Digital TV Converter Box Coupons - GOOD NEWS!

NEWS FLASH: IF you converter box coupons expired without being used, you can reapply for new ones!!!!

Being out in the middle of the woods, in the middle of nowhere, in Tornado Alley, does have a few minor issues. First, we could pay $50 a month to subscribe to satellite television so we could watch tv after the digital conversion, and since Sky Angel went internet so we can no longer use their service (a whole 'nother issue I won't address). OR - we could get a couple of digital converter boxes or new televisions so we can watch the weather warnings that roll through on a regular basis spring and fall.

We decided, as usual, that the practical option suited us just fine. We keep our money and use the free service offered to us by using the government's coupons to purchase converter boxes. So, we applied last year for converter box coupons. Thanks Uncle Sam. We were being slammed with info about how important it was to get our coupons early, and our boxes, and be ready for the change. Oh, yes, that change that keeps being pushed back every few months.

Our coupons came, and with them in my purse I headed to the store to get my boxes. I came home empty handed. For the next 90 days, any time I made the 30 - 60 minute trek out of the wilderness, I had the coupons with me. I checked the electronics stores, KMart, Target, and heaven forbid, even WalMart. Hmmmmm. . . .there was a bit of a glitch in the government's plans. (as usual) I kept coming home empty handed, until one day, at Circuit City, there happened to be converter boxes!!! I bought one - yes, kick me now - just one. I figured they were finally going to be available, and I didn't want to invest in more than one if I made the wrong decision about which one to get. After all, even with the coupon, this cost me $20.

So, with just a week or so left until my coupon expiration date, I bought only one, brought it home, set it up, and was annoyed beyond end! You couldn't leave it plugged in and get the analog and digital stations. You had to keep unplugging and replugging and fiddling with the antenna for each digital station. I decided I really did need one of those analog pass through boxes, so didn't run right out to pick up another.

Digital tv sucks (sorry for the language) big time. I didn't think about it much more as I switched the box off, unplugged it, and went about watching the analog stations, which didn't lose audio every 10 seconds like the digital signals. You know, the picture on our analog stations was just as clear too. :-/ The coupon expired, the switchover started to happen about 9 months after the original coupon application, and we can now only get some channels via digital. The box is plugged back in, and I do no want to pay full price for another for our other television.

A couple of drawbacks with only one box. You can only watch one station, on one television, at a time. Or, you can only record one station, on same television, at a time. No more taping one show while you watch another; not that we did that often, but it used to be an option.

I just reapplied online for our second coupon since I received an e-mail from the FTC about my appeal for a replacement coupon filed many months ago. They denied the appeal, but let me know if a coupon expired unused, I was eligible to receive a replacement. It went through, and my coupon should arrive on the 29th.

This is good news, since I don't want to pay full price for the privilege to still be able to do what I used to be able to do. . .. you know? But, I recently noticed a new problem. Those boxes are gone again.

So, the real question is, when this coupon arrives, will there be digital converter boxes on the shelf for me to use it to purchase?

AAAAAAAhhhhhhh, gotta love change. Either way, we have one, and can watch the weather until the power goes off - since the digital converter boxes aren't dual power though our television is. It is usually when the power goes out that we really need to know what is happening. That sleeper sofa we bought for the storm shelter may see a lot more sleeping this year, so we don't have to worry.

Guess we are in the market for a battery operated digital television for the storm shelter.

Go get your replacement coupons. They ship fast, so make sure there is local stock before you order them.

What was your Easter Face

Alternate Title: If you give a homeschooler a paper plate.

In the wake of the weekends events, I thought I would share some of the fun we had. Sure, a stray dog found us, the power went out, life was crazier than usual, but we did manage to have some fun with Easter. Since it was at Amber's she asked if we could use paper plates. She still had some left from her wedding a year ago, and didn't want to do as many dishes. While we sat waiting for the final touches on our dinner, I picked up a pencil that happened to be nearby, turned over my plate, and started the game.
Janice caught on quickly, flipped her plate and asked for the pencil.

