Last one of the year..

     I wanted to end the year with a short post, to wish all who may read this a very Happy New Year. We all have hopes of how the new year will roll out, and that all will be well, and so I hope that for you, this will be so.
     I had a very enjoyable visit with Heather, Rupert, Dawn and the girls, on Friday. That was great!
I wanted to get a picture of Heather, Dawn, Rae and Lindsay, but, I forgot to do it. I'm really good at forgetting to do things.
     I am going to try to do a better job of keeping up to date with this blog. We'll see what happens.
God bless.

Drawing to a close...

     Christmas day has come and gone, and with it all the rush and preparation of the season.  It is good to hear from old friends and family at this time of year, though I feel that the number of people sending cards through the mail has dwindled. 
    We had a white Christmas, with a fair amount of snow. I think about 15 cm fell on Thursday/Friday which provided the white Christmas.
     Dawn, Joe, Rae and Lindsay were here for Christmas dinner, and gift opening. The girls are growing so fast, that it is hard to know what to buy them.  A gift of money seems to be well accepted.
     We had a heavy rain, and the snow rapidly disappeared, and today it is blustery and cold. Hopefully the roads won't be too bad, as I am hoping for a visit from Heather and Rupert.
     I find it difficult to believe that 2011 is coming to a close. I'm sure there were only 6 months in the year; it went by so fast it seems.
     Now, I must think of some things to accomplish in the coming year. I need to have some goals. I think I will do some painting. It's been a while. Needle felting seemed to have taken over for a while, but painting the Christmas card awakened the need to get the brush dabbing.
     The Youth Group at our church put on an amazing evening, on the  23rd.  I am so impressed with these young people, a gifted, sensitive and caring group.  Our church is certainly blessed by them.

My thankyou card from the Youth

Big Snow

     Well, take that November 23rd!
     We had quite a big dump of snow yesterday, and I am snowed in.  Eventually, Bob will get the tractor out, (hopefully), and we will return to normal, such as it is.  I really don't mind not being able to "get out." I really have no place to go right now, though exercise class is this afternoon, and my youngest granddaughter only has a half day of school, and I'm not sure she could plow through the driveway as it is now.
     The poor birds are having a hard time finding the seeds through the snow, and I can't get to the feeder right now to replenish their supply. Be patient little ones.

     Christmas is bearing down on me, but I seem to have accomplished what I wanted to do. My painting for our Christmas card is at the printers, so I shall soon have them, and can start the addressing and stamping of them.  I have finished several of my felted Christmas decorations for friends and family.

I have such a good time making these little guys. Everyone is different. I never know how they are going to turn out.

I also finished a big project. It turned out ok, but I'm not sure what I am going to do with it, now that it is done.

I had written some Christmas poems over the last twenty years or so, for special Candle Light Services at the church.  It was suggested, by a friend that I put them together in a little booklet, which could be used for a bit of a fundraiser for the building fund. I am anxious to see it the finished product. I'll be a "published poet".  Well, sort of........

     As much as the snow caused problems for driving, as I look out the window, it is beautiful, so crisp, so clean. There goes Bob, off to the barn with shovel in hand. I won't be snowed in for very long now.



     Fall is here and winter is not far behind. The wind is causing the trees to wave and shed their remaining leaves, the ones that didn't blow off during the last wind and rain/ice pellet/snow storm.  The winter power outages begin as well. It was off several hours this past week. It is only the beginning.
     The harvest, (if you can call it that), is over. Drops, drops, drops, that have gone for juice, and that's it. It has been a strange fall, without all the busyness and planning and picking of the crop. Perhaps next year will be better, but you never know, with the weather, what you are going to get.  Who would have thought that a small hail storm in June would have such a devastating effect on the orchard.
     I did make a tour around the orchard a couple of weeks ago, taking pictures.

Just one of the ponds on the farm. My favourite.

Drop pickers. Apples on ground not on trees.

Another pond.

