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Post by Mini Mia on Mar 14, 2019 11:19:51 GMT -6
I am without lights. They went out a few hours ago. It’s 71F in the house. Normally I would have been okay with that, before the hot flashes. I still have screens in my bedroom and kitchen windows, even though they have holes in them, so I cracked them a tiny bit. Plus the screenless window in the bathroom. Desperate times calls for desperate measures. We have high winds, so just a crack is good enough. I’m using a battery backup to charge my phone now. I’ll use the airplane mode once I’m done checking here and social media.
Laters.
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Post by Mini Mia on Mar 14, 2019 16:19:31 GMT -6
And the lights are back on! Just as I started reading the acknowledgments. I’ll finish the read after I eat something. I’m starving. I didn’t want to open the refrigerator and freezer, just in case the lights stayed off a day or so. Laters.
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Post by Phalon on Mar 15, 2019 7:56:03 GMT -6
Glad your electricity came back on! The brunt of the storm missed us - it rolled right passed actually. I was at the tax accountant's, trying to figure out how the funds that my brother left in my name for my other brother's kids' educations, wouldn't screw up my taxes next year as much as it screwed them up this year (urgh!). The office has a huge plate glass window, and we watched these jet-black clouds roll in off the lake - not just move in, but roll like an avalanche would. It was fascinatingly beautiful, but scary at the same time. We just got a bunch of rain, but a couple of tornadoes hit mid-state.
It's a lot colder this morning - mid-thirties now, and the rain is falling as a sleety, icy mix.
I've got to figure out this CBD ointment for eczema stuff today. The brand I ordered came yesterday; I had it sent here, because of Michigan's laws vs Indiana's laws, although I don't see the issue since there's no THC in it, but better safe than sorry. Anyway...after all the research I did to find out which brands were reputable, the stuff comes and it says on the box 'do not use on face or broken skin'. Why did it not say this in the description online?? Of course, LX's eczema has to be on her face also. And WTF? - eczema is broken skin. I called the company's customer service, and wasn't satisfied with what they told me; it was as if they were making up stuff on the spot. There's another brand that I was considering that offers a face cream along with another cream that specifically says it's the most popular with eczema sufferers, and gets very good reviews -it was my second choice only because it's way more expensive than what I originally ordered - and none of this stuff is cheap. Can't stand to see my kid suffer though, and she's not in a financial position to do this herself right now.
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Post by Mini Mia on Mar 15, 2019 11:40:59 GMT -6
About a year or so ago, my inner right eye was getting scaly, with hard crusts. I was told it was eczema/dermatitis, and to use hydrocortisone cream. When it first popped up, it was when I was using a hot washcloth on what I thought was a sty. It started out being really hard dry crust in the corner on my eye, and has spread to the inner eyelid. But, the last few months my other eye is now doing the same thing. I hate crap in the corners of my eyes, so I'm digging at it constantly.
I stopped using the hydrocortisone a little while ago when I discovered it can cause glaucoma. Now I'm trying to find something else to use in it's place. Thinking of getting coconut oil. I sometimes use Vaseline on my eyes. I did try ACV, but had to be very careful not to get in the eyes. It seemed to work well, but it didn't get rid of it, which is what I was hoping.
Today is in the 40s, but the rest of the week is supposed to be in the 50s/60s during the day, and 30s/40s during the night. I know that can change back to Winter though. Even when the temps are warm, the breeze is still quite chilly.
