If you have never experienced anyone with post traumatic stress then you just have no idea how terrible it is. The person you once knew is no longer there and there is nothing you can do to change it. The person you once knew as a loving, kind, happy helpful person was now a miserable, angry, aggressive, sulky person who hates life, sees no purpose in living and the slightest little thing can send them off into a fit of rage that would frighten even the most hardened souls.
Outsiders do not see the 'other side' to people going through this syndrome and unless you know the person well you may not pick up on the signs. On the other hand people living closely to a sufferer will notice that they start to lose interest in everything around them. They do not want to get up in the morning or go to bed at night but are too tired to do even little jobs. They hate themselves think they are inadequate and useless and they are difficult to talk to.
If their syndrome has been brought on by a traumatic episode then they my well suffer from nightmares. They will actually feel they are going through the stressful traumatic drama that happened possibly years ago. Waking in a sweat and feeling stressed and ill. They often also feel that they didn't do enough when they went through this trauma so will stress about that too.
If not address by a Doctor these symptoms will increase and will start affecting the whole body and its functions. This will then increase the stress the person is feeling and increase the feeling of being inferior, useless and what is the point of living. Often someone going through this will get their sleep patterns round the wrong way and will sleep in the day and be awake at night. A feeling of nervousness, like butterflies in the stomach, will be constantly there and headaches come on suddenly.
The rages are quite dangerous and it takes a lot of strength and straight talking to stop someone from doing something stupid. They lash out and lose all sense of reality and consequence. If you are faced with this then your strength, perseverance and your knowledge that the person isn't seeing you as you is essential.
It is a kind of depression with a twist and very sad to see. It is treatable but you need to be able to get them to go to the Doctors. They do come through it with medical help, support and understanding from their loved ones and time. I find it so sad seeing so many take their own lives when this is preventable. This is a real disorder and not one that you can 'just pull yourself together' and everything will be ok. It needs intervention, anyone who has been through a traumatic situation should be monitored. It can take years to come out and the changes are small at the beginning. So if you are living with someone who has been through something then be aware for any slight change never dismiss it and never be afraid to seek help.
Friday, 31 January 2014
Sunday, 19 January 2014
The highs and lows of 2013
Well 2014 has started quite well. A vast improvement from January last year. Looking back over 2013 I can honestly say au revoir with great gusto. Just a few memorable scenarios of last year were, no work in January and managing to survive on 16 euros, 60 kilo Rottweiler launching through patio door window, slipping on wet stones while walking Rottweiler and damaging my shoulder (never to be the same again), falling flat on my face again while carrying a gander, lost my Auntie, the trial and failure of keeping peahens, the husky with ticks, rats, mice and all things nice.
That said we managed to rehome a few cats, build a cattery, have the busiest August in history, put up a fence, hatch some chickens and sell a few things.
One thing I learnt was not to wear crocks as these have been the reason for me finding myself sprawled across the floor in impossible positions. Shame because I love this easy slip on cheap footwear. They seemed like the answer to all things muddy but when wet they just flip you like a pancake with little regard for age or place. The first fall was when I was walking a big Rottweiler, he was not impressed that I suddenly landed, almost on top of him, in the middle of a muddy field. The second time they flipped my over again in a muddy field while carrying a large angry gander who didn't take kindly to being tossed in the air while I went head first into the mud. I have had many other minor slips where I've just managed to right myself and being left with only a twisted ankle. So 2014 is the year of the walking shoe. I have purchased a pair of sturdy lace up walking shoes with non slip soles in a bright turquoise! So far they have been brilliant with not a twisted ankle or pancake flip in sight.
We also found out that our glass is of a very thin quality. First my son put his hip through the front door glass then the Rottweiler put his face through the patio doors. We spent many months with cardboard duct taped to the doors until we sorted out someone to replace them. My father wanted to mend his door himself so spent months attaching bits of wood in a slatted style with white filler in between. Making up a little ledges and various other strange things. He finally finished and painted it bright blue to not match anything! We then found a lovely man who fitted some double glazed doors in place of the patio doors. A wonderful job and sets of the blue door a treat!!
