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| Rosie & Blue on one of the warmer days without blankets |
It’s February 1st
and there’s not a whole lot happening at the farm with the horses. They continue to have lots of warm
mashes because of the cold weather we’ve been having and basically hanging
around the hay baskets chowing down all day. We haven't been riding or working them at all, it's just too cold. The indoor feels like walking into a meat locker!
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| "Ginger" in her favorite spot at the end of the day |
Ginger had four seizures
within 24 hours at the end of January.
She seems to have them every 28-30 days. Her vet suggested I take her to a neurologist.
Yes, there are actually doggie neurologists. I was surprised too. After her
evaluation he prescribed an additional medication. So it will be wait and
see how she does this month. Fingers
crossed she won’t have any more.
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| "Big Red" staring me down through the window |
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| His friends watching the show. |
I don’t know if you
remember back to December but the cardinal that has been tapping my windows is
still here. He’s actually tapping the
window now and it’s very annoying. Seems
every time I turn my chair back to the desk he flies into the window and gives it a tap with his
beak. There is plenty of food
outside and he knows where it is. I
don’t know if he wants to come in or what his agenda is. He’s even brought some friends with him on occasion.
Or maybe they’re just watching the show he puts on or are waiting for someone
to come with a net. Personally, I think he might be a little bit “special”.
Our weather has been
beyond ridiculous. Temperatures below
freezing, an ice storm, swirling snow squalls with very windy conditions and a
few inches of snow once in a while. I
feel sorry for the folks in the parts of the country that are experiencing
dangerously cold temperatures. We
have family and friends in Chicago and they say it is brutal.
Got this in an email today...A sign from God?
Stay safe and warm.
Quote for Today
No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn.
Quote for Today
No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn.
No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn.
Hal Borland
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/winter
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/winter
No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn.
Hal Borland
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/winter
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/winter
No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn.
Hal Borland
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/winter
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/winter
Hope you get Ginger sorted with her seizures. That sounds scary... Re the Big Red - could it be that's he is seeing his reflection in the window and challenging it? I've seen that happen around here before. He looks like a studly cardinal for sure. ;D
ReplyDeleteI guess he could be seeing his reflection but truth to tell my windows aren't all that shiny after this winter. He also follows me from room to room and keeps the tapping up no matter where I am. Maybe he's bored and this is a good winter game.
DeleteI hope that the medicine works for Ginger. It’s been terrible weather, especially for those in the path of the polar vortex. I would have no idea how to deal with -60 windchills
ReplyDeleteThanks Teresa, I hope it works too. We were lucky with the temps compared to others. Not that -8 still isn't cold but nothing like the extreme temps others are dealing with.
DeleteAs someone who grew up on the north side of where the Great Lakes meet, the wind off the lakes can be a little cool some days. We dress for it. No exposed skin for anything more than a few seconds and you even learn to walk with your back to the wind, which, if you needed to go west, towards the barn on our place, you walked backwards. Snowmobile suits were a godsend when they became popular in the late 60's, along with the googles to protect your eyes. It had to be really cold to keep me off a horse. I don't remember the name of the game - something with goose in It, but it was played in a field of fresh fallen snow with the game field consisting of a wagon wheel complete with spokes and a few 'safe' lairs distributed around the inside of the wheel. A type of musical chairs In the round, but no music, 1 goose more than lairs and only one goose per lair and a fox to catch the the unfortunate goose who was without. In a school yard you could play it on foot in an area the size of an average front lawn. When you scaled it up on horseback, over an area maybe the size of 2 football fields side by side, it was great fun. Even the horses seemed to enjoy It, quickly learning which spokes had the safe places to duck into and the rapid kick of speed needed to out run the fox, or catch a goose if they were the fox. You couldn't play for long before the cold and the wind bitting at noses and toes overcame the diamonds sparkling on the snow and we would retreat to the dark warmth and smells of the barn. I think the horses liked the weekend change in routine as they got to stay inside after our romp in the snow, while on weekdays, they would huddle around the barn door waiting to come in. The barn and grainery were set up at right angles to each other with just the width of a harnessed workhorse between them. The barn consisted of 2 stables, one to the east and one to the west, separated by a drive through with the north facing doors permanently closed. A walkway was left just inside these doors with a large manger constructed along it to feed any stock left outside. The whole was roofed over by a standard barn that had been literally raised by the construction of the stables under underneath it as the farm expanded before our family came to own it. We had the tallest barn in the area! So it was not like the horses never had a warm dry area to retreat too, they just rather be in their stable after they stretched their legs in the morning. We never fed any grain but for a handful as a treat every now and then, so that wasn't why they wanted to come in. They were free from the politics but still in each other's company and with all the hay they wanted.
