Even my husband helped picked cherries

Checking out our amazing buckets of cherries. What a good haul

I do think they ate an awful amount every time you looked at them they were eating them.

Not too bad for an old tree.

On Friday night I usually have a hard time posting as the computer is doing it's Virus scan and it takes most of the evening then my husband has been on the computer looking up truck parts so no posting last night. Yesterday was quite warm I made my husband come for a walk with me so he manged to do 6.4 km I asked him what time he wanted to do it today and there was no comment.
Today I have to decide what to do with the cherries we will eat lots freeze some and maybe do a little baking.
My son is on a fire today in Ashcroft he had to be out at the fire base by 6am and he thinks he will be home tonight.
There are Rattle Snakes in Ashcroft!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cherry Picking

Last night we picked the cherries off the tree, we sure did get a good crop this year.

The younger kids were so excited they waited all day to go up in the tractor. They were so loud laughing, singing telling jokes. They just about drove us nuts but did they have fun!

Even the dogs joined in playing tag back and forth through our cherry buckets.

Today we had a huge storm wind, thunder, lightening and rain it was crazy for a good part of the day. We had four lightening strikes that I know about my son went out to two small fires. Our storm started when my two younger children and I were up top on our property walking we got caught in the beginning of the storm so we ran home the temperature dropped down to 7 above with rain and a cold wind. Then when the storm passed we could see the mountains above us it had snowed my husband was getting loaded in the bush with his last load and he was being snowed on. CRAZY... I tell you there is no such thing as global warming around here we are in the start of an ice age. Eventually it did warm up my daughter and I went for our walk at three it warmed up and half way we were really hot. I did mange to mow my lawn after supper it is not too good as the grass was still wet but it's done. Well I am tired and I hope to get some sleep tonight I had trouble going back to sleep after I got my son off for work this morning he seems to be getting up okay but 2:30 does come fast. I will talk to you all tomorrow.

Swimming jumping and diving

and I am not sure what this is

This one walks on water

Today the kids had friends over so we swam most of the day, went for walks, played. Me I accomplished absolutely nothing but even sop I am very tired tonight. I have to be up at 2:30 to get my son off to work so I had better go and make sure I set an alarm.

Garden's are good for the soul, give one inspiration and produce a calmness.

Today it ended up getting quite warm and yet I started my chores before 7am with a sweater. Again the day flew by my parents and my youngest daughter came home from camping while my middle daughter is on her way up to Tumbler Ridge for a few weeks. It is a long time to be gone but she should have fun.
Today I was changing sprinklers with our phone on my pants waist and I ran away from getting wet and lost the phone the only problem was I did not know I lost the phone right away so I had to completely back track my whole morning. Then I could not find it I had to send my boys out to look for it, sure enough it was in the tall grass right under the sprinkler.

My goodness the days go by fast I am finding they just fly by. I went to town to buy a few 2 x 4's then I got a horrible blister from hammering. I honestly can 't even tell you what I did today but the day is over. I was driving the tractor with hay to feed the cows tonight and I had to go on a slant Oh my gosh I was scared I will not go that way again it really wasn't even that bad but I hated the feeling I think I will use the four wheeler next time.
My son went to work at the fire base today then he is on call tonight until midnight so he is staying at a friends house. I truly don't think a fire could start tonight it is so cold out, I took the kids swimming then I had to do pipes on the field and I was so cold.
Tonight my daughter called me from Bridge Lake it was her 3rd call today I wonder if she is homesick.... she still has a few weeks in Tumbler ridge to go yet. While I was talking to her I was multi tasking of watering plants, talking on the phone and feeding my doves all at the same time well one flew out so I called my boys and we caught him near our pond. The man I bought my doves from tamed them and cut one wing so they will not fly away but still I am glad I caught him and put him in his cage again safe.
Every time I came inside today I would print out some of my blog it has been three years and it is the closes thing I have done to keeping a diary so over 500 pages later I am all printed out and ready to make into booklets. I recommend everyone who has a blog do this then in 100 years they can read about you because I ma pretty sure our computers will not be still working. Also those who have digital cameras PRINT OUT YOUR PHOTO's I have 17,900 pictures from my camera in our computer. Half of those photo's are on back up disks and all of them are on a back up hard drive and half our printed out.... a little more work to do then I am caught up.

