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The thunderstorms and mosquitos came later. Thankfully we were able to enjoy a weekend of good weather and visiting with family and friends but recentley the weather has been wet and the mosqitos have been swarming, makes for some unpleasent time outside. However, I did enjoy a temendous thunderstorm the other day, oh how Iv missed prairie thunderstorms. I used to hate thunder so much, it would make me want to hide under the bed, althought the lightning fascinated me. Now I love it all and the storm the other day was unreal. The lightning was so fast that the thunder couldnt keep up with it and there was a constant rumble in the sky. I stood outside, quiet except for the agggressive wind in the trees, the pounding rain and the electricity that lite up the sky. I stood there and listened to the rolling rumble, like my dog when he's about to hollow and just cant help the sound in his jowels. The sky just rumbled on and on, a low rumble but continious and slightly spooky. When the storm broke, and the sun cleared, many, many mosquitos were born. And as much as we needed that rain, those mosquitos are wicked creatures this year and will no doubt continue to cause me much grief. Thunderdtorms and mosquitos!!

Thunderstorms and mosquitos...

Well, as always, alot has gone on here out at the farm the last 2 weeks. It started with my good friend Trina flying in on Wed. night. I was sooooo happy to see her because her and her husband helped to move me out here and I wanted her to see how much I had done. Im also so thankful to Mike and her mother for caring for Lily, making it able for Trina to travel here, even though I know she missed them all terribly, I really needed that visit from her.
Day 2 of our adventure took us to Westlock where Trina helped me pick up 40 turkeys, and a hilarious trip to the feed mill(inside storey...chucklechuckle) Unfortunatley, we lost one turkey shortly after we came home and Trinas newfound favorite turkey, now named Saloman, died in front of her. Now I have 39 turkeys and a cross in my garden with the name Saloman on it. We both agreed, Trina will never be a farmer...lol.
By Friday my sister and nephew had arrived and the Canada party kicked off. Friends were invited to stay untill sunday then family started to arrive to visit for a couple days. It all worked out really well, everyone being able to meet at the farm for a visit while Jolene was in town and the coolest thing of all was when Jolene flew here, our brother Kriss was the pilot!!!
On day 4, dad arrived with 2 pigs for me. In the last 48 hrs I had acquired 40 turkeys and 2 pigs and I had alot of work to do to get their first homes ready. I had the turkey coup ready, Bob and Kriss helped with my fire wood and Dad helped with the pig pen. I like a good days work...lol

40 turkeys...what was I thinking???

Well, I think its official, I am a farmer! Yesterday, I ordered 40 turkeys to raise, feed, fatten up and then butcher, just in time for Christmas. Well, I cant say Im going to do the butchering, but it will be done! The point is, I have 40 turkeys coming and I thought I was ready but...ummm...not so much. I started to clean out the pen for the turkeys, which was formally known as home to many chickens, for many years, and realized I have alot of work to do before I pick them up on the 30th. Apparently, you should not cross chicken germs and turkey germs for fear of disease, well I didnt know that, therefore, lots more work then I had planned. That seems to be a consistant theme to my blog hey? I obviously dont know what Im doing...lol. So here I am, frantically getting the turkey coup ready,caring for the goats and llamas,still planting the garden, taking care of Elfriede, and working, makes for a busy schedule. Not to mention those damn goats are trying all my patience...I NEED A FARM HAND!!!

full tilt ahead...

Its the first day of June and I think we may finally be without threat of frost. I thought because I put my plants in after the long weekend, which is notories for bad weather, that I would be safe, but not so much...lol. The beans and cucs I started indoors and replanted into the garden suffered some frost two nights ago. Im hoping they will rebound, but I have another crop in the ground, along with everything else that I planted later and those should survive due to the insaltion of the dirt. Hopefully I havent already lost my first crop but as the weather changes, so does our planting season, and I guess I have to learn to adjust to that. They are predicting a hot summer and with out a doubt, a long fall so hopefully this wont affect me much, I still think Im ahead of the game.
I Know I have already mentioned my glorious flagpole, but to top it off, I have had a new gate installed. This may seem quite uneventfull to most but its a thrill to me. For one, I can let the llamas out again which is two fold, a:I dont have to buy feed for them and b:they keep the grass down, which is why I keep and feed them all winter in the first place. So its nice to see them doing their job again...lol. Also, the new gate is stronger and on a wheel so it'll be much better in the winter and on uneven terrain. All these little things are really coming together. Next big project is my sign and getting the pen re-inforced to hold turkeys. Who wants to pre-order their free range thanksgiving turkey now???

windest day this year...

Well the flagpole made it into the ground, to much surprise. Never stopped to think about this before, as I have never installed a flagpole until now, but picking the windiest day of the year, well, it works against you...lol. Patrick did a great job of figuring out the instructions and doing most of the work to put it up, but seriously, we were working against some insane heavy winds. And apparently, probably due to global warming(had to get that in there) the wind is coming from a new direction then Alberta is normally use too. Its bringing down alot of trees because they grow to brace themselves from the other direction.  I joke that its because of global warming but who really knows, maybe I shouldn't joke at all. Too prove a point, this wind has brought in a new species of mosquitoes. More aggressive and travelling on the wind, they are like a mutant mosquito, unlike our species. Them and the fire ban makes sitting out in the yard very unenjoyable.I can understand and all, what with all the fires in this province, already!! But this being, my birthday weekend, makes me very sad that I don't get to enjoy that. The times they are a changing...

flagpole cometh....

Yaaaa!!! Im so excited to announce Il  be getting my shinny new flagpole tomorrow. As all my friends can tell you, Im a truly proud Canadian, and I have wanted to fly my own flag for a long time. And to do so on some property I actually own is very thrilling!!! Seriously, I may cry tomorrow...lol. What a great reward for surviving my first, and hopefully worst winter back in Alberta:) Another great reward is seeing the bright green leaves starting on all the trees, the colours are so brilliant and definitely a source of hope. Yaaaa, spring and the season of new beginnings. Tomorrows a big day with the installing of the flagpole but also hopefully getting the garden turned over. I have my neighbour coming over, so without any complications it should be ready to plant after tomorrow. Well maybe not 100%, but by the long weekend for sure. Just in time for my first annual "volunteer work day/ Shelleys bday" celebrations!!! I v already put out some invites so I hope I get a good turn out but I know Im competing with a big pig roast a mile up the same country road as I, so we'll see how it goes. Im offering a mountain of ribs for who ever comes over and does abit of manual labour...lol...we'll see?!

time to plant...

Well it is finally time to take the garden to the next level!!! I have sooo much work ahead of me but at least I can finally get started. The ground is dry enough to get the tractor back in there to rib up the rest of the big trees and then get the area mulched up. I know my neighbour can come over with his tractor, he helped me get started last fall before the snow came but we were unable to finish in time.So he will be coming back to help me with that and I then I plan on renting some equipment for the long weekend of May and get the mulching and or rototiller done. Iv invited a bunch of people over for my first annual volunteer day/ Shelley's bday celebrations on the 22nd, so hopefully we will get alot done then. That ground has not been turned over for about 10 years so its going to take alot of work but also very fertile soil. Although Im going to only plant half the size of a garden this year, I think I will see quite a large bounty of fresh vegetables and I cant wait. Iv already started some plants inside. So far, 3 different types of beans and some herbs. I really want to learn how to can this year and tri-coloured beans is going to be my specialty. Perfect on their own or in a caesar...lol