The Disappearing Calamity Acres

Last night, I heard from a blog reader on Facebook. 

She basically said 

"What's up, where are you and why have you not posted?"

I realized it's been a long while, and I'll explain. 

(Thanks, Joyce!) 

On the 14th of January, I started a new medication for 

Type Two Diabetes... Bydureon. 

It's a shot in a crazy apparatus that I administer to myself 

once a week. 

It's kicking my hiney. 

This is what it looks like. 

Oddly enough, I have not had any trouble putting the thing together and doing the shots, thanks to a great pharmacist at Fort Leavenworth who explained the whole thing to me. 

But.... I have had side effects, and one of them is fatigue, I am so.darned.tired. 

All. the. Time. 

I'm emotional, and making bad decisions. 

This medicine makes you not want to eat.... so I have had to re-learn 

how to get protein in. 

My new friend, Mr. 40 Grams of Protein. 

I used to drink this ten years ago, after a surgery. 

I'm glad I remembered it. 

My blood sugars are coming way down, and I'm very glad about that. 

I am willing to stick with it for a while, because I see positive results, 

however, I am going to run to the doctor today to discuss all the side effects with him. 

One was a low blood sugar event I had a week ago, after my shot by about six 

hours.  I feel like I did not eat enough that day, and certainly not that evening, 

so yesterday, was prepared for another event... it didn't happen.  I drank a whole 

bottle of protein, and and a Glucerna before bed.... and I slept like a baby. 

So... I'm learning.  

I also have glucose tablets all over the house. 

Just in case. 

Now, on to happier things... .

Lilly was carrying something around yesterday in the yard.  I stole upon her to see the 

skeleton of a LONG dead possum.  She was crunching away happily. 

I took this picture through the front door window... I have so many 

goldfinches and house finches eating on the deck feeder... they are so fun to watch. 

My happy boy Jester LOVES bacon, I had some in my hand. 

Buds on the lilac!!!!

Ferdie has been such a wonderful addition to Calamity Acres, 

he is the gentlest and prettiest of roosters... 

thank you, Roxane McCoy from Screamin' Oaks Farm for 

this beautiful boy! 

We have had some snow.... and frankly, we are going to need rain this spring. 

And there were a few days that the hens had to stay in, because of the cold. 

I fix them oatmeal with raisins as a treat. 

The egg dam has broken, and laying has begun again, with the longer 

spring light. 

Not all 23 hens are laying, some are two years old and are depleted.  I am still studying 

how to get some more hens without displacing the feral cats who eat in the old henhouse. 

I do not want to start chicks unless I have to. 

That top one was a double yolker. 

I am so glad the Leghorns are still laying, the white is a Leghorn egg. 

I think, if I do place a chick order, it will be for some Leghorns 

and a few brown-laying breeds, and oddly... I love the brown Cornish I still have, 

they are more of a meat bird but they are beautiful birds. 

That's one of the Leghorns, I should have said they are brown, not white. 

Here is feral Spooky, being a naughty (and normal cat) boy. 

Remember, the four ferals that were placed here were all neutered. 

Spooky was longingly watching the birds one day.  You know they are well fed... look at him.... 

but cats can't resist.  I have found no dead wild birds, and I do watch. 

I actually saw him chase the chickens one day, but all it takes is to 

open the door and he disappears.  As of this week, I am feeding 

five ferals, three of the original four... and two others. 

I get them all on the night cameras, but I rarely put those pictures in the 

computer, there are just too many. 

There is Harlequin watching me from the rafters of the old henhouse one morning. 

This picture makes me laugh out loud to see it.  They never left the property.... My son Jim and Grandson Jax worked in the yard for me, cutting down saplings and hauling all the debris to the brush pile in the pasture.  Thunder has come in so handy for this kind of work.  

Jax got to rider back up the pasture in the back of Thunder for load number two, and YES, it was 

January and that kid had shorts on and his shirt OFF.  He isn't just a good athlete, he's TOUGH. 

A swan.  Down our road.  On a farm pond. 

Whew. 

Here they come! 

Seeing hundreds every single night!