W Belowe have been pretty spoiled this year with the wonderful weather although it seems the piper is about to demand payment. The forecast is for about 30 cms (a foot) of snow and -30c (-22f) temperatures. It will only last a few days but sheesh, that's cold!
Now that we've got our little farm going with about 60 animals, there's more to consider than heading to the library for some good books and the grocery store for, well, groceries. Okay, I mean treats to munch while hunkering down under a nice warm blanket! I was mentally planning my To Do list and thought I would share. It isn't big but everything needs to be completed.
We've got to make sure the animals will all be warm and dry and that their food is accessible to us if we have to slog through a foot of snow AND that they get plenty of water. Power is usually pretty good where we are but it does go out and you just don't know how long that might last. As we are on a well that brings up water using, you guessed it -  power, we'll need to fill up jugs and the like so we all have water to drink. Our furnace though propane fuelled is also run on power. We've got a wood stove and have managed to stay ahead of the log cutting and splitting but we are out at the moment. Lots of logs, they just need a chainsaw to cut them up so we can split them. I'd rather be doing that while it's still pleasant outside than when it's -30!!
Oh right, and there's the grocery store for us. Of course that has to wait until the animals are taken care of. They come first.
The chickens have a well protected coop and Troy built a pen for them that is currently covered with a tarp until he can get the tin roof up. That gives them some outdoor space if it warms up enough for them to be let out of the coop. Snow and cold are not good for their feet. I'll be adding some straw for them and moving the big water dish inside. Like other animals, chickens need water when it's cold as it (somehow) helps them regulate their temperature.
The rabbits have their own fur coats but when it gets this cold, they really need the straw in their nesting boxes so they can go in and warm up. They dig little burrows in there and sometimes all you can see is a nose. We'll need to get some hay over to the rabbitry for them, too. Usually we just go and pull some from the big round bale by the goats but, hello, -30! I don't want to be out wandering around more than I need to.
The goats are the biggest concern for us. It's our first winter having them as we just got the herd in April and it's all still very new to us. We've had billy goats in with them for a couple of months and expect that about 28 does are pregnant so making sure they stay healthy is key. Troy has got a small barn and calf shelter for them and built an addition onto the barn so they should have lots of room to curl up once we add in about a round bale of straw. There are heat lamps in there, too, so we think they should be comfortable. We are a little concerned about the wind, though. If that picks up from the east/south-east it might not be so comfortable for them. Troy will figure something out, he always does. The goats are pretty spoiled! We'll have to fill up the water trough and the hay feeders. I guess we better make sure we've got enough pellets, oats and barley for them, too near their pen. Anything we can do to save steps will be a big help.
Off the top of my head, these are the things we need to do to get ready for bad weather. I guess I should also make sure our snow pants, jackets, hats, gloves, scarves, etc are all handy, too. I think they are but better to confirm that ahead of time than try and remember if they were left in the rabbitry, or somewhere else! 
Hmm, guess we'd better make sure the plow is plugged in, too, so we can get in and out of the property. Below is a picture from last winter when I tried to get up our drive (we're on a hill) before we'd had a chance to plow it and the truck slipped off. ...oops!

There. I've said it. Farm. I believe we have a farm. In considering it, I realize there's a lot of leeway in the term. We have a good chunk of land. We have dogs, cats, chickens, rabbits and now a very large garden. Oh, and the goats will be coming, probably this summer. Although we haven't actually made a lot of money from these, it's coming and it's in the business plan. All of the animals have jobs to do. The garden and accompanying endeavours will also hopefully add to the bottom line.

We've got a gazillion tomato plants because Heritage Harvest Seeds wasn't kidding when they said they get near to 100% germination - and I'm using last year's seeds! Brassica seedlings are planted. If we do get a frost before the latter third of June, I can cover them. Potatoes are planted and more than I've ever planted before. Excess to our Moms and hopefully the local Farmer's Market in Caroline (which, by the way is getting more awesome every week!!). 

