>>>>Sustainable Living PLUS Canning and Dehydrating Food<<<<

Not sure if my answer is going to post, or maybe it did and I can't see it, TB. My screen is all messed up. Sometimes I can't quote someone to post, other times I can. Little hammer and pliers icons on the side, hidden post icon at the bottom I have to click to get the latest post, and other times the posts just disappear to the hammer/pliers/white page while I'm reading. Don't know if it's me or there's another issue. Might have to try IE later to see if it's the browser.

Ok, so that one posted. I'll try again.

Poor thing TB. I complain about 34 and you are so much colder. My heart goes out to you. It's so friggen miserable, isn't it? Wanting to go out and DO things, but hating the cold. I hope it warms up for you soon!

Don't get me to lyin'! When it comes to computer problems, I have to leave that to the guys! Sorry it's acting up on you. Maybe it's cold, too!LOL

It's supposed to get back into the 50's later this week or weekend, but the windchill's have been in the minus. I've been thawing pet water about every hour for 2 days! Boy, I'm really glad I don't have chickens this winter! That waterer is a real stinker to thaw!

AWwwww man. That totally sucks TB. Do they sell those electric water heaters for pets down there? Guess it would probably not be worthwhile in the long run though. Hopefully you don't have that kind of weather often enough to make it worth while.

For chickens, I use an outdoor heated kiddy pool with a small stock tank heater in it during the day. For in their pen I use a rubber horse feeding pan. If they want a drink, they can get it before they go to roost. If they don't, then they can wait til morning.....and punish me with no egg because they didn't have it when they wanted it......j/k.

Probably harder for you with cats. They just "sip" when they want and there's no way to tell when or if they're going to want. Bundle up when you go out. That's just nasty cold!

Ok, since you can read, but posting is tough...I'll just do another novella!

Most of the snow is melted already, at least the stuff in the sun. I didn't go out to play yesterday. It was just TOO dang cold! I don't know why, but I'm always surprised with the extreme weather here. I know it doesn't ease into seasons, but it still gets all of us! It's an interesting and challenging place to live. We can see for hundreds of miles in all directions. It's so cool to watch weather come in. I think that's what made daughter want to be a meteorologist. It's too bad she took a key math class in the summer (against her parents advice!).

We already had our soup last night. I made potato with egg dumplings. My grandparents had a name for them, but I don't know the spelling...something like conifs? It's the same kind of dough like spaetzle noodles, but you plop it into the soup with a fork unstead of the strainer dealie. Like my technical terms? LOL

I talked to the last kid about Christmas and everyone says they're ok about it. We'll see.

Nine's, have you ever read the Brother Caedfael mysteries? I read them a few years ago. They're about a middle ages monk who was an herbalist. I don't know if any of the herbal parts of the books are true, but I did enjoy the stories. I read mysteries alot, mostly to try to figure them out before the end of the book! If I can, I don't read that author again.

Ok, I have to quit for now. The desk is on the north wall, near the front door and I'm getting cold again! When we finally get around to knocking out the dry wall, we ARE going to insulate this bad boy!!!! Luv you all, don't know about tonight. We're back on for dinner with oldest son and dil. Stay warm everyone, except Flav! Unless you WANT to be cold, I wish for spring and fall myself!

We can get the heater for water, but our house was built in the early 50's. They had just gotten power out here a few years before that. We don't have outside outlets for the heaters. This cold won't last forever, it'll be in the 100's soon and I'll be bitchin' about that! Some of us (me) are just never happy!

I hear that, TB, but it's pretty normal to complain about being cold, damp and miserable. I know we should be glad and know it's a sign we're still alive, but heck, I can tell I'm alive just as easy when I'm in green grass on a sunny day with perfect temps.

I remember you mentioning about your single pane windows. That must make it real uncomfortable during the cold weather. Probably during extremely hot weather too, but the heat just doesn't seem as evil somehow.

My screen is back to normal now and I figured why your posts were all hidden. I had you on ignore. How that happened is beyond me.

HI Nines and TB,
I have a question about the chickens. Do they need a heater in their coop or are they okay in really cold temps? I am never sure about animals like that.
Thanks for any insight. I have been taking an interest in chickens lately!

AAAWWWWWEEEE!!!! Now if I was in a mood...It seems to be a problem around here, too! I'm trying to decide if someone is trying to tell me something! It's ok!

