The Babies Are Growing Up! *update*

Our little baby chicks aren't much like babies anymore! They are nearly fully feathered out and LOVE to fly and perch on things. They are eating so much now and we have started feeding them scraps from the table. We also built them an outdoor "playpen" as we transition them to outdoor life. The chicken house is about 80% complete and should be finished this weekend when the ladies will make their move.

The boys really enjoy the chickens 

and today I found Sam sitting on a log by the "playpen"

 singing to them! It was so sweet. Even 

Arlo likes to interact with them and will be very gentle. He won't hold them though and when I offer he shrugs his shoulders and giggles and looks the other way.

Sadly enough we did have our first chicken mortality. The first day the ladies were in the "playpen" one of the smaller Leghorns squeezed through the fencing and lost in a race for life to Cyrus. Her life went very fast as Cyrus went right for her neck. Sam witnessed the entire event and just shrugged his shoulders and said, "That's life, Mama."

Quiet Days

After four full days at home, I am beginning to get used to the ebb and flow of what this recovery will be like.  I spend my days draped in this beautiful kimono robe that Pat gifted me just before the surgery. I feel so pretty in wearing it and don't mind greeting visitors or even walking outside by the street with it on. Yesterday was rainy and misty and in between two bursts of rain I added my red moose wellie boots to the ensemble and walked through our orchard. I felt like I was in a novel.

My days are very quiet and when the boys are awake or around the sound level increases and I find myself getting very irritated. It must be the drugs I am taking, which are substantial pain killers, because I don't remember every really feeling that way about the boys' sounds before. I would certainly look forward to the quiet times, but I mostly enjoyed and certainly tolerated it. Now I just become very irritated. 

I can't say that I am enjoying this recovery, but I do find myself feeling very peaceful and that is enjoyable. I'd certainly rather be up and about and interacting with everyone in a more normal and physical manner. However, I can finally knit and spent most of yesterday and this morning doing just that. The drugs make me too foggy to read, so I watch a lot of the Gilmore Girls and knit. Sounds great, eh? Well add in some random nausea, constipation, general pains from the surgery, sore butt from sitting and it doesn't sound as nice.

I am not complaining though. This could all be much, much worse and I have a super support system, so I'd say that all in all this is a pretty special time.

In Recovery

I am at home and in recovery. The surgery was successful and completed thorascopically with some minor complications (I bled more than they liked after the first surgery so they went back in through an original incision and stopped it all just fine).

The weather is amazing and I have been taking little walks and sitting outside. I feel good as long as my pain killers are working, tired and slow, but good. 

Everyone is here and helping a lot. The boys are happy to see me, but definitely acting differently. Arlo, especially. He's not sure I am the same woman. I know as I heal and can be with him like I was, I am sure he'll warm up to me. He's just gentle, which is good.

Feel free to call though I can't talk long and if you're in the neighborhood, I'd love to see you....