Happy All Hallow’s Eve

October 31, 2008 at 7:04 PM (gardening, stuff)
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Darth and Leah, in case you didn’t recongnize them!

Pumpkins and Horse Poo

Pumpkins are a pretty easy thing to grow. Especially accidental out-of-the-compost pumpkins. They thrive in a rich, moist soil, which the compost pile provides magnificently! No matter how inconvenient a spot that may be to have pumpkins growing, it is ideal! Which leads me to garden amendments, top dressing, and composting.

I’ve talked about compost and additions to the garden before, but I’ll touch on it again, because this year I have a special offer for any one in the Aylmer/Ottawa area. Free horse manure!!! Now if you find this offer exciting, you are either a freak, or a gardener, or both. Welcome to the club! Please send me an email for further directions. This offer is open to anyone, large or small amounts, and did I mention, free??

You can’t get much better than horse manure. Horses are fed purely hay and grain (and the occasional bunch of carrots), unlike what is considered ‘food’ for cows or pigs. And the use of antibiotics and such is purely medicinal, not an every day ocurrance as it is with many other farm animals. To my mind, other than possibly mushroom compost, this makes it the safest, purest, most ‘organic’ compost available. Now’s the perfect time to dig in!!

Ain’t they the cutest?  (No bias, of course!)

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Batten down the Hatches…

October 28, 2008 at 2:04 PM (Horses, animals, notes and thoughts)
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We’re expecting our first snow storm tonight.  Up to 15 cm of snow.  And the wind is already whipping things around in the backyard.  Of course, I have not done a good cleanup yet, so there are still plant pots all over the place, the plastic from the growtunnels was never put away, and numerous junky things just laying about.  I need a swift boot in the rear or something, to get things cleaned up before it snows and stays!  Thankfully, warm weather is coming shortly after, so this snow fall will melt.

It was cold and windy at the barn, too.  I’m glad I didn’t have any horses to ride today.  North is an old throroughbred in need of exercise, that I’m going to be riding on a regular basis.  He has been under the weather lately, though, so maybe next week we’ll start again.  And one of the owners there asked me if I’d be interested in riding her horse occasionally, so of course I said yes.  I need the exercise too!  Great to build up my muscles again.  Riding North is like driving a Rolls Royce, he is such a sweetie, and you can tell he has been around the block and back, he is well trained.  Nick, the other horse, is more like riding a Harley, or driving a zippy little sports car.  Very different, they are both fun!

I keep looking at horses for sale online, just to torture myself.  I really really want to buy my own.  No matter how unrealistic that is at this point in time.  Todd thinks I should be happy that I get the chance to ride, and of course I am, but it’s not the same.  I don’t think he gets it!  I want to have a project, a goal to work towards.  But for now, I suppose I have to be patient, no matter how hard that is for me.  Patience is not a virtue in my world!  Save the coin, have a plan, and maybe next year.

Swimming is off the agenda for a while.  I think I have swimmer’s knee in my left knee.  I took the girls on Sunday, we hadn’t been in quite a while, and it was fun.  But yesterday I was paying for it.  My knee was so sore again.  I’ve been looking around on the net for info, and it doesn’t look like there’s much that can be done.  Just strenghtening the muscles around the knee, and avoiding the repetitive kick motion that causes it.  Really sucks!

Well, that’s the boring update for now.  Life isn’t too exciting, but that’s a good thing!!  For now.

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In and Around the Barn…

October 17, 2008 at 4:54 PM (animals, random stuff)

For those of you in my tiny fan club who have been dying for some more pictures, I brought my camera to work and snapped a few pics of the delightful creatures to whom I am an endless source of amusement and carrots.  We also have a new kitty who appeared from thin air a while back, and who now makes herself quite at home and is usually good for a cuddle or two.

TippyJohn: endless curiosity.

(If you have to ask about the name, you don’t know barn people. Horse folk are a species of their own.)

