Eva’s Friends

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Enjoyable photos, as usual. My favorite this time is Annie dashing through the snow!

Glad you could get your doctor's appointment over and done while you are still home. Those exams are always so unpleasant.

Is Constance doing okay?

There's been an uncharacteristically warm spell of weather here, so I've been doing as much as I can outdoors. Since Golly was taken, I'm really nervous about letting the poultry out of their runs. But, it's been up to 60 degrees lately, and I can see how eager the chickens are to scratch around and to take dirt baths. So, I let them out when I'm cleaning coops and replacing faulty -- or just plain annoying -- latches.

It doesn't take long to scoop out the chicken coops, but the duck shelter is gross and nasty. I probably always put it off too long because I greatly dislike cleaning it, which make the task even worse, I know.

Six hens live in a coop next door to Gussie's pen, and they love to run over and scratch through the bedding in her house, which actually makes it much easier for me to clean later.

Gussie, who clearly is larger than any and all of them, races away because, while she will herd ducks, she's terrified of chickens. It's a weird dynamic.

The baby pool and the little stock tank are getting plenty of action as all the waterfowl splash and spin around in the water. Of course, the warm weather is about to end; there are snow showers predicted for tomorrow.

I'm still planning to get goslings this spring so Gussie won't be alone. With Golly gone, Gussie seems resigned to having me as a companion. She is the most pigeon-toed goose I've ever seen, and if she even suspects I have some shredded lettuce (her favorite winter treat!), she launches herself toward me at full speed. Sometimes, it looks as if her feet are going to touch each other as she runs.

No matter what goslings I get, I'm going to have to have a larger goose shelter. Mine was built for two geese. And, I have to hope that Gussie really likes babies. I'll keep the little old shelter in case she would prefer a private apartment.

I just remembered that you once asked if I knew shorthand. I do not. But in my many years of working for newspapers, I kind of developed my own system and sometimes find myself lapsing back into it when I have to hand write anything. It helps, but often, my handwriting is still nearly impossible to decipher -- which can be especially frustrating at the store when I'm not sure what I meant to buy!! Sometimes, all I can make out is the first letter. :(

I bet time is really racing along for you. How many days before you leave? Have you finished with your memorization?
 
After a week of pleasant, fairly warm weather we were treated this morning to large snowflakes falling gently from the sky. It later turned to rain, and the day became dreary. At least the snow was pretty while it lasted!

I don't remember much of this week. All the days were the same, except for Friday, February 20th, which date I shall remember for a long time. It is the day I signed my enlistment papers and swore into the United States Coast Guard.

I woke up that morning at five even though my alarm wasn't set till six, and just lay in bed thinking over everything. It's been a long journey...anyway my sister and I drove down to the recruiting office and I spent two hours signing papers. Then the Chief in charge swore me in and everybody clapped. I wasn't nervous but a bit flustered because I wasn't expecting an audience!

Afterwards we visited the US Marine Corps Museum in Quantico. They've updated a few of the exhibits since we last went, especially that of the Iraq/Afghanistan war. It was all really interesting.
Enjoyable photos, as usual. My favorite this time is Annie dashing through the snow!
Thank you! It's hard to get decent action photos.
Is Constance doing okay?
She's doing better, now that I went and bought her some individual cans of food at $1.00 a piece! Apparently she takes offense at eating the same food every day. I have to switch it up. Her cough has diminished, but her eyesight and even smell is definitely failing and she sleeps at least 95% of the day.
So, I let them out when I'm cleaning coops and replacing faulty -- or just plain annoying -- latches.
What kind did you replace them with? I like hasps and carabiners, except the carabiners are always getting misplaced.
Of course, the warm weather is about to end; there are snow showers predicted for tomorrow.
Hope you didn't get too much snow!
No matter what goslings I get, I'm going to have to have a larger goose shelter. Mine was built for two geese. And, I have to hope that Gussie really likes babies. I'll keep the little old shelter in case she would prefer a private apartment.
What kind do you plan on getting? If I ever got geese again, I think I would like to try Toulouse.
I bet time is really racing along for you. How many days before you leave? Have you finished with your memorization?
I have just fifty days now. I was doing well with studying and had finally memorized the Helmsman, but the recruiter provided me with a little booklet that contains more information...therefore, more memorizing :)!

A lot of pictures this week:

Eva
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Eva and Annie
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Hope and Faith
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Annie
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The finished contract, an inch thick
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Taking the oath
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Looking out on the Potomac in Leesylvania
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Train crossing the Potomac - if only it was one of the old steam engines!
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F4U Corsair
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Tank
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Staged scene
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Most decorated Marine in history: Lt Gen. William "Chesty" Puller
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The Chapel at the Museum
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The Museum as seen through the trees
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Snowing today
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Cardinal
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Bluejay
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Congratulations!! :celebrateI know you've worked hard and having been looking forward to signing those papers for a long time.

My family's military involvement has all been with the Army, including my dad who served in military intelligence in Korea. Admittedly, I don't know much about the Coast Guard -- except that with my history of seasickness, it sounds frightening to me!

Am I right that you'll be training in Connecticut? That's happening so soon!

