KETCHUP~!

WOW! April???!!! since I blogged? WTH?! Well... I do feel a little guilty for neglecting the blog, I can also say... SPRINGing into Summer on the Shoeless Acres has been busy! Many daze in the sunshine, getting dirty in the garden, and hook'n by the pool watching my growing Fric, Freak, and Frac swim their way thru the day.

So much that I could KETCHUP on ... so much that I have missed 'reporting' I am not sure where to begin??!

I even missed announcing here my exciting adventure! A work in progress... a learning experience for this Loon , mastering and exploring the world of online sales. My first ever dive into a webstore, a place to put my hook'n adventures for now, and with any luck (and time, and more figuring) a place to share my love of photography and the things I capture thru my lense.

Of course... being the cheapskate Loon I am .. starting off with the FREE site, the one I can test out the waters, and see how it goes... also another spot I need to pay some attention to, while I have many thoughts in my heads and changes to make... finding the time at the keyboard proves tricky these days... BUT none the less... now open for business... stay tuned cause I have some new hats to post!

Loose Strings By Loony .. Original Happy Hat Creations by ME!

So to keep things short and sweet... insert giggle here (things R generally sweet ...not always short!) some KETCHUP

da' Farminals

my birds...my sweet birds are laying their eggs again following a chilly winter. I am finding the extreme HEAT affects them just like the COLD, but still happy to be collecting eggs once again. The kids have taken to naming a few, something new for us, as with our previous meat birds, we avoided names ... just something about knowing the name of your dinner on the plate. While it was sad to find Ryki's friend "Little Beak" behind the barn missing a good chunk from her neck, I am happy to report his friend "Abigaile" seems to have overcome her 'droopy butt syndrome" and is walking the line just fine. And our little friend "Peggy" well she may only have one leg, but hop hop hop... she is still dropping eggs! We are down to 10hens now following the winter season, with Clucker the Rooster still clucking strong... ALL DAY AND EVERYDAY! And while I was collecting 9eggs a day, with Little Beak gone, and the weather so hot... these days its about only five... BUT I am not complaining! They are DELISH! I have recently discovered and decided.. with the added cost and taxes (thanks HARPER >>>NOT) the price of feed for the girls has become just silly. After doing some research...the next feed bag will be just plain old SCRATCH (just corn and bits) rather than the MASH (special for laying hens) I have noticed while they eat the MASH part is what they leave behind, and while the little chipmunks enjoy it... why should this cheapskate pay?? After consulting my chicken guru's (uncle Bob'nFred) my suspisions were found true... I have a rooster...thats what those little MASH pellets do...so I don't need them?! wish I had of figured that out a couple months ago?! I have one big hen however who I suspect is in the mood to brood, and while my girls all share the same spot for laying...this is proving to be tricky....?? do I mark a special egg with an X and see if she will stay? Will the other girls in the pen accomodate this mama and switch up their spot to give her that one? its still a debate, and still a "too bad I am eating the egg" situation.. I will just wait and see...stay tuned!

WILDLIFE...

Happy to report ...no bears this spring! while we have found many a track of moose and deer , the bears have not come up the hill for our exploding berry patches, bird seed and feed.

The damn dogs I love are doing their jobs...barking at night reminding the wildlife... WE R HERE WE R HERE WE R HERE!!! Nishka, forever my nanny is showing her age more and more these days, reaching the ripe old age of THIRTEEN this September, her lumps and bumps continue to be there, her hips a little more wobbly, and recently we discovered.. she is as deaf as a doormat. Fun times for the kids and dads teasing the dog, fun times for me reminding My Love... yell all you want, she won't get off the couch cause she can't hear you. A bonus that we have always used our hands, snapping and pointing cause while its taking the humans a while to adjust... the dog has this deaf stuff down pat ! Who would have thought we would be practising sign language for our dog! And Smokey... the tailess wonder, and cat that keeps coming back... our wee furball had and lost her first litter ever..in my sockdrawer?! Comes and goes around the Acres when she wants, here and there for a visit, running when there is company, still a little bugger I love. And of course what would the Shoeless Acres and this animal loving family be without adding something else to the mix... spending his birthday money, my wee Ryki finally got what he wanted... his own fish! Fighter Fire now spends his days swimming in my kitchen so to speak with morning greetings from a very proud boy "good morning little fishy and how is my little fishy today R U hungry?" Now I could end this part of today's KETCHUP with a mention of THE QUILLING... but I don't wanna jinx it... we have been QUILL free for a couple months so I would really like to leave it that way... damn dogs!

Family, Green Stuff, Healthy Eating, The Shoeless Acres Academy

With this Loon's homeskewl'n theories, also comes a Loony Schedule, once again this year bringing the paperwork to an end in May, we moved onto the summer learning... the work outdoors and the exploring in the gardens. One of those fantastic years here in the north when the weather, the sun, and mother nature all work hand in hand to produce some fantastic bumper crops. The wild berry patches exploding, providing us with daily treats of blue and raspberries to gobble up in the sun. The veggies... mmm so good, with my garden thriving! It took some work keeping the gobbling munchkins from eating everything before it had a chance to grow... redlisting Fric and Frac from eating all the tender baby leaves in the lettuce patch, reminding them .. that waiting for a few more days they would score more than just one pea pod a day.. YES its a great year in our garden... ! While we still wait for the tomatoes to turn red, we managed to score our first crop of taters this week, and our salads are a staple at the dinner table. There is still the work, the weeding and the killing of the little rat bastards daily, but always with little helpers willing to work, anxious to harvest and ready to gobble!

