End Of Summer Vacation

I had a miserable 2 weeks off playing full time farmer!  :-)
Tonight the reality of a day job and full time work to support my hobby kick back in.   :-(

Lots and lots of farm work was accomplished in 2 weeks.
I got both of the new shades up on the pergola…sorry no photo but I can highly recommend GinTech Shade Technologies to anyone looking to buy a custom tarp or canopy product.   Local company with excellent customer service and the shades are perfect for our application.

I spent time weeding this holiday.   I know that my normal followers and all my family and friends know my vial dislike for weeds.   I really should keep track at some point how many hours in a year a spend destroying weeds from all areas of my life.   I chalk it up to the fact that I am outdoorsy kinda girl and that means if I am killing weeds I get to be outside!!

Here is the veggie garden freshly weeded.

I weeded the pergola side of the pond.  BEFORE

DURING - My side kick was swimming rather than helping!

AFTER

While we were off this week we even got a visit with my favourite little person!   Who is now 1 year old!

DH made headway on the shelter erection on Pasture #3.

Base is down

Framing has started

Roof trusses are up

Papa Bear has taken on the responsibility of the grading for all the new shelters.   Between him and DH the massive amounts of clay that has been hauled in from the old round pen excavation has been full time work.   However, the lesson learned from the shelter in Pasture #2 was that we needed to elevate and elevate them high…in order to make sure all the rain run off from the rolling hills in the pastures doesn't end up running into a shelter!   We also added stone and stone dust to the base to allow for drainage from within the shelter.   

The base in #3 is complete with the exception of some additional soil to the front entry and the base in 4  has the stone in place.  5 has the soil being added now and 6 we actually will have a high spot to build on there (hallelujah) so we will level that off with a few loads and then added the stone.   All in due time but progress is underway.  :-)

During weeding and window paint prep, Miss Kitty found herself supervising from between the windows in the living room!   Not sure how she got in-between there but she squashed herself in for the best view!

Early morning chores and riding are my most favourite times of day.   This was Friday's fantastic sunrise over the pastures.

Because this time of day has such a wonderful light…you get to be present in the moment with experiences that mid morning sun doesn't offer.   Like this wonderful collection of cobwebs that 30 minutes later didn't have the same magic.   I wonder if Charlotte lives here?

And one last weed be gone adventure….I bush hogged the trail in the woods and enjoyed a morning ride on Izzy. 

This is the view entering the woods.   This was and old derelict bench that my mom was planning to burn.   I seen it and knew it needed a home for a few more years on the farm.  

Thanks Mom for fixing it up just enough to make it useable again and to Mom, Dad, Dave and Teresa for delivering it and testing it out!

The view of the freshly bush hogged trial.

The view exiting the woods and looking at the back of the farm.   At this point we are 1K from the barn.   It's a lovely ride to the woods and back to cool out Izzy after a successful schooling session.  

(As a side note…the beans aren't looking all that lush!)

Sometimes I even get company on the cooling out ride!

Melissa on Wanda and Terrie on Elvis.

Summer Vacation Fun and Farming

DH and I started a 2 week vacation a week ago.    I haven't taken 2 weeks off in a row in many many years…like...honeymoon time when we got married; when I took 3 weeks!!

It has been a busy week so far and we have a lot of things remaining on our 2 week "To Do" list that still lay ahead.  I was just in a conversation today with a friend, about how I have all these grand expectations of all the things I will get done in a day, or a week, or whatever the time frame and I just never seem to work as fast in real life as I picture myself getting things done in my head!

Wanda Update
She is seemingly fine from her colic incident.   We had her first ultrasound a week ago and she will go back for a second in another week.   So far she looks to have a speck in there….but we will wait another week to be sure.
In the mean time Melissa is enjoying her and will be starting lessons on her next week!  :-)

Dad and DH have been continuing the progress on the removal of the old round pen and moving all that clay to the pastures for the base platforms for the new shelters.

So far there has been a great deal of progress in Pasture #3.  Lumber has been delivered for the shelter and construction will be underway shortly.

In between the round pen removal there has been some progress as well on the trail through the woods. The marsh area is now passable by tractor and not just one horse power.

