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

[Potoooooooo]

@CanuckBock
Quite a lot of information to suck up, but thank you! I think I'll stick with breeding the darker-skinned varieties anyways. It seems wrong to incorporate the trait into an Orpington. And my oh my are you very educated. I can't thank you enough ahhh.

 

[CanuckBock]

Heel low:

Hmmm...let's see...

Got all the shopping completed for Christmas...only got the stuff for the dinner to get and you can't do that too much ahead of time. Rick took me last weekend and I bought all of $45 per stocking times two for us and done deal. That was simple...and just as we want it...lovenly predictable and simple in a joyous kinda manner.

Gonna sew up a holiday dress, see if I can get on it...it will be green and black so can be for showing the dogs too (only times I get washed up, eh...holiday invites and doggy shows!). I am quite excited to get going on this fun, rewarding project...

Nov 12​

Cooking up lotsa veggie Chinese dinners...

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I cooked up a steak and then roasted some chicken over the last two dinners. Avoiding a home based disaster so to speak!

Nov 20​

Now Rick, he enjoys the soups...hot and hydrating...something to warm you up before dinner time...

Nov 21 ​

But I think poor Rick might be going into veggy overload...no more rice, how about some of those homegrown taters? Which BTW are keeping absolutely swell in the garage where his fish and the water plants are overwintering...that extra humidity, eh.

Just like chicken teeth, it would often be safe to say that it would be a rather RARE vision to see a man just like Rick running down the street with a coveted romaine lettuce tucked under his arm because he thought maybe, perhaps, he was getting low on his greens intake...LOL Like alot of cared for men, he knows I am trying my best to keep him alive...against his will and better judgment we may add.

Send him to work with one of HIS favourite sandwiches (peanut butter and bacon...yeh...really) and while he likes them, he gets puzzled over what he might have done to PO me off and why I am shortening his life expectancy...hee hee har har...on purpose!

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The second deck for the dogs is working out well...Rick's burned it like the other one but don't think I've clicked a pic of it yet?

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If you recall, Lacy ate the first rug we put under her pen back in August of 2015 but I salvaged a portion of it to fit both decks which lessens the crates moving and insulates the bottoms a bit.


Snow came earlier, left and it's kinda back again. Think of it as moisture and good to see it. I like snow, love it and winter would not be such a joyful season if we never had any!

Nov 17​

Been a really truly mild fall time--had spring over and over again...that means horrid slippy ice, ice fog, rain on ice...yeh, less than easy driving conditions to say the least...spring, again and again and again...even some mud. I had visions of huge snows, deep cold, but she's just not happening. I like spring and fall a bit, only because both those seasons mean summer or winter is on its way...having spring like conditions knowing full well we have not had winter yet, makes is maddening! Why prolong the wait, let's get winter going on and staying around...then when it's spring that means only one thing...soon to be summer and a whole other kinda busy gets going!

Past the wimpy whining about spring reappearing over and over...I'll take it I guess because it just means the creatures don't have to hunker down and survive.

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Pineapple plant is growing...too well and should repot it...har har...some of the fronds are making attempts at poking me in the eye when I do dishes...new spot, new pot...add that to the long ongoing TO DO lists!

Getting ready to deworm the ewes (did the three dog's second deworm pill coupla days back...so they are good for the fall and winter now)...deworm the ram and hilariously, my canniving mind has lead me to think...instead of putting a raddle harness (yes, yes, I do got two of them and different coloured markers even) on Boss Man...gonna be creative. So these are hair sheeps...we don't give a fig about their fiber or wool or hair...not shearing it off and keeping it...so...

