Posted in Family Fun, Farmgirl Friday on March 9, 2018| Leave a Comment »
We all know Ella loves Minecraft. Even more, I think, she loves watching Minecraft videos and Minecraft-based parody videos. Well she’s decided to jump in and start making videos herself. So far it’s mostly photo videos from the farm but she has a Minecraft one too. She’ll be making more soon. Here’s the link to her channel.
Here’s her video from today:
Posted in Family Fun, Farm, Farmgirl Friday, tagged Farm Girl Friday on September 15, 2017| 1 Comment »
If Farm Girl Friday still existed, I’d save these for tomorrow. But since there isn’t, might as well show you today.
The silver poplar (remember) was rubbing on the combine, so what’s a farmer to do:
Since there are no power lines nearby, you grab the chain saw and climb on top of the combine!
At least it’s a better idea than standing in the bucket of the front end loader, which was the other suggestion.
Posted in Family Fun, Farm, Farmgirl Friday on September 4, 2017| 3 Comments »
It’s been a busy few weeks here on the farm and a quiet few weeks here on the blog.
First we were off on a sudden trip to Pickering to see Auntie Belinda and Uncle Stefan. On the way down we stopped in for a good visit with Great Grandma.
This time down, we went to LEGOLAND up at the giant Vaughn Mills mall.
Ella’s weight in LEGO.
154 LEGO bricks high.
This is the section I found the coolest. The Toronto skyline in LEGO.
Even Casa Loma. Sometimes the lights were on for ‘day’ but it looked so much cooler with the ‘night’ lights.
Trying out her car design (I tried not to think of the germs crawling around in those boxes of LEGO).
Lloyd, the Green Ninja. Ella can’t wait for the new Ninjago movie that’s coming out soon.
Happy LEGO girl. Ella was really happy because she was able to complete the mission and get all the stamps this time.
Next day we were off to the zoo.
Even though it was a scorching hot day, I think most of Toronto decided it was a good day for the zoo. So why we waited to get in we watched the carp in the creek.
Some of them were massive. Looks like the creek is having issues with algae bloom, like the lake here at home.
Still not too big for the carousel, though she was hoping it would go a little faster.
The grizzly bears were impressive. The picture doesn’t do it justice. These bears were massive, I certainly wouldn’t want to cross paths with one.
There’s a friendlier one.
Hard to imagine a penguin bigger than Ella. Also, $4 for that tiny Popsicle!! Thank goodness Uncle Stefan bought us wrist bands for the Zoomobile, that way we could do some riding instead of just walking.
Do you see what my crazy brave girl is doing??? The Gorilla Climb was so tall that I couldn’t get the whole thing in a picture. The website says it’s 33 feet! There was only one rope she didn’t walk across (at first), it had nothing to hang onto (just the tether rope). But Ella walked across it before her time was up. Special thanks to Uncle Stefan’s brother Nathan who stood in line with Ella while the rest of us hung out in the semi-air-conditioned cafe and re-hydrated.
Pygmy hippo, boy was he stinky.
Just a little hot. I should have packed my hat. I always kid Ella that she looks like Danica Patrick when she borrows Auntie B’s sunglasses. Danica is only our size and always wears over-sized sunglasses.
At the end of the Zoomobile route you get to go inside the enclosures.
Wild Mongolian ponies.
It was even too hot for Ella’s new red panda. Luckily we found a spot under a tree to wait for Uncle Stefan to bring the car.
We really wanted to see the baby pandas since they are leaving the zoo. But by the time we got around to them, it was an ‘at least’ 2 hour wait. Hopefully they will come back again.
We stopped to see Grandpa Jim and Grandma Linda on the way home (they are in Peterborough).
Sign of a good weekend in the City.
Came home on the Monday like always, then on Wednesday Colin and I headed out. We were off to the Hastings County Plowing Match. Wow, the parking lot was basically the size of Renfrew’s entire plowing match.
