Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Try to remember.

You see today is wednesday and I want to let you know what happened yesterday.
I do know that I did get the backhoe together and finally got the mail box plowed out and the drive way plowed.
By the time that was done it was noon and so it was time to eat and I don't like to miss that at all costs.
So then I got the mares harnessed and went to the woods and cut some wood and hauled it out to the house here.
Well I gotta tell yah that I am about ready to be finished for the day but there is still so much to do that it isn't funny.
I put the mares in the barn and then turned them out with the rest of the horses for the rest of the day I then put the wood splitter on the tractor and split the wood that is too large to fit through the furnace door.
It was then time to get the barn cleaned and bring the horses in and feed them supper and come to the house and have supper myself.
As soon as I ate I went down and proceeded to cary the wood into the house well I only got about half done and I realized I was past being tired so went up and got in the bath tup and soaked as they say go soak your head but in this case it was my whole body that needed soaking.
Well Mary and I were sitting in the living room and I was mentionong to her that I was in a lot of discomfort from all the lifting and so on.
She mentioned to me about bed and it did seem to me to be a good idea so followed through on her suggestion and went to bed a about 9 o'clock last night.
Before retiring she said that I could have tomorrow off and that did seem to me to be a good idea and I followed through on that plan also.
Well I must have slept good until about 11;30 or so and then I was awake pretty well for the rest of the night so tonight I think I will go to bed at a normal hour which for me is about 10 or so.
Now today which if you remember was a day off for me as Mary had said and I sure was going to hold her to her word you see I know my rights and if I had to I would take it to my union steward.
Not sure how to go about that scenario but it seems that I didn't have to as today was a little easier for me.
I did have to replenish the hay in front of the horses and do the barn as usual but it did seem to be an easier day then yesterday was for me.
Mary and I went and did some shopping together and met friends that we have met through selling them eggs and when we were leaving one store they invited us over to their house for tea and cookies well I will let you in on a little secret if you ask you only have to ask once for me and I'll be there.
So we were there until about 4 and then we went to superstore and finished up our errands and came home at about 5;30 or so.
I put the horses in for there suppers and now am waiting for tomorrow to see what I will be doing then.
I think I will go get in the tub and as mentioned before go soak my head.

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Monday, November 24, 2008

Fun in the snow.

Got up at about 5;30 this morning and went out and fed the horses.
Had my breakfast and finished putting the sleds together harnessed the mares and went to the woods cut some wood and loaded it on the sleds and hauled it out.
That made it about 12;30 so I just turned them out and came in for dinner,Mary said that the guy up the road had the alternator for the backhoe finished as I had left it with him on sat.
So I went up to get it and when he said what it was I thought he said it was 77 dollars and change well you see I trust him so I handed him a 100 dollar bill but when he gave me back 3 20's and change it was 17 dollars.
That made me happy so brought it home to put it on the machine well Mary said she thought she wanted me to drive her to town but she said she could on her own so that left me here to put the alternator on the backhoe.
It is a very tight fit with the loader on the machine but I did get it on but I managed to drop a very small screw down on the ground and couldn't find it at all.
So the rest of the afternoon was spent looking for that so very small screw.
Now to give you an idea of how small it is I would compare it to a small raisin.
Well Mary came home from shopping and I went in to warm my hands as I can't work on something like that with gloves on.
She asked me if I wanted her to go out and see if she could help find the screw so out we went and she reached down and said is this it.
Well that made me happy so finished putting that together and by then I had to get the barn cleaned up to let the horses in for the night and then come in for supper so will have to finish that in the morning.
I didn't get the wood unloaded off the sleds so that is waiting for me in the morning as well.
Hope to get the driveway cleaned out as well in the morning will let you know how that unfolds.
But I am in for the night now so there.

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Sunday, November 23, 2008

Snowie weekend.

