More chickens!

Ok, I now have too many international followers (how cool does that sound) to keep on writing in French... I guess it is going to be the brunette's blog from now on! FYI - no language complaints will be addressed, please take out your english-french dictionary!

After a chilly and snowy weekend in Calgary, Robin, Ed and Nathaniel pick us up at the Greyhound station in Edmonton and we drive together all the way to Calsan, AB. At sunset, we arrive at the River Myst Ranch, and once more, are stunned by the beauty of the place - a beautiful log house with a deck overlooking the marsh, the river and the woods surrounding the property...

The week starts with what will be the biggest project of our 3-week stay here: building the chicken coop. Under Ed's supervision, we start sawing, nailing, screwing, insulating, painting, without really understanding where all that is going to get us. And after days and days of hard labour under a blazing sun, the miracle happens: we have built a deluxe-five-stars-chicken coop!

We also help Robin in the garden, and she tells us to let our imagination run free to create a rock garden under the deck of the house - including the construction of a staircase to access the ice-skating ring in the winter!

Yeah we did it!

The final version of "the goyles garden":
(nb: Nathaniel can't say "girls", that's how we end up with our new nickname...)

But the days are not only about work! We go horseback riding...

... make sure everyone has his daily dose of petting...

... go on trips to the nearby lakes to enjoy the beach...

... visit a hutterite colony (very inspiring for Ambre, who finally found soulmates sharing her passion for cleanup)...
(Ambre bringing the hutterite fashion to River Myst)

... learn how to drive a tractor with the most experienced driver...

... and we even go to Edmonton for a weekend, home to the largest mall in North America:

I don't think we managed to see even the half of the mall within the three hours we spent there...

When the land is dry enough, we launch the first expedition to the cabin - a 30-minutes hike mostly in the marsh.

Kitty the cat, who followed us on the excursion, doesn't come back with us and is still missing the following day... After lunch, Ambre and I decide to head back to the cabin on a Kitty Rescue Mission. When we arrive at the cabin, Kitty's there, patiently waiting for us to bring him back home. And he won't bother walking, of course, and starts meowing each time one of his sensitive paws touches a wet spot on the ground - which is pretty much all the time when you're walking in a marsh. That's how I end up carrying his eminence on my shoulders, where he feels absolutely comfortable.

Mission accomplished.

And then we lost Ambre in the mud.

We finally made it back to the house, where a fresh batch of home-made cookies was waiting for us!

With countless memories and delicious recipes in the pocket, we're now ready to go back to the world of concrete - next destination Montreal.

Comments

[Rita]

It is amazing how much you could experience and learn in a few months! I'm very happy for you and looking forward to following you in your next adventures! Bon voyage! :)

[henri]

Les 2 dernières photos sont superbes... mais celle de toi jumpant le marais au retour de ta kitty rescue mission est pas mal non plus!