View from top of hill, looking toward the valley below

Sadie enjoying her walk around the orchard.



     I'll be turning the clock back an hour tonight, but that does not mean an extra hour of sleep. Most likely it will mean an extra hour of trying to get to sleep. Some nights sleep can be so evasive. I should have a button of some sort that I can put in the "off" position, and it will stop all the thoughts that run through my head, and allow sleep to come.

     I've been going to Yoga for seniors for the past 7 weeks, and am finding the breathing tecniques quite helpful. It is just so difficult for me to totally relax, but I am trying. The walking exercise is also helpful, but I've found that nothing is going to take away the ache in my limbs when fibro digs in its claws. I can live with that......I have been living with it, and I guess in the long run, I'm doing ok.

    

Get at it, girl!

The number of times I have sat here, and told myself to put something together for the blog, can't be counted. Why is it, that I start a blog, and then go weeks without posting? Sometimes, perhaps, it is because I feel I have nothing important to say.  I have read other blogs, with such wise words, and I think I can never write like that. I always have a tendency, no matter what I am doing to compare it with others, and I always come away feeling very critical of my own work. This is not a good trait, and I have to talk to myself and point out that comparing oneself with others is a waste of time and energy. I can only be who I am, and do what I can, the best that I can.......

So from now on, I will write what I feel, whether it makes sense to anyone else or not. That is why I started this in the first place, as an outlet for thoughts, feelings, and pictures that I want to share, like this little guy, doing his/her own thing, not mindful at all of the one watching and clicking.

I guess it's about time....

     I am behind in reading the blogs I follow, and thus, have a lot of reading ahead, though I probably won't catch up.  My daughter tells me it is time to get some of the things I've been doing in the past few weeks up on this blog.  I know this won't be done in one sitting but here goes....

     I enjoyed a wonderful time on a camping trip with both daughters, and granddaughters. We went to Dunvegan, and it was beautiful.  The car was absolutely packed. Here, we had just arrived and getting ready to put up the tent.

     Dawn is an expert in putting up the tent, but Heather and I did try to help.

    
     When the tent was up we visited the beach. What a sight. Pictures don't do it justice. One needs to see the whole wide expanse of beach and cliffs.

Another beach view. The little stream ran parallel to the shore line.

Campfire, toasting marshmallows, warming pears with chocolate mints, and just enjoying this special time together.  The weather was beautiful, and I really hated to leave. Memories made....
   

Another Rainy Day

     It is raining again, and the raspberries are just hanging, begging to be picked. It doesn't sound like much picking will get done in the next couple of days.  However yesterday was a good day.
     Sadie had a good day yesterday too, as her friends, both human and canine came to the patch. She was thrilled.

Lindsay got to dog sit while others picked. The dogs appreciated the shade of the apple tree, as the sun made the afternoon very hot.

     The berries are coming along quite well, and Dawn is busy filling orders.  We now have a facebook page for the farm.   www.facebook.com/JohnsonsStonehengeFarm

     I've done a little needle felting, but no painting since the berries started. These are my latest creations.

Passing of Time

     Perhaps it is my age, but time rushes by, and I wonder where it has gone, and what I have accomplished. Not that getting a myriad of things done is of great importance, but rather a necessity of living on a farm, and doing all that it entails.  Right now raspberries are in season, and the phone is ringing constantly, cars are pulling in the driveway all day, driving Sadie nuts, and the times I've had to tell folks the reasons why we are closed for the day, and why I can't just let them in, as they only want a few, too numerous to count.
     We did go for a road trip, for four days last week.  It supposedly was a "vacation", but I call it a road trip, because we spent more time in the car, than anywhere else. Bob just likes to drive, anywhere, even dead end dirt roads.  We did go to several museums. which I enjoyed, especially the one in Parrsboro, and Joggins.  I wish I had the brain to remember all the things I learned.  The geology of Nova Scotia is most interesting, and I would really like to learn more. My daughter Heather is quite knowledgeable, and I am looking forward to getting a chance to look at some of her books.
     I am also taken with rocks and fossils, especially after visiting Parrsboro, though I've always collected beach rock, and like the smoothness and beauty of them after they have been polished.

