Back To The Land of WiFi

With being so busy completing the major move and clean up at Jeanette's parents' farm - and with no access to WiFi (other than the small town library) - it's nice to be back in the city of Edmonton where WiFi is readily available.

Setting sun at Jeanette's family farm - Hairy Hill, Alberta

We are at our son and daughter in law's home for the weekend.  We'll decompress from the farm work before our 12 hour return drive back home to the British Columbia coast next Monday.

We have not been able to keep up with the blogs we regularly follow.  I doubt we will have the time to catch up while in Edmonton.  We have plenty of visiting to do.

L-R  Courtney (7 months pregnant) Jeanette's mom, Mary and our son , Deni.

The Edmonton visiting started last night with a wonderful get together with my nephew, Brad, and his wife, Jamie.  Brad - like me - is a motorcycle enthusiast (golfer too) and it's always nice to get together.  Thanks for the wonderful dinner, you two!

No photos from our dinner but...... L-R   Jamie, Meghan, Alyssa and Brad  - (from Brad's Facebook page)

There is so much to write about!  We have hundreds and hundreds of photos too! But we'll spare you the long, long story and focus on the important stuff.

Our son's cargo trailer came in handy to move stuff from the farm. 

The old log home, in the background (photo above), is where Jeanette was born - 61 years ago.  Her father had to play doctor when a major snow storm prevented taking her mom to the local hospital.  A lot of reminiscing was heard about this pioneer farm house.  The newer farm home was built a couple of years later.

Darlene and her mom found this little dress that Mary had sewn many, many years back.

Our time was occupied with cleaning, sorting, moving, hauling and more.  We had a couple of meetings with the lawyer and the bank.  As Power of Attorney, Jeanette had quite a few important things to look after.

We got to know John - owner/operator - from the disposal service we retained.

These past six months, or so, saw us collectively fill over 14 garbage bins.  Stuff that was deemed worthwhile years back was now destined for the trash heap.  Although a huge job, the process was effective.

Bob and I managing some heavy lifting.

The four sisters contributed to the work load - as did Deb's husband, Bob, and I.  We kept busy.  But it was all worthwhile and the job got done.

The old log house housed stuff like this old wringer washing machine.  It was destined for recycling.

L-R   Me, my sister, Paulette, her son in law, Jeff and daughter, Tina

The Canadian Thanksgiving long weekend was a nice distraction.  My sister and her husband - Paulette and Rick - invited us to join their family for a wonderful turkey dinner, this past Saturday.  The 50 minute drive to their home was well worth it.  We enjoyed a great meal and fun chat with everyone.  We did over night at their home because we were driving to Jeanette's sister's place, the next day,  (about 20 minutes south) for another Thanksgiving turkey dinner with Jeanette's side of the family.

L-R  Paulette's husband, Rick, daughter, Karen.....Paulette, Jeff and Tina.

L-R  Jeff and Tina's son, Brenden (a star football quarterback), Karen's son, Jarred ( a politician in the making) and Rick.

It was so much fun to break up the farm work with dinners and fun visits.  The next day (Sunday) we left my sister's home for the drive to Jeanette's youngest sister, Darlene's place, for another outstanding meal.

Beautiful Alberta highway leading from my sister's farm to my sister in law's farm.

The leaves were still offering some rich fall colours....but have since fallen to the ground.

At Darlene and Tom's farm, this (and the unseen turkey) is what we came for.  YUM!

L-R   Sister, Georgina, Mom Mary, Darlene and Jeanette.  The other sister, Deb, was enjoying turkey dinner with her husband, Bob's family.

Deni and Courtney drove the two hours east from Edmonton to partake in the meal.

What a feast! By mid-afternoon, (Sunday past)  Deni and Courtney headed back for Edmonton, and a few hours later, Jeanette and I drove Jeanette's mom back to the Long Term Care facility she now calls home.  From there, we drove to the farm to continue the process of closing up the yard and house for the new owner.

