....but at least there's no snow. Maybe on Sunday when it says *precipitation possible*. Since it doesn't say *rain*, I take it to mean they aren't sure. It depends on when it hits us. If it's at night, with a temp in the 20's expected, I will wake up to snow on the ground. It makes it a good thing that we separated the chicks into two bins, I guess.
I can't believe how fast they seem to be growing. They are at least triple or more bigger than when we got them. Of course, they are eating...a lot! No wonder parent birds go nuts trying to feed their babies in a nest. Poor things can't forage for themselves and they always seem to be hungry. The only time they don't seem to be eating is when they are sleeping. Well, almost.
Today the Beast got the electric out to the barn so that he could put the drop light in until he gets a window for the doors on the barn. I think he measured where he intends to put them and he probably ordered them. But at least we will be able to put the heat lamps in when we can finally put the chicks out there. That kind of worries me only because it means we MUST go out there a couple times a day to see how they are doing, if they need any more food, water...and cleaning the wood chips is a nightmare. AND IT STINKS!!! LOL.....
I told the Beast he should get the shop vac ready to use because he sure as hell won't be able to do anything better that won't make him nauseous. The trials of being a chicken farmer......
It was a fairly easy day today. I didn't end up making the corn muffins because the Beast just ate his bean soup when he got hungry and didn't even think about the fact that I wanted to make them. Oh well. I guess I will do it tomorrow. I didn't dare have any more bean soup. I was passing gas like crazy. Some of it, the Beast blamed on Baron since he has been doing it a lot, too. LOL! Poor dog.
I took my shower and even set my hair today instead of just combing it back and letting it dry while I slept (with a towel under my head). I shouldn't do that because my hair goes into a kind of finger-waving look and I hate it. I don't have the same worry with it in curlers although I hate having them in when it's night time and I have to sleep with them. I used to use ones as big as orange cans years ago when my hair was long. How I slept in those amazes me now. Since my hair is short, I can use smaller ones (except on top) and somehow that's not as bad.
Time to get some sleep. The gal the Beast has coming over to help with the housework (she's a missionary here temporarily to make some money to pay their expenses.). Her hubby is a CPA and does the taxes for big corporations. She is here at her parents home and he is in Oregon until he's done. They belong to the same church as the Beast and he wants to help them out. He knew her before she got married. I met her a couple times and she's very sweet. She just can't touch my computer room. That's MY area and I don't even let the Beast do anything in here. But that's just ME. My personal space. TYVM.
Love you all. Be good and be kind. Also be careful driving in whatever weather you have. Keep abreast of the weather news in your area at Weather.com. ***Hugs***
Monday, January 11, 2016
Sunday, January 10, 2016
The Chicks Have Real Feathers!!!!
Today we got a bit of a shock. The chicks have feathers on their wings! When they started spreading them, we were totally shocked to see that. Of course, that will change as they grow. I'm sure feathers don't grow (do they?) and they will be losing these as they get bigger but I'm no expert on that. But it was so damn cute to see them.
They are getting too big now to keep in the one bin so we are breaking them up tomorrow. Luckily, I had an empty bin (that I have plans for but, hey, for now we will use it) and we will set it up with all it needs. It will give the Beast a chance to change the wood chips in the old bin. It needs it. Then we will have two bins with 11 in each one. We only need it until this cold snap we are experiencing right now to pass so we can transfer them to the barn/shed/coop...LOL. Henceforth I will refer to it as the *coop* so I don't have to type all that.
We will still have heat lamps out there for them. Until they are bigger, they don't do well without it. Also, they will need it if we get snow of any depth because they don't do well in snow I understand. Today they actually started complaining when their food got low. It was funny to hear how loud they got. It's not like the feeder was empty, it was just really low with just the seeds in the tray and not very deep. Thankfully, the Beast bought two sets (it's the one time it was good that he did but he didn't get two bottles). He had figured that he could change the trays as needed for the chicks but use the same bottles. The bottles don't get dirty but the trays sure do. He'll go buy two bottles tomorrow.
I made us some leftovers today for dinner while the Beast was making his bean soup. Since the weather will be fairly cold for the next several days (or even a week if you count night time), he figures soup will be a necessity to really warm us up. I'll make corn muffins tomorrow to have with it. I tried some tonight and made the Beast taste some because I wasn't sure if it was just me or not but I thought it needed more salt. It wasn't just me. When I make mine, I usually put some cayenne pepper in it (not a lot) just for a little *snap*. It's also good for you, too.
As I suspected, there's still enough roast left for at least one more meal but the mashed potatoes are gone. I may just make a small cheesy potato casserole to go with it when I serve it on Tuesday. I'm not planning on making any tomorrow because that would be too many days in a row and the Beast will expect us to have his soup tomorrow. It's got lots of ham in it so it will be nice and filling with the corn muffins. The house still smells like the soup even several hours after it is no longer cooking. I put it in the fridge once it cooled down enough.
I'm doing this up early because I need to jump in the shower and then set my hair (yes, I still do that at times). I already turned on my electric blanket to pre-warm my bed. My warm pajamas are ready to jump into when I get out so I am set. I wish I had another set of these jammies but they came from Macy's and I just don't have the $$ to shop there these days. Especially not with the Beast's new hobby and who knows what he will be buying/spending on the chickens? Not that the idea of having fresh eggs doesn't appeal to me. Do you know that you don't have to refrigerate them for a long time and that the shells on these chicken's eggs will be thicker than what you get from the stores? I have no clue why but it probably has something to do with the feed. I don't think the commercial egg layers get enough calcium in their diets.
