If you plan your day around a weatherman's predictions, don't! They lie. They are not the end-all and be-all of correct weather predictions. Hell, sometimes they don't even come close! We got a teeny bit of rain during the night but nothing....absolutely nothing...today. Most of the day was even sunny! It was supposed to be overcast all day due to the rain we were supposed to get. Sheesh. At least come close, guys.
The chickens only came out in short bursts because it was still very windy out. They also huddled together in the furthest corner of the barn until the Beast turned on the light inside. Then they all ran for the feeder. We wondered if they had even been feeding at all during the day due to the lack of light in there. We may have to leave the light on all the time if that's so. I doubt that it's good for them to gorge themselves all at one time instead of eating some now and then over the spread of the day.
I made us the small ham the Beast had picked up the other day. I cooked it with some gingerale (to cut down the salt) and just made a paste of brown sugar and cinnamon with a little gingerale. I decided not to use any cloves because I am not really crazy about them. But there was no need for concern. It turned out wonderful and so tasty! We had some baked beans and cinnamon applesauce with it and it was very filling. We really don't eat a whole lot at any one time these days. The Beast wants to pick up some crusty rolls tomorrow for sandwiches for the ham. Yum!
I think I am going to go over to Cee's tomorrrow to spend a little time with her. It's almost two weeks since we last saw each other and that's a long time with her living so close. I already talked to her about it but I told her I would call her in the morning to make sure her plans hadn't changed. She doesn't sit around waiting for me to visit, after all!
She had said she was thinking about doing her spring cleaning. Huh? Like she gets anything dirty? She doesn't even have a pet, for cryin' out loud. I swear it's spotless but hey, that's just my opinion. Maybe she has some dust bunnies under the beds....LOL. I've never even seen the hint of a cobweb.
Nothing else going on today except that the Beast came home from being out with a couple of his church friends and he was white as a sheet. He did NOT look good. I know he felt awful because he lay down for another of his *short* naps and slept for a whole hour! He did it again about an hour after that, too. But he looked a lot better by dinner time so I breathed a sigh of relief. I may get pissed at him for a lot of reasons but I don't like it when he starts looking and feeling like he did today.
Love you all. Be good. Be kind to one another. A little kindness costs nothing and can make everyone feel good. But be kind even if someone doesn't really seem to deserve it. ***Hugs***
Friday, March 11, 2016
Thursday, March 10, 2016
Blow Wind, Blow!
Today was another windy day. Much more windy than yesterday but it probably was due to the cloud cover that was hitting us. No rain...yet...but tomorrow they say (ahem!) that it should start for us.
The Beast went out and just opened up the doggie door for the chickens. He said it was hysterical because two chickens at a time were trying to go through it, which meant there was a chicken jam and they really got upset over the door being blocked. They finally figured it out and came out one-by-one. Then, when they felt the wind, it was a rush back inside....LOL.
Figures we would get wimpy chickens. I hope when they grow up entirely, they aren't afraid of some wind. It's not like it was enough to tear off their feathers. A lot of the wind was blocked by the barn itself (wind was from the South). Both of the cats were standing by the fence with their noses pressed through one of the holes. But the chickens just ignored them.
Tonight, the Beast left the garage door open just enough for the cats to come inside if it does rain. They seem to know now that it will always be open for bad weather and I see them snuggled up on the blanket. We put a nice soft towel inside the basket on my scooter since the one I have been calling the female likes it in there. I called that one the female because of it's personality. Sweet and wanting to be petted. However, they are now old enough that their sex is definitely easier to tell and I swear I saw two furry little balls underneath that tail today when it went to jump down from the table. Now I have to rethink everything and check the other fur baby to make sure what sex it is. Maybe then it will be easier to give them names now that we know their personalities.
The Beast hates the idea of naming them because he says we shouldn't think of them being permanent. But, he's the one that bought the huge bag of cat food and makes sure to feed them every morning. He gets up earlier than I do and the first thing he looks for is to see where they are. That's even before he puts on the coffee so what does that tell you? I can't blame him. They were starving when we first discovered them or was it they that discovered us? I forget now. But they look so much better now than they did then. I couldn't go without feeding them. Ever. Even if they weren't friendly. I can't stand to see any animal hungry. Especially when you KNOW that someone just threw them out to fend for themselves. Sad.
