Cooks Creek Chronicles

A pril 26, 2008, 2 New Editions to Our Farm

2008-04-26T16:59:00.003-06:00

Hey Everyone. Cold and windy here in Cooks Creek. We had a Spring storm this week. Snow and freezin rain. Made for interesting driving and generally hard to get around, even on foot.

Two new Holstein bull calves are now a part of our farm. We brought them home yesterday from the dairy farm where my oldest daughter works. We are going to raise them for meat. Holsteins are not great meat cows. Their main purpose is dairy. It is for this reason bull calves sell cheap. Right up my alley. I like cheap. We can raise them and learn as we go. The only way to really learn is do it. I can read a hundred books but when I get to actually get experience and exposure then I can understand and build my confidence. Well, they have been here 24 hours and they are still alive, so, so far so good. My daughter is the teacher here. She is teachin her old dad a few tricks. One of her duties at the dairy is looking after the calves so I have a big advantage than just goin at this deal blind. When we got them home last night one of the first duties was to make them into steers. My daughter brought home a device that puts an o-ring deal around their testicles. The idea being it cuts the flow of blood to the testicles and they dry up and become non-functional. We did one calf but the others testicles had not fallen yet so we will wait until they drop to get him done. Cows smell a whole lot worse than horses. My daughter stinks. I guess I better qualify that by sayin she stinks when she comes home from work. I can sure see why now. She is working with dozens of calves for 10 to 12 hours a day. We only have 2 and I can already smell the cows on my jacket. She says "don't worry dad, after awhile ya don't really even notice it" Maybe you don't but everyone else does. Well, I wanted to be a farmer so in for a penny in for a pound. Learnin from my daughter gives me a certain sense of pride. Not sure why. Watchin her around those calves and dealin with them makes me kind of proud. She has a way with animals. God has givin her a gift. It is her calling. I can see it sure as anything. Everyone has a calling and hers is animals. What is real sad is when God gives ya a gift and it is wasted. I think it is our duty to use the gifts God gives us. May even be a sin not to do so. It is easy to tell what your gift is. It will be something you enjoy doing. It doesn't feel like work. Ya would do it even if ya didn't get paid. Ya do it because ya enjoy, no, maybe even love it. Because of this you will excel at it. You will be good at it. You will be great at it.

Well, I just wanted to tell ya about our new cows. I will leave it at that and talk to ya all real soon.

April 12, 2008

2008-04-12T21:26:00.003-06:00

Hey everyone. This will be a short post just to let ya know I'm still kickin. It is Saturday, late evening and I just came in from the shop got cleaned up and thought I would do a short post before I hit the hay. Finally got my hoist set up and working in the shop. Finished the electrical hookup this evening and all that is left is to straighten up the insulation in the attic I messed up while running the service from the panel to the hoist. We still have some snow layin around. I went out back to an old building. I have some stuff stored in there. I had a couple of rolls of wire out there so I went to get them. I actually was wading through snow up to my knees in the bush still. Suppose to get into the high 60s by Monday so that will knock the snow down some for sure. Wife is in the kitchen cookin soup for tomorrows church. It is our turn to supply soup for lunch. Man she fusses over that. Throw a case of can soup in a pot and take it to church. Done deal. I guess that is why the men don't bring soup. Actually that is not completely true. One of the fellas brought soup last week and it was good. Guess that is why the Mrs. is fussin so. Can't let a man show her up. My youngest daughter is out babysittin tonight, oldest daughter is in bed cause she has to work tomorrow mornin at 5:30. Son worked with me in the shop all day so he is tuckered and in bed too. Just me and the wife up. That don't happen too often. Got some old time country music playin on the squack box. Going to be orderin some chicks and turkeys pretty soon. Probably get them around middle of May. Maybe first week if weather looks like it is goin to be warm. We must be doin something right. People are phoning and ordering chickens and turkeys already. I sure hope we have a better year than last year. I never worked so hard at anything and got so little return. But I guess that is farmin. Well ya know I think I will call it a night and say so long. Got to get up early tomorrow, do some chores before church then off to church. Talk to ya all real soon.

March 28, 2008

2008-03-28T08:36:00.005-06:00

Snowin in Cooks Creek. Not hard, just big flakes flutterin down. Don't think it will amount to much really. Last day of my three day vacation. What have I accomplished? I am embarrassed to say not much. Tinkering with this and that but no big projects have been completed. Have to finish the wife's taxes today. Have to make sure the Man gets his pound of flesh. I don't mind payin taxes. It is what the money is gettin used for. We have social programs comin out our ....... butts. We have people (read generations) who have not worked a day in their lives and have no intention of workin. I'm supportin them. So my wife and I not only have to raise our three children but I am payin for a half dozen lazy cusses that I don't even know. Our Premiere is off to some country over the duck pond askin for people to come to our country because of the opportunities here. Huh?? Our health care system and infrastructure can't cope with the people we have now. If there is so much opporturnity why are all these dead beats not workin? Mayby they just don't want to. Why work when there are more social programs than you can imagine for a person who has a work allergy to take advantage of. Now, don't get me wrong. Sometimes people need help. I have got no problem with that. I want to be a part of that help. A family that is down on their luck and needs a hand, a single Mom who has had some hard luck, a person with a disability can't work. I support and encourage our system in helpin. It is when the people your helpin is from geneation to generation. They are on a program, their parents are on a program and they are training their kids to get on a program. No time for that and payin taxes to support that, well, kind of gets a burr under my saddle. Many times in the big city at the stop lights you will see a person standing with a sign saying something like "Out of Work, Too Proud to Starve. Donations". They walk up and down the line of cars that are stopped at the light begging. Last summer one of them came up to my window. Just so happens I was in the process of trenching in electrical service to my barn. I needed 60 feet of trench 2 feet deep. I was doin it with a pick and shovel. Anysay, I rolled down my window and offed the fella a job. Come and help me trench, I'll give ya $10/ hour and the best supper ya ever ate. Didn't say a thing, not no thanks, nothin, just walked away to the next car. Now, this was an able bodied lad. Maybe 20 years old, looked in good shape. He was too proud to work but not too proud to beg. I wouldn't give one of those people one plug nickel. Never would and never will.

The answer to the last posts quote is Mark Twain. Mark Twain said "I have never let my schooling interfere with my education".

How about a joke.

A boy asks his dad if he can use the car and the dad replies "No, not until you cut your hair!”
The boy says "But dad, Jesus had long hair!"
To which his dad said, "Sure he did, but Jesus walked everywhere."

Now that is a good one. Come on laugh, Ya know ya want to.

Take er easy. God helps those that help themselves. Always has and always will.

March 26, 2008

2008-03-26T10:08:00.003-06:00

Good day everyone. Everyone? Ok, maybe the one or two people that stumble across this blog. Snowed in Cooks Creek last night. Bright and sunny today. Big high pressure system has moved in giving us a bright, sunny but somewhat cool day. It has also made it difficult to keep a good hot fire going in the wood stove. The high pressue makes it hard to get a good draft goin in the stove so the fire doesn't give off alot of heat. Actually went out twice already. Oh well, have to put on a sweater. I am at home for the next three days because I have 3 days vacation left that has to be used up by March 31st. Use it or loose it I was told so what could a fella do. Don't want to be a trouble maker so I will take 3 days off with pay. So here I sit with a cup of joe. It is not all fun and games. I cleaned up the breakfast dishes, started a fire 3 times, did a load of wash, took wash off the line (didn't fold it though, maybe later) and fed the chickens, cleaned nesting boxes and collected eggs and visited with the horses (fed them old candy canes I found). I'm not even tired yet but maybe I should take a nap just in case I'm over doin it ; - ).

Oh yea, From the last post, Who said "A man who cuts his own wood, warms himself twice".

It was Henry Ford.

The last post got us talkin around here about all the everyday knowledge my wife and I needed but was never taught in school. We made a list. All the items on the list could apply to anyone, not just people tryin to farm or homestead.

Our List.

How to sharpen a knife/scissors.
How to replace a broken handle (axe, hammer, shovel etc.)
How to build a fire.
How to charge/boost a vehicle's battery.
How to replace a wall plug/switch.
How to tie different knots.
How to sew a button on.
How to sharpen a shovel (or that a shovel needs to be sharp).
How to fill a tire with air.
How to change a tire.
How to wash clothes.
How to iron chothes.
How to mend clothes.
How to hang a picture.
How to frame a picture.
How to paint.
How to set a table.
How to clean a house.
How to buy groceries.
How to speak in public.

All of these are basic skills everyone of us require, if not on a daily basis certainly many times a year. I was lucky enough to have family and friends who taught me these skills. Some yung uns aren't so lucky. The items listed are things my wife and I came up with back when we were in school. The list today could include items like how to be respect and talk to your peers, how to be honest, how to respect yourself, how to respect others property, how to repect your elders, how to dress, how to act in public etc . My wife and I were were taught these things in school but they are not taught or enforced in todays schools. Feel free to comment (for or against) and add to the list if ya can thing of more examples.

Time for a quote,, who said,

I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.

Answer on the next post.

Remember, If God is with ya, who can be against ya.

Have a great day. Talk to ya all real soon.

March 24, 2008 & Axe Handles

2008-03-24T19:55:00.002-06:00

Hello from Cooks Creek. Snowing and blowing here. Temperature is around the freezing point. Very dull day. We’re havin venison stew and homemade buns for supper. Eatin high on the hog as usual. Hey, if ya got it, why not flaunt it. The good Lord provides and life is good (even if the weather sucks). Just ordered half a beef from a neighbor. Suppose to get it in 2 to 3 weeks. We have bought ground beef from this fella before and it has always been excellent. In fact, it is so good I refuse to eat the swill they sell at the supermarket now. My plan is to raise a couple of my own this year. That’s the plan. The easy part. Now, to make it happen.

Finally got around to replacin one of my axe’s handles this afternoon. Now, there is a story. About 2 months ago I broke the handle on one of my axes. I have a couple of axes so I just set it aside and grabbed up another one. That very week one of the stores in the city put out a flyer and 36 inch axe handles are on sale for $7.99/ea. That is a real good price (too good) so since I needed one I makes my way down there after work to pick up a couple (one for the broken handle and a spare). So, I goes into the store and ask for the handles. They tell me they don’t have them. They didn’t come in. Ok, Can I get a rain check? Uh, yea I guess so. So they give me a rain check for two 36 inch axe handles. Fast forward a couple of months and about half dozen trips back to the store and I still don’t have any handles. Now it is getting personal. I have been told everything from we expect them tomorrow to they are in transit and could be here any day now, we will phone you as soon as they come in. Now, many people only have one axe and can’t wait over two months for a handle. About a week ago I heads back to the store. Hi, I have a couple of axe handles on rain check, are they in yet. Let me see, click click click on the computer. No sir, but they have been shipped. Yea right. I makes my way to the handle section and what do ya know there are a couple of 36 inch axe handles there. Asks the the clerk if these are the same ones on sale and she reluctantly says they are. So I got them! So,after using $50 dollars worth of fuel drivin back and forth to the store I got my $7.99 axe handles. Actually that makes them $32.99/each. Not such a good deal after all. But I got them! Could of bought the handles for $15.00/ea in town 2 monthes ago.

Speakin of axe handles, why don’t they teach ya how to replace handles in school. I went to school for 13 years (counting kindergarden) and I was never shown how to replace a handle of any kind. Now, that is an important skill that everyone needs to know. I was taught how to speak French, the history of England and all about almost every country in this world but was never shown or told how to replace an axe, shovel or hammer handle or any handle for that matter. I have required that knowledge dozens of times but I have never once had to talk to anyone in French or had to know who Henry VIIIs 6th wife was or how she died (if he had 6 wives). Why don’t the schools teach skills that are useful. They have the boys makin aprons (sewing) and the girls building piggy banks (carpentry). Just so they are politically correct. If a boy doesn’t have a Dad, Uncle or older brother to teach him some of the impotant things he is behind the 8 ball. For all you people that are home schoolin. I got a dandy shops project for ya all. Replace a handle on an axe. A skill that once learned will be useful and passed on to other generations. The link below kind of over simplifies it but it is a good start.

Here is a link on how to do it.
http://www.ehow.com/how_2081856_replace-handle-axe.html

No joke tonight, instead a saying,

"A man who chops his own wood, warms himself twice".

Anyone know who said that?

I will give ya the answer in the next post.

Talk to ya all soon.

Good Friday, March 21, 2008

2008-03-21T13:08:00.003-06:00

Good Friday here in Cooks Creek. Just got back from church. As I mentioned in a previous post a bunch (4 or 5) of churches got together this mornin and had a church service together followed by a lunch. Very enjoyable. It was great to be able to be a part of a celebration like that. It was at the Oakbank Baptist Church. In the world of churchs it is probably kind of small. In the Cooks Creek world it was huge. My family was blessed to be able to fellowship and be a part of this celeabration of Christians in the Sprinfield area. Now what to do for the rest of the day. Oldest daughter is going ridin. Youngest daughter is bakin a Paska. She just ran out of the house to the coop because she realized she didn't have any eggs (We got cleaned out of eggs this week, havin to turn many of our customers away empty handed). Doesn't say much for my farmin ability when a chicken farmer doesn't have any eggs. Oh, she just came back in. She has three and says that will be enough for her Paska. Kind of neat to be able to run a hundred feet and get your needs. I should start up the tractor and clean the corrals again. As the snow melts, more and more manure shows itself. If we don't keep it cleaned up the horses will roll in it and makes an awful mess. Wife is takin a nap in the chair next to me. Pretendin she is readin but I am pretty sure ya can't read with your eyes closed. At least I never could. That church service and lunch must of tuckered her out. Poor ol gal. Can't keep up to us young uns. Maybe I will go and play some catch with my son. Hhe has signed up for baseball this year and is tryin to improve his skills since he hasn't played before. That is what I am going to do. Garret grab your glove and ball and lets go play some catch. Talk to ya all later. Happy Easter, Jesus has risen and because of it we have eternal life. Now there is something to celebrate.

Guy

March 16, 2008

2008-03-16T15:30:00.002-06:00

Well, Spring is here. After we came home from Church today, two greater Canada geese flew over the house. March 16th, I do believe that is the earliest I have ever seen geese. Actually that isn't completely true since I did not actually see them. My wife did. She came into the house all excited and tellin me about the geese. So, It is official. Spring has arrived in Cooks Creek. No matter what the weather. Geese are back. Spring has arrived. I spent the afternoon cleaning the corral. The girls and wife went riding. Hey, why am I cleaning horse manure and they are off riding the critters that created the poop. Doesn't seem fair. Oh well, they owe me big time now.

Once a month our church does the pot luck deal. Everyone brings a dish and after the service we all sit around and have lunch together. One of the fellas I was visiting with today works in the public education system as a teacher. He commented that when we were young (45 years ago) and started into the school system, the average vocabulary of a child that started into kindergarten was 2500 words. Today the average vocabulary of a child that starts in kindergarten is 500 words. Coincidentally the average vocabulary used in your typical tv sitcom is 500 words. Hmmm, may be some kind of connection. He also commented that 75% of the kids that enter grade 9, when tested, are two grades below the grade 9 level. My question is, why are they in grade 9? If they are not at a grade 9 level why has the system passed them through and allowed them to advance when they are not capable of that level of work. By allowing the children to advance without meeting the standards only hurts the children. A child can't fail a grade anymore. No matte what they do or don't do they will move through the school system and in 12 years graduate high school. With this being said and true, what value is a high school education. What has the child learned and what qualities have we instilled in that child. This is why kids leave school and enter the work force and have so much difficulty. They don't know what responsability is, what work ethic is, how to work, or how to make a commitment. What do you mean you want me to be punctual? Commit to a project, don't I just have to show up once in awhile and you will pay me. It is sad but true. Our education system is part of the problem. It is not a solution. I have been told it is the children's home life. Parents don't read to their children anymore. Parents don't spend time with their children. Too much tv. Parents don't secure family values in their children. Families don't eat together. I could go on and on. It is all true. But why has it become a bad thing to set standards in the school system and have the children meet those standards or else fail? What say you? My oldest daughter works at a dairy farm. It is hard, dirty work. Long irregular hours. It is almost imposssible for them to get young people to work there. Plain and simple most just don't want to work. Why? Maybe because they have never had to and don't know how. Don't do your math homework, we will just reconstuct your course so you can complete your math with little or no effort. Don't want to come to school. We will make you part of a special needs group that doesn't have to attend regular classes. Fast forward and they get a job at the dairy farm. They don't understand that the cows require milking at 5:30 am. I don't want to come in at 5:00 am, lets just milk the cows once a day at noon. Or better yet lets do it once every other day. We are in for a rocky ride. It ain't the childrens fault. It is our fault, the people responsible for the system (school and parents). Parents are using the school system as a babysitting service/drop in center and the school system is bailing on their reponsibities because the parents aren't preparing little Johnny for school. No win. Little Johnny can't figure out why he don't fit in when he gets into the work force and the wheels of the bus go round and round.

There, I haven't had a rant in a spell. Anyone agree or disagree.

Talk to ya all soon.

March 13, 2008

2008-03-13T09:54:00.002-06:00

Man, two posts in less than a week. I must be a power blogger or something. Actually, I don't know how some of my fellow bloggers do it. They blog consistently. Got to admire them for their time management skills. I can never get enough time to commit to my blog. Many times, it is month or more before I get back to posting another entry on my blog. I sure do like readin other blogs though. So I hope they keep up the good work so I can continue enjoyin them.

Spring is tryin hard to come. Yesterday and today were both nice days, above freezin. Got rid of a little snow, got a little Manitoba gumbo showing itself. I love spring. It is the start of everything new. New plants, new baby critters, new season, birds will be comin back, (no geese yet, saw a crow though) new mosquitoes and wood tics (well not those). General store here in Cooks Creek gives $25 hard cash for the first wood tic of the year. Being the business man I am, I was going to come into my fortune by doing some financial planning. I got me a tic last year and put it in a jar and was tryin to keep it for this year. Be the first to turn it into the store and collect my windfall. Didn't work. Tic died. Then again, not sure if it has to be a live tic. No matter, I threw it away last summer. I guess I'm just not cut out for business investments. I'll just stick to fixin cars and tryin to farm. Got to admit I sure could of used that 25 bucks. Maybe I can go out in the field and lay there as bait and do it proper. A fella would have to get an early start. Might take a few weeks, it is a gamble but it may be another way for a quick bit of cash. Would be the easiest 25 I ever earned. Just go out in a field and lay there real quiet like and wait to feel a tic on ya. Have to give it some thought.

Anyway, I was talking to a buddy of mine who lives in Churchill, Manitoba. It was – 54 there last week. I am never goin to complain about our weather again. Minus 54 ain’t even a temperature. It is more of a torture. I guess ya would ask, why would anyone live in Churchill. Well Churchill is Manitoba’s one and only sea port. It is on the coast of Hudson Bay. In the summer time import and export via ship is their claim to fame. That and polar bears. I think they are the polar bear capital of the world or something. Never been up there but almost got to go a couple of weeks ago with work. The deal fell through so I never got the opportunity. Man, 54 below, not sure if I am disappointed or not. In that temperature the hydraulics on equipment are going to fail. Thinkin of goin up there and sellin hydraulic hoses and fittings. Could make a fortune. Maybe another opportunity for me if the tic venture doesn’t work out. My buddy is suppose to send me a quarter of a moose if he can find a pilot who will take it down here for him. Now there would be some good eatin. I like moose better than beef.

