Friday, November 16, 2012
Our other chickens!
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| Grandma (with homemade hat) and HaPa |
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| Aiden feeding kale |
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| Haley feeding "scratch" (cracked corn) - with her "new to her" ski goggles (?) |
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| Kimball loves the chickens too- a little more than the chickens would like! |
Little Green Chicken
We came so close to losing our little green chicken, Tupelo, this week. She is our 12 year old quaker parrot who we have had since she was a newly-hatched chick. Last week she somehow chopped off the end of her toe, or pulled the nail out (we're not sure which, or how) and very nearly bled to death. When Andy went downstairs to open up the birds' cages after work, he found Tupe on the bottom with her head down and blood ALL OVER the cage. All over the walls, pooled in her sleeping hut, everywhere. You would not believe a small parrot even had that much blood.
We went into emergency mode in a flash. Got her warmed up and started force-feeding her fluids to try and keep her hydrated. I knew that there was no chance of getting her a blood transfusion (have you seen any blood drives for parrots lately?) so all we could do was support her with fluids, food, and heat. The toe itself had scabbed over by the time we found her, but she was so wobbly she couldn't stand or do much of anything. Over the next two days, she seemed to be getting better... slowly...and then on Saturday morning (of course, the weekend,when the vet is closed) she started shaking and jerking her head and body like she was having a seizure, and could not stand up again.
We rushed her to a 24-hr emergency vet in Concord, where they admitted they had little experience with avian medicine, but said they would see her. The doctor there said he'd put her in an oxygen chamber for awhile and administer subcutaneous fluids, but cautioned us that the prognosis was not good. We could tell that ourselves. Birds don't just lie down unless they are literally on death's door. Andy and I kissed her and whispered in her ear and left her there in the chamber while tears were starting to stream down both of our faces. We truly thought we'd never see her alive again, and we cried pretty much all that day. Aiden cried too, but I think more because he was so disturbed that his parents were both in tears for hours. Haley provided a very small bit of comic relief by stating over and over that "People like to cry." (Herself included, though not over Tupelo). When we got a call from the vet that evening who said he thought she'd "improved considerably" we were totally stunned... "You can pick her up tomorrow" they said. Oh, and don't forget the $830 you owe us!
Tupelo is nowhere near 100% recovered yet, but she's getting better every day. She's still very very wobbly, due most probably to her extreme anemia. At the e-vet they had drawn a small blood sample (a drop) to see what her red cell count was. Normal is 40% red cells, and the vet said he'd never seen a (living) animal with lower than 20%. Tupe's was 15%. So she still has a long way to go. She may also have had a small stroke because of her low blood pressure, and now has a head tilt to one side, which can't be helping her balance. She is definitely improving every day now though. She's clucking like a chicken, squawking at Zaitsev, and saying "Tupe-Tupe" again. So far she's still being hand-fed and sleeping most of the day in her recovery cage in our room, which is handicapped-accesible with low perches and food dishes so she doesn't have to climb anywhere. We are very happy to have our little green chicken back!
We went into emergency mode in a flash. Got her warmed up and started force-feeding her fluids to try and keep her hydrated. I knew that there was no chance of getting her a blood transfusion (have you seen any blood drives for parrots lately?) so all we could do was support her with fluids, food, and heat. The toe itself had scabbed over by the time we found her, but she was so wobbly she couldn't stand or do much of anything. Over the next two days, she seemed to be getting better... slowly...and then on Saturday morning (of course, the weekend,when the vet is closed) she started shaking and jerking her head and body like she was having a seizure, and could not stand up again.
We rushed her to a 24-hr emergency vet in Concord, where they admitted they had little experience with avian medicine, but said they would see her. The doctor there said he'd put her in an oxygen chamber for awhile and administer subcutaneous fluids, but cautioned us that the prognosis was not good. We could tell that ourselves. Birds don't just lie down unless they are literally on death's door. Andy and I kissed her and whispered in her ear and left her there in the chamber while tears were starting to stream down both of our faces. We truly thought we'd never see her alive again, and we cried pretty much all that day. Aiden cried too, but I think more because he was so disturbed that his parents were both in tears for hours. Haley provided a very small bit of comic relief by stating over and over that "People like to cry." (Herself included, though not over Tupelo). When we got a call from the vet that evening who said he thought she'd "improved considerably" we were totally stunned... "You can pick her up tomorrow" they said. Oh, and don't forget the $830 you owe us!
