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

[drumstick diva]

Seems like you just set out your lawn decorations and NOW you are putting them back

 

[scottcaddy]

It is that time of year, It used to upset me when 1 good frost would kill my beans and 'maters, and then 2 whole weeks of nice weather would follow

Hope that all works well for you.
Scott

 

[CanuckBock]

Seems like you just set out your lawn decorations and NOW you are putting them back

Time flies when busy having fun.

May 22, 2016 - Gaggle of geese gobbling grain on a field ​

May 22 was last snow day we had in 2016...so yeh, this year, it is going to be a three month summer. Got serious frost last night.

Snow last year in Calgary in the first week of September...took out like 20% of there trees--had leaves on the trees so damage of wet heavy snows.

Don't mind...it can slow down now...got tons to get to still to prep for winter. Soon fall...fall down go boom time!

It is that time of year, It used to upset me when 1 good frost would kill my beans and 'maters, and then 2 whole weeks of nice weather would follow

Hope that all works well for you.
Scott

The greenhouse will shelter all those green tomatoes of ours, but denying winter is coming would be foolhardy.

I expect another snowmagedon like in 2014. All that rain we got each and every day this "summer"...ha ha ha...that will soon be snows and not liquid sunshine.


We have decided this time to salvage all the extra pieces of green metal roofing and use them up for the gen set and fuel tank buildings. Reusing the sliding door hardware too from a door off the old wood shed...just get this put by used up...

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As of yesterday, only one piece short and Rick has a line on one piece maybe stored on one of the truck beds...so pretty kewl we have enough kicking round we did not have to buy any new stuff.

On to the construction of the second pond...pond for water garden in New Orchard...kewl, kewl, ever so kewl!

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Culvert bolted together and ready to go in.

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Had to widen the hole a bit to fit the culver inside hole.

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Fabric cloth inside.

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Bucket of sand later and Rick hosed the sand down to level it ...

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Tip stock tank INside culvert...

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Full inspection by girls...

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Add water and voila...

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Second pond is in and filled!

Lacy learning from Emmy...hook the hose out and play chase the spray, eh!​

Girls figure this is the big dog bowl of their dreams...my nightmare one zigs when they shoulda zagged, but hey, every year, someone takes a plunge in the pond now pondS.

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We shall see how far the landscaping around pond goes, but for now, top sides by culvert up with leftover gravel. Want a limerock perimeter and debate goes on each day over buy expensive round fabricated rock blocks OR do octagon in landscape ties. I personally don't care one over the other...see what Rick ends up doing.

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Fur now, I am just tickled to see tub upside right and culvert in the ground!

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These materials were bought and paid for years ago...nice to see them in place!

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Some clicks of the girls on Sept 6...

Sweetness Lace-a-Lot​

Girls are nice a furry...too bad show is not till November...probably be blowing coat by then...sigh.​

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Emmy stretching...

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Such is the dog's life, eh!

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Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada

 

[CanuckBock]

Heel low:

Left to right -
Last set of twins lambed here, ewe Regina and wether Rex...
Then my second ever lambed out lamb ewe Nascor (set of triplets that I knew how to pull)...
Then my first ever lambed out lamb (set of twins) ewe Nix. ​

Enjoying some beautiful fall days here...

Loving that the frost is coming and making it guilt free to harvest the taters...after a few weeks IN the ground that is.

Girl dogs playing floppy...Jacobs grazing last of the green green grass in the pastures
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Lots of GREEN tomatoes in the greenhouse...always the case...just when things start really producing! Har har!​

"Hey girls...leave some water in that 450 gallon stock tank, eh!"
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Emmy perching on the pile of limerock...Queen of the Hill​

Oats are looking fine...something to be said about using that Oh Natural fertilizer... bird poo

Three Kings at the graveyard are changing leaf colours thanks to the frost ​

Should be able to arrange pick up of our bales of alfalfa...the one good frost is a positive thing...makes the alfalfa less bloat prone...well OK...sheep have way less tendency to bloat on legumes than cows do. Call the producer on Thursday to see how the harvest went.

