I have had an interesting week this week. It was Farmer’s Market week, and we got the truck packed up and everything brought up to the park in Preston, then set up under the tent. It was a fine old time to sit and chat with folks as they came by and looked around. There was a disappointing outcome as far as sales go, but I do enjoy being out in public with Missus and enjoying the opportunity to get to see people as they come through.
Wednesday, I had an appointment with the doctor. I needed to talk to him about why I was kept awake by tummy pain, but he said pretty quickly that he did not think it was anything to worry about, just normal kinds of pains one could expect with a digestive system. He said that his biggest concern for me was the “beer gut” that he had no better term for. I could not have agreed more after having just stepped off a scale in the hall that swore a number at me that I don’t care to repeat!
So the good doctor gave me some pointers on diet and how to improve my eating habits, but much of what he suggested was already in practice for me. But there were some things I need to shave out, and some things I need to modify to be in total compliance with his diet suggestions. It was basically Atkins. Then he added that for me to get best bang for buck out of a weight loss plan I need to add a fasting regimen to my eating plan. His suggestion was to leave out meals for 24 to 36 hours three times a week. Best seems to go from supper to supper without eating, missing breakfast and lunch. He’d like to see me go one more meal if possible, just giving a whole day a miss. The idea is that I drink non sugary flavored drinks, particularly water, and go into ketosis, then burn off belly fat.
I tried it yesterday, though I did not fully comply. I had three or four strips of bacon for breakfast, then two pieces of cheese soon after. I also had a coffee with half and half. But strangely, coffee is allowed black, and half and half is allowed. So I assumed it was okay to put the half and half in the coffee. It was only water other than that all day. I had some devilled eggs for supper. This seemed fine, despite an active day. So, I will have confidence to try it again, only go deeper.
I was out to feed the goats and two llamas yesterday around noon when I noticed a truck passing and slowing out front, then he honked and drove on. I went out to see what was up and there was one of the new llamas out in the road. I opened the gate to go out, and up came Joe from down the street, and he helped me press the llama into our front yard where I was able to close the gate and keep the llama where I could work with him.
This was the llama that answered to Sheldon, and he turned out to be pretty easy to work with. I got the rope I had put on him changed for a halter and lead. Then when it was time to get Missus up, I got her help with keeping him while I checked to see how the llama had got out, and where the other one was. Bad news, the other llama, Kyle, was in the canal. So I had to go back and we had to figure out what to do with Sheldon so we could rescue Kyle.
The Kyle rescue was not so much fun. The embankment was too steep. But Kyle was as cooperative as he could be, and waded through the deep water on a rope as we pulled him from place to place to try him out. We finally got him to climb up near the east gate, but there was deep mud there, and he had such a time getting started. We got him up the embankment with great effort, in fact, that took near two hours. I ended up going to get the girls from the bus stop right after.
I also observed while out feeding that the Gord leaved looked spoiled. I checked on them later and took this photo.
That was surely frost damage. The plants were watered just a couple of days ago. I checked the temperature records for the day, and there it was.
The thermometer nine feet in the air and up the yard a bit caught 32.5F. Obviously, it was colder out back where the plants are.
We had our last frost on the 17th of June this year, and that was excessively late. But to have a hot summer like we have and to get frost here only shy of a month and a half later is surprising! Well, it sure doesn’t seem right for a growing season, and it sure is unexpected for a planet that is warming. Yet, here we are. A summer that was hot as can be but as short as can be between frosts. I wonder what the actual autumn will bring us?
Amis all of this, my sister-in-law called from England to talk a bit. She is missing America and is quite surprised by it. There was more than one occasion while she was here that I heard her to say that it was not her first choice of where to go to, but she came because family was here. Now she has had a bit of reverse culture shock and feels the compression of the small, close houses and the lack of space to feel open in. We have that space. She also says she misses the little family here like crazy. Awe! There is not a lot within reason that we can do about it, but of course, if we could, we’d have her here to live in a minute. Immigration law does not quite work like that. Plus, she is starting her job for the schoolyear on Monday. Hopefully that will distract her adequately. Hopefully.
The transportation director for the district called to say the bus stop is being moved for the time being. That call actually came in after I discovered Kyle in the canal and was walking back to the house to get a rope to put on him to lead him around with. The family in the house claim safety for why they would like the stop moved. I think it is probably just wanting a bit of privacy and their driveway not blocked, which is good enough. Either way, it all adds up to good reasons for the stop to move. So, it is. But the new stop is right in front of a building where beehives are managed, and the bees and wasps circle the car while I am waiting there. It don’t bother me, and the girls walked right through it like nothing. I don’t know if the other kids will do as well. Maybe. Or maybe the stop will move again. We’ll see.
So that’s the news from the Farm for this week, late in August. Today and tomorrow left, and with any luck September will be as expected.