Monday, April 20th, 2015

It's been a great week with great weather.  Gets one looking forward to the comming summer - we don't have black flies like some of my Northern friends!

Grayson helping me boil off the last batch of sap for the year!

Has his hammer in hand just in case a nail pops up!

Addie loves looking after the chicks

Addie and her favorite one - don't know how she keeps track of him

Addie pointing out "Sir Pecks A lot" LOL

Murphy getting aquatinted with the pigs.

Addie getting the eggs. Part of her chores

On Friday Leanne and I went into London to see the Tragically Hip.  It's the Warden's favourite band.

The Hip

Gordon Downie of The Tragically Hip - Still has tons of energy and put on a great show! 

On Saturday I tilled the garden and added a bunch of manure and worked it all up.  Can't wait to plant it this spring!

Finished Tilling

Graydon thought it was a big sand box! 

It was also a great day for clothes drying!  Gotta love the warm weather!

I opened one of the smaller paddocks and the cows didn't waste anytime getting in and munching away.

Wooly our pregnant cow is just about there by the looks of her.  She is starting to "bag up" or making milk so she is getting close to calving.

I've procrastinated so I'm just finishing my maple syrup off today.

Well that's the last week in a nutshell - have fun and take'er easy.

Saturday April 11, 2015

Well its going on a month since the last post and I thought I'd better get my butt in gear before Grand Pappy Frank started to give me a hard time.  It's been a cool month but it was good for the spring thaw and we didn't get to much water laying around.  Nice and slow is the way the snow should go! LOL
We got through March Break with the kiddo's, Did our maple syrup run, got a bull for the ladies, and welcomed our chicks.  So lets dive into the pics and get a play by play.

Leanne, Addie, and Graydon headed back to Wheatley for a few days during March Break.  Here she is with her good old pal Cole.

Addie's first attempt at being a cinematographer 

While they were there they stayed with our pals Pinchy and Letitia.  Here's our Rodents and theirs.

Mike and Liisa (they bought our house in Wheatley) had a litter of pups so Addie had to go check them out.  Here she is looking through them. Little known to Dad she was picking one out to take home.

Murphy our new dog

Addie and the Murphinator

Graydon has a love hate relationship with him right now.

 Addie wrapped up her hockey for the year.  Here's a team pick after the last game.

Well with spring comes the Maple Syrup Season.  I have a few trees to tap here and my neighbour let me tap the ones he has on his property.  I set out 20 pails and hope to finish the boil today.  Should have around 4 - 5 Gallons of finished Syrup.  This pic is of the first boil.  I'm enjoying a maple sap and whiskey - a must if your boiling it down.  Use the sap right out of the tree as mix for your whiskey - doesn't get much more Canadian than that!  

Here's a side pic of the Lean Mean Sap Machine I built last year.  Works pretty good.  Here's a Link to a video of it in action and an explantion of how it works - Lean Mean Sap Machine

Here's the first batch finished - 5.5 Liters.

 Addie and Leanne headed into London town to see the movie Cinderella.  Addie had to dress up for the occasion.

 At the theatre.

View from the top of the Mill at work looking out over Lake Huron.

Another Pic - Notice part of the freighter on the top right.  It's one of the ships we load to transport salt.

After a long day at school we headed out to Parkhill to pick up our baby Chicks.  Addie couldn't wait to meet them! LOL

Chicks home and cozy!

Addie and her chick Sir Pecks Alot! LOL

The Barn was a little cool so we moved them to the basement for a bit to keep them warm.  There's 50 Chicks - 25 Barred Plymouth Rocks, and 25 Rhode Island Red.  They are dual purpose birds so we will be using some for the freezer this fall and will keep some to keep our egg production fresh.

Addie heading out to brush our new Bull Beltain.  He's about 11 months old and will hopefully be breeding ready this fall.  He's an extremely gently bloke and Addies loves giving him attention. Here's a link to him mingling with the ladies - establishing a pecking order

Graydon and Addie helping move some wood around.

The herd on a foggy morning.

My nephew Spencer watching the horses out in the pasture. Here's Dillon and Willow's first time together out in the pasture. Dillon and Willow

Murphy after a play session with the Kiddo's.

Molly showing her highland skills on the side of the gangway.  Rocky terrain is her domain. LOL I know I'm a loser.