I didn't do much of anything (again) other than get dinner for us...oh, not true. I almost forgot...I made us breakfast. Just scrambled eggs and toast since neither of us was really very hungry but we had to eat something. I wasn't hungry at lunch (we ate a late breakfast) but I had some yogurt just to keep my metabolism working right. You really can't skip meals if you want that to work for you and not start storing fat. It's how I am keeping my weight under 130 lbs. Right now I am at 124 and feel good. I also like fitting into size 8's...LOL.
Time to get into the shower. Love you all. Be good. Be happy. Laugh often, it's good for your health. It releases endorphins into your body and that makes you both happy and healthy. Smile a lot. Share your smiles with everyone even if you don't get one back. ***Hugs***
They are getting too big now to keep in the one bin so we are breaking them up tomorrow. Luckily, I had an empty bin (that I have plans for but, hey, for now we will use it) and we will set it up with all it needs. It will give the Beast a chance to change the wood chips in the old bin. It needs it. Then we will have two bins with 11 in each one. We only need it until this cold snap we are experiencing right now to pass so we can transfer them to the barn/shed/coop...LOL. Henceforth I will refer to it as the *coop* so I don't have to type all that.
We will still have heat lamps out there for them. Until they are bigger, they don't do well without it. Also, they will need it if we get snow of any depth because they don't do well in snow I understand. Today they actually started complaining when their food got low. It was funny to hear how loud they got. It's not like the feeder was empty, it was just really low with just the seeds in the tray and not very deep. Thankfully, the Beast bought two sets (it's the one time it was good that he did but he didn't get two bottles). He had figured that he could change the trays as needed for the chicks but use the same bottles. The bottles don't get dirty but the trays sure do. He'll go buy two bottles tomorrow.
I made us some leftovers today for dinner while the Beast was making his bean soup. Since the weather will be fairly cold for the next several days (or even a week if you count night time), he figures soup will be a necessity to really warm us up. I'll make corn muffins tomorrow to have with it. I tried some tonight and made the Beast taste some because I wasn't sure if it was just me or not but I thought it needed more salt. It wasn't just me. When I make mine, I usually put some cayenne pepper in it (not a lot) just for a little *snap*. It's also good for you, too.
As I suspected, there's still enough roast left for at least one more meal but the mashed potatoes are gone. I may just make a small cheesy potato casserole to go with it when I serve it on Tuesday. I'm not planning on making any tomorrow because that would be too many days in a row and the Beast will expect us to have his soup tomorrow. It's got lots of ham in it so it will be nice and filling with the corn muffins. The house still smells like the soup even several hours after it is no longer cooking. I put it in the fridge once it cooled down enough.
I'm doing this up early because I need to jump in the shower and then set my hair (yes, I still do that at times). I already turned on my electric blanket to pre-warm my bed. My warm pajamas are ready to jump into when I get out so I am set. I wish I had another set of these jammies but they came from Macy's and I just don't have the $$ to shop there these days. Especially not with the Beast's new hobby and who knows what he will be buying/spending on the chickens? Not that the idea of having fresh eggs doesn't appeal to me. Do you know that you don't have to refrigerate them for a long time and that the shells on these chicken's eggs will be thicker than what you get from the stores? I have no clue why but it probably has something to do with the feed. I don't think the commercial egg layers get enough calcium in their diets.
I didn't do much of anything (again) other than get dinner for us...oh, not true. I almost forgot...I made us breakfast. Just scrambled eggs and toast since neither of us was really very hungry but we had to eat something. I wasn't hungry at lunch (we ate a late breakfast) but I had some yogurt just to keep my metabolism working right. You really can't skip meals if you want that to work for you and not start storing fat. It's how I am keeping my weight under 130 lbs. Right now I am at 124 and feel good. I also like fitting into size 8's...LOL.
Time to get into the shower. Love you all. Be good. Be happy. Laugh often, it's good for your health. It releases endorphins into your body and that makes you both happy and healthy. Smile a lot. Share your smiles with everyone even if you don't get one back. ***Hugs***
Saturday, January 9, 2016
A New Chick Pen Built....
This morning the Beast found a chick, dead, that looked like it had been trampled to death. There are two bully chicks and they seem to create havoc almost constantly and they climb all over the chicks. Since they are growing almost daily, they are really too big and too active to stay in the small container that worked for them a few days ago.
So the Beast built a bigger containment area in the barn for them and we now have two heating lamps since it's 6 feet long and 36 inches wide. Tomorrow he is going to find a window (small one) for the door of the barn so it lets in light. Right now it's just the vents on the peaks of the roof (both sides) that lets in very little light. He is also going to install one of the heat lamps (we still need the one we have here in the house) to start warming up the area since we are expecting a cold snap here in the next couple of days. We don't want to move them outside until that passes by. Then he will move them out there and put in the second heat lamp. Until he finds the correct size window, he's going to hang a droplight in there so he can see in the meantime.
He bought a runner rug to put on the floor of the little pen and he will cover it with the sawdust. He will be able to change that by using the shop vac and then put down new stuff. It needs the rug in it because the barn/shed is up off the ground and air gets underneath it even though it is blocked by wood (so the chickens won't be able to get underneath it). The Beast wants to check his *Chicken* magazine once I said something about wondering if feeding them some mealy worms would be all right. I think they would need to be just a bit older before we do that but we can buy those at the Fishing Supply store just down the main drag towards the lake. I have a feeling that might be a real treat for them but who knows?
