The Old Folks Home

[Dragonfly216]

Lol!

 

[wolftracks]

Prayers for your son on testing days! I know it must be hard to feel so helpless! My brother (17) is autistic and he was never supposed to have lived either. He was born with water on his brain and they told my mom he would die after birth. His birth mom was a dopey and my parents were foster parents. Needless to say, he lived and he has a lot of problems, but man I love that kid so much! He has taught me a lot through the years. My parents adopted him when he was 2yrs old after his parents lost custody. I love him just like he was blood. Again, prayers for your son.

Thanks a bunch, guys.

And wolftracks, I will be praying for your son, too.

Hugs and prayers for both of your sons!!!

Take deep a deep breath moms and grab a cup of coffee!!!

Doctor's office called today. The results from the sonogram show the lymph nodes are good. The surgeon may be upset with me, and I don't care, but I'm not going to let him remove them. I meet with the anesthesiologist on Wednesday morning, then the surgery will be Friday. Prayers, and positive thoughts are positively being answered.

Quote:
Prayers and hopeful thoughts for both of you.

Long story short, my kids were perennial straight A students - until senior year of high school. She was in one of the best girls Parochial schools in the area. He was in the best one in the area and in the top 10 in the country.
They just quit studying and doing homework. It seemed like such a waste to do all that work for so many years and lose it at the end. My daughter just passed by 1 point. Two years later, my son did the same thing. He ended up not graduating with his class. The school said that if he enrolled in college, took a college level class in calculus and English(the two he failed miserably) get at least a C in each, they would give him his diploma. He aced both of them which showed he could have done that the second semester of his senior year and gotten a scholarship but he blew it. He didn't continue in college choosing to work instead. Then he had a horrible accident and almost died. After he recovered, he started going to school again, about the time he should have graduated college. He now seems on track for a degree in Actuarial Science in 2 more years, with plans on advanced degrees. We shall see.
I'm not sure why my daughter blew her whole senior year, she just got lazy. I lost my lifelong job that spring. I was working out of town during my son's whole senior year and that may have played a role but in the end everyone is responsible for themselves.

It's very stressful, actually, it's devastating. You think your kid's lives are going to turn out one way and then it seems like they're ruining them right before your eyes and you're helpless.

My point is, what seems like a disaster will be ancient history in 10 years and may be of no consequence. Perhaps replaced by one or more other disasters by then, but that's life.

Their schools were pricey to say the least but doable when I had a good job.
They're good kids and I've been blessed but things just didn't work out like I thought they would.

And the Papas.

So when the wife got up around 5 she told me about the text and the flight delay out of Chicago. I said, "why don't you call them and see if they can rearrange your flights so you don't miss the flight out of Tokyo". She said, I'll just go in a little early and work on it there".
When she got there at 8, they told her, "if you had called, we could have put you on a 8:15 flight and got you on an earlier flight out of Chicago".

It all worked out ok though. They rerouted her from Chicago to Hong Kong, and then a Cathay Pacific flight to BKK.
I just checked and that flight just left HK about 20 minutes ago. She'll be getting in about an hour late (just after midnight) so not so bad. My daughter already has a room there.
My daughter just posted
"Happy home opener Cardinals! And Happy Birthday Dad! Enjoy the game, wish I could be there"

"It's been an unforgettable month in Vietnam. I'm sad to leave. — traveling to bangkok from Noi Bai International Airport Hanoi, Vietnam."

So they're both in the air right now.


~~So, short story about my user name (and thanks OZ for the graphic representation). I've been canoeing my whole life. When I joined BYC, I had just finished building a chicken tractor that day. For some reason when asked for a user name, tractor and canoe became synonymous as means of conveyance. In my strange mind, anyway.

ChickenCanoe, it is helpful to share these stories - makes us believe the unexpected potholes on the road to adulthood can be navigated. My son was a stellar HS student, and was able to get about 80% of his tuition and room and board paid with scholarships to University of Denver. He should be graduating next month. He decided to take a leave his LAST QUARTER and finish in the fall. Head shaker. Brilliant, kind, thoughtful young man, he's made me proud countless times in his life, so I guess he gets a pass for needing a break. Just hope he doesn't do what his mother did and wait 30 years to finish his degree.