Seriously, it's been a problem here. Sometimes I wonder why I'm still here. Don't worry, not thinking about anything bad. Just wondering about my life and why the twists and turns it's taken over the years. I'm not sure what it is I'm supposed to be doing with my life, I guess it's a mid-life thing maybe. IDK. I was going to go to school or find a job I liked when the kids were grown and now, my health won't let me do any of it. The fatigue is something I just can't get a handle on. The neuropathy and muscle spasms are mostly gone, but the fatigue. You know? I went to bed last night at 8:30 and slept til 6:30. I really want to go back to sleep, but I know I won't be able to tonight if I do that.

It's just too quiet and sometimes, too lonely here. I love the country and the privacy, but I have WAY too much time to think and I do tend to over analyze things. Ok, pity party over! Promise! Maybe I need to re-connect the tv! Brain candy!

Good question, Mama. Mine don't have heat and they do fine. The Buckeyes were bred for Ohio weather, so they're great. Some of the silkies, I worry about sometimes. I have thick bedding and a heat lamp suspended over the bedding, so if they get too cold, there's a spot they can go. I've only seen them under it once. That was a couple of silkies when it was real cold one winter.

Mama, I'm not sure about where you are. It's alot colder for longer than here. I didn't have a heater or even a real coop when I had my chickens. I had a dog run with a homemade dog house for them. Not the best set-up, but they were happy with it. I had them for 3 years that way. Hubs was stationed out of state at the time. This time, he promises a real coop/house, but I'm not waiting for it. I did have alot of bedding straw in the house and around the ground and some bales stacked around the outside to block the wind. I would get ahold of your county extension office or your local high school vo-ag dept. for info on your area. Sometimes, the kids will come out for a project and help you design (and even build) your set-up.

Got some real doom now. Hubs just called. The pipes froze at the hotel. The owner turned off the heat to the fitness room last night. God only knows what the man was thinking. AND he's out of town AGAIN!!! My dad used to have a saying and I think it fits this guy. "When they were passing out brains, he thought they said trains and hid behind the door!" UUURRGGGHHH!!! So much for dinner with the kids tonight!

Hiya guys

I,have read articles in my chicken magazines about how to care for chickens in snow etc.

I will try and find the mags with the articles.

I lost a lot of chickens during last winter, i think from the absolutely relentless heavy rain.

It IS ok, TB. Maybe we wouldn't be normal if we didn't question. With all that's going on in the world, the uncertainty, the hate, the economy, thinking of homeless people, people who feel at the end of their rope with not enough rope left to tie a knot to hang on. It affects all of us.

It's wonderful that the neuropathy and muscle spasms are gone. Maybe the fatigue will be gone next. I bet in the spring you'll notice a difference. Even the animals know there's a season for everything. Maybe this just isn't the season to be doing what we feel we'd like to do.

It's not a pity party. Not at all. It's sharing, and it's very uplifting and comforting to others who feel the same way and have concerns about it. So, it's all good.

I complain because of the temps for many of the reasons as you. The change between warm and cold is a biggy for setting of asthma. I don't like to take meds for it, but just about have to right now. That makes me mad at myself. LOL. If I did better at taking care of it other times, it wouldn't be a concern now. But noooooo. Can't do that.

Don't feel alone. We're never alone. Sometimes when we question, even when we question ourselves, when we find there is no answer, we've found the answer. And we carry on.

That IS doom! Is he just venting to you, or are you expected to help solve it?

Poor him, poor you. My heart goes out to both of you. That's going to be a mess if something isn't done quickly. Isn't it odd how the choices of some people cause problems for others to have to solve? Same people too. Over and over. I cause, you solve. Now that's one to ponder. LOL.

Thanks.

He was just venting, I think, but he had to go in a hurry. He's going to call me back. I just hope he remembers youngest needs ferried today from school to work. He doesn't have time to walk today.

They were trying to clean up and I don't know how bad it is, except he said it was really bad. I don't know if they can stay open or if it isn't THAT bad, cause he got called back in. I'll just have to wait and see.

Wow! Thank you for the chicken info! I looked at pictures of silkie chickens and they are adorable!
TB,
I am sorry about your hubs having to stay at work. That always makes days go by so slow when things like that happen!
The winter is always hard on me too! I can not stand cold weather. I'd rather have it be 100 outside than have it cold anyday! Last winter was way too long and it will probably be like that again this year.
Gotta get the kids from school. Quiet time is over!