The next fun scenario was the Penhens. A lovely friend gave us some peahens and peacocks, we duly kept them in for the allotted time. After taking advice from various people we let the peacock out and he flew into the tree in front of our house. We then popped up to the village and when we came back he had gone. We later found out he had set up camp in a garden a few fields away. We then let the penhens out into the garden. They stayed a little longer than the peacock but soon they were sighted trotting off across the fields into the sunset. The last peacock was let out and it didn't even try the front garden just flew straight onto the roof of the house and then took off across the fields never to be seen again! So that was our brief encounter with these beautiful birds, the positive in all this is we have introduced them into the village!
The high points happened at the end of 2013. My son passed his driving test and got a Maths GCSC and both my son and daughter got given a dream job. I have decided that 2014 is about lists, organising and motivation. Hearing all these things you need to do to keep healthy I am trying to introduce some of them into my daily routines. I am also toying with the idea of having a recycling day to avoid the trauma of having to cram 100 bags and boxes into the car to take up to the village. This is a job a hate, despise and put off, so by making a specific day of the week would mean a smaller quantity and less of a drama. Anyway we shall have to see how that one goes.
The loss of my Auntie was sad, she was 93 and had been, shall we say, not really in the world for a few years. She was a feisty, full of fun lady and she leaves me with many great memories. She didn't suffer fools and always spoke her mind. She did what she wanted to do with no thought for anyone else. She lead a full life doing everything and at 93 she had had plenty of year to do it in. The last of my fathers sisters which leaves him on his own.
So this year I am going to take a leaf out of my Auntie's book and try to change a habit of a lifetime. Im working on rubbing out the 'I'm weak and care too much' written on my forehead! I'm also going to wear lipstick and a bra everyday and walking shoes not crocks. Im going to eat porridge every morning, walk for 30 minutes a day, say no more often, finish my book and decorate the house. Apart from that it will be the usual fun on funny farm.
That said we managed to rehome a few cats, build a cattery, have the busiest August in history, put up a fence, hatch some chickens and sell a few things.
One thing I learnt was not to wear crocks as these have been the reason for me finding myself sprawled across the floor in impossible positions. Shame because I love this easy slip on cheap footwear. They seemed like the answer to all things muddy but when wet they just flip you like a pancake with little regard for age or place. The first fall was when I was walking a big Rottweiler, he was not impressed that I suddenly landed, almost on top of him, in the middle of a muddy field. The second time they flipped my over again in a muddy field while carrying a large angry gander who didn't take kindly to being tossed in the air while I went head first into the mud. I have had many other minor slips where I've just managed to right myself and being left with only a twisted ankle. So 2014 is the year of the walking shoe. I have purchased a pair of sturdy lace up walking shoes with non slip soles in a bright turquoise! So far they have been brilliant with not a twisted ankle or pancake flip in sight.
We also found out that our glass is of a very thin quality. First my son put his hip through the front door glass then the Rottweiler put his face through the patio doors. We spent many months with cardboard duct taped to the doors until we sorted out someone to replace them. My father wanted to mend his door himself so spent months attaching bits of wood in a slatted style with white filler in between. Making up a little ledges and various other strange things. He finally finished and painted it bright blue to not match anything! We then found a lovely man who fitted some double glazed doors in place of the patio doors. A wonderful job and sets of the blue door a treat!!
The next fun scenario was the Penhens. A lovely friend gave us some peahens and peacocks, we duly kept them in for the allotted time. After taking advice from various people we let the peacock out and he flew into the tree in front of our house. We then popped up to the village and when we came back he had gone. We later found out he had set up camp in a garden a few fields away. We then let the penhens out into the garden. They stayed a little longer than the peacock but soon they were sighted trotting off across the fields into the sunset. The last peacock was let out and it didn't even try the front garden just flew straight onto the roof of the house and then took off across the fields never to be seen again! So that was our brief encounter with these beautiful birds, the positive in all this is we have introduced them into the village!
