Windshields, Zucchinis, and Fly Battles

Early mornings around here have become routine for me. The sun streams in, coffees are had in bed, pets are fed, and some form of breakfast usually happens for Sheldon — though for me not always.

I checked in with Shaina first thing. They finally arrived at Kaylin’s at 1 a.m. (3 a.m. EST!) after their detour day. Worth waking up though to this little snuggle bug.

so smart :)

Sheldon was off in the Fireball early for a rodeo meeting starting at nine. I stayed behind, diving into tutorials, blogs, and computer work. I also picked apples from the Duchess tree and made 2 pies. 

Nearly three hours later he was back — Cooper in tow. Turns out he hadn’t taken a house key in his rush, so he ended up climbing through a window. Not exactly comforting when you think about a young girl living alone!

I had just slipped an apple crisp into the oven when he walked in. He whipped up a grilled cheese and sausage sandwich with a side of veggies, then was off again within the hour — dropping his truck at the glass shop for a new windshield before being scooped for hockey by a buddy.

Lunch for me was a slice of that still-warm apple crisp. Afterwards, I walked the dogs under a cloudy sky. Even at 25°C, the overcast kept it comfortable, though the sun reappeared just in time for my poop-scooping circuit.

By afternoon, I had painted round trays in shades of green and checked on the garden. That’s when I spotted it — the zucchini that had been just a few inches days ago now stretched to a full foot long! Cooper and I strolled back to the gate later to pass along a bag of things, and I wrapped up the Tuesday blog post before heading out again to dig up potatoes, beets, and onions for supper.

Sheldon rolled in before 4:30, windshield replaced and McDonald’s coffee date complete. He was promptly drafted into “fly patrol” in the garage, which is currently swarming as I fed the dogs. He claims he swatted 500!

thanks Shaina for these cute videos

Dinner was a true fall feast — roasted garden veggies, homegrown pork ribs, and corn on the cob. B popped by for her usual evening visit, grabbed a bowl of still-warm veggies, then headed off to feed and re-shoe Roo in her rubber shoes.

Sheldon and I ended the day with a hot tub soak, then showers before collapsing into another episode of Waterfront. Only one episode left this season!

From Trail Dreams to Trail Reality

Today’s plan shifted more than once — trail ride, then camping, then trail ride again — before we finally settled on keeping it simple and managing the heat. I was up just after 7, already running through the to-do list in my head. Coffee first, then packing: snacks, drinks, tack, the works. Crazy to see the firepit still smoking from last night — proof of how long tinder holds its heat. Roo got a bit of grazing while we finished prep.

S hooked up the trailer, mucked out, added shavings, while I dehaired saddle pads, packed boots, and tied up loose ends. We caught Switch, though only Jimmy was eager to follow, while Roo firmly declined returning to the fat pen. B and Cooper rolled in at 9:30, loaded her tack, and caught the last two horses. Jimmy and Bird were left behind, hopefully to form a lonely-hearts club.

The dogs were unimpressed at being left in the house, but by just before 10 we were rolling toward Sandy McNabb. Another hot day. Horses unloaded and tacked, we set out just after 11:30 on a 2½-hour loop, logging over 11 km. It was a gorgeous ride with a few “moments” — Beibs started as a full-on creek flyer, then switched to a water dodger, stalling long enough at the tiniest creek to test everyone’s patience. But he made it.

refer to above picture farther down in content

water dodger and the new creek flier 2.0

these 2 epic pics by B :)

Back at the trailer, we rinsed the horses with buckets, offered them water, and cracked a cold beer. But before settling in, there was a bit of a gasp moment — the truck door was wide open and the tack room unlocked. First thought: my iPad. Thankfully still there. S was certain he’d locked everything… but thanks to some solid photographic evidence, it turns out he’d left the truck door wide open while mounting his trusty steed. (See photo above for proof 🙃).

B tidied up Beibs’ feet, then we loaded up for home with a couple pit stops — cocktails from Eau Claire Distillery, and a DQ treat compliments of B, THANKS! (ice cream for us, plus B’s chicken wrap, shake and fries she shared with S).

By 4:30, we rolled into the ranch under 30° heat. Horses were reunited with Bird and Jimmy, dogs thrilled to have us back. B headed home, and S and I tested the cocktails with leftover cabbage casserole before he napped in Big Brown and I watered plants and ordered Har’s food. We took the dogs for a short gate walk, golden hour still warm at 28°, before I turned on the back beds soaker hoses. S came to help me with a leaky hose while unhooking the trailer.

B returned around 7 to smooth more chipped feet— Switch, Beibs, and then Roo, who also had a rubber shoe removed after losing one earlier. Meanwhile, S and I wrangled the tractor bucket back on, which turned into a full production with pry bars, hammer, rags, and patience before he could finally get to moving bales.