The Beast is paying the price for having to get down on his knees to build the pen for the chicks. His age is really catching up to him besides the problems he already has. He can't bend over and he can't kneel now without it half crippling him. *Sigh* I know he's suffering but there's no way to stop him. It's not like one of our sons lives nearby and we could ask them for a bit of help. As it is, I suggested we call the high school to see if we can hire a couple kids to help clean out the garden boxes for this spring. It's easier done now when everything in it is brittle and dead. He even wants to shovel out the dirt so we can put in new. He may even move one or two of them to reconfigure it because of his plans to eventually put up a wire fence and gate to make a kind of coop when the chicks are older.
So, the farm is on it's way...LOL. He is still talking about building the nesting boxes on his own and he might be able to manage that. He even has thought about the ramp that will be needed by the chickens so they can get up on the higher shelf. I like the level those will be on since it won't require me to bend over at all. I may even make myself an egg gathering apron like one I saw on FB. I can just sew the pockets on an apron I buy from the store. Easy, peasy!
I made a beef roast in the slow cooker today. A real roast, not a pot roast. I used Ranch dressing, Au Jus gravy and some French onion soup to season it and it came out amazing! Don't think the Ranch dressing made it taste funky. The seasoning in it tastes much different than the dressing you make by adding the mayo and buttermilk. But the taste was really great and the gravy turned out really good and tasty. I DID have to add more water (I had put two cups of water in after rolling the roast in all the seasonings on all sides). It needed another two to make it really palatable since it was very strong before I did that.
The Beast decided he wanted his on bread but I had also made some mashed potatoes (real ones) and some green beans and cinnamon apple sauce completed the meal. It was great and we have enough leftovers (except for the green beans) for another two meals at least. It would be more except the Beast cut it into thick slices. He wouldn't wait the few minutes for it to *settle* before he sliced it. *Sigh* It was still very good and the Beast made the comment that he felt like we were having a Thanksgiving feast. I just said that there was no turkey on the table and I didn't make any biscuits. He said *You know what I mean!* I did.
So it's time to put this and myself into bed. I slept in until the Princess and Gunner showed up. I got to play a little with him and hold him. He was a bit whiny so I think he was about ready for a nap. The Princess went back to the gym for more Crossfit training and she was suffering from the lack of that kind of exercise for so many months. But she says she is going to continue it to get back into shape. She'll find she has more energy once her body stops punishing her so it's probably a good thing.
Love you all. Be good and be kind. Remember, kindness should start in your own family. ***Hugs***
So the Beast built a bigger containment area in the barn for them and we now have two heating lamps since it's 6 feet long and 36 inches wide. Tomorrow he is going to find a window (small one) for the door of the barn so it lets in light. Right now it's just the vents on the peaks of the roof (both sides) that lets in very little light. He is also going to install one of the heat lamps (we still need the one we have here in the house) to start warming up the area since we are expecting a cold snap here in the next couple of days. We don't want to move them outside until that passes by. Then he will move them out there and put in the second heat lamp. Until he finds the correct size window, he's going to hang a droplight in there so he can see in the meantime.
He bought a runner rug to put on the floor of the little pen and he will cover it with the sawdust. He will be able to change that by using the shop vac and then put down new stuff. It needs the rug in it because the barn/shed is up off the ground and air gets underneath it even though it is blocked by wood (so the chickens won't be able to get underneath it). The Beast wants to check his *Chicken* magazine once I said something about wondering if feeding them some mealy worms would be all right. I think they would need to be just a bit older before we do that but we can buy those at the Fishing Supply store just down the main drag towards the lake. I have a feeling that might be a real treat for them but who knows?
The Beast is paying the price for having to get down on his knees to build the pen for the chicks. His age is really catching up to him besides the problems he already has. He can't bend over and he can't kneel now without it half crippling him. *Sigh* I know he's suffering but there's no way to stop him. It's not like one of our sons lives nearby and we could ask them for a bit of help. As it is, I suggested we call the high school to see if we can hire a couple kids to help clean out the garden boxes for this spring. It's easier done now when everything in it is brittle and dead. He even wants to shovel out the dirt so we can put in new. He may even move one or two of them to reconfigure it because of his plans to eventually put up a wire fence and gate to make a kind of coop when the chicks are older.
So, the farm is on it's way...LOL. He is still talking about building the nesting boxes on his own and he might be able to manage that. He even has thought about the ramp that will be needed by the chickens so they can get up on the higher shelf. I like the level those will be on since it won't require me to bend over at all. I may even make myself an egg gathering apron like one I saw on FB. I can just sew the pockets on an apron I buy from the store. Easy, peasy!
I made a beef roast in the slow cooker today. A real roast, not a pot roast. I used Ranch dressing, Au Jus gravy and some French onion soup to season it and it came out amazing! Don't think the Ranch dressing made it taste funky. The seasoning in it tastes much different than the dressing you make by adding the mayo and buttermilk. But the taste was really great and the gravy turned out really good and tasty. I DID have to add more water (I had put two cups of water in after rolling the roast in all the seasonings on all sides). It needed another two to make it really palatable since it was very strong before I did that.
The Beast decided he wanted his on bread but I had also made some mashed potatoes (real ones) and some green beans and cinnamon apple sauce completed the meal. It was great and we have enough leftovers (except for the green beans) for another two meals at least. It would be more except the Beast cut it into thick slices. He wouldn't wait the few minutes for it to *settle* before he sliced it. *Sigh* It was still very good and the Beast made the comment that he felt like we were having a Thanksgiving feast. I just said that there was no turkey on the table and I didn't make any biscuits. He said *You know what I mean!* I did.
So it's time to put this and myself into bed. I slept in until the Princess and Gunner showed up. I got to play a little with him and hold him. He was a bit whiny so I think he was about ready for a nap. The Princess went back to the gym for more Crossfit training and she was suffering from the lack of that kind of exercise for so many months. But she says she is going to continue it to get back into shape. She'll find she has more energy once her body stops punishing her so it's probably a good thing.
