Dec 21st.

Its raining.. they say that we are going to have record breaking rain today and into tomorrow, its melting the snow on top and just sitting floating on the sheet of ice below it, there is some movement but right now, things are mainly just sitting in puddles over ice.

I am interested to see how it will go, the collection system for the rain garden worked very well in the fall but that was while water was also releasing into the ground below.. this will be a good first test run on what we will be getting in the spring melt/new water movement in the yard.

The last of the xmas gifts arrive in the mail today and I can’t wait to share them with you after they get opened, I know what they are but I will wait.. they are from the critters, do you do that.. maybe that is just my family but just like the critters get food presents/photo sessions, the critters also gift things back.. as adults Santa does not visit the farm.  What would have been santa gifts are now gifted with the farm or the critters names LOL

I keep waiting for the Blue Jays that come though the yard each day and always make a stop at the hawthorn bushes to find the red roofed suit hanger.. soon I hope!

Hubby got home a bit later then normal but that is because he was kind enough to stop for a few things at the LCBO store, I asked for a smaller bottle of Baileys (so I can have fancy coffee and loaded hot chocolate) and a some Crown Royal in my tea over the holidays. Hubby does not drink at all, so they will last me a good while.

Dec 22nd

It was frozen and snowing this morning, so much for the heavy rain and freezing rain they said was coming for Saturday.. the rain ended mid afternoon on Friday and total the area is white with a fine dusting of new snow.  We did the normal farm stuff and then we decided that it would be a perfect way to bring in winter with some time together in the local forest.  I took my camera, I was on the hunt for birds.. while we heard them and we caught glimpse of this and that..  Only this pretty dove (who was sure it was hidden in plain sight) stayed still long enough for me to get a really nice photo of it.

Hubby said good eye, he missed it totally. I was like freeze. I spotted a lovely wild turkey high up in a tree on the edge of a open area and I thought for sure if we were careful that I could get up to get a nice photo of it.. but it flushed out, you have no idea how I wished I had been able to get a good photo of it come flying down out of the trees to the ground below..  It was lovely to watch!

I need to make the nuts and bolts mix yet but otherwise we are ready for Christmas!  I am happy that we can relax and just enjoy the coming days. Hubby got another chapter done on his new novel. good for him!

Dec 23rd

The sunrise this morning was stunning and I am sorry to say that I do not have photos of it for you.. I will see if I can get some soon. The day is cold and crisp but sunny.. the winter windows for the big barn went up and in place, allowing sun to still come in but stopping all “draft/fresh air” from coming in.  That is the last big push in the big barn to get it ready for lambing. I will need to check over the lambing kits and see if they need any touch ups.

The house smells awesome, I have Cedar/Orange/Cloves on 🙂

Well as tomorrow is Christmas eve, I figured I had better get our version of a tree up an the box’s of presents that have arrived out from family and friends. I did not want presents on the floor, nor did I want to have lots of hanging or shiny things to get LeeLoo kitten really excited about

I like it very much.. Hubby and I are not wrapping our gifts, we do sometimes use the same gift bags for years now but this year we are only doing stockings and one bigger gift each. I am looking forward to seeing what the critters and farm got me LOL

We don’t have santa visit but we get gifts from the critters/farm.. of course our critters get food gifts on Christmas!

It was a quiet lovely evening of reading/writing

Dec 24th

Hubby was up at the normal time as he had to go to work, it was more like a half day of work as they are always given the nudge to go home around lunch but that means that the bus’s are crazy so he heads out about 1pm. It also means he need to drive in much further for a different park and ride so that the can come home early.

He was cleaning his office and doing some shedding because its not like there is much pressing on Christmas eve.. He came across his Whale Cove CD photos from 2003 I will share just a few there as I want to do a full post on it soon.

This is a overview shot of Whale Cove, Nunavut, Canada. taken by Dear Hubby in  Late July 2003.

Atop a hill overlooking the community is a whimsical whale’s tail monument built in 1967. The monument celebrates the close association of Whale Cove residents with the resources of the sea. At one time the local co-op operated a cannery in Whale Cove, and shipped canned muktuk or whale blubber to the south. From the hill or the monument, visitors can easily see the whole community.

He was leading a exploration trip for collecting rock samples on behalf of the Canadian government. He is wearing his Nasa Cap from when he went to the mar’s Base camp the year before!  Our Sweet boy is at his side on this trip..  Most of you know him as the old man, he lives to be 17 and half years old.. so close to 18 years my sweet Vaskur.. Here he was still so young! They were thrilled to have found a snow bank on the off-side of the rocks to cool off in on their hiking that day.

Dec 25th

The hounds let us sleep in which was lovely, we enjoyed hot chocolate and opened our presents.. I got some very nice gifts from my family and Books! from hubby and critters

We took a lovely winter hike, it was a touch brisk at -15 but filled with bright warm sun! You are going to be seeing a lot of hiking photos, we are planning a trip this spring and we (by that read me) are going to be starting our walking/hiking to get in shape for the trip. I have my eye on a couple pretty tougher moderate/longer hikes. I know that I need to be in better cardio shape to make that happen.

It was a truly sweet day with my man, it was quiet  but it was so peaceful.. I could not have asked for a better “us” day..  Thankful for the phone to touch base with family on both sides of the family.

Dec 26th

The morning saw us up at a much earlier time, it was just time to get up and moving, So many eggs coming in the house, I feel like its spring in that way.. eggs for breakfast, finding ways to add eggs to this or that.. feeding scrambled eggs to the hounds, feeding hard boiled eggs by the dozen to the pig..

The girls are laying between 7 to 8 dozen a week pretty much and there is NO way for us to eat that many and sales are slow right now.. so they get turned into critter food, something that is very good for them but sad to be using good farm fresh eggs for in a way.

Its Boxing day! The flyers are full of sales, full of deals trying to get folks to spend just a little bit more, put just a little bit more on credit for many..  we are staying home, there is only one thing left on our to buy list and we checked online.. its not on sale and even if it was, I would order it online and still avoid the stores, the crowds and the craziness!

No, I expect that the truth is we will not spend a dime today.. its a grey overcast day, so glad we basked in the sun as much as possible yesterday, it was such amazing blue sky’s!

We are back to overcast today.. so much grey these days!

How is your boxing day? Are you staying home? or are you braving the crowds? Shopping online? Relaxing or heading out for a event deal? I have seen a number of my friends talking about getting out to different events today..

I looked at them and went.. nah.. I think I will spend time with hubby/hounds/horse’s. I wish I could go for a ride but its way to icy out there to ask that of the horse’s, I can barely walk around, its like bambi on ice out there.. would never do that to my boys.