LES “Cuts Like a Knife”

A week ago last Thursday, I attended a meeting at the school.  As we were walking up to the doors Sydney casually says “We’re playing our guitars and singing Mama.”

“When?”  I ask.

“Tonight for all of you.”  Sydney replies.

“What??  You’re kidding, how come you didn’t tell me?”  I rush back to the truck and grab my camera, remembering the quote from my blog “I would rather pack my camera with me and take no shots, than leave it at home and miss the shot of a lifetime.”

I thought the meeting was for information to parents if their kids want to be in the upcoming play “Romeo & Juliet” and had no idea they were going to be performing.

Every lunch hour Mr. White (we are soooo lucky to have him at LES!) has been teaching the kids instruments and singing.  For about two years Sydney has been learning to play the guitar and I can’t believe how her fingers fly!  They are also using foot pedals to distort the guitars so coordination is a big thing when playing.  She’s doing an excellent job and simply loves to play. :)  My Dad, her Grandpa, would be so proud of her and I so wish he were here to see her.

This is the first time the kids have performed the song in front of an audience.  While it doesn’t sound so loud in the video, I have to say, if you were in the room you would have had your ears covered!

If you can’t view the video at my blog click here to go to YouTube.

For more pictures please visit my Flickr site. http://www.flickr.com/photos/kansasa/

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Make your own Cricut George cartridge for free!

Most Cricuts come with the George and Basic Shapes cartridge, unfortunately mine did not.  I have no idea why, maybe because I bought my Cricut in Canada?  I quickly found out that a lot of free patterns found online are created with the George cartridge, probably because most people have it.  Since you can’t buy George, other than on eBay for a ridiculous price (around $50 and up!), I decided to make my own.
It’s really quite simple, especially for a person who crafts. ;)
I used two pieces of cardboard from a potato chip box because it makes it thicker to fit into the slot.  One inch wide by about 2 inches long.  At a forum I belong to someone said you could also use an old credit card because it’s thicker, I haven’t tried that method but it sounds good.
I then cut three pieces of tinfoil.  It doesn't matter about the size of the piece that goes across the two strips, you're only using it to connect the strips together so everything touches.  You may have to double the two tinfoil strips (or even triple it) to make them slightly thicker so they can touch the pins in the Cricut, simply fold them in half, but do not put them on the backside of the cardboard.  One strip will cover pins 2 & 3 together, and the other strip will cover pin 5.  Make sure the tinfoil for pins 2 & 3 are a tad wider than the strip for pin 5.  You can see in the picture where I've marked the pins.
Tape the two pieces of cardboard together and then glue down the tinfoil.  Tape the top tinfoil that goes across the two strips so all three pieces of tinfoil connect.  In the picture my George has been used quite a bit but is still working great. :)

This is what your George cartridge looks like when it’s in the Cricut.  Make sure it lines up correctly and it has to be facing towards you.

Here you can see on the screen that George is loaded.

And here’s a close-up.

Print out of George.  If you click on the picture you will go to flickr.  Select “All sizes” and download the original size for a bigger image.  If you Google “George Cricut Handbook” you’ll come up with quite a few results.

If this worked for you please leave a comment and let others know it really works! :)
Disclaimer:  You do this at your own risk!  One person (out of hundreds) reported that her Cricut will only recognize the George cartridge, it’s possible that this problem could have happened even with the original George cartridge but I thought I’d let everyone know.
For more pictures please visit my Flickr site. http://www.flickr.com/photos/kansasa/
If you really don’t want to make your own, and would like a heavy duty one, James has left a comment that I thought I would share on this post.  Thank you James! :)

James has left a new comment:
My friend showed me your site and since my Wife received a Cricut Expression for Christmas (from me), and we didn't get that cartridge I thought that's a great idea!
I designed a very simple electronic board, to make it easier to use. Also should you ever have a case with a bad board inside it should fit perfectly in the case. I appreciate you sharing the idea with the world so I'm also sharing the electronic version without any charge for my time, although the service has a fee. The cost is $5.35 each with $11+ Shipping and Handling, actual shipping time was 3 weeks because they are made to order. I suggest several friends buying as a group to share the shipping and handling. I bought 1 for myself and 2 for friends for a total of $27. It doesn't have a label but this is a crafty audience who could do a better job themselves.
http://batchpcb.com/index.php/Products/27193

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Random pics

Last night I picked up my new lens and this morning headed out to take some quick shots.  Here’s some random pictures with a few photoshop actions applied to them.  We’re heading down to the river in a bit so I will post more pics tomorrow.