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Post by Phalon on Mar 16, 2019 9:08:17 GMT -6
Unfortunately, I know a ton about this stuff. Dermatitis is a broad term that basically applies to any skin rash. Eczema is a type of dermatitis, and there are also many types of eczema. LX has atopic eczema, which is a life-long auto-immune disease that usually first appears in childhood (she was less than 2 years old when her first flare happened); there is no cure. Interestingly, asthma and atopic eczema are linked; many people who have one disease often have the other. Basically it's a person's immune system gone haywire - it overreacts to almost anything, from emotions such as stress, to dust, to changes in the weather, and causes the rash. It's harder to treat than some other types of eczema because it's not just a skin problem, it's an immune system dysfunction. LX's was so bad last year on her legs that her doctor had tears in her eyes when she saw it; she looked like a burn victim. If you looked at the worst picture on-line of eczema (and there are an abundance of gross ones), that is what her legs looked like. Unless you've had eczema most of your life, and since it's only on your eyelids, it sounds as if you might have contact eczema. Something you're coming in contact with - either by eating, something in the air like dust, allergens, something you're using such as laundry soap, face soap, jewelry, dog hair, anything at all really - is causing your skin to react. And wait for it....yes, menopause can bring on eczema also. Hormonal changes can affect your immune system, sending it out of whack. Your eczema flares could be caused by something you've always been exposed to, but is now affecting you differently because of the changes brought on by menopause. No, no, no! Scratching, digging, and rubbing is the worst thing you can do, no matter how much it itches!!! Hydrocortisone treats the rash, but like any other topical cream, it doesn't eliminate the cause. Coconut oil might help (you can buy it in the baking aisle at the grocery store, which is a lot less expensive than if you bought it in the cosmetic section - it's literally the same stuff); same for Vaseline - but only if your eczema is scaly and not a red, weepy, angry-looking flare. The red Eczema flare-ups like to breathe; Vaseline and coconut oil won't allow that. Other recommended lotions are Moisturel, Aquaphor, and Eucerin. Colloidal oatmeal (you can buy it in the medical section of the grocery or drugstore) is also good for helping the itch and rash, but if you're using it in a cream form, make sure it doesn't have a fragrance added. Anything with any fragrance is a no-no - use fragrance-free laundry detergent, fragrance-free soap, lotions, and fragrance-free anything else that comes into contact with your body. Both All and Tide make a "free" laundry detergent that has no fragrance or dyes added. Unscented Dove bar soap was always what the doctors recommended for LX, but her last dermatologist suggested that might even be too harsh, so now she uses unscented Dove Baby Body Wash, which is milder, and she's had a lot of success with it. Remember that hot water is the enemy!!! Use only lukewarm water to wash your face. I hope some of this helps you, Joxie, because not only is eczema annoying, but when the flare-up are bad, it becomes a very painful condition. I've watched LX just sit there and weep because her whole body was bright red, inflamed, and on fire. I called the other CBD oil company yesterday, and the woman I spoke with was very helpful. I was unsure which product to buy - either the face/eye cream (since LX's eczema is under control now, except for on her face), or the cream most bought by eczema sufferers. She explained the difference, (the eczema cream is heavier, and therefore might clog facial pores) and is sending free samples of both creams for LX to try. She's has eczema as does her daughter, and has used both creams for the both of them (eczema, btw, like asthma can be caused by a hereditary gene) with luck. kushcreams.com/ We had snow last night; right now the temperature is in the mid-30s. It was bright and sunny though earlier, with a few wispy white clouds in a blue sky. Now, we're back to dark gray clouds, with just a tiniest bit of blue sky still showing. It's supposed to be cloudy all day, but they've taken snow out of the forecast.
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Post by Phalon on Mar 16, 2019 9:45:24 GMT -6
Oh, and btw, there are two fairly new eczema drugs available with prescription now, both of them steroid-free....both of them very expensive. The dermatologist tried to get LX on the prescription cream - I think it's called Elidel, if I remember right - but our insurance, which I always thought had great coverage, denied it because of the expense, and because steroids are much cheaper (bastards!). The other is a self-injection twice a month - Dupixent - but, although it's used for both asthma and eczema so there's a better chance of insurance approving it (it's $1700 a month - for life) LX's doctor is hesitant for her to try it for a couple of reasons: finally she's on an asthma maintenance regimen that is not causing Sjogren's flares (allergy and asthma medicines usually contain antihistimines which have the exact opposite effect you want when you have Sjogren's). One of the major common side-effect of Dupixent is extremely dry eyes and mouth; two of Sjogren's symptoms. The other reason is it's a life-long drug, and the doctor thinks LX is too young to be on something for the rest of her life that has so many potential side-effects.
