Monday, March 30, 2009

Grey Morning,Sunny Heart!


Looking out my window by the computer is a very grey morning with snow sifting down. Yesterday morning was -17 this morning is -4 with snow. It is not the most inviting or inspiring weather. More I am thinking of all the things I can do inside and how long I can avoid going outside.
The dogs have been out for over an hour. All of them that is except the old old girl, Pepsi. She is avoiding going out too. Poor old thing. She will have to go out soo
n though whether she likes it or not. She is losing control of her body functions now so we have to keep a close eye on her. She will still come over for her good morning pets and nudge you for more and more attention. At night when you are snuggling into bed under the covers she will come along and nudge the blankets until she finds you and you give her her hug good-night. Otherwise she lays beside the bed moaning till you pay attention to her!
Between being sick and have issues with our internet connection I have not been very loyal lately to my little blog here. I think mostly I can say I have been s
ick. Our cheque did finally come in but not by mail like they told us. Direct deposit~~Okay that is good except we live a long ways from town and we only get mail here twice a week plus we were very low on gas so there was no travelling anywhere without the knowledge of the said cheque so we could get home again. We had enough gas if there was an emergency and we needed to go to town say like see a doctor we could but we would have had an interesting time of it trying to get home again~~jiggety jig!
I was well enough this week-end to make it to two different home potlucks. The one on Saturday was held at a nearby ranch. The people there are Christians ~~some of the people in this spread out area are Seventh Day Adventists~~they are friends with the folks at the nearby ranch plus the other folk
s on the main ranch are part of this group. They wanted us for ages to come out to their once a month meeting. Finally we did make it. Now all our differing doctrines aside I will say that we had probably one of the best sermons we have heard in a very long time. Actually from the bible and well done. It was on the Parable in Luke 15. Although it seems like three or four parables it is really all about the lost and the found.
Last night was our regular home-fellowship potluck at the home of the Pastor and wife(who is also a Pastor). That too was good. We are working through tragic lives and how God is our helper. The ministry of these fine folks is mostly to the Carrier Nation so there are a lot of issues the people are dealing with. The abuse and neglect from Residential Schools and the subseq
uent drinking drug abuse issues and all kinds of other personal issues. I will give an example of some of the elders experiences: First off being ripped from the arms of their loved ones and herded like animals and taken to an area some hours from their home. Told not to speak in their own tongue any longer and lined up at 5-7 years old and told by the NUNs that God made a mistake when He made you Indian and we are here to correct that mistake! Hmmm interesting. Can you imagine the devastation to a young child a statement like that would make?
Frying leftover potatoes and eggs is on my menu for breakfast. I am thinking of soup for lunch and have perhaps enough meatloaf leftover from last night to use fo
r supper and make a salad and vegies to compliment it.
I feel truly well enough this morning that I am really praying I can get to sewing that would be so good.

But the LORD is faithful,
who will establish you and
guard you from the evil one.
2 Thessalonians 3:3

Friday, March 20, 2009

It is SPRING!!


