Taking it as it comes...

It's hard to write when I'm not feeling well. The past few weeks have been really rough. I've had a lot of pain and been very sick. I started a new medication which is an injection and it's used for prostate cancer... it eventually after a flare period shuts your hormones off, which can at times offer pain relief. It has a whole lot of side effects and I have avoided taking it for a long time because of that, but hopefully I will only be on it for a couple of months instead of 3-6 which is the usual treatment and when most of the worst and sometimes irreversible side effects show up. It has been really unpleasant to say the least, and I've been in bed pretty much 98% of the time. I get up and have coffee in the morning and that's it. Today was the first time in a WEEK I've been able to do anything at all, and I was able to get outside for an hour before heading back to bed to rest. 

I have some tests coming up at the hospital in the next week to help rule out a few other things before we move forward with our next steps in trying to get me well... or at least, better than I am. It's a process, but as long as we are moving forward and not standing still, I have great faith we will find the way through this. 

We've had a whole lot of rain this week, heavy downpours for days and our fields are flooded still. I'm hoping it lets up a bit so things can dry because it's been a bad year for planting and if keeps up, it will be difficult for haying too... However so much rain has made the forest here look like a jungle everything is growing like crazy out there!



The dogs and I went on a very short walk (our first in weeks) to check our garlic patch. The dogs were so happy to be out with me. They spend a great deal of time happily sleeping in bed with me and get plenty of time running around the yard but they love nothing more than a walk with mom. It's always a fun adventure.



This is our first year planting garlic and we didn't get as much as we wanted planted, but still a decent amount and it's coming up well despite the weather and getting it in late. It felt so good to be out for a walk, even though it was a short one.



Last night after more rain we had a really beautiful evening. Today we had hoped for sun but it's decided to stay away again today.

I have had pictures to share for a while now but like I said, had a hard time motivating myself to write when I feel badly. But here are some pictures from the end of May/early June...



Everyone got out on one of their pastures, which made them all very happy...



Our geese families that live in our pond at the house (usually 2 but 3 this year) have been bringing their growing babies into the yard everyday, they are out there for most of the day either by our bedroom window eating or by the pond lying in the shade of the trees in the afternoon, sleeping. We always look forward to seeing them every year.



I managed to get almost all my plants planted on the deck and things are growing OK. My peppers I am growing inside our sunroom are doing better than the ones outside though, we haven't had enough sun and we've had more rain than they like (a lot like last year at this time) so the ones indoor are warmer, and flowering.



But still, everything is growing nicely, just a little slower.



Everything is a lot higher now than in these pictures too :)



The dogs love being out there more than anywhere, I think they think it's their own private garden... which it kinda is.



Rollie inside where it's cooler, but looking out...



I shared one of these pictures of my Facebook, we were so lucky to find a Giant Silk moth...



So beautiful...



And also a Luna moth! They are only alive for 7 days, so while they are common, people don't see them as often. They are so beautiful, and quite friendly. They are born without a mouth even since they never eat, they only breed and then die. Fascinating little creatures.



Little Hickory and Big Bulrush...



The goats really enjoyed getting onto some fresh grass...



I get up to the barn not as often as I'd like - not daily lately. But when I do I just sit and snuggle as much as I can with everyone... they all like that but especially Max... I know he's not sure what's wrong - or then again, maybe he knows exactly what's wrong. Animals know so much more than we think.



Looking at these pictures again now, I miss the sun! We haven't seen it in so long!



Henrietta, the hermaphrodite is bigger than her father now. She's (he's) huge. She looks like the biggest baddest billy goat you've ever seen. Of course she just love kisses but she acts way more like a billy goat, than the actual males! She is the resident clown for sure.



That's my little Lavender in front, this years bottle baby...



Speaking of things growing well from the rain, so is she! She's not a purebred Pygmy so she'll be bigger but I'm surprised at how tall she is. She's nice and healthy which makes me very happy and was just recently weaned. She's a sweetheart, she lives for snuggles.



Then there is Bulrush, our resident giraffe... why eat from the ground when you are tall enough to reach all the trees?



In this particular pasture, everyone spends most of their time under the shade of the trees...



This was little Wally, one of my bucklings from this year. Out of my 5 bucklings, 4 have gone to new homes... ALL TOGETHER! I was so pleased. I don't have a problem with people raising or selling animals for meat but since I raise just a few kids each year and become very close to them, I look for only the best homes I can find for them. And boys are difficult. I know that male goats when neutered (and actually sometimes even when not) make the best pets, but a lot of people don't know that. So every year I worry myself sick - and I mean literally, over this. Ask Kevin, he can hardly stand me I get myself so worked up. I almost refused the home at first because I thought anyone wanting multiple bucklings was up to no good but it turns out it was a wonderful pet home and I couldn't be happier. It was a huge relief to me. Hickory, one of the Pygmy males is still here and he's the only one... we haven't decided if he'll be neutered and stay or also find a good pet home.



Barnaby, my Pygmy buck, is getting his summer clothes on, and he always looks quite handsome in them...



The Heron in our pond. The fireflies just returned a few nights ago and all this rain has really stirred the bullfrogs up so evenings are amazing now. Minus the mosquitoes. We have a lot of frogs in our pond, and that is why Heron likes to spend so much time here.



We did have a sad event happen... our second to last Prairie dog, Nervous Nelly, finally passed away. It was expected as both girls are 15 now and Nelly has been declining for a couple of months. She enjoyed the fruits of spring before she passed, fresh grass, fresh strawberries, and her favorite, fresh parsley. But she is sadly missed and leaves us with only poor Olive as our last Prairie dog. Olive is doing well, much to my surprise, better than I expected. I hope she is able to enjoy this summer. At her age she could leave us anytime but at the moment she is still very healthy.

Right now we are taking each day as it comes. I'm really hoping I will see even a little relief with this medicine, despite the side effects, but only time will tell.

I hope all of your gardens are growing well!