Fall Break Nov. 12-19, 2017

Fall Break 

Nov. 12-19, 2017

Ailing Carrie in my kitchen sink.

Hello Friends!

Agnes, she enjoys it when I put layer after of layer of warmth on her!  She loves it!

It has been a good break so far, we needed some time off our books.  Friday, Dd and Dh drove to Indiana for part of their break.  I stayed home to care for our critters and give them some time to make their own memories.  Dd doesn't get much time to have Dh all to herself very often.

Chickens:

Carrie, one of my Black Sex Link hens has diarrhea and has been not coming when I'm feeding the other chickens---another words she has been acting really odd and not being a part of the flock.  

It feels like an egg is inside her, but she isn't laying.  It is a waiting game now--either she will lay this egg or she probably won't make it?!?

I tried separating her a few times a day to feed her extra good food, but that didn't seem to help her any.

Here is Carrie in the tractor.  I hoped being in the good dirt would help her, but it didn't seem to help any.

  Friday I brought her inside our house and have been keeping her inside an extra large doggy crate.  

Due to her diarrhea, her back (bum) feathers have been getting gross each day, so I have been giving her a good warm bath in the sink each day to get her hygiene back up to speck. 

 I'm not sure what I am going to do if she doesn't improve.  But, at least I know I am doing everything I can to help her.  I've bought a pro-biotic mix to put in her water.  I've put apple cider vinegar in her water too.  I'm trying everything I've picked up from watching YouTube video's on chickens with diarrhea.

Chicken Tractors:

Dh put the two chicken tractors in our garden and we've been letting the chickens have some time digging up the soil and eating the earthworms.  

They love dirt!

Eggs:

The chickens have been laying very well; perhaps better than the summer.  I've had to use the heat bulbs most nights; especially because of all the rain that we've got almost every day.  They would be fine if they weren't already wet.

The two little white eggs are from Ms. Lemon, our Bantam hen.

Garden:

I picked the last greens and I think I am done for the year. 

 The chickens picked off a bunch of kale when they were in the tractors.  I think I may get one serving of the other Dinosaur kale, but it is pretty much done.  It was my best year so far.

Honeysuckle:

We had both kittens "fixed" at the vet last week.  Honeysuckle had a big bump, the size of an apricot, beside her incision.  

The vet said it is b/c she has been too active; kind of like a blister--fluid is building up from all the friction.  I asked for some sedative for her; she is just to wild to sit still.  The meds seem to be helping.  Dickens is doing great, no worries there.

Fall is coming to an end...the leaves are down and the color is fading.

On Sunday, after church and Sunday School, in the evening for youth group, Dd and the group went to an apartment complex where a few members of our church reside, and they decorated the place for Christmas and sang carols to many residents.  

Monday and Tuesday Dh had off.  They had a lot of fun together here in Michigan.  Monday, they got all layered up and went out in the woods and found a good place to sit and watch for deer.  They enjoyed hiking around the woods.  They sat out there for hours but didn't see any deer while they were out there.  Dh did see about five deer before they headed out.  On Tuesday they layered up again, but this time they were sighting in Dh's new rifle.  Dh bought a new scope for my .22 and sighted that one in with Dd shooting.  It's funny, we have been seeing deer practically every day, but of course, they didn't see any when they were mock hunting.  Dd would have to take Hunter's Training course before she could hunt in Michigan, and they have already finished the classes at least a month ago, so she can't go hunting here.  Indiana doesn't have Hunter's Training course, so we are trying to figure out all the rules that Michigan has that Indiana doesn't.

Dd tried to make a cinnamon bread dish, one that I could eat too---a Gluten Free one.  I guess the bread doesn't rise if there isn't gluten?!!  So, she tried really, really hard, and used a lot of my almond flour, but it was pretty much un-eatable!  The chickens loved it though!

Dd was successful making a double layered yellow lemon cake with a cream cheese and lemon frosting.  That one had gluten, so I didn't try it.  She was feeling like a proper baker this week!

All Dd's regular classes were still scheduled and she did fine in all her activities; which will be her academics for the week:

Music Classes:

Violin Lesson with Christie: 45 minutes

Intermediate Orchestra: violin: 1:30 hours

Piano Lesson with Wendy: 30 minutes

Intermediate Band: Alto sax: 1:30 minutes

Strings Group: Ukulele

Three deer in front of our pool!

Church:

Church, Sunday School, Youth Group, Volunteer: Games Wed. Olympians, Strings Group on Thursday.

Grace Classes:

Painting Studio: Dd finished an oil painting for Dh and me

Botany drawing class

Saxon Geometry Math Class

Friday--Dh picked Dd up from her classes and they drove down to Indiana.  Dd did a lot of the driving.

Next week is going to be another 'Fall Break' for us.  We are enjoying our time off!!

This is one of those great moments when your kid is acting like a kid and not looking or acting grown up...I had to get a cute photo!  Dickens, of course, could not resist the clean kitty litter, not even a few seconds!  

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