Last week Thursday I headed down to Carlyle to visit Naomi for a few days. We were finally able to work around both our schedules and find a few days that we were free. It ended up only being about a 3 hour drive (once again proof that Google maps is so far off their suggested travel time that it isn't funny...but I'll save that rabbit trail for another time) and the roads were good. A storm had moved through a few days earlier on and some of the roads weren't in great condition according to the SK highway updates but they must have cleared up for me. :)
And as always, even if we haven't seen each other for months, we pick right up where we left off the last time. :) We made a pasta with cheese and a cream sauce and Naomi's fiancé, Jesse, came and joined us. We watched "The Young Victoria" while having dinner and then had some Raspberry and Pomegranate Sherbet which was an awesome flavour combination.
The next day Naomi and I headed off to Regina for wedding shopping since Naomi is getting married in September and I'm going to be her maid of honour. :) It was a full day but we had a great time and we made progress with wedding plans, ideas, and details. A highlight of the day was being able to meet up with Gabi, a mutual friend of ours. She treated us to lunch at a nice restaurant and we had a great time talking and catching up with each other. Later in the afternoon we headed over to Fabricland to look for fabric which was the main stop of the trip to find out that on Friday it closes at 5:30 PM. Lovely. Seriously only in Saskatchewan do stores close at that time on a Friday evening. Ha. :P Just when you think Saskatchewan is finally starting to progress ahead you realize it still has a ways to go.
So, we decided to go back the next day. We left early Saturday morning so we would be there shortly after it opened. After a few hours we were walking out with the perfect fabrics for most the wedding party. I love when that happens. We didn't have to settle for any pieces that we thought were okay. They were exactly what we wanted right down to the colour, texture, and pattern. We were also able to find patterns for my dress, the bridesmaids' dresses, and the little girls' dresses. I had as much fun as Naomi I think. :)
After we arrived back we went and looked at some houses that Jesse had addresses for since they are house shopping and then stopped in at his folks' place and had a candy sampling session which went over quite well. :) Then we headed over to Connie's place where she had a delicious meal prepared: roast beef, mashed potatoes, corn, baked beans, apple crisp, and pop and ice cream to make floats. Jesse and her wanted to play a new game and then we watched "Coraline."
Sunday morning was more relaxed and I played both keyboards downstairs for a little while to see how I liked the sound, feel, etc. of them. I'm hoping to purchase one sometime in the future as I really miss not having a piano around. A keyboard is going to be the best option (nothing beats a real piano!) as I can easily move it and don't need to get it tuned. Jesse came over late in the morning and then around 1 we went to the Theatre where the wedding and reception are going to be held. They were also starting theatre practice which I watched for a while and then said goodbye just before Naomi had to go up for her first line.
I had an uneventful trip home. It took a little longer since I stopped in Yorkton for some shopping. And, I got a Tim's which I always enjoy. :)
I've enjoyed having a little more time off between chicken cycles this time. I've been able to go to church a couple times, attend a Ladies Night, and have been able to help with Ladies Time Out (LTO) preparations. I've made one cheesecake and am going to make another one tomorrow and then go help decorate in the afternoon/evening. Friday evening is LTO and then Saturday I'll be busy getting the barn ready for chicks which arrive Monday!
So, how has your week been??
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Thursday, March 17, 2011
More snow!
Guess winter isn't ready to leave yet. About another 6" fell between yesterday afternoon and this morning. There was even more by the house since the wind blew more in that direction. At least the temperatures have been fairly nice getting up to at least around freezing.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
One year ago...
Today marks a year from when we first drove over and looked at this place. Wow, so much has happened since then. It has been a year full of change, experience, challenge, and yes, even discouragement at times. However, I love it up here and am so happy to call it home! :D
Until we got more familiar with the area, this silo (which was the closest neighbour's) was a most convenient land mark when we would be driving down the gravel road trying to locate the farm. :)
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
Howdy!
Where does the time go? I've been planning to post more than just quotes and pictures but the past eight weeks have been packed full with travels, work, and trying to keep on top of problems which seemed to endlessly keep popping up throughout this chicken cycle.
When the last batch of chickens were shipped and the barn cleaned, I headed back for Alberta again. I stayed overnight at our Davidson farm and enjoyed visiting with my awesome brother, Graham, and his family. :)
My other brother and his family were recovering from the flu when I first came through so I visited with them on the way back. I didn't get any pictures though. :( They had just gotten a new ice maker which fascinated the kids and they were also excited since their dad had been teaching them different ways how to start a fire. I think they can probably start one better than me. lol! Jared is the bookworm and his greeting when you walk in the door is always excitedly jumping around asking you to read a book with him. Kaylea was walking this time. My nephews and nieces are growing up so fast. Maybe it seems even more so since I don't get to see them very often. I ended up staying an extra day since I had to sign something for our company at Viterra Monday morning. So, I had church with them, more reading, visiting, and great food. My sister-in-law, Sherra, is a great cook!