I wrote a while back (a couple years, I think it was) about how people dump off animals in our area because it's rural and they figure the animals won't find their way home. It's truly awful how many are dumped. Last year it was a dog and her puppies that they left in a ditch down the road. Thank goodness someone rescued them and took them home. Our animal control here just kills any animals they pick up. They don't have the budget to keep them for possible adoption. That's why we would never call them about any animal.
I've grown to really dislike TV except for a few programs that I watch regularly. I'm just sick over the thought that Rizzoli & Isles is having their very last program next week. They weren't renewed after 8 seasons and it's one of the better programs that have been offered. What is wrong with the people that make these decisions? The *reality* shows keep increasing and I think they are sick. At least the ones I checked out are. Disgusting for the most part.
So I am watching a lot of my DVD's....again. Or watching some old favorites like Steel Magnolias when it's shown on TV every once in a while. I'm also watching more of the weather channel. We've had such weird weather all over the country that it's incredible. At least California is getting some much needed rain and snow this year. They've had the kind of drought that Alabama was having when we first bought this house. Their recovery seems to be about as short as our was, too. Oh, they don't say it's over yet but it won't be long now. I guess we should be grateful for El Nino in some ways.
I need to get this posted now. Don't forget that I love you all. Even if there's not a lot of you, it's nice to think that people read this....my *exciting* life and times. LOL! I'm grateful. ***Hugs***
The Beast went out and just opened up the doggie door for the chickens. He said it was hysterical because two chickens at a time were trying to go through it, which meant there was a chicken jam and they really got upset over the door being blocked. They finally figured it out and came out one-by-one. Then, when they felt the wind, it was a rush back inside....LOL.
Figures we would get wimpy chickens. I hope when they grow up entirely, they aren't afraid of some wind. It's not like it was enough to tear off their feathers. A lot of the wind was blocked by the barn itself (wind was from the South). Both of the cats were standing by the fence with their noses pressed through one of the holes. But the chickens just ignored them.
Tonight, the Beast left the garage door open just enough for the cats to come inside if it does rain. They seem to know now that it will always be open for bad weather and I see them snuggled up on the blanket. We put a nice soft towel inside the basket on my scooter since the one I have been calling the female likes it in there. I called that one the female because of it's personality. Sweet and wanting to be petted. However, they are now old enough that their sex is definitely easier to tell and I swear I saw two furry little balls underneath that tail today when it went to jump down from the table. Now I have to rethink everything and check the other fur baby to make sure what sex it is. Maybe then it will be easier to give them names now that we know their personalities.
The Beast hates the idea of naming them because he says we shouldn't think of them being permanent. But, he's the one that bought the huge bag of cat food and makes sure to feed them every morning. He gets up earlier than I do and the first thing he looks for is to see where they are. That's even before he puts on the coffee so what does that tell you? I can't blame him. They were starving when we first discovered them or was it they that discovered us? I forget now. But they look so much better now than they did then. I couldn't go without feeding them. Ever. Even if they weren't friendly. I can't stand to see any animal hungry. Especially when you KNOW that someone just threw them out to fend for themselves. Sad.
I wrote a while back (a couple years, I think it was) about how people dump off animals in our area because it's rural and they figure the animals won't find their way home. It's truly awful how many are dumped. Last year it was a dog and her puppies that they left in a ditch down the road. Thank goodness someone rescued them and took them home. Our animal control here just kills any animals they pick up. They don't have the budget to keep them for possible adoption. That's why we would never call them about any animal.
I've grown to really dislike TV except for a few programs that I watch regularly. I'm just sick over the thought that Rizzoli & Isles is having their very last program next week. They weren't renewed after 8 seasons and it's one of the better programs that have been offered. What is wrong with the people that make these decisions? The *reality* shows keep increasing and I think they are sick. At least the ones I checked out are. Disgusting for the most part.
