Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
In December our weather continued to be mild. We had a few cold days with a cold wind but for the most part we were still above normal temperatures. The animals are quite happy with the temperatures.
On Dec. 15 we had Dan Mitchell from Kerrobert come out with his excavator to help us develop a spring on the northeast side of the home half section. Gregory and John had gone out earlier to dowse for water and had found a stream that wasn’t too deep. They were able to use the tractor and the post hole auger to get to the water, which was only about 13 feet below the surface.
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Dan was able to dig the hole, help put in the casing and then make a pad for the trough. He also worked on the hill behind the trough to make it to where it was not a drop off for the animals. We then had him help push 20-foot-long posts into the slough. Our hope is that they will stay for a little while to help us keep a fence up. With it being so dry, it is hard to keep the animals from walking around the existing fence line.
Gregory had the opportunity to buy some more of the 13.5-foot-diameter mining tires we have been using for troughs out at the pasture. We have some more water development ideas in different pastures to help with pasture rotation, so we needed a few more troughs.
As luck would have it, Gregory was able to get a load of tires delivered, on account of National Tire Recyclers had a yard full of them and needed to move them. We have a few more than we need now, so we may sell a few, or Gregory may come up with a few more ideas for water development. After developing six new wells on the farm in the last three years, he has developed an addiction to water.
We were able to get our Christmas tree on Dec. 17. Gregory and I took the boys around John’s little forest, and we found a cute little tree. The boys greatly enjoyed decorating it.
With the way Christmas fell on a Monday this year, we had a busy Sunday with Mass in the morning and then Christmas Eve Mass in the evening. We let the boys each open a present on Christmas Eve, then we had an early bedtime so they could get up for Christmas Mass the next morning. We opened presents after Mass, then went over to John and Barb’s for a Christmas dinner with Gregory’s siblings and their families.
The next day, Rose and Barney Simon were able to come over and we opened more presents and had a good visit. We haven’t had a good visit with them for quite some time due to various health problems and busy schedules. They boys always have a blast playing with Grandpa Barney and Grandma Rose.
Our newest addition is making us patiently await his/her arrival. We are due on Jan. 4 and so we haven’t strayed too far from home this holiday season. However, that doesn’t keep us from having fun. On New Year’s Day, the neighbours, Clarence and Nicole, called and told us they had hitched up their team of Clydesdales and asked if we would like to go for a ride. We had a lot of fun, and the boys were full of questions about the big gentle giants. Joseph had to come home and tell Grandma Barb that their feet were as big as her dinner plates!
We hope that everyone had a very Merry Christmas and may the New Year bring much joy, peace, and love.
