Life on the Ridge

Snow Day!

2011-04-03T12:11:00.001-06:00

Yesterday winter came back and this morning we woke up to a winter wonderland. I went for a walk in order to take some pictures and it was absolutely beautiful out; warm and bright! Blair & Erinn got busy building forts for a snowball fight before it all disappeared. "Get dad!" Erinn's yelling as she lets loose with a volley of snowballs. Blair suddenly appeared from behind his snow bunker and started pommelling dad!

OK, now things are getting out of hand, dad's taking it from all sides!

Grandma & Grandpa's February Visit

2011-03-25T09:11:00.002-06:00

Grandpa & Grandma came for a week in February during the kids Family Day week.

Erinn & dad took grandpa for a hike along the creek.

Erinn collected some twigs for Lulu to chew on.

Lulu dressed up for the occasion thanks to Erinn.

Grandma & Blair baked up a storm.

Outdoor Fun

2011-03-25T08:59:00.004-06:00

Sorry for the long wait for an update but with a crashed computer it was difficult to get an update in in a timely fashion, thanks to my dad we are back in business.

Lately winter has been here one day, spring the next, back to winter, sometimes all in one day. Recently its been fluctuating from a daytime high of +5 to an overnight low of -13!

Blair & Erinn playing a little hockey out on the front pond.

Bird watching in Police Point Park on Family Day.

Taking a break along the river.

Dad carrying the kids snowshoes; enough of that!

Blair after our hike waiting for the chick-a-dees to land on his head.

A little target practice in anticipation of spring gopher season.

Winter 2010/11 on the Ridge

2011-01-16T11:33:00.004-07:00

Since we've lived on the Ridge this has been the coldest winter on record with the most snow!

We had a considerable amount back in November but it had almost all disappeared or turned to ice with the chinook winds in December.

On the prairie the snow is knee deep and still fluffy with some hard pack underneath, this will all change when the wind begins to blow next week.

A rare moment when our road isn't drifted in and snowplowed, it seems the county always leaves us until last.

The kids have been enjoying snowmobile rides on a regular basis, which has been a novelty for us since snow has been such a rarity.

Dad entertaining the kids!

Blair waiting for a pull on the sleigh.

Erinn playing with Dolan & Kirby on the mound.

Our backyard bush bunnies have decided to eat my sage bushes versus digging through the deep snow to get to the grass. Since the girls are opposed to me using them for coyote bait I will have to look at spraying the remaining bushes so they don't get eaten next. With the shenanigans I noticed in the backyard the other day I think we can look forward to a good bunny crop this year which will mean the snakes will be well fed!!!

Santa Makes Good!

2011-01-16T11:25:00.004-07:00

In Erinn's letter to Santa this year all she asked for, other than to meet Rudolph, was a pet bunny!

Because we were gone for a week between Christmas & New Year's we held off, than with her being sick and in the hospital she had to wait even longer for her bunny to arrive. Finally on the day she got back from the farm her & dad went and picked up "Lulu"! Erinn said "this is the best day of my life" when we got her home.

The amazing thing was that she had a picture of the bunny she wanted and it just so happened to be white with black spots. Lulu is a 11 month old female and we got her from a local Pet Rescue.

Double-header!

2011-01-16T11:21:00.002-07:00

The coyotes are on the move around the Ridge. I went out for an hour the other day and managed to get 5 coming to my e-caller. In the end I was only able to shoot these two, the one I'm holding was a big male that weighed just over 40 pounds!
My one day off in the middle of the week and I came home with $50 in my pocket; $25 for my two 'yotes and the rest from our holiday bottle refund!

Brace Face!

2011-01-16T11:16:00.004-07:00

Kirby got her braces last week, now mom & dad will be in debt for the next 18 months paying for them. Dad's suggestion was to get them all pulled and get her dentures, she didn't go for that for some reason!

Before.

After.

Wacky Hair Day

2011-01-16T11:12:00.002-07:00

Blair had Wacky Hair & P.J. Day last week. His plan was to wet his hair before bed and let it get messed while he slept. Well when he got up in the morning his hair looked like it does every other day; flat! So him & dad spent some time and a lot of gel to get it to stand straight up. Amazingly enough it stayed like that all day!

Rocky Start of 2011.

2011-01-16T10:51:00.004-07:00

Back in November we noticed a sore on Erinn's left foot, it didn't want to go away so Carolyn took her to the doctor who gave her something to treat eczema.

The sore persisted and turned into this with another sore showing up her other foot.

Just before leaving on our holiday she suddenly broke out in this rash covering her entire body.

Lastly her hands broke out in these large blisters that looked more like a 3rd degree burn then what they really were; herpes!
The day we got home from Saskatchewan Carolyn took her to the hospital where 3 doctors poked and prodded her finally deciding to keep her in the hospital until they could determine what exactly she had, at one point they even talked about sending her to Calgary. They admitted her that night and finally by Wednesday they figured she had a combination of things but no clue how she got it, mean while a couple more doctors came in to have a look and give their thoughts on what she had. The sore on her foot developed into a MRSA Staph Infection, as well as having a Strep Infection and finally the cold sores that resulted in blisters all over her hands and feet. Erinn ended up spending a week in the hospital, not fun!
Carolyn & I ended up taking turns staying at the hospital with her until this past week when she finally got out and we sent her to the farm for the week.
On Friday she came home looking much better then the week before, she still has tender feet and hands but definitely on the mend!

Christmas 2010 Holiday

2011-01-16T10:26:00.006-07:00

Erinn in her new Christmas dress.

Van Ham Christmas was the weekend before Christmas this year. Everyone was in attendance except for Sherry's clan.

The end result of the boy's moustache growing contest. Papa was the clear winner with his Santa-like 'stache! As you can see Blair's peach fuzz clearly beat out Andrew's sorry excuse for a cookie duster.

Blair in his glory ripping up the snow on the quad.

This year's holiday began at home, we enjoyed a quiet Christmas with just us and the kids.

The kids got some new Wii games, one was called "Just Dance" and got everyone involved, even dad!

One of our first stops when we headed to Saskatchewan was to see Great Grandma Zimmer who will be turning 96 this year!

A couple of days were spent at Grandpa & Grandma's in Codette. A mandatory snowshoe trek was done in the frigid weather down the Zimmer Hiking Trail.

Erinn playing in one of the many snow forts/tunnels that Grandpa built for the grand kids.

The grand kids with Grandma & Grandpa.

Braving the cold to ride on Uncle Trent's wild and crazy, slippy and slidy, tube ride.