I'm glad to hear Constance is doing better and enjoying her fancy diet. Ziva, who would eat anything when she was young, decided late in life that there was only ONE canned cat food that she liked.

The weather is supposed to hit 60 degrees on Friday. Which means the mountains of snow -- including thigh-high drifts -- will turn to masses of mud. I'm not looking forward to muddy paws and muddy runs and muddy boots. I've been trying to shovel out all the runs, but I'm far from done, and I need to move the remaining snow today and tomorrow before it completely melts into rivers.

Many of my coops have hasps and carabiners. I usually hook the carabiners through the open hasps so I don't lose them. Well, that's what I do now. I used to spend a lot of time trying to figure out where I left the carabiners after I opened coops.

I am still waffling on how many goslings (probably 3), when (maybe late next month) and what kind to get. That's the toughest one. I'm leaning toward 3 now and am almost certain I'll go with Toulouse and Egyptian, maybe Embden -- although I'm not sure I want a pure white goose. Another Buff that isn't Golly would be too hard for me.

A neighbor found a stray Egyptian and brought it to me last year to see if I would take it. At the time, I still had Golly and Gussie, a house too small for three geese and no way to quarantine an adult goose. But the Egyptian was so gorgeous, it was hard to say no.

Gussie, bless her heart, has resumed laying. I love to watch her make a nest. She will gently pick up a single piece of hay and meticulously lay it down in a circle she builds around herself. It takes her hours to get everything just right. And, then, the moment she gets up to take a bath, I snatch her beautiful egg. I'm such a meanie!

My favorite photo this week is that beautiful red cardinal, so striking with a snowy background!
 
I can NOT get to sleep…I was so tired last night (like five hours ago) that I forgot to write…but I’ve been awake this whole time. I don’t know if I’m wound up over the news (did you see three of our soldiers have been killed over there) or just not tired because I took a nap this afternoon. Maybe it’s because I’m worrying about the car keys. For the life of me I can’t remember what I did with them.

What did I do all week? I sewed a dress. I worked in the basement a bit. I went for a lot of walks because the weather was nice. I got my hair cut and spent the next two days hiding in my room till I felt brave enough to face the world. I used to have little-longer-than-shoulder-length hair (that I always kept in a bun) but decided to cut it into a something like a pixie for boot camp because the bun was giving me so much trouble. The hairdresser cut it shorter than I expected so it was really shocking at first.

I also pulled a muscle in my neck trying to do fifty pushups with improper form. Thankfully it’s now healed so I can get back to training, but I can’t sleep in my favorite position anymore, which might also be contributing to the reason I’m still up at three am. Those keys are really bothering me.

Today I took the dogs on the Appalachian Trail. While they’re usually pretty bad about pulling, they listened to me constant directions of “slow”, “wait”, and “let’s go” as I carefully navigated the steep terrain in my church shoes. They also walked nicely by my side in town and didn’t even make too much fuss walking by a big Newfoundland. I’m really proud of them!

Where in creation are those keys?!

I'm so excited for you! Beautiful pictures. Is that pond on your property? Can you fish in it?
Thank you 😊!
Only 1/4 is on our property. The neighbor owns the rest as well as all the land behind it. I don’t think I’ve ever seen fish in it but there are lots of snapping turtles and painted turtles. Every spring a Canada Goose couple flies in and raises a brood of four goslings. Most don’t make it to adulthood though 😢.
Am I right that you'll be training in Connecticut? That's happening so soon!
No, actually it’s Cape May, New Jersey. Just six weeks away now!
I'm glad to hear Constance is doing better and enjoying her fancy diet. Ziva, who would eat anything when she was young, decided late in life that there was only ONE canned cat food that she liked.
And what kind was that? Con has got Italian taste and prefers chicken or fish Florentine!
I am still waffling on how many goslings (probably 3), when (maybe late next month) and what kind to get.
I think three is a great number! If one should happen to die, there are at least two left.
Quick correction -- that likely won't matter to anyone but me :). I'm thinking of getting an African gosling NOT an Egyptian, and the goose that my neighbor tried to give me was also an African. No idea why I mixed that up!
Maybe ‘cause Egypt is a country in Africa? I had to look up what an Egyptian was. They’re beautiful!
Gussie, bless her heart, has resumed laying. I love to watch her make a nest. She will gently pick up a single piece of hay and meticulously lay it down in a circle she builds around herself. It takes her hours to get everything just right. And, then, the moment she gets up to take a bath, I snatch her beautiful egg. I'm such a meanie!
Oh, poor Gussie. Hopefully she’ll take the goslings. Maybe - and this is just a thought from my experience dealing with a constant broody turkey - time it so she’s sitting on fake eggs and then when they’d be due to hatch, slip the goslings under her? Maybe she’d be too smart for that? Anyway, fancy me trying to give advice to an expert :cool:.
My favorite photo this week is that beautiful red cardinal, so striking with a snowy background!
That was my favorite, too. They look so perfectly beautiful in snow!

Not too many pictures this week; I am having bad internet and can’t upload any more.

Trotting home for supper
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Annie
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The new dress
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Faith
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