Maybe too drastic for you to try now? Just thought I'd mention it in case.
I sometimes wonder if LX has asthma, ezcema, and Sjogren's because she was born three weeks early - not early enough to be considered premature, and she was healthy at birth. Wondering though, if her immune system wasn't quite ready for her to be born. My brother and Hubs' brother both had/have asthma, so it isn't unusual for one of our kids to have it, but dang, she was dealt a sh!tty hand.
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Post by Mini Mia on Mar 17, 2019 0:11:03 GMT -6
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Post by Phalon on Mar 17, 2019 9:00:30 GMT -6
I watched the videos, and the young woman in the first video nailed it when she described how eczema affects a person's life. People who don't have it, or some who have it but not severely, often think - oh, it's just a rash; it'll go away. When the flares are severe though, and persistent, it can be debilitating both physically and mentally.
She also touched on points about why it's so difficult to treat, but she didn't go into much depth on it - eczema, and its triggers, treatments and remedies that work are different for every person who has it. LX has tried much (but not all) of what the woman mentioned with varying degrees of success. The basics are the same for everyone though - stay away from hot water, the sun, anything with chemicals or synthetics, and try to avoid scratching the itch, no matter who intense it is (LX has often gone to bed with cotton socks or gloves on her hands so she doesn't scratch in her sleep).
BP, the one who takes a more holistic and natural approach to health and skin care than LX, (she suffers no chronic ailments, and has beautiful skin) used to use apple cider vinegar as a face wash for quite a while. I don't think she uses it anymore though - I haven't seen it around here in a long time.
Yesterday afternoon looked beautiful - it was one of those cases though when looks can be deceiving. It turned bright and sunny, and the temperature got into the high 30s. There was just a slight wind, and dang!, it felt cold as hell outside, especially downtown where it's like a wind tunnel directly off the lake.
The birds are signalling spring is coming though - yesterday, I saw the first robin in our yard, though I've heard them close by for a couple of weeks, and Xena Sis had that flock in her yard. A redwing blackbird made its appearance too, and this morning - a bluebird!
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Post by moonglum on Mar 18, 2019 6:03:13 GMT -6
At last, we are back online. We've been without internet for nearly two weeks now. Don't believe the adverts that tell you it's easy to switch providers. It isn't! First, we had no phone but we did have internet. Then they came to fix that and left us with no phone or internet. Finally an engineer had to put right everything the first three engineers had cocked-up. I really did scream at one point. Now the arguments over why I'm not paying the first months rental begin.
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Post by moonglum on Mar 19, 2019 2:17:09 GMT -6
The wind seems to have abated now. We've had gale force winds all last week. It is all calm and quiet now. It is about 8C at the moment and the weather people predict highs of 13-14C for the week ahead.
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Post by Phalon on Mar 19, 2019 11:09:54 GMT -6
Glad your internet is up and running. Had a bit of that wanting-to-pull-out-my-hair-by-the-roots and scream thing going on here this morning - actually more than just a bit. Was checking our on-line banking this morning and noticed a very weird, somewhat large, charge to our checking account. I was able to look up the company on-line and it was not one I'd ever purchased anything from; neither Hubs or BP knew anything about it either. I tried to find out how to contact customer service of this company; their website said to either contact them through their on-line chat, on Facebook, or Twitter (which is weird to me also). On my banking page, there was a number attached to the charge that had the right number of digits to be a phone number, so I called - it was a 3rd party billing service that said to go to their website for customer service. I looked them up on-line also, and again there was no actual number to call other than the one I'd just called, which (obviously for the hell of it) I called again....and was again directed to their website. Urgh!
I went right to the bank, and they filled out the paperwork to dispute the charge (which requires investigation, and it could take 2 to 6 weeks), then had to cancel my credit/debit card so nothing else can go through on it. The woman at the bank says it happens all the time - sometimes it's random (there are hackers who have continuously running programs that will run through sequences of numbers until they get a match), or it could be a retailer on-line or in person that you've used who's kept your number, or someone who's stolen your mail. Very few times does the bank ever figure out how or who has used the card.
