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

[scottcaddy]

Thanks for thinking of my poor empty belly My Dear Tara!
That's a real nice truck that Rick is getting, do the dog crates fit in the back seat?
Thanks for the update.
Scott

 

[CanuckBock]

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 .

Yes Sweetness...you did leave me quite quiet. LOL

I am rather proud that I saved us $17,000 which works out to almost TWO diesel engines.

If all is said and done, rather good time to purchase a new vehicle seeing as some of the companies are now charging over $85,000 a vehicle. Good gack, eh. I figure that is house prices (yes I am

and living in the past!)...

I could not answer anyone with my focus draw on taking care of that.

Thanks for thinking of my poor empty belly My Dear Tara!
That's a real nice truck that Rick is getting, do the dog crates fit in the back seat?
Thanks for the update.
Scott

Dinner last night...more comfort food...mashers with cream cheese (for the calcium...yes, that's why--sure!), pork cutletts and care roots.

Dec 12 2016​

One does have to wonder at what point the excuse you are needing calories to keep warm stops...need calories to stay cool?

These back seats fold up​

And the work truck Rick has ordered...

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Not only do two dog crates fit in the back seating area (Rick told me immediately that the crew cab seats fold up and outta the way for the girls)...those vents, those lovely air vented heaters will work to keep pooches cosy too.

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Another real bonus...we learned the wiring on these new trucks are an absolute NIGHTMARE...so, goes without saying one of our must haves was...

Upfitter switches​

I believe there are two 40 amp and rest are 25...Rick told me this morning he ordered in the beacon and gosh darn it all, $500 and he got it for $300. My my, expensive these safety do dahs...but gotta have what you gotta have as a work contractor.

Dec 13, 2016​

I know he mentioned he was working on the fuel pump for the tidy tank...I came home this morning and noticed (duh...) the sly dog he is, he got the fittings on and to me, darn near close to done like dinner. That's my guy!

There sure won't be any hold up on his part to having the truck ready to go to work.

I even learned that the after market not factory installed remote starters are fudging up new vehicle computer systems AND the dealers, if the unit you are looking at does not have it...the unscrupulous salespersons are right there telling you how they cost $600 to install AFTER market like its no big problem...well all find and dandy till you realize, the remote we ordered is a mere $350 in factory installed and the biggest oops we avoided...those 'puters, get all monkeyed with when remote starters are installed...and wait for it...you null and void your vehicle warranty with the after market remotes IF you go about installing them and they hoop yer computer...

I learned alot the past few weeks, saved us a buncha money AND headaches...sure we will learn yet more in the near future but you do your best and hope that is enough.

Rick even came up with a rather good funny too...lotsa plastic on these new ones...LOTs so he had one fella laughing when he described the new ones as "easy to destroy with your Bic..." Pretty hard to argue with him thar. Oh well...it is what it is.

Unleash the TWELVE DAZE OF SILLY HATZ!!!!!!!!!!

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Here's some clicks of me hatz...getting quite the collection and makes me grin...quite unintentional all these hats that I havei. I would get one or two on sale, the Kid gave me a gift certificate few winters ago to a place where all I could fit into was their hats...LOL my big ol' butt off.

My fav is the blue dog with flapper ears and my three eyed tongued monster beast hat. Gonna wear those two again on Friday (not at the same time, a.m. and p.m. worn--not that crazy yet!). I am short a few for a perfect non-repeating Twelve Days of Silly Hats but good enough.

Next week, the silly hats fest goes to the Christmassy sides of the line...​

Missing is my chicken bus hat. I'll have to remember to click a pic of that one some day.

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This one above is my fav Christmas themed hat...had this one alot of years now...there is a large battery pack inside the brim (makes it heavy but fun wearing it!) which lights up the mini lights on the antlers....me moose antlers! And yes, the green glitter button reads...GET REVENGE..Give Fruit Cake.