The Catley Ranch for New Year's!

The clowns! Like 6 peas in a pod!

The famous church below the Catley Ranch in the Qu'Appelle River Valley.

Our last night was spent at the Field Stone Inn, in the Qu'Appelle River Valley near Craven, with the Hodgin's clan.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-23T18:10:00.002-07:00

Merry Christmas from the Zimmers!

Patroller of the Month!

2010-12-12T15:03:00.001-07:00

Getting Ready for Christmas!

2010-12-12T14:45:00.002-07:00

The kids enjoying a hay ride at Heritage Village.

Warming up after the hay ride.

Erinn filling the big guy in on what she wants for Christmas.

Erinn decorating the tree.

Blair wondering if some of the ornaments are edible.

"OH DAD!"

The 2010 Christmas tree.

Our Little Monkey!

2010-11-23T09:08:00.001-07:00

Need I say anything?

Deer Hunting

2010-11-20T12:25:00.003-07:00

Blair sitting above along Ross Creek waiting for a buck.

A porcupine hanging out.

The mighty deer hunter with his "Movember" stache.

Sharp-tailed grouse.

Winter has arrived on the Ridge.

2010-11-20T12:22:00.003-07:00

Winter has arrived.

Erinn & Blair visiting the horses.

Who is that masked boy?

New Glasses

2010-11-20T12:21:00.000-07:00

Erinn & Blair with their new glasses.

Catley Family Visit

2010-11-14T20:52:00.003-07:00

After several years we were finally able to convince the Catleys to come visit us for a change instead of us always dropping in on them.

While the women enjoyed an afternoon at the spa Trent & I took the kids to the local armouries where we celebrated the grand opening of their museum.

The kids didn't enjoy it as much as Trent & I, until they found out they were serving hamburgers and hot dogs.

We celebrated Tracy's 39th birthday on Saturday.

We always have a good time when we get together!

I took Trent and the kids for a "snake walk" not expecting to find anything since winter is almost here. Trent has a phobia which I'm trying to help him with. As luck would have it I found a bull snake! You can see it there in the grass at the kid's feet.

Trent did pretty good, even though the snake was dead, he said he would like to come back and see a rattle snake sometime, I'm guessing he meant a live one!?!?!?

Remembrance Day

2010-11-14T20:39:00.003-07:00

Erinn & Jeff dressed up in their uniforms for the Remembrance Day Ceremony in Medicine Hat.
Erinn's Brownie troop laid a wreath at the cenotaph.

A Visit From Sarah

2010-11-14T20:36:00.001-07:00

Carolyn's friend Sarah come for a visit with the kids last Monday.

Football Playoffs

2010-11-07T10:55:00.004-07:00

Football Playoffs were last week.

After a terrible spanking (53-19) in their last regular season game against the Ti-Cats they came around in their one and only playoff game for the bronze medal.

It was a beautiful night at the Methanex Bowl as they faced the Argonauts.

It was a pretty even matched game, thanks to the Argo's only have 1 extra player and the Riders having on Offensive and a Defensive line, for once. Amazingly they played hard the whole game and managed to win with only one touchdown, their defense played awesome and actually tackled and hit guys like they never did all season.

For some reason I didn't get any photos of Kirby playing Volleyball, they didn't do so well losing out in the end. However she did still have team spirit as she dressed up for their spirit day!

Home Sweet Home

2010-11-07T10:50:00.003-07:00

Someone's happy that Jeff moved home!!!

Actually a bunch of people are, in fact there isn't anyone that's not happy that I moved home!

After over two years of living out of a suitcase it was nice to finally unpack it. It was a different story when it came to storing the trailer, I hadn't had to worry about winterizing it before.

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-07T10:44:00.002-07:00

Anikan & a Black Cat.

Some Mr. Pumpkin Heads at the Wozniak House.

Blair & Erinn with Abi.

Erinn's 8th Birthday

2010-11-07T10:32:00.002-07:00

On October 22nd we celebrated Erinn's 8th Birthday. The day before we celebrated Carolyn's and Mama's!

Someone was obviously having a good time!!!

A new bike for the Birthday Girl!

New Additions

2010-11-07T10:24:00.003-07:00

Its been a hard year on cats at the farm, Rickie & Bubbles met there demise recently but they were replaced by 4 new kittens.

Erinn with "Cupcake".

Blair with "Doodle".

Kirby making a fashion statement as usual!

Birthday Bash!

2010-11-07T10:15:00.002-07:00

The beginning of October we had a Birthday Bash for the kids at the local YMCA.

Happy Birthday Blair & Erinn!

Blair had a few more candles to blow out than Erinn of course.

All the friends that came out for a fun filled afternoon with games in the gym, hot dogs and cake.

Happy Birthday Blair

2010-10-06T18:32:00.002-06:00

Happy 11th Birthday Blair!

Celebrating with his sisters and his cousin Abi!

Football Jamboree

2010-09-25T21:25:00.007-06:00

Blair, #50, ready for a day of football.

Blair playing quarterback.

Blair playing defence.

The boys of fall - the Roughriders.

Blair after a good day of football, 1 win, 2 loses.

Back to School

2010-09-12T20:09:00.003-06:00

Erinn, Grade 3.

Blair, Grade 5.

Kirby, Grade 9.

Hey look, they're not fighting!

Kirby's first day of school, ready to hop on the bus.

Erinn & Blair catching a ride with mom to school since the bus isn't taking them this year. Carolyn is working at St. Mike's in the Hat with the special needs kids as a Learning Assistant.

Best Spot

2010-09-08T22:51:00.004-06:00

After spending a week on the road, braving the elements and putting up with cranky kids we got back to our random camping spot on South Drywood Creek and enjoyed a day of doing nothing. The kids didn't whine once, a bag of Spitz and the creek to play in and they were happy.
Next year we will save ourselves a bunch of money and unneeded stress and just random camp at the creek!!!

Fishing at Butcher Lake.

Drumheller

2010-09-08T22:34:00.003-06:00

The next stop on our trip was the land of the dinosaurs!

Blair & Erinn in Rexy's mouth.

Not all the dino's were friendly!

Blair got to hold "Brittney", the girl showing her off told him not to be scared, he said he wasn't because he catches rattlesnakes in his backyard!

The sun finally decided to shine, after raining for 3 days!!!

Where's Kirby? She spent the weekend with her friend Anna in Airdrie.

GO RIDERS!

2010-09-08T22:28:00.002-06:00

They did win, I think Erinn didn't like the Pil!