Easter is next week. Early this year. Another reason I love spring. Easter. Celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. Our church and some other churches in the area are getting together on Good Friday for a service. Kind of a mega service. Chance to have some fellowship with brothers and sisters in other churches. Should be a big time.

Well, got to take off. Wife said if I showed up at the school around luch time she would buy me lunch. Now, this ol boy has never passed up a free lunch and he ain't about to start today. So ya all take er easy.

MARCH 8, 2008 Pay It Forward

2008-03-08T08:28:00.002-06:00

Good mornin in blog land. It is away too early, away too cold and away too much snow. Yes, we had another storm last night and in the words of Popeye “It is all I can stands and I can’t stands no more”. A few days, weeks (I have lost track of time) I commented on a friends blog that God wouldn’t give me anything he knew I couldn’t handle. I don’t believe I am as strong as he thinks I am. Anyway, enough whining about the weather. It’s cold and it’s snowin and it will get warm and stop snowin………….some day. I hope.

Have ya all ever seen that movie Pay it Forward? I really enjoyed the movie. Not because of the great acting or the storyline but because of the message it sent out. For those that haven’t seen it, it is about a young lad that gets this idea that if a person helped out three people for every time they got helped how it would change the world to be a better place. Thus the title of the movie, Pay it Forward. So every time someone did something nice for you, you had to do three nice things for someone else. The movie then goes on about how he went about trying to get this to happen. Anyway, if ya get a chance have a watch. Good movie, not for young children (there is some stuff in there little eyes and ears don’t need to see). Made me tear up a little. Sad part at the end. Anyway where was I goin with this? Oh yea. Yesterday night my daughter and I are heading home from work and school and I see one of those SUVs stuck in a snow bank. They are off the highway on a side road and there is another truck beside them with its hood up. I am on the other side of the highway headin north and they are on the south bound side of the highway on a side road. Hundreds of vehicles were goin by them and not one was stopping to help. Can’t blame them. Its Friday night, got to get home to get ready for their big evening out. Well, as usual I don’t have a big evening planned (actually didn’t have any plans) so I thought time to pay it forward. I head down the road until I find a place to turn around and head back and give them a hand (what a great guy I am, right?) Not really, I did it cause I know that is what God wants me to do and he will pay it forward. Anyway I help them out and the whole thing takes about 3 minutes. We are headin home and my daughter and I are talking about all the people that were goin by and wouldn’t give them hand. We talked about why people won’t help each other anymore and all that stuff and we are talking about paying it forward. Many times when ya help these people out they will start reaching in their pocket and say “What do I owe ya?” I say pay it forward, cause that is what they did in the movie. Now, it is this morning, daughter gets up at 4:30 am to head to work and goes out to start her car. Oh yea, forgot to tell ya my daughter is the proud owner of her very first car. A brand new used Toyota Echo. It is somewhere in size between a rollerskate and skate board. Anyway, she goes out to start her car and comes back in and wakes me up (yea, at 4:30 even this want to be farmer is still sawin logs). “Dad there is a 3 foot drift 50 feet long in the driveway.” Ok, so I drag my sorry bones out of bed and get the equipment goin and get it cleaned out for her. Then I got to thinkin this probably ain’t the only drift in our area. Better take her to work in the truck. So off we go until we get to about ½ mile from the dairy farm. Now guess who is in the ditch? And I’m in good. So my daughter looks over at me and blinks a couple of time as if to say, your Dad your not suppose to goin in the ditch. Then she says I will go and ask for help at the farm. So off she trots to the farm. Pretty soon I see these headlights comin down the road and as it gets closer I can see it is a big front end loader. Now this isn’t a dinky little loader this is a mans loader. Anyway Al pulls the loader up, I hook on the chain I had in the truck and he drags me out. When I say drag I mean drag. I never got a chance to get the truck out of park and I was back on the road (it was a big loader). Anyway I unhook the chains and give him a wave and he drives away. We never spoke a word to each other. I have never met Al but my daughter has described him as a mountain man look alike so I know it was him and if you read this blog Al. Thanks for the help. Much appreciated. Now I have to do 3 more pay it forwards. But that is ok; Every time I do one it makes me feel good. I walk a little lighter, smile a little more and generally feel a whole lot better about myself. All those people that went by that SUV after work had a chance to make their day a little better but they passed it up and let me have that opportunity. I waould like to thank them for that. Remember PAY IT FORWAD.

How about a joke.

It has been reported that 95% of Canadians say a cuss word just before they go into the ditch.

The other 5% say “Here, hold my beer and watch this.”

This cold makes us a little different up here.

Talk to ya all soon.

February 4, 2008

2008-02-03T16:48:00.000-06:00

Man, I can't believe we are into February all ready. Where is the time goin. Not a bad day here in Cooks Creek weather wise. Kind of mild and gettin a bit of snow. The white fluffy stuff that ya can almost sweep away. A shovel full doesn't weigh nothin at all.

Went to church this mornin and the preacher talked on havin a satisfied mind, on bein content. Johnny Cash had a song called "A Satisfied Mind" I love that song and have heard it a hundred times but never really listened to it until this mornin (pastor played it durin his sermon). I got some work to do. I don't got a satisfied mind. Pastor gave a bunch of symptoms on how ya know if ya don't have a satisfied mind. I failed the test. I want one. I'm going to get one but I am goin to need some help. I haven't thought of another thing since we got home from church. Not havin a satisfied mind has been playin on my mind. Wife says I need to pray on it. Sounds like good advice. Here are the lyrics to the song. Have a read and a think.

How many times have
You heard someone say
If I had his money
I could do things my way
But little they know
That it's so hard to find
One rich man in ten
With a satisfied mind
Once I was waitin'In fortune and fame
Everything that I dreamed for
To get a start in life's game
Then suddenly it happened
I lost every dime
But I'm richer by far
With a satisfied mind
Money can't buy back
Your youth when you're old
Or a friend when you're lonely
Or a love that's grown cold
The wealthiest person
Is a pauper at times
Compared to the man
With a satisfied mind
When my life has ended
And my time has run out
My friends and my loved ones
I'll leave there's no doubt
But one thing's for certain
When it comes my time
I'll leave this old world
With a satisfied mind
How many times have
You heard someone say
If I had his money
I could do things my way
But little they know
That it's so hard to find
One rich man in ten
With a satisfied mind

I am tryin to install that car hoist in my shop. Problem is I am goin to have to drill into the concrete to mount the hoist to the shop floor. My heating system has tubing running through the concrete. To drill into one of these tubes would be a disaster. I spent the better part of yesterday trying to figure out how I can mount this hoist and not ruin the heating system in my floor. I think I have located all the tubes but the footprint of the hoist is so large no matter where I place it I am goin to be drillin dangerously close to the tubes. When I say I think I know where the tubes are, I mean I know where they are within a 2 to 3 inches. There is no way of knowing exactly where they are. Wish me luck. I guess I am goin to have to drill some time or not have the hoist. Talk about nerve rackin.

Ya know what we haven't done for a spell is have a joke. Ya want to hear one? This one is bad.

What did the farmer give his wife on Valentines Day?

A hog and a kiss.

Told ya it was bad. Next time I will do better.

My son just came in from riding our $500 snowmobile I bought for them this year. Man, are the kids havin fun with that thing. The youngest daughter just got in too from goin on a sleigh ride. One of the other churches in Cooks Creek (there are 3) went out with a couple of horse sleighs. She got invited along so of course she went. That is what young uns do here in the country. Good clean fun. Outside enjoyin Gods creation. (Not sure God wanted us to enjoy it on a snowmobile). They come in all red faced and ready for supper. Probably got an appetite as big as all outdoors. I love it. This is what I work for. What I pray for and it is turnin out good.

Till next time take er easy and take er slow. Oh yea, may God bless ya with a satisfied mind.

Goodolboy

January 27, 2008

2008-01-28T10:56:00.000-06:00

Howdy all. I haven’t been bloggin for a spell so I better get back at it. What is new in Cooks Creek? Well, this ol boy has a sore back. It has been botherin me for a couple of weeks now. The worst part isn’t the sore back but not bein able to sleep. There was about a week I don’t think I slept more than a couple of hours a night. Man, that sure turns your life upside down. I am on the mend now and actually spent the better part of today moving snow. Oh you’re getting lots of snow in Cooks Creek? Well, actually no. We’re getting lots of wind. With the wind comes drifting snow. The fields are bare but my driveway drifts bad when the wind blows from the North or South. Livin in Manitoba Canada in winter the wind is out of the North most always. Anyway got it all cleared up and am waitin for the next blow.

It is my oldest daughter’s birthday today. Turned 19. So happy birthday
Sodapop (Chelsey). So it is chili and chocolate cake for supper. It is her birthday so she gets to choose. Good choice Sodapop.

Took the wife out for supper last night. Just the two of us. Had a nice time. Long time since we had been out on a date (26 years). Yes a date. There is a little story behind how this came about. Let me tell ya what happened. A couple of Sundays ago our Pastor gets up in front of the church as Pastors do and asks how everyone’s week was. Does anyone have anything they would like to share? He asks this every week and some tell about things that have happened or talk about prayer needs. You know the deal. Well the Pastor goes to telling on how him and his wife went on a date this week. Picture every married women comin to attention and every married man lookin like a deer caught in the headlights. I think there is an unwritten code amongst us married men if ya do something like takin your wife on a date ya kind of keep it to yourself. Don’t talk about it. Certainly don’t bring it up in a room full of married couples. Now I don’t know about every other fellas ride home from church but mine was “We should go on a date.” “How come we never go on a date?” “Isn’t that nice Norm took Gwen on a date.” And ever since then… date, date, date …….. Anyway, I took the wife out last night for supper. We had a nice time and I must admit I really think we should do it more often. At least twice a month or so. I am going to go first Tuesday of the month and she can go last Friday. I think I am pretty safe in mentioning this cause I don’t think anyone actually reads this blog.

I got to tell ya I am sure lookin forward to Spring. More daylight, warmer days. But I got to admit this has been a pretty easy winter so far. I have seen them a lot worse. I am havin a hard time comin up with anything worth written about. We been eatin, sleepin and workin. Next day we do it all again. Not something ya can write about or something someone wants to read about.

I have been listenin to the Plain Talk deals on my lunch hour. I really have been enjoyin them. Now, I don’t know how to link ya up to them but if ya go to the Cumberland Book wed site (do a google search on Cumberland Books) there is a deal on there called Plain Talk. Ya can download them and listen to some good down to earth God fearin people talk on life, values, education, farmin, family and a whole lot more. Give it a listen.

Just heard there is a storm comin at us in the next day or so. that should make life interestin. Need the practice shovelin. Well tell next time, keep your stick on the ice and if she don't find ya handsome she should at least find ya handy.

Goodolboy

Snowing & Cold in Cooks Creek

2007-12-05T10:01:00.000-06:00

Cold snowy day. in Cooks Creek. Snow storm (kind of) has moved in from Saskatchewan. Wind is out of the East. (this is odd because Saskatchewan is west of us). Anyway it is cold with a strong wind to boot, so not a good day to be outside.

This is not goin to be part two of my previous blog on the roles of men and women. That would take some thought and I don’t feel like thinking today. Must be tired or something. Part two will be comin shortly. I am at home today from work. Not because of the snow but I am on vacation for the next two days. My daughter is out of university because they are doin exams so because we drive into the city together every day I thought it would be a good time for me to use up some of my vacation time. So here I sit bloggin. I have a big pot of homemade turkey soup on the stove for supper and the daughter is makin biscuits. I am a good soup maker. Second to none. Ya all know I’m funning with ya, don’t ya. So, it will be soup and biscuits for supper. When my better half gets home from work she won’t have to do a thing except enjoy our creations. What could be better than that? What a great husband I am. Man, is she lucky. Now, I just got to convince her. Actually, I’m just tryin to suck up in case that men and women roles blog doesn’t go too well.

Here’s a joke for ya.

The Michaels family owned a small farm in Canada, just yards away from the North Dakota border. Their land had been the subject of a minor dispute between the United States and Canada for generations. Mrs. Michaels, who had just celebrated her ninetieth birthday, lived on the farm with her son and three grandchildren.

One day, her son came into her room holding a letter. "I just got some news, Ma," he said. "The government has come to an agreement with the people in Washington. They've decided that our land is really part of the United States. We have the right to approve or disapprove of the agreement. What do you think?"

"What do I think?" his mother said. "Jump at it! Call them right now and tell them we accept! I don't think I could stand another one of those Canadian winters!"

Yesterday I made a rather frivolous (sp?) purchase. I bought a vehicle hoist for my shop. Yes sir, when I get that baby up, no more layin on my back under a vehicle. Did I need one? Well not really but the price was such that I would be loosin money if I didn’t buy it (at least that is what I told the wife). I got it used. It was traded in because it would not pass a safety. The safety concerns are such they won’t be of concern to me because in reality the hoist won’t be used all that much. Anyway, I brought the rascal home and had to get it off the truck. Well, after some thought and much help from my two daughters we got er done and it is layin on the shop floor. Now I got to get it put together and operational. My shop has infloor heat so I am a little concerned about drillin into the floor and possibly hittin a water line. Some thought and care needs to be taken when I take that project on.

I have made it my mission again this CHRISTMAS to wish everyone a MERRY CHRISTMAS. Not a Happy Holiday, Seasons Greetings or Best of the New Year but a MERRY CHRISTMAS! With an emphasis on CHRIST. Please do the same. Let’s put Christ back in this time of year. Let’s remember what it’s all about and make sure others do too.

On December 23rd. our Little Barn Church is doin a Christmas deal . The kids are putting on a play and playin instruments and my lovely wife, Cheryl is thinking of singin a solo. This is something she has wanted to do all her life but she is scared big time. She is really a very good singer and I enjoy her singin at home and while we are at church (because she makes me stand beside her). She has never sung alone in front of anyone other than family. I ask ya all pray to give her strength to pull this deal off. It will mean allot to her (and me). Who knows maybe she could get to be famous and I could retire and blog full time.

We have a new COOP in the nearby town of Oakbank. There is goin to be a grocery store, a gas station and a hardware (lumber) store. Only the grocery store is open so far but the other two aren’t far behind. Ya know I’m excited about that hardware store opening. We went to the grocery store yesterday and had a look see. It looks good, good selection and the prices aren’t too bad either. Prices are slightly higher than in the city but that is to be expected. It will be good to have a decent hardware store close. Never fails, ya get into a project and ya need some unforeseen piece. It would be an hour trip before. Now it should take 15 minutes.

Well, I got to go and clean a little snow. Talk to ya all soon.

November 29, 2007 The Roles of Men and Women

2007-11-29T21:31:00.000-06:00

Good evening from Cooks Creek. Extreme cold has set in here. The mild fall has turned into winter. We are really feelin the cold since we did not get a chance to adapt. It went from a mild 30 to -30 in a heart beat. About 5 inches of snow on the ground. This is not uncommon for this time of year. It is the big fluctuation in temperature that has us all scrambling for the warm indoors.

Last Sunday our Pastor talked on 1 Timothy Chapter 2. Now anyone that knows the Bible is goin to know this area is a touchy subject to some. The role of men and women is always a thing that has people treading lightly. I listened and pondered and listened and pondered some more. I do a lot of ponderin in church. I don’t say much, just think and listen. Better to keep my mouth shut and people only think I’m stupid than to open my mouth and remove all doubt. Anyway, where was I? Oh yea, men and women. On Sunday evening, me and the Mrs. started talking about what our Preacher was talking about. Kind of had a little Bible study. Just the two of us. It went on till midnight. Needless to say I was tired the next day cause my day starts at 5:00 am. I’m not stallin, really I’m not. Just keep getting side tracked. Now where was I again? Oh yea. Me and the wife were talking about men and women and what their roles should be.
We started by layin out what we knew for sure. Kind of no brainers. What I am about to blog is what the wife and I came up with in our discussion on Sunday night.

Men and women are different emotionally.

Women and men are different physically. (notice how I put men first once then women first the next time, got to be politically correct ya know)

Women bare children.

Women need men to have children.

Men need women and women need men to fulfill their lives.

Without men or without women, humans would become extinct in a few short years.

Leadership and superiority is not the same thing.

Leadership is required to maintain order.

The family is important to civilization.

Raisin children is the most important job anyone will ever do.

Self worth is in the mind of the beholder.

Modern society’s belief of the importance of a person’s work and roles are not important in the whole scheme of things.

God loves both men and women the same.

In the Bible, God is referenced as a male.

God is the father of all man kind.

There are specific references in the Bible as to what the roles of a man should be and what a woman should be.

The Bible is the truth.

In nature, females and males of any species have specific roles.

This is what me and my wife come up with. I don’t think anyone can argue against any of these points with much conviction. I’m goin to leave this for tonight and let ya all think on this a spell. I will come back to it in my next post and let ya all know what me and the wife come up with. And yes, we do agree on this. We are both on the same page so to speak.

How about a joke to ease the tention a little. I know I probably am committing blog suicide here with addressing this topic but if ya can’t write what ya think and believe there ain’t no use writin anything at all.

A wife goes to bed at night irritated at her husband so she decides to pray, and this is what she said "God give me tolerance for my husbands stupidity, give me wisdom to understand him, give me forgiveness to forgive him of his ignorance, but please God I beg of thee don’t give me strength cause I’ll kill him!"

Part 2 will be comin at ya soon.

November 24, 2007 One month until Christmas

2007-11-24T22:03:00.000-06:00

Saturday evening in Cooks Creek. Not much happening. At least not in our home anyway. Actually, it is a good bet there aint much happenin anywhere in Cooks Creek.

I spent the day around the old homestead on our property clearing up some deadfall and cutting wood. Hard work but it is good work. Work I enjoy. Come to think of it, I enjoy it so much it doesn’t feel like work at all. Could put it on the same level as going huntin or fishin. With that all said, I am bushed. That little chain saw was getting kind of heavy after a time. Ya got to watch cause when ya start getting tired and your holdin a chain saw it may be better to call it quits. Still lots to do but it will be there another day.

Just sittin around here and thinking about how good I got it. Got a family that is second to none. Nice and warm in our little house. Roof don’t leak and ya can’t feel the wind (well not much anyway). Had a good supper, so I am well fed. Can’t think of a single thing I need. Well, there is one thing I think I will need in a short time, some sleep.

The wife has started playin her Christmas Hymns. She will play those CDs every chance she gets until Christmas. My Blue Grass has to take a back seat this time of year. She sure does love her Christmas carols.

Church tomorrow morning. I missed last week cause I had to work. So tomorrow we will be there and it is a bonus Sunday cause it is pot luck Sunday. Everyone brings a dish of something and ya get to have a great lunch after the service. Not sure what we are bringin (not my department). Last time wife made perogies. Maybe the same this time. Not sure.

I got the stalls in the barn completed. Didn’t do a bad job for a fella who isn’t much of a carpenter. My Dad was a carpenter and when I was a yung un I would have to help him. I sure wish I would of paid more attention to what he was doin and how he did it. As with most little guys my mind was on baseball, hockey, huntin and fishin. I would go and help cause I had to but my mind was mostly somewhere else. Sure could use some of that knowledge today. But ain’t that always the way. Ya squander your time and then spend time wishin ya wouldn’t have squandered it. My Dad wasn’t much of a teacher. If ya wanted to learn something ya shutup and watched. He didn’t want for me to be a carpenter. Not sure why. Just always said “ya don’t want to be don this for a livin”. That was ok with me cause I was more interested in machines anyway. My Dad’s Dad’s Dad (my great grandpa) was a carpenter. My Dad’s Dad (my grandpa) was a mechanic. My Dad was a carpenter. I am a mechanic. So, if trends are anything to go by my son will be a carpenter. That would be ok with me or not. What ever he wants to do as long as he gives it his all and is the best he can be.