Heading to the pasture to go for some run runs ​

I know how much DD misses clicks of the girls...so here's some I snapped this morning whilst running them a bit. I found taking pics to be a tad tedious with the cold weather...how many pauses to click do you risk and you can't get moving again...LMBO

Lacy - "You know I could pounce on yer head Em?"
Emmy - "Bring it on shedding Bimbo!"​

Lacy has finally decided to shed out her plentiful furred coat...she's got bald sides and a poofy butt...masses of red fur coming out.

Everywhere she's been, there is dog hair evidence strewed in plentiful clumps.

Rooles state, Emmy can steal floppy from Lacy but never EVER the other way round!​

Try and get DD topped a bit back up on her influx of doggette views...

"Throw it again...throw it quick!"​

But I suppose DD is like the girls...never gonna get filled up to overflowing regarding each other...oh well.

I got to finish the beef stew in the crock pot now...or we won't have anything to be a dippin' with the bread Rick is stopping to pick up on the way home...home sweet homeward bound!

Doggone & Chicken UP!

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

 

[drumstick diva]

Nah, I NEVER get filled up with dogs. Bring it on. Today (FINALLY) I received my red cattle dog grocery tote, Tara. The one I emailed you photo of. Really like it. Have other orders out( from Zazzle ) that were supposed to arrive 12-8. Doesn't look like that is ever going to happen.

 

[scottcaddy]

My Dear Diva, Did you see what year they were talking about for the Dec 8th delivery?
They still have a lot of time to make the 2017 Dec 8th date.
Lovesyamuchly

Scott

 

[CanuckBock]

Heel low:

Way way up here in the Great White North, figure anything delivered within a six week delivery span to be awesome! <<'cause it's gotta arrive by dog sled...natch right?>>

So it is crazy hat day at the school today...wore my three eyed and horned beast this morning to great review...

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For the p.m. run, gonna don the chicken hat...so clicked y'all a pic to post. This my first official bus hat...so that makes her about nine years young. The blue base hat is a fishing one I converted by sewing a small child's chicken toque to. Bandaids, taxi pin and heart shaped key ... yeh and egs and ducks and even a sheriff's badge...busy hat for a busy person I guess.

DD...here's the image you sent of the tote.

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The way things go, I figure if you wanted a Lacy and Emmy image on something, I figure it is pretty easy to take a photo I've posted that you like of the girls and have one of these printing places make up something you'd like.


Next week...four days and time to go off for the holidays...yah...

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So that means I cart out the battery operated sillies for the young'uns to laugh about.

So found it kinda amusing...obviously over the years, the dogs (three above plus the COW!) have found their way into my hands...DOGS...but in the silly hats...not alot of dog ones. Two ducks, a hat, a reindeer that whistles and rest are dog, dog, dog and a cow...hilarious. Even the latest one I bought last year on sale, dog with mistletoe draping its tail...is a DOG! Wonder what it is about them dawgs eh...LMBO

Watched a British show about the foods we eat...Food Unwrapped is the name of the program. Funny, the Christmas edition was about poultry. Course turkey, never knew so much salmon was preferred dinner in the UK...for the holidays.

I knew it was taking the factory farms only 47 days to get a chicken grown to market weight and that that was OLD news that 47 days is all it takes to make a mush meater...on this program, the meat birds only take 33 to 32 days to reach grocery store size now. Eeek, eh....just about less than a month and you're on someone's dinner plate...good gack. So much for slow grown, quality meat, firm and tasty happy meats that have lived to embellish that good chicken taste by merely living an allotment of time. In just over a month, little wonder there is no time for good chickeny flavours to be produced at that rate...sheesh!

So the one guy was curious about if a chicken can be grown to the size of a turkey (simply because he liked chicken over turkey and thought it would be nice to have for Christmas)....well yeh...sure! What made me laugh alot was that the turkey they chose to compare the male chicken that took four months to grow was a HEN turkey...not completely right as even our heritage turkeys, the hens are usually HALF the size of the toms. Oh well...he did find someone in Europe with big male chickens that were weighing more than turkey hens. Couse us heritage breed chickeners already know of special breeds like the large fowl BRAHMAS...once upon a time the male standard sized Brahmas were tipping scales at over 17 pounds. BIG birds indeed...but ever so sad, those genetics are more than likely lost now. 17 pound roosters were things we could accomplish but I expect that's no longer. Now you go to the APA SOP and see...Brahma, cock is 12 pounds, cockerel 10 pounds....sheesh...a 17+ pound roo would be WAY over Standard, eh. Gentle giants no more's...

