We have had a very Merry Christmas so far. Here is our official Christmas picture! We were glad Murray's dad was in the photo as we had to take him to emergency Christmas Eve. Hopefully he is on the mend now.

Here is the star of the show!
We have enjoyed every minute with little Nicholas.

Tomorrow we are off to Red Deer for the weekend then everyone goes home on Sunday.

This afternoon the men had a winter picnic for lunch down at the bison corral where they were weaning bison calves. With the short days they wanted to maximize all the daylight they could. It was a beautiful day with highs near the freezing mark. And don't worry Yan, there will be more to do next week!

Murray, his Dad & Steven Kerr

On Sunday we were privileged to go on an old fashioned sleigh ride. Glad we had enough snow to use the sleigh! It was the Christmas party for the Victim Services Advocates I am a volunteer for. Murray & I are in about the middle of the group at the back.

Last evening we attended the Hemaruka Community Christmas supper . Afterward Angie & I led some carol singing until Santa arrived!
I even got to sit on his knee!

To round out the evening some people had a game of "disking". It is similar to floor curling.

Young & old get involved!

Although I have no pics I do have an experience to tell about my day yesterday. I was on my way home from Red Deer and about 4:00 PM as I was at about at Halkirk I got a call from the Victim Services co-ordinator saying there were 2 prairie fires out of control near Castor & could I help with giving out food, etc to the firefighters & others involved. (The wind was gale force, like what the west coast had a day earlier). I said sure, so met them at the junction of highways #12 and # 36 and we went south to where the fire had jumped #36 and where the command post was set up. This is a fire deptmnt truck that has a room in the front where all communications go through a co-ordinator and all directions are given. In the back is a long room with a bench down the side and where we set up the food. This was a first for me so I was learning along the way.
Altough traffic was shut down in both directions for about 6-8 hours some truckers tried to snake through but were pulled over and we fed some of them as well. The nearby Suncrest Hutterite colony provided food as well as the hospital and neighbors. We had heaps.
Earlier that morning there was a fire north of Castor in the Battle River valley so the firefighters and water trucks were there when they got the call of the one south. (Iheard this one started by the wind fanning an old brushpile). By the time they got to the south one it was well advanced and jumped the highway and totally burned around a farm house. The Lord had his hand on that house as all bales, corrals, outbuildings, machinery, pumphouse, etc. as well as most of the shelterbelt went up in smoke. It was like an island in a sea of black.
Some of the VSU (victim service unit) volunteers sat with the family trying to console them & get them to evacuate, some went with RCMP to warn other farmsteads and a couple of us gave out coffee & food. It was a scene I have only seen in the movies and unfortunately this was real, with a sea of flashing lights, acrid smoke and black faced firemen & women. Some of these guys (& fire gals)had been out since 10:00 A.M and when I left at 11:30 PM some had gone back to the north where the fire had flared up again & others were still dousing hotspots and cutting trees in the shelterbelt. Units from Castor, Hanna, Stettler, Byemoor, Halkirk and Coronation were there as well as RCMP from as far away as Red Deer and the Calgary news was reporting on the state of emergency in the county of Paintearth.
The poor family we were with finally had power restored but had no water as the pumphouse had burned as well as waterlines had either melted or been damaged by trucks. Their cattle were hopefully out there wandering around somewhere but 2 horses in the corral were feared dead. Another family nearby had show horses they were trying to round up in the dark so they could be evacuated.
During the course of the windy day there were other fires in the area but none as bad. Coming home from Consort that afternoon Murray spotted a fire that had just started by a gas flare at a battery site south of us on #886. He rushed home for the water truck and others arrived and it did not get far.
It is hard to believe that in this day of modern communications and equipment things could get so out of hand but as witnessed in Kelowna and California, we are never safe.
We are certainly seeing "the day approaching". We are only here to spread His love and kindness until then.

Unusual

A couple mornings ago this deer was discovered along the road near our place. This unfortunate young buck had managed to tangle both right legs in all 6 wires of our fence. He must have not cleared the wires then given himself an extra push with his free legs and managed to go all the way around at least once! Poor thing.

Jasper Retreat

This weekend we were able to go to Jasper for the annual Alberta Conference Executive Committee Retreat. While Elaine went to meetings Murray enjoyed rest, relaxation and a couple massages. He said the massage therapist actually thanked him for having someone to work on that actually needed a massage!

On Sabbath afternoon we joined the group for a hike up Malign Canyon.

We then drove to Maligne Lake (below) which has a porous bottom so empties in the fall. Here we saw a little snow. We reluctantly returned home Sunday night!

Visitors

Last weekend Scott was home to attend the wedding of and give the toast to the groom for a good friend from High School, Trevor Bousquet. (See pic on Scott's blog). Pictured here are Scott, Delayne Shaffer, and Trevor, three buddies from high school days. My brother Gene, from Portage La Prairie, was also here while Scott was visiting.

Gene, Mom and me.

Thanksgiving

We were pleased to host Thanksgiving Dinner at our Red Deer home on Monday. Murray's Dad couldn't make it due to a funeral for an oldtime friend, but Scott & Patricia came from Calgary, Mom & my brother Gene, Carol and Mother Sankey joined us.

The Tym family came over in the afternoon for dessert & we had a lovely visit.
Laurel with the 2 Grandmas in their matching sweaters!Ann, Carol & Gene.

New Furniture

Our furniture for the Red Deer house has all finally arrived. Window coverings yet to come but it is feeling more like home and echoing less! Below is the living room where the windows face west.

This is the other part of the living room (taken from the dining room).

This is the downstairs family room taken from the stairs.

I haven't had time yet to play with the best furniture placement and there are still more pics to hang. We are looking forward to hosting Thanksgiving dinner there on Monday.

