Internet down

The internet was down last night and still is this am. Upon calling our provider I found the entire county and surrounding towns are all out and will be all day. I joined S for coffee again today then he made his porridge. No internet gave me the perfect opportunity to continue my purging. The under stairs closet was sorted with small suitcase, computer bags and backpacks able to be added to the pile for the outreach program. I vacuumed and put the keepers back in place. The basement bathroom had a quick peruse for items which scored headbands and some sheets.

I made us a spinach fruit salad for lunch with S cleaning up the left over perogies and sausage too. The purge continued with my lower storage cabinet in the garage where paint towels and sheets were sorted and purged. The dining table leaf was brought in to determine color and fit; another cappuccino coat was applied.

S finally had his call from his “boss” and HR confirming his retirement. This lead to lots of computer work and reading for him.

I mixed up Bird’s food, H and I went out to feed her and give others a small apple. The day is now warmed up to -5ish. Next up I loaded the bundles for the homeless program in the car. Helping S try and set up an old phone took up the rest of the afternoon. It seems my kombucha tea seeing I have not made any for months has Kahm yeast so the entire vat was dumped. I will need to find a fresh batch as Shaina is requesting a a case.

I cooked us French toast for supper. Without internet all day it has been a challenge to try marketing, blogging etc. We worked thru the paperwork with S having a couple calls with old coworkers as I headed to bed to read.

Weather warming up

I woke at midnight to let H in garage and it was -11 which I bet was a welcome reprieve for the poor horses. It is the last Monday of January already, going fast and definitely not the way I had hoped 2023 would start out. After my coffee (yes today needs coffee) I got laundry on the go and computer work including publishing the wall art tutorial. After his coffee, breakfast and new peruse S headed out to do the very sad task of burying his favorite horse. It is a tough job to start with but this old boy would be the hardest for him I am sure. 

I ordered tickets for the Nickleback concert and a Roughnecks game then moved to vacuuming. S was back and shoveling the deck and sidewalks. After lunch I washed the hardwood floor as S read his book on the couch but was soon sound asleep. I continued sharing the new tutorial, a bit of accounting, laundry, plant watering and blog catch up. The sun popped out at lunch and temp up to -8. 

The table leaf finally got a coat of cappuccino stain oil after I made horse feed for 1 ;(. The house chores continued with a few random cupboards and drawers organized as I was getting things from them. I made H a frozen treat and a couple trays of pumpkin to freeze. After he woke, S finished reading the whole book. It is a small one called Make Your Bed ; advice from a navy seal. Laundry was folded and put away and more clothes sorted and boxed up to give to the outreach program. I painted my nails and toenails as the sun set at the island as S perused his laptop. 

We had sausage, perogies and veggies for supper then I worked on marketing hoping to get some traction. S watched AGT all stars as I listened along. B stopped out to feed Bird early and give the other 3 some too. They are all very quiet the last few days without their main man as are we. I finished up my work then went to read my book. S came to bed and was soon asleep but I read till 11:30.

Passing of our Pepper

It was Arctic cold still at -22 when I awoke. I let Mom, Amanda and Sharon know our sad news. It is surreal each and every time we lose a part of our ranch family and so very sad. Pepper would be 24 this year and has been with us almost 20 years. He was the "been there done that" horse, willing to try any sport (excelling at cowboy challenge and trail rides with his curious non flappable personality), safely pack around any riding ability (can not count the rides he has given), no bad vices and as he aged, his at times spunky personality was indeed part of his character. He will leave a huge gap in the herd being the ladies man he was and in all our hearts being such an all round trusty steed. I will be doing a memory post for him ASAP, 20 years of photos takes a bit of time.

I did my saliva test for my 23 & Me kit and got it all boxed up. Coffee and writing the blog were my morning tasks while S perused the internet. Shaina FaceTimed as she was involved last night via texts and calls and wanted to chat. A lady stopped at 11 to buy a vintage foot stool arranged last week. 

After making us lunch S bundled up and took the skid steer that he brought over after warming up to roll a bale and I headed to town. I dropped my test at the drugstore mail outlet then headed to Dad's at 1:30. Mom headed to Amanda's for a bath and something to eat. Dad slept for most of my time there but we did get a few visits in. When mom returned after 3:30 with a tea and muffin, I helped her register her DNA kit. Dad was now up and on the move so they walked me to the door at 4:15. I swung by and picked up Britt then returned the belt sander quick and we headed to the ranch.

