April 26th/2007

- Went to purchase filters and oil for my tractor: $125, all my scrapin' money gone.
- Found a swing set to give away on Bean River Road. I managed to lash it to the roof of my car. I got a few stares on the way home. Emma was very happy.
- Went to see a golf cart for sale. It has long been a dream of mine to own a golf cart as I was somewhat of an addict during my tenure at Parc Safari.

April 25/2007

- Delivered the John Deere to St. Louis with Irwin on his flatbed. He charges a buck a click.
- Sold scrap.
- Processed scrap.
- Had to light a fire as the temp went below zero(celcius).

April 24/2007

- Sold a load of scrap in St. Urbain. Tin-$200/ton. We had almost a ton. The price of Aluminum is as high as it's ever been also: 75 cents/pound for extruded and 65 cents/pound for mixed. I have mixed feelings about the fact that most of the metal ends up in China. I like the cash but them Goddamned china-men have created record levels of pollution as they continue to evolve as an industrialized nation, and they also might end up bombing us one day with the metal we are selling them.

- Fixed the new horse water-trough with Richard.

- Took the chains off the John Deere as it is going back to Ferme Montcalm for the busy summer season.

April 23/2007

- Processed scrap. The price of tin and metal is still over $200/ton. Got the feeder ready for the calves; found it in the scrap of course.
- Took a ride around the place and got discouraged at how much needs to get done; I had trouble sleeping as a result. This Goddamned job gets in the way of getting things accomplished; I really could use that extra 7-8 hours a day during prime daylight.

April 20-22/2007

Friday
- Changed oil on my truck and did general spring maintenance. Did the oil on Richard's flatbed too.

Saturday
- Did some tar patching on the roof of the new Bang Bus(TM).
- Activated the H20 delivery system to the barn and repaired the hose going down to the little shed for the calves. Grover showed up so the wobbly pops hindered some productivity.
- Processed scrap. (Radiators)

Sunday
- Went to the cabane for Julie's birthday. It was a most wonderful day. The kids all had a lot of fun.
- Loaded scrap at the farm.

Weather
Real nice 20 degrees celcius. Sunny all weekend.

Wildlife
Frogs are in full chorus. It is literally deafening at our pond. The damn mosquitoes are already out. Hard to believe there was a major snow storm this time last week.

Note
I have bravely shucked my long underwear for the first time since last September. Never in my life have I ever done such a thing prior to the 1st of May. Well I guess climate change affects many things.

April 19/2007

Last night I didn't have to light a fire for the first time since last fall. However, it was a little cold after taking a shower this morning. Putting on the electric heat is one of the most sinningest things I could do, right up there with putting water in whiskey or not picking up a scrap fridge on the side of the road.

Weather
Still nice. 14 degrees C. Everything is drying up nicely.

Wildlife
Lots of geese in the fields. Their presence is heard or scene quite regularly.

April 18/2007

Helped Richard put the bastardly fuel pump on his flatbed. I got the laying in the mud part of the job, but even so Richard still did most of the cursing. We finally got the thing all bled and running just before dark.

Weather
Finally nice. Around 12 degrees. Sunny.

Wildlife
Saw a beaver in Russtletown Flats beside a waterfiled ditch in a hayfield. The frogs are gradually increasing their choir members each night.

April 17/2007

Finished cleaning up all the scrap lumber that I had ejected from the barn in a fit of cleaning rage on the weekend. When I light the burn pile this summer there certainly will be a big fire that will have the neighbours running for the phone to call the fire chief; I predict flames in the 75 foot range. Click here for a picture of the fire back in 2005.

Weather
Still shitty.

Wildlife
Saw the resident owl patrolling over the back hayfields. We assume that she took one of our chickens this spring as we have seen her do in the past.

April 16/2007

-Started cleaning out the machinery shed: old lumber, hay, some stored stuff. The building will be used to accommodate the 6 Holsteins that will be raised for beef on our farm until November. Three are going to be shared between my parents, us and Mark. The other three are for Annie's family. Emma will be happy to have cows again.

Weather
Cold, rain, snow. The storm is on its second day now; it feels like December. The fields adjacent to the river are flooded; the river is almost breaking its banks along the road.

Wildlife
While on the 4 wheeler with the family, we saw a beaver headed downriver. He was cruising right along, often submerging to avoid flotsam and jetsam. Shadow was really interested and was barking at it from the bank. Even after living with us for 5 years he has still not ever gone completely into the water.

April 14-15/2007

- Cut slab.
- Processed scrap. (aluminum)
- Cleaned up the Scrapatorium(TM).
- Moved and organized my lumber pile.
- Went to the cabane on Saturday.

Weather
North Easter. About a foot of snow. Lots of rain and wind. Power was flashing all night.

April 12-13, 2007

- Processed scrap (aluminum). I love breaking stuff apart; it's kind of therapeutic for me.
- Went to practice driving at Suttons (and to have a beer or two). After working with women all day I need a little dosage of testosterone from all that the garage has to offer: diesel fumes, beer, boys, trucks, stories, immature behaviour, and tobacco.

Weather
Snow. Rain. Cold -2 Celsius. We have a few cm on the ground and it is still snowing this afternoon. Sort of strange for this time of year.

Wildlife
I saw 2 more Canadian Woodland ducks at the pond in Russletown flats.

