AL - Recording baby steps: Newest Addition

[AL]

That is what I really wanted... what I have had for years. In fact, I found a brand new just $1200 more than this used 2horse so I will be going out of town to get it next week hopefull


We had to call an ambulance to help with my mom... her knees are shot. As I said before, she is morbidly obese. Well several years ago when Buford was a young dog, he and 2 of my Australian Cattle Dogs were playing and ran in to my mom - knocked her down and broke both bones in her lower leg. The docs were so concerned about an insulin dependent diabetic having broken bones they never checked her knee... it was shredded. She had problems with her other knee where 1) my old horse knocked her down (see a theme?) and she had a green stick fracture, then 2) her own van somehow slipped into gear and backed over her, dragging her across the chainlink gate it knocked down as it was rolling. So her knees are shot, she is overweight (gained most of it since wheelchair bound) and she fell yesterday and landed on her knees.
This morning she couldn't get out of bed. She could move around to sit on the edge of the bed, but couldnt' stand on her own at all and only a few seconds with assistance. So some of our good ol' boy firefighters and our EMS crew came to teh rescue, again. I have gathered up her stuff and waiting for my sister to call and say if she needs a ride before I head to the hospital. I have done way too much lifting, pulling and pushing and I am sore too, now.

Prayers and positive thoughts, shining lights and candles appreciated

 

[Farmfresh]

I will be praying. I can sure sympathize with the knee pain. I hope she feels better soon.

 

[AL]

THank you. They did x-rays and the doc said she has so much arthritis she basically doesn't even have what you could really call joints. They did steroid injections and gave her pain meds for home - following up with primary doc and orth next week. Exciting times.

Came home to find where the horse (SKYE!!! My sweet old lady) busted down the gate to my backyard. I guess she wanted to try out the theory "grass is always greener on the other side". So now I have to fix the gate. Hopefully it won't take too long as I have to get a nap before working overnight tonight. I will be staying up in the morning to watch my church's September 11 remembrance service, and then I have to work at 230 in the pm.
I have scheduled to sleep lots on Monday! Tuesday I get my replacement driver's license and then Wednesday I am heading to a town about an hour east of here to buy a horse trailer. I keep telling my mom I need to break it in lightly and just carry goats. I guess they didn't give her THAT much pain medicine
Thursday I am going to get some supplies to build raised beds. I think it is technically too late but I think I will also try mini-greenhouses or row covers or whatever those little tents are called.... we may get a frost but it "shouldn't" freeze until way later or even after the first of the year.

 

[AL]

I have been progressing really well since surgery. I don't weigh except at the surgeon's office for now, but I don't think I am losing very fast. I am ok with that - maybe the loose skin won't be as bad.
Activity at the gym is coming easier (when I eat enough protein and calories, and drink my fluids like I am supposed to ). I have been walking a pretty brisk mile and 1/2 every night, then doing weights, the elliptical, steps and finishing with a mile cool down on the bike. In 2 weeks I am going to have the first "intentional" photos done in about 15yrs. The photographer will meet me, RIo and Rags down by the bay (way down.... stairs along a bluff) for photos. I can't believe I am paying someone for photos of ME (so I am taking Rio and Rags along for some good subjects lol)

I found a dog in a shelter in Mullins, SC that I am considering adopting. It is an Australian Cattle Dog mix, ball crazy / prey driven, people and dog friendly and very high drive. He is about a year old. I want to see if he will work as a SAR dog... but I am hesitant to use up my "one more dog" rule and him not workout because he wasn't evaluated by someone who knows SAR dogs. There is no way I would get rid of him once he was here (unless a great agility home opened or something). *sigh* I don't know what to do.
Technically I should probably look closer to home so I can visit the dog and maybe take someone from the K9 SAR with me.
(They are having an open house this weekend and I am hoping to go. It has been many many moons since I have put myself out there with a bunch of strangers and asked to be a part of them though!!)

Rio just doesn't have the prey drive to stick to a trail. He is smart enough to learn, and it would be fun to train him and "play" SAR... but I wouldn't want anyone's life to depend on Rio's attention span. Besides, he isn't officially eligible anymore because of his bum knees.


In other news - the 3 young roos ended up in the big flock's pen and when I found them they were herded into a corner away from the hens. Poppy still rules the roost. I took Rio in with me and , while he doesn't know he is herding chickens, I used his "over there" "come this way" commands to help get everybody where they belonged. The big flame / orange colored roo is getting even bigger... I am wondering if he is from a Buff Orpington and the orange is just from his EE genetics on Poppy's side.
My 2 little pullets that I bought have started laying. The sign said they were "Cochin Marans".... I don't know if they are any kind of breed or just mutts, but they are kind of washed out BR looking things.

I have to look up fall / winter gardening dates for around here. I really want to do raised beds but it may be too late for lots of stuff.
I also have to build a shed for my new horse trailer (they have to order the trailer, so I have about 4 weeks). Then, I ordered a handicapped lift for my mom to help her out of their pool. It should be here Wednesday so I have to get some quikrete and frame an 8" deep concrete pad for it.
My house looks like a "Hoarders" episode exploded in there. I have to buy tarps to cover my old horse trailer turned shed. Time to clean out the chicken house and under the rabbit cages. Tomorrow I have to go get a new drivers license (since mine didn't fare well on the dashboard for so long ).

But all in all I am really pleased with the way things are going.... I just need time to keep it that way!

 

[Farmfresh]

Glad to hear that you mom is feeling better.

Sounds like you are one busy gal!