Old Macdonald's Farm

2010-09-08T22:14:00.002-06:00

Welcome to Stettler, next stop on our summer holiday.

At the farm we cruised around on these things.

Even though the weather was crappy the kids still had to try out the lake, as you can see Kirby didn't make it off the beach.

The storm rolled in and we went indoors to try out the mini-putt.

Camp Impeesa

2010-09-08T21:47:00.004-06:00

A good friend of mine, that owed me a favour, invited us out to the big Boy Scout Camp at Beaver Mines Lake for an evening of fun.

Beaver Mines Lake with the sun setting on Table Mountain.

Blair after a successful zip-line across the lake.

You can tell by the smiles that it was much enjoyed!

Kirby & Blair racing each other across the lake.

It took some coaxing and confidence building but thanks to Roger's awesome coaching Erinn made a trip across, after that she was hooked and didn't want to stop.

The girls riding the "mule" with their new friend Roger.

Next was rappelling off the 50 foot tower. Just the boys were brave enough to do this.

Our little climber, Erinn scaling the rock climbing wall.

Kirby and Blair starting out, Roger on the safety line.

No Sale!

2010-09-06T20:55:00.002-06:00

Sorry its been so long since I did an update but busy, busy, busy! My weekends at home are becoming shorter & shorter with my "honey-do" list getting longer & longer!

I promise to get an update posted next week with some pictures from the remainder of our summer holidays. In the meantime just to let everyone know the "For Sale" came down this past week, not because we sold but because we couldn't sell, so we have made the decision to stay in Cypress County and a transfer within Fish & Wildlife is in the works.

Our hope is to have everything back to normal, whatever normal is, and me living back at home permanently by the end of October, or whenever the bears decide to stop causing problems that I have to deal with.

More in the weeks to come!

Camping with Dad!

2010-08-08T11:41:00.003-06:00

This past week Carolyn & the kids came out to Pincher Creek to spend some time with dad while he worked.

We went for a drive the first night they were here and stopped at Castle Falls.

Cuddling by the falls.

Our random camping spot in the Forest Reserve south of Pincher Creek.

Our camping spot right along South Drywood Creek.

The creek provided hours of entertainment for the kids.

Blair bathed in it every night even though the water temperature was about 4 degrees. I warned him he was going to freeze something off, Erinn, being so smart, told him he'd have to replace it with a frozen weiner out of the freezer!

My first bear call of the week was from my wife!

Apparently this guy got into some other random camper's cooler, they were camped just down the creek from us about a 100 meters, when they came to warn Carolyn about the bear she called me, they then got in the truck and drove over to snap these pictures.

Nothing fazes my family, after the bear spotting they were right back playing by the creek while Carolyn sat with the shotgun at the ready back at camp. The camper's whose cooler was broken into packed up and left. I set a trap in their spot, which is got to be the easiest one for me to monitor while I sip a beer in my lawn chair by the creek!

A hoary marmot that the kids spotted on our drive up to the top of Corner Mountain.

Erinn & Blair standing on the top of Corner Mountain right underneath Victoria Peak with Castle Mountain off to the right.

Successful Fishermen

2010-07-26T21:39:00.004-06:00

Well Uncle Brett did it again, this time he took us out on 40-mile Reservoir, south of Bow Island and the fishing was phenomenal!

Blair couldn't keep these little guys from eating his bait, finally he caught one that was big enough to take home and eat!

This wasn't quite my biggest catch, the size limit was 55 centimeters, you think we could catch one that big? We caught lots, the biggest was 49 centimeters! In the end we caught so many we lost count, didn't get to keep any but had a really good time.

GO RIDERS!

2010-07-26T21:37:00.001-06:00

Honestly, his dad has no influence over him!

Backyard Stuff

2010-07-26T21:25:00.002-06:00

The weather has finally been more summer-like so the kids have come out of their shells and been spending more time outside. Which is nice since mom & dad can enjoy some peace & quiet in the air conditioned abode!

Erinn playing with the toads, I guess she put one in a toy police car the other day and took him for a ride!

Don't know if you can see him or not, the white running shoes give him away I guess, Blair trying to put the sneak on our resident gopher.

Kirby "styling" in her summer attire; what a fashion statement, not quite sure what it says!

Dad taking the boys on a bit of a snake spotting adventure (you see him curled up in the grass in the foreground?)!

Toad Update

2010-07-26T21:16:00.002-06:00

Our toads are growing up!

Most have just a small tail left and hind legs.

The kids have been spending hours at the pond catching them.

You can see the little tail on some of these.

Erinn entertaining a friend.

Little Golfer

2010-07-26T20:48:00.002-06:00

Blair has really gotten an interest in golf, so this year we got him a pair of clubs. He's been mainly practicing in the backyard and at the farm. Papa took him out once on the course in Bow Island.

Here he is at the Van Ham Family Reunion golf tourney. Notice his outfit, bought especially for golfing, he couldn't wait for this day! Dad was his caddy!

He actually did pretty good, I was impressed, it was "Best Ball" and they ended up using 4 of his drives! It probably helped that the rest of his team was tired and hung over from the night before!!!

His putting needs some work but he's a quick study!

Summer Stuff

2010-07-10T20:24:00.003-06:00

I love this weather! We have been getting a couple of days of hot & sunny then it cools off and rains.

The other night the skies clouded over.

The rain began to fall as well as some small hail, after it was done we had 1/2 an inch.

The cacti are in full blume, both on the prairie and in the yard where I transplanted a few. That other flower is some goofy thing Carolyn bought at Wal-Mart, I'm surprised its still alive!

The snakes have been on the move, I've managed to catch a few big bull snakes at work here in Medicine Hat, the latest being almost 2 meters in length. This rattler Blair caught in the our backyard after Carolyn noticed him while cutting the grass.

Murray Lake Monsters

2010-07-05T18:23:00.002-06:00

Blair & I tried some fishing at Murray Lake on Saturday and managed to catch these two monsters; mmmm where they good!

Happy Canada Day!

2010-07-05T18:07:00.002-06:00

We spent Canada Day at Kin Coulee Park again this year.

Blair thinking about using this for shooting gophers.

Erinn just thinking about all the firepower in her hands!

Blair seeing what its like to be a fireman, he had a nap just before this!

Kirby with her friends; high on sugar and looking for trouble!

Mom & Erinn on the hay ride.

