Eva’s Friends

[ksbkeys]

I almost forgot to write. I hope you all had a Merry Christmas!

Mine was pretty quiet. We drove up into western Pennsylvania to look at churches/towns again. I think it would have been a nice place to live back when the mines were open but now all the towns are very sleepy little hamlets, mostly rundown. The churches still stand proud but it seems the congregation skews to the older side, though there are two universities! I don't know where all the students are coming from!

My sister sent me a mouse pad she made off Canva. I forgot to take a picture this time.

Friday and Saturday I worked in the basement opening, condensing, and repacking boxes again. Then I got sidetracked with my sister's dolls and spent the rest of the day using them as models for photography practice.

I have to take Finnegan back to the vet because the rescue wants a stool sample and more shots. I wish they would have told me that earlier.

Constance is meowing from her cat tower, making it really hard to think. She's been batting me when I pet her as of late - don't know if she's trying to get treats or just doesn't want to be petted.

Eva still refuses to eat until she's literally starving, and is now guarding all the bones in the house; Annie's too afraid to touch any of them now. I got the vet to give me a different prescription for Eva; maybe a change of food will help.

Today being Sunday we went to church and also picked up my new glasses. I was glad to get them because my old pair are scratched, but the prescription in one set seems to be off. I don't know how that's possible! The other set has transitions which I really do not like but I was told I need to wear sunglasses when outside.

I'm glad you weren't alone for Christmas! Do a lot of people put up lights there? Not many people have decorated where we are.

Oh, dear! What did you end up doing with all the extras? And why do tools, of all things, have the knack for disappearing? My dad has gone through at least three sets of knee pads in four years. Despite cleaning the basement multiple times, we have never been able to find them.

I did research it, and it is fascinating! I feel like I had read of the dead soldiers idea somewhere, too...

Couldn't they just charge and bite you? Or they're too blind to see what's actually in front of them?

You as well!

Beautiful Blue Jay
View attachment 4273632View attachment 4273633

Barbara got out while I was putting a new toy in the cage...
View attachment 4273634

One of the pictures I did with some of her dolls:
View attachment 4273636

@ksbkeys I thought you might like this - it's the Carol of the Bells (sort of) set to police lights! Starts around 0:40.

That police light Carol of the bells is so cool! Thanks!

 

[Evadig]

Highlights of 2025

I look forward to sharing 2026 with you all, and wish you a very happy new year!

 

[thecatumbrella]

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVA!

 

[ksbkeys]

View attachment 4275149
Highlights of 2025

I look forward to sharing 2026 with you all, and wish you a very happy new year!

Happy New Year to you, too!

 

[lightm]

Happy new year to Eva and Eva's Friends!

 

[Callender Girl]

A belated Happy New Year! 2026 has gotten off to a busy start, and I haven't spent as much time on BYC as usual.

It appears I haven't written anything since before the blizzard last Sunday. Even by northern Iowa standards, it was a doozey. State patrol closed 200 miles of Interstate 35, although I can't imagine why anyone would have attempted to drive through the high winds and blowing snow.

Wind seemed to come from all directions and blew into all of the coops through the air vents and around the doors. Snow piled up inside the coops -- all the bedding had to be removed and replaced -- and drifted into the runs; latches on some were frozen shut. A couple still are, which makes caring for the birds really tough.

Dinah, my smaller dog, walked to the door but refused to go outside and managed not to relieve herself for about 24 hours. Eventually, I just picked her up and plopped her outside in the snow.

My more-than-century-old house doesn't warm up very well upstairs so I run a good space heater in my bedroom. As I came downstairs at 2:30 Monday morning (dogs seemed to hear something outside), I realized it was cold -- really cold -- on the first floor. The thermostat read 44 degrees!

I knew no one was going to be able to come out for hours; the roads hadn't been cleared. But I called the furnace repair's emergency number, plugged in more space heaters and layered on clothes. I learned that with my electrical wiring, I can't plug in space heaters in the bathroom and the west wall of the living room at the same time. I had to go the basement and figure out which switch to throw in the breaker box.

The furnace is about 20 years old, so I was preparing myself for the worst. But, it's fine. When Wes got here about 9 a.m., he found that blowing snow plugged the exterior PVC exhaust vent, and it was an inexpensive and quick fix to unclog it.

I got my snowblower started, but once again, it wouldn't keep running. Which didn't really matter because the overhead garage door was frozen shut until the next day. By then, I had shoveled out.

Because I couldn't get my car out of the garage, I had to postpone an appointment at the car dealership until Friday. I told them it would be the same part that was bad last winter, and I was right. The part is still under warranty and they will fix everything for free, probably this week, after they order the part.

