Canadian Election 2011

Wow, what an election! Historical. Conservative majority with major shifts in the NDP, Liberal, and Bloc Parties.

Another week = more farm experience

Monday started off with my neighbour delivering feed. He noticed the auger making a clicking sound so checked it out after the feed finished unloaded. The problem was with the bearing which was shot causing the flighting to slip down and turn against the container it sits in. I asked my neighbour who I should call to get it looked at and the guy was able to come out the next day. I had about four days until the next load of feed would need to be hauled so wanted to make sure it would be fixed by then though I probably still could have made it work?? The bearing was removed and the flighting ended up slipping down a few more inches. There is a connection part way up and the guy could not get it to slip back in place so it turned into sort of a big ordeal. We ended up having to take the motor off the top of the auger (it was very heavy and awkward to move), pull the whole thing down, get the flighting back in place, secure it, and then get the auger back in place and the motor back on. All I can say is that I hope I never have to do it again. The whole process took about 7-8 hours and for part of it I was sitting on the bin lid 30' up in the air or on the side trying to help get the motor off and then back in place. And an extra pleasant twist was that it was windy the second time working up there. :P Before I used to think that picking sweet clover or picking rocks tied for the worst farm job, however, this topped them both by miles. It could be labelled the most "un-fun" day I've had in my life. I can't tell you how thankful I am that it back and in proper working order.

In the meantime I was doing chores at the neighbour's for a few days since both he and his nephew were gone. So, it seemed all I was doing was going back and forth between both places for a couple days. At the end of one of the evenings I walk into my barn and hear a funny noise...nooooo! The last feed line is merrily running augering feed past the last feed pan with the sensor and on to the ground where the pile has reached the motor. I turned the switch off and then called my neighbour as I couldn't figured out the problem. My electrical problem diagnosis is very limited. :P My neighbour figured it was probably the relay. I called the electrician who was just on the other side of town and said he'd come over. It was 8:30 and I was going to have to go out every few hours and manually turn on the feed line if I couldn't get it fixed. The relay was the problem and I ended up having to go back to my neighbour's (thankfully he only lives about 1/2 mile away as I've made the trip many a time) to find the right one that would work.

I keep thinking (or is it maybe deceiving myself?? :P :D ) after I encounter another problem that not much else can happen or go wrong that hasn't already since I moved here. Maybe one of these times the same thing will go wrong and I'll actually be able to take care of of it myself completely. Until then I'll keep acknowledging every problem as another challenge resulting in more experience and who knows maybe I'll write a book about it all one day. :D

Regardless of the multitude of challenges and problems that have arisen, I love living out in the country here and wouldn't trade it for anything!

Spring is finally here...I think

The snow finally melted and just the other day I put away my snow shovel. The next day SE Saskatchewan got blasted with a blizzard, icy roads, and rain causing treacherous driving conditions and the closure of several roads. I was jokingly reminded that I shouldn't have put away my snow shovel until June. So, sorry Saskatchewan, I promise not to make the same mistake next year. :) Thankfully my area further north missed getting any snow or rain-just around freezing temps and a strong north wind.

Royal Wedding

I didn't get up in the middle of the night to watch the wedding live but I did watch part of the ceremony today online. Graceful. Spectacular. Impressive. Beautiful. Can't even begin to imagine all the planning that must have gone into the wedding. I absolutely loved Catherine's dress!

Happy Easter!

Thine be the glory, risen, conqu’ring Son;
Endless is the victory, Thou o’er death hast won;
Angels in bright raiment rolled the stone away,
Kept the folded grave clothes where Thy body lay.


Thine is the glory, risen conqu’ring Son,
Endless is the vict’ry, Thou o’er death hast won.

Lo! Jesus meets us, risen from the tomb;
Lovingly He greets us, scatters fear and gloom;
Let the church with gladness, hymns of triumph sing;
For her Lord now liveth, death hath lost its sting.


No more we doubt Thee, glorious Prince of life;
Life is naught without Thee; aid us in our strife;
Make us more than conqu’rors, through Thy deathless love:
Bring us safe through Jordan to Thy home above.

Thomas Jefferson

 

"To take from one, because it is thought his own industry and that of his fathers has acquired too much, in order to spare to others, who, or whose fathers, have not exercised equal industry and skill, is to violate arbitrarily the first principle of association, the guarantee to everyone the free exercise of his industry and the fruits acquired by it." --Thomas Jefferson, letter to Joseph Milligan, 1816

Chicken Humour

Visit Chicken Farmers of Canada

Grandma

Happy 92nd Birthday, Grandma!

These pics were taken in 2009 when my whole family flew back to Nova Scotia for Grandma's 90th birthday.

Spring is finally coming!

The past few days with 10*C + weather, spring finally feels like it is on its way. Since these pics even more snow has melted.

 The water was pooling here since the snow was blocking it from flowing down along side the barn. I've been having to pump it out a few times throughout the day. Thankfully I've been able to keep it out of the barn so far.

On the board inside the barn. Suggestions for other quotes welcome. :D

10 Reasons to be from Saskatchewan

1. You never run out of wheat
2. Those cool Saskatchewan Wheat Pool hats
3. Cruise control takes on a whole new meaning
4. Your province is really easy to draw
5. You never have to worry about roll-back if you have a standard
6. It takes you two weeks to walk to your neighbor's house
7. YOUR Roughriders survived
8. You can watch the dog run away from home for hours
9. People will assume you live on a farm
10. Buying a huge John Deere mower makes sense