Brilliant as a ten watt bulb, my mind goes along churning...get a jar of coconut oil (solid at room temperature, right!) and get some of that nasty kid's drink...koolaid (nfi)...well lauhdee dah...how old am I! I go stop by the local grocery and low and behold...no such thing there as drink crystals...nope, these plastic liquid containers of drink drops...good gack! No matter, waited till I went to the city and voila...they got the no name brand drink crystals, now not the concentrated form where you add like four cups of sugar (good luck that being healthy, eh!) and had to buy the sugar added kind. So I wanted to buy peach but they were outta that so bought lemonade (yellow and the first stain I will use on the ram's chest for marking his breeding the ewe attempts) and blue which is blueberry or some such thing like blue raspberry (blue raspberry, shoulda been red but whatever?). So thinking light yellowish and then bluish...you do know it will be GREEN on the ram's chest when I add the second coating. Gotta look but I think my old bear trap mind says 17 days between when ewes cycle...so hoping sometime in the next few weeks (when I add the two older ewes to the ram barn I may begin counting the days) I should see some butty backy marks on the two gals. Then change or add the next colour and see if he has to mark them again or they took. Then I add the young ewes, after the old girls go back and join Ditto (she's so tiny, the rutty girl for pet fun...not breeding her, too wee a tyke!) back at the ewe barn and then be patient about waiting on the buns in the oven to cook. Roughly about five months time (145 days, so if serviced today on Nov 25...lambs due on April 19) and should be lambing...I've been counting on fingees, that means end of December bred, so late May for two older girls, and the young ewes, then like maybe early June...about the time the grass truly shows up growing and all is good. Wait too much longer and then it'll be rainy season (if anything is to be had weather wise as normal...eh?) and that can give lambs scours something fierce...good grass, time for babes. June, more bugs about...flies and such...yeh...early but not too early or late...Goldilocks mayhem anyone?

I am also investigating a swine breed that pastures on grass for 95% of its nutrition. Always thought to have pigs, you needed something like a source of cheap dairy, that otherwise you fed with piggy pellets...but nope, 95% grass and other can be veg (cooked potatoes can be some...potatoes...well go figure we have those!) and not a huge breed where you are looking at several freezers...round about harvest at 200 or so pounds...and cute...did I mention cute and all a pig can be...??

http://americankunekunepigsociety.com/kkhistory:

Kunekunes...got the largest genetically diverse herd here in North America in Ontario now. Originate from New Zealand (historically kept by the Maori people) and well we all know how much we adore all our Australian critters...NZ is not that far a hop, skip, jump and splish--Kiwi's eh. So on that note, Rick took me to book store and I begin my piggy apprenticeship ...books coming in the mail on pigs. Likely if what we have done in the past is any hint at how we go about this...given two or more years to snoop about and learn about the beast...maybe small colourful pair of gilts for July...2018 or? Anyway bin busy poking around porkers and learning up...fencing here is perfection, have three barns that are up to the task to contain and house pigs properly (oh the virtues of puckboard)...even two places to farrow...and a grow out building for them too...who knew.

D'Arcy giving Emmy a dirty l00k..."You eating OUR grass? Cow dog??"​

Some of the girls out grazing...may be a demand for grazing, pressure by more creatures than just ruminants and the dawgs...

Nov 10 grazers​

Guess it is a huge shopping day for many. Laugh at that...don't need nothing so for me, tis a NO SHOP day...away at home enjoying my bounty here. I need to do things here, so got the day off and gonna sew, cut out the pattern and begin sewing. The fabric is extra special because I saw it years back...lady had a store locally and I went and without intensions of wanting some more dress fabric, kinda liked it. The lady said it matched my eyes but I looked at it and thought, "Oh my, it is ultra suede and that is always pricey and if I bought it, wanted the whole bolt so I could do something extra nice..." So I walked away on it...well she, the lady, got steadily ill, closed up the fabric shop, put all the items in storage. Long story short...she's now in a home...the dog show weekend, they scheduled this big sale of all her items to her benefit. All moneys go to her continued care...so Rick took me thar.

I popped in and wow, place was packed but I thought, if it's meant to be, it would still be there and yes it was...and grand news, right beside the green and black fabric was the matching plain green ultra suede! WOW...I would of bought the one bolt never knowing that the lady had also brought in a plain matching fabric. Well Joan, dear lady, today I take scissors to your fabric. I know the people that sew or do other crafting know what it means when you find that perfect fabric...and you think and hum and ha about what to do with it...the perfect project for that perfect fabric. The pattern has it all on fabric but I can do the cuffs and collar, bottom of the skirt part in green, rest in pattern...hoping it looks sharp.