We didn’t hang around for the tillage demonstrations after all. All day we had been watching waves of black clouds passing just to the north of the Plowing Match. It was obvious this last one wasn’t going to miss. We just got in the truck when the heavens opened up. We actually waited a few minutes before heading out.
The plowing match was on the 23rd, our 14th wedding anniversary. One of the reasons we went to the match was it was located, literally, 15 minutes from one of my best friend’s home in Frankford. So we made it a holiday and stayed over a couple of nights with Ray and Tammy. They took us out for supper and then to the new casino.
That was kind of fun. Tammy gave me $20 to spend and I ended up coming home with $167! Colin threw in a twenty too and won $50. I nearly won $9000. That would have been so cool. I would have used it to put in central air and a new front door (you know, one that doesn’t need a knife jammed in it in the winter to help keep out the wind).
Tammy had to work on Thursday, so Colin and I headed for Prince Edward County. We wandered around Picton and found a yummy Greek diner for lunch. Mmm, that was some of the best souvlaki ever. I found a school book for Ella in one of the antique stores downtown. I really should have picked it up. It was Kenilworth and was only $8. I couldn’t get good reception so I couldn’t check the price. We drove around the County and saw the Lake on the Mountain
Lake on the Mountain
Big drop down to Lake Ontario on the other side of the road. Again, my pictures don’t do it justice. Try the website.
Stopped and checked out an antique store in Bloomfield (Dead People’s Stuff -cool name) and look what we found:
Apple boxes from home!! We often went to Gibson’s to get apples in the fall. I can buy Gibson’s apples up here still because they are part of Algoma orchards and are in the No Frills stores.
Last weekend Colin and I went for a hike at Shaw Woods. It was a good day, a little warm but we walked on the more shaded side.
Remember in the spring how badly flooded we were?
And remember when we came to check the dam on the Snake River up here at Shaw woods?
They had the dam WIDE open so it wouldn’t flood Lake Dore and to hell with everyone else downriver.
Well, obviously the right person lives on Lake Dore, because look how nice and high they are keeping the lake in the summertime:
Oh well, it’s just farmers -right??
We took a different trail this time. Look at those trees, they sure are determined to grow.
They had some fun trail markers talking about the old logging days. The trail on the other side of the road is all old growth and was never logged.
Lots of debris still in the river from the flooding.
This past week we had company a couple of days. Colin’s best friend and his family were up from London. I was worried about the kids. They are a few years younger than Ella and Ella’s gotten rid of most of her ‘younger’ toys. Luckily, the kids LOVED Minecraft 🙂
Tomorrow is our ‘Not Back to School’ picnic, if it doesn’t rain. Then comes all the craziness of school, Guides, swimming, and archery (Ella’s new sport this year). She’s decided not to skate. The arena in Eganville is under renovation and I don’t know when it’s going to be open. Also, we’re tired of the cliquey nonsense that goes on out there. Added to that Ella found out she’d be getting private lessons (she’s at that level now) and she doesn’t want them because she finds it too much pressure. I’m going to try hard this year to get out to the public skating in Pembroke, it’s during the day and we basically have the ice to ourselves.
So that’s about it for the last while. Hopefully once we get back into our Fall routine I can get back into my regular posts.
Posted in Family Fun, Farmgirl Friday, tagged Farm Girl Friday on December 2, 2016| Leave a Comment »
Wow, December already! How are your Advent/Christmas plans coming? To be honest, our living room still looks a wreck. Just can’t seem to get it cleaned up. At least I’m done my Christmas and grocery shopping. Now I can avoid the stores until the craziness is done.
We’ve had a bit of rain the last few days and Colin got the last of the carrots dug up. I canned some carrots and potatoes. I’ve never done this before, so I only did a few of each to make sure we like them. I’m trying a new soup recipe today to use up a few more of the carrots. Then it’s time to put the pressure canner away until after Christmas.