I t started snowing on Thursday and it seems that it hasn't stopped since and I took the alternator off the backhoe on friday to get it fixed and so don't have that to plow the driveway.
I put the scrapper blade on the tractor and cleaned the yard up some what with that but I need to get the hoe going and it is so much better with that.
I started to put the sleds together yesterday and will finish that on monday and hopefully get the mares hooked to that then and go to the woods for some fun in the snow.
I used to do all the snow removal with the back blade on the tractor but the backhoe has spoiled me I guess.
I am hoping that diesel fuel will go down more.
Mary and I have decided to stay home today and not go to church as the drive way is blocked with snow and when I went out yesterday it was hard on the transmission of the car to be stuck in the drive way and shoveling and spinning so won't do that scene again today.
Now I am wanting to go out to the barn and let the horses out to play in the snow,they can grub around under the snow and eat grass that they find it's fun to go out and watch then pawing in the snow for that grass.
Well now you can just see the great extent to which my busy life has aspired to in the great plan of human existance.
I do love to digress from reality don't I.
I guess I'll get off here for now might put some more on latter k.

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Friday, November 21, 2008

Playing catch up

Hi blog so where to begin but that's always the same old same old, right?
Well yesterday my friend Skip called me from the cattle auction in Truro to ask me about a stallion that Matthew Hornbrook had up in N.B.
As it happened that is the fellow that I went up to see and Skip thought maybe I would know the horse but no I didn't.
Skip's uncle Richard bought the horse and brought him down and left him at Skip's place.
I called Skip this morning and asked him if he had the horse and he did so I went over to see now I gotta tell yah that was worth seeing if you like horses and it does seem that I do.
This horse is massive a good 18 hands high and 1900 lbs at least as a matter of fact the man that Righard got him from weighed the horse and he tipped the scales at 1975 lbs.
He is chocolate brown has a white blase down his face and as handsome a horse as you would want to lay little googlers on.
Now that is an unusual colour for a registered Percheron as they usually come it black with grey being the predominant colour and chestnut as an occasional option not as if we had a choice or anything.
I lead him out into the indoor ring there and tied him to a post and stood beside him and no doubt about it he is a massive fellow.
I went and with Skip's permission got a 28 inch collar and put it on him and he filled it chaulk full and it takes alot of horse to fill a 28 inch coller as most of you would know.
I stayed too long and so when I got back here it was 12 noon and time to turn my horses out so I didn't get any horses worked today but there is always tomorrow the LORD willing.
This aft I worked on the backhoe as the old thing isn't charging and I had to remove the alternator and it took me most of the aft to get it off the machine even though I had it unbolted quite quickly but couldn't get it out by the loaded arm that was in the way but after twisting it every way possible it finally found it's way out of the hole and I didn't even get mad once which when I think of it is quite amazing for me hot tempered scots man that I am and all.
Mary and I just had supper we had smoked fillets mashed potatoes carrots pickles etc and it was very good.
So my tummy is full and I am happy as a clam.
Monday I hope to take the alternator up to a garage up the road and see what is wrong with it so will see if I can remember to let you know how that turns out.

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Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Updating

I don't know where to begin but I shall see what I can do.
My last note was on sunday.
So to fill you in on the great happenings around here I will begin with what I can remember from monday.
I did get Fabie and Veronica hooked to the wagon and I had some wood already sawed up and split in the woods in a couple of places so wanted to get that in uot of the wet weather.
I hauled 2 loads on the wagon into the barn and threw it in between the baler and the mower so it will not be getting any wetter from now on.
The mares worked pretty good even better then on the plow.
Tuesday was a different story as they say a horse of a different colour pun intended.
I'm not sure that is a pun but it is a what ever right.
Veronica as I was unloading some wood back at teh wood pile decided it was time to go and I was on the wrong side of the wagon and barely got there in time to catch her on her second jump I did say whoa and she hesitated just a split second but when she knew there was no one on the reins she made the second jump and I did get one rein and hauled them around until I could get the other rein in my hands and brought them to a stand still to avert a smash up.
Today I put them on the wagon and hauled two loads into the barn and after yesterdays episode she was better but still must keep my eve on her at all times.
It is snowing here now and a girl just came to the door for hay for her horse so had to go out and get her 4bales of hay and she had she only wanted to get a couple of bales but it ended up as 4.
So I guess I am in for the night now as it is storming out now she said that they are saying 25 centermeters of this stuff tonight the ground is white now so it could be covered bt morning.
I must learn to put pictures on this thing so it will be a little more interesting for you to read with the picture worth athousand words it should cut down on the typing shouldn't it.
This is fun though even though I don't have anything to say but that doesn't bother me if it is alright with you.
I think that after awhile it should kind of flow with each entry especially if I learn to type this one finger hunt and peck method can be a little bit time consuming and exasperating for me so will be glad when it speeds up for me.
From your point of view you can't tell how much pain and confusion is happening from my side of this disertation.

