The long days of summer

Life has been racing along, as usual. The rain has stopped the harvest, unfortunately. Clem is getting a bit antsy, but he luckily hadn't swathed anything before the rain. The peas, lentils, and oats are in the bin, with just wheat, barley, and flax left standing. If it ever quits raining, he should be able to straight-cut the wheat and barley, and maybe the flax, and finish quite quickly. However, we haven't yet been able to order the weather we need, and after 11 years on the farm, we are still trying to learn patience!!

Adam and Stephen have started football practice - 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. each day. Apparently the school thinks we don't make enough trips to town already. So far they have only been to one morning practice together - one or the other decides to sleep in - so we are thinking that the two of them will make one good player! School starts next Tuesday, the 28th. Too bad, it's been so nice to have them laying on the couch watching the Simpsons twelve times a day, with the TV real loud. Or fiddling with all my office tools as they sit at the computer playing Runescape and on MSN or Facebook. But I guess I will adjust to a quiet house with no shoe blocking the doorway (yes, only one of those huge shoes is needed to impede the entering or leaving of this house, although there are usually a minimum of three there lest I actually manage to get by one without stumbling). I have taken out a small loan and purchased all the supplies they will need until at least November ("Mom, I'm out of loose-leaf", "Mom, I lost my calculator", "Mom, are there any....." - well, you get the idea).

To break up these last days of summer, Adam decided he should open every cupboard and drawer in the shop, gather all of Clem's good tools, haul them out to the shelterbelt trees, and build himself a tree house. Naturally, there is no good wood in the trees, so he has had to scrounge lumber and fence posts from other parts of the yard, and haul them over there, as well. The result is a strange looking platform high in single tree that I wouldn't climb onto for all the money in the world. He and his brothers and friends seem quite pleased with themselves, though, and I haven't heard the theme song from the Simpsons for a few days.

Even the neighbors came to check it out. Lyle the engineer suggested another support beam!

Marg Allcock, our landlord on two quarters of land, invited the Wrights and us to her home in Outlook for a visit. She treated us to supper at the Matador hotel restaurant. Yummy! Her daughter-in-law, Gail, was visiting from Vancouver, so it was a good time to catch up on all the news.

I'm off to lunch at Denzil with the aunts - hope we can find something to talk about!!!

Thanks for checking in.
Chandra

Happy Birthday, Derek!

My baby turned 9 yesterday. He was born in the middle of harvest, while we waited for the wheat to be ready, so it was only fitting that we celebrated his birthday in between crops. He was so excited for his special day. I love that he wears his emotions on his sleeve, without inhibition. (Most of the time; sometimes it is not so pretty.) He has expansive feelings - he is hugely happy, hugely angry, hugely excited, hugely sad, or hugely whatever, and he goes from one to the other with the flip of a switch. Our lives are always interesting! And he gives the best hugs, to everyone and anyone, again without inhibition. I hope that is something he will never lose as he "matures". Wouldn't it be nice if we had all retained a bit more of that impulsiveness from our childhood days?

Clem's brother, Carl, is visiting from Saudi Arabia, so Jack and Margie hosted a Snell gathering on Tuesday evening. We had a wonderful roast beef supper, along with invigorating conversation, lots of laughs, and of course, Caesars! Jack and Margie are the consummate hosts.


Bobbi decided, to Derek's delight, that he should have a birthday candle on his ice cream cone.

We had a family birthday supper last night, complete with Derek's requested Panago pizza and homemade turtle cake. Carl, Chris, Bob, and Dylan joined us for a great evening of laughs and hugs.


He had a great day!


Earlier in the day, as I was trying to figure out Facebook (two hours, people - don't do it!!), I glanced out the window and saw my nine-year-old son driving the front-end loader through the yard. They grow up so fast!

Glad you dropped by - see you soon!
Chandra

A quick trip to Calgary

Derek, Ashley, and I made a quick trip to Calgary to meet Copper, our new cousin/niece. She is quite adorable, and we spent a lot of time just holding and looking at her! Her parents seem quite taken with her, as well.


Grandma and Copper have a little chat.

The three generations.


Copper is amazingly strong and alert for a two-week-old baby. She lifts and turns her head a lot already. Her she is checking out her cousins.

She likes her daddy, too.


She still does a lot of sleeping.


Still working on that focusing thing!


Forgot to add Adam's harvest haircut to the previous post!!

That's it for now! Thanks for stopping by again!
Chandra

Harvest begins!

Clem is one happy farmer. At the end of last week, it was reported that 2% of the 2007 Saskatchewan crop was in the bin, and 4% had been swathed. Well, he is about 30% complete - the peas and lentils are all done - and they are good quality legumes. It sure is nice having all this built-in help. Finally, the boys are starting to pay for themselves!!!

Here they are in the lentils.


Here's Adam unloading "his" IH combine.


Stephen has inherited the old Massey combine. He is quickly becoming an excellent operator, and has started doing some swathing, as well.


We had some guests pop in last week. John Dirk used to work with Clem at CP. He was driving through Saskatchewan, saw the Kerrobert sign, and decided to stop by. Here he is on the left, with his friend Celia and the Schraefel harvesters.


When they're not in the combines, the boys like to relax in their raft on the dugout. We've had quite a bit of laundry to do lately, as they seem to spend as much time in the water as on it. Who needs a cabin at the lake??!!


Clem is trying to get some swathing done these days. The oats are down, but not ready to combine yet. The wheat is ready to swath, and the barley is still about a week away. The cooler weather has been nice, but things sure aren't ripening as fast. Oh well, it's still early!

Bye for now!
Chandra

More of the beautiful baby!

Jason sent some more photos.  She really is gorgeous!




The happy parents.



The ecstatic grandparents.  (Check out the feet on that girl!)



Grandpa seems especially enamoured.



Uncle Bumf and Auntie Better Third arrived to view, as well.  I understand they came bearing pizza.  Good one.

Beautiful baby!

Congratulations to my brother, Jason, and his wife, Terri, on the birth of their first child, Copper Jane, on July 29, 2007. She is a sweetheart!




According to Grandma Betty, she has a nice head (you have to be a Schan to appreciate that comment), big hands and feet (that's all Huck), Grandpa Alan's ears (sorry, little one), lots of dark hair, with a bit of curl (the Hucks are on the hairy side), and a gorgeous mouth (that has to be Patterson).

Now I'm just waiting for Clem to send me to Calgary for parts. What are the chances of that in the middle of harvest??!!!