I've got a sweet deal going with my Mom's husband, too. I grow the cabbages and beets and give him eggs and in return we get some pretty amazing borscht on a regular basis. Oh, and Mom & Kerry come out regularly to help with chopping (chainsawing, really) and gardening. Pretty sweet deal for us and we are incredibly grateful for their help!

The chickens are laying like crazy and we've started selling/trading eggs. I really like eggs but we are getting about a half-dozen each day so I'm happy to have an outlet. And now one of the former chicks has gone broody. We thought about chicks this year but have so much going on we decided against it. Now, we're going to see how it works out. I'm a little too fond of our current flock as I find them immensely entertaining so I can't see us dispatching them for the freezer but if we get some chicks I'll just think about them as dinner. I sometimes think that way about our rooster as he's gotten a little aggressive. At the same time, he does a very good job watching over the hens so how can I be upset with him? I feel safer letting them out to free-range when he's with them.

Then there are the dogs. I feel safer with them anyhow but they really do watch over the chickens and rabbits, too, not just Troy and me. The cats are awesome mousers. Okay, it's kinda gross but also funny when they bring a mouse home and chickens find it. Blech!

We've started breeding the rabbits, too. Three of our does to three different bucks. Originally there were 26 but we did lose a couple from each so now we're down to 22. They turned a month old on June 1st and are looking so adorable and cute! Although we are raising them for meat and/or pets, we are doing what we can to give them a happy and comfortable life. We have a dog kennel that we've converted into a rabbit play-pen and they've all been out. Next project for them are rabbit-tractors. Essentially, these are just big pens that we can put them in so they can get out on the grass more. It's a win-win because they'll be happier and healthier and we'll pay less for feed!

Okay, so it isn't really all that bad. It is still March, after all and, if I look on the bright side, the sun is stronger so even on the below zero days the snow still melts. Sigh. I want it to be spring.
The chickens and rabbits are all still doing well and we've added to our rabbit colony. Perhaps not in the way you're thinking, though!
Some neighbours had a house fire and were looking to re-home their livestock. No-one wanted to take their dozen rabbits. We hadn't planned on quite so many but we managed to find enough room for them. We did that by taking out the chickens and Troy built them a brand new coop. I'd call it a luxury coop although we still need to get them more room to roam outside. Another reason I want the snow to be gone! 
Shortly after the chickens moved to their new coop, we had a rabbit, um, 'adventure'. The original 4 rabbits have always had their own cages but the additions had been living colony-style with the bucks in one building and the does in another. We kept them in their colonies but separated by only a wall. That was sufficient UNTIL a box was placed near the wall. Troy was away from home so when I went to do the chores I did my usual count in each of the pens. Uh oh. One too many in the doe's side and one too few in the buck's. When I spoke with Troy that night I mentioned that he might be a rabbit-daddy 50 times over by the end of March. Did I mention there were 5 does? Flemish Giants. He started building as soon as he got home.
Before Troy even got home, though, he'd started watching YouTube videos. He told me about a series by one guy who goes by the handle, jnull0 and how this guy built these great cages for his rabbits. I watched.
jnull0 is awesome!! I found myself not only charmed but learning a lot of useful information about keeping rabbits. I've posted his YouTube video below Rabbit Cages Made of Wire Shelving. 
Troy came home with the extra materials and built them. The cages look good, are easy to clean and they make it really, really easy to feed and water the rabbits. It's also easy to collect the droppings - gardening gold!

The lines have been drawn. The chickens are mine and the rabbits are Troy's. Of course we're both still invested in all of our ventures but we do have our favourites. I get such a kick out of the chickens that visits with them have been my breaks when I need to step away from the computer and stretch my legs. I always, always come back in to work with a smile on my face.
The dogs really like the chickens, too. Mostly their poop. Apparently it's a wonderful frozen treat for them. Blech!!! It's a lot of fun to watch the dogs and the cats with the chickens. Mostly there's no reaction from any of them. The cats with the rabbits are a little different.
Stanley, our tabby could care less. He just wanders around and checks them out periodically. Oliver, our little foundling kitten likes to go in there and really wants to play. The chickens do not. That's when Oliver heads over to the rabbits. At first they weren't happy to have him around but he really does just want to play so now they do. That's with the rabbits who are still living the colony lifestyle, of course.
I don't mind the rabbits at all, I just enjoy the chickens more.

