AL - Recording baby steps: Newest Addition

[i_am2bz]

Nice pic of Rio, AL!!!

 

[AL]

it is already ridiculous with a heat index of 104.... And OF COURSE when I go out to check on the horses, Skye is not sweating. She did this last year and I had to hose her down for 15 minutes or so several times a day. I wet her down good and let them out in my parent's yard - lots of big trees so some deep shade with what little breeze there is. sheesh.
My freezer on my fridge is stocked with frozen water bottles for the rabbits (since I am a slacker and never went to buy tile). I put tote bin lids in both chicken pens and put water in them for "wading pools" - the love it and it cracks me up.

getting ready to take Rags to the vet for his steroid shot. It would probably be cheaper to get the pills, but I don't know if my dad will actually do the whole "4 pills so many days, 3 pills, etc" so this is just easier. Then I have to make a run to the store for a few things before heading to my doctor appt. This is my primary doc so shouldn't amount to much. Then I'll work until 1am and gym until 2am, critters will take until about 3, shower and BED! No plans for tomorrow so I am scheduling SLEEP!

My niece and her hubby from Texas are in town and want to go fishing THursday. I told them I will go if they go very early so it isn't quite so insanely hot.

Glad to see Emily projected to bump west Fl and then head back into the atlantic.... I sure don't want to lose power in this mess.



Edited to add - THANKS!!


Edited again to add - just checked the weather and the projected heat index for midnight tonight is 91.

 

[Farmfresh]

Have you checked Skye to see if she is hypothyroid? Sometimes horses with thyroid issues don't sweat.

 

[AL]

No I haven't... I didn't know that. Last year the vet sent several different types of meds and finally said either I could bring her up there and let them try to put her in the AC and "shock" her body into sweating or I could hose her down everyday. It was late enough in the summer I just hosed her down. She also had a horrible time with her heaves last year... I thought I was going to have to put her down. So far (knock on wood) she has done great this year. This is the first time I have noticed her not sweating. She hasn't sweat as much as Buddy but she was at least sweating some.

If it continues I'll get the vet to check her out... I would hate for there to be an easy fix and me miss it!!

 

[Farmfresh]

You watch her close in this heat. If she is not sweating she could easily colic and die.

 

[AL]

Yeah we went through this last summer... only it was a long streak of days with heat index of 116*. Every 2-3 hours I was out wetting her down and it was insane. Now that I can turn them out in the part of my parents yard with the old pecan trees and pear tree there are parts of the yard in constant shade, so it is a tiny bit better. She stood out there grazing all day today and I wet her down a couple of times.
Last year I rigged up a box fan in her stall and she wouldn't even go in the barn. She isn't skittish and couldn't care less about the fan or the blowing air anywhere else, but she didn't want it in the barn . Stubborn old jughead.

Tomorrow I will be spending more time with her it looks like.... this is today's emergency email at work:
HIGH TEMPS BOTH WED & THUR AFTERNOON ARE
EXPECTED TO CLIMB TO BETWEEN 96 & 101 DEGREES INLAND AREAS.
AND 90 TO 95 DEGREES ALONG THE COAST. THE HOT TEMPS.
COMBINED WITH DEWPOINTS RANGING FROM 75 TO 81 DEGREES.WILL
RESULT IN EXCESSIVE HEAT INDICES. THE HIGHEST HEAT INDICES ARE
EXPECTED TO RANGE BETWEEN 110 & 115 DEGREES. THE ONLY RELIEF FROM
THE HEAT MAY COME FROM AN ISOLATED SHOWER & THUNDERSTORM.


I'll have to break out fans for the rabbits and chickens tonight and tomorrow it looks like.



ETA - good news about the drought though, looks like some relief for farmers
http://www.northescambia.com/?p=62949

 

[AL]

I had planned on trying to sleep more than 4 hours, but when I was in a half-awake state I looked at the weather channel and it was already heat index of 108... at 930am! So I got up and did the frozen water bottle, hose down the dirt in the chicken yard, hunt down Skye and wet her down routine. In that hour I was stung by a wasp and pulled a muscle in my back. I think it is going to be a long day!!!

 

[Javamama]

already heat index of 108... at 930am

Hope you're doing OK!

 

[AL]

My dad gave Rio a sedative last night because he has been waking them up late. Rio makes a sad, sloppy drunk LOL

The hangover

And just in case anybody has decided they desperately need another Roo... Bocephus is becoming quite grand! You can barely see the gold coloring between his wing and tail feathers

 

[savingdogs]

Thanks for the belly laugh! Rio is adorable.