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Bruce

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They finally got it right and can sort me out! Assuming it is kidney stones, if anyone is curious to know - for me, those two episodes at least, definitely worse than labour.
As I was reading your description I was thinking "she's got kidney stones", very familiar. Some years ago I was in so much pain at work I was lying on my office floor. Managed to get up and go to another office where a friend got the manager to call the local EMT's, ambulance ride to the ER. My thought at the time was "It must be a kidney stone, too deep in my back for a pulled muscle". One doesn't often pull a back muscle sitting in their chair at a computer anyway.

A work friend some years later said she'd rather have more kids without drugs than have another kidney stone.

self blue (aka lavender - really wish theyā€™d use consistent terms šŸ™„)
"They" being the key term. I believe the APA has decided "self blue" is THE proper name. I think some that developed the color wanted it to be "lavender" and lost that fight. But they still use lavender.
 

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@Bruce Brutal, right? I guess I was being too brave and that first doc was used to weaklings because he clearly was not aware that I am a tough-as-nails farm girl who can handle a large chunk of pain without complaining šŸ˜Ž
If Iā€™m bad enough to go to a doc - itā€™s seriously bad! Not a simple strained muscle šŸ™„ (Which Iā€™ve had before and, guess what? Didnā€™t go to the doc lol)

Regarding the self blue/lavender thing, Iā€™m probably just going to use it interchangeably. Or use self blue for my cochins and lavender for my ameraucanas šŸ˜‚
 

Bruce

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You know that 1-10 emoji pain scale they use at the doctors? They needed an 11 for my kidney stone and shingles "episodes"
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Itā€™s mild out for January. 3Ā° out there today. Mild enough to get some work done outside. Got the fence fixed around the coop that was ransacked. I also intend to get the fence lined with burlap so itā€™s not as obvious and visually appealing to a roving dog. Hopefully my new roo is a smarty pants like my last Ameraucana roo was and will herd his ladies inside the coop when feeling threatened. Most of the time the dogs arenā€™t hungry, they just like the thrill of the chase. Out of sight out of mind.

Iā€™m hoping to get the pen finished and the little quintet set up within the week. I got a liner on the floor to try out that Iā€™m hoping will make cleaning easier, and just have to do the burlap and staple a feed bag over the summer ventilation holes to keep the wind out. Thereā€™s still plenty of ventilation, donā€™t worry.

Once thatā€™s all done, Iā€™m going to clean out the pen the extra hens are in and put in a divider so I can have both my trios of Cochins in there. They really donā€™t like living with the turkeys and I donā€™t blame them. Cochins donā€™t really fly so the turkeys kind of freak them out when they fly up and down from their roost šŸ˜†
 

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I assume that is 3Ā° C (~= 37Ā° F). 3Ā° C is pretty cool but not too bad if the wind isn't blowing. 3Ā° F (~= -16Ā° C) is COLD! šŸ„¶
Celsius, so cold, but not winter-coat, scarf, gloves and a good hat kind of cold - for me, anyway. I often donā€™t bother with much more than a jacket and hoodie until February lol. (Even then, I sometimes donā€™t bother. Iā€™m very cold tolerant.)
Alberta was different. We donā€™t usually get below -20 here and itā€™s not for long. In Alberta -30 was practically constant and normal. That was a bit too much cold for me. I was glad not to be farming there when the temps were that low!
 

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Supposed to have one more week of some positive temps, yay! Iā€™m planning to finish up the chicken coop and move my new roo and his ladies in there by Wednesday. I put up some of the burlap yesterday and should be able to get the rest of it done fairly easily. DH wouldnā€™t let me do any today because my back was bothering me. Heā€™s right, of course. I need to get better at pacing myself.

So, after vehemently denying that I was going to work with fleece, I was curious (and bored thanks to the lockdown) enough about it that I started watching YouTube videos about how to get a fleece from the sheep to yarn. Since the book I got when I got the sheepies only managed to confuse and frustrate me (possibly why I had no intention of learning more šŸ™„šŸ˜‹), I hoped the videos would be better.
Turns out it isnā€™t nearly as complicated and difficult (appearing) as I had thought. With using dog brushes instead of the more expensive carders and a drop spindle instead of a wheel, it may be simple and inexpensive enough to give it a shot - and not take up too much room while Iā€™m trying it out. Also wonā€™t make me feel bad if I hate it and quit šŸ˜‚
I didnā€™t keep Foxyā€™s fleece since it was mostly just a bunch of matted grossness, but I kept Woolfieā€™s. Might play around with it when Iā€™m bored and need an indoor project.

I think I need to stop vehemently denying things. I vehemently denied that Iā€™d ever have sheep too šŸ˜†
Foxy and Woolfie sure changed my mind šŸ„°
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Today was a fairly productive day. I finished skirting Woolfieā€™s fleece yesterday, so I washed it today. Iā€™ll give it a few days to dry before I can attempt to dry pick it, then card it. I was super picky about the pieces I kept, so itā€™s a relatively small sampling - perfect to start with, I think/hope.
Man, Iā€™m going to be carding for weeks šŸ˜šŸ˜‚ Thatā€™s okay. Itā€™ll take that long for the drop spindle I ordered to get here šŸ˜‹ Hopefully Iā€™ll have a few rolags ready to go by then.
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Got the coop sorted, so Iā€™ll be moving the chickens tomorrow. Also went over plans with DH for fencing off a larger section out back that will completely enclose a really nice big area for my birds and maybe even the sheep. Itā€™ll have to wait until the ground thaws to put in some posts, but Iā€™m happy with what we have in mind.
Freshly burlapped (Is that a word šŸ¤”) and ready to go. The dark brown at the back is like a soft plastic or vinyl and is whatā€™s lining the floor of the coop now. Hoping thatā€™ll make it easier to clean. It added a lip at the door, so it should at least help keep the bedding inside the coop so I can spot clean.
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Sore today. Got a lot done yesterday though. I got the barn cleaned up and sold a pair of Cochins. Just have my Am/EE/OE group and a quad of blue/black Cochins left. Will hopefully get a good number of eggs and chicks from them this spring.
Am group all settled in.
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I love the little white spots on the black hen courtesy of her SS father. The blue hen has a few in her crest too. Theyā€™re full sisters, but donā€™t look much alike.
Did some more work on my wool. Itā€™s actually quite relaxing to pick through the locks. Similar to skirting. Just simple work, really. I carded a few rolags with a couple of dog brushes I picked up today. Just to make sure it would work and that I didnā€™t absolutely hate it. A bit more work, but still doable. The dog brushes are a little smaller than Iā€™d like, but I managed to make two of them before I decided Iā€™d had enough for today. I donā€™t want to get sick of it before my drop spindle arrives šŸ˜‹
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