Monday, January 31, 2011

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Last Day of the Month


Time for another month, to show up, and hopefully it will be warmer, and begin to show us signs of what is to come. But the first few days look to be more of old man winter, very cold.


Weather dominates the conversations all day and almost every day, from people you call in other parts of the country or co-workers who are complaining about the cold and more snow again...or how bad are the roads now?


I was at the post office today and I know one reason postal workers sometimes go off the deep end...it seems almost every conversation they have involves the weather. I will admit it is an easy topic to start out a conversation with, but after about 10 customers that has to get old. Plus think of the poor carrier out their tromping around the neighborhoods, putting up with the un-shoveled walks or all the extra steps because all the shortcuts are no longer easy to navigate.


Of course the body shops and car garages love all the business, has they get to reap the rewards of our lack of patience on the road, or the fact we aren't paying attention when roads are slippery, which is like every day now. Along with places selling salt, shovels, snow blowers and roof rakes and anything else we need to move, melt or pile the white stuff called snow. Hopefully all these services and supplies boost our economy and generates more revenue for us all.


One thing I have noticed this winter is people are wearing shoes and boots more...believe it or not, I have seen the occasional nut still wearing their precious flip flops!


It dumb founds me how some people dress during the winter, how few clothes they are wearing. Shorts and no socks and jackets made for spring, not the 20 below windchill that is blowing across the parking lot or around the corner of the building. Is it just the generation we grew up in, or where we grew up?


I spend most of my childhood years in southeastern North Dakota, a place where the only trees were in a river valley or planted in a shelter belt to protect the livestock and farm on the barren plains of ND. You learned fast out there, that exposed skin on a day like today was not a good thing, so you put on everything you could put on, but still allowed you to move! So I went out to my wood stove this morning and realized that longjohns were needed for a day like today!


So to stay warm you need to dress warm, and try to keep your smile on your face, so it appears you are warm on the inside!




Sunday, January 30, 2011

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New Project!



I spend part of the day working on an improvement to the Back Barn Studio, which is where we store lots of things, and also where Crystalie's workshop is located.

This is a two level building, with her studio occupying half of the downstairs, and the other half is storage of old windows and screens and also the horse stuff, and what ever else we need to get out of the snow and ice.

The upstairs is home to household storage, Christmas decorations and inventory completed in the studio by Crystalie. Normally Crystalie, keeps this all organized and has spend sometimes half a day up there, getting it organized. But it is kind of awkward to get upstairs with a half a staircase and then the ladder on the wall the top picture.

So, she asked me to fix it, and my solution is to re-purpose an old pair of stairs from Mitch and Kay, and turn it 45 degrees at the landing of the old staircase, and then enlarge the landing a little bit to make it easy to get up there. The bottom picture is of the new hole for the staircase, which I will set the stairs into.

It should work much better to get upstairs but still allow me to set boxes on the floor without having to go all the way up carrying things, but much easier for Crystalie to walk up the stairs to the upstairs floor.

Saturday, January 29, 2011

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Golf, Jet Skiing and Airplane dog fighting!

I got to play golf last night!

We went over to see our nephews Jacob and Joshua, last night and of course to see Mitch and Kay. We took some pizza with us, and had some supper also while we were there.
But the coolest part was being able to play some Golf on the new Wii that the boys got for Christmas from Kay's brother. Jacob is 7, and Joshua is 5, and they were thrilled to show me how to go jet skiing with the Wii and we took turns racing each other, and Joshua was dominating us pretty much.
We also did some airplane dogfighting, and both boys thumped me good at that effort...I think I only broke one balloon of theirs in the two matches.
But then I got the chance to show the boys how the golfing on Wii works, and we each played 3 holes of golf..before Crystalie had to let me know it was time to go home...oh darn...really???
Of course I dominated in the golf, but years of practice with the real game helped, but I hope to share my love for the game as the boys get older, and be able to teach them enough where they appreciate the game!

