Saturday - COVID350

I slept later than normal but it's another late night and I'm looking forward to bed again.

I spent more time working today than I wanted to but do need to catch up.  Physical issues and pain made for slow going and I'm far behind.

I'll be looking forward to shifting gears for a little bit tomorrow before getting back to it.

Coyote scat was on the main driveway today rather than near the house.  It was pretty apparent on my drive down to the mailbox.  Bex caught some video of a squirrel drinking from the rain filled half wine barrel this morning.  We've seen a squirrel rushing up and through trees behind the house with leaves in her mouth.  We think a nest has been built, which could also explain the two squirrels chasing each other yesterday.  It will be fun to see babies if we're lucky.  'Tis the season.

We are safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Friday - COVID349

It was such an ordinary day that it's hard to remember much to report the morning after.  I was pretty tired last night and forgot to update before going to bed.  It was difficult to sleep because of the howling wind shaking the house and windows.

There was still plenty of work and not much new happened.  It was one of the increasing days that is blending into others of a fog of routine and pain, though the pain is decreasing.  I am definitely tired of wearing this boot, though it does help with the pain in my toe.

It should be a quiet weekend that I hope will be productive and accident free.

We are safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Thursday - COVID348

 Up on time but still tired!  I know part of that is not sleeping well.

It was another busy work day.  The morning was broken up by the announced arrival of squirrels by the Ring cam.  It was fun to see them frolicking and chasing instead of what I had been concerned about.  No evidence of a coyote visit last night.

I headed out this afternoon to pick up feed and enjoyed the drive on this spring-like day.

I'm still healing.  The dental work is beginning to heal up and while I'm still uncomfortable I don't have the constant pain I've been dealing with for the last couple of weeks.  My toe is another story and I'm looking forward to that feeling better.

Also looking forward to the weekend and hoping I can get caught up enough tomorrow that I can really enjoy some time off.

We are safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Wednesday - COVID347

 I got up pretty much on time this morning but felt like crud.  I am just not sleeping well these days.

I was able to get a lot of work in until early afternoon, when it was time to head out for a root canal.

My new dentist is efficient, friendly, considerate, and attentive.  It was bearable for someone who avoids dentists as much as possible.  I'm looking forward to getting things taken care of.  

As good as the dentist was, I was still not feeling so hot when the numbness wore off, plus my toe is still painful.  I finished up a couple of things, tried to work on another work project, and then needed to chill and try to crochet before finally admitting I need sleep.  I was trying to stay up to take my next amoxicillan at the right time but will bring the pill to bed and set the timer.

The coyote showed up early morning today and was caught on the Ring.

I'll address the wolf pee lines later when I'm feeling better.  For now, the chickens are secure and we are watchful.

The weather is getting nicer and I am seeing grass growing that needs to be addressed before it becomes too much, and it's almost time to start the garden so I'll need to start getting the beds ready.  I am hoping to feel better this weekend to be able to work on some of that.  Plus catching up on transcription that is far behind.

Overall we're still safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Tuesday - COVID346

I slept a little past the alarm and find that I need every minute. I am so tired and everything still hurts.

It was another very busy work day.  I am behind on everything and trying to figure out a way to pace myself and catch up.

I fell asleep on the couch again. When I wake up, it's hard to get moving because I'm so tired, so I find myself falling back asleep on the couch over and over until I finally make myself get up. 

I do have an appointment to get the root canal done tomorrow, so that's a good thing.

We are safe and well. I hope you are too.

Monday - COVID345

I woke up on time, amazingly.  My sleep app said I got 3 hours of sleep because that's when I went to bed, but I was definitely sleeping on the couch for a long time last night.

The pain in my foot outdid the pain from my teeth today, though the tooth pain continues to fade.  It's hard to stay focused. It was a long busy work day.

The coyote did a quick walk-through last night that the Ring barely caught.  I've gone through all of the settings and am not sure why there is a lag in capturing images.  I'll try changing the wifi it is using and see if that helps.  If not, I'll contact the company to see.  It seems as if it is not doing nearly as well as it was last year, when I was able to catch the fox trotting through the whole way.

