Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Welcome to Bear Country!

This past weekend was very busy at work, we got our first bear complaints and I was the lucky one to try out my new found tranquilizing skills.

The first was a report of a bear getting into a local rancher's wooden grain bin. My partner and I set up a culvert trap beside the bin and ran some electrical fencing around the bin to keep him out and hopefully catch him. The next day the rancher called me to say we had him in the trap, so I went down and was surprised to find this big guy in there, he weighed in at 352 pounds! In the picture I've got him sedated and we are just processing him; we take measurements and check him for injuries, you can see we have him 'handcuffed' in case he starts to wake up. After we're done we put him back in the trap and wait for him to wake up, then he's relocated up into the mountains.

The same day we set the trap for the black bear we had a call from another rancher saying one of her 1500 pounds cows had been killed. My partner and I went out to investigate and discovered it was a grizzly that had killed the cow and by the size of the cow we figured it had to be a huge grizzly, so with the help of some more officers from Blairmore District we set another culvert trap and waited. Finally, two days after setting the trap, I found this big guy in it. We brought him back to Pincher Station and processed him, he weighed 600+ pounds; too big to pull out of the trap and weigh! He was taken way up to the northwest of the province and released into the forest where there are no cattle around.

Monday, April 27, 2009

Just Hanging Out

Just a few pictures of what we've been up to...

Erinn started baseball, she only got one game in and then the snow & cold came back. Her and Blair have been very disappointed with the poor weather, he is supposed to start soccer tomorrow but they are calling for 2-3 cms of snow overnight.

Carolyn finally got her new oak dining room table and chairs.

I finally got enough gravel (thanks to one of our neighbours) to build up our driveway so we won't have to worry about how much rain or snow we get anymore. If you look close you will see Erinn's birdhouse mounted on the sign post.

Kirby & Blair having a little shooting competition in the backyard, next week it will be with their new bow & arrows.

No more snow; until tomorrow anyway. That's Blair's birdhouse mounted on the back fencepost.

Firehall Party

Last Sunday Andrew & Amanda had a 1st birthday party for Trinity at the Strathmore Firehall where Andrew is a volunteer fireman.

The birthday girl digging in!

Erinn sitting in the driver's seat of one of the pumpers.

Blair all decked out and ready to go.

Trinity hanging out with aunty.

What would a firehall visit be without Sparky the Fire Dog?

Saskatchewan Trip

The kids were off the week of Easter but Carolyn had to work, so we made a trek home to see grandpa & grandma.

First geocache on the South Saskatchewan River.

Riding the caboose in Acadia Valley.

Visiting aunt Sylvia, great grandma Zimmer and uncle David.

A visit to big grandpa and great grandma Zimmer.

A visit with baba & giddo.

Hanging out with Uncle Tom.

A visit from Uncle Dale.

Crafting with grandma.

Building with grandpa.

A visit from friends Bill & Elaine.

The kids birdhouses they built with grandpa.

At the Nipawin Dam/Codette Lake lookout.

Geocaching with grandma.

A visit to great grandma & grandpa Nemeth.

Those dam Saskatchewan roads!

Erinn playing on the DS.

Kirby crafting.

Blair's turn in the back seat.

Dad doing what he does best these days, driving.

One last geocache, this one was in Sask Landing Provincial Park, just north of Swift Current.

Easter Weekend @ the Farm

We spent Easter weekend at the farm with Carolyn's family.

Carolyn & Abi hanging out.

Erinn cuddling 'Snowball', on of the new kittens.

Kirby showing off her shooting skills in the backyard.

What would Easter be without a visit from the Easter Bunny herself?

Big cousin Kirby entertaining the little ones.

Our farm girl. She wasn't actually welding, she was smashing rocks with a hammer, safety first!

Blair enjoying the spring weather. It got up to 21 degrees!

Erinn looking for a puddle to splash in.

Christopher entertaining everyone with some guitar licks!

A visit to Marlow's grave.

Ryan, Blair & Kirby going for a ride on the golf cart.

Oops! Blair following in his dad's foot steps!

John Deere Girl


Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Losing it!

Erinn isn't the only one losing teeth!

What's the Tooth Fairy bringing me?

Sunday, April 5, 2009

April Days!

Minus the freak snow storm, the weather has been getting very spring like!

That almost looks like a thunder cloud over the city!

Erinn chowing down on a bowl full of strawberries!

"Just grabbing a book dad!"

Look, Mr. & Mrs. Easter Bunny came to the library for a visit. On Saturday morning the girls went to the annual Easter Egg Hunt in the city.

Putting up the Easter decorations with the bunny looking on from the backyard.

Getting ready for ball season.

The mighty hunter?
Actually dad shot this one, the gophers were pretty safe from Blair...

...but the pop cans weren't!
Some more target practice in the backyard!