:

The Country Gentleman (1831–1955) was an American agricultural magazine founded in 1831 in Rochester, NY by Luther Tucker.​

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My fav renegade Gran from Winnipeg would know the magazine...she'd have stacks of it in her house when us kids went to visit her. I knew what they were because Gran was living in the past even during her present time. I can only shake my head as to what my Gran would think of all the history we have lost now let alone what buying hatching eggs has done to remove the quality of the oldtimer flocks. The magnificent birds of the yesteryears ... so sad what is seen nowadays. I can barely recognize the chickens I see photos post of...maybe a key ingredient like the comb helps me, then again the variety...is that a barred bird perhaps? Even there I am often confused at what breed because it barely resembles what I know to be what you wanted in that breed...the shape is so far from the words in the Standard...I truly DO need someone to identify what it is suppose to be representing!

It is as rare as chicken teeth to have someone contact me looking for BIRDS...not eggs (never EVER will I sell hatching eggs...waste of utter resources that!) but the birds as breeding prospects. It kills me to think where the Fancy is going with people repeating these mistakes...over and over again. So many order in hatching eggs and bing, bang, boom...next year you hear, they are now selling "hatching eggs" and the cycle keeps on going. Hurry hurry up and get instant success...because, why surely quality would never demand experience and time--some sort of investment over expected profits...everything happens without earning it, without trying too hard...keeners aren't kewl, eh. Those too intense on a subject are just downers that make everyone else look bad because if the whole pool of persons never put too much effort into it...there will never be anything any better than just that to make those ones look bad.

Hatching eggs should NEVER EVER be expected to represent the flock--not the quality that could be retained and made more of at the very least. Selection of adult birds (at minimum of two years of age) by the knowledgeable breeder represents the good flock's dynamics...a good start comes when you examine the adult in hand you want to make more from and KNOW them for what they are--not an uneducated guess on a juvenile or worse yet, an egg. Certainly good breeders can't be chosen by holding one of these unverifiable mystery hatching eggs--hatching eggs...come buy your hatching eggs that are shipped out with barely any expectations of them even hatching let alone representing anything barely of any quality--pretty safe nobody will compete with your flock by shipping out hatching eggs...good luck to you! About all a hatching egg does is show one that the birds can replicate eggs (best left as the main ingredient in yer omelette, I figure), of a certain quality (heaven help those that coddle weak chicks hatched from crapola non-quality eggs--cuff to the ears of those that set "every egg" to "breed" from every bird possible) you can judge based on the quality of the egg.

The EGG is not something you can judge the flocks by...not the adult bird which should be the one item that you base your selections on. Lots say they would rather buy hatching eggs as they are incorrectly perceived to be safer health wise than bringing in adults. I have posted here all the multitude of disorders transmitted via hatching eggs--things that make the survivor birds carriers that are already compromised and likely to KILL other birds exposed to them. So the complaint that you will bring in parasites and diseases to your flocks by buying adult breeders is the reason many argue for hatching eggs over adult breeder birds.

Good gack...if the breeder has parent birds that are being compromised by parasites...don't cha think perhaps they need to debug those birds first before thinking any progeny they produce will be good birds to make more from? I guess you could argue the birds are good survivors to a parasitic load? I want to know if you are buying hatching eggs because you fear parasites in their birds infesting your place...what other things need you be MORE afraid of then past some chook buggers?

So in regards to diseases adults might have...one thing about buying breeder adult birds...you know whatever was there at the breeder's place, never kilt them...and that ability to LIVE to at least two years of age means they have some disease resistance, vigour and might be something worthy to make more from because basically they exist and live because they are STRONG. But hey, why would you want breeders that have the ability to thrive and live for any length of time when factory farmed commercial meaters and egg layers live from just over a month (meat) to a year (eggers). The factory food makers seem to do right well don't they? And on that note...I got a bridge to go list fur sale...