Today was a day that went by really fast I guess it is because I was majorly multi tasking. It takes me half the of morning to get through chores, sprinklers, and the pool. Then dyed some fibre worked on my latest project. I managed to get a walk in I have not walked in awhile I have just been too busy so I did my 6.4 km tonight.

These beautiful flowers are in my garden don't they look nice with the rain on them.

Poor Burt

We have had a long day the stress level at this house is unbearable.
The good part of our day we had a baby cria born today a little girl Alpaca she is very cute.
The sad part is we found Burton he did go up to the next level of our property last night when the boys fed the cows and it looks like he was looking for squirrels. His collar got caught on a large round blade (circular saw type) and he choked to death. As horrible as that is the it is not the worst. We looked for over 2 hours last night until after 11pm all of us calling him with flash lights the van, 4 wheeler, scooter lights and the horrible part is my kids and then my husband were parked within a foot and half away from Burton and they could not see him. Can you imagine how scared he was trying to get to them all. I can only hope that he had died before he heard us calling him or before we were right next to him. I just can 't take it all in when I found him I could have gone hysterical I had already gone by him twice and I mean right by him so when I found him I got such a shock.
I had to tell my son over the phone as he is still at the fire it was horrible he got very, very quiet. My middle son is sobbing in the living room as I write this it is so hard on the kids when you loose a pet I just hate it.
I feel like I have been on an emotional roller coaster it is exhausting sometimes I wish it would all stop you wonder how much you can take. Sometimes the stuff that stresses you out seems small but our heart has a terrible time taking it all in. I don't know why but there always seems to be so much drama here and it is funny I am sure we don't go looking for it but it has a great way of showing up on our door step.
Well I just want you to know Burton was a fun dog, not perfect but he sure loved the kids. He seemed really happy and sometimes not very brave but he sure loved Jordan. Heaven is a happier place today because Burt is bouncing around looking for things to get into, finding some goats to herd the wrong way, looking for something awful to roll in and finding a good truck to ride in. One of his favorite places was the dam. Thanks for making our life a little bit brighter Burt rest in Peace buddy. LOVE YOU!

This dog is missing

Last night something very odd happened we were sorting goats, sorting rabbits and loading chicks we were off to the auction in the morning. It was about 9:20pm we were just getting ready to call it a day. We moved the truck to our house so the goats had shelter, the boys took a bale up to the cows on the quad and I was putting the last goat and Harry the llama out. My son's dog Burton was there so trying to help we told him no and that was that no big deal no one got mad or yelled at him. Anyway we have not seen him since we looked until 11pm called him checked every place 3-4 times he is nowhere to be found. I went out a 4:45am to look and I am going again I am just waiting for my son to phone as he is still at the fire. I am sick of worry and what am I going to tell my son, he absolutely loves his dog! It is like he has vanished, a few thoughts have entered our mind one he got a bad bunt from a goat and is hurt but where we have looked everywhere, a kick from a cow or a horse ,run over down the road but we have looked or hooked up on his collar. There has been no whimpering or barking Oh my gosh I don't know what to do!!!!!!
It is always one thing or another here the stress unbearable. So on that note I am off to hunt for him. Wish me luck and cross your fingers he is okay and pray my son is okay when I tell him...

Can you see this little guy swinging away they really enjoy using the swing. You can not help but smile at these little doves.

The garden is wonderful when it is in full bloom it is hard to imagine how it creeps up on you when the weather is not cooperating. It just quietly does it's own thing until it is showing of all it's glory.

Lady Geneva enjoying the roses

Our front yard

Today was a cooler rainy day and our yard looks so full.

The roses are are in full bloom it is quite pretty. Can you see the lovely Honey suckle?