Below is a picture of Troy's first attempt at making the rabbit cages and they turned out fantastic! This is a set of 4 'condos' and each is 40" deep, 3' wide and 16" high. Each rabbit has a nesting box, feeder for pellets, heated water dish and hay. We found some sturdy clips to hold the tops down and each has a section of floor - wood or cardboard - so they can get off the wire if they want.
The whole thing is affixed at the back to the wall and to the posts at the front. The height is pretty good for us, too, no bending over and we can reach the rabbits when we need to. It's turned out to be pretty handy for socializing the rabbits, too. They can't really get away but they've got their nesting box if they really don't want the interaction. It's been good to see them come around for pats now, and to be less and less shy when we open the cages. The only things we want to change are the watering system and we need to find a better way to hang the hay. A noose just doesn't seem safe but laying it on the floor just has them sleeping on it, not eating it! The watering system will be trickier when it's below freezing but we've seen a few options that we might try.
Almost everything we've seen says this is enough space for these rabbits but they sometimes seem to really want to run around. We've got the pen that served as our original chicken coop and we give each rabbit some time to run around and play.

Below is the jnull0 YouTube video we watched from which Troy built the cages. We have also watched a few others of his (so far!) and I plan on using his instructions for cleaning and prepping the rabbit hides. Mittens. I'm thinking mittens. 

 (see Well it happened. After an incredibly mild winter last year and about the wettest summer I can recall, we have a very cold snap at the moment. When I got up this morning, the temperature was (and still is!) -29 celsius. For those who are more comfortable, that's about -20 Fahrenheit. For everyone who doesn't use a thermometer, let me spell it out for you...
At this temperature, no one really cares what the number is. It's freakin' cold! The snow feels and sounds crunchy, sometimes almost squeaky. You want to stay inside and drink hot cocoa all day around a fire place with logs roaring and shedding wonderful, glorious heat. Most of us can't do that. You know, things like work intrude - and taking care of the livestock.
I say livestock as a general term. Mostly I would consider that cattle or horses - the large animals. We've got chickens and rabbits, dogs and cats. No matter what kind of animal you have, you have to take care of them. At the moments, the cats can't go outside and the dogs are being limited. Even Sadie our Pyrenees cross was lifting her feet this morning and that breed is bred to live in the mountains year round! She is currently curled up on the couch. Chester, currently curled up on our bed with Troy has been wearing booties (see picture at right). I am hoping to sew a coat for him this weekend because he just doesn't have the body mass or any undercoat to protect him from this deep cold.
It's important - and by important I mean life-saving - to wear the proper clothing and to be prepared. Sure you could wear your jeans and a sweater. It might not even hurt very much if it's for a few seconds. Consider this, though, your jeans are likely to become cardboard stiff while you are walking in them and your legs will not want to touch them. I still remember walking to school in Winnipeg on days like this trying to avoid having my skin come up against my freezing clothes. When Mom told us to wear proper clothes, as teenagers our response was along the lines of Phht, what does she know?! Turns out yet again that Mom was right.
We have heavy winter coats and ski pants. I haven't needed my long johns yet but they really are a God-send. I've got mittens that I think I will have to replace for something better. My fingers got cold yesterday with these ones. Hats, toques, and bella-clavas are also essential, as well as the right foot-wear. If you travel, you need all of these things with you in case the vehicle breaks down or you're stuck in place for some reason. Take some food, water, candles and a lighter or matches, too, as well as a tin or something to contain the candle and flame. If you are stuck and the vehicle isn't running, those candles actually shed a fair bit of warmth.
I am happy and very relieved to report that the chickens and rabbits seem to be just fine in this. I think they might be a bit bored but it's better than being dead, I figure. The pens that Troy built have been working out so well. Lots of ventilation but we've been able to close them in, too, using blankets and boards to retain the heat inside. We are still getting an egg a day from the 4 hens so I figure that's a good sign. From what I've read, if the hens get cold, they will expend energy to stay warm and not lay eggs. I guess they're good. Even the chicks, now nearly 3 months old seem pretty good. Last night, one of them was curled up under the roost that Troy built. Silly chick. I lifted her (I hope it's a her!) on TOP of the 2x6 and she was still there later, all puffed up with her feet underneath her breast.
Our water lines froze the other day. We were surprised because they've got heat tape on them. They were installed by the contractor and it turns out he must have been having a moment when he put the tape in. There's a temperature sensor that turns on when it gets cold but the sensors are actually inside our home. Where it's warm. Troy (my hero once again!!) figured it out and fixed everything and got the water running. Seems that maybe during the fussing to get it going though, we pinched the tape or something because the one line is frozen again. It's fixable but it's outside work, although it's at least underneath our home and somewhat protected, and it's cold outside! 
That's the current snapshot of our life out here. It's cold but we are warm, our animals are doing well and while we have water that is currently not running, we do have a nearby source and the hoses will be working soon enough. Oh, and our furnace got hooked up this fall so we are actually pretty toasty inside. It's a sunny day, too, and that just makes everything so much better.

