Frustratedearthmother's Journaling Journey

[frustratedearthmother]

Gracie is so funny...when she goes out to the front pen area - where most of the chickens are - she doesn't even look twice at 'em. But - when they get in HER yard - she considers 'em fair game. When I was researching the breed before I got her I remember reading that English Shepherds like "order." They want everything to be in its place - and that is so true! She literally goes a little nutso when I change things. Maybe a just a touch neurotic!

I had a doc appointment this morning to get my ears re-checked after the previous guy told me my ear drums were white. Geeze Louise! Went to an ENT and checked out pretty well all except for one issue. I have a deviated septum and it makes my life a little miserable. Ya can't tell anything from the outside but the inside of my nose is all jacked up! I have trouble breathing out of my right nostril and because it is smaller up inside there and I don't get good air flow. Because it's crooked that side dries out more and I have nose bleeds out of that nostril. In the winter it's terrible cuz the cold air just dries me out more, the African dust was horrible, and airplane rides aren't so good either. She suggested I have a septoplasty procedure. Am I gonna have one(?) - not likely. I guess I should think strongly about if my issue gets worse 10 years from now if I'd think back and wish I'd done it. Surgery would be easier at this age as opposed to 10 years down the line. But, I've lived with it all my life so not likely it'll change much.

Besides having the possum issue before 6am this morning - when I pulled outta my drive an hour later and get about 50 yards down the road a bobcat crossed right in front of me. What's up with all the wild critters today? It was a smallish bobcat - I've seen bigger but that means the bigger one I saw prolly had babies....yay...not.

 

[Mini Horses]

feel your pain and hope it lets up for ya'll. Any flooding in your area?

Yeah, in some housing areas right at the coast -- Va Beach -- mainly in some neighborhoods that have issues always. They opened a couple shelters for those as it creates many issues when you can't come & go -- electric outages, etc.

I am 50=60 miles out and no issues at my house. Ask a farmer & you will get another reply. But my property is high.

Gracie did really good! Possum can be heck on eggs and chickens if they get going! Of course, a bobcat can take a young goat, or piggy. While you have Cowboy & Gracie out there, I doubt they would come onto the place. Little surprised the possum did but, then, they aren't known for extreme smarts. Did Cowboy alert?

I suspect, in ten years, you may think about many things you may have done now...wish you had. Once read somewhere " I'd love them to invent something like a dryer for humans, so we could get in, shrink & come out wrinkle free." Ahhh, there's the challenge.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Gracie lives in the back yard. Cowboy and Maddie are in the pasture. The "front barnyard" is in between the two and doesn't have a dedicated guardian. Usually, having dogs on either side works well enough...except for this one. Doesn't help that the (bad) neighbors on that side of me have let their place go wild. It's literally a dense forest just on the other side of the fence in some areas. Ugh...

 

[baymule]

Good Gracie! She solved the puzzle for you as what was happening to the eggs and got rid of the possum. She is wonderful!

You might think about fixing things.....not only because 10 years from now it might be harder, but this country is swinging toward socialized medicine and some procedures won't be wasted on old people. Medicine will be metered and I have had more than one Doctor tell us that. The Doctors see it coming and they are already frustrated with the system as it is, much less what is coming.

 

[tortoise]

I agree about the system being metered. Shocking already that people are being deprived of needed medication. Either by cost, insurance companies denying, or doctor's being limited how many rx they can write, and now pharmacists able to refuse to fill rx if they have a personal opinion about it. Jeeze.

I have a friend who needs a power tilting wheelchair because she faints frequently. The insurance company wants to put her in a manual wheelchair with power tilt.... which weighs 70 pounds! She also has a connective tissue disorder and would be physically unable to push the wheelchair! She's on her last appeal. So sad! She's been using loaner wheelchairs and keeps getting injured! Last week she fainted and fell out of her wheelchair because it's a loaner that's not set up with the right kind of seatbelt.

