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2 In Adventures/ Country Life

Born to Buck

Well, it’s alllllmost time for the PBR to come to town!!  And we couldn’t be more excited!!  We loved watching it last year and can’t wait to find ourselves in the stands again this as the fireworks go off and the riders get ready to strap on the bulls that were born to buck!!!

Last year I was fortunate enough to chat with Zane Lambert { you can read it HERE } and this year, well, this year I took a slightly different approach as a nod to the handsome Mr. Byrne’s love of well-muscled bulls.  I had the privilege of chatting with Jake Wilson, a stock handler on the PBR tour on the east coast, he is responsible for the bulls under his care through Wild Hoggs Bucking Bulls.

So, what does it mean to be a stock handler? Essentially, Jake is the bulls’ coach, care giver, pen-cleaner and food provider.  And that is no small task.  These 1400-1600 lb beasts require a pile of food, lots of exercise and not to mention being carefully transported from event to event so they remain in prime condition and good health.

I’ll admit I was geeking out over all this.  I guess I heard more of what Michael was talking about all those years!!  Jake talked about the fact that bulls are bred from past top performers, the ability to be a good bull, a good bucker, if you will, is passed down through genetics.  I asked if there was a specific beef breed represented in the bulls, but not really, the genetics are more about being a good bucking bull than keeping a breed’s blood lines pure.  And the average age of these PBR bulls? They range in age of 4 to 7 years old.  They start working with the promising bulls at about age 2.  But if they won’t buck, they won’t buck.  Some of them love to put on a good show and love to kick up their heels, and those are the prime bulls for bull riding.

These bulls eat a pile of food in the run of a day.  They are fed a specially formulated ration of grain both morning and night, along with loads of hay.  They are eating upwards of 38 lbs of food a day!!  But these bulls are top performing athletes and need to be fueled for the job, too.

Jake had mentioned exercising the bulls and that really piqued my curiosity – how do you exercise a huge bull like these guys? I asked!! They do a warm-up of walking up and down an alley-way then some easy jogging, 4-6 bulls together at a time. After they are adquately warmed up, they are let loose in a larger square pen to ‘play’ in a pile of sawdust or sand for a while.  Jake said it’s like watching kids get out on a playground, the running and digging that takes place!!  Then they cool back down by walking and jogging again in the alley before going back to their pen.

The PBR has travelled east with a team of 47 bulls.  They come from different stock contractors, each bull with it’s own stats and reputation within the bull riding circut.   Each bull gets a rating and the top 10 bulls are the top picks of the riders when it comes time to draw for an event…much like the starting line up of any other athletic team.

When I asked Jake about whether or not he had a favourite { because, come on, who doesn’t have a favourite rodeo bull 😉 } he talked about Tykro Pound Sand.  And guys, it was so neat to hear him get excited about this bull, about how he tries his best to shake that rider loose and if he can’t, then he’s going for the points.  He’s top dog and he knows it.

I can appreciate the hard work that it takes behind the scenes to care for these bulls.  In bull riding, you need a good bull to give you a good ride.  And these athletes, both the two leged and fourlegged ones need to be in prime condition and well taken care of.  And in Jake’s care, there’s no doubt these beasts are!

Colourfully yours,

Lori

PS if you want to go watch the bull-riding action this Saturday night in Halifax, buy your tickets HERE!!!

Disclaimer: I was provided with tickets and the chance to interview Jake Wilson by PBR Canada, but my take on it is just that 😉

 

 

 

1 In Adventures/ Blogging/ Decorating

House Tour of Our reFRESH Airbnb

I know you all love a good house tour so I thought I’d share a tour of the amazing Airbnb . First off, I love the name. La Belle Brise. Every Airbnb should have such a lovely name, no?

If you followed along this past weekend on Instagram, you will have seen some bits and pieces from our weekend away on the shores in Grand Etang.  { And if you missed it, check out the highlights 😉 } I invited some fellow bloggers to join me for a getaway weekend to focus on our blogs, relax and deepen our connections.  You can read what I said leading up to the retreat HERE.

Guys, I could’ve moved right in there and stayed forever.  This place was amazingly homey and so very welcoming.  Plus, her favourite colours are red and turquiose….which is obvious as soon as you crest the hill and look down over the inlet and catch that first glimpse of the house.  Oh my red-and-turquoise-loving heart!!!  It was perfection!

Everywhere you looked, there was a little touch of personality – from old weathered buoys, to parts of lobster traps displayed as art to the authentically old farmhouse table with mismatched chairs that graced the kitchen.  The house with full of charm and character but was still modern and functional.

