There's a Chicken in My Bed

Chick bath

Last night, I was so tired of my little investments' chirping. I was thinking it might be a good mental health strategy for me to buy grown hens or pullets. These two chicks are $3 worth of stress right now. I do believe they cheep more than the 10 chicks I got the first time. I went over to see what was going on after it sounded like one threw the other over its shoulder and slammed it against the wall of the box.

 

The larger chick was focusing on the nether region of the tiny chick. Ooops, poop on the feet? It was gross and impeded the little chick from running away. The large chick tried desperately to peck her awful feet.

poopy toes out of the water

 

All the toenails on the left foot and two or three on the right foot are grossly coated with concrete made of poop and cornmeal. I put her in the sink with the water running very warm, almost hot. Oh, she peeped and peeped and struggled. Then, her little body relaxed so much that I had to hold her head out of the water. Her eyes sort of closed.  The picture above is after fifteen minutes of soaking and trying to get it off.

poopy toes in the water

 

I had already solved the pasty butt problem by picking and pulling and raking as she soaked. I used the paper/cloth covering that come on Kotex pads. They made nice cloths to go between my fingers and the poop as I worked on her problem areas.

clean butt

 

Every time that I lifted her from the sink water, she trembled with cold so that I felt sorry for her and tried to put her back in the sink quickly. She was so drowsy I had to hold her head out of the water. She had been chased for hours.

 

I had been standing for far too long, leaning on the bathroom sink, leaning on my elbows and using the make-shift, disposable "wash cloth" on nails that were hard as rocks. I finally started pressing my nails on the hard poop rocks, pressing them against the bottom of the sink--gently and sometimes a bit harder.

 

We needed a rest. The only towel I could see was the largest, whitest, plushest towel I own. So be it. I have a washing machine.

 

warm chick

 

I am holding a basketball-sized bundle of towel and chick.  She is very content, not flapping or cheeping as she did in the water if I lifted her to the cool air or let go of her. She seemed content in the sink as long as I had my hand around her as I did in the first picture.

 

Since only one toe had been freed, we went back for a second session. Eventually, she was free of the encumbrances. Poop balls were in the water. Yuck! Now, we both needed another rest.



very clean and sort of wet

 

Remember, she was practically naked when wet and the few feathers were plastered together. I could not get a better picture of her because she is in a bundle that is not wrapped properly. I could not move away from her or put her down. Plus, handling a camera with one had is not my best skill these days or ever. 

hiding whole face

 

As soon as I covered her back with the towel so only her head showed, she tucked her head down into the towel. It was sooooo cute. I fell in love with this baby. If I disturbed her, she would put her head right back down, covering her face. Eventually, she sort of borrowed out of sight. When I uncovered her from her completely covered position, she burrowed even farther into the towel.

 

I pondered how to get her dry before returning her to the box. The hairdryer on low would be cool. On high it would blow too hard. So, I just sat, hoping she would dry in the towel.

 

Finally, about 5:00 am, I was exhausted and so was the chick. Of course, she was sleeping; I was not! I decided to take her to bed with me. Yes, I know I am probably the first person to take a chicken to bed. I was going to put the wadded towel in a tote bag, but could not find one immediately. I think they are in the car. A plastic bag came to mind, but that seemed to dangerous--not enough circulation. I kept looking in the towel and she cheeped and burrowed deeper. She was one content chick!

 

Settling on a large paper grocery bag, I stuffed the whole towel with chick in, hoping I had her right side up. With the top scrunched down, I carried the bag as I got ready for bed--into kitchen and back to tv and then to bathroom, finally to bed. Since I had had fingers in poop, I needed to spend a bit more time cleaning my hands.  So, as I got ready for bed, I heard no cheeps, a good or bad sign.

 

The paper bag and chick went right into my bed, up near my head so I could hear if the chick...what? quit breathing? Cheeped for me? Accidentally was upside down?  I carefully covered the bag with my blanket under which I was sleeping,  and I went to sleep. Hours later, I awoke and went to the bathroom. When I looked into the bag and towel, the chick awoke and was totally dry, looking just like a yellow Easter chick. I reunited the two chicks in the box. 

 

The little one I washed has been so much calmer today when I reach in with water or food. Maybe I should be more attentive to gentling them.  A bath a day could be a good gentling tool. They get really warm and trust me.

 

Being a chickie mama is sooo emotionally exhausting.

 

Oh, did you miss the post where I name the chicks? Her name is Maxene.

 

UPDATE: When the first five minutes in water did not clean the poopy feet, I did give the bath water a shot of shampoo, nice pink shampoo that smells delicious. I use it in my hand soap pump to wash my hands.  

 

Your turn 

Have you had chicks with pasty butt? Did your chicks ever get the messy balls on their toes? When was the last time you took a chicken to bed?

 

Handwritten Cookbook and Chick Names

 

I keep a handwritten book of recipes that I love, use often, or that are my children's favorites. When I was in Walmart, I spotted a journal that would be perfect for recording loved recipes. The journal was less than $6. You could use something similar or choose a journal that is already in your possession.

