I should have stayed in bed....

Well winter has come to this part of Nova Scotia. It's cold and it's snowy. That means lugging water. The ground is semi frozen and I didn't get to plant my garlic or pick the rest of the carrots in the garden. Hmmm.. I wonder if they'll overwinter? Will I have carrots next spring? or will they be all mushy? That's something that will have to wait till next spring.

The cats are happy that the Christmas decorations are up. Binoo was in her usual spot the minute the tree was done. They are pretty good with the decorations. They only bother the bottom ones on the tree, and most of the time they don't even bother.

Yesterday morning we awoke to squeaking in the kitchen. Binoo and Daisy had a mouse cornered under the radiators. Heaven forbid that they catch it and eat it. No, no, no!! Too much work and it might dirty their paws. So J. and I went to the rescue. We saved the mouse from the jaws of death..well, kind of. We petted it and talked to it, then I let it loose outside, hoping it would be smart enough to find a nice warm hole to hibernate in.

Well let me tell you, no wonder mice are at the bottom of the food chain. They aren't the brightest bulbs in the bunch. Within 10 minutes Shadow tracked down the mouse and had a nice breakfast.

J. was all disappointed, but then Dave in all his wisdom told J., "How would you like to be stuck in a cold barn all night? This way Shadow had a nice warm meal first thing this morning. Kinda like oatmeal to you."

Tis' the season for Christmas concerts. So far we've had the Sunday school concert and J. was a nice wiseman. Then we had the school concert. Tomorrow night we're having the church Christmas contata.

Well onto the reason behind the title of this post.

It started out innocently enough that Sunday morning a few weeks ago....

We got up, ate breakfast, showered and then off to church.

The weather was still mild so I wore my leather jacket. I wasn't leading worship so I decided to wear jeans.

That morning we sat in the balcony...thank goodness...

It was a bit chilly in the church so I kept my jacket on.....thank goodness....

So we stood up and prayed and sang....then sat down...then stood up again... you get the picture.

Then it was the greeting chorus, so we went down to shake hands with the other people and I still had on my jacket...thank goodness.....

I started to climb up the stairs to the balcony when I felt something weird on my butt. I tried to inconspicuously feel what the problem was, nothing seemed amiss. I figured my underwear were in a spot that they weren't supposed to be in. So I didn't think any more about it.

I got to my seat and by this time it was warm in the church so I took my jacket off! Sat down and proceeded to listen to the sermon.

After it was done I donned on my jacket...thank goodness... and still my pants felt weird. I just said my good byes and left the building. Nothing unusual. Until the cold air hit me and my bottom! I got to the car and really felt for the problem. To my mortification my pants had ripped, from stem to stern!

Why am I posting this? I'm not really sure. Maybe to teach everyone else a lesson...don't wear jeans to church!

Or maybe I'm past being mortified and now I see the humour in it. Because honestly, it is just so darn funny. Or maybe I'm just a sucker for punishment. Dunno.

One thing I do know...I've probably made your day now.

Oh and Dave and I are singing a special tomorrow in church and I will not be wearing pants! A nice long skirt will do nicely!

Have a Blessed Day and Merry Christmas!

Lisa

p.s. the truck is gone.

Weird happenings on Spring Peeper Farm.

Cindi Lou pondering life

First of all, the date on top should be December 4, 2010.

Well, well, well... Two Fridays ago, we were driving home from J's hockey practice, when we spotted 3 teens walking on the side of the road. It was dark out, so we only saw them at the last minute since they were wearing all dark clothing.

We were just beside them when they threw a two by four in front of the car! What the heck!!?? We just couldn't believe it. We heard Thunk! as it hit the car. By the time we realized what was going on the culprits were gone. We stopped at a friends house to call the cops, for all the good it would do. But we did anyway.

We started on our way home again, when Dave said, "This is bugging me! I'm going back!" So he turned on a dime and we went back. Don't ya think the buggers were there again!

So we went to the house we called the cops at and Dave dropped us off and picked up his friend.

They was gonna go idiot huntin'!

To make a long story short, they found them and Dave chased them down, first with the car, then by foot! He caught one of them, and brought him at the fire hall, since that's where they were at the time and Dave has a key to it.

He called the cops from there and the kid squealed on his friends (honor among criminals eh?). The cops came and took a statement. The kid's dad came and he was not a happy camper! Since they are all underage they have a curfew set on them by the cops. No damage was done to the car. In a way I wanted some damage to the car, because they were obligated to pay for it, if there had been some. I know that's not very Christian of me, but I am so sick and tired of young punks getting away with everything, just because they're underage. My motto is, "If you're old enough to do the crime, you're old enough to do the time."

So putting that behind us, we thought our brush with the law was behind us. WRONG!

