Baymule’s Journal

[SageHill]

Loving the progress - it's a huge project!!
When it's all done you can sit with iced tea and just go "Ahhhhhhhhhh". (until the next project jumps up )

 

[drstratton]

I love how you and your neighbors barter, food for work.

Max looks good in your back yard.

I'm excited for you to finally get everything put together they way you've wanted to. A barn will make your life so much better.

 

[fuzzi]

Looking good!

I was going to ask for photos but you beat me to it.

 

[Baymule]

My neighbor Charles came over yesterday morning to help clean out the open shed that will be MAX’s 3 sided barn. The great part about that is he could use almost all the lumber for things he needs. I had 2 exterior mobile home doors, one with a screen door that he’s going to measure to see if it will fit his door. If not, his chicken coop will have a nice double door to it. LOL We tore lumber out, I secured 2 “floating” support posts that didn’t even touch the ground with T-posts. Yeah, I’m not joking, in the middle front of the open part is a landscape timber that was a little too short, so the previous owner nailed a short 2x6 to the bottom and nailed the other end to a 4x4 post that was set in the ground. It had about a 3 foot gap. I covered the gap with a piece of scrap plywood to keep Max from trying to walk through it. Same thing on the front outside end, floating landscape timber nailed to the 4x4 post set in the ground. There were 2 sections of floor, made with 2x6s maybe 4 or 5 feet long, nailed together and just set on top of landscape timbers. All nails are ring shank 4” nails. Just try pulling those out. We loaded the back of my truck, made 3 trips to Charles and Holly’s house. His driveway is angled, the road is narrow with ditches on both sides. No room to swing in coming from my house. So I drove past it to a split in the road that goes to a gate. I could pull in there and back out. Then I could go up their driveway and back up where Charles wanted it unloaded.

We even took the two gates down off one of the posts at the roping chute, a4’ and a 16’ gate. We leaned them up against the outside back wall of Max’s new barn. He was delighted to have building materials for various projects, I was delighted to have it cleaned up and gone.

Except…….. dumbest thing ever…… while backing my truck out of the split in the road to turn around, I pulled a muscle in my back. I knew I was hurt. After we finished, sent son a text telling him I hurt my back, was down and needed help feeding. I called new neighbor from Switzerland and told her the unhappy news. She came right over bringing food that I can just heat up. She is recovering from back surgery herself.

I tried sitting in my recliner with a heating pad, but the pain got worse. I went to bed to lay down. I texted son and told him to take me to ER. He called right back and came over. Catherine fixed lamb bottles, she fed Tinkerbelle and Mabelline, son fed the other 3. They fed sheep and Max. I got up and went to my car, crying with pain. I. Don’t. Cry.

25 minute ride to hospital, I writhed in agony. In waiting room, I sat in wheelchair, chair, stood up, wiggled, squirmed, tears rolling down my face. Son went back to front desk and I heard him say, “When my Mother says she’s hurting, she is HURTING!” Finally it was my turn and the lady checking me in quickly took information and got me in a room. A guy came in, took vitals and blood, leaving a port in my arm. Nurse came in, gave me all kinds of pain medications and I was out. I slept 45 minutes, they examined me, nothing broken, severe pulled muscle. I woke up, son went to get prescriptions then came back and got me. I took a muscle relaxer and hydrocodone. Stopped at Sonic on way home, I got chicken bites and a drink. Got home, threw up and went to bed.

I’ll be down for several weeks. I’m gonna go nuts.

It’s now 3:13 AM. Just ate a couple pieces of bread, gonna take a muscle relaxer, hope I don’t throw up and try to go back to sleep.

