First, let’s talk about the snowstorms—it’s been an absolute rollercoaster. One day, we’re battling heavy snow, gusting winds, and bone-chilling cold. The next, the sun comes out, warming things up just enough, but the snow stubbornly sticks around. Don’t get us wrong—we love the snow; it’s beautiful. It’s the relentless, biting wind that makes things tough! We’ve already driven through near whiteout conditions twice—once after I wrapped up firefighter training in Oromocto, and the other… well, that one was by choice. But more on that later.
One day, after finishing deliveries in Saint John and running on a potent mix of Starbucks and Timbits, I decided to finally join the Local Boys for their 90’s Night (I’d missed way too many). The crew for the night was Jessie, Shaun, and Nathan. We kicked things off with a—wait for it—coffee crawl. Yep, we started at one Starbucks and somehow ended up at another inside a mall, conveniently attached to a bookstore. We were probably the loudest group there, reminiscing about the 90s and early 2000s like true millennials.
At first, it was just Jessie, Nathan, and me, but then Shaun joined in, proudly showing off his mustache like it was the star of the evening. After our coffee-fueled nostalgia session, we did what every mall rat of our generation used to do—we cruised the mall. The only difference now? Our bodies creak, our backs ache, and we can’t stay up past 10 pm without consequences. While we wandered, we noticed that a bunch of stores were having massive fire sales—Bootlegger, Ricki’s, and others—because the parent company was filing for bankruptcy. No one knew which locations would survive, so it felt like a weird retail apocalypse.
Nathan, secretly on a mission, was hunting for a cowboy hat to complete Shaun’s mustache aesthetic. All that aimless walking worked up an appetite, and we knew exactly where to go—the one place that has defied inflation for years: Costco. Because nothing hits like a $1.50 hot dog and pop!
Now, hold onto your hats because the night got even crazier. Fueled by caffeine, processed meat, and nostalgia, we hit up a pool hall. Since most of us are terrible at the game (except for Shaun, the pool shark), we paired up. My first shot? I scratched and sunk the eight ball… immediately. Shaun, without missing a beat, requested a new partner. Fast forward to the last game, and somehow, against all odds, I was on fire. I cleared almost the entire table and even sank the eight ball in the exact pocket I called. Legendary. None of us saw it coming. (Especially me!)
By then, it was 9 PM, and I still had an hour’s drive home, so I had to call it a night. The boys, however, decided to push the limits of winter logic and hit up DQ for Blizzards. In the middle of the freezing cold. Crazy party animal behavior.
All in all, it was a wild night. 90s Night was definitely worth staying up past my bedtime for.
Al had been doing open mic nights a lot at Mama’s Pub on Brookside, and we kept saying, “We should go one of these nights.” Well, after another day of deliveries in Saint John, we finally made it happen—a double date!
The day had been sunny and beautiful, but the moment we actually planned to go out, the sky dumped a ton of snow on us. I knew the second round of firefighter classes had been canceled because of the storm, but we decided to go anyway. Thankfully, Al drove all four of us in his truck—it had studded tires, making the drive much easier in the piling snow.
Al packed his guitar and bongos, and I brought my Nikon D850 along with the Sigma 135mm f/1.8 and Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8D for some closer shots. I hadn’t shot in a while, and I always love the ambiance and lighting in live music venues.
When we arrived at Mama’s Pub, we walked in through the front doors and quickly turned right, steering away from the dining tables. A staff member led us down a short hallway into a cozy stage area with small tables, chairs, and a bar at the back. It felt intimate and had such a cool vibe.
For open mic night, performers put their names on a list and played up to three songs before handing the stage off to the next act. We heard everything—rock, country, pop, blues, and a mix of styles in between. The atmosphere was incredible.
We ordered food, which came in To-Go bags (a bit unexpected, but not a dealbreaker). Mandy had quesadillas and fries, while I went for Thai chili chicken wings. I stuck to pop while Mandy enjoyed a spiced rum and Coke.
