Providing helpful information regarding our feathered, feline, and canine friends while also sharing fun stories. And locally we provide pet sitting services.
Easter is a time when people celebrate the resurrection. But it’s a time to enjoy sunshine, family, and good friends as well. Also, a lot of children color eggs. And then parents hide the eggs for an egg hunt. Though, if you have the kinds of chickens we have, they might colorand hide the eggs from you.
Furthermore, it’s a great time to break bread and have a meal together.But don’t forget to grab some dessert. While some people like to stick to what’s healthy, others go for more decadent desserts.
However, don’t worry if you’re different from your neighbors. Just smile and be your beautiful self. We sincerely hope you have a great weekend, no matter your background. We wish you a happy easter from our flock.
I’m semi-finished with my long break from blogging. To recap, I took time off to spend with my 12 year old, and have her tested due to behavior issues. However, I discovered that for girls it’s a lot more difficult to get a diagnosis. Therefore, ultimately, we got nowhere with that; at least where we live.
Nevertheless, I got a lot of work done on my house. Also, Itty was finally spayed, which I’ll write a post on. Moreover, I could probably write a comic based off of Itty’s eating behaviors since being spayed, titled, “My 600 lb cat life.” Though, seriously, it’s no joking matter. I have to monitor her every eating moment. And that’s a lot of work, especially when she gets me up every 2 or 3 hours while I’m supposed to be sleeping, all for food.
In addition, I had carpal tunnel release surgery on my left hand a couple days before Christmas. For those of you unfamiliar with what that is, it’s surgery to treat carpal tunnel syndrome. I’ve had issues with that on and off since being a dental assistant for over 2 decades. Although, it was so bad my hand would sort of spasm and lock up. I suspect all the work I did on our house, with the sanders and painting, contributed toward my hand and wrist issues.
Even though I took a break to spend time with my daughter, having her tested, and getting nowhere, I’m still returning to blogging. Though, you’ll notice I may not blog as much as before. Furthermore, I downgraded my account, which affected the look of my site, among other things. So I have some messes on my site to clean up, which I’ve already been attending to; others I’ll need WP to help me with. As such, I beg your pardon while I deal with the issues. I hope everyone had great and safe holidays. And I look forward to blogging again!
For those of you who follow my blog, I’m going to be taking a break. I only have one daughter left at home, who’s going to be 12 next month. And she doesn’t learn the same way my two older daughters did. So next month we’re taking her for testing; it’s been scheduled for almost half a year. But, with everything I’ve read and experienced thus far, she requires more attention from me than they did. And blogging demands a lot of attention, so I can’t in good faith do both.
Bryngyld Ameraucana rooster
However I have really enjoyed it. And I had so many more posts to write. You will be happy to know that Bakugo, our white Pekin, has found another rooster to cast her duck eyes on. And I agree that he’s pretty handsome for a roo. Of course I’m partial to the roosters already, because they’re more flamboyant than the hens.
Furthermore, I still plan to be on WordPress, just not posting to Google for the time being. Therefore, if you follow me on WordPress, I will occasionally still post there.
I really appreciate all of you who follow me and read my posts.
A few days ago we got home from vacation. About two weeks ago I mentioned that I wouldn’t post anything, because I would be gone. And it was amazing. By far the best vacation ever that we’ve had as a family.
So this post is going to be different than my regular ones, since I want to share with you the synopsis of our vacation. And also what I gleaned from the pet-cams, and what awaited us when we got home.
When I was growing up, vacations were spent visiting grandparents, because we lived in a different state. But, as we got older, vacations got more elaborate. Cancun, Florida, places like that. And as I started my own family, that was the norm with people we knew, especially in Dallas. However, vacations were originally developed for the wealthy, where they vacated their estates. Even though I grew up in Plano, a suburb of Dallas, we were by no means wealthy.
Now that I have my own family, I can probably count on one hand the number of times we’ve gone on vacation, that didn’t involve visiting relatives. Or go the way we wished. Not to mention, for the past 7 years we’ve gained too many animals. So it’s extremely difficult for us to get away, and expect anyone to watch all of them.