Another Species at Risk Project

2010-06-27T21:49:00.001-06:00

This year's species at risk project began after we recieved the 2+ inches of rain. In the evenings we could hear this really loud croaking coming from the backyard, then the front yard. I recorded the sound and took it into the Fish & Wildlife office in Medicine Hat and had Joel, the Species at Risk Biologist listen to it, he said it was a Spade-foot toad.
Last year when we found tadpoles in the back pond we figured they were Spade-foots but after they hatched they ended up being Northern Leopard frogs. So this year we searched the yard but were unable to find any frogs or toads, instead we collected some tadpoles and had them on the back deck.
Today I was digging in the front yard in order to transplant some cacti when I heard this really weird noise coming from the hole I was digging in, it sounded like a spade grating against a rock, when I looked closer I noticed a frog jumping around!

This is what I found, a Spade-foot toad!

Erinn & Blair had to hold him before we buried him again.

A closeup of "Teddy the toad", Erinn had to name him!

After consulting with Joel, the Biologist, we dug a hole in the yard...

... and put "Teddy" in it, I then covered him with dirt and we watered him.

Spade-foots are known to burrow up to 6 feet into the dirt and remain there for years, emerging after lots of rain has fallen and then laying their eggs in a nearby puddle, which just happens to be in our front yard!

There are several hundred tadpoles in the pond and I'm adding water to it right now since this recent sun and warm weather is drying it out fast!

School's Out for Summer!

2010-06-27T21:33:00.003-06:00

Well school is finally done for the year, things wrapped up this past week, Kirby finished her exams and was done on Thursday, Erinn & Blair had a couple of field trips, swimming and hot lunches and were done on Friday.

I worked in the Hat this week so I was able to join in on some of the festivities; this was Blair & I at one of the golf courses in town checking out the birdhouses they had made.

Erinn on the trampoline with some of the neighbour girls!

Blair got a set of golf clubs and is already to take on the links this summer.

Erinn with some more friends playing dress up on the back deck.

Father's Day!

2010-06-21T21:43:00.002-06:00

It was nice to be home for Father's Day this year, I got to go for "Donuts with Dad" on Thursday and after several days of trying to keep secrets the kids were able to give me my presents they spent so much time making.
Erinn made me a clay cup, bunny rabbit and alligator during her field trip to Medelta Potteries.
Blair made me a really cool duct tape wallet, just like Red Green's.
And Kirby sewed me this apron, which I've been hinting I wanted one for the past month, I had requested a Saskatchewan Roughriders one but this one is a million times better, she made it from the kids old jeans!

Rain, Rain and More Rain!

2010-06-21T21:21:00.003-06:00

After getting just over 2 inches of rain in 24 hours things were bound to start overflowing. Lucky for us we live on the ridge but unlucky for our neighbours down below us.

We came back from town and noticed Bullshead Creek had started to overflow and run across the 120.

Directly below us, where the kids and I hike, toboggan and skate in the winter was completely flooded out. Just on the other side of that little building in the center of the picture is our dugout where we get our irrigation water from, that won't be a concern this year.

The people that own the riding arena, just below us, were lucky they owned a mobile home with no basement, you can see the water was right to their doorstep. In the distance you can see some guys on horseback, they were rounding up some horses that were stranded on an island out in the pasture, the water was up to their bellies in places.

This was the extent of the flooding at our place, the "pond" in the front yard filled up and started running across the driveway.

As I was making supper I watched as the water continued to rise, here you can see vehicles still making there way through the flooded highway.

They finally closed this stretch since it just got too dangerous.

Looking back up towards the ridge you can see how deep the water was, the fence posts are just barely sticking up out of the water. Our friend who owns this property was only able to get his stock trailer, truck, tractor and baler out before the water rose too high, he had to leave behind his 5th wheel and some other machinery.

The Trans Canada is closed now between Dunmore and Maple Creek, some sections are completely washed away and they figure it will take at least a month to repair it and get it back to being passable. Anyone trying to get through is being routed north on a 5 hour detour!

The 41 to Elkwater is closed as well due to sections of it being washed out and the CPR mainline coming into the city from the east is gone, they are frantically trying to rebuild the bed by hauling in rock and gravel by railcar!

So Long Father John

2010-06-21T21:13:00.002-06:00

We found out a few weeks ago that our friend Father John is getting moved to Chestermere, just outside of Calgary. They are building a brand new parish there and he will be taking it over. Lucky them and unlucky us!

Last weekend they had a farewell/sendoff party for him in conjunction with our Parish Picnic down at Kin Coulee Park.

Erinn and Father will miss each other the most since they are always joking and teasing each other!

Fun in the Sun!

2010-06-21T21:05:00.002-06:00

So here's the pattern; Monday to Friday it rains and Saturday & Sunday the sun comes out, not too bad until the rain gets to be a little too much!!!

Erinn playing basketball at the farm.

Blair racing his Ford at Redcliff Days.

Erinn petting the bunny.

Blair getting suited up for his sumo wrestling match.

Spiderwoman made an appearance!

School is Winding Down!

2010-06-21T20:54:00.004-06:00

With the last week of school finally here the kids are not really all that excited for summer, I guess maybe because it hasn't arrived yet to our area!
For the past couple of weeks Erinn & Blair have been busy with field trips, school plays and trips to the swimming pool. Twice now their track & field has been rained out!

Erinn at her Bug Safari at Police Point Park.

Blair petting a Burrowing Owl a the Birds of Prey Centre in Coaldale.

Blair outside of the Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump near Fort MacLeod.

Blair playing a chevelle in a french play he did at school.

Erinn competing in an event at her track & field day just before the rain hit.

New Driver!

2010-06-21T20:51:00.001-06:00

Lookout people someone got her learner's licence!
With a little help from dad and lots of studying she managed to pass it on her first try; now dad's got grey hair popping out!

Happy 14th Kirby!

2010-05-30T20:14:00.002-06:00

Yesterday we celebrated Kirby's 14th birthday! Hard to believe its been 14 years already, time sure flies. We watched the video of Kirby just after she was born and got a good giggle out of all those fat rolls she had!

From mom & dad she got a school jacket with her initials embroidered on it.

At the Leisure Centre with some of her "BFFs"!

Shae & Kirby had a sleep over, here they're watching "Wayne's World" and eating popcorn on mom & dad's bed!!!

Kirby getting the "bumps" from dad with help from Uncle Brett & Papa, as you can see Erinn really enjoyed it!

14 candles and no boyfriends, thanks to Uncle Brett who blew the candles out before she had a chance!

May Snowstorm!

