A friend was ‘talking scientific’ the other day, and describing their need to organize life somewhat and double check recent experience and insight by conducting a related double-blinded randomized controlled trial.
As you may know, if you have followed this blog, my former life – before I became a fulltime carer – was closely aligned with clinical practice based on insight from scientific trials. I realised there was something missing from my current life........
Anyhow..........
Tonight is Friday. Monday is a Public Holiday.
So...... Tonight I decided to run my OWN double-blinded randomized controlled trial.
Test substance : fine bottle of Vintage Port
Randomized : glass is being put anywhere within reasonable reach – aiming to be at least 90 degrees re-aligned each placement
Controlled: because I measure the liquid very VERY carefully into the glass .... none spilled ........ 150mls each pouring.....
Double-Blinded : Yup, I’m keeping ma eyes closed each time ah swallow..... ( I guess I COULD wear a blindfold, but it'd make pouring inaccurate........)
“How’s it going ?”
Very nicely, Thank You. Thanks for calling by – have a great weekend. x
ChickPea came in from work tonight, went out to let the three chookies out for a run around....... two dashed out of the run, off to create havoc .... but no bonny Madcap Moe .........
When she wasn’t in the run this morning, I thought, “she must be broody” – she’s been in the nestbox a LOT recently – she was this morning – and, just as usual, MOST indignant when I peeked in on her – fluffed her feathers and made that wee “How dare you look at me when I’m busy doing this!” squeakycheep sound .......... but no – no Moe in the nestbox.......... so – where on earth had she gone ? ............ and there she was ......... in the run, underneath the raised henhouse, dead as a sad dead thing............... but she had laid us an egg this morning and had been running around, pecking and scratching with the best of them and happy as a Happy Thing just four hours ago..........
What a shock. So soon after our Eena.................
Bless her. We shall miss our wee Mottled Madcap Miss Moe...........
Eena, one of our first two hens, and the most interactive of our flock of four, developed The Dwindles ........ She just wasn’t quite right. Eating – but not as enthusiastically as the others. Scratching around – but not with the degree of endeavour that is the hallmark of a healthy hen. Only three eggs from the four of them for several weeks – but with all four being brown egg layers, we were sure that either Myna or Moe – or both of them – the youngers of the four - were the erratic layers.
We searched the internet ........ no signs or symptoms of being eggbound......... nor fully consistent with impacted crop.......... no evidence of abdominal distension, so seemed unlikely to be peritonitis....... and more.....and more.... loads of horrible problems that just didn’t seem to quite fit the picture........... they have grit...... they get greens........ they get corn (not too much)....... they get out for exercise.........
We brought her into the house for a few nights and she perked up......... for a while. We discovered that there were still three eggs each day, so realised it was Eena that was not laying. But she was now eating a bit more and seemed keen to be back with the others......... and keeping out of reach in case she got banished to the house again.........
Last Friday evening, despite still running fast enough to almost evade capture, she was looking less good........ she had evidently lost a LOT of weight (not that she has ever been either large or heavy). Vet Time. But no appointment available until Monday, and no indication that she needed emergency attention..........
Today is Monday. TH took her in, and I guess we both knew she’d not be coming back. The vet was very good – he has a lot of experience behind him from owning chickens himself, as well as professional expertise. Chickens, apparently, do not really do either ‘a bit poorly’, nor recover with treatment. If they seem ‘a bit off colour’ they are deteriorating, and can take a long time to reach the end, not showing signs of pain and extremely unlikely to respond to medications. He couldn’t diagnose the cause at that point – just that she was not a well chicken, and was not likely to respond to any attempts at treatment. Autopsy revealed severe egg peritonitis (retention of yolks in the body cavity), confirming the terminal nature of the situation, so revealing that quick, effective, and thereby kind dispatch had been the only humane option.
As essentially newbie chook keepers we had both been concerned that we were maybe failing to provide adequate care, or missing some clear signs to which we should have responded. Knowledge usually comes through a learning experience. We now know what to do next time a chook starts The Dwindles. Hope that’ll be ages away. They may be ‘just chooks’, but they’re part of our family.
Last Friday we went out to a local venue to hear the “Brass Monkeys” in action – a while since we’d had the pleasure, and a great pleasure it was too. Brass instruments played with great aplomb, enthusiasm and expertise. A very good evening out. (Apart from not eating before we got there, and discovering that they don’t do food of an evening.........)
Saturday was “Chooks Re-location Day” – for the summer they move away from the shelter of the house and conservatory, down to the bottom of the garden (ie. a total travelling distance of about 20 feet !) – affording the hens more scope for sunbathing, a much more interesting outlook over the garden to view visiting cats/foxes/etc, better circulation of air currents, and much easier exit from the run when opportunities arise. The hens had a fine time, and Eena, who had been looking decidedly ‘out of sorts’ most of the week, and had a few nights in the house along the way, was back to digging about with the best of them. As for the peoples – well, we get chance to use the paved area next to the house again. Maybe the BBQ will get dusted off this year.........
Sunday started at 5am, with the chooks shouting their heads off......VERY loudly (had they forgotten they’d re-located on Saturday ?). Then was the usual programme of rehearsal, Sung Sunday Services, and a fine sermon from the Provost (was it a good holiday then ?). Tea and cake with friends in the afternoon. A little light refreshment at the end of the evening. (Why else would you sing ?)
