JOURNAL
August 4 2011
Today Ron and I can call us the new owners of an acreage. Yeeeeeeey! We're sooo happy with this amazing and very romantic place.
It's almost 30 acres of beautiful pastures and forest in the breath taking Assiniboine River valley. Lots of wild life to enjoy! And the views.......sooooooo nice! The Assiniboine River is only a mile away. It's so gorgeous there too!
Our acreage is bare land. No buildings, no water, no electricity, no gas or telephone. We are going to build it up from scratch.
The first thing we're going to do is bring all the posts and high tensile wire over. We also have to find someone that can bring over our 5th wheel, so we have a place to relax during all the work.
Fencing the pastures is the first thing we will do. Have to create a nice home for our horses.
Picture above: Moose on a canola field.
Lots of wild life to enjoy here!
August 7 2011
Yesterday Flicka and I did a trail ride at L Pine Meadow!
It was a wonderful ride and Flicka did so well! She was calm and relaxed and really enjoyed our ride. Flicka was nice and calm and listened very well. We were riding bitless too, and this was the first time I took Flicka for a long trail ride in just a halter. No need for a bit anymore! Yeeeey! It was a great feeling to have a trail ride on my own land. :-)
After the trail ride Ron and I went back to the acreage and I discovered we had a beautiful view to the north side of the valley. We didn't know of this view as we never went that way. But now I went through some bush and there it was.....breath taking! One day I'm going to ride on those hills.
We brought the first load of fence posts over. Still a couple of loads to do.
Ron and I found the best spot for our 5th wheel. It's level and sheltered at the end of the yard site. We also discovered that there is part behind that spot that would make a great place for a hottub.
Everytime we spend time on our acreage, we discover new things. Such a nice adventure!
Today Ron and I can call us the new owners of an acreage. Yeeeeeeey! We're sooo happy with this amazing and very romantic place.
It's almost 30 acres of beautiful pastures and forest in the breath taking Assiniboine River valley. Lots of wild life to enjoy! And the views.......sooooooo nice! The Assiniboine River is only a mile away. It's so gorgeous there too!
Our acreage is bare land. No buildings, no water, no electricity, no gas or telephone. We are going to build it up from scratch.
The first thing we're going to do is bring all the posts and high tensile wire over. We also have to find someone that can bring over our 5th wheel, so we have a place to relax during all the work.
Fencing the pastures is the first thing we will do. Have to create a nice home for our horses.
Picture above: Moose on a canola field.
Lots of wild life to enjoy here!
August 7 2011
Yesterday Flicka and I did a trail ride at L Pine Meadow!
It was a wonderful ride and Flicka did so well! She was calm and relaxed and really enjoyed our ride. Flicka was nice and calm and listened very well. We were riding bitless too, and this was the first time I took Flicka for a long trail ride in just a halter. No need for a bit anymore! Yeeeey! It was a great feeling to have a trail ride on my own land. :-)
After the trail ride Ron and I went back to the acreage and I discovered we had a beautiful view to the north side of the valley. We didn't know of this view as we never went that way. But now I went through some bush and there it was.....breath taking! One day I'm going to ride on those hills.
We brought the first load of fence posts over. Still a couple of loads to do.
Ron and I found the best spot for our 5th wheel. It's level and sheltered at the end of the yard site. We also discovered that there is part behind that spot that would make a great place for a hottub.
Everytime we spend time on our acreage, we discover new things. Such a nice adventure!
August 8 2011
Today we brought another load of fence posts to the yard.
We were heading towards the driveway we are using at the moment, when we saw this beautiful hawk flying ahead of us. The bird would fly a few meters, then sit on a branche in a tree until we got closer, then fly ahead again.
We took our dog Scruffy with us this time. This was the first time she was here. Oh boy, did she ever had a good time! Running around, rolling in the grass, going into the woods.....she even started to 'till' our future vegetable garden by digging here and there. LOL
It was great to see how much she enjoyed herself.
After a half hour it started to rain. Today there were showers on and off and it didn't last that long. 5 minutes later beautiful blue sky again. There was a lot of wind from the north, but the yard is so protected, that it didn't bother us at all. During winter time this is wonderful of course.
I took some photo's again (of course LOL) and we talked about where to make this or put that.
The winter pasture could be quiet a job. We will have to go through the woods for fencing so we save that for next year, as we don't need it at this time.
It will be nice to have the arena, round pen and a square pen in the yard. Where ever the wind comes from, it won't bother us too much because of all the trees around. Even on a very windy day like today with winds of 30 km ph, I will be able to ride in the arena without the worry of a spooky horse. Also in winter time this is a real advantage!
Ron and I enjoyed the view towards the hills of the valley. We were surrounded with all kinds of wild flowers. It smelled sooooo nice too, after the little shower we had. We can't get over it how beautiful it is here. Of course we agreed to make a nice sitting area right there, with wooden benches and a table. Such a great spot to sit and enjoy the view with a glass of wine or beer.