None of the chickens are laying, not even Blue who has been a real trooper.  It could be she's taking a break and the others are getting ready to lay now that the days are longer, but I know that the Americaunas have started laying earlier in the year than this, so I'm frustrated.

I finished making my hat last night.  I'll do some blocking and then get a picture.  I'm looking forward to trying one using raffia.

We are safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Sunday - COVID344 and Kaiser ER

I woke up ready to tackle a good day.  But the cat peed on my bed.  UGH!!  

So I was pissed off (yes I went there) and started the first of what would need to be three loads of laundry (I use two comforters).  I grabbed the second load and hustled through the house feeling annoyed, and snagged a chair leg with my left "ring toe," the one next to the pinky.  I cussed and hobbled to the washer to get the laundry in, slamming my hand on the machine in aggravation and pain, knowing it would subside, right?

Something odd caught my eye while I was loading the comforter in, so I took a closer look at my foot after the cycle was started and was horrified to see my toe at a strange angle.  I knew this was bad and there was nothing I could do at home to fix it.  I hobbled in to tell Bex and interrupted a phone call.  She said she'd take me to the ER.  Tam was almost to the house, so instead I asked if she could drop me off, so she did.  We had a nice ride, listening to Chris LeDoux and catching up, though about halfway the numbness that had enveloped my foot started to fade.  She warned me they would probably have to try to put it into place and said I should yell KELLY CLARKSON when they did it.  I asked why in the world I would do that and she asked if I'd seen the move 40 Year Old Virgin, which I had not.  She explained that's what he yelled in the hospital scene.

I was horrified to see the ER busy when I hobbled in.  It took a while for them to take my card, and then another wait of a half hour to get to triage check-in.  I didn't get to a room for two hours.  That was filled with people watching and hobbling to the bathroom twice before getting a wheelchair and letting them move me, and I couldn't stop crying, tears going constantly into my mask.  It was a parade of weekend warriors on one of the first nice Sundays in a while.  I overheard that a few ambulances had dropped people during the time all of us were waiting with ice on wrists, knees, heads.  An elderly woman who had fallen, a woman who admitted to the nurse that she wasn't taking her meds regularly and had gained 10 pounds overnight and was short of breath.  For a time I sat across the room from a balding middle-aged man who constantly moaned and groaned and grunted with ice on his knee with no tears while constantly on his phone.  While I silently cried.

The doc was great when he came bopping in and apologized for the wait more than once.  He need to pull on the toe to see if he could straighten it.  The options were two shots (I know how bad shots feel in feet) or do it without.  After spiraling in my brain for a minute, faced with two bad choices, I opted to be the athlete and let him do it without  numbing it.  A deep breath in, exhale, and YANK.  I yelled.  Couldn't help it.  Then he had to do it again and I yelled again.  Not mad at him, it had to be done.  I told him when he was done that my friend had told me to yell KELLY CLARKSON when that happened.  He chuckled.

Then it was off to x-ray, which was an adventure in at one point trying to pull that toe away from the others to get a good side picture of it.

The results were that there's no fracture and doc thinks it was dislocated and he put it back in place before the x-ray.  It was still looking a little wonky, so it's taped.  I have a nice boot that keeps it protected and helps me walk without pain.  I'm not sure when I'll be able to wear my funky toe shoes again.

Bex came to pick me up.  I went outside to wait and there was a ton of people out there.  I hobbled my way to the edge of a group of two picnic tables to sit facing away from the 10 or so people who were gathered like they were having a picnic.  More joined them from the ER area, so my estimate is that there were about 15 people there, including a toddler. 

Bex picked me up and we got sandwiches on the way home.  I arrived back at the house a little over five hours after I'd left it.  We did chores and then settled in for the night.

I fell asleep on the couch and Bex woke me a couple of times but then I fell asleep again before I could get myself up.  The third time she helped me get to bed.

Hoping for an easy and productive week!

Other than the toe injury, we are safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Friday/Saturday - COVID342/3

 It's strange not having AJ around today.  My phone became unplugged from the charger and so I slept in a little - not too much.  

I worked for a while and then headed down to the dentist for a consult and education session.  I learned a lot and we have a plan in place for next steps.  My teeth still hurt but it's not as bad now that the antibiotics have started.

