Lots about Life, Less about the Collies!!

Okay, I'm finally going to bite the bullet and write a post about everything that has been happening in the last number of months.  It will be in point form because otherwise it will be far too long and besides that I don't have the energy to write like that for now.

1. In May I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism--over active thyroid. Mine is way, way over the top.  Since last October I started to suffer from breathlessness and lack of strength, and then racing heart. It saps the energy right out of me.  Sometimes all I can do is write short little FB comments because a full length piece is exhausting. Mowing the lawn is a HUGE chore.  Sitting is the only thing that feels good. The slightest exertion--like going up the basement stairs causes lack of breath and a skipping, racing heart.  I have an arrhythmia anyway, so that doesn't help. All the things I wanted to do this summer with my dogs, like agility classes have had to be put on hold because I can't run.  I'm not happy--I had so many plans. The muscles in my arms are going, gone, and I have old lady wrinkle arms now--blech. Hypothyroidism is much easier to treat--some iodine in some form and usually that helps. Hypo is much more common. Hyper is a totally different case.  Usually removal of part or all is recommended.  I want to avoid that and I am trying to find natural ways of dealing with this.  In addition to some supps from my naturopath, I am eating lots of broccoli!!
2. My Uncle Nick--the difficult one--passed away June 15, aged 98. I am sad that he is gone and even more sad that things couldn't have been different. Now my family consists of my dad, Dave, and I--and of course the doggies.
3. In the most shocking surprise possible, I have inherited the farm from Nick. Given how things had gone with Joe Bell telling lies about all of Nick's family and friends, and Nick believing the lies, and all of us alienated from Nick, this was the last thing in the world that I expected. Dave and I had plans to sell both houses and buy some land somewhere, once my dad had departed this world.  Now my dream of living out my days on my grandparent's farm has come true!!! First however I have to deal with Bell--he has stolen my uncle's money, claims items and equipment as his, stolen items from the house and machine shops, abused his Power of Attorney, got Nick to sign leases at the age of 95 without proper legal representation present, may have been guilty of elder abuse, and got the manager of the Seniors' facility that Nick had lived in since 2008, to help him with his underhanded plans.  He is the most despicable piece of  slime, a liar, thief, cheat, shop lifter, etc. etc. I am hoping this doesn't have to go to court, but if it does, so be it.  I want him in jail. Meanwhile, Dave is out at the farm a lot these days working to clear the weeds, bush, and dead trees away--all the stuff Bell never did although he was supposed to. I and Dave's friends have noticed that he has a new lease on life--he's a changed man!! After his angioplasty it became clear he could never do pipeline welding again and he was feeling pretty down about that.  He was still fixing things for people or making things like hitches and stuff for them, but it wasn't the same. Now he is able to be back on land and do the things he used to do on the ranch where he grew up.  And I'm very happy that he is happy and that I have a husband willing to do all this work. We will have to build a new house out there--the old one has a crumbling foundation and would need such a major reno that it would cost more than building a new one. I'm excited about that and am already planning screened in porches and a veranda so that we can enjoy the view across the fields. I wish we were both younger--we offered to move there years ago, but Nick wasn't ready for that, if he ever would have been!!  Lots and lots to do before we move there!! Oh, and there are a number of local folks including relatives (2nd cousins) who haven't wasted time in showing interest in buying, renting--geez, show some respect and wait eh? And then there's the guy who has sub-leased the farm from Bell.  By the way Bell leased the farm from Nick for $0--yes that's right, $0.  Then he turned around and charged Cyr, $75/acre. And the money isn't in Nick's account. Nice guy!
4. Dogs.  Lanny has spent a fair bit of time with Dave over the past month or so--partly as a break for me as chasing around after a puppy like Lanny is exhausting being as ill as I am. Lanny behaves a lot better when he's not around Duffy.  He picks on Duffy a lot--sometimes it's play but he's very rough and even knocks Duffy over. Lanny wants to be the big cheese here--I don't think Duffy really minds that, he just doesn't like being roughed up.  Yet he is still very tolerant and puts up with a lot more than most dogs would, even Collies.  Duffy is such a good boy. Lanny gets into stuff that Duffy never thought of doing--like garbage cans for used Kleenex!!! And he chews through leashes and collars like nobody's business!! And you can tell he's from Minnesota because he really likes wood--like Paul Bunyan!!! He chews wood and bark whenever he can. He's finally house broken, hooray--it only took until he was 7 1/2 months old!! You know, it's kind of like when you have your first child and he's really smart, challenging and stubborn, but smart.  And then you have a second, and he's well...slow.  This means, in Lanny's case, waiting to show him until the fall or even winter and that might mean showing him in Alberta after all, as I don't fancy travelling in the mountains in the winter!! We'll see though.  We keep those ears glued!! Once we get some fences built at the farm Duffy and Lanny will be able to run around and have a good time out there. On the other hand we may have to keep them separate until Lanny is 3 or so and might be settled down!!

To end this post, here are some pictures of the farm, including some antique items.  My family threw nothing away!!

The chicken coop.  Dave has since cleared those weeds etc. from around the building.

This cat/dozer is my age and it was the first farm machine that Uncle Mike taught me how to drive--I was 9.

Old gramophone with cylinders in the tin can. A winter project--trying to get this to work!

Driveway towards the barn.

My grandmother's pedal Singer sewing machine.



Lanny likes to go into the little patch of bush and brings out sticks--this time there was an empty nest in the twigs--what treasures!!

To the north on the home quarter.

The old pig weigh scale.

McCormick tractor, -1950

All the buildings were kept painted red with white trim.  They are faded now.