A Shot in the Arm

 

No fanfare.  

No long lines. 

Forms to fill out.  

Time to visit with a former student, with a friend who used to work in a doctor's office and meet a new friend while she gave us our shots in the arm. 

That was the story of Bill and my visit to Panhandle Health center yesterday afternoon.  

The story this morning:  low energy but thanks to advice from Karianne who did the needle honors, the Tylenol I took the minute I got home cut my overnight misery about in half. 

Everyone's different, they say. 

Karianne and I connected right away, especially cuz of our first names and her family experience with horses. 

Karianne also has spent a lifetime having her name spelled wrong. 

Anyway, I'm feeling exhausted today but optimistic, knowing that we're crossed the halfway point of body aches, fatigue, fever and chills that often comes in the first 24 hours after these shots.

AND, that we're boosted! 

Bill and I are now good for six months with our second booster.

And, with this most recent vaccination, one feeling remains the same----total gratitude for all who worked so hard in developing, delivering and giving these life-saving shots. 

FYI:  the shots are available at local drug stores and at Panhandle Health across from Travers Park.  Take your vaccination card, your insurance and a mask. 

Panhandle Health schedules vaccinations on Wednesday, while I believe the other venues are walk-ins. 

Bill and I did not feel anything when Karianne gave us our shots, but we do this morning. 

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While waiting to go for our appointment, we both worked outside yesterday afternoon in very pleasant conditions.  

Bill cleaned the Subaru while I pulled out some spray paint and painted the garden planters one more time. 

I don't think they'll last beyond this year, but my approach when people look at them leaning, leaning, leaning and probably thinking, "What the Hell?" is to inform any spectators that they are funky. 

Being funky covers a lot of imperfections, I do believe.

Plus, the other day a visitor came to look at my greenhouse and then brought up the subject of the planters, which I secretly was hoping she would not notice.

But she did AND she liked their funkiness. 

So, if the bottoms don't fall out, they can provide planting spots for beans, lettuce, chard and whatever else I decide to put in them.

With their new coats of paint, I actually think they're kinda cute. 

And, so far, one has held up overnight with two transplanted lettuce plants. 

Two Grosbeaks landed at the bird feeder yesterday and left within minutes. 

Still, it was nice to see them, albeit a brief visit. 

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The video below came up in my Facebook memories yesterday.  I thought it was  hoot the first time I saw it, and I still do. 

For some reason, I thought these sisters were from Ireland but actually they live on a farm in New York.

Kids on farms know how to work and how to entertain themselves while doing their chores. 

And, speaking of chores, Mary Ann over at the Gooby Ranch in Montana has been really, really busy with her spring chores on the cattle ranch. 

Cows and squirrels and poop, Oh My!

Hope you enjoy the latest Gooby Ranch Report as much as Dick enjoyed the Master's. 

Happy Thursday.  Nap time!

 

GOOBY RANCH REPORT

For the past three weeks the weather has been real nice and since we are inundated with ground squirrels, I spend most of my time harvesting them. I take the ground squirrels to the house and Mary Ann cleans and freezes them.

 

We have more pounds of squirrel meat in the freezer than we have elk.  Mary Ann has developed several recipes for the squirrels. The one I like the best she named it Squirlew. It’s a fancy Squirrel stew she makes.

During this time a lot of the cows were supposed to be calving but they decided since the weather was so nice, they would just lay out in the sun and get a tan. To heck with having a calf.

Yesterday it started getting really cold. They predicted a 3-day blizzard. The wind was blowing 45 mph. There is no way a calf could survive being born out in this kind of weather. Mary Ann decided to put all the cows in the barn. 

Not only would they be out of the wind, it would be much easier for her when she went out every hour to check on them. The cows had other ideas about going in the barn.

Mary Ann would just get them up to the open barn door and they would all come racing back, knocking her end over tea kettle. Not only was it hard on her body, the landing spots were not always that clean.

I was going to help but the Golfs Master’s TV program was on so I wasn’t able to help. After about an hour of working with the cattle, she would come in to warm up. It worked really well because when Mary Ann would come in it was time for her to bring me a beer. 

As the night wore on, she was covered with cow poop and didn’t smell so good.

One first-calf heifer started trying to have her baby but it just wasn’t working. Mary Ann tried to get the heifer in the stanchion but the heifer didn’t want any help. 

After she knocked Mary Ann down a couple more times, she finally got her in the head catch. Mary Ann checked her the best she could and said the calf was turned the wrong way. 

Since the Masters was over, I called the vet for Mary Ann and went out to watch. The vet spent over an hour turning the calf around and pulling it out. When she finally got the calf out Mary Ann gave the calf a good rub down. 

Now the calf decided Mary Ann must be her mama. When Mary Ann tried to push to calf to her real mother, the cow put her head down and sent Mary Ann flying again. Because she was so covered with cow poop I had her roll around in the garden to fertilize it. 

Then she took her clothes off outside and headed for the shower. Mary Ann was really happy how everything worked out and she was proud of me for having her fertilize the garden.