Day 2 stampede

S was off to his morning rodeo meeting after a bowl of cereal after 9. I had H fed and on to laundry, plant watering and other menial household tasks. I got the blog for 2 days ago posted and yesterday caught up ready to publish. The shelf was staged quick.

B and Cooper were out before 11 to remove Roo's blanket, mix food and chill on the couch. I helped her find shampoos etc and prep to bath a couple horses with warm water from garage. S was back from his meeting with a chai tea THANKS, we had some left over lunch and were on our way to town for the rodeo after 12. B will be Harley's sitter for the day, THANKS B.

It was not to hot to start out, I secured seats again at the top rail which give a back rest and ability to stand if needed. The performance was much better today with more fans and participants and entertainment. The day began to heat up and by mid afternoon it was in the low 30's even with the smoke cover.

We hustled the truck to the infield right after the rodeo as there were posts and banners in there then got organized for the first set up. New panels and a year gap since being done had S wanting it together early. Of course we had it all up and ready to go by 5 so time for a cold drink then out to man our stations. The running of the bulls had some eventful hits. You can see a girl in round 2 in my live videos and the fellow who won and was tumbled was behind the man lift so I missed it.

Round 1   Round 2   Round 3

Before the running a local native dancer did 2 dances. He is the father to the young fellow who was killed on our highway in a crazy shooting. Just this week, 3 years later the final shooter was sentenced to manslaughter. It was a nice tribute and Sheldon said talking to him after he was so emotional. So tragic for sure but a lovely way to honor his son.

Part way thru I saw a bit of a kerfuffle and one of the wranglers head out and asked, seems one of the first group of bulls never made the arena, he turned back out of the trailer and leapt the fence into the backfield! Wade Rempel had roped him in short order thankfully or that could have been bed. That is also why you see the bulls be let out right at the infield in rounds 2 and 3 as the fence was not lowered LOL.

Takedown was smooth followed by a cold beverage and watching the chucks. Once it was all over after 9 we needed to get the truck out of the infield. The fellow whose horse got the horn at the start of round 3 was parked beside us. He loaded the stiff horse and I suggested we ask if he knew when the sled was out to cross the track, this of course led to a short visit. Once out of the infield we parked at another friends camper and stopped for a visit. 

At 10 we headed out of the grounds diverting to Paetz's who had invited us over for early birthday beverage. Well we were kinda late but we had a fun visit. I finally got the cowboy loaded and taken home at 1:30. Harley said her hellos then back to bed. I closed up the garage putting cats out and into bed then remembered no food for am so went and took out H's food, whew today was a long hot and dusty day.

video of the chucks coming in

1st day of stampede

Seems like smoky summers are the new norm, will the 30+ summers be too? H went out at 7; a bit later today. S was up after 8 prepping for his big rodeo w/e. He unhooked the horse trailer, put water on willow and had breakfast with a side of news as I fed H. He was then off to town at 9 to the rodeo grounds. I made an iced coffee and worked on tutorials and marketing; both which are behind. I made and bottled kombucha; fresh strawberry ginger then wrote a tutorial and posted it for the natural stained coffee table.

I let 2 chubbier mares (B told Switch she looks fit now) in with the others at noon as S was just getting back. We ate leftovers with a kombucha. Grady arrived to pick up tickets and had a short visit over a beer. He was off and we followed soon after heading to the rodeo. It was a hot one in the infield seats at 29, good thing I brought a hat and a comforter to sit on along with some spitz and licorice. There was not many rough stock competitors but loads of timed events with them even having slack this am.

This is 11 year old Pyper Yule, a local girl that was also at Calgary stampede

This is Callum Miller who scored highest out of 2 and 2 buck offs.

We headed to the truck after 3 swinging around to grab missing banners on our way home. At the last set of lights we took a right to stop by Stouts for a beer and see the garage progress. It was a great catchup on their deck as usual. We were off and back to the ranch before 6. I fed hungry H who had all kinds of energy and mixed the horse feed to soak. S took her out to throw the ball a couple times while I started to cook the last good food meal; pock chop salad. 

B and Coop arrived just as we were getting ready to eat after 7. She mixed feeds and took to horses. After I finished I went out to visit and help. As we were spraying B found KD had cut her hip again. We hosed her and doctored it, put all horses in north side and shut of south for a bit. S came out and helped us check shelters for any nails but no luck.

Below is KD after she was hosed rolling in dirt lol so time to rehose and add polysporin to her wounds

I watered garden quick as B headed home and S in to get back to Olympics. Harley got a brushing and massage, not sure how to fix this limpy girl. Time for a shower and blog catch up then Netflix for me.

