I haven't written for a few days, so I figured I'd just sit down this afternoon and do a blog entry. And once again *sigh* I'm not *feeling* particularly gregarious. Truth be known, for a while now, I've just been feeling "off" mentally. Not exactly sad, perhaps a little depressed. I believe I know why, and I try not to say anything because nobody can do *anything* to help other than to suggest a chiropractor that we can't afford. Okay, here's the thing, for a couple of months now, since November, my back has been all wonky, and I think dealing with it every day is wearing on me emotionally. Part of me wants to believe it's just that I need a spinal adjustment, but the other part thinks it's more than likely being made worse by my MS.
We had a nice day. We went to a thing with our homeschool group to get people who weren't familiar with it, familiar with the Conservation Frontiers program. A couple of families that we knew, were there, but a few who we hadn't met in person were there too. I would guesstimate at least 25 kids - a good turnout to be sure. We arrived at Pizza Hut at noon to have lunch before the meeting started around 1. We were mostly done eating when the first mom and son showed-up, so we were just shootin' the breeze.
Other than that, no much else to tell. We've got a single rooster who was being picked-on by at least one of the other roosters. He had been singled out and had been in a fight and we couldn't find him last Thursday night, so we thought perhaps he had been taken by a predator. We didn't see him all day Friday until my wife and daughter were looking for chicken eggs and they found him hanging out in the wood shed. When they found him he looked okay except that he had one damaged eye, so they caught him and put him in a separated coop so he could recuperate and heal a bit. He stayed until yesterday at feeding time, when I let him out. Plus on Monday we butchered the one rooster that we saw chasing him the most. We thought that he would just re-integrate with the flock. He did sleep in the main coop with everyone last night. Today though, after they all had been fed, I was outside the old goat shed calling for a cat that one of our other cats had scared the other day (Arie). I just happened to glance into the goat shed and saw the rooster we had separated previously, laying in there all by himself. I thought maybe he was hurt again, but when I went a little closer, he got up and went of the the shed & pasture. I think he went back in there though. So, I don't know what to do. Realistically I'm thinking we should probably just butcher and eat him because he's obviously been ostracized from the flock. Part of me though, wants to keep him because he's been one that has separated himself at feeding times and got his own private feeding. *smile* Kind of like a pet. However, if he's going to be alone all the time, he's going to be miserable and lonely. None of the hens hang-out with him (then again, I don't really pay all the much attention most of the day). Guess we'll have to see how it goes the rest of the week. We'll decide on the weekend because we've decided that we need to cull-out some roosters and plan on doing one per week. NOTE: We just closed them in the coop for the night and he was there, I think. P.S. The eye that was hurt is missing, at least as far as I can tell, unless it's just *really* scabbed-over (but I don't think so). Other than that, he's okay.
In familial news, my mom in Colorado, is back in the hospital getting a complete hip replacement because she just didn't heal after the hip *repair* from a few months ago. She had started eating regularly and they were seriously considering taking out the feeding tube she was no longer using. Now though, until they see how she is after this surgery, they're going to wait. Gee, the way that sounds, you'd think she doesn't have a say, huh? Well, she didn't want the feeding tube the first time, but they made her get it, so they're hoping the memory of that experience will encourage to do well so she doesn't have to "go back".