 

[drstratton]

My neighbor Charles came over yesterday morning to help clean out the open shed that will be MAX’s 3 sided barn. The great part about that is he could use almost all the lumber for things he needs. I had 2 exterior mobile home doors, one with a screen door that he’s going to measure to see if it will fit his door. If not, his chicken coop will have a nice double door to it. LOL We tore lumber out, I secured 2 “floating” support posts that didn’t even touch the ground with T-posts. Yeah, I’m not joking, in the middle front of the open part is a landscape timber that was a little too short, so the previous owner nailed a short 2x6 to the bottom and nailed the other end to a 4x4 post that was set in the ground. It had about a 3 foot gap. I covered the gap with a piece of scrap plywood to keep Max from trying to walk through it. Same thing on the front outside end, floating landscape timber nailed to the 4x4 post set in the ground. There were 2 sections of floor, made with 2x6s maybe 4 or 5 feet long, nailed together and just set on top of landscape timbers. All nails are ring shank 4” nails. Just try pulling those out. We loaded the back of my truck, made 3 trips to Charles and Holly’s house. His driveway is angled, the road is narrow with ditches on both sides. No room to swing in coming from my house. So I drove past it to a split in the road that goes to a gate. I could pull in there and back out. Then I could go up their driveway and back up where Charles wanted it unloaded.

We even took the two gates down off one of the posts at the roping chute, a4’ and a 16’ gate. We leaned them up against the outside back wall of Max’s new barn. He was delighted to have building materials for various projects, I was delighted to have it cleaned up and gone.

Except…….. dumbest thing ever…… while backing my truck out of the split in the road to turn around, I pulled a muscle in my back. I knew I was hurt. After we finished, sent son a text telling him I hurt my back, was down and needed help feeding. I called new neighbor from Switzerland and told her the unhappy news. She came right over bringing food that I can just heat up. She is recovering from back surgery herself.

I tried sitting in my recliner with a heating pad, but the pain got worse. I went to bed to lay down. I texted son and told him to take me to ER. He called right back and came over. Catherine fixed lamb bottles, she fed Tinkerbelle and Mabelline, son fed the other 3. They fed sheep and Max. I got up and went to my car, crying with pain. I. Don’t. Cry.

25 minute ride to hospital, I writhed in agony. In waiting room, I sat in wheelchair, chair, stood up, wiggled, squirmed, tears rolling down my face. Son went back to front desk and I heard him say, “When my Mother says she’s hurting, she is HURTING!” Finally it was my turn and the lady checking me in quickly took information and got me in a room. A guy came in, took vitals and blood, leaving a port in my arm. Nurse came in, gave me all kinds of pain medications and I was out. I slept 45 minutes, they examined me, nothing broken, severe pulled muscle. I woke up, son went to get prescriptions then came back and got me. I took a muscle relaxer and hydrocodone. Stopped at Sonic on way home, I got chicken bites and a drink. Got home, threw up and went to bed.

I’ll be down for several weeks. I’m gonna go nuts.

It’s now 3:13 AM. Just ate a couple pieces of bread, gonna take a muscle relaxer, hope I don’t throw up and try to go back to sleep.

Oh no, I'm so sorry. Back injury pain is so awful and can happen so easily when you're doing heavy work. I hope it starts feeling better sooner than anticipated. Muscle relaxers only kind of help. I can't take hydrocodone, makes me throw up too.

I'm glad you were able to get so much accomplished. I know it's going to be hard for you, but try to give yourself time to heal. It's great that you have such good neighbors and an awesome son to help you.

 

[Finnie]

Aw, I am so sorry! Pain and inactivity. That’s gonna be a rough ride. First of all, get some rest so your body is not on the point of exhaustion. Then maybe you can take up some kind of sedentary hobby (temporarily) that you normally wouldn’t have time for. Might be a good distraction.

 

[Mini Horses]

I’ll be down for several weeks. I’m gonna go nuts

Well that's a problem -- in middle of all ya got going on there! Crapola. Did the strain feel like a charlie horse? That sharp twisting feel? Sounds like it.

Hopefully the meds & heat will calm it down enough for some light work. Massage therapy? Any good ones around? Might help -- it's what athletes often use.

Sorry for the hurting -- it's pushing too hard happenings, which you seem to do regularly . Is son in area for a while?

 

[Baymule]

Pain feels like I ripped a hole in my back. I just ate a bowl of cereal and took a hydrocodone. I have an adjustable bed, raising the head sure helps. Foot goes up too. And it has 3 level massage that is timed to run up to 30 minutes.
Son might be here until March.

 

[Mini Horses]

Well, use the massage... Im thinking a real deep, hands on type. Sounds like son needs to visit for a week anyway. Get ya thru some initial time.

 

[farmerjan]

So sorry @Baymule ... I don't have any thing else to add...