Thursday evening

Well, the well is drilled! The pump and tank aren't installed yet, but the pipe is 300 feet down, and there is a small sea of mud around the well head.

The septic tanks are almost in, too. Amy sent me pictures, and I've posted them here.
I'm soo thrilled that we are finally moving forward!

I've not been out to the farm, as I had chemo yesterday, and my follow up booster shot today. I've been fighting nausea, successfully, but still not fun. Mike is taking tomorrow off, and getting some yard work done here, since we will be at the farm all weekend.

Wednesday night

Today was a long day. We arrived at MDACC by 10:00. This was the time on my schedule for blood work, but they were very backed up and I wasn't called in till 11:00, and my Dr's appt. was at 11:30. I worried that the results wouldn't be ready, but when they called me back to see the doc. they had my bloodwork, and it was good enough to get my treatment. Yeah!

Treatment was scheduled for 3:00, and we finished at 5:30, so tomorrow, we go back for a shot at 5:30, to boost my bone marrow.
I'm feeling a little green.

At the farm, they started on the new well, and the septic tanks today. We also recieved the estimate for meter ploes and wireing the barn. Mike will call them, confirm the figures, and give the go a head.

Tuesday report from Little Moon Farm

Today was beautiful! 65 degrees, and windy. All the critters were fed.

The well man was out today. He will drill us a 300 ft well, and set us up with a pump and water tank for $6,000.00. He said they may start tomorrow. He wanted to sell me on a deeper well, but I can't afford to go deeper. We will put whole house water filters on each of our homes, and this will be fine.

I also met with the power company man, who measured and staked out where the new poles will go. He left with my check for the work, and will be emailing me some papers that will need to be signed, notarized, and returned, before they can start the work. These are the easement papers. As soon as he has those back, and my electrician has the meter poles up, we will be ready for the old well to be hooked up, and we will be ready for the new poles to be set.

The septic man called me this afternoon and said he would be out there tomorrow with a county inspector, to check the plans against the property, before he can start working.

Things are moving along.

Tomorrow I see my doctor, and have chemo. I'm going to ask about muscle relaxers, for my back. Thursday I'll be going in for the shot for my bone marrow. I'm not looking forward to this, as I know how bad I'll be feeling afterwards, but the end is in sight.

Monday evening

I met with the septic man, and they may get started on it as soon as this Friday. The electrition was out, and he is going to email me an estamate for 4 meter poles, one for each house, one for the barn, one for the old well, and wiring the barn for lights, and outlets.

Tomorrow we meet with the power company man, and the well man. Things are moving in the right direction.

Wednesday is chemo day, so the rest of the week will be me feeling sick, and laying around. Saturday, we have a back-hoe coming, and a crew of people to work on fences, and drainage. I'll be watching everyone work, and kid wrangling the grandson.

I'm excited about finally making headway on developing the farm to make it ready for us to move.

A word of caution, if you go to the comment on yesterday's blog, don't click the link there, it is spam. I don't know how to delete it.

Sunday 2/24/08

We didn't get any wire up, but we did pull up posts that were in the wrong place, drilled post holes where we wanted them, filled in holes left by the posts we pulled up, staked out the septic field, and an area for the houses, as well as marking off the area where the jousting arena will go.

Here are a few pictures of the new fence line we are building, and pictures of my grandson being led on friend Amy's horse Raven.

We had a very busy day, and everyone is tired.

Saturday evening.

Today was beautiful! It was about 65 degrees, and breezy. We spent most of the day at the farm, moving feed around, and trying to get the tractor set up with the auger to set post holes for fencing. We couldn't, for the longest time, figure out the PTO connection. It just wouldn't release! Since none of the 3 of us there had done this before, we were afraid to force anything, for fear of breaking it. Finally, Amy and Mike got it to come apart. By the time we got the auger on, and working, it was starting to get dark, and the auger bit isn't straight up & down. It needs some adjusting. Mike knows where he needs to adjust it, and will fix it tomorrow. I have to go buy a"come-along" in the morning, for pulling the fence wire tight. We just might get to put up some new fence before we head home tomorrow.

My back continues to give me fits! I'm going to ask about muscle relaxers, when I see the Doc on Wednesday. Pain pills, make it feel better, but don't do anything about relieving the cause of the pain.