As ya can see from my ramblins above I don’t have allot to tell ya but that is ok. Just some small talk. How about I end er off with a huntin joke.

A deeer hunter went on a deer hunt with his wife and mother-in-law. One evening, while still deep in the wilderness, his wife awoke to find her mother gone. Rushing to her husband, she insisted that they both try to find her mother.
The hunter picked up his rifle, and started to look for her. In a clearing not far from deer camp, they came upon a dreadful sight. His mother-in-law was backed up against a huge oak and a big grizzly bear stood facing her.
The wife cried, "What are we going to do?"
"Nothing," said her husband. "That bear got himself into this mess, let him get himself out of it."

That’s all folks. Talk to ya all soon.

November 17, 2007

2007-11-18T17:59:00.000-06:00

What a great day. It is well below freezing out there this morning but the sun is shining and there is not a cloud in the sky. Perfect late fall weather. And best of all, no mud. Ya can walk anywhere and it is like walkin on concrete,

We just come in from outside doin chores. It was only three of us this morning. The oldest went to work at 5:00 and the middle daughter is still under the weather. She has been sick goin on a week now. She will get feelin better then it will hit her again. Don’t really think she has taken in any food for a week and what she has taken in will come back out (if ya get my drift). Why don’t ya take her to a doctor ya say. Good question and that brings me to the point of my rant. Haven’t had one of those for a spell so it is about time.

One of the things that used to be special about Canada was our medical system. We had free medical care. I don’t know how many times I would get to talking with one of our neighbors to the south (state side) and they would go on and on how lucky we were about how we got free medical care. They used to be right. Kind of. It wasn’t really free. We paid for the medical care through the tax system. Those that worked and paid taxes, paid for their medical care. The problem with that was those that worked and paid their taxes had to not only pay for their medical care but they paid for all the lazy slackers that didn’t work. The free loaders. Every country has them and ya we got our share of them too. Actually I think we got more than our share. Anyway, where was I? Oh, ya, the medical system. Well, it is still free but ya can’t get any services. Here is a typical scenario on our medical system. First, let me assure ya, what I am about to say here is the rule in this province, it is not the exception.

A few months ago my father-in-law (who is in his 80s) got ill and one morning he could not get out of bed. An ambulance was called and he was taken to the hospital at around 2:00 PM. He was taken to Emergency. Because he was in bed when the ambulance picked him up he had only his underwear on. He was received at emergency rapped in a sheet and set out in the waiting room in a wheelchair and left. My wife (his daughter) went to the admitting nurse at 9:30 PM and asked when her father was going to be attended to (he had now been waiting for over 7 hours, nothing to eat or drink, no one from the hospital even acknowledged he was still there). She was told ambulance patients have priority. My wife said “FOR PETE SAKE HE CAME IN AN AMBULANCE. At 10:30 that evening he was seen by a doctor. The doctor thought he may have had a stroke and thought they should schedule him for some tests. He was then discharged that evening at around midnight. After a 6 week wait he received his tests and he did have a stroke. In case you’re wondering, he is doing fine but it is of no thanks to our medical system. I’ll let you decide if ya think I am getting my moneys worth for the tax dollars I pay for our medical care. As I sat in that waitin room and watched my father-in-law waitin (wrapped in a sheet in his underwear). I remembered he was a veteran. He fought in the second world war, as did his brother and his father fought in the first world war. This is what his country thinks of him. He can’t buy, beg, borrow or steal medical help.

So where are my tax dollars going? I am payin my taxes and for my taxes one of the things I am suppose to be entitled to is medical care. I am supposed to also be entitled to education and a justice system that keeps me and my property safe. Those systems are in the same situation as our health care. The last I checked stealing was illegal. My money is being stolen from me. I pay taxes and for those taxes I am suppose to receive certain services. If you pay your money for a service and the provider does not deliver is that not illegal? Is that not theft? Our country is in a shambles. The systems our government is supposed to deliver are a mess to say the least. I am required by law to pay my taxes but the law does not require the provider to provide the service. That is because the provider (the government) makes the rules. The provider is a thief. The provider is a crook. I have learned not to depend on my government. I don’t expect anything and I am never disappointed. Thank you Mr. Government for taking my hard earned dollars (over half of my family’s income) and not delivering. At least you’re consistent. One of the main topics in the news these days is how one of our former Prime Ministers is involved in illegal pay offs for awarding untended services. There is no question in my mind he is as crooked as a dogs hind leg. 90% of our politicians and people running this country are self serving. There interest is not to run the country but to line their pockets and elevate their egos. Anybody think different?

How bout a joke? Let me see. Well it is not really a joke, More like a sad truth.

Can you imagine working at the following Company? It has a little over 500 employees with the following statistics:
29 have been accused of spouse abuse
7 have been arrested for fraud
19 have been accused of writing bad cheques
117 have bankrupted at least two businesses
3 have been arrested for assault
71 cannot get a credit card due to bad credit
14 have been arrested on drug-related charges
8 have been arrested for shop-lifting
21 are current defendants in lawsuits
In 1998 alone 84 were stopped for drunk driving

Can you guess which organization this is?Give up?
It's the 535 members of the United States Congress. The same group that perpetually cranks out hundreds upon hundreds of new laws designed to keep the rest of us in line.

I couldn't fine any statisics on our Canadian Parlament but there is no question in my mind we have similarly fine upstanding individuals leading our country. Why do we allow this? How do we change?

Talk to ya all soon.

November 13, 2007

2007-11-13T20:59:00.000-06:00

Howdy from Cooks Creek. Unusually warm today for the middle of November. Away above freezin and sunny but we are getting some big winds right now. What a break. Every day like this is a bonus. One less day of winter. I do not like winter. Never have and never will.

The flu bug is going through our home like wild fire. Both daughter were home sick today but seem to be on the mend and should be back to normal tomorrow (well, as normal as they get anyway).

As I read other peoples blogs it is interesting to see how people view the next 4 or 5 coming months. In my part of the world, people who live like we do (in the country, on a farm) are preparing or have prepared for the worst. This involves making sure all your machinery (cars, trucks, snowblowers, tractors, loaders etc.) are in top shape and well maintained, heaters have been installed in water tanks, furnaces are in top shape, supply of wood is available, supply of emergency food is available and animals have put on a layer of fat that will sustain them if or should I say when we get 3 weeks of -40. Yes, -40 and large amounts of snow are coming as sure as the sun will rise in the east and set in the west. Am I ready? Na, I'm never ready. There is always one more thing to do and when it (winter) hits, one more thing I should have done and didn't get done. Every year is the same. So here I sit waitin for it to come. When will it hit. Forecast is for cooler weather but no real winter for the next few days anyway.

Chickens know it's comin. Only got 10 eggs today. 10 eggs and a bunch of customers that require 10 dozen a day to meet their needs. Some of our customers undrstand but some just don't get it. When we tell them we don't have any eggs they kind of get upset, like we are holdin back or something. Chickens need to rest too. Their conserving energy and getting their machinery (read body) tuned up for the winter thats a comin.

I was talkin to buddy of mine up in Churchill. He is the fella who sends me down artic char(best tasting fish in the world). Now, that is up North. If you are interested to know where it is, look up to the very northern part of Manitoba on the Hudson Bay coast. Now them cats have been into winter for some time now. We will get -40 for a couple of weeks, they will get it for 4 months staight. Ya want to know what their biggest problem is right now. It is not the cold. It's polar bears. Yep, polar bears come to the coast of the Hudson Bay but can't get out onto the ice flow because it hasn't formed yet. So, what do they do, they come into town and are lookin for food. Food to them is garbage, dogs, cats, people. Their main diet is seals but they can't get any untill the ice forms and they can get out on the ice. The polar bears are the life and death of Churchill. They are extremely dangerous but they are also very useful. They have become a tourist attraction. People come from all over the world to see the polar bears.

How about a joke.

A goodolboy, down on his luck, went into a church which catered to the "uppity". Spotting the man's dirty work clothes a deacon, worried about the churches image, went to the man and asked him if he needed help. The man said, "I was praying and the Lord told me to come to this church."
The deacon suggested that the man go pray some more and possibly he might get a different answer. The next Sunday the man returned. The deacon asked, "Did you get a different answer?"
The man replied, "Yes I did. I told the Lord that they don't want me in that church and the Lord said, 'Don't worry about it son; I've been trying to get into that church for years and they won't let me in either."

I am thinkin that this may be more of a life lesson than a joke. Anyway, have a good night and we will talk to ya all real soon.

November 10, 2007

2007-11-10T17:33:00.000-06:00

How ya all doin. I am doing great, any better and I'd be suspicious. The good Lord has givin me another day to complete some work before winter. I have been askin him for another day, and another day, and another day of decent weather for the last couple of weeks and he just keeps handin them too me.

It is our turn to do soup in our little barn church tomorrow. Every Sunday after our service we all set down and have a bowl of soup together and visit. It has become the highlight of my week. Anyway, it is our turn to do the soup so there is this big pot of chicken soup on the stove and man, does it smell good. That little barn church has sure become sumthin special to our family. I thank my maker every day that he showed us the way there. The church is in our Pastors yard and is on the banks of the Cooks Creek. Now, let me tell ya on Sunday morning at 10 oclock we start. We ain't big, but the singin and music that is comin out of that little barn is second to none. I alway picture someone comin down the creek in a canoe and as they approach the church they hear us a singin and praisin the good Lord. Man, that would leave a lump in your throat for sure.

My son is under the weather some. On Thursday I got a call from my wife that he was sicker than old Joe Coots dog. So at lunch time I picked him up and brought him home. Friday he was fine but then it started again on Friday night. He is still under the weather but seems to be on the mend. Hopefully he will back in the saddle tomorrow. He is a tough little fella and not too much will get him down but this flu bug has knocked him on his butt.

Ya all got a favorite passage in the bible. I do. I found it a couple of weeks ago and I bet I have read it over three dozen times. When I first found it I thought it was written special for me. Ya want to know what it is?

"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you. So that your daily life will win the respect of outsiders and so you will not be dependant on anyone."

1st Thessalonians, Chapter 4 verse 11 & 12. Man, that says it all. That is what I try to do. That is what I want to do everyday. If I can go to my maker and they say he led a quiet life and minded his own business and didn't depend on anyone. In my mind, I will have been a success.

How about a joke. I'm a hillbilly redneck rascal so I'll tell ya one that hits close to home.

Ya might be a Redneck if;

Ya all come back from the dump with more than you took.

Ya, me and my daughter went to the dump this morning and we came back with more than we took. Came back with a truck load of cinder blocks. Why would anyone throw away good cinder blocks.

Well, Ya all take er easy or anyway ya can. Talk to ya all soon.

October 30, 2007

2007-10-30T20:01:00.000-06:00

Hello all. I’m going to try something new. My attempt to blog on a regular basis has been a sad failure. I have real good intentions but truth of the matter is I don’t have the time. So, I’m going to try and do some short blogs and try and get more consistent with my blogs. If this don’t work I am going to pack it in. So here goes a short blog.
As I mentioned above, life is real busy. Everyone is working or in school. Oldest daughter is in university and is enjoying it big time. I’m still fixing vehicles and making a somewhat poor attempt at farmin. Wife is feedin the yung-uns in the high school’s chew and choke (she works in the school cafeteria). And my 2 youngest are in school. Everyone is in real good health. Life couldn’t get much better.
A couple of weeks ago I went out and bought an old snowmobile for the kids. A friend of a friend had this old machine and wanted $500 for it. The Mrs. and I got up early Saturday morning and headed off to take a look. We bought it and threw it in the back of the truck. Well, we didn’t actually throw it. It was more like heave and drag it into the truck but we got it in there. Brought it home and ya should of seen those two yung-uns faces. Ya would of thought I bought them a new machine that cost 10 grand. Man, are they excited. Now they are waitin for the snow. It doesn’t run too well but I’ll get er workin before the snow flies and the kids will have a blast with it.
We got all our chickens butchered and sold. We finished up in late Sept. The year did not go as good as last. Poor weather, predators (Mr. weasel and Mr., coyote), stupid mistakes (from yours truly) and poor feed quality took its toll. We had a much better year last year. On the positive side I now know what doesn’t work and will adjust next years technique to increase profits. On a side note the new chicken plucker worked flawlessly. My son and I could easily kill and pluck chickens faster than the three ladies could eviscerate them. Every once in a while something works out for me.
Now for a joke.
The two brothers were sittin in the lawyer’s waiting room waiting for their Dad’s will to be read. An argument started as to which of them was the favorite son and it was getting into full flow when they were invited into the office.
After a few preliminaries including the disposal of a few small items to the cousins and old friends the important bit came - who would inherit the farm.
The lawyer took a deep breath, looked at the oldest brother and said "Well John, the farm is yours". John turned to his brother, "see" he said, " I told you were the favorite"
Hope to talk to ya all real soon.

August 20, 2007 Hey! I'm Back

2007-08-20T07:52:00.000-06:00

It has been many months since my last blog. What can I say. Life has been very busy (too busy) so ya start to prioritize what ya do. The have to get dones get all your attention and things that are just fun (like blogging) get pushed off to the side. Anyway, that is why it has been so long since my last blog. I have been a bit selfish since I have been droppin by all my favorite blogs and enjoyin their blogs but have not contributed anything myself. Well enough of that .

The spring and summer have been a whirl wind of activity. Our spring was a disaster. Rain, rain and more rain. More water than I have ever seen come from the sky. Crops, gardens and animals all suffered from the constant rain that went on for weeks. The rains were all torants. 1 to 3 inches at a time. That is actually another reason I quiet blogging. I was feelin lower than a snakes belly in a tire rut with the way the weather was. I know. Ya got to give the situation to the Lord and take what he gives ya but I was still down. The winters are long and hard up here. I really look forward to Spring and Summer and when ya get hit like we all did it really took the fight out of me. Anyway, we got through it and moved into a nice summer. Then the deal was to play catch up. That is still goin on around here. The weather has been good and I sure don't mind the work (especialy workin outside). So here I am workin like a dog (not sure where that sayin came from, dogs don't work too hard, actually they got it real easy) tryin to get stuff done before the winter comes back at us.

My oldest daughter is heading to university this fall. She has been workin at a dairy farm all summer. The hours are long but she says the work is interesting and not real hard. The best part is the people she works for and with are good people. The other great thing is they let her take fresh milk home. This is the first time I have tasted fresh milk and, well lets just say I have put on a few pounds. That usually doesn't happen in the summer. She is finished there in a couple of weeks and will be startin school. Not sure if we can go back to the store bought stuff. Sure won't be the same. Almost tempted to try and talk her into forgettin school and keep on workin just so we can get the milk. The other thing she keeps haulin home from work is kittens.
I never used to be a cat lover. In fact I hated cats but these are different. They are barn cats. They have dignity and work for their keep. There is a little pure black one that I have kind of taken for mine. I named him Dirt. I think he is goin to be the new shop cat. He'll keep the mice out of the shop.

We had some nasty winds and rain go through here last week. Lots of trees down (big trees) and a barn down the road collapsed. No damage at our place except we lost 7 chickens. Me and wife were talkin about the crazy weather everywhere. Back when I was a yung-un we would get storms but it would be once a year or maybe even every couple of years. Now it is happenin once a month, sometimes more. Why? Wife and I have a theory. I suspect God is given us a warnin. I think he is sayin ya all better mend your ways or I am goin to have to do somethin about it. He is tellin us he ain't happy with what is goin on in this world and he ain't goin to allow it to continue. Think back to Noah. I know things were a mess back then and God took action. I would suspect our world is in about the same shape as things back then (maybe worse). Anyone agree? Just a thought. I'm always tryin to figure out things and this is what I come up with on the weather deal.

How about I sign off with one of my infamous jokes.

A Pastor told his congregation, "Next week I plan to preach about the sin of lying. To help you understand my sermon, I want you all to read Mark 17." The following Sunday, as he prepared to deliver his sermon, the minister asked for a show of hands. He wanted to know how many had read Mark 17. Every hand went up. The minister smiled and said, "Mark has only sixteen chapters. I will now proceed with my sermon on the sin of lying."

Take er easy. Talk to ya all real soon.

Got em all workin, Meet the Sinclairs

2007-04-30T09:44:00.000-06:00

My youngest daughter servicin a lawn tractor. She works for a couple down the road cuttin grass and doin yard chores. The fella who she works for mentioned he needed to get his lawn tractor serviced so she took on the job and with dad's help she'll get er done. I think she is makin a parts list in the picture.

This is what little brothers and big sisters do in the country. I finnally had to tell him to put it away. Got tired of listening to "Dad, He"s is squirtin me again!

Oldest daughter puttin a salt lick holder in the horse shelter. She cut everything out with a hand saw. Cuts are real straight and square too. Did way better than I could off. Offered her the power cutoff saw but she said no thanks, I'm ok.

This is my son. He was paintin that wash tub stand behind him. He has no paint on him because I make him wear coveralls and rubber gloves. You should see his coveralls.

My lovely wife letterin Eggs For Sale signs (which we are gettin over run with, not the signs, the eggs). Anyone want to buy some Farm Fresh Brown Eggs?

April 24, 2007

2007-04-24T19:40:00.000-06:00

Well here it is getting onto the end of April and I have not posted on the old blog in a good long time. I would like to say it is because I am so busy but it is more like I am so lazy. Actually life has been busy and full around our home. What has been happening?

My son turned 10 last week. We celebrated by havin a nice supper and he came with the wife and I to a poultry seminar (which he fell asleep at but only after he filled up on donuts and juice).

We had a great Easter. It was celebrated with family and our new church. Speaking of which our family is enjoyin allot. Maybe I will talk a little more about it later in this post.

Oldest daughter is beatin the bushes lookin for a summer job. No luck yet but she has a couple of interviews this weekend.

Been servicin equipment, getting ready for the season.

Taxes are all done and sent in.

Flu bug went through our house like wild fire. Everyone but yours truly caught it. It was a nasty one.

Oldest daughter made her first big purchase ever. Bought a new (used) computer last Saturday. Man was she excited. She bought it from a local store (good people). I’m glad and proud of her for doin that. She didn’t go to the big box stores. She thought of it but decided to spend her money in the community. Good for her.

Things have/are dryin up pretty nice around here. The odd pile of snow in the bush still. No one is plantin anything yet though. I know some of our neighbors to the south are plantin already but up here in Canada we can get heavy frost well into May (and usually do). That is about all the news form here.

My son is out workin tonight. Its beer can season. When the snow goes and the water in the ditches start to dry up a young fella can make a small fortune collectin beer cans. He gets a big bag and his bike and he works his way down the roads makin his fortune. He gets 10 cents each for them. He collects pop cans too but ya only make about 50 cents a pound for them. Its good honest work and he cleans up some trash to boot.