2010-05-29T09:14:00.001-06:00

So far this May we've had all four seasons!

Today its winter!

Little Leaguer!

2010-05-29T09:09:00.004-06:00

Erinn, our little ball player, started her season off on the wrong foot!

She's only been able to play 2 games so far this spring, the other 4 have either been rained or snowed out!

Campout with Dad

2010-05-29T08:57:00.003-06:00

Dad had to work the long weekend so Carolyn and the kids came for a campout, except for Kirby who went to Moyie Lake with her best friend Shae!

The original plan was to random camp in the mountains but due to a forecast of snow at higher elevation we elected to camp in Pincher Creek at the town campground. It was very quiet and peaceful there since most everyone left town for the weekend; we were one of only 3 campers in the whole campground!

The kids supervising dad in lighting the fire for roasting wieners on, you can tell who the boss was!

Mmmm, freshly roasted tube steaks!

Blair spent the first night in his tent, it got down to +2 and rained all night, but he stayed in there until morning, what a true outdoorsman!

The last morning the family was there I took Blair with me to check one of my bear traps, on the way we stopped at Lundbreck Falls, as luck would have it one of my traps had a black bear in it which made for an exciting morning!

Grandpa & Grandma Visit

2010-05-29T08:25:00.006-06:00

Since I (Jeff) had to work the long weekend, Grandpa & Grandma had to come early for their spring visit this year.

On the ridge with the grand kids!

Not sure which one rode in the wagon!!!

We went for a walk to check out the flooding on Bulls Head Creek, just below the ridge.

Lots of baking with Grandma got done.

Even Blair got in on the baking.

Grandpa got to drive a green tractor.

Everyone got in on the baking at some point.

Except Erinn who entertained mom with a good story.

Getting some good air at the St. Mary's Track & Field Day.

One of the boy's was upset because Kirby threw the shot-put farther than him!

She's not a high-jumper!

Kirby ended up getting 2nd in Triple Jump & Shot-put, she advanced to Cities but lost out.

We celebrated Grandpa & Kirby's birthdays while they were here too.

Ball Hockey Player

2010-05-29T08:09:00.002-06:00

Blair's been really enjoying Ball Hockey, in fact he's thinking about going pro!

That's "speedy" wearing #8. When he wants he's got wheels, just gotta work on his stick handling. He's finally putting his soccer habits behind him and getting some good passes a few assists and a lot less off sides!

Tired out after a hard fought battle, they play 2 - 25-minute, straight run periods.

Blair's individual & team photo; the Sundogs!

Badminton Champion!

2010-05-29T08:02:00.002-06:00

Kirby had a good badminton year, she won 5 golds and 2 bronze medals and made it to the City Championships!

Here she is with Coach Moll and her mixed double partner Intek.

Proudly displaying her medals.

Her team picture.

Barn Dance

2010-05-01T15:01:00.003-06:00

Last night was the Family Barn Dance at our Church.

Erinn coloring some pictures with her friend.

Blair cutting a rug with mom!

Blair & Father John, looking very western!

Father Keith chatting with some of the party goers.

Erinn & dad sharing a dance.

Kirby & her friend Cree keeping the boys busy.

Mom & dad having a good time.

Another Gold Medal Performance!

2010-05-01T14:48:00.003-06:00

This past week the kids were busy with some awesome performances...

Erinn did a jump-rope demo in front of her school for their annual Talent Show.

Blair wowed the crowds with his yo-yo tricks; walk-the-dog & around-the-world. I think the kids were in awe just to see a yo-yo in action!

Kristina & Dominic won Bronze and Intek & Kirby won Gold, they now advance to zones which is next weekend. That brings Kirby's total up to 4 Golds and 1 Bronze so far this season!

Brownie Campout

2010-05-01T14:34:00.003-06:00

Last weekend Erinn & Carolyn went to the Brownie Campout at Cypress Hills.

Erinn working on a t-shirt.

Erinn with her group, the Strawberries!

Carolyn & Erinn.

Erinn got the top bunk and mom the bottom!

The Girl Guide Camp at Elkwater and yes, that would be snow on the ground!

Erinn's 1st Communion

2010-04-18T19:10:00.005-06:00

Today was a very special day, it was Erinn's 1st Communion!

Erinn waiting patiently to go up for Communion.

Erinn introducing herself after her 1st Communion.

Erinn & Father Keith.

The family and Father Keith.

Erinn with Mama & Papa. The dress she is wearing is the same one Carolyn wore for her 1st Communion and Kirby wore for her's.

Proud parents!

Erinn with some Webkins she got for the special occasion.

Erinn & her cake.

Erinn and Father Keith.

1st Ball Hockey Game

2010-04-11T19:04:00.002-06:00

This year Blair decided to try something different instead of soccer he decided to try ball hockey, his team is the Sundogs and they were the league champions last year. Mom doesn't know this but its a ploy to get her going to the rink while its warm then we can slowly ease her into going when its cold and there's ice to skate on!

That's Blair wearing #8, warming up before the game.

Blair letting rip with a wrist shot that he's been perfecting in the garage, its so deadly that he dropped his teammate standing in front of the net with a hard shot to the kneecap!

Blair, played out, coming off after a 8-5 defeat over the All-Stars. He did pretty good for his first game, at times it looked like he was still on the soccer pitch but he did manage to get one assist!

Bull's Head Creek Hike

2010-04-11T18:54:00.002-06:00

Since Blair & I missed out on our hike this past week in the mountains he decided we should go down in the coulee close to the Ridge. Yesterday the wind finally settled down and the sun came out so we went on a bit of an adventure.

Blair standing just up stream of our skating rink near a newly built beaver dam.

The beavers have sure been busy around here, this is the first time we've noticed any beaver activity around the creek, there was even fresh beaver tracks in the mud along the creek bank.

Blair had to show me how to build a torch, something he learned from his favourite show; "Man vs. Wild" on the Discovery Channel.

More Cousins & Windy Weather

2010-04-09T11:01:00.004-06:00

Yesterday the kids were back at the farm to visit the rest of their cousins who couldn't make it for Easter. It started out as a not too bad of a day with +18 weather and a westerly breeze.

Erinn is becoming quite the little driver, maybe next year it will be her turn to get the golf cart stuck in the mud!

Blair & Erinn trying to walk in the wind down the driveway.

Kirby with her new hair color.

Trinity eating a cupcake.

The kids excited over something!

