The Old Folks Home

[Dragonfly216]

I can always count on you, CanuckBock, to make me both smile and laugh with your posts! I just love the baby geese! That is too adorable that the tiny gosling was mimicking dad!

 

[Pozees]

Wisher, I am so sorry to learn of your weather issues. I agree with others though, it is possible at least some of the eggs in the Sportsman will hatch. Wish I was closer.

 

[Pozees]

Tara, your posts are so uplifting! Yesterday's CC wishes and today's gosling pictures just made my days!

As an experienced goose keeper, do you consider them difficult to keep? Someone elsewhere said they are a pain in the yard - to me it appears they would save a lot of fuel and energy mowing ...

 

[pickitfarm]

The weather has really done a number on us.

Late Sunday night, DH and I were out in the driving wind and lighting, trying to access and handle the results of the wind. Roofs off of two of my coops, trees down, flooding (not too bad at my place, just really soggy and a couple of inches of sheeting water in my coops) and no power for over 24 hours. I didn't loose any adult birds, but I had a chick in the "bra-bator" all night. I had washed it in warm water and put it in the hatcher to dry just before the power went out. The others were dry and in the brooder. The sad part for me is the eggs that were/are in the Sportsman. There are nearly 200 eggs that were in there that probably won't hatch. I had to work and couldn't be there when he hooked it up to the borrowed generator, so I don't know what the temp got down to, but my guess would be in the 70's.

Sixty of those eggs were an order for a lady that has a petting zoo and needs chicks for an Easter event in two weeks. I called to give her the news, and she just BOO_HOOed. She went on to explain that her barn flooded (over waist deep) and she lost almost all of the animals she uses in her business. All but one of her pygmy goat kids, all her bunnies, piglets, kittens, and a few birds. It's so sad. She is struggling to get started and has just been able to secure a couple of large events and now she has no animals. The only insurance she has is for liability.

Eighteen of my eggs were the exhibition quality Wheaten/Blue Wheaten Ameraucanas that I had shipped to me from Texas. The rest were my Silver Campines that I have been working so hard to get started. The last batch of SCs are in the hatcher and there are no signs of pips today (day 22.)

We don't have a generator. We have several that we can borrow. All of those were in use by their owners and we were not able to get one for the first 8-10 hours. There are power company employees feverishly working to restore power, but there are lots of large trees to remove and detangle first.

As far as I know, there were no losses of human life in my community, but there was a child swept away and drowned in a nearby city. The strange thing is, these were not tornadoes. It was over 5" of rain to soak the ground, then strong straight line winds. It was just the right mix (or wrong mix) that caused the problems.

I have my friends, neighbors, and family, the animals can be replaced.

So sorry Wisher!

 

[pickitfarm]

I've been doing that. I was so upset at the first meeting this year. The guy in charge of Dakotah's IEP has always been nice and acted like he was all for helping him. This year I wanted to go for his jugular! I stressed the importance of Kotah being able to go straight into college and I get "well, he isn't a great reader, he's slow at everything and doesn't really like to do anything extra." I guess the VP saw the look on my face and jumped in and said that he had first gone to college using his dad's VA benefits and that it would be a horrible thing not to take advantage of. Dakotah is the only one who was able to use these, so I'm pounding it in. I should have sent him to another school. I just didn't know how I was going to afford to get him there all year. So stressed. But since I do have some others with college educations to help, two of my older daughters are trying to get all the info I need. The man that was over my husband's case at the VA is also a total jerk and no help. Took a year and a half to finally catch him in the waiting room at his office, so I could get my survivor benefits released.

At this point as much as I want to see him walk the stage and have paid off his packet with his cap and gown, I just want those benefits used and for him to be somewhere where he's got additional help. He is lazy though. I blame my husband. Dakotah is a cave dweller like is stepdad was. Actually they did things and I was in a deep depression for so long I guess it's my fault now. Tests were last week. I just need him to have passed, but he's always falls just below when he tests. His report cards are good, but those tests! And he does get a headset and tests differently. I'm so worried, but I told him that if he doesn't graduate, he'll have a cert of completion and that will still get him into a JC, so I'm just thankful he's done so well after being told he would never walk, speak or think. I am thankful for all that, but I want him to be able to have a real life. Especially if something happens to me. He's had a really hard time since Bill died. That were buddies and Bill was his go to person. We lost a lot when we lost him.

You never know. I have horrible bator hatches now days, but my broodies can hatch those same eggs out like crazy. Some don't sit over night, but still hatch them out. I have a dark cloud, but I think you'll still have a decent hatch. Thinking positive for you.

Really to bad about that womans's animals. I hope she's able to come up with something in time for her events. Must have been just awful to lose everything, but it's not your fault that you lost power.