 

My recipe book came from BAM and has RECIPES on the front. Since I bought this over 20 years ago, I doubt it is still on the market. I received a cookbook one Christmas. I only use one recipe from it. That recipe is in my handwritten book. If the house were on fire, I would grab my handwritten recipe book and run. My book saves me time and saves having many pieces of paper around with recipes on them.

 

Actually, I am going to make hard copies as well as scan the recipes in my handwritten recipe book.

Chick Names

When I got three chicks, I needed names for a trio of some sort. Exbf suggested the Andrews Sisters. The chicks get girl names since I hope for girls.

So, they are LaVerne, Patty, and Maxene. If they are roosters, we have Vern, Pat, and Max. Of course, since LaVerne died, she will never have a boy name. Maxine is the little yellow chick. Patty is the large bully.

How do you name animals?

The First Bunny et al

first bunny sighting of the year

cute because there are no food plants to eat, yet

waiting on me

pint of bananas=4.5 bananas

Tops are askew for cooling because there are fruit flies in the kitchen!

 

4 oz. cherries=what was left in the bag of frozen cherries

 

I have not yet emptied the two other trays of dehydrated bananas. So, this was only two trays, one whole and one partial tray of the four trays I dehydrated. They spent longer in the dehydrator because it was raining when I put them in. The cherries, once plump halves, were so flat and stuck to the dehydrator sheets. See where I had to pry them off the mesh?

 

The 4 oz. Ball jars are marvelous, magic, much loved around here. I even have 2 oz. Ball jars.

 

Unlike the cherries sold dehydrated in the store, these have no sugar or chemicals. They taste better.

 

Your turn

I know that some of you do not think bunnies are cute when they raid your garden. Does anyone else enjoy these sweet animals in the yard? Or, do you eat them and enjoy them in another way? The rain stopped the transplanting and almost ruined my bananas before dehydrating. How has the rain stopped you from performing your spring chores?

 

 



Bananas and Cherries and Chocolate Cookies

32 bananas

I bought these bananas when they were greenish for $0.33 per pound, a really good price. The weather has been damp, so I did not get them in the dehydrator soon enough. I love them at this stage, but they are so sticky to cut and place on the dehydrator tray.

 

half a bag of frozen cherries

 

I love these cherries. These have been languishing in the freezer, so I decided to thaw them and add them to the trays of bananas. I bought frozen carrots to freeze this week. Do you ever buy frozen food to dehydrate?

 

I am working toward eliminating the need for my big freezer. My big freezer is the smallest one sold that is frost-free. I will keep it, just won't plug it up. However, it has two or three turkeys in it, so I don't know how long it will take me to empty it. I am working my way up to canning meat. The idea of canning meat frightens me. 

chocolate chunk cookies

While I have lots to do, why not add a batch of cookies to the work load? These are sort of firm on the outside and very soft, almost gooey on the inside--delicious. The recipe--a cookie mix. It was given to me, so I decided to bake these tonight-- Wednesday. Monday.

 

It was a long day with exbf here today, helping me with things that are hard for me to do. However, these bananas had to be sliced and dehydrated. So, I am up late and it is now Thursday Tuesday. He usually comes on Wednesday, so I will be ahead all week. The caffeine in the dark chocolate chunks is making my heart beat fast, and not in a good way. Do you get sidetracked this way? Of course, I cannot slice bananas and eat cookies.

 

Next in the dehydrator--Vidalia onions.

 

Your turn

Do you ever just overload yourself needlessly with extra work, like cookies? What experience have you had with canning meat? I have the instructions, just need moral support. Does anyone keep quarts and half gallons of dehydrated-at-home fruit around for snacks? Do you dehydrate store-bought frozen food?

 



Finding My Work Gloves: My Method

 

new Wells Lamont insulated work gloves

 



Saving time, money, and energy are important to me. I hated the eternal question I asked myself: Where are my work gloves? I did not want to leave them in the basement or the side porch. A spider or something might take up residence in a glove finger. The thought gives me the heebie jeebies. Besides, I did not want to have to go down in the basement to retrieve them. Most importantly, someone always just puts on my gloves, meaning I will never put the gross gloves on again.

Why will they be gross if someone uses them? I have allergies. If someone decides to use my gloves halfway through yard work, then grassy or dirty hands will make the inside dirty. When, I put the gloves on, I will suffer from allergies and be miserable when hives appear. I do keep all sorts of gloves for people/friends who work here.

Anything that is by the back door is carried off or just ruined by some "friend" who does not understand that I have to replace what is never returned when "borrowed." If the item is returned soiled or torn (like an umbrella), I must deal with it. No one has ever replaced a broken umbrella. I digress. This is about gloves. Rarely does anyone go into my laundry room. Soooo, my work gloves live there. I know that nothing in the laundry room has anything to do with outdoor work or gardening, but my work gloves are safe here.

