It's taking shape ...
It takes incredible patience, perseverance and precision. Carsyn is a good match for this project which he had set on hold while he completed his high school studies last year.
Friday, December 11, 2009
A Luthier, Maker of Stringed Instruments
We have a luthier in our family. Carsyn is currently in the process of building his second violin.
It's taking shape ...
It takes incredible patience, perseverance and precision. Carsyn is a good match for this project which he had set on hold while he completed his high school studies last year.
It's taking shape ...
It takes incredible patience, perseverance and precision. Carsyn is a good match for this project which he had set on hold while he completed his high school studies last year.
Adventures in Taxidermy
The results of a couple adventures in taxidermy that our big guys have worked on.
The weasel that got caught in Brayden's gopher trap did not go to the cats:
This is one of two racoons that were in the wrong place at the right time -- they're planning to make the second one into a coon-skin hat:
Our basement is a good place for those rough & rugged displays for now, but a remote hunting cabin will be the ideal place for these displays someday hopefully.
The weasel that got caught in Brayden's gopher trap did not go to the cats:
This is one of two racoons that were in the wrong place at the right time -- they're planning to make the second one into a coon-skin hat:
Our basement is a good place for those rough & rugged displays for now, but a remote hunting cabin will be the ideal place for these displays someday hopefully.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Buy Dockers!
Go buy some Dockers. Support this company who so boldly proclaims such positive standards. Dockers are made by the same company that makes Levis.
Check out their new Man-ifesto!
Go here to read it on their website. Or here to read Stacy's thoughts on this.
Go Dockers!
Check out their new Man-ifesto!
Go here to read it on their website. Or here to read Stacy's thoughts on this.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Nativity Collection
My collection keeps growing.
A "mommy gift" came with a baby gift already way back in January -- from the thoughtful friend who got me started on this collection. Thanks, Margaret!
A couple little ones bought throughout the year:
A couple new ones crafted in woods that are currently works-in-progress (watch for those in a later post).
And a little nativity creativity with Legos -- designed and created by boys, as a surprise for Mommy. Isn't that sweet?:
A "mommy gift" came with a baby gift already way back in January -- from the thoughtful friend who got me started on this collection. Thanks, Margaret!
A couple little ones bought throughout the year:
A couple new ones crafted in woods that are currently works-in-progress (watch for those in a later post).
And a little nativity creativity with Legos -- designed and created by boys, as a surprise for Mommy. Isn't that sweet?:
Misty's Quincy
Who is Misty, you say?
Misty is our dog, a fun-loving black lab resident at Klasse Woods.
What's a quincy?
It is a man-made snow cave. A pile of snow, any size will harden a "crust" layer on the outside if left alone for an hour or more. Then a cave is hollowed out.
It is a technique that hikers and climbers use for safety & survival in cold climates. We learned of this one year in Saskatchewan when the winter had a low snow yield. It was amazing, the children could enjoy a new form of snow-play. It really doesn't take much snow at all to make a pile big enough for a person to climb in. It is also amazingly warm.
Thus the idea to make a dog house for our dog. We modified it a bit by just covering her previous barrel house with snow. The blue 45 gallon barrel is just laying on its side with a "door" cut into the bottom end of it. It keeps her warm & dry. Now, a nice fresh bed of straw and the dog's own body warmth make it a cozy place for our outdoor dog to take her winter naps.
Our boys had fun shoveling a pile of snow for Misty's own quincy. Thanks guys for taking care of the animals.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
One Way to Feed the Hungry
I just ran across a way we can help give 1 cup of food to a hungry person around the world. Thanks Because He Gave blog.
Give a cup of food with two clicks:
All you have to do is click the button above. Then on the large yellow button on that page. Your simple click will donate that cup of food.
You can click everyday and make sure to give that hungry mouth a meal.
Give Because He Gave
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
An Historic Moment @ Klasse Woods
The biggest tree on our property came down today. It was struck with the disease that is taking many of the big trees in the Spruce Woods surrounding us.
Thus our interest in BMP harvesting -- Best Management Practices is a Manitoba government program that is attempting to clean up Manitoba's hardwood stands in riparian areas by taking out dead trees first, then diseased trees and finally good trees that can be removed for monetary profit, but also by their removal encouraging the regeneration of the forest.
This program fits with our desire to be good stewards of the land that God has blessed us with. We are grateful that our two oldest sons have been able to take woodlot safety management courses that certify them as BMP loggers, giving them knowledge in how to be safe in this work.
The bystanders got in on the fun at the end.
Color Our World
Our twins enjoy coloring. They have since very young. Their walls, our walls and now their door are often covered with their artwork. Cutting and pasting rate right up their also in the FUN category.
Their school workbooks are often splashed with color also. Their attention span at this delightful passtime is nothing short of amazing:
Jehovah Jireh
God has provided. Our faith is strengthened yet again.
The hunters were faithful in going out to hunt, but managed only to bring home two does -- we had estimated that we would need about five deer based on our consumption last year.
Well, the end of hunting season 2009 came and went and our hunters still only had the two does that God had allowed Carsyn to harvest. As a family, we discussed the concern that was on all our minds. We decided that since God knows our needs, we can trust that He has provided. We have venison enough for now, we have our own yummy, healthy chicken and beef as well ... with more beef in our pasture. We have MUCH to be thankful for -- THANK YOU, LORD!
