My Week (Part 2)

The rest of Wednesday is spent sleeping. I had a couple of crackers and some water and went to bed.

Thursday~ Well, I'm not throwing up any more but it's still hard to move and I have a pounding headache. I managed half an english muffin but had to have a nap after that great effort.

Went out to try to get everything ready, we're planning a weekend trip to Brainard leaving Friday. Cleaned and filled feeders and waterers and put stuff on Apollo's eye. He's no worse for wear thankfully.

Looking at his fence all the seams are weak. I remember from last year that the snow pushes at the fences and they need to be restrung, wish I remembered that before I let Apollo out yesterday! I think it was Monterey who whooped him, which is weird because he hardly has a mark on him. Roosters are jerks in the spring, stupid hormones.

Came in had a nap, an apple, another nap. Packed for the trip, looking back I think I was dehydrated, at least that explains the clothes I packed. Everything mismatched and for some reason I packed knee high socks, maybe I was cold?

When I went to put the chickens to bed I see Leif huddled in the corner covered in blood. At this point I may have screamed something that rhymes with mitt very loudly, who can say for sure? I brought him in and cleaned him up.

Leif only has one eye, he lost the other one to an infection after a fight with Pi (who went to live on a farm in Milaca) so I was devastated ~the dehydration may have made me over dramatic but come on!~ when his remaining eye was swollen shut. I put a cold wet cloth on it and prayed the swelling would be gone by tomorrow when we're supposed to leave.

My Week (Part 1)

Tuesday~ Poker at Dave and Ty's with Phia, Nate and Issac. Fun!

Tuesday night~ Puking my guts out every two hours. I will add as this point it had nothing to do with Tuesday. Dad was sick last Sunday, Mom got it on Monday, now it's my turn...

Wednesday~ Sick as a dog, I swear. The whole body cramps make my clothes feel like they're made of sandpaper. It took me THREE trys to get out of bed. When I did get out to take care of everybody I looked in the chicken yard and see a white mass of feathers in the mud. Which I quickly identify as a dead chicken. I will try to reproduce my thoughts as they happened...

"Oh no, it's Shawn! What happened??"

"Wait there's Shawn over there" relief immediately followed by heartbreak

"Is it?" Sees the broken fence to Apollo's yard

"It's Apollo?!?"

"No!"

I climbed over the fence and went to pick him up. When I touched him I was shocked he was still breathing. He's on his back and covered in mud only his belly is still white, his face is covered in blood. I take him out and put him on the grass, he can't hold his head up or stand but he's moving his legs and trying.

So I take him into the house and wash him off in the tub. He's steadily getting stronger. I take stock, he's still got both his eyes although he's squinting on one side it doesn't look too damaged. His comb is ripped up and there's blood everywhere but miraculously he doesn't seem to have any serious injuries.

By the time he's dried off he's preening himself and crowing!

Phew! Close close call, he's going to be ok. I have triple antibiotic ointment for his eye and stuff for his comb. He's really going to be ok.

I still feel horrible but at least he's going to be okay.

End Part One ~just wait my week gets better~ note the irony here.

Spring Cleaning

Ahhhh the coop is CLEAN! It took me three days but it's done. It's so nice when it's clean, it was getting pretty bad after about 5 months. I have cleaned it in those five months but not with bleach and water like I like to.

Maybe it's working outside or maybe it's the bleach fumes but spring cleaning always brings questions to my mind, like 'what the heck is that?' as I discover some hidden treasure the chickens have left. And 'how do they get poo on the ceiling!?' After I find poo, well, on the walls and ceiling. It's not even a particularly low ceiling, it's 6 feet. But perhaps those questions are better left unanswered.

For now I'm just happy to have the place clean.

Coffee

I love coffee. It's delicious and wonderful and as Victoria says it's 'the elixer of life'.

I think I'm going to die. I have been without it for a WEEK!

Last Sunday due to a combination of margaritas on Saturday night and coffee Sunday morning I almost passed out at meeting. I was having heart palpitations every few minutes all day long. That's when your heart beat feels like it's messed up. It's not really painful but it is extremely disconcerting and I felt weak and tired all day.

So I wisely decided to give up caffeine for a while. I went one whole day without caffeine of any kind. On day 2 I cracked and had a Coke with lunch. I've had a few cans of pop since then but no coffee, thus I have NO ambition. I swear I'm going to start seeing in black and white, colors are already starting to fade away. I don't know how long I'm going to last.

On another topic... Chinese buffet is NOT a good breakfast.

The Dish

So I had to get up at 7 (!) this morning because we're swapping Direct TV for Dish network. I am not happy. Early morning = bad.

It's March, right?

So why is it so dang cold?!

I cracked the windows in the chicken coop on Saturday. By Saturday evening they were frozen open. I could not get them shut! Crap.

So the chickies spent the night with the windows cracked open and the heater on. Can't wait to see the electric bill...

They all weathered it just fine, it was 50 in there in the morning. That is heaven for chickens all snuggled up together.