A Timely Nap & Brail Chicken Stickin'

Today I fed my critters , paid bills and having emptied my tiny checking account decided a nap would be a nice idea. Dealing out money always taxes my energy. I slept lightly, listening to my cockateel and canary bird chirping and twittering and the contented breathing of my three dogs. Outside the gentle tinkling of the bell on my goat, Bossy, told me they were well and content. I could hear the occassional crows of the roosters and fussing of the hens and guinea birds. All was well on Boycenberry Farm.

Hannah, my little black dog, slept quietly in my lap and I began to dream. I know not of what I dreamed, but it must have been a pleasant travel, because I did not awaken for some time. When finally I did wake, I stayed very still, coming back to the world slowly and easily.

It was then a thought hit me. Drain the swelling. That was the thought in my head. I pondered this for a short while, considering the meaning. Earlier in the day, when I was watching my chickens, I noticed my Speckled Sussex rooster, GMC (Giant Mutant Chicken), was shaking his head strangely. Instead of the typical quick shake, he was swaying his head slowly from side to side. People who know my chickens know I have a history of odd occurrences with my roosters. I managed to catch him as he was intent on drinking at the water dish. I discovered his wattles were very swollen. Instead of the typically thin floppy flesh his wattles were thick and fluid filled. I thought that was a good reason for his strange head movement because such swelling must be very painful. This is what I was thinking about when I drifted into Dreamland, and this is the subject of the thought with which I awoke.

I remembered I had seen dogs with large floppy ears get swelling in their ears which could be drained with a needle. It was nearly dark and time to give the chicken their evening scratch. They feed with purpose, so feeding time is a good time to catch someone who needs catching. I caught GMC and put him in a cat carrier until I could get the needle and surenge ready. I removed the bird from the carrier and did a cat wrap on him with a couple old towels. It was almost dark by this time and he was very calm. Chickens are quiet in the dark. I inserted the needle and drew some fluid from his wattles. They seemed to deflate enough to be more comfortable. I released GMC to go in the house with the other birds and thought about this interesting day.

Just before sleep and just as we awaken are good times for us to listen to the quiet thoughts that so often have deep meanings in our lives. I don't know how this old memory found its way into my head but I'm glad it did. I don't know if I hepled GMC - tomorrow will tell, but I am glad I took my pleasant nap because something good may have come from it. I will check GMC in the morning and, hopefully, all will still be well at Boycenberry Farm.

I Am Blessed

My heat went out today. My canary bird could have been a peep sickle if I had stayed out longer. He's a tough guy because it was only 50 degrees when I came in the house.

My friends came home to a flooded basement, and it's a dandy basement, too.

I had two strong guys carry my space heaters up from the basement so I could keep the pipes from freezing in the back bathrooms and I built a hot dog of a fire in my den. It is not a "white man's" fire with flames licking up the chimney, but a really good fire that puts out heat without waste and takes minimal poking. It has kept me warm all afternoon and evening.

I am comfortable, fed, my critters are happy and tomorrow is another day.

I am blessed.

I Didn't Know

Never could I have imagined this would happen to my woods. I was told the trees would be cut and stacked so it could be used for firewood. The waste in this picture is what happened instead. It tears my heart out.

I thought the cell tower site would be dressed neatly when finished. You can't dress this. I can't see over it, through it or under it. This space could have been clean and seeded and made to look as though this land is important. Instead, it is an eyesore and I can't bear to go here anymore. www.sandyjordan.us/Dispute

Cell Tower Saga

Well, they have constructed a road no one can use and told me now it is designated as an ATV only road. I was told the tower would be serviced by a pickup but they can't get up the road and the tower guys refuse to fix their ridiculous road. The contractor refused to add gravel to my road, which had become slippery and difficult to get up due to four days of rain after all the heavy equipment use. I bought gravel myself and I am expecting them to reimburse me for it (pics to follow). Their road is so steep, all the rain funnels right down it across and down my road. Even the gravel is washing across my road. They don't seem at all inclined to fix their mistakes. We'll see....

I was always taught anything worth doing is worth doing well. These jokers are cutting every corner for speed. When the tower goes up they get oodles of money. In reality, they have shat upon me for their own gain. They show no signs of cleaning up their mess but I am not going to deal with it after they think they are done. I wrote the book on squeaky wheels and I can be awfully persistent. It is a shame people think they can take advantage without being accountable.

Cell Tower

The erosion inspecter came up this afternoon and drove up to my house. He said he was unable to get up the access road to the cell tower. Now that's a big surprise! Nobody can get up that road and they still think I'm going to let all their heavy trucks go right through my yard! Ha!

Erosion guy had already noticed that the sediment control fence had not been installed and we've had four days of rain. He wasn't too pleased. I wouldn't let him drive through my yard either. Payback can be a real bitch.

Too be Continued...

Almost Taken Again

Today I learned the cell tower guys had put in a request for above ground power to the cell tower. I was even told I had agreed to it. Above ground service requires a forty foot cleared right of way with obtrusive poles all over my land. I never agreed to that. In fact, that was another one of the questions I asked in the beginning and I was told the power would be buried. Surprise, cell tower guys! This one's on you!

The service will be buried and the job will be done to my satisfaction, unlike anything the cell tower guys have done so far. It will go where I choose and be finished properly. The power company will even gravel my road where they cross it if I wish. The cell tower construction guy refused to gravel my road where his equipment has damaged it to prevent further damage due to the heavy equipment. I am ordering a load of 357 gravel today and forwarding the bill to the Cell Tower Guys!!!!!

If they refuse to pay?... To be continued.

Taken Again - If You Can't Trust the Cell Tower Guy, Who Can You Trust?

I asked many questions before I agreed to allow a cell tower on my property. I also made it clear there were certain conditions I would never allow. The following pictures and those in the gallery Steve's Folley show how seriously my conditions and questions were treated. (View Pictures at www.sandyjordan.us/Dispute with Montgomery County.)

My hay field is off limits. As Steve's Folley shows, that was a joke.

How will the road be put in? How will the road go in? What will be done with the trees? What about erosion during construction? Will the access road tie in with my exhisting road so that no damage will be done to my road? Who will maintain the exhisting road up to the cut-off of the access road?

I was told that the cell tower company would maintain the road. Today I was told they weren't even going to put gravel on the exhixting road, no matter, because the cranes putting up the tower were going to tear everything up anyway. I was told the access road would be tied in to the exhisting road so that it would not cause any problems. One rain will clog and overfill the little culvert pipe installed and cause damage to my road. Don't worry, I'll take pictures when it happens. I was told all construction equipment would use the access road. I got a call today from Cell Tower Guy begging to go through my yard because the trucks and equipment could not make it up the access road because it is too steep. Tuff nuts! They should have done better planning! I was told there would be a fabric laid down on the road that would prevent erosion. As it was described, it was to go on the road bed under the gravel. None went down, and none will. The gravel trucks, I told the construction guy to stay clear of Sisson and Ryan Quarry and use Acco. He didn't listen. He got tan gravel that is half dirt instead of the clean stone used by Acco. The trucks couldn't get up the grade and refused to allow their trucks to be towed up the access road, so they dumped all the gravel in my road and the construction guy had to rent another piece of heavy equipment to haul the gravel up the road a bucket at a time. The trees? They weren't cut and stacked neatly, but pushed over with a backhoe and shoved into piles of usless trash all around the tower site and along the access road. So much for fire wood easily accessable.

Every promise given me has been broken. The call I received today promised that my yard would be put back to it's original condition if I would please let them drive their trucks through my yard. No! I'm not falling for that. I was told the same thing about the five foot split rail fence in the middle of my hay field. "We'll take it down after construction and make everything right." And frogs have wings!

It is human nature to want to trust people. Is that a bad thing? No. Is it wise to be skepticle? You bet! Is it foolish to make the same mistake twice? I think so. I don't care if they have to hire helicopters to get that blasted tower in. I don't care if they spend a fortune doing it. After they last email I got from Cell Tower Guy, I don't give a hoot in H E double hockey sticks how they get the job done so long as they stay the H E double hockey sticks away from anything on this property that is outside of their right of way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And I wish them all a wonderful Thanksgiving!