More work in the afternoon and I am really looking forward to the weekend.

I forgot to mention I heard gunfire yesterday morning.  I know the dairy workers shoot the doves that roost in their barns, but this was brief, just a handful, and I have a suspicion they might have shot coyote(s).  No new scat overnight, though they have gone a couple days before.  As much as I would be relieved at the respite from the ones wandering through and terrorizing the chickens, I don't think that is the right solution.  At least it's not for me. 

I have no idea how this didn't get posted yesterday, but here it was, waiting.

I slept in today (Saturday) and made myself do some work. I am tired and need a break. I worked on organization in the kitchen a little bit and picked up some bins from Home Depot curbside.  Tam will be coming up tomorrow to help a little bit. I get overwhelmed sometimes and she is great support and has good ideas and resources. 

Bex and I made falafels using the air fryer tonight.  It was really easy and nice to not have to deal with the mess of frying in oil.

My teeth still hurt, though it eased for most of the day.  It seems to be worst in the morning and (of course) right before I go to bed.  

We are safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Thursday - COVID341

I was up a little later but AJ didn't wake me up this morning.  He was quietly playing when I got up.

I took him for a drive to McDonald's to get breakfast.  I agreed he could have a small McFlurry as breakfast dessert but their machine was down, so no sweet treat.  He was disappointed but happy to accept orange juice instead.   

We had a good conversation on the drive about a variety of things.  When we got to the gate I remembered that I was going to play him the ringtone I use for my kids because it cracks him up every time he hears it but he never gets to hear the whole thing because I answer.  I told him that one of these days I'll teach him how to open the gate and he smiled and shook his head nooooo, giggling.  He's old enough to do it now but the booster seat is a bit of a pain, so I won't make it unbuckle to do the gate.  Yet.

At one point, AJ came to me in tears after he had done his reading homework because his tablet quit working.  I came in and sat down to see what it was doing, and he breathed a big sigh of relief and said that it was working fine now.  

Bex and AJ played Battleship this afternoon while I worked.  And I just remembered that we never did get Bella her bath.  I'll have to remember for next time.  It's hard to fit those things in during the work week.

I was sad to see him go but happy that we had the time this week.  I know he'll enjoy a night with his auntie before going home tomorrow.  He was a good companion while doing chores, and though we kept an eye out on our trips down the driveway, he didn't see any wildlife this trip.  Though the coyotes did leave their mark overnight.

We are safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Wednesday - COVID340

I was up late but not too late because a little person was standing in front of me 30 minutes after I turned off my alarm reminding me I said I'd be up at 6:15.  Li'l man does not forget a thing!

I got some work in before a dental appointment and Bex took AJ to McDonald's for his promised breakfast.  Because he was with Baboo, he got a small McFlurry to eat after his breakfast food.

I've had tooth pain for days and finally relented, thus the appointment.  I have another appointment for Friday and I'm looking forward to some relief.  I started antibiotics for an infection today and was told I should feel better within 24 hours of starting them.  So far, the pain is a little less but still there and may impact my sleep again.

While I was picking up my prescription, I saw a notification on the Ring.  The first image was Oliver.  The next was Bex striding out, grabbing the hose, and spraying.  She looked around and then went inside, and I called her.  She said she'd heard the chickens going nuts and went out and scared off either a fox or coyote.  It took off quick and had a reddish coat.  I'm thinking coyote 'cause our foxes are gray.  After AJ went to sleep, I heard the coyotes singing outside.  

And then shortly after the coyote sighting, I was approaching the Lake Trail on the driveway and saw small bobcat dive down the hill.

Bex made us peanut butter and banana grilled sandwiches for lunch, an AJ favorite since she introduced him to them last year.

After I was done working, we made I guess a taco bar for dinner.  All the ingredients were the same but we each put them together differently.  AJ had a taco and a burrito, Bex made nachos, and I had a burrito bowl.  It was a good dinner, though AJ thought it was a little spicy.  I reduced the spices I used but apparently not by enough.  He still ate it all.