We had folding chairs with us and sat for a half hour, enjoying a drink. All over the yard we saw dragon flies. We wonder if there would be fire fly's at night. They probably are there. Not many mosquito's neither in the yard which was great.
I picked the spot for the vegetable garden. Facing south, with trees around to protect from winds. A nice warm spot! The sandy soil will be great for patatoes, carrots, turnip en parsnips after it's fertilized.
It will be so nice!
Today we brought another load of fence posts to the yard.
We were heading towards the driveway we are using at the moment, when we saw this beautiful hawk flying ahead of us. The bird would fly a few meters, then sit on a branche in a tree until we got closer, then fly ahead again.
We took our dog Scruffy with us this time. This was the first time she was here. Oh boy, did she ever had a good time! Running around, rolling in the grass, going into the woods.....she even started to 'till' our future vegetable garden by digging here and there. LOL
It was great to see how much she enjoyed herself.
After a half hour it started to rain. Today there were showers on and off and it didn't last that long. 5 minutes later beautiful blue sky again. There was a lot of wind from the north, but the yard is so protected, that it didn't bother us at all. During winter time this is wonderful of course.
I took some photo's again (of course LOL) and we talked about where to make this or put that.
The winter pasture could be quiet a job. We will have to go through the woods for fencing so we save that for next year, as we don't need it at this time.
It will be nice to have the arena, round pen and a square pen in the yard. Where ever the wind comes from, it won't bother us too much because of all the trees around. Even on a very windy day like today with winds of 30 km ph, I will be able to ride in the arena without the worry of a spooky horse. Also in winter time this is a real advantage!
Ron and I enjoyed the view towards the hills of the valley. We were surrounded with all kinds of wild flowers. It smelled sooooo nice too, after the little shower we had. We can't get over it how beautiful it is here. Of course we agreed to make a nice sitting area right there, with wooden benches and a table. Such a great spot to sit and enjoy the view with a glass of wine or beer.
We had folding chairs with us and sat for a half hour, enjoying a drink. All over the yard we saw dragon flies. We wonder if there would be fire fly's at night. They probably are there. Not many mosquito's neither in the yard which was great.
I picked the spot for the vegetable garden. Facing south, with trees around to protect from winds. A nice warm spot! The sandy soil will be great for patatoes, carrots, turnip en parsnips after it's fertilized.
It will be so nice!
August 10 2011
Today we brought the last load of fence posts, garden posts and some two by fours. We put the fence posts at the corner of the large pasture with the rest, but the garden posts and two by fours we put in the little area in the back of the yard. We had a nice break there in the shade with a cold drink. It was getting warm but in the shade it was really nice. It's such a cute little area. Perfect for a hottub and bird garden. We have lots of bird feeders that we can hang up here in the trees.
We were sitting there for a half hour, just enjoying the quietness around us. What a joy!
On our way back, we noticed a nice young buck in one of the Canola fields. He was beautiful! And very curious about us too.
It was funny. You could only see his head sticking out of the blooming canola. We also saw the hawk again when we drove out of our yard, but no photo as he was too high.
Tomorrow afternoon we will bring over another load of things, and we will take some time to mark out the first pasture and where the outdoor arena will be build.
Today we brought the last load of fence posts, garden posts and some two by fours. We put the fence posts at the corner of the large pasture with the rest, but the garden posts and two by fours we put in the little area in the back of the yard. We had a nice break there in the shade with a cold drink. It was getting warm but in the shade it was really nice. It's such a cute little area. Perfect for a hottub and bird garden. We have lots of bird feeders that we can hang up here in the trees.
We were sitting there for a half hour, just enjoying the quietness around us. What a joy!
On our way back, we noticed a nice young buck in one of the Canola fields. He was beautiful! And very curious about us too.
It was funny. You could only see his head sticking out of the blooming canola. We also saw the hawk again when we drove out of our yard, but no photo as he was too high.
Tomorrow afternoon we will bring over another load of things, and we will take some time to mark out the first pasture and where the outdoor arena will be build.
One of our two water containers. On the left side down there is a spout. These holds a lot of water!
August 11 2011
Ron and Paul picked up the water container we will need later for the horses. At home I washed it out and after that was done, we went to L Pine Meadow. We took Scruffy again so she could have a good run.
There was a chance for thunder showers, but we were lucky. They all passed, but we could hear the thunder south of us.
The first thing we did was figuring out where we will put the fence line of the first summer pasture. I want to include some trees and bush in the pasture so that means we will have to go through the woods. I was afraid it would be too thick but fortunately it's not too bad at all. We will be able to put connectors on the trees and we will take out whatever is in the way, which is not much.
I think it will be great for the horses to have trees and bush to shelter for the sun and to rub off the bugs. They will love what I've come up with!
The tree line is not straight. Some trees and bushes come out and they form a shelter for wind. The ground is flat at the most places, but where the trees and bush are, it goes up. Flicka will love that! She always loves hills.
After we figured out where to put the big corner posts of the summer pasture, I measured the size of the arena. The outdoor arena is higher up then the smaller paddocks next to it. So it will have good drainage. There is hardly any grass growing on that spot neither, so no need to till it. It's ready for use once it's fenced.