The high points happened at the end of 2013. My son passed his driving test and got a Maths GCSC and both my son and daughter got given a dream job. I have decided that 2014 is about lists, organising and motivation. Hearing all these things you need to do to keep healthy I am trying to introduce some of them into my daily routines. I am also toying with the idea of having a recycling day to avoid the trauma of having to cram 100 bags and boxes into the car to take up to the village. This is a job a hate, despise and put off, so by making a specific day of the week would mean a smaller quantity and less of a drama. Anyway we shall have to see how that one goes.
The loss of my Auntie was sad, she was 93 and had been, shall we say, not really in the world for a few years. She was a feisty, full of fun lady and she leaves me with many great memories. She didn't suffer fools and always spoke her mind. She did what she wanted to do with no thought for anyone else. She lead a full life doing everything and at 93 she had had plenty of year to do it in. The last of my fathers sisters which leaves him on his own.
So this year I am going to take a leaf out of my Auntie's book and try to change a habit of a lifetime. Im working on rubbing out the 'I'm weak and care too much' written on my forehead! I'm also going to wear lipstick and a bra everyday and walking shoes not crocks. Im going to eat porridge every morning, walk for 30 minutes a day, say no more often, finish my book and decorate the house. Apart from that it will be the usual fun on funny farm.
Monday, 12 August 2013
August so far
Well August has been eventful to say the least! Sleep has been a bit varied. I've not slept, overslept, slept on sofas, fallen asleep in chairs, slept with dogs, cats and hamsters. I've had tiny dogs staying also puppies, massive dogs, naughty dogs, funny dogs, laid back sleepy dogs, drawling dogs and very old dogs. I've had chickens with names staying laying eggs in secret places only to be found a few weeks later! I've had a variety of cats staying from poorly ones I had to nurse back to health to hyper ones, deaf ones, aged ones and lazy ones.
I've been stung a million times by stinging nettles and sliced my legs open several times on blackberry barbs. I've had 2 power cuts, water on and off several times got the front door stuck twice and fallen over cats 3 times.
The peahens had a fight and one came off worse losing most of her feathers. She cannot fly now and my daughter set up a scaffolding affair so it can jump into the tree at night! We think the storm set them off! We also lost a peahen over the back of the farm only to find it again a week later.
I've successfully completed the colon cancer test which have to say is definitely a challenge. All I can say is make sure you are not desperate to go before opening the packet. finding the paper strip to stick on the toilet seat and the cardboard strips and reading the instructions! Also I would advise you to double check you are not going to miss the paper when you sit down as I did the first time! Also make sure you don't leave the sample ready to send off available for the dog to chew. That said its a valuable test and after 3 days of precision pooing you can sent it off and hopefully all will be well.
We have also saved a bat, found in the barn with a deformed leg! My daughter took it in put it in a box and made a bar for it to hang on with a piece of wood!! It was then she realised it had a deformed foot so after a day of feeding and caring for it she found a suitable place to put it high up so the cats couldn't get it and we haven't seen it since. Fingers crossed it made it for a few more days.
We have had 9 chicks hatched all sweet and fluffy. The mother hen is doing a great job pecking us violently when we feed them, squawking at us when we give them water and puffing up when we inspect the chicks. Apart from being pecked on the forehead and being quacked at by the ducks the birds are doing well.
So all in all August on the funny farm has been busy but ok
I've been stung a million times by stinging nettles and sliced my legs open several times on blackberry barbs. I've had 2 power cuts, water on and off several times got the front door stuck twice and fallen over cats 3 times.
The peahens had a fight and one came off worse losing most of her feathers. She cannot fly now and my daughter set up a scaffolding affair so it can jump into the tree at night! We think the storm set them off! We also lost a peahen over the back of the farm only to find it again a week later.