So onto another beautiful day on the Acres... time to feed the chickens, release them from their coup, round up the brats and lock them in 'the dungeon' cause the mess known as their bedroom is just insane, and get my Friday chores done today... cause tomorrow is my birthday! and I am NOT doing chores! and the best present I could even get... Our Beach Boy arrives home for the weekend.

more KETCHUP to come soon.

and since I linked to the pics ... lets go for it and post one here... see the top cause I am not in the mood to drag... ;O) A local hiking spot here in the north, a new family fav for a little picnic lunch, and exploring the trails... Duchsenay Falls, North Bay Ontario... nature at its best!

Spring Is In the Air

It's hard to believe that just over a week ago we were out on the frozen lake fishing! That our yard was still filled with snow... Spring has Sprung in the north, despite the still chilly temps, our snow has gone, the lake is melting and the winter toys have been stored for the year.

Around here the signs of spring are popping up everywhere. Peeking through the winter muck, and the mess in the gardens there are signs of green, signs of new life popping thru ready to grow and bloom into summer. Exciting for me as I find them... knowing where they will soon become!

Replacing the snow and dirt, and mulch with blooms a plenty, colors a many and flowers for my table!

The kids have been busy in the yard, cleaning up their wrecking yard, Aspen cleaning her kitchen and preparing daily treats. I was served my first serving of MUDFUDGE last week, with an added bonus of hot MUDCHOCOLATE sauce to top it off.

"how does it taste Mama?" she asked with a smile.

I replied with the look, the look of "RU serious" to which she replied...

"you don't have to really eat it MOM, just fake taste it and tell me what you think!"

Yes there are signs of spring everywhere, from the bikes that park outside my door, to the baskets tied in the tree's. Little spots around the acres that make way for play, for the imagination to run wild, and for the free range kids to explore.

March Break came to an end, a fantastic week full of giggles and smiles, with the Beach Boy finding his groove, his comfort zone ... and his need for speed! Trying out and mastering the summer toys, the quad, the dirtbug, the things on wheels that make you go zoom!

Now I know we are spoiled, spoiled to live in such a space, full of life, nature and beauty, but I am also grateful, that my kids not only can...but DO run, play, imagine and explore. I think kids these days miss out on that fun, miss out on the learning that comes from ..just playing. With so many sports, and dance and clubs to be treked to, so many activities organized and planned, there is little time left for just that... just the time to play and pretend. Don't get me wrong.. I am not ANTI~CLUB sorta thing, but do wonder... if life is planned and always scheduled for kids these days, always with something to do... where does that leave our kids? Are they learning to occupy their time alone? Are they able to plan for themselves? or do they grow with the expectations that it will be done, planned and taught for them? I admit I do hold small grudges, grudges against the man who only gives credit to those with a receipt. To those who trek their kids to activities, to be taught by others, to spend time learning from the teachers, coaches and experts. There is no credit given to fams like us, to our receipts for minnows, worms, seeds and dirt. For the time we actually spend teaching our own kids, spending time together as a family, instead of standing on the sidelines holding our Timmy Ho's cup ... pointing to the head on the team that is ours. YES~ another favorite memory as a Loony child growing up was exploring the backyard at my Aunt Joan's, myself, my sister, my cousin Debbie, building small bridges and forts in the 'swamp' carefully staying dry so we could return, pretending and playing....I believe every kid needs moments like this! It is fantastic to see our own kids now, playing, getting dirty and doing just the same... having FUN!

So its onto the spring clean up, patiently waiting to clean up the gardens, leaving the muck and the mess to protect my tiny plants. Time to clean up the coup, cause while I was planning a Head Chopping sorta party... my farminals have decided with spring and warm weather... the eggs shall return. And while its still not at a rate (more than one a day!) I would prefer...I will be patient, tuck those invites away, and wait and see.

And of course its not all sugar and spice...there are those facts of life that come with the snow

melting , with the things that lay hidden, frozen beneath the snow, the leftovers of winter, and the damn dogs and those things that they find... bring home, and deposit for Mama at the door. I thought the dead rodents around the yard were bad...nothing prepared me for Daisy's gift... her special find... dragged from down the road, over the pipeline...the gift that keeps on giving, and like the cats... always comes back?! The pets are enjoying spring with the cats enjoying the sunshine on the sidewalk, the dogs excited to know that though the skidoo runs are over...the quad runs have returned, tracking us thru the bush at breakneck speeds, keeping those watchful eyes open for a rabbit, or a scent of something good. Smokey... our wee kitty remains a wee kitty? What she seems to lack in kitty size, she makes up for with kitty FAT! Guessing of course her tail situation is the cause of her size, she is a happy feline, learning the art of stalking chipmunks and squirrels, following and harrassing our other 'Mamakat' and hanging with her BFF Ryki.

And now the wait begins, waiting for the Northern air to stay warm, for the fear of a snowstorm to leave, and for the green to be greener, the flowers to pop, and the gardens to give us those tasty snacks.

Cheers! to the sun shining on us all! and a big WOOT WOOT for Spring!

Free Range

Well here we go again, into another year of school, another year of homeskewl'n me brats on the Shoeless Acres and another year of exploring life. I couldn't do it, I thought about it for one or two of those nanoseconds, but at the end of the day I just couldn't do it sending my kids to face life ini the public school system. Maybe.. maybe if we lived back home (and I could actually afford it) I would send them to the Waldorf School of Learning...but that again another dream.

You cannot tell by the fantastic weather here but summer is coming to an end, it isn't hard to look up, thru the trees to see the colors changing fast, vibrant reds and yellows filling the forest signaling the change of seasons. While its been an amazing summer, I have to admit I look forward to the change. Loony me excited for the snow, the ice, the lake again in winter... I miss our hut on the lake, the roar of the skidoos' and the warmth of the fire. (I KNOW I AM LOONY!)

