The chicken rescue!

There is never a dull moment here, and the holidays are no exception. Just because it's Christmas or Boxing day doesn't mean things stop on the farm. And guess what....animals don't realize that it's a holiday either. Go figure?!

Boxing day was really nice out. It actually snowed here for Christmas. So Boxing Day showed up nice, warm, sunny and white! I was on my way back from the green bin when I heard a noise from the big wood pile.

I thought, "no way. It can't be a chicken. I haven't let the chickens loose in a week!" But it sounded like one of my hens.

I started looking around and sure enough, there stuck in the wood pile was a chicken! For Pete's Sake!

I told Dave "You've got to go rescue that hen! We need that hen! The way Tundra's been eating them everyone of them counts!"

Dave and his camera thingie, notice the amount of logs on top

So I remind him of the wonderful gift he bought himself a few months ago for Christmas. It was the perfect opportunity to use it. It's one of those little cameras on the end of a pipe thingie and it's even got a colour monitor thingie that you can watch. (I'm not electronically minded, ok?!)

We finally located the hen with Dave's camera thingie. That meant that Dave (my hero) had to move lots and lots of logs to get to the hen. Hubby was not impressed.

After what seemed like a lifetime, but I imagine was only 30 minutes he got a hold of her legs. There was one log left, but he couldn't move it without the tractor, and if he did move it, it would have squashed the hen. So ever so gently he started tugging on the hen because she was kinda wedged in those logs. Now I say gently, but those of you who have a hubby probably know that it wasn't too gently.

Tugging and pulling "gently", notice the logs all moved!

Finally out pops the hen! I was so happy! The hen was happy too. She didn't seem any worse for wear. My hero!

This photo says it all! You can all imagine what Dave said while holding the hen in this picture....

Friggen chicken!

And how was your Christmas!

Lisa

Winter Solstice Gathering

Ok, I know, I know...

I'm weird, I'm a bit strange. I know this and some people might question my beliefs, but on December 21st we were invited to a winter solstice gathering. Definately not your usual, normal Wesleyan church gathering.

We are devout Christians. So why on earth would we want to participate in a winter solstice/drumming gathering.

Well.... I like to try different things. I like to see how other people celebrate different things.

I have a strong belief in tolerance. As much as I wish we were all born again Christians, I know it's not going to happen. So we should learn about one another and each other's beliefs. Maybe, just maybe if everyone held to this way of thinking there would be a lot less wars.

Maybe, maybe not.

Having said all this, I would not have attended this gathering if I wasn't strong in my faith and Christian beliefs. It's so very easy to be swayed. I know some of my Christian friends will wonder if I've gone off the deep end.

Nope.

Me and hubby

We did find it was a bit strange at first...but we knew most of the people there. We got there a bit late because I was working that day. We had a bite to eat and listened to the music and the drumming. The drumming was very soothing. I know, when I say that people think "How on earth can drumming be soothing." But it really was. After a while we joined in. They had some spare drums.

This summer we'd like to host a drumming session in our backyard.

When we first got there I told one of the women that I had half jokingly told my work colleagues that I hoped that we didn't dance naked around a bonfire! She said, "Oh heavens no! Not this year. It's raining out. Maybe next year." Then she said, "Just kidding!"

Phew!

So...did I like this gathering? Yes! Did I find it a bit strange? mmmm yes. Would I go again? Oh Yes! Most definately. Am I crazy? Oh yeah. So what else is new.

Have a Blessed Evening and a Merry Christmas!

Lisa

Major Curve Ball!

Merry Christmas from Simonne!

Like most of you know, we built a piece onto the house for Dave's dad. He was supposed to move in and we were all going to live happily ever after. NOT!

He did move in September. All was going well. About a month after he moved in he passed out on the floor. He was taken to the hospital by ambulance where he was diagnosed with A Fib (a major heart problem). He also was full of fluid. The doctor on call told us, if he would have been living on his own, he would have been dead within 2 weeks! Thank goodness he was with us. But the doctor also said that these episodes had probably been happening for a while, just he never told us.

So we went home with warfarin and other different meds. Then Halloween we got home from an evening of trick or treating when his dad passed out again. It all went down hill from there. The doctor said he could no longer stay at home alone. He needed 24/7 supervision. If he fell again and hit his head he could bleed to death since he was on warfarin. This is kinda hard since we both work full time.

So with heavy hearts we went ahead with the paperwork to put him in a senior's home. It's not something we wanted to do, but he understood. It's hard, if not impossible for us to supervise him 24/7. This even meant someone had to be with him at night, since he was starting to get up in the middle of the night. Dave would be up several times a night to get him to the bathroom, get him a glass of water or just tending to something he wanted...then get up at 4am to drive an oil truck all day. That was a recipe for disaster. I would get up at 4:30 am to get him dressed and fed, then tend all the animals, get J. ready for school and then get myself ready and to work for 8:30am.

It was just not working. We were going to get a nurse in here for respite, but that costs a bloody fortune. Then a place opened at a seniors home for 3 weeks in the respite bed. What we really wanted was for him to be placed permanently in the facility his wife was in. We prayed and prayed and prayed, then 3 days before he was supposed to be moved to our house again or another respite bed...THEY CALLED!!! They had a permanent bed for him in the same place as his wife! We were all so happy we cried. Now he seems a lot happier, we are under a lot less stress and he's being well taken care of. This facility is one of the best. The workers are really caring and the place is beautiful. I want to move in! Just kidding.

But now we have another problem. What to do with the Dawdi Haus. It's doubled our house insurance and I don't even want to see what it's going to do to our property taxes! We are trying to rent it out, but so far no takers.

So this is our little life at the moment and reason why I haven't been blogging . We are finally starting to relax and find a few minutes to spare, plus Christmas is fast approaching.

Have a Blessed Evening

Lisa

Quick update

Ok, maybe I should have googled the pregnancy test thing first and saved myself some time and money. Especially since I told my friend to pick me up 3 tests also..in case my mom forgot. Since this is a small community the store clerk looked at my friend knowingly and she said, "It's not for me! It's for my friend, she wants to try it on her goats." The clerk is like, "Yeah, right....ok."

Human pregnancy tests don't work on goats.

Case closed.

I'll never learn.

Lisa