Thursday, March 10, 2011

Torrential Thursday

I had hoped to take some time to blog about my adventures in the far north, but again I am distracted by the things close to home.
As we are all aware, it is March.  March brings rain.  March brings torrential rain.  March floods my barn.  Yes, lovely stalls like swimming pools.  Mr. S is not impressed, and of course Angel is less than that.  (as all princesses are)
Trying to convince my other half that if he removed the snow bank from the walls, it would be less melted water to run into the barn.  Like pulling teeth.  Personally, if my shoulder wasn't ailing I would probably do the digging myself.  So I laid some salt down for de-icing, and put up a rain shield so the water pouring from the eaves would flow away from the door sill.  Tiring. Tiresome, and definitely an arguement.
I left the stall doors open so they can come and go if the weather permits.....and I am hoping the rain lets up.

Its time for rubber boots.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Horrible Heifer

Indeed!!!! As I made my way home from work, my beloved observed wryly that he thought the door on the feed room was open a little. My feed room is inside a trailer, securely away from the animals.  Years ago I had a cow get into a bag of grain and almost die from bloat.   So, I asked, where was my errant heifer: the one that likes to wander or break through fences? No big deal, he says.  I am pretty sure she couldn't fit through the door, it is only open a crack.
RIGHT!!!
My feed room looks like world war 3.  My straw was fluffed everywhere.  My feed barrels upside down, and I for the life of me couldn't find the beef ration barrel.  Luckily I secure the tops on the barrels, so the feed wasn't lost, but I finally found the beef ration barrel outside in the snow.  She had been rolling it around the ice in the barn yard. My horse blankets festooned the floor, saddles scattered like yesterdays laundry.
She looks at me with her liquid eyes, delicately picking her way to the barn.  Mincing like a minx!! Lovely little fiend, my Horrible Heifer.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Northern Adventure: Part One

It has been an incredibly busy week.  I am not even sure where to start; okay, okay, at the beginning? Hmm.  So much to tell, so many observations. I will break it down into smaller pieces so that I can digest it all.

Here goes:
Day One


Work took me to the fringes of my fears over this week. My job called me to the far north for a tour that would go from Thunder Bay to Kenora and back.  This would mean a flight from Toronto to Thunder Bay. (and return)  Many moons ago when I was young, I wanted to be a glamorous "stewardess".  Yes, wonderful idea, until it got to getting in the plane. I decidedly did not find flying remotely in my career path.  
As the trip would only be 1 1/2 hours, I looked on this as an opportunity to work out some of my fear of flying.  The 737 was narrower than I thought, and definitely had a tired unkempt air about it.  I watched the flight attendants (stewardesses) as they went through their long list of flight procedures in  semi detached boredom, realizing they were glorified waitresses with a captive audience. 
The jet engines roared to life and thrust into the sky.  It was loud, shook, rattled and vibrated as it took off.  It was also less frightening.  The plane was buffeted in high winds,bouncing like a ball in the sky. Cruising at 40,000 feet above the clouds, I stared at length out the little window.  The horizon looked like waves of cotton.  Though vaguely uncomfortable, I did not feel the panic I had thought might well up inside of me.
I was glad to land, feeling the rumble of the tires on the runway in Thunder Bay.  I left Toronto a warm, overcast day, to land in the -34 sunshine.  
So began my Northern Adventure.  

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Past Presents and Future





Today was a busy day.  Along with all our regular farm chores like cleaning barns, laundry, animals and cooking, I went to a charming baby shower today for Rebecca and her husband Kyle.  Such a beautiful young woman, with a peaches and cream complexion; largely close to a delivery date. The surprise was total, the food scrumptious, the gifts bounteous.  It brought to mind the early memories of my first of four pregnancies: how well I felt, how excited about the future.  Such occasions leave me misty eyed as I see my children grown, with full lives of their own.  It seems like yesterday they toddled around our home with rosey cheeks, full of laughter.  It makes me miss the hub-hub of those early years.  With my daughter Rachel also expecting, it brings home the mortality of life.  They bring to us what comes after; our legacy and future.  In the meantime, we go about our humble lives, only able to guess at the future laid before us.

Friday, February 25, 2011

Zayda, my right hand at the barn.

Zayda and Rudy

Bay Rising Sun AKA Mr. Studly

Zeb, the Man


Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Decisions, Decisions!

On deciding to write a blog, I have now the great difficulty of deciding what it is I want to blog about.  The last couple of days I have come up with more ideas I can shake a stick at.  Cooking? Farming? Kids? Family? Work? Animals, pet, livestock? Nature?  Its a dilemma! So, I have decided that I will blog about whatever comes to mind.


So, today was a good day.  It was sunny, I had a workshop to go to.  The workshop was amusing, thought provoking, but also given by someone who was born with a silver spoon in their mouth, so could with much ease of mind give great advise on how to succeed.  Really, I did enjoy it for the most part.  Unfortunately he spent quite some time using farmers as the "whining types about being broke" and of course, that the whole problem was farmers were emotionally attached to their work, therefore weren't realistic that their business wasn't working for them.  Okay.  That's when my hackles kind of rose to the occasion.  And then he tried to tell us that lots were parceled in 100 acre portions in the settlement days because thats how many acres a man could plow with his oxen.  OKAY.   He really lost me there.  Parcels of land were done this way: 

 sq. chain = 66 ft. x 66 ft.4,356 sq. ft.
1 acre = 10 sq. chains43,560 sq. ft.
1 sq. mile = 640 acres = 1 section = 3,097,600 sq. yards
1 yard of land = 30 acres
1 hide of land = 100 acres
1 barony of land = 40 hides = 4000 acres

An acre was originally the area a yoke of oxen could plow in a day- an acre, not 100 acres? 

Certainly no one I have read or spoken to would believe that you could plow 100 acres with a team of oxen in a day.  As Grandpa used to say, on a good day with a good team of horses you might manage 30 acres. What is it with city people anyways?

Thus I digress. You see, I really went to learn about selling, and business management for work, but got side tracked, insulted, and irritated as a farmer.  It's hard to leave my farmer badge at home some days. Or maybe stupid people just annoy me. 

Monday, February 21, 2011

New Year, New Beginnings

Its a year down the road since I started this blog, and promptly spent no time working on it.  I have vowed that 2011 shall be a new beginning.
So much has happened over the last year.  Loss, life anew, stress, love and so much more.  I have to say, its been interesting. Watching my daughters' blog religously makes me envious of the shared joy in the lives they lead.  So rich, so interesting.  I have always been a closet writer; so here I am.

I will share the rhythm of seasons, the joys and sorrows of our small family farm.  The additions, losses and laughter that comes with living with the land.

Have patience and join me on my journey into Blogging.