I want to talk about somethin that I learned in Church last Sunday. I am not sure I learned it or if I always knew it and hadn’t come to terms with it. As I had mentioned earlier we have started attendin a local church in the area. People are real nice and have made my family feel so welcome. The atmosphere is a little different than we are used to. Very relaxed, no formalities, no stained glass, no big fancy doors, tons of young people, ya all get the picture. The Pastor, I’ll call him Pastor Norm (because that is his name) and his family put this deal together 4 ½ years ago. They have been in various locations over those 4+ years but have ended up on the Pastor’s land in a barn on the banks of Cooks Creek. I don’t think Jesus himself could have come up with a prettier setting. Come to think of it, he did come up with the setting. What was I thinking? The barn has been renovated somewhat to accommodate a bunch of good ol country people a place to worship Jesus, praise the Lord and have fellowship. Last Sunday after church we stayed a spell to help clean up and when we came outside there were yung uns everywhere. Playin soccer, talking in little groups, playin on an old rope swing. I immediately thought of Little House on the Prairie. I’m sure I saw a scene like that in the shows many times. Anyway, that’s not what I want to talk on. I want to tell ya all what I learned. The Pastor preached a little on grace and peace. I want to talk about peace and what that word means to me (after last Sunday). Do ya all have peace? Maybe some other words for peace could be contentment, joy and satisfaction. How do ya measure if ya have peace in your life? There are many ways. How do ya sleep at night? Do you worry? Is your happiness or your joy based on material possessions, a vacation, your appearance (read attractiveness)? What crutch (money, drink, drugs, food, anger, temper, humor, purchasing) do ya use to get ya through a day? All of these things may be an indication as to where you are at in obtaining peace in your life. Don’t get me wrong. Most of the things mentioned above are not a problem as long as they don’t become a necessity in you finding value in your being. The problem comes when the peace (satisfaction, contentment, joy) you find in life depends on something (money, vacation, possessions, etc.) or when ya lay down at night and can’t sleep because your mind is obsessed with worry. Let’s take this one step further. What if we used a person’s peace to measure a person’s success? The more at peace you are the more successful you are. How could that be? Everyone knows success is measured in money, possessions, personal appearance, education and social status. I don’t think that should be the way success is measured. Peace would be an excellent way to measure success. Would you not agree a poor person that has true joy and real peace is more successful than a rich person who is obsessed and stressed with possessions and social status. I’m not sayin a rich person can’t be successful. I am sayin the rich person’s success has nothing to do with his money (at least that is how I see it). How content are ya? How much joy do ya feel and share. How satisfied are ya all? Wouldn’t that be a great way to measure success? This is getting pretty long so I won’t go into how to obtain the peace ya need to be successful. That will be for another post.

Lets lighten things up a bit. How about one of my bad jokes. Here goes.

A very enthusiastic soul-winning young preacher recently came upon a farmer working in his field. Being concerned about the farmer's soul the preacher asked the man, "Are you laboring in the vineyard of the Lord my good man?"

Not even looking at the preacher and continuing his work the farmer replied, "Naw, these are soybeans."

"You don't understand," said the preacher. "Are you a Christian?"

With the same amount of interest as his previous answer the farmer said, "Nope my name is Jones. You must be lookin for old Jim Christian. He lives a mile south of here."

The young determined preacher tried again asking the farmer, "Are you lost?"

"Naw! I've lived here all my life," answered the farmer.

"Are you prepared for the resurrection?" the frustrated preacher asked.

This caught the farmer's attention and he asked, "When's it gonna be?"

Thinking he had finnally got through to the farmer, the young preacher replied, "It could be today, tomorrow, or the next day." Taking a handkerchief from his back pocket and wiping his brow, the farmer remarked, "Well, don't mention it to the wife. She don't get out much and she'll wanna go all three days."

Ya all have a good day. Talk to soon.

April 1, 2007 Last Post

2007-04-01T14:49:00.000-06:00

This will be my last blog, Some people have made some comments on my abilities with the english language, the inappropriate jokes and the useless content in my blog. I do not want to offend anyone. When I started this blog it was too be all in fun. If I have hurt anyone's feelings or I have offended anyone I am truly sorry. So for old time sake, one more post.

Cold wet snow comin down here in Cooks Creek. And to make matters worse it is stayin around. The barometer is droppin so this weather is goin to get worse before it gets better. Such is life in Cooks Creek.

On the bright side I bought a new wheelbarrow yesterday. They were on sale at the hardware store for ½ price so I picked one up yesterday morning. Now this puts me in a whole new league. We are a two-wheelbarrow farm now. Now some folks would get and uppity and snooty when they owned two wheelbarrows. Kind of look down on the families that only has one wheelbarrow. Not me. This ain’t goin to change me one bit. I know where I came from. I know my roots. I was a one wheelbarrow farm for a good many years so I know how that feels. I’m still the same goodolboy I was when I only had one wheelbarrow. Still as down to earth as I ever was. Still as country as a lump of dirt. No sir. The fame that comes with owning two wheelbarrows will not go to my head.

On the subject of that wheelbarrow. Did you know when ya buy a new 2007 deluxe state of the art wheelbarrow it comes in pieces and ya all have to put it together yourself? I picked up my new wheelbarrow yesterday morning or should I say the parts to my new wheelbarrow. Brought it home and took all the parts and pieces into the shop. I had to go out again so my son (age 9) asks if he can put it together. I say, “sure son”. Ya all know where the tools are. Knock yourself out and have fun. Off I went not expectin him to get the thing together and fully expected him give up tryin in a short time. When I say the thing came in pieces I am not jokin. There was not one part of the thing that was assembled. Anyway to make a long story short I came home and he had it together and it was perfect. I was amazed and rather proud. I have seen grown men have difficulty assemblin some stuff like that. He even told me he had left all the bolts finger tight until I inspected it. Right on the money. Good job son and thanks to you one less job I have to do. I don’t think I give ya enough credit some times.

We had a neat experience this morning. We went to Church. Ya are all sayin “big deal, you and half the world went to church this mornin”. “What’s so neat about that”? Well we went to church in a barn. Yep, an old barn that has been converted into a church. It is called Willowdale Fellowship. Pastors name is Norm Neufeld. Pastor Neufeld has converted an old barn on his property into a church. We attended for the first time and it was the most enjoyable experience. No fancy stained glass windows or fancy pews. No suits and ties (which I really liked) or all the stuff that is associated with formal church. The church was full of yung-uns. My wife phoned Pastor Neufeld yesterday afternoon to ask about the church (they have a small blurb in the local paper). He said they are tryin to follow Jesus without the religion. I was not sure what that meant but I sure enjoyed myself this morning. Then after church we were invited to have a bowl of homemade soup (which was the best) and buns. We all met some very nice people that made us feel very welcome. What a great experience it was. Lookin forward to the next time. This deal is right here in Cooks Creek. Almost in our back yard. Who knew.

Time for one more joke, this one comes from my youngest daughter.

There was a man who came from the city wanting to start a chicken farm of his very own. He went a local hatchery to buy some chicks to start his farm. He went in and purchased 500 fine White Rocks chicks. The next week he came back to the hatchery and purchased 500 top quality Rhode Island Reds chicks. The following week it was 500 Cornish chicks and so on and so on for many weeks. Finally, the hatchery man could stand it no longer and said, "Wow you must be starting a huge poultry farm with all of these chicks!" "Not so big really, "said the city slicker, "I'm just having a little trouble with this first crop. I can't tell if I'm planting them too deep or too close together."

I know they’re getting worse.

Keep your stick on the ice.

Oh Yea, April Fools, I'll be back. ;-)

March 29, 2007

2007-03-29T16:16:00.000-06:00

March 29, 2007 in Cooks Creek. Well, by my definition in a previous post it is apparent spring has arrived in Canada. Or at least in my part of Canada. The geese are back. There are literally millions of them everywhere. They have come this far and have hunkered down waitin for the water on the lakes to open up so they can continue their journey north to their nesting grounds. With that said, it sure don’t feel like spring today. Cold wet snow and a strong wind out of the north makes ya move a little faster than usual when ya are outside. Temperature is around the freezin point but the wind makes it feel a lot colder.

As far as water goes it is not too bad. No floodin that I can see or have heard of yet. The municipal ditches are all open and flowin fast. The municipality has done a fine job of getting everything opened up this year. Normally my fields are half under water by this time but not this year. Or at least not yet. A couple weeks of rain can turn things bad in a heartbeat.

The chickens seem to be well on the mend. I believe they did have cocsiliosis (sp?). I hit them with an antibiotic and the improvement was fast. They are still on the antibiotic and will be for a couple of weeks yet. The antibiotic is Amprol and is mixed with their water. It is expensive but is the only cure. The result for not usin the antibiotic is ya loose your flock. I have to clean and lime the coop but need the weather to turn better so I can get them out of there. All together I think I lost about 15 hens. That in itself is not good but I have learned from it and know what to watch for the next time. Symptoms for this disease (which is a parasite in the chickens intestine) are; early stages = feathers are wet, blood in their manure and on the eggs, off their food, quiet (no clucking) later stages = all the above plus bad diarrhea (no solids, just water), wings start to droop, won’t eat at all, pale combs and around the eyes (go from red to a yellow), no interest in anything (just sit or perch). No fun watchin animals die. Was getting so I hated to go into the barn because I knew what I would find. The joys of farmin heh?

My next fun project around here is shovelin manure. Between the chickens and horses there is a lot of it and it all has to be cleaned up and piled. Can’t really expand on that much more.

The chicken plucker is a hair away from completion. Just need to do the pulley system yet. Have to purchase the motor and idler pulleys and it will be ready to pluck. Hope it works. Can’t see why it won’t. Everyone elses works and I built it as the plan directed.

My other project was the round bale picker. I needed to arc weld it together. The mig will not give the penetration required to weld the heavy steel the picker is made of. I don’t like to arc weld in the shop because I don’t have an exhaust fan (at least not yet). The smoke and fumes are bad after ya weld for a spell. We had some nice days earlier this week so I welded most of it up outside. I ended up makin the bale spear out of 2 old truck axles. Think it will work fine.

My oldest daughter is goin to be graduating this June. She plans on goin to university and goin into veterinary medicine. She has a big ol soft heart and we got to talkin about puttin animals down. I asked her it she thinks she could do the deed. She got real quiet and didn’t answer either way. Well, she went over to the vets in town and asked if she could volunteer her services. It is our spring school break here and she has been going to the clinic everyday this week to help out. She helped put a dog down yesterday. It went pretty well and although she did not like it (who would) she said she didn’t cry. Today they did another one and she said it gets easier. She sat in on a couple of operations today also. She is sure enjoyin the experience.

Lets liten things up here a bit, time for a red neck joke,

Two hillbillys meet on a dusty country road. Guy (goodolboy) is carrying a big bag labeled, "chickens."

"Chickens, eh?" says the other hillbilly. "Hey, if I guess how many chickens you got, will you give me one?"

"Heck, " says Guy who has the bag, "iffin you guess right, I'll give you both of 'em."

The other hillbilly scratches his head and guesses, "Um... five?"

Ya got to like that one.

Well, take er easy, Hopefully the weather will get back to bein warm here. Talk to ya all soon.

March 18, 2007

2007-03-18T20:13:00.000-06:00

What a lazy day. Wet snow and sometimes rain here in Cooks Creek. Temperature is in around the freezin mark. Not much goin on except sitting around readin and enjoyin each other’s company and waitin for supper. House is full of supper cookin smell. Roast chicken, one of our own broilers we raised last year. Big fella. As big as a small turkey. Then gingerbread and whipped cream for desert. Whole family will sit down for supper together. It ain’t goin to get any better than that in my book. This is what I work for, what I strive for. This is what the good life means to me. If I were offered this or a billion dollars I would take this in a heartbeat. Wouldn’t even have to think about it.

The wife and I are readin a book called Better Off. It is about a young couple who went to live in an Amish Community. At least I think they were Amish. They call them Minimites (to protect their identity). If they are not Amish their life style parallels the old Amish ways. We spent the afternoon readin and takin it easy. Actually the wife did the readin and I listened. Very enjoyable way to spend a dreary wet almost spring day. Officially spring comes next week. Looks like we will still have a good snow pack when it does arrive. We would have to get some real warm weather for this amount of snow to disappear before the end of the week. If it did go that fast we would have some major floodin. No, lets hope it goes slow and easy. People don’t need the hassle but then again it ain’t for me to determine.

Back to work tomorrow. I was on vacation for the last week lookin after my youngest daughter. She is doin great and almost back to her old self after the operation. She will be back to school tomorrow too. Suppose she will have some major catchin up to do.

I will end this deal with a ya might be a red neck joke. Because I am such a hick people tell me these jokes all the time so here goes.

If your wife has to get ya to remove the transmission parts from the tub so she can take a bath, ya might be a red neck.

Actually that one hit pretty close to home.

Talk to ya all real soon.

March 16, 2007

2007-03-16T10:14:00.000-06:00

I told ya. Winter is not done with us yet. Cooks Creek has been cold for the last few days. Snow ain’t meltin and in fact it is snowin as I type this. Not hard. Just flutterin down, light like. Don’t think we will get any amount to speak of.

Youngest daughter is mending from her tonsil operation and every day it gets a little better. She was even eatin some yesterday. Still home from school and asleep right now. She sounds real funny. Like a little squeaky mouse. But at least she is on the mend and expect she will be back to normal by next week.

Somethin has been a botherin me. Of course it is that time of year when we have to do our taxes and give a portion of our hard earned money to the government to squander away on some stupid social program. That is bad enough but that is not what has me riled up (it does but that ain’t what I am goin to go on about). The other night I was doin our taxes. There are three of us in this house that are required to file a tax return. My gorgeous wife (can’t hurt to butter her up a bit eh?), my oldest daughter, and yours truly. My wife and I are married (as we should be) and because of this we are penalized by not bein able to take advantage of certain tax credits and rebates. Because my wife and I committed to each other and got married (and have stayed married for 25 loooong years) our incomes are combined while doing certain calculations in the tax return process. If we were living common law, separated or divorced we would be allowed to separate our incomes and thus be eligible for certain credits and rebates (pay less taxes). My daughter is 18 years old. In Canada she is considered an adult. She works part time and earns an income. By law she is required to pay income tax. No problem. But because she is single and going to school and living at home she is not eligible for the Manitoba Tax Credit or a GST rebate. Get this. To qualify for these credits and rebates she would have to either be pregnant and single, a single mom, living common law with a partner (I noticed they did not specify gender) or married. What kind of message does this send the young uns of this country? Instead of stayin in school and studyin, my daughter should of hit the streets, shacked up with some guy and got pregnant. Our government would of rewarded her with hundreds of dollars in credits and rebates. Our Prime Minister is always talkin about family values and morals. I’m hearin it but I’m not seein it. Put your money where your mouth is. Give a kid a tax credit if they were workin and successfully completed their grade. Or a legally married couple a credit for bein married for 10 consecutive years (to the same person). Heck, A thing like that won’t cost them too much. Only about 2% of the population qualify. If/when I see those kind of things then I will believe Mr. Harper (Prime Minister) truly is serious about the moral fiber of this country. Allowin gays and lesbians married status when it is profitable and separate status when it is not has me questionin my country's direction as far as family values go.

Chickens are doin better but still not exactly right. They seem listless and off their food. Egg production is way off. Not sure what else to do. Watchin them real close and tryin to get clues on what is happenin. Life would sure be easier without critters but not as interestin or as much fun.

Toyin with the idea of getting another German Shepherd dog (just what we need more animals). A female. I have always wanted to breed Shepherds and just might start it this year. Problem is our money can’t keep up with our ideas. If I had a nickel for every crazy idea I came up with I would be a rich fella. Sometime the energy don’t keep up with the ideas either.

Hey, it has stopped snowin and the sun is tryin to come out. Maybe it will warm up some.

NEWS FLASH, I finally finished a book. Yesterday I completed At Natures Pace by Gene Logsdon. Pretty good book. Mr. Logsdon is also the author of the Contrary Farmer (which I am also readin). There are pieces in the two books that are duplicated (nothing too bad though). The info is dated (80s) but his concept and thought process is relevant today. My favorite part was the chapters on the Amish. These people fascinate me and I always find enjoyment when learnin about their culture.

Got a joke for ya all>

A six-year-old boy told his father he wanted to marry the little girl across the street. The father, being modern and well-schooled in handling children, hid his smile behind his hand.

'That's a serious step,' he said. 'Have you thought it out completely?'

'Yes,' his young son answered. 'We can spend one week in my room and the next in hers. It's right across the street, so I can run home if I get scared of the dark.'

'How about transportation?' the father asked.

'I have my wagon, and we both have our tricycles,' the little boy answered.

The boy had an answer to every question the father raised.

Finally, in exasperation, his dad asked, 'What about babies? When you're married, you're liable to have babies, you know.'

'We've thought about that, too,' the little boy replied. 'We're not going to have babies. Every time she lays an egg, I'm going to step on it!'

Want another one?

HOW TO CALL THE POLICE WHEN YOU'RE OLD AND DON'T MOVE FAST ANYMORE

George Phillips of Meridian, Mississippi was going up to bed when his wife told him that he'd left the light on in the garden shed, which she could see from the bedroom window.

George opened the back door to go turn off the light but saw that there were people in the shed stealing things. He phoned the police who asked, 'Is someone in your house?' and he said 'No'. Then they said that all patrols were busy, and that he should simply lock his door and an officer would be along when available. George said, 'Okay,' hung up, counted to 30, and phoned the police again.

'Hello, I just called you a few second s ago because there were people in my shed. Well, you don't have to worry about them now because I've just shot them all.' Then he hung up.

Within five minutes three police cars, an Armed Response unit, and an ambulance showed up at the Phillips' residence and caught the burglars red-handed.

One of the Policemen said to George: 'I thought you said that you'd shot them!' George said, 'I thought you said there was nobody available!'

(True Story) I LOVE IT

Well, Take er easy. Till next time. Maybe it will warmer the next time we talk.

March 12, 2007

2007-03-12T13:14:00.000-06:00

Overcast and cool in Cooks Creek this mornin. Was suppose to be warm today, about 8 C or 46 F but by the feel of it out there I don’t think it is goin to make it. Funny how a couple of days of warm weather changes your outlook on what is warm and cold. Three weeks ago I would of thought this was a warm day. That is when we were in our 40 below deal. A couple of days of nice weather and the term warm takes on a new meanin.

Last Friday was an interestin day for the Sinclair family. My youngest daughter got her tonsils out. The day started at 4:30 am. We got up, had breakfast and got ready to head to Winnipeg. We had to leave at 5:30 to be at the hospital for 6:30. We made it to the hospital in time, got her admitted and she was in the operating room by 7:30. At 9:45 I got a call to come to the recovery room and she had already come around and was awake and alert. She laid in bed until she had something to drink and went to the washroom. Once those two things were accomplished she was discharged. We left the hospital at 11:30 and got home about 1:00 (after stoppin and getting a supply of jello, ice cream and puddin). From the time she was finished the operation until the time she left the hospital was about 3 hours. The nurse said she thought that it was a record. She did real well Friday evenin but really started sufferin on Saturday. She is downstairs layin on the couch and is in a lot of pain. Poor kid. She is one tough young un though. Doesn’t complain or whine. Just hunkers down and takes it. I brought her kitten in and gave it to her. Those things are better than any Tylanol or Asperin. She took that kitten and her face brightened up big time. Ever watch a kitten? They should rent kittens out instead of the trash they call movies now. I don’t know what it is about them but I find myself watchin them and loosin all track of time. They sure are cute and funny to watch. Simple pleasures are sometimes the best.