We watched Rango and talked with Mandi on the phone.  AJ will be leaving us tomorrow and I'm sad because I didn't get enough play time with him, with work and all.  I'm grateful for the time we did have and love having him around.  He is a delightful, funny, happy, kind, curious, and thoughtful child.  I told him we'd give Bella a bath and he keeps reminding me - I need to make sure we get that done in the morning.  This is a kid you don't want break promises with and want to avoid changing plans.  He takes you at your word.

I'll hope for better sleep tonight and an easy day tomorrow. 

We are safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Tuesday - COVID339

I finally got to sleep after finding Anbesol for a toothache that's been bugging me.  I remembered not to trip over AJ on the floor and got up on time.  He was awake already and watching a video under his blanket so as not to disturb me.  

Angelo helped me take care of the animals this morning and walked Salsa from the barn to the pen.  He misses Luna.  He told me I need to get another goat because our two are lonely.  He doesn't like the smell near the chicken coop.

I asked him what he wanted for breakfast and after going through options, he decided on a breakfast burrito with bacon.  I made sure this time to make the eggs just the way his mama told me she makes them, and he ate up his burrito with no complaint.  When I asked him if he wanted milk or water to drink, he said, "Goat milk."  I had to explain I'm not milking Salsa anymore and he wondered why.  We talked about how she's old and she quit making milk last year, and how the only way to get goat milk now would be for her to have a baby.  And that she's too old to have babies anymore.  He said she would also need a goat husband and I don't have one of those.  He thinks I need to get another goat so I can have milk and that I could sell it.  When Bex went out later to get sticky buns, she picked up some goat milk from the store so he could have some.

AJ helped me with the animals and we had spaghetti and leftover pizza for dinner with cake dessert.  After he said he'd had enough spaghetti after a small bowlful, I commented that he had eaten less than I'd expected today, especially after his mama said he ate a lot as a growing boy.  He quietly said he was trying to be polite and didn't want to eat all my food.  I reassured him that he should tell me when he's hungry and not to say he's had enough because he's being polite.  I totally understand that, but it's more important that he stay well and eat enough.  He's a sweet boy.

He was silly and talkative at bedtime.  He had a bit of a tummy ache but we agreed I'd check on him in 30 minutes to see how he's doing.  He was asleep after 15.

We are safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Monday - COVID338

 It was a holiday but I was up with the sun but not too late to get the animals set for the day.  I still had some work to do and tried to balance it with taking a day for myself.  

Bex and I worked on clearing some things today and I was able to work on my crochet project.  AJ is spending a few days with us during his school break, so we were able to share some pizza and visit with Jess, Mandi, Sis, and Lorna when AJ came this evening.  He and Sissy were sad that the animals were put away for the night before arrived, but Bex and I opened doors so they could peek at them.  Bella and Oliver love AJ as usual and recognized him.

We watched a show and then he went to bed.  He's such a good kid, knows how to brush his teeth better than any kid I've ever known, and ask for what he wants and needs.  He settled onto the mat on the floor in my room.  It's in a different spot than he usually sleeps so I will need to be sure not to trip over him at night.

The tick bite is still bugging me.

Other than that annoyance, we are safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Sunday - COVID337

I enjoyed being able to sleep a little later again today, though I was up a little earlier than yesterday.

The big coyote showed up again last night and left its calling card.  It's been rainy off and on so I haven't used any of the wolf urine yet.

Tamily came by this afternoon to bring eggs from the farm and Valentine's chocolate covered strawberries.  It was nice to visit with them for a while before the rain showed up.

I picked up groceries from Jess midafternoon and enjoyed seeing her.

The tick bite is still bothering me.  It's painful and itchy at the same time and situated in a bad spot.  I didn't get much done on household projects because of it.  I was able to do a little computer work and started my next crochet project.  That kept me occupied and I lost track of time so it was a late bedtime.

We are safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Saturday - COVID336

 I slept until the sun woke me.  I felt awake and ready, though I had a mild headache that persisted throughout the morning.

It was windy today, which I hate, though not as much as I do during fire season.

Becca made lemon curd from scratch and made the house smell amazing.

There was more work than time for projects, so not a lot got done that I really wanted to.  But I did acquire a nasty tick bite.  It's the third I've found in the last couple weeks and I'm not sure yet where I'm picking them up.  

We are safe and well and looking forward to another two days off.  I hope you are too.