One of the roosters from the barn scooting across the road.

Two heads are better than one!

Our banty rooster, Sammy.

Sydney has fun twirling these to the ground.

The lens is a Canon EFS 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM wide angle.  I did have to sharpen all the pics but for the most part they turned out okay.  I bought it to mostly use for landscape shots but it does a good job with close-ups too.

Along with my new lens, the rubber frame eye piece replacement came in… but it’s the wrong one!  Darnit all anyway.  I reordered the right one but it’s becoming a real pain lately without it.  I hope Canon delivers fast!

Well we are out the door with hotdogs and wieners in hand so I’ll cut this short.  Have a great weekend everyone! :)

For more pictures please visit my Flickr site. http://www.flickr.com/photos/kansasa/

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A Trip to Kamloops

I waited until I was sure the ice had melted off the roads and then took off this morning.  I hate getting away late (10:15ish AM) because it means I’ll be home late but it actually wasn’t bad, I made it home by about 8:00 PM.  I even stopped in Cache Creek and visited Hubby for a bit, that’s where he’s staying while working in Venables Valley.

The only incident I had was some guy almost plowed into my cart in the Superstore parking lot… while I was in the crosswalk!  If that wasn’t bad enough, after “Mario Andretti” zipped around the front of my cart, the woman directly behind him almost hit me!  She was decent about it, hands over her eyes waving sorry, but then I think she heard me loudly say “CROSSWALK!!” and point my finger down.  I’m pretty sure, in Canada, pedestrians still have the right of way in crosswalks!  Yeesh I think it’s time Superstore put traffic lights in front of their doors!

I’m posting a pic I’ve had for a few days and just haven’t had time to post.  This is “Sammyson,” son of our oldest banty rooster, Sammy (hence the name).  Sammyson has seldom ever come in the coop and spent most of the cold winter nights up in the willow tree near our chicken house, along with about 8-10 banty hens.  I have no idea why the banties get it set in their heads to roost in the willow but Sammyson sure paid for it… with his crown.  Oh he did have a nice looking crown at one time, then it turned all black and then one day it just fell off.  In the background you can see his father with a full crown, that’s because he knows where to go at night.

For more pictures please visit my Flickr site. http://www.flickr.com/photos/kansasa/

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Ranch Pics

This morning I wanted to submit a picture for this week’s DPS Landscape assignment but all I saw was fog rolling up from the Fraser River.  I took a few pics and then could see the fog quickly closing in around me… I acted fast and snapped what I could.

This is a view of The Hump field on the right and one of the stack yards somewhat in the middle.  This picture is the one I submitted to DPS.

After taking a few pictures I run through a “quick check” weeding out the ones I don’t like and marking the ones I do.  These are few I considered before I settled on the one above.

The Barn.

The top of a fence with the fog in the background.

One of the first pictures I took was a feeder in the coral.  The fog is still in the distance and the sun is shining on my back.  The view is looking towards Lillooet.

After awhile the fog was so thick that it was pointless to keep shooting.  If you look closely in the photo above you’ll notice the top rails of the fence look different.  The horses like to chew on them, a term known as “cribbing.”  The reason is unknown but there are a ton of theories.  One of the last pictures I took shows a close-up of the rails, as well as you can see how thick the fog has become.  Teddy, Blue, and I head back to the house.

Ever wonder how the horses and cows get water in the winter without it freezing?  C’mon I know you do… well maybe you do. :)  This is a livestock waterer.  The balls always keep the top sealed and the water comes in from below.  The animals can easily push the balls down with their noses and the balls will always center when they come back up.  Now you know. :)

For more pictures please visit my Flickr site. http://www.flickr.com/photos/kansasa/

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A quiet Sunday walk with pics…

Sydney and I awoke to a very quiet house this morning.  Way before I got out of bed, Hubby and Jevan headed off to work for the day and won’t be back until suppertime.

Sydney and I took the opportunity to bundle up and head out the door, cameras in hand, to take pictures around the Ranch.

I have no idea what the name of this horse is but was taken aback with the white of his eyelashes!  Sydney said “Wow Mama if it was snowing we never would have seen this horse!”