Monday afternoon I got back home here and it was time to start getting the barns ready for chicks again. During clean up we ran into problems with the big barn doors at the south end. Due to all the rain this year, the concrete pad heaved with the frost preventing the doors from being able to opened all the way. So, while I was away my neighbour was able to help a carpenter take the doors down, cut 3 1/2" off, fill them with insulation, and get them back up again. That would have been no small feat and it was good to come home to that project successfully completed.
Unfortunately, that issue turned out to be one of the many problems that continuously popped up throughout the rest of the chicken cycle. I started to fill feedlines and the bearing went out of one of the lines. My neighbour helped me the next morning replace the bearing. I had helped him change one at his place before and think I know how to do it now except that it would be very difficult to pull the auger flighting out and get a clamp in by myself. You do NOT want the flighting to slip into the feedline. If that happened...well, you just don't let that happen. lol!
The chicks arrived a little later than usual around 1 PM. They were very active! I checked them around 3 and then again around 5. As soon as I stepped into the barn entry I could hear water running in the boiler room. I opened the door to find water spewing out all over the wall and floor from the hot loop pump. My neighbour came and looked at it and told me what to do until I was able to get a plumber come replace the seal. I stayed up most the night making sure it didn't get worse...not that I could have done anything if it had. haha. Usually listening to water running makes for a peaceful sleep. That works if you are by the ocean not when it is spewing out of a pump. It was still another day or so before the plumber could come but thankfully things held together then.
Then the boiler needed a new diaphragm. My neighbour helped me replace the old diaphragm with a new one. It is always a relief to me when a problem is corrected and the system working properly again.
Then the CBC Market Place did their "selective journalism" episode on the supermarket chicken and the industry in which the true facts were mostly irrelevant. That deserves a whole post of it's own. :P
Had to get an electrician out because the motor overload on the bin auger wasn't working and some other work had to be done out there.
And don't laugh, I got stuck for the second time in my driveway. :P If you go off to the left too much it is softer and with all the snow it makes for a perfect getting completely stuck experience. :P
On a balmy -35*C morning, the lovely barn alarms wakes me at 4:15 AM. First I checked the boiler and all the temperatures were fine there so I check the barn computer and it is a low temperature alarm which has never gone off before. I spent the next three hours trying to get the temperature to rise and stablize(I switched the inlets to manual and closed them up partially which helped some but not enough) and then called my neighbour around 7 AM. We made an adjustment in the climate controls and solved that problem almost immediately.
The coal bridged for the first time in the bin causing another temperature alarm to go off. It has happened a couple more times but I've caught it pretty quick and it is an easy fix thankfully.
Then I had the water tested and due to the results showing some bacteria, I was advised not to drink the water. I had been drinking it all along and hadn't experienced any adverse effects but for the time being I am buying my drinking water. It's a lot of fun lugging those big blue jugs around when you go grocery shopping. :P I know bacteria can be a serious issue but the testing is getting more thorough and I wonder if they end up detecting more when all along it was there to some degree but not harmful.
Had an issue with raising the feedlines but it seems to have corrected itself. I did buy belts for both the water and feedlines as it doesn't hurt to have replacements on hand just in case.
My neck started killing me which prompted me to find a chiropractor. I slipped on the ice when back in Alberta and have been dealing with the effects since then and it was getting worse. A friend gave a recommendation to one in Canora so I went last week. He was awesome and isn't the type that wants you coming back three times a week the rest of your life. And his rates were reasonable too so I'm happy about that.
So, that pretty much sums up the past eight weeks! Yeah, it was discouraging at times but at least I gained some more experience and have improved the place which hopefully will help things run smoother. And, I think I've said it every time, but I can't believe it is already time to ship chickens again! They go Wednesday night so I need to do some baking for the chicken catchers (cookies and cinnabons!) and print out the schedule.
Have a great week! :D
When the last batch of chickens were shipped and the barn cleaned, I headed back for Alberta again. I stayed overnight at our Davidson farm and enjoyed visiting with my awesome brother, Graham, and his family. :)
Graham, Emily, and Abigail
The next day I drove to Alberta to look after Dad and Mom's place and to fill in for Erin at the dairy (where I worked too before I moved up here) while they were on their Hawaii vacation. I worked five doubles and then mornings for the remaining three days. 3:45 AM always comes too early. :P :D It was fun to be around the cows again and their personalities. :) Due to a snow storm moving in, I headed out a day earlier than planned.
Monday afternoon I got back home here and it was time to start getting the barns ready for chicks again. During clean up we ran into problems with the big barn doors at the south end. Due to all the rain this year, the concrete pad heaved with the frost preventing the doors from being able to opened all the way. So, while I was away my neighbour was able to help a carpenter take the doors down, cut 3 1/2" off, fill them with insulation, and get them back up again. That would have been no small feat and it was good to come home to that project successfully completed.
