Thursday, May 06, 2010

Gimme a light down here, and counting before they hatch...

Ok, so I finally have taken control of the computer again, temporarily.  (Husband is working on CAD stuff, and it takes a lot of computer time.  When I was at the substation, they actually wanted me to work.  Guess it had to happen... Heh) 

I have been not on the go too awful much, not much more than usual, but I did end up being a driver for my dad.  He had to go have his check up for polyps.  Which means he was given a colonoscopy.  All I know is, they put him in a twilight state for it, and Dad passed with flying colors.  He doesn't have to go in again for 5 years, and since he wasn't allowed food for about 4 days, (you are limited to soups and broth, as well as the meds that... encourage cleanliness, internally), he is now, and I quote, eating like a horse, anything not nailed down is GONE.

Having mentioned this to some of his friends, they gave him an "atta boy" as several of them had mentioned they either had family or friends that had problems because they'd put it off, one even mentioning the dreaded cancer...  Dad just shrugged, he was raised by a nurse, and if he's told he needs x thing done, he just does.

I meant to bring this little thing for moral support for Dad, but didn't get it to the hospital.  The kitty lights up, and bless him, it was promptly dubbed "Colonoscopy kitty" by Husband, as there is a red light that makes the kitty glow.  (Which I couldn't make work and take the pic at the same time, sorry...)



So, he was not able to drive home, and I had to sign the release to say I was taking him home.  (Which led to several jokes about my Designated Driver status.)  He did well, and said he wasn't sore, and is feeling quite good. 

Which is the best thing I could hear!

In other, farm-y type news, I was all set for some chicks.  I had been discouraging the hens from getting broody, whipping away the eggs and keeping the birds from having some place to put the eggs for 'hidey nests'.  But, decided I, it had warmed up (at least compared to February, when they normally decide to have chicks), and I kept the eggs in one batch, even going so far as to put some marble eggs in with the regular ones, to make it look like a big batch of eggs, I ended up with 5 fake, and 13 real eggs.  And ta-da, one hen decided it was settin' time.  I started keeping track, it looked good, almost a week went by, and she was just jumping off the nest long enough to eat, drink, yell at the amorous younger rooster (who is a total wimp... Dare I say, he's hen pecked?), and then back on the nest.  I was pleased.  I wanted to have the batch be from my own flock, start building them up again.  Then day before yesterday, I went into the hen pen to a smell...  like something dead.  None of the birds seemed riled up, but Husband suggested I check for a rat.  No evidence of a rat, but I noticed that she who was setting, was getting off the nest when I came in.

?

So, I just figured she was a little on the hungry side, and threw some food down, checked around again, nothing, shrugged and left. 

Yesterday the smell was, if possible, worse.  I looked around again, just saw the normal poop, nothing like a dead bird or rat 'signs', so I just left open the door and let them out, so I could air/clean out the pen.  That's when I noticed broody bird went out with everyone else.  And there were only 4 real eggs left.  I shooed her back in, and she did settle on the nest again, but today, nothing doing.  I checked the eggs, and they were cold, and had a sheen of egg yoke.  So. 

Dang.

Cleaned out the nest, and I guess I will either try again later, or just buy chicks next year. 

Darn it...  Stupid story morals.

14 comments:

Louise said...

Good for you Dad. He sounds like a real brick. My Mom and Dad never had a preventative test in their lives, in spite of my nagging. Well, Dad lived to be 87, and Mom was 90, so who knows?

I'm sorry about the eggs. It would have been so much fun to have your own chicks. I hope that you have time to try again later.

Cat said...

Yeah, Dad is pretty good about that stuff... And yes, I know several of my family members that didn't have any testing to speak of, I just think it's so ingrained in Dad that it's not a matter of "should I", it's just "when".

I would like to have some more chicks, but I will have to wait now, for a bit, June is going to be really busy for me, so maybe I will work on the real "chicks" of summer... Heh.

Cat

Sharon said...

Oh yes, he definitely needed a driver and somebody to stay there while they did the procedure. The procedure is nothing, but that "before" stuff is awful! I had mine done a couple of years ago, had one benign polyp, so last year my cousin went in - she's fine, then a couple of weeks ago, another cousin had it done, she was fine. We have all discussed the "fun" beforehand. It's good that your Dad went in, you never know....

Seems the older you get, the more the conversations go to surgeries, illness etc. lol!

So sorry about your chicks, maybe next time. There is an ad in the paper here, chicks $1 each, I can't talk DH into letting me get just a few...... :(

Cat said...

Sharon:

He was quite sure that I was not needed, because the info said they were using a much different anesthetic, but when Mom called, ooooh, boy, did he get an earful about the fact that he was not only not driving home, he wouldn't be RELEASED if he didn't have a driver... Wow...

You can't put a few chicks up your sleeve, and say they followed you home? It seemed to work with me and kittens... Once.

Cat

Chicken Boys said...

Hey Cat, it's not too late for chicks. Just start over. Clean out the nest boxes and let the hens start laying again. I tried too early and some of the eggs just got too cold. But I have a couple of hens sitting now. One hen broke and ate an egg. I cleaned to others off, and she is still laying. So far so good. Fingers crossed. Good luck.
~Randy

Friend of the Bear said...

Hi Cat. Glad your Dad's procedure went without a hitch and he's all OK.

Sorry it didn't work out with the chicks. Hopefully you'll get another go in the not too distant future ...

Bearfriend xx

Cat said...

Randy:

Sorry it took me a bit to respond, Blogger held your message so I couldn't see it. Anyway, I will let them set again sometime in the near-ish future, but I had just hoped to have them... well... now.

Life goes on.

Cat. (Who decided that several little peepers while I am gone might not be the best idea.)

Cat said...

Bearfriend:

I am happy all is well that ends well. (Sorry...)

And yes, I will try again, just not immediately.

Cat

John Going Gently said...

bet she will go broody "properly" in another week or so!!!

Cat said...

John:

I suppose she would, but right now, they have all but stopped laying eggs, so until we have some, I will just be watching hens... Not chicks... Oh, well...

Cat

Knits in Church said...

Glad your father's okay. My Mom had a colononscopy done when I had just barely turned 18 and they perforated her colon. (Like you, I had come along as the designated driver.) It's never a good sign when the nurses greet you with "Are you eighteen? Good! We need you to sign here as the next of kin."

Cat said...

Ye G*ds and little fishies, I don't know what I would have done at that point! Wow, even!

Cat

Leslie said...

Hi Cat - I LOVED your answers to the questions on my blog today - I was yukking out loud several times...Titanic Tits comes to mind! Very funny. And kicking your husband under the table...been there a few times!

So glad your Dad did well and you both are able to use the experience as fodder for story telling and blogging! Wait 'til you get old like us and get to have your very own oscopy! It's a barrel of fun.

Hopefully your next time with eggs will be better. How cool to be having a farming type life.

Cat said...

Leslie:
Glad I could amuse you. I haven't kicked him much, over the years, but there are a few times it was RICHLY justified...

Yes, I am soooo looking forward to my very own 'butt pictures'. Yeah. Right...

I enjoy it, even with a few clinker cluckers...

Cat