Dreaming of Spring Gardening in the Middle of a Wisconsin winter part 2

[jvls1942]

had therapy at noon. came home and staying in the A C .. If it gets cloudy, I will start putting some parts back onto the lawn mower. Otherwise I will wait until it is cool in the morning.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

It's horrible out there. That humidity is too much. Stay inside Jim. Tomorrow they are saying lower humidity and cooler temperatures.

 

[Callender Girl]

Oh, boy! It's only supposed to get up to 86 today -- of course, the humidity is still at 92 percent.

One of the truths of having critters is that motivation doesn't really matter. Everybody has to be taken care of, regardless of how much I'm not interested. Once I can get moving, it's easier to keep going.

I made a real dent in basement cleaning yesterday. Just as I was getting ready to take a break, a friend let me know that she wanted to come over to see the newly stained deck I had been raving about. I did an about-face -- washed the dishes that were piled in the sink, swept up pet hair, straightened up a few things.

All that needed to be done, but Deb never set foot in the house. We sat out on that lovely deck (she couldn't say enough nice things about it) and drank iced tea under the shade tree. She is a hospice volunteer and one of her ladies loves chickens, but is no longer able to take care of any.

Deb took photos of my chickens to share with her lady, I threw out watermelon slices and the fun began.

Deb said she has intentionally let some of her garden plants die because she is tired of hauling water and watching them perish anyway in this drought. It's good to know I'm not the only one. I'm still watering perennials, but some of the veggies are being allowed to die off.

 

[jvls1942]

It's amazing how motivation kicks in and you can clean your house in twenty minutes when unexpected guests are coming,
too bad about your plants not wanting to live. I imagine there are a lot of farmers with crops in the same condition.
so far we are doing fine. the garlic in the raised beds don't look so hot, though. the ones in the raised bed are doing fine.
i am letting some of the rhubarb blossom , I want to see if I can harvest some seeds.
a few of the garlic are going to seed also. I have lots of it planted so I will let them go.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

They lied about I being cooler today. Miserable out. I'm about to abandon my garden too. Tomatoes plants are too big. I'm about to go in with a machete.

Apparently you can still get a shingle rash despite getting vaccinated. Doesn't really hurt. Just a pain to tend to it.

I think I'm spending the weekend hiding in the house, especially since they put me on an antibiotic that makes you sensitive to the sun. It's a just in case they are wrong about it being shingles thing.

 

[Callender Girl]

Lisa, I had shingles when I was on vacation up near the Canadian border a few years ago. Miserable!! thought I knew what it was, so I went to the Grand Marais drug store and talked to the pharmacist. He asked if he could see the rash, but said he couldn't legally diagnose it.

But, he said, if he COULD, he would suggest some Benadryl and hydrocortisone cream. That sounded good to me, and while it didn't make the rash disappear, it did make it more tolerable. So far, I've only had the first shingles vaccine. Because I now have Medicare, my regular health care provider -- who gave me the first one -- can't give me the second shot. I have to go to a pharmacy, says Medicare. Dumb rules, dumb rules.

Frightening morning. One of my goats was down flat and on one side and couldn't stand up. Flies have bothered everybody, but poor Jack has taken the worst of it; his knees are bloodied and he's been staying in the goat house, even in the heat. This morning, I thought he was dead; one back leg was straight out behind him as he was wedged between the goat house and the chain link fence. I only realized he was alive when he blinked.

Made an emergency vet call and got the new female vet here within the hour. She checked out all his vitals, which were good, and gave him an anti-inflammatory shot and some of the silver spray for flies. He was stumbling around this morning when he could finally stand again, but he seems much better tonight. I will give him another shot Saturday and hope all is well.

BTW, turns out 83 degrees is okay, even with the high humidity. High heat returns tomorrow.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Goats are always getting in trouble. Hopefully Jack feels better soon. One of mine is too thin. He probably won't see winter. I wormed him yet again. We will see.

Thanks for the suggestions Barb. I can't take benadryl as I'm allergic to it now. Definitely have lots of hydrocortisone on hand.

 

[jvls1942]

I thought I had shingles back in 2005. I went to the walk in clinic. the dr looked at it and said that I just had a rash. He said that shingles does not go all the way around the body, it stays on one side , only.
roll the goat's eyelid inside out . if it is white, he is anemic. usually indicating worms.

 

[Callender Girl]

Lisa, hope you're getting some relief from those shingles. It's interesting that you said you are NOW allergic to Benadryl; I used to be able to take penicillin and related meds, but developed an allergy in my teens. Antibiotics that would save other people are dangerous for me.

Jim, I've also been told that shingles stays on one side, and mine did -- on my leg and the same side of my back.

Certainly not the first time I have spent a vacation with an uncomfortable condition. Years earlier, I capped a trip to Ireland, where I was traveling alone, with a serious case of food poisoning. I'd had a lovely bowl of mutton stew in a pub; have never eaten anything made with sheep again. Also, a bad idea to stay in a B-and-B where your room is at one end of the building and the only bathroom is at the other!

Vet didn't check for worms with Jack, but I deworm every 90 days or so. Jack is by far the orneriest goat I've ever owned. But, I discovered yesterday that I might care more about him than I thought.

 

[WIchickMama]

So much to catch up on! Lisa, sorry about the shingles. I haven't ever had them but both my parents did have it and it was bad.

I have been doing all things chicks. I thought I would be able to let the hen raise the chicks with the rest of the flock but found out I have one hen that is more than just curious, like grab baby by the head and fling her across the coop. So I had to build mama and chicks and outdoor pen, which isnt a permanent solution but for a couple days it will work. Hubby and I are going to section off part of their run so they have their own space to run and enjoy life without becoming dinner. They are 7 and 6 days today (hatched on 2 days). Now I need to figure out when to try again for integration? I can't keep moving them back and forth from the run and coop to different enclosures. I just want to let mama do her thing so I keep moving them or let the other hen go. I am stressed.

I am also letting some of my garden go, it isn't bringing me joy this year.