Back From Another Great Vacation

We've been home for a few days now. The trip was great! I wish we could do that all summer long, every year. It's not so much the uncomfortable sleeps, the cold mornings, the rainy days outside or even the sunny days on the beach, finding really cool places for a hike or enjoying the drive on roads we've never been down. It's just so nice to escape everyday life! Not to think about money (well, not too much). Putting the brain on vacation mode!

Every year we start plotting and planning a way we could prolong vacation time, but reality just keeps hauling us back! Boo! We hate you reality. Go bother someone else and let me have my bank account that never runs out despite the fact that I've decided that work is lame and I find new ways to enjoy freedom!

Well back to the real life I must go. At least I got my tax situation cleared up and received a long awaited bit of cash. There are so many things we need to take care of that it will gone in no time. I did get to take the kids on a nice back to school shopping spree (I still hate to send them back. In my dream world I am also a super homeschooling mama, but I just can't seem to make that a reality either)

We're also getting a new minivan. I will have to post pics of the old van and the new van to really appreciate what a big deal this is, haha! All I will say for now is that it was looooong overdue, lol! It's a 2003 Venture, very new by our standards. We were accepted for financing which makes me feel like a real grown up at last (at the tender age of 38).

Peter and I are also planning to use some of the money for our business plan. I tell more about it later. It's very exciting and I feel like it's a time for action! I want to make more of the dream world a reality at last!

Which Harry Potter Character Are You?

Which Harry Potter Character Are You?
	You are part Harry. You're a loyal and courageous friend. You'd do anything to protect the people you love, especially if it'll get you a break from class for a little while.
	You are part Ron. You're the typical sidekick. Sometimes you get jealous of your more popular friends, but that's only because you don't know how much work it is to be in the spotlight.
Find Your Character @ BrainFall.com

Grass Fire!

Last week we had a huge grass fire behind our house. It started with an old stump in the middle of the field that my dad had decided to burn. They brought a sprayer full of water to soak the ground around the burn, but it can take weeks for a stump to finish burning. The dry dead roots under ground can smolder for a very long time. I guess the stump had been burning for about a week and one windy day sparks were carried to the dry straw stubble of the field. It happened so fast! My mother noticed it when it was still a pretty small fire but it only took my parents a minute to decide that they were going to need help getting this fire under control. They called 911.

My father had to do something in the meantime. The wind was blowing the grass fire quickly to the natural gas well drilling site! They had struck a huge gas supply just a few days before! The man who was digging the well wasn't there that day but all of his equipment and machinery were there. One of the vehicles was a full water truck. My dad decided to soak the ground between the fire and the gas well with the water from the truck.

Soon after we had pretty much every volunteer fireman, truck and some helpful neighbors working to get the fire under control. I guessed 20 acres at least were burned. Some of the trees on the edge of the field are singed brown, but I think many of them will recover. The fire got within 10 metres of the gas well. Phew! Wonder what would have happened if . . . .?!