Ducks

I love my ducks, but I am fighting a losing battle and Mother Nature is winning. We have lost almost all the baby ducks I bought last November and I don't even want to think how much money I have spent in fighting to keep them alive. Never-ending frozen water buckets, freezing barns, snowstorm after snowstorm - it takes its toll and there is only so much a person can do.

We have put up insulation and put heaters in the barn. The problem with ducks is that they use their feet to regulate their own temperature - that is why they can go into freezing water. Their heart sends warm blood down into their feet, it cools the blood and sends it back into their heart. So, if you put a duck in warm water, it can die of heat stroke (trust me, we found out the hard way!). Therefore, we can't use heated water buckets. So we constantly have to drag fresh water over to the ducks. Then we have had the ducks tried to get into the water buckets, either knocking it over, leaving them without water for the day (without us knowing) or babies getting into the buckets, not being able to get out and drowning, etc., etc., etc. Never-ending problems and what seems like a never-ending winter.

So you begin to think is this just bad luck or a sign that maybe you really shouldn't be raising ducks?? If ducks were so easy to raise, why aren't there more duck farms? Have I just answered my own question??

I AM A PROUD NAVY MOM!!

My son, Nathan, is joining the Navy today and I couldn't be prouder. He is up in Columbus, OH getting his physical, taking various tests to see what jobs he qualifies for, etc. We will also find out when he will go to Boot Camp. We know where - Chicago (he was kind of hoping for Florida), but don't know when. He will find that all out today.

I am so proud of him. May God Bless my Son!

Shoulders, etc.

As you may remember, last August I had a goat that didn't want to get off the milking stand. I gave her a tug which she didn't like. To show me her displeasure, she jerked my left arm which sent a horrible pain from my shoulder down my arm. If you have been following this blog, you know the "rest of the story." Well, this past Monday at 9:00 at Holmes Hospital that got "fixed." Apparently, the goat did a "good job." According to the Doctor, I did partially tear my rotor cuff. They had to remove a bone spur and part of the bone the covers the rotor cuff along with scar tissue. I walked out of the hospital a couple hours later with all sorts of wires and tubes attached and immediately went into physical therapy. The prognosis is that I should get about 90% of my motion back - so that is good news. Today is the first day that I have felt like I have returned back to the "living." Thank God for legal drugs!!



I do have sad news to report. We lost Kallie, my best milker, this week. Ever since she miscarried, she hasn't been doing well. She was losing weight. I had planned on taking her to the Vet once I got back on my feet, but I guess she couldn't wait that long. I am going to miss you, girl!!

Any New Year's Resolutions?

Did you make any new year's resolutions? I sometimes do - nothing major - like lose 10 million pounds or bring about world peace. I did have to laugh, though. We (meaning me and our two shih tzu dogs - Bobby was sound asleep) were watching the Dick Clark New Year's Eve show. Ryan Seacrest was talking to some girl singer - I have no clue who she was but she had blue glasses on and blue lipstick - so that gives you some perspective on what her answer was going to be. He asked her if she had any resolutions for 2011? She answered that she wasn't going to be a douche bag next year! You should have seen the look on his face!! So I guess I too won't be a douche bag next year either - sounds like a good resolution for the entire human race - so let's ALL try not to be a douche bag this year! Poor Ryan Seacrest!

Anyway, I guess my resolutions (besides not being a douche bag) is to eat healthier - I have a tendency to eat junk food particularly when I am at the markets (got to stay away from Jean Paul and Donna's Gourmet Cookies!). Secondly, we really do need to get our finances back in order. Our checking and savings accounts took major beatings in 2010. We need to get those back in order. Really need to start saving. Last year we cut up all our credit cards (good bye Discover card snip snip snip, good bye Kohls snip snip snip, good bye Visa snip snip snip, good bye Dilliards snip snip snip) That was the best (and hardest) thing we ever did! Those are the two "big" ones. I also have a tendency to worry a lot. Bobby jokes that I worry because I don't have anything to worry about (hmmm, everything is going too well - that can't be right, there must be something wrong!) I will try to keep the house cleaner - yeah right! (now, where is that DARN maid!!!).

Anyway, I want to wish you all a happy, safe, healthy and peaceful 2011! Good luck with whatever resolutions you may or may not make in 2011.