Our favorite lake!

Near the end of the summer we took another trip out to Crooked lake for exploring and fishing. 

We found a nice little beach up the lake, where Tay and I hung out and wrote letters while the boys fished.

Mama and her babies

Writing letters

Dylan and Russ out fishing in the bay. Later Dylan was allowed to run the motor he was soooooo Proud!

While the boys went out in the boat Ed and I cooked steak dinner over the fire, it was so yummy. 

The evening was gorgeous and warm, a wonderful August evening!

View across the lake

Setting up the sawmill

In the spring Ed purchased a circular sawmill, from a company in town.  It took most of the summer to get it home, because we had to wait till the ground was dry or the crane truck would get stuck in the yard where the sawmill was parked. The last load of 3 came home in early August and he has spent many afternoons out setting up and fabricating the mill.  I lost track of the amount of bits and pieces that were bought home but in late August, while Sue, Mike and the girls were here, Ed and Mike made some huge progress and it has gone from pieces here and there to a sawmill setup.

Moving the carriage from the shop out to the mill

Goofing around out at the sawmill site. Whos idea was this, I found a video where Annika and Dylan pulled the tree down and it looked like Russ was about to be launched through the air, thank goodness he was too heavy for the tree

Playing around on the base before all the pieces arrive

The audience watching progress and there to lend a hand

Coming down

Steady, Steady

Fort in the trees

Almost there

Since August it has almost all been put together, lately Ed has been tweaking and lining things up. Soon it will be up and running.

More pictures to come of progress and the history of it.

Harvest

Yesterday we were invited to pick some potatoes and other vegtables at our friend Lloyds garden. His garden is absolutely huge, we have been over on many occasions to pick lettuce, spinach and berries.

The kids happily fulled 2 large sacks, 2boxes and 1 bin of veggies

Picking carrots with Grandpa Lloyd

The sacks were so heavy it took 2 of us to get hte in the car- it was amazing - we figure Lloyd gave us 300lbs of potatoes, 50lbs of carrots and 20lbs of other assorted root veggies. I kept saying what about you and Linda, we can't take this much - he said 75% of my root vegetables are still in the ground to be dug up - gives an idea of how HUGE his garden is! He says his favorite part is being able to share it with friends and family.

Baling a Bale

Our Friend Owen getting the truck into position for the roll off!

 

I bought a big round bale of hay for Spice from the ranch down the road to start stockpiling for winter feeding.  When we bought the last round bale we lost alot of hay to rain, so this time we decided to square bale the round bale - try saying that 5 times fast! It was hilarious we rolled it off the truck and down the hill, set up the tractor and baler and off we went! 

The boys were all over it, rolling and rolling - sometimes it was hard because there was a flat side so they would have to run at it and PUSH with all their might!

Smaller and Smaller as it went

Jumping fun!

Tayler is in there! you can just see her hair

After counting children off we went baling away! Owen and I had to fluff up the hay as it bogged down the baler. Poor Owen worked so hard on his first day off in a month!

Look at all those square bales!

23 bales later we headed back to the house for a weiny roast - for a job well done!

Some pictures taken in July

 I have not been very good at taking pictures over the last month as you have probably noticed so I have grouped a bunch here of just stuff!

Chicken coop

 Boys digging a very deep hole

Tay garden (4 sticks in the centre) The 2 sticks to the left are part of Russells gardens

Spice

Messy porch full of mudding accessories for the drywall, but check out the new front door

Spice enjoying a hay feast

 Storm clouds moving in

Thunderstorm happening!

I will start trying to take more pictures of the goings on and update everyone more often!

Bye for now

Canada Day - better late than never

We went to Ruth Lake for Canada Day Picnic, not the warmest day but the kids ventured into the water and swam and skimboarded all afternoon - so brave!

Tay was so proud of her tattoos, she was so worried there were coming off. About three days later we finally scrubbed the dirty residue off her cheeks with soap and water. No worries about them disappearing. 

 Dylan skimboarded on about 15 feet of shore all afternoon

Russ looks so cold!

My water baby!

Trumpeting O'Canada across the lake

She Home!!!

 Yay! She came home on Wednesday, my neighbour trailered her home for me, and Spice did great no problem getting in and out of the trailer, and when we put her in her new corral she sniffed around and started eating! I had visions of Hiper Horse for a couple days till she got used to all of us, but it never happened (thank goodness)

She loves to stand at the fence and watch whats going on, and most of the time somebody will bring her a huge handful of grass!

 Me and my sleepy horse! All smiles!

Eveytime I go out with the saddle and bridle the kids want to ride FIRST! I had taken her for a long ride in the morning so Spice was very calm in the afternoon and I walked the kids around her corral - they wanted to ride with the reins - too cute!

Dylan was happily spending time with her while she mowed some of the grass until a few minutes later when she stepped on his foot! So now he has a bruise the shape of a rivet (from his shoe) in his foot and a new respect for her feet (painful way to learn that one!)

Last night we walked her around the property and each of the kids rode her bareback with only the wisp of her mane to hold on to. They were so proud of themselves!

Yesterday I heard Ed call her Darlin' - I think her has falled in love with her too!