Wow, I have just remembered my username!

So there you go. No posts since I do not know when and now I have finally remembered my username and password. Hurrah.

Updates: Farm is still for sale. A viewing a week but not even 1 offer. And no feedback. So very very pissed about that.

Pregnancy. All is well so far. Due next Saturday. Just a shortage of babysitter volunteers for the boys. Oh well at this rate they will have to come in with us.

Steven is doing very well with Polepics and he has an individual show due over the Thanksgiving weekend.

On the Market

So the farm went on the market on Thursday and was in the newspaper and on the interent by Friday. Today is Saturday and we have our first showing on Monday. Not bad. Let’s hope they all come in thick and fast, and also that Monday’s showing brings an offer.

If we can be back in the UK by the end of July then great, this will mean that I end up giving birth back in the UK but that is not a big deal. I have done it before and I can do it again.

It would be a shame to leave everyone so quickly though, but beggers cannot be choosers.

Farm for Sale

We are selling our farm and heading back to the UK to be closer to relatives.

$399,000 via Jim Wait at Remax Picton Prince Edward county

40 acres, Darlington Loam soil – great for grapes!! Slopes on each side of farm. Great well. Farmed organically for 2 years. Geothermal heating and cooling. 3 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms plus down stairs wc. Full Basement.

Party time

Yes, after 5 + years of hard work our friends Bruno and Jens have their vineyard and winery up and running. 2night is opening night, and we are all looking forward to it.

The Day After The Night Before

It would appear according to Steven that it was decided to allow discretion – hardly suprising when the instigator of the vote of no confidence decides to announce to the board that despite what anyone else thinks “she is going to write this letter”…… opening words – well so there you go if its good for the goose its good for the gander. Thus now ends the double standards.

On a good note, last nights frost has done wonders for todays weeding. Makes life in that department much easier, so progress was made around the toms, radishes and the carrots.

I wonder what is happening?

So tonight Steven is at the Arts on Main Gallery Board meeting, where the issue of communication is being discussed – what a fucking joke. They have trouble with that hence the need to bring in outside help.

Also on the agenda is the handling of Steven as Chair – does he have to run every single decision past the board or can common sense be used and can he use discretion as the Chair for those times that call for it.

He will tell them to vote – either they have confidence in the direction he is taking them and his ability to use judgement or they do not. If they do not he will step down with immediate effect and also quit the galley with immediate effect. TRUST is important and if there is no trust there is no respect and a board and Chair cannot operate like that.

We will all have to wait and see.

Either way within the next 4 years it will not matter. Asta la vista Baby.

Where Has Time Gone?

Who knows, and the mood I am in, who gives a shit.

The mood begins with a wicked wind that destroyed many of my toms, followed by a raccoon digging up my strawberries, blueberries and rhubarb. All of which have had the kiss of life given to them – so we will wait and see. Then when recovery looks likely we get a late frost last night and so the plants that have been hardening off in +10c overnight temps now look unwell. Yes I should have brought them in, but reality when you have a life (of sorts) and 3 children and a husband who has / is in the process of moving office is very different.

The mood worsens when I am in extreme back pain with baby number 4. Looks like I am going to be in for another back labour.

Finally my husband Steven is being treated like absolute shit by the Board of the Art Gallery that he is Chair of. They are ineffective by and large when left to their own devices – invites to shows going out less then a week to go, constant e mail ping pong over who should be on an invite list and then losing the invite list.

Steven gets 20+ e mails a day normally from the board ping ponging on matters that I cannot see really matter – normally someone will send out an e mail that requires a response – then each Board member sends in their differing idea on how to solve it, then e mail war breaks out and then Steven as Chair steps in to end it. So they hate him for it for not being feely touchy.

Then when a serious decision has to be made and each Board member sends a private e mail asking him to resolve the matter as they do not know how and he does. They then crucify him for taking the decision to use the Chiar’s discretion to solve it – as he has not put his solution to every board member to be voted on. For God’s sake sometimes decisions need to be made in 30mins or less. Do they really think it is practical for him to consult them and then wait a week before everyone agrees on a solution. Life is not like that.

If that is what they want then there is no point in there being a Chair.

Simple and hopefully he will tell them that 2morrow night at the meeting. I for one wash my hands with the gallery, they want blood and everything else but do not wish to bend on anything – reminds me of BASSA and their dispute with BA. Get a grip.

It’s Earth Day, but where has the sun gone?

What a shame that on Earth Day the sun has decided to take a break. The sky is grey and there is a chill in the air. Fearing for my seedlings today I have put their little covers on to help keep them warm and in preperation of tomorrows rain that could squash them.

The indoor seedlings are busting out of their pots but they will have to stay there a bit longer because until the garage work out what is wrong with my car I am house bound still (3 weeks now and counting).

Last night’s meeting with Michael and Dean from F.A.D went well and we look foward to working with them on their up coming creative school of art.

Digging

I have spent the whole day digging, in one way or another. First finishing off a veg bed, the next was digging away a mound that was the height of our 7 year old. My  fear being that there was an entrance hole in it that looked perfect for pests – mice or wasps. As it posed a danger and was next to where I want to dig my last bed (yeah I keep saying that, but this time it will be my last one), I decided to dig it away.

In all I have spent 6hrs today digging with a spade and then raking over the area to smooth out the soil and get rid of stones.

I was wondering why I was tired a few mins ago, then I remembered I am 34 years old and 22 weeks pregnant with our 4th child. I see an epsom salt bath calling me later.

When the wind blows it really does…

So for the past week I have been rushed with the routine life of children, marriage and farm keeping – I would say house keeping but believe me when you own a farm house it becomes all encompassing.

The good news is that all our seedlings that were transplanted into the raised beds seem happy. Which reminds me that I forgot to put their plastic covers back on incase of frost. So lets all hope that despite us still being in April and living in Canada that we will not dip into the minus figures. Ultimately it is pitch black here now so it is way too late if it does frost. There is no way I am going outside and disturbing the livestock now.

So there are many wonderful things about living on a hill – great unspoilt views and great growing slopes on everyside. There is one HUGE negative though – WIND. My poor tomatos what can I say????? Surfice to say that some are just about alive the rest between the cats who think that the leaves are there to be played with when the wind wafts them, the children who just do not listen to the words “that is a freshly dug bed with seeds in it and toms planted – get off” and the strong winds that blow a lesson has been learnt.

Next year we are getting a green house for anything that needs that extra help.

On a plus side though, our twin composter should come this week. It is the only one of the market so very excited. Each side holds 10 bushels so yippeeeeeeeeeee