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LOL that was a good one Annette. My Llama's are too spoiled to spit at me. I had 2 cow's get out of the pasture on Saturday. They began running around and I was panicking that they would run away. They were running around trying to get back in ! Opened the gate and in they went. Oh and Llama "buttons" are the best organic fertilizer that you can get. Doesn't even have an odour so some companies that sell it ship it by mail in a baggie. You can even use it on indoor plants. So maybe I should start advertising it on FB for all the farmville gardens. LOL Linda I thought you were in southern Alberta ! LOL Both my tractor's have nice heated cabs so I don't envy your hubby and son using a quad. But it is faster than shoveling.

Hey Marianne congratulations !!!! So good to hear from you again and to get the great news. It certainly did pay off getting those other opinions.

Morning everyone Hey Annette and Judy I would rather be working on your farm's this morning than on mine. Just went out to feed the animals and it was a little crispy. I checked the weather when I came in and it is -35C/-31F. So Annette I'm sure we will get more cold before the winter is over. The rest of this week it is supposed to warm up with the forecast on Wednesday being above freezing. I do live in an area where it can get really cold but when I watch the news and see all the storms happening other places it doesn't seem so bad. You can dress for the cold. Oh and for everyone on the exercise team does driving a tractor to clear snow instead of shoveling count ? LOL Sorry but Bud's "easy" 21 miles makes me want to go out and clear more snow. LOL

Well Eric it is a very balmy -14C/7F. Some of the neighbor's are predicting a very cold February because the winter so far has been very mild. Now Judy you have to leave the Buffalo out of it. LOL Good times on the original Keg bus. Bud you were the envy of all the fisherman. Must have gotten a little frustrating when they began crowding you so much that they crossed lines. Great looking pictures Ann. I will be a first time Grandpa in March.

Morning folks Well Judy it may be nippy there but it is a heat wave here. We are usually in the -40C this time of the year but this morning it is -6C/22F. Even the windchill is only -14C/7F. It is even forecast to hit 0C this week. Really breaks up the winter because once you get to mid February you really begin looking forward to spring. Judy is the visitor you mentioned our mutual friend Gail ? Please keep her away from pig pen's. LOL Now Eric what were you referring to with the farmer and the sheep ? LOL Take care everyone.

Judy Mi your daylight hours were pretty close to what mine were last month. Daylight hasn't increased as quickly as where you are though. In February here we increase by 8 minutes a day so we'll catch up pretty quick. Then we have 24 hour's of daylight in the spring/summer. Sun Dogs are pretty common here and they do look nice as well as the northern lights.

Hey folks After reading everyone's cold temperature's I don't feel as bad...just a little colder. I have been up north where I used to live for work all week. The temperature gauge in my truck will only register to -39C/-38F so I know it was colder than that. The 3 days I was there the windchill did not get higher than -44C and yesterday morning when I left it was -48C/-54F. Not sure how I survived that for 15 years even though I only moved 500 miles south. I think you are right about that mutant gene Annette. I didn't have a chance to read all the past post yet. Maybe a weekend thing with having to catch up on all the outside chores now. Good luck fishing with those new shoes on Bud. Take care everyone.

Hi Cathy I think it is great that your Dad is getting in that fighting mode and talking in a positive tone. That will certainly help with going through the treatments. I'm sure there will be moments when things won't seem as rosy and that is where the caregiver's can really help out. Alot of us are permanent fixtures on this site. LOL But it is nice to talk with other members that "get" it.

So sorry Nicole. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

Hi Cathy Welcome to this great site with alot of information and very supportive member's. The rollercoaster of emotions is the worst at the beginning and as a plan gets put into place, things will get a little easier. Then the focus shifts to fighting this disease. I never had radiation but I did have chemo and heard all the horror stories associated with it. But chemo treatments have really advance with plenty of medications to deal with any side effects. Take care.

