The Weekend

     Wow what a busy weekend got a lot accomplished!!

 

Friday night Dennis and Katie had Herbie's birthday at there place, we had a wonderful supper of chicken, asparagus, garlic potatoes and parsnips. Then for dessert Lemon Meringue pie. Herbie is an old time miner he has lived here in Cottonwood for over 30 years, he has a cabin on the Cottonwood River, it is about 200 Sq. Feet, has no insulation, he heats with a tiny wood stove, that has a hole in the bottom of it and the hot coals fall out on to the floor. He has no hydro or phone. He is quite the character. Herbie has lots of wonderful stories to tell. One day I will do a post just on his stories.

Herbie at Dakodie Lake Sharpening the Saw!

Spazz Loves Herbie

The guys went to get the wash plant around 8 pm but the tractor could not lift it.   

The lower part of the wash plant

So it will have to wait for the loader.

Katie, Ellen, Herbie and I took a drive up the 600 Rd. To see where the bridge at 4 km had washed out, and left a Miner stranded. The Miner was able to get out but had to leave his truck on the other side of John Boyd Creek.

Saturday morning  Rick, Orville and Dennis, are going to work on the brakes of Orville's loader to get it ready to pick up the wash plant and get it ready for the mining season.  

Orville happy the Brakes are done.

Dennis: Peek a Boo

Dropped Rick off at Orville's at 10:30, and then I went into pick up Marsha and spend the day with her.

    Marsha gave me a beautiful picture that she drew for Mothers Day, here is a picture of it.

We went to the nursery and got the seeds for the gardens. We got Lettuce, seed potatoes, swiss chard, carrots, radishes, red, yellow and green onions, beets, celery, and in a week or two I will get the tomato plants. I love to plant the seeds and watch as they progress through out the different stages till they are ready to harvest. Then we went and had lunch, of course Marsha spent 3/4 of that time on her phone.  Then on to get the rest of the groceries, dog and cat food. I dropped Marsha off shortly after 4 pm, and headed home.

I stopped at Orville's on my way to see how they were making out, It poured rain most of the day, and they had the area tarped so they would stay dry. I went home and unloaded the groceries while Rick got a caliper for a bolt and then we went back over to help finish up for the day.

 Dennis headed home and Orville came over for supper, they were pretty tuckered out.

Just a couple of winks is all I need!

Katie said this is what Dennis looked

 like

Spazz needed a snack before Rick could Nap

Rick had to work on Sunday, so I planned on planting some trees in the front yard, and planting the gardens. The previous owners cut all the trees down on our property for pasture for their horses. Well I love trees more than horses so, my goal this year is to plant at least 40 trees. I got 11 done on Sunday morning. I would dig the holes in the ground then go in the bush surrounding our property and find a lonely tree and bring it home. Spazz followed me all morning into the bush back to the hole I dug earlier and then she would look for some mice and birds to chase. 

On one trip into the bush I was half way through digging up a tree and I heard claws on a larger tree and then scurrying up the tree, well my heart stopped thinking it was a bear cub and then I slowly turned around and here it is Spazz hanging off a branch looking at me. (Crazy Cat) Thomas sitting on his stool at the kitchen widow cried let me out all morning. He is an inside cat and not allowed out side without his harness and leash on. 

At around 11 am Carl and Val showed up with their ATV'S to go for a ride down the Blue Road, it was a beautiful day sunny and plus 26.

Val & Carl

All tuckered out

Spazz came in when I went to make lunch for the guys still working on the loader at Orville's. Thomas felt better now that she was inside with him so they snuggled. I made egg salad sandwiches on homemade whole wheat bread and homemade banana bread, for their lunch.  I got my bike out and rode over with their lunch.

I rode back home, and proceeded to plant the vegetable gardens. I just need a place to plant the potatoes, will have to think about it this week and see what I will do with them.

Now it is time to start supper, roast beef with potatoes and carrots. Rick got home from work at 7:30 and then went to get Orville as he was still working on the loader, and I knew he did not have time to cook for himself they came back and ate. I ate around 5:30, I do not eat after 8 pm as it is not good for me. Then they were off to get more scrap metal for some purpose at another neighbors, I did the dishes and finished folding the laundry.

Monday was a beautiful day with lots of sunshine, but they were calling for heavy rain, so after work I rushed home to cover the gardens up with the green house. So all of the seeds did not wash away. When the rain hit it hit with a vengeance, on Tuesday Rick and Dennis spent the day at you guessed it Orville's as he was up all night with his basement flooding, Katie had a lasagna in the freezer that she took out and I made a salad to take over to them for supper. It was another late night. I did not want to get up this morning but I dragged myself out of bed and the puppies were doing there usual puppy parade, they both always parade around with stuffed toys in there mouths in the morning and in the evenings when we get home.

