Saladmaking day

Coffee and internet time then I had to get my Monday Instagram post uploaded. Grama and Papa are coming tomorrow so I then spent the morning making creamy potato salad and a macaroni salad. I have to run to town for groceries to make a Japanese salad. I put a coat of clear over the round coffee table stencil.

S had a chill morning and after lunch he headed out to hang a new corner tub I bought for the closest paddock. We also moved the horses into that paddock seeing the other 2 are ate clean. S hooked up the dump trailer and was off to Stouts to load the last of their manure piles to the pit and I made a trip to town for groceries. I brought us back an ice cap meeting him at the pit on my way in.

Once groceries were unloaded I started to make the Japanese salad. The round coffee table had another clear coat put on and of course more touch ups later.

S was back at the house after 5 having loaded up and dumped 7 loads. I cooked up the garden fresh zucchini and a meat sauce. The horses were fed my veggie scraps and I caught Switch to feed her herbs. What a beauty night it was! Then I was back inside working on tutorials and marketing.

B and C were out at 7:15, fed her horses, dosed Switch with bute after I helped catch her then off for home in half an hours time. J stayed at the condo today. S loaded the skid steer up in the dump trailer after pushing his loads around at the pit and hauled it over to stouts to fine tune the last of the dirt. He was back around 8:30 as I finished up a Hometalk post for the S&P set. Showered up an in big brown for hockey for S while I took my ipad to bed to watch some Good Girls.

Last campfire of August

Cooper was up at sunrise (6:30) and wanting back in after 7. I was back to sleep until coffee after 8. I did some marketing then headed out to work on projects. The round black table was painted a fresh coat of black and once dry a mandala stenciled on. This paint was easy to wash off the stencil but also makes for the top to be sealed now ;( I repaired the new coffee table drawer then scrub it inside out and left to dry.

The drum table top leather was painted. I totally did not pay attention to were the drawer was placed as to the legs when I glued it the other day. DANG. I also tried sanding on leg to try and get it level but this little table is going to ooze unique as Sheldon says.

Lunch was leftover roast beef. After taking the morning off to relax (he did quad out and dump far water trough, broom clean and refill) S headed out to weld on his dump trailer. and I touching up projects as well as scrubbing up an old crate before heading out into the beautiful sunny 20 day. Time to pull spent plants, prune leaves and branches, watering the garden and flower beds and continue the fall cleanup. Britt arrived from her night in Banff after 2 and proceeded to ride and work with horses.

Sheldon had swather repairs and other fall machinery chores. He changed Britt's oil at 5 as I was inside making supper. She and her kids were off at 6, we ate and then S prepped a fire for our guests coming around 7. They (Darren and Sharon) arrived after 7 and we enjoyed a great evening of catching up around a blazing campfire. They headed home around 11:30. I had to watch some Netflix before light out.

Finished my sideboard

Yep, another start with coffee in bed then on to marketing with me and to big brown for S. B and C arrived at 9:30 to prep for their riding lesson. The wind was unreal out so it will be an indoors lesson so I opted out to be sure there was enough room inside the arena. B hand watered it and brought in Bird & Roo. I ran a parcel to the gate to have picked up, it was so blustery and cool at 13.

S headed to the custom baling fence to retack up then a drive around while I worked on the sideboard. It was clear waxed then dark waxed and the top another coat of hemp oil and the hardware put on after polishing. It is done!!

I had S help me haul it inside then the cleaning began. I thought it would go at the front door but once there it was too tall and deep. I had vacuumed and washed the floor so carried on for the main floor for both. A quick bowl of let over soup for me then it was back to cleaning. Britt finished her lesson and Anna was off before 12:30. She fed her horses then headed to town after 1 leaving Cooper and J here for a sleepover.

I had S help me move the other sideboard to the front and the new one to its spot now it was all scrubbed up. Both look better in these spots. Now to decorate the front door one and sort all the items in it.

Then above the new one I hung my horse art after adding a wire and wall hook. I dug perennials for mom.