By 9, B and Cooper were off, I settled into the blog, and a text came in from Shaina — their trip rerouted to Thunder Bay due to a medical emergency, still delayed. Poor guys.

S wrapped up bale hauling, came in for a shower, and we ended the day with a Waterfront episode before lights out.

Sunshine, Dirt & Starlight

Thank you sunshine for waking me before 7, promising the heat of the day ahead. After a quick shower and the usual morning rhythm of pets and plants, I made S a veggie frittata for lunch before heading to town.

S shared a bale view of new ones

My errands included a nail refresh — shorter and a new color — a few groceries, and picking up Cooper. I also swung by Paetz’s to grab the weed eater S is borrowing. Back home, he was hard at work cutting out weed patches in the far paddock and replacing them with pit dirt.

remember the weeds at far paddock gate photo from few days back?

weeds scraped up from said area

scraped then fresh dirt added with a plan of paying attention now

by the water trough, the after dirt photo did not work

The day was full of tending — deadheading blooms, watering gardens and planters, and gathering veggies. S busied himself tidying machinery and putting it away, while I helped reattach a metal piece that had come loose while baling. I bailed out the puppy pool into nearby plants before refilling it with fresh water.

cleaning out baler in Roo's pen which she enjoyed

leaf blowing out the swathed grass

my deck view and new nail color

By late afternoon, we met on the deck with cold drinks, enjoying a slight breeze in the 30° heat. Supper was a colorful feast straight from the garden — roasted beets, potatoes, onions, carrots, and zucchini — alongside crispy chicken wings. Once tidied up, we were ready for an evening with the Stouts.

First order of business after they arrived: Sharon and I walked over to meet Jimmy, while S had the fire already blazing and was visiting with D. Soon we were all gathered for a beautiful night under the stars, with a massive fire roaring. B stopped in briefly at 8:30 after working late, fed her horses quickly, and left without saying hello.

a usual SLK fire

Sharon, “an angel” according to Sheldon, brought the most delicious caramel s’mores — the perfect sweet finish. By 11:30, the night wound down and they headed home, though S stayed out to enjoy his towering inukshuk fire. I snuck inside for a little Love Is Blind before bed, while he polished off a few more wings before drifting off.

Coyotes, Sunflowers & Heavy Bales

The night was anything but quiet — a full-on cacophony of coyotes broke out in the wildest, loudest serenade, only to be cut short at 1 a.m. when S fired a warning shot in the air. At 3, pantry plastic rustled thanks to the same night wanderer, and by 6 the magpies had joined the chorus. More coyotes carried on past 7, as I fed the cats some dry food, let Harley into the garage, and settled in with coffee to catch up on blog work. I also published my oak nightstand tutorial then did all the usual shares and posts.

S woke at his usual 9, coffee in hand, scrolling his phone and making a few calls. A bright and early call from the vet confirmed Harley is cleared to travel stateside with her rabies certificate and microchip — relief! After a quick refreshing shower, I cut a handful of fresh sunflowers for Amanda before heading to town late morning.

S was loading three bales into his dump trailer as I left. My errands included dropping off a parcel, picking up AJ’s birthday gift and some milk, grabbing Cooper, and delivering gifts to Amanda (with a quick vacation recap from her before heading back to the ranch). By then, S had gone off to hockey, leaving the hay to “dry.”

I walked the dogs in the blazing 28° heat — slow going but we managed — and started working on two round trays from Grama. Their barking soon announced visitors: the buyers who had wanted first cut but changed their minds to this one. S arrived not long after, having weighed his bales on the way home in time for the 3:30 meet.

On our dog walk to check water I found this huge weed pile at the far paddock gate after we added new soil to the gate area in the spring.

Loading their 8 bales onto two trailers took about 45 minutes in the growing heat, so I cranked the A/C back on once they were gone. S finished the baling, while I cut the first cabbage from the garden (Roo happily munched a few of the outer leaves). A lazy cabbage casserole went into the oven, and S rolled up the swaths in the house paddock before coming in to relax in big brown.

We ate supper just as B arrived after 7. She headed out to feed while I edited blog photos. S hauled the house paddock bales to the pit (lots of manure in that hay) and rolled a couple more. Then came a text from B — Switch had knocked a chunk out of her hoof. I went to catch her while B grabbed Roo. In the barn, B glued Roo’s shoe flap while I trimmed out the chunk from Switch’s hoof, which she then filed smooth. Both mares got a spritz of bug spray before being turned back out.

After buckets were filled, B and Cooper set off for home. S, meanwhile, took the trailer to weigh it, calculating each bale at a hefty 1,460 pounds. I snuck in a little Love Is Blind before he returned, and then we finished the night with more Waterfront while he updated his bale ad (as the photos that somehow went missing).