We finally did it; we got our chickens for eggs.  On November 2nd, we drove to pick them up from Julia, in response to a Kijiji ad. We took a dog crate with some straw in it and, just in case we decided to pick up the rabbit she had, we took our 2nd (smaller) dog crate for him. As you can see, our dog Sadie is rather happy with the additions. There have been more than a few times where she wouldn't leave the run!

I have to admit there was some trepidation on my part, at least, in taking the plunge to farm animals. We'd prepared the pens, put together a coop and we had the hutch ready to be put together, too. I'd done some reading about what was necessary for keeping happy and healthy hens so it didn't feel completely foreign. But. But did I really know enough? But would the pens be enough to keep out the coyotes we hear nearly every night? But would our set-up be warm enough as we head into a prairie winter? But would I inadvertently cause the death of an animal - or animals! - because I was unprepared? I've felt before the responsibility for the lives of pets but I've had dogs and/or cats all my life. This was going to be something completely different and I feel the weight of the responsibility for caring for these creatures.

Julia was so wonderful and spent quite a bit of time giving us some much wanted advice. We did pick up the rabbit, too, as raising meat rabbits is in our business plan. We drove home with the hens and the rabbit in the back of the truck (covered!), stopping to pick up food and a few other essentials from the nearby UFA store. When we got home it was starting to get dark so we bustled about getting the new additions settled in the new homes.

​I should mention that when we looking for these hens, I also saw an add for some chicks - cuckoo malines. Seriously, how could I resist them with a name like that?! We got 3 of them. So tiny! I brought them home a few days after the hens arrived. They remain in the crate separate from the hens until they are old enough to integrate into a single flock. I was able to ask quite a few questions of the woman selling the chicks, too. People have been both kind and very generous.

After all that worry it turns out I am having a blast with these gals!! Not that we don't have some level of worry with every drop in temperature but Troy and I head out the Quonset where the pens are and we (ahem) peck away at updates that we believe will make the hens more comfortable. We are encouraged that we're doing something right because we got 4 eggs every morning and have just dropped down to 3 a day.

I've found that the additions of 4 hens, 3 chicks and a rabbit has not added all that much to our chore time. The dogs and I stop in to check on them during our morning and evening walks and that's when we make sure they've got enough food and water until the next visit. Throughout the day, we'll pop in and visit, too. We'll take them some fruit or vegetables or even pull some grass for them. Periodically we clean the bedding but that's about the extent of it.

We are getting quite a few eggs and it's felt good to be able to share them with our family. They are pretty tasty, I have to say.

Troy and I plan to experiment with the food. Julia gave us the recipe she uses so we've been feeding them that food. It's so wonderful to have somewhere to take the kitchen scraps, too.

