Yep, it did take a few days for me to kind of recover. Not complaining, just a little tired. Of course, I also got my flu shot while I was there. I didn’t want to get it before the procedure in case I had a reaction. My only reaction was a sore arm the next day and being extra tired. I can deal with that. I sure don’t want to get sick. It seems like everyone I talk to either is sick or was just sick. Ugh!

Guess what? We got our first spring egg. Remember I told you Will had put a light in the chicken coop and I’d upped their protein to 18%? Well, it worked! Yesterday Will came in bearing our first egg! I was so excited, especially at the current price of eggs at the store. Walmart’s medium “regular” eggs are now almost $5 a dozen. Holy cow!

Here’s our first egg, after installing a light and upping the protein in the feed.

As our seed catalogs are now out, we’re getting lots of seed requests daily. Fortunately, our friends, Mike, Dara, and Sherri, came on Friday to package seeds. And they’re planning on coming tomorrow too, to get us caught up. Thank God for such good friends!

Mittens and Will take a break from packing seeds. Mittens is the supervisor.

Will saw three of the young wolves on the beaver pond this morning. Earlier, I’d seen one. I think they’re hanging around because of rodents in the tall swamp grass around the pond. Sarge looks out the window and says “Wolf! Wolf!” in a certain voice. But he doesn’t get crazy with it. The dogs really don’t want to tangle with them again.

Hang in there. Spring’s on the way.
It won’t be long before we’re seeing daffodils!

Think spring! It’s just around the corner. Flowers, gardens and vegetables, hooray! — Jackie

61 COMMENTS

  1. I’m happy you are on the mend, Miss Jackie! And I am glad you have such good friends to help you…we need more people like them. Will…you look so comfy in that chair 😁

    • That’s his (and Mittens’) happy place. We are really blessed to have such good friends. And we try to play that back when harvest time comes, in lots of vegetables.

  2. So glad to hear your procedure went well! Thank The Lord in all things! take carein resting, you deserve it! our bright ,Cold sunny days are disappearing into the wintery snow season here in the pacific northwest. so relieved your wolves are content with the rodent depopulation. out here ranchers lose stock to regular wolf kills. sent off my seed order , even though im months from being able to sow. good to see Will reclining to relax. you both are always so busy! take care!

    • Thanks Mary! Believe me, I do thank the Lord every day. Remember I’m a cancer survivor (20 years now), among other things. I don’t take anything for granted!
      Yep, wolves do get in trouble. I think having our big dogs out and around helps that, as well as our mule from Hell, Domino.

  3. Happy to hear the good news! You just had major surgery so remember not to overdo it, it’s easy to forget – I know because I’ve had 2 cardiac procedures. Rest up and a quick recovery to you🥰

    • It’s pretty funny, actually. We’d planned the procedure for our “down” time. Then the catalog came out and whee, off we went. It’s all well, though. When I “hit my wall” I quit. Believe me.

  4. Jackie, Im so glad the heart valve procedure went well. I was praying for you. Seems as we age more parts break down. Fortunately, a lot can be replaced or repaired now. I’m hoping to get chickens this spring or early summer. We eat a lot of eggs, cheap protein for us. The prices are too high and I doubt that the farmers are getting the money. I’m going to be sending my seed order this weekend. I’ve been going through my seeds. I’ve got a bunch to do germination tests on. Then a bunch to start that take a long time to grow. We got a 90 day growing period here but we got snow and freezing temperatures on the last two days of June and first of July. I love living in the mountains of Idaho but the weather can be really strange. Please continue to get better and I’ll keep praying for you.

    • Thanks for your prayers!! I know what you mean about snow in the mountains. We lived at 7,600 feet, in Montana. Mom and Dad drove from Michigan to visit us the first of July. Yep, I had the garden in. We’d planned on going to the big, open meadow on the side of the mountains to see the far-away fireworks in Helena on the Fourth. Yeah, right. We got six inches of heavy snow, instead!! I hope you can get your chickens. I’d be lost without ours.

  6. Super news on the successful surgery! And such good friends who help out in times of need are a real blessing. Yes, regardless of the cold Spring is on it’s way. More wind this January than I can remember. Time to get some cole seedlings under way!

    • We’ve also had a lot of wind. Not so bad, though, as we have a small wind generator on the storge barn. Wind equals electricity. I’d rather have sun though!! We’ve had such a dark, dreary winter so far.

