Im a Sucker

So I have had a million blackbirds in the yard this year, I asked others how to get rid of them and all I got was shoot them.  Well I am a terrible shot and a little tiny moving bird haha gophers much easier, lol.  So I just been tearing out all the nests I can see and irritating them as much as I can.  I found about 6 nests and they all are gone.  But I missed one and it had baby birds in it and I was a wimp I left it.  Ugg but they seemed so helpless so I took their picture and them mowed the lawn underneath them and kept the parents aways for a long time, and maybe they will think twice about a nest there next time.

Gardening

I planted a garden this summer, I wont show a pic of it today cause it is so weedy its hard to see where the plants are, maybe if it cools off I will get a chance to weed but when its 34 outside not happening!

But I had planned for a few years to put in a perennial garden north of my greenhouse and so last summer I dug up the grass and not much else haha that was more work then I expected, it was old grass been there a long time and well rooted.  But this spring I bought some plants so I had to do something, I decided I don't like trimming and I don't want grass to grow in the flower bed so I put 2 rows of bricks level with the ground around the outside and put sand around to hold them in place.  It is a triangle so not perfect but I think it will work.  Then I rototilled it up and put in half a bag of peat moss and rototilled again and then planted the plants.  I have cedar mulch to put in but I wanna wait till next spring to make sure all the plants survive.  So it went from this:

To this, I know a few don't look good, a little stressed but it was super hot and they got a little dry before I planted them, but I have 3 months before winter (I hope) and so I am hoping they recover enough to last all winter, I have burlap to cover the beds this winter to protect them some.

(those along the front are annuals just to fill space)

(Some kind of red Daisy)

(groundcover, might have to get more of this its hardy)

(I cant remember but its pretty and drought tolerant 

so far its handled all this summer the best)

(And larkspur, so pretty but fragile and much smaller 

than they said it would be...so far)

And my lilies on the south of the greenhouse they are so awesome and not open yet but I cant seem to get any others to live I have tried 2 different kinds so I am hoping these will just take oer the whole area one day haha.

Also the planters are coming along nicely and I am pretty happy with them,  a few I think I wont get again next year but some I sure will.  As long as I remember what they are come next spring.

(Thunbergia is not a vine anymore it just grows in the bottom of the planter :( )

(my hanging baskets are pretty )

(not overly fond of the waves, they are the pink ones, 

kinda prefer the regular white petunias more)

(love the vines around these multi colored flowers from the same plant. 

 These close up at night its kinda cool)

So far happy with the flowers don't take too much care and still alive :)                                                                                                    

Jessie Drags Her First Calf

Wednesday was our last branding of the year, they start calving over a month after us so the calves are about the same size as ours when they brand and still a couple new ones.  It was a hot day as it usually is at their branding but they kept working short and beer plentiful so it was good.  I took Jessie for the roundup, only been there once before and it was good so we went and I was a little late and they were just getting on their horses and riding out, no biggie, Jess was saddled so I just got her saddle tightened and put on her bridle got on and we trotted off to catch up.  The cows were pretty fast and heading to the far corner so they turned them and then they headed to corrals which was nice....kinda.  They have a big wing and so we had to chase them around the wing, sill cows.  A young calf wouldn't move and we couldn't chase it, I'm still teaching Jessie to push calves with her legs she doesn't like to and so I just took a step and the calf followed me, so I kept going and led him in the corral,  it was cute.

(Branding)

(this grey horse was so funny, one tall patch of grass in the corral

 and she went over it ever time she drug a calf in and

 had a bite to eat without stopping)

(The whole crew when no calves were down)

(I love the way he and his horse work could watch them all day)

There was a few dry cows and some yearlings he wanted cut out so we did that and then sorted cows and calves and then waited for the rest of the crew, rode a couple hours and it was good, Jess looses patience when we are standing in the cows but its good for her to do that.  We had an incident with a cow while sorting, she didn't want to go out the gate and started turning back and saw the guy on the ground with the stick so she spun back the other way right into Jessie.  She run out the gate after that, lol but Jess was a little concerned cause that doesn't usually happen to us (if ever)But she was fine, watched a little more when we got close for a while though.

