Home on the Hill

Santa's not the only one packing a large bag of goodies around. Mind you if you pulled your gift from this bag you might be a bit disappointed. We've discovered that the used grain bags are perfect for hauling wood and dropping it where we need it. We have fires burning in a couple of locations besides the house. The old barn and the greenhouse. We process the wood that we stacked last fall at our basement with a wood splitter, load the bags and drop them where we need them. They have a cinch strap on the top that keeps the snow out. There's no refund for them so we're working on more ways to recycle them. Like a perfect cover for the back of the Jeep. Our Boar is back from college. who wouldn't go crazy for a face like this? The ladies are fascinated with him. OK, we'll sneak out a little later when the warden isn't looking... Been a bit under the weather lately so I haven't been progressing on the project front as much as I...

Before I even opened the door to the barn the hairs on the back of my neck were inexplicably standing on end.  And then I opened the door.  The pigs had managed to un ravel the chain on their pen and had run amok.  Trampling everything in sight.  That would be a pigs sight - anything they could reach.  Of course their blaming some one else as they were all in the pen looking out at me when I walked in. But they can't fool my finely attuned eye.  It was, after all, cemented to the floor with frozen pig crap.  Don't tell me the sheep dragged that in! And the sheep wouldn't devour a whole box of apples.. Thankfully most of my electrical hand tools and most of the power tools were out of reach. It has been a really nice time of winter.  Before the deep winter cold.  Fresh snow and hoar frost make for a beautiful setting.  The animals sure seem to like it! Starting to lose count of how many times I've had to plow out the place. ...

A couple of times, actually.  Thankfully, the hydrant in the barn was frozen in the closed position.  After several false starts I hit upon the solution.  Connected a funnel to a piece of garden hose, inserted a chunk of quarter inch plastic tubing (to let the air out) and poured some Methyl Hydrate down the hose.  Raising the funnel above the hydrant and in about a minute, voila, handle unfroze and water flowing. Having no water in a barn helps put other problems in perspective.  The freeze up was caused by leaving a garden hose, with nozzle, attached to the spigot when turning off the water.  It just created a vacuum and wouldn't let the water drain like it was supposed to.  I was using the hose to fill the water tubs.  My new temporary solution is to use a two valve "Y" fitting so that I can shut off the connection to the hose and then open the other valve to let air down the hydrant so it will drain promptl...

Just had our first foray into the -20c's.  Of course the new water Hydrant we installed in the refurbished barn froze up this morning.  Apparently everyone on the planet but me knew that leaving a hose on a hydrant will cause it to freeze up. Ah well, off to town in a snowstorm to get some heating cable then I will disassemble the thing and give it the hot water treatment.  I am pretty sure it's not a drainage problem because we took great pains to make a 10 foot long drainage path.  Well we'll see.  That kind of problem disappears in Spring - and that's only six months away! The Pups and Hurley seem to really like the snow.  We just gave Xena heck for climbing on the wood pile and when we turned around here's Hurley and the Pups: Haven't been doing any blogging lately.  A dry spell.  We've been busier than a couple of cats trying to burry scat on a marble table top. Getting the New Barn operational and the wi...

Yep it's that time of year again.  We've even left if a bit late in the season.  The Barn project and a trip to the Coast and Okanagan valley put us a few weeks behind.  But were on it now.  We met an orchardist in Summerland who is willing to trade apples for pork.  The trip was made possible because some wonderful friends of ours came and farm set for the week we were away.  A great deal but I will need some cold storage for a couple of tons of apples. Maybe this year but I doubt it.  So many projects, so few strapping sons!   Those boxes are full of apples.  He sells directly to the public for 50 ¢  / lb. And gets a whole lot less for anything that goes to the processing plant.  I don't think the pigs will mind damaged or windfall fruit. I am pretty sure this one was snuck into a packing box by an Auntie who will go un named.  But you know who you are - and I don't remember paying for this one! ...

Astonishing double rainbow just moments after a fall rainstorm blew threw.  Just happened to look out the window.  I could actually see where the rainbow touched the fields. Went up to Grandmas yesterday and found an inch of water on the floor.  The hot water tank gave up it's last breath and packed it in.  Of course this was just after having both elements replaced.  Ah well that will teach me to disobey the hair on the back of my neck.  Standing beside me when I opened the door was Son in Law Kevin who used to be in the disaster recovery business.  Inside the house was a snow shovel, mop and a wet-dry vacum.  Didn't take to long to dry out.  Especially with a couple four fans blowing air out the windows. Daughter Sara and Kevin and granddaughter Sophie were up for a visit. What a great time. She's not old enough to drive the family car but surely she is old enough to start practicing with the tractor.. And the new...

Back on the barn rebuild project.  Adding water and a conduit for power. Not having to lug water or use a flashlight makes a world of difference to a barn. Especially when it's forty below!  Being able to heat the stalls should make an easier time for winter arrivals.  It was some of the hardest digging we've done on the place - six feet down, the bottom three feet rock hard compacted clay.  I am seriously thinking of making my own bricks! Tough digging even with a mini excavator.  Water in the Barn! My friend Dan from the Coast came up for a vacation.  Some vacation!  He jumped into the project list and we've made some great progress. Hurley, the Pyrenees giving instructions to brother tom and Dan. Dan filling the Piggy Pool While we were backfilling ditches we came across some treasures: a couple of four foot steel wheels!  They are now gracing the house gate. We added two remnants of an earli...