I shouldn't have spoken so soon. Temperatures are beginning to drop. This morning it is -23C/-9F with a windchill of -34C/-29F. Looks to get even colder for the next week with temperatures in the -30'sC not counting windchill. Stephanie my chemo treatment would take 5 hours for the double dose and 2 hours for the single dose. I had Cisplatin and Vinerolbine. The nurse tried to speed up the drip and it caused alot of kidney pain. The nurse and Doctor's were a little concerned as well. Nice to hear that you are still tending to your crop Judy KW. LOL Judy MI sorry to hear that you got caught up in the politics. Well time to face the cold. Take care.

Hey folks Another overcast sky here today but the temperature is only -18C so that's OK. About 30 miles down the road it is -27C so not sure why the big difference. Judy MI we have lot's of sunlight here in the north. It is the opposite of you with very seldom is it not sunny. Really makes a difference in the winter. They say that clear skies makes it colder but the same temperature just feels warmer when that sun is shining. Judy KW good to see you up and at em. Keep that up and Stan will have you making the tea when he returns. LOL Judy MI, being from Newfoundland, we have many saying's that even the rest of Canada are not familiar with. A couple are : How's she going ? Stay where you're to till I comes where you're at.

Quite possibly Judy. Wouldn't be the first time that a female has teased me into doing something that wasn't a wise choice.

Donna that is chilly and a big temperature swing. It is -18C/0F here this morning with clear skies. Bud it certainly doesn't sound like it will be a fun day for driving. Pouring jig's is a good alternative. Time to get breakfast before it get's daylight. Wonder how Judy MI is doing with the Christmas decorations and Judy KW is doing with the taxes. Think I prefer to be outside in the cold. LOL Take care everyone.

Thanks Judy We are having a milder than normal winter. It is averaging -20C/-4F compared to -40C/-40F. The picture with my daughter kneeling is with Patches and standing is with the mama Llama. They are over 6' tall. You can also see my paint mare Roxy. That is the one that bucked me off in September. You can also see the Red Angus cow's. I'll get a picture of the baby chicks in the spring for Judy. That is the house I built on my vacations over the last 5 years. it is over 60' long and the living room behind those window's has a 13' high cathedral ceiling. We had a 12' Christmas tree there. Just a snapshot of life on the farm.

Hey folks Well it's an overcast morning with a very nice -17C/1F. Eric I'm not sure if you use the word mozzy/mausy there. I had to drive about 300 miles up north yesterday for meetings. So when they finished up at 5pm, there was a very nice storm happening that made my drive home interesting. But arrived safe and sound. Judy KW I think I may have been partly responsible for you not getting alot of work done in the last 2 days. Judy MI nothing like a nice bowl of homemade soup maybe while you are soaking in the hot tub relaxing the back. I just read the local newspaper from Yellowknife. There were 2 post in the Obit column of people who passed away the first week of January. Both from cancer. That is why getting it out there like Eric and Judy MI did is so important. Take care everyone.

Well I think old Mother Earth has changed it's axis somehow. All you folks that are supposed to be in the warmer climates are cold. Meanwhile here in the north we are alot milder than normal. This morning it is -12C/10F when we should be in the -30'sC with a few -40's sprinkled in there. I don't mind the warmer temperature's but with it come's snow. We already have a winter's worth on the ground and the winter is not half over ! Annette if people do not laugh at your post, they should check for a pulse. LOL

Sorry Nicole. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family during this difficult time.

Annette thanks for the laugh about the spitting. LOL They've never spit at me but when I had the 7 Llama's they were always spitting at each other. They have really good aim and go for the ear's. Now I just have Patches and her Mama so no spitting at all. Ice fishing is great....no bugs. Also we can get to lakes that are only accessible by plane in the summer. Judy MI, the 3' - 4' thick ice is just on the lakes. The ice road itself is about 6'. A B-train full of fuel is quite heavy and when they pass you can feel the ice rolling. The world record for a Lake trout at 88 lbs was caught near here in Great Bear Lake. Not sure if it is still the record though. Nothing wrong with a 30lb Pike either.