Last night the winds were gusting up to 90+ km/hr. A couple of neighbour's lost some shingles and one lost his brand new trampoline! Just after dark a snow storm blew in and this is what we woke up to this morning, you can see from our For Sale sign that the wind is still blowing.

Old School Toys

2010-04-09T10:55:00.002-06:00

The kids each got $10 from the Easter Bunny this year and it was burning a hole in their pockets, they just had to go buy something. So, dad convinced them to go to the game store and look at some toys that he had when he was a kid.

Blair decided upon a yo-yo, which was the exact same model dad had when he was a kid.

Erinn bought herself a box of marbles, 160 to be exact and she hasn't lost any yet, not like her parents!

Hoppy Easter!

2010-04-09T10:42:00.004-06:00

Well as usual the Easter Bunny arrived again this year. We spent it at the farm near Bow Island and some of the cousins.

The kids doing the traditional signing for Easter candy. This year they seen the Easter Bunny's ears!

Erinn after finding her Easter treats.

Blair with his Easter treats, which didn't include the car!

Erinn and the Easter bunny on Mama's truck.

Kirby was the last to find her bag of goodies this year.

Pigging out!

Ryan & Kirby playing basketball.

Blair ripping up the yard with the r/c car.

Erinn ripping up the yard with the tricycle.

This year it was Brant's turn to get the golf cart stuck in the mud. If you recall last year it was Blair's turn!

Easter Egg Hunt

2010-03-28T15:26:00.002-06:00

Yesterday Erinn took in the annual Easter Egg Hunt in downtown Medicine Hat.

As you can see she dressed for the occasion and had her basket in hand ready to be filled.

Erinn found Mr. & Mrs. Easter Bunny.

At the end of the day Erinn had a basket full of chocolate Easter eggs.

First Tournament

2010-03-21T19:31:00.002-06:00

Kirby played in her first badminton tournament on the weekend in Seven Persons.

Her and her partner, Dolan, were on the St. Mary's mixed doubles team.

They managed to win their first two games but lost out in their last two.

However it was still good enough to earn them a bronze medal!

Leprechaun Trap

2010-03-21T19:25:00.002-06:00

Erinn made a Leprechaun trap again this year but was still unsuccessful in trapping the green little fellow!

You can see from his tracks how he got into Erinn's room.

He went right into the trap and stole the Cheerios she had for bait but somehow he managed to escape!

Weekend With Dad!

2010-03-14T21:06:00.003-06:00

This past Thursday Carolyn and her sister Mary left for a weekend getaway to Destin, Florida. Mary had was invited to a wedding down there and didn't want to go by herself so she invited Carolyn.
Dad was excited to spend the weekend with the kids and mom was more excited to spend the weekend without the kids!

Blair was so excited he learned some new break dancing moves.

We went to the skate park.

And Erinn was excited to ride her bike.

Blair busting a move with his board.

You can tell by the smile he had a good time.

Today we went to look for snakes but found gophers instead. Blair shot this one hiding in an irrigation pipe and Erinn found a gopher skull.

There was only kids hanging out where the snakes should have been.

My little spotters letting me know where the gophers were.

Tomorrow night Carolyn will get back home and we will resume life as usual, I'm back to work Tuesday as well as Carolyn. Spring is definitely in the air though, as you can see from the above photos we enjoyed a beautiful day today, a high of +8 and no wind.

Still for Sale!

2010-03-07T08:27:00.003-07:00

Last night we met with our realtor and made a decision to drop the price again on the acreage and to make the big push now with spring around the corner.

For Sale $419.900! An open house is planned for next Saturday afternoon.

Here's the links for both the Kijiji ad and Maxwell Team Realty;

http://medicinehat.kijiji.ca/c-housing-housing-for-sale-Newer-house-on-a-quiet-acreage-close-to-Medicine-Hat-W0QQAdIdZ163085110

http://www.maxwellteamrealty.com/silver_listings.asp?ID=425720

Trip to the SPCA

2010-03-07T08:18:00.002-07:00

Yesterday Erinn's Brownie group made a trip to the Medicine Hat SPCA.

Erinn enjoyed the trip, of course.

She wanted to take everything home.

Especially this ratting looking thing! I think it was supposed to be a dog!?!?!?

Kirby & dad enjoyed the trip too, you can tell by the looks on our faces! I felt bad for the parents, because I knew when the girls got home it would be endless "can we adopt a cat/dog?".

My "like new" Truck

2010-03-07T08:11:00.002-07:00

When the kids and I were in Saskatchewan for the Spring Break Carolyn took the truck in to one of the local body shops and got the front and back end repaired from our little accident back in January.

Now it looks like brand new!

And its a lot less embarrassing to drive!

Spring is Sprung?

2010-03-07T08:01:00.002-07:00

Lately the weather has been very spring like but I can't help but think that winter really isn't over yet and we are bound to get another dump of snow and cold weather!

Blair getting his biking legs ready.

Erinn checking out the ice.

Kids and puddles, reminds me of when I was a kid.

Blair playing in the puddle with a big sheet of ice. It didn't take long and he filled a boot, Erinn filled both!

The End

2010-02-21T21:35:00.003-07:00

For the past several years Blair & I had made this winter trip to Saskatchewan for our annual Burbot Derby on Last Mountain Lake. This year we elected to go a month earlier and bring the girls with us, minus mom who needed a break.
Everyone had a good time, when asked at the end what the best part was for each, the response was; Erinn - catching the big fish with Uncle Trent, Blair - the hog hunting (of course) and Kirby - getting to see the horses!
Next year promises to be bigger and better, I know Carolyn is already counting the days, she would like it to be for 2 weeks instead of only 1!
Thanks for the hospitality to all those who put up with us whether it was for just a visit or a nights stay. See you all next year!

The Fieldstone Inn

2010-02-21T21:20:00.003-07:00

This year's trip we found some extra time to drop in to the Fieldstone Inn.

Our friends Russ & Pam Hodgins bought this place a while back, it was a bed a breakfast at one time but now its just a family home, but what a home it is! Built in the very early 1900's its made of cut build stones and the outer walls are 2 feet thick. There are 3 floors and 2 stairwells leading to each. The kids just love playing hide & go seek since there are lots of good hiding spots.

Erinn made a new friend with Lauren who just happened to be the same age as her, only a head taller!

Blair & Tye played with Kellan who is only a year younger then them.

The Hodgins family, for those that know Russ you can see the kids didn't fall from the tree!

Russ has some horses, which appear to be more like elephants!

Blair making a new friend with King.

Kirby in her glory hanging out with Barney.