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Sunday, November 16, 2008

Catch up.

It has been two days and no blog so here is a catch up in the short version.
Friday Mary and I drove up to New Brunswick because there was a mare I wanted to see.
I had traded mares with a young man up there a couple of months ago and now we were thinking of doing the same thing again.
He had called me and we talked about it on the phone I am not sure that I am game for this trade as the mare in question doesn't suit me as good as I would like.
That was a 5 hour drive one way so as we left at 8 in the morning and got back at 10 at night it was a long day for us.
Well that was that as I am still thinking about that trade and whether I want to do it or not.
Might take all winter for me to decide.
Then there was saturday which was yesterday.
I was trying to get some things done here and a man from up the road came in with new shoes for his team if Belgians and wanted them corked up so that stopped what I was doing and I proceeded to do that job for him.
I got the toe corks cut out of a piece of hard steel and got them welded on then he wanted the heels widened so had to put them in the forge and heat them red hot so as to bend the heels out wider to fit the horses feet.
I didn't quite have that finished and a neighbor came in and said that some of my horses were out on the next door neighbor's lawn so had to go retrieve them and so they are in the barn.
I went out in the pouring rain yesterday to see if I could find the hole in the fence to no avail.
Monday I will have to find where they got out of the pasture.
Man oh man the dial up is so slow I sit here with my arms folded most of the time waiting for this thing to move.
It is 6 in the morning now so I guess I will go out to the barn and give the horses their breakfasts and then mabe have a little for my well being also.
I has been raining so the ground must be really soft for plowing which I only have a little left to do and I did get my plow fixed from where Veronica had broken it .
Sometimes I can sip right along on this thing then other times it is like pulling hen's teeth to get any writing done on this thing.
Well I guess I will go to the barn so will try to talk to who ever you are latter.

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Thursday, November 13, 2008

What happened today.

As I was setting here thinking because as you remember I am on dial up so there is lots of time to think while this thing is doing it's thing what ever gastly thing that might be.
Iwas just about to get the plowing done this morning and when I was turning the mares around to go back into the furrow I looked down and Veronica's heel chain had come unhooked from the inside of her evener so I stopped then and went to rehook in up and the end of the hook was broken off.
She must have stepped on it when turning and broke the end that the heel chain hooks to completely off.
So that ended the plowing for today and I had only about 2 feet left to do and it would have been finished.
I found a new hook and am in the process of getting it fitted back onto the end of the evener
I should beable to finish it up on Monday I suppose I will let you know how things turn out.
The reason I can't do that tomorrow is because I am journeying up to New Brunswick in the morning to see a man about a horse ha ha no pun intended.
I called this fellow last night to thank him for the papers for Veronica that he sent to me.
We talked for a while and you see he is the man that I gat Veronica from as I had traded a 2 year old mare with him for Veronica.
The 2 year old's name is Prancer and now he wants her full brother Dancer so he wants to trade another registered black mare for Dancer.
So we are heading up there first thing in the morning to have a look at this Black mare.
hope she suits me and is big enough etc.
He tells me that she has a capped hock so not to fond of that scenario but with a little tlc that can be fixed and the mare is young she is 3 years old 4 in the spring.
I ground drove the mares Fabie and Veronica back through the woods and tried to instill in their minds the word whoa which is so very important you see.
That is the next job for the mares and I to go to the woods and cut wood for next winter and on.
I guess I'll stop the foolishness now and do something else with my time.