I've successfully completed the colon cancer test which have to say is definitely a challenge. All I can say is make sure you are not desperate to go before opening the packet. finding the paper strip to stick on the toilet seat and the cardboard strips and reading the instructions! Also I would advise you to double check you are not going to miss the paper when you sit down as I did the first time! Also make sure you don't leave the sample ready to send off available for the dog to chew. That said its a valuable test and after 3 days of precision pooing you can sent it off and hopefully all will be well.
We have also saved a bat, found in the barn with a deformed leg! My daughter took it in put it in a box and made a bar for it to hang on with a piece of wood!! It was then she realised it had a deformed foot so after a day of feeding and caring for it she found a suitable place to put it high up so the cats couldn't get it and we haven't seen it since. Fingers crossed it made it for a few more days.
We have had 9 chicks hatched all sweet and fluffy. The mother hen is doing a great job pecking us violently when we feed them, squawking at us when we give them water and puffing up when we inspect the chicks. Apart from being pecked on the forehead and being quacked at by the ducks the birds are doing well.
So all in all August on the funny farm has been busy but ok
Tuesday, 23 July 2013
Brown Cows and Bare Breasts
Today started off as usual. Dogs desperate to go out for leg cocking and ablutions, cats with empty stomachs, duck quacking loudly wanting the door open to their daytime paddling play area and me wanting my morning coffee.
My daughter rose with her usual unenthusiastic lethargy, walking around the house in a trance like state wearing nothing but a little denim skirt.
I made my coffee, took the washing out of the machine, fed the cats and headed outside with washing and dogs in tow. As I walked to the washing line my dogs ran down the drive and started barking madly at something I couldn't see. I called them several times, hoping it was no a visitor as I was sporting just a t-shirt and hadn't finished my coffee. As the dogs continues to bark in a scary manor, my daughter burst out of the door holding her breasts under one arm and waving the other arm in the air, she cried there are cows on the drive.
Turning around I walked up the drive only to be faced by two very large brown cows staring back at me. Dragging the dogs back into the house my daughter and I started the process of coaxing them back over the fields to where we thought they had come from. This being several fields away.
While slipping in cow poo we ran through the swaying corn, me in my t-shirt and my daughter with just her skirt and no top ran round to the left of the field after the cows, while I ran behind, as we tried to steer them in the right direction. It occurred to me that there may be a farmer in the adjacent fields looking for his cows. Trying to impart my worry to my daughter I shouted at her across the fields. She unaware of me shouting, just waved back and just kept on running naked across the fields. I lost sight of her as she jumped over a hedge separating the fields and disappeared into the next field. Unable to keep up I stopped and let her carry on steering the wayward cows. As I trudged back to the farm the thunder started and the sky grew dark. Being accompanied by only a panting tabby cat got back to the house.
It took my daughter 15 minutes to arrive back at the house without the cows or a top!
Just another day on the Funny Farm!
My daughter rose with her usual unenthusiastic lethargy, walking around the house in a trance like state wearing nothing but a little denim skirt.
I made my coffee, took the washing out of the machine, fed the cats and headed outside with washing and dogs in tow. As I walked to the washing line my dogs ran down the drive and started barking madly at something I couldn't see. I called them several times, hoping it was no a visitor as I was sporting just a t-shirt and hadn't finished my coffee. As the dogs continues to bark in a scary manor, my daughter burst out of the door holding her breasts under one arm and waving the other arm in the air, she cried there are cows on the drive.
Turning around I walked up the drive only to be faced by two very large brown cows staring back at me. Dragging the dogs back into the house my daughter and I started the process of coaxing them back over the fields to where we thought they had come from. This being several fields away.