Then Brenna
Ross couldn't be left outWith a little encouragement Dad even did a self portrait!! Thanks Jay for joining in.
For a reluctant artist, we were all impressed with the detail. As a matter of fact, we had to wrestle the pencil away so Jared could have a turn. Amazing how you can get into this project.
Finally the food was ready. But, the game had become more important, so we had Amber and Eugene complete the picture with their visages.
No matter how our stomachs complained, we still had to do a few combo shots for posterity.
Finally, our stomachs overcame us all. We flipped the paper plates over and filled them with ham, potatoes, green beans and ate!!! But, most of all, we made a memory.

Feelings of Inadequacy and Productivity Suffers

We all get them. Those days that you just feel like you aren't measuring up. Days when you do those things you always strive not to do. Then, you just want to kick yourself and can't seem to be as productive as you should - or is it all an imagination.

I don't know why I wanted to write about this today; maybe just to let us all know we suffer from being human. It all started with the weekend gone awry. or did the weekend really go awry? In an effort to save me a trip out to the store, someone offered to bring groceries for the weekend. I figured out what I needed, they purchased them, then left some of them an hour away. In the meantime, I got up Saturday morning to find there were some things missing from the list I gave, since I had to do it in bit of a rush during other business. So, I went to the store. Then, they got here and found they had forgotten some things, and they went to the store. Of course, first thing the stray dog showed up. Then, the power went out when we should have been cooking Easter dinner, and we finally found out it wasn't coming on until we should be eating Easter dinner, so we packed up all the groceries and headed back to Tulsa. You noticed I said "all" the groceries, right?

Ah, so after a busy day yesterday of chasing leads to get rid of a stray, I am now devising a new grocery list, planning a trip to Tulsa, and going to be doing something other than I what I should be doing today - which is laundry. In the busyness of yesterday, I also didn't have the energy to deal with the wood fire that keeps us warm and heats our hot water. Oddly, that is where the inadequacy comes in. I was fine with the 21st Century catching me, until the kids complained how cold they were and I finally walked to the thermostat on the wall, buried under its cobwebs and dust, and pushed the little lever to "heat." Eeeeeewwwww. . .it stunk from inactivity. But, heat was coming out, and the kids would be happy, and I could focus on whatever it was by now I wasn't able to focus on.

So, after a winter of great diligence, I actually used the electric heat after the first day of spring, after Easter even. Rats. Well, I guess this won't be the year we finally make it through the whole season without falling back on the comforts of knobs and buttons that require little work. So, today, it is supposed to be warmer. The house is 62 right now, and not a complaint from the kids. No one has felt it necessary to throw on their jacket to stay inside. Yesterday it was 66, and breezy outside. Somehow that always makes the house seem colder. Today, the sun in shining. I'll whip out a couple loads of laundry; Ross will hang them for me, and I will head to Tulsa to get some groceries - that would have been here already if the power hadn't gone out. Funny, it is turning on the heat that made me feel inadequate. I'm sure normal people don't suffer from feelings of inadequacy for having to turn the heat on.

Tomorrow, I promise to be more productive. I shall put this all behind me. Today, I run like I'm part of the rat race and long for quieter days. Oh, yeah, have I told you how much I hate shopping?

Have a blessed Tuesday and please pray for my Wednesday. I am. Today's theme: Salvage Tomorrow!!

Stray Dogs, Rural Life, and all that Fun

If you have never lived in a rural setting, you may find the following post shocking. If you have, then you may find the following post all too familiar.

The ferrier came this weekend. We were all getting ready to have breakfast when he pulled into the yard. Unusually, he pulled up to the house instead of driving up to the barn. We heard a honk, went out, and he rolled down his window and asked if that was our dog. Oh, boy.

Then, Fred Flintstone and Dino style, the dog headed straight for Jay! I thought for sure she was going to knock him over and they would both go tumbling. What Jack had inadvertently brought us, since it followed his truck in, was what appeared to be a pure bred, German Shorthaired Pointer.