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Wednesday, November 12, 2008

At home on the ranch

6 am got thr horses fed in the barn and then came in and got myself fed had two eggs fried in real butter toast tea so was feeling good when I went back out to the barn.
I was plowing in the field by about 8:30 or so.
I wanted to get that done as I knew that we had to go to Middleton and get some feed for the laying hens as they were out since tuesday and were getting loud and hungry.
So Mary and I went to the feed store and got 4 bags of lay mash soon as I gor home went right out and gave them some they were decidely happy.
I moved machinery around the rest of the aft as that needed to be done before winter sets in with a vengeance.
Before you know it it was 5:30 and I got the barn cleaned out from the night before and fed the horses their supper.
By 6 oclock it was dark here and came in for supper.
We had a couple of hamgurgers one each some salad and the day is over just like that.
Mary did up a big batch of beets this afternoon and was just setting down when I came in from the barn.

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Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Remembrance day

Good morning it is about 7 in the morning here and I have already gone out and given the horses their breakfast so that they will be happy.
Our plans are to go to the NSCC* school this morning and attend a remembrance day service with my cousins Paula Suzanne and Steve.
Steve is my uncle Ernie's son from Halifax he is where Bob my brother gets his middle name hence Robert Earnest Mclean Paula and Suzanne are aunt Ada's girls.
We are going to Suzanne's for dinner at about 12 or so.
Mary made a pan of rolls to take with us to go with the meal so I am sure we will be full of good tummie stuff before we leave there.
That will take the morning and most of the afternoon so that would seem to me to be the whole day.
I will just turn the horses out for the day and they can go out and play with the Unicorns.
*Nova Scotia Community College.
I thought maybe you would like to know what that meant.
I would like to harness Mazie and Dancer before we go to this function this morning and maybe just play with Lew some as he still needs to be worked some.
So it seems that my day is planned for me today doesn't it.
I hope that I have you completely bored with the goings on here on the Ponderosa with Ben Cartrite. Not sure how to spell that last name but hopefully you get what I mean K.
I just tried to add an image to the note but on this dial up it seems that nothong is happening when I click on the icon for add an image so not sure what if any thing is happening there.

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Monday, November 10, 2008

Plowing and Gps.

Bob thats too bad that your Gps in the new car doesn't have a little map so you can watch where you are going along the road way like the one you have in Burlington.
That was handy to see where you were going and with that one a very ornery sounding fellow told you where to go quite often as I am sure you are used to in the number of years you have been walking around.
Well I degress from the initial topic that was stated at the outset of this particular thesis.
I did get Veronica and Fabie on the plow and they did turn a sweat and so did I as a matter of fact.
But after the initial shock to there system of getting hooked to the plow because it has been about a week since last doing that with them and they weren't as happy as they should have been have to go to work.
But after a furrow or two they began to settle down and go to work.
Fabie is the one in the furrow and Veronica is the one up on the land side.
It is 10 to 12 so I am going out to the barn and give them there lunch and then let them outside with the rest of the horses.
I might get back on this thing and let you know how the rest of the day is progressing as it unfolds.

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Dial up

Man oh man this dial up internet is discusting and will I ever be glad to get high speed if it ever does come my way.
I have been trying to get on here for 30 minutes and trying to edit my profile to no avail it keeps saying that it can't and it is aggravating to say the least.
Woke up at 4.30 this morning and have been on here since and it is 5:30 now couldn;t sleep I guess because yesterday was sunday and I slept in the aft so when I woke at 4 I couldn't get back to sleep.
I hope to get Veronica and Fabie on the plow today I m going out and feed them soon mabe have some breakie first.
Mary and I when to visit good friends and we had Lasagna with biscuits and that could be another reason for ny bout of insomnia

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Saturday, November 8, 2008

Saturdsy is end of week

I just came in and see email from Blain and he was able to get on my blog so hope it didn't bore him too much.
I got the point put on the horse sulkie plow but I do want to drill another hole in the point and put another bolt in it to make it more sturdy.
Hopefully I will beable to get Veronica and fabie on the plow again on Monday and get the plowing finished up no Monday.
We will just have to wait and see and I will let you know the outcome of the proceedings.
When I came in I felt like I wanted to get right in the bathtub and get cleaned up but I have to go back out and let the horses in for there suppers and they will stay in the barn till morning when I will give them their breakfasts and out they go for the day.
I guess I will let this go for now and talk to you in the morning if I feel like it maybe after Church if I remember.

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Another try.