I said it in my last blog and I will say it again. I have got Spring fever bad. Can’t wait for the warm weather to come and the birds to come back. I have already been watchin the sky to get a glimpse of my first goose. We need a good South wind to blow them in. We should be seein the odd flock in the next week or so. Once I spot my first goose. It is official. Spring is here. To make it official I have to actually see them. News reports of sightings don’t count.

I am feelin down right lazy. Haven’t shoveled any snow for almost a week. Could it be we can put the shovels away? Don’t count on it. We will have some winter weather yet. Maybe even one of those spring storms. Hope it is not like the one in 97. That was the worst one I have ever seen. April 7th. I’ll never forget that one. My wife was pregnant with our son and she was due that weekend. Nothin was moving. Crawlers, plows and loaders were stuck on the highways. We were, I’ll just call it, concerned. We were makin plans on how we were goin to deliver a baby at home. Just the two of us. I was goin to be in charge because I had seen it done once on a Little House on the Prairie TV show. Didn’t look too hard. All a fella had to do is stand down at the appropriate end and yell push. Who couldn’t do that. Turns out he was a week late and everything worked out fine but I’ll tell that was one long weekend. That was the only time I ever missed work because of the weather. I didn’t make it into work until Tuesday at noon. Took 2 weeks to clean up that mess then the flooding started. Yes, 97 is a year I won’t soon forget.

Does anyone out in blog land have a recipe for hominy grits? I have the recipe out of the Foxfire books but it is kind of sketchy. I would think there is more to it than what they describe. They talk about part of the process bein poison and ya have to make sure you wash the corn properly. Kind of has me concerned. Don’t want to poison myself or my family.

Havin some chicken problems at the moment. Have lost about 7 or 8 birds in the last week. Research has me thinkin it is coccidiosis. Quite a common dissease and easily treatable with medication (or so they say). In tryin to diagnose the problem I got off in the wrong direction because about the same time I started havin problems I changed my feed supplier. I went from commercial feed to purchasing feed from a local farmer. The first step in troubleshooting a problem is askin yourself what has changed since I started havin problems. The answer was feed. So I was puttin all my thinkin in that direction. Bad feed and stuff like that. I have ruled that out. I talked to the new supplier and no one else he is selling feed to is havin problems. I trust him (he is good people). So it has got to be something else. The symptoms point to coccidiosis. We will treat for that and monitor.

Well that is all there is from here, Take er easy, Till next time.

March 1, 2007

2007-03-01T11:59:00.000-06:00

Still overcast and dull around here in Cooks Creek. Wind out of the East (which is unusual in itself) and tryin real hard to snow. Not sure if March came in like a lion or a lamb. Don’t know what the criteria is to measure by. March is goin to go how it does and it really don’t make no never mind how it came in. Youngest daughter is still not feelin well and has been home from school for three days. She got sick on the school bus Tuesday mornin on the way to school and it has been goin down hill from there. So with the weather and sick young uns it is not a bright cheery day in Cooks Creek. Things will get better. They’re talkin about sun on Saturday. It has been so long since I have seen the sun I am not sure I will recognize it.

Still ploughing through the Contrary Farmer. Pretty good book so far. Gene Logsdon (the author) gets side tracked every once in a while and goes off on a tangent for a couple of pages and as you read you find yourself wonderin what does this have to do with farmin. Those deals are few and are easy to get over. The other possibility is it does relate to farmin and I am not bright enough to see the connection. Not sure which way it is but all in all I am enjoyin the book.

One of the things the two books have got me thinkin about is the “need to have something”. Lets see what do I need? I need a bigger tractor, more land, plasma cutter, metal lathe, new chainsaw, milkin cow, rottotiller, more storage space in the shop, and the list goes on and on. Truth is I don’t need any of that stuff. I want it but I sure don’t need it. The only things in this world I need is food (good food and water), shelter, my health and love. I find myself fallin into the “need” trap. Sometimes I use it as an excuse (can’t do that because I need this). If I want to farm I need (attach list here). I need to work hard and get away from that thought process. It’s ok to want stuff. Wantin stuff makes life fun. Gives ya a goal to work for. Ya try and get ahead, build up a deal you maybe can pass onto a young un. Both books, The Contrary Farmer and Family Friendly Farming talk about workin with what you have. Don’t focus on what ya don’t have. Doin so becomes a copout, an excuse on why something can’t be done. There is so much potential to create a sustainable farm with the basics and some imagination. If I have heard it once I have heard it a hundred times. “Ya need a million dollars to start farmin today”. I have had friends actually laugh when I explain what we are tryin to do here. Common statement after we explain what it is we are trying to do is; “No one in their right mind would try and start a farm in this day and age”.
“Tractor alone is 150 grand”.
“Where ya goin to get someone to lend ya that kind of money”.

When Mr. Logsdon was a young un, he was sittin with his grandpa, his dad and a bunch of other relatives. Farmin was the topic of conversation and tractors was the subject. Mr. Logsdon stated that when he grew up he wanted to farm with horses. Everyone laughed and made a joke of his idea. Told him it wouldn’t work in this day and age and pretty much sluffed him off. His grandpa came over to him in a spell and leaned over and told him in a hushed voice that with a good team of horses and 100 acres he could put more money in the bank and not have to work one hour more than any man in that room. AND his life and work would be far more enjoyable and stress free. You know grandpa may have been right. Takes along time to pay off 150 thousand dollars and owing that much money has to bring on a few gray hairs.

Well I “need” some lunch. So until the next blog. Take care and keep healthy.

February 27, 2007

2007-02-27T20:53:00.000-06:00

Still snowing here in the great white north. The weather is gray and dismal. Haven’t seen the sun for many days. At least the temperatures are mild. Still not melting but pretty darn close.

I have some vacation time that I need to use or loose so I was off work today. Bein the good husband and dad I am, I took it upon myself to make supper. Now I got to tell ya, I make the best home made soup in the area, the whole country, and maybe even the world. And, I out did myself again today with another great soup. When the wife got home from work she whipped up a batch of homemade biscuits and that was our supper. Hmmmm good! Ya ain’t goin to find better food than that or food that is better for ya. Soup has everything a body needs. Grain, vegetables, meat, water (couldn’t work any fruit or dairy into it though). So now that ya all know I am the best soup maker in the whole world what else do I have to tell ya.

The other day I was walkin through the hardware store pickin up a motor and bearings for my chicken plucker. They had these little hand crank gristmills on sale for 15 bucks. Well I had to have one. Don’t need one, didn’t want one (until the moment I saw them) but I just had to get one. So I did. I am not usually one to make unnecessary purchases but every once in a blue moon ya see something ya just got to have. Anyway, I bought it and bring it home and the wife says what ya goin to do with that? Well um, ah, um, well, Then as quick as a wink it comes to me. I blurt out; I’m goin to make my own grits. So that is what I am goin to do with the little hand grinder. Lucky I bought it when I did. I knew it was a necessary purchase, just hadn’t figured out what it was necessary for until that moment.

Got to buy some more hay for the horses. Man, those things go through that stuff. Guess that is why they call them hay burners. With the cold weather they packed it away double time. Of course what goes in has to come out. For every 10 lbs. that goes in 20 lbs. comes out. Not sure how that works but it sure seems like it does. Come to think of it, it works like that for all animals. Especially when ya have to clean it up and move it around.

Wood is getting low too. That’s it once the wood runs out, I demand the weather warms up and we get on with spring. There that does it, all I got to do now is use up all my wood and spring will be here.

Tonight at supper we got to talkin about food and what a person really needs to survive and be happy. As I mentioned before we were havin my world famous soup, which is about as basic as food gets. We started talkin about how cool would it be to have Jesus over for supper. To have him sit down with us and have some of my famous soup and the wife’s home made biscuits. Would he approve of a meal like that? Would he enjoy that type of meal? What would ya talk about? Think about it! Your sittin down to supper there is a knock at the door and it is Jesus. Ya say welcome Jesus how about some supper and he says sure don’t mind if I do. Hey Guy, I see ya made some of your world famous soup. Ya all must of known I was comin. We sit down and have supper and chew the fat. Man that gives me goose bumps just thinkin about it. What a wild thought. Or is it? What ya all think? Could happen. Could happen anyday. If that don’t make ya think, nothin will.

Well that is it for tonight. Time for a cup of joe and off to bed for this ol boy. Ya all take care.

February 26, 2007

2007-02-26T20:34:00.000-06:00

Snow, snow and more snow. It has been snowin here for 4 days. I have stopped tryin to clean it up and am just goin to let it stop and then clean up once and for all. Spent a good part of yesterday clearin drifts away from fences so the horses couldn’t get out. Even though we have been getting snow the temperature is mild. Not meltin yet. But close. I can hardly wait for spring. I can feel it. It is just around the corner. Another 3 to 4 weeks and the geese will be back. In my little mind that will be the official start of spring. Things will start warmin up and growin. It will be wet and mucky for a spell but we’ll get er done. This will be our first year we are goin to put in a garden at the new place. Man, we got some big plans. Hope our energy and time can keep up to our plans.

It has been quite a spell since I last blogged. Not sure why I have let things slide unless it has been cause I have been doin some readin in my spare time instead of bloggin. I read Joel Salatins book, Family Friendly Farming. Now it takes the normal fella maybe a week or two to read a book like that. Took me a month and a bit. I am the slowest reader in history. Not sure why, just am. But when I am finished a book I can tell ya exactly what I read. I read every word. Getting back to the Mr. Salatin's book. I sure did enjoy it. The book is about farmin but really it could be related to any vocation. The book is really about family, raisin children, moms, dads, wives, husbands, work and really life in general. He (Mr. Salatin) tells it like he sees it. I like the way he thinks. I didn’t agree with everything he said but lets just say both of our trains of thought are on the same track. His concepts on family and raisin children in a materialistic world (a world that really doesn’t value either) are refreshin to say the least. 5 stars to Mr. Salatin. We need more like him in this world. Wife is readin it now. She will read that thing in under a week no problem. Me and her are at opposite ends of the scale when it comes to speed readin. I am readin The Contrary Farmer now. Actually I started the Contrary Farmer first then got ahold of Mr. Salatins book and started readin it. Now I got to finish the Contrary Farmer. Man, know wonder my life is so unorganized. Can’t focus enough to keep readin the same book I started in the first place. Once I get er done I will tell ya all what I thought of it.

Wizbang Chicken Plucker is comin along. Got all the bits and pieces just need to do the final assembly now . Shouldn’t take long just need to find the time to do it.

Chickens are startin to lay again. Days getting longer and the mild temperatures help. Youngest daughter had to be picked up from school this mornin cause she got sick on the school bus. So she is down with the flu. Then next week it is off to the hospital to gether tonsils out. Wife hurt her back today at work, so she is hobblin around here like an old lady. 2 out of 5 down. Hope nothin gets us 3. Got to get lots of sleep and make sure our systems are in top form to fight of all the bugs goin around.

Well that is all the news I have from Cooks Creek. Keep your stick on the ice and if they don't find ya handsome they should at least find ya handy. See ya all soon.

February 13, 2007

2007-02-13T21:52:00.000-06:00

Hi all. It has been almost two weeks since my last blog. That can't do. Need to fill ya all in on what has been goin on up here in Canada. Well, I have been shiverin and then I shiver some more. A couple times I stopped shiverin because my body went numb from the cold. Well that is about it. Talk to ya all real soon.

Just kiddin. Actually there has been a bit more than shiverin from the cold goin on around here. It has been cold though. 35 to 45 below has been the norm every morn for the last couple of weeks. Thing is, we are gettin used to it and it don't seem so bad when we go out in the mornin now. Do all the chores at double pace but that is ok as long as they all get done. Say it is goin to warm up by Friday. Guess we will just wait and see and if it don't it will be cold and we'll just keep on, keepin on. No use complainin cause it don't help.

Things are gettin back to normal around here this week. Wife and oldest daughter are finished with the church play and it was another huge success. They were at it 3 weeks for 3 or 4 nites a week. Helpin with the play was good in itself but they spent time together and made memories that both will cherish for the rest of their life. Towards the end of the play the wife was sayin she will never do the play again but only a few days have past since it has ended and she is already talkin about next year. Anyway it was allot of work for all the people involved and it raised a mess of money for a good cause. It also provided some good wholesome entertainment for a bunch of people. Time well spent.

I have been doin some readin on these cold nites. The book I am readin is by Joel Salatin called Family Friendly Farmin. I do believe I am goin to have to edit my profile and add this book as one of my favorites. I am about half way through and it is more a lesson on daily livin than farmin. The farmin part is brought into it because that is what Mr. Saletin does for a livin but the lessons taught on child raisin and on the general outlook of life are quite astoundin. All in all a real good read. One of the best books I have read. Truth is I only get to read it part time. Wife is readin it too. So there is a bit of a battle on who gets the book, since we only got one copy. One of my favorite quotes in the book is “All work and no play makes Johnny a sad boy and all play and no work makes Johnny a spoiled brat”. How true is that. The only thing that saddens me is we (wife and I) didn’t start this deal 20 years ago. But then again no use cryin over spilled milk. Good thing we are startin now and better get on with it because time is a wastin.

Daytona weekend comin up. Now for the most part I don't watch much TV but when it comes to racin I have a bit of a weakness. Sunday will find me in front of the box starin at 43 cars goin round and round in a big circle for 3 1/2 hours. Don't sound too excitin but I can't help but love it. Yea I know, it is a waste of time and I could be doin somethin useful but it’s the Daytona 500. If I didn't watch it my life wouldn't be complete or the earth would stop revolvin around the sun. This is a big deal for me. Bigger than Christmas or my birthday. I need to get a supply or snacks and pop. Better get extra just in case there is a rain delay or allot of cautions.

Well quarter to ten, better have a cup of coffee go put Indy away and hit the hay. Five o’clock comes quick. Hope ya are all loved, warm, dry, full of good food. Ain’t much more a fella needs than that. Take er easy.

February 1, 2007

2007-02-01T22:44:00.000-06:00

Well here it is the beginin of February already. I guess the weather is on everyone’s mind. At least up in these parts it is. Extreme cold with high winds makes it dangerous for travel and hard on all things livin and mechanical. Vehicles won’t start and if they do it is by luck or by golly if they break somethin or not. I like to hunker down in times like this and just wait things out. Suppose to be Groundhog Day tomorrow. I’m tellin ya no groundhog is comin out in this deal. Wife and daughter have gone off to church to help with the play again. Wish they didn’t have to go because I don’t like them on the roads when it is like this. But they committed and I guess ya should stand by your word. I read on the http://ndhomekeeper.blogspot.com/ND Homekeeper blog this evening that they are havin some problems with their animals because of the cold. Ya wonder how any livin thing can survive in this stuff. Actually I think they are worse off than us because if I’m not mistaken I think I heard a blizzard went through their area a day back. The forecast says it is goin to get worse before it gets better so we better take er as she comes and get er done.

I had a vacation day from work yesterday and decided to go to the Brokenhead Ag Conference in Beausjour. I had a fine time. Listened to a couple of talks. One was on grazzin cattle on turnips and the other was on biodiesel production for the farmer. I also sat in on a talk about hirin farm help and how to hire and keep good people. Now my little two bit operation is never goin to require me to need staff (that’s what we have kids for, right?) but I do have those requirement in my other job so I found the info interesting and I think I will be able to put some of it to good use. The biodiesel deal was interestin but unless ya got 75 grand to invest in equipment it ain’t going to fly (or at least that is what the fella said). The cost of production of biodiesel per gallon is actually higher than regular diesel. The only thing its got goin for it right now is it is produced from a renewable resource. The conference cost 10 bucks but with that ya got a good lunch, all the donuts and coffee ya can get in ya and spent the day in a warm hall learnin stuff. Good way to spend a cold winter day.

Got some of my chicken plucker parts ordered from the Wizbang Chickenplucker guy. I think his name is Herrick. Should be here next week (I hope). I will get the frame finished and painted this weekend (again, I hope).

Another birthday comin up this weekend. Oldest daughter had her 18th last Saturday and now my youngest daughter is goin to be 13 this Sunday. Man, life is goin by fast. Need to slow it down but there ain’t no way. Just got to hang on and enjoy the ride I guess.

Egg production is almost nil with this cold weather. Cost more in food than what we are gettin in eggs. I guess they are usin all their energy to keep warm. Ya know it is cold when ya look forward to gettin into that stinky chicken barn to get out of the wind.

I started doin my farm taxes this evenin. Man, that’s depressin. Ya start addin up your expenses and look at your income and ya got to wonder why would any person work like this for so little return. It’s a way of life and I can’t think of a better way to live. I really don’t care if I make a nickel. It’s like that old joke. One ol farmer says to the other, what would ya do if ya won the lottery. The other ol farmer says, Oh I don’t know, I guess I will just keep on farmin till it is all gone. That’s me. If I won a million dollars. I’d buy me some cows and hogs and some machinery. No holiday or new boat for me. Well, maybe a new boat for fishin but not one of those fancy ones. Just a 14 footer allum. with a 20 hp motor. Not that I have thought about it or anything.

Ya know I,m getting tired so I am goin to end this deal and head off to hit he hay. Talk to ya all real soon

January 24, 2007

2007-01-24T10:50:00.001-06:00

The weather here in Cooks Creek is mild for this time of year but it is chilly in our home. We had an accident. I came home from work yesterday and as luck would have it I ran over and killed my youngest daughter's kitten. My youngest daughter is a tough yung un. I know she was feelin bad (as anyone would) but she knows how I feel about animals and she kept it in. There were tears but she never let me see them. I went up to her room and gave her a hug and told her I was sorry and she said that is ok Dad. The wife ain’t so tough and had a hard time with it because she actually saw me run over the little guy and watched him die. My up bringin is animals are animals. They are not one of us. I have animals around for a purpose. The cats are there for mouse/rat control. I never have/will put a human spin to pets or animals but my wife is more of a pets are part of the family type of deal. Anyway we are down to 2 cats now. What’s done is done and we move on.

On a brighter note, I had a great Monday. My youngest daughter had to go into the city to see a sawbones about gettin her tonsils out. They are huge (tonsils) and have been causin her no end of grief for some time. I have a mess of vacation time I have to use up before the end of March so I took a vacation day and picked her up from school and took her to her doctor’s appointment. We made the appointment and when we came out my first instinct was to get her back to school so she wouldn’t miss much class time. As we were headin back to the truck I saw a Sals restaurant. It was lunchtime so I asked her if she would like to go out for lunch or have her bag lunch Mom had made her. She said she would really like to go out for lunch. So we did. Just me and her. We ate the most greasy unhealthy hamburger and french fries you could imagine but it was great. We talked and I had a big time (I think she did too). She is 12 years old and I don’t think we have ever done something like that before. It is a real fine memory and one I will never forget. Best 12 bucks I ever spent. Ya all are probably thinking, what’s the big deal; ya went out for lunch. The lunch was lunch; the memory is the time I spent with my youngest daughter. Just me and her talking and such. Life is getting away too busy around here. Got to get more and bigger and better and more and sooner. It is time to start goin out for lunch more around here.

