|
Sparkle is feeling much better and has done well with the change in her diet. I haven't changed everything yet...as I am adding new items gradually and she is eating what she is given. She is even honking at me in the morning to be fed...which is a very good sign. I only was feeding her once a day, so now she gets fed in the morning and in the evening. I still need to get the vet out to grind her teeth down. That won't be a fun experience, but she will be better able to eat and put more weight on. 
0 Comments
I had the vet out to look at Sparkles feet. I thought the laminitis was back, but it turns out she had an abscess that had ruptured . The vet suggested a change in her food as she is 26 and has had laminitis before. I was also given a powdered antibiotic and pain killer to add to her food. But miss Sparkle was not fooled . Although last time she had the pain killer she really liked it. I think it is the antibiotic she doesn't like. But I can't see me administering the antibiotic in pill form to her. Plus she doesn't like molasses, which can mask almost anything. I got her when she was just a year old and being separated from her mother and the rest of the herd caused her some distress and she got colic and then went into her first heat cycle. So she was a mess... poor thing ...I had to give her crushed Tagamet in molasses mixed with her grain . Once she was better she would have nothing to do with anything that had molasses in it. Dealing with Sparkle has always been a learning curve. Our next adventure will be when the vet comes out to level out her teeth as she has some difficulty with chewing her food. This picture is from 2019  I have found it very difficult to keep up with the weed whacking and mowing the yard. I don't have a huge yard, but my left hip feels it is TOO MUCH and TOO HARD. At least it hasn't rained recently ,so If I get motivated I might get some of the weed whacking done....one can only hope! My lack of mowing etc....has to be balanced with canning pickles to build up the inventory before I have hip replacement surgery.    As long as it doesn't pour or there are high winds I will be at the market!
I have a new tent which is easier to put up and take down and I am carrying less jar inventory with me than in the past. This has helped to cut down on the amount of strain it puts on my left hip.  This update is being given by Mary's left necrotic hip. So don't be surprised if it's commentary sounds a bit cranky.
I keep trying to tell my human that I really would rather not land on the left foot like that......OW........You need to be more careful about the stairs and trying to carry anything heavy. I am only giving you pain so you will stop irritating me...are you doing that on purpose or do you just love torturing me? SWITCHING BACK TO THE FARMER TO HEAR HER RESPONSE TO HER LEFT HIPS COMPLAINTS. I am doing the best I can ,but I have to do the chores and can't just stay immobile all day long. If you have noticed I have been using a cane or hiking pole, using the green wagon to transport food and water for the animals. I did most of the gardening sitting on my garden stool/kneeler. I have cut down on how many jars I take with me to the farmers market and even bought a new tent that almost sets up itself. I am doing my prehab exercises the best that I can EVERYDAY! SO GIVE ME A BREAK AND STOP SENDING ME SO MANY REMINDERS OF HOW UNHAPPY YOU ARE! Sincerely, Mary's body I saw the Orthopedic Surgeon yesterday and it looks like a new hip is needed. I will know soon when surgery will be scheduled in November 2026 (my choice, not the Docs). I need to have my support team in place for me and the farm.
So I will be putting together a plan as far as eggs and good things in jars for pick up at the farm while I am recovering. The process is real now, I have already started prehab and will continue with that right up to the date of surgery. I will try to do as much pickling as I can in the late summer into the early fall to build up my inventory. My request will be if you are a regular and are willing to buy more jars in bulk, that will be of help. I will have a limited list of what I plan to process this season and will have it completed by the time the market moves outside on June 6th. I remember making the Apron for Brandon. We had coffee for sale roasted by my Nephew Sean and we were selling whole chickens, lamb and meat from PT farm( now Montshire).
Brandon ran the booth on Saturdays as I was teaching gymnastics till 11:30 am. I would come to help Brandon clean up at noon time . We hadn't started selling GOOD THINGS IN JARS on a regular basis. It took me a while to develop a product line that I felt would sell well at the market. The picture came from the Contoocook Farmers Market Facebook Page and it makes me smile! Brandon's hat was washable ...which was good ....as many of his hats were made of polyester and nylon . I couldn't wash them and they smelled terrible....Brandon used to have 12 hats and he marked each of them with a month in magic marker. As of yesterday 3/30/2026 I had 6 lambs total, 2 black ram lambs, 1 white ram lamb, 2 while ewe lambs and 1 black ewe lamb. Now I have a newly arrived black ram lamb with a large white splotch on his head! I didn't think his first time mother was pregnant as she had had issues with parasites(worms) since the fall. Many times when a ewe is wormy, they don't get pregnant, but I guess I was wrong. Another interesting thing has happened.... two of the lambs are growing HORNS! Now this is not unusual with the Icelandic genetics in my flock. One of the lambs is Blue who is a ewe and whose mother is Allegro. The other is Maker who is a ram and his mother is Music. They have very black horns! Over the last two years none of the lambs have had horns, but before that I was getting lambs with horns at least once every other year.  The crocus have bloomed with the arrival of a new lamb! That title is a bit of an exaggeration as there are only 6 lambs! Luckily everyone of them is doing well, the twins had a bit of a sore mouth(which can be contagious), but that has cleared up and no other lambs had it. The twins had a difficult entry into life , as they were completely backwards and I needed the vet to deliver them. But they are now both thriving! Lambing is now complete! YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  One thing I have resolved to do is try to have a regular massage. I used to do it regularly and it helped my body quite a bit. But as with many things in my life I have to plan ahead and make sure the appointments get on the calendar next to my desk It is amazing how many things need to be done in the winter...that take so much longer and can sometimes feel overwhelming. But once the tasks are done you wonder why you felt overwhelmed. I find using the lists is much less stressful and it is satisfying when you checked a task off the list!  |
Mary Will Sussman Archives
August 2026
Categories |
RSS Feed