Details and errands

We've been slowly getting acquainted with and settled in to the acreage house.  You may think that we would be completely set with the vanful of stuff that we brought with us, but we came to an almost completely empty house and we are finding that we really are lacking some things. Like blinds or curtains, somewhere to put our clothes, a flyswatter, a good whippersnipper and wheelbarrow. There is no Ikea here, no Home Outfitters, no Walmart. There is barely kijiji. So there's no quick or easy (or cheap) answer for these things (except the flyswatter).

So this week the list of things we are after has sent us to bigger places and different stores. Sometimes the timing is tricky to track down kijiji things or garage sale items.  We've mostly been successful with small items and new items. We went to Costco in Saskatoon, bought plants at a sizeable greenhouse nearby, discovered a bigger Canadian Tire in PA (Prince Albert - don't let the abbreviation confuse you for months) and even tracked down a Starbucks there. Yesterday we were in Nipiwin for a church garage sale and picked up a light fixture for the kitchen. The experience of scavenger hunt shopping takes getting used to, and planning, grouping items by city they're available in.  The planning requirement is probably good for us. We have started making many lists. Lists of things to buy, lists of yard work, lists of research that's needed, lists of things to do in a wifi zone.... We are going to be so organized!

We have a couple of big missions on our list - figuring out getting  water running in the house, and getting Internet.  The system that was in place for water is out of commission and so everywhere we go includes stopping and asking questions about parts and pumps and water systems.  Internet seems like it just may be out of the question for us due to cost. The setup fee is just not worth it to have it for a couple months. So I think we've almost given up on that one. But we have tracked down a coffee shop with free wifi (again, not as common here), and we're taking advantage of the local library for movies to watch. (They have an excellent library system!)

The garden is doing well. It's nice to have the time to do some reading on it and try to learn how to do it properly (instead of haphazardly). I decided on a spot for the hostas and created a bed close to the house for them, a lupine and an anemone. The veggie garden now has: arugula, spinach, kale, carrots, tomatoes, cucumber and yellow beans, and some of the first ones I've planted are coming up! It's nice to have the routine of watering it everyday (although sometimes I dislike the work it is to haul the water). We've also added a wee herb garden (to become a herb pot) containing rosemary, chives, oregano and parsley. There's a much less obstructed path to the veggie garden now - Jeff's been tackling the outdoor respectability of the place; getting the grass & trees trim (a big job).   It's looking better all the time!  And I've been slowly tackling the caraganas we want gone.