So I am watching a lot of my DVD's....again. Or watching some old favorites like Steel Magnolias when it's shown on TV every once in a while. I'm also watching more of the weather channel. We've had such weird weather all over the country that it's incredible. At least California is getting some much needed rain and snow this year. They've had the kind of drought that Alabama was having when we first bought this house. Their recovery seems to be about as short as our was, too. Oh, they don't say it's over yet but it won't be long now. I guess we should be grateful for El Nino in some ways.
I need to get this posted now. Don't forget that I love you all. Even if there's not a lot of you, it's nice to think that people read this....my *exciting* life and times. LOL! I'm grateful. ***Hugs***
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
Windy Days Are Not On The Chickens Fav List......
The Beast opened up the barn today to let the chickens come out and do their scratching and whatever. Also, it let the barn air out a bit more. But it was very windy today. Winds were out of the North so it blew right into the barn. As soon as the chickens felt that, they all ducked into the barn and into the areas that shielded them from the wind. The Beast had only opened one of the barn doors so there was lots of that for them to hide from it. That was the whole day. When the wind died down, some of them would venture out. As soon as the wind started up again, bam! They headed inside as fast as their legs could carry them. A few of them flew inside...LOL. Talk about wimps!
Since we got *paid* today, the Beast did a major grocery shopping for things we were short on as well as a few extras, of course. So, for the next week, we should only need things like milk and bread. He buys, I put away, of course. But at least I know what he's bought (and if he's forgotten anything important). After doing that, the only thing he did was run up to get the bedding and dog food that we needed from the supply store. Then he flaked out and had to take a short nap. Why he only takes short naps is beyond me. He didn't do anything when he got up except fall asleep in his recliner while watching his news channel (Fox, of course!). He HAS started watching other channels, I've noticed. It's not Fox 24/7 any more. He even watches movies (almost all OLD ones!) And I mean OLD! Some of them are from before he was born...LOL.
I am always checking with the weather channel a couple times a day. It's partly because of the chickens and the fur babies, but also because I like to be mentally prepared for the day and the next day at least. It also gives me an idea of what kind of weather my family and friends are having. Of course, many of them post it on their FB pages, but it lets me know for the ones that don't.
It's funny but I find that I am really looking forward to having more settled weather....if we do with all this El Nino stuff going on. I would like to know that we will have more than two or three days of decent weather so we can try to get the vegetable areas cleared out. I swear we have a small tree growing in one of them! It's going to be a real chore this year because we let half of the area go wild last summer. Dumb, dumb, dumb. We should have planted some flowers, if nothing else.
I made pork chops and country gravy for dinner tonight. But I made a mistake I won't do again. I added a little beef broth to it since there was so little fat on the pork chops and that's where most of the flavor really comes from. I loved the gravy with the pork chops but not on the bread we used instead of biscuits. Oh well. The mixed veggies were great (frozen, not canned...more of a stir-fry blend of veggies) and I also served some pineapple (good for digestion!).
The Beast decided we needed some dessert a little later and used up the last of the pineapple with the vanilla ice cream he chose. It was actually very good. That was our exciting day. Oh...there was this one thing. When the Beast decided to close up the barn, he first closed the doggie door (some of the chickens prefer to come and go using it) but when he went to leave the barn and close it up, one of the chickens flew out and didn't want to come back in. However, the brisk wind soon changed it's mind but it didn't want to go back in except through the doggie door...LOL! The Beast finally had to open it up to let the chicken back in the barn and only then could he close it all up for the night. I just thought it was funny seeing him try to catch the chicken until the wind changed it's mind about being outside.
Love you all. Here's a little thought for you all. There was no author given but I liked the thought since it's one I always seem to want to remind people about. ***Hugs***
*In the blink of an eye everything can change. So love with all your heart, be kind. You may never have the chance again.*
Since we got *paid* today, the Beast did a major grocery shopping for things we were short on as well as a few extras, of course. So, for the next week, we should only need things like milk and bread. He buys, I put away, of course. But at least I know what he's bought (and if he's forgotten anything important). After doing that, the only thing he did was run up to get the bedding and dog food that we needed from the supply store. Then he flaked out and had to take a short nap. Why he only takes short naps is beyond me. He didn't do anything when he got up except fall asleep in his recliner while watching his news channel (Fox, of course!). He HAS started watching other channels, I've noticed. It's not Fox 24/7 any more. He even watches movies (almost all OLD ones!) And I mean OLD! Some of them are from before he was born...LOL.
