Tara, just catching up on your thread. So glad everything went well with your surgery and you are on the mend. Hope you and everyone else had a great Thanksgiving...I still feel stuffed. I love egg drop soup, but have never made it. I think I'm going to give your recipe a try. The snow pictures are beautiful...we get very little snow here in eastern NC.
Jest Another Day in Pear-A-Dice - Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm in Alberta
- Thread starter CanuckBock
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Tara at least your Christmas is at the same time as ours. I really love turkey. My mom used to make it for Xmas also. Maybe the other folks were getting tired of it but not me. I would be eating cold leftovers all during the week - loved them.!!
So happy to hear that you are home and doing well! Sorry I am late. Been having computer problems, it keeps crashing.
Get an air duster and blow out the dust. Make sure that the heat sink over the cpu fan is clear and all of the air vents. Also, make sure the fans are spinning.
Laptops have vents that need to be cleaned out too.
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- #365
There are times where she does not want to pack a toy around in the hopes I toss it. I figure this just means she's a pretty smart creature...not driven to distraction by her prey drive ruling her every thought. Them Cow Dawgs have a nice functioning "on" or "off" switch which some herding dog breeds don't. I have heard some dogs so over the top, they try to work their own shadows! NOT my kinda canine.
And although it was not really that chilly yet...I don't encourage Fixins to play when it does get colder. Might freeze her lungs and then for sure she would not be OK.
We use to play alot of dog sports on the kitchen floor when it got past -20C outside--squeaky snow always makes me go check out the mercury to see jest how cold it is. No real long dog dog run runs at twenty below and lower I almost bought a tread mill the year we had a low of -53C/-63.4F. Yikes that was frigid and we had a house fulla rambunctious dogs...all youngsters that were just living to burn up their energy.
Thanks for the good wishes on me health...an ultra sound on Friday and then covered all the bases I suppose...
I love the snow...
Given we all have some form of winter...winter with snow ROCKS! When the sun comes out and the skies are blue...no place on Earth is finer.
I hated overcast and raining...did not matter the temperature was warmer on the WEsT Coast...it was just depressing and chilling. Dress right and there is no finer winter to experience than here...jest my opinion of course! LOL
Goose Pear-a-Dices & Swan's Eden
Here, it has to warm up to snow...so when they forecast "snow," I know the critters will be getting a temperature reprieve from the extreme coldness. Was -31C/-24F and -29C/-20F the past two nights. Not the worst it can be but something to take serious.
Front Driveway...how beautiful, eh!
Now granted, I would not be doing the happy chicken dance if we got too much snow...everything in moderation...
This was last winter and well...uh...it was just way too much snow even for the likes of moi...too much of the good stuff.
Snow covers up the plants and shields them from the temperature extremes--too much warm and the plants wake up (called a Chinook) and get kilt the next time the mercury plunges (not good). So there needs to be snow, there needs to be cold (to kill any nasty nasties...parasites have to be tough to make it thru our winters...winter kill for sure!); just never an excess of any of it seems to make all of the seasons quite lovely.
Duece Coop and Coop fur Sure
I am liking this winter...not too much snow, not too many days yet of it being too cold...a moderate winter.
Taj Mahal
And still the nice bit of white to cover it all up and make it look pretty--post card pretty...and enough snow to make it feel seasonal is good too. I do enjoy four seasons tho we do tend to have more winter and summer than spring or fall.
We have a few holidays that are different but what the hay...holiday is a holiday and it means a day off from work. A day off and a reason to have a delicious meal with company...that is always a fun event.
I adore turkey leftovers too...the bestest part of the turkey dinner is the next day's meal is easy peasy and YES....them turk-a-lurk sandwiches are marvelous!
We are having roast chicken tonight with stuffing...than heavens because all this turkey talk is kinda getting to me...saved by a chook! LOL
Chickadoodles...I think Ron is on the money here (thanks for the well wishes too)...
Ron is absolutely correct to suggest this...with so many of us that have animals that reside IN the human house...yeh...dust, fur, even dander! Blah...
Not just computers but the back side of refrigerators should be cleaned up too...vacuum up those killer DUST BUN BUNS!
We have a saying here even though the Cattle Dogs have a pretty wash & wear fur coat ..."Dog hair is a condiment!" Might gross some people right out but man alive...when the dogs would shed...we humans felt like we were their lint brushes. WE were hairy and such...but the dogs always looked GREAT!