Tupelo is nowhere near 100% recovered yet, but she's getting better every day. She's still very very wobbly, due most probably to her extreme anemia. At the e-vet they had drawn a small blood sample (a drop) to see what her red cell count was. Normal is 40% red cells, and the vet said he'd never seen a (living) animal with lower than 20%. Tupe's was 15%. So she still has a long way to go. She may also have had a small stroke because of her low blood pressure, and now has a head tilt to one side, which can't be helping her balance. She is definitely improving every day now though. She's clucking like a chicken, squawking at Zaitsev, and saying "Tupe-Tupe" again. So far she's still being hand-fed and sleeping most of the day in her recovery cage in our room, which is handicapped-accesible with low perches and food dishes so she doesn't have to climb anywhere. We are very happy to have our little green chicken back!
Friday, November 2, 2012
Hurricane Halloween
Hurricane Sandy turned out not to be a real problem in this area. We did get a lot of wind and rain for several days, and lost power for a few hours, but that is nothing compared to the horrendous damage Sandy brought to many of our relatives and friends on Long Island. Even though the hurricane did not impact our Halloween celebrations in New London, the thought of so many people we love struggling definitely put a damper on it. The kids, as kids should probably be, were oblivious to anything but costumes, pumpkins, and candy, candy, candy.
Before the hurricane hit, we went to a Halloween party at the Kennedy's house, which was lots of fun for all ages. On Halloween itself, the streets were clogged with small imps and witches, and we made our way along them, house by house, as part of an entourage including 8 adults, 5 kids, two dogs, and one stroller. We didn't cover much ground, but the kids were more than happy with their haul, and they also got the traditional free ice cream at Arctic Dreams (and their photo taken there so that they can see themselves all year long on the wall). Although we didn't even attempt to hand out candy at our house (kept the lights off and everything so we could all go out together) we didn't even get egged. All treats this year for us... feeling grateful all around.
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| Spooky fog in our yard |
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| Haley was "Ladybug Girl" |
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| Aiden was "Mario" |
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| Donuts on Strings at the Kennedy's Halloween party |
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Pumpkin Fest
The Keene Pumpkin Festival started in 1992 when a bunch of people got together to see if they could break the world record for the most lit jack-o-lanterns in one place. They achieved the record with 1,628 pumpkins, and since then have set 6 more world records. Other cities have gotten into the mix (Boston and Highwood, IL) and the title has gone back and forth in recent years. Since it was so nice on Saturday, we decided to drive down to Keene to check it out.
Aiden carved a small pumpkin to add to the Festival's total, which we placed on a street corner next to some of his brethren. It was a crazy madhouse in downtown Keene by the time they started lighting up the pumpkins at 6:30! Seemed like there were a million people there, jostling and squeezing past each other to see the giant tower of pumpkins (there were also bleachers full of pumpkins lining the streets) or find something to eat at the food tents. We grabbed some fat knockwursts and headed into a cobbled back alley to get out of the fray somewhat, where the kids could skip around a bit without us panicking that they had disappeared or been trampled. The pumpkins were definitely cool, but I'd have to say the festival was a bit too much for us with small kids- we left with some daylight still remaining to find our way back to the car. It turns out that Keene had it's best year ever with over 29,000 pumpkins (and I'd say at least that many people!) but they didn't set a world record- another city came in with over 30,000 pumpkins this year too!
On Sunday we went on a local hike at Low Plain to enjoy some peace and quiet after the crazy pumpkin festival the day before. It was absolutely gorgeous in the woods there, with all the bright yellow beech leaves standing out in contrast to the dark green hemlocks, and the still beaver pond reflecting the fall foliage. Haley had about 6 meltdowns (wrong jacket, don't want to walk, don't want to go in backpack, do want to go in backpack, etc etc), Kimball ran away after every other dog we passed, and Aiden spilled boiling hot "mountain tea" on his leg in the bird blind (and on the dog), causing another brief meltdown- BUT it was still worth getting out there on a day like that. No doubt. In my memory I'll recall the kids bundled up, sipping sweet tea in the chilly blind, looking out at the bright blue sky reflected in the quiet beaver pond. Fall at its best.
Aiden carved a small pumpkin to add to the Festival's total, which we placed on a street corner next to some of his brethren. It was a crazy madhouse in downtown Keene by the time they started lighting up the pumpkins at 6:30! Seemed like there were a million people there, jostling and squeezing past each other to see the giant tower of pumpkins (there were also bleachers full of pumpkins lining the streets) or find something to eat at the food tents. We grabbed some fat knockwursts and headed into a cobbled back alley to get out of the fray somewhat, where the kids could skip around a bit without us panicking that they had disappeared or been trampled. The pumpkins were definitely cool, but I'd have to say the festival was a bit too much for us with small kids- we left with some daylight still remaining to find our way back to the car. It turns out that Keene had it's best year ever with over 29,000 pumpkins (and I'd say at least that many people!) but they didn't set a world record- another city came in with over 30,000 pumpkins this year too!