Hey folks Well it is a very nice -13C/8F which is almost unheard of in January. But we do have a high wind. The weather network stopped posting the windchill which is nice to know before venturing outside. Patches is the baby Llama's name Judy. I know my daughter took pictures of her at Christmas so I'll see if I can get one posted. Well maybe I will email the picture to you and ask you to post it since I have no idea how to do it. LOL Donna maybe that is why is is warmer than normal here because we shipped all the cold down your way. LOL Ann I have noticed that alot of people begin their holidays from work before while still at work. I alway's worked harder to make sure everything was done and not hit me when I returned. Bud let's hope that you have had your year's supply of tire problems at the beginning and the rest of the year is flat free. Eric I think I just changed my priorities to get out from behind a desk and away from a very stressful job. Along with farm life I do consulting work and manage a company. So I work alot harder physically now with the farm life and longer days with my other work. The farm is what I have alway's wanted to do but I still needed a challenge which is why I have my other work. It gives me the flexibilty and money to play on the farm. LOL Take care everyone.

Still dark here but it is only -20C so should hit minus mid teens by this afternoon. Alot nicer doing outside chores in -20 instead of -40. Judy KW, maybe take an extra day off and start your tax work tomorrow. You are your own boss now so you can begin your work week at 8am Tuesday instead of Monday. Annette it is good to hear that the fire was far enough away to not be a concern for your place. I hear you Ann about this time of the year. It is just too long between those long weekends. Bud I'm sure it wasn't fun fixing a flat in the dark but hey you got er done and still beat the clock by 2 minutes ! Judy MI I can understand your hubby needing new auger blades. I use a gas auger but it is still alot easier with new blades. Using a hand auger is not an option here with the ice 3' to 4' think. You also need a 10" hole because the fish are a little bigger. Take care everyone.

Hey folks The sun is just coming up over the horizon. Looking at that orange glow coming through the trees out across a snow covered field is a nice view while having a tea in front of the old wood stove. Now on the other side of that window it is a crispy -21C/-6F. LOL KW Judy hope that you get those little issues straightened out. I think even someone with a cast iron stomach like myself can feek the effects of Christmas munching. Eric sorry to hear you had to change your plans. Being let down by a loved one is not a very nice feeling. hopefully it was just a little slip and thinks can get back on track. I'm not a vegetarian either and living in the middle of cattle country I would probably be shot if I was. LOL Congratulations Bud on reaching your bike riding miles. I think you well deserved that zombie day. I have been reading about the LCSC team jumping on your exercise regimen bandwagon. I get plenty of exercise but I am envious of your crappie fishing so maybe I'll jump on the crappie bandwagon. LOL I hope you reach both your goals this year. Take care everyone.

Hey folks Warm, -16C, and snowing here today. The temperatures are warmer than normal but with it comes snow. Seem's like every second day I'm starting up the tractor to clear snow. I'm with you on these new entertainers. I read about some singer I never heard of that is going to jail or losing a multi million dollar mansion. I guess one song now can make you set for life. And I'm not sure about wearing the dark sunglasses all the time even indoors. Oh well. I did go to a New Year's eve party last night with the neighbors. There was alot of farmer's, rancher's and cowboy's there so I thought it would be a pretty good party with a live band. But it was pretty quiet. I was a good boy too JUDY MI and no headache this morning. LOL

Eric I have to admit that I am with Judy MI in never hearing that word.But whatever name you call today, I think it has a very special meaning for members here. Tomorrow marks another milestone in our journey. So wherever you are and however you celebrate, give a smile for all the members that are bringing in another year, and remember those who lost their battle with this terrible disease. Happy New Year everyone.

Congratulations !!! Now ring in that New Year a little extra loud.