Fixins will have her supper and go rush to Rick...to wipe her muzzle on his pants...yeh...wonderbar!
Tested the new camera today...the shots above were taken at various temperatures from -25C (-13F) to -18C (-0.4F)--which was our day time high today. Pentax (nfi) advertises camera is good to minus ten...well that for sure and lower too!
So I also stole a few moments to snap some pics of the Booted Bantams. They are on the grow out and won't really be classified too much longer as babies...not these ones at least!
I got the armful of chooks outside and then I lined them up on the rail according to shank and toe colour...
Dark, Light, half Dark/half Light, Light and Dark
The ones with shanks/toes that conform to the SOP's are the MDF's with dark feet (one on left) and the White's with light feet (2nd one on the left).
I wanted to make some dark skinned (shank/toes) White feathered Booted Bantams because both my dear old stringman & mentor for Booteds Mr. Gordon Ridler (talked about having the occasional White feathered sport pop outta his MDF's to prove they had all the right stuff) AND Dr. Clive Carefoot (rest their ever so wise souls) said that to have a bright top coat and brilliant chest feathers...one needed a single dose of recessive white in the mix. I needed White feathered Booteds with dark skin to add the one dose of rec white to the MDF's but keep the correct shank and toe colour. Kinda neat to see this project moving along!
I always have way too much fun taking photos of the birds!
This time during the photo shoot...
There was head tossing...I laughed and laughed..."Swing those hackles to and fro....whee hee hee..."
Not sure why but whatever...head tossing is good...better than when most all of the group starts looking everywhere but front and center!
"Hello???"
They were kinda fidgety but finally settled in nicely and humoured me decently enough.
So humoured...they did what they always do...I put them to sleep as usual too!
So scooped them back up and returned them to the Duece Coop...lil' cutesters.
Booted Bantams are awesome, awesome egg layers...but not meat birds period...too scrawny for even a decent soup broth...lucky Booted Bantams, eh? Never to be thought of as chicken dinners! Speaking of which...I got me a chook to go stuff & roast up...num!
Doggone & Chicken UP!
Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada
All that snow wigs me out.....and u usually mention me about mid way thru ur long winded posts...i guess to make sure im awake and reading it all
- Thread starter
- #368
So I get to unwittenly scare you with pics of the snow...and once you are wide awake trembling in fright...I can be reassured you will have to read every single word I write because I might mention you in one of the posts. Bwa ha ha...I don't need to make up a test...you are already living through one--every post I make here!
Bama...we need to get you on board on the positives to enjoying snow! The wintery season is full of joys you have yet to discover my Man. All you gotta do is think of how one approaches winter's snows...a little preparation and BINGO (not chicken)...you can have fun if you are ever exposed to snows too.
If you dress right, snow is awesomely full of FUN.
You don't have to dress UGLY like I do in Fudd hats (yes, yes, the plaid one has twinkle lights on the antlers too!), insulated "tough duck" coveralls, huge long, wool lined leather mitts, and Fireman boots...but then again, I don't figure anyone has to stay out as long as I do all at once...doing the number of chores that I do each day.
Stylish clothing options are numerous and heavens there are enough wonderful new products (thanks to oilfield workers, especially seismic crews) out there past just the old stand-bys of down feathers, fur, and wool (Rick when he worked up in Tuktoyaktuk as a young man, he had hardly any real choices past buying a feather down parka with a fur ruff of coyote--yote fur don't freeze up with human breath on it). But nowadays, holey moley...there are a ton of fashionable clothing options...skidooers and skiing, other recreational activities outside all command some pretty kewl gear.
Once you dress for success with the cold Bama...well let loose on the fun! You are missing out on a whole other aspect of living my dear man! A world with snow and all the fun that entails.
I figure dog sledding would be perfectly enjoyable for you...all those waggy tails and happy cavorting dogs dragging you about to wherever your heart desires! Proper sled dogs though...ones like Huskies and Malamutes that are always just raring to go, ones that live only to RUN....run like the winds!
Now back in 2000...we had only the two dogs...so hardly a real team of sled dawgs... I braided up the gear, bought a sled in July (got a great deal at a pet store...convinced them they did NOT want to store the sled any longer seeing how long winter was away from happening...did I ever get the drive by l00ks from people...in July with a dog sled strapped to my vehicle's roof...dogs inside looking completely expectant we were off to find some SNOW--some place there had to be snows!).
