Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[Stumpfarmer]

Hey guys !
How was your Christmas' ?
We are trying to get the rest of the trusses built, but as soon as the guys took the tarp off...it started in raining again............
Looks like Sun-Thursday will be decent though.
So they guys cut more truss lumber to size, stacked it up

Ain't it just the way?


Yesterday I was out in the yard and a cloud about the size of my place drifted over out of a blue sky and opened up like a firehose; I had to hang out in the broody run until it tapered off.

Yesterday, Mr Hallerlake went to run some errands and accidentally locked me out of the house. I have the covered porch to sit on when it rains, but sitting in the garden is not my strong suit. I was sitting there looking at some changes Mr H had insisted on making in the roadside bed when I HAD to move something. The fact that it was raining and getting dark didn't stop me. Now, I need to go out and replant the fern I moved to make room for the dogwood that was too close to the shrub Mr H moved. Domino effect.

Ain't it just the way of things, again? One thing leads to another, nothing is simple.

You know, but not anyone else, that I have to bury Sylvia today; her proclivity of eating all sorts of nonfood items lead to death by styrofoam impaction. The (editorial comment withheld) rabbits have dug a deep hole between the Ispahan rose and the Lavatera "Alba" in which I intend to inter her along with sheep bedding and vinyl mesh to, I hope, stop their digging. MUCH too much work for me today, especially since I should take the opportunity to uncover and divide the Lavatera so as to have a nice tall white border there after the rose stops blooming in July.

And then, of course, I need to have Ian removed for a higher purpose, like consome, and then hire someone competent to seal off the bottom of the insulated wall so I can redo the coop and run and move Bjorn and his ladies up the hill, and then move the hoop house somehow, redo the door end, and figure out the whole entry yard project.

Of coures any of that which involves spending money has been infinitely complicated by the fact that at 1am last night another crown fell out, on a bicuspid this time, and my "spare" (ha ha, ha ha, heh) budget for the forseeable future is going to dentist bills.

2012ne darned thing after another, down to the wire.

 

[Stumpfarmer]

Still have pages and pages to catch up with, but at least I'm back online with a new password! I hope everyone had a good holiday. It was pretty busy here as we were having DH's family over for Christmas Eve and I was trying to create the Christmas Fantasy that I always have in my mind, but fail miserably in the clean house, perfectly decorated, wonderful food, fabulous hostess categories. I end up settling for the 3 clean rooms, closed doors with yellow hazard tape across them so folks stay out, a few decorations, good food and I was still relaxed enough to make sure my guests and I had a good time. All in all it was a pretty good evening with his side of the family. I am sorry to report that my beautiful black silkie, Isadora, (my avatar) passed away a couple of weeks before Christmas. I noticed one morning she didn't come out of the VF coop and was puffed up so I brought her inside the house, bathed her, looked her over for anything that might be ailing her, kept her warm, and tried to give her vitamins in her water. But I couldn't get her to eat or drink and she died the next night. The others are all doing well. DD's lavender girl has started laying pretty bantam eggs. And the little buff roo is finding his big boy crow so has to go soon. I did get some incredibly exciting news last week. I auditioned for a theater group in Olympia called "Theater Artist's Olympia" that does pretty edgy stuff. They are producing Quentin Tarantino's "Reservoir Dogs" with both a male cast AND an all female cast, calling it "Reservoir Dolls". I got a call the very next day after auditions asking if I would accept the role of "Jo", the crew boss even before callbacks! I was told they wanted to lock me into the role before I had a chance to commit to anything else. Callbacks for all other roles are going to be next week and I've been asked to attend so I can read with actors still looking to be cast. I am super excited about this role as it's unlike anything I've ever done before, but it's definitely not for everyone. I've already told a few friends and family they are not in any way obligated to see this show. There is really strong language and violence. Typical Tarantino. But as an actor, it's going to be really interesting to play the female "crew boss" of criminals working a diamond heist... Here's a pic I liked of DH and I attending my Dad's Law Firm party this year -

You're such a lovely couple!