 

 

When I say character, I mean the old house charm! The perfect squeak on the stairs, the chippy red painted second storey floors, doors that swing closed due to years of the house settling into itself, and cozy little rooms tucked under the eaves.  I would love to hear the stories the walls could tell!  When we chatted with our hostess, Paula, she said that it did belong to a fisherman, so I’m sure there would be some pretty great stories!

If you are looking to hit the Cabot Trail this summer, or looking for a cozy spot for a getaway, I highly recommend La Belle Brise.  You can find the Airbnb listing HERE and the FB page HERE.  Not only is the house amazing, Paula was a wonderful hostess, too.  I, of course, had loads of random questions for her and she answered very quickly plus left a note and salted caramels, too!!

I plan on sharing more about our weekend retreat, but as I go through this week, I find myself wishing I was still tucked into that seaside house, puttering around.

Colourfully yours,

Lori

PS Even though we we were gifted our accommadations, my take on it is just that 😉

 

 

5 In Adventures/ Blogging

reFRESH Bloggers Retreat

I’ve had something up my sleeve for a while now.  A retreat…..for bloggers!! Eeeeekkk!!! I’m so excited to see my quiet plans coming together to treat some fellow bloggers to a weekend away and spoil them.  Let me introduce you to reFRESH – a Blogger’s Writing Retreat!!!

 

My goal for this retreat is this – To create an atmosphere to step away from the everyday noise to allow full thoughts to gather, ideas to flow and deeper connections form in a safe, positive environment.

Like any good planner, I needed to come up with a name.  I had hummmed and hahhed and kinda wrote down a name that I was considering and really, it was the only one I came up with.  Then when I started to hash details out with Colleen, we both landed on the exact same name without the other knowing!  And then Christine did up my adorable logo – I love it so much!  That wheelbarrow!!  { Thanks Christine!!  Everyone go book her sessions for Mother’s Day HERE!!! }

And guys, I have connected with the perfect Airbnb hostess who happens to have the most colourful, most amazing home perched on the water!  If you have followed me for any length of time, you know my love for red and turquoise!! Guys, check this place out!! It couldn’t be more perfect, right?!?!?

I’m working on gathering up all sorts of goodies to spoil these bloggers.  And it’s working – I’ve had so many local businesses come on board with me for this part of the weekend!  I’m not going to share here just yet because I want it to be a surprise for the bloggers who will be joining me!

I’m menu planning, stocking piling and making notes.  I can’t wait to escape to this seaside home and do things like eat lobster fresh from the wharf, have a taco bar, chat, write, maybe hike and no doubt laugh.  I want the connections between these bloggers to deepen.  I want to leave with a renewed sense of the direction Farm Fresh is heading. I want to eat good food in the company of good people. Doesn’t that sound like what everybody needs every now and then?

It was hard work, chasing sponsors and lining up bloggers to attend!! Apparently the long weekend in May is a busy one!  But all the work will be worth it and I can’t wait to report back and show you all the pictures of the fun we had over the course of the weekend.

Colourfully yours,

Lori

 

In Adventures/ Blogging

Foodie Friends

Recently I was invited to attend an event at Kitchen Door Catering Co. event in their beautiful new Dartmouth location earlier the same day I was planning on visiting some friends in the city, anyway.  It was a no-brainer that I was going to make that happen!  

I’ve watched some of the live events that Kitchen Door does on Facebook, so I knew we’d be in for a good time.  Laughter and tasty food seem to be the trend, and I wasn’t disappointed!  From the moment we walked in, until the last of us actually left, we were spoiled and shown incredible hospitality!  Patty was a wonderful hostess, showing us all the wonderful things they have to offer.

I want to talk about the main area.  I was so impressed by the character and warmth they brought into what could be a cold expansive space.  Chippy cabinets, a gorgeous plate wall, inviting couches and chairs and spool tables with loads of personality – you know they are speaking my language!  I can just see this space bustling with customers grabbing lunch and some frozen goodies for supper, too.  Or a catered event happening in the evening, as people mingle and chat, while eating the most delicious finger foods.

They gave us a tour of the entire space.  From the bathrooms with the witty signs, to the huge walk-in freezers and fridges. From the magic coffee maker to the cooking classroom, all the way to the beautiful dining area over looking Dartmouth. You could tell that every detail was well planned, with thought for down the road, too, leaving options for expansion later.