I don't think this is a good gift to receive at all! For those who don't know the breed, it is a sporting dog of course. My family knows I have a general disdain for sporting dogs because, first, I'm not a sportsman in that sense. Second, I don't like the hyperactive energy which if not focussed on hunting or fishing ends up focussed on destruction! Not at all. I think the sporting dogs are some of the prettiest dogs, and yes they are specifically smart to their breeding, but as a house guest they are absolutely not bright at all and very unwelcome.

Another reason they may be unwelcome is pictured below.


By now, you all know that we have chickens. Well, I don't want to endanger our free range chickens with one of these sporting dogs. They are often trained on things like chicken wings. So, I'm sure a whole bird would be more than an exciting catch, especially if the dog is lost and hungry. So, we quickly put the dog on a chain, which of course it hated and let us know continually.

Now, I had a stray dog, barking in the yard, and jumping at all who would get near it. This is not the first time this has happened. There was the mastiff pup, who was already bigger than this dog when he showed up. He got tied to a tree where he persisted in emptying out his intestines on to the ground for us to inspect - old socks, balloons, you name it, everything but food. We did find his owners. Then there was the border collie who showed up. These dogs always look healthy enough. We rehomed the border collie, as we have done many times to many dogs.

The final straw for this pointer was when we let her loose after the chickens went to bed, presumably to see if she would leave and find her way home. Well, she didn't. Instead, she just chased Gypsy, our least bright cat, up a tree.
We got the cat down from the tree. Jay chased the dog off as best he could, and then we went to bed. There she was, on Ruby's couch, in the morning. The morning was also rainy, pouring actually, and very miserable and wet. I assume, even if she did know where home was, she had seen the covered patio as a much better place to spend the night.

We covered our for sale signs with pictures of the dog and a phone number so people could find her if they were trying. We put the dog back in the pen, on a chain, and she jumped over the fence with the chain on. Jay canvassed the neighborhood to make sure no one locally knew her. Fun stuff.

Well, today, I am off to the vet - remember, long drive - to have her scanned for a microchip. Hopefully, since she is an expensive dog, she will be microchipped and we will find the owner. If not, then I have already contacted the national German Shorthaired Pointer rescue. She needs to go, and I will be spending every waking hour trying to get her gone.

What many don't realize is that responsible people live in the country. We don't just shoot stray dogs, we try to find their owners. Sometimes we are successful, sometimes we are not, but either way we find them homes. NOT OURS EITHER! We already have 3 dogs that were dropped off here and we kept. We don't need other people's dogs. We don't need hunters losing their dogs, we don't need families dropping their unwanted grown puppies, we don't need neighbors who can't keep their dogs home (I've probably given a few of those away too.) The time we put into caring for these dogs and finding them homes is something I wish the owners would put in, instead of me.

Permit a short rant: if we have 3 dogs when we wanted none, that is a sign that there is a problem. Yes, there is good reason to spay and neuter your animal. Back yard breeder, even the supposedly reputable breeders, are adding to a growing population of animals that end up on my doorstep. At the very least, if you can't spay or neuter the thing, then at least microchip the babies and keep track of who you sold them to so we can find you and let you know when they end up on our doorstep instead of at the feet of the loving family you thought you placed them with!

So, for Easter weekend, we are giving, loving and sharing and trying to find this dog her way home or to a new home. Lots of fun. Lots of adventure.

FYI - Many people in rural Oklahoma just shoot dogs who walk into their yard. We only shoot foxes and possums, and maybe a stray dog we catch with a chicken in its mouth. Otherwise, someone has willingly or unwillingly taken up several days of my time.

Now, to my oatmeal, then to the vet!! Wish me luck.

Spring Fires and Caring Friends

Since I’ve had people ask, I thought I should let them know how the fire situation is here. We did get some rain this past week, with more coming tomorrow, but as far as fires goes, the rains actually create more danger. People become more careless when it rains because they think the danger is over. Just one day of high winds and warm temperatures will erase any sign of rain, and fuel the fire danger.

