Consolidated Kansas

[tweetybaby2005]

That is so hard to face. I so feel for you. You are in my prayers. People often forget how hard something like that is on the rest of the family. I do hope you have some sort of support there in the way of friends or family. I think I remember you moved here from out of state? I remember you had lived in Texas but don't remember if you ever said where any other family was.

Bbsnooks, I'll try watching that when I have more time. There are so many different methods it would be interesting to see another one.

I have got a story for you all that would have been upsetting had I been in a huge rush, but as it was I was getting a good laugh out of people.
We went to Topeka later yesterday afternoon. On the way up we stopped at TSC and bought the gate to put across my driveway, several bags of feed, chick starter, game bird starter, dog food, cat food for the peafowl etc. We had our long car hauler trailer on the back of the truck to haul the gate.
DH asked the clerk if he could unhook the trailer and leave it in the parking lot because we had to go way up north and do more shopping and eat and stuff. She said yes and told him where to park it on the far side of the parking lot. He got the gate all tied down to the trailer, locked up the hitch, and even went back into TSC to buy a padlock to lock the chain so no one could steal the gate panel.
We finished our other shopping, stopped and gorged ourselves at Mr. Stirfry and got back to the TSC parking lot about 9:15 or so. DH had the truck running and the headlights on, and was getting in and out moving the truck to position to hook up the trailer. When we got hooked up and started to pull out he pointed at a guy sitting in a pickup on the road that runs along side the business. He said, "Look, we are being watched." I assumed the guy was some paid night watchman cause he backed up and sat to watch us pull out. But then he was following us. We were joking about him calling the sheriff and screaming that he had people stealing a trailer (even though TSC carries nothing even remotely close to the size of this one.). Well the guy kept following us. DH said he should make a few U turns and make the guy run in circles. He sped up and slowed down and Mr. Hero in the truck stayed right with us. We knew he had called the sheriff because he was dead intent on not letting us get out of his sight. Well a few miles down the road we saw 2 sheriff's vehicles sitting at the side of the road. The guy that had been following us suddenly jumped into more super hero mode and pulled up along side us trying to push us over so we couldn't get away. Had we been actual criminals he really put himself in danger. He most likely would have gotten shot. What a dumb A.. So DH just pulled off on to the shoulder. The guy slammed on his brakes and stopped just behind us on the opposite side of the road. Another dumb move. No more than we had gotten stopped here came both Sheriff's vehicles lights flashing in hot pursuit.
Talk about unprofessional. The one officer that came up to the window with his hand on his gun said , "Can you tell me what's going on?" DH not being one of his smarter moments said, "Why don't you tell me what is going on." I could tell he thought better as soon as it came out of his mouth. Both of us being ex police officers know you never approach anyone with a statement like the sheriff's officer did. The officer should have first asked for his driver's license then said, "The reason I stopped you is...." That is one of the first things you ever learn in the police academy regardless of where you are.
Anyway the officer said that it was reported we were stealing items from the TSC parking lot. I had to pipe up and say that someone needed to get a life. He said the was just a concerned citizen. DH said he didn't have a problem with that but did have a problem with the guy trying to bulldog us off the road. (If he had whipped his trailer it would have flipped the guy's vehicle in an instant.) Worse yet the dumb guy was still sitting in his truck across the road from us. DH explained how we had made arrangements to leave the trailer and had bought the gate etc. We had to show them the receipt to show we bought the gate.
DH asked the sheriff's officer to have the guy leave and said he didn't appreciate his stupid unsafe behavior. The sheriff's officer did go over then and tell him to leave. (For his safety he should have been told to leave before they ever approached our truck. Another really stupid move on the officers parts.)
Well then he finally asks for his driver's license and went back and ran the tags and DH's DL etc etc and stood in back of the trailer talking for what seemed like forever. I imagine they were having the dispatcher make some calls as well because we had the trailer custom ordered and bought it from a trailer dealer that is almost across the road from TSC and it has his logo tag on it. It is registered and tagged though so it could easily be checked. Not to mention muddy and dirty from being used on the farm.
Well then I guess they saw all the feed bags and stuff in the back of the truck as well. So the sheriff's officer came back up to the truck wanting to see the receipt again. You could see his eyes going back and forth from the receipt to the pile of bags in the back. I was still laughing and joking with DH about how if we had actually kept making U turns we could have been in quite a circus of the guy in the truck following us and the sheriff's officers with their lights on going round and round in circles.
DH was starting to get irritated cause they wasted at least 25 minutes of our time while they checked this old gray haired couple of thieves that look like farmers out. He had to get up at 5:30 this AM for work and he was wanting to get home and get to bed.
At any rate I was having a good laugh out of it. I really should write the Sheriff's office and point out many really stupid moves on the part of his officers. I can understand a concerned citizen calling something in, but to play super hero like he was trying was out and out dangerous.... had we really been thieves. The dispatcher should have told him to keep his distance from us and let the sheriff's officers handle it... not attempt to run us off the road.
I told DH that at least he had something to talk about at work today other than my chicken projects.