Something that has my interest for awhile now is home schoolin. I have read some on the subject over the last two months. One of the negatives to home schoolin is, yung uns that are home schooled lack social skills. I have read this many times and the public school system seems to hang onto this belief and preach it every chance it gets. Let me tell ya about an experience I had on the same Monday my daughter and I went out for lunch. After I took my daughter back to school I went to pickup my beautiful wife (just in case she reads this deal) from her job. She works at the high school cafeteria. I think I have mentioned that before in a previous post. Anyway, back to my story. I got there about half-hour early so I went in the cafeteria and was settin and waitin. Now I experienced/witnessed the most interesting social behavior since I was knee high to a grasshopper and visited the monkeys at the zoo. I watched a yung lady with a handful of pennies throw them at yung fellas as they walked through the cafeteria. Not every yung fella was pelted with coins, only certain ones (not sure how she decided who received the attention). On more than 4 occasions a yung fella would come through and make a noise that was similar to noises gibbons make. One of his buddies would return the call with a similar noise but in a different pitch and tone. I have no idea what it meant but they seemed to be communicating with it. I watched 6 yung fellas standin on the tables and lift the suspended ceiling tiles in and out. Not sure why but they did it for the whole half-hour I was there. Another yung lady must of got a late start in the mornin because she came to school in her pajamas. I’m not yankin your chain. Saw it with my own eyes. Another yung lady must have got her little sisters clothes and hers mixed up because the shirt she was wearin only half covered her. The public school system is right. No home schooled yung un is goin to learn these social skills at home. I have not been in a school for 30+ years. I don’t remember it like that but then again much of my time when I was that age was spent on the business end of a pick and shovel. Still shakin my head.

Wife is at the church tonight. First nite of the dinner theater. Deal goes for three weeks, 4 nites a week. She is goin to be tired when the curtain goes down on this deal. Late nites and early mornins are goin to catch up on her in short order.

I’m goin to say good nite and go read for a bit. Talk to ya all real soon.

January 19, 2007

2007-01-19T21:27:00.000-06:00

Friday evenin in Cooks Creek. Wife is sick and has gone to bed. She has been feelin poorly for a couple of days now. Needs a good nights rest. Durin the week we don’t get enough sleep. Try to be in the sack by at least 10:00 (but doesn’t always happen) then alarm goes off @ 5:00. Put in a full day from 5:00 am to 10:00 p.m. That’s only gives 7 hours sleep if we are lucky. One thing I am sure of it is, sufficient sleep is one of the most important things you can do to keep yourself healthy. Eventually it all catches up with ya. God says “Your too stupid to get the proper rest, well I’ll give ya something that will put ya down and make ya rest. There ya go. I guess if there is one thing we (whole family) should be doin this year is makin a real effort to get proper sleep.

The oldest daughter has taken my truck and is off on her first solo trip. She has gone off to church to help with the play. Am I nervous? Darn tootin. It’s the only truck I got. 

Last week took our burn barrel to the dump. Son is with me and wants to go to the saw dust pile they have there and get some bags of saw dust for his cat’s litter box. We get a couple of bags of saw dust and I gets this bright idea that I will fill up the now empty burn barrel with saw dust and use it for beddin in the chicken coop. So I do. Take it over to the coop when I get home and start puttin it on the floor. Stupid chickens make a bee line for the other side of the coop and bunch up 4 or 5 deep. I knew what was goin to happen instantly. I ran over and tried to get them seperated but as fast as I was pullin them apart they were bunchin up. So I ran and got a feed bin and brought it into the coop. That got them apart but too late. 4 dead chickens. What can I say. I’m still learnin. Chickens didn’t go to waste. They are in the freezer but they were good layers. Full of eggs. Man, was I mad at myself. Live and learn.

We were sellin eggs to the canteen in the high school where my wife works. Health Inspector comes in this week and sees the brown eggs and asks where the eggs are comin from (you know where this is goin, right). Lady says, Cheryl’s farm. Are they graded? Nope. Get them out of here or I’ll shut ya down. So no more sellin eggs to the high school. 6 feet from those eggs is a slushy machine where they sell a crushed ice drink deal with flavored sugar syrup on it. Nutritional value of that stuff is nil. That stuffs ok but farm fresh eggs had to hit the road. I’ll never figure this deal out.

I have started the construction of my Wizbang Chicken Plucker. In a previous post I mentioned I thought I could build it for $200. I may have been a little off. I thought I had a good motor. Turns out it is junk. So I will need to buy a motor. Some of the parts are pretty special (not stuff you would have layin around). I think I will buy that sstuff from the Wizbang Chicken Plucker Company. It sounds like it is a family run deal. I like dealin with those kind of outfits. Support what we are all tryin to do here. My new prediction is $500. Exactly what the book said it would cost if ya had to buy evrything new. I may even have to go a touch over 500 bein here in Canada. Everything is a bit more expensive do to extra shippin costs and our lower dollar value. Will let ya all know how it goes. I’ll get er done. May take a bit longer cause I’ll need to saveup a little more but my days of hand pluckin chickens should be over. Maybe I’ll take my plucker on the road like the old threshin gangs in the old days. Make me a sign. Chickens Plucked, two bits each. Says it can pluck a chicken in 15 seconds. That would be a dollar a minute. I could make 60 bucks an hour pluckin chickens. I’ll be rich! If I build 2 pluckers, I could make………. Wonder if the bank would lend me some start up money? ;-)

Man, I am lookin forward to Spring. There is goin to be a ton of work to complete this year but it is what I call fun work. Workin on farmin stuff, buildin chicken pluckers, buildin stalls in barns and pig pens ain’t work at all. That kind of stuff makes me want to get up in the mornin and get goin.

Everyone is plannin or have been of a warm holiday. I wonder what is wrong with me? I have no urge to go away on a vacation. My vacation time (from my away job) is spent right here at home. Not because I have to but because I want to. No place on earth I would rather be than at home doin what we are doin. People ask, Are you goin someplace warm this winter? When you tell them no, they look at ya like they feel sorry for ya or something. Don’t feel sorry for me. I like stayin at home with my family and doin what we are doin. I feel sorry for you that ya all got to go lookin all over the place and spend a wheelbarrow full of money tryin to find some contentment.

Well as Bugs Bunny says, ThThThThThats all folks! Talk to ya all real soon. I want to blog a little more regular so to keep a better log on stuff.

It's CCCCCCold

2007-01-14T20:45:00.000-06:00

Sunday evenin in Cooks Creek. Weather here is cold. Very cold. Everything is suffering. Animals, machines and people. I said I wanted it to get colder to put an end to all the flu bugs and such that are goin around and guess what? I got my wish. I feel sorry for the animals in this weather. All ya can do is make sure they get lots of food and some shelter if ya can swing it. They need the food to give them the energy to keep themselves warm. I give them all they want when it is like this. All the wild critters just hunker down and wait it out. Ya don’t see any wild animals when it is like this. They are all hold up deep in the bush or their dens. We need to take a lesson from Mother Nature. There are times it ain’t fit to venture out so ya need to hold up and relax until things get where they need to be again. There was no school on Friday because of the weather. Think it was –48 with the wind-chill. Buses aren’t too dependable when it is that cold so they just shut the school down. Kids thought it was great and because the wife works at the school too, she also got a long weekend out of the deal. I know it is cold when the first thing the kids do when they get up is turn on the radio. They turn the radio to CJOB. Then they listen for the announcement the school division is closing schools. If their school isn’t mentioned it is sad sacks all around. If it is, ya never seen a happier bunch. Things are sure different now than when I went to school. I can only remember one time we didn’t have to go to school because of weather. That was a big blizzard in the 60s. 1964 I think. Whole South part of the province was shut down for days. I’m not so lucky. No day off for me because of weather. Just the opposite. When it is that cold and ya work in a vehicle repair shop things get a little goofy. We were busy and will be until the weather takes a break. I had to open a lock on a big gate on Friday. I couldn’t do it with my mitts on so I pulled them off. They were only off for about 15 seconds and handling that cold steel I froze my fingertips. Talk about burn.

Other than the weather the New Year seems to be off to a good start. I don’t know if it is wishful thinkin or my imagination but I think the days are getting a little longer already. Hard to believe half of January is gone already. Wife and daughters have gone to church to work on the play. Just me and my son at home here tonite. I have some snow to clean up but I don’t want to run the tractor when it is this cold. I also don’t want to sit on the tractor when it is this cold. The wood pile is goin down a little faster than I planned. Hope I don’t run out before the end of winter. I split a little wood yesterday. Sure splits nice when it is this cold. Hardly no effort needed at all.

On Sundays at noon there is a show on TV called Church of the Rock
(www.churchoftherock.ca/ChurchOfTheRock/). The pastor is the best. Man, can that fella hammer out a message. His name is Pastor Mark Hughs. We don’t attend a church so we have our own little service here at home and listen to Pastor Hughs. Today he was talkin about old time religion. Sins, Righteousness and Judgement. I got to admit when most of those preachers get to talkin my eyelids get heavy. Not with this preacher though. I’m awake and listenin and can even relate/understand what he is sayin. If any of ya have a chance give him a listen. They have a Saturday evening service. I was teasing the wife I was goin to take her out on a date and we would go into Winnipeg to the evening service. Actually that ain’t a bad idea. Maybe go out to dinner too. Have to give that a think.

I will leave you this evening with something that I read today and really hit home. “Good food may be more expensive but it is sure cheaper than doctors and hospitals”.

Stay warm.

New Driver in the Family

2007-01-06T22:23:00.000-06:00

Hello all, Warm record breakin temperatures here in Cooks Creek this week. The snow was meltin yesterday but today it has cooled but still nice for this time of year. It felt like spring but I am not foolish enough to fall into that trap. Winter will come. Although I have been sayin that for 2 months now and we really haven’t seen any signs of it yet. I have mixed feelins about the warm weather. It is sure easier to do your chores and is easier on equipment and all but it is hard on people’s health. Colds and the flu are everywhere. People hacking and coughin. I put it up to the warm weather allowing the germs to survive and get hold of everyone. Seems once the deep cold sets in the rate of illness goes down big time.

I received my Wizbangchickenplucker book in the mail this week. Something happened with this company, Cumberland Books that I am still shaken my head over and really can’t believe it happened. I have been waitin for these plans to show up all week. Felt like that little kid in that movie The Christmas Story who was waitin for his package from Ovaltine with the Magic Decoder Ring. Everyday I would stop at the mailbox hopin it would come and late this week it did. I opened the package and there was the book and a handwritten letter. It said “Dear Guy, Here is your copy of the book you ordered but the credit card number you supplied would not go through. Please give us a call when you can so we can straighten this out.” Those weren’t the exact words but it went something like that. Can you believe that! I got to tell ya, I have never been treated like this before. They trust me completely! Here’s your book, even though you haven’t paid for it but we trust you will. You can’t even get most companies to ship COD anymore. I gave them a call next mornin and everything is straightened out. Still can’t believe there is still a company out there that treats people like that. I thought those days were long gone. The more I hang around this bloggin thing the more good people I meet. Does a body good to be involved with people like that. Cumberland Books you are good people in my book.

We have another driver in the family. Oldest daughter finally got her driver’s license Friday. Third time a charm. She was sure getting discouraged. She did her driving test twice and had failed. I think she kind of went with the feelin she was goin to fail again so she would just go and get it over with. Man, she was one happy gal. Dad and Mom are happy too. No more havin to drive her to work and such. She took the truck to work this mornin and she was proud as punch. Everyone at the stable were high fivin her and congratulatin her. They knew how much she wanted it. A lady phoned her this week and asked her if she was interested in lookin after some polo ponies for her while she was away. She wants to do this real bad but the place is too far to walk and it is too dark to ride in the evening. I told her I wasn’t drivin her so if she can get her license she can do it. First thing she did when she got home was phone and let that lady know she was interested in the job.

Wife and daughter are goin to be busy for the next month doin sets and props for the church play. Church puts on some dinner theaters to raise money. It’s a big deal around here. I think they do 16 shows and everyone of them is sold out months in advance.

Well it is getting late so I will say good nite. Keep your stick on the ice. Oh yea, Who won the Junior Campionship this week? CANADA. 3 in a Row. Sorry, Just had to brag on that a little.

New Years Day and We Got some Snow

2007-01-01T22:42:00.000-06:00

New Years Day here in Cooks Creek. Happy New Year to ya all. Hope your last year was a good one and this one comin up is just as good or better. We got some snow. Man, did we get snow. Over a foot of the stuff Saturday nite. Imagine my surprise when I opened the door Sunday morning to do chores and walked into snow up to my knees. Our famous Environment Canada said 5 to 10 cm or 2 ½ to 5 inches for all us old folk who grew up with normal measurement units. Good ol Environment Canada. A government funded organization that is wrong over 80% of the time. Well, shouldn’t complain they are doin better than some of the other government departments and agencies. They are right 20% of the time. What do ya all think would happen to ya all if for every 5 things you did at work or on your farm you made 4 mistakes. Twister killed a lady this summer just North of here. Twister hit, Environment Canada issued a warning 10 minutes after she was dead and dozens injured. Even I can predict somethin after it happens. Well enough about that. They ain’t goin to change cause some hick in Cooks Creek ain’t happy with their ways.

A New Year. What am I lookin forward too. Spring, days getting longer, my daughter’s 18th birthday (where she officially becomes an adult) and my other daughter’s 13th birthday (where she officially becomes a teenager). Not sure which one has me most bothered. Funny how bein 18 gives you all these extra rights and freedoms. I know some that are 14 I would trust with my life and some that are 34 that I wouldn’t trust to let them use my wheelbarrow. Age doesn’t mean a whole lot when it comes to maturity. I’m not big into makin promises to myself to try and do this better or that different. If those things need doin I will have done it before now. Don’t need a specific date to spur me on.

This weekend and New Years Day (today) found us shovelin and blowin snow. Big job when you have that much snow at one time. We all dug in (so to speak) and got er done. I bought a blower for my tractor last fall. As of today that may be one of the smartest purchases I ever did make. That thing is as slick as snot on a door knob. Biggest problem was havin the snow blow back in your face when you can’t blow with the wind. The corrals had to wait until today because we had a North wind yesterday. South wind today, went in there and had everything cleaned up lickity split.

Back to work tomorrow. I am finding it harder and harder to go to work everyday. I want to be home here and work at farmin. Work in my shop on the equipment, makin stuff, raisin stuff and getting on with our dream. I don’t much like how I am feelin about work but I can’t help it. First time in my life I am not enjoying my job. Maybe it is just the winter blues.

As I was typing this blog, wife hollers up to me that I got to come watch a movie called Super Size Me. My oldest daughter had watched the show in her biology class and said it was something we should see. The show is about this ol boy who eats nothin but McDonalds food for 30 days. It describes what is in the food and how it effects his health. Doctors can not believe the effects it has on his liver (life and death stuff). The show is a must see for the whole family. At one point it gets a little unfamily rated as it describes what effect the food has to his marital relationship but once you get by that it is very educational and ok for the whole family. A must see. The kids watched it with us and they were askin questions which means they were thinkin. Describes how the diet was givin him mood swings, less energy and short bursts on energy. This guy was very healthy at the beginning of the experiment. In 30 days of fast food he was in such poor health his life was at risk. If ya get a chance have a look. Educational but scary. Tells how these corporations have paid lobbyists in Washington making sure the lawmakers support their cause. Makin Money!

Getting late, need some shuteye. Talk to ya all soon.

Post Christmas

2006-12-30T18:05:00.000-06:00

Well, here it is Saturday evenin in Cooks Creek. Cloudy but still warm for this time of year. Spose to get a little snow tonite. Say around 4 or 5 inches but we’ll have to see. I haven’t been bloggin for a time. If a feller has a blog I spose he has some responsibility to blog so here I go. I actually typed a blog out just after Christmas but my youngest daughter deleted it some how. I was riled but then again it was only a blog, no big deal. I’ll try and remember some of what I was tellin but not sure I will get it all.

Out attempt at an old fashion Christmas was a good deal. I really enjoyed the relaxed ways, no stress and all. It is definitely the way to go from now on. Easier on the pocket book too. We had my mom, the wife’s folks and her sister for Christmas dinner. Some of the guests didn’t seem to care for our new Christmas tradition but too bad. Take it or leave it, makes no never mind to me. It’s the way we are doin things around here. One thing for sure there was no shortage of good food and good company. But with that bein said Christmas proper is a done deal for another year. Got to admit already thinin about spring and all the stuff we are goin to be doin this year to further our goal of becomin a full farmin deal. On Christmas Eve we had Arctic Char for supper. Now this is some of the best fish I ever ate. This olboy was so big I had to cut him in half on my band saw so we could get him in the oven. A buddy of mine sent it to me. He lives in Churchill. Churchill is on the coast of Hudson Bay, no trees, tundra, polar bears and Arctic Char. If ya ever get a chance to try this fish make sure ya all do. Ya won’t be sorry. Gooood Eatin!

Over the Christmas break I was thinkin about chickens. How many we are going to do next year and all. I got to thinkin about pluckin those fellers. We ended up with 200 broilers and 12 turkeys last year. Plucked everyone of those son of a guns by hand. We tried to make it fun by havin little contests, tellin jokes, playin music and such but it is real tryin to make chicken pluckin fun. Sooooo I have sent away for a set of plans for a chicken plucker from Cumberland Books. Should be here any day now. They say you can put it together for around $500 if you buy everythin new. Now I am a scrounger. I think I might get er done for $200. Once the plans get here I will start the hunt for all the bits and pieces. I may have well plucked my last chicken by hand (I sure hope so). Keep ya all posted on how it goes.

My son got a little guitar from Santa. Him and I have started to try and learn the guitar together. I use my daughters and he uses his. For the life of me I can’t get my fingers to bend and hold all those strings like your spose too. Fingers are too fat or stiff or somethin. I have learned some notes but the chords ain’t goin so well. Can play part of Amazin Grace. I love that song. That and the Old Rugged Cross are my favorites.

New Years Eve tomorrow nite. Our tradition is “The Big Lunch”. We have been doin this for a good many years. We make a bunch of not so healthy snacks and sit around and watch a movie or play some music or games or whatever we feel like. It is just the 5 of us. If I am lucky I will make it to midnite. The last couple of years I didn’t quite do it. It is a big deal for us. Kids talk about it for weeks before hand. Oldest daughter is probably goin to fly the coop pretty soon so this may be one of the last we are all together.

With the New Year comes resolutions and promises and such. I am not big into that stuff. I got to tell ya I am not happy with what I see hapenin in this ol world today. Today they killed a killer. Media jumped on it like there was no tomorrow and sensationalized the deal. Sad deal no matter where ya sit. Bringin up three young uns into this deal has both me and my wife concerned.

Oh there is another big problem. Oldest daughter just got home from work and is readin her brother and sister the riot act because there is chicken poop on her slippers. Guess someone stepped on her slippers with their boots. Might of even been me. Better keep my head down for a bit until things cool down. Now they are arguing if it is chicken poop or horse poop. Man, that should be no contest. Even I could figure that out. What is this world comin too?

Well I think supper is on the table. Goin down and get me some. Talk to ya all soon.

2006-12-28T08:40:00.000-06:00

Don't ya wish we all could get along like that. We got three tom kittens about two monthes ago to help with mouse/rat control around here. They have caught a few mice and seem to be gettin the hang of it. That olboy lieing there is Indy. He is in charge of security on our place. Now Indy can and will turn off and on like a switch. One word from me and that little cat will use up his 9 lives in a heart beat. Took that picture on Christmas day. Thought it was neat so I wanted to share it all with ya.

Frugal Farmin

2006-12-19T21:06:00.000-06:00

Tuesday nite in Cooks Creek. Weather is warm and winds are gusting out of the South. This winter has been too mild for my liken. The mild weather has the animals all goofy and the flu season has taken hold like there is no tomorrow. People are a hacken and coughen. I put this up to bein the weather is so warm it allows these bugs to survive and spread. Maybe wrong but it makes sense to me. A good cold snap will put all these flu’s and colds to rest. I’m sure of it.

