Jest Another Day in Pear-A-Dice - Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm in Alberta

[CanuckBock]

Plot tilled.

Shop balcony ready for blowing snows.

Three of the six 1936 Chev Maple Leafs...hoping to see restorations on these begin next fall.

Bought the metal rods that my twining loom is missing...need to thread the ends so I can warp this. Likely start on a wool rug, warped in linen.

Chicken UP Doggone it!

 

[CanuckBock]

Sent off information for estimate on wool mattress cover in canvas.

 

[CanuckBock]

Sent off information for estimate on wool mattress cover in canvas.

View attachment 2893784

Picked up the mattress cover.

Be a fun early spring project, sorting and then washing wool to stuff the mattress.

Thinking about 60 pounds should be a good start.

Did some of this June 11th.

 

[CanuckBock]

Dressing myself in my handicrafts; from head to foot with a scarf in between.

Finally getting some snow...Girls are loving it.

Happy to see the ground and plants covered; next the colder weather should be showing up. Has to warm up to snow here.

Coast Snow, so damp and not dry like proper Alberta snows but we'll happily take it.

 

[CanuckBock]

Twined up two rugs thus far...the second gets to stop at 10 inches as I've run outta scrap carpet yarns.

Been waiting forty months for my circular sock machine to be made...and it is now on its way to me. Should be here by middle of January. Once you get the hang of this machine, should take you 3 hours instead of three days to knit a pair of socks.

Fella who makes these machines even made me a pair of socks.

Both sinks are now in the bathrooms.

Upstairs.

Downstairs.

Got a bit of a reprieve from the cold weather and was only +2C on the second, so made good use of the warmth to get some bales out for the Dorpers.

Got them covered and tucked...going to be more snow and tonight...another bout of -37C tonight. Then should start warming up with next week being warm enough I've ordered two totes of bird rations to be made at the feed mill and we can go pick them up.

That and some more projects in the shop like a handrail going in.

That's it for now. Happy 2022!

 

[CanuckBock]

Heel low:

The Girl's dog room is now completed.

Commercial grade lino on the walls, new horse stall mats for the floor.

Dog kennels were built downstairs in the shop.

And voila, add dogs!

Emmy and then...

Lacy.

Both Girls love their new digs (as do we!). :-D

 

[CanuckBock]

Stairs got another coat of paint

And I got a nice surprise...the vintage advertisements for our trucks got framed (just one more frame to get when they restock) and hung up on the stairway.

Second hand rail got made and painted...just waiting on a drill bit and permanent install can happen.

Doing alot more spinning than I usually do. Near got the Lendrum maple castle super jumbo plying bobbin filled. :-D

Nice sock yarn, hand knitting kind.

Almost used up all of Nicto's 2004 fleece too. Almost 18 year old wool--so much for the theory a fleece needs to get used up within a year or two! Ha.

 

[CanuckBock]

Happiness abounds here in Pear A Dice.

Green season is upon us...thankfully, finally with some heat.

Regular rains is keeping things growing.

Even flowering nice in the bush.

Bugs are bad, so if the Girls are out, take precautions to keep them a bit bug free.

Finally some berries are ripening...they are all spoken for before I can even get them off the plants.

Potatoes are up...as are the weeds!

The yard pond is doing as it should, supporting the Koi and water plants.

Birds are getting time out on the lawns.

Baby Seb is getting big, its pied pattern is a bit fuzzy but Sebs don't exhibit crisp patterns on a good day.

Enjoying using the shop bay...fixing a fuel leak in the 84.

Mess of socks cranked out so far.

Slowly learning how to use the ribber attachment.

And used all four heel fork weights for the 1st time.

Doing a project for Emmy...making up sausage pups for her litter which is due in August.

Making up a hem, with tube and then heel for an end.

Then stuff them fulla Jacob wool.

And continuing to spin up Jacob wool singles for knitting. Using wool as found directly off the sheep--not washed or carded...wool in the grease.

 

[CanuckBock]

Less than a week to go and Emmy will have her pup. Because the ultrasound showed only one pup, she's not going to be getting all that big.

Three chicks natural hatched by a partridge bantam Chantecler!

Pied patterned Seb gosling is getting big.

Completely dotted on by all.

Hail storms all around us...one report of a hailstone 4" by 4", but thankfully, only peasized hail so far...

Lots of rain and two days in a row, rainbows!

Rick brought in the 1989 one ton, did a bit of work on it and took it for a spin. Nice to see him enjoying all his trucks.

Pretty much what summer is all about here in Pear-A-Dice...

 

[RiverOtter]

You have a lovely and fascinating farm. Thanks for sharing it.