Friday evening 2/22/08

Today was very busy. I withdrew the money for the utilities, and went to apply for the permits needed before hooking up the power. This sounds simple, but between fighting with the Credit Union Services, who put a hold on the money, making it necessary to cancel the deposit until I can get to my own credit union, and driving all over Ft Bend County, it took all day.

My back was killing me by the time I made it home from feeding the critters at the farm. 7 horses, 4 cats, 5 rabbits, 3 cavies, and a duck who thinks he is a rabbit, is the current list of inhabitants requiring feeding.

Tomorrow, Mike and I will start working on fencing off the area where the septic tank and leech field will go. The horses can't be allowed to walk over that area, after it is installed.

I'm meeting with an electrition, and the septic tank man on Monday, and the man from the power company, and the well man on Tuesday. I'm trying to get the ball rolling on the utilities, before my next chemo on Wednesday.

Thursday afternoon

Things are happening here. I applied for a loan for the utilities for the property, and was approved. I've spoken to the power company man about the poles, and he is meeting me at the farm on Tuesday to stake out where they will be placed. The well man is meeting me there then too, and we will decide where to put the new well. He checked out the old well, and it is 4" diameter, so we will be able to use it for horse/livestock water, if the pump is good. I just need to get a meter pole set and the power company will set up power to the well, as soon as I get the permits needed from Ft Bend County. I need to call the septic company man and see if maybe he can meet out there too, and we will be ready to get things started.

I picked Tuesday, because my next treatment is Wednesday, and I know I'll be wiped out for about a week after that.

We will have a man with a backhoe at the farm on Saturday March 1 to clear drainage ditches, and help the land drain better. The ditches are there, but are 1/2 filled in, and have too much grass/rushes growing in them to really drain. Because the ditches aren't doing their jobs, there are several marshy places that don't drain well, and we need to fix that.

We will be hosting our first SCA event at the farm on April 19, and need to have the basics, electric and water, in place before that.

Tuesday evening

I took it easy today. I did enough for 2 yesterday. I did get a well company to go out to the farm and check out the existing well. He will call me back in a day or two, and let me know if the well is worth doing anything with, or if I should just abandon it and dig a new one. It will depend on the diameter of the old one. If it is only 2", he said it is not worth messing with.

I did do the dishes, and wiped down my clean stove top, but other than that, all I did was draw some designs for foot bridges, to go over the drainage ditches on the farm, and worked on the drawings for the barn.

I'm feeding the stock tomorrow, and making a trip to the grocery store.

I'm so happy that my arm seems to be back to normal. I haven't worn my sleeve for a week, and no swelling! On the down side, I've lost most of my body hair, and my nails are turning brown/black. I've started painting them, so that I don't obsess over them.

Monday evening, 2/18/08

I'm feeling much stronger. Today I actually cleaned my kitchen! I did a load of dishes, and took apart and scraped/scrubed the cook-top, under the burners, and the drip pans and burner/pan grids. Before today, I couldn't stand to be on my feet long enough to unload and load the dishwasher, without my back hurting so bad I had to go sit down. I also rode out to the farm with my friend Amy, and we fed the horses, and I actually saddled up and rode Indy for about 45 min to an hour. I may have overdone things, as my back was hurting some when I got home, but not nearly as bad as it has been. I think the shot that I got last week, for boosting my white cells, has helped my bones all over. My back has been hurting really badly since my treatment started, and I didn't know if it was the treatment or not. I now think it is the treatment, and the shot has helped.

Sunday night 2/17/08

It has been a busy few days. I tried writing last night but when I went to post it, there was an error, and it was lost. I got mad, turned off the computer, and went to bed. Now I see that it posted later. Oh Well...

I'm starting to recover from the last chemo, but it has taken me a full week. I now feel like I have the energy to drive out and feed the horses by myself, something I haven't done since before this last treatment.

We drove out early yesterday to feed, as the weather was going to turn to crap by afternoon at the earliest, and we didn't want to be out in it. We took our grandson with us, as his parents had 3 fittings to do, and we were grandson sitting. He helped fix buckets of feed, as well as lifting each bucket when it was finished, and stacking it in the wheelbarrow. He then helped push the wheelbarrow out to where grandpa had the horses all tied to their posts for feeding, and he fed his pony, then helped with the rest. Today, he untied his pony and removed his halter by himself too. Pretty good for 4.5 years old.

