MR RING-NECKED PHEASANT OUT FOR A STROLL

As we were heading out for dinner last nite, we came across this pheasant by the side of the road.  I had seen him in this general area once before a couple of weeks ago but last nite I just happened to have my camera with me and got the shot.  No sign of a female around but I think there is time for him to find a friend before too long.  He is beautiful!  You don't see these birds around here too often.

AND IN COCHRANE ALBERTA...

...it was going up to 18 degrees today and sunny!!  Mitch went golfing and we got snow - go figure!!

HAPPY APRIL FOOL'S DAY

No joke!!  This is what we woke up to today - more snow.  Thick heavy snow!

 Compare that to what Calgary is going to get today - 18 degrees!!  What a perfect first day of retirement for my little sister Joanne, who retired from Husky Energy yesterday!!  Congratulations Joanne and welcome to the wonderful world of retirees - it is the way life should be!  Now all 3 Scott Sisters are retired - let the fun begin!!

TAKING THE DAY OFF

It was calling for rain today so we took the day off - no sense killing yourself by working in the rain.  These are pictures from Tuesday.  Notice I have my steel toed boots on!
Just a view of one of the bigger pieces of lumber we are working with - thank goodness we have the tractor to help us because we would never be able to pick that sucker up.  We do put the tractor to good use moving the blocked pieces onto the pile but we still pick up the smaller pieces and toss them onto the pile.  Have to get my workout in somehow.
We figure we have about 2 more days of work ahead of us for blocking then splitting.

HAPPY EASTER

Wishing everyone a very Happy Easter and what better way to say it than with my 2 favourite Hunny Bunnies Monty and Charlie.  Apparently Charlie doesn't like chocolate and gave his chocolate Easter egg to his brother.  I would have taken it!!!
19 months old today!!  Rolling towards the Terrible Twos...can't wait!!

NICE DAY ON THE ICE

Some people enjoying the last few days of ice on Cummings today.  They say there is still 14" of ice out there but I wouldn't chance it.

IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN

We are getting a head start on the wood this year thanks to some nice weather (not counting the other day when we got 6 inches of the white stuff).  We are trying out a new system that seems to be working great!!  Instead of using the chain saw on the logs hanging from the tractor bucket by chains, we place the logs on the McGuivered and reinforced saw horse and then use the bucket to move the larger blocked logs over to the pile instead of picking them up manually.  We still need the chains and steel cord to move the logs from the pile to the saw horse via the tractor which is my job.  Rejean secures the cord around a log and attaches the cord to the hook secured by chains attached to the loader.  I work the tractor picking the log up and moving it to the saw horse and gently lowering it into place.  Rejean then chain saws the logs into 16" logs which we then throw into the ever growing pile.  It is a long process but we enjoy it.  We have done well for just 5 hours per day for 2 days.
Some of those logs are BIG and heavy - I will be wearing my steel toed work boots from now on as I dropped one of the larger logs on my toe and it hurt a lot!!