Pick it up boys!

[LJ3]

I know we're all waiting for the spring ice break but this site has about as much energy as Jimmy's urine stream. (I heard this from Lynn, can't confirm or deny)

Make some shit up!

[HideHunter]

Okay - there's a lot going on in my life. I'll try not to let this turn into a Thump post:

Night before last, I browned up a couple rabbits in the DO. Built a nice gravy.. baked for about and hour. Mashed taters and green beans. It was good.

Took part in the world-wide Great Backyard Bird Count. Just saw the results. I had the most species (23) of anyone in Iowa.

Sold fur (53 coon) yesterday. China and Russia are sitting on their hands. Fur prices are in the tank. Ended up with $6 average. Last year it was $14.

There you have it.. My life is a whirl-wind...

[BarryBobPosthole]

Did you get a 1099 for that $318?

BKB

[LJ3]

I just did my taxes. Got a shitload back. It's nice to have mortgage innerst again.

I saw your post on FB about the rabbit stew and drooled a little. Not gonna lie. Unless the green beans were cooked too long and were all soggy and mushy, in which case I would have to tap out, no offense.

[HideHunter]

None taken.. Actually, I sautéed some bacon, onion and garlic - then added the beans. They were past al dente - but not much. ;) Wife and I nether one are great vegetable lovers - so I try to make them as palatable as possible.

[LJ3]

I feel ya on the veggies. Lucia is on a kick in making shakes or juicing or whatever you call it. I've been able to significantly increase my veggie intake in that way. Honestly, I feel much better after only a short time of doing it. It's not gross at all. I still can't do broccoli but just about any other vegetable that previously was nasty to me can be made to taste pretty dang good if you mix it with protein power, fruits and other such goodies.

[quercus alba]

A thrill a minute today, slept in the recliner last night because I'm so congested I can breathe unless I'm sitting up, fever raged all night, freezing then burning up. Texted my boss at 5:30 to say I wouldn't be in, had a cup of herbal tea with honey and a wheat bagel for breakfast, trying to work up enough energy to feed the critters. I even managed to think about sex for a short while.

[LJ3]

That's a full day right there! Take it easy, releax!

[Sunshine]

Went to an agility show, over the weekend and we did great.
In fact the pup out did the older pup by one Q. Pup six older pup five.
Lots of placement ribbons too
I actually was able to run all twelve runs, both days.

I'm down 18 lbs and today I get to re-introduce low carb veggies and sour dough bread.

I've started my first sour dough bread starter and it should be ready to start making sour dough bread tomorrow. ( made with potato water)

Next week, they will put the scope down my throat to look for cancer.
Hopefully that's not what they will find, but figure out what's going on.

Doc had to take me off diabetes meds and high blood pressure meds. They were making me sick, because they were causing me to go way below the normal range.
Blood pressure dove to 85/56 and diabetes was below 70. Was getting sick on the meds, so right now I'm off them.
As we introduce carbs back I will have to monitor my diabetes to see if I will have to go back on meds.

Don't know how the enlarged liver is doing, But I am feeling better.

A week out and I go see the thyroid doc, about the nodules in my thyroid.
She doesn't want to go in there till the other doctor checks my throat out.

We've had great, sunny, beautiful weather up here. In fact I have to mow this weekend.

Got our taxes done and we are getting some back too. It will just go for medical bills through.

So there you go, my life. :D

Everyday and every way, I am getting better and better!!!!

[Big Skyz]

Been busy doing what I do best. I hesitate to post photos here though as I'm sure Sunshine see's them as puppy dogs, JB thinks they are big fluffy dogs, a few others wonder if I do anything else. At least I know HH and Captain appreciate these things for the efficient killers that they are...and how hard they are to call in and kill.
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh113/Huntzz/TroyCoyote1-31-15A_zps318cbcf5.jpg

This one from just a few days ago. Amazing how much the weather can change in just a few days.
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh113/Huntzz/TroyCoyote2-13-15A_zps9cb50823.jpg

Here is a coyote from Friday. I'm testing out a new rifle rest that I will writing an article about. It's kind'a cool and I like the fact that it supports the rifle in both the front and the back.
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh113/Huntzz/TroyCoyote2-13-15C_zps7dac803c.jpg

[Sunshine]

Big Sky, I don't have a problem. You explained to me why it's ok to shoot them and I understand.
Not a problem posting. :)
They sure are pretty. Do you skin them out or is the fur not that great?

[Big Skyz]

As long as the fur is good I do get everyone of them skinned and sold. Once the hair goes bad the only thing I salvage is the head so I can feed my beetles. I then sell the skulls to a buyer in Georgia that has a really different kind of store where he sells skulls, bones, fetuses, and old taxidermy. While a store like that seems weird to me, apparently there is a market for such things. There is a show on TV called Oddities, I imagine my buyer's store is very similar.

[quercus alba]

be a bad way to go if you were to get drunk and fall over in the beetle cage

[Thumper]

Been busy with estate sales ... buyin' and sellin'. In fact I just got home from one this morning, so I haven't had much time to play. Too busy makin' $$$ to mess with youse dufes. If I just tried living on my Social Security, I wouldn't have anything extra to have fun with.

December and January were kick-ass months! I'm struggling a little this month, but Monday was a real good day. I guess all those gov't workers spent their holiday surfing around eBay and buyin' stuff. :D

[Big Skyz]

They don't care for live flesh, so pretty safe there. In fact you can stick your hand in the enclosure and they will crawl all over it and never so much as slow down to take a bite. I sort'a like the little buggers as they are pretty low maintenance with a high return in regards to $$$. :)

[johnboy]

4322Keeping busy with the new pup. I'd forgotten how much work they are but we're actually having a good time with him. Other than that and screwing around with the Toyota dealer, we're just enjoying the great weather.

