Single White Duck and Farm Goodbyes

Last week a single duckling hatched under a chicken. I thought they were all chicken eggs. This big guy hatched- no others did from that clutch. My hens will not raise a duckling. So into our house it goes. It thinks I am its mama now. So I am looking for some siblings for it. Not an easy task around here as most are geese and chickens in these parts.

This guy will be raised outside soon with a foster older mama duck. It will not be easy to do. But if I can locate some siblings it will be a lot calmer raised as a duck and not a pet.

Yesterday I helped our farm neighbors host a farm moving sale. This was bitter sweet. He just retired from AC repair to raise cattle full time, but his wife has Alzheimers. He sold all 800 acres to another cattleman. But the house and all had to be sold as well. Everything liquidated for when she needs full time care.

It cost $5 grand a month to house a person in a nursing home here. But she is not ready for that yet. So they are moving into town in a smaller home near the hospital and the nursing home. Their adult children are supportive but the husband is stressed. This was not the plan they had for retirement. She was so full of life and now with the drugs she is a zombie. The stress of moving away from home, new home and selling off everything has her very anxious. But it has to be done. Everything sold except for a tiny table, a bed and some chairs. The farm house has become empty even down to the last barn kitten. 

These were our best friends here. They came over in a heartbeat to help with farm emergencies. They will be greatly missed. Alzheimers is a horrible disease. It is taking away the thing that make us who we are. Our personality, knowledge and experiences until we become a vegetable. I have seen over 6 people in my life die from this. Each one was different, from different walks of life from people born in 1930's-1950's men and women. What is lost in incalculable. So I listen to those I love. I pay attention to their stories, foods and music. So when they are down I can pull up a memory they connect with. We are so lucky to have portable computer/phones now. We can share photos, music and more instantly. And just for a moment, make someone engage with us once more.

In Real Al-zhe-time!

These are our farming neighbors and our very good friends.  They have helped us with several farm problems over the years. Stuck trucks, broken tractor, torn fences, round bales of hay, poachers, predators, fallen trees, hunting and wildlife care. They have raised kids, dogs, cats and cattle for the last 10 years here. But that is now over because of his wife's brain. She is in her sixth year of finding out what is wrong and it is the big A, Alzheimer's. Caused by a thyroid medication she took for 20 years. She got a new doctor and he took her off that medicine but the damage was done.

They are going to sell the farm and build a new house in the next town next to a nursing home and closer to their children. Her husband has worked all his life and just retired to farm full time and travel with his wife. But that has changed. He will have to take care of her and keep her safe from her own mind. She does not sleep, forgets who he is and that she is married. She wanders but has forgotten how to drive, thankfully. She has forgotten how to cook and is afraid of water. 

So they came over and told us the news after they came back from the big city doctor.

We already knew she had it but now it is official. We have gone through this with several people we know. We know the stages and the final act. But his wife is one of the happy ones. She had a happy childhood and is a happy "new child" again in her mind.

We gave them one of our favorite movies"50 First Dates". It is a funny movie about a woman who forgets the present when she wakes up. So her family tries to come up with a solution. It is sad and funny like this disease. And like this movie our neighbor has many friends and family that will care for them both.

Note: My neighbors visit and the death of another friends son all happened on the same day. I do not understand why yet. But at least I am well versed on how to deal with it all. I think living out here in the Ozarks on our farm teaches you how to deal with many life or death things at once.