We sent our beach boy home on Monday, his final day of holidays before starting Gr. 5... hard to believe a decade of life with that handsome face. It was so great to have him home sooo much this summer, even better that HE loved it too. Fric Freak and Frac managed some busy days exploring and swimming and laughing together. I am a proud Mama of my three wee ones, proud that we crossed many things off the list...

swimming... oh that damn almost free pool~! worth its weight in gold now that I have THREE kids swimming...under water~ JUMPING in da'water ~ Ryki may still require goggles to avoid that shrieking sound of "TOWEL TOWEL TOWEL" but actually swimming!! Diving!!! Twists and Turns... our pool is ranging 65 degrees this week, barely hitting 60 last, but being Loony's brats... a pool is a pool and they will swim~!

Trying out new stuff... we were gifted a kayak of the blow up kind (but seriously kickass) from our favorite the one and only Uncle Reggie and in no time at all Fric Freak and Frac were paddling their way across the water rounding the raft, and back again. Meeting new friends, and sharing the adventure. Who says one MAN kayak???? we can fit a couple right??? Needless to say... we'z be hoping Uncle Reggie can come across a couple more of these babies!!!

The Beach Boy who tends to be 'cautious' when it comes to anything involving adrenaline or speed past a pedal bike managed to muster the courage and try out the dirtbug~! and even enjoy it.. figure he will enjoy it more when there is a seat on it of course... 'hard on his ass' he claims... lucky for him wee Ryki has sprouted an inch or two and the seat will return!!!

and Kamakakee Jane once again showed up her bro's .. da' boyz when she tried, enjoyed, and LOVED tubing with new friends on the lake... IMO... she rides the waves a little TOO well~!

The Wildlife on the Acres has continued to learn and grow over the summer of 09 and I could not be happier...or prouder. No matter where our journey took us, there was smiles, laughter, and best of all .... many comments about the intelligence, the politeness, the overall goodness of my fric freak and frac... PROUD MAMA is an understatement! Proud of me wee brats, and proud that our loony ways of raising our kids has given us such bright and beautiful kids!!!

Our garden, I am proud to say produced many tasty veggies, our farminals... give us eight farm fresh eggs a day, and our newest addition Smokey the kitty has settled in becoming part of the crew, and has remained maggot free (thank goodness!) with any luck maybe Santa will bring her some new fur for the end of her tail for xmas!

Hanging with the Fam

Uncle Fred and Uncle Bob came for a visit this weekend. An effort to help out on the job with my love...really a road trip outta town and a visit with the fam. Uncle Bob was able to bring a care package for his daughter who lives about ten minutes from here, working on a quail farm...bonus for us~! Six tiny quails arrived for me to roast. I have never cooked quail before so once I got past the fear of how long to cook the little things, stuffed them with a little dressing and made a little juice...voila...damn tasty dinner!
recipe for stuffing...two slices bread~ 2 eggs~ garlic onion diced~1/2 pack onion soup mix & 1/2 tsp Old Bay seasoning ( gift from a friend in Maryland) note to self..next time try more Old Bay for extra zip
recipe for basting juice apple juice~garlic~other 1/2 soup mix~another 1/2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning....loony measurements..started with one cup(or less) of apple juice, added another cup (or less) of juice half way thru one hour cooking time @ 325degrees...basting every twenty minutes

My uncles, two of my favorite men in the world, kind, NOT old, friendly OLD rednecks men that literally melt when they see Aspen and Ryki come running for hugs. You know how big their hearts are when they sit around the table with the kids for an hour carefully crafting paper snoflakes and sharing the tricks of their trades. A new family favorite, games of hangman....I laugh when it takes five rounds with Ryki for Uncle Bob to figure out he only spells two words..."ryki' and "to" A weekend spent splurging on good food...Thursday night roast venison and pork, Friday the Quail, Saturday Uncle Fred was in the mood for some Kentucky Duck, and I think today we will finally finish off the weekend crockpot full of stew for lunch.

Loony recipe for the best fucking stew ever...
when cooking a roast of ANYTHING, save the leftover juices, gravy, veggies, scraps in a ziplock bag and freeze. When having company for the weekend and you find half a dozen frozen bags of leftovers (ie/ venison, beef barley soup, chicken, juices etc) DEFROST, chuck in crock pot, add any kind of extras, potatoes carrots more onions garlic etc etc (loony secret...add a tablespoon(capful) of red wine vinegar) and voila...the best fucking stew ever!

Loony things that Happen around the acres....
Repercussions of the VIEW...something I do daily as I wash the dishes, watching the talk show in the kitchen on the trusty black and white.
Saturday night we had a visit from Uncle Bob's daughter, and her friend Nathan. Nathan is a young chap who is from BC transplanted to Ontario, now here in the north working on the quail farm. He also has what might be thought of as a soft voice. This morning, doing my dishes the children approached me, with that "hmmm?" look in their eyes.
Aspen "Mama, Amy's friend nathan has a strange voice"
Ryki "he sounds like a girl"
Aspen...looking shy and not in my eye when she asked in a soft voice "did he have a transplant" ???
Ryki .. "ya know" (insert giggle) "was he really born a girl"

I am guessing the pregnant man on the TV the other day helped in their curiosity, but I couldn't help but giggle, AFTER I explained that everyone is born different, but I was pretty sure Nathan was born all BOY. Ryki went on to dance his way into the livingroom saying I can talk like a girl too...this is where I need a recording device on the blog...cause the giggles continued.

Mofo the husky seems to have given up on my girl...THANK FREAK"N GOODNESS, and my girl is finally done her "time"
Freak'n out on the farminal end of life...I have twenty chickens that I am told be the Uncles I have to keep til December, and found out last week my trusty butcher who was married just this summer....has been kicked off the property by his "new" now in the process "x" wife...and the plant is closed!!! who's gonna butcher my damn birds now?? who is gonna butcher the 2000+ birds that the local coop sold in september?! a catasophee of the worse kind for happy chicken farmers...I am safe...I have an Uncle Fred!!!