Last Saturday was an extremely busy day. I was working, Dave was at a craft sale till 4pm with my soap and spices (he sold 22 bars of soap btw, very good) J. had to be at the Sunday school concert practice at 1pm, then at a hockey game three hours away for 3pm, then he somehow had to go to my mom's in the other direction 45 minutes away for 4pm to go to the Santa parade for 6pm. Then Dave and I had to be at a banquet for 6:30pm. So needless to say, it was busy and J. didn't get to the hockey game. Only so many hours in a day and I don't really want to cut my son in half, like Solomon wanted to do in the Bible.

Anyhoo...We all got home around 9pm and all fell into bed soon after. We were pooped.

Little did we know.....

What had transpired in......

our back yard!

Sunday we were still clueless until after we got home from church and our neighbour came to see if we liked the new creature in our backyard.

We were like, huh?

Till we saw this......

Kids... this is what happens when you drink and drive!

I won't go into details with it, since the police are involved and it's not over yet, but I will say one thing, this poor truck is in a swamp that has 80 feet of mud under it. It's slowly sinking....it's been raining, this is not helping matters. It's been a week today and it's still here. Technically it's not on our land, but it visible from our land and people are coming to see it and it's causing congestion in the road. They stop to have a look, block our driveway and we are at the bottom of a blind crest. Not good.

The police have been here so many times, you'd think someone died here. Geez! I just want it gone. It was funny at first, but it's not anymore.

Febe giving us a kiss.

Anyway, I can't leave a post without photos of goats, it's been a while since I've posted some and new ones of Tundra.

Tommy and Tundra. (Stinky LaPew and Penelope too!)

She's now in with the goats permanently. She even sleeps with them at night. I have my house back. Phew! She wasn't happy in the house anyhow. She's so happy outside all day and in the barn all night. Someone told us it's cruel to keep a dog outside all the time and not bring it in the house. They said, "what's the point of having it?"

Uh...well...to protect the animals it was bought for. It's bred into to her to protect those goats. And she's happy and does it well.

Well that's about it for today.
Have a Blessed day.

Lisa

I'm sooo not impressed!

Tommy is not doing his deed! Febe AND Cindi Lou came into heat again this week. Febe on Monday and Cindi Lou today.

Dave put the goats out for me today and I told him to watch Tommy and Cindi.

He brought Febe to the pasture and when he came back Tommy had jumped his stall! He was waiting outside for Dave. You gotta understand that Tommy's walls reach up to my shoulders! It's also not big, so he couldn't get a running start.

He was just raring to go see Cindi. So without going into graphic details....Dave said at least 10 times!!Surely to goodness it took this time. If it didn't we're going to bring them to a friend's buck. I'm not taking anymore chances.

Well it's cold here now. That means lugging water and low egg production. Crud. I'm also down to milking Febe just once a day. She's giving a liter with one milking. She was giving less with 2 milkings. So I just milk in the morning.

Oh I also need some ideas from everyone. I need a cute, catchy name for my patchouli soap. Honestly I hate the smell, but I had a request for it.

Have a Blessed Day

Lisa

Oh yes it's Ladies Nite .....

My honey, selling our wares.

Well last night was our annual Ladies Night at Home Hardware. There were over 170 ladies in that store. Ugh. Think packed, think sardines, think claustrophobia! Ack!!!! But it's for a good cause. I was helping David S. with the spin 'n' win in the greenhouse part of the store. Brrrr....It was our first snow of this year. Just a small sprinkling but cold none the less.

Part of our Christmas room, The photo doesn't do it justice.

All the ladies enjoyed themselves, games, deals, and food served to you by men on platters. Uh, wait, I mean the food was on the platters, not the men. That's the French coming out of me.

We even had Scrooge!

Every year, Theresa the floor manager and organizer of this event also asks local artisans to set up tables to sell their wares. So I asked if Dave could come and sell my Epicure and soaps. It was excellent exposure. We sold about a dozen soaps and some spices also. He's also going to a craft show this Saturday. I'd go but I'm working.

Watch out! She's really vicious!

On another subject. Tundra "the wonder puppy and protectress of the goat herd" has some bad habits. She nips and she keeps putting herself between you and whatever else it is you're trying to get to. It's very annoying. Any hints on the nipping would be appreciated. When she's putting herself in front of you I'm wondering if she's just trying to protect you from what she thinks is a dangerous situation (I mean washing dishes is a very dangerous occupation. Nothing worse than dishpan hands!) or just being a pain in the patootie. Any suggestions? I mean she is a Great Pyrenees, it's bred into them to protect their property (and we are technically her property).

On a down side, Dave's mom was put into a seniors home last week. Her husband couldn't take care of her anymore. Her Alzheimer's was getting worse. It's been very hard on him and Dave. But it had to be done.