Good old days, good times...good birds indeed...so much lost...so much forgotten...so much gone without barely a glance at what is gone because they simply don't know any better!

But no worries! Once persons like I am gone to the grave, people won't KNOW any different...so what's then lost if nobody KNOWS any different, eh? Then everyone will be on the same playing field and no cream to rise to the top to make the general crap out there look so bad.

Oh well...my time is not now...so tis time to trip off my soap box for this day.

Doggone & Chicken UP!

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

 

[scottcaddy]

Tara, you have way too much fun with your bus kids.

I think that you make several good points about breeders and quick money.
I hope that you have a good day.
Scott

 

[CanuckBock]

Heel low:

Hiyah...busy beyond belief...but all good. Very pleased with the progress so far...

Accountant, lawyers, insurance, appointments with the bank...oh the life of fun times, eh.

The corporation known soon to be GRADER RICK will come into existence, tamorrah!

YAH!​

Some clicks for the dogger fans from today...

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Yuppers...Christmas outfits fur the girls (bought when I got the stuff for the bus kid giveaways)...and well both are now in full shed...Lacy sooner than Emmy.

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Not sure on the timing girls to change dog suits but whatever...

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And course we know there are gonna be action shots...

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"Act nice nice girls...Christmas costumes...I say NICE!"

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Gotta fly, got the pm run to do and then...and then...oh let the hollydazes begin, eh!

Doggone & Chicken UP!

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

 

[drumstick diva]

Happy Holidays to you and Rick, son and any other two legged members of your family. Plus tack on the girls. I can't believe they let you decorate them like that. Glad to see they still have plenty of spirit now that they aren't puppies anymore.

 

[scottcaddy]

Will Rick's Co. only work in Alberta or will he go coast to coast?
Thanks for the update!
Scott

 

[CanuckBock]

Happy Holidays to you and Rick, son and any other two legged members of your family. Plus tack on the girls. I can't believe they let you decorate them like that. Glad to see they still have plenty of spirit now that they aren't puppies anymore.

Happy lots of things, eh DD!

Them girl dogs, well they DO love an attention grabbing outfit or four--well bred, well tempered...put up with lots. Technically not wee wee puppers any more, but not all growed up and likely never will be as ACD's. They won't achieve their adult forms until about four years of age (all those muscles and bones keep growing and forming)...I too look at those mugs of theirs and think to myself, "Ah heck! They are still puppies!" Unlike our own flesh and blood, they don't grow up to go away, get educated and find jobs, hobbies and their own lives. Dogs are just like the kids that never have to grow up (Peter Pan and TINKER BELL?) and need to go away from home.

Forever fur children.

Will Rick's Co. only work in Alberta or will he go coast to coast?
Thanks for the update!
Scott

We are near solvent...willing to take a bit of a risk (nobody to pay but those here now) to keep things going along joyously. I figure you should never risk more than you are willing to lose and at this point in our lives, I'd like to unburden some of Rick's responsibilities and make them more of mine. Share the burden. He could retire any day and I figure if he has to keep going to work, he should get the same (or more) of the share of the piece of the pie. Why bother otherwise? We seem to be at a point where more TIME spent together enjoying life is far more valuable to us. Time for pursuit of even more happiness.

The family's corporation was established so Rick could keep working the same contract he's been working on for the past four years. Same duties, same tasks he's been doing for decades upon decades...just the same old, same old. He never worked in camps and such away from where his heart resides. Him and I both rarely if ever (likely never if my memory serves me correctly) never EVER did not come home to be with the family...can you imagine the Girls? Would be a long, long whole night of, "Where's our missing pack member?" "Where's Dad...when is he coming thru that door and us going back out to play like we always have?" And the TREATS...oh his special best pieces saved from his dinner plate TREATS! No fame or fortune awaits Rick outside the counties he already stomps about on now. We do this to improve our life, not make it horrid. Last days must have even more purpose for us to be spending them away from each other and home sweet home.

