First Guest, More Pics

Good morning faithful readers, I am trying to type quietly while Paul sleeps on... we're both just bagged at the end of every day. A lot of it I think is just the newness of it all, and I know for me the peace and quiet is most conducive to long, sound sleeps.

This week we had our first overnight guest (although our first official visit was from Becca and Dean last week). My sister Caroline (or Cookie, a nickname that still sticks almost 50 years on) stayed over Sunday/Monday, and she took some terrific photos:

This is one of my favourite quilts, draped over an ancient wagon out by the garden shed.

And here's our tractor! Paul will blog more about this, I suspect. It works, has new tires, and came with four attachments-- one is a snow plow we'll try on the driveway this winter.

Speaking of farm machines, here I am mowing our grass. That morning Paul and I had done some bee maintenance, and silly me wore only one layer of socks... my right ankle is swollen and painful from three stings, and so only my flipflops fit right now (in case any of you safety geeks out there were horrified). The mower was borrowed from Becca and Dean and Ange and Gord at Crooked Horn Farm (www.crookedhornfarm.ca). It rained cats and dogs so I didn't get much done-- hopefully today. One just has to be a wee bit careful heading toward the river bank...

Here's my sister, looking lovely against the 80's pink feature wall...

Caroline lives just 1.5 hours away, at Jewel Lake Resort near Grand Forks and Greenwood. She and bro-in-law Jim Harrison (look him up, hockey fans) bought the resort two years ago and its a wonderful place-- '60's style, cozy cabins on the lake, lots of camping, hiking, fishing. Here's the link: http://www.jewellakeresort.com/.

Cat update: Cassius is now staying around the house during the day, especially since Paul showed him how to get up into the 'attic' of the banya (this cat loves high spaces). I called him for dinner yesterday and he came trotting right in, and spent the night inside again as well. I think we're sorted out cat-wise.

 It will be very sad for me to leave tomorrow, but I must get some prep done before my Uvic teaching starts Tuesday (*gack*). I will miss this place already, it doesn't take long to get inside you.