384 Happy Mothers Day!!

Day 384, beautiful sunny day!! Happy mothers day to my wonderful Mom and mother in law. What fantastic ladies you both are and how lucky am I! XOXOXO

The entire house slept in and Sheldon brought me a tea in bed while I relaxed reading a bit. At 11:30 Britt drove us to the station where Kaylin and Shaina met us for Mothers day brunch. We all ate too much but it was good. At 12:40 Shaina headed off to work and we dropped Kaylin off to rest before she headed to work at 3. Sheldon had surprised me with 2 hanging baskets of petunias from the hutterites the neighbor had picked up but after finding out they were $35/basket (one looked wind damaged at that and they did not match), I could not in good conscience keep them but it was a sweet thought. (See Tuesday photo of what I replace them with)

Back to the ranch we went to continue the planter progress. I raked the old hay in skinny pen and Sheldon loaded into the dump trailer after finding we could not use it for a base but needed it of the growing field anyway.

 screwing on the base boards extraordinaire!

 then the layer of old manure compost

 a quick rake

and then it was hand bombing another bag and 1/2 into the jumbo planter. I also took Julio out for a conditioning run and some ball practice for me while Sheldon finished filling the planter. Britt tidied up the living quarters of the horse trailer.

 Sheldon cutting divider boards on his makeshift table saw!

ready to be planted!!  It was a fantastic weather day, at one point the thermometer said 41 degrees however it had fallen into the sun.. but it was for sure in the high 20's

We all went on a family ride once Shaina got home after work at 5:30 with frozen lemonades for all. Shaina had a wee buck off taking Coco home but it seems she followed us in the end anyway so Shaina took her home then went for a motorbike ride with Yanni while we continued to work the horses.

Around 8 we came in and Britt created cheesy pasta for my mother day meal. It was tasty along with spinach dip and a fresca!. We watched survivor finale then the series finale of Desperate Housewives, how I will miss that show! I enjoyed reading for a bit before turning in. It is the hot topic book, Fifty Shades of Grey! and I am nearly done.

383 May 12 planters set up

Day 383 was a fantastic Saturday, I woke at 8:30 but fell back asleep until 9:45! what a sleep. A quick breakfast tea and coffee and Sheldon and I got busy setting up the raised garden planters. It was lots of hard work but it looks great. Shaina did not get up until late then took off to the city with Jenna to find grad shoes and accessories. She stayed in town for a party and slept over at Kaylin's. Not much help from this traveling will bury.

 ready to start the day, lots of measuring & leveling

 digging

 and setting in the holes to ground level

 then my job was to screw in boards on the inside so dirt does not run under edges where pea gravel will be

then it was time to fill the small boxes with some Stout old hay/manure but it was too much hay so only put a thin layer

 then move in the new dirt

and hand bomb it into the planters (this one we also put layer of recent compost)

to get the old compost, Sheldon used the skid steer and scraped under them lifting all together, It was crazy, the spruce tree roots had come right up underneath them for the rich nutrients

 this is the fantastic compost created from last year

 here all 3 are filled and it was time to start with the jumbo.

To town at 3 to get Britt from sleepover, drop stool off for Kaylin, grab something to eat at a charity barbeque and sort out planter rock order.

then it was back to work. Later on, Gord and Laughlin (tree guys) stopped to discuss the tree layout and plan, the trees are slated to arrive this Wednesday.

and after a minor setback..ok fairly major, broke lag bolt then a cracked cedar board requiring a new one cut this was end of planter set up day

they are lovely, no?

I came in and concocted a yummy steak, new baby potatoes and cabbage salad supper and after cleaning up snapped these photos of our new island lights that Sheldon finished putting up this am.