Love you all. Be good and be kind. Remember, kindness should start in your own family. ***Hugs***
Friday, January 8, 2016
Up Late....Again!
It's 1am and I am still up and just a little tired. I did take a nap after dinner but it was only for about an hour and a half. I only know this because I was watching on episode of Bones when I fell asleep and woke up in the middle of the next one. I read the promo for each episode so I knew this was true. But that's not enough sleep to account for why I can't fall asleep now. Oh well. C'est la vie!
I went over to Cee's today for a bit just to get out of the house and to see how Cee was feeling. She said she was feeling better but I knew I could tell if she wasn't really and was just saying so. But she had eaten a decent meal the night before and, from my experience with the *bug*, I knew that she really WAS okay. I couldn't face anything more than chicken broth and that was only on the second day. The first day, it was just sips of ice water. But, on the third day, I was HUNGRY! And I also wasn't troubled by diarrhea for almost a day and a half by then. If you get that ugly bug, I feel for you. It's awful. Even the fever is bad because of how it makes you sweat.
The chicks are fine so far. It seems all they are doing is eating, sleeping, drinking water, a little pooping and pecking at the thermometer (it looks like a tiny tablet) and crawling over each other to get to it. At least they are getting exercise...LOL! I keep checking them to make sure they all seem to be active. All I have to do is try to reach for one (although there is ONE that seems to like my petting it) and they scatter. The one that likes my petting it may end up more of a pet than the others.
The Beast read in the *Chicken Farmers* magazine that, if you have a dog, it will become friends with your chickens if you let them roam in your yard. Since that is the Beast's initial plan (and then just closing them into the barn at night), I'm kind of anxious to see that. Right now, Baron doesn't seem the least bit interested in them.
The poor baby is still limping. We double checked his foot and leg and felt all over the bones and there's no swelling anywhere. We also checked his pads to see if that was the problem but they look fine...even healthy. So we are at a loss right now. The Beast says when we get paid on Wednesday, he will take Baron to the vet's office to have it all checked out if he is still limping. He was fine for a couple days so this is a real puzzle. I wonder if he has arthritis or something else causing this pain. He IS getting old and dogs do have that problem, too. Especially larger dogs....and he is definitely LARGER than most Dobermans.
I haven't taken a shower today...aren't you glad you can't tell?....but my plan is to take one in the morning since the Beast has plans to be gone for a while and I can take a nice long one....LOL. He hates when I do that but he takes BATHS for cryin' out loud! I'll bet our water usage is about the same. We never seem to run out of hot water with the way our hot water heater is set and insulated. So what's the problem with him?
I spent HOURS on FB tonight. I should know better than to do it in the evening. There are a ton more posts by then and I like to read a lot of them and see the videos, too. I know, I know...shame on me but I can't help it. Some things are so cute and/or interesting. Plus, I DO get the info on what my family and friends are up to and I like feeling that I am in touch even if that's the only way I keep up. My granddaughter, Sheepie, is back on FB and for that I am glad. She posted a couple pictures of herself and her new boyfriend. He's a good looking guy and she's such a cutie with her big dimples as an added touch. I'm just glad she seems happy. She wasn't for a while there.
My poor bff, Carol, has to drive to San Francisco tomorrow to pick up the two boys who will be back from their Caribbean cruise. It will probably be raining and she hates driving in the rain. She says she doesn't do well driving in it. Plus she's got open wounds on her legs (from blisters that broke open) and they are bandaged. I'm sure it's painful for her to drive, too. I will be worrying about her. I told her to contact me (even if its an email) to let me know she was home and okay. The boys live in San Francisco so she will be dropping them off fairly quickly and then returning home. She's been keeping their two dogs (one is a whiner) for them while they were gone but she's glad to be able to send them home. Her poor hubby is not doing well (he's in his mid-80's now) and hates that he just can't do some things like he used to. The price of getting old in body but the mind doesn't feel the same.
Even the Beast (he's 72...73 in July) is complaining about that. He's also got the problem of not being completely recovered from his strokes, even though those happened almost 15 years ago. He's lived with a dragging leg and constant pain all this time. He's just learned to ignore the pain since it's a constant companion. I understand how you can do that since I have neuropathy in my feet and that is also a pain you live with. I take pills to help keep it from getting any worse than it is but that only works so far. It doesn't stop the pain or the frustration.
Love you all. Be good. Stay warm, dry and drive safe. Most of all, stay healthy. ***Hugs***
I went over to Cee's today for a bit just to get out of the house and to see how Cee was feeling. She said she was feeling better but I knew I could tell if she wasn't really and was just saying so. But she had eaten a decent meal the night before and, from my experience with the *bug*, I knew that she really WAS okay. I couldn't face anything more than chicken broth and that was only on the second day. The first day, it was just sips of ice water. But, on the third day, I was HUNGRY! And I also wasn't troubled by diarrhea for almost a day and a half by then. If you get that ugly bug, I feel for you. It's awful. Even the fever is bad because of how it makes you sweat.
The chicks are fine so far. It seems all they are doing is eating, sleeping, drinking water, a little pooping and pecking at the thermometer (it looks like a tiny tablet) and crawling over each other to get to it. At least they are getting exercise...LOL! I keep checking them to make sure they all seem to be active. All I have to do is try to reach for one (although there is ONE that seems to like my petting it) and they scatter. The one that likes my petting it may end up more of a pet than the others.
The Beast read in the *Chicken Farmers* magazine that, if you have a dog, it will become friends with your chickens if you let them roam in your yard. Since that is the Beast's initial plan (and then just closing them into the barn at night), I'm kind of anxious to see that. Right now, Baron doesn't seem the least bit interested in them.