April 10-11, 2007

- Peeled pickets with Richard.
- Delivered the shucked tires to the recycling depot in Hemmingford.
- Picked up a bundle of slab from Sommerville's on the way back. I decided to try hemlock that was milled last fall instead of the poplar. If it's not dry enough then I will stack it up for next year.

Weather
Temperature hovers around zero. Grey.

Wildlife
Many Brown Headed Cowbirds at the feeder lately.

April 5-9, 2007 (Easter Weekend)

- Trimmed fence line on west side of pasture.
- Picked up scrap.
- Processed scrap (rims).
- Cut one and a half bundles of slab and brought it in the house.
- Went to the cabane and finished installing lights. Got badly stuck on the way in, had to be rescued by the tractor. On the way out I gave it to her in order to blast through the mud; Emma was laughing all the way and asked to do it again when we reached the road.
- Went on a search and rescue mission to find a chain that I'd lost off the winch in the bush this winter. I went as far as I could down the old 4 wheeler trail and walked after that in an attempt to find the proverbial passage to Ferraros and then Hendersons sugar shack. No luck. I think I went too far as I found myself all the way on rang St. Joseph. I did see a lot of signs of deer though, I even came across a place under a tree where all the snow was melted to just the size of a deer and there was a pile of pellets too; must've been one bedded down there.

Weather
Wintry. Cold and even a few cm of snow on Sunday.

Wildlife
Saw 2 Canadian Woodland ducks land on a pond in the bush.

April 4th/2007

It was a cold rainy day, we're supposed to get a few cm of snow tonight. I went to Summerville's Saw Mill to pick up a load of slab poplar. I've been holding off burning my good seasoned maple by cutting up 8 foot slab; it's a perfect fuel for this time of year. It costs $15 a bundle and it will last me 2 weeks during spring weather, need to stoke often though. It started snowing when I was unloading it with the tractor; I put a chain at the bottom of the trailer before it gets loaded in with the forklift, that way I just yank it out with the loader and put it on a haywagon at home.

April 3rd 2007

Peeled over 30 pickets. Threw a couple in the pond to soak as the bark wouldn't come off.

April 2nd/2007

-Started trimming the brush along the back pasture after supper. I did the south fence -line(approx 300-400 feet). Emma and Annie came for a visit and helped remove the cut brush. Emma wanted to go see the ducks in the pond so they didn't stay long, I think that she's doesn't really like the sound of the chainsaw either. Once the trimming is complete I hope to stay ahead of it this summer just with the whipper; we'll see.
After that the 3 of us went to check on our pile of cedar pickets that we'd cut (from Lavallee's bush) and piled up last year. The bark was really wet and came off easily. We peeled 10 pickets before dark. The fence is really on my mind. It will be a race, as usual, to get the pickets peeled and sharpened and in the ground when it is still good and wet.

Wildlife Observations
Robins are back.
The Goldfinches are changing from their drab winter plumage and turning bright yellow.
Annie and I saw the owl a couple days ago. Maybe it will take a chicken or two as it has done in the past. It lives down near Feraro's sugar shack complex.

April 1st

-Cut slab
-Cleaned up Scrapatorium(TM)
-Checked on my camp back at Richard and Margaret's.
-Peeled a couple of pickets for the upcoming fencing operation.
-Went for the first Samurai tour of the year.
-Fell asleep to the sound of the first frogs in the pond, rain on the roof and coyotes singing.

March 24th & 25th

Cabane

It's hard to do anything else except to go and eat, drink and breathe maple syrup when the season starts. Emma learned the words "cabane" and "pallette" within 15 minutes of arrival. While eating maple toffee she says: "neige est bon".

March Highlights

-Worked in the bush skidding logs.
-Cut a lot of slab from the sawmill to hold off on the good wood.
-Shipped a lot of my stockpiled metal as the price was up to $245/ton.
-Processed scrap.

Wild-Life
-March 5th- Red-winged black birds returned. They had a hard time as there were a few storms yet to come. They ate 2 gallons of seeds a day.
-March 17th - Geese.

Alley

March 1st
I was away at winter camp with the kids. Alley wasn't feeling well (throwing up, trouble getting up) when I left so Annie brought her into work with her for x-rays and blood tests. They opened her and found cancer so they put her down right on the operating table. She was healthy right up to the end and Annie and I were both surprised that she fell ill so quickly-literally over night.
She was my first official dog. I got her as a puppy in 1999 and she's been with me through some of the worst times in my life (major break-up, a few really awful teaching assignments) and some of the best times (buying my farm, meeting Annie, Emma being born). She liked riding in the truck, swimming in the river, and going with us to work in the bush. I loved her a lot. I was sad that I wasn't with her at the end, but I was happy that Annie was there. Annie told me that Emma was sitting beside her on the exam room floor; Emma was colouring and Alley was really calm and comforted by Emma being with her. Emma liked giving her "bon-bons" (dog treats) and "Alley" was one of Emma's first words. I'm writing this in April and Emma still goes to the back room and calls for Alley. The other day she said "Alley, booboo, ventre, bye bye". I guess she finally understands.

Highlights of Alley's life:
- Eating an entire deer over the course of one winter that I'd brought home as "roadkill delight".
- Getting her own dog in 2003.
- Jumping out of my truck cab while doing 60km/hour to attack a neighbour's dog.
- Moving to the farm and having her own private pond and river for swimming.