Friday - COVID335

Up on time for a long work day.  There's more to do but I'm tired and will hit it again when I get up in the morning.

No coyote sightings the last couple of days.  The rain might be keeping them away.  Or my scary performance.  

The mouse is still taunting me.  I need to test the traps to make sure they are actually functional.  The lights are on but nothing's getting caught.  It could just be I need better bait.

We are safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Thursday - COVID334

Because I didn't get to sleep until after 4am and hit the alarm off when it went off, I didn't wake up until way too late. What a way to start the day.

It was an intense work day and I'm trying to catch up on a lot.

The coyotes continue to leave scat in the same place. I contacted the company I purchased the wolf urine from to ask them about this, because they dumped in the same place I'd put the urine.  It was a good and timely response with a reasonable thought.  When coyotes are displaced and desperate and there is a food source present, they will ignore the bigger predator's scent.  I was given some suggestions and will implement them for a week.  If I continue to have a problem, the company will refund my money.  Wow.

Between pots and pans being close at hand to make as much noise as possible the next time I see a coyote, and plans in place to set up drip systems for the wolf pee when the rain stops, we'll see how this goes.  Another option is to purchase some motion detected sprayers but I'm hesitant to do that just yet.  I really don't want Oliver to suffer from my determination to scoot the coyotes away from the house.

We are safe and well and looking forward to a long weekend.  I hope you are too.

Wednesday - COVID333

I was up on time this morning though I could have slept longer.  

I worked the morning only because PG&E had notified us of a planned power shut-off so they could replace some overhead equipment in the area.  This was the third notice - the previous two times I took time off work and shut off the computer to protect it from the sudden power loss and restart and they never turned it off.  This time they actually did.

I spent much of that time reorganizing my closet.  Part of that was discovering an old purse and wallet that I had not fully emptied and discovering my "lost" favorite lipstick that Bex had given me and nearly $100 in balances on various gift cards.  I transferred $5 of a Starbucks card to my app and set the others aside to be sure to use at Bed Bath & Beyond, Macy's, Applebee's, and Joann's.

I went through the pen cup in the kitchen and removed all of the small screwdrivers and put them with the tools, then checked every pen to be sure it worked, and discovered an old pen from one of my bosses at my first fulltime job.  He had died while I was working there.  Just seeing his name brought back a flood of memories.  That was a good job.

I got a call that Loretta's tire was done and went down to pick it up.  They didn't charge me for it because the last fix hadn't worked.  It was a break in the beading on the rim, so they redid it, made sure it was holding air, and I picked it up.  If it goes flat again, it's likely because the tire is damaged because it was flat on the ground for too long before I discovered and took care of it.  I'm hopeful that's not the case.

When I got home, there was coyote scat on the spot where I'd removed yesterday's scat and applied wolf urine.  I'm stumped about this.  I put the goats in just before 5pm.  I was working at the computer when I heard chickens clucking loudly like they had just laid, which was a little odd because they typically lay in the morning.  So as I was getting up to see if there were any eggs, suddenly all of the chickens were making a ton of noise, and as I opened the slider I saw a coyote come running up the hill straight at the coop.  I shook the door and started yelling.  It looked at me and went down the hill.  I grabbed my walking stick and walked over, yelling at it the whole time.  It was down the hill behind the tree branches where Bex had seen it go previously.  I continued to yell, grabbed a thick short fallen tree branch and chucked it down the hill.  It was still there.  So I grabbed the hose which has a good nozzle on it, turned the water on, and then sprayed back and forth in the coyote's direction and it disappeared.  I continued to yell at it.  The coyote came up to the chicken run even though I had moved the radio there after putting the goats in the barn, so clearly that's not a deterrent.  The chickens went inside their coop and I shut them in for the night, keeping a watchful eye and ear out and making sure Oliver was in the house.

I sent a message to the company I purchased the wolf urine from to see if they have any suggestions.  The fact that the coyote dumped on the spot where I'd applied the urine makes me suspect they don't care about wolves because there are no wolves around here.

I got to talk with Tam tonight.  It felt good to catch up a little.

We are safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Tuesday - COVID332

Up on time!  And it was dark.  It's been a while since I've been up and went outside at dawn and it felt really good.  Fresh and clean and a good start to the day.  