Our youngest daughter, 23 this year, was adopted from Bangkok and arrived here when she was five months old. She was a wonderful baby and did well in grade school. When she got to middle school she started changing. In high school things got worse. She was very intelligent and wanted to be a marine biologist, but then in her senior year she just stopped going to school. She would've graduated at 17 and since she wasn't 18 yet, we took her to the local community college for her GED...they asked why she was there because she was placing so high on their tests. She did finish her GED. On the night before her 18th birthday, she didn't come home. She started living with her boyfriend and became pregnant. We now have a four year old grandson. BUT, she has grown up and we now have a wonderful relationship with her again. We are truly blessed!

I had a reply for each of these. I think I'll just

you all instead. I love BYC. It's gotten me through some bad times and I've found some caring people here.


Canoe!


HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Arielle]

Hey, y'all.

We could really use some prayers, or good vibes, or whatever your particular belief system is. It's kinda complicated, and I don't want to say too much, but my DS is having some real problems with this senior project that is a requirement for graduation. Let's just say that there's a good chance he may not graduate if we can't somehow get this mess straightened out.

PRAYERS!!!!!

Quote: Kim-- see if you can get the accommodations needed via an IEP meeting-- quick quick as tests are coming up soon. Takes time to determine what will help him and fight for the accommodation.

 

[Wisher1000]

The weather has really done a number on us.

Late Sunday night, DH and I were out in the driving wind and lighting, trying to access and handle the results of the wind. Roofs off of two of my coops, trees down, flooding (not too bad at my place, just really soggy and a couple of inches of sheeting water in my coops) and no power for over 24 hours. I didn't loose any adult birds, but I had a chick in the "bra-bator" all night. I had washed it in warm water and put it in the hatcher to dry just before the power went out. The others were dry and in the brooder. The sad part for me is the eggs that were/are in the Sportsman. There are nearly 200 eggs that were in there that probably won't hatch. I had to work and couldn't be there when he hooked it up to the borrowed generator, so I don't know what the temp got down to, but my guess would be in the 70's.

Sixty of those eggs were an order for a lady that has a petting zoo and needs chicks for an Easter event in two weeks. I called to give her the news, and she just BOO_HOOed. She went on to explain that her barn flooded (over waist deep) and she lost almost all of the animals she uses in her business. All but one of her pygmy goat kids, all her bunnies, piglets, kittens, and a few birds. It's so sad. She is struggling to get started and has just been able to secure a couple of large events and now she has no animals. The only insurance she has is for liability.

Eighteen of my eggs were the exhibition quality Wheaten/Blue Wheaten Ameraucanas that I had shipped to me from Texas. The rest were my Silver Campines that I have been working so hard to get started. The last batch of SCs are in the hatcher and there are no signs of pips today (day 22.)

We don't have a generator. We have several that we can borrow. All of those were in use by their owners and we were not able to get one for the first 8-10 hours. There are power company employees feverishly working to restore power, but there are lots of large trees to remove and detangle first.

As far as I know, there were no losses of human life in my community, but there was a child swept away and drowned in a nearby city. The strange thing is, these were not tornadoes. It was over 5" of rain to soak the ground, then strong straight line winds. It was just the right mix (or wrong mix) that caused the problems.

I have my friends, neighbors, and family, the animals can be replaced.

 

[CanuckBock]

Oh Wisher...

Yes, thankfully it could have been a lot worse--WAY WORSE...but yes, blah...sorry for all the heartaches and losses and extra work...gack!

I was going to post a big "spring has sprung" here and this all has just blown the wind outta my sails...maybe I should still post it...try and bring some happy thoughts on the up and up...sigh! Wow...yeh...

Big hugs...what a way to begin your spring, eh?

Sending you good thoughts and lots of wishes for the energy and strengths cleaning up and recovering from this mess...agh!

Tara

 

[scottcaddy]

The weather has really done a number on us.