I am always checking with the weather channel a couple times a day. It's partly because of the chickens and the fur babies, but also because I like to be mentally prepared for the day and the next day at least. It also gives me an idea of what kind of weather my family and friends are having. Of course, many of them post it on their FB pages, but it lets me know for the ones that don't.
It's funny but I find that I am really looking forward to having more settled weather....if we do with all this El Nino stuff going on. I would like to know that we will have more than two or three days of decent weather so we can try to get the vegetable areas cleared out. I swear we have a small tree growing in one of them! It's going to be a real chore this year because we let half of the area go wild last summer. Dumb, dumb, dumb. We should have planted some flowers, if nothing else.
I made pork chops and country gravy for dinner tonight. But I made a mistake I won't do again. I added a little beef broth to it since there was so little fat on the pork chops and that's where most of the flavor really comes from. I loved the gravy with the pork chops but not on the bread we used instead of biscuits. Oh well. The mixed veggies were great (frozen, not canned...more of a stir-fry blend of veggies) and I also served some pineapple (good for digestion!).
The Beast decided we needed some dessert a little later and used up the last of the pineapple with the vanilla ice cream he chose. It was actually very good. That was our exciting day. Oh...there was this one thing. When the Beast decided to close up the barn, he first closed the doggie door (some of the chickens prefer to come and go using it) but when he went to leave the barn and close it up, one of the chickens flew out and didn't want to come back in. However, the brisk wind soon changed it's mind but it didn't want to go back in except through the doggie door...LOL! The Beast finally had to open it up to let the chicken back in the barn and only then could he close it all up for the night. I just thought it was funny seeing him try to catch the chicken until the wind changed it's mind about being outside.
Love you all. Here's a little thought for you all. There was no author given but I liked the thought since it's one I always seem to want to remind people about. ***Hugs***
*In the blink of an eye everything can change. So love with all your heart, be kind. You may never have the chance again.*
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
Talk About Being Lucky!
Before I tell you about being lucky, let me tell you about my day before that.
I swept out most of the barn. I didn't get it all, mostly because we didn't have enough fresh bedding to replace it all. But I got the majority of it and in the places that the chickens seem to frequent the most. It filled two garbage bags, which wasn't bad but they were full and heavy.
The Beast is going to get more bedding tomorrow and more of the dog food that Baron likes. We don't know why but the chickens won't all come out at once. It's almost like some of them take turns. I told the Beast to scatter some food when we open the doors so they have something of interest until the grass grows back in that area. There IS some grass but they haven't actually discovered that it's edible for them. I DID see two of the chickens eating some of the clover that is growing amidst the grass, however. They seem to copy what they see the others are doing so they'll pick that up soon, I'm sure.
The female cat was back at the fence with her nose pressed through one of the openings. She was hoping the chicken that was so friendly would come back, I think. When none of the chickens that were out responded, she plopped down and went to sleep.
Later, when we were sitting on the deck and Baron was out, she came up and was cuddling with him. Baron just kept looking at her and they touched noses a couple times. I swear, I am NOT going outside again without my camera. I would have loved to get that shot.
Okay, now about how lucky I was. The Beast got a phone call from Walmart this afternoon. It seems my wallet was found by one of the cashiers and she knew that the Beast had a Walmart account. She had recognized me when she saw my picture. So they looked up his name and it had his phone number so they called. I could have died. I could NOT believe I was that stupid or didn't notice the lack of weight in my purse.
I ran down to Walmart immediately and got my wallet from the girl in charge of the safe. I checked for everything important and it was all there. What a relief! The girl who had turned in my wallet wasn't there today but I will catch up with her in the next few days and reward her. That was a wonderful thing for her to do and I appreciate it more than she could know.
I consider that being very, very, very lucky. I would have panicked the next time I had to go to the store for something. Phew!
Time to close. Love you all. Be good. Choose to be happy. Get rid of negative people in your life. Life is too short for that! ***Hugs***
I swept out most of the barn. I didn't get it all, mostly because we didn't have enough fresh bedding to replace it all. But I got the majority of it and in the places that the chickens seem to frequent the most. It filled two garbage bags, which wasn't bad but they were full and heavy.