I'm back with news that I don't completely understand but here's my run on the problem.
When I first tried this Blogging scene I am quite sure that I inadvertently greated two blogs but I thought I deleted one.
Well At the first attempt to google my blog it didn't work so I tried it again and zip there it was.
So that is my try at an explaination.
I am going to explain that to Blain and see if from where he is he can help me.

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Trouble with Google.

Boy I am having trouble because I just tried to Google my blogspot on Google but to no avail so I am stiemed as to what is the problem now.
It is sat morn and I am upset that it wouldn't work because it worked yesterday for me.
I will wait and see what Blain say maybe he can suggest what I am doing wrong I shall never give up Quote.

Friday, November 7, 2008

Talking to me.

It does seem that I am just writing to myself as there seems to be no one else that can read this thing and enjoy my babblings and nonsense.
So I guess I am talking to myself good thing that I really like me right.
This moning I struck out with the Chain saw and went down across the field and into the woods to see if I could cut some fire wood.
I got one tree cut and when it went to fall over it twisted to the left and caught the blade of the saw which meant that I couldn't remove the saw from the cut when the tree was falling the tree rolled off the stump and pinned the saw under and bent the blade.
I tried to straighten the blade in another saw cut but to no avail.
Anyway it started to rain and I stayed too long and on my walk back up the field I got really soaked had to change my clothes when I got back up to the house.
So then I wanted to put Mares "Fabie and Veronica" on the wagon and haul some wood but it was raining too hard so worked in the barn for a while.
Budgie Trimper drove down to see me and tell me about his trip to Ohio so we stood around for quite a while and talked which you can see I am so very limited in that department.
I do find it hard to find something to say at times.
After he went home Mary and I moved the pullets from a box stall where I raised them to there home where they will spend the next few years giving us fresh eggs daily.
Then I went to a funeral this aft and then went to Mary's Mom and dad's till 5 o'clock and we came home and Mary cooked a really good chicken dinner just like Christmas gooood.

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Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Fun on the Farm

Well the day started out with a bang as I was setting here on this retarded thing and the door bell rang you see when I am on line the phone busy because we are still on dial up it's like the dark ages of compiters.
So on with my story you see Veronica Mazie and Dancer "these are horses of mine"were out of the pasture running up and down the road well they had to come to the door and tell me because the phone was busy as I told you.
It was Murray baker and his son Spencer at the door telling me that they were out that was like 7 oclock in the morning.
But the day went good after that.
Spencer opened the big door to the barn and we got them in safely with out any mishaps with speeding cars or trucks.
I went down and investigated where they were getting out and repaired the hole so hopefully that is that.
Worked on my plow and found another point that I would like to see if it will work.
And in the aft I worked on the truck soon I hope to get the sleeper reattached to the cab for good as it should make it a little warmer in the winter without that huge pneumonia h0le in the back of the cab open to the world Like they say air conditioned in the winter time.
Mary was gone with her sister Linda to on of those hen parties that convince you that you need some of there junk to make your life better on the kitchen.
I'm in now for the evening and there wil be a brand new sunny day tomorrow for me to enjoy can't wait to have more fun tomorrow.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Day is done

Well I spent the aft. cleaning my show harness and putting it away wish I could include pics of all the happenings here with Mary Keta "Dog" Q " Cat" and the rest of the animals.
Mary and also finished putting away the patio furniture the guarden hose Barbeque etc.
So it's a new day tomorrow and we will have to wait and see what transpires for fun tomorrow.
I hope to work on the truck as The way it is I can't use it as I have the seats out and am working on the cab.
There are pumkins in the garden as yet so Mary wants me to put them in the manure pile so they will produce next year which works quite well for us.

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Working?

I have been in the barn all morning and saddled Mazie and Dancer also worked on there harness that is oiled it and began to put it on them.
Mary took a pic of me but I don't know how to put it on this thing yet but not to worry I shall trudge onward and conquer.

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Monday, November 3, 2008

Today

Worked on my truck today and in was quite windy and cold so very glad to be inside while I was working.
Took the car to the mechanic and got it safety inspected for the year ahead without any problem as the old thing is a 2000 Buick Century.
It works for me so am happy there wasn't any problems with it.