There was big coyote scat on the other side of Loretta again, which means the Ring camera isn't capturing anything.  I decided rather than scoot it into the weeds I'm going to start pooper scooping and tossing it so the coyote doesn't think that it's okay.

It was a long one and busy for work but we are getting things done.

Bex and I went out to drop something off at the library and while we were out, I dropped Loretta's tire at the shop again.  It had deflated after the "repair" as soon as we put it on the car and set it back on the ground.  They'll call when it's done tomorrow.

When I went to get the goats, they were acting skittish and looking toward the blackberry bushes.  I couldn't see anything.  On the way to the barn, I saw big coyote scat again in the same spot I'd cleared it from this morning.  After putting the goats in the barn and tucking the chickens away, I decided to apply wolf urine on that spot to show the coyote who's boss.  We'll see how well this works.  I'm not feeling super confident right now, though I have been concentrating it on the perimeter so I don't scare Oliver.  Thing is, I don't think that matters.  Ollie has barely been outside the house since I put the wolf urine out.  He sits at the slider and stares outside but doesn't stay long when he ventures out.

We had a quiet evening and I stayed up too late.  I'm looking forward to climbing into bed.

We are safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Monday - COVID331

Oh Monday, Monday.  Up on time and busy all day.  

Bex got her car into and out of the shop.  Something is fixed but we are concerned that the original problem may still not be fixed. It didn't start right picking it up and the check engine light had not been cleared.  They cleared the light and it started up.  She'll drive it and hope that it is fine after all and that it was just getting gas into the line.

I chased a damn mouse around the kitchen with Lysol. I don't know why it's not going into the trap. I'll test the batteries tomorrow and try different bait.

There's been a lot of work and I'm tired already. But I'm grateful for work and no rain today.

We are safe and well. I hope you are too.

Sunday - COVID330

Ah, I slept until the sun was up this morning.  Because I went to bed so late last night it wasn't a lot of sleep but it was good.

I did some work this morning and then made some food for our small three-person super bowl gathering.  It was nice to have some of the favorites we are used to, even though we couldn't be with the people we normally are with in person this year.  We commented back and forth in group texts about the game and commercials and half time and the virtual football pool using Venmo.  It was fun, even though the team I was rooting for lost.

I did laundry today and gleefully put the sheets out on the line to dry.  Making the bed with line-dried sheets is heaven, and it will feel the same when I walk into my room and smell the fresh scent and then be able to climb into those to sleep.

We had a really good day today and are safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Saturday - COVID329

I reluctantly got up not too long after the alarm went off.  I needed to get chores done and coffee made before my Zoom training.

Three hours on Zoom with two breaks this morning but I was interested the whole way through. I signed up last year after the Walbridge evacuations to volunteer for Sonoma CART.  My intention is to help out at the livestock shelter during the next disaster.  I'm not the type to run into danger to rescue, but more the safe place to recuperate and stay after the danger.  As I begin my work, there are other areas I might be able to help and be cross-trained so I can be of more use where I'm needed.

This was the first of many training sessions, and I will also be doing some online FEMA courses to get my certification.  I love learning and look forward to being a part of this heart-filled and brave collection of humans who are organizing to help others when the bad stuff happens. 

I got a little work done this afternoon but it was hard to focus when the day was so beautiful and springlike.  Maybe I'll clear the garden tomorrow and get it ready for planting.

I found the wolf urine and reluctantly laid a little bit down where the coyote was hiding near the chicken coop yesterday.  I recognize that while this may keep the biggest predators away, it may also drive away the little foxes that I enjoy seeing.  I don't mind them around so much because I know they cannot get into the fortified chicken run, but they may need to hang out elsewhere this spring.  Or at least further from the house.

I picked up groceries from Jess in the evening and got to see her new dishwasher.  We went just at sunset so I made sure the goats were in the barn and set the portable radio at the chicken coop to deter predators while we were away.

It was a quiet evening with Bex and I'm hoping for more energy (Zoom courses take a lot out of me!) so I can get more done tomorrow.

We are safe and well.   I hope you are too.