  7. So glad to hear that surgery’s over and you are on the mend!! Take it slow (as much as you can😀) and get better!!!

  8. I’m so very happy you are on the mend! That is the best news!
    I love the picture of the gorgeous flowers. I can’t wait till they bloom again. Thank goodness for my helabores that are blooming so prolifically.
    That makes me just a little uneasy with wolves so close to your house and livestock and DOGS.
    I love the picture of mittens and Will getting some rest
    Take care.

    • Wow, your hellebores are blooming? Mine are under the snow so far.
      We are very careful about the wolves. The cows are in an acre of lot, fenced with cattle panels. Next to them are our horses and mule, which is hell on anything canine. She wouldn’t just protect the cows, she’d eat the wolves for breakfast, she’s that fierce. We watch the dogs, not letting them out too long at a time and keeping them closer to home.

  9. I am so glad to hear that you are doing well and the heart TAVR went very well. Now you can enjoy your life again! We had the coyotes for the 1st time in a long time last night fussing over something. Boy they are loud in the middle of the night.

    • And coyotes sure sound creepy. Although I know they don’t hurt people, I remember one night on the farm, bringing in the milk cows at dark, on foot, from the back pasture. (I was out on a veterinary call and didn’t get back to milk and they had given up on me, I guess.) While walking home through a narrow swale, they started howling only feet to one side of me. Boy, did my hair stand up straight!!

  10. So glad you procedure went well! We used to have chickens, but we moved and have no place for them. Miss those yummy eggs!

      • Most but not all.. We’re blessed to have a local supplier as well as a store who doesn’t expect the supplier to sell below their cost (yes Walmart – I’m talking about you – dad Sam raised some greedy ass kids).

  12. Glad your surgery went well…..Crazy egg prices. I miss having chickens, but I do have a lady that I can but from when her chickens are laying well and she has extras…..When I can get fresh eggs from her this summer and I am going to water glass quite a few and see how that helps in the winter. I do have No 10 cans of dried eggs which is great for baking.
    Crazy weather here in Utah, rain and snowlast weekend, cold now, with sun and next week we are going to be in the 50’s, I think Mother nature is a bit confused…..Starting to think about my garden and will start tomatoes and peppers indoors….Have some new ideas to help me raise more vegetables in my patio garden…..Will see how it goes…

    • I had a wonderful friend who raised vegetables in five-gallon buckets with holes drilled in the bottom, on her deck and patio. It sure works!
      We’ve had confusing weather too. Down to the single digits one day and in two more, it was 32. Above zero.

  13. Cats are always helping – just ask them.
    My area is fortunate to have a local egg supplier – free range organic (there are no secrets in a small town). They are only $.50 a dozen more than store brand – not Wally but their store brand is a couple pennies more expensive than Wally. The local eggs are so much better.
    Glad you’re on the mend with no issues. When we actually had a CDC that could do their job, recommendation is to get the pneumococcal shot at a younger age. You won’t be calling me Typhoid Mary.

    • Me neither. I’ve had my pneumonia, flu and Covid shots. I’d rather have a vaccination than get sick. Or worse. Yes, I believe in vaccinations. Remember, I was a veterinarian tech for 24 years and was married to a bacteriologist with a degree in vet medicine. I learned a lot about bacteria and vaccines. There wasn’t so much uninformed crap flying around before the internet either. When I got my first Covid vaccination, one guy said I wasn’t human anymore because the vaccination had changed my DNA. Holy Cow!!

      • You can’t fix stupid is all I can say. I have relatives who think they “aren’t at risk because they aren’t out much”. Well yeah, they ARE out a lot. All I can say is these relatives know if they infect my father, their a$$ is gra$$. It will not be pleasant.
        I cannot believe those who lived through the polio epidemic are so anti-vax.

        • Very true. People are so quick to forget, aren’t they? My flu shot timing wasn’t the greatest but here I am, up and at ’em. Yep, I can still get the flu but at least I have hopes I won’t be in the ER with it!

  14. I’m so glad your valve replacement went well and your home doing what you can.
    I’m glad you got an egg and hopefully more to come.
    I’ve upped my chickens protein to 18% as well and have a light on for about 15 hours.
    It seems like mine took turns molting and have had quite an array of feathers from time to time.
    Looks like Mittens makes a great supervior on Will’s chair lol
    I’m glad Sarge and the other dogs don’t mess with the wolves.
    Their hungry and looking for food I’m sure.
    I’m thankful you have had help with the seed packets getting done.
    This helps a lot.
    I’m looking forward to when I can get my order sent in.
    Have a great night and blessed week.