The poor baby is still limping. We double checked his foot and leg and felt all over the bones and there's no swelling anywhere. We also checked his pads to see if that was the problem but they look fine...even healthy. So we are at a loss right now. The Beast says when we get paid on Wednesday, he will take Baron to the vet's office to have it all checked out if he is still limping. He was fine for a couple days so this is a real puzzle. I wonder if he has arthritis or something else causing this pain. He IS getting old and dogs do have that problem, too. Especially larger dogs....and he is definitely LARGER than most Dobermans.
I haven't taken a shower today...aren't you glad you can't tell?....but my plan is to take one in the morning since the Beast has plans to be gone for a while and I can take a nice long one....LOL. He hates when I do that but he takes BATHS for cryin' out loud! I'll bet our water usage is about the same. We never seem to run out of hot water with the way our hot water heater is set and insulated. So what's the problem with him?
I spent HOURS on FB tonight. I should know better than to do it in the evening. There are a ton more posts by then and I like to read a lot of them and see the videos, too. I know, I know...shame on me but I can't help it. Some things are so cute and/or interesting. Plus, I DO get the info on what my family and friends are up to and I like feeling that I am in touch even if that's the only way I keep up. My granddaughter, Sheepie, is back on FB and for that I am glad. She posted a couple pictures of herself and her new boyfriend. He's a good looking guy and she's such a cutie with her big dimples as an added touch. I'm just glad she seems happy. She wasn't for a while there.
My poor bff, Carol, has to drive to San Francisco tomorrow to pick up the two boys who will be back from their Caribbean cruise. It will probably be raining and she hates driving in the rain. She says she doesn't do well driving in it. Plus she's got open wounds on her legs (from blisters that broke open) and they are bandaged. I'm sure it's painful for her to drive, too. I will be worrying about her. I told her to contact me (even if its an email) to let me know she was home and okay. The boys live in San Francisco so she will be dropping them off fairly quickly and then returning home. She's been keeping their two dogs (one is a whiner) for them while they were gone but she's glad to be able to send them home. Her poor hubby is not doing well (he's in his mid-80's now) and hates that he just can't do some things like he used to. The price of getting old in body but the mind doesn't feel the same.
Even the Beast (he's 72...73 in July) is complaining about that. He's also got the problem of not being completely recovered from his strokes, even though those happened almost 15 years ago. He's lived with a dragging leg and constant pain all this time. He's just learned to ignore the pain since it's a constant companion. I understand how you can do that since I have neuropathy in my feet and that is also a pain you live with. I take pills to help keep it from getting any worse than it is but that only works so far. It doesn't stop the pain or the frustration.
Love you all. Be good. Stay warm, dry and drive safe. Most of all, stay healthy. ***Hugs***
Today Was What Passes For Normal.....
I really wonder about some days we all have. When a day goes by without anything unusual happening, is that normal for all of us? Or is it just a relief? The only bad thing that happened was when Baron came into my computer room for his usual petting and attention but, when he went to return to the Beast's side, he twisted his ankle and yelped. I guess it had started bothering him again and the twisting HURT!
Sure enough, he limped out of here with me behind him and I told the Beast what had happened. He said that Baron had been limping when he took him outside and hadn't gone far from the house before relieving himself on some bushes at the far end of the front of the house. He also came back up the stairs very carefully. I felt so bad for him but there was no swelling I could find so even putting a pressure bandage on his leg wouldn't be smart. There was no telling where the pain originated from although I suspect it's from the area where he had the wound originally. If this continues, I will make the Beast take him to the vets and get an x-ray of the area....just in case.
I swear the chicks have almost doubled in size in just a little over a day. Their beaks are bigger and definitely seem more firm, if you know what I mean. I guess I shouldn't be surprised since they ARE birds and, by nature, must mature fast. But this fast??? I am definitely intrigued. I can't wait to see just how fast they get big enough to finally be out in the yard and being put into the barn at night.
The Beast finally got the barn cleared out and swept up the floor. He wants to sweep it one more time before he paints it tomorrow. I plan on making some hard boiled eggs in the morning and making some egg salad for him since I intend to go to see Cee tomorrow and see how she is doing. I spoke with her today and she was over her diarrhea but still felt that her tummy wasn't right. I advised her to try some honey and cinnamon spice together to help since they both have antiseptic properties and, together, are good for many things. I knew she would have them in her cupboard (who doesn't?) and she was ready to try anything to feel better. I may bring over some egg salad to her house and have a sandwich with her, depending on if she feels up to it. She was just drinking chicken broth when she got hungry so there's no telling how she may feel.
The Beast said that the Princess' chickens were already in the chicken run (it has a coop as part of it) and he laughed because he said they were traveling all bunched up together like a dance troup. They moved together in unison and it was just too funny for words. Me? I figure that they were doing that just to keep warm but who knows? I'm no chicken expert. I do, however, feel that they may still be too young to be out in this weather. Especially in that down they have. I wouldn't put them out until they were fully feathered but that's me.
I didn't do much of anything today except make dinner. I made fish for a change. I put cheese over it shortly before taking it out of the oven and it was really delicious. It was a nice change. I also fried up some new potatoes with onions and made some asparagus for us, too. The cleanup was nice and easy and the day ended up with clean dishes before bedtime (all put away, thankfully). Like I said, a pretty normal kind of day.
The Beast went to bed early because he wants to start out painting the floor of the barn as soon as the temp hits the 50's (which is the forecast for tomorrow). I was surprised at that because I thought it had to be warmer than that but it's what the label on the can said so.....