If you get to go on vacation regularly with your family, you are extremely blessed. Although we hope to be able to continue this as well. As it is, we truly believe the Lord orchestrated it so we could go and be together. We are often so busy and in our own worlds. I think He just wanted us to get away from it all, without distractions, and be a family.
The Plan
After 6 or 7 attempts at locating flights to Florida, I gave up and decided we would just drive. Paul has wanted to go to the beach for several years. And I wanted to go on vacation before hurricane season, so it limited us. Therefore, I hired a travel agent to come up with the actual booking, because I’m too busy. However, first, I Googled the most beautiful beaches in the U.S.
Well, most of the most beautiful beaches happen to be in Florida. So I narrowed it down between Clearwater and Pensacola. Then I contacted our travel agent, and let her do her thing.
She sent me 3 proposals: 2 were for Pensacola, while the remaining one was for Clearwater. But the condo for Clearwater was bigger, had 3 bedrooms with 2 full bathrooms, and it cost less. So that’s the one I chose. It was about a day or two before we left when I realized we had to drive an extra 7-8 hours for that extra space. But, oh well. When we got there, I thought it was worth it.
Preparations
In my last post I explained that our wonderful neighbors were helping us out with all of our pets. But I also purchased a couple of Wyze pet-cams to keep us informed of Itty and Sophie. Unfortunately I couldn’t get 2 panoramic ones; the pet store only had one. So instead I got a stationary one in addition to the panoramic one. Then we set up the pano pet-cam in the living room. While I wanted to place the stationary one in either Hannah’s or our bedroom, Paul ended up putting it outside on the front porch.
Now that we’re home I think I’ll try to find another panoramic one, or similar, and place it outside with the chickens. I definitely recommend, because I got to see both Sophie and Itty, and their shenanigans. And the picture was pretty clear, unless panning too quickly. But if we didn’t have the pet-cams, we would’ve most likely come home to Itty in organ failure or worse, as I’ll eventually explain.
Do pets know when we’re going out of town? I think so. When I got my suitcase out, Itty sat in between my bags and just looked at them, with this knowing look. The last time I went out of town, she wasn’t alone, and I wasn’t gone for long. I went to my mom’s with my youngest in February or March. But when I got back, she was stand-off-ish with me, until I got her fuzzball out and wooed her with promises of playtime.
On the other hand, Sophie didn’t act like she had a clue we were going anywhere at all until the night before we left. Then she was doing everything in her power to get our attention. And the next day she was still at it, trying to get us to play with her. She was like a child performing for her parents, or anyone who would watch. She certainly seemed anxious.
Our Route
No trip to my in-laws would be complete without seeing animals. Since we were driving anyway, I thought it would be fun to make it a beach-hopping trip. So instead of ~ 2600 miles, it was 2800 miles. But the first day we drove to Paul’s mom’s ranch in East Texas. It’s only about 5 hours away from us. Paul and the girls have seen his parents more recently than I have. However I had my dad, his illness, and then death to deal with, hence it’s been at least 2 years since I saw my in-laws. So it was good to visit them in person again.
When I viewed the pet-cam that first day, I saw nothing of Itty. Therefore I surmised she was under my bed sleeping. But Sophie was resting by the front door, waiting for us to return.
The next day we left early for Pensacola: our first beach we would be stopping at. We arrived late in the day. But not too late that we couldn’t take a walk on the beach. It was beautiful. And the sand was soft, the water turquoise blue. Unfortunately where we wanted to eat was a pretty popular eatery. And we planned on leaving early again the next morning. So we grabbed Chick-fil-A after a 2 hour wait at said eatery before heading to our hotel.
It was a short drive to Destin from Pensacola, where we had breakfast. Since it was ~ 8am, we didn’t do any swimming. However we walked the beach, took pictures, and of course, had breakfast. But a lot of the restaurants weren’t open till around 11am or later. Therefore we ate at a Waffle House. Once we left Destin, we saw a neat little bakery. Although it had a pretty long line. Hannah indicated we made the right choice based on how we left the seafood restaurant the night before.
