Eva’s Friends

[Callender Girl]

What an impressive pile of boxes! Congratulations on getting everything sorted and packed up. What did you decide to do about the ink cartridges?

Belated birthday wishes ! Both the cake and the sundae look delicious. Today, my youngest chickens are one year old, and I gave them some special snacks with their breakfast. Tomorrow is my birthday, and I doubt they will do anything for me .

One of the lowlights of my trip to England was the day the group went to Bath. I am prone to motion sickness but had been doing well -- until then. On the bus, my stomach began to roll; I ended up riding with a leftover airline sickness bag stuck to my face.

I got inside at the Roman Baths but saw very little. The American wife of the tour leader walked me outside, and we sat on a bench in the middle of a lovely plaza where street musicians were playing. At first I protested that there was bird poop on the bench, but Ginger said it was dried, that I needed to sit down. I had no fight in me, and immediately sat.

She walked away for a few minutes to talk with her husband, I think, and I was suddenly so tired, that I tipped over and laid down on the bench. All of a sudden, I hear Ginger, running up and excitedly saying, "Sit up, sit up. You look like a homeless person!"

I got a ride back to the hotel with a family on the tour that was heading back early. Ginger did her best to get us a car, but she clearly wasn't making progress with the driver. Her husband, who is British, took her phone and said loudly, "The driver speaks English, not American!" He was right, the driver showed up in no time and took us back to the hotel in Bristol.

BTW, the Poet's Corner at Westminster is incredible. So many talented and wonderful people are memorialized. Plus, the Coronation Chair -- one of the most famous pieces of furniture in the world -- is on display. I watched on TV when King Charles used it during his coronation. Also, we were in London on the day of the Trooping of the Colours and got the fastest, tiniest glimpse of King Charles.

 

[lightm]

I'm glad Poopy is doing better. It looks like she's saying, "Yes, I'm on your stairs. Haven't you ever seen a chicken in the house before?!" What breed is she? She's pretty!

She is golden buff, basically a production bird like Isa brown.

She did not like going down indoors stairs. They are too slippery. I had to keep encouraging her.

 

[Evadig]

I'm late.

Let's see. I have no recollection of Tuesday.
Wednesday I went out to lunch with a friend.
Thursday was my dad's birthday. We went that night to see the town's fireworks. They only lasted ten minutes and weren't anything spectacular.
Friday we celebrated Independence Day. In the evening we shot off our own fireworks. All through the valley, other fireworks could be heard or seen. It seemed we were all united in celebrating America! Saturday I sat on the couch and did nothing. Today, though...

Today I went to church and then drove halfway through the northern half of West Virginia. It's not all trees as would appear from the air. As you drive up through the mountains, there are farms and fields. There are lakes. There are little villages that once flourished but have now died. It's stunningly beautiful in some parts - I suppose that is why the unofficial motto is Almost Heaven. It sure doesn't seem like it on the Panhandle!

Some of the chickens seem to have gotten sick with a respiratory infection or something. They are coughing, sneezing, and two have been rather lethargic. I have posted to the Disease Forum, so hopefully we will figure out what is going on soon.

What an impressive pile of boxes! Congratulations on getting everything sorted and packed up.

Thank you! I think you will be even more impressed to know I managed to fit all those boxes plus a few others in a 6 ft x 4 ft x 4ft space under the stairs! Well, the ceiling was raised in the front so that gave me a bit of extra room.

What did you decide to do about the ink cartridges?

Since I ended up not needing to print, I decided to procrastinate and do nothing .

One of the lowlights of my trip to England was the day the group went to Bath. I am prone to motion sickness but had been doing well -- until then. On the bus, my stomach began to roll; I ended up riding with a leftover airline sickness bag stuck to my face.

I got inside at the Roman Baths but saw very little. The American wife of the tour leader walked me outside, and we sat on a bench in the middle of a lovely plaza where street musicians were playing. At first I protested that there was bird poop on the bench, but Ginger said it was dried, that I needed to sit down. I had no fight in me, and immediately sat.

She walked away for a few minutes to talk with her husband, I think, and I was suddenly so tired, that I tipped over and laid down on the bench. All of a sudden, I hear Ginger, running up and excitedly saying, "Sit up, sit up. You look like a homeless person!"

I got a ride back to the hotel with a family on the tour that was heading back early. Ginger did her best to get us a car, but she clearly wasn't making progress with the driver. Her husband, who is British, took her phone and said loudly, "The driver speaks English, not American!" He was right, the driver showed up in no time and took us back to the hotel in Bristol.

Oh, my. I'm glad you were able to get a ride back to the hotel, and hopefully able to rest some. That's funny about the English vs. American - I didn't know the two languages were that different!

BTW, the Poet's Corner at Westminster is incredible. So many talented and wonderful people are memorialized. Plus, the Coronation Chair -- one of the most famous pieces of furniture in the world -- is on display. I watched on TV when King Charles used it during his coronation. Also, we were in London on the day of the Trooping of the Colours and got the fastest, tiniest glimpse of King Charles.