After this weekend excitement, 9 month old Master Bart Catlet got hisself stuck up a tree on Monday night..........all we knew was that he took hisself out in the early evening, full of the joys and Master of the Universe. He then didn’t come home before darkness crept in, and no sight nor sound was evident as we examined every area within reach. Well, you can guess how the night went on....... late to bed in case he showed up...... TH was out looking for him at 3am......... Chickpea was checking around at 5am......... then out at 6am to check for RoadKill before the clearer-uppers would have been out.......... No Sign. Mr Mutt got longer walks both evening and morning than usual, covering the likely area of disappearance. Time to head out to work....... Then, a wee small cry. Both consistent in response to encouragement, and verified by TH. ......... Finally traced to Up A Tree. Not a particularly LARGE tree. But in Someone Else’s Garden, and high enough to be out of reach. But – Pathetic. Yup. “Heeeeeeellllllppppp ! I can’t get down ! Saaaaaaaaaaaaaave me !” (Honest – you could hear him – thinking out loud, he was !)
Eventually separated from high perch, returned to terra firma, food, and sleeeeeeeeeeeeepppppppp............
The other end of the day brought us a house guest. TH had become aware of a fine long-furred grey tabby stray from a local housing scheme, thin, bedraggled, matted coat, bad breath, unkempt and uncared for............ One vet visit and several pounds’ transaction later, with an anaesthetic booking arranged for ‘grooming’ and teeth review, flea and worm treatments......... and the menagerie had increased ....... temporarily ? Time would tell. TH having a certain tendency to cat allergy would be a factor........
Cat smiled......... and scoffed anything that came his way......... and purred...... and purred.........
Meantime, Bart scowled, cursed and swore. Mr Mutt retreated to his bed and hoped none would bother him....... TH succumbed to the viral infection which had probably been out enjoying the Brass Monkeys’ gig at The Ferry last Friday.......
And so to today - Ascension Day. Next step along the way thru the Liturgical Year. TH somehow managed to shake off his virus enough to sing, (Miracles certainly DO still happen), but has set off away to The Land of Nod. Now nearing Midnight, Guest Cat has washed his feet for the night and is hoping to be allowed to stay, please........ Bolshy Bart is at the lounge door feeling unloved and abandoned (and probably hoping for some more supper)......... Mr Mutt has his head down, hoping someone will put the light out......... Domestic bliss. ChickPea has bored you silly – Thank You for calling by. Have a Great Friday and a Fab Weekend !
Thank you for visiting. Glance over 'Meet Us' below to catch a glimpse of the folks and general landscape around here.
Indulge me with a comment and I promise to try to visit you in return. And do call by again - life is always richer for sharing. I hope Life Is Good To You, now and always.
The Beasts
White and tabby BartCat is the Senior amongst our furries, closely followed by Lady Blue Spot Bramble, and the baby of the family, wee Miniature Poo Holly.
Murphy was our first dog, a fine rescue collie with issues who left a gaping dog shaped hole in our lives when he left us to run in Elysian Fields. Hector was another rescue dog but his issues were too big for us to live with and he returned whence he came.
Eena, Meena, Myna, Moe, Melody, Min, Maid Marion & Maybelline were our chooks (hens) who lived with us for about ten years, feature in some of the early posts, but left us along the way.
Still remembering feeling like ‘5 going on 40’, then feeling perhaps ’40-ish’ on a Good Day, and ’50-ish’ on a Not-So-Good-Day when I wrote early posts. And now ... well, another 10 years or so.....
'Acceptance','Re-Invention' , 'Re-Creation', 'Discovery' and 'Affirmation' continue to be current Life Requirements, as I step into this next Chapter Of Life, and stir the pot to add another recipe or two to Life's Rich Menu.
I guess there'll be plenty more burnt bits, and probably more than the expected half-baked bits, chewy bits and lumpy bits along the way.
Of Such Is Life.
Blogging became utensil, kitchen and cooker for the sauce and hot air of Souffle.
Other bits and pieces will again get stirred into Risotto.
Now Departed This Realm - but still of Prime Importance (‘cos he was so very Beloved), is The Hubby(TH). He was one of Life's Gentlemen, one of those people you meet who you remember. Especially his chuckle. I carelessly misplaced him at a large gathering. He was running the bar, but taking time out with his camera to record the proceedings. And I lost him.... I felt bereft....there was absolutely no sign of him ....I tried the hall next door, looked outside, but there was no sign… and then I heard The Chuckle away over the other side of the venue (behind a pillar). My heart always melted when I heard that chuckle ....
So that you can understand the early landscape, I need to include Father-in-Law who was 95 on his very last birthday, lived with us for five years, and died in mid-July 2008. He had severe dementia and was perhaps THE Main Reason for ChickPea entering the Blogosphere. I still miss him and I guess he will continue here. To Protect The Innocent, and because he was Ace at dominoes, I call him “Domino Joe” (DJ).
Ms Mog was my beloved feline companion for 20 years until summer 2009. Young Master Catlet bounced into our lives a wee while later and both eradicated and transformed the cat-shaped gap in the family.
The first 2 chooks arrived in July 2008, ate all the slugs they could find and gave us eggs - so in October 2008 we welcomed 2 more. Initially intended as therapy for Domino Joe, our flock assisted our recovery when DJ stepped into The Next Realm. But when I was diagnosed with breast cancer the remaining two hens went to live on a retired farm where they spent a further very happy year or two with more freedom than they could believe.
Mr Mutt joined us in September 2006 - a rescue dog ‘with issues’ - who we learned to both respect and accept. He became ill in the early summer of 2010, leaving the family bereft. An attempt to re-home a five year old dog proved painful and unsuccessful, so we gained a Monsterpuppy to add to the family. She is a blue Standard Poodle, now 10 years old and still a major delight and distraction .... tho most of the mad energy that abounds is from our wee MiniPup who is now just over 2 years old.
