The CHARM Farm Community .... Helping those who can't help themselves!

Ok, so it is only around -30C here for the past week or so. Add in the wind chill and it is quite frosty. The big issue is that we have not had a chance to climatize at all. It went from above 0 to -20 over night and has kept dropping!
The horses are all doing well, as are the Alpacas. We confirmed a rack load or so of bedding straw bales today (to go along with the flax straw already offered us) so that is going well, but we still need to get some hay bales in here quick!

As today marks the anniversary of the end of the Great War, please don't forget to give two minutes of silence at 11:11am in memory of those who gave everything that we should enjoy the freedom we know today.

In Flanders Fields

By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)
Canadian Army

It has been quite a hectic week. A little bit of Harvesting and a whole lot of working toward saving the Rescue from having to close the gates has left me a very tired individual. Though I am still confident that we can acheive our goals, the task is definitely a daunting one.

Well, this year has definitely been an odd one in the Saskatchewan Ag community. A late start and poor weather throughout the year, followed by a decent albeit too short run at harvest has left a fair amount of crop in the fields.

Thought I was done for the year but got a call to come in for a few more days and finish up. May even get to run a combine for a couple days. Right back where I want to be - driving the machine I love to operate more than any other - the combine.

We were coming down the drive the other day (no camera in hand of course) and lo and behold what did I see? Sitting atop a fence post was what appeared to be a medium sized dog - a Springer Spaniel or something.

As we drew near, it became apparent that it was a bird of prey. A very large bird of prey. It was none other than a Golden Eagle.

One of these days I am going to have to get smart and realize that I MUST eat regular meals and not just a couple times a day. The routine I have slipped into just may be my downfall. It sure as heck doesn't help in the weight loss department.

Sometimes it is easier to run away and hide than deal with life directly. Anyone who knows me can attest - I seldom do things the easy way.

Things were not ideal for us this year at the Farm. We got a great neighbour to break up a large section for a garden. I then got called to work. I drove a tractor pulling a roller all spring. Once I was done, we waited for about a week to 10 days for someone to arrive and rototil the garden. He finished on the eve of two or more weeks of rain and mud. That pretty much sums up our luck.