Today is December 22. My daughter, Bernice, and her sons, Joseph and Jacob, arrive tomorrow. We look forward to their visit. It is always so much more fun when they are here! The card game competition usually heats up about 10 minutes after their arrival. Bernice double-skunked Dennis at crib several years ago but it is still talked about every time the cards come out! Of course, my 29 hand also gets discussed during all the bragging that goes on during the "pre-game show."
I'm sitting here sipping on a glass of Chardonnay, mellowing out after a busy day. My friend, Lois, is a veterinarian. She owns the clinic in Burns Lake where she and another vet minister to the ailing animals of the area. They are dedicated veterinarians who will see any animal you bring in. They work on large animals and small animals, wild and tame. As I pondered what gift I can give to Lois for all her hard work and service, the best idea I had was to make freezable meals that she can take out and thaw after a busy day. So I made a pan of lasagne, a crock pot of beef and lentil soup and a chicken stew. A good gift for a busy person, I think.
Today I baked the lasagne, plus one for us for Christmas eve. I also went over to Lois' cabin and lit the fire so it will be warm and cozy when she comes home. She is just 4 km up the lake from here so not a big deal. When I opened the shed to get the wood, the snow shovel fell out and nearly hit me on the head. I took the hint and while the fire was getting itself going, I shovelled part of the parking area and a few trails. It was pleasant work. While I was shovelling, 5 beautiful bucks showed up and watched me as I worked. They all had beautiful antlers. The antlers will be a real find for someone when they are shed later in the season. Porcupines like chewing on antlers too so you have to be fast if you want them with all the tines intact!
Dennis put up our tree and set out a few ornaments. It now really does feel like Christmas. We had our neighbours, Grant and Mary, over for drinks and snacks last night. I really do enjoy this time of year when friends and neighbours drop in for a visit and some refreshment. That is one thing that is nice about living out here at this time of year. Today I visited my friend Della who called to say she had a moose liver for me to dry for my dogs. She had a lovely tea ready - freshly baked cinnamon buns, shortbread cookies and other sweets. The wood cookstove was burning and it truly was a pleasant time. Della is in her 70's and splits and hauls all her own wood, bakes up a storm, has a huge garden in the summer (she sells her excess vegetables) and runs her own boat when she wants to catch a fish. Another remarkable woman out here in Colleymount!
We went to get our tree on the 19th, Wednesday. Here are a few pictures of our tree expedition. I forgot to take a picture of Dennis actually sawing down the tree, but due to the size of the tree, it was rather uneventful! Our house is small so we have a small tree. It was a beautiful day:
This is a picture of an old snag, totally dead. Most people think they should be cut down and cleaned up. But here you can see the wildlife benefit that an old snag has. You can see all the feeding holes. A dead snag, no top, but still a contributing member of the forest ecosystem. Things like this make me feel good - just because you're old doesn't mean you don't, or can't, contribute.
This is Bridget and me. I'm wearing my ratty farm coat and sweats, so looking my finest!! Bridget doesn't care, though. She's happy to be out on the trail.
Finn, in the background, and Niko, in the foreground, are enjoying exploring the neighbours field.
Next summer we plan to fence the remaining acreage, approximately 60 acres, in sheep fencing, which is a paige wire of sorts. This is one of the lines that will change from barbed wire to sheep wire. The field belongs to our neighbour. Dennis is on the trail on our side.
This was interesting. In the shade, the trees were bare. Where ever the sun hit, the trees were iced in huge hoar frost crystals. This is taken from about where we got our little tree.
Here is the intrepid woodsman with our Christmas tree! It is the perfect tree for our house. ( You can see the frost on the tips of the trees that were exposed to the sun.)
The Chardonnay is gone so I will end this note. Dennis is home from Houston where he had to go to pick up a new battery for our generator. We do not want to go through the Christmas break with no generator! Bella also went home as things will be quieter for Thomas now. It was so much fun to have her. She has some issues with other dogs, but I loved having her all the same. I love it when she hangs out in the house with me, playing with her toys and just relaxing. She is welcome back any time. I also loved taking her on long walks on the farm. Her energy was actually inspiring, making me laugh and have more energy myself!
If I don't do another post before Christmas, I wish all my readers a happy Christmas or whatever holiday you celebrate at this time of year. Multiple blessings on you and your household.
Bye for now.
I hope there is some underneath in that tree. It looks pretty small and we have a fair amount of presents. Not as many as last time I came out, but a few for sure!
ReplyDeleteWe are gearing up for our trip tomorrow and I am excited to be where there are few to no people! And the ones that you do see, are fun and happy!
See you tomorrow in the early afternoon.
Yay! Yes, the tree is on the trunk, so there is lots of room by the trunk - maybe we should open it and put the prezzies inside! Ha ha!
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