I have always wanted a generator. I mean even as a teen I had thought I should have one. Finally years later I married Bill and he was a gagget junkie. I still don't have a generator though, because if it had been a radio controlled whatever, he wouldn't have cared about cost, but every single time we looked at a generator I swear I'd hear " I'm going to keep looking. I know I can get bigger and better for less than this." grrrrrrrrrr

The best deals on generators can be had after a bad weather event. People run out and purchase them for the time being and return them and Lowes and HD have to put them on discount. That is how we picked ours up so cheaply. I will have to say one advantage we had is DH worked for a vendor of HD and he was well known by several of the areas store and he asked them to call him they had one returned. You can still get it just have to be diligent in your visits. Typically they are put in a particular place in each store. The appliance in my kitchen came from when Lowes made over their kitchen section in the store. I picked up a french door fridge for less than $900 and a stove with all of the works...including convection oven for around the same price. Keep an eye out.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

I am alive. Not snowed in, not frostbitten, although it did snow here overnight Saturday.

I'm overextended. Work stinks, or whatever is beyond that. Finished a quilt. Got stuck making period costumes for my mom's Hearth Cooking group and I have one half an apron left before I'm done. Have 9 chicken eggs in lockdown. Somehow turkey eggs managed to get shoved under my perpetually broody banty hen. Fox attacked my ducks and ate a (free range) Cornish hen, so I'm down to two ducks and trying to decide if I want to let this flock die out and stop having ducks or hatch some more ducks and keep trudging water buckets through the 6+ months of winter we have had. Started cold weather seeds but it's been so cold that even in the grow box they didn't start well so I had to retry. Not that it matters, we still have snow on the ground so they won't be going in any time soon. My bees are still alive despite a 20% survival rate for the northeast this year. They've eaten almost all of their extra food that I added in November though, so probably Thursday I'll have to get out there and add some more food so they continue to make it through. Would you believe I'm hoping for dandelions? Managed to pass a firearms hunter safety course and the companion bow hunting course.

 

[scottcaddy]

I am alive. Not snowed in, not frostbitten, although it did snow here overnight Saturday.

I'm overextended. Work stinks, or whatever is beyond that. Finished a quilt. Got stuck making period costumes for my mom's Hearth Cooking group and I have one half an apron left before I'm done. Have 9 chicken eggs in lockdown. Somehow turkey eggs managed to get shoved under my perpetually broody banty hen. Fox attacked my ducks and ate a (free range) Cornish hen, so I'm down to two ducks and trying to decide if I want to let this flock die out and stop having ducks or hatch some more ducks and keep trudging water buckets through the 6+ months of winter we have had. Started cold weather seeds but it's been so cold that even in the grow box they didn't start well so I had to retry. Not that it matters, we still have snow on the ground so they won't be going in any time soon. My bees are still alive despite a 20% survival rate for the northeast this year. They've eaten almost all of their extra food that I added in November though, so probably Thursday I'll have to get out there and add some more food so they continue to make it through. Would you believe I'm hoping for dandelions? Managed to pass a firearms hunter safety course and the companion bow hunting course.

It's good to see you again,

sorry about the ducks and work.

Scott

 

[ronott1]

I am alive. Not snowed in, not frostbitten, although it did snow here overnight Saturday.

I'm overextended. Work stinks, or whatever is beyond that. Finished a quilt. Got stuck making period costumes for my mom's Hearth Cooking group and I have one half an apron left before I'm done. Have 9 chicken eggs in lockdown. Somehow turkey eggs managed to get shoved under my perpetually broody banty hen. Fox attacked my ducks and ate a (free range) Cornish hen, so I'm down to two ducks and trying to decide if I want to let this flock die out and stop having ducks or hatch some more ducks and keep trudging water buckets through the 6+ months of winter we have had. Started cold weather seeds but it's been so cold that even in the grow box they didn't start well so I had to retry. Not that it matters, we still have snow on the ground so they won't be going in any time soon. My bees are still alive despite a 20% survival rate for the northeast this year. They've eaten almost all of their extra food that I added in November though, so probably Thursday I'll have to get out there and add some more food so they continue to make it through. Would you believe I'm hoping for dandelions? Managed to pass a firearms hunter safety course and the companion bow hunting course.

It is great to hear from you!

Sorry about the job junk and even though it was a lot of work, the quilt pictures are amazing!

 

[Wisher1000]

SCG!!

Here you are!

I'm so happy that you are........

......where you been?

No, matter, I'm glad you're back!

 

[drumstick diva]

Wisher Oh gee, so sorry for your losses and the poor petting zoo lady's . Really upsetting to hear straight winds did all that - not even a tornado.

Hope all that is ONCE and DONE!!