So I am off for a round of Monopoly with my little Ryki, the men are off scouting a piece of property they have found, 160 acres of land, bush and creek for less than fifty grand!! no hydro, just an old logging road running thru, but a hot damn location for something along the lines of a camp, the price is right, and if the tracks(deer/moose) look good....a good investment for the fam!!! woo hoo I am excited..keeping my fingers crossed! Aspen is off playing with "S" , a girlfriend up the road. Its been a while since the two were together, so I have given her some leeeee~way. "s" is an annoying little girl who I am afraid...I donot like her.... influence, her attitude or her manipulating ways.....oh did i say she is eight??? hoping this two days of playing will keep Jane satisfied for a while.....not to mention Ryki cannot find his little goonie friends anywhere....
I am BORED
There is NOTHING TO DO
What am I supposed to do....

are you done on the computer yet mom???? I have the game all set up!!!!

wet paint

wet paint on the dogs, on my hands, on my hoodie...there is wet paint in the house and I am not only loving it! I am still breathing! Loony~background...as a child I literally had to move out of my parents house anytime they wanted to do Reno's, the carpet glue, the paint, the new stain on the dresser...you name it, my throat would close down, and I would pass out cold. The joys of my allergies as a child, where many a holiday were spent in the hospital with some sickness or other. A good month long stint as a baby with something as simple as croup! I am glad that my allergies have at least subsided a little in my thirty~something year...but even happier they are making paint with a less intrusive odor!

I am finding out...I LOVE PAINTING~! we have completed Reno's to the computer room, rubber duck yellow and healthy hosta green, and yesterday my love brought me a couple cans of Chivalry Copper. I finished up two of the walls with two good coats...its the self priming kinda paint. My love was shooting for a ralph lauren color, but reality set in at the paint store...we need durable, washable, and one coat easy....dogs, kids, life will still be on the walls despite the new colors. My love still looking funny at my loony factor painting....including the checkerboard ceiling and healthy hosta trim in the living room. "the more you paint the more our house turns into a set from Treehouse" he says...I say...
"you picked the colors my love, I am just the painter!"

loony notes of the day....

there was a shooting in my hometown yesterday, and according to my sister the hairdresser...one fatality. The location..right in the downtown core (d0wntown core being Main St. and Proton St....total streets in town...under twenty) They closed off traffic, and I heard even locked down the grocery store. Big news in a small town, I can't actually say I ever remember something like this happening. Normally the biggest news is neighbours swapping wives or something~! (and yes that HAS happened back in my home time...more than once)..population 2000

locally they are opening up the NorthBay Harvey's again today after a recent ecoli outbreak and one month ...lucky Mayor gets to be the first to eat a burger on the news for the RE opening..I am guessing the line up will be fierce (HA!)

Skewl'n..is going good, the kids are eager to do something when they are bored, they have a habit of starting their day with board game in the morning, if I am lucky it is Monopoly and NOT the simpsons Operation....nothing like waking up to Homer Simpson crying out in pain! But this week when I printed off their worksheets for math on Monday..they nearly completed them all in one sitting. They generally have 1-2 worksheets of math to be completed daily, and writing out their word lists. Ryki is surprising me with his phonics, picking them up quickly, and following in his sisters steps of wanting to 'spell' the words instead of 'reading' them. Aspen has discovered my old lunchbox with OLD sewing treasures, so she has just begun a new phase in clothing her brats....now instead of using my toilet paper and paper towel..she has begun to cut up old tshirts that 'Rstained' and sew clothes on herself!!! that is my favorite part of our UN~homeskewl'n adventures, when they just pick something up and go with it.

my farminals are thriving still, thinking they will not make it to December however..they are starting to waddle. I have had all the neighbours showing up with cash in hand staking claim to their birds for xmas...I send them and their cash packing though...I do not want the money here and there! I want to hit the jackpot at the end of our journey...I want to roll in the dough, and celebrate my profits (insert loony giggle...I barely make two bucks a bird..but add it up 6X$15. and man..I can have some fun!)

so back to painting, finishing up the room...I am going crazy waiting to see my BIG painting on the wall with the new colors. That was my only request to my love when he chose the colors (damn good color picker he is!) it has to match my painting.

Loony goals....to figure out how to post a picture or two here!

Loony Tips....

Lunchables (aka crap in a box) I can't stand the things really, on a healthy side of life...I consider them on the lowest end of eating. BUT there are times when they go on sale for a buck, and this loony mama will break down and buy TWO for each of my kids...Aspen, Ryki, and my love..who likes them too~! We have discovered..they make fantastic paint trays~! not only can you reuse the container, but if you do not fill them up with paint..you can stack the containers, place them in a ziplock, and save your paint for a later date with ART!

Proud Loony Moment...while we had to pass on attending the hunt back home this weekend, I am happy to report that my Ryki's name sake Jacob(age 16) took the honor for the THIRD YEAR in a row for bagging not only the first, but also the most deer during the hunt! Very proud of the young buck for wiping the floor with the old bucks once again with his hunting skills!!!!

Ketchup

Well just in case you were wondering....no I didn't fall off the blogging truck, I just had a flat tire! which seems like goes with life right now as I look out the window at my car...also with a flat tire??! last week was just one of those weeks when the world was spinning around fast and so was my head!

This morning a little ketchup on Life on the Shoeless Acres.