Today was a good day for some book work, cleaning, organizing and a little yard work. I was so chocked I missed my son's call this morning so tomorrow as soon as I wake up I will carry the phone with me. He called tonight he can only call on a pay phone collect he is near Boston Bar. He slept out in a little tent and he did not sleep well. He woke up at 5:30am had breakfast. He walked up Jack ass mountain again this time he went right near the fire and dug a fire guard around it, he then had to help dig out hot spots, stumps etc. he told me burnt his arm on a hot rock and it already formed a blister and popped NICE...sorry.
This is for my family so extra details.
He said it rained quite a bit. He also said his finger is really hurting he cracks his knuckles a lot so I think it is starting to be arthritis and with his hand wet from the rain. He had to put them into the dirt where is was really warm. I have tried to tell them it is not cool to crack but they still do not listen. The men had their lunch brought to them he ate 3 very big sandwiches, Chocolate bars, Candy , Orange juice, apple juice and water. He says he can have any thing he wants at the restaurant where they eat. Poor people he eats soooooooo much. He sounded quite tired but better than last night , last night he kept having to clear his throat. He does not know when he is coming home so it is day by day for us.
Now my middle son did his first day we woke him up at 2:20am showered ate cake and ate more cake for breaky then off he went for 3am down the drive way. He quite enjoyed and is looking forward to next Thursday. He goes to me this morning "You know mom when I was packing up my back, I thought Your little man is growing up. If I had not laughed so hard it would have made me sad but hell I thought he was funny. Have a good night I am off to sleep I am absolutely knackered tonight.

Today my oldest son was called out on his first forest fire. I did not take it very well. I was excited for him he seemed excited but for me it made me cry all day. I know he will be looked after and common sense tells me he will be okay but tell it to my heart. I don't know if I am more sad about him maybe being gone for 10 days or more or the thought of him at the fire, rattle snakes, talking to strangers... he is only 17. GOD this growing up his hard to do I truly don't think I can do this through 6 kids.
I honesty know I could not make it through sending one of my children to war how do those poor parents do it... they are amazing. I bet they can feel their hearts breaking I know I lost a part of mine today and it can not even compare to what they must be going through.
Call me being dramatic but it honestly feels like my throat is burning, eyes are burning and it feels like my stomach is full of lead. It caused my eyes to see heat waves which is a start to a migraine then the head ache came all day. It truly made me feel exhausted, unless someone has gone through such an an attack of stress I don't think they get it.
The highlight was he was on the news his grandma saw him smiling in the back ground with his arm crossed over his chest, we only saw him with his pink bandanna on the one he wore for Anti bulling day and then we saw him drinking some water in the back ground. We have watch every news story we can find on Jackass mountain fire near Lynton (Not to sure on that spelling) just so we can see him. Then tomorrow my middle son has to be up at 2:30 am for his first day of work he is only 14. No one ever told us being a Mother was going to be so hard.
The good part of the day was my oldest daughter turned 19 today we had a lovely dinner at her Oma's and Grandpa's. It was a turkey dinner and some great desserts. The extra bonus is we get extra Marble cake and the left overs for turkey soup.

Happy Birthday to you!!!

Sunbathing in the beautiful sunshine. Are they not the most beautiful girls.

She is 19 today it is so hard to believe it truly seems like only yesterday she was born.

Making a wish.

Canada Day fun

It was so warm in our house we had to eat out side. The sky was grumbling all day which made my oldest son very excited in case he might get called out on his first fire... if only I could share his excitement.

We have been so busy doing hay we had know time to plan any fun so on our last load we ran to town bought some Canadian decorations, pop, and some snacks and made a party. The kids enjoyed themselves. Some of us dressed in red or shirts with Canada on them. My middle daughter did a wonderful supper for us and some very good desserts.

Getting dessert ready

Eating strawberries and whip cream or should I say shoveling...

OH Canada are home and native land....

Our very quick thrown together Canada Day Bar B Q. Mom and Dad came over for dessert.

My poor husband is having a terrible time with his allergies. They are so bad they are making him feel sick.

These pictures are for Koa of big Grandpa.

Oh Canada

HAPPY CANADA DAY TO ALL OF YOU
I HOPE YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY AND HAVE TIME TO CELEBRATE.