Atty:  always looking for his next carrot

Ren and Stimpy Tot: two huuuuuge lugs

My barn aka the cement barn aka the school horse barn

Sunstar: a school horse, also always looking for a carrot

Lotta:  this pretty girl belongs to the other horse slave and carrot supplier co-worker, Mel

Anyone in the area looking for good garden compost is welcome to come out and pick through the manure pile.  It’s free and a great ammendment for the garden, especially this time of year!  Just send me an email and I’ll send you directions!

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Turkey Talk…

October 9, 2008 at 8:35 PM (notes and thoughts)

Nope.  Not talking about the elections, here in Canada or for our neighbors to the South.  I’m talking Thanksgiving.  Turkey.  Stuffing.  Pumpkin and Apple pie.  Family get togethers, pigging out on good food, good wine, having several deserts to choose from, or hell, choosing to have some of all the deserts.  One of my favorite holidays.  There is no religious conotation to Thanksgiving, at least not historically.  Traditionally it is about celebrating the harvest, the bounty, the hard work, the hours of labour put in that summer, in order to provide for the family during the cold winter ahead.  It is about giving thanks for all that you have.  And being thankful.  For celebrating your family and friends.  And it signals the change of the seasons, once more.  And for those many reasons, I love Thanksgiving.  You don’t have to buy gifts for anyone, there is no God or Diety to fight over, it is a simple harvest celebration.  And celebrate we will!

Just a few quick pics of the ponies and the farm.

This is Charlotte, a big sweetie.  She looks so much like my old pony Babe.  She is a big girl girl, at least 16.2, I’d think.  The picture is deceiving, she looks like a little pony, and she acts like one, but she ain’t!

The Gatineau Hills are beautiful, and make the backdrop for the farm.  On misty mornings, they look absolutely breathtaking.  Pony here is grumpy little Sam.  He is a sweetie too, despite the look on his face.  Carrots, anyone?

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On the menu tonight…

October 3, 2008 at 12:12 PM (Food)

Magic mashed potatoes and mini meat muffins….my kids love this stuff.

Plain mashed potatoes are not very interesting to a child, so I add a little magic by making them orange.  I simply add a few sweet potatoes to the regular potatoes, and voila!!  Orange magic mashed potatoes.  I think they taste pretty much the same, but the kids are convinced they are much better than the stuff I used to make.  And to give Todd his due, it was his idea!

Meat muffins are your basic meat loaf recipe, baked in muffin tins, and topped with a little ketchup, brown sugar and mustard sauce – also a good sweet bbq sauce for ribs or chicken, when you add some garlic and onion.  And your standard meatloaf recipe also makes great meatballs so plan to make extras at the same time for Spaghetti and Meatballs a day or two later.  Or freeze them, once cooked.  It’s like making two suppers at once.

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Does being nice pay…

October 3, 2008 at 11:45 AM (random stuff)

I wonder sometimes.  I’m usually a pretty nice and happy person (I think…I could be wrong!)  I’ve been trying to smile a lot more, especially at the grocery store or whatever store I’m shopping at.  Yes, I have no life, shopping is pretty much the only time I get out of the house outside of work.  I’ve read that smiling makes you feel better, even if you don’t feel like smiling, so I’m trying.  I actually do get a lot of smiles back, which  really does seem to improve your mood!

I was standing in line at my local IGA, behind two older women, one who was visually impaired, the other was obviously there to help.  Watching them slowly put their groceries on the counter, and thinking to myself, isn’t that sweet.  I wonder if she is a volunteer, or just a helpful friend, or what.  And made me realize that I had nothing in my cart for my foodbank challenge!  Oops.  How could I forget so quickly?  So I left my cart in line, ran to the pasta sauces and pastas and grabbed some.  Took me maybe thirty seconds, I knew exactly where they were.  Back to my cart, the two women are almost done, just figuring out how to pay, etc, loading their groceries, and I realize there is another older woman standing in front of me, with her groceries on the conveyor belt ahead of me.  WTF???  She had butted right in front.  While I was doing my karmic good deed, this old biddy figured she could butt right in.  Yes, I know I’d left my cart unattended for two bloody seconds, but really!!  I started to say something, but then I figured that would be pointless.  So I smiled, shook my head, and grumbled a bit under my breath.  What would you have done??

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