projects, pets and pancreas's

we had a really tough week last week, that still trickled over onto this week and will foreseeblly alter our future with Daphne. Last week she went to the emergency room with abdominal pain and vomiting. Diagnosis was Pancreatitis. She remained at the hospital for 2 nights, at the emergency hospital 30 miles from us. Today she had a follow up exam and more blood work done with a Holistic Vet just north of Seattle. A refreshing experience to finally have a doctor premote and support a raw diet. Also giving Aruyvedic treatments to help Daphne achieve a healthy and functioning pancreas again. I heart holistic medicine.

since we were taking Daphne over to Seattle for her visit, we decided to visit our beloved friend Mark and his lovely mother Barbara. Having recently undergone back surgery, there were a few pressing projects that Mark needed help with...and Bob and I were eager to assist. On the list was:

• remove all dirt that was in contact with fence, preventing rot and filling in holes around fence line
• mowing, raking and transplanting
• cleaning out gutters and fixing leaks in gutter seams
• reglazing some windows
• building a small platform in the chicken coop so they might better take flight up onto their roosting post
• harvest potatoes and take apart the potato bin
• have a great time doing projects together
• eat a fabulous fall meal of bean chili with apple pie made from their own apples
• lounge around, chit chat, swap ghost stories and slumber along a roaring fire

bob finds taters

Mark finds more

daphne was obsessed with Mark's cat Race...sniffing the air for cat sniffs.

Vanilla Snow Ball, named by Marks nieces. I refer to her as BVSB (bitchy vanilla snow ball)

BVSB and Speckle rooting around in the soil I just adjusted.

queen bee "Red"

sweet outdoor hearth next to the coop

awwww - chikun'snacks.

the whole gang. BVSB, Ducky, Speckle and Red. Mark also convinced Bob that we would love having chikuns. He went so far as to name them Ram & Shackle...after explaining that there coop could just be a ramshakle of a place.

bob installs or rewires some lighting for the roost and coop (hope I'm getting that right?) also builds in a platform for the chikuns to more easily launch up onto their sleeping roost.

Mark proudly illuminates the coop

with no hesitation, they take off of the new platform and are ready for bed.

gutter punk

shake. rattle and roll.