After our tour, we all settled around the long dining tables.  We were served wine, infused water, delicious sandwiches and salads, with Chef Andrew telling us about each dish.  When a room full of bloggers sit down to a lunch that is as beautiful as it is tasty, you know full well that we’re going to be snapping pictures and arranging vignettes to share with our audience.  And this was no exception! I think we all took a bunch of pictures before we settled into the tasty meal in front of us.  There is always chatter and laughter when we all get together.  We may not see each other in person as often as we like, but we do connect online regularly.  So when we do get together, we really just pick up where we left off.

After we cleaned up the sandwiches and salad, they brought out dessert.  Now, lunch was delicious and beautiful, but dessert was a show stopper.  Meringue topped with fresh fruit, lemon cookies that were the freshest cookie I had ever eaten and mini egg brownies!  Yum! Not only was it a treat for the taste buds, it was so pleasing to the eye, too.  Almost too pretty to eat….almost 😉  I’ve admitted my sweet tooth before…

We lingered over the meal, catching up and chatting about life.  Some people had to go to get kids off the bus or head off to meetings.  But the rest of us didn’t want to leave.  Even though the Kitchen Door crew had a bag filled with goodies for us when we left, it wasn’t enough to actual make us leave!  Photo shoots happened, more laughter, selfies – the typical blogger-style lingering.

Colleen is always game for the ridiculous suggestions I make…

Even though I am not in the city and can’t tap into all that Kitchen Door has to offer regularly, I look forward to popping by when I am in the city.  And I encourage all my local peeps to do the same!  If you’re down there running errands for the day, be sure to grab lunch and pick something up for supper so you can still provide your family with a flavourful supper without the hassle of making it yourself.  Or, grab a bunch of girlfriends, register for a cooking class and make getaway out of it!  I can’t wait to go to a cooking class there – cooking isn’t something I’d say I’m great at, I can throw a meal together but there is tons of room for improvement!

I highly recommend you give Kitchen Door a follow/like over on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter and join the fun.  Here’s an example of what you’ll be in store for:

 

Events like this are always so much fun.  You can check out a few other such events I attended HERE, HERE and HERE.  Patty and the Kitchen Door crew made us feel welcomed and spoiled us, so huge thank you to all of them for the 5-star treatment!  And the goodie bag? Well, I ate well the next day – chicken pot pie, wonton chips, tasty chocolate squares and carmel corn – which I did even share, if you can imagine!!

Colourfully yours,

Lori

PS I was provided this experience by Kitchen Door Catering Co. but my take on it was just that 😉

In Adventures/ Country Life/ Life/ Our Family

When the Sun Shines

The time has changed here in Nova Scotia, and I’ll be the first to admit that it kicked my butt.  I was exhausted.  I hated waking up in the dark again.  But I certainly did enjoy the lighter evenings.  So when a sunny Saturday arrived, I just wanted to go for a drive.

I’m not sure what it is about the early Spring weather that makes me want to hit the highway.  I would love to stay home all winter long.  If the weather was the lest bit bad, I just wanted to be under a blanket.  But, the sun has changed it’s glow and it’s time to explore again!

Saturday evening, it was time for a drive.  We didn’t venture far.  Just to Caribou Island.  The sky was blue, there is still ice in the strait and thankfully they paved the road at some point or it would be a mud bath for the car.  Not that that has ever stopped me from going on a drive!

The lighthouse at the end of the island looked so stark against the blue sky.  It was so perfectly Nova Scotian.  I think I may want to hit as many Nova Scotian lighthouses as I can this summer.  They are just so interesting, historic and scenic.  All things we love to explore.

We stopped at Waterside beach but the seaweed had taken over the beach and we just had a quick peek at the shore and turned around….besides, we didn’t want to disturb the couple that has found a sunny, quiet spot to enjoy their evening, either.  Beaches in March tend to be a lot more private and it felt wrong to evade.  Besides, the girls wanted to run on the boardwalk. And I wanted them worn out for bedtime.

When we left Waterside, we headed down the Sunrise Trail.  The light had changed and the sky glowed with an eerie yellow light and the rain started to hit the windshield.  Lena spotted a huge, vibrant double rainbow so I pulled over and turned to capture it, to no avail.  It’s just always better in person.  And it was way too big for one camera frame.  But you get the idea.

Since it was the day before St. Patrick’s Day, finding a rainbow to dance under, to think on the promises God gives us and to just appreciate all that we have seemed perfect.  It was a great way to spend a Saturday evening.

Colourfully yours,

Lori