Eva’s Friends

[Evadig]

It's currently very windy and there's been periods of sleet and snow - not a pleasant day at all. I've spend most of it on the computer watching documentaries on youtube or scrolling BYC. It definitely was not a great use of my time, but everyone else was taking a nap.

My parents got home from their trip Thursday. They were not really impressed with Pennsylvania or Ohio. Maybe they will just stay here. The trouble with the neighbors seems to have calmed down, anyway.

We rented a boom to take down several dead trees but did not get very far. Felling dead trees is nerve-wracking because you don't know which way they're going to fall, and of course ours are all facing the most inopportune direction. We do not want them to fall on the road, but that's the way they want to go.

Yesterday and today, despite the bad weather, I took both Annie and Eva along on a run. They enjoyed themselves, especially when a squirrel and a cat crossed the road in front of them. They're off leash, so usually I'm yelling at them to "get back here!" from a hundred feet behind - but they're pretty good at listening otherwise. When a car comes I tell them to sit on the side of the road and wait, and they do.

Constance is doing alright, but I think her eyesight and mind is failing a little. She forgets she has food in the dish, comes meowing, and goes back to eating once you show her. Sometimes she doesn't see the treats you put in front of her, either.

Finnegan went to the vet for more vaccines and a stool test. He has parasites. Which means Brianna has parasites. Which means the chickens probably have parasites. I don't even know how I'm going to treat them!

I've said it many times, but I always enjoy your photos. The icing color on those cookies is so vibrant! How did you make it?

Thank you , and the food coloring was made from a plant-based dye my mom bought at a health food store. It definitely has a different color than the normal dye!

The weather keeps swinging back and forth, like a crazy pendulum. A few days ago, there was torrential rain that leaked into the basement.

Oh, gracious. That situation is (was) all too common here. Hopefully it didn't make too much of a mess.

So, she's been getting two pills a day and ear meds. I'm sure Ziva and I are both looking forward to Tuesday when we get to stop with the medication. To her credit, I've only gotten bitten once and she only spit out a pill once.

Ziva sounds like a very good kitty . How do you get her to take the pills?

Yesterday morning, I found her dead under the roost where she and Evie slept. They were together their entire lives, for more than 7 years. I am grateful that it was sunny on her last day, and she spent the afternoon soaking up rays with Evie by her side.

Poor Audrey!
Her last day was beautiful, though - it is the way I would like my pets to leave this life. How is Evie taking it?

Totally fed up with Dr. C, I am taking my dogs to see a different local vet Tuesday to get their nails trimmed. I figure it's a good way to meet the doctor and see if I like him. I'm already happy that there are morning hours and some Saturdays; Dr. C did away with those at my old clinic.

He also misdiagnosed my beloved blind cat Goo, who passed away in September. I recognized Goo's lump as a particular type of cancerous tumor; I've seen it with some of my other cats. Dr. C disagreed and said it was an abscess, which of course, required treatment with expensive meds that did no good whatsoever.

That is frustrating. And it is so hard to argue with doctors, because they're "experts" and you're not. My vet insisted Eva have surgery to remove her cancerous tumor, even though it was very likely another one would develop. Sure enough, she had another one within a few months - almost in the same area as the first.

I think the nail trim idea is a good one!

I am hopeful that the Ford dealership will finally get the part it needs to repair my car. Fingers crossed for luck, it SHOULD happen this week.

I hope so! Can you still drive it until then?

I did not take many photos this time:

Eva and Annie

Rainy day:

Barbara and Jane:

Walking home from our run today:

 

[Callender Girl]

Sounds like your folks might be staying put and not letting bad neighbors run them off. Good for them!

Evie gets her last dose of medicine tomorrow morning, and hopefully, I will get to quit playing vet tech for a while. When the weather is really extreme, I leave them in their runs. But when we had a couple of decent days, I let Evie out to mix with the flocks. I was hoping she and Camille (who lost her sister last winter) would get along. Nope. So, I have two coops that each have one hen. In fact, Evie was pretty much bullying everyone she met.