Danz... that sure was an exciting night for you and DH. It is true that the "innocent concerned citizen" was an idiot. If a true criminal was running aware from the crime scene, I'm sure once he found out he was being followed, he would have tried his very best to "get rid" of him. It is interesting to see your experience as an officer pointing out the mistakes this sheriff made. Perhaps he is a new guy on the job?

Kuan

 

[HEChicken]

Hawkeye, I'm glad you found the injuries on the depressed bird - hopefully she will pull through. My Cuckoo Marans was depressed like that after she was attacked last year and behaved just as you described - standing in one place, uninterested in life, tail down. She was like that for 3 days and it was July so I had to keep moving her around all day to keep her in shade, as she wouldn't even move out of the sun. I was sure I was losing her but on the third day I offered her an egg I had just cracked into a bowl and it was the first time she showed interest in anything. After eating a little of the egg, she slowly snapped out of it and the next day I saw her eating and drinking on her own, and slowly walking around, and at least staying out of the sun. She is fine now, lays regularly and I've incubated several of her eggs and have one of her daughters in my flock now as well. I hope the same will be true of your silkie.

Trish, I agree with you on the 2x4's. I just saw a couple of minutes of the first video that came up when I clicked on the link and I was surprised he was using 2x4's. I really think you need the extra strength of the 2x6's, since those panels are heavy and under quite a bit of pressure when they're bent over like that. I want mine to last a few years, and I'm afraid I'd be rebuilding it pretty quickly if I used lumber that wasn't up to the task.

I just moved my brooder chicks out to a grow out pen, where I'm hoping they can stay now, since the weather forecast is for mild weather for the next week at least. They are really happy with the extra space. I need to get the brooder cleaned out now as I have turkey poults hatching and I'm going to need a place to put them tomorrow. I had one pip when I woke up this morning, but nothing had happened with it and I had to go and have lunch with a friend. By the time I got back it was hatched. I was so glad I had to go somewhere today - it kept me from checking on the incubator every few minutes

 

[cherwill]

Here's pictures of my worst injury... I thought the one last night was bad, but I think this one is worse.

Oh my; that looks awful. Poor thing.

I'm sure they had probably ran the plate if the guy gave it to them. But that only contains name and address of the owner; not vital statistics like birth date. I should have given him my driver's license. If you put my name and birth date in NCIC you get a hit. Normally that means you are a wanted criminal. My information is in there and comes back a hit but it says Police Officer Only under the information rather than listing warrants. I did some undercover work and therefore had to get FBI clearance which put me in the system. I got stopped once when I was a police officer and the dispatcher just saw the hit and didn't get the information read before announcing it to the officer. They had a backup car show up before she came back on the radio and gave the correct information. So running my name could have made this even more fun. I guess I shouldn't laugh but it's easier to look at the comedy than to be upset.
I am a total supporter of police officers. Once in your blood you don't loose that. However I have no room or respect at all for shoddy poor unprofessional officers. I really have trouble watching TV sometimes because of the dumb mistakes I see made on shows, lack of reality, and seeing botched investigations.
DH was also a police officer/firefighter but in a smaller community, where I was an officer in OKC, OK. So together we see things on two levels.

My brother was a cop for 15 years, so I just know what he would have considered SOP. Running plates is first and foremost, because you never know who you might be stopping.

I know you mean about watching TV. Between my brother's experience, and DH being a firefighter, we watch a lot of shows by hitting pause and nitpicking the procedure to death!

I just found a tick on me! It was crawling around my hairline! I grabbed it, stuck it in a paper towel and beat it with the rubber mallet. It s no longer a threat. Now I want guineas!
Gah! Now my head itches ...

 

[ChooksChick]

Quote: X2!



Can't really reply to everyone, but I'm sending good thoughts and prayers to many of you, congrats to some, condolences to others...I'm bogged down to the nth right now and wish I could visit, but notsomuch.

Got Medawinks birds homes, but they haven't moved yet, so I have some visitors in one of the far run/coop areas with a broody Bourbon Red.

Happy possible spring, everyone! I've lost all of my garden and have to start over except peas, onions and greens. My 3 sisters died AGAIN. Third time is the charm, right??

 

[Frizzled Pink]

Wow! lots of posts that i had to catch up on.

Hawkeye--i would -very innocently--say to friends/family Oh but you can be involved in the sale of my house by bringing in the BUYER!!!!!!! LOL, sorry about the loss of your birds-that is just heartbreaking

Wow Danz, Thank goodness it all turned out ok and you can laugh about it in hindsight but how scary at all the twists that could have taken.

Michelle-you and yours are in my thoughts and i will add in my prayers for a recovery/remission, please keep us updated and if there is anything we can do.

Renee--good grief i think my life is hectic but you make my head spin, i don't know how you do it

We have tried to open up our greenhouse for 2 weekends now--dumb rain and snow-so over you! Lizzy i know you need the rain i wish i could send it to you.

 

[jennyjane73]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/content/type/61/id/5718695/width/200/height/400[/IMG
The two silkie babies are getting big, too.