My sis has a Aussie that is pushing 14 years old. He has always been a handful. Just be warned that this new dog (if he is what he sounds like he is) might not be happy with a position as Dog #2. A dominate personality like his may push Rio to the Beta position.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

great work baby!!! and um.. yeah... the "just one more"...gulp.. er.... ah... maybe i'd better head over to my journal and do some confessin'

;-)

 

[AL]

I loved my cattle dog girls I had... they were half sisters but complete opposites. Matilda was short and very blocky and muscular. She was a dark dark blue (I called her a "navy blue heeler") and as lazy as a dog can be. She didn't take "Stuff" from anybody though, and ruled the house with an iron.. fist? Her sister, Sophie, was more typical ACD - lean, muscular, high energy and too smart for her own good. She started going blind from hereditary blindness (PRA) when she was about 6. At 12 she was completely blind with cataracts and a severe heart murmur to boot , but she was still chasing horses.
The good thing about Rio is after initial introductions where he feels obligated to act like a jerk, he is very content being the underdog. Rags bosses him around regularly. Of course, that's not saying much because so do the cats

HAHA I had originally said "No more" , just Rio.... but when you say "just one more" is a rule, that makes it ok. I think.

 

[AL]

Looks like a long winter ahead for these folks. Doesn't look like there was any livestock in teh barn when it burned but lots of hay.
http://www.northescambia.com/?p=68047

I still haven't found hay for myself. It has been such a fickle summer - cool in May, 116* in July, 9" of rain in a weekend in August and already cool in September. I do have some stuck back in the hay room that is still good, but I will have to sort it and get the older stuff up front to be used first.

Tomorrow morning I meet with my gym trainer to get measurements. I'm not losing much weight but my clothes are falling off... and these are the clothes I couldn't fit in before surgery. The surgeon said with all of the gym work I am doing I will be slower weight loss and see more in size. As long as I get my strength back I am ok with that.
Then I have an appointment at 10, a quick trip to the feedstore for the rabbits and then the project of installing a handicapped lift for my mom out at their poolside will begin. I dont' know what all is involved, but I think I will get some experience in concrete work. My dad will "supervise" but he is almost 78yrs old and just can't do heavy work like he used to (but he does still walk 2miles a day).

Saturday will be a trip to the big box lumber stores and some local family ones to see if they have any scrap lumber I can pick up cheap. I have some clear plastic together for cold weather so I am going to go ahead and try to get a couple of containers going - probably just cabbage, lettuce and maybe some carrots. I don't know if I can get any of them to grow, but won't know until I try.

I am also going to a couple of places still looking for a horse trailer. I am so aggravated with the search, but I will find one sooner or later I guess.

My Satsuma tree is busting loose this year! It is about 9 years old and has always had tons of fruit - except last year. Last year in January / February we had a record streak of 13 days where the temp never got above freezing (stop laughing). The satsuma tree was too big to cover completely so it had some frost damage. Summer time it made fruit, but about the time they got golfball sized, every single one fell off. So far so good this year.

Haven't heard from Buddy's trainer lately, but he should be coming home this week or next. I don't know if Skye is going to be glad to see him or not HAHA

 

[AL]

Had my measurements done today -very pleased. Trainer has some horrible workouts planned already for when I go back in October. Next week I will be getting plenty of exercise taking Rio to the bay bluffs!
Also today I heard from Buddy's trainer. I think she hit a bump in training him to lunge because she said she'll keep working with him at the agreed upon charge until he gets it down. She did say she has lunged him with a saddle and that today she put weight in both stirrups and worked on teaching him to flex to the bit. BUDDY! With a saddle and somebody on him!!! Never thought I'd see the day LOL

My dad used a little hammer drill on his air compressor, a hammer and chisel to get the hole made for installing my mom's poolside lift. Played in wet cement for a little while and now hopefully we can get the actual lift rigged up and ready for once the cement sets.

I went and looked at some new horse trailers but of course the place closed at noon (really? on a Friday?) so no idea on prices. They are closed tomorrow and Sunday as well.

Tomorrow morning I will be hitting the little local feed store for some containers... I think I can plant lettuce in containers since they have shallow roots, that way I can move them inside if I need to... and just do the carrots in raised beds, right? And cabbage.... it should do ok in our weather, so raised beds? or does it need to be in containers?

Can you tell I've never planted any of those?


Some fun pics... cellphone but pics all the same
Rio and Diva... I love these

Bo the BR / EE roo.... can barely tell but his beard is striped just like the rest of him. He has some of the gold feathers around his saddle.. very pretty

The great big orange roo.... nice beard lol

 

[AL]

It is an amazing weather day today!! WOW!!!
My dad finished the poolside lift for my mom, so I am going to go try it out and see if the seat gets low enough to actually get in it from the water.

While he was doing that I went to 2 farmers markets (which have turned into little flea markets since the last time I went). No produce, lots of honey, some homemade soap and the rest just "stuff". BOTH markets.
So then I went to my little hole in the wall feedstore and they were having an open house... lots of sales
I bought some started cabbage, 2 kinds of lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, strawberries and 2 tomatoes (gonna try growing them indoors). I also got 2 Carlos Muscadine vines, a lemon tree, 2 plum trees and a huge started blueberry bush. Oh and a 50lb bag of rye grass seed.

My mercy I'll never find time to fix plots and pots for all of this stuff!!!!

After I test the lift, I have the SAR open house and then a cookout at a friend's house. I kind of hate when my day off turns out like this!

Oh well.... gotta run