Stars and yarn and stuff

Starting to recover form the cold/flu thing.  Self imposed quarenteen is lifted, and we are at low risk of spreading germs.

There are a lot of little things going on around the farm from the urgent need to build a new house for the ducks to sleep in before the monster vermin get back in the old duckhouse again and try to eat toes off my poor ducks again, to smoking bacon this afternoon.  The chickens need cleaning, the garden needs tending, ... lots of things.

Everything just piled up while we were sick.  Although there are a few good things that came of it.  We weren't feeling up to doing big jobs, so a lot of those little tasks that had been sitting around the house for months (yes, even years) got accomplished.

Other news on the health front, I finally got to see a specialist about my voice problem.  Been waiting almost 4 years for this appointment.  The specialist is somewhat optimistic that they can help, but may only be able to go so far before we have to find more doctors and more tests to find out the underlying cause.



   Here's something extra special.  These handmade birch bark stars travelled all the way across the world and arrived at my house yesterday.  Thank you so much, they are beautiful.

I think I have a pen pal.  Time for me to pick up my pen and write back.



Another bit of good news.  I finally ordered the needles I need to get the knitting machine working.  The needles are still in the US.  They have travelled from Tenino, Washington state (just across the water from us) all the way to Los Angeles since the 9th of Jan.  I'm wondering if I should be worried that they are moving away from where I live and not towards me, but at least they are moving...?  But in some ways it's a good thing that they are taking a tour of the Western States while I get my *ahem together and finish some of these jobs on the farm that really need doing.

And other good news, Henny Penny is starting to feel better.  Not 100% yet, but definitely turned the corner   She's moved back in with her flock and is bossing everyone around as per normal.  But sometimes, you can see she hurts.  The vet says it's arthritis  so I might make her some special cinnamon cookies to try and get the inflammation down.  Just have to check if cinnamon is okay to feed chickens in large doses or not.

Sorry for this being one of those random update posts, but I'm still trying to get my head together after this cold.