Walking the field up from Grandma & Pops’ house, we see the view looking towards Lytton.  There’s an electric fence between us and the cows so they don’t wander over to the driveway.  I never tire of this view and I find there’s always something to look at, whether it’s the swirl of clouds, a colourful rainbow, flashes of lightning, pink sky morning or night… yup always something going on down this way.

Getting to the top of the field we turn around and who’s following us?  Jumbo!  Most times he stays in the house because I’m sure his little paws get pretty chilly… but maybe the house was just too quiet with all of us gone?

Remember the huge bonfire we had around New Years?  It’s all out now and there’s not much left!

We head back down the driveway and decide to check in with the other horses.  We already have an apple quartered up and tucked into a Ziploc bag.  We stop at the coral and see a lone horse.  Pops takes in horses for the winter from folks in town so a lot of these horses I don’t have a clue what their names are… no matter, they still like apples. :)

With each year that passes, the Mossy Shack gets worse and worse and I fear the roof is going to cave in soon.

Even the fence rails aren’t safe from bugs and need to be replaced on occasion.

Woody sneaks a peak around the rail, most likely sniffing out the apples we have. :)

As we walk by the barn Sydney can’t resist climbing the hay bales, “Hey Mama take my picture!!”

Time to head back up to the house and Sydney has to give one last pet as we pass by the coral again.  The deck you see in the background is Grandma’s house.

The last picture I took this morning is of Sydney.  She was going to sit on our little tractor but there was way too much snow and opted to stand instead.

For more pictures visit my flickr site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kansasa/

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Freezing and Melting

With the sun out the icicles are staring to really hang down around the deck.  This broken downspout gutter is what’s left over from adding on the extra room, and the icicles are gathered in a large clump almost ready to pull it down.

We’re supposed to get cold here again… but when I check the Weather Network it’s not saying that, it’s reporting just below freezing temps and some days are even going to be on the plus side.  I have to take a quick trip down to Abbotsford next week and I’m hoping the snow will stay away for at least that long.

The holidays have wound down, the kids are back in school, and Hubby is back to work, thank goodness!  But I have yet to take our tree down or even take the huge cardboard box of used wrapping paper to the dump.  I’m pretty sure when Santa came down the chimney he took my energy when he left!  Why are we like this after the holidays?

Most likely my energy is down today because I was up ‘til midnight last night.  After being in bed for an hour, and sound asleep, I awoke to the god awful sound of the smoke detector.  I flew out of bed and frantically searched the house… nothing.  I took a towel and fanned the smoke alarm and it quit.  I climbed back into my cozy bed, hot because of the mattress warmer I bought just before Christmas, as well as two dogs, and one cat sprawled across it…. and promptly fell back to sleep.  Two hours later, at 3 AM, the darn thing starts blasting again.  Now I’m annoyed, but I have no way of stopping it.  It doesn’t have a battery and it’s wired directly into our electrical… who the heck thought of that invention??  At least give me an off switch because I have two more smoke alarms with batteries that work just fine!  It’s now 3 PM and it hasn’t gone off again so I have no idea what triggered it but please Lord don’t let it go off again tonight…. yawn.

Snowmobiling on the Ranch

Yesterday Hubby finished up his homemade sled.  He welded an old bus seat to a truck hood, tied a rope across it and attached it to the back of our snowmobile.  If you are a friend of mine on Facebook you’ve already seen all the pics but some people only follow my blog so I thought I’d better post some of the pictures here too.   

Here’s the kids heading out on their first ride.

After getting their faces pelted with snow, Daddy gives them Canadian Snowsuits… but Mama (me) cut air holes in them!

Our good friend Tom was brave enough to go on.  Sydney now calls him Tom “Frost.”

Even Mikey’s dog, Sadie, got in on the action!  At the bottom that’s Mike’s dog, Pete, trying to catch a ride.

For the most part the kids were a blur going by.  They also left their bags back in the shop when we headed up to the field, so the two of them tried pulling their hats down over their faces.

But the funniest of all was when Sydney’s hat came off and she could see where she was going.

I cropped in a bit closer so you can see her face better.  Wow she’s not too impressed!  Call me a bad Mama ‘cause every time I see this picture I can’t help but burst out laughing!!  See that little ridge of snow immediately in front of the hood?

Well I don’t think Sydney had her mouth open for long. :)

There’s quite a few pictures and if you’d like to see them all visit the Flickr set of Winter Fun: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kansasa/sets/72157623124520114/show/

I’ve also posted a two minute video at YouTube.  If you can’t view it at my blog click here to see it.