The Beast is going to get more bedding tomorrow and more of the dog food that Baron likes. We don't know why but the chickens won't all come out at once. It's almost like some of them take turns. I told the Beast to scatter some food when we open the doors so they have something of interest until the grass grows back in that area. There IS some grass but they haven't actually discovered that it's edible for them. I DID see two of the chickens eating some of the clover that is growing amidst the grass, however. They seem to copy what they see the others are doing so they'll pick that up soon, I'm sure.
The female cat was back at the fence with her nose pressed through one of the openings. She was hoping the chicken that was so friendly would come back, I think. When none of the chickens that were out responded, she plopped down and went to sleep.
Later, when we were sitting on the deck and Baron was out, she came up and was cuddling with him. Baron just kept looking at her and they touched noses a couple times. I swear, I am NOT going outside again without my camera. I would have loved to get that shot.
Okay, now about how lucky I was. The Beast got a phone call from Walmart this afternoon. It seems my wallet was found by one of the cashiers and she knew that the Beast had a Walmart account. She had recognized me when she saw my picture. So they looked up his name and it had his phone number so they called. I could have died. I could NOT believe I was that stupid or didn't notice the lack of weight in my purse.
I ran down to Walmart immediately and got my wallet from the girl in charge of the safe. I checked for everything important and it was all there. What a relief! The girl who had turned in my wallet wasn't there today but I will catch up with her in the next few days and reward her. That was a wonderful thing for her to do and I appreciate it more than she could know.
I consider that being very, very, very lucky. I would have panicked the next time I had to go to the store for something. Phew!
Time to close. Love you all. Be good. Choose to be happy. Get rid of negative people in your life. Life is too short for that! ***Hugs***
Monday, March 7, 2016
Windy And Warmer...
Today was fairly warm. It actually reached 70 degrees but it was very windy. We discovered our chickens don't like the wind. Every time the wind gusted, they headed back into the barn. Is that one of the things they meant by the saying *being a chicken?*
The fur babies were upset to discover they couldn't get inside the coop. The little female finally laid down next to the coop and was surprised when one of the chickens came over to check her out. She put her nose through the fence and the chicken actually touched her beak to it. No pecking, just a touch. When the fur baby put her little paw through the chicken wire, the chicken did the same thing to her paw. Then the chicken lost interest and walked away. You could tell the fur baby was disappointed and she kept putting her paw through in the hope that another chicken would come over. But it didn't happen so she laid down and just watched.
When I came back into the house, the fur baby had followed me and started eating from her bowl. After that, she just went to sleep in the sun on the deck, her interest in the chickens apparently satisfied. The Beast is happy that the chickens are using the doggie door but he's had the flap that normally covers it lifted up so far. He's going to wait a couple days and then put the flap down to see if they will discover they can go through the flap.
As far as the eye doctor appointment went, the Beast said the doctor told him that the veins in his eye that lead down, eventually, to the heart, are clogged so he gave him a shot....IN THE EYE!....that will slowly dissolve the clog and said his vision should improve within the next four to five days. The Beast said the shot hurt mostly because the stuff that was supposed to numb his eye wasn't working yet when he got the shot but it was too late to tell the doctor that.
I made him lay down and rest for a while so that he would feel better and the short nap he took helped. Afterward, he went out to let the chickens out but you know how that went. He shut the barn door when there were about 8 of the chickens out and they all easily used the ramp to the doggie door without a problem when they wanted to go back inside. Because it was so windy, I didn't sweep out the barn today but will definitely do it tomorrow. It really needs to be done.
Our forecast is okay until Thursday when rain is likely. After that, it's more rain until Monday, although the temperatures are in the lower 70's during the day and just in the 50's at night. Yuk!
Time to get this posted. Love you all. Remember, kindness is it's own reward. It makes you a better person and can lift someone's spirit. ***Hugs***
The fur babies were upset to discover they couldn't get inside the coop. The little female finally laid down next to the coop and was surprised when one of the chickens came over to check her out. She put her nose through the fence and the chicken actually touched her beak to it. No pecking, just a touch. When the fur baby put her little paw through the chicken wire, the chicken did the same thing to her paw. Then the chicken lost interest and walked away. You could tell the fur baby was disappointed and she kept putting her paw through in the hope that another chicken would come over. But it didn't happen so she laid down and just watched.