Jest heard from Rick...the mega BQ is in! Yah...only like over a week late but whatever...go get it this weekend...oh my oh my...and what to cook on it first...see what Rick decides.

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada

 

[drumstick diva]

I can't make out the picture -where the girls are playing "floppy." What is "floppy?"

 

[CanuckBock]

I can't make out the picture -where the girls are playing "floppy." What is "floppy?"

Air brake diaphragm...used like a Frisbee...withstands aggressive biting and tugging of ACDs. Not indestructible though...see the nibby marks on these ones...life support systems for jaws.

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Here is the image you could not see...far far away...

Sep 13 2016​

Let it be known...the sharing of the floppy ONLY happens when Lacy gets the tossed floppy...Emmy figures what is Lacy's is hers...and what is hers is, uh...only HERS!

May 4 2016 - Soggy doggies playing floppy



Oct 13, 2015​

Yes, very cute to see ACD's...joined at the jaws. All things in the world are good, when ACD's are joined at jaws...means the jaws are busy.

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada

 

[CanuckBock]

Heel low:

Frost this morn on the grass.

Looking forward to completely flattened tater plants--tis time...tis the season!!​

Got a great big pot of chicken soup stock on the boil...must be Monday, eh.

Little wonder nobody wants my part time job...LOL

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Sicker than a dog today...

Emmy helping me ready for hay bales to arrive - Sep 16​

OK, maybe not SICK in the same sense like this dog IS but you all know the saying.

Said to Rick, don't recall being ill one day this entire summer but maybe that is untrue...summer days have that affect on one...they are all good...oh well. Got today off and glad for it though it does make you wonder...does the pay for being part time really cover they manage to give you a day off without pay to be ill from driving the petri dish on wheels? Oh well, suck it up Buttercup! World keeps on turning and ain't nobody doing My work for me...illness or not, get on it!

May 2009​

Looked back at when we put in the replacement for the fish pond and found these pics...

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We had the 150 year flood happen which washed out around the rock around the stock tank...so Rick figured, what the hay...gotta dig around, so let's dig it out completely and buy two rings of metal culvert...he replaced the green tub for a blue one and I put brick around the edge of the metal culvert to make sure there was no chance the sides of the tub would get rocks washed in beside it.

May 2009​

That's how we ended up with TWO stock tanks and TWO culverts...so ever happy to have the green tub in the ground now...don't figure Emmy misses jumping up on the upturned bottom of it because it is sum good dog drinking bowl...silly dogs.

Busy weekend don't even begin to explain this past one.

Friday evening...before her big weekend excursions...trailer hooked up for the Saturday run and rig moved to be ready for the beginning of the weekend! ​

Not sure where the time went but sure got things to show for it. The Boo one ton got her workout this weekend...but no worries, on Sunday morn whilst Rick waited on me to get chores done, that Boo truck got her oil changed and a new solenoid installed. She's been run and pampered and had her turn at loser laps. Big loser laps...for the one ton this weekend.

Five rounds on the big long trailer​

Got our six round bales of 19% protein (creep feed for spring lambs and feed for lactation and pre-birthing ewes) alfalfa hay...man alive she is GREEN! Take a drive and see all these BLACK bales in the fields...yucko! NOT feeding that crappola to my beasties!

Sep 17 2016 - Green green grass on the ready to go to our HOME!!!​

One more bale put on the bed of the one ton truck and we got SIX bales! Expensive bales too (only five bucks cheaper per bale than last year but higher protein). Sheep won't like how this feed will not fill them up with bulk...so reserved for high nutritional demands...when babes are jostling for room in the Mom's belly and excellent for starter to get the lamb's ruminants on the go and them on the major grow up and be BIG sheeps.

