Days later...

...and I'm still ill.  I started on a course of antibiotics under the assumption that I have pneumonia without a chest x-ray to confirm it, and with today being dose day #2 I'm feeling some modest improvements.  The crap I'm hacking up out of my lungs is coming up with less muscle-aching effort, and it's now clear instead of brown.  Huzzah!  My fever is gone, and the sore throat is waning (though I still don't have a voice to speak of). 

It's a full moon tonight, a Wolf Moon, and every part of me begs to be out playing beneath it.  Unfortunately, I'm just not well enough yet to take advantage of the 60 degree weather with a brisk barefoot run in the woods this evening, grinning and sweating and splashing through the muddy puddles of thawed snow and ice.  But I think I should be able to take a gentle stroll, with plenty of tissues in my pockets.  I'll try to not be too disappointed, knowing that this is just a teaser, and that there will be plenty of warm nights under the moon ahead with spring and summer approaching.  I'll content myself with a walk, and with a second night of sleeping with the windows open.

Three weeks from today we go to settlement.  We submitted our reply to the home inspection, requesting that the sellers complete treatment for the wood-destroying insects we saw evidence of, that they replace or repair the damaged windows, and that they replace the built-in dishwasher that apparently doesn't work.  The water testing came back with elevated lead levels, so we're going to install an under-sink reverse osmosis filter system for our drinking and cooking water.  I've started boxing up our books and trinkets.  The reality of the situation comes and goes for me... I don't think it's going to really feel REAL until we have the keys in our hands. 

We're getting together our hatchery order, and have almost met the minimum chick order of 25 for McMurray between our order and Good Neighbor's order.  As soon as another friend or two commit to at least 4 more chicks, we'll place that order and know that little fluffy peeps will be arriving in early April.  The house comes with a brand new chicken coop, strangely enough it had never been used and the sellers have no problem leaving it with us.  It's this one, actually, http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/4x6_coops.html , and it's just about the right size for our flock that will soon number 16. 

We've decided to wait to order the goslings.  With a new house, baby trees, bees, and chicks arriving all around the same time, we don't wait to bite off more than we can chew and have other living creatures suffer for it.  We also want to get the pond water tested before bringing in water fowl.  So perhaps later in the summer we'll order them, but if not there's always next year!