It's been a while, but here is an update! Wrens did appear the day our chickadee nest was emptied, so we are guessing they were responsible. The mother chickadee spent one more night on her empty nest before abandoning it. We ended up putting duct tape over the hole so the wrens couldn't use it and boy did that make them mad! I've learned that we may have played a role in the chickadees demise. Three years ago chickadees nested in our yard, but the next year wrens did. We kept removing the sticks, but they promptly replaced them. The wrens are hard workers, I'll give them that. Finally we left the wrens alone and they completed a nest, etc. From what I've read, once you let wrens nest in your yard, they become very territorial of it and it is almost impossible for chickadees to have a successful nest there. Last year we put up two very low bluebird boxes and the wrens built dummy nests in them. Also we had put a few wood chips in our nest box. I think the reason chickadees like a box with wood chips is that it mimics an old woodpecker's nest. If woodpeckers successfully nested in a spot, there is probably a higher chance it will be successful for chickadees. So maybe we gave them a false sense of security. Well, we live and learn. Every once in a while now I will be outside and I'll hear two chickadees calling and they will fly close to me and flit all around and it makes me really happy. We now have flickers nesting in an old woodpecker hole in our birch tree. Starlings recently fledged from that hole, and there have been a few brawls, but I've got my fingers crossed. A few times I have gone out and banged pans to frighten the starlings away and it seems to work! Good luck with your nest boxes Donna! Thanks for the pep talk, it was nice to talk with someone who could relate! Annie

OK, everyone, send your kids to me, that barn will be cleaned in no time, LOL, and I won't charge you very much for the honor. (grin) Ellen, I can guarantee they'll get appropriately dirty. They probably won't smell very good either, but they'll learn about rinsing off in the horse tank, one of life's little known pleasures in the summer when it's about 85F. (The stock drink from the pond in the summer, and a 50 gallon horse tank makes a decent "swimming pool", or at least a wading/rinsing/cooling off pool). Sally, I don't have very big hands and I grew up milking, so I'm not sure hand size has much to do with it. :-) We had a couple of cows for "family milk", we didn't pasteurize or anything, we just drank it raw. I got up at 4 a.m. every day to milk, came home and showered, got on the bus for school. When I came home I milked again, had supper, did homework and went to bed so I could do it all over again the next day. Dad always did morning chores with me but I did evening chores before he got home from work. My sister hated the farm and the barns and had only "inside" chores. I hated housework (still do) and would far rather be mucking stalls than mopping floors. Michael, you're right, any kind of animal is an everyday job. It doesn't matter if you're sick or on vacation or if it's Christmas or your birthday, animals must be cared for. If you want to go away, you'd better line up reliable "help". Fortunately, Amanda and David are right across the street and Amanda will check Valentine and Suzy every day, make sure there's food and water, that the tank doesn't freeze. She'll check on Red Cow too, to make sure she doesn't have a calf early, and keep on eye on the horses to be sure the hay feeders are full. That's one of the reasons Elery isn't so keen on farming, it IS a 24/7 responsibility and keeps you pretty much at home, or close to home. Ashley's fine, although she did get her jeans dirty, LOL, Valentine's little hooves are still flexible, not even hard yet. In spite of the work and the responsibility and the expense, I love it. I want to plant blueberries and raspberries, a few more fruit trees. I think I'm going to raise a couple dozen ducks for the freezer and I'll be waiting for Valentine's "little sister" or brother. Hey, it keeps me off the streets, LOL. Annie

Oh, I'm so sorry, Rita! You and your family have had so much grief lately; wish you didn't have to go through this. ((((((((((Rita)))))))))))

1. My decision to go to college and my committment to do it. I was 25, tired of working in restaurants. During this time I was in my first marriage. 2. My first divorce. I finally stood up for myself, and got out, of an abusive relationship. Poor, worked three jobs, and still continued going to school. 3. Second marriage, divorce, my dad died, and I was laid off my job, all in three months,except the marriage. I was really suprised at my second divorce. We had dated five years, it only lasted as a marriage for 1 1/2 years. The death of my father really got me. We were not close. I grew up military. And he was always gone. When he was home, it was always so awkward. As a family unit, we had learned to live without him. That was a big sadness to him and the family. My parents divorced when I was 17, and he had retired. It was something that could never be recaptured. I never cried so hard in my life, except at his service. I have a military flag given to me, folded, in its triangle. Its been 15 years. I would like to donate it and see it flown. Whew. the memories. Job layoff. Months of agony and torture, knowing it was going to happen. My frugal lifestyle paid off. I was well prepared. I also received a separation package. I took a three day vacation and then I had one class left to finish my degree. It was summer, and I did. 4. After six months of unemployment, while I finished my degree, I find the most perfect job. And ten years later, I am still there. 5. I bought a house, eight years ago. My biggest dream of all. 6. Helping my mother. She does not drive here in the big city, only within 3 miles of her house. So, I bring her to dr appts, give advice (a role reversal), and generally looking over that no one takes advantage. 7. My vulnerability. As when my home was broke into. It has let me know my strengths, weakness, and what is important to me.