Sunday, September 29, 2013

Fresh Aire



 I think it would be nice sometimes if you could just click a button and refresh our lives in a matter of seconds like you can your computer.  Instant download of new changes and upgrades, or downgrades as it may be.  Well, maybe things are fine the way they are....Sometimes whole new seasons must roll around before we begin to feel progress or contentment.  The past 2 weeks have brought a distinctly refreshing feel to the days and nights as the cooler air of fall rolls in, nudging out the stagnant, humid air of summer.  That bright, clear quality of light only fall sees has arrived also and I couldn't resist trying once again to capture it in a photo even though my view of the horizon is rather limited here. 


 The flowers of fall are jarringly bright and fresh also.  A welcome addition to the gardens as late summer had just about blanched everything else out.  Yellow is the predominant theme but there are some oranges and burgundys thrown in.


 The garden has also seen a refreshing as the old, ragged crops of summer have been torn out and replaced with the vivid green of new fall crops.  A few peppers and tomatoes remain and the fig trees eke out a few ripe fruits as the days pass but these things are winding slowly down.


The cool days have refreshed Chigger's willingness to play.  Frisbee is still one of her favorites.  She's pretty good at catching it if I can throw it right.  I got her to sit by the ferns so that she could serve as a sense of scale.  I don't know that these ferns are native but some of the native ones get as large as this one.


She does find the creek quite refreshing also, as do I.  That cold water will wake you up in a minute!  Every walk must include a wade through the waters for her to get a drink.  Sometimes I wade too, looking for "creek glass" or other treasures that get washed down by most of the large rains.


Our main flock has been refreshed by the addition of the young Easter Eggers into their midst.  They have not begun laying yet but it shouldn't be too far in the future.  I wanted them to get used to the main henhouse and nesting boxes well before they were expected to deposit their colorful eggs there.  So far they are fitting in well.  Not too many pecking fights.  As usual, the older New Hampshires hens are the first to warm up to the new girls and welcome them in their afternoon dust baths.


And in their normal autumn ritual, most of girls have decided to molt all at the same time.  This poor little brown leghorn being about the most pitiful looking of the bunch.  I can't help but think she looks like she had it out with a lawn mower and the mower won.  If you look closely you will also notice she's wearing a "boot".  She got a terrible case of bumblefoot, which required some surgery, and this is the only way to halfway keep their feet bandaged and clean while it heals.  I have to change it every few days.  Hopefully though, she will be refreshed in foot and feather before winter and back to giving us a few white eggs.  These 2 are not my favorite hens but in her condition it's very hard not to feel sorry for her, especially when she comes up begging for a few crumbs of treats in her nervous, fidgety way.

A little update on the health issues:  After taking the new NSAIDS for my foot I became quite sick after a few days and went to a clinic for bloodwork on Friday.  I explained my situation and the Doc was agreeable and sympathetic, so I go in first thing in the morning for a kidney ultrasound and should get the results of my bloodwork too.  I dug out some tests results I had from my yearly exam back in July and those counts showed the possibly of early kidney damage (I checked this several times with multiple sources btw).  I had not really looked at them before, trusting my doctor to alert me to anything and no, he never said a word about it.  That pisses me a tad, especially considering he continued to advise me to take the NSAIDs.  I'm feeling better tonight but still not great.  I assure you I will press this matter until I find out everything I need to know.  At any rate, no NSAIDs ever again and very little salt, etc. and hopefully all internal will be refreshed soon and chugging right along.

8 comments:

Pablo said...

Love that creek and those ferns. They don't grow that big in my Ozark forest.

Glad you're getting some resolution/satisfaction with your other issues.

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

From lots of stories I have read, it seems that sometimes prescribed meds have the reverse effect of making a person feel worse rather than better. Hope you are feeling better soon and that the test results are not too discouraging.

ErinFromIowa said...

This post made me swoon. Love Fall. Especially the light!! Fall flowers! Garden! Walks!
Please post a photo of creek glass.
I have had several instances where prescribed medicine made me feel worse or was detrimental to my health. What a glorious hopeful feeling it is when you figure out what the heck is going on!

Ed said...

I've never done a fall garden but that is on my bucket list someday.

MamaHen said...

Hey Pablo! well, the fern in the photo is one I brough tin but I do have some native ones that get that big too. Thanks! I'm glad too.

Hey Bea! Ah man, prescription meds have done nothing for me but make me sicker! for the most part. I've had a few help but so many new drugs just have horrid side effects.

Hey Erin! Glad you liked it so girl! yeah, I am about to the point of refusing any more 'scripts. It's not worth the risk!

Hey Ed! A fall garden is SO easy! you need to do one. I mean, hardly any weeding, no awful heat to work in. Just plant the stuff and water occasionally.

JO said...

I just came back from a camping trip and the ferns are a bright red now since fall came early to the mountains at 9,000 ft.

I still haven't heard from the specialists office so I will call my Dr. today. right ankle swollen and burning like fire also right shoulder. But forge on as we do.

Tossing Pebbles in the Stream said...

You certainly have a lovely variety of hens. When I raised chickens I usually had only two varieties. I also had a peacock of a while. They are fun and show.

pamit said...

Beautiful pix. I love it that you made this bandage for the hen. --Those ferns might be bracken.