Posted in Family Fun, Farmgirl Friday, tagged Farm Girl Friday on June 17, 2016| 3 Comments »
Wow, another Farm Girl Friday Post! This week we see the Farmer doing pre-harvest work. Colin had noticed some weird sounds coming from the combine when it was in reverse. He thinks the problem is in the transmission. So, since he has nothing better to do (ha ha), he and Dad pulled the transmission out of the combine.
Colin forgot to get a picture of the actual transmission. This is a picture of the hole where it was. Let’s just say it’s a good thing I didn’t have video running while the extraction was happening.
Apparently we needed a picture for scale. This is me beside the combine tire.
Had a ‘conversation’ on FB with a woman complaining about being behind farm equipment and how they shouldn’t be on a “major highway” (didn’t know a 2 lane secondary highway was considered ‘major’). I walked away from the conversation (it was a friend of a friend) but I should have asked how we were supposed to magically get our equipment to the field since it’s only accessible from the highway. People, you need to relax. If you are that late you should have left earlier. And to be honest, the equipment is likely only going to the next side road or drive way -it’s not like you are going to follow the combine all the way to Ottawa.
Our local Conservative Mennonite community is growing in leaps and bounds. They have a good-sized school over on the Beachburg side of Muskrat Lake. There are now so many families over here on the Cobden side that they are building a new school.
How much you want to bet it’s built WAY faster than a public school? Even though it’s mostly the father’s building it in between their farm chores.
Posted in Family Fun, Farmgirl Friday, tagged Farm Girl Friday on June 10, 2016| 2 Comments »
Still a rather cool start to Farm Girl Friday, but it’s supposed to warm up quite a bit this weekend. Off goes the furnace -till Fall hopefully this time.
Any ideas what this is?
It’s the bottom part of one of these! Colin bought a new grain wagon (well new to us). It was cheaper to buy the parts from 2 separate places. He picked up the undercarriage the other day in Renfrew. Yesterday he borrowed the flatbed trailer from BIL Glenn and headed (with Dad for company) to Winchester to pick up the box part.
Just slide the top on the bottom and voila -new wagon.
Finally got the tomatoes in the ground, they don’t like hanging out in the greenhouse once it starts getting too warm. Well, if half a dozen weren’t dug out by the bleepity bleep skunk looking for the skim milk powder we put at the bottom of the holes (prevents blossom end rot on the tomatoes). Luckily Colin had some fencing hanging around (that’s why farmers never throw away anything). Live trap is out and ready for skunk removal.
Came home Tuesday afternoon and found Daisy doing this??? She didn’t even come over to the car, even though we’d been away all weekend. Colin said she’s been there ALL day. Any guess why?
Because the silly thing had ‘treed’ a little black squirrel. Do you see the ears peaking over the top? Colin had tried to drag Daisy in the house (so the squirrel could escape) but she acts like you are killing her if you hold onto her collar and she was desperate to get back. I think she got distracted by supper long enough for the squirrel to make his escape. And Ella worries about the coyotes -Daisy’s not letting anything in the yard!
Posted in Family Fun, Farmgirl Friday, pretty happy funny real, tagged Farm Girl Friday, pretty happy funny real on May 28, 2016| Leave a Comment »
Last weekend Colin found some red Trillium (Wake Robins).
Ella’s fairy garden is coming along. It’s funny how the flowers in Ella’s fairy garden bloom first this year.
The pink lily of the valley is back and seems to be spreading.
The yard smells so sweet these days.
The apple trees are so full of blossoms.
The lilacs are putting on quite a show this year too.
The pool’s up to 83F so Ella’s much happier now. I still found it a little cold last night.
One last Happy is Colin is finally done planting. He’s so tired. He’s been running 14+ hour days for the last 2 1/2 months (cropping and seed cleaning). He’s still rather busy getting all the equipment cleaned up, oiled, and ready to put away again. He needs to sleep solid for about a week.
And here’s the Real. When I left for camp the vetch and other weeds were just starting to poke through the leaves. I came home to find this:
It took me an hour and half this morning to save my lily of the valley that’s hidden in this picture. So now I have one clean little corner in my poor garden.