One of the more fascinating experiences I've been noting is the interaction of the different animals. The rabbit was used to being next to the hens and we've used the same set-up here. "Jimmy" is usually found lying in the corner of his pen next to the hens. They all seem quite comfortable together. I've seen the hens get really interested in Jimmy but it turns out that's only when Jimmy's got some fresh lettuce in his pen! Sadie is much happier to have somethings to actually guard. Chester has been the most fun to watch. He's a Rottweiler/Coon hound cross and we've found he doesn't seem to have that prey drive at all, but he is completely enthralled with the rabbit and seems to want to play with the hens. When we put them outside in the garden, Chester ran laps around the fencing for a couple of hours.

So that's the story so far. The on-going saga of our budding farm. The gates are up now so we can get our donkey any time. There's some final fencing that needs to be done and then we can get our goats, too! Exciting times.

So at the moment, we don't have an actual home. We have an office trailer (ATCO trailer) that is about the same age as us. Like us, it is in good shape but is perhaps showing its age. The tin on the outside was sporadic at best so last year we took most of it off and wrapped the whole thing in Tyvek. Troy put in new windows, updated the locks and made sure the structure was water tight. He also added stairs.
The stairs turned out to be a learning experience. Nothing bad, but it turns out they got very slippery with any sign of frost. We live in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. There's not only frost, there's a fair bit of snow! Troy decided to put a cover over the stairs. That turned into a 12'x14' enclosed addition.
Until we can build our home, we are staying in the office. It's small but is also very cozy and with all the land around us, it doesn't feel too small.
Last year, our first out here, was all about getting the land liveable. We got the trailer out here and the power and internet services hooked up. I have to be able to work after all!
This year we got the water hooked up so we now have running water inside the trailer. The furnace got hooked up a couple of days ago so now we have heat. A good thing because with the water hooked up, we don't want any of the lines freezing! This means we can actually both head out for a couple of hours without worrying about water freezing. Last year all we had for heat was space heaters and you just can't leave them unattended.
There are still a few things we need like a little hot water tank so our running water will include hot and not just cold water. I am looking forward to having a little shower stall or tub, too. I had an outdoor shower all summer which was actually pretty awesome but it's gotten too cold for that now. Until we get that hooked up, we'll be visiting the local trading post a buying our showers like last year. We also need to get the interior walls finished. My office has panels up but they need to be painted. The rest of the place still needs walls. The vapour barrier over insulation is not particularly attractive. Priorities being what they are, money gets spent where it's most needed. Hopefully this winter.
What did happen this year is that our outside living area got a lot prettier. I like to think that Troy and are good at making a comfortable home. Certainly we are happy with how things turn out! Troy put in a few flower gardens and got started on raised beds for growing produce. He found some great deals on perennials and I was able to get some donated perennials from people thinning out their gardens. Those things added to the seeds we had already made for some nice gardens started. We are really looking forward to seeing them next year when they'll get a full season of growth!
The big project was to get the siding put on the trailer and addition. It was part of the deal to get a good  insurance package so that made it a necessity, not just something to get to whenever. The difference is remarkable! Not only does the place look better, I am noticing it's warmer inside, too. We just got plain siding - nothing with insulation - but I guess it stops the drafts better than Tyvek. When I got to thinking about it, that just makes sense because as I understand it Tyvek is a breathable fabric.

I've learned a surprising amount about managing an outhouse. Frankly I hadn't thought much about it before, except when I was camping or something and would gingerly open the door not knowing what I might find!
Turns out there are decisions to be made. Do you want to be able to compost the, um, 'results'? Do you want to move it around as the hole fills up? Things like that. There's also the matter of cleaning the thing. And another thing: this year I have been aiming more for pretty and comfortable; not just functional which was last year's goal.
Pretty?!?!?! I'm guessing that's what many of you are asking incredulously. It's an outhouse! yes, pretty. You've already seen the plaque that Kerry made for us. Troy's Mom gave us a very pretty bear's head toilet paper holder but it fell off some insulation and shattered.
I'm in the midst of painting the undercoat on the outside and the inside. I got side-tracked by working for a few weeks and it's been raining for most of July so that's currently on hold.
I did manage to get in an Iris garden at the pathway entrance and Troy laid out some logs and a couple of solar powered pathway lights so it is inviting, we think. The walk-way is also full of wood-chips so it's not slippery, nor does it get overgrown with weeds, etc.