S had plowed the road and a spot in the pet cemetery and finished trouble shooting the gate power. He was now inside watching football. B mixed Bird's food and some for the other 3 in this dang cold snap and we went out. I opened the big shop door and let the horses come in to say goodbye to Pepper as they continue to hang outside the shop. Switch had a cut on her leg in 2 places so I caught her and B got warm water, washed it and applied a gel, THANKS B. S parked the skid steer inside for the night and back to his game. 

chestnut Pepper sunset

When we pulled in the garage Stella ran out so I had to go track her down and bring her back in after feeding H. This was the sunset I enjoyed while getting her in the frigid temps. I also made up more food dishes before coming in to start supper. B peeled potatoes for me and I got the chicken cooking. Good old creamed chicken is always high on S's list so he was happy. We ate without Dave as he was still sleeping from his afternoon nap. S was back to the TV room for football, B had a nap to on the couch as I caught up the blog loading concert videos. 

Dave was out around 7:30 finally waking from his extended nap - they raced last night in Edmonton in -31 with the wind chill and did not get home to after B did. He ate then joined S in the TV till then loaded up and headed home at 8:30. After finishing up my computer work I crawled into bed to read as did S starting a new book when he came up from sports TV. I shut out my light after 9 as it has been a sleepless last week. S was not long behind me.

Not Again !!

After a late night, the gosh darn hotel alarm clock went off at 6 am, then after I pushed a button it must have been a sleep button that went off again at 6:10 so I unplugged it. It was wakeup time after 9 with a shower, dress and a coffee with creamer enjoyed in the room thanks to a few sample bottles I packed. We then headed down to meet the rest for breakfast. Once we ate and visited it was time to pack up. Jarrod took the one bison head to donate to a local fundraiser.

It was -8 as well left the hotel and headed to mall. A few quick stops at Saje and Lululemon and we were then of to Costco. This took a bit longer to full a cart, pay and get it loaded in the car. The next stop was to check out the sander I narrowed it down to at Lee Valley. I ended up getting it and a few accessories while S waited in the car with a sore back. And the last stop was to pick up Cooper's raw food for B.

As we headed out of the city it dropped to -16.5 then -22!!! BRRRR The Glenmore trail was still a sheet of curling ice with slow traffic down to 35 KPH. Hwy 817 was much better as we turned south. We were back at the ranch around 4 the the arduous task of unloading and putting all away. H was happy to see us, B had left her here after she fed horses and put blankets on the oldies after lunch.

S went to soak in the hot tub while I checked emails and did accounting. He had a shower and nap on the couch then as the sun was disappearing took a run to check out the gate power box and bring the cats in to the garage to spend the night. I air fried the other half of the sweet potato fries with the stuffed salmon in the oven for a delicious supper.

S had a hockey game to watch as I continued doing accounting. He moved into bed to watch with a back massager as I did a facial mask/ treatment. I was finishing it up when I heard banging on metal. Bang and bang. I opened the bathroom window and it was coming from the deck or south. S thought it was wind and a downspout but I said I see no wind. I pulled my coveralls over my nightie and ran out The metal banging was coming from the shop wall. I could see horses shadows with one pawing then laying down and rolling. It was Pepper. I tried to get him up and away from the wall but he would go back to rolling. I ran back  to get my phone and call B and grab a toque and raced back. I got a halter on him and brought him out of the pen. The wind cut to the bone in -24. The poor guy was completely sweat up and after rolling covered i ice balls with gravel frozen in his fur and mane. S had come out, gave me his gloves then started to hook  truck to hose trailer as I walked him on the road. He continued to drop and roll and thrash, the poor guy was in pain. S had troubles hooking up the truck to the trailer damaging the hitch and end gate but once hooked up he went back inside the house.

It seemed like forever but B arrived and quickly gave him a shot of banamine once we took him into the barn. He was up and down, we walked him around the stall then out in the arena. The roads were sheets of ice as we had experienced earlier which slowed down Dr Jordan but she arrived at 12:30. 