On a happy note, I entered a blogger's contest a few weeks ago and I actually won! I was so excited! Thank you Rural Revival!! Also Annie at Cariboo Valley just loves Dave's goat house.

Well I think that's about it for tonight.

Have a Blessed Day!

Lisa

I Did it! I finally did it!

I never thought it possible.

Today I actually sat down and did NOTHING! I didn't vacuum, sweep, dust, wash dishes, clean the goat pen, clean the chicken coop or clean out the gardens even though it was beautiful out.

I actually did squat! Nothing nada.

I put J. on the bus, came back home, ate breakfast then promptly fell asleep in my chair while watching The Mom Show and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Some days you just need that.

I don't even feel guilty. Hmmm... strange. Did aliens come and abduct me when I was napping?

Have a Blessed Day

Lisa

Gopher Wood anyone?

Methinks we need an ark.

Well ok, maybe not now. But Friday, Saturday and Sunday, it sure looked like it. My plan for that weekend was to do all the end of season yardwork. Clean the gardens so I can plant my garlic, clean up the greenhouse, bring in the lawn ornaments etc...

Meerrp! Guess not. That plan went out the door Friday night. It started to rain, and rain, and rain and rain some more. The wind came into play so that didn't help matters. Then Saturday it rained and rained and rained and rained some more. Sunday morning it just drizzled, then it rained and rained and rained and rained some more.

Are we seeing a pattern here? From Friday night to Sunday morning we received more than 200mm of rain! (for you Americans, 25mm equals one inch) What rain we didn't get this summer, we got this weekend. Everyone is flooded. Us for some strange reason didn't get a flooded basement. Weird.

BUT! we lost our goat fence and a tree. The tree was on it's way to fall on the chicken barn, hay barn and the corner of the goat barn. So Dave and our neighbour took his tractor and pulled it the other way.

My poor goat fence.

Then...my fence posts at the goat pasture broke under the pressure of all the rain being pounded by the wind. It broke alot of them right at ground level. So the goats are stuck in the barn and not happy about it. The front part of the pasture is fine, so Dave is going to block off the broken part and we'll fix it next spring. So that way the goats will be able to go outside.

The tree that fell. It was going on the other side.

As for the tree that got knocked down in the pig's pen...well... It killed the electric fence and the regular fence. Thank goodness we only have 2 little pigs left. They are locked in the barn for now, needless to say. They are also going to the butcher this week. They are only 3 months old, but nobody wants to buy them. So we are going to keep them whole and BBQ them on the spit.

So back to the rain, about an hour's drive from here in a place called Quinan they really got the brunt of it. The news had a reporter in a boat. It looked like are large lake. It was really a farmer's field. There was at least 6 feet of water if not more.

The dam broke!

One of the dams in our area broke. Dave went out today and took some photos. It was nice today, no rain...until now...I now hearing the rain just pouring outside. Sugar Boogers! This is not good for the people of Quinan. Many houses are destroyed, roads are gone, bridges are underwater and the hydro dam is almost ready to burst. They've been keeping a close eye on it.

This is really a nice big lawn. Not anymore. If it could freeze, it would be a nice skating rink.

Not good, not good at all. We have to keep praying that they'll all be safe. They have evacuated everyone, but there's still property and livestock.

Tundra with her Elvis impression

Well Tundra is growing. And growing.. She's a little over 5 months old now and she's 64lbs, extremely clumsy and into everything. The kitchen is getting too small for her. We were putting her with the goats until the fence got knocked down. That was tiring her out and they are finally getting along.

But in the meantime, she's been busy chewing in the kitchen.

Hmmmm... too bad she doesn't have any bones and toys to chew on. NOT! She's got lots of bones, but she prefers my cupboards....

and the baseboards

and the potato bin

and the antique high chair

and more baseboards!

She has got to move to the barn where she belongs! AND SOON!

Dave is going to change the pig pens to a Tundra pen when she's not with the goats.

Well that's about it for today.

Have a Blessed Day!

Lisa

How cool is that!

I've just been playing around with the tabs on my dashboard and aside from USA and Canada, I have a following in Russia and many other countries that I would never have guessed!

Who would have ever thunk it?!!

But what I've been wondering is... how do I get more followers? Am I too boring? Do I need to post more regularly? How do I get "out" there more? Any ideas?

Maybe.......

I should do a soap giveaway? Hmmm.....

Now that's an idea!

What do you think?

That way I could also get opinions on my soap?

Ugh...

My hand smells like a buck. And I washed it several times. Yuck....buck in season.

Ok, that comment was totally uncalled for.

It just popped in my head, I think I'm over tired.

Have a Blessed Evening.

Lisa