We've been busy

Lots of things have been happening in the past few weeks and it seems a lot easier to make short emaily bloggy thingies than to try and catch up and post a bunch of pics.

This past weekend Darwin's friend Kim came to help us do stuff for the weekend.  Well of course you know it rained and so that made it difficult to do a lot of the things on our list.   However, they did haul out the old fireplace and then they took out the old chimney.  It made a lot of mess and we now have a hole in our roof which is kinda not awesome, but we will try to get it patched and then we will be able to have someoen help us install the ne propane fireplace that is sitting in the living room.  We have had it there since January so I am pretty excited to finally quit tripping over it.

And so it begins....

That was a lot of work, and a lot of mess.  But it's out now.  Just have to patch the roof, insulate inside and then get the new fireplace in

Old fireplace is outside.  We hope to actually make an outdoor fireplace of it with big bricks, but that is a project for some other year

While the guys were doing that, I decided to try and clean up the barn wings. There used to be sides attched to the long barn, but snow/ stupid kids/ whatever collapsed the roog on them.  No one bothered to clean that up or muck out the barns and it was growing grass and stuff in there.  Dar is convinced that i have contracted hantavirus from that but I am pretty sure I am just garden variety ill.  Seems to be a flu or soemthing and intend to go to doctor today again. *ugh*

Got this section totally cleaned out and will get  the wheelbarrow and haul the poo out to a heap in the garden so it can continue to compost

I couldn't life or remove some of these big pieces so will have to do that some other time.  A saw would make pretty quick work of the big pieces and at least there won't be grass growing in there.  Would like to have a roof on this portion again some year, and make it into a greenhouse because that would be swell

Something got into the garbage one night.  We keep it at the end of our lane.  It was not a raccoon.  I suspect this bear was probably last year's cub looking for a territory and was hungry.  I put the trailcam up out there to see if we can see it.  We have also moved the garbage into the garage and will pull it waaaaay out to the road on garbage morning

Pretty little blue eyed grass

That red piece is just so bright

I was super happy when the swallowtails started to come around.  I was trying to get a pic of them but they wouldn't stay still.  I gave up and went out to weed the jungle, looked down and there was one on each of my red rubber boots. Like bows. SO CUTE.  Why is this the time I don't have the camera, I thought to myself.

Cutie little sparrow singing me a working in the garden song

Hared to be crabby when this is the first thing you see in the morning as you head down the stairs to start the day

I can not get enough of these little cuties.  I think we have probably 3 nesting pairs in the area as we can usually see 6 or more at a time.  Usually you just see that in the spring and late fall.  Bet there will be little babies!! ohhhhhh

I have no idea why these carrion type beetles would all try to go for a swim in the same barrel and drown.  Apparently they are not that smart.

Geez it is a jungle out there.  Yesterday I went out and got a good portion of it with weed killer and will try to pull some of them this weekend that I don;t want to accidentally get herbicide on.

My favorite view in the house

This is stuck to my window , a little gift from my favorite daughter.  I like to see it whenever i look up from my computer and I totally love the "Mum"

Yes! I hope these potatoes will actually have potatoes under them!  This seems like a smart way to do potatoes but I may end up with all tops, who knowss.  Stay tuned

Hey! My mangoes sprouted! I will try to plant them this weekend and see what becomes of that!  Also stay tuned.

Ok I guess that's it for this week.  We are offf to Fairmont Hot Springs the week of July 6 -12.  Darwins brother has a time share there and invited us.  The dogs will be staying with Darwin's folks which I am a little concerned about, as they are not really farm dogs, but I guess we will just hope for the best. 

I feel about teh mountains the same way you feel about the forest, Mom.  I think if I ever die in an accident, mountains will be involved and I don't trust them.  I do not imagine there will be any mountain pictures either, as I feel that would just encourage them to lurk around.

And... my tulips finally bloomed - right where the squirrels thought they would look much better/

Hope everyone is feeling well and that sunshine is on the way!  Bye for now - love you all