Care and cleaning.
It's a bathroom. Ours just happens to be outdoors but that doesn't mean I'm not interested in keeping it clean, fresh-smelling and ensuring that we are hygienic. 
I've done some research and read that ash is an odour suppressant. It is honestly remarkable how true this is! At the appropriate time (I don't think I need to explain!), I sprinkle ash into the hole and walk away. Beats the heck out of those air-fresheners as I find their scents to be very cloying. This is a daily maintenance thing. I collect the ash from our fire pit and stick it in an old garbage can. I won't be using the plastic one again - metal from now on. The plastic one didn't exactly melt, but it looked kinda like Freddy Kruger coming through the walls - all melt-y. The ashes were still pretty warm when I collected them. I didn't have much choice at the time because I read you're not to let the ashes get wet and the rain was coming.
As necessary, I like to clean the inside of the outhouse. Oh, the exhaustion of emptying the outhouse of the garbage can, toilet paper, etc and then hauling over the hose and spraying the entire thing down. Done and done. So far, I've done this once. Oddly enough, it just doesn't get dirty. I still wipe things down and sweep it out but aside from that, not a lot of scrubbing... Ok, none.
Our current issue is based on the fact that we don't want to move the outhouse. We find it quite charming where it is. At the moment, I am experimenting with lye crystals/pellets. One of the purposes of lye is to break down organic matter. I've only just started using it this week but it does seem to be making a difference. I admit I was nervous about using lye as I gather it is extremely caustic. I think I've got a good system worked out, though.
We've been through a fall, winter, spring and are now in mid-summer and I can say with all sincerity that I do not mind using an outhouse at all. It isn't far to go from anywhere on our developing farm. I'd say it isn't any farther than being outside in the yard and having to run through the house to an available bathroom. Plus, there's the added benefit of not worrying about how dirty you are (from gardening, for example) when you tramp through the building.
The only worry I have had relates to wildlife, especially at night. To remedy that, we purchased something called a marine toilet and we use that for over-night requirements. I empty it a couple of times a week into the outhouse and rinse it out with the garden hose.
So that's it. Short and sweet - and even sweet-smelling.

When we decided to move out to a rural area, I envisioned being visited by deer, rabbits, moose and perhaps the occasional bear or coyote. It all seemed very romantic. I've seen most of those animals, or evidence thereof, in the past year, but not often. 

It turns out there are deer but the dogs bark at them so I don't see them. There are some herds very near us, though, that we see when we're driving around. Likewise with elk. I have only once seen a couple of moose on the property. It was pretty cool as I woke up to them outside my bedroom window. We have seen a bear twice, right outside the window the of the 5th wheel we lived in last summer. I'm over the romantic image of bears now, thank you very much!

Coyotes and sometimes wolves can be heard on nearly a nightly basis. I don't mind those sounds at all except that our dog, Sadie protects us from them. By barking. I've learned that sometimes coyotes howl at 2 a.m. I don't want to stop her because it's her job to protect us, but seriously? 2 a.m.? We also hear there are cougars and grizzlies around although thankfully we haven't seen them. 

There are no rabbits around here which I think is odd. I thought there'd be loads of them. What we do have are an extraordinary number of birds and bugs. 

Just yesterday I was listening to the birds and thought to myself that it was very loud. Strangely enough, the cacophony of various bird song was not at all annoying, unlike the traffic from a city of over a million people. Weird, eh? I don't even know all the birds we have out here but some I recognize. There are a couple of varieties of woodpeckers; finches; robins; blue birds (the vividness of their colouring defies description!); crows; owls; and those little black-headed grayish birds. Yesterday I saw a hawk and last year we had orioles. I'm hoping they come back this year because their song is glorious! Pretty glad for the birds, not just because they look and sound beautiful but also because we have so many bugs and I want the birds to eat them.

