March 13, 2013.  While the rest of the world is likely experiencing spring, we definitely are not.  We have had nights of -17 this past week and today awoke to a snowfall warning.  This is the time of year when people get frightfully cranky, marriages are under duress and relationships of all kinds are stressed to their utmost.  It is generally a good idea to head for warmer climes for a few weeks, just to get through this most discouraging time of year.

Life at Dogstar Farm continues to be semi-dormant.  Dennis has completed his teaching assignment at the college.  The lambs are not due for another 2 weeks and the chicks do not arrive until May.  We are looking at flooring for the upstairs guest room and the basement, trying to find the energy to paint the guest room and actually trying to find energy to do anything besides watching movies and reading books.  It is just that time of year and one has to find the most constructive and healthy way of seeing it through.  Bottles of wine seem to figure in to any equation, which I have found helps pretty well every time.

A bright spot this past week was the arrival of daughter Rebecca and family.  As they are between homes, moving from Terrace to Williams Lake, they spent 3 nights with us.  We had the best time - their positive energy filled us with enthusiasm and just made each day that much better.  On Saturday eldest daughter Bernice also arrived for the night and on Sunday son Thomas arrived with his friend Lindsey and her daughter Autumn.  It was great to get together with almost the whole family again.  Dennis prepared a great meal of curried chicken, rice and salad with banana cream cake for dessert.  During the day Rebecca, Chris, Rose and Ella got the quad and snow-nut out on the lake.

Their dogs got great exercise and everyone got lots of fresh air.  It was very sunny so the pictures are a bit dark as the camera had to adjust to the brightness off the snow.

Here are a few shots of Chris packing their boat with all the dog crates, rabbit crate and frozen food.  It was absolutely incredible the way he was able to fit everything in.

You can see from the pictures that although this is March 12, we are still very much in winter.
Here they are, ready for their Williams Lake adventure:

I was going to get the X-country skis on today, but just now looked out and it is pouring rain.  I am happy to see the rain!!  Can spring be on its way?  My calendar says spring begins on March 20 this year.  I'm waiting!  Perhaps I'll sample some wine while I'm waiting.

Take care, everyone, and bye for now.

Home again, home again, jiggety-jog.  Another journey finished.  Driving from Langley to Colleymount in one day is a reminder of how big this province is.  Good to be home but not good that we are still up to our eye-balls in winter.  -17 C yesterday but we warmed up to -14C last night.  March 6.  Ok, I will stop complaining, but life here does wear thin at times.

The sun is shining today and the sky is blue.  The ewes are now separated from Gentle Ben, our ram. Lambing should begin in 3 to 4 weeks.  We are adding a little bit of grain to the ewe's diets now and serving the best hay.  They all look well and contented and huge.  7 pregnant ewes should equal about 14 lambs.  Our brown mixed-breed ewe had a single last year, her first lambing.  It will be interesting to see if she singles again.  It is not unusual to have a single for a first lambing. 

Chicks have been ordered to arrive on May 3.  They will hatch May 1st then sent by Canada Post to us.  The post office here opens at 6 a.m. and will allow people to pick up their chicks at that time.  Dennis usually leaves for town around 5:30 a.m. to be there by 6:15.  Another busy year begins.

My trip to Victoria was good.  I saw all six Imax films that were showing for the film festival, mulled through bookstores and had tea at Murchies.   I was able to spend 2 nights with daughter Susan in Kamloops on the way down, and had breakfast with her in Cache Creek on the way back.  I spent a night with my friend Lani in Langley on the way to Victoria and 2 nights with her on the way back, celebrating her birthday with her on March 1st.  I spent most nights with my sister Claudia in Victoria, but did spend a night with my friend Martha in Metchosin, catching up on our lives and talking about border collies.  Martha trains working and trialling sheepdogs (MarCar Border Collies).  She also raises pups from time to time when she has an approved list of buyers.  Martha screens every buyer and has an excellent contract whereby she takes back any pup at any time if things do not work out for the buyer. 

Speaking of sheep dogs in general and border collies in particular, this trip reminded me of how much I love working with a border collie and sheep.  I miss being able to go out and practice moves with my dog.  Rhaq is now too deaf and poor-sighted to work.  Finn is able to work, but slowing down considerably.  Niko never will work due to the abuses he endured with his first owner.  Life is so difficult sometimes.  Dennis is weary of farm work and being tied down to the farm.  He talks of selling the sheep and the farm.  I would love to be able to work sheep and dogs 12 months of the year,  I don't mind selling this farm but would like to have acreage and sheep somewhere else where spring comes in March or sooner!  Therein lies the conflict.    

Well, enough of this.  Time to face reality, which is doing laundry, cleaning up this mess from painting the upstairs and getting outside with the dogs.  Life is today and now.  Time to get on with it.  Bye for now.