Russ & Lauren showing off with Abraham the donkey.

The Catley Ranch

2010-02-21T20:48:00.003-07:00

Another highlight of our trip was the mandatory visit to the Catley Ranch just outside of Craven, SK along the Qu'Appelle River Valley.

Like every green blooded Saskatchewanian the Roughrider Flag was flying proudly at the entrance to the ranch.

Ice fishing was a priority the second day we were their; here's Erinn & Cody warming up in the ice shack.

Blair & Tye looking like chipmunks with their cheeks full of Spitz. An earlier generation would of had Copenhagen in there!

Cheyenne waiting for the big one!

Kirby enjoying the day and not too worried about the lack of fish biting.

Uncle Trent got a fire going on the ice and the kids had a royal feast; fish was not on the menu.

By 3:30 Uncle Trent guaranteed a fish on the ice by 4:00 or he was buying pizza for supper.

Kirby was feeling pretty confident that wasn't going to happen 28 minutes later when she put her order in with Uncle Trent for a cheese pizza.

But as promised Uncle Trent, with the help of his good luck charm, brought in a 12 pounder. More than enough to feed 6 hungry kids and 3 tired adults!

Erinn trying to hold up the fish she said she had dreamed about the night before, which played a big part in it getting caught! Maybe she's really the "Fish Fairy"!?!?!!?

The Zimmer kids hanging out by the hole!

Going for a redneck sleigh ride.

Saskatchewan Quinzy

2010-02-21T20:40:00.003-07:00

Grandpa helped the kids build a Quinzy in their front yard.

The design got pretty intricate with two doors and a sun roof.

Blair checking out the finished product.

Erinn hanging out in the living room.

Erinn thought it was so neat she was asking people walking by if they wanted to check it out.

Snowshoeing!

2010-02-21T20:30:00.002-07:00

Grandpa & Grandma took the kids snowshoeing one day, the just had to take advantage of all the snow!

Grandma & the kids at the start of their bush trail.

Grandpa caught up to us down the trail.

There were lots of rest breaks for those with shorter legs.

Erinn the "Bush Fairy" sitting on her throne.

Blair didn't make the entire trip, he was still played out from his hog hunt the day before!

The Mighty Hog Hunter!

2010-02-16T20:46:00.002-07:00

Today a dream came true for Blair & I when we finally got to go wild hog hunting! My cousin Dale took us out west of home (Codette) and after trudging through thigh-high snow we finally found some pig trails.

Blair spotted this guy hanging out in the willows.

After carefully taking aim he squeezed the trigger.

The end result was a nice young sow!

Blair posing with Uncle Dale, our faithful guide.

Dad & Blair after a successful hunt!

Hurry Hard!

2010-02-16T20:24:00.003-07:00

Finally, the kids have been forced to watch lots of curling over the years but have never actually curled, until now!

Kirby the "skip".

Erinn showing great form but having a hard time making the "hog line".

Blair looking like he knows what he's doing.

"Hurry hard!"

Team "Zimmer".

Great Grandma Visit

2010-02-16T20:15:00.003-07:00

On Sunday the kids and dad made a trek to Saskatchewan for reading week. Carolyn stayed home for a much deserved break and some peace & quiet!

One of our first stops was to visit Great Grandma who turned 95 this year!

Pond Hockey Day On The Ridge!

2010-01-31T15:24:00.004-07:00

Today we went down to the creek and played some hockey. I don't know why I never thought of this before, it was way easier than hauling water and making a rink in the backyard! My neighbor came up with the idea and had the ice all cleared off.

Erinn working on her technique.

Kirby didn't have skates so she just hung out.

Dad's still got it.

Everyone got into the action.

Blair on a breakaway.

The smiles & rosie cheeks say it all!

More smiles!

Dad's little ice angel.

Just Hanging Out

2010-01-30T16:28:00.002-07:00

Reading...

Deer on the mound...

Dad's Adventure with the Girls!

2010-01-24T16:51:00.003-07:00

"For today's adventure girls daddy is going to get into a traffic accident!" I said as we slammed into the back of the red pickup truck. Just when we thought it was over we were hit from behind as a red mini-van careened into the back of us.
"Wow that was fun, can we do that again?" Erinn shouted from the back seat!
"My neck hurts." Kirby said from the seat beside me. "Does this mean we're going to be late for the party?"

"Ah, you guys get to have all the fun!" Blair exclaimed when him and mom showed up a short while later.
"Sure glad it wasn't me." Mom said as she surveyed the damage.

Today I was ferrying the girls around the city, we came to an intersection which was extremely icy and after making an unsuccessful effort to stop, prior to slamming into the back of a Toyota truck, we were then rear ended by a little red mini-van.
The intersection was so icy that when I got out to survey the damage I fell flat on my butt!
The end result is pictured below...

Luckily no airbag deployment!

The impact knocked the signal lights out of the grille, I was able to just pop them back in.

Thankfully the bumper wasn't pushed in any further otherwise it would of hit the radiator.

The tailgate was knocked right off and hanging by the cables, I was able to just put it back on.

The only noticeable damage on the back end was to the trailer plug, which was pushed in. The red Dodge Caravan didn't fair so well, it's front bumper was pushed in and the hood accordioned.
All was not in vain, I got a good visit in with the cops when they arrived, an old friend I hadn't seen in a while.

Meccano Car Complete

2010-01-24T16:45:00.003-07:00

For Christmas Blair got a Meccano Set car from mama & papa. Over the holiday him and grandpa started it but after a while it got set aside and finding the time to work on it just wasn't working out. Finally yesterday dad sat down and finished it, after several hours and lots of cursing it was completed!

Blair with the finished product, you can tell by the cheezy smile that he's a satisfied customer!

Enjoying the White-stuff!

2010-01-10T21:13:00.003-07:00

Yesterday we went out to the farm near Bow Island to see how much snow they really had and wow, were we impressed; Blair & I anyway.

Blair standing on top of the 6 foot high drift created by a Manyberries Chinook!

Those shrubs sticking up out of the snow are actually the tops of the 8 foot high lilac trees along the south side of the yard!

Me scaling a big drift with my new snowshoes.

Blair put more miles on my snowshoes than I did.

The driveway had one narrow path that Papa was able to plow out last week.

Prior to Papa plowing out, which you can see a picture of on The Weather Network website, they were stuck in the yard, unable to leave!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-09T14:06:00.002-07:00

Back to the grind!

