The Splendor of Spring in VT, Songbirds, Lady Slippers etc.

 There is so much to love about Spring in Vermont! Here is a sampling of photographs I have taken this month (May 2016) You can click on photos to see full screen image.

Baltimore Oriole

 Bumble Bee

Dark Eyed Junco collecting Dog fur from our door mat

Tiny Dog fur nest that the wind blew down

Blue Jay 

 Cardinal 

 Chipmunk eating an acorn

 Common Yellow Throat

 Common Yellow Throat

 Eastern Kingbird 

Fluffy Coltsfoot Seeds

 Lady Slipper Orchid

 Lady Slipper Orchid

 Proud Mam and Papa Canadian Geese

 Canadian Gosling

 Common Grackle

 First leaves

Heron

 House Sparrow

Female Red Winged Blackbird

 Killdeer

 Killdeer

 Sandpiper and Red Winged Blackbird

 New Leaves

 Raven

 Red Winged Blackbird

 Female Red Winged Blackbird

 Sandpiper & reflection

 Sandpiper

 Swallow

 Yellow Warbler

 Frogs eggs

Tadpole

Goat Barn Floor. Plus Flowers!

Despite my fall and spending the entire day at the ER Monday there has been some progress on the goat barn. Unfortunately I'm on crutches and off my feet for a while so I am out of the picture for a bit and that makes me sad.  Yesterday Don took the day off of work so he could help me with daily needs. While I was resting he and his helper Keith shiplapped the floor boards and got them nailed down. Now that the floor is laid out you can really get the sense of the size better now. I haven't seen it in person yet but I cant wait to get back out there.

 Keith took a photo of Don shiplapping the floor boards

The floor is done, now it's time to start on the walls. That is always my favorite part. 

Today is my first day alone since I fell and it's a bit challenging with the crutches. My ankle is continuing to swell so I really need to keep it up and iced. I have a follow up appointment with a Dr tomorrow and they are going to make a referral for physical therapy. I was feeling a bit lonely and depressed today when a delivery of flowers arrived. They were flowers that my 3 Stepdaughters ordered for me around Mother's day but they never arrived. Well today was perfect timing as I was feeling quite sad.

Here is the little nook that Don set up for me in the living room until I can climb the stairs again. Nice to be able to look out the window and be in the sunshine. 

Everything Was Going Fine, Until it Wasn't (ER Visit)

 It started out as a beautiful day and we had planned to get the floor down in the goat barn.

A tree company owed us some work so they came in the morning and were taking down some large pines and some oaks that were in the way where we wanted to build the chicken coop. The logger that is going to clear the goat pastures can't make it until June and those trees were really holding us up for building the chicken coop so we were grateful to have them taken down at no cost. 

I felt kind of sad to see the large pines go so I whispered a prayer of gratitude to them

Just as they were about to take down the largest pine with a few twisted trunks it was time to take the 3 small dogs to the vet for their checkup. 

After their check up, on our way out of the Vets office Nikko got away from us and was running towards busy Rte 5. I was terrified he would get hurt so I took off after him and fell badly, all my weight folding over on my ankle to miss landing on the smallest dog, Toshi. 

We had to bring the dogs back home before we could go to the ER. When we got to our house the tree crew had the road blocked off and we had to ask them to move their equipment. I had already blacked out twice in the car and was having trouble cognitively. Don was wondering how hard I hit my head. We headed down to the ER and everything went black again and I was in this semi aware state. When I opened my eyes I could not longer see. Everything was just bright white light. At that point I felt very confused, and very nauseated. 

     

Yay! Not Broken.

After spending the rest of the day in the ER, having x-rays and an EKG we found out that it was a nasty sprain but I did not break my ankle again. Yay!!! That was awesome news. They felt the vision problems and fainting were caused by a vasovagal syncope episode. So off I went with a wrapped ankle (it was too swollen for an air cast), crutches and instructions to not bear weight on the ankle and to keep it elevated for a few days. Then they want me to follow up with my PCP for a referral to PT.  

Don put the guest bed in the LR since I couldn't climb the stairs. Niko, the pup that started this by running off at the Vets office, slept  with me in the living room bed and was very clingy and nervous all night. He knew things were not right. 

Needless to say not a stitch of work got done on the goat barn so Don took the day off today to be here for me and to work on the barn. 

Building the Goat Barn Day 2

Today was the second day working on the goat barn. Neither of us felt that great and because it was raining I was having a bit of a pain flare up so we were both moving more slowly than yesterday. We had some young helpers stop buy for a few minutes and Lukas got to try out Don's power tools. That was a big hit! 

 Working on the bracing for the footing

 Great team work! Until I slipped and hit his finger. Oh yes I did lol

 Screwing off the bracing for the girder and footing

Feeling a bit under the weather but giving it a go anyway

 The boss man inspecting the girder and footing

 After all the puzzle pieces are joined

 Screwing through the rim joist to the braces

 Those screws are 50 cents a piece!

 Shaving down a board with the skill saw

 Doubling up the girder

 The work crew for day 2 arrived just before lunch,  Lukas and his sister AnnaB

 Lukas got right to work with the power tools. Hey, wait, I thought that was MY job!!

 Katie and the kiddos checking out the project. 

One floor joist set and then it was lunch time.

After lunch Don laid down on the couch with Toshi. Then his brother, Niko, climbed into my lap and put on his cutest "Cuddle me" face. How could we possibly go back out in the rain to work after that???

We did end up heading back over after lunch but we definitely felt off. I hope we're not getting the stomach bug that has been going around. We got the floor joists nailed off but when it came to lugging the floor boards down from the barn loft and cutting them we just didn't have the energy so we called it a day. Hopefully we will both feel better tomorrow.

Bye for now :-)