A day of thanks

Thanksgiving has come and gone throughout America. How was your Thanksgiving? Ours was memorable, as they usually are. ;) You'll never guess what our main dish was...give up? Turkey! LOL. :D
At first it didn't really feel like thanksgiving; maybe because there was no family? But things warmed up and by lunch time the air was sparked with excitement. Our thanksgiving tradition is to have thanksgiving "dinner" at about 1 'o' clock. While we wait for everything to cook we watch the annual thanksgiving day dog show on NBC. We don't have TV normally but dad always painstakingly puts up the antenna for us. This year a beautiful female Pointer won Best in show.

Seeing as it was a day of thanks I made a mental list of things that I was thankful for as I continued on through the holiday. Here is a shortened list.

#1 Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour

#2 All of my family and friends

#3 The freedom to home school and be a Christian

#4 My wonderful home out in the beautiful country

#5 My menagerie of animals, which is a flock of around 25 chickens, one horse, nine cats, a dog and four rabbits.

#6 The "country blessings" as I call them. i.e. The eerie wail of the coyotes, the millions of stars in the glorious night sky, deer prints in the mud, a chickadee in a pine tree, a mushroom found unexpectedly, an owl hooting in a tree next to my bedroom window, a new litter of kittens, a gorgeous sunset.... the list goes on and on.

#7 People who read my blog!

#8 My broken wrist. Yes you read that right; having to use just one hand has taught me to be more creative and to never give up. Although I still can't wait till it's mended. :)

#9 The new baby who is due around the beginning of April.

#10 And lastly, but not leastly, I'm thankful that I'm alive! That I can sing and dance and live! :D

New use for cats

Just please don't report us to the ASPCA!

x-rays, x-rays

Today was the day that I had to go back to the hospital for x-rays. It was an interesting experience. First off, we got there at 9:00 am because my x-rays were to be taken at 9:30 and my appointment with the doctor was at ten. For some reason it took us thirty minutes just to check-in, so we figured we would be right on time for my x-rays. Nope. Another thirty minute wait until my name was called. :sigh: The x-rays were very interesting though. I had a different guy this time and when I first saw him I thought for sure it was Tim Conway, the actor. I kid you not, he had the exact same voice and looked similar to Tim Conway; but his name was Gary, not Tim. Apparently Mr. Gary had literally just come from doing an operation and was a little feather-brained right at the moment. He was about to start the x-rays when he realized that there wasn't any film, so he ran off to go find some. He came back shortly after and for the second time was just about to start things up when he remembered another thing that he had forgotten. This happened two more times, until finally he had everything he needed. Story doesn't stop there though. He needed to put my arm in a very uncomfortable position and I didn't quite understand how to put it, so he used himself to show me. I think I said only two words during all of this because I was afraid I was going to burst out laughing; and I knew if I started then I wouldn't stop. So with the corners of my mouth twitching considerably, I did what he said.

He was also really careful that he didn't lower the x-ray table too low, to where it was squishing my legs (that happened the first time) he even got down on all fours while he lowered it!! Needless to say, It was a very trying time for me to keep full control of myself and I was glad that he apparently didn't notice my twitching mouth. :D :D

I'm going in again next Tuesday for more x-rays and the doctor will decide if I need surgery and some pins or just a cast (I don't have my permanent cast yet).

So stay tuned for The adventures of Caitlyn! :)

One by one they leave

The one and only part I don't like about having kittens is when it is time to find them new homes. :( Tabitha and Bomber Grue are spoken for and some other people are thinking about taking the last four that are left.

While I may not be able to keep any of them, I can keep pictures of them. Yes, you guessed it, you're going to have to put up with a plethera of kitten pictures on here. :)

Okay, so Octavia isn't really a kitten. She thinks she still is one though!

This is Rollo, Aren't her markings neat?

About this shot, I just liked it! She tried to use her little paw to grab an un-suspecting hand!

Rollo again. She has the sweetest face. :)

And for a grand finale. Ta, Da! isn't this a great shot? S#4 wasn't looking and just clicked the button. You can see Rollo in the background.

Misty morning

I just wanted to share this neat picture with everybody. Emily got it a few days ago when the mist was thick. I love mornings like that. The mist is almost impenetrable; you can't see anything that is ten feet in front of you and everything around you seems ethereal and spooky... You almost expect to see a raven in the mighty Oak tree.

I have given you every herb...

And God said, "See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food"; and it was so.

Genesis 1:29-30





I love reading this verse in Genesis. I also love all the other verses about herbs in the Bible. :) For some reason, herbs have always fascinated me. For a few months I have been mulling over the thought of raising my rabbits naturally. Meaning no store bought pellets or medicines or anything. When the first idea came to me I laughed at myself. "feed my rabbits something besides pellets? They would starve on grain!" But the idea continued to grow. I'm naturally curious and began to really think about this. "What did they do in the olden days? How long have pellets been around? Would whole grains really work?" I did some research and the answers I found are fantastic!