One of my Easter Eggers has conjunctivitis again, and I was able to get a same-day vet appointment for her Friday afternoon. It's almost a 90-mile drive to the avian vet, but they are great. She is reluctantly getting oral meds and eye drops.

Because her appointment was later in the day, I had to drive home in the dark (yuck!) but it gave me a chance to see some cool Christmas lights. It seems quite a few people decorate with lights and leave them up at least for a bit after Christmas. From my house, I can barely see one of my neighbors' lights that seem to chase around her roof line as they change colors. Close up, her deck railing has some cool white lights that look as if they are dripping down the rails.

How's your reorganizing and purging going? I spent more than half of yesterday with my kitchen cabinets and island. I get lots of quality kitchen stuff at auctions, where the auctioneer likes to sell boxes of assorted things at once. I tend to keep everything that looks like it's good quality. However, yesterday I realized I had three 9-by-13 Pyrex baking dishes. I will NEVER need that many.

I've loaded up two big boxes to donate at the men's homeless shelter that has a thrift store where its residents work.

My sister always chooses a word of the year and has convinced me to do the same. For 2026, my word is "accomplish," and I think the kitchen purge is a good start.

Hope 2026 is going well for you!

 

[ksbkeys]

A belated Happy New Year! 2026 has gotten off to a busy start, and I haven't spent as much time on BYC as usual.

It appears I haven't written anything since before the blizzard last Sunday. Even by northern Iowa standards, it was a doozey. State patrol closed 200 miles of Interstate 35, although I can't imagine why anyone would have attempted to drive through the high winds and blowing snow.

Wind seemed to come from all directions and blew into all of the coops through the air vents and around the doors. Snow piled up inside the coops -- all the bedding had to be removed and replaced -- and drifted into the runs; latches on some were frozen shut. A couple still are, which makes caring for the birds really tough.

Dinah, my smaller dog, walked to the door but refused to go outside and managed not to relieve herself for about 24 hours. Eventually, I just picked her up and plopped her outside in the snow.

My more-than-century-old house doesn't warm up very well upstairs so I run a good space heater in my bedroom. As I came downstairs at 2:30 Monday morning (dogs seemed to hear something outside), I realized it was cold -- really cold -- on the first floor. The thermostat read 44 degrees!

I knew no one was going to be able to come out for hours; the roads hadn't been cleared. But I called the furnace repair's emergency number, plugged in more space heaters and layered on clothes. I learned that with my electrical wiring, I can't plug in space heaters in the bathroom and the west wall of the living room at the same time. I had to go the basement and figure out which switch to throw in the breaker box.

The furnace is about 20 years old, so I was preparing myself for the worst. But, it's fine. When Wes got here about 9 a.m., he found that blowing snow plugged the exterior PVC exhaust vent, and it was an inexpensive and quick fix to unclog it.

I got my snowblower started, but once again, it wouldn't keep running. Which didn't really matter because the overhead garage door was frozen shut until the next day. By then, I had shoveled out.

Because I couldn't get my car out of the garage, I had to postpone an appointment at the car dealership until Friday. I told them it would be the same part that was bad last winter, and I was right. The part is still under warranty and they will fix everything for free, probably this week, after they order the part.

One of my Easter Eggers has conjunctivitis again, and I was able to get a same-day vet appointment for her Friday afternoon. It's almost a 90-mile drive to the avian vet, but they are great. She is reluctantly getting oral meds and eye drops.

Because her appointment was later in the day, I had to drive home in the dark (yuck!) but it gave me a chance to see some cool Christmas lights. It seems quite a few people decorate with lights and leave them up at least for a bit after Christmas. From my house, I can barely see one of my neighbors' lights that seem to chase around her roof line as they change colors. Close up, her deck railing has some cool white lights that look as if they are dripping down the rails.

How's your reorganizing and purging going? I spent more than half of yesterday with my kitchen cabinets and island. I get lots of quality kitchen stuff at auctions, where the auctioneer likes to sell boxes of assorted things at once. I tend to keep everything that looks like it's good quality. However, yesterday I realized I had three 9-by-13 Pyrex baking dishes. I will NEVER need that many.

I've loaded up two big boxes to donate at the men's homeless shelter that has a thrift store where its residents work.

My sister always chooses a word of the year and has convinced me to do the same. For 2026, my word is "accomplish," and I think the kitchen purge is a good start.

Hope 2026 is going well for you!

Sounds like it has been an adventurous start to 2026!