Shelf finished

I was awoken to B opening the door just before 8 to drop off Cooper for the day bringing me an iced coffee and carrot cake muffin! THANKS. I had let H out at her usual 6:30 time so now gave her breakfast and got on with my day. Roo had her blanket removed and I started water on the peonies as lovely out now. I did a bit of marketing then headed out to get working on the shelf. I also forgot to share Lexi's eye ulcers are gone !! Her check on Tuesday news.

my helpers

The internet repair man arrived at 10 and for the next hour worked on redirecting our dish. He said we really did not need the tower we had to purchase a few years back, gee thanks LOL. He also called me out to hold the ladder to get down.

Back to the shelf I finished painting all sides a second coat of the blue after more wood filler and let dry. 

Lunch with the news was yummy dill pickle salad and gyoza with a frosty beer. The day was heating up at 28 now. I hauled out the mirror to sand front and back after removing the mirror and side box.

The shelf was now ready to stencil. I chose a fun Greek key one and added it to shelves and sides. It also required touch ups and everything scrubbed clean after. This little shelf looks totally different but my goodness did it take work, way more then I will ever recoupe but it was yet another learning lesson however I cant see things tossed in the dump.

I put the dogs inside as now 31 degrees. They napped while I ran to town before 4 to get my second covid vaccine. For the 15 minute wait I went next door to the thrift store and found treasures of course. I was back home after 4:30 but spent an hour on the phone with Bell after it seems they screwed up our account when I called a couple weeks ago and they gave us a new plan saving us $55. HA not true. I got it sorted in time to feed the dogs their supper.

While chatting to miss Shaina I scooped poop and watered my pots and garden. Tonight I cooked up Good Food meal #2 ; pork dan dan noodles and man were they yummy.

 I was finishing as Britt arrived late today at 7:30. She and Dave went to Irvine's after work to get more horse things lol. She mixed up food and I met her outside to apply bug spray on the ponies while she put Roo's blanket back on. She was just heading home after 8 when Sheldon pulled in earlier then normal flights for his big w/e off. I heated him up the spicy shrimp meal then took the kitties soft food to celebrate the girls birthday I forgot yesterday.

these 2 move to fast, not sure I will ever get a good photo of them together lol

S watched Olympics and caught up on his internet perusing while I finished catching up the blog and headed to bed to watch some Blindspot.

Kittens turn 1 year

Ground hog's day morning; H out at 6:30 and awake an hour later; checking Instagram then up to feed H :) It seems to be smoky overcast and cooler but supposed to heat up yet again. I was off to town after loading the trash around 9:30 dropping free tea tins at my gate & tossing trash at the dump on the way. My hair appointment was 9:45 taking 2 hours. I started the book club book from Shaina K Fit while there.

Once done I grabbed the paint stripper at Rona, picked up Opa and an ice cap for lunch then off to grab Cooper. Britt's little flower pots are so pretty. I got Coop loaded and off to last few stops; beer, thrift store drop off and a couple groceries before getting the mail and back to the ranch by 1.

B's flowers

I tried sanding the drawer edge but did not have the luck I had hoped for with the wood filler edge ;(

It is warming up at 25 now and a bit of sun now and then. I ate my pita wrap and went thru the mail. THANKS to Debby for mailing some migraine pills and my little table feet I had mailed to her. Steph's wedding is not far away now. Then it was time to get to work. I unclamped the shelf and the veneer was nice and flat but the plastic took off some filler. I sanded the rest and refilled more areas. More veneer was bubbling so it glued and clamped, sticky tape residue was cleaned off and other gunk. WHAT WAS I THINKING??? 

My paint parcel was delivered by 2 gals today.

I got a call at 3 from a friend that there was a grey horse on the highway was it mine? Nope but I know whose it is. I messaged Mark who was at work as was Brittany his wife so I pulled on my boots, got the ranger out in which Harley loaded up so put Cooper safely in the house. I looked like a redneck with 2 guns in the holder bombing down the ditch with a big black dog as my shot gun rider. Luckily the pony was no longer on the highway but had made his way around back in the field between us. The babysitter had been alerted and was out trying to catch him. She and I wrangled him into a secure pen and we headed home. It was hot and dusty out at 29.

Back at the house I let the 2 fat girls out to graze with the others for awhile then back to my work. The shelf was sanded again and painted a coat of blue paint. The kittens turn one today.

B arrived early coming directly from work at 6:45 as I was eating warmed up left over roast beef. She and I caught Roo, Bird and Switch loaded and headed to polocrosse practice again in Okotoks. We were first to arrive and get warmed up. There was only 5 of us so it was 2 on 2 practice. B rode Bird and had Roo tied to the trailer. At one point she released her self from the trailer snapping the baler twine and ran to the playing field.  B ponied her then as the ump as so sweaty. The horses were feeling sprightly and had a good work out even though it was a warm evening.