These are a major good score (fella has maybe ten bales left unspoken for...). Cut, baled last week and picked up by us within a day of being baled. So we grabbed them, got them home. Everything just seemed to fall into place because we worked our buns off getting ready for the bales to arrive, worked to get them home, got them home and totally protected AND on Sunday...came home to rain...yeh...this has been one year not to sleep on your laurels or the weather will get you...ruin things for you if you are not on it.

So in prep...for the bales...

Evening of Sep 16, Friday after work​

Rick and tractor (which BTW, is fully paid for this month! WOOT WOOT! Hard to believe five years zipped by like that but she is free and clear now!) went down and moved the three bales from last year's purchase (got four total...one is down by the old Jacobs and llamas and doe for them to be eating on in the other Pasture).

My three dawg helpers​

The dogs and I worked at cleaning up the shed hay that got under the pallets over the past year between bale gettin'. Leaves and such need raking up, tip up pallets, check on their state, replace as needed. Tidy it up now before more bales arrive to compound the area.

"You better be able to toss the floppy or...or we make you quit completely, eh!"​

Course you know each time I needed to sit (did not know how sick I as going to get...but was tiring out pretty quick and figured since the kids on the bus were randomly dropping like flies--first a brother, then a sister, then two more and on it went last week--jest KNEW my turn would be soon enough!

)...every time I sat to catch my breath...dogs figured "Ah ha! She needs to do something with those idle hands of hers uselessly hung at her sides...throw FLOPPY for dogs!" Sometimes I ponder that the dogs are really truly checking up on me...my stability and all could be in question...if I can still pick up a toy and toss it, not quitting time...just resting time!" Dang dogs!

Ready as we can be for new bale arrivals...​

Food...glorious food...human type...

Sep 15​

Rotissiered a chook on the BQ...

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New potatoes roasted...

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Dinner was good...too much food so we had leftovers...left over chicken...no extra roasted taters...too good not to gobble all those up (but dogs got some in their din dins)!

Friday took leftovers from Thursday and...

Chicken white meat, celery heart, onion, frozen peas, cream and can of cream of mushroom soup ​

Made chicken a la king

Sauteed onions, celery, added in peas, chicken chunks...then the cream and soup
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No left over roasted new potatoes from the night prior, so cut up more and boiled them...gonna need to go harvest some more...no more in the house at the moment...dastardly...we are sure enjoying them!

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Put boiled potatoes on plate (could have just as easily had rice or noodles too...some like it on bread) and scooped on the chicken a la king.

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Easy gut filling hot meal. Could have put nibblets corn in instead of frozen peas, red or green bell peppers...lots of variations you can do up. Tasted good.

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Saturday morning...start of a busy weekend.

Rick unloading 1 of 6 new bales ​

So Rick took this first bale off the trailer...and I sure smiled...the ram Boss Man was beside himself...

First bale to be dropped off temporarily​

"All this FUR MOI?" hee hee...he figured because Rick dropped the first bale out of the way beside HIS corral and fenced up area, this whole bale of alfalfa was his and his alone...har har..."You are all ready pretty plump my dear fella...no need to get you more rolly polly until maybe, perhaps AFTER you are used for your virtues...might get you too fat to breed the ewes, eh...har har?!"

So Rick moves the three bales near where I can feed the girls. Some are up and down and that allows me to open them up and have all the sides fall open...on its side, stays dry if the tarps are eaten with holes by mice, but up and down makes feeding them for me easier. The ewes won't need the higher protein, less filling hay until later, if it gets colder (much colder) and when some are due to lamb and fighting with lambs in the belly versus room for food. I am hoping some of the new bales are left for much later on too...see how many we go thru and that always depends on winter conditions and how long it is cold before the green grass starts up again, usually in May or so.

Three older bales placed​

Rick brought me some more pallets...changed out the bale spikes for pallet forks and saved me wrestling and wrangling heavy wooden pallets. Tractors make work less but still got WOmanly efforts to contribute to the whole affair.