New Years Zimmer Style

2010-01-09T13:52:00.002-07:00

This year for New Years we surprised the kids and told them we were taking them somewhere but not where. They packed all their stuff in the van and we drove east, then north, then west and finally south, back into Medicine Hat, ending up at the Holiday Inn Express for the night!

Kirby's friend Shae came for a visit and to do some water sliding, and eating!

Mom & Blair hanging out on the couch!

The girls texting each other.

Dad & Blair hanging out on the fold-out bed.

Erinn all ready to welcome in the New Year; her and Carolyn didn't make it!!!

More Zimmer Christmas

2010-01-09T10:04:00.004-07:00

Just before Christmas the Van Ham clan from Strathmore came to visit. Thanks to a snow storm & poor roads them ended up spending the night which was an added bonus.

Relaxing by the fire enjoying some laughs.

The boys playing some Mario Kart on the Wii.

Bubbles came home for the holidays too.

The kids with some new games.

On Boxing Day Grandma & Grandpa showed up.

Blair hanging out with Grandpa.

Just what we needed, more booze!

A Van Ham Christmas

2010-01-09T09:51:00.005-07:00

The Van Ham Christmas was made interesting this year with everyone getting gifts from China, which in fact isn't unusual since everything on earth almost is Made in China, but these gifts actually came from China via Mama & Papa who were there in November.

The Nativity on Mama's 'ol truck at the farm. They had a whiter Christmas then us this year!

Blair with his Shanghai t-shirt and "Rolex" from China.

Kirby got an authentic silk Chinese dress.

And so did Erinn.

We got pure silk robes and I got some Chinese hooch!

Christmas at the Zimmers

2010-01-09T09:33:00.003-07:00

Christmas came and went, things were so busy as our fans noticed we didn't have time to update the blog, so be prepared, here it is...

The customary visit to Santa.

The impending letter to Santa.

Decorating the tree.

Decorating the house, in and out.

And with the cold, snowy weather we had a White Christmas this year!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

2009-12-27T18:50:00.002-07:00

The Quinzy

2009-12-06T17:27:00.002-07:00

Yesterday, during the blizzard, Blair & his friend Christopher built a snow fort, or at least started one. Today the kids finished by placing a tarp over the top and shovelling snow all around the edges to keep it from blowing away.

So, here is there Southern Alberta Quinzy! A Quinzy is a traditionally built by shovelling snow into a large pile and then hollowing out the inside to make it like an igloo, but since we don't get much snow here the kids used a tarp for a roof.

Erinn looking rather blue!

Kirby sitting in her homemade snow lounger.

Blair warming up from the cold wind and -16 temperatures outside his shelter. As usual he got a little carried away and had his survival pack, bow & arrow as well as some candles inside just in case he couldn't find his way back to the house due to the stormy weather conditions.

Outside Decorating

2009-12-06T17:20:00.002-07:00

With the recent arrival of snow its looking more & more like a Saskatchewan winter!

I got the last of the lights up just before the blizzard arrived late Friday night.

Erinn got the stickers up in the front window.

Looking very Christmasy!

Even "Brenda" got some lights this year!

Decorating for Christmas

2009-12-06T17:08:00.003-07:00

Today was tree decorating day at the Zimmer household. Carolyn always gets more excited than the kids with decorating the house. Last night she had to make a last minute trip to Walmart, in the blizzard, to get a new set of lights for the tree since the old one wasn't working, then she was up getting the lights and garland on so the kids could decorate it first thing this morning.

Here's the before shot of the tree.

The kids anxiously waiting to start decorating.

Mom & dad supervising; mom more than dad of course.

The decorating frenzy!

The finishing touch, Erinn putting the angel on the top.

The after picture. Some presents even appeared right after we were done.

Go Riders!

2009-11-29T14:23:00.003-07:00

Just showing my patriotism!

Go Riders!

Go Riders!

Blair's First Hunting Experience

2009-11-28T10:30:00.004-07:00

"I was so happy!! I even cried a little."

"The deer was not that heavy I could drag it myself.

A coyote scared it out of the bush then boom, dad shot it, the deer that is!

So for supper tonight we are having fresh deer heart, mm mm!"

Above is our hunting trip we went out on today in Blair's own words! We have been hunting the area close to the house for the past couple of weeks, trying to shoot a "deer with horns", since I only had a "buck tag". Yesterday I picked Blair up after school and out we went, we followed some tracks in the fresh snow but we must of spooked the deer because he disappeared into the river valley just as it got dark.

This morning we were out again at first light, it was a great morning, no wind, -6 with 4 inches of fresh snow. As we pulled the truck up the road to our usual parking spot I seen a deer bedded right there, when she got up a buck got up too, right beside her, they hopped the fence and stopped 50 yards out in the field. I couldn't shoot since we were still on the Ridge and only 150 meters from the nearest house.

The deer ran down into the valley and we took up the chase only to spook them again and this time they ran back onto land we didn't have access to, so we decided to push bush to the creek and see if we could scare anything else up. As we got to our blind I had already counted 2 coyotes and had a third coming to my yipes & howls, I was thinking it was time to start hunting coyotes and forget the deer hunting.

As I was lining up a 200 yard shot on a coyote, over his head I noticed our buck from earlier heading back into the valley, I whistled for Blair and we started back the way we came, hoping to catch the buck on his was to the creek.

When we came to the end of the lake, we had a good view and decided to sit and wait, just as I stopped a deer broke through the trees 50 yards in front of us and stopped, it was looking over its shoulder back behind it. Blair and I crouched down and I brought my rifle up to have a look through my scope, I couldn't see antlers but just inside the treeline I could see a coyote watching the deer!

The deer continued to watch the coyote and I tried hard to see if there was any antlers on the deer, not seeing any I put the cross hairs on the 'yote and was just about to shoot him when the deer turned and took a few steps towards us, that's when I seen the horns!

BOOM! The shot echoed across the frozen morning and our buck was down.

I ran to the buck and could hear Blair behind me, bawling his eyes out and yelling at me, "Good job dad! Way to go! Awesome!" When we go to the buck he was down and wasn't getting back up, I looked at Blair and the tears were streaming down his face, "I don't know why I'm crying but I'm so excited!" he yelled out!

After tagging and gutting our little buck we dragged him the 1/4 mile up, out of the coulee to the truck and headed home with a hunting story to tell. This buck was a different one from the one we had spooked earlier in the morning and it looked like the coyote's had him on the run, so thanks to that coyote for bushing our buck out to us!

Now with our deer tag filled, on the last day of the season, we are heading out later to start putting a dent in the local coyote population!