857 - lazy day at the ranch

Day 857 sleep in Saturday of a long weekend and I am awake just after 7 am.. WTH!! Tried to fight it but no use so ipad time then coffee. Britt was up and even had 15 minutes to spare before leaving for work at 8:30.

It was the laziest day. Sheldon drank coffee and played on tablet but did manage to hang my office message board!! I wrapped gifts and submitted  warranty for damaged quad trailer. I also worked on GST, yes I left it till last day once again!! :-)

Kaylin and Aaron stopped out around 1:30 to get Lexi and visit. However they were not feeling so well after celebrating Aaron's birthday last night. Sheldon even cooked sausage for lunch and they passed.

 Lexi giving Aaron belated birthday kisses

After lunch I finished my GST by 4. Sheldon watered more trees today and gave Diego a spa day with brush and bath. Britt came home after her long double shift day at 6:30. She quickly changed and headed back to town at 7 to meet friends for supper and hang out.

Sheldon and I snacked on nachos and enjoyed a relaxing evening. Britt was home before 1, night all!

have you tried thee hummus nachos from costco?

moved the ottoman into our room.. hmmm? clothes rack I am betting

856 - 4-H record books marked & golf tour

Day 856 was another early one. Today Sheldon was up and gone with Craig by 7:30 am to watch the Shaw Charity Classic golf event in Calgary. I could not sleep so got up too and enjoyed a coffee and games before Britt headed to school. The morning was gorgeous. I started the dreaded laundry and got a table ready for lady to pick up this morning. I also fit in a long awaited gel pedicure.

Just after 9 I got the 4-H record books out finally to mark. I am not sure why I procrastinated but it seemed I was always busy with something else but since up early and quiet in the house I pulled them out and got marking finishing at noon, whew and there were only 7!

The afternoon was spent in the garage washing projects, sanding and filling damaged areas. Amazing the shape some things are in, gum, jam, paint cigarette burns, you name it. But with a bucket of water, scrub brush, elbow grease and wood filler along with sandpaper you can prep the surface for a new life. I kept the laundry inside going too.

 all after good cleaning and repairs

 this poor table should shine up nice, not sure how so many burns got in the top

Britt was home from school at 4 ready for a long w/e of work at the arena and hopes of back to school shopping!! Just before 5 another storm blew in causing wind and rain but again, not much and it ended fairly soon.

I cooked up supper and Britt and I started. Sheldon was dropped off just after 6:30, ate supper, washed pots and pans and promptly napped on the couch, hard day in the sun! I vacuumed trying to stay on top of the Lexi hair.. O my I am so glad Coco does not shed. It is a daily job!!

I set up a new fruit fly trap as they were on to my old one and this one caught about a dozen in no time.! For our relaxing evening, Britt, Sheldon and I watched 3 episodes of Amazing Race Canada!

Today is also Aaron's birthday, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

855 - shopping trip with AJ

Day 855 Britt and I were up and gone by 8:20. Prince Ali was still loading up on beauty sleep. I was very busy again at work. I even worked thru lunch until just after 1 when Amanda and the kids picked me up> We grabbed lunch at A&W and beetled into Calgary where Ada had an appointment to pierce her ears at 2.  Know AJ fear of needles and blood I knew I best go when asked. She did very well ;-) as did Ada for the shocking experience and now can not be mistaken for a boy :-) Next stop was Costco to get Asher his Hulky Man costumed he just could not wait to get. He is such a funny kid. We also grabbed Ada's baptism outfit and some white polox jeans on a screaming sale fore heading back to Strathmore by 5.

 Ada's ear piercing experience

the hulk transforms.. good thing he is trapped in a car seat!

Back at the ranch, Sheldon got up and went to town for a massage at 10:15, did a few errands then loaded a load of bales and watered trees once back home.

I dropped off the aged growth ruler at customers house, stopped at Rona and made a deposit at the bank. As I was heading home I thought, heh it is after 5 and the take it or leave is now allowing you take so quickly stopped. Bingo, there were a few things that caught my eye. :-) Unfortunately the "guards" had no sympathy for a damsel dressed in white capris and pretty blue silk tunic. I had to haul all my treasures my self to the car coming home somewhat covered in dust and grime!

As I pulled into the approach there was dust ahead of me, it was Britt heading home from running to town to her work for a key and opening instructions. Sheldon pulled in a few minutes later after dropping off the load of bales to another customer in Caresland. A squall rolled in but was in the end just a few drops in the grande scheme.

my treasures all unloaded.. check out the sweet little oil painting, I shall hang that I think

I LOVE my car, it can seat 7 in comfort, 4 with storage or me with a TON of treasures!!!

