Thursday, April 17, 2025

working around the farm

Today we did some more side walk ramps to make everything more excessable for Logans next visit to the farm . They wanted to have them done for his last trip, but there was too much snow.


While we were working Nuric came for a visit.  Its his birthday tomorrow.  I gave hime a bottle of Vitamins and a jar of peanut butter. 


The sweet peas were ready to transplant so I made a second trellis for them out of Apricot branches. 


we still have too many roosters so we went shopping todaay and bought enough products to make up five food packs that have everything needed to make a big ploff meal.  


So that food pack, a package of garden seeds and a sack with a live rooster in it makes a perfect blessings pack . 


We also did some more gardening , planting sunflowers out and around the yurt.  They will look great in another month. 

I hve been trying to take it a little easier today .  My back is still very sore from my fall yesterday.  I am also a little discouraged that my phone is not starting up.  Julie and Kamalla picked up a new one for me today .. tomorrow I will start the long hard process of restoring all my apps . 

We have baracaded the cement ramp , mostly from young Vlad .. so far he has tromped along and steped in it three times .   actualy more like 6 times if you count him manuvering over all the obsticals that we put up to stop him . 


 

Wednesday, April 16, 2025

oops

So my friend says that if you are going to laugh about something in a year from now you might as well laugh now.  So here is our Laugh for the day .


I took the guys fishing after work today on our way to the hot springs.
the fish were very large .. like 3 or 4 lbs each.  I caught one and the guy on the net could not get the hook out of its mouth so he took the net and ran for his plyers .. I was using a broken rod and could not get the bail to open to give him line so I ran with him.  There was a narrow bridge crossing pond... it was covered in nets and ropes .. I managed to get my feet tangled and since I was running , I kept going when my feet stoped .. 
Here is the problem , when I landed my head was too far over the edge of the bridge and I was poff ballance.  I tried to grab the bridge to hold on , but it caused me to pivot and my head went down and my feet went up and twisted over my head .. driving my head right to the bottom of the river... 
I hit with enough force that my phone and glasses came out of my pocket and dissapeared into the now murky water from me stiring things up trying to get out.  
after about 15 minutes of trying to scoop it out with a Net, Sergey went in swimming and shuffled his feet around the bottom and managed to find it and get it to the surface.   
I am relieved to have the sim card and also not have the phone datta floring or in this case sinking around .   We have managed to dry it out and get it to start but it is glitching .. We are hoping it will hold long enough for me to clone it to a new phone . 
So if all goes well, I will have some photos of the day shortly.

Monday, April 14, 2025

Gardens prepared

 Sore and tired but a lot accomplished... That's how I would describe today .  Tommy and I tilled the garden .  We had the boys bring over old manuer and spread it out then we rottilled it into the dirt to break it up mix it to make good planting soil.

So lots of mixing and stiring then dumped it down the rows  


I got a photo today from my grand daughter and her friends cheering us on.


This is the first time we have tried the landscaping cloth . It will help with both weeds and water retention ,and being white it will help with over heating in the hot summer 



Now we are burning little holes that we will plant through.



We have a can on the end of a stick that we heat up with a torch. This makes a clean hole and seals the fabric from tearing.


Here the boys are mixing the dirt 


Vlad is back to the farm now and was working along with the rest of us.


Tomorrow morning we will start the planting.  Root crops and salads will grow between the cloth and in the cloth we will plant Tomatoes, Peppers, cucumbers, cabbages, and egg plant.  Then we have another big garden that will be planted with sweet corn. 

Wednesday, April 09, 2025

Day three for Tommy on the farm .


Yesterday Tommy and the boys went on a road trip to the far side of the lake.  Max needed to update his documents and he was from that region so had to make the trip. 

They got to see lots of historical sights 


And of course visited the hot springs.



They left the farm at 2 am so that they could fit it all into one day.  They arrived to see the sun coming up across the lake... Tommy was right at home with the salt water.


Julie and I stayed back and did some work around the farm .  Julie sorted the gift shop to make room for wood carvings  that they are producing.    I will do a post shortly about this business adventure .  They are hoping to find some start up capital to help out until the sales start.


  We also did more gardening around the guest house and the cafe 







At the Bazar the day before we picked up some durable carpet for in the yurt at the farm .


I was up before the chickens this morning so I could catch some roosters to take to Tanya for her to give to her people.  We cleaned out the transfer room and filled some hockey bags with clothes and supplies for her as well.    We try not to be storing stuff .. what does not get distributed before we go each time we give to Tanya and she always has people in need .


We do have a serious need .   Alina ,Vlads wife , has some isues with her teeth and needs a lot of work done on them .  It will be about $850, and needs to be done right away.   We were able to give her $300 right away , but we still need to find help with the Ballance .   Please pray for Alina at this time. 

Tuesday, April 08, 2025

Spring planting

 Today we started with a trip to the Bazar to buy more seeds , as well as some landscape cloth for planting, and some flowers.  Then stopped for lunch at a burger cafe. 


once we got back and unpacked we went back out to a huge nursery to buy some more trees for the memory garden.  That have a great selection and the trees are all still in the ground .

As soon as we got back the boys were quick to get everything planted


We got a maple tree, a chestnut tree, a variegated lilac tree, a wheeping willow and two peach trees. 


The lilac is short so Max made a cage to protect it with the pruned apple branches.


The boys will be off the farm tomorrow so tonight after supper... (And a great shepherds pie with gravey and a fresh salad from the green house I might add)
They all pitched in and we cleared out the big kitchen and painted the floor.



Tanya and Vera have been out delivering seeds as well to some very happy people.







Saturday, April 05, 2025

Everyone smile 😁

 We are getting ready for a other busy couple of weeks so we did some prep cooking to put in the freezer .  I said to the boys "smile".  Instantly the smile disappeared from their faces .. 


It took a few trys to get the idea 


But finally I just gave up.


We made Lasagna, Shepperds pie, Chicken Pot Pie, Spaghetti Sauce, Cabbage Rolls, Soup and Carrot Loaf.  I also made a batch of Pancake Syrup.    All things we could purchase ready made in Canada , but all made from scratch here . 




Last night the vet came to inspect , draw blood and give shots to the cows , then the boys took them to the mountains to join the hurd. 

We are building a swing bench for up beside one of the yurts .. it's coming along great.


Thursday, April 03, 2025

Morning on the farm .

 Beautiful sunny morning on the farm .  Started the day with a late In the mug Amelia made me .. the other side says "Farmer Pop".


The boys are all over working in the garage .  We have wanted a swing bench up at the Kashar and yurts .. it's finally going to happen 


Max is building the frame



The boys are sanding the benches 


Planing the beems .


This is what we are going for .

Julie is up at the Kashar today .  We had lots of mice over the winter so everything had to be washed , sorted and now repacked into new plastic toats 



While the boys are sanding , I have been cleaning out and then top dressing the gardens at the cafe .  Yesterday I burned off the weeds coming up in the walk and under the drying lines .




Today was just a normal day for most of the guys on the farm , but was a very big day for Pasha who just arrived . His belongings in one hand and a little start up kit of toiletries in the other.  


Please pray for apple cart .. one boy returning to the farm a couple days ago and a new one today .. praying for a smooth transition and for peace in their lives .