Friday, January 28, 2011

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Traveling 1-27-11


Yep, I was on the road for a couple of days this week. Headed to the big cities of St Cloud, and St. Paul and Minneapolis.
I have some good clients in those areas and with gas getting more expensive and the fact I organized a number of meetings so I did not have to put extra miles on it makes sense to utilize my time better also.
I used to travel much more in the 90's, close to 3000 miles a month.Now I am traveling a little more due to changes at work. I don't mind it to much as long as the meetings are productive, but Crystalie is not a big fan of it!
She then is responsible to take care of the wood stove, and making sure things are all working fine. Plus she doesn't sleep well when I am gone.
But work is work and sometimes it requires a night away. It is always good to come home and catch up on what she did to keep busy and what new projects she has completed or started on!


Wednesday, January 26, 2011

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So if you know me or have followed my blog, you have seen the icon for Scrabble on my Facebook page.

I am a Scrabble Junkie, it is the one table board game that I play almost every day...the online version everyday except when no internet or phone service is available.

Crystalie and I do play the actual board game without all the helpful tools, the online version offers. Where a mis-spelled word can cost you a turn, or the chance to be mistaken and find out some word that is misspelled is actual another word you had know idea that it was actually a word! Like Crystalie says it is probably some Hindu coin?? But of course the bluffing that goes along with those.."I think this is a word?"

Playing, the game though has improved my vocabulary and I have learned many new weird words like SUQ an Arabian Tent Market! But what a great word, ending in a Q...

The other thing about the "live" games we play, it allows us to converse and enjoy a snack, a cocktail and maybe even the outdoors! We have played many a game in our corn crib gazebo that is pictured at the top of my blog. Enjoying the warm summer day, and a slight breeze and the sound of the birds and other activity going on in the yard or on the lake!


So what is your game of choice?



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25th entry a day late

Yeah...the roads are getting cleaned off....

Meaning all the side streets are starting to lose their icy coating of snow and ice and the County and Cities are trying to scrape off some of the packed snow and ice.

Which, may not seem like a big deal to many people, but when you spent a lot of time behind the wheel of a vehicle it makes a big difference!

Other then that, I placed a new bale of hay for the animals tonight! Which makes them all happy!

I spent the day in the Grand Rapids area, calling on some new prospects and touching base with a few I have spoken with before.

Hope you all had a good day also!

Monday, January 24, 2011

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Mild weather finally!


Today we were blessed with some warmer weather, it got to about 25 degrees...Yeah!!!!
The warmer weather is supposed to stick around into the weekend. Mid 20's and maybe even into 30's later in the week. Which is all good for the woodpile, and the animals...they definitely enjoyed the milder temps also.

The above photo is where Crystalie spent her day, it is her studio in our back barn, heated with the woodstove and all her organized fabric and the organized work area. This allows her to go out and create her creations in a quiet, and warm environment, and to be able to close the door and come to the house leaving her projects where they are or if they need some work done in the house!

She has spent many hours in there and along with the dogs and maybe a cat on occasion. Which of course enjoy the warmth of the woodstove!




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Sunday the 23rd a little late

Sorry for the delay, but we actually had a busy day travelling around the area to visit Crystalie's Mom and Dad. Just giving them some company, and checked with them to see if they needed anything from the store, as we were going by there on the way to see them both.

So even though it was -24 in the morning, by a little after 9 am we left, and drove up to Aitkin about 17 miles away, and stopped at the local County Market Store, and picked up somethings her Dad needed.

After that we were off to her Mom's which is the original farm, where the kids finished growing up. Visited with her Mom for about an hour having a morning treat and some hot coffee.

We then headed down to her Dad's place, and spent about 30 minutes there and visiting and making sure everything was okay. Crystalie, cleaned a little bit and plans to maybe go back soon, to freshen things up a bit for him.