Unfortunately, that issue turned out to be one of the many problems that continuously popped up throughout the rest of the chicken cycle. I started to fill feedlines and the bearing went out of one of the lines. My neighbour helped me the next morning replace the bearing. I had helped him change one at his place before and think I know how to do it now except that it would be very difficult to pull the auger flighting out and get a clamp in by myself. You do NOT want the flighting to slip into the feedline. If that happened...well, you just don't let that happen. lol!
The chicks arrived a little later than usual around 1 PM. They were very active! I checked them around 3 and then again around 5. As soon as I stepped into the barn entry I could hear water running in the boiler room. I opened the door to find water spewing out all over the wall and floor from the hot loop pump. My neighbour came and looked at it and told me what to do until I was able to get a plumber come replace the seal. I stayed up most the night making sure it didn't get worse...not that I could have done anything if it had. haha. Usually listening to water running makes for a peaceful sleep. That works if you are by the ocean not when it is spewing out of a pump. It was still another day or so before the plumber could come but thankfully things held together then.
My fancy waterproof wallpaper. I'm thinking about getting it patented. haha!
This doesn't look like much water from the pic but trust me it was.
The drain water from the boiler room comes up here at the other part barn entry/garage. Due to the all the water/rain issues we had this past spring we had a pump around which has probably been one of the greatest investments on this place. :) I set up the float again so I didn't have to constantly supervise the pump and keep plugging it in every 7 minutes or so, let it pump all the water out, and then unplug it again.
My neighbour helped make a few changes to the the boiler in the boiler shed separate from the barn. I was going to tighten one of the three doors on the boiler which should have been a fairly simple, quick job. However, I didn't realize that you had to hammer it in so my tap-tap didn't help. At least I know how to do it now. :P :D
Next was a battery issue with the Ridgeline truck. I've had issues with the battery a few times and it was at the point where I had to replace it with a new one. We had an extra battery (backup for the generator one) in the barn so I went to work. Pulling the battery out was a little more of an ordeal since I hadn't done it before. I finally got it out, the new battery in, the strap tightened and I go to connect the terminals to the posts to find out the new battery has the posts along the front of the battery instead of the back and there is practically no give to pull the terminals to the front. I ended up playing musical batteries pulling the battery out of the old Ford (the posts were in the "right" position) and putting it in the Ridgeline and the new battery in the Ford. At least by the end of the day I had two trucks running!
Then the CBC Market Place did their "selective journalism" episode on the supermarket chicken and the industry in which the true facts were mostly irrelevant. That deserves a whole post of it's own. :P
Had to get an electrician out because the motor overload on the bin auger wasn't working and some other work had to be done out there.
And don't laugh, I got stuck for the second time in my driveway. :P If you go off to the left too much it is softer and with all the snow it makes for a perfect getting completely stuck experience. :P
On a balmy -35*C morning, the lovely barn alarms wakes me at 4:15 AM. First I checked the boiler and all the temperatures were fine there so I check the barn computer and it is a low temperature alarm which has never gone off before. I spent the next three hours trying to get the temperature to rise and stablize(I switched the inlets to manual and closed them up partially which helped some but not enough) and then called my neighbour around 7 AM. We made an adjustment in the climate controls and solved that problem almost immediately.
The coal bridged for the first time in the bin causing another temperature alarm to go off. It has happened a couple more times but I've caught it pretty quick and it is an easy fix thankfully.
Then I had the water tested and due to the results showing some bacteria, I was advised not to drink the water. I had been drinking it all along and hadn't experienced any adverse effects but for the time being I am buying my drinking water. It's a lot of fun lugging those big blue jugs around when you go grocery shopping. :P I know bacteria can be a serious issue but the testing is getting more thorough and I wonder if they end up detecting more when all along it was there to some degree but not harmful.
Had an issue with raising the feedlines but it seems to have corrected itself. I did buy belts for both the water and feedlines as it doesn't hurt to have replacements on hand just in case.
My neck started killing me which prompted me to find a chiropractor. I slipped on the ice when back in Alberta and have been dealing with the effects since then and it was getting worse. A friend gave a recommendation to one in Canora so I went last week. He was awesome and isn't the type that wants you coming back three times a week the rest of your life. And his rates were reasonable too so I'm happy about that.
So, that pretty much sums up the past eight weeks! Yeah, it was discouraging at times but at least I gained some more experience and have improved the place which hopefully will help things run smoother. And, I think I've said it every time, but I can't believe it is already time to ship chickens again! They go Wednesday night so I need to do some baking for the chicken catchers (cookies and cinnabons!) and print out the schedule.
Have a great week! :D
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
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