Group shot:  L-R  Jeanette, Georgina, Tom, Darlene, Mom (Mary), Courtney, Deni and Me.

Back at the farm, we had more tidying to do, errands to run (bank, lawyer, care facility, etc.).  We did bring Mary to her farm on several occasions.  It is not easy to see one's life - 64 years - farming this land and tending to the large farmyard close and have the place transferred to a new owner. Mary does have a very positive attitude though.  She is comforted by the fact that the younger neighbour farmer has taken over their property.

The fall weather was fantastic.  Bright blue skies and warm fall days were the norm.  What a treat that was!  Only one year ago, snow covered the landscape around here.  We counted our blessingsto get so much accomplished because of the great fall weather.

Selling the home place was also discomforting, to a certain extent, to Jeanette and her  sisters.  This is where they grew up.  All of them realize that parting with the farm was in everyone's best interest.  The family still owns farm land that is rented to another local farmer.  Tending to a farm yard - house and buildings - that is uninhabited was demanding and problematic.
 

While we were busy in Alberta, our 18 month old grandson, Easton, was busy on the west coast too.  He was hauling his chosen pumpkins from a farm market.  Cute to see.

Easton also dropped by his dad's father's home to help mow the lawn.  Grandpa Warren had to share the driving duties with Easton.

Taking a load of stuff for storage at Darlene's farm.  We hauled from one farm to another.  The stored items were deemed important to hold on to and Tom and Darlene have the storage space.

Darlene took this photo of Jeanette and I by the lake in front of their country home.  What a peaceful setting!

Now that the farm yard transition work is completed - and we are back in Edmonton - (with WiFi Internet access) we'll get to relax and enjoy our visit with Deni and Courtney for a few days.  With a new grandchild expected this very late December/early January, it will be nice to enjoy some time at their home.

I have a brother and sister in law who live in my birth town of St. Paul, Alberta.  We enjoyed a nice visit and dinner at their home last Thursday evening.  As I write this post, Jeanette and Deni drove to downtown Edmonton to select some fresh vegetables from the weekly farmers' market there.  I can 't post photos from our dinner with Bernie and Rita because Jeanette has the camera.  I will post a photo or two when I next write a blog.

One more sunset shot taken from the family farm.

The weather in Edmonton is equally great and the long term forecast for our return drive back the BC coast looks most favourable too.

Thanks for dropping by.

Posting From the Little Town Library

I'm posting this blog from the little library in the town of Two Hills, Alberta.  Our journey here began last Tuesday morning when we left home for the southern Alberta city of Calgary. Purpose of this trip is to complete the work required for the transfer of ownership of the family farm (home place) to the new owner.

Just past Hope, BC.

The early morning drive started out well.  One and one half hours later, we were on the Coquihalla Highway - a high mountain route that can present all kinds of weather.  And it did!

Snow at the higher elevation nearing the Coquihalla Summit.

The first part of the drive was fine but when the snow began to fall, it came down fast and furious.  Within minutes, we were in 4X4 drive to keep from slipping and sliding.  Although the snow was beautiful, we were ahead of the snow plows so we tried to follow the big rig tracks.

20 minutes after the snowfall, we were back at lower elevations and in the rain.

Once out of the snow, the 4X4 was switched back to 2high and we were back to good traction.

Once past the city of Merritt, in the the BC Nicola Valley, the snow returned.

Climbing back to higher elevations on this mountain highway, we were soon back to the freezing level and more snow.

All was quiet in the Shushwap Lakes region in the North Okanagan Valley.

With little traffic - other than transport trucks - we were making good time on the 10 hour drive to Calgary.

A mountainside resort along the Trans-Canada Highway near Revelstoke, BC.

We've likely repeated this line before, in previous blogs, but, once again, we do not tire of the BC mountain drives to Alberta and other Provinces to the east from us.

It will not be long before the mountain peaks are covered in the white stuff.