 

[Farmin Momma]

Quote: We also have our kids stay in bed or in their rooms while they are sick. Not only to keep them resting and let their bodies heal but also to keep less of a chance of anyone else in the house getting sick. Then their rooms get wiped down so they don't get it again. I also will not give our kids meds. unless they have a to high of a fever. Our kids hardly ever get sick and when they do it passes very fast, they are normally only sick for about 24 hours even with the flu. I have noticed that when the kids are in classes that insist on them using hand sanitizer all the time they get sick more often. So I make sure that if they have a teacher that does that I talk to the teacher so they don't make my kids use it all the time.
I'm SO confused by both of you!! Are you really telling me that you would confine a 2 year old to his room alone? I have 2 other kids to take care of (as do you FM!), so you would really confine a 2 year old to their room alone for most of their illness? I'm a pretty strict mama, but not heartless. My kids deserve lots of snuggles and comforts when they're sick; they lay on the couch and watch TV a lot, sleeping when they need the sleep, and rarely do all 3 kids get the same illness even though I don't "quarantine" them. We're also not sick very often, we just so happened to get the very first flu since I had kids 6.5 years ago. Please tell me you don't actually make your tiny ones suffer through illness alone in their beds...
Oh hun, please don't be upset by this. Like Sara said we all have our own ways. I don't lock them in and not let them out with a fire breathing dragon standing by the door. They are aloud to watch T.V. (the ones that have a t.v. in their room) If they are not throwing up they can come out and have meals with everyone else (or just me if they are home from school and the other kids are still in school) I will some times go in and read a book to them if they would like or sit in there and talk with them for a bit. But yes, they do need their rest and I have 4 other children in the house that do not need to get sick if I can help it. They have never had a problem with it. My kids are 8,9,10,11,and 12 years old. I only have two that like to cuddle but they don't when they are sick.

 

[Stumpfarmer]

Pacachick, Lacey around 1900 was a resort town- fishing camps on all the lakes, a horse race track (and just after the turn of the century, a big motorcycle culture), and some hunting guide businesses; it was smaller than Union Mills, where my father was born in 1917 when the sawmill here was still the biggest in the lower 48, although within a couple of years of running out of logs.

Here I thought Lacey sprung up as an offshoot of Oly. I havent seen much history about Lacey. Where was the sawmill in Lacey?

There was Union Mill at the (now Woodland) Mill Creek outlet of Long Lake which was the biggest electric saw mill in the world and provided about a third of the lumber that rebuilt San Francisco before WW 1; Lacey was originally a suburb of Union Mill. From the forties until the late seventies there was the Lacey Plywood Cooperative, which built the suburbs. Yelm is older than both Olympia and Lacey, of course, although Tumwater is the oldest (although the original settlement area was wiped out by I-5). Forts Nisqually and Steilacoom and the mission at Priest Point Park were the first "permanent" European settlements in Western Washington, the first two Hudson Bay Company and the last "the black priests-" French Jesuit missionaries.

 

[Stumpfarmer]

LOL! I overlooked the Rainier, WA! Oh well! It's all good! Sometimes I can be a goof!



Oh and was just saying Happy New Year early as I won't be online much after today.....getting ready for my New Year's Eve Birthday Bash on Monday. Lots of stuff to do.

It's easy to do, unless you follow small-town NWRCA rodeos or small town politics. It's between Yelm and Tenino, or, to look at it in the most obscure possible way, between Vail Tree Farm and Weir Creek Training Area.

 

[drumstick diva]

When I was a little kid , mom always had us in bed for flu, chicken pox, etc. Maybe flu was alot worse then - there were no flu shots- we usually felt far too crappy to want to get out of bed, except to vomit or use the bathroom. None of us were required to stay in bed. We wouldn't have watched tv anyway - there weren't many programs 'back in the day."

As an adult I used to get flu shot when my parents did - I didn't want them catching it from me. As a mother I got them hoping I wouldn't make my son sick. Once he got to preschool of course he came home with every thing going round.

I have to say I cannot remember the last time I had the flu - so the shots must work. The only thing good about having the flu was I wouldn't eat much and lost a few pounds. I can't get over the fact that I go in for the shot flu without kicking and screaming . Guess I am a grown up.

 

[Stumpfarmer]

Heh.

I'm diabetic and have a history of pneumonia and upper-respitatory complications, so I am meticulous about flu shots and had a pneumovac years ago (which also stopped ear and sinus infections, a not-uncommon result) but there are times I really wish I could get sick and spend a day or two or three in bed and make other people take care of all the little stuff which makes up my life.