#1 Pellets were introduced right after World War II. Before that Just grains were used.

"Oh, so pellets really haven't been around that long." :knits brow and nods slowly:



#2 Rabbits only need 18% fiber, 16% protein, 3% fat and a low percentage of energy. Whole barley and whole oats together with 3rd cutting Alfalfa provides this perfectly.

"Hmmm.. This is looking good!" :begins to grin:



#3 Rabbits will not only just live on grain, hay and added herbs, they will flourish! Rabbits have proved to be healthier, have better litters, do better at shows and live longer on an all natural diet!

"Wow!"



I've been skulking around some rabbit websites that talk about doing this and have been reading everything I can get my hands on, trying to learn more. I have one very well loved and used book called "Herbal handbook for farm and stable" that has a permanent home next to my bed (I'm constantly reading it) It's by 'Juliette de Bairacli Levy' who is of Turkish descent but grew up in England. She is an herbalist who has treated animals all over the world. Juliette writes very detailed and gives directions to treat animal such as dogs, chickens, sheep, goats, cows, horses and bees with only herbs. I cannot say enough about this book and highly encourage any animal owner to buy it (look on Amazon.com).




To get back to the subject, She provided a lot of extremely useful info that has helped me make up my mind to switch to natural stuff for my rabbits. Another thing that helped was feed prices. Nowadays it costs $16.00 for 50 lbs. of medicated pellets, while it only costs $17.00 for 100 lbs. of organic whole grains!

So I now have 50 pounds of whole, organic barley in the barn and my oats are coming in a few days. Hurray!

I'm back....Sort of

Hello all! Already this typing is proving to be harder than I thought it would be. :) My wrist still really hurts but I am up and around now. I even got dressed this morning! :D For those of you who might not have seen the last post, I broke my left wrist while riding our horse.

So how did it all really happen? Well, I'll give you an inside story....

It was so nice out that my sisters and I decided to go riding. Emily got to ride with me this time as her turn. Megan rode double on Peaches with me last time and dear Peaches was as good as gold so we figured we were up for another nice ride. So, bareback and double, Emily and I headed out. At first it was a really nice ride but then, when we were roughly half way to our destination, Peaches suddenly spooked at something, wheeled around and leaped into a frantic gallop. At her leap Emily and I were thrown off, I stuck my left hand out to take the impact (smart move) and heard a loud "pop!" when my hand connected with the ground. I couldn't stop my screams that filled the damp air after I felt that terrible pop. Emily was alright and quickly jumped up to see if I was okay. I told I thought my wrist was popped out of joint and to not worry about me but go and catch Peaches. I watched her run off and then took a closer look at my wrist. It was grossly disfigured and I couldn't move it. I stumbled back home, praying the whole time, asking God to please give me strength to get home. When I finally got home mom had Chris, who is training to be a paramedic, take a look at my wrist. He advised mom to call 911 but mom thought we could probably make it to the hospital without an ambulance. Out on highway 18 the pain reached its peak and I began to cramp up. You how it feels when your feet fall asleep? now imagine that all over your body. My feet and hands curled tightly, my tongue cramped to the bottom of my mouth, my eyes were cramped closed and with each passing minute it was becoming harder to breath. Mom called 911 and stayed on the phone with them so they would know our location. With a last burst of strength I made myself open my eyes and could see in the distance flashing lights and could hear the sound of sirens. The medics had arrived. Since I was having difficulty breathing they sent two medics (ambulances) and a brush rig. They put my arm in a quick cast and sling, then helped me into the stretcher waiting outside the van. On our way to the ER they gave me some instant pain medication and an IV.

At the hospital I had x-rays taken, by a really nice guy who was a horse owner himself, and was then taken to have the bone set. :gulp: The doctor who was going to set the bone was also really nice and did a very good job. It actually didn't hurt when they set the bone because they numbed it. It was the numbing part that hurt! He used a needle that looked like it should have been used for cattle...or a rhino. It was huge!

But it's over now. :) I do have to go back in a few days for more x-rays though. The doctor said that it will take 4 to 8 weeks before my wrist is healed. There goes all the Christmas presents I was planning on knitting. :( Well, I guess I will end here and let my hand have a break.

Bye for now. :D

Out of Service

Hello friends and family, Mom here for Caitlyn to let you know that she will be out of service for a bit due to a broken wrist which she got falling off the horse while riding double with her sister. She is doing as well as can be expected but still in a lot of pain. Your prayers for her would be greatly appreciated.