Then of course, after all that, I had to go back and change the few accounts that automatically deduct monthly payments from on that account - internet provider, Netflix, etc.
What a pain-in-the-@ss! But hey, the sun is shining!!!
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Post by Mini Mia on Mar 21, 2019 3:35:29 GMT -6
Unless you've had eczema most of your life, and since it's only on your eyelids, it sounds as if you might have contact eczema. Something you're coming in contact with - either by eating, something in the air like dust, allergens, something you're using such as laundry soap, face soap, jewelry, dog hair, anything at all really - is causing your skin to react.
I can't think of anything I'm doing differently ... or that I changed when this first started happening. I've stopped using the CerVu face wash, but nothing but ACV has tamed it.
Great. I wonder if this is also yet another thing that will also be due to gained weight. Everything else going on with me says that.
I just so happen to have a store brand (Equate) of Aquaphor/Eucerin. I bought some coconut oil, but it doesn't seem to work as well as the store brand A/E. Any laundry detergent that included bleach always causes me to itch. I'm thinking of using hydrogen peroxide in place of bleach.
What? What did you SAY? Sorry, you're breaking up. I think we have a bad connection. I'll just have to talk to you later when I'm in a better area.
Thankfully, mine is dry and scaly and isn't anything like what LX is going through. Poor sweetie. I'm glad you found a helpful company, and hopefully they'll have just what LX needs.
From what I've found online, what I have messes with the eyes. I go back and forth between being near-sighted and far-sighted. I've changed prescriptions a couple of times. Plus, about a year ago I noticed I have a hard time reading the speedometer. I have to hold my hand up as a blinder to my left/good eye to stop the glare. So, I drive one-handed every time I'm checking and changing my speed.
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Post by moonglum on Mar 22, 2019 2:09:47 GMT -6
Spring seems to be slowly making an appearance. Our pear tree is starting to bud. Temps have been up in the teens this week and the night temps have been around 6-7C. Actually took the dogs out yesterday without wearing a coat. How reckless was that.
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Post by Phalon on Mar 22, 2019 7:20:49 GMT -6
Menopause is a wonderful thing, isn't it? Pfft. Everyday you wake up, and it's something new. It reminds me of that Dorothy Parker quote, "What fresh hell is this?"
I use Oxy-Clean Free (no chlorine, no dyes, or fragrances) instead of bleach, along with my regular laundry detergent, with good results. Mom swore by white vinegar in the laundry; I've used that too on occasion - it whitens whites, brighten colors, and is great for getting out any soap residue that laundry soap sometimes leaves behind. It works great, but I find though, that it sometimes requires an extra rinse cycle to get the vinegary smell out (unless you use hot water to wash).
I hope so too! The samples came the other day; the kids are coming to visit this weekend, so I'll give them to her then. After all the on-line stuff, btw, I drove by the Family Video store the other day, and their marquee said "We now carry CBD products!". I haven't stopped in to look yet, but I will just to see what they have.
I've been using the first ointment I got; I ordered two tubes, one just to keep around the house since it's supposed to be good for so many things. I'm amazed at the difference after just one week of using it on my feet. I've had these weird patches on my feet for years, probably 15 or so years. They are kind of like calluses, but different, and they're exactly the same on both feet - about a dime-size patch of very rough, scaly, thickened skin on the top of my big toes, and the same type of patch on each outside ankle that is about an inch long, and about a 1/4 inch wide. They're from my shoes, and walking nearly nonstop every day at work. The skin is discolored, like a very, very dark tan, and sometimes so rough my socks get caught on them; other times the patches will crack and hurt, feeling like dozens of paper-cuts. Over the years, I've tried every moisturizer, medicated cream, exfoliant, petroleum jelly, and whatever I can find to get rid of them, but nothing has worked - except this CBD ointment. The roughness is now gone, and instead of being dark skin, it looks like new skin after a scab falls off. I don't know if the patches continue to go away, or get worse again once I get back to work in a week, and am on my feet all day, but so far, this is the best my feet have looked and felt in years!
