Thursday, May 30, 2013

That Nagging Little Craving....

for CHIPS!

These are "All Natural" "No Additives or Preservatives" "No Artificial Flavors or Colors". 

Ingredients: Potatoes, Lard, Salt



5 rather small potatoes in fact. First batch.
Maybe not as much as you would get in a bag but a lot more filling. This was enough for Phil, Michelle and I to snack on. They were excellent!

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Well, it didn't happen...

The lawyer called. The woman we were buying from actually had a lein on the property which would have been fine if our down payment had covered it but it was more than our down payment and we could have still done it but if she had decided not to pay it, they could have foreclosed on it and there would have been nothing we could do.
We got our money back.
Depressing.
However! Must mean something better will come up : /

The Cost of Rescue

Some have asked about the rescued dogs so although this is off topic for this blog, I am going to do an update on the dogs and the cost of rescuing them.

I'll start with Juliet. She, of course, had to have a full work up which here includes all their shots, testing for worms, testing for kennel cough and testing for heart worms. It was $74. She was negative for everything. She did however have the tumor over her eye and she had horrible bad breath. We just got that surgery done to remove the tumor and when they checked her teeth they found a lot of problems. They removed 6 of her teeth. The bill was $428. She also had to have Comfortis for fleas. I just got two months worth at first which was $30. Juliet is overweight--by a long shot--there is not cost for that except that she has to be walked twice a day, at least, plus she has to have food formulated for weight loss which is a bit more expensive that I usually would buy.

Now on to Scooter. Scooter has his $74 work up. He was fine on everything except the heartworms. He has to take Heartgaurd and, of course, so do the rest of them now. It is $30 a box (for 6 I think it is). He takes them for 4 months and then has to be retested. If positive again there are a series of shots and I think some x-rays that have to be done. They told me about $380 over several months.

Then there's Echo. Echo had her $74 work up. She was also negative for everything. However she had a scratching problem. They first just told me it was fleas (I really don't like that one vet) so we tried the Comfortis but she was just miserable and still scratching so she went back. I got a different vet that day who was more thorough. She found Echo had yeast and staph infections from her scratching and biting. She also found an ear infection. She gave me medicated shampoo, pills for staph and yeast and pills to help with the itching. I believe it was about $125. She did well until the pills ran out then she was back to itching. She went back again and got refills. Another $81. She did well again and just went back today. Now they are trying her on an antihistamine. Today only cost us $28.

This along with the cost of Romeo who wasn't really a rescue but was given to us. Who also just had his full work up. Was negative for everything but does have epilepsy. This has not cost us as he needs not medicine yet except the exam to find out what it was that was wrong with him. He did, however have a problem before that with his nervous system which cost over $200 to diagnose and treat.

Yeah, they aren't real self sufficient....but Scooter is just as sweet as he can be. Is connected to me at the hip whenever possible. Echo likes to come up to me when I am laying on the bed. She lays her upper body across my chest and then bends her head back to look at me and she licks...A LOT. She also LOVES empty water bottles. She likes to tear them up. She will sit and beg you for one even if it isn't empty. Juliet now give a few kisses too and she bounces around (as good as a little fat dog can) when we come in. She is getting healthier and taking more interest in things when she goes outside. Romeo is absolutely in love with Echo though she does nothing but play with him. He really needed some dog companionship.
Oh it isn't all happy, happy. Romeo and Scooter have had some viscous fights and so have Juliet and Echo- always over food so we are getting real careful with food and treats. And they all sleep on the bed with us which is a horrible habit that we stupidly allowed. One or two dogs sleeping on the bed is one thing, four is just plain uncomfortable. We are going to work on remedying that when we move.
They're out babies and that is all there is to it. I wouldn't change a thing even with all the expense but it is a real deterrent for wanting to stop and pick up any more... strays.


Monday, May 27, 2013

Ducks Being Sold

The babies I hatched last year.

The ducks are being sold...probably today.  Craigslist is a great place to sell animals especially if you are selling them fairly cheap. I have never had anything take more than a week to sell them. These I just posted yesterday and had 3 replies today.
It does break my heart to sell the ducks but I have put some thought into the decision. They definitely don't lay as well as the chickens. I really can't see myself eating them, though we have ate ducks we raised before, it is just not how I thought of these ducks. But the main reason is that there is a lot of repair work that Phil has to do to make the place livable to us and it isn't fair to ask him to build a chicken pen (they are going with us) AND a duck pen. Plus the ducks need more room and he probably could only build them a small pen at first which really isn't fair to them.
We have a lot to do with about a month to do it in, and  I don't want to get too overloaded too fast.
There are other things that can't be taken like the hazelnut bushes. They are absolutely huge and we would never get them out and moved. I may, however, take some small pieces to plant. The Chinese chestnut will stay mainly because it grows so incredibly slowly that I will probably be dead before it produces. The fig trees are too huge to move but I will get some cuttings. Fig trees are real cheap here anyway. The peach tree that I planted a few years ago did not get pruned like it should have last year and is huge this year. It will stay. Still thinking about the pomegranate tree.
Some things WILL go though. The roses will go, the blueberries will go and I think I can get him to bring some of the raised beds as well or I will get them myself. Lots of the flowers and flowering bushes will go.

I seriously, can't wait until Wednesday!. I believe I will be able to sleep again after that... :)

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Discount Flowers

Spring has been a long time coming this year even for us in Georgia, but the trees have finally regained their leaves and the flowers are blooming. The flowers are also marked down everywhere. It seems the stores just can't sell out of them fast enough.
I got these this weekend:
There's a miniature rose there in the front. I saw them before Mother's Day and the roses are a very dark red but I wouldn't pay $8.99 for them. Yesterday they were marked down to $2.50.
The pink flowers are lantana. My friend has these flowers beside her steps and they get huge in the summer and the butterflies love them. I can't seem to remember what I paid for that one. It might not have been on sale but I wanted one.
There are two hostas behind that. I have some in the front garden that used to be huge but the rose bushes and 4 o'clocks have over-run them for so many years that they have gotten smaller. Soon they will all be moved and I will put them in a better place. The hostas were marked down to $1.33.
Then one more behind that is a shasta daisy. When I lived up North shasta daisies grew like weeds but down here they do not do as well. I got that one for $1.66.
They are sitting here on the dog carrier, waiting like we are for Wednesday. :) Explanations will come after Wednesday.

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Stay tuned....

I have not forgotten the blog. Things are starting to happen and I'll have news very soon!  If all works out right....I'll have plenty of new things to post about soon. I will say that it has been a bit of a stressful journey for me.
In other news, my oldest came home from Afghanistan today! My youngest volunteered to go, sigh, so I get to do it all over again. He goes in a month or so, then 9 more months of worry (terror) until he comes home as well.
Still playing the violin. Got a book of Irish tunes which I like very much. Playing the Irish tin whistle as well and I am really enjoying both.
Anyway, good news to come...hopefully!