Every cloud......

Another friend returns....

Last year we had a couple of Goldfinch families here - and we really enjoyed watching the babies growing and taking their fledgling flights....it's lovely to see another Goldfinch back and we wonder if it's one of the ones from last year back again....we hope to have babies again.

Our swallows are back again and using a bird box in the woods although sit in the workshop most evenings 'courting' each other on the fan ;)

Our robins are back...

we don't have any Mountain Bluebirds this year sadly...their babies are so cute to watch!!!

Peep!

This is 'Peep'....he is our Hairy Woodpecker!!!! He is the 'big brother of our 'little peep' (our Downy woodpecker). they are both regulars in our yard and both visit our feeders....Our Downy stays all winter long though, but Big Peep doesn't stay through the winter. I can hear Peep from a long way off and tell it's him - his loud 'Peep' is so recognizable!! (hence the name we gave him lol).

Dirty boy ;)

At one point over the weekend instead of bringing Sam upstairs to the bath, Lloyd threw Sam into the kitchen sink after he had been playing outside. He couldn't resist snapping this picture - AND the one of how dirty the sink was afterwards lol - shows how dirty he was after playing outside hahahaha and thats after having several baths each day because he is getting so dirty!!!

I have to admit I LOVE seeing my kids get all dirty from having fun like this :) I think it's great for kids to be out having fun and getting dirty and building up their immune systems in this way - I don't believe in all this antibacterial/ superclean / antiseptic/ nonsense - I don't think it's healthy to have kids grow up that way!!! Let them get dirty and have fun! (unless there is a health reason for them not to) but most kids geez - let them get out there and get dirty and have fun and build up their immune systems!! :)

Dirty feet...

The little boy who belongs to these feet, has been having, on average, three baths a day lately! He has been having a BLAST paying in the dirt and our mountain of top soil. He has such an incredible imagination and has been mountaineering, has been an archeologist, a paleontologist, has been a pirate digging for treasure, a gardener digging potatoes, and just generally having fun getting filthy and making plenty of mud pies :)

He has most definitely been sleeping well from being outside from morning until late at night :) He has been helping us prepare the vegetable gardens and plant the peas and water the gardens too :)

Art classes continue....

Abigails art classes continue....she has taken a print making workshop and a water colour workshop. Above are the watercolour paintings she created. She is really enjoying the classes and will be sad when they end. Her last class is 'fibre arts'.

This week we also have the SHINE park day and will sign up to join SHINE for the next year. Abigail is also signed up to go to camp for a week this Summer - a weeks worth of day camp which includes horse riding (all she wants to do lately)!!

Various horse breeds on display at the show.....

How to teach your horse tricks!!!!

This workshop was fun to watch - and the instructor was so knowledgeable!!! The horse was beautiful!!!

This was soooo much fun to watch.....

....and nail-biting at times!!!!

Horse showcase...

On Sunday we took the younger three to a horse showcase at the Strathcona Olympiette Centre - we had expected this to be a small local show but it turned out to be quite a big affair with horses brought in from the whole area, many trade stands, displays and side shows. There were classes and workshops on basic safety around horses etc too...fun activities for kids too including parades ad colouring contests!! We had such a great time there and it was FREE!! :) We'll definitely be going next year!!! :)

Two of my garage sale finds......

Here are two of my finds....before and after their first coats of white paint....they aren't finished as I have run out of paint but they have had their first couple of layers done. Back to Home Depot tomorrow night....I'm not sure what I will put on them yet - probably some stencil on the tin - a word of some kind......and the shelf I might just use some wire wool and rough it up a bit so it doesn't look so 'new'. Or maybe a crackle glaze.....hmmmm Oh and although the bar SHOULD be at the bottom like a towel rail, I'm going to hang the shelf upside down and have the rail at the top like a bar to keep more stamps behind!!

Annual Garage Sale Extravaganza!!!

On Friday I went out on the annual Clover Bar Ranch garage sale Girls Night......lol...well, it's becoming an annual event :)

We start by walking round the huge garage sale event at Clover Bar Ranch - which is basically a subdivision-wide garage sale where you can walk from one garage sale to the next finding bargains!! You get to rummage through peoples garages looking at things they are selling - kind of like a car boot sale in peoples garages and on their driveways (for those of you in the UK) and you just stroll from house to house on a nice Summer evening and some sell pop and burgers, bags of chips/ crisps/ cookies etc etc....

I went with Val and Tess and then half way round the sale we ran in to Tracy who was with her husband and children - who she kindly 'dumped' (hahahaha) in favour of joining us instead and her lovely hubby handed her wads and wads of cash and waved her off telling her to have a lovely evening.....

So after the garage sale we headed to the scrapbook store for a quick look and then we headed to Kelseys for dinner....I got home about 11pm....having left home just before 4pm :) So it was a nice evening :) Lovely and warm evening and a success as I got plenty of bargains and was VERY grateful that Val brought her wonderful cart to pull it all in :) Thanks Val!!!

Charlie....

Charlie....exhausted after a days gardening in the sunshine.....