our youngest daughter and a cousin many moons ago



Can you believe it after this long winter spring has arrived. It snowed most of yesterday off and on.Which I managed even though still getting sick with fevers, terrible headaches, and won't go into gross details, I swept away snow and put ice on the walkways. Late in the afternoon I went for a little walk about down the driveway and back. There were some kind of bugs crawling all over the top of the snow. My husband and I do not know what they were (are). Not pine beetles too big for that and too big for snow fleas. Even with the snowfall yesterday the wind was warm.
I am so e
xcited to be going in to town today. It has been a long time. dennis thinks it has been over a month since I was last in town. I cannot remember for sure at this moment.
It will be good to buy groceries. I really wonder how many people understand how exciting that can be. We will be able to have vegetables and fruit. Some friends came out to visit us last week and they brought out some fruit. Oh boy we devoured that pretty quickly. Of course there are some bills to pay on. But we can get the sandpaper we need and the dust masks we need to get some things done here. we will have gasoline so will be able to make a trip to our one son's place and pick up our little barrel heaters to set up in the chicken coop when it is cleaned out(dust masks needed) and one in the green house. Get some seeds too. I have an appointment to see the Naturopath and see if he can fi
gure out why I can't get over whatever it is I have.
One of our sons was here last week-end for overnight bringing with him some venison so that has been a nice change from eating pork. Pork and bear meat i lik
e but both of those meats one does not really like to eat day in and day out. At least not this "one".
So with lists in hand and chores done we will head off to town this morning.I am looking
forward to spending a little bit visiting our grandchildren not too far from town. Our youngest grandson is walking now. I can hardly believe that. Time goes so quickly.he will soon be a year old. YIKES!
Here at the ranch chores have been our focus. Making a set of bookshelves out of old ugly boards found left here. With sanding and painting they have made a real nice , albeit rustic, set of bookshelves.
We have
had wolves moaning to each other at midnight. Just their low (a photo of a large wolf print notice the depth)haunting moans. Different from their howling. Coyotes yipping and yapping and coming in by the house. You know they are getting hungry when they come in and tug away on old hides over the rail fence. Winter has been long here and cold. The ravens I have been feeding mew at the house if I don't get some kind of scraps out for them by afternoon.I will pick them up some peanuts today. They are really getting friendly and come in when I call them.The fox still comes around and the dogs still chase it off and it still outfoxes them. They are still baffled at that! Too funny. Moose still come in and are coming quite close to the house. I think the wolves might have something to do with that. Plus there are lots of willows for them to eat on.
I need to go over my wardrobe and pick out some kind of going to town clothes and matching earrings(LOL) Something that doesn't look to worn out at least. Go have a shower. Get breakfast and chores out of the way here. Check my
lists and then we will load up the truck with garbage for the garbage run and take my Nellie dog. She chases coyotes too much and if we are not home to call her back I am afraid they will kill her.

My help cometh from the LORD,
which made heaven and earth.
Psalm 121:2

Have a great SPRING day!
God Bless
Roxanne

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Tuesday/St. Patrick's Day


Here I am back at the keyboard. A chilly morning but still warmer than it has been. Spring really is coming even to the Cariboo. Dogs are out on "patrol" trying to make sure those pesky coyotes stay away. Chasing the fox off. All those things that are very important when you are a dog with a job to do.
I finally have one of the sewing machines up and running so now that I am feeling better(had a little flu bug or something) I can get back at sewing. This I am really looking forward to.
One of our sons came up and stayed the night on the week-end and brought us some venison and a salmon. Nice change from pork believe me. Today I am hoping to make a roast.
He and D
ennis trimmed the horses hooves. So they have nicer looking feet these days. Want to give them a good brushing. We would like to oil the saddles but need to make it into town to buy the oil. Not sure when that will happen.
All round things are doing pretty well here in this part of the world. The snow is still piling
up but the temperatures have warmed and spring snows just melt the older winter snows. It gets above the freezing level most days now. That is so fun but still we froth at the bit. There is so much spring work to do but can't yet cause of the snow. It is sinking slowly though so there is hope of seeing ground again someday. Prayerfully by the end of April.
One of my sisters sent me a little bit on tatting, with what I have here already I have hope
that I can take some time and teach myself to tat. That would be kind of fun. Started to bead some earrings too just before I got feeling not so great. Hope to pick that up and finish the pair.
In the meantime ~~back at the ranch all is well~~we are managing to keep our days full and occupied even if it isn't starting seeds in the greenhouse, planting the garden, cleaning the chicken coop to ready for new birds, building the pig pens, or oiling saddles or just plain playing in the mud!! Oh to see mud!

The LORD is good.
A stronghold in the day of trouble;
And He knows those who trust in Him.
Nahum 1:7