 

[lizzyGSR]

We have tried to open up our greenhouse for 2 weekends now--dumb rain and snow-so over you! Lizzy i know you need the rain i wish i could send it to you.

Gosh, that would be nice! They're calling for a 50% chance of rain tonight and tomorrow and at least a 30% chance through the end of the 5 day stretch. Hopefully, we'll get something out of all of those chances for it!!

 

[Deerfield Acres]

michelleml, I'm so sorry about the turn your husbands condition has taken. You and your DH are in my thoughts and prayers.

cherwill, I loved the pic of your birds in the flower beds. I only found 9 birds though! I think similar colors must have been stacked together or something. I found the one in the rocks. I loved hearing about the finches taking feathers. That's so cute.

hawkeye, how absolutely horrible. I'm just stunned at an animal that would get through your set up. It's just incredible that it would climb all the way up those smooth boards and in the daytime, too. I'm so very sorry to hear about your losses.

danz, as usual you seem to get into the most interesting situations. I had to laugh, even though it wasn't really funny. I can just hear you telling it as I read and you just make it sound so ridiculously funny. It's that just the craziest thing?

chooks, I'm really sorry to hear about your garden, I know others have had similar trouble this year. I just had strawberries and asparagus and they are both doing great. Thankfully. I think it's due to the bunny poo I put on them. Rabbits are wonderful things to have for the garden.


So I've got strep. It started with our youngest coming down with it Friday, me on Saturday and our oldest daughter on Sunday. I didn't realize I actually had strep until today. My heart is like an early warning system and it started dancing on Saturday and got worse Sunday. I still haven't had a sore throat but it looks dreadful. Anyway, it's certainly not the worst strep I've ever had so that's a good thing.

I sold (via the kids) four ducks to some people from Greensburg, KS today. They built a preschool on a pond and they wanted to add adult ducks to the pond. I quizzed them closely as to how they were setting up for the proper care of them and made sure they were going to be fed and sheltered correctly. They had all the right answers so it was a go. I'm really happy these ducks are going to be in a place where the people actually care for them and they can also be enjoyed by the little ones at the preschool. Danz, I didn't let them take Choppers. They wanted a drake but I told them my two drakes were pets. They are going to pick up one of the drakes growing out from me in another couple weeks or so. I hated to disappoint them but I would have hated to let Choppers or Dawdles go even worse. Although I'm going to have speaks with them about getting into the strawberry patch!

Once they see a fence around the strawberries, I'm sure they will be willing to see it my way.

We have an airfield close by where a jump club is held. Finally, tonight we have jumpers again since the skies are clear and it's not blowing a gale. It's fun to watch those guys parachute down. One evening after dark a whole bunch of them jumped holding lights of some sort and it was beautiful watching the lights all float downward. DH knows a couple of the jumpers and they've offered to land on our property one of these days. We just need to get it set up to surprise the kids.

 

[chicken danz]

Oh Deerfield that would be awesome. I always wanted to sky dive. I signed up for lessons once about 20 years ago but then they wouldn't let me do it because of the damage to my right wrist. They said I need normal strength to pull the lines or something. DH was just a new boyfriend then and he absolutely was against it. But I am a free spirit so I told him, "Well, it's the one sport I know I can do without ridicule. If I mess up I won't be around to hear that I didn't do it right."
Since that time I figured out I'm very breakable.
Cherwill I am glad you understand my TV thing. Lots of people don't. It's just one of those things that really bug me. I can't keep my mouth shut. Even if I am sitting alone watching.

It was another busy day out there...or at least when I finally got outside. I didn't get nearly what I intended done. I think I need to do some more downsizing.

 

[Trish44]

I'm just pooped out now, I spent 4 1/2 hours out there this afternoon putting up the wire on my hoop coop. I got it all on & tomorrow morning plan to go out & put the tarp over it so I can move the chicks in there. I'm so tired of cleaning out brooders, ugh.

I was really upset this afternoon, I let both turkey hens out & one of them immediately took off calling as she went & disappeared. I couldn't seem to turn her back so just had to let her go. She was gone all the time I was out there working, I was getting worried that something had happened to her, some trigger happy person shot her or a dog or other predator had gotten her. Finally at almost dark here she came back, I was so happy to see her! I don't think she's going to be able to come out for awhile until she gets wandering out of her head. She has never done that before, usually they both just stay right around the front yard.

I let the two little goats out to browse around while I was out there this afternoon too & they did great. I didn't tie either one out & they just stayed right around in the woods where I was at all afternoon. They sure did have a lot of fun out there. I think they were actually ready to go back in by the time I got around to doing chores tonight. They were pretty quiet out there too. Penny, the younger one went in the front of the hoop coop before I got the last half of the front covered up & then walked around & figured out how to get back out. Goats really are pretty smart animals, even as babies.

My DH's ex brother-in-law had a horrible sky-diving accident. He jumped & his parachute didn't open & he fell a long ways. He was broken up pretty bad & had a lot of problems from it the rest of his life. He was really lucky to even be alive after that. I guess they really didn't expect him to make it.