While slipping in cow poo we ran through the swaying corn, me in my t-shirt and my daughter with just her skirt and no top ran round to the left of the field after the cows, while I ran behind, as we tried to steer them in the right direction. It occurred to me that there may be a farmer in the adjacent fields looking for his cows. Trying to impart my worry to my daughter I shouted at her across the fields. She unaware of me shouting, just waved back and just kept on running naked across the fields. I lost sight of her as she jumped over a hedge separating the fields and disappeared into the next field. Unable to keep up I stopped and let her carry on steering the wayward cows. As I trudged back to the farm the thunder started and the sky grew dark. Being accompanied by only a panting tabby cat got back to the house.
It took my daughter 15 minutes to arrive back at the house without the cows or a top!
Just another day on the Funny Farm!
Friday, 17 May 2013
Mess Mayhem and Muddle
Well today I woke up with great expectations. I set my alarm early, as we have a little curly dog staying with us and to avoid a pee in the kitchen I try to take it out for the obligatory trot around the farm. This went off smoothly, the sun was shining, and the air was filled with the smell of flowering rapeseed. The little dog trotted along nose on the ground, while my big dog bounded around like a mad thing, smelling everything, peeing up every available blade of grass and generally enjoying himself as usual. Deep in thought I didn't notice that little curly dog did no more than a tiny pee at the onset of the walk. Still in an optimistic mood we arrived back at the house and I preceded to feed the meowing outside and inside cats, make tea for a sleeping son, pour my breakfast, hang the washing on the line, water the hanging baskets, collect the eggs, check on the peacocks, fill the dogs water bowls up and make myself a coffee. Walking back into the kitchen I stepped directly into the middle of a large puddle of pee. Curly dog has decided that the walk wasn't for doing your daily business but just for the fun of it and the best place to relieve oneself was in the comfort of the kitchen! This I have to say was where the day took a nose dive and never recovered. I cleaned it up only to have him do it again in another corner. He then decided to tip his water bowl up and then his food bowl. My washing that was Lenor fresh with bursts of flower scent releasing itself into the atmosphere for days was peed on by one of the outside Tom cats before I could get it on the line. One of the indoor cats decided their dinner didn't agree with them so projectile vomited it across the floor. I then had 10 minutes before having to take my son to work. This went smoothly and dropping him off my daughter then tells me she has a friend coming around and needs to go into town. I get home in desperate need of a coffee and ten minutes me time only to find the man over the back of us has come around and as I walk through the door I hear him saying tea no sugar please! So I put the kettle on making him a tea and my father, who has materialised, a coffee. Curly dog now decided to evacuate his bowls on the kitchen floor and walk it around. I then bleach the floor and put washing out on line for a second time. I then take the bin bags down the the bins. This is a walk which would have amounted to walking to the end of my street in the UK but here is just a walk carrying heavy bags to the bin on wheels. As I walk along my driveway I notice all the contents of the bag are falling out and leaving a trail of going off, rotting, sticky waste on the floor. When I look down one of the cats has torn a hole in the bag to investigate what was in it! I then rush my daughter and her friend into town to buy the very important essential hair dye! While waiting for them I decide to buy some fuel for the car. Usually this take approximately 4 minutes as the pumps are always empty and its a straight through affair. Not so today the whole world was out and sporting an empty tank. It took me over 20 minutes to fill up and a further 30 minutes to pay. I then sat in traffic trying to get out of the fuel station, a totally unheard of situation. I find out that this is due to a bank holiday on Monday!! I then get a call from my son to say, bring a box we have caught another peacock. My friend is passing on some of her peacocks and peahens to reduce her population. Rushing back home to get box we head over to collect son and peacock. After wrestling with peacock and being covered in peacock poo we duct tape box and set off for home. When we get home I find I've missed next client and new dog has arrived which father has greeted in with soup down his front and last weeks dinner down the left let of his trousers. He then tells me he can't have dinner as he has a very painful front tooth that's all woobly and he needs to have it seen to. Well no dentist is open at this time of the day and the only option would be to go to A&E at the local hospital. The thought of sitting in the hospital for hours was not very high on my 'can't wait to do' list but if need must. So I put the options to him and his reply was ' don't worry I don't mind suffering it will do me good not to eat'. So I did him a dinner of mash potato, egg and beans and keeping my fingers crossed the tooth comes out before tomorrow. Daughter bleached her hair which didn't work, then dyed it blonde which didn't work either so that was a bit of a disaster too. Anyway peacock settled in ok, curly dog has finished defecating in my kitchen, new dog has settled ok and I'm now in bed having my 10 minutes me time!