Travis arrived just after 3. We visited over some beers then S cooked smokies and KD for an early supper. We loaded up the perennials, tack etc to send to Oyen along with a half loaf of sour dough for Dad. He was off after 6. A few sprinkles came down, sure hope this is not the forecasted rain.

hoping this is a sign that our luck is changing

I wrote a tutorial for the IKEA chair repair then headed out to take Switch her herbs to the far paddock at 7:30. Now a few more rain drops fell and after I was back inside and showered it really started to come down. In a sun shower actually but so welcome even though it was only half a tenth. S showered and was comfy in big brown with hockey. I finished the Million Dollar Beach House season, it is only 6 short episodes.

Lexi heads back to the city

After our morning coffee S was off to the deck with his breakfast while I caught up with Candace via phone. S decided against changing both bearings in the baler so had half of the parts to return. He decided to drive them back and make a Costco run as part of the trip and was off around 10:30. I was in the garage putting a coat of white paint on the sideboard.

After a piece of beef and a beer for lunch I was back out to put on coat number 2. I love how fast this paint dries. Projects can really progress. I moved some stuff around the garage and hauled out the round black coffee table to get started on as well. I also put the top on the drum table gluing and leaving to set up. 

Kaylin arrived at 3 to pick up the excited Lexi along with Devon and Theo. She is sick so wore a mask and had a short visit on the front step. They were loaded up and off in about 10 minutes. I was back to my garage projects painting a second coat of white. S got back with the Costco load just after 3:30.

We headed to town soon after to run some errands. I checked out our new thrift store and grabbed a few things at the $ store while S returned his torque wrench as it says not to be used on lug nuts?? Next we picked up a free coffee table then stopped by Britt's to let Cooper out. It was funny to see the boys chilling on the couch watching a green screen. I turned a TV show back on for them before we left. Then we went out for supper at OJ's. This is the second time we have ate out since Belize and the other time was for our anniversary. 

On our way back home we grabbed the mail and checked the hay swaths S had custom cut. They were dry so back to the ranch to jump in the tractor with the baler and he was off by 6:30. I headed back to the garage to sand and distress the sideboard. I was putting on a second coat of hemp oil on the top when B arrived about 7:15. She fed her horses and was off by 8. I went out and fed Switch then watered the garden and picked a couple zucchini.

I wiped off the hemp oil and was just sitting to the computer to catch up details when S rolled in after 8 finishing his custom job making 17 bales. Snacks and relax for him while I worked on photo sorting and adding to tutorials then I caught another episode of Million Dollar Beach House before lights out.

Creative Moments hard at work

Another usual early coffee Scrabble start to the day.  I panned the sourdough for the 2nd proof then headed to the computer to do marketing and such before a 10 am webinar. I fit in a quick stage of the little custom table too.

S ventured out to mix up spray and kill weeds. I worked on accounting then till noon when he was in for news and lunch. I was off to the garage to power then hand sand the top of the sideboard. I am perplexed as to that to do the top now to go with the white base: dark brown, natural or white stain?

isn't she the cutest?

He ventured back out to spray more weeds butt dialing me as he went. I was hemp oiling the top letting S decide the color after having wrote a tutorial for the original set of teal S&P. Eventually I took the ranger down to alert him to his butt dialing which turned out to be his rubber boot dialing as his phone fell in his boot. He was just done so I gave him a ride back to the house. It was another hot one out there at 27. We worked on the little drum table. He helped me by drilling a hole in the base and top 1/2" and we cut a dowel to fit. I glued and tapped it in the base then added a bit more glue and wood filler around a leg that loosened. 

just oil can make a huge difference

Next he helped me lay the sideboard up on the table so I could see why the front casters were locked. They were rusted up so we pulled them out and replaced the front casters completely and just new back casters. I took down my paint tent making for allot of work space. 

I had put a roast in for supper after baking the sour dough loaf. Time to get the veggies prepped. We had supper while catching the news then I headed back to the garage trying another new product; a soft wax to deodorize and seal the inside of the sideboard. It hydrated the wood as well as the hemp oil on top.

Britt and the kids stopped quickly at 7:30 to feed and were off in about 20 minutes while S watched from the beautiful night on the deck. I caught Switch and took her in for her herbs while he ran the compost, garden wheelbarrow and poop wagon to the pit to empty. We met back inside at 9. A smoothie while I started a new Netflix series called Million Dollar Beach House.