All bales now stacked on pallets ​

With Rick's help, took the long hay tarp that I had cleared of debris and folded in half on Friday, and we pulled it up & over and I began to tucky tuck the tarp so it can shed moisture.

More done to this stack but I guess I forgot to keep on clicking...hee hee...repercussions to being physically ill...you forget yourself, eh!
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Some hay from the opened older bale is now put where I can feed the hair ewes, and I went about securing the tarp down, moved the two 16 foot combo panels in front and on the right side of the bale stack. Put in boards and tenplast sheets to protect the sides of the exposed bales. I'll be letting the hair sheep out and about to eat leaves (oh how they adore eating fallen leaves blown about) and clean up any hay I did not rake up. The exercise during winter too is good, so on nice days I can throw open the corral gates and let them run about...but not without protecting the easy to access bales! Sheepies doing the self-service not so much!

So there...bales home, one less thing to worry about like where we shall get good put up well alfalfa for the preggers and future lambers. Whoo...relief!

Sep 15, 2016 - hair ewes nibbling down the grasses in the bird yard
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There is no more real grazing to be done by any of the flocks here...no more need for "clean up, aisle nine" on the grass...now to let it grow out before freeze up halts it.

Lacy looking in on the sheep in the bird yard​

Dogs are gonna miss seeing the sheeps in a variety of locations. "Surprise! Here they are!"

Sep 14, 2015 - Fur ball Emmy​

Realization that winter is approaching is in full realization...which is fine...need a rest from this kind of work, eh. Been an overall pretty good year and looking forward to a change of the regiment of work. Never less work, just different kinds to keep one amused!

Sep 14, 2016
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With Rick's diligence, the red flower in the fish pond continues to delight us with the longest water plant floral display we have had yet.

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On Sunday morn while I did chores up, Rick did the oil change and tinkering on the one ton, plus even he managed to put the metal on the two buildings for the gen set and fuel tank. There's still lots to go but he did say he wanted to see the roof metal up and on (dangerous to leave metal about with them silly dogs about inspecting everything and everywhere).


So Rick called AGAIN to ask where the BQ we ordered that was to take six weeks to arrive was...and sure enough, if'n he had not called, we'd still be in the dark like mushrooms. Not one week late but two weeks but hey...we never seem to expect much for service nowadays...and oft times, if they don't have the item you want RIGHT THERE...one risks getting their hopes dashed if you figure they will ever get time of arrival figured out...no matter. We knew it was a given it would take longer...so it goes.

LOL...even when we arrived at the BQ store, the salesperson we were to deal with said, "BQ? Not sure it is here for you..." And yeh, it was but so much for sales and service out of the people hired to supposedly DO that. Glad Rick did the chase and tackle to know it was there...because it was a superb weekend to go for another jaunt in the one ton in.

Thar that BQ is...loaded up on the one ton in the parking lot...headed to the ranch and the Man Porch!!​

Beauty of a fallish like day. Ever so nice to go for a burn in the boo truck, suck in the pretty leaves changing.

Sep 18 2016 - View of the foothills to the Rocky Mountains​

We made a day of it...long day but A-OK because right now, the BQ is in the box under a canopy awaiting Rick to take the box off with the tractor and haul it to the entrance to the Man Porch. I have two steaks bought on the weekend in reserve, corn and will hafta dig some more new potatoes BUT the barbeque is here and we can soon use it.

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Also bought to top up the Alder and Cherry smoking chips...Maple, Apple, Hickory and Rick wanted to try out Mesquite. This unit has a smoker tube and will be a whole new learning curve for Rick and I. Taste sensations we await to experiment with. Course y'all know I'll be posting commentary and clicks on the new BQ in use...and the feasting, eh. Speaking of which....

If'n what the media keeps inundating us with were actually TRUE...that economic times are still on the downwards spiral...answer this for me....

