Here comes the freight train

We’ve named it the freight train many years ago – that wind that comes up from the north-west. The sound it makes as it rushes through the trees and down the path carries portent – and usually brings trouble. This particular storm worked its way across the province, found its way to the Compound, and after entertaining us it struck Camrose with less entertaining results. Mulder did OK, likely...

Meet your Local Wildlife Week

Or as some of my pets interpret – *eat* your local wildlife week. The beavers continue to take down trees on the opposite side of the pond. They fall into the roadway, but the critters are good enough to come back and eat the tops. They do ont, however, clean up the mess of trunks, nor do they replant. Mulder got skunked last Tuesday. Phew! What a nice send off for the visiting Sue. I came home from work to...

Vote For Brandon Inge

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George’s Duds

For those who want to see how George celebrates Rodeo Week. He’s got an outfit (or two!) for every day. What a dude.

Read quickly, before it melts

It rained a little bit yesterday. Much, much needed rain. But the cold front must still be around, as there was ice in the waterbucket. Thick ice, that I could rap with my knuckles. The pumpkin plants look distressed, and the corn plants are already frostbit from two nights ago. I felt like Almanzo Wilder (Little House on the Prairie Series:Farmer Boy), where with brothers, sisters, Father and Mother, they race to...

Secret Identity

I’m driving home from work yesterday on Hwy2 when I’m passed by a white van. Not surprising. While I don’t drive as slowly as Sue, I’m no speed demon. But the logo on the side of the vehicle caught my eye. Hey! I made that logo! I haven’t seen their van before. I didn’t even know if they were still in business. Good to...

May Long Weekend

Typical Alberta long weekend. One weather extreme to the next. We try to get a few chores done, and some are accomplished. Cleaning the shed, hauling in some hay for the summer months, purchase the bedding plants and vegetables. But Sunday afternoon turns to cold rain, and Monday morning we wake up to snow and minus 4, so things have to slow down...

We didn’t start the fire…

It is within a week of that day eleven years ago when the Scourge and George celebrated his birthday with the grass fire that opened up our backyard. So when George was driving home last night and saw plumes of smoke in our general direction, he called from his cell phone and asked “Is the Scourge back from Toronto?” From the deck off the...

Two man job? Hah!

A smart person can replace the other ‘man’ with five chairs, six lengths of twine and a seven foot poplar branch. Plus they don’t complain or disagree or point out when you install something backwards…again. Skydome – Timelapse from JAMcRae on...

Wake up little rosebud

Time to get things moving again. That’s what the snow geese tell us. They are still making their way north. Traffic overhead for hours each day. George hired a tree mover to take care of a few evergreens that would be better situated elsewhere. The knob was a little crowded in spots, so two of the trees we planted some ten or eleven years ago were...