Friday - COVID328

The morning started off on time and busy from the beginning.  I had a challenge with work technicalities and missed a (minor) deadline through no fault of my own.  While I was on hold at the clerk's office, the clerk I was calling for was trying to reach me at the office number.  Where no one was.  It wasn't a big deal overall and a solid learning experience.

The rest of the day was super busy and it's taking a toll this week.  I have lost track of days and my boss had to remind me that tomorrow's Saturday when I said I would call the clerk tomorrow.

Moonshine escaped this morning.  We suspected a coyote in the area again because he basically came to the door and then led me back to the pen.  He wasn't interested in food and it seemed to be communication.  Salsa was vocal and calling constantly.  Bex and I located our emergency radio, which was broken, and then I found the transistor that I use to keep predators away from the goats when we're not home.  I had packed it for evacuation and it was still in a bag in the car.  Yes, there are still some bags in the car from last fire season.  I turned the radio on and Salsa's anxiety seemed to lessen gradually.  

After tucking the goats into the barn, I headed to town to pick up something from the store.  On the way there, Bex called to tell me that she had been out back when she heard the chickens hollering.  She went to check and saw a coyote near the run.  When she came outside, it ran down the hill about 15 feet and stayed behind some tree branches watching her.  She yelled at it and brandished a rake about and above her head and it didn't budge.  Bex got the chickens inside the coop early and closed the door to increase their protection.  I've put the query out to locals about what they do to discourage coyotes.  The coyotes' presence continues in daylight and near the house.  Because Bex said this one was smaller than the one we've spotted, I suspect it is a breeding pair.  I don't want cubs being born in the blackberry bushes.  I'll be putting wolf urine out tomorrow, the little bit that I have left, and hope that it sends them to another location.  Getting an expert in to assess and assist with the project would cost hundreds of dollars just for the assessment, so I'm going to continue to educate myself and do the best I can.

I'm up a little later than I planned.  I have a Zoom training in the morning for my CART volunteer work.  I'm sad to miss a sleep-in day but looking forward to training.

We are safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Thursday - COVID327

Waking was easier this morning which was a good thing because it was another busy day.  Funny how I feel like the more I get done, the more there is still left to be done.

I did finish a project this evening and am looking forward to putting a finishing touch on it and then taking a photo to share.

Blue has not laid an egg in about a week, and the Americaunas are still slacking.  Blue has been a trooper throughout the winter so maybe she just needs a break, though I have noticed more coyote scat around the compound, including some inside the goat pen this morning, so she might be scared.  I have set up cameras again because the coyotes (I think there were more than one last night) are evading the Ring camera.  I had planned to close the goat pen and turn on the fence overnight but forgot.  They may be going inside the pen for water but there is plenty in the creek right now and in the cow pasture, so they don't need to be here.

We are staying safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Wednesday - COVID326

There was so little new that I forgot to update the blog last night.  I'm writing this Thursday morning.

It was a work day and busy.  I mounted one crocheted mandala onto a hoop last night and was disappointed to see that most of the others I have completed are too large for the hoops I purchased.  Now I'm trying to figure out some patterns to make that will fill the smaller hoops while I wait for funds to buy bigger ones.  

One project has been set aside while waiting for more yarn, which is actually macrame cord.  It's hard to crochet with, hard and irritating to my fingers when I brush up against it, but I'm pleased with the project so far.

We are safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Tuesday - COVID325

I slept late again but not too badly.

It was a busy day and I am feeling overwhelmed and behind.

The good news is it did not rain today.  But everything is so wet that the animals are still unhappy and are looking forward to a little bit of sun.

I'm looking forward to it drying out a bit so I can start cutting down the vegetation that is already starting to grow quickly.  It's green now but I know it won't be long before it's a fire hazard.

So I'm feeling pretty tired and a little low tonight and am going to head to bed earlier than I have for a few days.  Hoping to feel more refreshed and ready to go tomorrow.

We are safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Monday - COVID324

Sleeping late seems to be a thing for the third day in a row. Thankfully, working from home means more flexible.

It was a gorgeous morning that turned cold and rainy in the afternoon.

But a bright spot was seeing video of Tamily's chick hatching.

Work is super busy at the time that I am feeling foggy and like I need a vacation.

But we are staying safe and well. I hope you are too.