As far as my wants, I'd like to see MORE of Rick than less.

So if the corporation BOMBS out in three years, potentially five...hee hee...me would be EVER so grateful So much for the business concept of on-GOING CONCERN. Wah wah wah...

Dec 25 - So asked Rick...wanna try the newest (old?) method on turkey cooking...
Back up side cooking...was delish...white meat moist--no tinfoil covering, meat tender as all tomorrow...could become our traditional method!​

I guess we are not dead yet, still standing on two feets and still expecting we need something more to do than eat turkey leftovers and push our own snow abouts.

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And SNOW it has...most welcome but I do have to quit listening to the weather predictions...they suck rocks. Two to four centimeters (0.7 inch to 1.6 inches)...HA, and that be a joke. My photographic SIL says for the "dusting" they predicted for her area--she had about three feet. Most she has ever seen at her place. What a joke. Should hang out a rock on a string I guess...use that to forecast the state of the weather for all this modern technology they seem to think works. Blah...

Dec 24, 2016​

But no matter, my Hero did the pathways with the snow blower on Christmas day and the snow was wonderful for powder pouncing but I digress too soon to the dawgs...that can wait a bit.

Dec 24, 2016​

Was ever so excellent to have Rick home...use to be the moment this amount fell, he was gone and the snowblower sat idle...idle no more...

Evening of Christmas...dog dogs tugging in the powder!​

Then on Boxing day, he did the tractor snow work.

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Like a parking lot...well OK, a very well maintained "loafers ready" parking lot!

Dec 26, 2016​

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And of course, y'all DO know exactly where all that snow went...righty OH?

Dec 26, 2016 - THE Pile...the beginnings!​

Beginnings of the Girl's snow pile...push you, push me...King of the Castle...oh the fun to be had. Thank you Rick...you know how to keep the dogs in the fashion they have become use to!

Touch back on the biz...so we been to the lawyer's to sign and cross t's and dot i's, already the accountant's, stopped and made an appointment with the bank and they copied the legal documents they require for the appointment we have this week. Should hear back in the new year on the Insurance companies regarding quotes, then lots of entity paperwork filings for various business type necessities like WCB, GST, Corporate taxes, yadda yadda yippy YIPPERS. We have lists to make, all sorts of tabulations and tallies to do for official purposes, but basically the "corp" working is awaiting on the building of the big boo beast babe of a truck. Then I will regularly be bean counting and as I predicted...not going to be alot of time to post on this thread here. So life goes, eh.

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Had a beauty of a Christmas...we tossed Romaine to the ones that like lettuce, spinach to others, good hay and fresh water to the ruminants, kept the wildbird feeders going as they were emptied up, tossed toys for the dogs, tossed ourselves into our chairs to chow down on first waffles for breaky (yes, lovely Chantecler winter eggs...even at minus 26C (-15F) the girl hens gave us great eggs!) and then turkey with all the trimmings. Bones and such for wonderful soup stock and lovely seasonal thoughts and dreamings of what is going on now and in the future. 2017 will be a very most exciting year. Full of unknowns but with us at the helm making more of our own destiny decisions...we should feel blessed and comforted by that concept.

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Yesterday, after I finished up on chores and restocking, as I mentioned, saw Rick plowing snow with the tractor (as already said, he did pathways with the snow blower for me the day prior), I took an hour to do one of the things I let lag...lag too long.

Dec 26, 2016 - Putting firmer feathera in the self-buff standard Chants​

Clicked a few pics of the birds. First my trio of standard sized Chantecler Buff hens...the project I have on the go since 2008, for making firmer feathers and keeping the buff colour clean. I still see so much more work required but I do need to relish the successes as we inch forward. Self-Buff is THE hardest of the self colours to get correct and I'll likely spend my whole lifetime reaching for that. No matter, the shape of the breed is there, the characteristics like small comb and wattles, production of big good eggs continues. Longevity, production, disease resistance...vigour. Yup yup and YUP!

