A lovely distraction

So today, Erich was off helping to build a corral for the rodeo, in preparation for the Zirnhelt Family Reunion which is just around the corner (July 4,5,6). My plan was to finally get to those boxes on our porch and do a bit of cleaning. Well I didn't get very far...just before lunch our neighbour brought our dogs back. They have been exploring further and further afield and I guess this time made it all the way over there....looks like it may be time for some creative fencing. Anyways, while he was here, Wally invited us over to come and see their cabin. I decided it just wouldn't be neighbourly to refuse now would it?

So we grabbed a half dozen of our eggs, and headed over for a visit. Wally and Wendy are recently retired and have spent the last five years building their cabin and it is beautiful! They have just done the finishing touches on it, including painting the floors a gorgeous terra cotta red colour. Wendy showed us some of her art...she does the most beautiful graphite drawings, many of birds and wildlife she has taken photos of and a gorgeous portrait of her granddaughter.

Wally is one of those unique people who my children really connect with. He shook each of their hands and made sure he learned each of their names. He talked to them sincerely and directly, not through me and then took them on an animated tour of all kinds of interesting things he had around the yard...the outhouse, the outdoor shower, the old tractor, the fire pit and his rain-water system. Then he brought them inside and played a few games of cards with them, explaining all the while all of the wildlife he had spotted on the property. Our visit ended with him tossing them gleefully in the air. I have a feeling there will be many more requests for visits over there.

I really will get to the boxes...soon...well at least the garden is in. I'm not sure if anything will grow but I planted lettuce, cucumbers, corn, beets, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and radishes. Erich put the fence up last night, mostly to keep out roving kids, dogs, deer and rabbits. This year is a bit of an experiment, so we will see what happens!



Oh yeah we also put some chicken wire on the top of the chicken's yard, after a few daring escapes...


Silly chicken...don't you know there are dogs out there?