The Next Five Days
We didn’t really stay in Clearwater; it was more like a suburb of Clearwater called Indian Rocks Beach. And the condo was everything it promised to be. The town seemed bigger than where we live and work, offering a lot more to do. And both IRB (Indian Rocks Beach) and Clearwater seemed bigger than OkC. But perhaps that’s because they’re both tourist magnets.
The first full day we were at IRB it was overcast, so we went to a grocery store to stock up. We planned on having one meal at the condo each day. But we ended up throwing food out when we left, because we don’t have much experience with vacations. There was a lot we left behind, like others before us. However the refrigerated, opened items we got rid of. And we took the alcohol home.
We collected seashells, went on a dolphin cruise, ate delicious seafood, got sunburns, and visited the Clearwater botanical gardens. In addition we dressed like the locals, shopped, swam in the ocean, walked a lot, and some of us got tattoos.
We left on May 26th and drove 7 or 8 hours to Gulf Shores, the last beach we visited. It had rained that day, so the waves were pretty big, and the water was brown, reminding me of the Texas coastline. But we still took off our shoes and walked along the beach. And the air was also much cooler there than it was in Florida; it felt glorious after the humidity at IRB.
The Pet-cam
Hannah’s friend brought Itty to the pet-cam so I could see she was ok.
I didn’t get cameras for every area where we had animals; I wasn’t interested in spying on our neighbors and making sure they were doing everything we asked them to. Plus, I didn’t want the worry, because it would’ve stressed me out. Further, Meow Meow, Cake, and the majority of the chickens have been without us when we’ve gone away for the weekend. And they’re used to our neighbors looking after them for short periods of time.
Thus, the primary purpose of the pet-cams was to see how Sophie and Itty reacted to us being gone. Therefore, while we were gone, I faithfully checked the panoramic camera every day and evening to find out what Itty and Sophie were up to.
What the Camera Revealed
Itty watches while Sophie eats some Scooby snacks.
For the first 5 days Sophie kept watch by the door. Most likely she was waiting for our return. She would lie down by the door most of the day. Although she started to drag clothes out of Hannah’s room by the second or third day, sprawling them throughout the house. And I only saw Itty one day initially; it was the second day of our trip on our way to Pensacola.
So, when I didn’t see any more of my cat, I got worried. The first day I marked it off as her sleeping; she couldn’t be bothered by us being gone. But then perhaps she got concerned when we weren’t back by the next day, so she wanted to check things out. However, since she again disappeared, I felt like something was amiss. Paul asked our neighbor to look for her; but our neighbor is in his 70s, and he didn’t look everywhere, just our bedroom. Itty also isn’t like Meow and Cake; she’s anti-social around people she doesn’t know. It takes her a long time to warm up to strangers.
By the 6th day it was clear that Sophie was bored; she started taking shoes from the shoe cubby Paul built and tearing them up. And at that point in time I still had not seen anything more of Itty. But I prayed everyday for her, because I was extremely concerned. I was worried Sophie might’ve hurt her; maybe the dynamics of their relationship had changed in some way since we were no longer there? Additionally, Sophie was bored, so I couldn’t really take anything for granted.
Thankfully Hannah’s friend was back from her trip and was able to look for Itty. She and her boyfriend searched high and low and finally found her in Hannah’s room, under the bed. The door had been closed, which means Itty was without food, water, and a litter box for at least 3 days. If they hadn’t come to find her, Itty would not be around. So I’m very grateful she’s healthy and still alive.
What Awaited Us at Home
We got home between 8 and 9pm 10 days after we left home. And all we had been discussing was seeing our fur babies; how we would open the door, and betting who Sophie would run to first-that kind of debate. Plus, we didn’t even know how all the chickens were.
Well, Paul opened the door, and Sophie ran out. She was so excited, all over the place. I don’t think she really knew who to run to first in her excitement. But I went right in the house. I needed to find Itty; I missed her so much.