    • Thanks Cindy! We’re blessed with friends and help, like Mittens, who always makes sure we’re doing things right.
      The dogs have only tangled with wolves once and didn’t get bitten up too badly. Sarge has a big bite, and I can’t help but think the wolves might have thought the better of fighting with them.

    • I’m still a little shaky when I do too much, but the pain in my groin is much better and I feel better every day.

  16. Glad you are doing ok, keep it up! We are averaging 2 eggs a day out of 10 hens for about the last ten days. I use a rechargeable LED light and put it out about 3:30 and recover it and do a last egg ch elk at 9:30 with dawn up to about 8 AM! Early in the winter they molted so heavily the coop looked like I bedded it with feathers!

    • Ha ha!! So did ours. I mean our hens were indecently naked! Boy did they look horrid when the feathers started growing in again.
      I love the rechargeable LEDs. I have two flashlights in the house and we use them here and there, where needed. Much cheaper than running the generator!

  18. So glad you’re doing well. I told my husband I’m ready for spring. He laughed. I need to go thru seeds and order. I sew all winter but I must tell you I’ve really done enough.

    • Yep, sometimes enough is just plain enough! I’m already writing in my garden planning notebook. Spring comes pretty fast some years.

  19. Glad to have this Post Op report. Just relieved and Thankful. Know that all your friends and family are and have been praying for you and Will during this time

    • And boy, do we appreciate it so much!! Everything looks great so far. I go see the cardiology team tomorrow for a checkup but look forward to a good report. I do feel well.

  20. I’m so happy you’re doing ok. I have thought of you a few times over the past week and was so relived to see your update today. Healing thoughts and prayers sent your way.

    • Thanks Kathi! Every day I’m feeling better. But I really try not to over-do things. Sometimes it’s hard to rest. I’ve learned when I need to, I must. Had my week-out check today and all is well. I’m sure glad to hear that.

  21. Good to hear from you, I was beginning to get concerned. Thank you God for watching over our Jackie. Take care and your friends are golden.

    • Sorry to have worried you Sue. At first I was just so tired and then we got hugely busy. (A very good thing!!) Our friends are more valuable than gold or gems!! And God sure watches over us all.

  22. I’m happy to hear about your recovery. Rest when can and let your body heal. Spring will come.

  23. Whew! Glad your procedure went well and you’re home. Thank you for letting us know as I have been wondering. Thank the Good Lord for watching over you. Blessings.

    • Believe me I daily give thanks to God for all our blessings, especially being able to have a new valve through the TAVR procedure, which makes recuperation so easy and fast.

  24. I’m so glad your surgery went well and you are home and mending! I had to look up what your surgery involved…..I remain awed by what surgeons can do in such a small space!

    Roxanne Camp

    • Boy, isn’t that the truth!! I can’t even figure out how that tiny camera in one artery could even SEE what was going on, let alone guide the big catheter with the new valve into place. Much better than having to be split open, for sure!!

  25. So glad to hear all went well. Sent our order in today. So happy you’ve got such great friends to help! Bless them!

    • We are so very grateful for the help and caring of our friends. We also try to play that forward, where we can. Life would be so much better if folks could just learn to get along and help each other, rather than spewing hatred!!

  26. So good to hear from you. Take it slow, let your body focus on the healing inside, and you’ll soon be awesome again.

  27. So glad everything went well. May you continue to improve daily. Gotta lot of gardening to do. Springtime is just around the bend.

    • Yes, it is and boy am I excited. We’ve got a couple low-tech gardening tools we’re going to try and work into our setup. I’ll be planting the first pepper seeds in just two weeks!!!

  28. Oh my gosh, Jackie- I didn’t know about the valve until this popped up in a internet search. I’m glad you are ok. I hope you feel stronger and get to 100% in no time! -Amy Snow

    • Yep, I’m feeling better each day! But boy am I glad that’s over, regardless of how “easy” a procedure it was. It’s creepy, thinking of doctors messing around inside your heart!!

    • Yep, I sure am glad to be improving daily. It’s great when spring is just around the corner (kind of). Lol

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