First, some history of the spring fire season here. It has been very dry. Yes, we have had some of the fires on our property, but not the most recent ones you hear about in the news. Thanks to a neighbor, we don’t have to worry about wild fires getting to us any more, since he already burned off about 25 acres of our property, and most of the contact points where a wild fire would get to us.

We keep around the house and barns pretty well cleaned out, but the bulk of our acreage is actually pasture or wooded and away from view. So, the morning a retired neighbor knocked on the door, before breakfast, to tell us we had fire, we were thankful. The fire had already climbed the ridge and was heading to pastures, and another neighbors.

We all put on our shoes and headed out the door to gather shovels and rakes. This is not that usual a routine, but enough so we know what needs to be done. We opened gates and headed to the “back 40” to find the fire. It didn’t take us long to find it. It was spread over a quarter mile. We got straight to work and called Jay to contact the proper authorities to come help us. We knew we couldn’t put this one out alone.

The 911 rant I shall save for another day, but I ended up having to stop fighting the fire myself, get my phone and call 911, since Jay was in Tulsa he couldn’t contact our local 911, and they don’t communicate. So, with the kids and the neighbor fighting the fire, I got on the phone. I had to go to the front of the property to show the fire department where they were going when they finally got here. It was a very long morning, culminating in a hike along the back fence line to see that yes, the fire had been started by the same neighbor whose fires we had been putting out all summer. Well, 2 fire departments and a forestry service bulldozer and professional fire lighter visit later, we found ourselves having breakfast at Chili’s at 1:00p.m. Probably about 25 acres had burned, and the forestry service back burned more to keep any flare ups from happening.

That same night, I was back down below the ridge, in what we call the bottom, to check an make sure we had no rekindles, when what did I see? That neighbor back out there with his matches!!! So, I called the fire department again, and they came, told me the fire was out and it was just the neighbor burning off pasture, no big deal. Huh? They just had two fire departments and the forestry service out here putting out that guys fires and now it is no big deal he’s lighting them again? No one wanted to talk to this guy and tell him to stop. So, we caught him when we were down there a few days later, and Jay gave him a good talking to.

Now, you are wondering about the new fires. Well, people often think lightening or arson when they hear about these fires. Our experience is that they are often lit by well meaning property owners who think they are going to clean things up around their property to save having to worry about fire. In reality, when the fire gets across the fence, they become blind to the plight of their neighbors.

This week, when Jay went looking for one of the golden’s who didn’t come back after a run, he drove around to a back neighbors and saw the fire. He didn’t think much of it because it was three properties behind us, and well, all the connecting property on our side had already been burned, bulldozed and saved from further fire incursions. Two days later though, I got up to smoke in the air. Was that fire still burning? Or was this a new one? I looked around, far from us obviously, but not that far. Didn’t think anything of it.

Thursday, Brenna notified me that we had company driving up the drive. So, I headed out to the deck to see a nice, black Ford Excursion pulling up to the house. The fellow inside looked like the typical real estate person, so I assumed it was a realtor visit, since one had been here last week to leave literature hoping to convince us to list with them instead of selling by ourselves.

What I got was, in the end, a pleasant surprise. A state inspector had just pulled into my yard to ask about the neighbor who keeps lighting thing afire and the neighbor by him who has the same penchant!! YEAH!! Finally, someone took notice of the plight of the residents of Mayes county. He asked where he could find said neighbors and I was more than happy to supply him with any information I had, including phone numbers.

Evidently, the state has gotten to the point they are finally tired of these two guys setting the country side ablaze, and have sent a state inspector to investigate and talk to them. I hope it works.