Baler repaired

We had our usual coffee in bed then I was out in a shot when Lexi puked on the floor. Once it was cleaned up she and I went to the main living area where she puked a couple more times. It seems she ate a corn cob silly girl. I walked to the far paddock to check Pepper to make sure no more nosebleed and he was fine. Back at the garage I  wiped back the hemp oil I forgot to do last night and left it to dry.

S made his way to the shop to start repairs on the baler while I wrote a tutorial for the house sign. He was back to say he had to run to town to borrow a sliding hammer from Gary. Lexi and I loaded up and took Mom's bag of goodies and Aislyn's repaired chair along to drop off. We had a quick visit at Paetz's then grabbed an ice cap and some booze on route home as well as stopping at the trash and mail as we passed by.

My latest paint parcel was being delivered as we pulled up to the house. I whipped up the butternut squash soup for our late lunch. After a rest S headed out to do welding on the baler and I did some computer catch up before heading out to help him. I was wire wheel watcher. 

It was such a gorgeous 26 degree day with no wind. So lovely I dug up my first pot of potatoes and very pleased with them. I also pulled some fresh carrots. They along with fresh zucchini and swiss chard from Manda's garden will go with our steak tonight.

Before 5 I took the quad to the gate for my second parcel delivery of the day. When I got back S was jumping in the car to run to town to purchase more welding wire. I unboxed my parcels! He did not get back till just before 6 then was back to his task. I got the veggies ready then convinced him to finish later so we could eat. We were just finally eating when Britt and her kids arrived after 7. She joined in for veggies then she and I were off to ride.

S also picked up a new fancy torque wrench using his birthday gift card from Kaylin and got it on half price!!

S was back to the baler repair having us help him seat the roller after feeding the girls and setting free. B then caught and fed Bird and off for home while he finished up tightening the bolts and I came in to mix up sourdough bread. Showers and the finale episode of Yellowstone. We were stoked to see young Teren Turner in his big Yellowstone debut as masked man #3.

A few more dog photos

We had our morning catch up early around 7:30 with coffee in bed. I whipped up some pizza dough with the sour dough starter I fed last night then fed it again. The hail adjuster finally arrived to look at the cargo trailer. Then S pulled out the swather and prepped and loaded it to go swath his custom job later today. I watered the garden and did a bit of work in the island that had been left since that tragic Saturday 2 weeks ago. It seems so long ago in some ways but still so sad.

B sent this photo of J checking out his new backyard this am

Lexi hoping I continue to share fresh carrots

and enjoying the pool life

S was off at 1:30 to swath his custom job north of us. I painted a second coat of milk paint on the table and when dry sanded and put a 3rd coat on the tops. I searched thru all my wood and finally found a piece that would work for Aislyn's broke chair seat. I measured and cut using a couple of the big power saws, drilled out broke dowels, sanded and put it all back together just like new, yeah me!!

the white laminated chip board is the broken seat and under is most of my wood pieces.. all too thick

drilling out a snapped off dowel

I found the exact thickness in the very last pile of wood pieces

so proud of myself!! I hope they like it!

B was out at 3 dropping of Cooper and J and decided at 25 full sun it was too hot to ride so back to town to get groceries leaving her "children" to play. A fellow dropped off a load of sod/top soil at the pit. S was back from his swathing mission around 3:30. We enjoyed a couple of beers on the deck in the sunshine.

I love how the dogs think it is a rug on the deck

Back inside to the A/C I prepped the pizza for supper along with a butternut squash. Rob a former coworker of S's dropped off parts for his baler from High River. He still works at Cavalier and drives to and from so it was nice of him. He stayed for a visit then off to his shift at 6. We ate with Britt arriving back at 6:30 with a new ball for Cooper. She had pizza then she and I went to ride. She did her thing and I did mine taking a loop around the perimeter before herbs and release. We opened all the south paddocks for them to graze the minuscule grass that is left, sooo dry. Sheldon stayed in big brown to watch hockey and look at his new baler parts.

B then caught Bird to feed and Pepper who had another nosebleed which is of concern to her. She took his vitals and we will watch him. I put a coat of hemp oil on the table then back out to water the back bed. B loaded up her "children" and headed home. We watched 3 episodes of Yellowstone for our evening entertainment starting at 9 when it is now dark. Thunder and lightening were going but no rain ever became of it sadly.