Wednesday, 8 May 2013
Morning Madness
I wake up in the morning either with the hoot of the bread ladies van, the calling of the cockerel, the hoot of the peahens or the barking of the dog, I squint at the time, check my twitter & lay thinking about the day ahead trying to muster up the energy to face the day.
When I get up I have to face 14 hungry cats, 2 big dogs, 11 chickens, 2 peahens and any staying guests we have at the time.
I have to let the indoor cats out without letting the outdoor cats in and avoiding being whisked off my feet by one large dog eager to rush out for daily treats from my dad. Then there are the kittens who can't go out and some outdoor cats who can come in!
Its a military procedure, calling each cat by name in out or stay. This is after I've fed them. Feeding them is the same difficult procedure. There are the kittens who have baby food, the indoor cats who have dry food, the outdoor cats who have tinned food, there are the cats who try to eat the wrong dinner and the dogs who likes it all. Feeding the outdoor cats is a challenge trying not to tread on the crowding group of cats around my feet and successfully filling up bowls without dropping the food on heads that cover the bowls before you can fill them or having the cats jumping on you and knocking the food out of your hand before you even get to the bowls!
After the daily feeding routines is achieved there are the cat toilets, doggie walks and the chicken run. The chickens are just as mad and chase after you surrounding you until you are unable to walk before you can feed them they are jumping on the bowl. Collecting the eggs and dating them is a work of art before the chickens peck you for removing their eggs and before the big speckled one eats them.
After all is fed, watered, cleaned and walked its time for my coffee and sit down!
Life on the Funny Farm!
When I get up I have to face 14 hungry cats, 2 big dogs, 11 chickens, 2 peahens and any staying guests we have at the time.
I have to let the indoor cats out without letting the outdoor cats in and avoiding being whisked off my feet by one large dog eager to rush out for daily treats from my dad. Then there are the kittens who can't go out and some outdoor cats who can come in!
Its a military procedure, calling each cat by name in out or stay. This is after I've fed them. Feeding them is the same difficult procedure. There are the kittens who have baby food, the indoor cats who have dry food, the outdoor cats who have tinned food, there are the cats who try to eat the wrong dinner and the dogs who likes it all. Feeding the outdoor cats is a challenge trying not to tread on the crowding group of cats around my feet and successfully filling up bowls without dropping the food on heads that cover the bowls before you can fill them or having the cats jumping on you and knocking the food out of your hand before you even get to the bowls!
After the daily feeding routines is achieved there are the cat toilets, doggie walks and the chicken run. The chickens are just as mad and chase after you surrounding you until you are unable to walk before you can feed them they are jumping on the bowl. Collecting the eggs and dating them is a work of art before the chickens peck you for removing their eggs and before the big speckled one eats them.
After all is fed, watered, cleaned and walked its time for my coffee and sit down!
Life on the Funny Farm!
Friday, 26 April 2013
To catch or not to catch a peacock
Well today has been the usual fun and games on the Funny Farm. We have a poorly kitten, a staying dog, a sick friend and a house in the middle of waves of rapeseed floating gracefully in the breeze, spreading their pollen straight up my nose! I've tried my hand at planting flowers in pots and trying to make an effort in a hopes to seem like everyone else. Being like everyone else is something I have never found very easy. I find all the immense effort people put in to things in general is beyond me. Still this year I decided that I would 'make the effort' just to say I tried!