She gave him a sedative which helped relax then did a rectal cavity exam and found displaced organs. She then flushed his stomach with warm water B had ran to get. This showed old food still in his stomach. Next up was ultrasound that showed thickening of the small intestine walls with all 3 things not good. His sedative wore off fast requiring multiple doses to do the testing which is another sign of pain and distress. The belly tap also showed blood which all tests confirmed that he was in pain with strangulating lymphoma. Surgery at his age is very hard on them so we made the very hard heart wrenching choice to say good bye. I called S to come out and say goodbye and we were all with him when he passed after 1:30 am.

We helped Jordan load up all her stuff then she was off. Britt and S took small squares to the other 4 who had stayed on south side of barn while I brought the buckets and vet kit back in. B and Cooper headed for home and we headed to bed after 2 am requiring a sleeping pill for me to get to sleep after the last week of terrible sleeps.                       

Snow, Ice and a concert

 Another late to sleep night and a wakeup call at 5:55 from miss H. There was a covering of snow on the ground so it was a quick trip in and out. This am I put on the kettle for tea and fed H but joined S for a coffee with "creamer" for us both. I followed it up with a tea and he used hot water for porridge too. It was overcast  with a short lived snow squall blowing thru around 10.

Marketing was up next for me then helping S shave his back. He jumped in the shower and I dressed as a fellow was dropping a table off soon. Earlier when feeding H I removed the clamps on the table leaf, lightly sanded and touched up the filler with stain. The fellow arrived at 11 to deliver the table but could not get in our gate. After multiple attempts S took H along in the merc and ran to the gate. He was able to open it and the fellow get to the house. S followed him back after unloaded with his truck to try and repair all the mouse damage to all the wires. Many were chewed right thru!! This did not make for a happy S!

The snow started up again softly falling with temps dropping to -4 now. I added a 3rd coat of clear after the table was delivered. S worked at the gate cleaning out mouse excrement after killing e and chasing others away. He returned for a grilled cheese an eggs in pepper rings I had ready for him at one, read more on troubleshooting and headed back. This power outage has changed our whole days plans but better today then this w/e during a polar vortex deep freeze. While he worked on the gate troubleshooting I packed up snacks and my bag then got dressed to go. He was back grabbing his bag and a few beverages in the cooler and we set off for the city before 3.

The roads were awful heading in, like a sheet of curling ice, drifting snow and falling snow. S drove carefully getting us safely to the hotel before 4. We checked in to our premier king room. Note to self no need for the upgrade in future as very little time was spent in the room. We did enjoy a cold beverage after the stormy drive in then headed down to meet Joeleen, Todd, Jarrod and Carolyn. We visited then ate at the buffet for prime rib which had loads of options and pretty good but pricey at $32.99/pp.

Then we all headed to the event center for the Streetheart concert where Gary and Patty met us there. After the concert we went back to the casino to enjoy a live band, visiting and some gambled. As people headed off to bed at different times I left S and Jarrod at the poker table after 2:30 am both with stacks of chips. S was up knocking on the door after losing his key and all his chips at 3. It was hard to fall asleep with the evenings energy but eventually we both fell asleep.

4 song videos

the motley crew

center guy is the lead singer, these girls wanted their picture with him but he said time to go

And here is their reaction :)

Plus 7 & Switch trimmed

It was a sleepless night with many wakeups inc H wanting out at 4:27 am to her biz. Of course that is essential but the other wakeups could be skipped. After our usual start to the day we went for a hot tub soak in the bright sunshine. The weather is to turn to crap so why not enjoy today at plus 4. A shower and computer work followed as the temperature rose to 7 by 11. S caught up on his online news. We made grilled tuna sandwiches for lunch which were tasty.

crazy to still be eating apples from our trees in January, horses are enjoying them too

The sun went away and the winds picked up so I went and fed the horses. Seeing the weather was nice and the feet are soft I caught Switch and took her into the barn to trim her. After letting her go I grabbed 2 stools from the storage trailer a lady is buying then back to the house for a cold drink. Still we are give your liver a break making this over a week :) It will end tomorrow night at the concert HAHA

S had been having a nap in the sunshine, he was just getting on a tele appointment as I did some marketing to answer the stool gal and chair lady as well as a table fellow who was dropping off but plans changed. I also messaged a gal to see about reupholstering the glider rocker. Time to head out to the garage to work on the leaf but of course I found yet another wee corner of veneer lifted so glued and clamped and filled the 2 wee wood filled areas again seeing the 3rd coat was delayed. 