 It was another fairly early to bed night as we were both tuckered out from all the sunshine and work. Britt probably stayed up late watching TV :-)

382 May 11 fantastic friday

Day 382 - sunny lovely day with a bit of wind kept temps down. The girls beetled off to school while I enjoyed my cleaning Friday. I took the horses the pails of minerals and salt and hammered buckets in each shelter. Diego thought it a great idea to roll in some fresh stinky manure so promptly got a cold hosing. It helped but he still stinks. I also filled the far pasture water tub. Diego got his 4th shot for the month, now is on monthly shots, they do help for sure.

After school the girls cleaned out the shelter while some of the ponies mowed the lawn.

 Pepper eats up side of the top soil hill

 then becomes king of the castle

 then the girls did some practice

then Brandon F came out to ride and try his hand at polocrosse, he stayed for supper and movies with Shaina while Britt got a ride to town for a school dance and sleepover at Brooke's. Sheldon worked late till 6, finishing up shut down week.

In the evening we hauled out the small planters to prepare for tomorrow's set up and to bed early for us, not the teens of course :-)

381 - May 10 Hanna dental visit

Day 381 I finally remembered to put the crock pot on full of Cilantro Lime Chicken. 
then it was off to town to drop Britt at school and get to work. I filled with gas at noon and grabbed a drink and bite to eat at Tim's before picking Britt up from school then it was off to Hanna for an adjustment for Britt and cleaning for myself. B drove most of way there and home while I read.

We arrived home around 5:30 and I cooked up some rice and made a salad to go with the chicken, it was scrumptious!!

I worked on updating the blog while Britt rode Bird and fed them and Sheldon rolled out the 2nd last bale for the horses. We made a quick stop and visit at Stout's to pick up minerals for the horses. Shaina got home later after working tonight.

380 shopping day damage :-)

Day 380 was a windy variable sun day. I dropped Britt off at school as Shaina had to be at school to write calculus by 8:20. It was then I noticed I forgot my phone so had to run back home and grab it as it stores my shopping lists. I made it to work to cover the front for Sharon for her morning meeting.

At 11:20 I made my way to the city. I had fingers and toes crossed that the lights I had at Rona were still there. And they were along with a few others and a turquoise stool!

then to Costco :-), dropped a box at the thrift store and checked for antiques, Winners where I scored 3 pair of jeans for Sheldon and 2 sets of pretty pillows!
Home Sense where I struck out :-( and finally to Home Depot where I returned the island lights and found 50 wooden hangers for Sheldon's side, window film for the master bath and a squeegee! With a loaded up Enclave I headed east at 5. Sheldon was working on draining the water tank that seemed to have still a slow leak.

 50 new hangers, a squeegie and window film!

 love these pillows


Britt cleaned her room and unloaded dishwasher so Hannah could come over to hang out. I chopped fresh veggies up with dip and made tomato pasta for supper.



Around 8 the rain hit, it let up so the girls tried to go for a jog but were back just before it really started to come down.

Shaina helps her Dad hang one light once she got home after 8 and to right here it is, will get better photo of all

379 May 8 - 4-H riding outside

Day 379 was a fabulous sunny day of 22 degrees, after dropping Britt at school it was off to work. At lunch I headed out stopping to get groceries, shrubs and tomato and strawberry plants

 3 arctic willow, dwarf Korean lilac and  2 double flowering plums

 these are so sweet but I passed..for now :-)

I arrived home at 2:30 and set out all the plants in the sun and watered.

Home off the bus, Britt made Easy No Bake Peanut Butter bars off pinterest, They were yummy but soooo sweet. Shaina stayed in after school to study for calculus test and met us for riding lessons. Britt and I loaded up the horses and headed to town around 6:30. Shaina arrived in full grad makeup and hair which was cute for riding lessons. They both enjoyed a great lesson on such a lovely warm bug free night. At 8:30 it was time to load up and head home. Shaina stayed in and studied more and slept over at Kaylin's.

Back at the ranch Sheldon was working on the skid steer leak that continues to elude him. He moved all the clay pile creating the parking at end of garage and then messed around in the boggy old pond area moving the rock pile.

look no clay pile!