Late Sunday night, DH and I were out in the driving wind and lighting, trying to access and handle the results of the wind. Roofs off of two of my coops, trees down, flooding (not too bad at my place, just really soggy and a couple of inches of sheeting water in my coops) and no power for over 24 hours. I didn't loose any adult birds, but I had a chick in the "bra-bator" all night. I had washed it in warm water and put it in the hatcher to dry just before the power went out. The others were dry and in the brooder. The sad part for me is the eggs that were/are in the Sportsman. There are nearly 200 eggs that were in there that probably won't hatch. I had to work and couldn't be there when he hooked it up to the borrowed generator, so I don't know what the temp got down to, but my guess would be in the 70's.

Sixty of those eggs were an order for a lady that has a petting zoo and needs chicks for an Easter event in two weeks. I called to give her the news, and she just BOO_HOOed. She went on to explain that her barn flooded (over waist deep) and she lost almost all of the animals she uses in her business. All but one of her pygmy goat kids, all her bunnies, piglets, kittens, and a few birds. It's so sad. She is struggling to get started and has just been able to secure a couple of large events and now she has no animals. The only insurance she has is for liability.

Eighteen of my eggs were the exhibition quality Wheaten/Blue Wheaten Ameraucanas that I had shipped to me from Texas. The rest were my Silver Campines that I have been working so hard to get started. The last batch of SCs are in the hatcher and there are no signs of pips today (day 22.)

We don't have a generator. We have several that we can borrow. All of those were in use by their owners and we were not able to get one for the first 8-10 hours. There are power company employees feverishly working to restore power, but there are lots of large trees to remove and detangle first.

As far as I know, there were no losses of human life in my community, but there was a child swept away and drowned in a nearby city. The strange thing is, these were not tornadoes. It was over 5" of rain to soak the ground, then strong straight line winds. It was just the right mix (or wrong mix) that caused the problems.

I have my friends, neighbors, and family, the animals can be replaced.

One of the reasons I now have my own generator, and 10 gal. of gas with stay-bil in it just waiting for that time.

Good luck
Scott

 

[ronott1]

The weather has really done a number on us.

Late Sunday night, DH and I were out in the driving wind and lighting, trying to access and handle the results of the wind. Roofs off of two of my coops, trees down, flooding (not too bad at my place, just really soggy and a couple of inches of sheeting water in my coops) and no power for over 24 hours. I didn't loose any adult birds, but I had a chick in the "bra-bator" all night. I had washed it in warm water and put it in the hatcher to dry just before the power went out. The others were dry and in the brooder. The sad part for me is the eggs that were/are in the Sportsman. There are nearly 200 eggs that were in there that probably won't hatch. I had to work and couldn't be there when he hooked it up to the borrowed generator, so I don't know what the temp got down to, but my guess would be in the 70's.

Sixty of those eggs were an order for a lady that has a petting zoo and needs chicks for an Easter event in two weeks. I called to give her the news, and she just BOO_HOOed. She went on to explain that her barn flooded (over waist deep) and she lost almost all of the animals she uses in her business. All but one of her pygmy goat kids, all her bunnies, piglets, kittens, and a few birds. It's so sad. She is struggling to get started and has just been able to secure a couple of large events and now she has no animals. The only insurance she has is for liability.

Eighteen of my eggs were the exhibition quality Wheaten/Blue Wheaten Ameraucanas that I had shipped to me from Texas. The rest were my Silver Campines that I have been working so hard to get started. The last batch of SCs are in the hatcher and there are no signs of pips today (day 22.)

We don't have a generator. We have several that we can borrow. All of those were in use by their owners and we were not able to get one for the first 8-10 hours. There are power company employees feverishly working to restore power, but there are lots of large trees to remove and detangle first.

As far as I know, there were no losses of human life in my community, but there was a child swept away and drowned in a nearby city. The strange thing is, these were not tornadoes. It was over 5" of rain to soak the ground, then strong straight line winds. It was just the right mix (or wrong mix) that caused the problems.