After that we headed back home about a 30 minute drive, and then we got home had some lunch, and then watched the NFC playoff game.

Later, we were invited by Marjorie to come for supper and watched the AFC game. Supper was great, and I was busy setting some electronic things up for her. Plus reconfiguring some phones around the house, any how it was amusing sorting through all the wires.

For supper, Marjorie prepared Tortilla soup and Chili Rellenos, award winning mind you, and also other snacks and toppings, all followed by Grasshopper Cream Pie.

Thank you for the supper, Marjorie and hopefully all the little projects are working properly!

Saturday, January 22, 2011

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Decorations come down...

The ornaments that were on the tree all off the tree and waiting to be wrapped and packed into their boxes.

Antique Glass Bead strings that were on the tree, part of a collection of beads. Crystalie found the beads in a tin at a yard sale and then strung them on to some heavy string.

My Grandma Mabels, ornaments or what is left of them, as we have been letting the girls pick one every year for the Christmas Ornament, so they continue to hang on a tree each year!
It is always a sad task to un-decorate the tree and house each year, but a task that just leads to doing it all over again! Just 11 months away or less!
So let's see what Crystalie does when she redecorates the bare spots!

Also spent time watching Toy Story 3 while finishing it all up! Thanks Misty and Chris...

Friday, January 21, 2011

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-24 degrees


Well I am not bragging or anything, but our thermometer showed -24 this morning and Brainerd reported -31 degrees on the radio on my way into work this morning.
I live about 25 minutes from work, and it is normally a smooth ride, but the stiff shocks and tires that felt like round stones till they warmed up made for a bumpier drive to work.
Enough about the weather, the weekend brings us the time to take down the christmas tree. I know it is a little late but last week we had Christmas with the kids and now we have tomorrow to haul the boxes into the house and begin the process of putting things away and then moving the boxes back out to our outside barn and putting them upstairs.
Of course this involves cleaning various areas again, and of course vaccuming the floors, after the fake trees are moved out there also. So there will be some work to do and at least most of it is inside where it is toasty warm!

The photo above is of a much warmer time, July in 2008 and it is my North Dakota Garden...enjoy the view!

Thursday, January 20, 2011

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A big visitor to the Suet feeder!

Crystalie snapped this picture of the Pileated Woodpecker, who visited
our suet feeder today. Pretty large right?

When they fly up to the feeder which is only about 1 foot from the window, it is kind of scary. If you are not aware, birds have been linked to prehistoric dinosaurs and this guy looks about as prehistoric they get.

We get a variety of other birds also..chickadees, nuthatches, blue jays, juncos, and sometimes we have a cardinal during the winter months. Feeding the birds is part of our lifestyle here at Coffee Lake, and it has given us lots of entertainment.

Weather report for those not in the midwest...the chance of reaching -30 degrees tonight is a very real possibility...with the windchill going lower yet.

For those who want to know Paul Bunyan is the one located in Akeley, Minnesota.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

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On the Road!

Well, I was out on the road today for my work on Lake Country Journal ad sales. I went through a town with this handsome fellow in it and you can see he is a little cold also!

Check-out the icicles on his hat....anyhow I know you all would recognize who this is, Paul Bunyan of course...but where is he located??

Any guesses???

All in all a good day visited with about 10 different people, some good conversations and some were a little cold...but in sales you concentrate on the positive....

I also followed a pickup today that was owned by a butchering company and yes you guessed it they had fresh hanging halves of a cow in the back..I snapped a pic, but I was a little to far away...anyhow all you would say would be ewwwww....

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

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Coldest nights of the winter!


Tomorrow night looks to be the coldest night of the winter so far with temps reaching -15 below or more (or is it less if it goes lower) and the high for Thursday is predicted to be a balmy --- -4 degrees.


Needless to say things don't move very fast when it is that cold and we only do what absolutly needs to be done outside. In other words, making sure the water tank is not frozen, and the wood stove is kept filled with wood.