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| pumpkin bowling |
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| Aiden's favorite |
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| Next to "their" pumpkin (the little one to the right of Haley) |
On Sunday we went on a local hike at Low Plain to enjoy some peace and quiet after the crazy pumpkin festival the day before. It was absolutely gorgeous in the woods there, with all the bright yellow beech leaves standing out in contrast to the dark green hemlocks, and the still beaver pond reflecting the fall foliage. Haley had about 6 meltdowns (wrong jacket, don't want to walk, don't want to go in backpack, do want to go in backpack, etc etc), Kimball ran away after every other dog we passed, and Aiden spilled boiling hot "mountain tea" on his leg in the bird blind (and on the dog), causing another brief meltdown- BUT it was still worth getting out there on a day like that. No doubt. In my memory I'll recall the kids bundled up, sipping sweet tea in the chilly blind, looking out at the bright blue sky reflected in the quiet beaver pond. Fall at its best.
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| view from the blind |
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| leaf identification quizzes |
We're back at UVAC swim lessons each weekend for Aiden, and he's been making more pillows too!
Friday, October 19, 2012
Pile The Leaves
On the whole, this Fall has been soggy and raw so far. We finally got a sunny weekend day this past Saturday though... it was cold, but we'll take it! The kids headed outside first thing in the morning to rake leaf piles and jump in them. No Fall season is complete without that rite completed. They discovered that the grass and many of the fallen leaves had frosted edges, which were fun to melt with your finger... a harbinger of the snow that is sure to come soon.
In the afternoon we gathered with friends for a hike in celebration of Ben Anderson's birthday. The sweet little trail that leaves from Twin Lake Villa meanders alongside a stream for quite awhile, and the kids had a great time sprinting ahead wielding sticks and logs and whatever else they could find on the forest floor. We also unearthed two geocaches on the way. Then it was back to the Andersons for a late-season barbecue and cake for Ben. Sunday was rainy again, so indoor projects ruled the day. Getting us prepared for winter, I suppose. Aiden sewed and stuffed a pillow from scratch, using some fabric and a weaving done by Nancy Lyon, a local artist who volunteered for Andy's work and unfortunately passed away recently. We bought a number of her small "sample" weavings at a fundraiser for ASLPT a few days ago, and at the rate Aiden is going (2 pillows in the past week) I think they will all be turned into pillows shortly.
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| Off they rush... as far ahead of us as they can get! |
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| Look at these goofballs! |
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| Aiden with his first pillow |
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Poultry Preparations
This weekend my parents came down with a small house trailered to their pick-up. Our chicken-house. Since we agreed to take HaPa and Grandma's chickens in the "off season" while they are in the sunny south, they built us a beautiful coop to keep them in. Dad milled the lumber himself from cedars taken down at the camp on Lake Champlain, and it came out perfect. There are four little roosting boxes inside, just at the right height for the kids to collect the eggs, a removable droppings tray under the roosting bar, a varmint-proof door that automatically closes on a timer at dusk and opens every morning, and a well covered child-proof electrical outlet so the chickens can have 16 hours of light during the dreary winter months.
Over the long weekend, we built a partially covered run for the chickens too. It's quite big enough for 7 laying hens, and they should be able to scratch around and attack vegetable scraps that we throw in to keep them busy. We also painted the house a nice brick red color, and it looks really nice in the yard. Now we just need some chickens! Sometime in November is the planned transfer date for that.
We also had time this weekend to go to the UVAC splash park and hit the Warner Fall Foliage Festival with the Kennedys and VanVrankens. Buffalo Plaid, a cover band featuring 3 of my co-workers, was playing at the festival and we had a good time dancing to their music. Aiden is especially entranced every time we see them, and he dances like a maniac and then has to go up and personally say hi to the band members when they're done. He's a Buffalo Plaid groupie. Between that and the midway rides, sno-cones and a stuffed "chickie-pie" won at one of the carnival stands, it was a great night for Aiden.
Over the long weekend, we built a partially covered run for the chickens too. It's quite big enough for 7 laying hens, and they should be able to scratch around and attack vegetable scraps that we throw in to keep them busy. We also painted the house a nice brick red color, and it looks really nice in the yard. Now we just need some chickens! Sometime in November is the planned transfer date for that.
We also had time this weekend to go to the UVAC splash park and hit the Warner Fall Foliage Festival with the Kennedys and VanVrankens. Buffalo Plaid, a cover band featuring 3 of my co-workers, was playing at the festival and we had a good time dancing to their music. Aiden is especially entranced every time we see them, and he dances like a maniac and then has to go up and personally say hi to the band members when they're done. He's a Buffalo Plaid groupie. Between that and the midway rides, sno-cones and a stuffed "chickie-pie" won at one of the carnival stands, it was a great night for Aiden.
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