Wow! Did you see the statue of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow? I think he is the only American poet with a memorial over there. What was the Trooping of the Colours like? Amazing you got to glimpse King Charles!

I forgot to ask while you were talking about the English gardens: were there a lot of hedgerows (like I'd read about)?

Tomorrow is my birthday, and I doubt they will do anything for me .

I hope you had a happy birthday! Hopefully they at least laid some eggs for you!

All the boxes under the stairs

St Peter's, Oakland, MD

Our Lady of the Pines, smallest church in the Continental US

Marker from 1748 marking a corner of Lord Fairfax's land - also denoting border between WV and MD. Incredible how much land Fairfax owned!

Blackwater Falls - so much more beautiful in real life

Alice

The Muddy Run - I finally got a shade cloth up on the left roof of the extension

Priscilla

Stanislaw

Amelia

Finnegan and Lyd

The Stinkers

 

[Callender Girl]

I hope you got answers about what respiratory ailment the chickens might have; I worry so much when my birds have issues.

That IS an impressive bunch of boxes!!

It's good to hear that some of West Virginia is more pleasant than my recollections of it. Many years ago, I had to drive through the state and mostly, I remember having to pay on toll roads -- quite a bit. And, often being followed by state troopers, who I was sure were just waiting to ticket an out-of-state driver for any infraction. But, I drove very carefully and gave them no cause.

Since we spent much of our time in Guildford (which I totally LOVED) and London, I suspect I would have seen many more hedgerows had I not fallen asleep on the bus ride on the day that our tour guide told me I'd missed "the prettiest parts of England." Although we didn't go to Wales, I was awake when Ian pointed out that we could see it from across a body of water.

Although getting to visit Charles Dowding's Homeacres was a major reason I took the trip, we also had a great visit at Hen Corner. Sara Ward is an urban homesteader, who lives in West London and raises chickens, honeybees, veggies and fruit; makes cheese; bakes bread for sale; writes for magazines; and teaches all manner of homesteading classes.

I, of course, couldn't leave without buying one of her books, "Living the Good Life in the City." I got to hold one of Sara's hens, Butternut. English Buff Orpingtons are much larger than our Orps, so much so that I wasn't sure it was an Orpington. But, the owners of Iowa's Murray McMurray hatchery were also on the tour and Tom assured me of the breed. He said they've tried, without luck, to bring over some of the big birds.

I don't recall seeing the Longfellow statue, but I think I was on overload at Westminster because there's so much to take in. Among the things I do remember are the plaque by the door honoring FDR and the marker where Anne of Cleves is buried.

We saw a lot of preparation for the Trooping of the Colours the day before the event. When we were visiting Windsor Castle, workers were setting up an incredible number of bleachers on the grounds, and certain areas of the castle were clearly marked off limits to the public.

Our tour only coincidentally was in London on the day of the event, so we arrived late and mostly saw lots of police lines holding back huge crowds on the street. We only got a glimpse of King Charles from a great distance. Still, we saw him!

There are lots of subtle differences between English as spoken by them and our version. For example, where our signs would indicate "restrooms," it seems less civilized to see signs for public "toilets." Ugh.

At the first hotel, I asked about the coffee maker, which I was told was the "cooking machine." Also, English hotels don't provide face cloths; I learned later that those are considered "personal items" and guests are expected to bring their own. Plus, the English seem to really enjoy baked beans on their breakfast buffets. I passed on those.

Also, because there are financial penalties for having old gas guzzling cars, it seems like every car on the street is shiny and new. I only saw a handful of pick-up trucks.

Although I would like to have seen more of London -- there's so much to see and do -- I am in no hurry to see Heathrow and O'Hare on the same day again. The Des Moines airport is less daunting, but American Airlines uses planes so small that it feels like I'm in an MRI machine.

My next trip will be in my sister's SUV when we go to the North Shore of Lake Superior next month. I haven't met my new pet sitter, but she's the great-niece of one of my friends and is highly recommended by a former co-worker. Plus, Caddy is in her second year of studying to be vet tech, so I'm optimistic. She wants to stop by a couple of times this month to meet the critters and learn the routines.

BTW, the Stinkers are adorable, and I am always in awe of Stanislaw's tail!

 

[Evadig]

I guess I'm late again . It's been a frustrating week.

I began working in the basement organizing the tools, but didn't get very far because there are so many odds and ends.

I tried to work on a video about my Rome trip but have experienced continuous technical difficulties.

I drove all the way to the recruiting office only to find my recruiter wasn't there, and no one would answer the phone.

I slept in every day of the week and was still so tired I had to take a nap some days.

My sister has been experiencing stomach pain for an unknown reason.

And Stanislaw is dead. We'll never hear his crow again, nor see his handsome tail. One morning he crowed twice and hid away behind the nesting box to die. He's buried near Helen, Josie, and Jamie. The place is awfully quiet now.

