Shaggin' Down in Cow Town

Sundre, Alberta: one hour north of Calgary, and home to Tim's sister, Laurie's, expansive and seriously peaceful acreage.

It's 'critter paradise' out here --- with horses grazing right beside Shaggy, and farm kittens playing in the barns and cows mooing and chewing in the pastures.... I even bridled up one of the horses (too lazy to throw a saddle on, tho) and barebacked around the farm a bit --- not that anyone takes any pictures of me, though......

Tim, on the other hand, has been playing with all the farm equipment! Guess who wishes he had a tractor now!?! It took him about five minutes to figure out how to work the tractor, and then within a few more seconds he was lifting, loading and leveling some soil that he'd been moving around (for no real reason except to play with the tractor).

Laurie's got about 160 acres of rolling hills, with a stream running through it, as well as some flat pasture & farmland and a large area at the top of a noll where she has a trailer, an airstream (!!) -- see the pic at left of Laurie walking beside her 'silver bullet'. There are also several lovely log cabins on the farm --- We have Shaggy parked beside one cabin that Sami's is staying in....

Everyday we take the dogs for a walk along the horse-trails that wind through Laurie's lower pasture & alongside her stream. We've also been bike riding beside the endless cow pastures that make up this wide countryside. Whoever said that "curiosity killed the cat" has obviously never met a cow. I don't condone bovinicide (that's "cow-killing" for you lexiphobes out there), BUT honestly, these animals will walk right up to anyone doing anything. Nevermind "sitting ducks"..... try "standing cows".... they're live target practice, if I've ever seen it. (just kidding....) But they are endless fodder for dumb-animal jokes, we've discovered.....

There are also two big rivers that criss-cross at Sundre and we took a drive down to one of them for a swim. Both Sam & I felt some kinda gross & slimy, little fishlets scampering over our feet & legs, so we hightailed it outta the water while Tim & Laurie kept on swimming.

When I get a better internet connection (not just random roadside stops), I'll try to upload a bunch of the Sundre farm pictures to my photo website because --- it's just been so gorgeous out here that it's impossible to describe. I agree with (lovely) Emerson when he said that "as soon as we walk out of doors, Nature transcends all poets so far...."

It's been a good place, out here, to read & write & play with tractors.....