Back to the Land of the Living

 Friends, the day after my last post, I went down as sick as I have been in these last ten years. 

It began with cold symptoms, and even though my son and daughter in law had just had one, I had not been around them to be infected.  I had stupidly gone two days without wearing a mask... yes, I'm one of those people... once in the small town where my two oldest grandsons live... and once here, at home, in Walmart, of all places.  

I paid for it.  

The cold symptoms segued quickly into flu symptoms, and I was so weak I spent the larger part of every day in the recliner, with a cat in my lap and a blanket around me.  My youngest son did the necessary errands we needed done, thank heavens.  He also ate frozen food for almost two weeks. I finally ran a fever two days, and called up to the post at Fort Leavenworth and arranged for a drive thru covid test.... negative.  I could not believe it when I was sick a second weekend, still weak and tired.  I managed to do chores every single day, but sometimes, I don't know how I did it.  The first week was beautiful weather, and my grandson was off school ... we had planned to do lots around here, with me paying him for his help so he could earn some money.  The second week was miserable, with rain for four days and cold weather.  

I did finally go to a walk in clinic, and was tested there for flu...negative.  The only thing is by then I was dehydrated, and was told to go to the ER if I could not get fluids down.  I have been drinking Pedialyte. 

But... Wednesday, I was able to get my favorite food down... On the Hook cod, from the fish truck.

I gave most of the fries to my son.  Here, let me say I am NOT  a seafood lover.... but 
I LOVE On the Hook.  That was the first time they had been in Tonganoxie since last fall, and I was able to eat my fish and more importantly, keep it in me.  

Two days later, they were twenty five miles away in Shawnee, and I was feeling better, and drove over for Round Two.  That was the second meal of the week to stay with me.  I felt better after getting something in me. 

On the Hook is based in Colorado, and travels with its' trucks through about seven states, if you ever see them.... pull over!  They sell only fish and chips, but trust me when I tell you it's worth it... they have the best "tartar" sauce I have ever tasted. 

So, now that I am back in the Land of the Living, I am far behind with farm chores. 

Here is one: 

A week ago, my oldest son Jim came out and put holes in that old trough on the sides and bottom for me, and the feed tubs that had been stored in my old garage.  He made drain holes in them, too. 

The plastic planters were there last year.  I am going to dump several of them, they have 

weeds in them and I cannot get a shovel into them... but... for the most part, they just need filling. 

You might remember I had in-ground raised beds, that I had my helper Ben remove two years ago. 

They were always hard to keep weed-free and full.  Keith also did not build them with enough space for the mower in between them, so that was a problem.  

Peppers and small tomatoes are going in these deeper planters. 

Grandson Jax loaded me up. 

I need two bags of manure and two or three more bags of planting medium.  

Here are the last two of the raised beds: 

I covered most of them with black plastic in the fall, weighed down by bags of dirt, 

which I'll add to them.  I am uncovering this week. 

I would like to take what iris I have left and consolidate them all in 

one of these beds.  (I'll take closer pictures this week). 

In the middle ground of the top picture, you can see the feeding platform that 

Keith built so many years ago, and I have something to say about it. 

I am almost at the point where I cannot afford to feed the wild birds. 

I can't believe I am saying it. 

The forty pound sacks of the best blend, Back Yard Blend, have gone to 33.95 a bag.  I am NOT blaming the wonderful owners of my feed store, it is just a fact of life.  Unfortunately, 

I used to buy FOUR bags a week (when it was 18.95 a bag).  I can't do that now, I can hardly justify two with trying to keep up everything else.  So... I am pricing cheaper mixes.  There is waste with the BYB, and I know there will be waste with the cheaper mix... what I thought of doing is mixing a bag of black oil sunflower with the mix.  I am down to one small hanging feeder, and I love watching the birds on it, but it is the most wasteful way of feeding I know... the seed regularly spills all over the ground.  My other feeder is the platform Ben built for me, that I use for finch feeding. (though I just watched a gang of starlings descend on it!!)  In one week, at the end of March, the hanging feeder is coming down for good.  

It's like the end of an era here. 

This morning's dawn.  I get up early, feed Molly and Bullseye, and 

then put dry food out on the deck for Wanda and Coco.  

I ran back in and grabbed the camera. 

Wanda, the Kitten who Wanted to Kill me last summer, and Coco wait every morning now for me to come out the door with the bucket with the canned food in it.  

The beautiful Cleo was out there this morning, too, 

but not Teeny, the little cat who was neutered three weeks ago. 

Cleo lived in the Wild Area all last summer.... but this winter 

has been living in the barn daily.  She is glad to see me in the morning, because I pick the dry food up at night. 

This coming weekend, the things stored in my barn by my oldest son will all be removed, and I'll get in there and clean it out.  My hopes are that I can put two or three cat trees in there, and... get the wood burning stove fixed so we can use it next year. 

I carried the camera along with me when I opened the pophole this morning. 

I have been getting enough eggs from the girls I have left to have given away ten dozen this last week. 

I have three Silkies I keep in a brooder pen in the big hen house.  

Brutus, the rooster, was hatched last summer. 

Martha and Mary were given to me a year ago. 

Every day I carry them down to their pen in the enclosed big hen yard, so they can get fresh air and peck around.  Three times in the last two weeks, I was so sick and distracted, I forgot to put them out.  It made me feel so badly.  

I wish I could afford another small hen house, but .... things are different now with inflation the way it is. 

For now, we will go back and forth.  I can't put them in with the other two silkie roosters. 

My beautiful Zoey, on her big bed where she spent so many hours in January and February, when I use the electric heater for some supplemental heat in the kitchen-living room.  It is on this morning, 

it is a little colder out today.  I think we are in for some cold days and some rain this week. 

The Best Dog in the World, Jester. 

Under Oscar's tree in the north side of the yard, are some daffodils that were planted by someone many years ago.  Every spring, they have struggled up through the tree roots and bloomed. 

This year, I am going to plant a batch so that whomever is here after me can enjoy them, 

as I have enjoyed seeing these. 

Happy Spring, everyone. 

PS

While I was sitting here at the kitchen table typing this post, I looked out the front door to see a black and white bird on the arbor.  I jumped up quickly to get the camera with the big lens... this is what I captured...

Here it is, closer. 

I swear to you it looks like a duck. 

Ducks carry H5N1, which is getting closer to me all the time. 

It flew off right after this, and I did not see it fly to know if it WAS a duck.