I'm envious. I can't wait to go without a winter coat! It's been in the 20s here in the mornings, and maybe in the high 30s/low 40s during the day.
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Post by stepper on Dec 21, 2019 11:09:20 GMT -6
Happy Winter Solstice Everyone! And in case you haven't experienced it yet, Happy Winter Too!
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Post by Mini Mia on Dec 21, 2019 23:34:39 GMT -6
Didn't feel like Winter here today. I bundled up and had to take it off I was sweating so much.
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Post by Phalon on Dec 22, 2019 9:01:58 GMT -6
Happy Winter Solstice to you too.
It's been winter here, off and on, since Halloween! And to tell the truth, I hadn't even given it a notice that I was still posting in the Autumn thread!
Same. Yesterday got into the 40s, with lots of sunshine. The forecast looks pretty much the same for the upcoming week. No White Christmas for us this year!
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Post by Mini Mia on Dec 22, 2019 20:23:47 GMT -6
The temps according to my local weather app:
12/23 -- 58/32 ---- Update ---- 63/33 12/24 -- 59/40 ---- Update ---- 60/40 12/25 -- 62/51 ---- 12/26 -- 62/45 ---- Update ---- 63/46 12/27 -- 57/45 ---- 12/28 -- 60/43 ---- Update ---- 60/47 12/29 -- 49/35 ---- Update ---- 50/35 12/30 -- 43/35 ---- Update ---- 42/31 12/31 -- 50/32 ---- Update ---- 47/32
It's 47 right now, but will drop to the mid 30s. The high today was 56. Nice weather to walk to the mailbox. If I could do something about the foot pain, I'd walk up to Mom's house, or Church, and back.
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Post by Mini Mia on Dec 23, 2019 13:50:53 GMT -6
Last night it sounded like a dog was being murdered at the back of my house. Mom’s dog hadn’t been out in a while, and when she let me know she wanted to go, I refused to let her. I waited a few hours, and then I grabbed the heavy-duty baseball bat next to my bed and we went out. I tried to get her to come back in after she squatted next to the porch, but she’s much braver when I’m out there to ‘protect’ her, so off into the darkness she ran. Usually she’s barking out in the darkness, but she remained silent. I heard a whimpering-like sound coming from the back of the house a few times, and a dog would bark every now and again from neighboring houses. Mom’s dogs barked at them once or twice, and I told her to shut up.
I started telling her I wasn’t going to stay out all night, and searched for her in the darkness. I finally saw her dark form in the yard in front of me, and told her to come on. And then the coyote started in again just a field away from us. She starts barking and I yelled for her to get her butt back into the house. She took her time, barking as she came towards me, and acting like she could take them on no problem. I started praying that God would give her some sense, and make her aware that I can not save her from everything she goes after or that comes after her. I don’t know how she survived the outside when she was an outside dog. Silly girl.
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Post by Mini Mia on Dec 23, 2019 14:01:35 GMT -6
Oh. I have neighbors on the other side of the trees and field behind my house, so I’m assuming the whimpering dog belonged to them. Sound carries at night, so critters can sound closer than they are. I did wonder if it was a coyote trying to peak interest form Mom’s dog, but she paid no attention to it. I only heard the whimpering a few times. And later on a bark came from that direction. I don’t know why the coyote are up this far, I don’t think the backwater is up. I remember life before those buggers swam across the river to claim new territory. We had very little to fear when outside at night.
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Post by Mini Mia on Dec 23, 2019 14:27:08 GMT -6
Yikes! It is 64 outside, but feels like 63. If Christmas Day is warmer than predicted, it’ll be in the 70s! (Or not.) Right now the sun is baking my house, and it is 72 in here. As long as I don’t move, I’m fine ... but I may have to turn the a/c on soon. Before the hot flashes, this would still be too cold for me. I’d love a happy medium. I’m thinking I’ll walk to the mailbox while it’s nice outside.
