HIBERNATION/ISOLATION

 

Winter has arrived and we are busy cutting wood and experimenting with fermented foods. We are fine, healthy and active just staying away from people as the Covid-19 numbers continue to  climb here in Ontario

Penny has recovered  from  her operation and  takes us on a daily walk through the bush She loves winter rolling in the snow and  chasing the squirrels  from our bird feeders

Until we have something new to report we are taking a hiatus but will be back in the spring

Stay safe and  well everyone and  lets hope 2021 is  better year for everyone

SUNSHINE

 

I haven't felt like doing much this past week. It's been cloudy and gloomy all week but yesterday everythig changed; we saw the sun again. It's amazing how quickly our moods can change and the mundane does't look so boring as it did yesterday, thanks to just a  little sushine.

I did manage to cut down  a number of trees but this huge Poplar tree will have to wait until the spring to be cut into firewood. I will cut it into logs and use the skid-steer to haul them up to my log-splitter. That way I don't break my back hauling wood.

You may be wondering about the ladder. I had to relocate the clothesline recently and decided the ladder should be left in place just in case we have an issue over the winter. Climbing unstable ladders in winter is something I try to avoid. My thinking is if it's burried in snow and on solid ground all should be good.

Even our solar panels were happy to be producing energy for our batteries. Hope the sun is shining on you today.

Stay safe and well everyone and thanks for stopping by..

FOGGY MORNING

 

Foggy morning here. Fire is burning softly and Penny is recuperating from yesterday's surgery. All she wants to to do is sit on the couch with her head in Mary's lap. I think we will have a quiet indoor day.

Stay safe and well everyone.

FIRST PLOW

 

We awoke this morning to 15cm or 6 inches of snow.

The first job was to clean off the solar panels then get the skid-steer going to clean the driveway. Living out here one needs more than a shovel or snowblower to clean the driveway quickly and completely.

Penny is just like  a little child who sees snow for the first time; she can't get enough of it.

It didn't take long to clear the drivewy ....................

............ as well as the lane back to our propane tank. I need to keep this lane open as we are expecting  delivery of propane in December. Our last delivery was back in April.

While I plowed, Penny explored her winter wonderland. Now she is sleeping by the fire exhausted from all her adventures.

Lunch is on the stove along with a pot of elderberry tea. We are staying safe and healthy through these challenging times; hope you are too. 

Thanks for stopping by.

TREES DOWN

 

This morning we headed out with Penny on our usual morning walk. We took along our chainsaw as we knew there were  a number of trees down.

The soil here is shallow and the roots don't go deep so our trees are vulnerable during wind storms.

Some of the trees that came down were quite large and blocked our trail completely.

It didn't take long to clear the damage and toss the branches into the bush. Tomorrow we will go back and finish the job.

Now we are enjoying a glass of wine, a good book and the warmth of our wood stove.

Stay safe and well everyone and thanks for stopping by.

GRANDKIDS

 

Owen and Kate have been here for the past few days and we did some hikes on Saturday.

For some unknow reason we had never taken them to Eagles Nest Lookout so that was our first destination.

The weather was perfect so we spent some time enjoying the views and the sunshine while Penny and the kids climbed over everything.

Next stop was Egan Chutes another hike we had never taken the kids on.

At this point the York River is calm and slow moving but ......

just a few more steps along the trail and the river turns wild and nasty.

Owen made sure Kate didn't get too close to the edge.

We stood and watched for a while keeping Penny on a short leash as she has no fear of water and prefers to be in it rather than watching it.

Somehow Owen managed to get across without getting his feet wet and Penny followed right behind, only difference,  she didn't worry about wet feet.

Back home it was time for some cuddles with Penny while Owen sent pictures of the day to his friends. 

Thanks for stopping by and stay safe and well everyone.

WOOL MITTENS

 

Did your mother ever knit you mittens? My mother spent hours knitting her children socks, hats, scarfs; she even knitted me a beautiful wool coat which I wore for years.

Mary just finished knitting these beautfiful wool mitts. Wool is an excellent insultor and I know my hands will be warm when we are out snowshoeing.

Penny was a big help checking each stitch to make sure it had the right tension. If we could just get her to hold the needles properly Penny might make her own.

If she's not in your lap then she's looking over your shoulder. I'm sure she thinks she is one of us. As you can see Penny isn't a puppy anymore.

Thanks for stopping by and be safe everyone.

UPDATE NOV. 13TH

New mittens for Owen and Kate. Thanks Oma! Our fingers are toasty warm thanks to you.

FIRST BIRTHDAY

 

Yesterday we gathered in Hamilton to celebrate this little girl's first birthday. The weather was a balmy 21*C, very unusual for this time of year but a perfect setting for a perfect little girl's party.

I think Frankie was more interested in the cards and paper than the actual gifts. We gathered in a park and everyone tried their best to keep their social distance; a few even wore masks.

Jamie was kind enough to look after Pennny as she was very excited with so many people around.

The best part of any gathering are the hugs from the grandkids, priceless.

Second best part was the food, delicious cupcakes made by Maggie.

Penny did eventually calm down and spent time resting with Mary..

While Penny rested, Frankie went aroud meeting family and friends all on her own.. She is doing just fine with her new mobility, even climbs the stairs at home.

Owen and Kate are getting more relaxed aroud Penny and Owen is very confident  taking her for walks

Thanks Sean and Maggie for  a woderful day and a wonderful little granddaughter. I hope we can be outside in our shorts and T-shirts for Frankie's birthday every year.

Thanks for stopping by everyone and stay safe and well.

TRAP AND RELOCATE

 

The last few nights we've had one of these hanging around. This is the last creature we want Penny to meet

Porcupines are slow moving and not aggressive but their quills can inflick major damage to a dog or any animal that gets too close.

I'm using a  live animal trap we've had for years and is a little battered but should still do the job. At the rear we placed apple slices that have been soaking in a salt solution which is suppose to be most attractive to porcupines

We placed the trap inside Penny's dog run and closed the gate. Now before you think we've gone a little bonkers hear me out.

The trap if left outside for the day is too attractive for Penny. We find her crawling inside to get the apples. Placing the trap inside the dog run and closing the gate keeps Penny safe during the day and we simply open the gate at night and let Mr. Porcupine come in and enjoy the free meal. Fingers crossed that it works as planned.

Tomorrow morning we hope the trap is full and we can transport the porcupine to a destination far removed from our property. I know some people eat them but we are just fine with relocating him. I don't want to get any closer than necessary.

Stay safe and well and thanks for stoppig by

ROCK WALL PART TWO

 

Yesterday morning looked like another perfect day for working outside.

Unfortunately the space was too narrow for the skid-steer so I needed to move the water tank before I could actually bring in more rock.

Once the tank was removed we got busy moving dirt........

and rock...........

and backfilling when the new rock was in place. The skid-steer made it a much easier job than me trying to do it by hand.

I still need to adjust the corner and bring in some pea gravel to top off the berm.

We are so happy with this job we would like to do the west side of the house next. Always something to keep us busy and planning for the next year.

Stay safe and well and thanks for stopping by.