S was now reading his book in big brown, I loaded Costco returns in the car and unloaded pop then divvied up more food dishes for H. Britt will pick her up tomorrow when she feeds and take her for the night so she needed meal dishes ready. S had prepped the steaks so I got the sweet potatoes out and found a huge one completely rotten EWWWW. After that clean up I peeled the other and cut into pieces to cook in air fryer.

before and after; they taste better then they look :)

I cooked them up while S BBQ the steak and with added peas we had a delicious meal. He was then back to his book until the Flames game started at 7 while I did some marketing and blog updates. S moved to the TV room where I took him pie and his favorite maple walnut ice cream. I continued sorting and organizing all my photos which takes hours. I also have to delete ones to keep making room on my computer ;( I had a bowl of yogurt/fruit while joining him for the end of the game then into bed to continue my sander research till midnight. He came up at 10 and off to sleep.

B resigns

Tea for me and coffee for the boss then today I coached him at making instant oatmeal which he added fresh blueberries and banana for a great start to the day. I had toast and apple butter. I was happy to see the deposit arrive for the desk this am. My goal today was to get items together for a local couple who run a homeless outreach program. I sorted a box of clothes Shaina had into summer/winter and then went thru my drawers adding items. Moving to toiletries I sorted a pile from Kaylin's generous past Sephora life along with many new makeup bags to distribute the hotel sized stuff in. While I was under the sink I had S tighten a loose tap handle as he whipped the vacuum around.

I mixed up a batch of magnesium spray; another task on my list. After lunch I moved to the coat closet gathering a pile of gloves then had S go thru this bins to add more to the winter wear pile. I cleaned it all out while in there too. Peggy called while I was scrubbing with Dad having a super agitated lunch and not wanting to eat. She hoped I could run in quick but as we were chatting the gals got him cleaned up. I was back to my closet purge when the nurse called asking for me to come in as he was still very agitated and they hoped I could help calm him to give meds. S and I jumped in the car and raced in only to find him sound asleep. This was a good thing as it means they did not need to "medicate" him. Chatting with nurse we decided to leave him sleep and they would call back if need be.

We quickly picked up Cooper to take to the ranch seeing it was now a nice sunny plus 4 day. S had a zoom doctor appointment at 2:30 which we would not make it home for so we went to Walmart. He took his call in the car while I grabbed cat food and a few other things. We drove thru Tim's on our way home to get a tea arriving back at the ranch after 3. I wanted to get the rest of the donation items together so went thru the huge stack of pillows we have. This pile is just the extras that have gone flat or lumpy.

While I fed the horses and walked the dogs S scooped some poop around the yard. I looped our walk back to pic up the tubs and open the gate then fed the dogs and medicated H's eye while S put the old mattress cover and 2 of the pillows in the cat house and tossed the rest. We loaded the pillows and last of the donations and were off to town before 4:30. 

Dad was moving around the dining room but I convinced him to sit and eat his supper. He was not in the mood for talking so just ate and took his meds in the yogurt. Then S helped me get him into his wheelchair and we took him out of his unit and around the floor for a walk and sit at a quiet end for a visit. He was not much into that as his agitated day continues. When he fell asleep I wheeled him back to Namaka TV room, locked the brakes and chatted with the nurse before we left to let her know his brakes were on and was napping.

S and I then went for supper at the Roadhouse; he went with the baked lasagna and I the spinach salad and both getting the $6.50/10 wings deal. Let's say we were STUFFED by the end. When we came out to the car we found it raining, on January 25!!! We dropped the donations off at the drop spot on a sheltered deck then headed home. Arriving back at the ranch at 7 I sent the dogs out with S to put cats away then in to watch.. you guessed it a hockey game. I caught up the blog after putting a 2nd coat of clear stain oil on the leaf. B and D stopped out after 8:30 to pick up Cooper, she gave her resignation today during her work review. It is now official, she is no linger a Moore's vet tech at the end of February. After a short visit they were off for home.