Today I fixed the double gates close to the barn so that they wouldn't swing away when you try and close them. I attached rebar stakes to the end of the gates with hose clamps, so that you can push the end into the ground and the gate will stay where you want it to.

I also helped rake the old hay away from under the pole barn so that we can park the tractor under there. I measured the fenceline where we started building the barn to see how many stalls we can fit in there. We have enough room to build 16 stalls, or 14 stalls and 1 tack room and 1 feed room. Grandson helped me with the tape measure. He unreeled it, and, after I checked the figures, he reeled it back up.

Everyone else worked on unloading the rest of the lumber from Amy's trailer, so that she can take it to work and finish getting it fixed. It is now neatly stacked back by the barn wall and tarped down. I just hope Indy doesn't decide it is a new toy.

We did some kite flying, as the property seems to always have a nice breeze/wind blowing.

Saturday 2/16/08

Today has been a long day. Weather was going to get bad, so we went to the farm early to feed the stock. Daughter and son-in-law had 3 fittings today, so we grandson sat. He helped pa-pa fix fence, after helping grandma fix feed, put all the buckets into the wheelbarrow, and helped push it out to feed the horses.

We returned to the house about 1:30. A 4.5 year old has lots of energy. When he went down for his nap, we did too. We will be spending time at the farm tomorrow. The weather is supposed to clear up over night.

Thursday 2/14/08

Happy Valentine's Day. I didn't get anyone anything for St Valentine's Day. I spent the whole day on the couch. My stomach has been "touchy", and I've had a headache, and been tired all day. I hope I begin to "pick up" tomorrow. I'm tired of being tired.

We got the estimate for the septic system. $7,840.00 + $200.00 each to hook up the mobile homes, and that doesn't include the several hundred for county permits. I need to win the lotto. We have enough to either do the electric, or start on the septic, but not both. If we don't get moving soon, that will be gone paying double mortgages. I've got to see about borrowing enough to get the utilities put in and a down payment on a mobile home. Then we can finish fixing this place and sell it.

My arm has stopped swelling up. I'm happy about that. I've left the sleeve off for several days now, without any swelling. YEAH!!!

Tuesday 2/12/08

Today I got a shot at MDACC to boost my bone marrow's production of white blood cells. This should prevent any more delays in my treatment. Side effects are mild to moderate bone pain. What is a little more pain? My back has been giving me fits, so what else is new? If it will get me through the next few treatments, I'll deal with it.

I've kept a lid on the vomiting today. My daughter stopped on her way home from work to buy me ginger candy and ginger beer to help settle my stomach, and I've been using my perscriptions, too.

My arm has seemed to stop swelling now that the suture has been removed, and the hole in my old incision is healing. Maybe the whole lymphodima thing was just a reaction to the suture material. I didn't wear my sleeve at all today and my arm isn't swollen tonight. I hope and pray that that is the case.

Farm news: I got in touch with the septic company and they are picking up a copy of the plans tomorrow morning, and should have a quote for me by afternoon. I signed the electric company's quotes and sent them back today, so that is in the works. Now, to find a well company...

Monday 2/11/08

My counts were good, so I recieved my treatment today. I got home about 1:30, read my email, and crashed on the bed for about 2 1/2 hours. I never even kicked off my slippers, or got under the blanket. When I woke up, I took my nausea medicine, but was sick to my stomach about 10:15. I ate very little for dinner, but lost everything. My poor husband was trying to be supportive, but he got sick, too, just from seeing me.

I've taken more med, and so far it is staying down. My stomach is growling, but I'm afraid to eat much. I drank some ginger tea, and ate a few crackers. I need fuel, but don't want to upset my stomach. Maybe tomorrow will be better.

Sunday evening...

We are home from the farm. You can already tell that the days are getting longer.

We finished the round bale shelter, and got a new round bale delivered. We started a compost pile with the grass clippings and leaves from our yard, as well as the rest of the first round bale. The horses are going to be fed out of the barn area for now, as they really mucked it up, with all the rain we had last month.

Everyone is tired, but it is a good feeling, because we finished the project we started, and did a few small, extra, odds and ends.

I'll be heading to MDACC in the morning. I hope my blood counts have improved enough to get my treatment.