I thought this little guy was cute.

The rocks tell a story, you just have to know how to read it.
This shows a seam of coal, at Joggins.







     Well, I have moved into my 69th year, and to celebrate, I went with Dawn, Heather, Rae, Lindsay and friend Eva, to Cirque Soleil, in Halifax.  It was very entertaining, though at times I wasn't sure of the story line.

It was a celebration of birthdays; Dawn's, Eva's and mine. Had a great dinner, supplied by Eva, Dave and Heather, with a glass of wine, no less, with Eva, and Sadie had a chance to see her Halifax dog buddies, Jerry and Simba, and her human buddy Dave.  We got home quite late, but it was a wonderful time. Spending time with "my girls" is most special.  When life gets overwhelming, they are my rocks, polished and beautiful in every way.

Sadie's Hay Field

     The field next to our house is not ours, but Sadie thinks it is hers.  A neighbour cuts the hay there every year, and Sadie keeps close watch to see that it is done right.

     She could get whip lash because every movement or noise draws her attention.

     She has to get up close to really inspect the work, and spent a few minutes squeeking at the tractor.

     These are picture of my "granddog" Indy.  She is such a good dog.  Unlike Sadie, she actually responds to commands such as sit, and amazingly, go pee and go poop.  What a sweetie.  She misses her family. and is anxious to see me when I go down.  She immediately wants to chase the ball, so we have a time of exercise.

Sadie Update

      Sadie has had her last check up and she is finally in good health.  The animal hospital where I take her has wonderful, caring vets and workers.  Sadie has received much attention in the last few weeks, and I am extremely impressed with the care she is given.  Now I just have to do some hair cutting and thinning so she won't mind the heat as much.  It has been extremely warm here the last few days. I am not complaining, mind you after all the rain and cool weather, but Japanese Chins, Sadie in particular, is either too hot or too cold. It's hard to find a happy medium.
     I am looking after Indy for my family, and she is such a good dog.  This is for your information, Lindsay. Indy is being very good. Grammy has to play catch with her, she expects it every time. She's eating pretty good, especially if I sit there with her.  I'll have to take a picture of her and put it on the blog.
     We went to Lunenburg yesterday, to the Fisheries Museum, and then to see the Bluenose, which I was glad to do.  I have been watching it via the webcam, and it was nice to see it up close.  To much driving yesterday, so I'm a bit sore today, but it will pass.
      Well, back to my needle felting........

    

Quiet Time

     It has been sunny and warm up on the mountain today.  Everyone's away except Sadie and I and we are enjoying the solitude and the quiet. There are no deadlines today, and there is no timetable of things that have to be done. This does not happen very often.
     
     I have been working on a new needle felting project. This activity is really taking over my life.  Once I get at it, it is hard to leave it alone.

     Sadie made out quite well at the vets, and did not have to have a tooth removed. She is in pretty good health, which is great. She does have a further check up next week, and that should be it.

Sadie found the porch quite warm.



She decided under the truck was cooler.



  

This is the rose I referred to yesterday.

This one is a wild rose that just started to grow in the backyard.



Canada Day

     The 1st of July. Canada's Birthday.  I am so glad to be a Canadian.  Proud to be Canadian. Via the TV, I joined with thousands of other Canadians to celebrate our birthday, on Parliament Hill. I am charmed by Will and Kate, and hope they have sufficient time to rest their hands after all the shaking they did yesterday and today.
     I find myself reflecting on other things today as well.  School has ended for the summer, with closing ceremonies held yesterday for my granddaughters.  Both did quite well as their report cards show, and the eldest received special awards. It is a proud moment in a grandmother's life, to see grandchildren doing well, and succeeding in their life.  It is a time of joy and a time of tears. It is so heart warming to see them growing and becoming who they are meant to be, but hard to believe so much time has past.  Wasn't it just yesterday I was cuddling them, reading a book to them or rocking them to sleep.  The tears are those of pride in who they are, and how well they are making their way in life.  Being a young person is not easy in this day.