Our stove only needs to be filled with wood twice a day, but when it is really cold, typically I fill it at 7:00 am for the day, and then at night I go out around 9:00 pm and fill it for the night. But when it is really cold, I will fill it around 5:30 pm when I get home and then go out around 9:00 pm for the overnight time period.


So, we are thankful for a nice pile of wood and the time I spent last fall harvesting the nice heavy red oak firewood, which will keep it a pleasant 71-72 degrees in our house.
The photo is a couple of years old but a winter scene of our front porch! decorated for Christmas, which it still is currently.



Monday, January 17, 2011

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Special gifts...for family


Above is a print that was hand painted by a Plien Air artist, of our Barn and the tire swing in front of it. We made copies of it and then I made frames for them all with the wood from the original barn, which no longer stands.
For Christmas, we decided that all the kids should get one, and my younger brother Neal and his wife Claudia as they have spent a lot of time here at times.
It is a gift to remind them of the way things were as they grew up, I don't know how many times all the kids and grand kids, nieces and nephews, have had rides on the tire swing which still hangs from the huge oak tree but it now has no barn behind it.

I have replaced the tire once but the rope (nylon) is the same and it has been up since the beginning of Crystalie's and my relationship as boyfriend and girlfriend, and of course the last 15 years as man and wife!
Memories, or reminders of them can be worth so much more!

What is one of your favorite old things and why?








Sunday, January 16, 2011

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Christmas at the Farm!




Well we had a wonderful Christmas and enjoyed a great meal prepared by Crystalie, Ham, Baked seasoned root vegetables, a fresh salad, fresh homemade rolls, and for dessert coconut cream pie, homemade of course.
We also opened gifts of course, enjoyed the time doing so, and had fun with Livia and Addy, who entertained us at times, and then visiting with my daughters. Thank you everyone for a great day and the wonderful gifts.
Bright sunny day but cool, about 5-7 above for a high and now more snow tonight.
Thank you dear for the wonderful meal!



Saturday, January 15, 2011

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Preparations


Today, was spent making preparations for tomorrow, our Christmas with the family.

I spent most of the day outside pushing around the 6 plus inches of snow, and picking up a bale of hay, and getting that fed to the critters, after I plowed snow in their pen also. The snow was getting to deep to drive into with a 4 wheel drive pickup and trailer loaded down with a hay bale.

So I plowed snow so I wouldn't get stuck. (Ashley) Last year I got stuck and Ashley and Crystalie had to come out and help me get unstuck after a lot of shoveling and pushing it was a pretty exhausting adventure.

Inside, Crystalie spent timing cleaning and then making the dessert for tomorrow afternoon, and then set her table, with the fine china. There will be 8 of us, and we will all sit around our table. Finished wrapping some presents, and I worked on a couple of my Xmas letters that I needed to finish.

After that she worked on some rug balls and crocheting some rag rugs. Just some of many she will make this winter, to sell at Wooden Nichols next season, which begins in May through November.

Looking forward to a great meal and seeing everyone, and of course opening Gifts!





Friday, January 14, 2011

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Christmas Weekend

Okay, I know Christmas was 3 weeks ago, but this weekend we are celebrating Christmas, with our immediate family. We try to schedule our family Christmas at a time when there are not other commitments.
That way we can enjoy a Christmas dinner together, prepared by Crystalie, and then spent some time, opening our gift from each other.

This year only half our family will be here, Misty and Chris and their two girls Livia and Addy, along with Jennifer and Matias and their puppy Joya. Our other two daughters, Raquel and Eric are in Ann Arbor Michigan and will be opening our gifts this Sunday about the same time we do. Ricki and Grant and Ashley and Rebekah, have already shared Christmas with us, as Crystalie was out there in early December and they sent some things back for me.
You will see more on all this later this weekend.
In the meantime, I am plowing snow tomorrow, since we received another 4 inches over the last few days and the llamas, need more hay also and then the NFL playoffs resume! And of course helping Crystalie prepare for Sunday...Christmas at Coffee Lake Farm!