Saturday evening

We got the posts set for our round bale shelter/ring. It will be a square, roughly 7 feet on a side, with a roof 8 feet on a side, set on a slant, and covered with roll roofing. At chest height, there will be 2x6 boards, to keep the horses out, with one side hinged, to swing open for putting the bales in. We have horses who like to roll in the hay, and waste it, so this should save the hay from rain, and restless feet.

Tomorrow we will roof it, and put up the side boards, then get a round bale delivered. After this, we can keep the horses out of the storage barn area except when we bring them in to feed. They are making a mudhole of that area.

My back is still giving me fits. I have terrible back pain whenever I walk, or even stand for 15 minutes or more. The Dr. didn't seem to think it was anything, but he is an oncologist, and not an orthopedist. Maybe I need to have someone else check it out. He looked at my bone scan, and there is mention of some lumbar region findings. Not cancer, but enough of an abnormality to be mentioned. It maybe just normal wear and tear, but I'm tired of hurting every time I try to do something. Even just feeding the animals makes my back hurt so bad I have to just sit down, while they eat, instead of getting some work done.

Friday evening 2/8/08

Well, I don't have any way to tell if my blood count is improving. I hope so.


Tomorrow, Mike and I will head to the farm to begin constructing a covered area for the round bales of hay we are feeding the horses this winter. We will stop at the lumber yard on our way to the farm to pick up 4x4s, 2x4s, roll roofing, as well as concrete, and heavy duty hinges. One side of the shelter will have to swing open for the hay bale to fit inside, and all the sides will have 2x6s at chest height to keep the horses from walking and/or rolling in the hay and wasting it, like they have been doing in the pole barn. We already have the 2x6s and 2 sheets of plywood for the roof.

Digging post holes should be easier with the tractor and auger.

Wednesday 2/6/08

Well, you know what they say about the best laid plans... One of my blood count numbers was too low, so I couldn't get my chemo today. They want me back on Monday, to check my counts again and give me the treatment then. I'll have to go back on Tuesday for a followup shot to stimulate my bone marrow, so that I don't have this problem again next time.

I don't feel bad, but my immature white cells are only 50% of what they need to be.

Meanwhile, I met with my oncologist, and he said I'll be meeting with my surgeon in the next week or so to schedule my surgery. He said it will most likely be 3 weeks after my last chemo. I don't know what this delay will do to my chemo schedule. We will have to wait and see.

Late Tuesday or early Wednesday

My next chemo treatment is in the morning. I'll also be meeting with my oncologist. I have a list of questions for him, and a concern about the place on my left arm where they removed my old port. It still isn't healed. I noticed that there is a suture working it's way out of the hole in the scar. The new port is all healed up, and it is only 3 weeks old. I must have had a reaction to the suture material used in the first surgery.

Saturday evening

We just got home from the farm. What a day! We got the shed up, and all the feed transfered into it. Daughter, son-in-law, and husband, Mike did the work there, while I cleaned some tack.

I fixed the 30 foot gap in the fence left when the cattle man removed all his portable pannels. I also finished hanging the 10 foot gate at the back corner of the barn. I then spent the rest of the day sitting in a chair cleaning tack, including the new harness.

Mike moved all the gravel from the front of the property to widen the driveway near the barn, where the drive wheel of the truck always slips off the gravel into the mud. He then put the rest of the gravel behind the barn, to start a driveway from the main driveway, to the shed, where we put the feed, to make it easier for the feed store to deliver.

Diego has made himself known in the herd! He and Indy were standing in the middle of the rest of the round bale, and keeping all the other horses away, even Shiloh, the 1/2 draft, who ruled the herd before this. Indy and Diego have bonded well together. When we left, they had moved out into the pasture, and Shiloh, with Raven, were eating hay.

Friday evening

The horses are enjoying the sunny weather. It rained Thursday morning, but it has been sunny and warm since then. We will be spending the day at the farm tomorrow, putting up the shed, and fencing off an area that had a fence, but the cattle man took it down.

I've been feeding all the horses under the pole barn. They each have a post that they are tied to and they know which one is theirs.

Diego will be put out with the rest of the herd tomorrow.

It is muddy out there. Slogging through the mud is hard on my legs. I've had some pain in my calves from walking around in the mud.