Well it was haircut nite here in our house. Got to get spruced up for the holiday. Wife gave me and the boy haircuts and then I did hers. The two girls said their hair was fine. Didn’t want it cut. My youngest daughter took some of her saved money and actually went to a barber about a month ago. Came out of there an awful mess. Hair was all crooked and uneven. She said that was how it was suppose to be. That was the style. Man, even on my worst day I can cut hair to look better than that. Think she paid $15.00 for it too. They should of gave her money because she let them practice on her.

Quiet in the house tonite and a bit cool for some reason. Got a fire goin but I guess the wind is coolin the house down some. Wife is puttin the finishin touches on her quilt and older daughter is in the kitchen bakin tarts. Boy is in bed and don’t know where the youngest daughter is. She is around somewhere.

I was readin a blog the other day (not sure who’s blog it was) about how people doin what we are doin have to make do with what ever they have, can scrounge, beg or borrow. Seems to be the way with most when they are startin up. I tell the wife , “we have done so much with so little I think we can do almost anything with nothin”. Not sure where I heard that but it sure rings true in our case. The other day I was comin home from work and there is this long wooden box on a loadin dock by a dumpster. Most people would think garbage. I thought nestin boxes. Pulled over and asked the fella if I could have it and it was mine. To build that it would be $10.00 if it was a nickel. Chicken feeders are made out of old plastic 5 gallon buckets (with their bottoms cut out) and old garbage can lids. I can go on and on with a list of the ways we make do to try and get this deal off the ground. If we didn’t do it this way we would be dead in the water. No way a person can afford to purchase everything new to start a homesteadin and farmin operation in this day. I always say it ain’t the money ya make it is the money ya save. It may sound like we are cheapskates or tight wads and I guess in a way we are. If you want to do somethin bad enough you do whatever ya can to make it happen. If it means putin your imagination to work and makin the odd trip to the dump for supplies that is what ya do. Wife used to hate when I went to the dump. Said I brought back more than I took. This spring we were at the dump and there is truck after truck of yuppies dumping off perfectly good straw bales that they used for their septic fields. Asked the old timer who looks after the place can we have some bales. Have all ya want was his answer. Hauled bales out of there all afternoon. Would of had to pay a buck apiece for them otherwise. The word recycle gets a whole new meanin around this old place. Nothin gets wasted. Can’t afford to. Suspect ya all are doin about the same if you’re trying to start up homesteadin/farmin deal.

Well I’m goin to call this a done deal. The mornin comes quickly. One of my friend’s brother is in Yellowknife. Said they had 25 minutes of daylight yesterday. The days are short here but even when I was in Thompson (500 miles North of us) we still got 5 to 6 hours of daylight this time of year. 25 min. would be hard to take. Anyway I will say good nite and Merry Christmas. Talk to ya all soon.

Hello All

2006-12-17T13:02:00.000-06:00

It is Sunday in Cooks Creek. Weather is overcast, snow and on the warm side but winds are gusting out of the west so it feels cooler than it is. Week until Christmas Eve. Where is the time goin? It will be all over before ya can blink and we will turn our attentions to somethin else. Please take the time to slow down and enjoy this time with your family/friends and reflect on what the time means to ya all. The deal is different for every person. One thing I do know, I bet there isn’t one person out there that says I want to be stressed and run around like a chicken with its head cut off (they really do that). Kick back and take er easy. We had a young fella take his own life in our area this week. I don’t know the story and don’t really care too. What I do know is things seem to come to a head at this time of year for so many people. Every year at this time ya hear of someone who can’t cope and looks for peace by doin this. Whether your rich or poor, smart or slow in the head (like me) Christmas should be a time of joy. I pray you all find it that way. For some it is a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus, some it is a time to just be with family and friends and then for some it is a time for just plain festivities. One thing it should not be is a competition. You all know what I am talkin about. Take er easy. Please.

My eldest daughter’s mare had colic yesterday again. This time real bad. Wife and I had gone to town when it happened. The oldest daughter was at work and my youngest daughter and son were at home. (Yes, we leave a 12 and 9 year old at home by themselves) Real proud of the youngest daughter. She called her friend and had her Dad come over. We had people from every direction coming to help. By the time we got home she was up and ok and everyone had left. Young lady named Hillary came over with a truck full of stuff. I guess Hillary is a horse expert. Seems she carries everything in her vehicle to deal with every horse emergency. We don’t even know Hillary. She lives in the area though. My daughter has been phoning to try and get her phone # so we can get in touch and pay her. So, Hillary if you are readin this and the chances of that you are, are nil to none. Thanks for your help. You prevented a bad situation. Talk about neighbors coming to your rescue. All I can say is Good People. About says it all.

My eldest daughter was on her way home from work when all this was goin on. She was ridin my wife’s mare (Dixie). She said Dixie wanted to run all the way home. She thinks Dixie knew her mare was in trouble and wanted to get her home. I think Dixie was hungry and wanted to get home to eat. Her version sounds neat but you will have to decide what gave Dixie her mind to hurry home.

On the subject of helpin people, sometimes people are a helpin ya and they don’t even know it or know ya for that matter. Because this whole farmin deal and bein self sufficient is pretty new for us it is easy to question your reasoning and what ya all are doin. We are the Lone Ranger in this deal up here. I’m sure there are other people who are doin this but we don’t know of any in our part of the world. When ya are puttin in $3.00 in expenses and getting $1.00 in revenue it is hard to keep your head around the purpose of all this. Am I depriving my family of stuff? Is what we are doing on track? Why ain’t this deal workin? I receive help and support from some of the other bloggers and because of this I consider them friends and good people. Ya read other blogs and see many of the others are going through or have been through some of the deals we are going through. So you say to yourself, hey maybe I ain’t so goofy after all. They were where we are 3 years ago and now they are here and doin better. So lets move on. They did it and got through it so why can’t I. So to all my helpin friends (Lynn, Tom, Christina, Jim, RL, Brad, can’t remember ya all, I read allot of blogs) in the blog world thanks for sharing your experiences and the help. It is comfortin to know that this technology that is used so many times for evil is also has a good purpose too.

Wife is downstairs doin Christmas bakin. She is kind of ticked at me at the moment. We were havin breakfast, had finished and my back was getting sore (back hurts when I sit or lie for a time) so I thought I would be helpful and start to clean up. We had pancakes and there was a cup or syrup on the table. I picked it up and poured it back into its container. Problem is I poured the syrup in her vanilla. Containers looked the same. Told ya I was slow in the head. Anyway, she is riled now and I am keeping my head down up here blogging. Told not to help anymore. Things should cool down in a time.

Think I will head out to my shop and work on my Christmas presents. Should be safe out there. Merry Christmas to ya all. Keep warm.

Nothin to Complain About

2006-12-14T22:31:00.000-06:00

Here it is Thursday nite. Got me a cup of coffee and some gospel bluegrass tunes playin on this ol computer. No complaining tonite. I am feelin good and nothin is going to ruin that.

How do you all make your coffee? We used to have one of those drip coffee deals. But as with everything I broke the pot. Went to buy a new pot and needed to take a mortgage out on the farm. So I got one of those old blue enamel coffeepots. Makes the best coffee. Smells good too when it is brewing. I remember when I was just a little kid this ol timer used to make coffee that way. He would put a sugar cube in his mouth and drink the coffee through the sugar cube. Now, when you’re a small kid any reason to put sugar cubes in your mouth was a good thing. I didn’t care for the coffee but if you eat a dozen sugar cubes with every cup it weren’t too bad.

The weather here has been unreal. Warm temperatures have been a nice break from winter. Really, we haven’t had any winter yet so then I should say it should shorten the winter up real good. Next week is Christmas. Can you believe it is here already? Seems we just got the young uns started in their school year a couple of weeks ago. I guess that is what happens when you are busy. Life passes by at a good clip. We are busy around here. I am building some Christmas gifts for the girls in my shop. Won’t say what they are because I know there is one little Miss that reads this blog at school. Remember girls, Dad’s shop is out of bounds until after Christmas. Wife is still workin on the quilt. Says it will be done this weekend. Man, that thing sure took a pile of time. We got our tree up. Not a real big tree but nice all the same. We went to my youngest daughter’s band concert last nite. Very enjoyable. Some of those kids can sure make those instruments sing. These are kids 12 or 13 years old. The practice that has gone into makin music like that is no small deal. It amazes me how those band teachers get 100 kids to play music like that. I have a hard time getting one little fella to take a bath. What’s with that? How come little boys hate baths so much? Anyone know the answer to that one? It was my wife’s birthday yesterday. My daughters were goin to make a cake but I picked one up on the way home from work instead. We had it with coffee after the concert. Her Mom and Dad and Sister dropped by after the concert for a visit and cake. My wife is a twin with her Sister so there were two birthdays to celebrate. Anyway, we made short work of that ol cake. This weather has the layers all goofy. Some have started to molt again which means egg production is down. One of our customers has been after us for some stewing hens. She may just get those hens this year yet.

I got some more stuff I want to talk about but it is getting late. Have to get up at 5:15 am. Last day of work for the week and not a minute too soon. Talk to ya all later. Remember, if they don’t find ya handsome they should at least find ya handy (Red Green).

Springs here

2006-12-09T21:27:00.000-06:00

It’s warmed up here in Cooks Creek. What a change. From 25 below to 25 above in 36 hours. Well that is ok. Cleaned out the chicken coop today and cut some wood. Finished buildin some nestin boxes too. The warm weather made those jobs easier to swallow. Was down right enjoyable. Need a new chain saw. Mine is down on power. Cyl. is scored. I put a cyl. and piston in it 5 years ago and it cost half of what a new saw is even though I did the work myself. I will keep this one for a spare and save up for a new one. We had some excitement here tonite. One of the mares colicked and went down. My daughter found her about 5:30 when she came home from work. Finally got her up and moving. She kept wanting to go down but they kept her moving. Called the vet and he came out right away. He did his thing and we are watchin her close tonite. She should be ok. My oldest daughter was all eyes while that vet worked on that horse. Maybe the vet deal is not dead yet. I would be happier than a pig in muck if she would pursue that. If she doesn’t make it fine but I sure would like her to give it a shot. I haven’t mentioned it for some time and won’t. It is her deal. She has to call the shots.

Goodolboy Speaks His Mind (What there is of it)

I got to speak my mind about somethin that happened to me Friday. The company I work for is sending every employee to Diversity and Respectful Workplace Training. I had to go Friday. It was an all day deal, 8 long hours. Now don’t get me wrong. I’m all for what they are a teachin. Just can’t figure out for the life of me why they need to teach it. It boils down to somethin I learned in Sunday School 45 years ago. Treat everyone the way you would like to be treated.
I don’t know how much this trainin is costin but it won’t be cheap. Trainin never is. It is sad that we need to have a course to tell people to treat other people with respect. I would think your parents would of taught ya that when ya were young. But maybe not. As I walk through this deal we call life I see lots of young uns that don’t have any respect for themselves never mind other people. Has it come to that? People need to be taught how to take in the considerations of other folk. Now I am generalizing here so don’t get all over me like scum on a pond. I know there are allot of good young uns out there. They know what is right and wrong. They weren’t born with that knowledge. Mom and Dad taught it to them. Taught them to respect themselves and their fellow man/woman. Taught it to them by example and by word of mouth. But there are lots that don’t know what is acceptable behavior, dress and such. My wife works at a school serving up grub. Sees some pitiful stuff everyday. Young uns come to school dressed inappropriately, talking dirty, no work ethic, no basic manners (please and thank you) and thumbing their nose at authority. I ask have these kids been taught acceptable behavior and just don’t mind or has no one taken the time to fill them in on the manners deal. It has got to start at home. My kids call all their elders Mr. Miss or Mrs. No exceptions. We have adults tell them just call me Bob or Sally or what ever. No….. not goin to happen. They will address all adults with respect and that means the use of Mr. etc. These adults aren’t their buddies or peers they are elders and should be treated as such. I have taught them that and everything else they need to become good people. We have people comment on my kids manners and behavior all the time. They aren’t anything special. We have taught them basic behavior skills but those skills are becomein so rare that when someone has them they stand out like a sore thumb. It makes you wonder how some of these girls leave the house in the morn with cloths on that would make a streetwalker blush. Where is mom and dad? Can’t they see or do they see and don’t care? Is this why a company needs to train basic behavior skills to their employees. I guess so. If what I see is anything to go by, it is goin to get worse before it gets better. There, had my say. Any comments?

We’re takin the family Christmas shoppin tomorrow. No, not headin for the city. Just goin to Selkirk. Have to get somethin for the wife too. Big birthday comin up Monday. Oh yea, Happy Birthday to the Northern Farmer. His birthday is on Monday too. My youngest daughter has a band concert on Monday night too. (It's Sunday mornin here and I just come in from doin my chores. Youngest daughter comes up to me and says Dad, Mom's birthday and my concert are on Wednesday, not Monday. I guess that makes Tom's birthday on Wed. too. Sorry to all for the blunder, not goin to here the end of this for awhile.) She plays the trumpet. That should be an enjoyable evening if we can get a seat. Have to get there early or you end up stand-in for the entire concert. Well almost time to hit the hay. Goin to have a cup of coffee listen to a couple of tunes and go down for the night. Daughter is going to do the watch on the horse. Only fair since it is her horse. Talk to ya all soon. It don’t get any better than this and if it did I would be suspicious.

Thursday Nite

2006-12-07T22:05:00.000-06:00

Thursday nite and wind is strong out of the south. The temperature has warmed up but it still feels cold because of the wind. Last nite it was down to 25 below and radio said it was 31 below with the wind chill. When I was out this morn the snow squeaked when ya walked on it. When it does that you know it is cold. Makes no never mind to me. It is all the same once the water freezes. At least it hasn’t snowed. Wind tonite is causin some drifting though. That’s the weather report for Cooks Creek.

Life here continues to move along. The girls are tryin to learn guitar. Seems like they got a little competition goin on who is doin better. Son is practicin his times table. Wife is makin a quilt for her Mom for Christmas. And I’m up here typin a deal that no one will probably ever read. Wife says to me at supper, do you have to blog tonite. I says Its not like a job, you never have to blog. Its not like you have to shovel the snow or feed the animals. It’s a hobby! Sheesh! Anyway that filled up some space. Let me tell ya all about the quilt the wife’s makin. Kind of neat really. Wife’s Grandma (her mom’s mom, who was 102) passed away last year. Wife asked if she could have all her old clothes. She has made a quilt out of them for her mom and is stitchin stuff on the quilt. Her grandmas name and birthday and such. Should be somethin once it is finished. It is goin to be her mom’s Christmas present. Sure do hope her mom likes it.

Got a fire goin down stairs but the house is cool because of the wind. It is really a howlin out there. One more day then the weekend and I can get some stuff done around here. Days are so short now it is dark when I get home from work. Can’t do much outside. Horses have been doin their best imitation of a beaver. They have been chewin wood like crazy. Destroyin their shelter and corral rails at a wicked pace. Got the idea to spray the wood down with diesel fuel. Seems to have helped big time. We have been rationing their hay but think we are going to put a round bale in the corral on Sat. and let them have at it. Started feeding them more grain too. Have to be careful on how much ya give them though. One of the mares has lost weight big time. May have worms. Going to have to deworm her again. Did it once this fall already but the signs are there she has them again.

The craziness has started in the stores. Man, I hate going in them places. Rude people pushin and shovin, scratchin their heads tryin to figure out what to buy with money they don’t got. What a mess. We are doin somethin different this year. Got to admit we were one of those people in the stores last year. This year all gifts have to be small & inexpensive or better yet home made. I have put my request in for all home made gifts. Even gave them a list. Home made bisquits and ginger snaps topped the list. I am really hopin for the ginger snaps. ( I know the wife and girls read this deal once in awhile, nothin like hedging your bet eh) Handful of gingersnaps, a hot cup of coffee to dip them in and some bluegrass tunes comin out of the stereo. Man, don’t get better than that. Unless you have two handfulls of gingersnaps. The hotter the better (the gingersnaps, not the coffee). Have a 30 lb. turkey in the freezer. It was the biggest one we raised this year. So big no one wanted to buy it so we will put it to good use, that is for sure. Got to get a real tree this weekend too. We have one of them plastic ones but everyone agrees if we are goin to do this the old fashion way ya got to have a real tree. The girls and wife were makin a list of bakin they are goin to be doin for Christmas. Wife tells me we need to go to town for the makins. Now that is a trip that is necessary.

Man I can still hear that wind a moanin. Poor horses don’t have any shelter because the shelter we built naturally protects them from the North winds. South side of the shelter is open. Next year I got to get the barn finished. Standin stalls are first thing to do as soon as the frost comes out of the ground. Wife and daughter just came in from feedin the horses. They are a laughin so it can’t be that bad out there. Man, we got it good. I’m goin to close this deal down. Everyone stay warm and remember to treat everyday like its your last. Good nite.

My Dad

2006-12-05T13:09:00.001-06:00

Well here I am still sicker than ol Joe Coot’s dog. I don’t know who Joe Coot was and I sure didn’t know his dog but my Dad used to say that so I say it. Dog must have been powerful sick. My Dad used to say lots of things. Most of the stuff is not fit for a family type blog so I won’t travel that path. My Dad was a carpenter. He used to say if it was good enough for Jesus it was good enough for him but said he never believed in Jesus. It was the oddest thing. When I was a kid, Dad used to read the newspaper cover to cover every night. One of the things in the newspaper back then was a column by Billy Graham. For as long as I can remember, he would read that deal every day and was pretty knowledgeable about the Bible but always claimed there was no God. He worked large construction jobs most of his younger life. That brought a certain type of gruffness and toughness that was the norm in that life. He drank whiskey and water and said he liked the taste. I can only remember seeing him feelin the effects a couple of times and that wasn’t because he didn’t do much drinkin. Don’t get me wrong. He wasn’t a drunk but if there was an occasion he wouldn’t say no to a shot. We hunted and fished together and in later years went on a few trips. Our trips were me and him jumpin in a truck and headin down into the states to catch a few baseball games or a race or both if we could swing it. He liked baseball but I think he only went to the racin cause I liked it. We spent many a night sittin in a hotel room a talkin and drinkin whiskey. No one got called by their real name. At least no one that he cared about. Everyone had a nic name. I was 10 years old before I knew my name wasn’t Augie. Yep, nic named me after that cartoon dog, Augie Doggie. Later in life he called me Mac. Don’t know why, never asked. He just called me that.
I remember one winter when I still lived at home I built a motor for a friend in our basement. Big block Ford V8. Did a fine job too. Now I was a little slow in the head. Never thought about how I was going to get it out of the basement when the time comes. Anyway, I gets her built and now we need to get her up the stairs. This thing was about 600 lb., maybe more, Me and my brother dragged it to the bottom of the stairs and we are talkin and figurin and talkin and grunting and groaning and talkin and tryin to get this thing up the stairs. Dad comes in and in his typical way commands us to get on the front of the motor and he will take the back. Well, me and my brother gets hold of the front and he grabs onto the back and up she comes one stair. Now we can go one stair at a time but he is holdin the back of that motor himself. Anyway to make a long story short she went up the stairs and he never blinked an eye. I am tellin ya, that was a real ego smasher for a couple of teenage bucks that thought they were as strong as all get out. Once she was outside he put her down mumbles something about bein stupid for building a motor in the basement and went on his way. I’ll never forget that. Man, that cat was strong.
Then his strength went away. In his early 50s he started havin trouble breathin. His heart was givin out. Doc said it was just plum wore out, no blockages or anything, just wore out and he would have to change is life if he wanted to keep on goin. He did change a little. He quit smokin and changed his eatin habits some but things just kept going down. Every month he got a little weaker and could do a little less. Heart attacks had him in and out of the hospital. Then, he died in November of 89. I never got to say good bye. Got the call at work and that was that. Done deal. I have been thinkin about him allot lately because of the time of year and all. He was good people. He was my best male friend and I trusted him more than any person on this earth. My son has taken his place in my life now.
Well I am not sure where that all came from but now you have met my dad. Never intended to write about him but it just kind of came out.
Tell next time.