I have my friends, neighbors, and family, the animals can be replaced.

Oh My God!

I am sorry for all of that. Floods and winds can cause so much damage.

Read this:



Candle them tomorrow and see how the eggs are doing.

 

[RedPulletMama]

The weather has really done a number on us.

Late Sunday night, DH and I were out in the driving wind and lighting, trying to access and handle the results of the wind. Roofs off of two of my coops, trees down, flooding (not too bad at my place, just really soggy and a couple of inches of sheeting water in my coops) and no power for over 24 hours. I didn't loose any adult birds, but I had a chick in the "bra-bator" all night. I had washed it in warm water and put it in the hatcher to dry just before the power went out. The others were dry and in the brooder. The sad part for me is the eggs that were/are in the Sportsman. There are nearly 200 eggs that were in there that probably won't hatch. I had to work and couldn't be there when he hooked it up to the borrowed generator, so I don't know what the temp got down to, but my guess would be in the 70's.

Sixty of those eggs were an order for a lady that has a petting zoo and needs chicks for an Easter event in two weeks. I called to give her the news, and she just BOO_HOOed. She went on to explain that her barn flooded (over waist deep) and she lost almost all of the animals she uses in her business. All but one of her pygmy goat kids, all her bunnies, piglets, kittens, and a few birds. It's so sad. She is struggling to get started and has just been able to secure a couple of large events and now she has no animals. The only insurance she has is for liability.

Eighteen of my eggs were the exhibition quality Wheaten/Blue Wheaten Ameraucanas that I had shipped to me from Texas. The rest were my Silver Campines that I have been working so hard to get started. The last batch of SCs are in the hatcher and there are no signs of pips today (day 22.)

We don't have a generator. We have several that we can borrow. All of those were in use by their owners and we were not able to get one for the first 8-10 hours. There are power company employees feverishly working to restore power, but there are lots of large trees to remove and detangle first.

As far as I know, there were no losses of human life in my community, but there was a child swept away and drowned in a nearby city. The strange thing is, these were not tornadoes. It was over 5" of rain to soak the ground, then strong straight line winds. It was just the right mix (or wrong mix) that caused the problems.

I have my friends, neighbors, and family, the animals can be replaced.

Sorry about all the damage Wisher! That's terrible It got pretty bad here also with the storms that came through at the end of last week. No damage here, but lots of down power lines and up rooted trees down the road from us. Tornado season is upon us. Everyone stay safe during all these storms that will be rolling through in the next month or so.

 

[CanuckBock]

CanuckBock, I love the Kids in the Hall! I still say, I'm squishing your head! My dear friend has her teenage daughter hooked on it hard. I remember singing the Nobody Loves Me, Guess I'll Go Eat Worms song, is that where it came from? I couldn't remember where I heard it, and no one I know recognizes it if I sing it

I learned the worm song at camp...and there were others..."Great Green Gobs Of Greasy, Grimy Gopher Guts" and this only makes me wonder what kinda camp MY parents sent me too???

Glad to hear of other fans of KitH...hilarious, raunchy and funny too.

My mom taught us that song when we threw pitty parties for ourselves.
".....Big fat juicy ones, itty bitty little ones...nothing like a worm. Bite their heads off, suck their juice out, through away their skins....I don't know how birds can live on worms three times a day....without a pickle." That is what we were taught.

"WITHOUT A PICKLE?" Oh that addition is too cute...pickle...yeh...just the word makes you laugh. Good one!

So I know spring is here now.

Canada Geese are back, flew over on Saturday while Rick and I were having Sat morn coffees...neat to hear them HONK their BACK!

The male Bluebirds are here too...the boys arrive before the girls do in these parts.

This morn, I drove past my first road kill skunk...an extra stinky sign of spring. Whoo eeeek!

Wabbit...on Friday morning, Rick exclaims, "Why there's the rabbit!" so I run and grab the camera, toss on shoes and off in hot pursuit of the bun buns...Rick says as I roar out the door..."You'll NEVER catch it!" with me having visions of Alice in Wonderland but this bun was not white no mores...Rick said he was changing coats! Great sign of spring approaching...coat colour to change!