Bantam self-buff Chantecler cackleberry on left
Standard self-buff cackleberry on right
Christmas DAY presents from the birdles!!!​

Those items should always matter more than the variety aspects but I oft only see what is missing and need to remember to enjoy all the things I have there already staring back at me.

Dec 26, 2016 - Chantecler Bantamizing Project ​

The dozen years invested on making the standard sized Chanteclers into bantams really has been fun. Too much fun as those 12 years have blurred by. I put my fav white Chantecler male standard on the winter click photos fence rails. He is such a good boy...makes those wonderful rooster warbling chuckles to the widdle girls. My nasty on a stick self-white hen always makes it well known she's out for blood...she is safely tucked in between two other hens, "Do leave that big gentleman of a boy alone...you hear me spit fire?"

Dec 26, 2016 - Higgins make standard into bantams; the Chantecler project​

Nasty girl...thinks she's in charge and she is well true on that...nasty nasty!

Dec 26, 2016 - Sunsleepers??​

It kills me, bring out the camera, set them up on rail and...and...yeh, I could BORE paint off the wall, eh. "HEY...WAKE UP...Dead chickens duct taped to the fence...WAKE UP!"

Touched on food but here's some more.

Dec 20​

Salads...boy do I gotta get my greens during this season. So every chance, I do a blast of greens. Good insurance is to make a batch of Caesar salad dressing, course we buy a case of Romaine, gotta remember to reserve a few heads for the humans too.

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Gotta keep up on the greens....

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Christmas eve...

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So decided this year, make our own cranberry sauce. I have tried planting cranberries too but well, since we don't live in the right conditions (a peat bog perhaps??), never did much.

Cuppa sugar in a cuppa water, bring to boil for five minutes
3 cups cranberries, boil for another five minutes ​

So very easy...

Skins begin to burst...much wanted!​

Pending whether you like whole cran in the sauce or the jelly...
Jelly requires you sieve out the non liquid parts ​

I figured there would be FAR more waste sieving but was not...

got 2.5 cups of delicious cranberry sauce​

Rick likes cran sauce on his turkey but I don't care but had some too. You can adjust the amount of sugar to your own preferences. This was a medium sweet yet tart sauce.

Christmas Dinner 2016​

Make sure to do it a day or two ahead so you are not bogged (ha) down with more than you can get done...and the added benefit is the sauce is COLD!

By making the preps ahead...meant I had time to focus cooking on dinner and breakfast. Course we had to have the Breakfast of Champions...DIEt waffles!!

Christmas Breaky - waffles and bacon; very important food groups those.​

Higgins' waffles, super easy too...
Plug in waffle iron to heat up and in the meantime, make up the batter.

Four eggs (thanks to those Chants), 2 cups flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking power, 1 tsp salt
Melt 1 cup butter
You can add all sorts of toppings like fruit, whipped cream, etc...but Rick cooks them all up and cools...
Stored in fridge, pop in toaster to heat and you get to revisit without the hassle!
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Choice to make - 1 cup sour cream or 2 cups milk
Like you gotta know which makes the richer batter eh....

Batter ready for Rick to make waffles!​

'Kay...now on to the last part...dog dogs...woot woot...puppers had a great festive season!

Foamers...


Emmest


Lace-a-Lot​

Girls jest adored the snows...powder for the puppies...perfection!

Dec 24, 2016
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Let the wild things begin...for they do live in paradise...they do indeed!

Snows deep enough your victim can sink into the powder...I swear the hit the snows hard knowing the POOF is the bestest part!​

Many many pouncings prevail!​

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The nashing of toothy grins...

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Never any snow ANGELS here...never ever snow angels ...

Emmy's nonverbal BITE ME invitations..."bet yah wanna bite me!"

Invitation ACCEPTED....

REPEATEDLY!!!!!!!!!!!


Over and over until maybe the "welcome" mat goes missing??

"Are you dead yet Emmy...???"​

Not quite... ​

How much fun can you have in the snow...only them girls really know! ^~~^ & ^~~^

The Dynamic Duo... tinselled up...



One more pounce and still defiance​

Best budsters...furever​

So that be that for now, eh.

Doggone & Chicken UP!

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