Poor Constance! It sounds like the feline version of dementia (there's also a canine version), and Ziva is showing some signs, too. I almost feel bad for putting her through getting her matts removed, but I know she can move better now. Unlike any of my other cats -- ever -- she mostly just let me open her jaws and slide the pill to the back of her throat. But, I'm still glad it's over.

Today was flea med and heartworm pill day. So, far I've been successful with both dogs and three out of four cats.

Sorry to hear Finn has parasites! Getting rid of them can be so tricky. I had to deal with poultry mites and worms last summer. Depending on the type of parasite, maybe you won't have to "debug" everybody?

Aside from my dogs acting like idiots (Dinah kept wrapping her leash around George's, which made him unhappy), the visit to the new vet went really well.

Instead of a vet tech taking the dogs into a back room (which is what they did at my old vet's), Dr. Peters kept them with me in the exam room. When his vet tech lifted blind George onto the exam table, Dr. Peters told me to stand next to George to help reassure and comfort him, which I really appreciated. Plus, the vet tech has lots of pets, including five ducks she has forbidden her husband to even think about eating!

And, having Dr. Peters trim nails -- rather than a vet tech at the old place -- cost about a third less. I've spent a lot on vet bills this year already, and saving dollars wherever I can is great.

There is an 8 a.m. appointment tomorrow for my car. I sidestepped the customer service rep I usually get, which I think was a good move. The previous rep misled me about a few things -- stuff that was easily refuted by checking out some reputable online sources.

For example, I was told that the reason it took so long before (more than half a day) is because they have to remove the entire dashboard to replace an ACM.

In fact, that's way more time than it should have taken. The entire dashboard doesn't have to be removed; it's more like taking out screws in two places and popping off the housing that fits over the radio. I watched various videos that showed the removal taking less than 10 minutes.

Also, this entire repair -- diagnostic, parts and labor -- is free because the ACM they previously installed is faulty and still under warranty.

You had mentioned way back that you were learning another language. Was it Polish? Are you still doing that? I have been toying with picking up some Spanish (took a year in high school) or French (popular choice among historical reenactors who do American-Canadian fur trade era).

Since Salmon Faverolles are a French breed and I already have a CD/book course in French, I have been trying to practice by speaking to Camille in French -- greeting her in the morning and asking how she is doing. Camille is unimpressed. Of course, she doesn't care what I say in English either

 

[Evadig]

Today is cloudy and cold, a good day to sit before the fireplace (if you have one) and read a book.

This whole week I've been sick. I caught a cold. Despite that I went for a run on the warmest day (Tuesday). It's critical I run whenever there's a even slightly warm day - I need to keep my time up. I have just eighty-five days left .

We resumed work on the trees and managed to fell five large dead oaks without injury to anyone (though a large branch nearly fell on my dad while he was up in the lift).

Yesterday my sister's vintage flute that I bought her for Christmas was ready for pickup from the repair technician, so I went to town. It was 45F out, so the dogs got to go to the dog park before I ran errands. We closed out the day with a walk at sunset on the deserted battlefield. I loved every second of it.

However, I am still coughing. It's the bane of my existence. I will cough for days. I'm sure being in the chilly weather yesterday did not help. I am drinking tea and eating cough drops like they're chocolate, and I manage to sleep at night, but it persists.

I'm trying to decide if I should have Eva spayed before I leave. Her seizures are mostly tied to her season, so having her spayed should remedy those, but I'm worried about negative effects on her already poor health. What do you think?

So, I have two coops that each have one hen. In fact, Evie was pretty much bullying everyone she met.

Gracious, Evie! And Camille won't get along with anyone either? How do they stay warm with just themselves?

Unlike any of my other cats -- ever -- she mostly just let me open her jaws and slide the pill to the back of her throat. But, I'm still glad it's over.

How would you give pills to a cat that won't let you do that?