Today, I hope to begin to do those two bolts some justice...a holiday dress...a dog showing outfit...two of my most fav reasons to clean up and put the dog on. LOL

It's pitch black out still, so will content myself with ironing out the pattern paper I cut out...gonna lengthen it, add long sleeves and the collar to the longer version of the dress pattern, see if I have a stash of black lace...if not, maybe when I go to visit son and his girlfriend tomorrow, stop and get some meters of that...little lace to soften and feminine it up. Ya'll hafta wait for some clicks on the fabric...but as Joan said, it matches me eyes...yer soul and it'll sure be fun to wear it...

Anyway...that be that what I'm up to thus far. To the Yank readers here...may you have lots of air freshener after your US holiday yesterday...eh...the dogs are always the worst offenders..."Is that...is it, can it be...recycled turkey perhaps?"

Doggone & Chicken UP!

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

 

[scottcaddy]

Thanks for the update Tara! I hope that you get your winter soon so you can get ready for the real spring.
Have fun with your bolts of fabric.
Scott

 

[CanuckBock]

Thanks for the update Tara! I hope that you get your winter soon so you can get ready for the real spring.
Have fun with your bolts of fabric.
Scott

Oh DD...you must EVER so see if'n you can see this program!

http://www.nbc-2.com/story/33771000/national-dog-show-presented-by-purina-set-for-15th-annual-special-on-nbc-following-macys-parade

Yes, dog show, lots of lovely dogs (no, the ACD did not take herding group...the Border Collie did and I never saw that group saw but )

Last night, watching this program, the kind of leads interests me, the way they go down and back, how well behaved the dogs are being judge...yeh...well me watching and low and behold!

Joe Gregory, the Kentucky judge that is in his 90's, he's judging a group and all swanky dressed in this wowing suit. I had to do a double take AND pinch myself.

The girls, both the girls were just under his hand being judged at the beginning of November...right here in little old Red Deer city. Well, well...the profile I read on him DID say he liked judging little place shows...LOL

Sooo...how kewl is that...Lacy takes her very first Best of Breed, Emmy goes Reserve Winners to her (so second) and we have them placed over Canada's 3rd ranking ACD...kewl.

Lacy's page is up and running now...her show photo and my info I gave them is all posted...to see the girls on Canuck Dogs...here's their links.

http://www.canuckdogs.com/index.php...3&DogKey=c7dd239f-a5c9-11e6-a0a5-0050569873b0

http://www.canuckdogs.com/index.php...3&DogKey=3b02be18-fa1e-11e5-9397-0050569873b0

 

[CanuckBock]

Was neat and like I just posted, Joe Gregory there judging the sporting group (he placed the English Springer Spaniel in group--good dog that one)...his daughter (also a judge) is going to come back here to Alberta with him in two years' time to judge dogs in Spruce Meadows...summer time...ah maybe, perhaps maybe...we should see about showing the girls again under his hand on that day,,,,LOL

Kinda neat as Mr. Gregory replaced another judge I have shown ACDs under at Red Deer...looong time ago now...Honey Anne Glendinning!

Small world in the world of showing canines...small world indeedy!


Quote:
Originally Posted by scottcaddy

Thanks for the update Tara! I hope that you get your winter soon so you can get ready for the real spring.
Have fun with your bolts of fabric.
Scott

You're most welcome Scott...and yes, winter needs to arrive and YES I did have and continue to have fun with my fabric bolts...got the pattern cut out of the main fabric.

Two bolts, laid side by each - match made in heaven sent!​

Poor Rick, thought I might be running outta the patterned green, so drag him out, the sun is going down and ask him...would it look silly if I did the two types of colours on the skirt...that deer in the headlights look and he mumbles, "I don't know! I'll tell you if it looks bad AFTER you do it...!" Nodding, yeh, that won't help guide me. So I go ahead and cut the last parts of the skirt from the patterned fabric and I have enough...too much even as 3/4 of the table I cut on is still covered in it. Me over thinking it...LOL

Now thinking might get lace in green to match er...er some swanky buttons er...yeh...dunno. LOL Always those little special dressy touches you can do when it's homemade eh.