Thursday, January 13, 2011

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Winter Doldrums

All I have heard for the last week, are news stories about our long winter and yet we are less than a month into the winter season which started on Dec. 21st.

The fact that we have received snow 32 days out of 42 days, even though some of it was less than an inch of snowfall, during those days. Seems to have a lot of people tired of winter, and looking to get away, or wish the season was gone. Well spring is only 9 weeks away technically!

So I provided the lovely picture of flowers from last summer at Wooden Nichols, to brighten your day! or when ever you read this.

But let's remember there are some things to enjoy this time of year.

1. The serene snow covered fields, and ditches, hiding all the trash we see sometimes along the road and cluttered yards, that some how look so clean and different.

2. The bright clear blue skies, that appear when things get colder...or the cracking of the ice on the lake, on a cold night.

3. Fresh Clean Air, no pollen, no strong odors typically because the drier air doesn't hold smells as long.

4. The images of Pine trees sugar coated with snow and ice.

5. The occasional snowman in a yard, created from the white stuff, showing someones creativity...have you ever seen an ugly one?

6. The screams of fun and laughter, sliding down a snow covered hill!

7. The joy of having heated car seats! which I don't but they are sweet if you have them..or a remote starter so your car is nice and toasty when you get in it.

8. Treats made only during the winter, Christmas cookies, hot chocolate, sweet candies and all those other tasty treats.

9. The warmth of a roaring fire in a fireplace, when the temperatures are below freezing, and the snow is falling and the wind is blowing outside.

10. No flies..no wood ticks, and of course no mosquitoes....

11. Besides we live in Minnesota and we are proud of it! Enjoy the Season!



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Wednesday the 12th post!



Bright sunny day, and not a lot going on here at home, but was on the road traveling around the area for work again today!

I visited the towns of Staples, Wadena, Long Prairie and Little Falls, talking to various Ace Paint dealers and other potential advertisers. The trip was about 160 miles of driving, and the road conditions for the most part were good.

The photo was taken a couple of years ago for a work related campaign on who I was as a sales person and we went with the angle of owning Llamas, along with that I actually sell their manure, for plant food! Which the second photo is an actual bag of the end product!
I will have an entry later this spring, on how I process the product and I don't think you need to see how the Llama's produce it!
Have a great day!




Tuesday, January 11, 2011

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Slippery Snow


Today, brought some light snow that was just moist enough to make every road with snow on it a skating rink. It wasn't much snow less than an inch.


But all the streets in Brainerd and County Roads which had packed snow on them, became very slick...making getting going from stop lights and stop signs, difficult and of course trying to stop really tricky for those driving to fast. I saw numerous accident scenes, where people slid into one another, and were waiting for police to get there or they were assessing there damage.


Other than that, work was busy with some meetings and also a chamber event called Business After Hours, that was hosted by Madden's Classic Grill, which is where my son-in-law Matias works as a chef. The food was fantastic and about 60 people enjoyed a great atmosphere and a scenic setting on the Classic golf course all covered in snow! If you left hungry t was your own fault. They had a number of stations for food, here is the run down...

Cheese Fondue Bar

Barbecued Grilled Pork Tenderloin

Chili with steak tenderloin as a meat and also all the trimmings

Epanadas and Coconut Shrimp

for dessert...Freshly prepared Crepes, and poached pears

Along with Shrimp Shooters and Veggie Shooters

with beverages of your choice, wine, beer, and mixed drinks...

All graciously provided by our host Madden's Resort, which get a chance to showcase their facilities and their staff and what they can do for your business. Thanks Madden's Classic Resort, the photo above is the Madden's Classic Grill all decorated for the winter season!






Monday, January 10, 2011

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Collections and conversations!