Posted in Family Fun, Farmgirl Friday, tagged Farm Girl Friday on May 13, 2016| 1 Comment »
Thanks for all the kind words on last week’s Farm Girl Friday.
A couple times this week we’ve headed to the field to have a picnic lunch with Daddy. He’s planting corn today, it’s a little dry and dusty. It’s 29C (84F) and very sunny so it’s like driving a greenhouse back and forth across the field!
Remembered to bring the camera to the barn…
It’s easy to see the difference between the layers and the meat birds. It’s amazing how much bigger the meat birds are. And of course they have to bunch up and look crowded when I’m there to take a picture -ha ha!
Posted in Crops, Family Fun, Farm, Farmgirl Friday, tagged Farm Girl Friday on May 6, 2016| 3 Comments »
No one seems to be doing Farm Girl Friday any more. Oh well, here’s my post any way.
Spring has sprung!
Colin and Dad are busy planting the spring wheat. It’s rather dry out there and we could use about 3/4 inch of rain (gentle rain!). At least with all the sunny, dry weather Colin’s not having to work too hard and actually comes in for supper most nights.
Posted in Crops, Family Fun, Farm, Farmgirl Friday, tagged Colin's mobile seed cleaner, Farm Girl Friday, mobile seed cleaner, soybean cleaning on April 11, 2016| 2 Comments »
Not sure why this didn’t post on Friday, but here it is.
Oh look, a Farm Girl Friday post! Must mean spring is coming.
This is what our neighbourhood looked like on Tuesday (before we were buried in snow). Colin was over a few side-roads doing a big cleaning job. He likes cleaning for these guys because it’s a family and neighbours who pool their cleaning. So Colin has one big job instead of half a dozen smaller/little jobs. Since it takes about 45 minutes to set up and take down the cleaner, it’s much nicer to make it one big job.
This set up is a bit different than usual. Often Colin pulls up to grain bin and the seed loads from there. That wasn’t the case at this farm. The new bins have unloading augers that are too big for the cleaner and risk breaking the beans (won’t grow if you break them). So they ran the auger at full capacity into a holding wagon. The fuller the auger the less damage to the beans.
From the holding wagon (left), Colin was able to use his loading auger to move the beans to the cleaner. From there the soybeans are then loaded into the ‘weigh-wagon’. When the right weight was reached for each farmer, the soybeans were loaded into their personal grain wagons. It was a very long day -almost 12 hours. Colin cleaned 35 ton of soybeans and 3 ton of oats.
Farm Girly has had some fun this week too. Figure skating has come to the end for this year (so early compared to at home). They had a big carnival and Grandpa and Grandma Lorraine came. Grandma Hattie was there of course too (she drives us every week). Daddy was even able to come.
The Future Star kids did their competition routine. Taylor wasn’t there so Ella got put in the centre of the pinwheel since she’s the next biggest (in muscle mass not height).
She made a great cheer leader!
My very happy Farm Girly has finished her CanSkate program in only 2 years! She got such lovely comments from her coach in her report card too.
I forgot to share this one on Wednesday:
Last Saturday was Cookie Day in Renfrew. Wow, what a miserable day! On the way to Renfrew we hit a wall of snow and could barely see the vehicles in front of us. Luckily we were almost to Renfrew or we should have turned around. The snow stopped, mostly, after 10. Then the water started dripping off the roof. We took the tablecloth off soon and had to use it to mop up puddles. Then the snowballs/pellets started. The lovely folks at Metro let us come inside the doors for the rest of the day.
You know the most common comment/question when people hear you homeschool? “What about socialization?!!” Well guess what? If it wasn’t for my ‘poor’ home schooled child we would have sold 0 cases of cookies. We had a Brownie and Spark member ‘helping’. Ella was the only one to actually stop people and ask them to buy cookies. We were there for 4 hours and we sold a whopping 10 cases of cookies (12 boxes in each case).
At Home With Us 