What a mess, TB. I can imagine how he must feel and it's great that he has you to talk to. So much frustration can be relieved by just talking about it to someone. Know that you've helped him. He's probably not able to tell you that himself, right now.

It would be a good lesson for the owner if it did have to close. I hope he appreciates your hubs! What a frustrating problem to have to solve, especially when you can't get hold of the person controlling the purse strings. Hubs must be fit to be tied about now.

I hope it works out for your son too!

What stress you're under. That's a lot to worry about and those things affect our health so much. Hope it's resolved soon and you and hubba hubba can unwind this evening.

Hi Tauranga. That humid cold weather is hard on chickens. That's the main time they get respiratory infections. Sorry you lost some. That's a bummer.

When it's so rainy and cold, I like to pamper mine with some warm oatmeal,grits, cornbread or barley in the morning and/or evening. Maybe it helps, maybe it doesn't, but it makes me feel better that I've tried to lift their spirits when they don't want to look for non existent bugs to chase. LOL.

Last Edited by Nine's - IN MEMORIAM on 12/07/2011 03:28 PM

You know, hubs always says, this stuff isn't a big deal. His last job had people shooting and dying. This is nothing and when you think about it, he's right. No one will die because of it, but I agree with you. The owner needs a HUGE wakeup call. I think he has ADHD, seriously. I couldn't work for him. His poor wife is there, too. She's in charge of housekeeping. They're both very nice people, but I'm telling you, HE'S something else!!! Just not too sure what somedays!

That's why I put alot of straw down on the dirt. Usually it rains alot in the winter here. I'm not a chicken expert, but I didn't think the mud would be a good thing and the straw gave them something to peck at and scratch. There were bugs in it, too.

Awesome that hubs can put it in perspective. So much depends on our perspective. Men are so awesome with their ability to be logical! It seems that they can separate the emotions from the logic so much better than women.

The poor wife of the owner. I bet she has a hard row to hoe. Wow. Imagine living with it. LOL.

I think she does, too. They're from India, but American citizens, so they have the cultural stuff to handle, too. We really do think he has ADHD, though. He just can't settle or finish a project. OR, he has to hop in the middle of whatever anyone else is doing. It drives hubs nuts! I'm going to have to try to call son to let him know. He might have to be a little late to work if he has to walk.

Wow, TB. Has to be frustrating, especially worrying about both hubs and son. It'll all work out though. Hope it's soon!

Guess I better get pupster out for some exercise. He doesn't care that it's cold, gray and gloomy. Ah! The sun just peeked out. It's a sign! LOL.

Mix you up some nice drinks for tonight, TB, and try to relax you and hubs.

Stay warm and give puppers a good rub! I got ahold of son, so he can check in with his dad. He has time to walk if he has to. They got out of class early. Finals next week, so shorter classes this week. I think I'm going to try a new fudge recipe, since I'm not going anywhere today! Catch up with you all later!

Well Koffee, I should have come over and had Coffee with you!! My son had another episode just like October. We went to the Dr, who wanted him seen by a GI guy, so we then went there, and now he has to have a GI tomorrow. He is very dehydrated from all the vomiting, weak, and cant stand movement or sunlight. His body temp is 94.9 and he is freezing yet dripping sweat so bad he looks like he just got out of the shower. The only thing helping him feel better at the moment is a hot bath. He has had 3 so far today in between appts.

This is so crazy, comes out of nowhere every time. He just wakes up this way. He has elevated WBC and liver enzymes and has to go get that tested again tomorrow too. So far the anti nausea meds they gave him to stop him puking have not worked. They said if he was not better tomorrow for the test they would put an IV in for fluids so he doesnt dehydrate further. Every time he takes a drink (and he is thirsty) he throws it all up plus some.

Pullin my hair out!! Anyway I just checked your thread tauranga and it is interesting. Havent been able to really give it a good look since I have been busy today with the above, but stay safe girl.

Nines and TB stay warm

Flavapor, i am so sorrry to hear what your son is going through. Much love and prayes from me.

You must be really concerned. I wish they could figure out whats causing it and make him all better xoxo

Aw, Flav...I'm so sorry to hear that. Prayers sent your way. If you need anything you know what to do. I hope they figure it out and it's not serious. I'd say give him a hug from us all, but he probably doesn't feel up for it. I'll just send you all a virtual one.