It was a fantastic night—great music, great company, and the perfect excuse to dust off my camera.
Another new place we got to try was a cute local coffee shop near the housing projects at Two Nations Crossing. They have over one hundred tiny homes built and they are so colourful and we approve of the experiment here! However, we were not overly impressed with the coffee shop. It’s got a cute aesthetic and a very cozy vibe to it. But the coffee came in just one size and they poured waaaaay too much flavouring into ours and it was meh coffee. We may have to sit down and try their lunch as it did look appetizing. The proceeds from the coffee shop does go to help expand the housing project which is a good thing.
The snow has been piling up, and the temperatures have been colder than usual—well below the seasonal average. Hauling water three to four times a day has become part of our routine, especially for the rabbits and quail.
The ducks’ plug-in water bowl didn’t stand a chance against the snow and ice—it got buried and eventually froze solid. We weren’t fast enough to keep it above the snow level. Since it couldn’t keep up with the cold, we switched to a rubber feed bowl instead. The only downside? The ducks love to dump it over, so we’re constantly refilling it every time we walk by. Of course that could be an upside as they have very clean water.
The chickens have been holding up well, and thankfully, we haven’t had any more losses in the past week—that’s a huge relief. Egg production has been slow, with about three eggs a day, and on lucky days, they’re even not frozen! With the cold weather taking its toll on the flock, I’ve been giving them an extra scoop of black oil sunflower seeds and scratch to help boost their calorie intake and keep them going. I know the chickens miss their big run since they’ve mostly been staying in the coop.
Can you find the chicken?
The turkeys, on the other hand, don’t seem to care about the cold at all. All five are the first ones out in the morning and the last to roost in the evening. As the days slowly get longer—if not warmer—the male turkeys have been gobbling more, which is always a sure sign that spring must be coming… eventually.
Our goats are all healthy and strong, and the ladies are thicc and round with pregnancy. Tessy is due in just 32 days, with Missy following a few days later and June right after that. Knowing our luck, all three will probably go into labor at the same time!
We recently picked up another 30 bales of second-cut orchard/timothy hay—it’s a bit fancy for goats, but the farm selling it is only 30 minutes away and has plenty available. The first time we bought hay from them, Addy was wearing his Stanley Firefighting high-vis coat and ended up chatting about the fire hall—who the chief is, who else is on the team, and so on. That seemed to win the guy over because now he likes us and will save hay for us if we ask. It’s great to have a good grass dealer… err, hay contact!
I made Addy’s birthday cake using a vanilla cake recipe with swirls of strawberry jam mixed in. For the icing, I went with a basic buttercream but added powdered freeze-dried strawberries and a splash of lime juice to cut the sweetness a bit. I sliced the cake into three layers, spreading a little extra jam between each one before icing the whole thing. Simple—not exactly flat—but it turned out great! It was even better with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side. I think he had fun! I know I did.
Winter on the homestead is a time for rest and socializing. With the garden quiet and the livestock needing less hands-on work, we finally get a chance to slow down. I’ve been enjoying the extra time—catching up on TV, playing a few games, and going out with friends. But, man, are we ever looking forward to warmer weather!? Yup! Or at least warm enough for the garden hose to work again—getting water for the animals is so much easier that way.
Garfield and Gizmo are more than ready for spring! Their boredom is driving us nuts, and they’re making sure we know it. Meanwhile, Lola, Marigold, and Bucky seem to prefer the slow, lazy days, soaking up all the cuddles they can get. Honestly, we think they might enjoy the winter calm a little too much! They’re definitely not fans of the freezing cold outside, though. As city dogs, their paws don’t stand a chance in -25°C, so bathroom breaks are as quick as possible!
Thanks for catching up with us! Reading to the bottom really helps us keep the blog going, and we appreciate it. Stay tuned—there are plenty of exciting projects on the horizon! We’re diving into garden planning, fencing, and gathering supplies for kidding season. Plus, we have big plans to expand the goat area and paddock. So much to look forward to!
Until next week—kisses from Garfield! 🐾
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