So I know where he's headed...seen enough of his tracks in the yard...by the by...Krusty the Crustacean is what he should be called!

We have LOBSTERS on the Prairie...yeh, along with that Ocean front property...there's gotta be sealife...



...his foot prints end up looking like lobsters in the snow.





But I hunted him down...here he is on the run and then...




Here he is just sitting lookin' at me...he just sat there, felt safe and I could take as many pics as I wanted. LOL​

So my thoughts turn to spring and what the means here...nice weather, more eggs, hatching, growing them out...sitting around and soaking up the hilarity of owning creatures...

Condor Buff Standard Chantecler Chook...my own personal protection ATTACK CHICKEN!



My feet kicked up, sipping a glass of iced tea--all covered in various animal manures...sweet, sweet smell of summer...yeh...

Most think of turkeys as what these two poults look like...ah yes...turkeys...silly creatures...so ugly they are endearing.

That is until you get them out and about on the lawns...ha ha ha...

Dance of the hilarious Lilac Turkey Poults...​

Yes, spring leads on to summer and lots of special cooking and food preparation projects.

You know, there are times where I feel like I work at a zoo...

Yeh, chopped greens (almost like chopped liver...lovely lovely!), yoghurt and hard boiled egg yolks...Melon for the Mandarins...but what is the chopped and the mixed mixtures for?

Ah yes, the wee wings...



Not so cute above here...but there's a bill looking for a way out...



But certainly CUTE now...

Proud Mah and Pah ... American Geese...he's a Buff Pied and she is a Buff (so all the kids carry pied, simple recessive pattern).



So all that messing about in the kitchen is to provide this kinda smorg spread for the wee wingers.



Pretty cute in their pen run...family out for the first time making its presence known...

"We have the WEE WINGS!"



Broccoli flowerettes...nothing is safe from the bills of the geese...not even at gosling size...savage scoffers!

Poor Brocs...picked to oblivion!

Dad helps them with celery...while Mom advises me to stay back or else I will get a massive billing and wing smack!



Celery...so crunchy delish!

Geese and their greens...I am a welcome sight, so long as I bring goodies and back off! Servant slave to the goose fam.





Love the geese parents...so protective and such a fuss about the BABIES! Would you approach Mah in the mood she's in? Lose life and limb...



So peaceful once the parents and kids get out and about...nothing finer on the lawns to see.



​

And living is about learning...Learning from Pah...How to be a goosey!

​

Dad has no idea he has a wee widdle SHADOW puppet matching his every move!

"When I grow up, I'm gonna be just like my Pah!"

​

And they DO grow up so quick...so got me filling different kinda food dispensers to match them getting on. Offering up MORE which is way good.



Gobble Gobble go the Goslings!




If you blink...it's all gone! Slurp!!!!

I am being told by Mah, "To put out MORE!!!" More or else...no pleasing them!




More food and more time out on the lawns...geese love nipping grass...no golf courses are safe...no manicured park is free of the goose greasy gobs of reclaimed grasses! Bwa ha ha!

Lookit them all so big now! Big as Mah and Pah! Just over two months, WOW eh?

​

So yes, looking forward to the final arrival of spring here...release the webbers, release the life within the eggers...

Hoping my post brings happy good joys....a distraction to stupid weather...for all the good spring weather can bring, the bads it can cause too. There are flood warnings down south of us in Southern Alberta...the melt is on, the water rises and hope it flows sensible.

Oh my, hoping for more good to bring goods.

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada

 

[wolftracks]

PRAYERS!!!!!

Kim-- see if you can get the accommodations needed via an IEP meeting-- quick quick as tests are coming up soon. Takes time to determine what will help him and fight for the accommodation.

