photos! again....

There seems to have been a glitch with my last post...so I think I have fixed it
and am reposting...(sorry for the repeat!)

So, we are well into our small home experiment and we are still working out the glitches!

The biggest one is our internet connection. We are sharing wireless internet access and our "cottage" has a tin roof which seems to be blocking the wireless signal and so far we have had internet only a few times over the past three months. We have moved the computer (again) and so far (about three hours) it is working! hurray! I am keeping my fingers crossed and while it is up I thought I would share a few photos as my blog has been looking very black and white.




our vehicle heavily weighed down (notice how close the uhaul is to the tires!) in Quebec

Interior view...can you find the kids? As I said we were VERY weighed down.

We didn't make many stops this trip (see above for explanation) but we did stop at the parliament buildings
 in Ottawa...
I love them!

When I downloaded my pictures I realized almost all of my cross-Canada photos were of hay fields through the prairies...
I love driving through the prairies even though many people warn me of how boring they are...I think they are beautiful;
must be in my blood or something...
Our trip seems so long ago now. I would love to do it again without all of my worldly possessions in tow.



When downloading I also discovered I had taken way too many photos of my canning ( I was SO happy
to be able to get to the Okanagan in time to can). In the end, even though we didn't arrive until the end of August
I still managed to put away 250 jars of produce. Just wait until next year!!!


Here are a few of my favourites...



We arrived just as cherry season was ending...I didn't get any canned but did manage to pit and freeze a few large
ziploc bags full...and have since made the best cherry, chocolate chunk scones...which were eaten too quickly to get
a photo...next time!

We also caught the end of the green beans and with those I made....

Dilly Beans

Which I have never had...and I couldn't believe how crunchy they are! I only made seven jars
but next year I think I will make a few more - the kids love them!

I was able to get a lot of tomatoes and so I canned some (first time canning tomatoes and I don't know
why I didn't do it before...so easy!) I froze tomatoes pureed with fresh basil in large ziploc bags for sauce,
I also made ketchup, BBQ sauces and Salsa...

and I oven-dried tomatoes...very time consuming, but well worth it - they are delicious!

Peaches were one of the things that I missed the most about the Okanagan. Store bought peaches
are just not the same as those purchased from a local orchard.

and I made three kinds of pickles.

I really love having a closet full of canned goods! And I love that everything turned out.

Our small home experiment is still going well most of the time. Our biggest problem right now is the amount
of condensation in the house. There is no fan for the stove and there are six of us breathing in a small space...
we are starting to try and combat mold on the windows and in the front entrance. We have had to shuffle things
around and I've had to pack away some items to reduce clutter but I think we may now have that under control....
I hope!

I am missing having all of my books and dishes out. And my daughter is not too excited about sharing a room with her
brothers. The kids are all in the loft (largest room) and we have curtained off an area for my daughter, but it is just not
the same as having a room to oneself. We are creating a curtained off room for my oldest son today as well... and
hopefully that will satisfy for now. Other than that it is all good and I am learning that very little space is needed. I think
the problem lies not in the amount of space each person has but in the amount of stuff we have accumulated and now we
don't have room for it. That may have to be our next experiment! I have been homeschooling the kids and have noticed
a HUGE difference in the way they are getting along. I am loving all the extra family time (minus dad). The oldest three
have all learned to play chess and have been having competitions. With the snow arriving this past week we have also
been able to get in our daily tobaggan run and for the first time ( I think ever!) I am loving our Canadian winter...

so far, so good! I'll keep you posted!