The evening was very relaxing with everyone grabbing left overs, Britt made banana muffins. Sheldon kept the tree watering going hoping to keep them all well hydrated before... dare I say impending winter! I have noticed lots of poplars starting to turn some leaves yellow :-( And it is getting dark by 8:30 too.. boo hoo!!

854 - Back to School

Day 854 is back to school day. I was up at 7 to check Britt was up. It was so lovely out I stayed up, snapped a few pictures, made coffee for prince ali when he awoke. Britt did not want first day pictures outside due to Diego slobber :-) so we took inside.

 Britt off to grade 11

Off she went by 8! I went out and watered my garden and deadheaded the petunias. Sheldon eventually got up and actually cleaned his night stand and piles of clothes and papers on his side.. yes!! I let out the horses to graze for the day. Sheldon loaded trash and we headed to town before 11 to meet a gal who bought Kaylin;s online item then I went to acupuncturist while Sheldon ran errands. He was back at 12 to pick me up and the gallant gentleman took me to Edo for lunch :-)

A quick stop for the mail and toss tin and trash at the dump before we headed home. Back at the ranch I staged more furniture for sale and sorted digital photos on the computer while Sheldon finished up the last portion on the deck.. finito! The day was hazy due to fires but still warm at 27.

The 2 growth ruler customer arrived just before Britt at 4. I cooked supper tonight making a family favorite.. tacos

 this is what happens to Coco's toys when Lexi comes to stay

 deck railing all around the house, things are progressing right along

After supper Sheldon helped me hang the paper blinds in the 2 west basement bedrooms. Sadly the wind picked up again later in the evening.

853 - another movie night and frame score!

Day 853 I was up early and off to work. I grabbed teas for our busy day at work but we got to celebrate Coreena's birthday with a lunch at the Station. Always enjoyable to have our traditional birthday lunches. I left work at 2 and made a stop at the Ford dealer to grab a package form mom out of Travis's truck that was hauled up for fixing. Another quick stop to pick up some lovely old frames from a friend and make a deposit at the bank before I headed home.

think the photographer may have had a few beer already!

Sheldon was just coming in for a beer after spending the morning moving the bales off the field and delivering 5 to Stouts. I joined him for a quick one then changed to get painting. I put poly on both growth charts finishing them in record time for the customer. I gave the kids table a 2nd coat of blue, painted a sign board blue and then glazed the white end table. whew it was HOT in there with a day hovering around 29

Britt had spent most of the day holed up in the basement trying to decide what to wear to first day of grade 11 tomorrow but eventually went to check on the horses and pen them up. She found KD had yet another cut so hosed her and fed the cats :-)

check out this dandelion, at least 4 feet tall!!

Sheldon started work on the last area of the deck and got quite a bit done before we got ready to head to a movie at 6 to celebrate back to school with a book we all read, The Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones! It was very close to the book and enjoyed by all. We grabbed a late DQ supper just before 10 on our way home. Britt was up late showering & planning for big back to school tomorrow.

852 - the crappy wind returns

Day 852 had a wee bout of rain just before 7 am. I was up at 8 and it had basically quit :-( I made coffee for the prince when he awoke and started the day checking my face book page numbers. Once up I updated Facebook and the blogs and managed to find frames. I am most excited.

It was then time to head to the shop and work on projects. Today is hand painting, waxing and poly coating. The wind was horrible today!! It blew furniture off the deck that I had just tucked against the wall even!! It did not let up until supper time.

hand painting, manicure still looking good

 hand painting done

oh my.. how tidy is this, fun to work in here

Sheldon headed to the city before noon with his dump trailer to get the rest of the deck rails, stop at Costco and Home Depot but he also managed to fit in a stop at the green tractor store. His excuse.. buy ME new lawn mower blades!! Pretty sure he checked out tractors that would look good on the ranch! He was back home just before 4 when my Sylvan Lake customer arrived to pick up her new solid maple coffee and end tables.

I went back out and painted the kids table while he unpacked the costco goodies and enjoyed some refreshments and relaxed after his hard day. He had put on ribs to simmer too and after unloading the rail stuff made an avocado and tomato salad along with macaroni to go with the barbecued ribs. I spent a few hours doing .. accounting and yes I still have GST to do this week..UGH

 little table goes from dog chewed red to bright blue

and my little helper, Miss Lex

Britt went to town to meet new arena managers around 5 and was back in the hour. We enjoyed the yummy but late supper around 7:30. After supper I did another dreaded job.. filled out passport renewal forms for a couple hours! While Sheldon and Britt watched TV (and Sheldon tried to pass more candy crush levels)  :-) I slipped back out to the garage to antique the white growth ruler and filled a few more teeth marks on the table before retiring to bed at 11:30.. to play a few games and read!