the cold to see if it has stopped yet... nope not yet.
The rest of them hanging out inside the coop.
At least I'm still getting lots of eggs! Hmmm eggs for dinner? I think so!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Guard Dog Off Duty
She kind of looks like she's enjoying bed rest doesn't she? Eyes bright, tail wagging. She also likes to go to the sliding glass door and stick her tongue out at Zama and say, "na na na na na naaaaa!"
Friday, November 12, 2010
Christmas Craft Project # 1
But it was worth it because not only did the kids enjoy this little project but I had the added bonus of them being 'hopped up' on candy cane sugar well into the evening!
F working very hard putting the stripes on her candy cane cats.
The finished product
The cats are made by cutting circles(body) and cat heads out of foam sheets(we used Elmers foam sheets.) I placed a foam square in between the head and body to make it stand out. The candy cane is hot glue gunned to the back of the cat. A red ribbon adds the finishing touch. Super easy and pretty cute if I do say so myself!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Painting
Last year I vowed to finish painting the upstairs of the house by Christmas so there I was, Christmas tunes blasting while I rolled paint on the walls. This year I vowed to get the rest of the downstairs painted by Christmas. I am so happy to see the disgusting faux finished walls gone. You find me a person sound of mind that thinks this faux finish is nice and I will give you a medal! I had a plumber walk into the house the first winter we were here and look around the back entrance before asking, "is this your handiwork?" in a voice that suggested he thought it was as disgusting as I did!
BEFORE:
I'm so glad that project is done! Now what to do next? Hmmm...