Anyway back to my sick friend. Her family have come down with a gastro bug which has taken out her husband and baby leaving her with a large stable of horses to deal with so my children have been going over to lend a hand. She lives in a beautiful chateaux in a wonderful wooded area with stunning outbuildings converted into stables. She has horses, peacocks, dogs and cats and lots of land to take care of. Anyway we have been trying over the last few weeks to catch some of her peacocks and peahens as they have been multiplying at an alarming rate and she has so many now.
we have a few attempts, one being my daughter standing there with a horse coat over her head waiting for the 'go', while my friend coaxed the birds closer with pieces of bread. This was a disaster, if you can imagine we shouted 'go' she threw the coat the birds all squawked and flew madly up in the air scattering around in a mad panic, one landing on the large sun umbrella and sliding down onto the table screeching and flapping all the way. The others flew up into the tall trees screaming and moaning as they went!
The next attempt was a large dog crate. This had been left out with food in it and a long string attached to the open door. The plan was to pull the door shut when the bird was inside the crate. Well this seemed to be a much better idea and today a bird went in. Gently my daughter pulled the door shut and stood there while the bird went crazy screaming at all the others of the impending danger!
We stood there looking at one another all with the same thought 'what do we do now'. We tried to fit the dog crate into my car but it was too big to slide in. So plan B had to be put into action. As we didn't have a plan B we all stood quietly while the bird paced up and down in the crate. In the end my friend found a large box. We had a wonderful idea to put the box at the open door while we coaxed the bird into the box. Well this didn't work as the bird had no intentions of going in the box. We then covered the crate over so the bird didn't try to fly. My daughter then climbed into the crate with bird and much to its horror she gently man handled it into the box. Once in he box I retrieved my resident duct tape and scissors from the car and we sealed the top. Job done!
Once home my daughter spent the rest of the evening making its home and settling it into its new surroundings.
The great thing about this is we have to do the whole thing again tomorrow and possibly a third day! The positive thing about it is plan B is now plan A and is successful!
Nothing but fun and games on the FUNNY FARM!
Anyway back to my sick friend. Her family have come down with a gastro bug which has taken out her husband and baby leaving her with a large stable of horses to deal with so my children have been going over to lend a hand. She lives in a beautiful chateaux in a wonderful wooded area with stunning outbuildings converted into stables. She has horses, peacocks, dogs and cats and lots of land to take care of. Anyway we have been trying over the last few weeks to catch some of her peacocks and peahens as they have been multiplying at an alarming rate and she has so many now.
we have a few attempts, one being my daughter standing there with a horse coat over her head waiting for the 'go', while my friend coaxed the birds closer with pieces of bread. This was a disaster, if you can imagine we shouted 'go' she threw the coat the birds all squawked and flew madly up in the air scattering around in a mad panic, one landing on the large sun umbrella and sliding down onto the table screeching and flapping all the way. The others flew up into the tall trees screaming and moaning as they went!
The next attempt was a large dog crate. This had been left out with food in it and a long string attached to the open door. The plan was to pull the door shut when the bird was inside the crate. Well this seemed to be a much better idea and today a bird went in. Gently my daughter pulled the door shut and stood there while the bird went crazy screaming at all the others of the impending danger!
We stood there looking at one another all with the same thought 'what do we do now'. We tried to fit the dog crate into my car but it was too big to slide in. So plan B had to be put into action. As we didn't have a plan B we all stood quietly while the bird paced up and down in the crate. In the end my friend found a large box. We had a wonderful idea to put the box at the open door while we coaxed the bird into the box. Well this didn't work as the bird had no intentions of going in the box. We then covered the crate over so the bird didn't try to fly. My daughter then climbed into the crate with bird and much to its horror she gently man handled it into the box. Once in he box I retrieved my resident duct tape and scissors from the car and we sealed the top. Job done!
Once home my daughter spent the rest of the evening making its home and settling it into its new surroundings.
The great thing about this is we have to do the whole thing again tomorrow and possibly a third day! The positive thing about it is plan B is now plan A and is successful!
Nothing but fun and games on the FUNNY FARM!
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