The arena will come along side the tall fir trees and during hot days more then half of the arena will be in the shade. There is a little spot next to some bush that is perfect to set up the small truck camper that we use as a tack room. They are handy little things! This one we bought very cheap. It's old and need some roof repair, but overal it's a great place to keep my tack in. It has windows and with the gas stove it's heated up in winter within 5 minutes, because it's small. It's also absolutely mouse proof.
Ron and I hope to find a couple more old truck campers and use them as sheds. They are easy to move around too.
We can always paint them barn red and skirt them to make them look like a real shed. Except it will have much more to offer then a shed with all the cupboards, a sink, seats , heater and fridge. And not to forget...all the windows for great light. So yes...we will look for those in the future for sure.
We will start with making a little pasture on the same side as the arena will be. This little pasture will have a gate that will open towards the summer pasture and one that goes into the arena.
After all the thinking work and walking and measuring Ron and I had our first BBQ here. We had a little portable BBQ, that you can throw away after use. Simple but it worked very well!
While Ron was cooking, we had a little snack before: crackers with cheese or oysters. Mmm!
After a half hour supper was ready. Ron surprised me with a wonderful meal of meat and fish, patato salate, cheri tomatoes and a nice red wine. It was sooooo gooood! We talked about the possibilities of the land, came up with all kind of plans and ideas, and just had a great time together.
After we ate, we took our glass of wine and enjoyed the beautiful view of the valley at the north side of the yard. Scruffy was exited and ran up and down the hills, until she got too warm.
The yard was full of dragon flies. Hundreds of them were flying around. I think they are beautiful plus they are good to have, as they eat mosquito's.
We heard squirrels in the woods, and also we heard a very high pitched sound so now and then, coming from the trees. No idea what it was. A bug? A Bird? We have no clue. It sounded like there was somewhere an electricity wire zooming, but there is none around in miles. And it came from close by. Maybe next time we find out what animal makes this sound.
Ron and Paul picked up the water container we will need later for the horses. At home I washed it out and after that was done, we went to L Pine Meadow. We took Scruffy again so she could have a good run.
There was a chance for thunder showers, but we were lucky. They all passed, but we could hear the thunder south of us.
The first thing we did was figuring out where we will put the fence line of the first summer pasture. I want to include some trees and bush in the pasture so that means we will have to go through the woods. I was afraid it would be too thick but fortunately it's not too bad at all. We will be able to put connectors on the trees and we will take out whatever is in the way, which is not much.
I think it will be great for the horses to have trees and bush to shelter for the sun and to rub off the bugs. They will love what I've come up with!
The tree line is not straight. Some trees and bushes come out and they form a shelter for wind. The ground is flat at the most places, but where the trees and bush are, it goes up. Flicka will love that! She always loves hills.
After we figured out where to put the big corner posts of the summer pasture, I measured the size of the arena. The outdoor arena is higher up then the smaller paddocks next to it. So it will have good drainage. There is hardly any grass growing on that spot neither, so no need to till it. It's ready for use once it's fenced.
The arena will come along side the tall fir trees and during hot days more then half of the arena will be in the shade. There is a little spot next to some bush that is perfect to set up the small truck camper that we use as a tack room. They are handy little things! This one we bought very cheap. It's old and need some roof repair, but overal it's a great place to keep my tack in. It has windows and with the gas stove it's heated up in winter within 5 minutes, because it's small. It's also absolutely mouse proof.
Ron and I hope to find a couple more old truck campers and use them as sheds. They are easy to move around too.
We can always paint them barn red and skirt them to make them look like a real shed. Except it will have much more to offer then a shed with all the cupboards, a sink, seats , heater and fridge. And not to forget...all the windows for great light. So yes...we will look for those in the future for sure.
We will start with making a little pasture on the same side as the arena will be. This little pasture will have a gate that will open towards the summer pasture and one that goes into the arena.
After all the thinking work and walking and measuring Ron and I had our first BBQ here. We had a little portable BBQ, that you can throw away after use. Simple but it worked very well!
While Ron was cooking, we had a little snack before: crackers with cheese or oysters. Mmm!
After a half hour supper was ready. Ron surprised me with a wonderful meal of meat and fish, patato salate, cheri tomatoes and a nice red wine. It was sooooo gooood! We talked about the possibilities of the land, came up with all kind of plans and ideas, and just had a great time together.
After we ate, we took our glass of wine and enjoyed the beautiful view of the valley at the north side of the yard. Scruffy was exited and ran up and down the hills, until she got too warm.
The yard was full of dragon flies. Hundreds of them were flying around. I think they are beautiful plus they are good to have, as they eat mosquito's.
We heard squirrels in the woods, and also we heard a very high pitched sound so now and then, coming from the trees. No idea what it was. A bug? A Bird? We have no clue. It sounded like there was somewhere an electricity wire zooming, but there is none around in miles. And it came from close by. Maybe next time we find out what animal makes this sound.
This was our first week. The journal will continue on the new page: Journal 2.