Well, time to get this posted once again. It's very late (or early, depending on how you look at it). I urge you all to please stay well. So much is going around right now and even a cold can bring you down (love you Bratfink...get better quick!). Drive carefully and remember, the weekend is almost here! To my bff in California, this applies doubly if it's raining when you have to drive into San Francisco to pick up the boys. Let me know you are safe when you return home.
And I have included a little thought for the day here for you all...Forgive your enemies, it messes up their heads! LOL! Love you all. ***Hugs***
Sure enough, he limped out of here with me behind him and I told the Beast what had happened. He said that Baron had been limping when he took him outside and hadn't gone far from the house before relieving himself on some bushes at the far end of the front of the house. He also came back up the stairs very carefully. I felt so bad for him but there was no swelling I could find so even putting a pressure bandage on his leg wouldn't be smart. There was no telling where the pain originated from although I suspect it's from the area where he had the wound originally. If this continues, I will make the Beast take him to the vets and get an x-ray of the area....just in case.
I swear the chicks have almost doubled in size in just a little over a day. Their beaks are bigger and definitely seem more firm, if you know what I mean. I guess I shouldn't be surprised since they ARE birds and, by nature, must mature fast. But this fast??? I am definitely intrigued. I can't wait to see just how fast they get big enough to finally be out in the yard and being put into the barn at night.
The Beast finally got the barn cleared out and swept up the floor. He wants to sweep it one more time before he paints it tomorrow. I plan on making some hard boiled eggs in the morning and making some egg salad for him since I intend to go to see Cee tomorrow and see how she is doing. I spoke with her today and she was over her diarrhea but still felt that her tummy wasn't right. I advised her to try some honey and cinnamon spice together to help since they both have antiseptic properties and, together, are good for many things. I knew she would have them in her cupboard (who doesn't?) and she was ready to try anything to feel better. I may bring over some egg salad to her house and have a sandwich with her, depending on if she feels up to it. She was just drinking chicken broth when she got hungry so there's no telling how she may feel.
The Beast said that the Princess' chickens were already in the chicken run (it has a coop as part of it) and he laughed because he said they were traveling all bunched up together like a dance troup. They moved together in unison and it was just too funny for words. Me? I figure that they were doing that just to keep warm but who knows? I'm no chicken expert. I do, however, feel that they may still be too young to be out in this weather. Especially in that down they have. I wouldn't put them out until they were fully feathered but that's me.
I didn't do much of anything today except make dinner. I made fish for a change. I put cheese over it shortly before taking it out of the oven and it was really delicious. It was a nice change. I also fried up some new potatoes with onions and made some asparagus for us, too. The cleanup was nice and easy and the day ended up with clean dishes before bedtime (all put away, thankfully). Like I said, a pretty normal kind of day.
The Beast went to bed early because he wants to start out painting the floor of the barn as soon as the temp hits the 50's (which is the forecast for tomorrow). I was surprised at that because I thought it had to be warmer than that but it's what the label on the can said so.....
Well, time to get this posted once again. It's very late (or early, depending on how you look at it). I urge you all to please stay well. So much is going around right now and even a cold can bring you down (love you Bratfink...get better quick!). Drive carefully and remember, the weekend is almost here! To my bff in California, this applies doubly if it's raining when you have to drive into San Francisco to pick up the boys. Let me know you are safe when you return home.
And I have included a little thought for the day here for you all...Forgive your enemies, it messes up their heads! LOL! Love you all. ***Hugs***
Thursday, January 7, 2016
The Chicks Arrive.....
The post office called the Beast around 6am and by 6:05am, he was dressed and out the door. Everything was ready and he was excited. I had heard him moving around but went back to bed until he woke me when he got home and had opened the box the chicks had been shipped in. The people at the post office told him this little story that the driver of the mail truck had told them. When he realized he had live chicks he was delivering to our post office, he said he just couldn't leave them in the back of the truck since it was so very cold out. He brought the box into the cab with him to keep them warm and then made sure to bring them inside the post office so they wouldn't suffer from the cold.
I thought that was very sweet and thoughtful of the man to care that much. Two of the 25 chicks didn't make it. One was DOA and the other died shortly after. It looked like it had a broken neck. So sad. But the others started feeding almost immediately and continued for hours until the Beast finally removed the feeder out of fear that they would eat themselves sick. They seemed to have appetites like puppies. Of course, they are shipped out as soon as they hatch, without any food or water. They DID finally discover the water was there to drink and used it for that purpose instead of just knocking each other into it. I thought they would never sleep but they did finally settle down and fall asleep around 9pm and stayed asleep until just a bit ago. Once a few of them are up, they wake up the rest of the others because they literally will walk all over each other. Too funny. But I notice some of them have moved and settled back to sleep.
I notice that some of them have different kind of markings on their heads. This might be a way that they will be able to be differentiated when they are bigger IF they continue to have the markings when their permanent feathers are fledged. We shall see. But they are so soft and adorable right now. I hope they all do well.
So here is the first day of our *Chicken Farm* and Baron could care less. He looked in at the chicks and then went and laid down, looking out the front door. It was cold outside but very sunny. He enjoyed the sunlight through the front door until it finally got too high in the sky to shine into the house. Then he lay down on his rug next to the Beast's recliner. I think his interest in the chickens may improve once they get bigger. I just hope he remains passive over them in a way that he doesn't feel he has to *catch* one. I hadn't considered that we might have to protect the chickens from Baron!
Poor Cee is sick and it sounds like she actually is suffering from what I had and it's NOT IBS-D. One of my cousins had suggested on FB that I might have something that was going around. I thought perhaps she was right since I don't usually have a fever with my IBS-D but I did have one last week. I just hope she feels better tomorrow. Mine passed fairly quickly and I hope hers does the same.