Last week started with a roadtrip back home. A visit to Uncle Fred's farm, our home away from home. A chance to hang and hug the family...including Daisy who gets to hang with her mama and gramma while there! The good news on the doggiefront?!
1. she seemed to have learned her lesson this time, did not chase the cars...DID NOT get hit!!
2. she got along phenomenally with her Mama (last time the bitches were scrap'n) and
3. Daisy went on her first 'hunt" with Uncle Fred into the back country of the farm to the tree stand (aka car in the bush) there was no actual hunting going down but I am proud report that the great deer slayer (fred) has declared Daisy to have the instincts of her Mama and the potential for a great hunting dog...first official season comes in November!
We also had the chance to have Sunday night Dinner at my parents NEW house~! even better it was attended by both of my sisters, Jay my BIL, and my two and a half nieces/nephew. A rare occasion really, to be honest I can't remember the last time we were all around the table. A good sign for the new house. Their old one they had for 28years. I was six when we moved there...happy times, happy memories growing up on Proton St. More room, beautiful yard...huge trees, a garden, plum trees...I must say my parents have chosen the perfect home! (Go Homer...my dad..not his name just a nickname we gave him as children...BEFORE SIMPSONS...its an endearing term about his farmlife heritage) My nieces...cute as buttons~! Illonna started school this year for the first time, her baby sister cried as she got on the bus, and her Daddy followed suit! Now the baby in the belly??? I will say..."holy jumping monkey!" The face on Aspen was priceless when she felt the baby rock and roll inside Aunt Sherri's belly! And the face on everyone else also priceless when Ryki announced no thanks to touching the belly, and "it just better be a damn boy this time cuase we got enough girls around here already!"
Also on our list...the doctor's office! Family size appointment for the crew with our family doctor who we have not seen in three years! As a breast cancer survivor she was looking fantastic, and told me she feels great, great to see her really and the smiles on the nurses faces when they got to see Aspen and Ryki walk thru the doors. Fav patients back in the day were my two little babes! But a couple funny notes? we spent one hour with the doctor total, four people. yearly checkup on the brats, "yearly" checkup for Mama, and a hello and script for hubby. Her time booked for the day? 1-4...she got the rest of the day off? and still people wait to get an appointment? final note~ I got a fucking head cold the next day and I blame my children for having to pee in the medical centre bathroom....have I ever mentioned I am a bit of a germophobe? I am guessing by my head last week....the season of the mini mitts will be coming soon!

Home again Wednesday just in time to pick up my fall season of farminals. WTF I was thinking when I decided to order twenty more chickens I do not know! I was just getting to the point I could sleep till 7:30 almost and now! back to feeding fucking chickens at 7am! It is worth it in the end cause I gotta say there is nothing better than roasting one of my own birds...if I could apply a smell factor to this blog..you would be drooling now! Ryki has jumped right in and does the morning feed everyday with me...and if I do not wake him first...there are tears involved...lesson learned...my cute little chicken farmer!

and finally our awesome weekend with company on the Acres! I have to confess I am really a spoiled brat...blessed to have such great friends all over who treat my little family as good as their own! We have been shown such generosity over the summer I am truly warmed to the heart! One of our new friends is Bev...my webmasterB, a beautiful woman, mama...truly inspiring. She came up for the weekend with her son Mike...also a great soul!
notes of fun..
1. chatting and giggling....the best parts
2. sitting in her cadillac LOL lots of buttons..its like a spaceship kinda. lesson learned...do not think i should drive one I picture myself driving off the road looking for the on button on the radio
3. wonderful gifts! Bev spoiled us rotten with stuff for the kiddies...puzzles fresh veggies etc!! She blessed our home with a beautiful piece of stain glass art...Bev's art I can't wait to find it a home to hang! and heeheehee! a handmade pair of socks!!! and for this girl with caveman feet! that's my all time fav thing to wear !
4. Bev's son Mike spent some time down by the local town docks fishing. He called on Saturday afternoon saying he needed someone to come down, he caught a big fish! I figured since he had taken Hubby's bike...it must be big! I grabbed the net, and a bag and found mike down on the shoreline. A huge 10lb northern Pike lying on the grass! WOW! I held the bag open as he told me his fishing tale of the big catch. He looked down at me (very tall LOL) and said "ummm I can't pick that thing up! that's why I called I am scared its gonna bite me!" Now in Mike's defense ... the great northern pike does have rows of razor sharp teeth that can cut you, and he did manage to hold it long enough for a local fisherman who helped him get it to shore after his line snapped take a pic with his camera. I will have to check with Bev..he may have utubed the catch! STILL it was little loony to the rescue as I picked up his fish!
5. Sunday morning breaky....my favorite food in the world I could eat it 24-7 fresh fish fryed in a tonne of butter and salt..YUMMY

and now Monday...dealing with a flat tire on a car that needs some oil change sorta service...dealing with the fact that I am getting good at filling my own tire??? something I have always turned to a man (with a smile) to do for me...strangers, hubby, anyone standing close to the air thing! getting back to school for the week....which took an on the road uturn last week cause my head just could not think past augh! and looking at the grey clouds thinking...damn no laundry on a possible rain day!

on to my week!

Holy Crap~! Post 100...I can't believe it

and I still don't know what I am doing~! But still enjoying this very much, despite the fact I would love to add some stuff..."badges" "links" etc. it is not that I haven't tried, I have ~! but that is where you insert the "i don't know what I am doing" URL's, Links to this, is it Legal to do that?? One day I will gain the savy ... for now you are all just stuck with my words, thoughts, and smiles.(IASAIT)

So to celebrate...a little of everything!

Cooking Tips...cook your own food~! not the kind that comes in a box, or ready to microwave(evil machines) make dinner everyday for five days...keeps ya healthy!

The Family Blender..see post 99...actually skip it is is really depressing seeing the realities and piles of shit we deal with(not the pile of shit got bigger just last night...but I am NOT dwelling on stupid people anymore!)

