ALF our 36th Willing Worker, June 7 -12th

Anne-Laure or Alf as we came to know her was from France. Alf had been attending school in Quebec last winter and decided to spend some time in the Rockies wwoofing. We were Alf's 1st Wwoofing Hosts. Alf has travelled across Canada with some friends she met through a ride board. The shared ride sounded like an adventure in itself. Alf arrived on a Saturday evening and left for Vancouver on a Friday morning and arrived safe and sound. Even though Alf was here for a short time, we did manage to get out some. In this photo Alf is sitting on a bench that has grown in between two trees at the Bluewater Creek campsite. We also visited Thompson Falls, and the water was quite high.
Alf helped a lot in the garden, at a time when we were just starting to enjoy the salad plants. The last couple of days Alf helped Loren with the new Wwoofer House. Where she claimed the kitchen in her name. This was appropriate, as while Alf was here she did more than her fair share of cooking dinner, and they were great. Alf's Blogspot http://montrealtrippes.blogspot.com

Jana; July 7th to 12th. 38th Wwoofer

Jana, from Germany, was our 38th Wwoofer. Our 37th willing worker Stephanie is still here at the time I update this. Jana is quite the world traveller, and the Rockies are only one stop on her many visits. Jana was only here four and half days. But her and Stephanie quickly became friends, especially since Jana's English language skills were so good, and she could help Stephanie build on here English skills. Jana had been travelling around BC for the last couple of months, and was on her way to travel with her brother who was arriving in Calgary. We were a short wwoofing stop on the way. While Jana was here we did a good chunk of weeding the jungle in the potato patch. It still isn't done! Jana also helped with breakfasts in the lodge, as we had clients most of the days she was here. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't that great while Jana was here, as a matter of fact we had a 'rain day', the day when we had hoped to go hiking. Instead of hiking there was cleaning, baking (banana bread and rhubarb cake)and lots of visiting. That evening we watched a movie with some friends from Edmonton, Rick and another Jana. Friday evening the same friends had us over for a barbacue. The following morning Jana caught a ride with Rick and Jana as far as Canmore, where she planned to catch the bus to Calgary to rent a car and pick up her brother.

Anthony and Karine 'Amazing Couple"

Anthony and Karine, May 2nd to 23rd, 2008. Thirty fourth and fifth, Woofers
Anthony and Karine also from France arrived one day after Natasha. Originally, Loren and I had planned a holiday for the first three weeks of May, and had asked Anthony and Karine if they would house sit during this time. But since the spring was so late we cancelled and instead we kept three French travellers busy around the farm. Karine and Anthony were such a great team and Natacha fit right in. We felt so comfortable with them being here, that when they left we shed tears.
Anthony played the guitar, and was the first person Loren ever accompanied with his accordion. Karine spent her quiet times knitting fingerless gloves with recycled wool. She even knit Roxy a pair of ankle warmers. Anthony also liked to cook and we were never without cookies made by wwoofers.

Everyone helped with the weeding of the garden, but Karine and Natacha prepared the raised beds and planted much of the seeds. Karine also planted the potato patch. Both Karine and Natasha helped me plant trees on our woodlot, Natacha for one day, Karine for two. Karine said it wasn’t a job she would apply for.
The first big tasks Natacha, Karine and Anthony helped us with was landscaping in front of the lodge. The second task Tony started on with Loren and then Karine joined in. This was getting a good start on our new machine shed and bunk house near the barn. We put the footing posts in the ground the first part of May and by the 2nd week, Anthony had helped Loren at the sawmill, to mill all the 2 bys’ for floor joist, trusses, rafters and framing and 1 by for floor decking and roof strapping. Then they started building, framing the floor, blocking and decking the floor. Karine then joined the team and they framed the walls and put up roof rafters. If they would have stayed another week I am sure the metal would be on the roof. We have promised to name the South room after Karine and the North room after Tony (as known to Loren).
Karine and Tony liked to keep busy, and twice when they were not helping they hiked, first up Willowbank and the second time down to the Blaeberry River. Karine and Natacha even managed to get out on Duke and Duchess. Together we enjoyed evenings of music by the firepit, while Karine knit, icefishing at Susan Lake, Thompson Falls, a visit to a friends place on the Columbia River near Cedar Creek, walking along the Blaeberry River, hiking into Wapta Falls, watching crazy tv and bear watching drives in the neighbourhood.
As well, both of our neighbouring Wwoofer Hosts, had Woofers while Natacha, Anthony and Karine were here, so we arranged a Wwoofer gathering one evening, three from France, two from Germany and a lodge helper from Switzerland. They had such a good time, that a week later, they organized another gathering at Goldenwood where there was again three French Woofers, two German Woofers and two Swiss lodge helpers. All having a good time in the Rockies.
Loren drove Tony and Karine to the jct. of the Hwy. to Jasper at Lake Louis. There Karine and Anthony hitched a ride to Jasper and then they were headed to Valemont the next day to start their Wwoofing experience again. We hope we see these two again, before they head back to Quebec for the fall apple harvest.

Thirty-third Woofer: Natacha

Natacha from France, May 1st to May 15th, 2008; Second Wwoofer of 2008. Thirty third Wwoofer at Eh Canadian Farm Woodlot.

Natasha arrived by bus after a long trip across Canada. Natasha had been studying Geomorphology in Quebec and wanted to travel to the mountains before she headed back to France in June.
From the time I picked Natacha up from the bus until we dropped her in Revelstoke two weeks later, she wore a smile. Natacha’s first English to me was “I will like it here, there is so much nature, it is beautiful” and she said it while she smiled and laughed.
Natacha stayed in the guest room at our house because we had a Wwoofing couple, Anthony and Karine also from France, arriving the next day, and they would stay in the bus.
All three Wwoofers, worked hard together and apart. As a team they weeded the garden and stacked firewood. Together Karine and Natacha painted the facia on the greenhouse, helped with the brick floor in the new greenhouse, cleaned the barn and planted the garden and exercised the horses.
For fun we snowmachined into Susan Lake and went Ice-Fishing. And on top of it being a magnificent day, Loren and I caught our limit. One Saturday Karine, Anthony and Natasha hiked part ways up Willowbank Mtn. Unfortunately, hiking isn’t the best in our area, until late June, early July, the snow is just too low until then. Loren also took the crew to Thompson Falls.
Natacha left to woof at Quantum Leaps Lodge, where she walked on fire. The following week she returned here on a Friday, to catch a ride to Revelstoke to woof, and then she will come back to Golden to catch a ride to be a ww at Icefall Lodge, where there will certainly be snow. We look forward to hearing about Natacha’s time at Icefall, as it is a place we would like to visit ourselves.