Several of these wildlife overpasses were built to keep the animals from being hit by vehicles.  They prove to be most effective in reducing unnecessary deaths or injury to beasts and humans.

Ten hours after our departure, we arrived at Jeanette' sister and her husband's home in north west Calgary.  Bob and Deb had a nice dinner waiting for us and we balanced out the evening with chat and with planning the work we would have to accomplish at the farm - situated five hours north from Calgary.

Jeanette and I were on the road for the drive north on Wednesday morning.

Early on Wednesday morning, we headed north on the Queen Elizabeth Expressway (Highway 2) for the city of Edmonton.  Three hours later we were at our son's home and he drove from his office to meet us there.  We were hitching up to his enclosed utility trailer that we would bring to the farm.  It would come in handy to move stuff.

Being the Thanksgiving weekend, we've been invited to two turkey dinners.  Yeah!  We love turkey.... and we love to enjoy that with family.  We will be at my sister's home for Saturday turkey dinner then another turkey dinner at Jeanette's sister's place on Sunday.

Before that though, there is work to complete before Jeanette's family farm is ready for the handover to the new owner.  

Beautiful weather here in central/east Alberta. 

The farmers have made great progress to complete the harvest.  Some combines were seen working the fields but, by and large, most fields are ready for the winter snows.

Jeanette's uncle and aunt's farm - very near the family farm that is being sold.

Only the farm home place with the balance of the quarter of land has been sold.  Other land is rented to a nearby farmer. To maintain the farm yard and home during all seasons - with no one living there - grew problematic.  The decision was made to sell.  And sell it did.

Jeanette's mom was apprised of the 'Offer To Purchase' and understood her responsibility to sign the document.

The purchaser - a neighbour the family knows very well - offered to purchase the quarter that is directly opposite his home and land.  Mary, Jeanette's mom, was so thrilled to sell to this wonderful family.  They were neighbours for well over 60 years.  It is a win/win situation. The son of the neighbouring farmers is undertaking the purchase.

Mom is signing the 'Offer to Purchase'.....while the buyer, Darcy,  looks on.

Bright and early yesterday morning, Jeanette and I were off to the nearby town of Vegreville to meet with the lawyer who is handling the real estate  transaction.

Back at the farm, Bob and Deb joined us in mid-morning to begin to complete the work we had begun this past summer.  Only a few major projects required completion and the girls got busy with cleaning and detailing the house.  Darlene, who has a day job, joined in later in the afternoon to move stuff too.

Some furniture was moved and more will be moved in the days ahead.  Some family members are taking some important (to them) things and some stuff is being recycled.

On the drive back from Vegreville, this small lake was wall to wall with snow geese flying south.  They were taking a rest here.

Sister, Darlene, claimed this old radio. 

Jeanette found this old shot gun.  It will reside at her sister's farm.

The furnace had been worked on by a heating tech and brother in law, Bob, (Deb's husband) did a bit of plumbing. The hot water tank was reactivated and all systems were working fine.

The new owner is coming by next Tuesday morning for a walk about.  We'll explain the operating systems - as best as we can.   When the title transfer is completed, he'll receive the keys and the girls (all four of them) will no longer have to worry about the house wintering another year.

Three of the four sisters:  L-R  Deb, Jeanette and Darlene

During one of her walkabouts at the farm, Jeanette captured the photo of this incredibly large wasp nest.  It is quiet now....but it was a busy, busy hive during the summer.

That paints our activities these past several days.  While at the farm, I have no Internet access.  I try to catch up on blog reads when I can get into the town library or at one of our family members' home.

Thanks for dropping by.

Delinquent Blogger

Well, it would seem as though I am a delinquent but, truth be told.... and for some reasons beyond our control, we have just been too busy to put fingers to the keyboard.  It's not as though we had nothing to write about!

It is that time of the year.....where pumpkins abound!

Our last blog - written about our negative RV experience with Fraserway RV - generated numerous public and private comments.  It seems we are not the only victims of unscrupulous RV service providers. 