Family..
My loony goonies R doing fantastic and ready to start back to school (not sure if I am..but will get there ASAP) My love arrived home early yesterday giving me an opportunity to take an afternoon nap...aka really just watching General Hospital with my eyes closes. As usual the nap only lasted 15mins when Aspen was shouting in the vent above me..."r U sleeping yet ? we caught two baby snakes, do you want to see them?" no nap and no last fifteen minutes of GH! but two cute little snakes? in my antique can. Fun for the brats as they took the chance to 'learn how to pick them up and not jump and scream while doing it'
We attended the 28th annual Kelly Cunneyworth Reunion (one would think after 28years I would know how to spell cunniworth??? luckily I am a Kelly~!) As usual many annoying moments, but the smiles, tears, hugs and laughter always out way the dark side! A chance to reconnect with part of my family I have not seen in a decade...all of us smiling together like we had never been apart! My children giddy for the day as they played with family! fantastic memories to tuck away.
we have added a new member to our family after meeting a beautiful woman name Niecey! (along with her family too...I love it when family grows!)

Farminals..damn i raised me some fine birds this year...tasty tasty stuff! twenty more arriving September 17th.

green Stuff...I love green stuff and not looking forward to it turning all white again...with the exception of the ski~factor

Healthy Eating...see cooking tips above

I am Mama~! yes I am and loving it.

Just for fun and learning how...Just for fun and learning how? damn there is two of those labels? damn there is two of those labels..must have really been fun learning how!!!

local News that Drives me batty
~! Living just outside the small town of Callander, Ontario I admit I felt a sense of (new) hometown pride when I realized a young man from town is part of the Canadian Olympic Team for Track and Field. This week in the local small town weekly paper I read a story of his DELAYED trip to Beijing after attempting to board his Air Canada flight to the games. It would seem some ANAL guard at the gates stopped young Taylor Milne and flagged his passport as unacceptable at the gate. The passport Milne admitted had gone thru the wash two years prior but noted to the guard that he had in fact just flown to Belgium the week before with the same passports, as well had obtained his Chinese Visa for the Games from CHINA? after contacting Airport Officials..the jack ass guard still stuck to his guns and denied the passport despite the fact the officials were willing to let Milne continue on his journey. His journey was delayed a full week! New passport, and then a new visa were required for our Olympian Athlete to make it to the Games. My question is ..did this Jack Ass of a Guard stop to notice Milne was wearing a Canadian Olympic Athlete Jacket? or that his carry on bag was a bag designed just for our Team Members? I dislike anal people...very much!

and another sorta local story of a 'self proclaimed environmentalist" gent from Ottawa (the cit~iot) who recently purchased some lake front property in a northern community (Kilarney) After taking his refuse to the local dump one day, he has began a campaign...calling in his 'environmental lobby friends' to join his cause. It would seem he is troubled by the fact he spotted thirteen bears at the dump eating garbage. He is concerned that there is a large campground 3kms away, what about the safety of those campers?? and the safety of local RESIDENTS. His campaign is to raise awareness of this problem to petition the local community to erect fencing around the dump to stop the bears, possibly going as far as electrifying the fence line to ensure they stay out. Now don't get me wrong...when the bear was spotted on our street last week...and returned to our neighbours within thirty minutes despite being chased off by man and dog...I was ready for the nuisance to be shot...I am Mama! update..the bear has not returned, and no tracks visible in daze. BUT is this the first time this guy has left his concrete jungle?? has he considered by closing the dump off to the bears..they will follow their noses 3kms over to those campers?? One of the best parts of long weekend fishing trips as a child was the end of the weekend, and the trip to the dump to get rid of our garbage and WATCH THE BEARS??? I am guessing any local RESIDENTS know the bears R there when they go to the dump, I even know of many local dumps that R built in consideration of the bears....a bigass hole that you lob the garbage into...the bears go down there you don't?~! I wonder if this guy and his lobby Friends are going to do the fundraising to for the cost of enclosing an entire country dump with hightech fencing for the bears too? cause from what I know of Northern Communties..there isn't really alot of money to go around....just for the bears to go under! dumbass!

Morning Chai..outta chai today..sipping on some Jasmine

Our Pets...not a post yet, I think usually under wildlife? Daisy learned the hard way over the weekend about chasing cars...not surprised however she seems to have tucked and rolled and bounced right back being annoying as ever...despite a big hole in her leg. The rodent is still surviving? and the two baby snakes in my antique can? will not be pets...will be released today!

Loony thoughts....

Hope you all have a fantastically fucking loony day!!!

The last day of the farm!

Well its official...I am no longer responsible for waking up each day and feeding chickens! The last eleven birds are in a cage @ the butchers waiting for their demise, and to be roasted to perfection @ a later date. I am finding though...they are handy little things in the freezer! My love came home from work yesterday with a jar of pickled beets from the 'little old lady' he is working for now. Today I am sending him to work with a frozen chicken to trade for MORE pickled beets! They R fantastic...pickled the old school way with a hint of garden dirt! I love love love trading and bartering for things!

On a new BLOG note...I am starting a new post label today....Local News that Drives me Batty! Just stuff around the area reported in the news that makes me go hmmmm?

so lets start with some news from back home.....in the area Owen Sound. Now apparently, if you go by the news reports from Toronto (citiots!) the story is reported as follows..... Poor Black Tourist in Small Town Owen Sound mugged and stabbed @ Tim Hortons, portraying the small city as a redneck area that people of color should beware of as the locals are racist. The truth the news is not reporting (which I have been filled in by my sister...via her MIL who has lived in the area all her life) Truth be told...the poor innocent black tourist @ tim hortons was actually a crack dealer from Toronto who responded to a local GIRL he has supplied with an addiction to crack by punching her in the face a few times when he didn't want to give her a "fix" When the local GIRL made it home swollen bruised and bloody and explained to her country cousins why she was in such rough shape...her country cousins found out the crack dealer, told him to get the hell out of dodge with his dirty drugs, and let him know in a small city like Owen Sound, the country folk do not take kindly people punching out women... a fight ensued resulting in the poor black crack dealer being stabbed. Now I do not EVER condone violence, but I have to say it makes you go hmmm??? when the news reports portray this story like this!