Today was back to work and I spent some time on the road, travelling to Walker and Longville and Emily. I am trying to figure out ways to cover the area I need to cover for the Lake Country Journal. So I am trying to break it into ciricular trips that allow me to see potential and existing advertising clients. Today's trip is a good route that allows me to see a significant market area, without two many extra miles.


I had interesting conversations with about 6 different places, and others I picked up a business card and introduced myself. I like getting to know people and their business, and the only way to do that is to meet them.

In a time when email and the phone already occupy our time so much, people do enjoy talking to people, and it gives me an idea on how they conduct their business. Which can tell me a lot about how good of a client they can be, and how I can help them find their audience for their goods and services.


But, Crystalie, had an interesting day also today... she visited one of her customers home, at her invitation to see a collection of Santa's she has, and she loved displaying them in her home close to Hanging Kettle Lake.

Well Crystalie was surprised to see over 700 plus Santa's on display throughout her large house. I know 700 plus..maybe even close to 1000 is what the lady thought she might have.
I can only how much time it takes to unpack them all and then to repack them after the holiday season, and then find a place to store them all! I guess I should not even think of complaining or bragging about the trailer load of stuff I bring into our house every holiday season...it could be more!
Crystalie enjoyed the visit a lot and was totally amazed by the collection, but even stated she did not see one Santa like the 50 plus she owns.
Tell me about one of your collections...
We have more to share also but that is another post!

Sunday, January 9, 2011

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Cold day outside!



We awoke this morning to an overnight low of -13 which, was one of the coldest days we have had this January. We have seen colder of course but anytime it gets that cold, things move a little slower, including me all bundled up, while out doing my chores.




The animals were all fine and enjoyed the bright sunshine during the day, you can tell the darkness of the fur was absorbing every little bit of heat the sunshine provided. Not a cloud in the sky all day.




Not much going on here otherwise, I did fill the water tank today, and of course filled the woodstove a couple of times today. Football playoffs again on TV along with some scrabble both online and on the actual board.

Hope everyone had a safe and warm weekend!


Saturday, January 8, 2011

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He Cooks too!




Saturday, at home nice sunshine and cold...about -5 this morning, but not a lot of wind.

Making it tolerable outside for some chores and also plowing some snow, making the driveway wider. I spent some time cleaning the wood stove out, removing the ash in the bottom and getting the clinkers out also.

I also cleaned out my hay hauling trailer, as it had quite a bit of snow and ice in it, and also some scraps of hay. Then I worked on moving some snow back along the driveway closer to the house.
But before all of that, I had told Crystalie, I would make some stew so I took out a venison roast, last night and let it thaw out over night. My recipe for stew is as follows...
1.5 lbs Venison cubed rolled and flour and browned in frying pan
1 can mushroom soup, plus 1 can of water
1 can of mushroom parts
1 bottle of beer
3 tablespoons of Italian seasoning
1/2 medium size onion diced
3 tablespoons of barbecue sauce
2 teaspoons of worchester sauce
1.5 cups of carrots chunks
7 med size potato's peeled and chunked
1 tablespoon of hot sauce

All of this mixed, into crockpot, and then simmered for 6-7 hours on medium..thicken if you need to with corn starch mixture
Also made dinner roll dough in bread machine, shape into buns in let rise, and then in the oven for 25 -30 minutes!
So supper is still cooking and the buns are in the oven, and watching some playoff football on the TV. I do enjoy cooking, when I can and I also enjoying grilling a lot.










Friday, January 7, 2011

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Creative forces




Today, started off with a little frustration, I had picked up a new hay bale yesterday but left it on the trailer overnight so I could unload it in the morning light. I pulled into the lot with the bale, and got backed up to the feeder, almost got stuck (Ashley) but I managed to get moving again.

I moved the feeder which was froze down from all the rain we had a week ago. Then proceeded to pull the outer layer of the bale of to get the strings removed, and to roll it off the trailer. Well no matter how hard I pushed I could not get it to roll, I then tried using a pitchfork to get some leverage on it, but to no avail.