(Jess just watching)

(Chasing them out when we were done)

We started branding and I was vaccinating and after the second break Michelle was changing horses and I asked her if she wanted to rope off Jessie, she said she had Chewy so was OK unless I wanted her to and I kinda did so I said and so I got her and she saddled her and got on and I thought Jessie would be fine but first thing she did was smack the rope on her leg and it was kinda loud and Jess jumped and was all goofy about it so she keep doing it and she didn't really relax but was fine when she did her neck or butt  so she uncoiled and then threw the rope in front of her and Jess just watched didn't move and then she coiled it in front of her and accidentally flipped it up and it hit Jess nose and she didn't even flinch.  So she said I guess just gotta go try it.  So we had a bit more time and so quit for a while and had more beer (and water cause it was hot) and some pepperoni sticks and peanuts :)

(First look into the herd)

(she caught one)

(Dragging it in)

(and letting go, pretty good for her first time, they both are looking at me, lol)

Then we went it and Jess just walked in the herd, Michelle said she was a little fidgety but she caught  a little one and drug it in and Jess just done it, she said she wasn't sure she even knew what she was doing, lol.  So she did a few more little ones then went for a bigger one so she could really pull and she did, head down and relaxed.  Even had to hold one and wait for wrastlers and not a big deal.  I was pretty happy with her :)  I only got a few pics between when I wasn't busy vaccinating but I am glad I asked her cause shes so calm and drug a million calves in so much better experience than if I were to try.

(I love this picture, her third calf I think and she just looks so relaxed)

After the branding she wanted to load her up and take her home, haha another Jessie Fan :)

Canada Day 2014

The day after the last branding I went and helped my neighbor cut out her 2 year old heifers and calves and move them across the road.  She was taking the rest home to AI and the 2 year olds were going out with a bull.  It was good, we could only get a couple at a time cut out and we put them in the corral and then moved them out when we had all she wanted.  Then we could not get the cows into the corrals, she had 2 kids helping and they are good help but still learning and the cows did not want to move, so we quit for the day.  I was tired after 2 long days but I really enjoyed it.

After that I headed to Calgary for 3 days cause my sister had eye surgery and had to have company for 24 hours after surgery and so it was a nice vacation for me as well.  I went the afternoon before her surgery cause her youngest boy was graduating grade 6.  That was a fun grad.  I also had a check up with my dentist that did my root canal and he said the gum had grown almost all the way in, I was surprised about that and it looks good but the filling was cracked on one end so I will get my regular dentist to fix it.

 (love this big old tree gives lots of shade)

(Lots of people there, I would guess a couple hundred, maybe 3)

(the old barn and windmill, I think its a little unfair the museum has a nicer barn than me)

Then a couple days of rain and wind let me catch up on stuff at home and yesterday was Canada Day and we headed down to Brooks to go to the Museum and Neil and his Dad and Cousin George drove tractors in the parade.  I like Pancake breakfasts too so its good.  I wanted to bring my pony down but Neil said only tractors :(

(someones old beautiful car)

(the caboose on rails and the speed car they were giving rides in)

Lots of stuff at this museum the put a lot of work into fixing stuff up and collecting stuff for it.

 (cousin George on a John Deere Row cropper)

(the RCMP got a ride in the wagon)

(Neil on An Alice Chalmers Row Cropper pulling a water pump)

(A Cockshutt pulling the Sheep Wagon Neils Dad and a friend built over the winter)

And Parade Pics are always fun to get too.And a couple videos of the parade, tried to get it all in one but they had a tractor stalling and so had a pause so its in two pieces now.

(the tractors don't always back in well so this is how they do it)

And then we went afterwards to Neil's Mom and Dads and his sister come over and we had a BBQ and cards and a drink it was a good afternoon.  And on the way home I heard this so I had to get a rocket pop :)