The Old Folks Home

[joannefiddler]

So it appears that it is a combination of treaties from as far back as the Revolutionary war and as recent as when the Spanish gave up control of Florida that are all players in the boundaries...

Alabama's Southern Gulf "foot"—the area south of the 31st parallel and west of the Perdido River—originated from the 1803 Louisiana Purchase, but its history dates back to 1719. At that time, France controlled Mobile Bay and Spain controlled Pensacola Bay just to the east. To resolve disputes over shipping rights and trade, the French commander at New Orleans and the Spanish commander at Pensacola agreed to recognize the Perdido River, a small stream halfway between Mobile and Pensacola, as the border between their respective jurisdictions. Some 80 years later, in 1803, shrewd American diplomats negotiating the Louisiana Purchase in Paris invoked this informal 1719 agreement as the precedent for setting the Perdido River as the eastern limit of the Louisiana Purchase. Because all of Florida east of the Perdido River remained in Spanish hands until 1819, Florida's panhandle region did not become part of Alabama. After Louisiana achieved statehood in 1812, Congress added the last eastern remnant of the Louisiana Purchase, between the Pearl River in present-day Mississippi and the Perdido rivers, to the Mississippi Territory. This "Addition of 1812" ultimately became the Gulf "foot" portions of Mississippi and Alabama.

dsqard, Hurricane Ivan was terrifying! I'm glad I didn't have chickens then...I'd have been a nervous wreck! Navarre took quite a hit from it, you got out at a good time.

 

[dsqard]

Joanne we heard that our house there actually faired pretty well. It didn't get flooded (apparently it was far enough inland) and only lost some shingles off the roof. Not bad. I also heard that Pensacola got hit even harder. We had a friend who had his sailboat docked at NAS Pensacola. His boat wound up inland on the base. It must have been scary going through that.

 

[Cynthia12]

Pass this along!

 

[lularat]

As I mentioned earlier that I have started going to the gym and exercising to hopefully get these joints back in better working condition. For the last several months, I have been having increasing discomfort in my left thigh and groin. Also a little stiffness in my hip. I contributed it to my bad back. For the last 3 days my hip has been really stiff and painful, so I went to the doctor today. They did x-rays and it showed severe arthritis in both my hip joints, more in the left. Bone on bone, with very little cartilage. He is referring me to an orthopedic and told me I was looking toward hip replacements in the near future. I told him "not me" and he just smiled. It is going to have to hurt a lot more before I have surgery. I guess I'll have to wait and see what the orthopedic MD has to say. At least I know what I'm dealing with now. I'll continue to go to the gym, but maybe ease up a little.

 

[Pozees]

As I mentioned earlier that I have started going to the gym and exercising to hopefully get these joints back in better working condition. For the last several months, I have been having increasing discomfort in my left thigh and groin. Also a little stiffness in my hip. I contributed it to my bad back. For the last 3 days my hip has been really stiff and painful, so I went to the doctor today. They did x-rays and it showed severe arthritis in both my hip joints, more in the left. Bone on bone, with very little cartilage. He is referring me to an orthopedic and told me I was looking toward hip replacements in the near future. I told him "not me" and he just smiled. It is going to have to hurt a lot more before I have surgery. I guess I'll have to wait and see what the orthopedic MD has to say. At least I know what I'm dealing with now. I'll continue to go to the gym, but maybe ease up a little.

I know two people who had hip replacements in the last 2 years, and the surgery has come a long way. Both are heavy equipment mechanics, and were back at work passing fit for duty physicals within 4 months. They get around quite well now.

 

[lularat]

That's reassuring. I worked on a med-surg floor 20 yrs ago and remember the older hip replacements. I know there has been a lot of advancement in the medical field with joint replacements. I really hate the idea of being incapacitated for any length of time. I'm really hoping to manage this medically for a while with meds and injections. I have a high tolerance for pain, and I guess that's why I tend to ignore things more.

 

[Peep_Show]

I thought for certain I was going to get knee surgery done. I was in pain 24/7 and no comfort anywhere, plus a rather slow gait. Then I discovered -- warning, blatant plug from a satisfied customer -- Source Natural's Hyluronic Joint Complex (with glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM) and it was like a miracle occurred. It can be found on Amazon.com. It might be worth a try for you.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

...
It's a cloudy motioning at CocoBeach. I am just finishing my coffee while the guys have their breakfast break.

The goats are all tethered to coconut trees in the front yard mowing the lawn. The kids are free to run and jump and play. The nubian cross are growing so much faster than the previous doeling from our first buck. The oldest is two months of age and almost the same size as her older sister. We have one more due this week.

I have chicken sales this week that I am going will surpass my feed bill for the month for my entire menagerie. If this keeps up I may be able to buy a new buck by labor day. This time next year we will have 75% nubian kids.

We are building a second grow-out pen that will handle 100 teenagers this week. That will free up breeder coops I have been using to house juvies. I need all 11 coops to handle the requests for birds.

It's day 14 of our big hatch. I will convert one of the old pig pens for the pheasant but if we get a good number of turkey, we may need one more coop.

Sounds great. You should be getting a lot of manure/compost by now.

Insanity, so sorry for your losses. Daryl was a beauty! Sure hope to read that you've put an end to the skunk.

Hi all...Wisher invited me months ago and I've finally taken the time to read and read and read and now pop up to say hi.