Years ago, I devised a method of securing my gloves where I could find them. In the laundry room I used a Tupperware item meant to hang socks. Well, that is what I think the little gadget is for. What did you use them for?

Dress gloves are a different post.

Me? Work? Well, if you think I work much, rid yourself of that silly notion. I cannot touch any growing thing without have an allergic reaction. It is a lovely condition. NOT One day while I was wearing gloves and mowing with my reel mower, I scratched/rubbed under my glasses my eye. Later that day, my eye up to eyebrow and over to my nose, plus an inch on the side of my face and under my eye was horrid looking.

It took three weeks and many stages of horrid skin to finally look normal. That is why if someone puts on my gloves with a finger that has touched a plant, I break out all over my hands the next time I use the gloves. I have pictures of my face. I looked like a burn victim. So, it is wholly self-preservation when I seem selfish with my gloves and really picky about who even thinks about using them.

UPDATE: I wear leather gloves to do anything in the yard, but they are drying out right now. So, I only have hanging the winter, leather, thinsulate-insulated work gloves I found on sale for $3.

Your turn
Do you have a special place for your work/gardening gloves?  Do people just assume everything you have is theirs to use, abuse, and never return?

Update To Update

In the last post I said I got $1350 this week in money owed me. Then, I figured out that $200 was just a promise. But, the $200 check from ATT came in the mail yesterday. Sooooo, I did get $1350 in the mail this week. Of course, I am back to square one after paying things I owe and have owed for awhile.

Money Rolling In! Bankruptcy and Other Tales CORRECTION

click to enlarge

As some of you may know, I filed bankruptcy in 2003 and put my house and car in the plan, paid it off and the house was mine. Just before the bankruptcy, my home was in foreclosure, two days from  being sold on the courthouse steps. Plus, the car was in danger of being repossessed. Bankruptcy was the only way out. An injury had rendered me incapable of working.

Wells Fargo was a pain when I did not need problems beyond what I had. When I had made a February payment, the attorney (not my attorney) to whom I paid my check had a secretary call me. I was floored because I had never received a call from the attorney. I always called them. It seems that I had finished with my plan the previous August. They requested I send no more money. Gladly! Lest you think I am a flake, I still have the papers that state the dates of the plan. I called my attorney and he was shocked, too. I did get a refund.

In the meantime, my attorney called me, another first. He said Wells Fargo had filed to sue me because they made a mistake when agreeing to the bankruptcy plan. Boo Hoo! The judge refused to allow WF to sue me. THEN, after WF had collected my escrow for five years, they refused to pay my insurance, leaving me without homeowner's insurance, unbeknownst to me until six months into the year. I called and griped and WF threatened to cause me further problems. Plus, the guys called me names and ridiculed me for not being smart enough with my debt. They ridiculed me for not having money. The guys told me I was a loser and did not deserve a house, that they were glad I was going to be homeless. This was all after  the house was mine, free and clear.

I have no idea if my attorney is behind this refund.  I don't think so. It appears from the $300  check that there was some sort of audit. I wonder if the auditors know that WF did not pay for the insurance out of escrow they collected.

About 3 years ago, I worked for someone who was going to pay me to stay with her grandchildren before, during, and after a hospital stay and surgery. In the end, she asked me if I would take food instead of the $750 she owed me. Uhhh, well, okay, but only when the grocery, gas station, utilities will accept food for payment. She promised the money soon. A month later, when I called, her sil said they would file a police report for harassing communication if I EVER called again. Believe me, I would have taken care of her with my own actions, not threats, but hated to.

Sooo, I emailed her three years later and told her I would get an attorney if she did not pay me. Four days later, I received a $750 check. Last Thursday I was rich. I hated to sue a friend, but obviously . . . .

Two days ago, I received an unexpected $200 check, money owed me. When I remember why, I will post. No, No, No, that did not happen.
CORRECTION: No, I did not receive a $200 check.. I am just planning how I will spend the $200 check that I will get. I spent 1.5 hours on the phone with ATT, arguing with a dozen people about the reward I have not received. I was told 'sorry, you will not get it."  THEN, I was told I would receive, not a card with the reward on it, but a check. So, there it is, me confused. What I received was HOPE.

It may seem that I am rolling in dough. No, but my house will be sold next Tuesday at auction if I do not pay my taxes on Thursday or Friday! Plus, I must pay by May 10th, the largest utility bill I have ever had and the largest I have ever had for March. (It was just plain cold and damp here.) I paid someone to mow, weed eat my yard, pick up trash instead of mowing over it, and rake the yard. Nothing on the list was done completely. The guys are planning on coming back in two weeks. I have no plans to employ them ever again! Property taxes, utility bill, and yard work. I am wiped out of my little fortune.

That was $1250 in one week, all mine but late in coming. Tomorrow, most of it will be gone.

Your turn
Have you had money owed to you for months or years and finally get it when you have given up hope? Of course, the $750 paid me just saved her attorney fees and court costs.