It's still cold here. Right now it's a bit warmer than it's been at night (36 degrees) but it is only supposed to go up to around 53 tomorrow for our high. So far, the weather man has been spot on but they say some rain this weekend. Yikes! I stayed underneath my electric blanket, watching TV (and napping) just because my computer room was staying on the cool side. It was VERY comfy. I did get up to fold some clothes but I *blush* stayed in my jammies all day. It's okay. We didn't have any company or I would have gotten dressed. Not even Dennis came over to check out the chicks but I'm sure he will come over tomorrow for coffee and a peek. He told the Beast that he has wanted to get some but he's got a couple projects he MUST get finished before he even thinks about that. Turns out he has a serious leak around one of the vents on his roof and he's trying to find out just where it is actually coming from. The vent seems sealed right but that's the area where it is showing up. Knowing Dennis, he will be working on that for WEEKS before he's satisfied. That's an engineer for you!
Well, time to post this. Love you all. Stay safe and warm. To my bff in the Bay area of California, stay dry. ***Hugs***
I thought that was very sweet and thoughtful of the man to care that much. Two of the 25 chicks didn't make it. One was DOA and the other died shortly after. It looked like it had a broken neck. So sad. But the others started feeding almost immediately and continued for hours until the Beast finally removed the feeder out of fear that they would eat themselves sick. They seemed to have appetites like puppies. Of course, they are shipped out as soon as they hatch, without any food or water. They DID finally discover the water was there to drink and used it for that purpose instead of just knocking each other into it. I thought they would never sleep but they did finally settle down and fall asleep around 9pm and stayed asleep until just a bit ago. Once a few of them are up, they wake up the rest of the others because they literally will walk all over each other. Too funny. But I notice some of them have moved and settled back to sleep.
I notice that some of them have different kind of markings on their heads. This might be a way that they will be able to be differentiated when they are bigger IF they continue to have the markings when their permanent feathers are fledged. We shall see. But they are so soft and adorable right now. I hope they all do well.
So here is the first day of our *Chicken Farm* and Baron could care less. He looked in at the chicks and then went and laid down, looking out the front door. It was cold outside but very sunny. He enjoyed the sunlight through the front door until it finally got too high in the sky to shine into the house. Then he lay down on his rug next to the Beast's recliner. I think his interest in the chickens may improve once they get bigger. I just hope he remains passive over them in a way that he doesn't feel he has to *catch* one. I hadn't considered that we might have to protect the chickens from Baron!
Poor Cee is sick and it sounds like she actually is suffering from what I had and it's NOT IBS-D. One of my cousins had suggested on FB that I might have something that was going around. I thought perhaps she was right since I don't usually have a fever with my IBS-D but I did have one last week. I just hope she feels better tomorrow. Mine passed fairly quickly and I hope hers does the same.
It's still cold here. Right now it's a bit warmer than it's been at night (36 degrees) but it is only supposed to go up to around 53 tomorrow for our high. So far, the weather man has been spot on but they say some rain this weekend. Yikes! I stayed underneath my electric blanket, watching TV (and napping) just because my computer room was staying on the cool side. It was VERY comfy. I did get up to fold some clothes but I *blush* stayed in my jammies all day. It's okay. We didn't have any company or I would have gotten dressed. Not even Dennis came over to check out the chicks but I'm sure he will come over tomorrow for coffee and a peek. He told the Beast that he has wanted to get some but he's got a couple projects he MUST get finished before he even thinks about that. Turns out he has a serious leak around one of the vents on his roof and he's trying to find out just where it is actually coming from. The vent seems sealed right but that's the area where it is showing up. Knowing Dennis, he will be working on that for WEEKS before he's satisfied. That's an engineer for you!
Well, time to post this. Love you all. Stay safe and warm. To my bff in the Bay area of California, stay dry. ***Hugs***
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Oh Boy....Here We Go~Again!!!
I knew it was going to happen. As in everything, the Beast always goes gung-ho into everything he does. It's not always a bad thing. It just turns out expensive for someone that is on a fixed income...and that is not all that great! I really, really need to win a Powerball lotto. At least then I could sleep easier at night. Let me explain.
First of all, it looks like our chicks will be here tomorrow. The Beast has the water feeder filled, ditto the food feeder (seeds and some kind of kibble-type feed). Oh, and there is also the calcium stuff that gives the birds (but I think when they get bigger, not the chicks) the roughage they need to digest their food. But that, I'm sure, comes later. He's got the bin heating up tonight because it's down in the 20's outside, slightly windy and baby, it's COLD outside! He put the baseboard heaters on to help keep the house from being too damn cold but it would be too cold for the baby chicks who travel in just a box and it's NOT insulated or they would suffocate. They are shipped as soon as they hatch, without being fed so they will be cold AND hungry when they get here. The Beast will heat up the interior of the car before he picks them up and there is always the option of the heated seats in the Prius, if that's the one he takes.
BUT...today he was looking at nesting boxes, nest pads (which keep the eggs clean and there's no need for the chips for the boxes as the eggs are elevated on the grass-looking mats but are rinseable) and more heating lamps for the barn once he either lowers the shelving out there or just adds nesting boxes under the existing one and a small ramp up to the top shelf. He says he can build the nesting boxes and he probably can. They aren't all that complicated.
All this for chicks even though it takes four weeks or so for them to be fully-fledged and 16 weeks before they start laying eggs. Of course, if he really IS going to build the nesting boxes, that takes time but he can probably build a couple (it showed four nesting boxes, connected, together) in just a matter of a couple days. We shall see. But I can see the handwriting on the wall already. He's talking about cutting down this one tree in the backyard to use to cut the heads off any that we decide to eat. Oh, great...the chicks aren't even here and we are eating them already. Sheesh! Knowing him, he'll cut it down, decide it's not large enough for that purpose (the tree is only 8 years old) and we'll have to buy a special chopping block.
