Oh me, Oh my, I love that country pie.

Another Sunday alone. Sweetie left yesterday, as usual, to go back to Missouri. You know, honestly? It's not such a bad arrangement, as we really do make the best of the time we have together. 

The closing has been moved up two weeks, and looks to happen this Friday, the 4th! Again, barring some catastrophe in the paperwork. We have the money to close, the loan has been approved, the affair of the leaking roof around the bathroom vent has been addressed, and we have insurance lined up.

The plan is for Sweetie to come home Wednesday, as usual, and we will go back either Thursday or Friday, depending on the time of closing. Probably taking the car, and the van which will be filled with the necessities of life.

Also? Turns out that our insurance agent is also the mayor.

On the critter front, Henny Penny is now residing at my friends house. I miss my chickens! I asked the mayor of Montgomery City about having chickens, and he said that an ordinance had been passed a few years ago banning farm animals in town. I asked, what if I kept my hens on a leash, would they qualify as pets? He laughed. He said it was a concern about the noise, and I said that there were train tracks two freaking blocks away, so what about the noise? More laughter. Sigh. I know when the town meetings are, and plan to attend, see what I can do. Sweetie, though, has asked that if I write a letter to the editor, to let him sign it. He doesn't want me to get harassed and stalked like here in Lovely LAconia. They don't much like uppity women here. Or smart ones, either. Not so sure about there yet.

I have an injured bunny inside, though. It's Rex, the mini-rex that was given me last summer. Seems he was not good enough to show and yadda yadda yadda; you know the sad and sorry tale. He escaped from the corral within a couple of days, and had made himself at home around the yard. But Thursday, apparently a car bonked him pretty good. I found him on the side of the road, bleeding from the mouth and eyes. I know, not good at all. He has lived, though! I am thinking his face took the blow, as all of his internal systems seem to be working. He breathes as though he has a bad cold. His teeth are intact. Today, I gave him molasses on a q-tip, and water the same way, and he appeared to swallow. I know he can go for awhile without food, but he needs water. Bless his little heart.

Welcome to Fuzzarelly's ICU.

Extra Buttons.

(Written yesterday and promptly forgotten.)

The closing on the house looks to be next week, as I found out yesterday. Fully two weeks before expected. I spent the day dithering at full speed, playing several online Scrabble-type games because what else could I do? I mean, really. 

Last night, watched Peter Walsh's show about hoarding on OWN, two full episodes, and today? I have acted! (I am not a hoarder, but I do tend to collect stuff. And the stuff just seems to pile up before I realize it.)

Today, I went through a trash bag full of my very own hand spun, and kept a little bit and put the rest into the Give Away pile. I went through my meager hanging wardrobe, and halved it. I went through my dresser drawers, and halved that. I even threw away some things! That was a step, let me tell ya. I tend to wear things until they fall to pieces, so for me to actually Throw Things Away was a big step. That meant that those things were too awful for me to wear, and too shameful to give to anyone else.

I boxed up all of Kite Man's stuff to give back, as I have realized that the long distance thing just won't work. I mean, really, the not-so-long distance thing was barely working. His work space is either broiling hot or freezing cold, and I seldom got all of the correct pieces at once in order to sew the damn things. I had so hoped that this gig would work out, but I am too old to fool with bullshit. Sigh. I like Kite Man a lot, which makes it even more sad and difficult to quit him. 

Thank you for choosing us!

What a week. Mostly bad news, but with a few good things mixed in. The hard drive on the iMac went belly up Wednesday, and rebooting proved to be futile. Took the computer to the Apple Store Thursday, and was told it would take about a week to repair, but the good news was that there were 47 days left on a three year warranty. How often does that happen? I mean, it's usually the day or week after the warrant expires that the appliance or gadget does, too. The store called me Sunday to say that the iMac was good to go, so I flew there since I had been jonesin' bad for the innertubes. My only cost was the gas for two trips to the other side of Louisville and back. Well, since I never back up anything, (it's a Mac! I've never had one go bad before!) I lost a lot of my unpublished writing and photos and videos. On the plus side, my blogs and YouTube do contain the best of my work.

Without the distraction of the internet, I watched TV and finished the socks and started another pair, this time out of Kaffe Fasset Regia. You can see how the patterning almost evened out at the inelegant, common heel. I knit the last half or so of the flap in garter stitch, as this is where my foot will go through a sock, and that little corner rounds out with the wearing. (Oh, and? TV is mostly so awful. Even IFC has commercial breaks anymore.)

Sweetie limped home late Wednesday evening; the water pump on his car was on its last legs. Unfortunately, there was no warranty of any kind on the 1990 Mercedes, but Dutch at River City Imports was able to get her fixed up quickly, if not cheaply.

