Sunday, August 26/2017 - Saturday, September 1/2017

This week was highlighted by our trip into Saskatoon to see Dr Ravi and to pick up our new glasses at the optometrist's office.
Once John got the all clear from Dr. Ravi, we headed over to get our glasses then made a quick stop at Walmart and headed back to Leoville.
The trip makes for a long day and I was glad to finally get back home.
I only had a couple of shifts to work this week and we did get to take Booko for a few runs.
His limp is pretty much gone now and he is slowly getting some muscles back into that leg.   It is good to see him finally walking "normal".
Slow but sure and he seems to really enjoy his outings.   Life is Good.....even for the dog!!

Sunday, August 19 - Saturday, August 25/2017

More adventure this week with John being diagnosed with Shingles!!  Good grief.....I do wonder what is in store for us in the future!!
I got off a night shift, has a quick sleep and hauled him into the clinic in Spirtwood where we got the diagnosis and a prescription for an antiviral.   Hopefully we got it in time and there will be limited or no side effects from them.
Unfortunately they were on his head and forehead and headed towards his nose and eye.  That is NOT a good place to get them.   Well,  there is really no "good" place to get them but the face is really bad for fear that they break out in your eyeball and attack your vision.
 We left with clear instructions that if the lesions proceeded to his eyebrow and below,  we were to get back into the clinic as this was considered an emergeny and he would need to be seen by and opthamologist immediatly in order to treat any damage that may occur and consequently damage his vision.
The following day found us back at the clinic when his eye was checked out (no lesions seen) but it was probably a good idea to have an opthamologist check it out just ot make sure.
Now we have a very dear friend who unfortunately got shingle lesions in her eye and she had terrible pain and vision problems so both John and I knew how she suffered and neither of us were planning on going down that road if we could help it.
Soooo...... off to Saskatoon we went to see Dr. Ravi (the opthamologist) and have his eye checked out.   It checked out well so we were both glad of that!!
I guess we got on top of the shingles virus fast enough and for that we are both thankful.  As far as the shingles vaccine goes,  John is not able to get it until 1 year after an outbreak and I am scheduled to have it before leaving for Arizona!!  Life is Good.....

Sunday, August 12/2017 - Saturday, August 18/2017

Reflections on the water

Another busy week is upon us.  I only worked 3 shifts this week but we managed to squeeze in a trip to Buck Lake to once again enjoy what Mother Nature has to offer.
What a pleasure it is to sit and enjoy the view.

Booko, enjoying the view and listening to all the sounds
particularly,,,,,the mean, scary squirrels.   They really bug him!!

Chillin in the back of the truck

The squirells can't get him in the back of the truck!!

It is always nice to come back off the trail and have a fire to sit around to stave off the evening chill. John and I sit many hours around this fire pit chatting and planning.   Speaking of the fire pit, it is in bad shape and really needs to be taken to the local welding shop for some much needed repairs.  It has served us well and since Casey made it for us when he was in welding school, it holds a lot of nostalgia and many good memories.  It really needs to be shown some love and it just so happens that one of the guys that John was out four wheeling with in The Block owns the welding shop in Spiritwood so he's thinking we need to drop it off there in the Spring.  Time to show it some fire pit love!!

Campfire in the yard

From the garden

Lots of smoke in the air

John, finally getting the man door put into the shop

The mandoor finally got put in.   John was feeling up to the task so took a day and got it up and now I no longer have to make the long trek around to the other side of the shop to get a beer!!  I can simply open this new door and walk into the man cave.     Now, that is a VERY good thing!!

One tired dog!!

pickled carrots

The garden is ready for harvest and I did manage to get a few jars of beans pickled and some carrots as well.   It was my first time picking these items so I sure hope they turn out.   I also grabbed a few cabbages and shredded them as best I could and got the sauerkraut started.   It is the first time for that too so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for that too!!
The cucumbers are ready and I got all the ingredients needed for making relish so I spent a few days doing relish and pickled beets.
It was a very productive week!!

Door almost complete

A good week though and now that the canning is done I can think about getting more of the garden cleaned up,  There is still a lot left in it and I gave a lot of it away to the young family who lives beside us.  She had small children and is very busy so I know she appreciates anything she gets.   She has no garden so I'm thinking that she could plant  mine and I will just "steal" from her!!
She has chickens at the farm and asked if I wanted fresh eggs......"Oh ya", I said and mentioned that if she still had chickens in the Spring I would get eggs from her regularly throughout the summer.  So, hopefully she does as there is nothing better than free range farm eggs.
Life is Good!!

Sunday, August 5/2017 - Saturday, August 11/2017

This was a quiet week with me working four shifts and John just hanging out recovering from a very busy time last week.  His post surgical recovery is coming along nicely but his guts still give him the occasional reminder that perhaps you shouldn't have lifted that heavy object.   I keep reminging him that he has to be careful for at least 3 months.  Twice that would even be better.
He cuts the grass often and with all the blasted rain we have been getting it seems to grow a foot every week!!  It keeps him busy though and out of trouble.
It is time to start thinking about getting the garden started with clean up.  The beets are ready to pickle and the cabbage is waiting for saurkraut!!   The cucumbers are ready for relish and the peas need to be picked!!  Booko is helping with the pea picking as I caught him "raiding" the peas that are sticking through the fence!!  Apparently he loves peas and has no problem going to the vines and picking them!!  He then eats them leaving no trace of his dastardly deed.  And, here I thought I was just not getting a very good pea crop this year when it turns out.....the damn dog is eating them!!  Oh well, they are good for him!!
Life is Good......even for the pea picking dog!!

