Sunday Walkabout 5-26

At the risk of offending a number of folks AND really sounding like a whiner…

 This has been one hell of a week.

Just when things were looking so promising, too.

Monday morning I was feeling particularly fine.  I could walk without pain for the first time in weeks, the torrential rains had finally stopped and we had big plans for the week.  We were confident that we could get “back on track” with the season.

Then, I hit that final step on the way to the barn.

The pain of re-injury to that blasted medial gastrocnemius hit with full force.  A call to the doctor was in order after dealing with the issue on our own for six weeks. There was a distinct (although very slight) possibility that the problem was more severe than I had thought.   

I learned something that morning…besides the fact that the Boss can do the “town run” every bit as well as I can (!) …if you tell a physician’s office that you have long-term leg pain (and you are “of a certain age”) they will get you in for an appointment without delay…as in “get your shoes on and get down here RIGHT NOW!” 

Of course, nothing could be ascertained from a physical exam, so the next thing I knew…I was headed to the hospital for an ultrasound.  The whole deal pretty much shot Monday.  It was a good news/bad news kind of thing. No blood clots = GOOD NEWS.  The entire day dealing with doctors/hospital and NO real treatment = BAD news. I guess I'll just keep hitting the ibuprofen and icing down my calf every chance I get.

Since the ground was still so wet from all last week’s rain, we didn’t feel too bad about the lost time.  Upon our return, the Boss did some mowing, I started some seeds.  Surely, tomorrow…

We finally got the squash and cucumbers planted.  We are only something like two weeks, maybe THREE, behind schedule…but, we’re making progress.  Hooray!

But, then, another lamb looked sick. REAL sick.  Then, it died…quickly…horribly.

An operation the size of ours cannot take too many losses without serious consequence.  It was time to investigate. Since I take all the losses personally, every loss is a REAL big deal.  I watched the “death throes” this time and everything about the case was worrisome.   I kept hearing old Doc Snowdy’s voice saying “when you see neurological issues, Barbara, you have to consider rabies…” With M’brook’s history with rabid foxes, I just couldn’t shake that one.

The Boss called the state Ag lab, and suddenly we were hauling a dead lamb to H’burg for analysis. (do we have FUN, or what?)

Long story…short…NO rabies.  Cause of death is still somewhat uncertain. More than a little time has been spent talking to the vet and reading page upon page of online veterinarian information. I found and bought an immense and incredibly cool new vet book for future cases.  We are fairly certain it was a case of ignorance/mismanagement.  While this bothers me more than words will ever allow me to express, I can assure you that I will do my utmost to NEVER experience this one again!

By the time we waded through the lamb mess…we were facing the possibility of disastrous weather. This time it was going to be COLD. 

Sometimes I really wonder…

The mid-week thunderstorms gave way to COLD, WINDY weather.  REALLY COLD!  REALLY WINDY!

Friday evening found us again covering new plantings in hopes of saving the crops. Frost was predicted. Again.




Yes, it IS Memorial Day weekend…this is really, REALLY unusual!

34* was the reading as I headed out for Market Saturday morning. 

Row cover is only marginally effective in such cases. We were both actually thankful that the whole dead lamb thing kept us from getting the tomato/pepper crop in the ground.  Neither one can handle cold weather with any real success.

We will have to wait a while to see if the squash/cucumber plants will recover from the cold snap.  If not, we have other plants ready to go into their places.  But, all the delays…and the replanting mean that the harvest will be later (and later) in the season.

Harvest day was fairly uneventful.

Market Saturday was cold and slow and many vendors complained about an “off” day.  This Market season has been unlike those in the past and we have yet feel that we are in the rhythm of the season.  Any comparison to last season is more than a little disappointing. 

Comparisons got me thinking…

Today the Boss and I headed over to Draft to do a little “critter sitting”.    Since the kids are out in Ohio, participating in a poultry show, someone needed to feed the other chickens, quail, cat, dogs and goats.

Because, despite Oreo’s ability to feed herself…she wasn’t going to share…and the rest of the critters really needed a drink of water!

But, three years ago today, this was the big news at a certain address in Draft.

After facing near death head-on through NO fault of her own (no exaggeration here…they gave our girl a 5% chance of survival), spending 17 days in ICU and another 17 on the general ward…Tough Chick finally came home.  The photo does not do justice to the relief we all felt. I only wish I had a current picture for comparison's sake.

While I realize that 3 years is a long time…eventual recovery was predicted…and well, tough people get through stuff… I don’t think any of us had any idea what trials and experiences were ahead when we rejoiced at the homecoming on that May day in 2010.  

There have been many lessons in commitment, perseverance, patience and love learned at that address there in the Draft. I, for one, have learned a lot from certain young folks in my life…

Josh and Betsy…y’all are awesome!  

                                                          

          …and so (of course) is Forest! J 
If for no other reason that he is "so stinkin' cute!"

Among many other things...the whole recovery process just proved that...Things have a way of working out...so, with that in mind...the upcoming week just HAS to be better.

             Happy Sunday!