She was hiding under the covers of my bed, like I wouldn’t be able to find her. Thus, Sarah and I pulled her out of the covers. But we had to dodge the mess in my room. You see, the two-day drive back I started seeing less of Sophie and more of Itty. And what I saw of Sophie clued me into what she was feeling: extreme boredom. She actually did pretty well, all things considered. She’s bred for high energy. So while we’d been gone for 10 days, she behaved like a champ. However she could only take so much. Therefore, eventually she started acting out: eating the cat’s poop, tearing things up, etc. She’d gone native.
Hence, our bedroom was torn up, but not as bad as it could have been. Honestly I was not surprised. And of course Sophie didn’t get punished.
Taking Stock the Next Day
Our ducklings and Ameraucana chicks.
The next day we had to check out all the pets, especially the birds, because it was dark the night before. When we left we had fully feathered chicks, a couple of broody hens and their chicks, which weren’t fully feathered. So after looking in on them, it appears that one of the older chicks disappeared or got taken by something; and one of our neighbors said that 2 of the little chicks died. Since they don’t live over here and are unfamiliar with birds, they don’t know why. Nor can we say why. They were babies, so it could be any number of things. But I’m thankful the adults are still healthy and whole.
Itty looks like she lost weight, which is to be expected; she was locked up for 3 days. And now Sophie is holding us hostage. She’s not letting us out of her sight ever again. Plus, she’s extremely demanding of us. She brings us a toy and barks at us till we do what she wants. I think we’ve created a monster by being gone for so long.
In Conclusion
We had the best vacation ever. And we would like to make this an annual gig: going out of town. Though we don’t have to go all the way back to IRB, but maybe Pensacola. And definitely find a condo that’s pet-friendly. Get some sleepy meds for Sophie and Itty, so they don’t mind the drive. And not have chicks when we do this again. Of course we can’t help it if there are broody hens and their chicks. But we can plan around incubating.
Do you have any funny vacation stories? What do you do with your pets? My husband made the comment that most people board their pets, butwegaveour dog the keys to the house complete with her own pets. I’m happy that Sophie and Itty had each other, and that Sophie didn’t hurt Itty. At least they had each other, feeble entertainment that it was. But if they didn’t have that, they probably would’ve felt even more alone. And other people might not have that with their pets.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. Your comments are appreciated. If you like this post, please like, share, and please don’t forget to follow.
Well, by Wednesday my work week was done, and plans had been made to go to Dallas to visit family. All I had left to do was wrap presents. However, Hannah, my middle daughter, got back from visiting friends in Dallas on Tuesday and was feeling under the weather. One Covid test later, on Thursday, and now we’re spending Christmas with Covid.
So far the rest of us are symptom free. And hopefully we’ll remain that way. Hannah thinks maybe she got a false positive result, because she doesn’t feel bad at all. Really like a cold. And she still has her sense of taste and smell. Though it could be the new variant, Omicron. Regardless, she’s staying in. And after I bought some things from the grocery store, with my mask on, the rest of us are remaining home too.
Just so there’s no doubt or questions, my daughter was at a party while she was in Dallas. Some of the people she knew, but some she did not know. And while at the party, she drank after people, and vice versa. So she wasn’t being safe. She wasn’t even thinking about it. There’s a chance she might have gotten Covid anyway while at the party. Although I hope she doesn’t share cups or utensils with anyone again, using this experience as a teacher.
Last year my younger sister’s family had Covid around Christmas. That was when my dad was still alive. In fact, it was his last Christmas with us. Due to Covid, we had to rearrange dinner and presents with my sister’s family. But it was ok. And now it’s our turn. It kinda feels like an annual thing. Though I’m sure other families are similarly affected.
Usually for Christmas my mom makes Prime Rib. However, because prices on meat have gone up, my mom is making a different roast this year. But it looks like I’ll get to have Prime Rib anyway. Around Christmas Sam’s Club puts Prime Rib on sale, thus I take advantage of it. Typically I’ll buy one ~ 5 lb rib roast, because that’s plenty for my family. But if I’m having company, I’ll buy two.