The fires you hear about on the news aren’t near us, but these ones near us don’t even make the news. Often, this little corner of Oklahoma goes unnoticed and uncared about. We drive by burn spots in pastures, medians, and just about everywhere on a daily basis. Sometimes it is a thoughtless cigarette toss, other times just pulling a hot vehicle over into the dry grass on the side of the road will start these fires. But, most often, it is an oblivious landowner who doesn’t care about the fire once it crosses the fence line. Thanks to our neighbor, you shouldn’t have to worry about any of the wildfires reaching us the rest of the fire season. We had ours.

I do hope that everyone realizes that a simple brush fire, or burning a fence row, can lead to a dangerous situation for neighbors who are hoping to go about their usual days. One of these fires, a few counties over, even took the life of a local volunteer firefighter our son-in-law worked with.

So, thanks for asking how we were fairing through all of this. And help us get the word out, that even the most innocent fire can cost property owners and communities.

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Ruby

Well, last week was quite a week. Trying to catch a fox, not lose any more chickens, survive the cold by keeping the wood fire going, etc. There were also those horrendous winds that pounded at our brains until finally the cold front fully arrived.

I actually sent the kids to visit their older siblings in Tulsa at the beginning of the week, and thought I might relax with a few movies, some popcorn, pizza and other terrible foods I don’t let them have, and just enjoy some solitude. Of course, we’ve all heard about the best laid plans of mice and men. And as Slartybartfast would say, “I don’t see what men have to do with it.”

Sunday night seemed normal enough. Monday was spent picking out the movies I’d like as well as the junk food. Watched “Nights in Rodanthe” (less than epic, but tolerable) and “16 Blocks” (pretty good flick), then brought the dog, Ruby – black lab mix, in to go to bed as we do every night. She had been up at the pen still, so I went to fetch her. Odd, she was laying in a place she never lays, and didn’t really want to get up to come to me. She took her time getting to the house, unlike her usual hyper self. When she reached the patio, I knew something was up. She took the first two steps gingerly, then just hopped over the last too, and limped with her right back leg into the house. She went directly to bed, and didn’t get up at all. That too was unusual.

I didn’t sleep well that night. Something was obviously wrong, but no sign of injury. The next morning, she woudn’t even get off the bed. I picked her up and set her on the floor. She fell over and just laid there. I told her to just stay there (silly I know, she obviously couldn't walk), and went out to care for the rest of the animals. When I got up to the dog pen and saw Ruby hadn’t eaten the day before.

Due to a rash of escapes, the goldens were on chains in the their pen. They couldn’t reach her food to eat it, which they could have the days before. So, I wasn’t sure how many days Ruby hadn’t been eating, but it was obvious that she hadn’t yesterday. I called my favorite vet, who told me to take her to the vet hospital for x-rays and blood work. Tick born disease was her guess.

Ruby still wanted to drink, so I gave her a drink of water and then picked her off the floor and loaded her in the car. We drove the 30 minutes to the vet hospital, and then the fun began. They took her temp – 104°. Her eyes had started gooping the night before; they were all runny and green, a clue. She wouldn’t lift her head for the vet even. He was concerned; she was a pretty sick dog.

They asked her age, which I could only guess was around 10. I told them if they looked, the last time she was in was for mange when she was a puppy. That would give us a good idea; it was 1998. So, she was 11! Pretty old, but usually pretty chipper and healthy. I remembered to tell them I thought she was suffering from a bit of arthritis, since for the last month or so she had a hard time getting off her couch at night. She has a couch she sleeps on just outside the back door until we let her in for bed at night.

The vet took the blood, and it showed low platelets, but not high white cells, which should be for an infection. All the rest looked good, not even that dehydrated. Now, he seemed much more concerned than I was. He suspected tick born illness too, but she got so sick so fast, and her blood work didn’t look bad. I told him I’d leave her for IV through the day, then would check back before 5:30 to see how she was.

We got back at 5:00, and he seemed more concerned. They hadn’t force fed her yet; she hadn’t drunk, and they had an IV drip going. The first antibiotics she had thrown up, so none had gotten in her system yet, and they were out of injectable. The decision was to leave her over night to be monitored. They could make sure she kept some antibiotics down, and see how she felt in the morning. If she still was vomiting, the injectable ab would be there by then.