Friday night, we had the coldest temperatures of the season, and our water pipes froze. We opened wide all the faucets and waited and borrowed water for the toilet from Good Neighbor Nancy, and they thawed by mid-afternoon. Later that evening, I noticed that the kitchen sink was dripping and the harder I tried to turn it off, the more it dripped. The cut offs under the sink didn't work, either, do I turned the water off at the meter. I'm not sure if we need a new faucet or what, but that will be something for Sweetie to deal with this weekend. Being married to a maintenance man has its benefits.

Amid all that hubbub, I neglected to close up the chicken coop, and some critter took little Peg Leg and Wing Man. I'm thinking cat, because Henny was not harmed. I should feel bad, but since they were both little roosters, that will be two fewer problems for my friend to deal with in the future. I hope to get Henny over to her this week.

And lastly, Howard died. He had ceased to eat and then drink, and grew weaker and weaker over a couple of days. I had put down towels and given him the run of the bathroom, but Thursday morning he was leaning up against the tub with his little tail feathers drooping, and I knew he was dying. By the time we got back from dropping off Sweetie's car, he was dead, just as we'd left him, as though he'd just fallen asleep. I will miss you, Howard my Duck.

Quacks.

My life so far.

I have an idea what may be wrong with Howard. Pasturella. I googled duck health, and found a site with loads of info. Who knew there was a duck health web site? 

Some people that lived here before us raised rabbits. In the upstairs loft where I kept my rabbits. And some of them acquired snuffles, aka pasturella. Apparently, it is a difficult germ to eradicate, once it is ensconced. Ducks and poultry are also susceptible, and I believe that is what Howard has gotten. All the symptoms are there. I am medicating him and keeping his quarters sanitized and trying to make him eat. At least I now have a plan of action.

In house news, the VA loan has been approved, and closing looks to be on Feb. 18. Sweetie was here and is now back to work. It is tiresome, he says, to come home, but then he loves to be home once he is here. I seriously need a timetable, as otherwise, I am a dithering fool. Boxes are being acquired.

Still sporadically knitting on the Storm socks.

Howard the Duck

Snow and Birds

Somewhere near Lanesville

Sweetie and I went for a little drive on a snowy Friday morning, and these guys just charmed me to pieces. I find it amazing all we humans need are painted eyes to change a rock into an animal.

It has been cold but not bitterly cold here, and snowy but not too snowy, and overcast a good bit. As usual in January, I am sleeping a lot and doing very little. With Sweetie gone over half of each week, I don't cook much and therefore don't have much to clean. I have the thermostat set at 64º trying to save money and so of course I am little cold. I am lonely but don't want to leave the house.

Howard has taken a turn for the worse, so I have brought him back inside to live in the tub. Henny and the chicks seem to be fine out in the triangle coop, which offers them good shelter and protection.

Closing on the house looks to happen by mid-February, barring some catastrophe. Had it inspected last week and while there are a few things that need attention, none of it was a deal breaker.

I am progressing on the socks. The color pattern suddenly corrected itself on the heel flap and they are mostly matching again. I've completed the gussets and now it's a straight shot to the toes. Oh, remember that I gave my doctor a pair of socks last spring to thank her for not charging me for two office visits? She communicated that she was really loving them in the cold. That makes me happy.

Your wish is our command.

No big news here. Still knitting on the socks; I've turned the heel and am making slow progress, as they don't much interest me at the moment. I am totally distracted.

The closing on the house will be by February 11. I have to send more documents to the Missouri bank. I cannot believe the paperwork involved in buying a house! With a mortgage, I mean. Once we have the keys, Sweetie intends to move in - well, as soon as the utilities are turned on. I imagine that the drive he makes here and back every weekend is wearing on him, but it sure is nice to see him. It's also nice to have someone to cook for and talk to. I have packed one box.

Howard seems to have turned the corner. I put him out in the backyard enclosure, along with Henny and her chicks over the weekend, as the weather was warm although rainy. He is moving around well and is almost quacking again. He's drinking water but not eating much. I still don't know what is/was wrong with him. It could be loneliness and so having the chickens near him is what is helping. It could have been some sort of bug, that he has shaken off. He could have been slightly injured by whatever took Omelet and Buffalo Wing. I don't know, and I hate not knowing.

Sweetie says there is a skunk in the neighborhood. I don't know; I can't smell a thing. Good neighbor Nancy feeds it. (Just so you know that I am not the only crazy person in this village.) I just don't want it to eat the chicks, which is unlikely, as they are secure in the little triangle coop. But still, it is worrisome. I hope to get the remaining fowl to my friend as soon as she feels able to tend a duck and chicks.

In the meantime, I am playing Lexulous on facebook. Truly, I cannot concentrate on anything except those things that Have to be Done by a Certain Date. I'm feeling quite the crazy pants.