Thinking about him made me cry. I have to stop before someone busts in my room and wonders what is going on. I never cry (at least before others).

What a dreary post! I'll end on a happy note. A friend asked me to fill in for them as the organist today. I played for two Masses and both went well. Everyone liked the music, so I'm happy (also I get paid $250).

It's good to hear that some of West Virginia is more pleasant than my recollections of it. Many years ago, I had to drive through the state and mostly, I remember having to pay on toll roads -- quite a bit. And, often being followed by state troopers, who I was sure were just waiting to ticket an out-of-state driver for any infraction. But, I drove very carefully and gave them no cause.

Oh, my. But I don't think WV has any toll roads! Perhaps you were confused with PA (which has more tolls than you can count!)? Plus, the English seem to really enjoy baked beans on their breakfast buffets.

Plus, the English seem to really enjoy baked beans on their breakfast buffets.

Umm, no thanks!

I only saw a handful of pick-up trucks.

That's more than I saw in Italy! I don't recall seeing a single pick-up.

but American Airlines uses planes so small that it feels like I'm in an MRI machine.

This made me laugh .

My next trip will be in my sister's SUV when we go to the North Shore of Lake Superior next month. I haven't met my new pet sitter, but she's the great-niece of one of my friends and is highly recommended by a former co-worker. Plus, Caddy is in her second year of studying to be vet tech, so I'm optimistic. She wants to stop by a couple of times this month to meet the critters and learn the routines.

Oh, wonderful! Lake Superior is so pretty. Have you ever taken the Picture Rocks Boat Tour? It's on the Michigan Side, I think. We did that when I was a kid and it was beautiful, but I don't remember much. Hope Caddy works out as a great pet sitter!

Sky

Marta

Sylvester Stinker

Misses Lyd and Rose

Sky

The last picture of Stanislaw

 

[lightm]

I drove all the way to the recruiting office only to find my recruiter wasn't there, and no one would answer the phone.

This is frustrating. I hope they are more responsive next time.

Thinking about him made me cry. I have to stop before someone busts in my room and wonders what is going on. I never cry (at least before others).

I am so sorry. I understand. I think I posted pictures of Poopy here not long ago, but she passed away almost a week ago :-( I cried too.

 

[Callender Girl]

I am so very sorry about your beautiful Stanislaw! To lose him so suddenly has to be heartbreaking. My first (and only pleasant) rooster, Sir Henry the Loud, was fine one day, seemed lethargic the next and died before nightfall. I still miss his clear, robust crowing.

I'm also sorry to hear about your frustrating week. But, as you pointed out, at least something good happened -- which, let's hope, means more good stuff on the way!

Maybe you'll like my "happy" story, even though it didn't start out that way. I was finishing up chores Saturday and spotted something on the ground. A baby robin, who looked to be big enough and have enough feathers to fledge, was motionless in some low weeds (I had mowed a few hours earlier, so I know it wasn't there then). At first, I thought it was dead -- no hopping, no wing fluttering.

I've tried, unsuccessfully, to rescue baby birds before (once I returned the same luckless babies to the same high nest repeatedly; once a bird of a different breed flew in and attacked the hatchling I'd made a box nest for). But, I couldn't leave it to be eaten by a stray cat or harmed by my own ducks and geese (chickens were already locked up).

I'd seen a downed robin's nest earlier in the week, scavenged it, popped it into a cut-down plastic plant pot and suspended it from a low-hanging tree branch -- all the while, the parents yelled at me. I dug worms out from under stepping stones and used tweezers to feed Baby every hour or so until dark.

I went out early yesterday, expecting to see a dead bird. Baby had fallen out of the nest a couple of times Saturday, so I kept tweaking the design. But Sunday morning, I found a live and much livelier Baby. After a filling worm breakfast, I watched as the young robin intentionally jumped out of the nest and hopped into some tall weeds. At 8 a.m. yesterday, I saw Baby one more time, before he or she disappeared into tall cover. I'd like to think the little one wanted me to know it was okay.

Regarding toll roads, yes, I certainly remember the many in Pennsylvania, but West Virginia --at least at that time -- also had a turnpike that had tolls. Maybe it's different today. Also, the company that owns the newspaper where I worked for many years is headquartered in Wheeling; let's just say, I often felt the company could have treated all its employees better, so maybe that colors my feelings about WV.

I absolutely love Lake Superior, even if I often suffer from motion sickness on the water. I've never taken the Picture Rocks Boat Tour; I got horribly sea sick on a trip to Isle Royale, but have also down fine on the water in smaller crafts.

My sister (how is your sister feeling now?) and I stay in a lovely little rustic motel near Grand Marais where the owners are the entire staff and make us feel like family. I start every day by walking out to the shore, looking at Superior's enormity and thanking God for letting me spend time there.


As I was typing this, I saw your post, @lightm. How awful that you lost your sweet Poopy. She seemed very special and deserving of your tears.