What Happened to Christmas

2006-12-02T22:54:00.000-06:00

Saturday night in our home. Things are winding down for the week. Real cold here in Cooks Creek. Wind out of the North and clear makes for a cold night. Finally got the Internet hooked up and running in our home. Blogging will become easier in the future instead of trying to blog on lunch and breaks at work. May even learn how to do so fun stuff, like pictures. I am also going to be doin some research into other farming activities we can get into next spring. A couple of hogs are on our to do list for sure. Maybe goats or cows for dairy. With both of us workin, time becomes a tough deal. It is a catch 22. Cut back on the work and we can’t afford to expand to meet our goal. It is our plan to pull out of our jobs and farm full time in 6 years. The KS Milkmaid (http://www.fullerfamilyfarms.com/topics/blog/) has really got me thinkin about the food we are buying for the family. We try and buy from the local farmers but stuff like dairy isn’t available for some reason (at least we can’t find anyone willing to sell privately). There are some big dairy farms in the area but private sales are just a hassle for them. So this problem could become an opportunity for us. We will have to ponder it a bit. If you get a chance mosey on over to the KS Milkmaids blog and have a read. Be warned, you won’t look at commercial food the same way again. We bought some of those little cheese slices the other day. You know the ones you put on your hamburger. I’m tellin ya, I could of rolled the thing up, put a wick in the center and used it as a candle. I’d bet anyone that thing was 75% wax.

I got talkin to a buddy/farmer the other day. He said something that got my attention. Said he was putting half his fields in summer fallow next year. Said fertilizer costs were killing him. Could it be the big agricultural companies are cutting their own throat? Things have a way of comin full circle.

The wife and I are goin to start lookin for a new church to go to. We haven’t been to church in a couple of years. The church we used to belong to got me riled and we pulled out of there in short order. Haven’t been back to a church since. With Christmas comin and all we got to thinkin about church again and tryin to hook up with one that we fit into. Not sure what/where that will be but we will know when we find it.

We have a big problem here in our home. It seems we have almost run out of grits. Now depending on where you are, you are goin to be askin one of two questions. If you’re a readin this in Canada your goin to be a askin what are grits and if your in the USA your goin to be askin, what’s the big deal, why don’t you go down to the grocery store and buy some. Well, there aren’t any grits in Canada but a friend of ours was headin for Grand Forks this weekend and promised to bring us a supply back. So we will be back in high cotton. I did some research in the Foxfire books and will be able to make my own if needed. Pretty simple when alls said and done.
My old time country/bluegrass has taken a back seat to Christmas carols in this house. I still sneak in the odd CD but carols are the order of the day around here until after Christmas.

goodolboy Speaks His Mind.

I’m not goin to be politically correct in this so if it goin to tick anyone, ya all better stop reading now. Canada was built on Christianity. Christianity was the foundation of my homesteading grandparents and my wife’s grandparents. Canada has been a Christian based country since the first settler arrived on its shores 500 years ago. With all that bein so then why do we have to take a back seat to other religious groups. The only group of people that should have any concern is the native Indians. And guess what, they don’t, because they are all Christians. My children don’t say the Lords Prayer in school anymore because it might offend someone. We can’t do a Christmas concert at school for the same reason. Winter carnivals have now takin the place of Christmas concerts. You can talk about Santa Claus but can’t mention Jesus or his birthday. Someone will get offended. Can’t have a Christmas Tree it is now a Holiday Tree. Well I’m tellin ya, I’m getting offended. It’s high time we started takin back our rights. Christmas is a Christian celebration of Jesus’s birthday. It ain’t a winter carnival or fair or whatever other politically stupid name they want to tag on it. I for one uses the word Christmas anytime it’s required, politically correct or not. Makes me no never mind. I said the Lord’s Prayer every mornin for 13 years in the public school system. My Ma and Pa did the same and if my grandparents went to school (don’t know if they did) they probably did the same. All of that has been wiped out in the last 15 to 20 years. How did we let that happen? Lets wake up Canada. Don’t be takin this in the way that I’m against other religions. Not so. That is not what this is about. If ya want to try and twist it like that well I can’t stop ya. It is not up to me to judge someone or their beliefs. Not my place to do that. The Christian foundation is what built our fine country and I get riled when it is getting pushed aside in an attempt to try and settle a few feelins. I’ve had my say. Lets here what ya all got to say. Bring er on.

Now I feel better. Had to get that off my chest. Oh ya one more thing.
Merry Christmas!

We Got Some Snow

2006-11-29T08:31:00.000-06:00

Lookin like Christmas here in Canada. Less than a month away, I can't believe how fast time is passing by. We got about 6 - 8 inches of snow early this week and are gettin more as I type. Not too bad but it has everything lookin like winter now. Don't have the internet at home up and runnin yet. I have subscribed but there is something wrong with the computor. It won't dial up so it is in the shop for diagnostic work. I am hoping it is a "try to figue things out" but I am pretty darn sure it will be "diagnostic" work (see previous post for explanation on diferences). Everyday they tell me it is going to be ready tomorrow. May just save up and buy a new one if the cost gets too high to repair. I was over visiting ND Homekeepers blog and they are feeling the effects of the snow and cold like us (maybe a little more than us).

I have been fellin poorly over the last week. Got some kind of flu or cold. Cough until my sides hurt. This has caused me to be a bit on the lazy side. Still been goin to work but when I get home I don't have much left. The family has been good to me and helped all they can. I need to get the tractor goin this weekend and clean up the snow though.

Wifes birthday is comin up. Maybe I will get her a new pitch fork. What do ya say Tom? How do ya think that would go over? It will mean a night out for some supper. We usually go out twice a year for a supper. Mothers day and the Wife's birthday. I won't say how old she is but she is a year younger than me and I'm a year younger than the Northern Farmer (I think).

Had a neat thing happen to us the other day. A real example of what country folk are all about. One of our neighbors phoned us up and asked if we had any eggs to spare. Her hens could not keep up with her customers demands. We had some so she said she would drop by and pick them up. No one talked money. When she got to our place she asked what do you sell your eggs for? Wife says a $1.75/ doz.. She says she sells hers for $2.00/ doz and insists on payin us the same. She would have it no other way. Said she was happy we could help and asked why we sold our eggs so cheap. Well, actually most of our customers whine about the price now and we don't think they would buy at $2.00/ doz. Said if we want she will sell all we have for $2.00/ doz. Now she could have easily givin us the price we asked and we honestly wouldn't of cared one hoot. What do you think our opinion is of this neighbor? She was and is good people. I have stood behind some people in at a checkout who have held up the line for 10 min. because they are questioning a dime difference. And those people weren't wearin no bib overalls either, if you get my drift.

This is goin to be short, I got to get back at er. I put one of them counters on my blog to see if anyone actually reads this stuff. Think I am up to 17 and 16 of those was me seein if anyone had visited. Talk to ya all soon. Things couldn't get better n this.

Weekends here.

2006-11-24T15:44:00.000-06:00

Friday evening here in Cooks Creek. We got a little snow last night but nothing really to speak of. Glad the week is over and I can spend the weekend working around here. All in all the week was good. Work went well except for 1 job that has been beaten me up real good. We have a truck in the shop that has a parasitic draw on the batteries (kills the batteries). Hours of diagnostics has me about where I started. Don’t you just love that word? “Diagnostics” When you “diagnose” something you charge a hundred dollars an hour. If you “problem solve” you can charge fifty dollars an hour and if you are “trying to figure it out” it is free. They all mean the same thing but we like to diagnose stuff more than trying and figure stuff out. I’ll get back at her Monday and get er done for sure. Just need to give the head a bit of a break and start fresh.

The young uns all got mid-term report cards this week. Youngest and oldest did ok I guess, nothen to write home about but my middle daughter did real good. Got to be proud of her. She is the comic of the family. Always pulling something on somebody. You got to watch your back with that one. Don’t get down on me for the way I talk about my kids. I believe in telling it like it is. They do poorly, I say so. They got to know that I say what I mean. When they do good and I praise them they know it is the real deal. The gals are downstairs doing supper dishes and singing hymns. As I sit up here typing this I got to smile and think how good we got it. We ain’t rich but we are happy. Maybe we are too slow in the head to know how bad we got it and don’t know enough to be sad. Yea, we got it good and I know it.

I was reading a blog today at lunch about a lady who is going through some tough deal. She is one tough gal. She has her faith to help her but all the same she is tough. When I say tough what I really mean is strong. I could not go through what she is going through and keep on goin like she does. She wrote a real touching blog and I had a lump in my throat after I read it but I didn’t get the impression she wanted people to feel sorry for her. She was just tellin her feelings. When you hear about stuff like what people are going through it makes you appreciate what you got. I guess you got to have some bad times to know the good times. I don’t think it would help much coming from me but I even said a little prayer for her and her family. Ya never know. Couldn’t hurt.

Tomorrow I got to get that trailer completed and out of the shop. I will tell the story about this trailer another time. The short version is I bought it at a farm auction and I’m a dim wit. Then I got to build some nesting boxes and service my truck. I like working in the shop Saturday afternoon because one of the local radio stations plays the old country music. Looking forward to it.

We might be able to hook up the internet here this weekend. You see, we don’t have the internet at our place. What I been doin is puttin my blogs on disc and puttin them on the net at work. Well we may just sell the farm and go whole hog and see if we can subscribe to the internet. The main reason is for the kids school projects but I also want it to research farm stuff and now blog.

If anyone happens to pass by this way I would like to welcome ya and invite you to set a spell and say hello. Always could use some new friends.

Gettin an Education

2006-11-23T12:35:00.000-06:00

Wed. evening I had to go to a town about 15 miles from our place to pickup a set of plow shears for a friend’s brother. He needed them to be built up and reshaped. My friend’s brother had phoned around and as it turns out this business is about the only place in the country that knows how to do this type of work. Now, I live fairly close to this town so I volunteered my wife's services. The next time she went to town she could drop off the shears. She did and they got done and now were ready to pickup. My instinct was to ask the wife to pick them up. After careful consideration I decided maybe I would do it myself. No use taking advantage of the old gal like that. Besides if she went to pickup the shears supper wouldn't be ready till late. I sure do hope if there are any gals reading this, ya all have a sense of humor. Back to the point I want to try and make. Anyway I call up this ol boy and tell him I want to pickup the shears, what time you open till. Says he is open 24 hours a day 7 days a week, lives above the shop. Good deal, so after work I head for town to pickup the shears. I get to the place and go in, doors open but all the lights are off. I hollers a couple of times and someone hollers back. Then this ol boy comes down out of the ceiling. He is moving pretty slow. He turns on the lights and it was the most beautiful sight ya ever rested your eyes on. An old blacksmith shop. Now if there is one thing I enjoy it is worken with metal. There it was, every old tool and piece of equipment needed to be a turn of the century blacksmith. The ol fella (Paul is his name) told me he had been doing this for 48 years. Now imagine if ya could apprentice with this gent for a year or two. You couldn't buy an education like that if ya paid a million dollars. No college, university or book could come close to supplying you with the knowledge that was in that old fellas head. Now, my young lad was with me and I got to thinkin on the way home if Paul can hold on for 8 more years I will go to him and pay him whatever he wants and put my son with him for a year or two. How could I ever do better than that for my boys education. Unfortunately I don't think Paul will be able to work for many more years (my opinion). While we were talking he also told me there wasn’t much work for a smith anymore. Most just throw away and buy new. He does have a couple of sons who he said are not interested in smithing. When he puts his anvil and hammer away the knowledge that is going to be lost will be criminal.

Anyway back to my point (if there is one), as I said before, while I was driving home I got to thinking about education and how a person gets educated. It has been on my mind allot lately. You see, my oldest daughter will be finished her schooling this year. She has to decide what to do after school. Now I am going to be honest here and tell ya I want more than anything for her to go to university and get a degree. That has been my dream for her whole life. I wanted it bad and have saved a tidy sum of money and done without so I can make it happen. One problem, it is my dream, not hers. She wants to work with horses. She is horse crazy. Don't know why or how it happened, she just is. Anyway, at lunch time on Thursday I sit down with my lunch and pull up some of my favorite blogs. The Northern Farmer blog has a young lad posting. The post hits me like a ton of bricks. The lad is doing an apprenticeship at a farm. I am not sure of all the details but what I can gather he is working for a farmer for a year now and is learning the ropes. It was suppose to end after one year but he is staying on a spell more because he feels he has more to learn. The deal seems kind of informal but is the education this young fella is getting any less than a university/college education. I suspect not. I got the feeling he loves what he is doing (must or he wouldn’t be stayin on for a longer period). In my experience if he loves his work he is going to be darn good at it. Society says to be successful you need a formal education. Is this lad going to be successful? After reading his post and thinking about Paul and his blacksmith shop (suspect Paul didn’t go to college) I wouldn’t bet a plug nickel against it, that’s for sure. I am not sure a formal education is the only way anymore. I am going to have to ponder this a bit. The way I see it, for my daughter to be successful she needs to be happy, not rich. As for society’s idea of an education, well lets just say her old man was never one to worry about following what is expected. I don’t know if anyone will ever read these ramblings but it does help put your thoughts in order when you write things down.

Hear there may be a storm on the way tonight. Coming out of Montana. Shouldn’t be too bad. It’s the ones that come out of Colorado that worry me. Might be driving in the snow tomorrow. Been getting spoiled with the warm weather we have been having here in the North. Making us soft. I can here someone playing Christmas carols on her flute. Must be my oldest daughter, Collamity Jane. Talk to ya all soon.

Them Darn Kids

2006-11-22T08:04:00.000-06:00

The last couple of weeks them 3 kids of mine have been trying my patience. Now don’t get me wrong I have 3 good young uns. They work hard, do not too bad in school and listen about as good as any kid listens. The problem is they take my stuff (tools) and don’t put them back. What got me going on this post is a bunch of incidents that have happened over the last couple of days. My boy is a typical 9 year old. We live in the country so he has to make his own fun. No young fellas his age next door. We don’t encourage TV and video games as a form of entertainment. So what is a fella to do? Well last night I came into the house from the shop about 9:30. Usual night for me. As I come in I meet my oldest daughter and notice 3 of my 4 bale hooks are missing from their hook in the garage. Ask her where they are. She tells me she last seen her brother with them at the round bales. Well this is the last straw. I head into the house and find him snuggled down in his bed sawing logs to beat the band. Wake him up. Where’s the bale hooks. He tells me he had them out on the round bales and was using them for steps so he could play on the bales. Ok, go get them. Yep, get up, get dressed and go get them and put them back where they belong. So he does. I was hot. One thing I didn’t mention in my introduction is I got a bit of a temper. Same deal the night before with my oldest daughter. I come into the garage and there is the electric fence stuff all messed up layen on the shelf and bench. She was doin some fence repairs and when she finished she just left the stuff scattered. What do ya do with kids like that? Foster home? Ground them for a month? Well after I get my bale hooks in their rightful place I go into the house to sit and have a cup of coffee before I go to bed. The kids are always bringing papers home from school and yesterday was no different. One of them had brought a pamphlet about crystal meth home. I picked it up and started reading. While reading I got to thinking about my kids. Now these three know what a days work is. My boy is up at 5:30 every morning feeding chickens. He does anything you ask. The more you heap on him the harder he works. Girls are the same. Both can cook and bake and sew, can process broilers, fence, tend animals etc, you get the picture. All three have outside work to give them some spending money. I don’t give them no allowance. Don’t believe in it. You work you get paid. That’s the way the world works. Even for kids. Don’t want them getten the idea somebody owes ya a livin. On Saturday we took my sons alum. can collection and in. A years worth of collecting and crushin cans netted him $123 dollars. He knows what a dollar is worth that is for sure. I know they ain’t doing no drugs because they don’t have the time or money. Well I am sitten there drinking my coffee and I turns to the wife and says I may have overreacted with the boy a bit. She says yea, maybe a little. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not letting up on them. Still expect them to do what needs doin but maybe they I won’t send them to a foster home or ground them for 6 months. Maybe things aren’t that bad. They sure could be a lot worse after reading the pamphlet. Don’t believe its luck that has made them the way they are. In my opinion comes down to values and family support. I may blog on that some time.

An Introduction

2006-11-17T11:10:00.000-06:00

Hello, My name is Guy, This is my first try at blogging so hold on and we will see where this takes us. I got the idea to do this from reading a few blogs that really impressed me. Northern Farmer http://www.scepaniakfarms.com/blog/and KS Milkmaid http://www.fullerfamilyfarms.com/topics/blog/ are neat blogs and I find them both entertaining and educational. These folks are what I call good people. Never actually met them but kind of feel I know them through their blog. They don't know me from a hill of beans. Got the feelin if the world was full of these type of people things might be a whole lot better. They seem to know what they want and it aint nothin fancy. Just want to live a good life with their families. This in a nut shell is where we come from and want to be. Guess that is why I enjoy their blogs and in around about way their company. If you are into fancy holidays and possesions this ain't the blog for you. If you want to talk family, work, good food, homesteading and such, you may want to set for a spell.

Any how, I live in a rural area of Manitoba Canada on a small farm. Closest town is Cooks Creek. 1 General Store, 2 churches, a museum and an old folks home. Real big town. I'm married and have 3 children. I guess me and my family are about the closest thing there is to a good old fashion hillbilly. Me and the wife both work out. We try (and I do mean try) to farm. Not very good at it yet. That old joke comes to mind when I talk about us farmin. Someone asked what I would do if I won a million dollars and I told them I would just keep on farmin until it was all gone. When I thought of doing this deal I thought I would have lots to say but all of a sudden nothen. Lets see. Told ya all I have 3 children. 2 girls and a boy. Wife and girls are into horses. Son is into working with his old man in his shop and dirt bikes. Our life is about as simple as it gets and we like it that way. We watch almost no TV (except racing and rodeo), eat mostly food that has been either raised/killed by us or by one of the local farmers and work. If I go to sayin something you want to comment on feel free. I got big shoulders and can take the good and the bad. Please, no bad language or disrespect to my family. Ya got to appreciate that. A day in our home starts at 5:30 am and usualy ends about 10:30 pm. Between those times we eat, work and enjoy each other as a family. Work is not a 4 letter work in our deal. Work is what keeps us going as a family and what gives us purpose. The busier the better. Now I am not sayin we don't sit and listen to some good music in the evening. Heck we do that most evenings but it is usually for an hour or so before we hit the hay. Have to unwind before you retire or your mind just keeps a workin and you can't get to sleep. Some will know exactly what I am on about and some will be a wondrin what is he talkin about. To those that don't understand you all ain't workin hard enough. Well I am going to post this and see what happens. I will be back in a day or so and start sharing some of my life experiences with ya. Like anyone wants to here about this. Talk to ya ll later.