Incredibly, I find I surely qualify for membership in the old folks group...not sure how that happened. I'm sure I'm not the only one who finds my 18 year old self in this slightly older body! Ah well, I'm thankful for every day and sure do enjoy time with my crazy chickens and people who understand that enjoyment

Quote:

Agree, young minds stuck in older bodies. Sometimes I scare myself when I look in the mirror and wonder where that younger person went. Time certainly flies, and I don't look back. Life is too short not to live life to the fullest now. But some days I do wish that these bones didn't creak and crunch so much.

I usually feel great, no more aches and pains than I had in my 20s and I never get colds or flu any more (probably because I used to work nights and never got enough sleep). I start thinking I'm young and then I get that shock when I see that grey old man staring back at me.

Around here, since we are considered an ethnic community, Most stores carry reasonably priced large pots for making tamales.

Don't you just love those ethnicities that still cook and use real cookware?
We have quite a mix of ethnicities here. Our International Institute that I used to work for helps 7,000 new Americans from 75 countries each year - mostly refugees.
A big Hispanic section, a couple large Asian concentrations- especially Vietnamese and Thai, a large Bosnian community, Iraqis, ethnic Egyptians, Sudanese, Ethiopians, Botswanans. Each group and section of town are great cultural centers for shopping, eateries and ethnic grocers.
St. Louis is called Sarajevo West. Bosnia is in the World Cup for the first time. A story in the NY Times had this quote.
“There’s pretty much three places in the world where you want to be right now,” said Akif Cogo, 30, a native Bosnian who immigrated to St. Louis in 2001. “One is Brazil. Second one is Bosnia itself, because of the sheer number of people. The third place is definitely St. Louis.”
We still have ethnic enclaves that have endured from the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries. The Hill is still all Italian. Affton, Bevo Mill and Baden neighborhoods, German Town, Hermann and my town Black Jack are German/Hungarian settlements. Dog town is mostly Irish as was Kerry Patch. University City (U City) used to be nicknamed Jew City and is still one synagogue after another. Founded in 1764 by Pierre Laclede and Auguste Chouteau, Soulard, LaSalle and Lafayette Square were French neighborhoods. There's also a Greek town. Every one has their festivals which bring droves of people for the tasty treats. Seems like one every weekend.
Combining them all is the annual Festival of Nations that I used to provide the electric generation and distribution for will have anywhere from 20-30 different cuisines.

That's a great idea but I have alienated many of the churches in this area. Well... not me, exactly. My dad likes to call up the churches and ask for a missionary visit for me in the hopes of changing my mind (I'm an athiest). While I will be polite and listen, I'm also upfront and tell them I'm not interested. Years later the JW's are still interested in my soul. I give them credit for perseverance. So I'd rather not attempt to borrow a pot.


We are 95.3% white in this state. The only pots I'm going to find are for lobsters or clams.

...

Quote:

We counterbalance one another - most of the churches have alienated me. My father used to offer the minister a beer whenever he visited and then debate the existence of God. JW's have a church just down the road. When we first moved here (49 years ago) they would 'visit' every couple of weeks. They've given up on me. There was one elderly lady that I really enjoyed talking with.

I have a friend that would always answer the door in his underwear. That kept the JW visitations at bay for a long time.

When people want to save my soul, I tell them I don't need to be 'born again' since I never died.

If the local Home Depot does not have it, Use ship to store. It is free and works very well. I have a shade cloth roll on the way to my Home Depot currently. It was cheaper than Amazon.

I get my shade cloth by buying these remnants. The 90% is great but not often available as a remnant.

I have to remind myself not to be so "far behind" this year and to hatch in mid-winter, again. That gives me birds that are ready to be processed starting memorial day weekend. The boys don't seem to have made up, and the blue one appears to have lost. I'll have to go out soon and see what the damage is.


I didn't know I could do that! I will also try my local Aubuchon Hardware. They're a great store, the one closest to me also sells livestock feed (plus chicks in the spring) and has the best customer service around - I'm willing to spend a few more dollars to make them succeed. I bought my pressure canner from them a few years back... In fact, I don't think I've ever actually bought any hardware there.


Welcome! I have always wondered about the shapes of states, as well. Do find out and share!

Did you know Maine is the only US state that only touches one other US state? We're also the only state with one syllable in our name. We're also the safest state, crime-wise, most likely because for 7 months of the year it's too cold to venture outside to get into trouble.

Those of you planning to visit Maine soon... summer is anticipated to be from July 20th through 27th. Plan accordingly.

That's just like Alaska. Two seasons - winter and the 4th of July.

Very few states like Wyoming that are just rectangles.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Like many of you, we've been getting way too much rain. Every day or every other day, I haven't been able to plant anything or cut grass in over a week.
It just stopped raining, hopefully for the day. More on the way tomorrow. It will be at least Friday before I can cut grass. I guess it beats drought.

 

[heartsizedfarm]

Like many of you, we've been getting way too much rain. Every day or every other day, I haven't been able to plant anything or cut grass in over a week.
It just stopped raining, hopefully for the day. More on the way tomorrow. It will be at least Friday before I can cut grass.  I guess it beats drought.

We've had so much spring rain I had to mow the sheep meadow. Usually they "mow" it themselves but the grass grew so fast and so lush and the mosquitoes and other biting bugs multiplied in the cool of the long grass so much so that my sheep refused to go in their meadow. They hung out in the barn porch and wouldn't go near the open gate to the meadow, not even when I poked and prodded and threatened and chased. Just ran past the gate and back to the porch. So I mowed. Now they're checking it out.