     The hail that I spoke about in the last blog, will cost us our crop.  Except for a few trees that are 'adopted', our crop is toast.  I hope we will have a good raspberry season.

     The lupins are blooming in the ditch, and the peonies are getting top heavy. I just noticed that a small rose bush has buds on it that are just opening.
    
  

     You can just barely see the pink rose buds

     I did some whipper-snipping yesterday, and as usual, spent too much time at it, and ended up with a very sore back, the shakes, and a blister. Thank goodness it just takes some sit down time for the soreness and shakes to go away.  I can't not do it, just because it hurts, or I'd never do anything.
     One day at a time.......

   

Hail, hail.

     We discovered yesterday that following the very quick hail storm on Sunday morning, that we have quite a bit of hail damage in the orchard.  I guess the hail hit several orchards in the area. This is not a good thing.
The only thing we can do now is wait and see how the crop will be. Hail pocked apples can only go for juice, not the fresh market. It's an apple farmer's nightmare.

     You can see the little brown marks on these little apples. Most of the orchard is like this. It is really hard to tell just how much damage has been done.
     On another topic, the exercise "walk" classes, twice a week, are doing me some good I think.  I just got home from walking "3 miles", sort of on the spot.  It's a pretty good workout but it hurts most of the time, and it seems to take a day in between to return to "normal", whatever that is. I shall try to keep it up because some movement is better than none.
     The new sign is coming along. One side is finished and I've begun the other side. The deadline is the weekend, so I have to keep at it.
     Sadie doesn't know of course, but tomorrow she's off to the vet for dental work. Hope that goes well.

Sadie and her buddy, Lindsay





     Must get back to work.  It's a beautiful day, and the sun is shining.

Getting busy

      I feel I had better get this blog written now, as the next two weeks are going to get very busy.  I am under a deadline for painting a new sign, a big new sign for a friend's family farm market. A challenge.
     I spent a wonderful afternoon with Heather last Saturday, when we went to Gaspereau Valley Fibres again, this time to check out their "Back to Back" events.  We watched a very talented lady shear a sheep.  That is really something to see. Amazing!  I bought some more wool for my felting, which of course will have to be put on hold for a while.
     We are starting to get Adopt a Tree calls, and that means signs and certificates to be done up. I have a few new ones to do.
     Sadie had a rough time of it for about ten days or so. She had a very bad reaction to Bordetella, and had a hacking cough for several days.  Medicine helped, and she is back to normal now.
     Everything is beautifully green now. Of course the green is dotted with yellow, dandelions and buttercups.  The hay in Sadie's field is getting quite high. It isn't our field, but as in the picture in my blog header shows, she likes to survey the field from atop a bale.

Amazing

The ewe almost looks like she's enjoying getting shorn.

And the coat comes off all in one piece.

    
     I guess this is it for now.

     The blossoms don't last very long in the orchard. They last just long enough to entice the bees to the trees to do their job of pollination.  In good weather, it doesn't really take very long for the entire orchard to be pollinated, and the sun has shone through most of the blossom time.  Now to wait for the set. Blossom fall has taken place and the ground is littered with the soft white, pink tinted petals, which having accomplished their task, have retired.

Gravensteins in all their glory



Macs and rows of raspberries

Flowering Crab Blossoms

     We took a road trip to Digby on Saturday. A nice day for a drive.  We stopped at a place called Bloody Creek.

Commemorates two combats between British Garrisons of Annapolis Royal and allied French and Indians in the half century of conflict for possession of Acadia: on the North Bank of the Annapolis River, 10th June, 1711: and here, 8th December, 1757.



Digby Warf

Point Prim and Bay of Fundy Beyond