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Got advised that they are going to eventually send in a crew to trim this huge poplar tree...sigh. It is getting on and splits starting to show up in its trunk...but getting a tad too close to the power line...so some day, she'll be getting a hair cut. This particular tree does some shading of my veg garden, so a trim is good...whether or not she has to come completely out...sigh...such a pretty big tree...shall see...

Nov 25​

Glad to see this loose pile of fire wood dwindling steadily...should be gone by year's end...then just walls of wood drying!

"Lacy...oh Lacy!" observes the Em..."That cart looks precarious...she might drop a piece and CLUB yah!" ​

Love how the girls are always game to fully throw themselves into anything I am into doing...like loading up the woodbox in the Man Porch.

Lacy - "Nah...Mom would never let anything BAD happen to me!"
Emmy - "OK...tis yer head the sky might be falling upon!"​

Went to kid's yesterday and we celebrated a little Christmas ditty...his girlfriend is up visiting so we went and took the dogs and us to visit at his place...was fun having snacks, walking dogs, opening and assembling the Kinders (nfi). All good times and memories made.


Today we go new truck shopping...don't know if we want to order a 2017 or kick tires on a 2016. When we started, we were not sure to go Ford, Dodge or GMC...thinking another Chev though. Now not sure if diesel or gas...but thinking nice blue, nice grey interior (to hide the dog hairs!)...tremendous amount of thinking and pondering, eh. What bells and whistles and such.

You'll all kinda note I have been away quite a bit from this thread...distractions of all sorts & such. Lots of new and exciting things developing right now--lots of candles being burnt at both ends and smoke pouring from our heads...one of the biggest things is the why on the new truck shopping. Not at liberty yet to say why but let's jest say...the new truck is part of Rick's new work endeavour that is involving me and him quite intensively. Kinda kewl. Not sure we like changes, not sure we like doing what we are about to do, but hey...the only thing you can EVER count upon IS change. Change is whatever you make of it and rolling on the half full side of the glass, that can only be making it a good choice.

So anyway...gotta go, one cuppa java is gone, another finger slip is inevitable...and yeh...whee hee hee...

Doggone & Chicken UP!

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

 

[scottcaddy]

My Dearest Tara,
How can somebody just drop a small bombshell and NOT explain anything about it?
You will drive some people to the edge wondering what is up ya-know.

Scott (who don't have far to go)

 

[drumstick diva]

Scott you know Tara and hubby can handle anything that comes along. I have utmost faith in them - except agree with Em that the cart might tip and Lacey should get out of the way.

 

[Teila]

Hhhhm, I thought I had somehow unsubscribed myself from this thread but nope, just no postings.

I hope that everyone is OK and just busy, busy, busy with the new venture

 

[CanuckBock]

Heel low:

So here is the beast...the BIG ol' blue beast...well sorta like this one. Factory order, 10 to 12 weeks pending what shifts get knock out by the hollydays, eh.

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She'll have a few more badges like for the XLT & FX4 off road package and such, but generally, she's an eight foot box crewcab, F350 4x4 diesel, 2017 model.

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Blue Jean boo outside, grey interior. Not too many choices these days in colours, lots of white, black, red or greys...opted for the blue since it can be SEEN in winter...against the proper white backdrops, eh.

What part do I like the most (not even for sure certain we are getting this in the factory order but here's a hoping...)

Two rear vent heaters...for you know who's benefits! LOL​

Rick's got her a nice fuel tank/truck box combo and we'll be kicking tires on running boards, mud flaps and headache rack yet...dress her up for working.

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Rick already knows what kinds of items he wants, just he wants me included in the fun of seeing these after market accessories get chosen and put on.

Exciting, sure, and of course, taken up a ton of time to address. I saved us anywhere from $17,000 to $3,200 inquiring for quotes on the truck we were looking for via different dealerships. A week's worth of work and tada...she's a done deal. Got her ordered up today they say and that be that now.