Like I mentioned earlier, it's cold outside. It has been all day. It only got up to 38 degrees today but it's supposed to go up to about mid-40's tomorrow. Whoop-de-do! Thursday it DOES get better but the nights will still be cold (in the 30's). Did I mention I hate the cold? Did I? I'm sure I mentioned it once or twice. LOL!
I made us matzoh ball soup today and it turned out great. The matzohs themselves are perfect! Very light, yet filling. I haven't had them turn out so good in a while. They've always been good, just not this perfect. I saved some for Cee since she may show up tomorrow to see the chicks and take some home with her. She wasn't feeling all that great today (upset tummy and blah feeling) so I told her it was smarter for her to stay home and out of the cold. If she shows up tomorrow and doesn't have any gloves yet, I have a pair she can have that I don't think I wore more than once or twice.
I just prefer my leather ones to knit ones, no matter how nice. Even my leather ones I wish had a nice warm lining in it like some do, instead of the synthetic lining it has. It's easier to buy warm men's gloves than women's, ever notice that? I guess most women still want to have slender looking hands rather than bulky ones. I can give that up. I'm not that type, tyvm. Of course, I haven't looked this winter, so far, so there's still hope. Of course, with all this chicken business, what I really need is a case of vodka...LOL. I'm sure I'm going to need it before too long.
Time to post this. I'm tired tonight and really need some good sleep. As it is, I stayed up to watch the first episode of the Chronicles of Shannara. I read those books almost 25 years ago and it took me a while to get into the story again. I do remember some of it but it threw me at the beginning because it wasn't like the original storyline started out. But that's movies and no helping it. Just like the differences between the Harry Potter books and the movies. Can't be helped.
Love you all. Be good. Stay safe and warm. Keep apprised of the weather at all times for the next few days. The weather all over the country is just so unpredictable. ***Hugs***
First of all, it looks like our chicks will be here tomorrow. The Beast has the water feeder filled, ditto the food feeder (seeds and some kind of kibble-type feed). Oh, and there is also the calcium stuff that gives the birds (but I think when they get bigger, not the chicks) the roughage they need to digest their food. But that, I'm sure, comes later. He's got the bin heating up tonight because it's down in the 20's outside, slightly windy and baby, it's COLD outside! He put the baseboard heaters on to help keep the house from being too damn cold but it would be too cold for the baby chicks who travel in just a box and it's NOT insulated or they would suffocate. They are shipped as soon as they hatch, without being fed so they will be cold AND hungry when they get here. The Beast will heat up the interior of the car before he picks them up and there is always the option of the heated seats in the Prius, if that's the one he takes.
BUT...today he was looking at nesting boxes, nest pads (which keep the eggs clean and there's no need for the chips for the boxes as the eggs are elevated on the grass-looking mats but are rinseable) and more heating lamps for the barn once he either lowers the shelving out there or just adds nesting boxes under the existing one and a small ramp up to the top shelf. He says he can build the nesting boxes and he probably can. They aren't all that complicated.
All this for chicks even though it takes four weeks or so for them to be fully-fledged and 16 weeks before they start laying eggs. Of course, if he really IS going to build the nesting boxes, that takes time but he can probably build a couple (it showed four nesting boxes, connected, together) in just a matter of a couple days. We shall see. But I can see the handwriting on the wall already. He's talking about cutting down this one tree in the backyard to use to cut the heads off any that we decide to eat. Oh, great...the chicks aren't even here and we are eating them already. Sheesh! Knowing him, he'll cut it down, decide it's not large enough for that purpose (the tree is only 8 years old) and we'll have to buy a special chopping block.
Like I mentioned earlier, it's cold outside. It has been all day. It only got up to 38 degrees today but it's supposed to go up to about mid-40's tomorrow. Whoop-de-do! Thursday it DOES get better but the nights will still be cold (in the 30's). Did I mention I hate the cold? Did I? I'm sure I mentioned it once or twice. LOL!
I made us matzoh ball soup today and it turned out great. The matzohs themselves are perfect! Very light, yet filling. I haven't had them turn out so good in a while. They've always been good, just not this perfect. I saved some for Cee since she may show up tomorrow to see the chicks and take some home with her. She wasn't feeling all that great today (upset tummy and blah feeling) so I told her it was smarter for her to stay home and out of the cold. If she shows up tomorrow and doesn't have any gloves yet, I have a pair she can have that I don't think I wore more than once or twice.
I just prefer my leather ones to knit ones, no matter how nice. Even my leather ones I wish had a nice warm lining in it like some do, instead of the synthetic lining it has. It's easier to buy warm men's gloves than women's, ever notice that? I guess most women still want to have slender looking hands rather than bulky ones. I can give that up. I'm not that type, tyvm. Of course, I haven't looked this winter, so far, so there's still hope. Of course, with all this chicken business, what I really need is a case of vodka...LOL. I'm sure I'm going to need it before too long.
Time to post this. I'm tired tonight and really need some good sleep. As it is, I stayed up to watch the first episode of the Chronicles of Shannara. I read those books almost 25 years ago and it took me a while to get into the story again. I do remember some of it but it threw me at the beginning because it wasn't like the original storyline started out. But that's movies and no helping it. Just like the differences between the Harry Potter books and the movies. Can't be helped.
Love you all. Be good. Stay safe and warm. Keep apprised of the weather at all times for the next few days. The weather all over the country is just so unpredictable. ***Hugs***
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