post and rail continues

Time to get back to the ranch work and get the post and rail finished. While Sheldon ate his breakfast and perused the stack of newspapers I put the second coat on one of the pieces I missed the underside of the azure pieces.

 this smart little apple treat waited to bloom after the wind storm ;)

We loaded the now repaired generator in the quad trailer along with most of the tools we needed to remotely finish the far south paddock and headed out. Before we started on the post and rail though we rehung the snapped electric wire broke last year along closest paddock when Mom's horse and Baby had words over the fence.

Off to the main event. It was not long before we were out of bolts and needed a couple missing tools ;) Seeing we needed to restock on bolts we might as well get the longer rails we needed to which required the dump trailer which was still loaded with mainly the cut up poly tanks (I had given away most of the wood at this point). Over a quick bite to eat we found the dump no longer has a dump and burn pit but would require us to hand bomb all the stuff off. Thank goodness I had most of the wood taken care of! I pulled off another 3 pallets before we headed to the dump and a fellow popped out to get while we were fencing.

So off to the dump station to unload the trash then to UFA to get the supplies and back to work. Man she is a hot one at 30 but there is a breeze that keeps bugs at bay and a bit of a cooler temp. However once you got down in the far corner it was HOT. Of course this is where old posts had to be hand jacked out and wire cut etc. But by 7 we got all the work done that could be until the remaining rails are exchanged tomorrow.

this quad works hard

corner left to do

days progress

We got inside just before Britt after her first paid day of work and 4 days off. Long day for sure but even longer as she ate and was off to town to wait at the ER for a prescription and not getting back home till 9:30. Sheldon hit the TV room for the hockey game after supper while I went with a shower and some Netflix!

road trip to Hanna

Up at 7:30, Shaina and I as well as Sheldon who came along to see the crop tour were out the door and to Tim's by 8. The car need petrol too and off we went on the scenic drive east. We made our 10 am appointments and were out before 11. We usually take a tour of our old houses too when in town. An early lunch was grabbed at Subway with an ice cap to wash it down on the road back home.

Britt stayed home to sleep in her last day off. She did clean Shaina's jeep. And a few other chores before we arrived before 2. The girls quickly changed and caught the horses to ride while Sheldon hit the couch for a nap. The 26 sunshine was warm but windy but this did keep the bugs away for the most part.

A cold beverage for the riders and Shaina was headed back to the city and Britt ran to town. I went out and scooped poop in the boys paddock.Holy cow in just a few days the two of them had an entire wheelbarrow! Sheldon helped load it and dump in the pit as he was up and out in the shop working on the mouse wrecked generator. I was trying to push mow weeds when a gal stopped to pick up a load of the dump trailer lumber.

Britt arrived back as she was heading out. She cajoled Sheldon into helping her finally mark out the polox field while I picked a couple loads of rocks from the paddocks.

company from my girls as I picked rocks

Britt then hit the shower, I moved the boys to the round pen along with filling the tub with water and setting up a salt tub and Sheldon back to the generator. He finished up as I finished putting another coat of azure blue on the projects. Another busy day in the life of five star ranch.

riding X 2

I was awake a few times through the night and early morning due to coyotes carrying on but was abruptly awoken with the sound  of a loud mechanical swoosh after 8. Jumping out of bed I found a coil tubing and a tank truck at the well nearest the house.

My usually morning check did not find any sales messages ;( time to get water going on the flower beds and get another coat of primer on the table base.

A selection of azure blue pieces went on the paint line next; a magazine rack I took apart to paint and a coaster set

Britt was having a slug day until I rousted her to come join me riding, first our was Hawk and Pepper. The poor boys were quite the handfuls as basically first rides of spring. We took them to Matt's pasture where Oscar was a royal pain barking and pestering the but they survived. Once hosed and back in their pen we came in for a cold ice tea. It was a sunny warm 23 day out there.

Once refreshed we were back out riding the working girls and after a warm up, coach Britt taught me the "proper" way to throw. We proceeded to trim both their feet after with Britt helping by rasping Bird's two fronts to smooth.. I guess it is a start to have some help.

By now it was after 8 and time to cook some supper. Shaina was able to catch it while almost still hot getting off her golf course shift at 9. She is staying the night as we are off to see Dr Dave in the am. Sheldon arrived home around 11 saying hello, drinking his warm tea I had him made and asleep in no time.

tree trimming

Up at 7 wondering where Britt might be, seems she slept over at Brooke's but did not think to let me know ;/. Up early on a sunny Sunday I grabbed a coffee and got busy. The dining table base got a coat of primer on base and underside. The bread box needed a couple coats of paint and wax on the bottom of the door that showed .

the birthday girl looking ravishing at 13 ;)

Time to go in the sunshine to top up all horses water tubs and refill salt/mineral tubs. Scoop poop in the new paddock which led to a full wheel barrow. Time to transfer it and the barn poop tub into the trailer I got hooked up to the quad and off to the gate. I might as put my tree branches I planned to trim from the huge evergreen at the gate too. For the next hour or so I sawed and clipped and sprayed (pruning spray) my way to a much prettier tree. I do however need a boot to get the higher ones. Many people driving by probably wondered what I was doing half way up the tree with my feet on two branches, hanging on to another with one hand and sawing away. HAHA that and balancing on my quad front for other branches.