It was nearly three hours after the hunt time had ended -- which means three hours after dark when suddenly we had a visitor at our door. Ken's brother stopped by. He had hunted solo all day, shooting his target buck finally just three minutes before the end of the hunt day. Thankfully, it was a good shot and the buck dropped just a few feet from where it was hit, no tracking needed. HOWEVER, it was a BIG buck, thus Darryl needed to field dress the animal (in the dark) then get it back through the bush to where he had parked his truck. AND in addition, when he had left the truck there before dawn Darryl had locked his keys into the vehicle! So after dark when he finally got back to the truck with his buck, he still had to figure out a way to get into his truck.
God got all the glory when Darryl told us that God had given him Divine wisdom in how to use what he had available to him to gain entry into his vehicle (CAA would have never been able to find him in the vast 120 square miles of the Spruce Woods park!). His method of entry was ingenious to say the least. Who would have thought of that without Divine inspiration?
Have you guessed by now that this story all ties together by the fact that Darryl stopped by to gift us with the meat from that big buck? Being a single guy and having already shot a doe with his bow in archery season, he had no need for the meat so he gave us the meat with its possession tag to make it legal for us to have it in possession in our freezers.
The men folk enjoyed the time spent together in our big shop, skinning and hanging the deer, talking and discussing their hunting expeditions all the while. Darryl didn't need to journey the rest of the way home with that huge task still waiting for him to do alone once he got there because it was already done. He measured the chest of that huge buck - it was 43 inches, bigger than any he has ever seen ... and he is an avid hunter with a lot of hunts to his experience.
So Saturday ended with a delightful Divine surprise for us and for Darryl. We now have approximately 225 lbs of roasts, cuts and ground venison wrapped and in the freezers. God has provided. If that is not enough to get us through until next season, God will have more provision for when we need it! We have no doubt about that.
We were also reminded again about the fact that venison is the healthiest meat available to us through my mother's reading of the book "What the Bible Says about Healthy Living" written by the late Dr. Rex Russell. We have read the book a long while ago, but it was good to hear this venison info once again, especially right now.
The hunters were faithful in going out to hunt, but managed only to bring home two does -- we had estimated that we would need about five deer based on our consumption last year.
Well, the end of hunting season 2009 came and went and our hunters still only had the two does that God had allowed Carsyn to harvest. As a family, we discussed the concern that was on all our minds. We decided that since God knows our needs, we can trust that He has provided. We have venison enough for now, we have our own yummy, healthy chicken and beef as well ... with more beef in our pasture. We have MUCH to be thankful for -- THANK YOU, LORD!
It was nearly three hours after the hunt time had ended -- which means three hours after dark when suddenly we had a visitor at our door. Ken's brother stopped by. He had hunted solo all day, shooting his target buck finally just three minutes before the end of the hunt day. Thankfully, it was a good shot and the buck dropped just a few feet from where it was hit, no tracking needed. HOWEVER, it was a BIG buck, thus Darryl needed to field dress the animal (in the dark) then get it back through the bush to where he had parked his truck. AND in addition, when he had left the truck there before dawn Darryl had locked his keys into the vehicle! So after dark when he finally got back to the truck with his buck, he still had to figure out a way to get into his truck.
God got all the glory when Darryl told us that God had given him Divine wisdom in how to use what he had available to him to gain entry into his vehicle (CAA would have never been able to find him in the vast 120 square miles of the Spruce Woods park!). His method of entry was ingenious to say the least. Who would have thought of that without Divine inspiration?
Have you guessed by now that this story all ties together by the fact that Darryl stopped by to gift us with the meat from that big buck? Being a single guy and having already shot a doe with his bow in archery season, he had no need for the meat so he gave us the meat with its possession tag to make it legal for us to have it in possession in our freezers.
The men folk enjoyed the time spent together in our big shop, skinning and hanging the deer, talking and discussing their hunting expeditions all the while. Darryl didn't need to journey the rest of the way home with that huge task still waiting for him to do alone once he got there because it was already done. He measured the chest of that huge buck - it was 43 inches, bigger than any he has ever seen ... and he is an avid hunter with a lot of hunts to his experience.
So Saturday ended with a delightful Divine surprise for us and for Darryl. We now have approximately 225 lbs of roasts, cuts and ground venison wrapped and in the freezers. God has provided. If that is not enough to get us through until next season, God will have more provision for when we need it! We have no doubt about that.
We were also reminded again about the fact that venison is the healthiest meat available to us through my mother's reading of the book "What the Bible Says about Healthy Living" written by the late Dr. Rex Russell. We have read the book a long while ago, but it was good to hear this venison info once again, especially right now.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Decorative .... Butter?
I like this idea!
These decorative pats of butter add a festive touch to a special dinner. They are very easy to make using inexpensive candy molds.
Simply let the butter soften on the countertop for about 30 minutes. Then, using a butter knife or small spatula, fill the molds. Check the underside to be sure there are no air bubbles.
Set the mold in the freezer for a short time to let the butter harden (it will be easier to get out of the mold if you do this). By applying a small amount of pressure to the underside of the mold, the butter should just pop out. Do be careful though not to dent the butter.
Thanks to Amy from The Prudent Pantry.
These decorative pats of butter add a festive touch to a special dinner. They are very easy to make using inexpensive candy molds.
Simply let the butter soften on the countertop for about 30 minutes. Then, using a butter knife or small spatula, fill the molds. Check the underside to be sure there are no air bubbles.
Set the mold in the freezer for a short time to let the butter harden (it will be easier to get out of the mold if you do this). By applying a small amount of pressure to the underside of the mold, the butter should just pop out. Do be careful though not to dent the butter.
Thanks to Amy from The Prudent Pantry.
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