Have a wonderful day and Happy St. Patrick's Day to You!
Roxanne

Thursday, March 12, 2009

After the Full Moon


I hear it is totally Canadian to be talking about the weather ~~so to be a true blue Canadian here is my little weather report~~~
The last few days, or weeks, maybe even months the weather has been so below zero celcius. North winds sometimes softly, stiffly stealing across the frozen crust of the snow. Other days the wind whipped and blew nastily. grabbing up snow, twirling it insanely. At times it was hard to see anywhere. Then there was the clear, beautiful sky blue days with glorious sunshine but temperatures that we
re determined to break your beak off. Never mind the jack-frost nipping at your nose and your toes. Scared to touch your nose in case it breaks and your toes would be popsicles if you were to allow them to appear alone and uncovered for more than a few minutes.The last few days the morning temperatures have been -37,-30 and so on this morning it is -5 and the snow is sweetly sifting down. At last the long awaited weather change that comes after the full moon. All I can say is Praise the LORD!
Tuesday night we went out to our Pastors' house church service. Cheryl Bear and her family were there. She ministers along with her family to the First Nations Peoples across the country and into the United States.
Dennis had the truck plugged in (hey it was the full moon so really crystal clear and below zero) He pumped up the tired tire to prepare the truck for its outing. I had been given a small homegrown turkey so I cooked it up. My
turkey carving husband cut it up. We placed it in the stainless steel roaster and along with the wild bluebery scones I had made in my nice deep glass pie plates we got them in the truck.Off we went. The drive on the icy road was breathtaking. Sun shone over this country with its late afternoon hues.
We arrived and visited and worked together to get the meal all ready. And what a meal we did have. There was turkey and rice that is made with rice vinegar and sugar, corn dish, homemade cranberry sauce, fancy buns. For dessert we had my blueberry scones and Indian ice-cream. Oh my it was good. After the meal we sat around teasing each other about all of us falling asleep together from eating turkey. Stories were shared and different versions of "Neyi the Man-Eater" were told. A Carrier Indian story that maybe someday I will write out for you.There was one man who did not believe in Neyi so the story goes on and in the end you will learn how mosquitoes were created. Now the p
art of the testicle earrings is way too hard to write out at this point and those who are skittish might not want to hear that part. The story is still told and many times with out the interesting scary part.
Cheryl taught us about the use of the sacred drum in praising our Creator God. We learned drum ethics and how to drum. We drove home in the dark under a clear starlit sky.
Today I have a large batch of bread to be made by noon so will have to leave all of you soon to get it started. I still bake bread and other baked goods for certain people.

The last two days a moose has taken up hanging out very close to the house. We try to keep the dogs in when he is around chewing on the willows along the riverbanks.Usually we see the moose everyday but further away from the house down the river or in the hayfields. They love to eat on the willows.
With this weather I have been feeding a couple of ravens. Yesterday afternoon I took them out some chopped up raw pork I had ( I was making
homemede pork and beans) Putting the meat out on their blackened stump I let them know it was there. Sure enough as soon as I walked into the house they were there checking it out. Now one of these black beauties is very suspicious of everything. It will hop around the stump and then flap up trying to hover like a big black humming bird over the stump. It will look the display of grub over and then back down on the snow and hop hop hop around the stump like it is on patrol. Meanwhile the other one will fly down and check it out pretty quickly. Yesterday my poor curious one lost out and only got a couple pieces of the meat cause gobble guts filled its beak with all the meat it could and more!!
I am thinking when I see behaviour like that that when Adam and Eve sinned it did not just affect mankind. Even the animals stopped thinking of others and became possesors of greed.

I say then: Walk in the Spirit
and you shall not fulfill the
lust of the flesh.Galatians 5:16

Have a good day
God Bless
Roxanne

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Our Sunday Morning


our oldest son's logging truck last Thursday after the loader slid down the bank into his bunks.
The clicking of the keys on my keyboard seem to go along with the tt tt tt of the little sapsucker that spends its days pecking on the outside of the house logs. Day in and day out it is there. Once in awhile pecking on the rib cage hanging from the old shed eaves. Picking off some of the last of the fat and meat there. There is a sunbeam streaming across the drifted snow. The blizzard winds have settled down this morning to just enough of a wind to sway the tops of the trees somewhat. Our dogs have chased off the fox not willing to share their bones with it. I have eaten on large saskatoon berry muffin I made them yesterday morning for breakfast.This is Sunday morning here. There is no church service here in the morning and this Sunday there is a special service in the early evening down at the school which is also the local community hall etc. Cheryl Bear who is a Carrier which is the 1st Nations in this area is coming to minister to her people with sharing and singing. We will go to that which will be a big outing for us.
Here at home there is hope so far this morning that I can actually go outside and snowshoe around without being blown off the face of the earth. Yesterday was spen
t inside doing numerous things that we want to get done before spring arrives and we are outside more than inside.Dear Dennis has been building a bookcase for upstairs. We changed around the upstairs somewhat to help organize it better and to make it more comfortable and welcoming to guests.I have spent most of yesterday going through old craft magazines trying to get rid of surplus paper. Two more file drawers full to go. Whew that is a job I really am not (this photo is our home in the summer)that into but it is like any mess after it is done you feel good and have a sense of accomplishment.
Both the sewing machines I have here are not working so my sewing projects that require a sewing machine are on hold until I can take them in a have them fixed.
I have the crocheting on puppets to finish up and I am going to pick away at an afghan for our oldest son's birthday~~I hope it is ready for then that is. He has wanted me to make him an afghan for years and everytime I think I am going to I don't have the cash needed to buy the yarn for it or I make a baby blanket or two. Hmmm~~anyways this is the year!! I have had the pattern picked out for it for many moons.
If any of you feel the need to pray for the brethren in our LORD's churches pray for their fervent love for each other that Peter gives as a command not an option will be evident. Pray for caring loving hearts towards each other and for the Pastors that have to shepherd these flocks.I think of a very old song/hymn? that used to be sung lots~~They will know we are Christians by our love, by our love ~~