Then I went in the house, and asked my dear wife to get dressed and come outside to help roll it off the trailer, she was still in the warm bed, but she replied "really...." Then I said, "hey at least I am not telling you the animals are out of the pen" which she was thankful for, she hates it when they are not where they are supposed to be!

I went back out, filled the wood stove for the day, and proceeded back to the trailer, in a couple of minutes Crystalie, was walking across the yard all bundled up, I helped her get in the trailer next to the round bale and in a minute we had it rolled off, the trailer and in the spot where it needed to be. "Is that all" she said and I said "well if you could open the gate for me when I get there it I would appreciate it" "sure" she said.
Not that she was mad or anything, just still a little sleepy, and unloading hay before coffee is not a good thing.
The joys of farm life once again, but hey the Llamas and the Bucky appreciated our efforts, as they all stood filling their faces!

The pictures above are of a snow creation, that Crystalie made today, the idea is from her daughter Ricki, who found one similar and send her a picture of it. Do you know what it is????

A Hedgehog, which our granddaughter actually has one, named Emerson!


Thursday, January 6, 2011

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Smarkle and Tootsie




Dogs can be so special!

When I get home, they hear me come in and Tootsie begins whining, loudly mind you, I have to go back and pet them and then let them outside, so they can go check to see if I left anything out for them to eat, and to check out my truck. You know smell the tire in case I was around another dog.

When they are ready to come in Tootsie will sit and whine by the living room window, and this is not just some whimpering, this sounds like she is going to die, unless she can get in back in the house where it is nice and warm...she doesn't like the cold or the dark...sometimes I think the dark is more of the whining then the cold.

All the while they are outside, Smarkle is jumping on or pestering Tootsie. The only time she isn't is when she is playing fetch or when she is checking out the yard or even the llama pen. She likes wandering through the Llama pen in the mornings, she actually tries to get them to play with her sometimes, by fake jumping at them and they either back up a little or they just stand there and look at her.

Crystalie, snapped these photos of her yesterday in the llama pen, which isn't easy because if she hears the door open she will come running to the house, so these are taken through the window. Crystalie, is my official photographer unless otherwise noted!










Wednesday, January 5, 2011

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Special Freinds!

Tonight, we dined at one of our closest friends, home about 5 miles from us, Colette's!

Crystalie and Colette have known each other for over 30 plus years, not sure how many. They met each other working at one of the restaurants they both worked at over the years. When I met Crystalie, I was introduced to Colette and she is an avid golfer and she has been a great golf buddy, and we enjoy getting out and playing a round of golf when we can.

This was our Christmas dinner get together with her, and it involved exchanging gifts also. Colette prepared for us this year, crab legs, broiled shrimp, and chicken breast encrusted in a nice crunchy breading, along with green beans, and some seasoned potatoes, along with a fresh green salad. For dessert a French Silk Chocolate pie she purchased.

Needless to say it was all fantastic and along with some beverages and also lots of conversation about what we have been doing and what she has been involved with and also how each other's family's were all doing, which takes alot of time as Colette is part of a family of 15 kids.

Colette, is a special friend, and we both enjoy our time catching up with her and of course her cooking which is always fantastic!

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

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Bright Sunshine












It was a sunny day all day today, not a cloud in the sky. So Crystalie, got outside and took some nice photos of all the ice and snow coating we received over the New Years Holiday. So I wanted to share what she saw, she likes playing with the digital camera, and we have a little Canon S2 which is like a small 35 mm camera.
As you can see the rain froze to everything when it changed over to snow and the wetter snow stuck to the ice that formed, hopefully we don't get a wind storm, before it is allowed to melt off, which may be a little bit as it is suppose to be chilly for a few days.
The roadways were helped by the sunshine also and some of the salt ate some of the ice off the highways, today but things are still slick.
Work has been busy, trying to close a bunch of ad sales this month for our March/April issue. Which goes to print in early February.
Enjoy the photos!