When I came back into the house, the fur baby had followed me and started eating from her bowl. After that, she just went to sleep in the sun on the deck, her interest in the chickens apparently satisfied. The Beast is happy that the chickens are using the doggie door but he's had the flap that normally covers it lifted up so far. He's going to wait a couple days and then put the flap down to see if they will discover they can go through the flap.
As far as the eye doctor appointment went, the Beast said the doctor told him that the veins in his eye that lead down, eventually, to the heart, are clogged so he gave him a shot....IN THE EYE!....that will slowly dissolve the clog and said his vision should improve within the next four to five days. The Beast said the shot hurt mostly because the stuff that was supposed to numb his eye wasn't working yet when he got the shot but it was too late to tell the doctor that.
I made him lay down and rest for a while so that he would feel better and the short nap he took helped. Afterward, he went out to let the chickens out but you know how that went. He shut the barn door when there were about 8 of the chickens out and they all easily used the ramp to the doggie door without a problem when they wanted to go back inside. Because it was so windy, I didn't sweep out the barn today but will definitely do it tomorrow. It really needs to be done.
Our forecast is okay until Thursday when rain is likely. After that, it's more rain until Monday, although the temperatures are in the lower 70's during the day and just in the 50's at night. Yuk!
Time to get this posted. Love you all. Remember, kindness is it's own reward. It makes you a better person and can lift someone's spirit. ***Hugs***
Sunday, March 6, 2016
The Chicken Coop....
We have the chicken coop about 95% finished now. Just a few small sections of wood to add to the bottom. Funny, but when we did that, it straightened out a lot of the chicken wire and it looks a lot better today than it did yesterday.
While we were working on the bottom of the outside coop area, we opened up both barn doors and secured them with bungee cords so they wouldn't slam on any of the chickens that might venture out. We wanted to air out the barn since chicken urine can build up and be lethal to them. Tomorrow I am going to sweep up the old wood shavings or whatever they are, along with all the crap that has accumulated, and put down fresh stuff. That will also help with the urine problems, I'm sure.
We found a section of the fenced area where there was a big dip in the ground and critters would easily be able to get underneath so the Beast wants to block it off tomorrow. We also were a bit shy of having all the wood needed so the Beast is going to go through his scrap pieces tomorrow to see if he has a piece that will fit the area. Otherwise, he will make a trip to Lowe's and buy more wood.
The fur babies managed to get under the fence before we started working on it and we had to go in and get them out. We put them in the garage until it was more secured. They were in full hunt mode when we grabbed them. Funny how they remind me of lions when they get that way. Guess all cats have that in common, no matter what their size.
The Beast goes to the eye doctor tomorrow morning. He has to drive down into Gadsden and be there by 10:30am. No problem there since it's not that far of a drive....just 25 miles or so, depending on where the office is located. I hope the eye doctor doesn't just refer him to a retinologist because that means another wait and this one will probably be a lot longer. There just aren't that many in this area. His problem has been getting worse so he really needs to see someone quick.
I did something radical today. Can you guess? No, I'm sure you can't since I don't think I said it was on my mind. I colored my hair a light auburn. I have the skin tone that looks good with almost any red color. Guess it comes from the Irish in me. I like the color I see but will have to wait until tomorrow to let you know how I like it after I take it out of the curlers in my hair. His first word to me in the morning will probably be...*Who are you and where is my wife?* It's been years since I had my hair this color. I actually had it for a couple years back when I lived in California. I might even have had it for a while when we lived in Illinois when my kids were young (before our move to California) but I'm not sure. I've had a lot of different colors in my lifetime but mostly I've been blonde. I just wonder what my great-grands will think of it....LOL!
Well, time to get to bed. I finally picked up a sinus medication (Mucinex) and will see how that works for me. It's affecting my hearing but I've already had some improvement just with one dose of it.
