Country Life

We've just returned from a weekend reprieve at my cousin's farm in central Alberta. My cousin, her husband, and their gorgeous children, are city slickers-turned-country folk in a courageous and heart-felt quest for fresh air, the enjoyment of animals, and land. Recently, they acquired a much larger piece of rural property to call home and it was such a pleasure to finally see it for ourselves. Some nuances and highlights...

Molly is the hard-working donkey who takes overseeing the safety of the cattle quite seriously. This once neglected beauty, was acquired by her now family and plays a very important role at the farm!

~  Until our next visit to the farm!... ~

Frozen!

A stunningly cold weather system moved in last week, and according to the weatherman, it won't be  leaving anytime soon. Oh dear! Our resident birds having been pecking away at the suet for energy and sheltering in their bird boxes. I am always amazed at how they survive in these conditions.

 

 

 

The extreme cold is even keeping Christmas shoppers away from the stores. We haven't ventured out to find our Christmas tree yet either. Cold weather or not, we will have to by next weekend!

~Stay safe and warm!~

Into the Woods - Follow-up!

Before the cooler weather really starts to catch-up with us, I thought I would post some follow-up 'after' shots of sprucing-up my brother and sister-in-law's cozy cabin on their property in Bragg Creek. You can take a look at the original post here. I intentionally had a zero budget as they already had so many great accessories and furniture around their property.  

 

Before: 

 

After:

 

 

Despite a zero budget, I couldn't resist picking up a couple of bright yellow potted mums. They were only $5.99 each so I thought, 'why not?' As a city dweller I would not have considered that the deer would eat them. They were delighted with the seasonal delicacy and ate them all up! Oops!

 

 

How was your Thanksgiving? Ours was the coldest and snowiest in 87 years!

 

~Cozy-up! Autumn has arrived!~

 

 

Into the Woods

 

A few weeks ago, we headed out of town to my brother and sister-in-law's home for a family barbeque in the beautiful hamlet of Bragg Creek, Alberta. I found myself inspired by the peaceful, wooded surroundings, but most of all by the cozy rustic cabin located on their property.

 

 

The cabin is an original pioneer cabin that would have been situated there for several decades before the main house was built. The pioneer's cabin even has the original stone slab on which a wood stove would have sat and been used not only as a source of heat, but also for cooking.

 

 

My sister-in-law, Colleen, has given me the go-ahead to decorate the exterior.  Their property is filled with useful materials such as horse troughs, antique bed frames, finials, wood benches and seating, both new and old. Can you tell I'm excited? I'll share what I've done in a few weeks time.

 

 

Oh, and I'm sure you're wondering; who exactly lives in the cabin? Well that is a secret for only the woods to behold...

 

~ Shhh!..... ~

 

 

 

 

Outdoor Blues



No, it's not a reference to the seasonal weather - you know that I love this time of year! But, it looks like our house and garage will need a new paint job next spring. Andrew has done his best to address any  peeling and cracking over the past couple of years but at a certain point it's time to admit defeat! Is this an opportunity to choose a differ color? Perhaps. Here's what's on my mind: 

Benjamin Moore's 'Winter Lake'. I know it's close to what we have already. With just a hint more blue though. I think it could refresh the look of our house quite nicely.

This is probably my first choice. It's Benjamin Moore's 'Philipsburg Blue'. Definitely a level darker and a stronger blue (without being too bright). I think this color would really highlight the white trim.

I also adore the depth of this blue. As much as I like it, it could be too dark. As you can see, we are practically living in a forest. With our large trees and limited natural light, it may not work as well.

This home has been resided in James Hardie siding in 'Boothbay Blue'. It's not too dark, and a little less green that BM's 'Philipsburg Blue'. It would be easy enough to color match if I set my heart on it.

I know; there's plenty of time to contemplate paint colors for next spring...But I'm a planner!

As we head into the third week of October, it's lovely warm temperatures here. Hope it lasts a while!

{Image source: Pinterest}

Signs of Autumn

Autumn is most definitely here, as our resident hare, 'Piccadilly', has finally left our back garden. He's been living back there since he was a baby and has finally hopped away to be out on his own.

A strong windstorm blew-in last night and brought a little sprinkle of snow with it. Yes, at 3000 ft above sea level, this is not unusual. I went out to survey the neighborhood this afternoon and took a few photos evidencing my beloved autumn around the community.

 

 A spectacle of colors on Cotoneaster hedges around the neighborhood is just beginning to emerge.

I must have a Virginia creeper (like this one) draping over our fence next year. What color! 

The Ash trees always seem to be the first to lose their leaves and so quickly too.

Pretty pale yellow leaves stamped into a charming flagstone path along a mossy ground.

 The fragrance of the cedar mulch in our front garden whisks me away to the countryside.

 After a bit of birch tree pruning, Andrew trimmed down some perfect-sized branches for my planter.

 Benjamin Moore's 'Fallen Leaf' was the perfect color to refresh our front door.

 

 

It's Canadian Thanksgiving next weekend....Can't wait!

 

Fall.....Happens

I looked outside a couple of days ago and noticed that this had happened. 'This' being the sprinkling of crisp yellow leaves scattered like treasured gold coins all over our deck....

 

 

...And so it has begun; the autumnal equinox has moved in and is making way for the next season. It's the first day of autumn on Tuesday. Time to get out the fan rake and begin stocking-up for the season ahead. 'Someone' is already filling his cupboard! Hope you're enjoying a gorgeous weekend.