Although I'd anticipated seeing a lot of wildlife, what I actually see the most of is bugs. And you know what? I'm fascinated. When I was studying for my anthropology degree, I was really interested in the forensic side of thing but I decided I really didn't like bugs so probably not a good idea (think of the television show, Bones). Now I'm realizing I might have been able to do it. Spiders, beetles, moths, varieties of bees and wasps, worms, caterpillars, dragon flies, lady bugs, and gorgeous butterflies. I marvel with every adjustment to the cycle of life out here and I mostly see it in the transition from one prevailing bug species to another. Usually there is just a quiet hum and flutter of wings but every once in a while one of the species just explodes! 

This year we've had the dreaded forest tent caterpillars. I now loathe them as they are just everywhere. On the other hand, I'm guessing that's one of the reasons we have such a huge number of birds. It's a trade-off, I think. Someone we've met out here said, remember those couple of days last summer with all those moths (and yes, yes I do remember!!)? Here's the result: caterpillars. Apparently they love really dry weather and that's what we've had this year. Well, until the past week when we've had lots of much needed rain. The caterpillars are not all gone but there's a lot less of them. Let me just say that I can hang the laundry out to dry without being completely grossed out when I bring it in.

All-in-all it's been an educational first year out here in the country. I learn a lot about life, the inhabitants who share this earth with us humans and perhaps most importantly, I'm learning more about myself and what I'm capable of. And I still love it - wouldn't trade it for anywhere else in the world.

Winter is quickly approaching. Troy kept telling me he was getting nervous about being able to prepare everything for winter. Things like getting heat into our home. I kept thinking we'd have lots of time and then it snowed. Just a little bit, but enough to wake me up... and tell Troy he was right (we have a bit of a competition going around that -LOL!)

Don't get me wrong. We are not without any kind of heat source and we have a variety of options. It's that we want to make good decisions and they take time, effort and money. Time has been very dear this summer and to be honest, I'm completely surprised at how fast the season went by. I thought I'd have more time - famous last words, of course! We are also striving not to rush into anything and take the time to make long-term decisions.

Life out here is so different from living in the city. It's an eye-opener to really consider what we need and want versus what we've grown up with and think we need. Of course we need heat but it turns out there are quite a few options ranging from free to thousands of dollars. It isn't that we don't want to spend any money but Troy and I want to make good decisions about where the money is best spent. We've been so lucky that there have been so few truly cold days.

​It's now the middle of February and it's actually raining right now. This winter was very mild which means we've been incredibly fortunate! We never did get the furnace going, nor did we install a fireplace. Just the space heaters for us. We still plan on getting these things set up but it seems like we won't need to panic and that gives Troy and I the time to do as much of the work ourselves.

The space heaters have worked really well but they do limit our activities.  We can't both be gone from home with the heaters going because it just isn't a safe practice to leave them running unattended. Christmas was a bit of a challenge as it was one of the chilliest days but we really wanted to go see family. At any other time, one or the other us is home or the weather is nice enough that we can leave without the heat on. We don't have the water hooked up yet so there's no danger of freezing pipes.

When we got home on Christmas night, it was COLD in here!!! The coldest I've been all winter - we could see our breath. The space heaters got turned on but it was going to take a bit more to warm the place up and we were tired after a long day away. We got pretty creative with some options and each one of them had a positive impact. It took perhaps and hour and a half to two hours to truly warm the place up to normal.

Here are the steps we took to stay warm and to heat up our home:

• Layered clothing. We kept our coats on for a while and made sure our feet stayed warm wearing slippers. Troy kept his toque on, as well.
• Hot drinks. I like tea but hot chocolate, coffee or broth would be fine, too, I'd think.
• Candles. I'd stocked up on a variety of pillar, votive, tea and taper style candles. We lit some of everything. It was late and we wanted to go to bed but we stayed up for a while to keep an eye on the candles as you really don't want to leave them unattended!
• Hot water bottle or jar. If you don't have a hot water bottle, you can use a jar with a tight-fitting lid. I did this and only needed to half fill a quart jar; the heat lasted a couple of hours easy. I had to be careful for a while because it was really, really hot. If you try this one, maybe keep a towel around it so you don't get burned.
• Blankets. I always have blankets on the couch because I just like to curl up in them. They keep the heat in and when you tuck the hot water bottle in there with you, well, it's nice and toasty.
• Heater blanket on the bed. I can not tell you how delicious it felt to hop in to a very warm bed that night!!