Dropping all the branches in the pit I practiced my extreme quad driving up and down the edges and found one of the huge metal tree baskets rolling around. I loaded it and the pallet and pitch fork left at the gate as my trailer was now empty and headed back to the house.

 the new tree has a jaunty new angle after the wind, need more then my muscles to straighten it up
 
Britt was home from working at the tanning salon, her last shift ever there at 4. She had kindly picked me up a bleeding heart root ball from a ladies doorstep and I got busy planting it and watering it in. I also gave Lola a good brushing.

she LOVES being brushed

B napped having to be woke up when Shaina arrived at 5:30 for us to ride. It was a beauty day to ride at 23 and no wind but the ride thru the hay field stirred up mozzies and not 1 but 2 coyotes! This side tracked Lola who never continued on the ride.

Back home, hosed off and put away, Shaina was off to the city leaving Britt and I to eat a quick supper. B then retreated to the basement. Coco and I walked to the gate to shut it after I had quadded down earlier to open for a lady to pick up a garage sale item and leave open for us to ride out.

I went with the mercury glass knobs ;)

grass is a growing, got a mowing

Sunny morning again, this grass is growing as I type. I made coffee but to late for Shaina who was off before her 9 am shift. Britt had one though as she relaxed her morning away. I stained the dining table top another coat, this time back to driftwood then waxed the bread box with white this time. I now needed to get out and mow; first step checking grass for hoses and such. Then it was jump starting the mower battery ;/

I finally was on my way at 11 and 2 hours later I was done almost everything. I did leave the north side of the driveway to go to seed in hopes of thickening up. Back inside I buffed the bread box, drilled bigger holes with my now charged drill and posted an opinion post as to which ones.

 color is not showing true.. it is more true in top pic

Time to flog Britt into action, she and I went out and tidied the tack room which looked much better after not very long. I then worked on yard work, pulling more quack grass etc from the darn tree bases while she napped. what! A fellow arrived for pallets and once he was off I changed and woke princess, made pizza dough then we went out to ride. We left KD and Daisy in the far paddock which had Daisy pushing down a rail to follow us. Nice plus 25 day.

Time to reinstall the electric fencer to that area once our ride was over. Britt topped up the water in the new paddock where we had left the boys and added Switch and Bird. The fencer is so easy to move and hook up and I even got a zap to see that it was working ;)

the wind damage to shelter fence

Back inside, Britt was schooled in how to press out the dough and then she added sauce, pepperoni and cheese and into the over it went while she showered. The skies grew threatening and a brief squall blew by and soon the sun was back out. We moved Switch and Bird to the closest south paddock leaving the boys near the house. Time for me to soak in the tub and finish season one of Sense8. She headed out at 10 ending up spending the night at Brooke's.

just a light breeze ;)

Awoke to less wind, yeah. Britt was off to her last FREE working day then gets 4 days off before the PAID version starts. I posted the cabinet on my Facebook page for sale and Kijiji then headed out to stain the table top. Only I found the one fold down side was too light so redid it and left it to dry before doing entire table again later tonight.

 quick pics to share

I buffed the bread box and did a few touch ups on it. The drill was dead so no new hardware installed there yet. Candace had texts some dresser photos to me from a friends garage sale and was kind enough to go check them out and score for me. Thanks to her, Grama and Papa for being part of the Creative Moments team.

I find this darn bone buried in my good flowerbeds daily.. oh Lola

The lack of groceries and a few errands forced me to rush to town before 1 as a polox gal was coming to pick up posts and rails to make herself some jumps. I hustled and got groceries, dropped a huge box of paint at recycling, made a drive thru deposit, grabbed a drive thru tea for lunch, picked up some free j-cloths, picked up a horse blanket I bid on, grabbed the mail and raced home to meet her just after 2, WHEW!

We loaded up the rails then proceeded to visit for a couple hours in the nice to see sunshine. Once on her way I got busy unloading my groceries and whipped up this broccoli salad I saw that looked good. And it is good.

Britt was home at 7 as I was chowing down on salad, she had a bowl then we were off to catch horses. Shaina arrived just in time to jump on her caught and saddled horse after her first day back to work at the golf course.

After our great ride both girls showered. Britt was off on a movie date to the city so Shaina and I had a movie date in my big comfy bed and watched The Light Between Oceans. She is staying the night for an early shift tomorrow at the golf course.. ok 9 am ;)

wind still blowing

The wind blew all night and all day. GRRR It seems there was 7/10ths of rain according to Matt that made it in the gauge even at an angle. Britt left early and I was up early. But when I went out to check our rain gauges, the good one was blown over and the one that never registers right showed this

and the one at the shop showed this!! 2" Seems there is quite a few measurements from one small area but I tend to believe the last one is correct after riding out the storm

The dining table was calling, I put a coat of black stain over the driftwood which was now dry.

I decided to touch up the spray paint cabinet and put the legs on and while spraying I gave this banana holder a bit too.

I scrubbed up this bread box I plan to do for our house.

Once dry it got a couple coats of fun blue then waxed

the banana holder was given 3 coats of white, pics tomorrow

this magazine rack was scrubbed up along with some wooden coasters

The weather continued crazy all day, the morning was overcast and gloomy, around lunch the sun peeked out but soon rain came down. This was the whole day, cloud occasional sun again after 5 but consistently windy until Britt got home from work just before 7 when it started to settle down to a dull breeze.

She helped me carry the cabinet in to stage then write the cabinet blog post

I did put another coat of ebony stain on the dining table before hitting the shower.

Happy 40th Jamie Dee, hope you had an amazing day!!!