Update on Abby

Here's the farm helper at the vet this morning... she has spent the day there. 

I want to thank ALL of you for your kind comments about her condition, and also, for the encouragement 

you have given me about handling her illness. 

The diagnosis explains so very much... the constant urination, the thirtstiness. 

I am a type two diabetic myself, so I should have realized. 

You just don't like to think of your "children" being ill. 

I'll be picking her up in a bit. 

After I dropped Abby off, I went back to the new house and picked up 

Lil.  Lilly Ann and Ranger rarely went anywhere in the car... but she is getting used to hopping into the back and going with me now to do chores and to work at the old place.  She checks out her pasture as soon as we get there. 

When I finished in the henspa, I stood on the steps and looked around for her.  The wind is blowing like a hurricane today, so I took some tie-wraps and zip tied the shadecloth where it had come loose on the side.  When I turned around, I looked down, and there was Lil, looking for mice! 

However, this is where she spent most of the windy day.  I was surprised, because I was there about four hours, and she spent the whole time in different places on the porch, instead of under the deck as she usually does.  I have noticed something else... she does not really like to go in her old house... she crept in once today, looked around for a minute, and went right back out.  Of course, it DOES smell of cleaner right now. 

This was one of the projects for today, and I must say... we had so very few cabinets there... 

but I managed to get them VERY clean... except for the one under the sink.  I can't show it to you... it was awful.  80,000 mouse "pills".  Keith is getting me some masks to wear tomorrow and I am wearing long gloves... and going to clean it on my hands and knees.  Disgusting.  We didn't use that cabinet while we lived there.  

I have the laundry room finished (there were storage cabinets and shelves in there) and the deep closet in our room... the office room, which was a small third bedroom.  The bathroom is 95% clean, but I am still going to wash down the walls.  They are covered with some product that cannot be painted... we don't know the name of it... but it is like a washable surface that was hung in panels, only you can't hammer anything into it... it bounces it off. 

Keith stopped there for a minute right after I left for the day... and asked me about the sacks and boxes in the living room and kitchen.  Some are donations that I will take to the thrift store on Friday... most are trash.  I am being RUTHLESS!  

I'm also making progress. 

It is so windy out that we can't move anything today... too risky.  We'll make a trash run Saturday. 

With the trideum fast approaching, I am going to be going to church services on 

Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and of course, Sunday morning, so cleaning may slow down a bit. 

I hope to be painting within a week or so, though. 

I started this post several hours ago, before I went to get Abby. 

She is home from the vet, but first we stopped at the old place so we could close the birds up. 

She was glad to see "her" yard.  

Yes, she is walking tentatively. 

Right after I took this picture, she squatted and peed about a gallon. 

The diabetes causes the excessive urination... but, I think she also had been holding it, because

she went number two twice, and remember, she had been in a small cage at 

the vet's all day. 

You can see here how thirsty she was... and yes, I need to clean that water fortex out! 

We are expecting lots of rain tomorrow, so I'll wait until after. 

Here's the odd thing... the chickens that are left in the old henhouse are not coming outside.  I think the wild birds must be drinking some of this. 

Thank you all so much for your prayers, and the POTP... The Power of the Paw is so strong... and the good thoughts coming our way... we felt them yesterday, and we know that the future will be 

good for Abby and for all of us.