Finally, all of you be of one mind,
having compassion for one another;
love as brothers, be tenderhearted,
be courteous, not returning evil for evil
or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary
blessing, knowing you were called to this,
that you may inherit a blessing.
1 Peter 3:8 & 9

May you experience the LORD's love
and pass it on to others. Have a wonderful
Sunday!
Roxanne

Thursday, March 5, 2009


the family at our youngest daughters wedding summer 2007



Under clear skies with the morning temperature at -19 I let the dogs out. They tear out the door in hot pursuit of whatever they imagined was out there to be in hot pursuit of. Yesterday morning three of the dogs, yes three of them, slept on the front porch as a little red fox tiptoed up to them and stood there wondering if this was his lucky day. There were left over cow bones not far from the porch. Sassy, the youngest lifted her head and then the whole works of them came to life running after this fox with the beautiful tail. They ran down the trail hot on his black tipped red tail. Quick as lightning the little fox leaped about nine feet of to the left into the deep snows. The three dogs kept tearing down the main trail running for all they were worth to catch that little rascal. He gave them the slip and they were mystified! It actually was quite funny. We watched him hunt mice in the snow as he worked his way back towards the house. Finally deciding to leave and go hunt somewhere else.
A true blue March storm hit us yesterday. At times with white out conditions and at times as clam as calm can be only to start up all over again. One raven came in and stayed all day tugging and pulling at the one cowhide that is hanging over the rail fence. I took him out a tin pieplate full of peanuts which he eyed suspiciously and doing the funny little walk hop thing that ravens like to do when the "watchdogs" spotted him. I think they thought since they had been embarrassed by the little red fox they were going to prove what good watchdogs they were. Poor raven flapped up into t anearby aspen tree. sitting on a branch he safely surveyed the whole scene for quite some time before attempting to come down and check this plate out again. I only wish you could have come and watched him with us. It was really quite the performance. As he hopped over to the blackened burnt old stump that I had sat the pie plate on. Then he would flap himself up just above the stump and kind of take a quick peak and then back down to the snow again. He did this quite a few times and then decided to go back to the the hide on the fence. There he stayed pulling and tugging at it for the rest of the afternoon. Storming storms did not deter him. The plate was abandoned as just a little to scary especially after the watchdog incident. The life at Blackwater River Ranch.
We were invited to go to Punchaw House church with our pastor from out here on Monday evening. That was a very fun time. Punchaw is a little ranching area about two hours back into the bush from us. The lady said she is 100 miles from either one of the closest bigger centres to buy her groceries or hospitals etc. All by back roads.
She told us of her work with children in 4H clubs and her sheep and goats. The cattle they raised
the wolves she snared and the trapping she had done over the years. The service was good the songs we sang were sweet and the fellowship was wonderful.
Today is a day of great plans for the things I hope to accomplish. I have been fighting with sewing machines so may just give up on them for a day or two. Spend my time doing other worthwhile endeavours. I am never at a loss for things to do sometimes I am at a loss as to which thing I should focus on and do.
As the sunshine beams itself over the crusted snow and the dogs now back in and camped around the wood heater I will take myself off and see what I really do get accomplished this day that the LORD hath made.

Blessed is the one that feareth the LORD;
that walketh in his ways.
For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands:
happy shalt thou be,
and it shall be well with thee. Psalm 128:1-2

May the sun shine in your lives this day
God Bless
Roxanne