Love you all. Be happy. Stay kind. ***Hugs***
While we were working on the bottom of the outside coop area, we opened up both barn doors and secured them with bungee cords so they wouldn't slam on any of the chickens that might venture out. We wanted to air out the barn since chicken urine can build up and be lethal to them. Tomorrow I am going to sweep up the old wood shavings or whatever they are, along with all the crap that has accumulated, and put down fresh stuff. That will also help with the urine problems, I'm sure.
We found a section of the fenced area where there was a big dip in the ground and critters would easily be able to get underneath so the Beast wants to block it off tomorrow. We also were a bit shy of having all the wood needed so the Beast is going to go through his scrap pieces tomorrow to see if he has a piece that will fit the area. Otherwise, he will make a trip to Lowe's and buy more wood.
The fur babies managed to get under the fence before we started working on it and we had to go in and get them out. We put them in the garage until it was more secured. They were in full hunt mode when we grabbed them. Funny how they remind me of lions when they get that way. Guess all cats have that in common, no matter what their size.
The Beast goes to the eye doctor tomorrow morning. He has to drive down into Gadsden and be there by 10:30am. No problem there since it's not that far of a drive....just 25 miles or so, depending on where the office is located. I hope the eye doctor doesn't just refer him to a retinologist because that means another wait and this one will probably be a lot longer. There just aren't that many in this area. His problem has been getting worse so he really needs to see someone quick.
I did something radical today. Can you guess? No, I'm sure you can't since I don't think I said it was on my mind. I colored my hair a light auburn. I have the skin tone that looks good with almost any red color. Guess it comes from the Irish in me. I like the color I see but will have to wait until tomorrow to let you know how I like it after I take it out of the curlers in my hair. His first word to me in the morning will probably be...*Who are you and where is my wife?* It's been years since I had my hair this color. I actually had it for a couple years back when I lived in California. I might even have had it for a while when we lived in Illinois when my kids were young (before our move to California) but I'm not sure. I've had a lot of different colors in my lifetime but mostly I've been blonde. I just wonder what my great-grands will think of it....LOL!
Well, time to get to bed. I finally picked up a sinus medication (Mucinex) and will see how that works for me. It's affecting my hearing but I've already had some improvement just with one dose of it.
Love you all. Be happy. Stay kind. ***Hugs***
Saturday, March 5, 2016
Tales Of The Chicken Wire or Why Our Chicken Coop Isn't *Pretty*......
The Princess stopped by today with both the kids. I was at my computer and Chewlee came in so quietly that she actually scared me when I turned and saw her. She is so proud that she now has been able to change her pierced earrings for some little diamonds. Her ears are well healed.
Gunner was, as always, adorable. He's calling me Nana now and thinks it's funny. When he calls me that, I give him hugs and kisses. He laughs and just says it again for more. I spent time tickling him because I love to hear his laugh. I watched Chewlee play with him and tease him, too, but he loves it. It's so cute to watch. The Beast and the Princess talked cameras, ASA's and focal points so I just spent MY time with the kids in my computer room. I really hated to see them go but it was a lot of fun.
After they left, the Beast and I finally got the chicken wire put up. Let me tell you, that is NOT an easy job. First of all, a 50 ft. roll is very tightly wound. Unwinding it is not easy and it constantly wants to roll back into itself. Securing it was fairly easy with the Beast's staple gun. But that was only where we had wood to attach it to. Some of the stakes are metal and that required a different kind of securing.
Unfortunately, between trying to unroll it and keeping the bottom close to the ground was a feat that two old people are really not up to doing right. We tried. Lord knows, we really tried but it sagged in places that we were not able to straighten out no matter how hard we tried. The last section we strung was a little over 16 feet with no rods in between the area where the last pole was and the chain link fence.
OMG! THAT was just awful. It requires at least two supports in between and the Beast actually had them available but had not seen fit to put them up. So he has to do that either tomorrow or Monday. Now he plans to install wood along the bottom of the wire so help neaten it up and also make it a bit harder (he thinks) for animals to dig underneath it. Unless he has plans to bury it along the bottom, I don't see how that is going to make it look any better. BUT...I doubt the chickens will care once we let them outside. The Beast shrugged and just said, *Oh well. We sure as hell TRIED to make it neat.*
It took us 3 hours to do what we did and the coop is NOT all that big. It's longer than the 16+ feet wide but to make it any longer would require that we cut down our red Dogwood tree. We don't want to do that. With only 12 chickens, this should work for us. I think the chickens will like it.