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Post by Phalon on Dec 24, 2019 8:29:40 GMT -6
That sound of a coyote is one of the eeriest sounds in nature, in my opinion. It literally bristles the hairs on the back of my neck. How come coyotes don't sound like they do in the movies - just a simple howl?
Every once in a great while, I'll hear one screaming in the ravine - I think they travel the creek. They are very common in the rural areas around here, but like lots of wild animals, I'm sure, they might be more frequent in town than I realize. I don't know what Quetta - or what I would do if she came face-to-face with a coyote.
I do know though, what would happen if she came face-to-face with a fox! This fall, I kept seeing two red foxes in our neighborhood - often in daylight. I only saw one at a time, but knew there were two because one of them was taller and had a might brighter red coat than the other.
One morning, I was sitting on the back porch drinking coffee, watching the sun come up, and the birds at the feeder. Quetta had finished her rounds of the yard, and was laying on the grass just off the porch, when the smaller fox came running around the corner of the house. I'm like 'oh, sh!t!!!'. The fox didn't see Quetta at first, and Quetta didn't see the fox - it ran right up to her before stopping about a foot away. They were both surprised, and stared at each other for a few seconds, wondering what to do. After that moment of surprise, the fox turned and ran back the way it came, and across the street. Quetta gave chase right up to the parkway, and stopped at the street. She listens when called; I have to say that. It all happened so fast, she had already gotten to the curb before I had a chance to yell her name. Actually, it was more like a screech than a yell - one so terrifying, it could make even a coyote's hair bristle. It stopped her dead in her tracks.
It's 30 degrees here right now, and with clear skies, we got a very heavy frost overnight. It was so thick, when I got up this morning before it was completely light outside, I thought it had snowed. The frost is the closest were going to get to a White Christmas though (I do love snow at Christmas); it's supposed to be 50 degrees tomorrow!
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Post by Mini Mia on Dec 25, 2019 0:18:23 GMT -6
I've read/seen/heard somewhere that when the coyote do that screaming, it's because they've killed something. Not sure if they're calling the others to dinner, warning other critters to stay away, or celebrating their fallen meal.
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Post by Mini Mia on Dec 25, 2019 1:11:06 GMT -6
The coyote started screaming in my backyard again. This time I got up to see what they were up to. As soon as I turned on the back porch light it got quiet. I saw some movement along the edge of the trees that circle my house. I opened the back door a crack and smelled a skunk. I wonder if they eat skunk? I still have three feral cats that live in my back yard. They've survived a few years so far. They're all that's left of the 50 to 60 cats I used to have every summer. By October I'd have around 30, and by February I'd have around 10 to 15 ... and then they'd breed and I'd have around 50 to 60 cats over the summer again. I haven't had kittens on my back porch since the birth of the kitten who ate the other, smaller kittens. He disappeared when he got full grown, but I'm assuming he's still out there ... or I have other tom cats that eat kittens. I had several cats get pregnant over and over and over again from Spring to Autumn, but never saw any kittens, and the population didn't grow. I'm really surprised these three have survived so long. I've had two batches of cats just disappear, and when these three are gone, I'm done with feeding strays. I can't catch them to take them to the vet, and if I could, I don't have the money to deal with them ... so I'm done when these are gone. People drop them off, and I wish them nothing but bad karma.
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Post by Mini Mia on Dec 26, 2019 13:24:42 GMT -6
It’s 67F outside. I didn’t check yesterday’s temps, as I didn’t take my phone with me to my sister’s house. It was very warm though.
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Post by Phalon on Dec 27, 2019 6:11:22 GMT -6
I drilled...coyotes will hunt skunk, but only rarely. Actually very few animals hunt skunks...only 5 percent of skunk deaths are caused by other animals hunting them. Their main predator is owls, interestingly, because owls have no sense of smell. I'd assume though, that since coyotes are scavengers, maybe they'd eat a dead skunk? Or maybe the coyote in your backyard was screaming because it got sprayed?