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So there is all this doom and gloom abouts about people not having jobs and running out of money--food banks feeling the pressure and lots of people that need handouts & help... I guess it may be bad for people but when I see things like this going to waste...not sure how bad it is when windfallen apples are left to rot on the sidewalks in the city of Calgary. Rick and I are obviously doing quite well and fine...working our butts off but as usual for us...we are doing what we have always been doing and will continue to do as we are able.

If the times are really tough, why do we still see resources being wasted? Take a bit of energy, some know how and some work...but apple sauce is a great staple, is it not? I know people still eat the stuff because I am literally AMAZED at the tiny amount and high cost of the landfilling packaging types you see in the grocery for the fancy smancy prepackaged tiny plastic lunch servings you see on the shelves! When I was a kid and my family could not afford milk...I remember we made fun of it...and called the powdered milk my parents COULD afford "KITTY CAT MILK!" (happy to put that in our puffed rice or puffed wheat cereal) so we could feel better about not being able to afford REAL milk in cartons. Wearing our Sally Ann clothes, lucky to have a roof over our head, clothes on our backs, shoes on our feet, and being a family unit in tough times. We made the best we were able, we made it real, we respected we were poor but made due and tried to make it OK. We understood we were all trying to make the best of it. I realize living thru that has made me weird and different compared to what is deemed "normal" given what the younger generations are currently doing about the current "tough" times.

I figure too many still expect things handed to them on a platter, that hard work and effort is not part of the solution on making ends meet and getting ahead and looking after yourselves! Being accountable and working at making ends meet. Probably a bad attitude on my part but it is hard to reason that people are truly credible about being in dire need when I see perfectly GOOD FOOD being wasted like above.

Has not stopped the line ups for the latest and greatest in new phones...sold out for months before they have even hit the stores...whatever...I don't even own a cel phone so I guess MY priorities are all skewed, eh. Just shake my head...truly mind boggling...

Anyhoo...enough pondering what is and why it is that way...off I go again...whee hee hee...

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada

 

[scottcaddy]

That must be a big BBQ, it takes up a fair bit of room on the load deck.
Nice looking hay in those round bales.
I think that you guys will like the Mesquite, we use it alot.
Scott

 

[CanuckBock]

Happy happy first full day of fall! Fall down go boom we are busy, eh!

The three kings decked out in yeller garb!​

Quote:
Originally Posted by scottcaddy

That must be a big BBQ, it takes up a fair bit of room on the load deck.
Nice looking hay in those round bales.
I think that you guys will like the Mesquite, we use it alot.
Scott

Thanks for the reassurance that Mesquite will be good. Yes, love the hay bales we aced...happy happy, joy joy thar!


Yes on the BBQ, she's the biggest one this company makes...fifty 4" hamburgers cooking capacity...125,000 BTU's. I figure it suits the MAN PORCH to a "t!"

Yeh...like us driving around in the two Suburbans...two adults and two ACDogs...yeh, we have room for nine people and luggage...just us and our "imaginary" friends!

Occasionally I like to lean back and ask how the many friends we have are doing as we do another big wide loser lap...yeh.

So last night, fired up the new BQ!​

Not gonna run outta room on the new one...two BQ's in one is what it is like...the infra red bottom burners, two of them, have their own compartment...an area to themselves...

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New potatoes and corn on the one side. Steaks on the other...

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I suppose it is because when I cook steaks...I wanted the bottom burner infra red like our original one has. The burner we burnt out! LOL I think I even overcooked my steak...having way too much fun enjoying the BQ...woot!

Last evening, I planted 17 spruce trees up on the edge of our property.

Spruce trees, great time to plant them before winter hits ​

Want a wall of trees and the poplar has volunteered itself giving great coverage. Now back in 1999, I did plant spruce as a shelterbelt in the same location, but without the poplar to bring up moisture and protect from the drying winds in this spot...nada trees made it.