Monday, January 3, 2011

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First work day of 2011


The New Year begins, and work begins a new year also. I work for a company called Lake Country Journal and Range Printing, and I am in sales, selling advertising in our publication the Lake Country Journal magazine a premiere lifestyle publication. I also sell other services that we offer, like web site development along with design and of course printing.


I like what I do and it is a challenge and allows me to meet new people, all the time. I spend a lot of time driving around and sometimes a night away from Coffee Lake Farm, to save some miles and get more sales calls in area without driving so many miles. I have been in sales for 20 plus years, and I enjoy the print and graphic design world, and marketing which is changing constantly.


The low last night was 15 below zero and our wood stove was definitely working a lot last night, pretty empty at 7 this morning, and I filled it late last night. Our roads are a mess and the max speed was about 45 mph, and I drive about 25 miles into work, in Brainerd.


Around the farm, things are quiet right now, just making sure the water tank is not froze, and the wood stove is full of wood.












Sunday, January 2, 2011

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Full House

Well we were fortunate to have our daughter Jennifer and her husband Matias, come and visit us last night and stay the night which made for quite a house full. With Misty and Chris, Livia and Addy still here, we had people sleeping everywhere.

We had a great supper last night, a lot of what we were going to have out in Fort Ransom, ND. at the CFC. It was great and then we played a game of Clue, some of us and guess who won??? Jennifer of course.

After the kids went to bed we vegged out and watched a movie, and then got to bed. This morning, we had some scones, and banana bread, along with Lucky Charms for the girls!

I did do some work today, plowed out the yard again, it wasn't a lot of snow but a couple of inches that fell NYE. The wind had died down but it was about 5 above when I was out plowing the snow, nice and sunny today though.

All our company left and then we watched football...Coffee Lake Farm is Viking territory, but they lost to Detroit today, the end of a disappointing 2010 season! I also worked on the 1000 piece puzzle, we started yesterday. I am going back to it now to see if I can finish it tonight.

The highlight this afternoon was a call from my daughter Raquel, wishing us a Happy New Year, and also to see how things were going. Her and Eric are doing well in Ann Arbor, Michigan and she is feeling good now starting her 8 month of pregnancy, she is due in early march, which is exciting to us all!

Saturday, January 1, 2011

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New Years Eve Day and New Years Day






The end of a year brought a massive snow storm, that made roads slick around here and another 6 inches of snow. But is also closed down western Minnesota and eastern North Dakota, where were supposed to be heading for Coit Family Christmas or CFC on New Years Day, but roads are closed and nobody can get to Fort Ransom, ND.
The first picture is of me plowing snow, cleaning out the yard, fr0m our snow and rain on Thursday, day and night, I wanted to get it ready for the next snowfall.
But last night we did attend the annual Farm Fest themed NYE party host again by Montina and Coralie hosted at Scott and Montina's house in Aitkin. Games, puzzles and medallion hunt and also lots of food all around a farm theme! This year Misty, Chris and there two girls Livia and Adeline, came with us..fun was had by all and we all got lots of prizes, to take home with us. We got home about 1:00am and put the kids down and visited till almost 2:00 am even Crystalie!
New Years Day we were supposed to head out North Dakota as I mentioned above. But we all slept in, and then I made some breakfast for the girls..lucky charms and clementines..then scrambled eggs and bacon and toast for everyone else.
After breakfast, Crystalie snapped the pictures above...Addy keeping Smarkle company, and her new best friend...Livia getting to play some games on the computer. Misty and Chris taking advantage of the free time starting a 1000 piece puzzle..a Llama picture.
Plan for the day is up in the air yet....but I am sure it will be amusing!
Have a great New Years Day everyone! CFC is being rescheduled, not sure when yet, but whenever it will be a fun time!