A Year in Photo - Day 137 & Completed Summer 2015 Bucket List

Can applesauce, a bucket list item that I didn't think would prove so difficult, but it was. 

Take 1, I bought the apples, but underestimated how exhausting scooping poop would be (my new gig) and the apples rotted before I got to them. But the pigs loved them!

Take 2, I had everything prepped and on the first apple, I sliced my finger on my new apple peeler. So bad that I spent the next 3 hours in a humid, stinky walk-in clinic listening to a lady's life story and oh so much more! A homicide almost happened, no joke. Thankfully, no stitches due to the location, but I have to wear surgical gloves and another glove on top at the farm, which isn't ideal. The doc also said it would take awhile to heal.

Take 3, with the help of my wonderful husband, I completed my task and ended up with 7 pints and 20 half pints of delicious apple sauce.

"Never quit. If you stumble get back up. What happened yesterday no longer matters. Today is another day so get back on track and move closer to your dreams & goals.
You can do it." -Unknown

A Year in Photo - Day Day 88 + Completed Bucket List Item

I have been dying to go fishing again for some time now but just haven't had the opportunity. I grew up fishing in fresh water lakes and loved it. Steve also great up fishing, but he grew up fishing in the ocean. So when Kelly and Keri offered to take us out on their boat when we went for our visit, they didn't have to ask us twice.

I caught a 12.2 pound marble spring salmon. I was like a little kid when the reel went out. I reeled it in (I have bruises to show for it) and then proceeded to do the only humane thing I know how to do, kill it quickly. Well first of all, Kelly's "bonker" is a bit unique, to say the least, an empty Texas Mickey size bottle of Grey Goose vodka. I hit it a couple of times and, well, he died quickly. Apparently it was the first time they had seen a skull bashed in and that much blood sprayed all over the deck. I was just making sure he was dead! I helped Steve too when he caught a 13.2 spring salmon....he was being more gentle so I stepped in and.....well the eyeball popped out. Again, they said that's not normal. Well this isn't news folks, I don't know if I have ever been normal!

Needless to say, we had SO much fun, crossed a bucket list item off and made some great memories!

"We never really grow up...we only learn how to act in public." -Bryan White

A Year in Photo - Day 74 + Completed Bucket List Item

We spent a great afternoon and evening with Steve's brother Rob, his wife Amber and our beautiful niece who are here on vacation. As we were sitting on the patio I notice all the clover in the grass, so after playing a game, I started my search. A few minutes later everyone else joined me and started casually looking. Minutes later Rob found a four leaf clover, wahoo!!!! I was very excited and quite content to take this "find" as a check on my list. But then shortly thereafter Amber found one too....okay now I knew it was definitely possible and I wanted to find my own, so I settled in and I can't believe in, about 10 minutes later I found one. 

They say four leaf clovers are lucky, well we feel lucky to have been able to spend the day time with them <3

"Never give up on something you really want. It's difficult to wait, but more difficult to regret." -Unknown

Milk a Cow - Completed Bucket List Items

For those of you who have read my main Bucket List, you know one of the items on it is to milk a cow. Now this proved to be a bit of a challenge because 1) It's not like farms are advertising "hey, come milk my cow" and 2) Most milking is done by machines now. After some research I contacted the BC Dairy Association and to my delight, I received an email back from Nadia, who invited me to Breakfast on the Farm at Riverbreeze Farms. At the very least I would get to learn more about the dairy industry and the best case scenario is I would be introduced to a dairy farmer who may be able to help me with my bucket list item.

When we arrived I was introduced to Trevor, who made me a deal, he would do his best to get me a cow to milk (WHAT?! Today?!?) if I would do an on camera interview, DEAL! We met back in a half an hour, I did my interview and then I was introduced to Kelsey and MacKenzie, who, with the help of Peaches, were running the Mobile Dairy Classroom, doing a demonstration about dairy cows, what they eat, their stomachs, milking, and so much more. 

Now spectators don't normally get the opportunity to hand milk the cow but they made an exception and I was thrilled. To some, like my Dad, it sounds funny that this would be a bucket list item but it's something I've always wanted to do. I didn't milk much because they had another presentation and wanted the cow, Peaches, to have enough, but I did get some :) A HUGE thank you to the BC Dairy Association, Nadia, Trevor, Kelsey, MacKenzie and their whole team for making this possible, you made my day!

Not only was my bucket list item checked off, but the event itself was amazing. We learned so much about dairy cows, robot milking (yes!), hauling standards, dairy standards and so much more. 

To top the day off we stopped at Rogers, not the phone company, and took advantage of some great deals on oats. 

Milking Peaches!!!

After milking Peaches, I went over to take a photo, I called her, she looked right at me, and she walked right up to the camera like "oh you want a photo, here let me get closer."

Meeting the heifers, based on the looks they gave me I don't think they wanted to be friends.

Spending some time in the barn, which has high ceilings to keep the cows cool.

"Sometimes I have to remind myself that I don't have to do what everyone else is doing." -Unknown

A Year in Photo - Day 50 + Summer 2015 Bucket List BLITZ!!

Whew, what a busy day but I had a blast knocking some items off my summer list. 

Brought back some childhood memories and built a sandcastle, with a pool, with my sister :)

Steve took the afternoon off so I dusted off my clubs and we hit the driving range. Check out my wicked bag, I like to call it vintage :)

Despite the smoke and after 3 visits, I've confirmed my new favourite beach, the Rotary Beach on Lakeshore Drive. A beautiful sandy beach with just the right mix of people watching, but not too crowded.

I was really excited about this one, Arlo's Honey Farm, but I have to say we were disappointed. Sadly, the best part was the beautiful flowers where we parked. They wanted us to book a tour weeks in advance and didn't even give us any information about their bees, what they do etc., despite many workers standing around :(

The Okanagan Lavender Herb Farm, beautiful, definitely worth the visit. A great gift shop filled with products made on site and a café

  with a view. You can go walk through the lavender but you have to pay, we chose to just take a couple of few photos. I also love the quote they have painted outside :)

"The art of being happy lies in the power of extracting happiness from common things." -Henry Ward Beecher

Complete - Write a List of 50 Things I Like About Myself

Whew, this one was a doozy. I recently did a Self-Compassion test so I know just how hard I am on myself; but once I got going I was really pleased with with the things I came up with. I sealed it with the letter I wrote to myself, it will be interesting to look at the list in 10 years.

Completed - Write a Letter to Myself & Open it in 10 Years

This was a bit challenging for me because I wasn't sure what to write or even how to start. "Dear Self"?, nah, that sounds funny to me. Or "when I grow up I want to be...?", nope, I don't like that either. So instead I searched the internet for some prompt questions and started answering those, which progressed into a bit of a synopsis about where I am and where I want to be in 10 years. I'm pleased to have done it and look forward to being able to look at it in the future. What this letter was NOT is something that I will look at in 10 years and grade myself on how well I did. It's simply a snapshot in time, where I am in the various aspects of my life, what I'm struggling with, who's in my life and what some of my goals are.