Ah well. The rain is now part of gusting winds and I'm hoping there's no issue with the power. That would make things more challenging. Not a huge problem as we have a generator that we can use to run everything we need but it's down at the Quonset. When the weather isn't rainy with gusting winds, the walk to the Quonset isn't far at all but who wants to go out in this? Not I!

I might also have titled this article, The Crockpot is my Friend. I'm hoping there'll be more than just the crockpot to get us through until we get our home built (which won't be until next year at the earliest).

At the moment, I have a crockpot, 2 hot plates, a convection microwave, a toaster oven and an electric griddle that has a reversible plate - one side is flat the other is a grill. I'm looking forward to experimenting with an outdoor oven, too, but will have to wait until I've got a bit more time. For Christmas this year, Troy's mother gave us a sort of counter-top oven. She and her friend have each got one and they really like it for big dinner parties and for cooking roasts in the summer - they can plug it in outside. You know what else we got? A real refrigerator!!

We've had our new fridge about a month now and the little bar fridge is defrosting outside... in our prairie winter. It might take a while. I can NOT believe the impact on our diet with the fridge. I didn't think we were really suffering but we are eating so much healthier now. I can buy salad fixings and make my own salad, have leftover vegetables AND have somewhere to put everything. So handy!!

It's now the end of January 2016 and I think we've finally adjusted to life without a normal stove/oven combo. It's working surprisingly well, I have to say. I've been able to cook our regular foods - especially now that we've got the oven. 

The crockpot bread recipe I've been using can be found at Earth & Honey, http://earthandhoney.co/make-bread-crockpot/. It is really, really good and because I use my stand mixer, it's incredibly easy. There's no kneading and no rising. Start to finish, it's perhaps 20 minutes of prep and 1-1/2 to 2 hours to bake. I am not sure what I'll do now that I've got the oven/roaster as it can hold 2 loaf pans. The thing is, the crockpot bread is not at all time consuming. On the other hand, there are more recipe options for if I make my own and bake in the oven. Ah well, first world problems - I am very lucky!

You need to know that the picture of the oven/roaster (right) is from a Google image but this is the one we've got. So far I have not roasted a turkey but I have done a pot roast with root vegetables. I just prepped everything, put it in a pot and popped it in the oven. Done like, well, dinner! I also baked a bunch of potatoes one day. We had a big bag and they were starting to sprout so I figured what the heck? Turns out they are handy to have around for lunches.

We are able to make our traditional weekend brunch - french toast or pancakes with bacon or sausages. I have to say that I'm not a fan of cooking the bacon but that's more of a dish-washing issue. I haven't tried it in the new oven yet, so that might make a difference. I like to bake our bacon instead of frying because it's easier to clean it up as I use tin-foil and parchment paper on the pan. On the other hand, when I fry it, I can keep the grease and cook with it. We do like the baking powder biscuits made with bacon grease - lots of flavour! 

So far, the biggest challenges have been figuring out what can get plugged in at the same time as something else. The benefit of the tradition stove/oven combo is that it's got the higher amps (I think that's the right word?) so you can do more at once. 

A couple of times we've had company for dinner. Close family and friends so not really any pressure. I've tended to rely on the crockpot there - chili is our friend! Last time we had some elk meat from a friend and that made some pretty wonderful chili, I have to say. Nice, mild flavour and very, very lean. In the future, I'd stick with that or maybe do the pot-roast again. It's filling and so easy to do. Just get the meat and sear it, cut up the veggies and throw it all together in a pot and pop it in the oven. One huge benefit there is that it is ready when you are. No rush to take it out of the oven. This is handy for us as we usually put people to work when they come for a visit. When we're done the project du jour, we're all hungry and lately cold so this works very well.

Oh! The one thing I haven't quite figured out is pizza and baking cookies. I bought a tiny little cookie sheet that just fits into the new oven/roaster so I think that should work well - we'll just be having square pizza.

I am happy to tell you that it turns out we are doing very well with what we've got.