Aside from my dogs acting like idiots (Dinah kept wrapping her leash around George's, which made him unhappy), the visit to the new vet went really well.

Instead of a vet tech taking the dogs into a back room (which is what they did at my old vet's), Dr. Peters kept them with me in the exam room. When his vet tech lifted blind George onto the exam table, Dr. Peters told me to stand next to George to help reassure and comfort him, which I really appreciated. Plus, the vet tech has lots of pets, including five ducks she has forbidden her husband to even think about eating!

And, having Dr. Peters trim nails -- rather than a vet tech at the old place -- cost about a third less. I've spent a lot on vet bills this year already, and saving dollars wherever I can is great.

That's wonderful you found a good vet! I take mine to petsmart for nail trimming - I think it costs ten dollars.

There is an 8 a.m. appointment tomorrow for my car. I sidestepped the customer service rep I usually get, which I think was a good move. The previous rep misled me about a few things -- stuff that was easily refuted by checking out some reputable online sources.

Hopefully your car repair went alright!

Lots of pictures:

Driving to town

Waiting for trees to fall

Constance

Photo I took for my 365 project

Planners I made for my sister and mom

At the battlefield

Looking over the valley

 

[Callender Girl]

I try to start every year with an optimistic outlook, but 2026 is sure testing that. In less than three weeks, I've lost Audrey, Ziva and Golly.

Gussie must have seen Golly get taken, but she still seems to be searching for her sister. Listening to her call for Golly is horrible.

I've been given advice from BYC'ers to get two or three goslings for her to raise. Of course, no one ships goslings this time of year, which makes sense. Gussie usually resumes laying in March and is fiercely protective of her eggs. So, I will try to pop babies under her and hope she feels the same way about them. I'll have a brooder ready, just in case she doesn't.

Golly probably went fast -- and I've read there's a hormone that kicks in that likely would have shielded her from feeling much pain. Ziva declined rapidly in her last 10 days. She was in rough shape; her body temperature was only 92 degree. But on her last morning, she head booped me and purred as I petted her.

She clearly forgave me for the pills, and I appreciated her willingness to take them. Too many times, I've had to taco-towel wrap a cat, grab its head, pull open its jaws and shove a pill all the way to the back of the throat. It's a surefire way to get scratched and bitten. And, deservedly so!

The weather has been ridiculously cold and windy. Although I am always concerned about my hens -- collectively and the single ones -- getting too cold, I remind myself that tiny, unsheltered sparrows survive, and my girls will, too. They settle their feathery selves on top of their feet, to protect their toes, and tough it out.

I took Ziva back to the animal and avian vet 90-plus miles away because Dr. Jess had seen her previously. It was a good decision because she could see how much Ziva had declined. Dr. Jess and vet tech Whitney were so kind and supportive for both of us. I wish the clinic was closer; I'd go there all the time.

I hesitate to give advice on Eva's spaying, because I'm not a vet. But when I worked with a canine rescue group (my house got the dogs that were too old or chronically ill to be adopted), even older dogs were spayed, both to prevent pups and the likelihood of mammary gland tumors.

My car is now properly repaired. It's 11 years old, so there's no trade-in value. I plan to drive it until it won't drive anymore, and it's only got 97,000 miles on it -- should be good for a few more years . All I expect from a car is to get me comfortably from Point A to Point B. It doesn't have to be fancy or flashy to do that. Unlike my vintage pick-up truck, my car doesn't have any rust, and the interior is in great shape. So, I'm good with it.

Endless coughing is the worst! A couple of years ago, I got some weird unnamed virus that hung on for eight long weeks; the major symptom was coughing, and like you, it went on all the time. I hope you are feeling better. If it's making your throat sore, in my days working in radio, we would drink hot water with tea and honey to relieve the scratchiness.

My favorite of your photos this time is of the dogs' expressions as they watch the tree felling (thank goodness your dad is okay! Maybe they were just worried about his safety?) and the lovely panoramic view of the valley. Also, I like the planners you made for you mom and sister -- thoughtful and very nice!