WORK IN THE BUSH

Today Paul and Connie came to help Mary work in the bush. Seems to me the closer winter gets the further back into our property we retreat.

Mary gave the orders and we all did what we could. The day went well and everyone enjoyed the sunshine and warm temperature. Paul couldn't have picked a better day to come up.

Even Freckles enjoyed her time outside. She was exhausted by late afternoon and found a sunny spot where the soil was warm for a doggy nap. She kept one ear erect always checking that Paul didn't disappeared.

Time to put away the shovels and head back to the house.

But first we had to pick those pesky burrs off our clothing; can they ever stick. 

It was a great day and now we have more land cleared and raked, ready for us to snowshoe. It will be so much easier this year with new trails cut and marked.

Thanks for all your help Connie and Paul. Come back in January and enjoy our trails.

A SMALL REQUEST

Last week Mary got a phone requesting a special halloween costume.

Mary had the material and she was soon busy cutting  and fitting the different fabrics  together.

It didn't take long for the costume to start taking shape.

Once done it was boxed and put in the mail.

Now one little grandson is ready for Halloween. He was so happy to get it he had to call Oma and thank her. He is a treasure.

QUICK VISIT

Even a short visit is good. We had my sister and brother-in-law here last night and it was great to see them.

Don worked on connecting my Apple TV box to the internet but it wouldn't work as expected. It's another excuse to come back for a longer visit before the snow arrives.

While we worked on the Apple Box, Mary and Carol discussed recipes and herbs. We are trying to share information and eat healthier these days. Exercise is also important so it's time to post this blog and get out for a walk. It's a beautiful sunny morning here.

ALMOST OVER

Our fall colours are about 50% done. It had been a glorious show and every lake is wrapped in colour, but this will soon be over.

Love the morning light streaming through the trees. It is typical of what we see when we first get up.

Our blue skies have given way to clouds and cooler temperatures. This morning it was -8*C and we have a fire going as I type.

Safe travels everyone and thanks for stopping by.

I'm having trouble changing the header picture as my choices don't come up when I click on the old picture. If you know how to correct this problem let me know.

RAINY DAYS

The rains have arrived and unfortunately the leaves are falling as well. I love the fall, with all its colours, cool evenings, warm days and no bugs. It really is the best time to be here.

Mary is off to a quilter's weekend and I will keep the chickens fed and clear more brush from our trails. We are looking forward to doing more snowshoeing this winter.

Sean had a biking accident last weekend, that's not unusual for Sean. This time along with the usual road rash he tore a muscle in his leg. This is very painful and he wears a strap on leg brace to keep the muscle still. No more rides for a while.

Time for breakfast and a trip to town.

Safe travels Bob.

GARLIC, FIREWOOD AND SOLAR PANELS

We eat a lot of garlic and Mary prefers the ones she digs from her garden. Garlic is planted in the fall but first the bulbs must be separated and cleaned. It's an easy process as you can see here.

These were planted 6 inches deep and 6 inches apart. Mary put in 150 cloves and we are hoping for a bumper crop next year.


While Mary worked in the garden I worked on the solar panels.

It is time to adjust their tilt for the proper tracking of the winter sun. This will improve the amps going into out batteries as the angle the sun strikes the panels affects the amperage flow.

I use a ladder so I can reach and remove the bolts but I'm thinking maybe a platform would be safer. I think I'll use it in the spring.

We also got some firewood moved up onto the porch. We go through 5 of these crates each winter and having the wood just outside the front door makes it very handy.

This year I was able to cover each crate with tin I got from Marvin. It should keep the wood dry and free of ice and snow as the months pass.

Looks like indoor jobs are on the agenda today as it is pouring rain at the moment.

A WALK IN THE BUSH

This is the season to be outside. Yesterday we decided to walk our snowshoe trails and see what repair work needs to be done.

Mary made sure we stayed on the trail. Although we used red tape to mark the trees it is easy to take a wrong turn if we don't concentrate on the trail.

We have several trails that cross each other. Our neighbours helped to build them and we use both properties which gives us over a mile of snowshoeing without having to cross any roads.

Time to sit on the deck and enjoy the colours. Today we will plant garlic and bring the crates of firewood up on the deck. Winter is coming and we want to be ready. We often have a fire in the evening or morning to take the chill out of the house.

Thanks for stopping by and safe travels Bob.