August at our Place

Been busy here still, summer is just that way, I get doing so much and forget to blog it all.  Of course I have hardly rode at all since July since the bugs have been so bad, have never seen so many mosquitoes in my whole life as I have this summer, the horses and cows (and me) are just miserable.  So I been spending my time inside doing stuff and its worked well the last 2 weeks with the Olympics on, it gave me an excuse to stay inside.

I been canning away, its a lot nicer to can when we have air conditioning, doesn't matter the outside temp its still decent in here.  First my Mom and Clint come out and they brought peaches and so we made peach jam, salsa and canned some as fruit.  Then I picked chokecherries and made syrup and I have 0 crapabbles on my tree and so I posted I was looking for fruit on Facebook and I got a message from a nice lady who has a bunch of fruit in her yard they just want picked cause they don't use it.  That was perfect, pears, plums and cherries.  There was a couple apples but they had hail a few weeks ago and it pretty well ruined them.  It it the other fruit but not as bad.  So I got a bunch from her and made cherries and cherry jelly so far, the plums are almost ripe now and the pears not sure.  I might go back in a couple weeks and pick some more ripe ones.

(Cherries and cherry jelly)

(pickles)

(my mom stirring peach jam)

(peach jam)

(chockecherry syrup)

(plums and pears)

While my mom was out we took a side tour to Dinosaur Park, I have never been there and so we did, it was pretty cool, sure is a view up top there.  of course my Mom was most interested in John Wares Cabin cause its log.  But the mosquitoes were out pretty bad there too which was too bad.  Then we headed to Patricia for supper and it was really good, even though we were not that hungry.

(my mom, we were bored Clint got lost lol)

(Clint and Neil taking one of many paths)

(haha I made Neil turn around under the dinosaur)

(Neil at the edge of a cliff)

(Clint over a undercut spot)

(John Ware's Cabin)

(cooking at the Patricia Steak Pit)

We had a stagette for the neighbor girl and we went floating down the river, I was pretty hesitant to go cause I never have and she borrowed me her kayak and it was so fun!  After a day there I thought I could be in the Olympics.....well at least I'd like to do it again, it was fun but I'm probly not that good.

We also worked the casino for the Ag Society and while we were in Medicine Hat we stopped at the Teepee and got some pics, I had never stopped there just seen it on the way by but its on my list and now its checked off.  They also said there was a giant moose in front of the Moose Lodge but they musta moved it or tore it down cause we sure couldn't find it.

(the big Teepee)

(it really is BIG!!)

And yesterday we headed to Fort Macleod to watch Neil's cousin and his daughter participate in a triathlon, they were so awesome!  It kinda made me wanna do it.  My swimming isnt that strong but I think if I swim over the winter a bit I could improve enough.  Last winter they had drop in swimming lessons and I might do a few of those as well.  Be funner if I could find someone to go with me tho.

And while we were there went to Lethbridge to visit and shop, and see the giant Wind Gauge, which is funny cause there wasn't even a tiny breeze that day and we coulda used one it was hot!  Then on to Taber which has the giant Corn and Lady.

(the carnival musta been travelling somewhere, I wanted to join in)

And now off on another adventure this week :)

July Trip Part 4, We Made it Home!

Well since we got to Edson late the night before and just crashed, we were a bit slow moving in the morning but all was good.  We had breakfast and they have a big squirrel in town (maybe was part of the choice to go there...)  So we went to see it, he was kinda neat hes airbrushed so he looks quite realistic.

Then off on the way, we were driving down towards home, kinda east and then I realized we are going right by my aunts place, so I texted her and she answered and we decided to meet her for lunch at the golf course.  How nice to be able to see her again used to see her lots but not as much anymore.

(not on the list but Lucy the pelican was at the resteraunt)

Then we headed south from her place towards Rimby and then headed East again so we could check our cows on the way home.  Since we were going through Ponoka I made Neil stop at the western store.  Not as good as the one in Grande Prairie, I'm kinda kicking myself for not buying the diamond wool I saw up there but bit late now.  An iced coffee and we were on the way again.  We stopped to see the cows and there was 2 bulls with really bad footrot ugh what a pain we have no drugs with us of course so Neil had to go back the next day with 2 different ones and brought those 2 home to treat, they look way better already down here.

(pretty view from the park)

Then we had to go to the washroom so we stopped at the diplomat mine site and had to do the tour there even though we have seen it numerous times (its Neil's favorite stop) its still pretty amazing how big those diggers are, and they are smaller then the ones they use now.  And funny enough on the way out of there we saw the digger working.

Pretty much straight home from there, stopped in Castor for some milk and a watermelon (it was on sale lol) and a snack and then we got home just at dark, glanced at the ponies all was good so in the house to unpack.  We are home.