(Thanks a million Sharyl. It all looks great!)

We are rejoicing that we finished harvest on Thursday so we celebrated by going out for our annual harvest dinner this evening to Hanna. The Kerr family & we 4 Sankeys enjoyed a roast beef dinner.

After the frost we had here earlier this week my Amur Maples turned a brilliant red. I am hoping to enjoy them for awhile before the leaves fall.
Unloading canola into the grain cart.

This is our harvest lunch wagon. It goes from field to field & when I bring out a hot dinner it sure beats eating on your lap! Murray bought it for $300, 5 years ago over my protest but it has turned out to be just the niftiest thing. I don't mind it getting dragged out in the dusty fields. This field was 10 miles from home.

Today Murray finished combining our last canola field so he was rejoicing over our last meal in the trailer for 2007. We still have 160 acres of wheat but that field is only 1 1/2 miles from home so it is easier to come in for meals. Hopefully we can get all done harvest early next week.

A couple nights ago I woke up near 4:00 A.M. to close the window because I was cold. After lying there for a long time and not being able to go back to sleep I decided to get up, get dressed and go for my daily walk. It was still dark out so I took a flashlight and started off. My biggest fear was running into a skunk in the dark! After awhile I got to thinking what would I do if my flashlight quit & I was a mile and a half from home? So I turned off the flashlight to see if I could tell where I was going. Surprisingly I could make out the road quite well even without a moon. The stars were shining brightly & I could see many constellations. I only turned the flashlight on occasionally to check for skunks! I wouldn't want the experience every night but I must say it was rather pleasurable to be out there alone with the millions of stars. Made me think of the verse " What is man that thou art mindful of him?"

Even though it was cool on Sabbath we went to the lake (Gray's). Notice the nice sandy beach kids! We enjoyed hearing the waves lapping on the shore and the beautiful sunset over the water.

Yesterday & today I have been tending to my trap line. Who would have thunk I would turn into a ruthless trapper, but when the moles starting invading our yards a couple of years ago I took mole trapping lessons from a friend near Balzac and although they are coming in fast I have had some success at keeping the moles out of my immediate vicinity at least. Yesterday afternnon I set one trap in my yard & a couple hours later had caught a mole. Then in the evening I set 3 traps & this morning discovered I had caught 3 moles! To have success you have to find the run into their most recent molehill, dig it out & put the trap at the entrance to the hill. When they see the light coming in at the end or top of the trap they run to fill in their run and are caught in the trap.

I have pulled the trap out of the hole so you can see the back end of the mole in the trap.

This is a different, but just as effective trap. It is about 6-8 inches long so you can see the size of the mole. This is a smaller one.

They are squished with the spring around their head or middle when caught in the trap. I hope you can see their teeth and claws.

Move

Murray carefully packing.

On Wednesday, August 22, Murray & the Kerr crew brought the stock trailer to Red Deer and moved our possessions from one house to the other. Many thanks to them & Debbie Letniak who came & helped out and made the day more efficient. So our "stuff" is mostly in the garage of the city house awaiting carpet cleaners and then more help to put everything in place. This week I clean the farm house for renters Sept. 1. Rain on the ranch has Murray anxious to get the combining back under way.

Remembering

On August 15, friend and former highschool classmate, Lorraine (Uniat) Gallagher passed awauy after struggling with cancer for some time. Murray & I were able to attend her funeral in Edmonton Sunday, August 19. A number of our class were there to honor Lorraine's memory. Knowing her faith was strong makes it easier to say " Until we meet again".

Whirlwind August

From August 1-3, my dear friend Sharyl (who came all the way from Portland to help me) & I brain stormed, furniture shopped, chose paint & area rugs & had a ton of fun. Her expertise proved superbly valuable and I will post pics when all the firniture is delivered & put in place. We got an amazing amount done in a short time but I still wish she were closer to help me with the odds & ends. Thanks heaps, Sharyl!

Sharyl taught me how to paint posterboard so you can see more of a paint sample than those impossible tiny squares.

Here is a sample of a few of the things we actually brought home with us. As you can see it is my "red" year! Stay tuned to see what else I ordered in red.

On August 8 I met my Mom, Kim, Yan & Nicholas in Red Deer to show them our new home and then we came out to the ranch. We cuddled Nicholas all we could and think he is the most precious grandson.How does one choose from the zillion pics taken over 10 days but we sure did enjoy Nicholas' smiles so here is one of them.Nicholas found his legs while he was here and enjoyed standing ramrod straight.Here he is standing alone at 4 months. If only he could find his balance he would be walking!!!Scott & Patricia came out on Aug 10 and Amy, Karis & Zachary arrived from Orlando on the 11th so we had a wonderful houseful of young adults & kids. Here Zachary is getting to know his second cousin Nicholas.
Zachary visiting with Scott.

While here Scott was able to to get in the swather (with some strong help) and if you look closely he is in the operator's seat with dad as co-pilot!

Yan enjoyed the big machines and learning about farming.

Zachary getting up close & personal with the bison!

Amy & Kim (first cousins) enjoyed a ride on the quads.

Kim on the hill overlooking Little Gem.

Zachary & Karis. Zach came outfitted with a darling denim jacket so he would fit in at the ranch!

My mom and her 2 great grandsons.

Grandpa telling Nicholas a secret.

Grandma & Nicholas in the rocking chair.

Another one of those precious smiles.

Nicholas & his Mom taking perogy making lessons from Baba!

Unfortunately on August 17 we had to hug & kiss our grandson & his parents good-bye as they headed back west to Courtenay. What a silent empty house. We sure did enjoy the visit from everyone. Can't wait til Christmas!