Even convinced my kid to give it a go...
But back then...my dog crew was hardly very professional about their work ethics...there is Makins (Fixins' Mom) as lead dog, tail straight out concentrating on her chosen task...facing backwards doing the diggy diggy for cooties...Stoggars is doing the rolly poly trying to dump her harness--some of the dogs jest don't like to wear clothes and she was one of those!
We had up to five dogs at one time but found them Cow Dogs a tad barn sour...not so keen to go away from the house (spoilt?), but always happy to run like their butts were on fire BACK heading towards home!
The key to enjoying snow and winter is to be ready for it...outfitted so it is NOT cold. Then look out...game on.
Dogs love playing outside in winter snows...it is hard not to get wrapped up in their excitement in the game...
I get nagged constantly that chores are chores but dog time is DOG TIME! Best I never forget that!
STOP filling water pails...toss the toy!
Now along the way when I do have to do chores and the dogs are in tow...strategically placed dog houses full of oat straw are a must...fer avoidance of COLD toes. Horrific thing; the cold toes!
Room for Two...two dog night?
I am in major trouble when four legs start hopping around holding up a paw or two. That is no way to treat man's best friend! So best to be prepared with cold weather stations or leave them comfy where they are warm and can wait patiently without bodily harm. Winter has to be prepared for and thought about...but once you got the gist of how to tackle it...well golly...Miss Molly...she's fun.
A bonus of winter is it is a change...change can be as good as a rest they say. First time acreage owners, a word of advice...one looks forward to winter. Often get a confused response but once a family has enjoyed a summer on their piece of dirt...well winter sounds delish...not less work perhaps, but different work. A break from all the troubles one can get into in warmer weather. Construction MUST STOP...oh darn it all, eh?? Just have to start it all up again...in spring!
I love winter with no bugs to stack wood in...you can break into a bit of a sweat doing (WO)manual labour BUT never like how sweaty and tired just surviving the heat can make you feel. Cold weather is great for doing chores in that are labour intensive...work projects are so much more productive with just a touch of coolness added to the equation!
Ever dive or fall head long into a powdery drift of snow...come out of it like a kid at the candy store giggling & laughing at the cushy cushiness of it? You have not lived until you have embraced some cold climate living and explored it fully.
I would however not do like Rick did as a kid. Him and two other friends were watching a snow plow go by and thought to themselves..."Hey, that looks kewl...getting buried by snow!" So them little buggers (no idea how Rick's Mom survived him but suspect what she never knew, could hardly kill her outright!) hid along the snow covered ditch waiting for the next snow plow to go by. BAD idea...Rick says in their young minds...they thought of the snow as all light and poofy...well he says they were pretty badly bruised up and learned a good lesson...the plow went by and all he heard from himself and his two (moronic for doing it too) friends was lots of grunts and groans as they got pelted by huge, heavy, hard chunks of snow and ICE! Says they never did THAT again! DUH...it is a shear wonder Rick lived past childhood...in the summer time, playing with bows and arrows and every once in a while, one of them would get bored and yell as they shot an arrow straight up in the air..."Look out!" Rick says one of his buds ran in the wrong direction and got an arrow stuck right on his back between his shoulder blades...like I said, how he ever survived is beyond me...and the fact that he admits to what they did...even more insane!
The thing about winter is to get your game on about it and enjoy all it has to offer. Get past the feeling of cold by dressing for it and consider it an adventure. Now if I did not have the outer wear and I did not eat lovely amounts of good foods so I could keep the internal fires burning ...sure enough, if I was a twig in a t-shirt shivering, I too would HATE winter. My sister has like two percent body fat...she'd quiver and shake here...she'd hate the garments and the get ups but then again...she don't live here, now does she? LMBO
About the worst of it dressing for winter is not planning your day...worst ever is to have that extra cup of java...be dressed for outside and have to go to the lil girl's room...AGH! Get all weepy eyed like the kid wresting to get out of the snow suit... But not for long...heh heh heh...one of the benefits of being oldster...one day, some day, maybe sooner than later...I can be fully geared up and laugh at disrobing if Nature calls...flip Nature the bird...Gangsta to the MAX!!!!