Yes, yes got to wear my fancy green dress at the do already...

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Non patterned green material for the collar, cuffs and such​

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I really did enjoy this project...

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Alot of pins and sewing, but on the ultra suede...t'was tres easier than the crepe I did on the last sewing project.

Not the real colours here...can't seem to get the exact shade caught on clicks...but whatever​

See how nice the two fabrics complimented each other...

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Decided to sew sparkly buttons, clear one side, red the t'other...

Added a festive pin and voila...

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This dress is fab...no wrinkles (not dog hair proof but we can't have it all, eh) and was a dream to wear...For getting duddy up...could not have been simpler.

Girls LOVE their fur mats for travelling in the crates - Emmy is using hers there as a pillow!​

Gonna really love it for showing the dogs in this dress. Wonderbar...Christmas dress AND dog show outfit. How perfect is that!

Dec 2, 2016 - North Saskatchewan River - yup, she's cold now!​

So we finally, yes finally got some winter. About time I say!

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Hauling hay for the beasties...always them canine helpers inspecting the process!

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Highs for the last past ten days are running around -22C (-8F) as the day time highs and lows went down to -32C (-26F). Ran about ten days of this. So I got ready when they told us we had a week of cold coming down and it's been three more days than that.

Not alot of dog time outside...well OK, not the same amount as this fall. Anywhere at -20C, dogs playing can run the risk of freezing their lungs. So we been careful when we run them...moreso now mid day than evening run runs for the girls.

Dec 11 2016​

No complaints today...only -10C (14F) this being the day time high and even though we have a wind...it's most welcomed. I figure minus ten is t-shirt weather for regular winter time in Alberta. Coast is getting both snow and deep chills for them...same temperature at -10C but there, all sorts of ugly with the humidity and the wet Coast snows...lots of issues thar.
I recall only ever seeing minus ten once in the 20+ years we lived there...the bay froze, tons of pipes broken, all sorts of extreme cold weather hazards...not nice out that way.

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Foam Dome is one happy mutt...she's been in the garage in the evenings...crate and cookie and sleep time. I worry about her and she's needing some spoiling fur winter.

Nice surprise at the end of November...one of the bus families gave me this Christmas plant...Poinsettia. Nice indeed and very festive feelings.

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Well on our way now with the holiday themes...doing this year on the bus--twelve days of silly hats. Had everyone laughing on Friday when I wore my blue dog with the pump ears. Wave wave, flap flap. Fun times.

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Trip to the city on November 29th...good trip.

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Course you gotta know the city is gonna be ready for Christmas...UGLY Christmas Sweaters...how

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Girls got to tag along...so that meant we had to go for wings...

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Chicken on the Way(nfi) is already decorated for the season...

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Rick sharing the bounty..."Who wants some of this?"

Chicken pieces and corn fritters - Corn fur them dawgs?

"Why Emmy...are you beginning to develop a double chicken chin...?"​

Well if'n that is not enough...we had to stop for ice cream for them girls too...

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Ah yes, and lots and lots of comfort food cooking up here...mighten be too busy to find time to post, but we did eat rather well the past two weeks er so...

Dec 4 - Lunch...Bacon & Tomato with some cottage cheese ​

Supper that night...burger and home fries


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Dec 7 - Mutt loaf and scalpers ​

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Dec 9 - Chook and taters with asparagus


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Last night, great big green salad with...

Roasted cow with homegrown bakers...and smothered in gravy...bring on the FAT to stay warm, eh​

So uh yah...Scott should be some plumb hungry by now...and there, kinda caught up and not. Anyway...off I go again...expecting the temps to drop down again as the Arctic high slips down again for maybe another ten days or so. No worries, all things running along ticketty boo like they should be.

Winter...a time to never mind the waist lines...pop that top button and FEAST 'cause if'n you don't burn it off staying warm generating heat...not like the cold weather is not conducive to an extra layer of insulation, eh.

Doggone & Chicken UP!

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

 

[drumstick diva]

Didja see how good I was Tara? Don't think I bothered you once in the interim. I knew you and Rick had plenty to sort out - new job, full time bus .