After we completed what we did, the two of us HAD to take short naps. My hands hurt from the chicken wire. The Beast had to get down on his knees to secure the wire with his staple gun and then with the zip ties that we used around the metal poles. We did try to pull the wire to help straighten it out but there was only so much we were able to do. In truth, I really don't care at this point. But I think I know why so many of them are totally framed out in wood. That would have made it a lot easier if we had used the chicken wire in sections. Like I said, I doubt the chickens will be critical of it. They will just love being outside.
Since our weather is supposed to be fairly mild until about Friday, that means that we should be able to allow them outside after the Beast puts the last two supports in. I will really love to see what happens then.
We took it easy for the rest of the day. The Beast headed for bed around 8:30pm. I took a two hour nap after dinner (and missed part of my Harry Potter movie marathon but I've seen it many times) so I am now finally heading for bed myself.
Love you all. Here's a little true saying for everyone: *Life is going by swiftly. Don't waste a moment of it by being bitter, offended or angry. Choose to be happy.* I wish you all much happiness. ***Hugs***
Gunner was, as always, adorable. He's calling me Nana now and thinks it's funny. When he calls me that, I give him hugs and kisses. He laughs and just says it again for more. I spent time tickling him because I love to hear his laugh. I watched Chewlee play with him and tease him, too, but he loves it. It's so cute to watch. The Beast and the Princess talked cameras, ASA's and focal points so I just spent MY time with the kids in my computer room. I really hated to see them go but it was a lot of fun.
After they left, the Beast and I finally got the chicken wire put up. Let me tell you, that is NOT an easy job. First of all, a 50 ft. roll is very tightly wound. Unwinding it is not easy and it constantly wants to roll back into itself. Securing it was fairly easy with the Beast's staple gun. But that was only where we had wood to attach it to. Some of the stakes are metal and that required a different kind of securing.
Unfortunately, between trying to unroll it and keeping the bottom close to the ground was a feat that two old people are really not up to doing right. We tried. Lord knows, we really tried but it sagged in places that we were not able to straighten out no matter how hard we tried. The last section we strung was a little over 16 feet with no rods in between the area where the last pole was and the chain link fence.
OMG! THAT was just awful. It requires at least two supports in between and the Beast actually had them available but had not seen fit to put them up. So he has to do that either tomorrow or Monday. Now he plans to install wood along the bottom of the wire so help neaten it up and also make it a bit harder (he thinks) for animals to dig underneath it. Unless he has plans to bury it along the bottom, I don't see how that is going to make it look any better. BUT...I doubt the chickens will care once we let them outside. The Beast shrugged and just said, *Oh well. We sure as hell TRIED to make it neat.*
It took us 3 hours to do what we did and the coop is NOT all that big. It's longer than the 16+ feet wide but to make it any longer would require that we cut down our red Dogwood tree. We don't want to do that. With only 12 chickens, this should work for us. I think the chickens will like it.
After we completed what we did, the two of us HAD to take short naps. My hands hurt from the chicken wire. The Beast had to get down on his knees to secure the wire with his staple gun and then with the zip ties that we used around the metal poles. We did try to pull the wire to help straighten it out but there was only so much we were able to do. In truth, I really don't care at this point. But I think I know why so many of them are totally framed out in wood. That would have made it a lot easier if we had used the chicken wire in sections. Like I said, I doubt the chickens will be critical of it. They will just love being outside.
Since our weather is supposed to be fairly mild until about Friday, that means that we should be able to allow them outside after the Beast puts the last two supports in. I will really love to see what happens then.
We took it easy for the rest of the day. The Beast headed for bed around 8:30pm. I took a two hour nap after dinner (and missed part of my Harry Potter movie marathon but I've seen it many times) so I am now finally heading for bed myself.
Love you all. Here's a little true saying for everyone: *Life is going by swiftly. Don't waste a moment of it by being bitter, offended or angry. Choose to be happy.* I wish you all much happiness. ***Hugs***
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