I've been doing that. I was so upset at the first meeting this year. The guy in charge of Dakotah's IEP has always been nice and acted like he was all for helping him. This year I wanted to go for his jugular! I stressed the importance of Kotah being able to go straight into college and I get "well, he isn't a great reader, he's slow at everything and doesn't really like to do anything extra." I guess the VP saw the look on my face and jumped in and said that he had first gone to college using his dad's VA benefits and that it would be a horrible thing not to take advantage of. Dakotah is the only one who was able to use these, so I'm pounding it in. I should have sent him to another school. I just didn't know how I was going to afford to get him there all year. So stressed. But since I do have some others with college educations to help, two of my older daughters are trying to get all the info I need. The man that was over my husband's case at the VA is also a total jerk and no help. Took a year and a half to finally catch him in the waiting room at his office, so I could get my survivor benefits released.

At this point as much as I want to see him walk the stage and have paid off his packet with his cap and gown, I just want those benefits used and for him to be somewhere where he's got additional help. He is lazy though. I blame my husband. Dakotah is a cave dweller like is stepdad was. Actually they did things and I was in a deep depression for so long I guess it's my fault now. Tests were last week. I just need him to have passed, but he's always falls just below when he tests. His report cards are good, but those tests! And he does get a headset and tests differently. I'm so worried, but I told him that if he doesn't graduate, he'll have a cert of completion and that will still get him into a JC, so I'm just thankful he's done so well after being told he would never walk, speak or think. I am thankful for all that, but I want him to be able to have a real life. Especially if something happens to me. He's had a really hard time since Bill died. That were buddies and Bill was his go to person. We lost a lot when we lost him.

The weather has really done a number on us.

Late Sunday night, DH and I were out in the driving wind and lighting, trying to access and handle the results of the wind. Roofs off of two of my coops, trees down, flooding (not too bad at my place, just really soggy and a couple of inches of sheeting water in my coops) and no power for over 24 hours. I didn't loose any adult birds, but I had a chick in the "bra-bator" all night. I had washed it in warm water and put it in the hatcher to dry just before the power went out. The others were dry and in the brooder. The sad part for me is the eggs that were/are in the Sportsman. There are nearly 200 eggs that were in there that probably won't hatch. I had to work and couldn't be there when he hooked it up to the borrowed generator, so I don't know what the temp got down to, but my guess would be in the 70's.

Sixty of those eggs were an order for a lady that has a petting zoo and needs chicks for an Easter event in two weeks. I called to give her the news, and she just BOO_HOOed. She went on to explain that her barn flooded (over waist deep) and she lost almost all of the animals she uses in her business. All but one of her pygmy goat kids, all her bunnies, piglets, kittens, and a few birds. It's so sad. She is struggling to get started and has just been able to secure a couple of large events and now she has no animals. The only insurance she has is for liability.

Eighteen of my eggs were the exhibition quality Wheaten/Blue Wheaten Ameraucanas that I had shipped to me from Texas. The rest were my Silver Campines that I have been working so hard to get started. The last batch of SCs are in the hatcher and there are no signs of pips today (day 22.)

We don't have a generator. We have several that we can borrow. All of those were in use by their owners and we were not able to get one for the first 8-10 hours. There are power company employees feverishly working to restore power, but there are lots of large trees to remove and detangle first.

As far as I know, there were no losses of human life in my community, but there was a child swept away and drowned in a nearby city. The strange thing is, these were not tornadoes. It was over 5" of rain to soak the ground, then strong straight line winds. It was just the right mix (or wrong mix) that caused the problems.

I have my friends, neighbors, and family, the animals can be replaced.

You never know. I have horrible bator hatches now days, but my broodies can hatch those same eggs out like crazy. Some don't sit over night, but still hatch them out. I have a dark cloud, but I think you'll still have a decent hatch. Thinking positive for you.

Really to bad about that womans's animals. I hope she's able to come up with something in time for her events. Must have been just awful to lose everything, but it's not your fault that you lost power.

I have always wanted a generator. I mean even as a teen I had thought I should have one. Finally years later I married Bill and he was a gagget junkie. I still don't have a generator though, because if it had been a radio controlled whatever, he wouldn't have cared about cost, but every single time we looked at a generator I swear I'd hear " I'm going to keep looking. I know I can get bigger and better for less than this." grrrrrrrrrrr