 

[NH Homesteader]

I never see any of these issues here, no one I know has ever been denied something they need or even had to fight for something they need. I don't know why, but it's sad to see it happening elsewhere.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

It is sad. We've occasionally had issues getting insulin...which is kinda important to a diabetic. DH's doc writes a prescription for what she thinks will be his needed amount of insulin for a certain period of time. Well - if he's having a lot of sugar highs - his pump, which runs on an 'auto' mode, pumps more insulin into him. Occasionally he has run out of insulin before he runs out of month... Goes to the pharmacy to get his next refill and has been told he's not 'due' any for a few more days. Ok - what's he supposed to do until it's time for his next refill? Of course, it only happens on Fridays and his doc is unreachable until Monday! When he switched to the pump - he hung on to all the insulin he had stashed for regular injections so he's been able to use that - but he's held on to that for a while now and it's beginning to expire. On one occasion the pharmacy "loaned" him some until his next prescription came through. Who knows where we are headed....?

Thankfully, you can can purchase insulin without a prescription at about $300 a vial.... YIKES! 'Course we would do it if we had to.

@tortoise - hope your friend can find a solution. That just sucks!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Woo Hoo - I slept until 8:30! That was awesome! Unfortunately, what is NOT awesome is that it was already HOT when I got outside. Had big plans to work on a place to put the three round bales I got the other day. Not gonna worry about it now until this evening. Guess I'll be forced to stay inside and clean....argh! Maybe I'll can some beans or something else so I can at least feel like I'm accomplishing something SS at the same time.

 

[baymule]

I slept until 7:30, and I haven't had a lot of ambition either. I've only walked 2 miles so far today. My cell phone has a step counter, I like knowing why I am so tired! A normal day is 3-7 miles, just working around here. I have done a couple loads of laundry.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I need a step counter....but my phone is too old to support any cool apps and every time I try to download one it reminds me to "GET A NEW PHONE!" But, I just haven't done it yet...

Haven't been real industrious today either. I fed this morning, and watered and watered again a couple hours ago. Then I started cleaning out the fridge - the other fridge. I did the main fridge a week or so ago. Pigs, chickens and dogs love me. I cooked up a batch of rice for the dogs and dumped a whole bunch of leftovers in it for them. They love, love, love it! Course it had some ribeye steak in it - some boiled eggs, some goat milk, a tiny bit of stew. Yum, if you're a dog, lol. So, after I cleaned the fridge I knew where all my dishes had been hiding! I barely have room for them in the cabinets now.

Pigs got some kimchi. It doesn't really go bad in the fridge, but the longer it sits in there and ferments the stronger and more sour it gets. I was kinda surprised the pigs loved it - but they did. Their guts should be functioning pretty well after the fermented goodies... they got some old salad too that we never ate. I swear - food waste at my house is - well technically it's non-existent cuz something eats everything, lol!

This morning I blanched some Red Rippers and got them in the freezer. And while I was at the freezer I pulled out a slab of ribs. I got 'em rubbed down with a thick coat of dry rub and they been soaking it up all day. I'm gonna try 'em in the instant pot. I hear they come out delish - but I haven't done ribs in there yet. I suspect that after they've pressure steamed I'll run 'em under the broiler for a few minutes to get that nice caramelly, crispy bark that's so gooooood!

Been checking eyelids on a few goats a day and if they're pale they're getting a dose of Cydectin. I hadn't done Hiney when she kidded so I got her this morning along with another dose for Red - cuz she spit hers out the other day. Also did Cameo a few days ago and it just kills me to dump her milk - but the pigs are reaping the benefits. They usually get sour milk soaked corn a couple days a week - but now they're getting it every day and will until next weekend. There is no "established" milk withdrawal for Cydectin in goats that I'm aware of so I'm giving it two weeks. Neighbor kiddo is gonna be ticked! He loves his goat milk!

I have got to get little Freckles disbudded at some point this weekend. He already hates me so it shouldn't change anything, lol. He's a little pistol - takes one look at me and runs away as far and as fast as he can. And, I haven't done ANYTHING bad to him … yet!

Need to ask DH when he'll be home so I'll know when to get the ribs started. He's probably going to be working late and all weekend trying to meet a deadline. Sucks to be him right now.