Another one that comes out of the surrounding area of Toronto is a terrible situation where a young girl of twelve was picked up walking home one night and assaulted by a man...a man known to police to be a creep, who also is the topic of a facebook group involving his neighbours due to his creepy behaviour. Now it sickens me that men like this roam around lurking for their next prey, but ya have to wonder ... 1. what the fuck were the parents of this twelve year old girl thinking letting her be out so late @ night ALONE at 1am walking the streets? and 2. why does it seem lately like facebook has more truths and answers about these stories than the freak'n news and police? should we all get a facebook account and start searching groups for what is really going on?
It really bugs the shit out of me the freedom...lack of supervision/safety that parents give their children!! Do they use their heads when they send their CHILDREN out on the streets alone? People often say that my love and I do not let our children out of our sight enough, need to trust that they will be safe! Well the first and last time we allowed Aspen to go for a sleepover to a friends...I called @ 7:30pm to say goodnight (in winter) only to be told the girls (ages6-7) were not home from tobogganing down the street! This was after dark, a block away from a major road in North Bay, and on a street with no sidewalks!! I was ready to flip out and go get my child...but instead I remained calm (knowing Aspen would freak more!) and requested the MOM go and pick the girls up right away. Needless to say, Aspen is no longer allowed to go for playdates there. Maybe I am paranoid, my love is even worse...but I figure I would rather have them @ home safe and sound and happy ! Preparing them for what they may face out on the streets of today. So far...my kids know that if anyone looks at them funny tries to touch or go near them ...scream your head off...tell the person to FUCK OFF OR MY DAD WILL KILL YOU!

what a good girl you are!! YES you are a good girl~!

Rainy day monday...9:15 am and we were just about to start a day of summer school, as per Ryki's request~! Goonies to the rescue, two little ones just biked up the driveway...and I do not have to be teacher this morning...too bad cause its alot more fun than the bookkeeper role I will have to step into instead..augh!

busy weekend on the Acres...Friday we took twenty chickens to the butcher.
Time to raise the birds...May 9 to July 25
average cost thirteen bucks (including $2.90/bird for butcher..which saves me the grief of cleanup!)
weight when butchered...6-8lbs
Taste...fucking fantastic...especially with roasted with fresh baby red potatoes from the garden.
note on potatoes...being the first roast of the year...my love while I love him, is very picky about having the potatoes peeled...what the hell do you grow red then? is my opinion. So for Sunday Roast Chicken Dinner...first of 2008
I pulled a rebel...left the tasty red skin on...and even got to taste a little garden dirt~! Loony I know, but there is nothing better in my opinion.

Saturday...a trying day, rain, sun, thunder, yard work, kids, hubby ... LIFE~!
we managed to spend the morning making "cootie catchers" and waiting for the rain to stop. Around four PM Daddeo and the brats left on the quad for a little riding and I took a nap! just as I shut my eyes however/??? I heard that eerie thud you do not want to hear. Usually involving a pet of the household...and currently...there is only one rodent(hamster) left. I checked in Aspen's room to find that yes...my wee girl had left the cage door open and "KC" was not in there.
Checked for cats..none in house, close door, and stuff bottom to prevent escape, and wait to remind Aspen the consequences of leaving the door open, waiting to see if there was going to be more tears. 7pm the quad arrived home, and I broke the news to Aspen. While somewhat sad??? she didn't seem to be too heartbroken..life goes on ... but she was upset cause she spent 'hours cleaning the cage for her to go missing now?!" 7:30pm...watching TV I see Daisy in Ryki's room...she is in pounce mode (results of playing with cats as a pup...she pounces like them) I jump up...pull a box from the corner and....

THERE"S KC~! drenched in the scent of doggie drool, and looking a little shaken...she made it thru Aspen's room, thru the kitchen, the living room...to Ryki's room and in and OUT of Daisy's mouth!!

TOUGH LITTLE HAMSTER.....

DAMN GOOD DOG!!!!

Due to Current Weather Conditions....

The tooth fairy was unable to make it to Ryki last night because it is not safe to fly in the heavy rain, and lightning!!!
DAMN IT! I am a bad Mama and forgot to stash a couple LOONIES in under his pillow last night?! what was I thinking?! (SLEEP!)
Dad-EO came to the rescue...quickly remembering the loonie on the bathroom floor this morning and handed it to the wee man...'Here buddy, take this buck and put your tooth back...its not gonna rain tonight!"

We will see how long the tooth fairy lasts~! Atleast those R the good kind...not like the ones on HELLBOY2...those little guys were nasty buggers!

It was pouring rain this morning and now at ten am??!!! blue skies and sunshine!!!! I love living here! The lake always blows stuff away, from what I hear lots of places around us (Toronto!) have not had such fantastic weather...boo hoo...come here then! haha Gotta shut down the fangdangled machine today and get my shit together! trip to town to do the run'n, and clean the house...the dog hair~! Nishka is molting right now ...and it is very clear she has Malamute in her cause there R chunks or fur, and Daisy! good grief. Our company this weekend..dog people who I had requested they avoid bringing their female right now cause my girls have been acting like jackass'Z! It was declared that the damn dog daisy was actually a pretty good dog, but the ugliest thing they had ever seen...wtf is with her hair was mentioned many times in the course of four daze! Suggestion of the week...maybe I should DREAD the hair on her back to do something with it?! stay tuned for picks on flickr..the suggestion is interesting.

update on the Acres today for Friday

Farminals...delivered twenty to the butcher this morning..ready by 5pm...bbq Saturday eleven chickens to go...next round september (august off!!! road trips!) lost a chicken of a heart attack over the weekend...common when they get large...helped along by the company