Mom

Strummin' the ole banjo

I think that if I could purr like a cat, I would right now. But unfortunately I can't purr so I'll just blog instead. :) I finally got the whole chord-thing figured out on my banjo and I can now play two songs! I have no idea as to what the songs are called but, I can play them. At first I had thought that my fingers were to short (I have very small hands) but dad said it wasn't my hands that was the problem, it was my finger nails, or "claws" as he called them. Personally I didn't think they were that long but for the banjo you have to use the very tippy tip of your fingers in order to do the chords. So, off went the finger nails! :sniff: That's another good thing about the mountain dulcimer, you use the flat of your fingers so you can keep those nails on. :) But, as you know, I don't have a dulcimer yet. Still, the banjo has proved to be very fun and I am really enjoying it.
Emily got a picture of me playing on it with her new camera and then changed it to a neat sepia color.




See?

What does a country girl do all day?

Are you tired of reading about scary horse posts that give you nightmares yet? Good, so am I. :)





I was once asked what I do all day way out in the country without having those time sappers like Video games, cell phones, mp3 players and whatever else most teenage kids have these days. I smiled and with a laugh I told the person (I can't remember who it was) the truth: When you live in the country its hard to stay bored. First off, I have animals that need care, and a horse that needs to be exercised for an hour and a half a day. Then, there's chores. Breakfast chores, lunch chores, dinner chores and whatever else needs to be done. After that comes school. School time fluctuates from day to day. Once that is finished I have the rest of the day to myself.


So what do I do? Well...I read a lot, and knit. :) I knitted for 3 1/2 hours straight the other day. I also write, I am working on a juvenile fiction book right now. And then I spend a good amount of time on my instrument. It was driving me crazy watching everybody practice on their instruments and not having one of my own. So I got one. :) And it was just collecting dust in mom and dad's closet. Before I go further I just want to tell you that this really isn't my type of instrument but.. desperate times call for desperate measures. :D



I'm probably driving you nuts with suspense, right? You're probably dying to know what on earth the instrument could be, right? Good, that was what I wanted. :D :D



Ta, da! The Banjo.



Okay, have you had your fill of laughing yet? Can't you see me in one of my nice skirts, sitting on my hope chest playing a banjo? Hee, hee, heee. Now I'm laughing too! Sorry about the crummy picture though. The lighting was pretty bad at the time.

It is definitely challenging. I'm still getting the hang of doing the rolls on it; it's fun when you get going really fast. :) But I think my fingers are two short to do the chords! No matter how hard I try I just can't get my fingers to reach all the strings that they need to reach. :Grrr:



I'm saving for a mountain dulcimer, but the one that I want is really expensive so I'll have to stick with the banjo until then. :Sigh: :)

Animal owners beware

I was warned a few days ago that our neighbors horses had all come down with Pigeon fever and was warned to keep a good eye on Peaches as well. I hadn't a clue as to what "Pigeon fever" was so I looked it up online. This is what I found.


Pigeon Fever
Cases of pigeon fever have once again been reported throughout Oregon, particularly in the Central and Eastern part of the state. Caused by the bacteria Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis, pigeon fever is highly contagious, but rarely fatal. The disease is seasonal, with peak incidence in the fall months, and the incidence fluctuates from year to year within a site.

It is characterized by intramuscular abscesses, primarily in the pectoral area and ventral part of the abdomen, which gives the horse a puffed-out appearance similar to that of a pigeon. The infection is confirmed with a bacterial culture and by symptoms. Horse should be checked daily; look closely at the underside and check for swelling. In some cases, the infection can spread to the horse’s legs, causing a syndrome called ulcerative lymphangitis, which is difficult to treat.

The bacteria lives and multiplies in dry soil and manure. Hot, dry weather facilitates this bacterial growth. Horses contract the disease through an open wound or fly bite, with bacteria entering through these abrasions or wounds and, sometimes, mucous membranes. Fly control (sprays, sheets and repellents) can help to limit disease risk.

Humans can also be carriers of the bacteria on their boots, hands, and tools. Proper disinfection protocols should be utilized to limit the spread of the bacteria. Bedding, water buckets, and any other material that might come in contact with pus should be disinfected or disposed of and not shared with other horses.

Treatment involves lancing and draining the absecesses and, in some cases, antibiotics. An ultrasound can help to locate deep internal abscesses and find the best place to drain them.
Ruminants, such as sheep, goats and cattle can also become infected by this bacteria. Vaccines are available for sheep and goats, but there is no vaccine for horses. Pigeon fever is difficult to manage, as it is transmitted so easily and can linger in the horse's system, undetected, for months.

Yikes! What is really worrying me is that dear Peaches has a nasty cut on her face. It's healing but the process is slow.