Here are the mutts getting a lift back to the house!

The view from the back as I walked trying to get the GPS on my phone to work.   (totally a different story…but I am lost these days without my running app on my phone working!  :-(  

Our first cut hay has started to come in for the winter supply.   We (Dad, DH and I) cleaned out the old drive shed someday shop for this years hay storage.   We will not get all the necessary hay in here but so far almost 500 bales are in.

This is how it looks now….

Mom and I took my nephew, Zef and his best friend to the CN Tower Edge Walk for his grade 8 grad present.   What a fun adventure!

Nothing like walking the full 150 m circumference of the highest building in Canada, on the outside 356 m above the ground!

One of our co-workers was filling in his pond so we got his fish!  They have been a fascinating addition to the farm.   Dear Lord I never thought I would say that about fish!!  But it has been fun to feed them and watch them cruising the waters.

Izzy…She is getting to be so grown up!   We had a small mini clinic at the farm with Diane Creech.

Izzy was fabulous and we are working at improving her basic gaits.   She needs more activity behind, more sitting, forehand lift and more collection.   It's getting better and better as she gets stronger but like everything in my life; I really want it now!  LOL 

I love this pony…

I spent my weekend with this creative and inspirational bunch of women…Friendships I am so grateful to have.   A group that I can be be myself with and be creative without any judgement or criticism.

Happy Canada Day!

There is never a shortage of excitement at the farm.

Since the last post Wanda returned home from the Repo vet, then we nearly lost her to a very severe colic, Izzy showed at her first provincial level show since 3 years away from the show ring and a young couple from Toronto dropped off a lost dog at our farm at midnight the other night.

From the top…

Wanda returned home after a 19 day stay in Breslau.  Dr Plante had some trouble getting her to cycle so she could be bred.   Finally after a long wait, she was bred and we will soon find out if she is in foal.  Unfortunately, between then and now the poor dear had a severe bout of colic that resulted in 3 emergency calls and a near death loss.   It was a tear filled, stressful day last Thursday as we seen the poor mare in agony and on the ground for hours at a time.   We felt so helpless as she laid moaning and we could not get her up.  The best we could do was to continue to roll her over so that she was not crushing anything internally as I stroked her face and held her tear drenched muzzle in my lap.  In the end, after tubing with 15-20 L of water and Anti Gas and several shots of muscle relaxant and banamine…she pulled through!   Thank God! 

Here is Dr Cassie tubing her at 7:15 AM…her first visit for the day.

Izzy went to another show!   It was SO hot and humid…+39º C with the humidex.   Thankfully jackets were excused as I was a literal puddle without the jacket.   It really reminded me why I have not been missing showing for the last 3 years!   DH was there for moral support and photography, as was Rona and Greta at the side lines.

Izzy had a decent day considering it felt like I was riding a giant slug!   Lots more forward and engagement is required…so I have homework and will have to ride her in the heat now and again to ensure that I don't lose all the effort I have been putting forward at 6 and 7am rides!

The lovely old German Shepard that was left at our farm the other night has been returned to his worried sick family.   Shane enjoyed a cross country tour and an overnight in our barn!   Thank goodness there are enough people out there that have good hearts and don't just drive on when they see animals that don't look like they belong on a road!

As for projects at the farm….the old round ring is getting dug out one trailer load at a time.  My Dad and DH have moved countless loads of clay in to the pastures for the bases for the new shelters.  There is hope that Pasture #3 will have a shelter built after our July vacation!

I have spent some time in the gardens and around the house mulching all the trees.   My mom did the mulch on all the gardens and the place is looking like people love living here!   

My mom and I also have worked on new planters for the front driveway circle.   I think these new creations are an improvement from the old pot last year and the newer pot from this year that really didn't work in the new location.

I also put the pump back in the pond for the waterfall.   The helpers are always willing to get into the water and get in the way aid if necessary.

The pots need a bit of TLC with fertilizer but so nice to have the water running as I sit on the pergola typing this post!

My Dad between boredom of digging the round pen has also spent some time working on the trail in the woods.   The impassable wet spot is nearly fixed!   xo thanks Papa Bear!

All for now!   I hope you all had a wonderful and relaxing Canada Day!