We were loaded up and on our way home arriving back at the ranch around 9:30. Horses were fed, Switch got some grass, B fixed her horses chipped feet, all sprayed then set free. She and Coop headed home and I inside to catch some Blindspot before retiring.

Tried another cleaning service

I was awake early yet again as today is house cleaning day and it seems I am excited ;). The wind was really blowing. I did a few last put aways including moving the dining table top downstairs and Harley's kennel outside. Harley was fed along with kittens and double mash made. Pepper had his last does of meds this am so B is giving his mash tonight. I mixed an iced coffee for my work day.

The cleaning crew was to be here at 9 but I got a call the one gal was lost on north side of Strathmore. I got here rerouted arriving here at 9:30. It seems her partner was a no show so the crew is now 1. She got busy cleaning and I headed out to work. I started with paper bag sanding the coffee table and doing touch ups. I think it is done. Next I moved on to the  little shelf removing the backing. It was scrubbed clean and boo it is from a smoking home. The cleaning lifted the veneer so I glued and clamped.

The dresser edge that was bust off was addressed next. I used my new wood filler and tried to build it up and left to dry overnight.

The dresser drawer bottoms were salved and secured in place after buffing. More garage laundry was started then onto the dresser body. I removed the mirror and started sanding the top down outside. Sadly the top has lots of dings and damage and I don't think it will be a great stain project but it is now smooth. I did the sides and added wood filler to top holes.

indeed originally it was light oak stained

I went in and microwaved some gyoza for lunch with a kombucha. Then back to my sanding. It was now 27 out but the wind made it feel cooler. The mirror portion was hauled out and sanded as well.

The shelf veneer was not flattening so I removed it and added filler, sprayed the holes with clear shellac to seal in the smoke and added more filler to other areas.

The gal finished up and was off by 3 but it seems we were charged till 3:30. I brought the coffee table in and staged some photos. While doing so I took some of the dining table as round. I hauled in H bed and put in clean bedding and cleaned a few things missed so all is clean, yeah!

Then it was time to get caught up on some computer work before making my first good food meal; spicy shrimp poke bowl. Once it was done and time to eat it was really good till the heat kicked in and whew it was hot! Looks like the other dish will be saved for S.

B was out at 7, she mixed up her food, caught Roo and prepped her to ride. I picked dandelions for Switch seeing it was so nice out now the wind had let up. The garden was watered along with the roses (the one in question is doing really well now) and shrubs in island too. More weeds pulled around the garden, man they seem to grow well in a drought. B rode a bit outside but more lunging and moved to the security of the arena. When she was feeding Roo her herbs she saw a couple ponies along the fence line and our new neighbor hoofing along behind. I grabbed a halter and went to cut them off but they had gone past the shop. Our horses were all worked up not sure what the shrunken horses were exactly. Switch was interested so I caught her and led her to the fence where they came to meet. The neighbor who is also named Brittany only had a bucket of oats so I took of Switch's halter and gave to her to catch one and walk one back home.

The other 2 horses were fed, sprayed for bugs and set free. B and C loaded up and headed home now that it was 9. I came into wash up and catch the blog up. Mark the neighbor delivered the halter back to the shop. I continued to watch Blind spot while blogging then moved to bed at 11 to finish the episode.

Tidy day

Nice and cool 15 out when H got her breakfast and I gave Pepper his meds. S started tree watering early too seeing it was so lovely out. I got some marketing and accounting done but spent the rest of the morning moving furniture down stairs along with other things tidied and put away. I am trying a new cleaning company tomorrow which means things go to their proper places. I also got laundry on the go inside and in the garage.

before hauling down I took more photos

We cleaned up some leftovers for lunch with the news. Goodfood box was delivered, looks like I will eat pretty good this week. The day heated up like usual and hit 24 when S headed off to the airport at 2:30. This is a super short week with him returning Thursday; Big rodeo weekend ahead ;)

I went out and painted the coffee table base another coat of white and clear coated the top. Inside I finished the blue frame tutorial and got it posted and shared.

these ads were on a August 3, 1963 newspaper in one of the old dresser, cheap foot ball seats :)

A stop for leftover roast supper and some news. The dining table was steel wool buffed then a few more pics taken.

Britt and Cooper were out at the usual time. She fed Bird as I mixed Pep's pills. After adjusting Roo's blanket and hanging the one I washed out to dry she and Coop were off for home and supper. I continued outside enjoying some fresh peas while hand watering my garden. Inside it was computer catchup, more things put away, a nice shower, bed linens changed followed up with some Netflix and relaxing.