Easton and Ginette drop by often.  It's always great to spend time with our little grandson.

Since our last writing though, we have been incredibly busy with life: appointments, and other things that occupy our time. Often, I just didn't feel the energy - mainly due to the limited time I had - to try to write a blog.  With the President's Cup (a four day golf tournament pitting the US teams against the international teams) as one of the major magnets of distraction, moving forward with home works, spending time with Easton (our grandson), motorcycling and attending a memorial, the time just rolled so quickly by.

View from the Chuckanut Drive - ocean-side - south of Bellingham, WA.

 Sedro-Woolley, Washington - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

When the skies opened blue with sun, we took advantage and rolled out on two wheels.  We had ordered some specialty items from Camping World, in Burlington, WA, so off we rode one day last week to retrieve the order.  We then rolled further east; through Sedro- Woolley and north on highway 9 and back through Lynden, WA, where we stopped for lunch at one of our favourite spots.

A great bowl of soup with a country style sandwich is a favourite here.

The leaves are slow to change but that will happen soon.  Fall is clearly here. The pumpkin fields are drawing crowds.

Jeanette took this photo....and what a sight that field presented.

Our son's very good friend's father (and family friends of ours too) passed away from a brain hemorrhage, over one week ago.  The injury was the result of a fall.  A retired 767 Air Canada Captain, Kim was only 67 years old.  Our son, Deni, chose to drive from Edmonton, Alberta, this Thursday past, to Peachland - in the BC Okanagan - to visit with his friend and family before driving to our home on Friday.  The memorial get together was held in White Rock this past Saturday.  Many friends, former co-workers and acquaintances got together.

Deni takes a look at the pond reno I worked on this past summer.

Deni is taking video of Easton who is dancing to music in our sun room.

Jeanette and I prepared a Friday evening dinner to include Deni, Ginette, Trevor, Easton, Trevor's mom, Sandi, and ourselves.  Salmon on the barbecue, along with all the other trimmings, made for a great meal.

L-R   Deni, Sandi and Ginette

The others at the table

A photo with Easton`s two grandmothers

We enjoyed a wonderful visit with Deni.  Very early Sunday morning, he left for the 12 hour drive back to Edmonton.  We`ll see him and Courtney when they fly back to the coast this early November.  We look forward to that.

It`s not as though we won`t see them before that because, bright and early tomorrow morning, Jeanette and I are driving back to Alberta.  We`ll drive the ten hours to Calgary for an overnight visit with Jeanette`s sister and her husband.  From there, we`ll drive the three hours to Edmonton before heading out to the little town where Jeanette`s mom lives in a long term care facility.

Easton saying bye bye to his Uncle Deni.....before heading home on Friday night.

Planning a gorgeous Sunday motorcycle ride

Sunday's weather was so beautiful.  We chose to ride the countryside and head off to the eastern Fraser Valley to enjoy the great fall time views.

One stop was at this country farm with a petting zoo.  Families are always drawn to places like these and it was fun to watch the kids enjoying the pumpkin patch and petting the goats.

Every little person was trying hard to lift the largest pumpkin possible.  Fun to watch that!

Quiet view at Cultus Lake

Cultus Lake is a most popular spot in the summer months but it returns to the locals in the fall time.  Only a few boats were plying the water.  A distraction for Jeanette and I were the eagles who were noisily flying above and diving for fish.  What a sight!  We could not capture any diving photos, but we did try.

A couple of eagles at rest in the trees....and diligently keeping an eye on the lake below

Great day for a ride around the lake.

One of the many Fraser Valley country produce stalls

Easton having fun with this little jeep.  His Dad provides the power required to get around.

 Ginette, Trevor and Easton participated in a Sunday run for breast cancer.  Along with like minded friends, they headed for downtown Vancouver for the big event.

All dressed in pink for the breast cancer run

They texted this photo from downtown Vancouver. 

 We`ll update our Alberta travels when we can.

Thanks for dropping by.