Sunday, July 29/2018 - Saturday, August 4/2018

At Deer Lake

This week was celebrated with John going for a off road trail ride with the kids down into "The Block".   I was just coming off a night shift so chose to sit this one out!!

Booko, Neena and Harley playing in the water

Continuing into the Block

Jace and Kimmy's rig

Lunch at the shelter

This used to be the trail

Now a small running creek

Someone must have blown the beaver dam up!

Jace and me posing at the old Timberlost sign

The rest of the group

Beverage

Deer Lake

Winch time

There was lots of mud involved and plenty of winching and I am really glad that I missed it all.   Apparently, fun was had by all and every vehicle made it back off the trail so I am sure that was a huge bonus for everyone!!

Winching

The garden is growing!!   Time for another rototilling

campfire time in the yard

huge hailstones

We got a huge hailstorm this week as well.  Several vehicles were damaged including Kelly"s whose was sitting in our yard awaiting repairs at the garage.  John managed to get our big white truck nosed into the shop before any damage occurred but was a bit late getting Kelly's nosed under Casey's truck camper.   It took a few hits but not bad considering the stones smashing to the ground were bigger than an inch in diameter!!

This week too, we headed back over to Lac Eau Claire for another visit with the kids.   Gloria had returned for a few days and there were lots of others around as well.  It was not anywhere nearly as quite as when just Gloria and I were here by ourselves and I was sad about that.   Maybe I'm just getting old and really have no patience for all the hoopla and noise anymore.   Maybe I am getting to be an old "fuddy duddy"!  Shit, Oh Dear......that can not be good!!

A game of bones

Bones and Beer (and dogs.....way too many dogs!!)

Sitting around the campfire while Jace cooks supper
YUMMY

We got our asses handed to us in a few games of bones and it was a good thing that it was time to start supper as I am sure any more games would have been a total head hanging embarrassment!!   Damn kids....think they can always beat us "old folks"!!
Supper was delicious and all too soon it was time for John and I to make the trek home.  We loaded up the lawn chairs and the dog and headed back to Leoville.  It was threatening to rain again and Old Blue's windshield wipers don't work!!  Rain and no wipers is not a good combination!!
We got home without incident and the peace and quiet was awesome.  Soooo many people, kids and dogs .... it can really play you out!!   Now, there are babies added to the ever growing group!!   Shit, Oh Dear.......
I worked a couple of shifts to finish off the week but would be free again for the weekend.
Life is Good!!

Sunday, July 22/2018 - Saturday, July 28/2018

Kelly and Jax in the mancave

Since we knew the kids (Kayla and her family) were sitting at Lac Eau Claire, we decided to take the Sami and go over for  visit.   It was a rather dreary day so off we went.  With Booko in the back, the beer cooler in the back and John and I with the heat on, we headed down the North Road to Vimy Tower Road and took the trails over to the visit,  It was a rather circuitous route by fun none the less.  We arrived to find no campfire burning and everyone inside the trailer "resting"!!   WHAT THE HELL!!   It wasn't long before the fire was  popping and everyone was sitting outside enjoying the day.  It was fun.  '
This was the highlight of this week as it was back to work for another few shifts.
Kay had left Utah bound for Arizona for the weekend on Friday (July 20) and returned to Utah on Tuesday of this week.  She sounded like she had a good time although it was a rather quick trip,  She had hitched a ride with Mitch as he wanted to check out his place as well but said that never again would she do that as it apparently was a rather scary drive.   Mitch drives like a bat out of hell and she knew that before the trip however....she now says NEVER AGAIN!!   LOL   She will drive her own damn vehicle  next time and he can ride with her!!

Live and Learn I guess.     Life is Good!!

Sunday, July 15/2018 - Saturday, July 21/2018

Feeding Kayla's new baby boy Jax

Kayla and the kids stopped by this week,   They are up at the lake most of the summer as she is on maternity leave so..... what better place to spend it??
Kelly (Kayla"s Mom) will also be up there throughout the summer so we will have to get together at some point for beers and laughs!!
I only worked a couple of shifts this week so that gave John and I time to get into the sami and head down the North Road to the little lakes that we frequent.  It is a nice ride and although Booko would rather sit on my lap, he does do well riding in the back so that the wind can blow his ears around!!

Beverage at Otter Lake

We took a scoot into Otter Lake this week and knew we had to take the sami as the beavers had felled some trees across the trail   "Old Blue" would never had made it but Sami had no trouble going over the trees.  The lake was beautiful as always and of course Booko had to find something rotten to roll in so I was glad he at least was riding in the back!!

Jackfish and Pickeral in this lake

Vimy Lake

We then took a quick trip into Utah lake and then headed back home towards Leoville with a required stop at Vimy.   It is so nice to sit on the grass at Vimy and enjoy the scenery.  It is sooo very soothing to hear nature.  The forest is never silent and one only has to sit quietly and isten to hear the fantastic workings of nature.  It makes you appreciate the quiet solitude which, is so different than the hussle and bussle of our everyday "work" lives.

Beverage at the Lake - does it get any better than that?

Mr beaver checking us out

Of course there are beavers here at Vimy as well to keep Booko occupied.  There are industrious little creatures and I will never forget the family (of which I am sure these are decended) that used to swim with Razor (our old dog) in this very lake.   There was one time too, after Razor had died and John and I were camped at this very spot that two of them came ashore at dusk and sat by the water's edge. They made the most peculier sounds.  It waa almost like they were looking for Razor that night as they had spent hours in the lake together one swimming after the other.  It really was something to see.   Too totally different creatures taking the time to have some "fun".   These are some of the memories we have of our family being at "one" with nature.

Booko keeping a eye on him

Life is Good!!