Furthermore, I have a recipe that I’ve used for 20 years for the Prime Rib; the wine sauce makes it delicious. Though I didn’t get the recipe from my mom; I got it from a small cookbook back when we lived in Dallas. However I no longer have that cookbook since we’ve moved too many times. And I don’t remember the name either. Additionally, today I made two sweet potato pies and a cranberry salad. Exactly like I did this past Thanksgiving, because my husband asked me to.
So it’s going to be only the four of us, with our spread. It’s not a huge spread, but we’ll have leftovers. And who knows, maybe we can make it to Dallas next weekend?
I didn’t have my regularly scheduled post up last week, because I had to travel out of town, back to Dallas for the memorial service for my dad. My mom asked me to write the eulogy or similar for the pastor to read, so I did, thinking about not only his life with my mom (they were married 53 years), but about the memories I had of him, growing up and even my interactions with him recently.
My mom and dad with my two youngest daughters.
Even now as I sit here writing this, my eyes are tearing up, thinking about the fact that I won’t get to see his face or hear his voice again, at least not for a while if I live a long life.
My dad was diagnosed with non Hodgkin’s lymphoma almost a decade ago, however with his treatment and prayers, he made a full recovery. It was around that same time, either before or after, that he had to have a double bypass, but again he pulled through. Shortly afterward he had some growths on his scalp and face that were related to lymphoma called follicular lymphoma, although they are typically slow growing cancers. My dad chose to go through radiation, because he didn’t want surgery, however he didn’t have to have chemo.
In the intervening years, my dad’s oncologist would do scans to make sure he was doing well, though one thing I’ve learned through this process with my dad is that lymphoma doesn’t go away; it’s always there, waiting to strike again.
My dad, center, with my youngest sister on the right, and I’m on the left.
It was in March of last year when the Pandemic had shut everything down that my dad started having pain in his leg, similar to sciatic pain, running all the way down to his toes, however because everything was shut down, he could only have virtual visits. He was prescribed medication, although it didn’t help. He had at least two more virtual visits, all in the middle of the shutdown, to no avail. He was at the point where he couldn’t walk. He was told to get a massage, but that made him hurt more.
In June, when Dallas opened back up, my dad was sent to a specialist, who paid particular attention to his past cancer and asked questions about his scans. My mom texted me, when they got the results the morning after his MRI, ‘It’s cancer.’ I was in shock. And scared. My dad had health issues in the past, although it was this most recent one, where he was at the point where he couldn’t walk, that concerned me the most. My younger sister and I weren’t sure if that was his death sentence.
My dad closest to the center, my mom across from him, my oldest sister next to her, and my brother in law on the other side of my mom.
From that moment on I did all I could to be available to both of my parents and to visit as much as I could. There were countless doctor appointments my mom had to take my dad too, not to mention several ER visits that we couldn’t help her with, not with COVID dictating everything and the care people are receiving.
I watched my dad waste away as his illness weakened him, though he hardly complained. I wanted to rage at the doctors, his oncologist, the inept hospital staff that kept insisting he had COVID when he couldn’t breath, and the powers that be to help my dad, to let me see him, and to give him dignity in his final moments. And I think I still feel all of those things, that rage, that hurt that my dad had to go through everything he went through. I feel robbed by COVID and the restrictions being placed on hospitals when a person doesn’t have it. We have masks, we have thermometers, we even have tests. No one should be left to die without their family, and no one should miss the opportunity to say goodbye.
Collage of my dad with his kids or grandkids.
I know what I’m experiencing is fresh; I certainly haven’t completely processed that my dad is gone. When I was at my mom’s house, there were a lot of other people around, so there were distractions, and I could also pretend he was at work. Next time I don’t know how many diversions there will be, or if I’ll be able to imagine he’s just working.
I want to say something witty, to bring this all together with my blog, however I can’t, not right now, because I’m too sad to do that, although I wanted to share what I was going through. Maybe in time I can, but not right now.
All of the family–my mom, brother and sisters, and grandkids after the memorial service for my dad.
Chicken Girl 