Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Where Does the Time Go

Seems like just yesterday I wrote last but when I look the date is weeks ago. We have been busy around here, what with farming, and getting the place ready for fall it seems like we never have time to set a spell and write a journal entry. Here is a view of the Rockies just to the west of Dogpound North, almost makes me forget that they are blocking my view of the ocean.

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And it is getting to be that time of year when the sunsets get better and better.

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It has been a long spell between rides here what with the European vacation, a trip to the Island and then Brenda’s knee surgery. She has got on to test drive it and although it was hurting she is tough and will probably ride through the pain. But we better get those horses legged up so that they are ready for the winter down south.

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Now we are out in the country here but I am sure our mail is delivered by truck not the Pony Express but this is how the tech at our local vet clinic chose to pick up her mail one day.

Pony Express rider?

And of course the girls came to visit us, and I managed to get a photo of all of them sitting still for a minute or two. Alle must be watching the news on TV or something, she’s curious that way.

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And of course I got a little time with them myself.

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I have been giving a neighbour of ours a hand with his harvest activities. Everything from baling small squares to the big round bales of straw and even a little combining as well as moving all those bales back to the hay yard.

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Although the machinery is a little bigger than when I was a kid, I think it all uses pretty near the same technology as it comes back pretty fast once you get going. Something about combining in the dark focuses you on the small circle of lights around you and clears your mind of all the rest of the world. One difference though this combine had a cab so no chaff down your neck, that is a big improvement. Smile

Best Seat in the House

But even with the farming we managed to sneak out on a little drive in the West Country just in time to see the colours changing.

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For those who are interested, I am still swimming every weekday morning and averaging 2000 metres a day, so that gets me started early and on the way home I found these two moose calves contemplating their breakfast.

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And then was lucky enough to catch them chowing down. They are big enough now that they can lift Ma right off the ground.

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Sunday we brought the motorhome out of it’s shed and are getting it all spiffed up and ready to head north to the Wild Deuce Mountain Horse Competition and Sale. We are looking forward to seeing Chuck and Terry and of course Taylor and spending a few days watching the goings on there.

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Now where was I

It has been a long time since I sat down and tried to cobble together an update on our journal here. Not that we haven’t been doing stuff but it just seems like it is the kind of stuff I like and wonder if anyone else gives a hoot. But here I go anyway.

Right after we got back from Vancouver Island we took Brenda up to Banff for a little knee surgery. Most of the world would like to stop in Banff for a beautiful vacation but they also have a couple of great orthopaedic surgeons who are based there so it was the hospital that she chose. Now after about twenty minutes of scraping and grinding they sent her back out and told her to take it easy for a couple of weeks and she should be good to go for a while.

While they were fixing up Brenda I took a walk around town and saw these guys heading down river, I guess to the local trading post.

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Then it was back home till the weekend when I slipped down and watched by niece Caron doing a little fence hopping.1-IMG_3070

And then back the next weekend to make sure her and Jager had it down pat.

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Then the next week we had company for a couple of days and although I took a lot of pictures after this one she said “Grandpa stop picturing me” so I did.

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Over the last few weeks I have also been helping out a neighbour with his haying operation. I enjoy the time on the tractor and like refreshing some old skills and watching the hawks and ravens playing around the hay fields. If you have been hanging around Facebook I have given you a blow by blow description of that operation. Friday we wrapped up the baling part of our season and got our hay for next summers rides stowed away in the barn. Now if we can just get the rest sold it will have been another year farming done. Thanks Bob and Diane. Speaking of Diane if you are at all interested in Western Art you should take a look at this lady’s stuff over at Tymarc Art Studios. She is a great sculptress and artist as well as a darn good baler operator.

And today we were off to Chestermere to our youngest grandsons first birthday. He had a lot of fans there and some of them were even his age.

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Happy Birthday Kash!!