Two trees that are the reason for some volunteer spruce seedlings​

I do see some spruce has seeded itself from the two large ones on the corner...nice.

Two pails like this...would have buried thse under the gravel Rick hauled home​

So got the other half to plant seedlings in...Rick and I are not going to see these trees huge, but hey, plant a tree for future generations...what the hey!

Second of two boxes of gravel​

Rick hauled home two boxes of gravel...talked about needing to do it and then zip...done. Kewl!

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The pad is now leveling and we shall see how far along we get with this next parking building. Love fall time...right kind of temperatures to do work in.

Lacy - sep 21

My tomatoes in the greenhouse are now inside, green and harvested.

Red Whippersnapper, Snow White Cherry, Grey's Sweet cherry tomatoes​

Happy totally, not really! I tried and the weather this year did not cooperate...that is how it goes, you try enough things and you win at some and not at others.

Glacier (red) top and Black plum below​

They are now in the garage to ripen to the colours they have the potential to be...black, yellow, pink, orange, white, zebra striped, and red. I did learn what the leaves look like and hope some colour up over the next while so I can also learn what colour potentials they have. In the greenhouse, at least I got fruit and plants...won't do that here outside.

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Now when I planted cukes outside, I got some green plants and a few flowers...this round, I did get some to fruit...and one okra that deserves a soup to be in....hee hee...

The plants in the greenhouse were NOT the hit they could have been without the heat we never got...but no matter...cannot control the weather so you risk it and see what goes well, what does not. For Rick and I, was a summer we like, not hot...but without heat, you don't get some of the plants to produce. A mixed bag.

Lacy posed with Emmy for mere seconds​

Oats are a huge success...

Emmy agrees...WOW these are tall for oats!​

Harvesting clumps as treats for the sheep--later on the geese gaggles too!

Them potatoes are blowing our minds--the bounty indeedy!

Red Fingerlings and Yukon Gold - nine plants to fill that five tallon pail​

I am also keeping back three or so seed potatoes off each plant for next year. Hoping this year was just the start of how well they will continue to do for us.

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We used no fertilizers that were not natural as in composted bedding...and the earthworms that have thrived...

Healthy dirt, eh!​

Man alive, if worms set me off, what horrors I'd have felt!

Girls being COW dogs...

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Girl dogs expected me to share...share and share alike!

You'd figure I was holding the most desirable item in the world...two tiny taters for dogs!!!

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Gotta be careful...the girls don't harvest the taters on their own...dig like badgers I bet, so best to do this on the sly...so they do not clue in that these plants are THESE treats...

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They are ever so cute...walking the perimeter of the oat plantings.

We'll be out there again today...half the area we want spruce seedlings in got done yesterday, hope to finish it up today.

Harvested a turkey yesterday...big day planned for Canadian T-Day on October 9th, so best put one by now before I see the day is here and I never did do that.

Deal this holiday is we bring the bird to son's place, cooked while I do chores at home, take the cooked and stuffed bird to his place, warm back up and make gravy...he does the veg and potatoes...should be good! I may have to harvest another turkey as Rick is already whining we might not get to bring the leftovers back home...har har...might do TWO birds in oven and leave one for home...leftover turkey IS the whole point of cooking a turkey...right?

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Several frosty days (nights) have murdered the potatoes in both patches...this is the smaller one above...nine plants done and yeh, more and more to go. Good year for taters!

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Drained the water container for the plants out in the pasture, never used it but if we had had heat...less rain, would have!

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Dogs playing...

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As the run runs progress...

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One knows the tiredness levels by length of tongues hanging out

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Keep the oat straw topped up for nestling in...

BTU staying warm in his barn​

The Jacobs in their half of the barn​

Off I go again...later, eh.

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada

 

[drumstick diva]

Pretty soon girls will have to brush up on their "show' manners. I'm getting excited already.