Consolidated Kansas

[Trish44]

msjfrizzle, I'm glad to hear your mom made it through the surgeries OK & is recovering. That can be so hard spending so much time in the hospital. It has to be hard on your dad too. I hope she recovers quickly & is able to go home soon. They do make people move around quickly after surgery any more, it's better for them though. That's funny that you ring a bell for your chickens! I also have one of those bells, but it's just there for decoration. We all have our own way of calling our chickens though. My DH didn't think you could call a chicken until he saw me do it, he's a believer now.

 

[Ivywoods]

Hi Folks!

Good to see you back Frizzle! Glad your mom is doing okay. That's a pretty major surgery for someone her age. I pray for a speedy recovery for her.

Congrats on your new rooster, Trish. If he is from Jean's lines, you know he is from good stock.

Danz-I am so excited to see what Marshmallows babies look like. You know how much I love those GP's. My Buddy has been carrying his front leg. DH pulled a big mud ball out from between his pads, and the foot looked okay, but I don't know why he is still having trouble with it. Poor old dog. Seems like he is always limping on one leg or another.

Hawkeye-I'll bet you are on pins and needles. There are a number of things the company could say tomorrow, but I bet they are going to give the low down on how they are going to finish up projects and gradually bring the site to a close. I'm not trying to be negative, but that would be my guess.

I put a few more eggs in the incubator again today. Somebody stop me! I still have no idea how I'm going to raise these chicks over these winter months. I think I may be doing some emergency brooder building. They will spend their first few days in a plastic tote in the house, but after that I'm just not sure. I've always used old stock tanks for brooders, but I just hate those things. They are cold, hard to bend over and clean and just a regular P.I.T.A. I have a big wooden sideboard or buffet table that I may just modify and build the kind of brooder I want. I could probably finish it in one day if I ever get a day off that I can devote to getting it done. I bought a stacking brooder last summer. I gave $250 for it, and that thing is a bigger pain than the stock tanks! I don't plan on using it at all this winter. I may use it some in the summer months, but I will just have to see what I've got fixed up by then.

We fired up the sportsman incubator that I am going to sell. It needed a new wafer, which my DH installed. It is running like a clock and when I got home and checked the temp it was 99.3 I think it is going to be fine. BamaProud has spoken for it, so whenever he gets here to get it I think it should work perfectly for him. I want to run it for a few days just to make sure it keeps the temps like it should, but I really don't know why it wouldn't. These GQF incubators are great. I am actually keeping the older of the two incubators. The one I'm keeping is REALLY old. It is painted red plywood. My sis (Checoukan) picked it up for me until I could get down there to get it, and when she saw it she really wondered if I was getting a real GQF. Well, it is... it's just old... but it works as well as a new one. Just the other day I saw one on Craigslist exacly like mine only not is anywhere near as good of shape and they wanted $300 for it! I paid $150 for mine. I wouldn't be selling this other one, but with an "almost certain" move in the next year, I feel like I really need to pare down on a lot of stuff.

Whew. Sorry I'm so long winded tonight. Hope everyone, feathered or not, is doing well and have a great day. I'll catch up with you all after I get up later today.

 

[Hawkeye95]

Danz, post prego pics of Marshmallow!

Frizzle, I'm glad your mom is up after that surgery. WOW-- those surgeries sound brutal, poor thing. I hope she continues to feel better. Thank you for thinking of me. I would hate to move away! What a bummer.

Ivy, no need to feel like you're a downer-- I totally agree with you! I do believe that the company is going to be outlining their shut-down process at this site. I imagine it will take a few months to get it accomplished, but they've already gotten it to this point. Just a few years ago-- we had something like 18,000 people working at this site. Now there are only 2,100. That is a BIG decline, and I think this has been in the works for a long time. In fact, I KNEW this was going to happen back when they sold off part of their buildings and commercial projects to Spirit. I told everyone then, and no one believed me. They've been planning this a long time. I just can't work up much surprise... although I am sad about it. I was told last night by a friend who works 'high up' (i don't want to say and get her in trouble) that the company is anticipating people to be really upset. She said that she got the orders passed thru her desk for extra security-- she it is insane how much security they are going to have on hand for the meeting. She said they have a temporary holding pen prepared too-- which means they are anticipating people getting VERY upset. As soon as she found that out, she called me to tell me that our hopes were pretty much dashed at that point. Only a little while longer to wait now.... 10:30 is when we find out.

ANYway.... My oldest is on the bus this morning and i have the two little ones home with me. Their first day back is tomorrow. Then we'll be back into our routine again. My neighbors called late last night-- Seymore had once again walked herself over to their house to hang with their dog. They said she went and sat by the dog and 'talked' to her. Not sure why Seymore likes their dog so much!? I really need a pen for her. I need to get around to putting up the final piece of the fence over the horse stall so I can keep her in and keep her safe. I think she'll hate it though.