It is possible I'm not in the best mood I've ever been in right now.

 

[FirewifeJess]

The funny thing about sick kids at my house, is that unless they're DYING with the flu...we still have homeschool. haha! Poor kids. I'm not very sympathetic to colds because if I, as the mom, have a cold, I do NOT get a break and still have to do school, clean house, cook meals, and take care of three kids. Therefore, if my kids have a cold, I still do school. They'll get over it. If it's anything worse than that though, we take a break and have a couch and TV day with lots of broth and soup. I also make them take a nap at naptime, regardless of their age. If they're sick they need extra sleep. We're like Sara though, and I consider it a moot point trying to stop the spreading inside our family; by the time they're showing symptoms it's way too late! doh! We aren't sick often and usually get over things quickly too. This one sucks though! William fell asleep at the kitchen table and is now still in his bed 1.5 hrs later, he must have really needed the sleep, poor boy! I know when he wakes up he'll be off meds though, should be interesting to see how high his fever is

DH took DS to run errands so I"m just sitting here with DD while she plays dressup; she's so adorable with all her new princess dresses from Christmas. It's all she does!

 

[SadieSue]

Jess, hope you and the kids all get over your flu soon. That's no fun for anyone - Moms OR kids!

SF - So sorry you lost Sylvia. Definitely the downside to keep chickens and considering them pets as well as useful livestock.

Thanks for the nice responses to my acting news and photo you guys. Reservoir Dolls will be running through April and be at a small theater in Olympia called "The Midnight Sun." I'll post more details as we get closer.

Happy coop news! My BCM, Bijou, has started laying again. After a long egg drought due to molting and short days, (I don't supplement light), I'm finally getting LF eggs again - 3 so far. I still have not purchased eggs from the store. My tiny Seramas and Silkies were giving me enough for baking and breakfasts. So wahoo for big eggs again. Now if the other 11 big girls can just follow suit!

I'm looking to re-home my handsome buff Silkie cockerel. This pretty boy started out small, demure and timid, but now has caught up and is larger than any of the girls in my small Silkie flock. I think he's looking quite studly and has definitely gotten friendlier as he's grown. Now that he's found his big boy voice, he really likes to use it. Neighbors have been cool so far but I don't want to push it. Anybody looking for a pretty buff boy? He'd be free to a WA BYC'er who'd promise him a nice home. Otherwise he's going on Craigslist and from there to auction as last resort. PM me if you're interested!

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

Quote: If they already have established the pecking order(which they prolly have since they range together during the day), I would wait until an hour or two after dark(so they have fallen asleep) and use a red headlamp like CR suggested, and move them in with the big girls. There will be some normal reminder pecks of who's in charge, but if no blood is drawn then it will be ok. Hope they can move in. My teens coop with the big kids now(even with the tractor open as an option) but the don't roost with them. They go into one of the nestboxes, so when I lock them in I have to put them on the roost. They are ok in the morning when they all wake together.

The funny thing about sick kids at my house, is that unless they're DYING with the flu...we still have homeschool. haha! Poor kids. I'm not very sympathetic to colds because if I, as the mom, have a cold, I do NOT get a break and still have to do school, clean house, cook meals, and take care of three kids. Therefore, if my kids have a cold, I still do school. They'll get over it. If it's anything worse than that though, we take a break and have a couch and TV day with lots of broth and soup. I also make them take a nap at naptime, regardless of their age. If they're sick they need extra sleep. We're like Sara though, and I consider it a moot point trying to stop the spreading inside our family; by the time they're showing symptoms it's way too late! doh! We aren't sick often and usually get over things quickly too. This one sucks though! William fell asleep at the kitchen table and is now still in his bed 1.5 hrs later, he must have really needed the sleep, poor boy! I know when he wakes up he'll be off meds though, should be interesting to see how high his fever is

DH took DS to run errands so I"m just sitting here with DD while she plays dressup; she's so adorable with all her new princess dresses from Christmas. It's all she does!

The flu sucks. We have never separated anyone when they were sick. By time symptoms show, you have been exposed anyway since it takes 3-14 days to incubate. Hope it moves though your house quickly.