Painting all finished at B’s

I prepped a supper dish for H after feeding her breakfast and making my tea and toast. I helped S with his cream of wheat to go with his coffees. I cut back my canna lilies and put under the stairs to give a rest for a bit on advice of Ma K and a gal offering me some of her tubers. Then I did final sanding on the table leaf and finally was able to put first coat of stain oil on. S was inside with his coffee and news. I did plan to have him run me to town early for his shinny so I could help Dad with lunch but Britt was out after 11 to feed with the food I made first thing this am. She had planned to go paint earlier but Dave had to work so asked if I could help . 

S stayed to have lunch and watch the news then head to shinny for 1:30. BONUS, It is free for the month. B and I headed to town where she dropped me at Sagewood by 12 where I found Dad cruising around. He was not interested in eating but was hungry. We walked, we tried sitting at his dining table, I tried bringing the meal plate on a rolling tray along to his wing but no luck. Karli the nutritionist went and got some egg sandwiches which I finally got 1/2 of one in him along with a wee cup of ensure, whew. The nurse and I did do a full change of clothes then tucked into bed for a nap at 1:30. 

B picked me up with her car loaded with all her plants but 1 and lunch (chicken rice bowl/ chai tea) and we set off for her new place to finish the painting before 2 arriving there before 3. After we unloaded allot he plants and other boxes of glass with got busy. I was the paint brush cut in gal while she was the wall roller. There were outlets to be removed and cleaning still to be done as we went along. She was just finishing up the last of the 6th gallon when Dave arrived after 4. He ran to Diamond Valley to pick up 5 more gallons and pizza and back in an hour.

looks different right?

the window trim painted white allows the focus on the view I think

me cutting in the closet doors.. the original 1998 wallpaper was kinda pretty but it is now all farmhouse white throughout

cracking open gallons 7-12 bucket

my trim painting (opps started before thinking to snap pic)

We took a short break for a pop and pizza then got back at it. Dave started putting the covers back on after pulling off the miles of painters tape as B and I kept painting. I did the trim in the master bedroom they left and decided they wanted to match the rest of the house then painted in the walk in closet. The next was cleaning the kitchen cupboards inside and out which we all worked at. I finished up the outlet covers while B washed floors and vacuumed and I washed up brushes and roller. We finished up at 9 pm and set off for home.

and below all her plants tucked up to the big windows

It is an hour door to door. B looked thru a box of clothes Shaina is donating then she and Cooper headed home. S who had a relaxing afternoon of hockey games and was watching yet another game but he and I went for a soak in the hot tub that felt good even though the wind had picked up. A rinse, orange and time to relax and read a book for both of us. I did have a gal confirm her interest in the desk and will send a deposit in the am.

Table leaf underway

It was -7 to start with a polar vortex coming later in the week, boo. Headache confirms an impending change ;( I fed H and put on kettle as S made his coffee as I did my marketing. I made him a bowl of cream of wheat to go with his toast and coffee. The dining table got the other half stain oiled after seeing a few wee streaks I touched up yesterday.

Leftover lunch and the news with the sun popping out. I wrote a Hometalk post for the boot rack. S loaded up his equipment, boxes for B, my Etsy parcel and library books to drop off and was off to hockey before 1. I did some more marketing then headed out to work on the butterfly leaf sanding.

I took a break and went and fed the horses; the sun was lovely and it is PLUS 3 but the wind is ugly and heading back in once done. I threw in garage laundry, ordered H's food then back to work on the leaf. S was back after 3 as I was sanding the backside and gluing yet even more edges.

He loaded H in the merc and ran to the mail quick then back to rest on the couch. I did more computer work then put cabbage rolls in the oven with the leftover short rib ragu sauce to use it up. S rolled out a bale for the horses then back in time to eat. His Flames played at 7:30 which was his evening of love hate relationship. He even shut it off for a bit LOL I went to the garage to remove clamps, scrape, sand and butta the back of the leaf then flipped and started the final sanding on the top but of course there was a wee nick on the edge that required wood filler. so I filled and left to dry and came in to catch up the blog and research sanders. 

