738 - ditch and pen cleaning in the sun

Day 738 was a beautiful sunny day. We woke up later than planned as today is ditch cleaning and our route is past Airdrie and starts at 10. We had a lady coming at 9 to pickup a dresser and we awoke at 8:45! lol We got up and at it packing water bottles and such. The lady was late but eventually we got away by 9:45 making a stop in town for fuel, tea and grabbing another painting project. (this is plastic!)

We arrived at our ditch destination just after 10:30 and by noon we were done. It is always amazing to see what people carelessly throw out there window rather than drop at the next trash bin. I think everyone should clean a ditch once in their life and perhaps they will rethink tossing items out the window (with the exception of cans which are eagerly picked up by many people and recycled)

The club was off to have a Kentucky Derby party but we decided on such a nice day we best finish cleaning horse pastures. We stopped at DQ for a quick lunch and Costco for a few returns before heading home. We  were back at the ranch by 2:30 and were in the pastures by 3. The 3 of us worked hard in the sunshine and it looked so much better by the time I stopped at 6 to go in and make supper.

Coco still loves a good quad ride

Supper was yummy as usual with barbqued tilapia but as we were eating we saw the horses escape there fields so it was a quad chasing roundup to get them back in. We fed them up and returned to the house to relax for the evening after a hot bath to ease a sore back. (and Sheldon's sore foot after all the walking)

737 - kitties arrive at the ranch

Day 737 was an early start for the workers. They were here and working by 7:30 am. I let Diego out to greet them and saw that it had indeed rained in the night, not much but at least rain and not snow. I crawled back in bed as Britt left for school driving herself for the 4th time this week and slept till 9:30. The party boy slept later, it seems he cannot handle getting home at 1:30 via cab and up early. The day was sunny but sadly the wind returned.

 By 9:30 this was shop progress, they continued to brace them

 for the cement truck which arrived at 1:30, this view from NE corner

 this is the west door frame

view from the SW corner

I spent time in the garage working on projects mixing paint and painting. Sheldon helped me move the buffet in and the one dresser out before he went out to fill another sink hole near the waterer. We both stopped for lunch before he headed out to scoop a horse pen with the skid steer.

I sanded the top of the buffet which did not fair well outside during the smoke smell removal process, note to self.. coffee grinds instead. Today I tried adding floetrol to the paint to get less marks but think it was not really a huge difference. While coats dried I made food for horses and pitched hay.

He needed a snack and nap around 4 when Britt got home from school. She rode Bird in the sunshine.

I made a healthy stir fry with the wads of veggies we had in the fridge an leftover chicken and rice. It was so very good. While I made supper Sheldon awoke from his nap and started to iron his HUGE stack of dress shirts. At least this part of the job gets his nice shirts some use.

After supper at about 7 Britt saw Mitzy on the barbecue deck in labor. We quickly got a box set up and put her in the garage where over the next hour plus she had 4 kittens.

 she had 3 in fairly quick succession and we thought that was the litter

 but as Britt went in to clean bathrooms she decided to produce this little one

 so I snapped birth photos of each the above being #4

 #1

 #2

 #3

I put a 2nd coat of black trim on the dresser while Sheldon glued down the dam lifted floorboard we have waited forever to have repaired. Britt finished cleaning bathrooms before she was off to a party to be DD (for a fee it seems)

custom piece I am working on, it is for little boys room

Sheldon watched hockey while I updated the blog and checked on mama cat ever so often.

736 - shop progress begins!

Day 736 found the shop being started at 7 am on a beautiful sunny day. Britt was off driving herself to school so I began my day early too. She left a note on Sheldon's wallet and this on the door reminding him she wanted to drive her car to school today. :-) He remembered , must have been the notes.

I snapped some pre photos to capture the change in landscape to start. My back was so sore today after all last nights work but I found a cure, hit your thumb with a hammer and back pain goes away. I worked on taking hardware off and preparing the long dresser in the morning. While tacking the one rail in place, I proceeded to smash my thumb and cure my back pain :-)

 measuring and marking

 nap time, Daisy just got up and I missed KD doing downward dog stretch

 going out to meet the crew and check the placement.. with guard dog ahead barking

 here is the bare raw space

 drilling begins

 and this how deep the holes are

 nearly half done

 mountains bright in the background, the new harrow system waiting to finish the field

 The fellows finished marking the outline and drilling all post holes by 12:30, had lunch and were on their way to next job until the posts arrive for ours. I fed the horses who were enjoying another gorgeous sunny day.

The afternoon I painted the first coat of grey on the dresser. Another painting tip I learned today, never shake a glass jar with paint and plaster to mix with wet hands!! This requires a great deal of time spent washing the floor and tubs around the area for a few feet up!

Britt rode Bird once home from school, hosed and fed her before she changed quickly, grabbed a salad I made and was picked up for baseball at 5:50! Sheldon arrived home from work, sucked back and beer and was picked up by Darren to go to his farewell party from EnCana.

I enjoyed a salad and beer before heading back to the garage for 2nd coat. The poles for the shop arrived at 8, I was starting to worry as cement is coming tomorrow as well so they best arrive but that they did.

I watched 2 PVR shows to round out my evening, Britt got home from baseball at 10. Sheldon may be much later as it is 11 and I am off to bed! Night all!

735 - still have frost ~ May 1

Day 735 was sunny but frosty, - 8 Sheldon says when he left.. seems it was good idea we took trees back in garage but thought since pots so close to house they would be ok with a bit of chill, not that chilly though :-(

The day did not get better when I went to let Diego out and found 2 HUGE piles of dog crap in the garage and when trying to scoop up and clean floor with paper ended up with a finger in it!!! GRRRRR guess who is moving back outside now??

Britt caught a ride with Grady and I spent the morning cleaning. It seems that the birthday and painting has caused a lack of cleaning in the house so laundry and cleaning was a must. I fed the horses and cleaned poop in the pastures for a bit too. I also staged the blue table for sale too.

After home from school, Britt caught horses and her and I rode. I rode Scooter for the first time and what a good pony. She stays at a conditioning trot on a nice straight line. I trimmed her feet after as she ate her 2nd bowl of the day. Lord knows she can handle some added weight. The day warmed up quickly and was fantastic all day as there was NO wind!!

Britt and I ate then she did homework while I went out and scooped dog dung, garbage and rocks; pushed on with snow, off the grass. Once Sheldon arrived home around 7 after stopping for Unicorn drink night with the coworkers it was game on to get everything moved. Britt was recruited to come help pitch hay to horses with me and water plants in front planter which are peeking thru. Sheldon and I moved the temp fence west to make room for the drilling of the shop walls. Sheldon had to fill tires with air as many were flat. He put the travel trailer at the approach for sale, horse trailer by the house, dump trailer with bale by the shed and moved the white car and ski doos. By now it was dark so I went in to shower while he finished moving the quad trailer and trampoline pile. By 10 he was in to grab a bite to eat and get ready for bed. The ground is cleared for them to start work on the shop in the morning.