We went back at noon the next day, and she looked happy to see us, lifter her head and wagged her tail. The vet thought she looked worse, but I assured him she looked better. They had her on a second IV bag. We tried force feeding her some wet food, and she was more than happy to eat it from a tongue depressor. The kids and I went to lunch to see if she was going to keep the food down and let the IV bag finish.

When we got back, the vet reported she had kept the food down, and she was free to go home since he’d done all he could. I felt bad for him though. He really had hoped she would stand up. They took another blood sample to send off for a tick borne illness screening. We scooped her off the floor, loaded her in the car, and drove her home.

When we got home, knowing she had been in a cement run for 24 hours without opportunity to go to the bathroom, I set her on the grass in case she needed to go. Well, she stood. She actually didn’t want to not stand. So, I let her stand a bit, until she decided to sit, then scooped her back up and brought her back to the bedroom where she sleeps. We set up a bed with her favorite blanket and some of those training pads, in case she needed to go.

We left her there to rest and within seconds heard that familiar click-clack of her claws on the hard surface floors. She walked from the bedroom to the cat dishes and drank most of their water. Then, she went and laid back down. I called the vet right away to let him know she was up and walking. He was relieved. It was now Friday. We would have to wait until Monday to hear about the tick screen.

Monday came, the vet called, and it was Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever for sure. By now, Ruby was feeling much like her old self, though eating her dry dog food was still a chore, so we were supplementing with wet. She would have to take the antibiotics for a total of 14 days.

In the end, I learned that I very much would miss this specific dog were anything to happen to her. She is the one who lets us know when predators of the animal or human kind are in the yard. She keeps us safe through all things, and we keep her safe through thunderstorms. I told the vet she is hyper, but not very bright. I still stand by that statement, but will add that she is bright when it counts, and a bright spot in our lives.

As a final step in the process, I picked up some Vectra from my favorite vet. She switched us from Frontline to Vectra last year, and it really is more effective for the dogs. So, as soon as Ruby is feeling a bit better, we will treat all the dogs. We will also treat the cats with Frontline (Vectra isn’t for cats). And, hopefully, this will be our last tick borne illness this year.

In total, we have now had three animals with tick borne illnesses. All were nursed back to health with antibiotics and force feedings.

A Fox near the Chicken Coop

Just like I said. I was sitting at the computer this morning, in my pretty pink nightie, since I hadn't been up for more than a few minutes. I'd just gotten off the phone with my husband, all was well and relaxing too.

The dog barked, as it should to issue a stern warning. I nonchalantly rose from my position to look at the dog and see which direction the alert was aimed. Following the dog's line of gaze led my eyes to the chicken coop, and the prettiest red fox! Well, our visitor had returned.

We saw this same fox a couple weeks ago, just a day or two after we noticed our friend the pheasant (see picture on the right bar) had not been around. We had also lost 2 hens one day, and 2 hens another day. Naturally, we blamed the fox for the disappearance of fowl. So, we have been sitting out there random days waiting for it to return. Was I sitting out there today? with loaded gun? NO! rats. . . .

Knowing the fox is easily spooked, as it was the first day we spotted it, I grabbed the loaded gun and headed out the front door. Idiot me forgot to jack it though. So, I was outside when I did that; the fox obviously heard, and by the time I got around to the back side of the house, the fox was all the way to the play house. Too far for my rather innacurate shooting, and too far to know the horse wasn't just down the hill.

So, in my pretty pink nightie, with my slip on white converse sneakers, and a 12 gauge shot gun, I went wandering about the yard following the foxes trail. I was hoping that no one would drive into the yard at this particular moment. I decided that since I didn't see the fox anywhere, it was a good time to get my rather odd looking self back into the house before anyone did see me.

There's always tomorrow. . . maybe if we don't let his food supply out of the coop today, he will be hungry enough to show back up tomorrow.

Mornings are definitely an Adventure around here.