The wind howled all day so a hot tub was not on the list tonight. I moved stuff from B's closet to Shaina's she had stored in there to make room for B to store some things she has no room for in the new place. I stopped to watch the end of the Flame's game with S which went in to OT with a win! Then I was up to read my book while he stayed down watching the follow up till after 11.

Sunday visitors

I woke at 8 to -1 perusing Instagram and playing a few brain games. I also was alerted to the mens valet selling on Etsy!! When S started to roust around 9 the snow squall rolled in. He made coffee and I tea after feeding H. S perused his online in bed then moved to big brown. I packaged up the valet and printed the shipping label, got the blog published, answered messages with a lady asking about the desk and other marketing. The snow did not last long but the ugly wind stayed.

B dropped Cooper off before noon, fed horses with Dave picking her up and off they went to paint. I added a coat of darker stain to half the table then went out and let horses out of pen and brought tubs in. S scrubbed the bathrooms up, what a helper!! BRRRR even at 0 out the wind bites but the sun peeked out around 1 as I was updating spreadsheets. 

first a paper bag sanding

then a coat on the right side and think it is done

S had a nap on the couch while I wrote a tutorial for the last plant pot makeover. This then has to be shared with paint company and on sites to get traction. I was doing this part when Mom and Dad arrived for a visit. 

We had a nice visit in the sunny great room. Snacks and tea were had and I cooked up a package of the mussels in their Xmas pack which Dad enjoyed as did the rest of us. We got him loaded up after 4 and Mom took him back for supper. I finished up my tutorial sharing and S did more online perusing and perhaps a bit more dozing. I cooked up short ribs for supper in the instapot but varied it quite allot by not using wine or some seasonings and adding leftover roasted veggies  nor did I shred it at the end to make the ragu but the ribs were sure tender and yummy.

Paint prep at B's

It was a busy day especially for a Sunday. I was up and put the kettle on for tea  and fed H. S made his coffee as I got dressed and met the gal in the garage at 9:30 to pick up the night stands. 

Once they were loaded and on their way I did more garage organizing then, glue yet another part on the table leaf then had S help me carry in the table top to set in place on top of the pedestals I hauled in last night after vacuuming the floor. He continued the rest of the great room while it was out and I sanding and wiped it and added a coat of cappuccino wanting to warm the top up. It looks perfect once done.

The top looks too light though so on to plan D

I also had him help me carry the desk down stairs and stuff a memory foam back into its washed cover. He then set off in the ranger to scout for coyotes. I got started scraping but finish was to intact so put  stripper on the table leaf.

While it sat penetrating the meat/paint/food/jar lady arrived to pick up a case of the jars plus all the huge pickle jars I had saved for projects and little jam ones. We were visiting when S walked back into the yard for the truck to go pull the ranger out of a snow bank at the back gate. He loaded H up and took along to pull it out and back then walk back for the ranger. H was a no go for this leg of the journey.

I was back inside once the gal was off stripping the leaf and I was scrubbing it up when B and Coop arrived after 1. I dried it and left to dry well and came in to make S and I spinach salads for a late lunch. He was watching the Flames game that started at 1 pm. I grabbed some sanding paper, snacks and a drink and jumped into B's car where she had the dogs loaded up. We headed to their new place to prep for more painting tomorrow. The dogs were excited to see the 2 great danes that live at the big house thru the windows as we cleaned and taped off the baseboards. More light/outlet covers were removed and cupboards wiped but be darned if I did not think to bring wood filler for all the screw holes in the wall.

The pups visit thru the screen door, and most of the snow is gone out there

The baseboards are all taped off ready to paint

Taking off the covers reveals allot of crud!

my assistant

We headed home at 5:30 stopping for a tea as we passed thru the city. S had a delicious spaghetti supper waiting for us. After the Flames won this afternoon, he ran to Chestermere to pick up a concert ticket/hotel package I found us. I fed H quick before we ate. After B ate then she and Coop headed home to pack more and see Gully and feed Coop of course. I divided up more food dishes for H then caught up the blog for today as S had more hockey going. Once the OT game ended we went out for a hot tub which felt great. I showered, bit more computer work then into bed to read. I quit another book I started and don't like even though Sharon recommended, finished My Hygge Home while S watched yet another hockey game having now moved into bed to watch the end.