[Big Skyz]

That is a great looking pup!

[Sunshine]

Nice looking pup johnboy. I like that color. Puppies are a LOT of work, but when they do something that cracks you up, its worth it. :)
Hate to tell you this, but those are big paws. Going to be a big dog!!! :)

[LJ3]

See? Now don't we all feel closer!?!?!? Who needs a hug? .... WHO NEEDS A HUG?!?!?!?

[johnboy]

Thanks and yeah, he's a pretty boy. Seems to catch on to things pretty quick so I might have a smart one (oh no!). :D

[HideHunter]

Sky - you guys sure have some pretty 'Yotes out there. We killed two "incidentals" (came into the coon call). Both showed a little mange. Snared 4 more. Three were ok. I gave them to a young guy who's starting out trapping. Even our "good' ones are a grizzled red - not very high value. Buddy sold one last night. Buyer gave him $10.

[Big Skyz]

Thanks HH. We have a few raccoons around here and one of these days I'm going to figure out how to call them. Actually to be more specific, I'm going to figure out "where" to call them, and what to look for. I turn 3 or 4 shades of green with envy every time I look at those raccoon pic's you post.

[Buckrub]

I did a lot of stuff.

1048 meg.

[jb]

Just trying to stay warm.

[Sunshine]

Bucky you home yet?

[Big Muddy]

Bucky you home yet?

Remember, Sunny, he's got a broke weiner. ;)

[Buckrub]

I do not.

And I'm always home. I just got several of 'em!

(Yep)

[DeputyDog]

Not much going on around here. Wind blowing, really cold, and snowing from time to time.

I don't know if any of you remember when I said that I fell on the ice a couple of weeks ago, but I ended up with a torn meniscus, which shouldn't have been that big of a deal, but when they did the MRI, they found out that there was some pretty bad arthritis in the knee and that there wasn't much cartilage left in there. So, I'm scheduled for surgery on it next week. They are going to clean up all the tears in the meniscus and the loose cartilage that is floating around in there, then they are going to do microfracture on it to try to stimulate growth of new cartilage.

The bad thing is that I was put on "light duty", but my boss says that there isn't anything "light duty" that I can do, so I've been off work since the 1st, and will be for who knows how long, after the surgery. I won't be able to put any weight on that leg for 4 weeks after the surgery and the doc wasn't sure how long before I'd be released back to regular duty.

So, I'm taking any suggestions for good books because it looks like I'm going to be laid up for awhile.

[johnboy]

If you like things nautical, I highly recommend the Patrick O'Brian novels. Enough there to keep you occupied for a week or two.

[Chicken Dinner]

I had a similar surgery (where they ended up cleaning out a bunch of arthritis) about 10 years ago. It definitely put the recuperation time in the longer side.

[DeputyDog]

I'm curious, how long was it? The doc just told me "months" before I could be back to regular duty so I really don't have any idea of what kind of time frame to expect.

How did it work out for you?

[Chicken Dinner]

My Doc had said full recovery 4-6 weeks going in and it was more like 4-6 months after they cleaned up the arthritis. That doesn't mean I couldn't get around or go to work. It just took that long before it was pain free and what I would consider "better". Of course, I'm a desk jockey so your results may vary.

[BarryBobPosthole]

I know you didn't ask me that question, but I had a torn meniscus fixed and my ACL replaced. It took almost exactly a year for my knee to get back to 'normal'. My advice is get the very best physical therapy available and do what they say religiously. The key to me seems to be strengthening your quads and retraining your brain to not 'turn off' your quad muscles to protect your knee joint. The first therapist I had sucked and my surgeon about had a cow when he examined me at six weeks after surgery and I couldn't fully extend my knee. He moved me to another PT place and the guy I got there was awesome and had me straightened out in about a month.
As for being pain free and confident on it, it'll take every bit of a year unless you're some sort of physical specimen.

BKB

[DeputyDog]

I'll take any information that I can get from personal experiences. Like I said, I'm off work now and pretty much have just a little pain, more like an ache, and some stiffness, so I can at least get out and around now and am bored out of my mind, so I pretty much expect to be completely bat-shit crazy by the time I am back and really mobile after the surgery. I don't want to push things too fast because I'm tired of having knee issues and want everything to work out for the best not just "ok".

My niece is a physical therapist, and worked for a local place here, but unfortunately she started doing that "travelling healthcare" thing, which pays really nice if you don't mind moving every few months, and is currently in Texas. I plan on checking with her to see who I should use at the place she used to work.

That is going to be my biggest problem. I have a torn meniscus in the other knee and I tend to compensate for that so that I don't have any issues. I know that I will be really reluctant to flex my knee all the way because I've been unable to do that for so long, but hopefully they will convince me that it's possible again.

[Sunshine]

I torn mine and had surgery on it Feb 2014. They found arthritis too and scooped it out. Couldn't put weight on it for 4 weeks.

Try taking care of two dogs and live in a two story house and on one leg. Wasn't easy for me.

After that went to physical therapy and in April I was running at a trial.
Told doc I had to be able to run by April 19th. Still wear a knee brace at shows.

I started running too soon and have another small tear but I'm just dealing with it, just like I have been dealing with a split tendon under my left ankle.
Don't want to be down, so wearing brace on ankle too.

The surgery , on the knee, was a piece of cake and wish I hadn't waited so long! I had relief immediately.

Good luck and don't be in a hurry, or you'll re tear it like I've done.

Ask for pictures. I have several of what they found and what they fixed. Kinda cool to see.
I have three small scares on my knee where they went in.

[Thumper]

My uncle had the same surgery about 9-10 months ago is still in pain and has to use a cane most of the time. Of course he's older, but in good shape for his age.