It was 60F here yesterday. I was outside for a while in a sweater without a jacket, but it felt a bit chilly with the wind. The air was damp too, which made it feel colder than it was. It would have been a great day to do some yard work - I never did get everything finished in the gardens that I wanted to get done before winter. I had other things to do though, and never got around to it. Today is supposed to be nearly 50 degrees, so maybe I'll get some of it done later in the day - this morning I've got to take the lady who had her hip replaced to therapy, and then to the grocery store.
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Post by Mini Mia on Dec 27, 2019 10:06:44 GMT -6
I looked out a few hours later, and I saw the back end of a deer going into the trees, so I’m wondering if they were after the deer, and maybe surprised the skunk in their chase. I searched and found that coyote are most active between midnight and four. So I went outside with Mom’s dog around 10:30, and used pee pads until morning. She’s not used to using them, but maybe she’ll figure it out.
Kind of wish I had a fenced in area for her at night, but I read that to keep coyote out, the fence needs to be six foot tall and go down into the ground a couple of feet. Dang. A concrete foundation might be the answer there. I’ll give it a few nights and maybe we can get back to our normal routine. The back water isn’t up, so wondering if there’s a population explosion, and there’s too many packs? The bottoms are a small part of a massive game reserve, so that doesn’t seem likely.
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Post by Mini Mia on Dec 27, 2019 13:01:57 GMT -6
It’s 51F today, and the house is 70. It would be warmer in here if not for the clouds. Yesterday it got 74 inside, and probably would have been warmer if it hadn’t been mostly cloudy. Maybe the warm weather has the coyote out more? Although, even in the summer, I don’t remember them being around my house several nights in a row.
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Post by Phalon on Dec 28, 2019 8:41:16 GMT -6
Oh! You're talking about a pack of them! The whole singular-same-as-plural/"s"-or-no-"s" thing like fish/fish or fishes had me thinking "the coyote" meant one coyote - I've never seen more than one at a time around here, so assumed you were talking about one.
I wonder if your Christmas possum present in a box is drawing them near? I'm assuming since they are canines, they have a keen sense of smell. Or maybe there's not a coyote population explosion, but like around here, an overpopulation of deer?
I much prefer my backyard wildlife to a pack of coyotes, thank you. This morning the feeders are busy with chickadees, cardinals, and nuthatches, a flock of Canadian geese just flew overhead, and Puffball is busy lumbering around. Puffball is a big gray squirrel - he's HUGE - and would even be bigger if he had a tail; he only has a fluffy powder puff ball where his tail would be. He showed up in the yard mid-summer, and hasn't left. Watching him, you can really get a feel for what exactly those long fluffy tails are for - the other squirrels are very agile in the trees, effortlessly scurrying through the canopy of one tree to the next, using their tails for balance. Puffball lumbers, slips up, hangs on to a branch for dear life, before he rights himself again, and lumbers on. Oddly, Quetta, who loves...and lives to chase squirrels, leaves him alone.
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Post by Mini Mia on Dec 28, 2019 15:14:06 GMT -6
A year or so ago, I think, I read that coyote have a way of making it sound like they’re a huge pack, but can be two or three, or even one. I saw one full-on form, and a couple of shadow movements, so at least two were in my back yard. I’d guess three or four that I noticed, because the shadows seemed to be multiple forms. Deer love to hide in the trees that semi-circle my home, so that was most likely their goal, but an easy dog would no doubt pique their interest. I haven’t hear them since I turned on the back porch light. I turn it off and on sometimes during the night before letting the dog out. I haven’t let her out after around 11:30pm though, and then she has to wait until daylight.
My cousin down the road has been killing deer that get on his property for a year or so. Sadly, a lot of them are diseased, so weeding them out might be a good thing. Although the neighbor across the road from me, who is a distant cousin, isn’t happy about it at all. He’s called several of us asking to let him know when we hear shooting going on at my cousin’s place. We’ve chosen to stay out of it. Our property used to be the safe haven in deer hunting season, but my bil has started letting some people hunt on the place. The deer have been devouring his garden, so now no more safe haven. I feel sorry for them, but there does need to be a balance in nature.
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