Interesting days

We are now once more down to one horse. For about three weeks we've had two: Peaches, our Quarter horse and Jazzy our Thoroughbred. But Jazzy's owner could no longer afford to keep such a big horse and was forced to sell her. :( To tell the truth though,I won't miss Jazzy. She was a pain. Pretty but a pain. As you might already know, she would crib, spook, was barn sour and herd bound and just not the brightest horse. But, she was a thoroughbred and thoroughbreds usually aren't the sanest breed of horse. They were bred for speed not brains. :) A few days ago Jazzy taught me something new in the horse world: What to do if your horse colics. Tuesday morning I went out to take care of the animals. Jazzy seemed fine at first so I fed her. Right after she was done eating she began cribbing, which is what she always did (sooo annoying). After a few sucks she suddenly dropped to the ground and began to roll violently. I knew enough about colic to recognize the signs and this wasn't just rolling to get a scratch, it was a Ouch-my-belly-hurts-really-bad kind of roll. When she started kicking her stomach I took action, put her halter on and began walking her in the pasture.

Now some of you may may not have the foggiest as to what colic is so I will fill you in.

Colic. A five letter word that strikes terror into every horse owner. Colic is when your horse gets an impaction or some sort of blockage in its gastro-intestinal tract. To relieve the pain, the horse will roll but the horse rolls so violently that it ends up twisting it intestines and then dies (or has to be put down). Signs of colic are:

getting up and lying down repeatedly

Standing stretched out

turning the head towards the flank

pawing the ground

kicking the stomach

and rolling.

When you first suspect colic you should immediately begin walking your horse. Walking your horse helps to restore normal activity in the intestine and allows the horse to defecate and/or relieve the build-up of pressure in the intestines. If 30 minutes pass and your horse is still in pain then you need to call the vet immediately. Often times the vet will give the horse 1 gallon of mineral oil through a tube to lubricate the tract. If the oil doesn't help then the vet will try surgery.

Now back to the story. I walked her for 30 minutes and she seemed to be doing a lot better but still had not been able to pass the blockage. So I walked her some more. Ten minutes later she was all better. She had passed the blockage and was looking around for her hay. :Whew!:

Our poor brother

Wow aren't you lucky, you get two posts in one day!



Which brother am I talking about you ask? In this case I'm talking about Carver. Now before I go on please just remember that he asked for it.



Really.



He did.





Okay now you probably want an explanation about the picture. You see, I was doing my hair this morning when I heard a pitter, patter of little adorable baby feet. I love baby feet..and hands...oh, don't forget those little ears.. and the nose... Oh for goodness sake! I love babies!

To continue. I was doing my hair when I heard the pitter patter of little baby feet. No I will not completely repeat myself. :) Then A fuzzy little head pokes through the doorway. Pookie (That's his nickname) took one look at the open drawer where all our hair stuff is kept, and grinned at me with that mischievous look that only little boys can do. He toddled over, then, while watching to see what I would do, stuck his pudgy wee hand in and pulled out some rubber bands and a comb. For a one year old he is surprisingly smart; he tried brushing his hair with the comb but looked curiously at the rubber bands. The light bulb suddenly went :Bling!: in my head. Now I was the one grinning. With lightining quick speed I grabbed another rubber band and did a beautiful hair-do in my baby brother's hair. None of us could help laughing at him; the poor boy didn't even know what I had done. Finally big brother S#1 picked him up and rescued him from further indignities. :D

Three little kittens....

Well, actually it's a few more than three kittens; it's more like six kittens, two cats who think they are still kittens and one cat. Anyway, our kittens are now five weeks old and getting into everything. Apparently they never heard the saying: Curiosity killed the cat. :) So my sisters and I took them outside to explore their new world.

We like to name our animals so that its easier to talk about them. So for our kittens we have: Tabitha,

Rollo,

Piknim,

Evelyn,

Jewel

and Bomber Grue.

Wondering about that last weird name?

Enter Bomber Grue.

Notice his eyes? One green, one blue=Grue. :D

We call him "the chosen one" because of his eyes. We enjoy reading some fictional books that a couple of friends introduced us to and in those books there were special people said to be "chosen" by the Unseen One (God) and they always had one blue eye and one green eye. While Bomber may never be some famous cat that everybody knows, we hope that maybe he can stay.

Tabitha, the only tabby in the litter. She's adorable. :)

Welcome one and all

Well, after a lot of help from mom and dad and a few headaches I finally have my blog up and running. :) The first post is always so hard to do because, well, it's the first! I will try to blog daily but sometimes life gets in the way so don't get your hopes too high.
Please feel free to leave lots of comments on the posts; I looove comments on my blogs.

For once I have actually managed to do a short post; amazing. :D