Dakota and Spazz Snuggling

Odie and Spazz Snuggling

Here it is Wednesday already and the rain is starting again, if it quits for a few hours I would like to get a few more trees planted this week, but first tonight after work it is Bread making time again. Rick and Orville took his loader out to get it ready to pick up the wash plant tomorrow night.
Now here it is Thursday bread and buns done for the week and groceries were done tonight and maybe I can get some more trees planted tomorrow after work. Katie just called and the guys got the wash plant to their place now the work begins getting it all ready to go to the claim.

Good night will write more after the long weekend. Have a safe and wonderful weekend everyone.

Health & Happiness
Jackie

The River:

    Heavy frost on the grass and truck this morning, thank goodness for the cooler weather over night as the river has receded about 6 inches. The gravel trucks worked all night, trying to keep the Highway open for us travelers, thank you guys and gals.

     I am sitting here at work Fridays are always slow :) Listening to music and Katie is making a lemon meringue pie for Herbie's birthday tonight, The sun is shining but it is really windy! The men will go and get our wash plant for the gold mine tonight, as it needs some modifications done to it. Then a mining we will GO soon!!

Our Beautiful Marsha

    Tomorrow I am going to pick up our adopted daughter and spend the day with her, looking forward to that. We will go and pick out the seeds for the garden. Then Sunday I can get my hands dirty planting them, I hope if it continues to warm up.


  Just came back from the river after lunch and it has gone down at least another 6 inches since this morning. It is a good thing for now till the rains come again. The clouds are rolling in and it is cooling off.

   This is our Gold Claim we call it Dakodie Lake. Named after the puppies Odie and Dakota: These were summer and fall 2010.  

Odie Guarding Camp!

Dakota watching the resident Beaver!

Fall 2010

The puppies love to be at the claim they swim for hours, and especially love to go fishing. If we all had our way we would live there year around!! There are lots of Beavers, Osprey, Loons, Moose, Bears and Squirrels.

One of the many Beaver Houses.

One of the Many Beavers

Fresh caught trout for supper

Ha Ha I got the stick!!

We love to cook over the open fire. There is nothing like it!

Miss Puddles

    Well it is time to go and help Katie with supper, Dennis just brought me a home made beer to sample to make sure it is good enough for company!! It is a dirty job but someone has to do it.

Till next time.
Health and Happiness Jackie

Living in the Cariboo 2011

     Well now that the snow is mostly gone, I turned the soil in our gardens last Sunday the 8th of May it was a beautiful day plus 17 and sunny. We have one garden just for things that come up every year like Asparagus, Rhubarb and Thyme, so I uncovered that garden and walla there is the Thyme and Rhubarb. The asparagus is into it's 3 year so we should be able to harvest it this year. This weekend I will put some of our compost onto it. If the bears do not dig it up first, the compost that is:  they are coming out of hibernation as the grass starts to get green, I have seen about 4 bears so far and they are all looking very healthy after the long winter we had.                                                                                                                                                                         

                                                             

     Our resident Cow Moose and her Calf that spent the winter in our yard have left now for higher ground, hope to see her back again in the fall.            

     There are plenty of deer as well, they seem to be herding up to head up into the mountains. There is still a huge snow pack up in the mountains that surround us. The rivers are rising as it is pouring rain here today, the 11 of May.
      I hope to get the seeds to start the garden this weekend, and start planting within the next 2 weeks. We have a mini green house to cover the gardens and protect them from any late spring frost that we may still get.

 

      Tonight I made homemade turkey soup and home made Whole Wheat bread and buns they are just about ready to come out of the oven, they smell so good. 

      I woke at 4 am this morning 12 May to pouring rain thundering on our roof, and as the sun started to rise the birds were all singing happy that they were getting lots of worms.  The puppies Odie and Dakota are sound asleep on there beds, tired from playing all day in the rain, Dakota loves to play in puddles. Spazz and Thomas the cats have been searching for all night for the mouse that Thomas let go yesterday morning in the house. 

     Well off to work, I am thinking about making Coconut Macaroons tonight.  Well we have had so much rain that the rivers and creeks are bursting at their banks, we took a drive at lunch time to see how the river was doing and wow, I have never seen it so high. Lots of trees and roots traveling through the swift moving water.

On my way home from work the work crews are all busy working at replacing culverts, steaming culverts to thaw them out so the water can run through them and release some of the swamps that are also overflowing and coming out on to the highway. Mister Black Bear was in his usual spot on the side of the road snoozing this time till I got closer to him and he stretched and sat up as I went by.

     13 May: The Coconut Macaroons turned out okay, it was my first time to make them. I have pictures but will post them later, I have to get to work now.