Delete😂😂😂 that’s a pissed off sky. I hope the new medicine works for Ginger! We are laying low, too. It’s too icy to take a risk. There will be plenty of time for that when winter passes. Actually, the bad weather has given me some great opportunities with Tumbleweed. We’ve had a lot of tying lessons. Yesterday, he tried to roll while tied! I’d never seen that before. 😱 It didn’t work out very well and he quickly corrected.
ReplyDeleteThanks Linda. It's too icy to do anything so better safe than sorry I'd say. I never have seen a horse try to roll while tied but they always surprise you. I did once have my horse Erik (when he was very young) try and lay down while he was being ridden in a lesson. He was tired and wanted to go to bed. He was a real character.
ReplyDeleteWho knew there are dog neurologists, not me. Poor sweet Ginger :( I truly hope the new medication helps. Must be so scary for her & all of you too. I can't believe your cuckoo bird, 'er I mean cardinal, is still following you around tapping at his reflection and on multiple windows. It's not even breeding season, that's coming tho. You could try one of the many suggested remedy's via google, but they are likely a hassle and may not even work. We had similar weather as Chicago. I love winter, but that wasn't my idea of fun. Our horses are so happy to be outside again.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip, I'll take a look on google and see if anything sounds doable. I was wondering how you and the gang were faring out there. I love winter too but this isn't my idea of fun either. I'm sure your horses are glad to be out again too. It was just too cold to put them out in those temps they would have been frozen horse-cicles!
DeleteI think you have a fan at your windows! I’m embarrassed to say that our temps today on through next Friday are 60s and 70s with sunshine all but one day. I am so so happy! And have my new additional farm helper today mucking for me and spreading so I can do some seeding before the rain hits next. The only way I could be happier is if I were riding Keil Bay - but I have a cold so while I don’t feel terrible I’m not quite up to riding. I send Ginger my best thoughts and hope the new medication does the trick for her.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you're having great weather and getting things done. That's a good feeling. Believe it or not we're supposed to warm up next week into the 50's. This is such crazy weather, never knowing what's coming keeps us on our toes. Thanks for the thoughts for Ginger. We're all hoping the meds work.
DeleteBirds fly into our garage each time we open a bay. I think they like the warmth. I have a rabbit that keeps hopping into my tack room when I open the door too. Cardinals are usually quite shy. Ours fly away at the slightest movement. My daughter just moved to Wisconsin and her luggage is stuck in Chicago. I'm sending good thoughts for Ginger.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the good thoughts for Ginger. I was wondering how your dogs are doing? I know they had some health issues too. This particular cardinal isn't shy at all, I think he really wants to come in. I feel sorry for your daughter, being stuck somewhere you weren't expecting to be is never a good situation. Hope she gets a flight out soon.
DeleteOh my, that sign in the clouds is too funny! Great excuse to skip out on work. :) Oh my hasn't the weather in some places been just crazy???? We have absolutely nothing to complain about! Very mild winter so far with lots of crisp, sunny days and some rainy, foggy days here and there. Yesterday for the first time this season, our hills were dusted with snow - so pretty! In our yard, for a few hours, we even had a very light dusting...gone before noon. It remains at or below freezing overnight lately. I'm loving it! "Your" bird sounds very special. :)
ReplyDeleteSo very sorry to hear about Ginger...hope this new medication helps her.
I thought that picture was pretty funny and sort of sums up some days around here. Luckily we've had some much warmer temps but now its getting a little colder. We're all hoping the medication helps her too thanks.
ReplyDeleteHoping Ginger has improved on her new meds!
ReplyDeleteThanks! So far so good. Fingers crossed they work.
DeleteI stopped by to ask about Ginger, so happy to see things are going well!!
DeleteThanks aurora! The new meds seem to be working so far. I'm optimistically hopeful.
DeleteHaha, love the clouds! Poor Ginger, glad there's a medication to help control that. Living apart from society, I have become even more attached to my animals, when they're unwell I feel out of sorts myself. Having an older dog too, I worry more about her than I do about Mr Shoes (that's normal, right?).
ReplyDelete