Trish, did you mapquest to see how far that Oakie swap meet is? I havent' done that yet. I wonder how far it is.

 

[ChooksChick]

Hi, all!

Sorry I've not been on much.

I'm thinking the Okiefest might be great fun, and hope I'll have a chance to get a stall.

I'm glad to hear everyone and their families are healing up and doing well- I managed to take on another wave of the plague and am further behind than before

My birds have taken on new hope after the solstice and have all started to lay a bit, so I'm no longer thinking I have a hundred freeloaders. The various color projects can start moving forward again, and that's a huge relief.

Right now I have tons of Silkies, some Orps, and some mixed chicks available. I'll be setting up auctions for eggs soon, if this keeps up (Thank God!!)

Keep thinking spring! Perhaps we can blow past winter?

 

[chicken danz]

Hawkeye, I watched the Topeka news last night and it was all about Boeing moving out of Wichita. They said on the news there was going to be the big meeting today but that it was shutting down and displacing workers. They did say that some special military projects would still be done there, but I don't remember what that was called. It just broke my heart. I so understand what you are going through. My son was an engineer for Haliburton. He was one of thousands to get displaced. He got a little severance pay but was on unemployment for almost a year before finding employment. His wife was in graduate school at the time so that made it even more difficult for them. He works for the US government now and although it's a little more secure he can be moved at any time. They are very worried about having to give up their home. My daughter in law has decided to go back to school. She has her masters but has decided to go into pre-med and then on to medical school. It's admirable but it sure puts a strain on their finances when they already worry about stability. She is so amazingly intelligent but just the same it takes so much time.
I wish you the very best. Tell Jon I'm praying for him and your family.

 

[Hawkeye95]

Quote:
Thank you Danz! The closer it gets to 10:30... the more nervous I get! I mean... I already know it's going. But I guess knowing it for certain and speculating is another thing. The sucky thing is that I already contacted that coldwell banker realtor in St Louis and she didn't have very good news about us finding a similar place up there-- unless we wanted to live a long way outside of town.

Well.... one day at a time and we'll just hope that whatever it is they are keeping here we can stay, or we can get transfered to OKC. I'm about going nuts here waiting!

 

[chicken danz]

I imagine everyone is on pins and needles waiting for the meeting. Everyone is going to be on edge. The security measures are probably warranted. It is a lot different telling one person they don't have a job, let a lone 2100. Just keep thinking positive. Everything happens for a reason. When I think back to some of the worst times in my life I see that it brought me someplace else that I wouldn't have ever experienced, had I not had to make a
change.

 

[Ivywoods]

Quote:
Danz-This is so true. I believe with my whole heart that when one door closes another one opens. You only have to look forward to that open door and not keep looking back at the one that closed.

 

[Hawkeye95]

well, I'm sure you've all heard by now. My DH texted me through out the meeting and kept me updated on all the key points. Basically Boeing will be entirely shut down by 2013. But big layoffs will begin by the 3rd quarter this year-- so by July. By the time 2013 rolls around, I bet they have most of the plant shut down. They will be actively moving programs this year to OKC and Texas. We're going to pray we get transfered to OKC. I'm sure we'll love it down there as much as I love living here. There did end up being a lot of upset people... for some reason police responded to something going on there and there were sirens and a bit of chaos. Don't know what happened-- my DH didn't see it or even know about it! But it was reported on. So they must have been discrete about getting it taken care of quickly. Everyone was told to go home today with pay. So my DH is now off and he and his group are going out to lunch together. Wish I didnt' have the kids so I could go join them and hear what they are thinking about it all. Bottom line... looks like we are moving.

 

[Trish44]

Hawkeye, I'm so sorry to hear that news, it makes me so sad that Boeing is leaving, but as you say it's been coming for quite awhile. My son lives in OKC & loves it down there, I hope that's where you get to go, at least it won't be so far away if you have family here. I have no idea about the housing market down there, but I know it's probably cheaper than the St. Louis area. My brother lives in Eureka, which is basically a suburb of St. Louis. DH also has a nephew who lives in a suburb up that way, but he makes pretty good money & his wife is an RN, so they probably don't have to worry so much about the cost of living. At any rate, I hope you can find something you like that will meet all your needs at a good price too. I know it's quite a blow to take & my prayers will be with you as you have to plan for this move.

Oh, Hawkeye, BTW I did look at Google maps & it's 180 miles to Muskogee from Winfield, 3 hours & 10 minutes, so it's a pretty good distance down there. I don't consider that to be in the north part of OK really because it's south of Tulsa aways. I wouldn't mind going if I could hitch on with someone else going that way. I just don't like to drive for long distances myself, I usually leave the driving up to DH when we travel. Maybe I could find another Speckled Sussex hen down there since I need to replace one.

I will put pics up of my new black Ameraucana rooster when I get a chance to catch him sitting still long enough.