A brand new day...

Tomorrow is a big day for Katie the goat.

She's going off to live in her home about an hours drive from here.

Hopefully all goes well and she's happy in her new environs.

Meanwhile we've been trying to keep her company as much as we can.

I think she's been fairly lonely what with the cold weather and snowy paths.

Before the snow got too deep, I took her out on a few walks.

She's really good on a lead and quite curious, all be it a bit nervous outside her 'safe-zone'.

So off we went down the drive and across the road...

As you can see, Griffin came AND Ruben too!

Katie made sure she kept her eye on Griff but was really eager to see what lay ahead...

I really hope she gets on well with her new family.

She's so sweet.

Maybe she'll become a good 'Auntie goat' for the younger ones.

We'll see what lies on the road ahead...wish her luck...

Song for Friday...catching me again...

Some songs just grab you.

Starting out quiet and then gripping you with strength.

You just have to stop what you're doing and find out who it is.

This is one of those songs that catches me again and again...

This woman has such power and beauty in her voice...

Have a beautiful weekend all.

You think you've got it bad?

There's one thing Canadians love to talk about and that's the weather.

So in case you think you've got it bad where you are,

check out the temps in our beloved Prairie Provinces...

Yeah that's -40 degrees!!!!

So chin up everyone.

You could be spending your winter life indoors if you lived in Saskatchewan.

Keep warm.

Snow day...

...and just like that, our world turned into a quiet land of snow.

The meek and mild temperatures gave way to a northern

breath that whispered through the night...

I awoke under a thick, full blanket of crystal white snow.

Footprints of deer, tiptoe through the landscape and birds huddle silently

under great bows of white.

Soft and billowy flakes falling weightless from above.

Roads have become silent.

We hunker down by the fire, happy for the warmth.

A walk through the woods, footsteps in fresh snow, 

as if we're there for the very first time.

Griffin is a puppy once again, snow beard and bright eyes...

This landscape is rare to us and I take it in, knowing that

soon it will disappear as quickly as it came.

For now, it's the beauty I see, the transformation from

dull, grey, rain and clouds

to this wondrous white world,

this snow scape of winter dreams...

Old endings and new beginnings...

This is a typical picture of a goat.

Hard to get them to stand still for a picture, you usually end up

with quite a few shots like this.

His name was Tramp.

Sadly he died on Saturday night. He was the last of 6 of our

original goats which we got 12 years ago.

He had a stroke about 3 weeks ago and then went downhill from there.

We will remember him in happier days...

...here with a young, tame rooster we called Sonny, who became pals

with Tramp for a while...

Tom came home Sunday and dug him a resting spot by the barn.

After we wrapped him with a blanket and put some hay and favorite leaves in

with him, we began to shovel in the soil.

Griffin, our dog was standing by the graveside throughout the process and

had inspected Tramp before we put him in the hole.

As Tom and I began to shovel the dirt back into the grave, 

Griffin did something so endearing.

He stood at the edge and began to push the dirt in with his nose,

as he does when burying a favorite bone.

I suppose he figured it was his job to help bury Tramp as well.

He worked with us until the pile was gone and then

went back and forth to the barn as if to make sure we were all done.

Our goat that we adopted in the spring, Katie, was quite something

throughout Tramps demise. 

He lost his sight and Katie took it upon herself to make sure he was safe.

She became somewhat of a "seeing eye goat".

One day Tramp became stuck in some bushes in the lower field

and Katie made sure to help him find his way back to the barn.

He could follow her bleats and smell. 

As much as we love her, we have decided to find a new home for Katie since goats are 

a herd animal and it would be cruel to have her all alone.

A very promising home with other goats is on the horizon and 

hopefully by the coming weekend she will be living there.

We will take a break from the barn animals for a while

but remember each and every one we have had with great fondness.

(photo courtesy of Aja O'Gorman)

Catch up...

Here's a bit of catching up from the past week...

Tom took me into the city for a birthday lunch last week.

Before we hit the restaurant we took advantage of the gorgeous

weather (specially ordered for my day of course!) and 

went for a walk along Dallas road.

We meandered along the cliff tops and visited the model boat pond.

A little quiet right now but in the warmer months there's

much activity with grown men and tiny motorized boats

of all kinds. 

There's even tiny moorings and minuscule lighthouses...

These being taken over by seagulls for now...

We also took a stroll to sit with thoughts of Tracy.

Some of her ashes were cast on the wind of this lovely lookout...

This windswept walk was a favorite of hers from the day we moved to the coast.

 We spent many hours roaming these beaches through

the years, showing it off to out -of -towners, walking the dogs and 

even going to the occasional beach party as teenagers.

Of course she loved to see all the crows and their nests there as well.

Anyway, then it was off to Spinnakers for what I thought would be

'a quiet lunch for two'.

But honestly, although Tom tried to cover up the surprise, I kind of had

a feeling something was up. The slip up? (pay attention all ye men folk)

The day before my birthday he made up the spare room AND

cleaned the bathroom downstairs!

Now, I must tell you that Tom does his fair share of chores

but this is not on the regular roster and definitely

made me a bit suspicious!

Needless to say it was the best birthday surprise ever!

To top it off, my folks showed up as well.

(by the way, yes I'm holding 2 beer but one is Tom's...honestly!)

So we had a fantastic lunch with yummy Murchies birthday cake...

The rest of the 4 days with Aja and Paul were spent at our place,

walking the river, going for yummy dinners, cooking even yummier dinners,

playing games, watching movies, going to yoga and just enjoying

hanging out in general.

I miss my girl an awful lot and Toronto is pretty far from Sooke but

to have her here for this short time and to see her so happy in 

her life is the best gift I could have.

That and having all of my friends and family near and dear to me.

Yup, I'm a lucky gal.