I will some glorious day get me outfitted in Depends (nfi)--> Bwa ha ha..."Take that...pee in MY pants and love it..." Heh heh heh
Winter sucks when you choose to avoid all it has to offer one. Winter here in Alberta can seem like it is TEN months long...that is a whole lot of the year to be house bound and complaining about it...sneaking out quickly and avoiding being exposed to it. Embracing all its features, say like people in Sweden do...well holy cow...it is a really fun time. Skating, skiing (down hill, cross country), snowboarding, snowmobiling, sledding, hooking the horse team up to the sleigh, going for a hay ride with the relatives all piled on, having a sauna and diving into a snow bank, playing hockey, tubing down an icy slope with friends, for the younger crowd building snow people, snow angels, snow forts...having a snowball fight; just add snow and watch the fun come out & frolic in it. Things like ice fishing (some of the ice fishing huts are hilarious...very quaint and perfectly outfitted--like portable man caves only add the fun of fishing to the mix, too...makes it AWESOME!) and topping up the wild bird feeders regular like so the birds that stay in the area have a good chance at making it thru the season in good health! Bird watching in winter when the snows cover up the ground...amazing how much life can be observed in close proximity to a food supply you keep going. My SIL just sent me some amazing photos she took of Blue Jays, Chickadees, and even a Snowy Owl flying along with some Snow Buntings...wild birds we have no hope of EVER seeing suddenly come out when snow covers things up and the leaves are gone and can't hide them from our views.
THE best use I ever had for snow was when we were renting a place near here...trying to see if we liked the area enough to buy and settle in the area. Place had a chain link fenced in moderate sized garden. After growing some veg on it...winter blew in and it got covered in snow. Makins and I were complete newbies to the show dog scene. I wanted to try our hands at conformation and obedience trials. So I got out me trusty snow shovel and there was tons of deep snow on the frozen garden plot. Dug the rubber mat pattern of the show ring in the snow. There was no option but for the two of us, Makins and I, but to travel down where the mats would be at at the dog show. And we practised and practised the layout until we could run it blind folded. We practised the stack for examine and Makins would stand like a statue anywhere I asked her...under immense distractions...that little blue girl would just stand stacked.
Here she is at the ranch in front of what later became the Pheasants' Cabin...posing with some of my silly antiques and a rubber rat. Many have said she looks like a stuffed dog here...bwa ha ha...my lil' boo girl--steady and steadfast anchored still!
There are traditional things like pouring just boiled down maple syrup onto fresh snow <<never eat yeller snow Bama!
Sorry if you have never enjoyed snow...you really are missing out on a great pleasure in life.
And in the extremely cold weather, well that just gives one an excuse to get the chores done quickly...to put another log on the fire, snuggle up, eat stew you make, soups, roasts, chili--all sorts of comfort foods. Indulge and have that extra slice of pie with whipped cream (no worries, your body is gonna burn off those calories!).
I would be utterly depressed to see a winter without the blazing white bright snows! A different type of season with different types of chores...but what a reward when all your winter work results in seeing your creatures breeze thru cold weather...an excuse to feed the chooks more chicken candy corns. The birds look cheerful and happy to see you come by...a bonus for the greens I will be giving them later today...to celebrate that they made it thru another bout of cold with flying colours on. Fuzzy wuzzy fluffed up animals...winter coats of fur and feathers...cashmere coats on the hairy goats...yeh...love it. Revel in the seasons and winter is wonderful!
Glad to oblige you...posted these on a fire wood thread...but here are some from today. Was overcast this morn so no where near as pretty as yesterday...but clearing up now outside...getting bright, blue and sunny.
Filled up another cart full of birch splits...gonna warm up and snow, so I decided it would make the best sense to just bring a new cart full of wood instead of taking from the two wood boxes in the Man Porch.
Vanna White aka Fixins in front of the firewood splits in the Man Porch
Doggone & Chicken UP!
Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada
U make a strong case....but i will pass....its 74 degrees f here. Our windows are open. Getting kabobs ready for the grill....
I like your thinking diva.. I can handle a little failure.
Hey Tara, hope you are feeling better. I had to go back and read for a spell. My computer was on the fritz for weeks and I still am catching up. Loving your pics. So different from my dry brown scenes in Louisiana. We won't get much if any snow and it's nice to see it. Don't want to actually BE there. I'm spoiled to the temps.
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