Thankfully, besides hormone drunk bucks it's quiet on the farm. Chickens are starting to molt, but still laying fairly well. I'm sure that'll change soon enough. My silkie hen has disappeared...ugh! She was such a dependable little setter - I'm gonna miss her. I have plenty of other hens that will brood, but they all go broody at the same time, once a year, and always when I don't really want any chicks. The little silkie would dang near set any time I left a stack of eggs out there. Sigh....
I'm still milking Sparkle once a day and get about a quart and a half at a time. That's more than enough milk for just the two of us. And, I've still got 4 does out in the pasture feeding their half-grown kids so if I need more I just bring one of them in.
Garden, what there was of it, is winding down a bit. However, the peppers are still going strong and I noticed some okra plants popping up in a pen that no longer has any chickens in it. I doubt it has time to make, since okra is a hot weather plant, but I'll let it go and see what happens.
Mom is still in the hospital. It's been over two weeks now. I'll go visit with her today on the way to a meeting with a lawyer who specializes in Elder Law. My brother is trying to be their care-taker but he's easily frustrated and just doesn't understand that they are not capable of reasoning, or remembering anything anymore. I don't think it will work in the long term, but he doesn't want to pay a care taker. I want to let him try, but if I get the feeling that my parents are fearful of him (something they've said before) I will risk all out family war and make sure they get someone who they are more comfortable with. It stinks to be in that position, but I'm not going to have their last years be fearful of their own son.
DH and I are tossing around lots of options, but none of them are ideal. I think assisted living is the best idea, but not sure they can afford it. We're looking into applying for more aid from the VA called Aid and Attendance. If we can get it, it'll give them about 2K more a month. The application is overwhelming and I already know I don't have a lot of the information that they want. Hoping we can come up with it somehow...
Better get to work - I'm leaving early today for the lawyer meeting. My vacation and sick leave are rapidly disappearing.
The last day she tried to drive (and my brother wouldn't let her) we also found $750 dollars cash in her purse!! WHAT THE H.E.double hockeysticks is up with that??? We're now getting bank records to see if there's money missing that can't be accounted for. Geeze louise. 
