Friday, August 29, 2014

august ~ one last glance

As July rolled into August we found ourselves at Halcyon...and stayed for a few days.
 

Halcyon is a hot springs resort on the shores of Upper Arrow Lake in the Kootenay country of B.C.

It features three mineral hot pools...and is a great place to relax and unwind in any season. 

If you are interested in seeing a little more of Halcyon Hot Springs...

We enjoyed beautiful weather throughout the month of August.  It was ideal for many things...



...including painting the house.  
It was ten years and time for a bit of sprucing up!
  
That cleaned things up quite nicely...though the flies returned to leave their mark again before the paint was even dry!

August is also fall fair time over here...
and we had good reason to visit the fair this year.  
Both Ryder and Emme had 4-H calves so we went to cheer them on....



...as did cousin Ranen.

It was their first year and they did great!


Now that brings back memories of my time in the Chilliwack 4H Holstein Club...
many eons ago.

In other news on the farm...


...we have barn owl babies in the hayloft of the old barn again this year.

Our veterinarian is very involved in the preservation of raptors and barn owls...
and placed a box high up in the rafters of the barn many years ago.
Over the years...
it has served as an owl nursery on many occasions.
When he checked the box last week...
he found three baby owls (about 9 weeks old)...
and arranged to come back in the afternoon to band them.
Well that called for a party of sorts in the hayloft.

 

My dad arrived on the farm just as the owl banding was about to happen...
so he got in on the fun as well.


We all did...
four generations of the farm family and a few extras!
 


They took their turns holding the owls.
Most special!


The three baby owls all returned to their nest with a new 'bracelet'...
which will identify the bird if it should be captured or recovered down the road.

Dr. Clegg has been working to protect the endangered barn owls in our area for over a decade. 
The Fraser Valley is home to an estimated 250 to 1,000 adult barn owls...
which represents most of  Canada's population.
We feel honoured to have them call our farm home.

Also this month...



...we celebrated the birthday of our firstborn son.
I'm sure you could never guess his age!

Then there was a 90th birthday celebration...
a night at the horse races...
a few games of tennis...
walks on the river and around the lagoon...
many meals on the patio...

 
(photo by Kathy)
...and special times spent with friends.

The days are getting shorter...
and the nights are cooler.



As I walked down a nearby hill the other day...
I noticed the leaves are already turning colour.

August.
The 8th month of the year.
It was a good one.

Happy Labour Day!


14 comments:

  1. Beautiful photos, and oh the barn owls, how exciting is that ! I think they are so beautiful.....
    Looks like you had a beautiful month of August!


    Hugs!

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  2. Loved seeing the girls at the fair...carrying on in the fine family tradition! And those barn owls! How cool...absolutely. I will be showing this to Sam and Jake in a few days, if I can remember.

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  3. I can't believe how tame those baby owls are! Enjoyed the fair photos and realizing again how much one month can hold.

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  4. What a great variety of adventures August gave you. Love those baby owls. Congrats to the girls at the fair.

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  5. Halcyon.....so beautiful! What a wonderful month you've had. The baby barn owls was certainly a special event. I really enjoyed your photos. It's hard to believe August is almost gone. Enjoy the holiday weekend. Hugs. Pam

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  6. It's always fun to join in at the end of the month....and then it's fun to see how many of the events we've enjoyed together. I love the last photo reminding us that the seasons are changing and maybe there's more times for walks and hikes up the stairs enjoying the fall beauty.

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  7. Happy Labour day to you too, Judy. Enjoy the autumn, "season of mists and mellow fruitfulness," as the poets say. xoxox

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  8. August looks to have been fun and full! Those 4H gals look so professional showing their calves - so cute! Those owls - that is really something amazing - wow!! The leaves are showing their signs of Fall here too - can't believe that summer is so close to being over. September always seems like the beginning of a brand new year - hope your's is a great one!! Happy Labour Day Weekend to you and yours Judy.

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  9. Barn owls!!! I gave never seen any owl outside of a zoo or aviary. To hold one would be a dream come true. Having four generations enjoying a barn owl banding event is about as wonderful as anything on earth. You are so blessed!

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  10. How nice to catch up with your family and travels and.........the barn owls. How special to be involved in banding the owls. It is good to know that 4-H exists in Canada also and your girls are engaged in such a wholesome activity. Nothing beats living "down on the farm". Thanks for the post. Have a good September!
    Farm Gal in VA

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  11. It looks like you've had a wonderful summer, Judy! Congratulations to your granddaughters on the 4H success! The barn owls were so interesting to see! How wonderful that they are being protected and banded. You've shared some wonderful times and memories!

    Our leaves are just beginning to turn and the bears are searching for food for their hibernation nap--I think winter may come early this year!

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  12. I always enjoy your recap of the month. The owls are really amazing. How wonderful to be part of the preservation of an endangered species. Love the 4-H! August was a good month.

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  13. Wasn't it a beautiful month? I'm glad I got to see you in the middle of it, and to share that wonderful evening - thank you! It was so interesting to see the owls you'd told me about. What an experience for the kids!

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  14. Oh ... how special that you 'rent' space to owls ... I have always loved owls.
    In Mt.Lehman we had an owl that lived in our ravine and we used to hear it - it sounded just like a kid laughing. In fact, after we sold our property the new owner called us one day to ask about the 'kids' trespassing in the ravine. We laughed and told him it was just an owl. He found it hard to believe!

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'The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it.'
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson