My Picture Summary Of 2005
Sedona, AZ and Portland, Ore
As of the beginning of the year still in the 5th house since 2000, there was a lot of mess to clean up from the flood on 12/29/04. The chickens had to live in the garage while the coop was repaired, and every night for 2 weeks there were warnings that another flood may occur at 2 or 3 AM so it was very crazy. A dusting of snow around Sedona on January 7th covered up the sand, trash, and muck for a few hours which made it relaxing for a short while.
On the day before the flood when were getting firewood together, the youngest hen ‘bang’ ran at a tarantula and bit one of its legs off, after she began getting real sick. We took her to a vet that give antibiotics that had to be injected. During one of these, is where I found it true that a chicken well go to sleep when held upside down. After giving the shot she laid there with no movement. Then after feeling totally freaked out that I gave the shot wrong, she all of a sudden sprang up. double freak.
She really never recovered completely and would lay eggs that were not solid shell. A few months later when re-staining the house, she saw a pile of battery acid on the lift and ran over and ate it, killing herself very quickly. It wasn’t that the acid was a draw to any of the other chickens, it had been arounds for days and they all avoided it. She was not in good physical shape and I think she knew what she was doing.
To take a break, drove over to New Mexico to check out Santa Fe and Taos for Cinco de mayo. There didn’t seem to be too much big event about, since its more indian than mexican. We went up to taos and took a tour of the taos pueblo.
On the drive back to sedona, on mothers day I was able to get through to my mother on my sisters cellphone while she was visiting her at the nursing home. It was the last time she talked to me on the phone, her sentences were really bad. After that when I visited it was more of just one word or two. Later in the year when I visited I asked her if she wanted anything, and she said ‘sketti’ so I went to my dads, made some homemade and even though he didn’t want to I made him take it over and feed her that instead of the prunes that they would give her. She ate the whole plate which she enjoyed for the 4th of july.
After that, she wouldn’t eat hard food again. Must of been her choice because she didn’t want to be there, but all she got was the blended everything. But she at least had the last food food that she wanted.
Brian Graduated High School!
Getting tired of the cleanup and painting, and working on the deck boards in sedona, we needed a break and decided to go to canada. One of my employees of the past had moved to Portland, Oregon and I had always wanted to go there, so we jumped on a plane and rented a car to go to canada which I had not been to, then back.
Portland was in its phase. The phase I call the seduction. Those few days a year when portland has the most perfect of weather, people eating on the streets, smiling, laughing. Being the kindest, most amazing people in the entire country. Nothing I had seen anywhere else in the country. The boom is going clean streets and no trash cans, how can this utopia exist and never know that it really exists!
A drive over to Mount Saint Helens for a view of the aftermath, then a drive to Seattle to visit friends, then to Victoria Island, BC. What a beautiful place.
After getting back to Portland, the full seduction is in swing. Why does not everyone live here, why isn’t everywhere like this. Must live here where there is not the possibility of the house floating away in a torrent of water. We must sell the house. Find a rental and start the perfect life in this incredible place.
A nice big house is being restored on SE Clinton Street, everything is sanded down, the wood is gonna be nice, new furnace, new water heater. Internet lines, all new kitchen, this will be great, must rent it, go back and pack! What a glorious summer!
In Sedona, put the house on the market, got the pro-painters, bought new carpet for the whole house, the carpet guys are going to retile also. Mormons. Install day, no show. No calls. Won’t install in a house that has 2 men living in it. Found someone else to install the carpet and tiles that were paid for at the last minute. Hired someone to finish all the decks.. When will he finish?
Portland allows 3 city chickens, so some have to go, but the ones to keep were not too hard a choice, orange, psycho and biscuit. Taken the others away to a new coop was difficult as they have been through a lot.
The move day, the deck is not done. He says he will finish, he’s sad were going, we drive off and he disappears from the face of the earth, even unpaid.
The drive is Long with 3 chickens and 2 cars, by the 3rd day still just going north in southern oregon and get a call the the furniture is 2 days early and going to be delivered at 8 AM… had emergency mcdonald’s, and then drove ahead at a higher speed to be there and get some sleep at the new place that I hadn’t seen for 3 months. Can’t wait.
Arrival at the house at 2:30 AM. Since last seeing the house, painters have come in and sprayed over all the wood. The house is covered in dirt. There are people living in the basement and there is no insulation. There are tools and saws everywhere. A call to the owner, says he will be there at 7. I rent a motel 6 room nearby, get in the room with food poisoning. So sick, zero sleep. Have to call friends that live in portland to deal with the owner and movers til I can make it back. The movers waited at the house was slightly cleaned enough to move stuff in, nowhere else to put it all. Fixing the house problem would have to wait.
2nd day, the rain started.
It won’t be fixed, we have to find a new place. Someone that will allow the 3 hens. Finally found a nice place in the NE section of town on the Alemeda rise. Where was that utopia that was in july? Where did that place go? This was one of the worst decisions ever to move to this drizzle, grey place. Why do we feel horrible physically here?
A trip on Christmas up to Mt Hood, we felt better in the snow. All the land around is under a blanket of white. There is skiing all around, haven’t done that in years.
Back to Portland. New Years eve sitting on the couch, watching Tivo. No reason to celebrate with the floor cold from the air leaking through the windows and settle down for complete discomfort.