Company...when three thirty something guys drive 6hrs for a vacation here....
1~they remember what its like to be six again...playing with sling shots and playing in the creek finding?? frogs Aspen taught them the difference between girls and boy frogs cause the rule was...don't kill the mama's Ryki told the 'fathertobeinsept" not to shoot one of the biggies cause it was his
"B-otch" (thanks beach boy for bringing that word home!)
2~they remember what its like to be thirteen again when they spend their nights by the fire running from it to avoid the shrapnel, and explosions from the various things they found to blow up
3~Two motorcross bike broke on day one..one a clutch another a tire...thanks to our quad smiles continued
4~Boat broke in the middle of the Bay~! we paddled for a while, Ryki swam, then we gotta a toe
5~I had a fantastic fucking time~! Loved seeing my (chosen) brother for life, and the other two R great friends. No matter what happened, there was smiles and laughter the whole time voted by me and my love as the best guests of the summer soooo far....even trying to row our sorry asses to shore!

Frost??!! WTF?!

ok so it is the end of freak'n MAY and this was the second morning I woke up to feed my chickens and the grass CRUNCHED beneath my feet? strange weather this year compared to last! I started planting the veggies last year the last week of April! Luckily my chickens R growing really well and R big enough o handle the cold..with the help of their heat lamp, and the hot water I add to their water dishes! Finally old enough to use my water tank by the coup...but still have to remember to bring the hot water bottles for them! spoiled birds! That was one of the bonus' where we built the coup.... Crafty old guy (previous owner) has the ease trough's on the barn hooked right up to a giant tank with a tap. Perfect for watering the birds and the garden.

The sun is at least shining today and melting off the frost, and supposed to warm up by noon hour...minus seven?! is just not cutting it for me...I have lots of weeding in the garden to get down!

The kids have been busy and do not seem to notice the cold...they see the sun and figure 8am must be time to play outside/?! Ryki started to practice the two wheel bike yesterday..woo hoo! very happy to see that he is ready for the next step. It started with Aspen helping him, and holding the bike, and now his stubborn little attitude has pushed on thru and he is determined to do it on his own. Such a happy mama! and proud!
I have never been one to push my kids to learn something until they decide for themselves to be ready. With Aspen..there was no stopping her on trying anything. With the boys however...time space and patience have got us thru. Alex was always a bit fearful of everything (brought on by his Mom and her fears I think) he hated going in the water, very nervous of trying to skate, bike etc. But now at nine he is a fish in the water, skates around like a demon, and while still a little akward on a bike...needs a spring refresher basically has come into his own and willing to try anything. Not to mention his little sister who has no problem yelling out...'for crap sakes Alex, its just a slide once you try you will like it!" fearless kamakazee Jane!!! So I am really hoping this is the year for Ryki...two wheel bike and maybe even putting his face in the water! LOL he does but only with goggles on!

on a sad note on our Acres, I am thinking it is time to accept we have lost a cat. My handsome striped cat Squawker has not been home for two weeks. I was hoping he was out roaming and 'studding' maybe being spring, but I think it is time to declare him M.I.A. and P.E.B.W. (presumed eaten by wildlife) he has gone the same way as his Mama. I will miss him, as he was always the first to cuddle and purr and so photogenic (IamterribleIknow!) A shame really because around here he was the summer champ on taking out the rabbits in the garden, so I am counting on Mon Nom his brother to step up to the plate...or Mamakat to earn her keep..although she tends to just kill and drop the carcass on the step...my boys would eat them, leaving the hind legs for Daisy!

The season begins

Well it has begun...the season of farminals! What we call our birds here on the acres. My day began as it will from now til butcher day..7am out to the coup...today being the last minute adjustments for the arrival of our day old little fuzzy yellow chicks. Our order...30...our pickup...32. They always seem to throw in a couple extras?

The kids and I drove out to the co-op for 10:30am...which is the time I got from Aspen as she took the message. Not hard to tell it is pick up day LOL cars trucks people and little boxes full of squawking chickens turkeys and duck everywhere! I was very proud of my wee kids...proudly peering into the boxes telling everyone who would listen which were turkeys, and not chickens (THEY REMEMBERED!) Then as we started checking the boxes it was Ryki who shouted out "R_A_C_I_N_E!!! This is our box Mama!" He READ the labels!!! There was my two brats sitting on the floor next to their chicks, poking there fingers and giggling like crazy....and many more smiles in the store. As I made it thru the line to pay, the very busy co-op girl behind the counter and leaned towards me,
"your little girl made my day when making all the calls, she was very polite and took the message, and seemed very happy to tell me that she and her brother were homeschooled...so they would be in to pick up the chicks!" I am mama...today I am PROUD MAMA.

As luck would have it, today has been chilly and very damp. We delivered our chicks to their new bedbox in the coup. Fed them, and watered them...this year I remembered...luke warm water for the babies! (last year I am pretty sure we lost a few off the bat as I fed them cold water...which apparently causes like instant pneumonia??? go figure?!)
I did my check up on them in one hour only to find...three little chicks in the water (too warm maybe??) soaking shivering and looking notso good.

Rescue Mission #1 (first day??) the little chicks were brought into the living room, wrapped in baby tshirts and cuddled by my wee farm hands till fluffy dry again and returned to their box

Rescue Mission #2 we have discovered a runt with cruddy legs. He is now in the parakeet cage...sometimes cuddled and being cared for by Aspen and Ryki. Aspen REMEMBERS that last year we had a chicken with cruddy legs...and after giving it time and space and love...she nursed him back to health and his legs grew strong again.

We shall see how long the wee chick in the parakeet cage will last. He doesn't seem to have an lacking lungs and squawking abilities, so we will see how long he stays indoors! (ie/ when dad gets home to find a chicken in the house?)