Notes from the Feathers

Bluebird Updates
Lots have happened with the bluebirds since last I posted! The first bunch of babies did very well and fledged early one Saturday morning. Before a week was up, the parents were at it again. This time, they set up housekeeping in the birdbox mounted on a porch post at the end of our house. I can't express how wonderful it is to have them living so near! It's fun to sit on the porch, a mere 15' or so away, and watch them. Listening to them is fun, too. Their voices are so soothing; they warble to each other and it really sounds like they're having a conversation. I believe the latest clutch of eggs has started hatching; I saw the male bring a small insect to the house a few minutes ago. Awesome.

Chickadee News
The little wooden house we hung in the tree has been a constant source of entertainment (and distraction) for me. I can see it from my desk and spent too much time grabbing my binoculars to sneak a peek at the activities when I was supposed to be writing. But I'm glad I kept an eye on it...the babies fledged two days ago and I got to catch a good bit of the action!

I realized there was a huge amount of activity in and out of the house--parents carrying in food and taking out great big fecal sacs, almost in a frenzy. I couldn't stand not knowing exactly what was going on so I grabbed my binocs (gonna have those things surgically attached one of these days) and headed for the front porch.

This is so cool--I got a good look at little chickadee faces peering out of the house! They were cheeping and fussing and I could even see them preening themselves. I missed the actual leaving of the nest because I had to run back inside to catch the phone. Once I was certain the nest was deserted, I took a flashlight and went out to peek inside the house. The box was filled with moss, puffs of the soft nesting material I had hung outside in a suet cage, and even a small matted tangle of Taffy's hair! (Taffy was my sweet little dog who left us last summer after being my best friend for more than 14 years.) I loved seeing that; it made it even more special to know that Taffy had helped the chickadees build a comfy home.

Around the Garden
The big bluejay that's been hanging around a lot lately came to perch on the edge of the birdbath and then sat leisurely sipping. Big drops of water dribbled down its chest...talk about a sloppy drinker. And as I sat on the porch observing all the other birdly activity, I noticed a hummingbird buzzing all around one of the hanging pots of petunias. Then it moved to the other end of the porch to check out the English ivy, totally ignoring the freshly filled feeder hanging next to it. I have no idea what the attraction is, but the hummingbirds really love that ivy!

Memorial Day
We're heading up to Chattanooga tomorrow to visit the National Cemetery where my brother is buried. It's such a beautiful, peaceful place. I'm going to take some roses from our garden to put on the grave. Semper Fi, bro. I miss you every day!!

~*~

Bluebird watch/Attack crow

Bluebird watch
The female bluebird is now spending most of her time in the birdhouse, with the male standing guard nearby. He frequently brings her bits of food and sometimes goes inside the box to sit with her for a few minutes. It's getting down to the wire; if all goes well, there'll be little bluebirds soon. Keep your fingers crossed!

Attack crow
As I stood at the front door watching the bluebirds, a huge, glossy black crow swooped down and landed in the yard. It strutted around, poking in the grass from time to time as it leisurely circled the garden. It wandered down alongside the driveway, still searching the grass when suddenly, it hopped straight up into the air. I wondered if it had been startled by an insect. The crow then began stabbing at something on the ground. But the something wasn't an insect--it was a mouse!

Grabbing the binoculars, I stared with a mixture of horror and fascination as the crow continued to attack the mouse. By now, the mouse was on its back, kicking its legs helplessly in the air. After a few seconds of this, the crow grabbed up the mouse in its beak and flew away into the pine thicket where it would, thankfully, devour its dinner out of my sight.

I know this is all part of the circle of life and that Nature isn't always kind. But I also know that sometimes my heart is too tender and my stomach too weak for this!

Remembering Virginia Tech

My heart aches for the families and friends of those killed or wounded during yesterday's horrendous attacks at Virginia Tech, and most especially, for the victims. I can't understand what drives one to do such a thing and I never will. My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved.

A Few Words About the Pet Food Recall

By now everyone is (or should be) aware of the recent pet food recalls. First thought to affect only canned or moist diets, now some dry foods are being recalled--even some specialty diets available only through veterinarians! And, sadly, the list continues to grow.

What to look for
Are you worried that some of the pet food on your shelf is contaminated? Here's what to do: Check the brand name of the food, along with the lot number and UPC code. You'll find the numbers and codes stamped on the can lids of wet foods, and on the bag or pouch of moist diets. Compare the information with the FDA's list of recalled foods. If you have any of the foods listed, either return them to the point of purchase for a refund, or follow directions listed on the company websites.

Symptoms
Think your pet may have consumed some of the contaminated foods? Look for symptoms such as vomiting, lethargy, diarrhea, loss of appetite, or any other unusual behavior not previously seen. Don't wait; if you notice any of these symptoms, contact your veterinarian immediately.

Helpful Websites
Here are a few resources for information. Check them often to stay on top of any updates.

Menu Foods, Inc.

Nestle Purina PetCare Company

Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc.

Del Monte Pet Products

Feathery Things
One of the coolest things I've seen is an entire flock of goldfinches zeroing in on the front yard feeder. All that bright yellow and bold black is a feast for the eyes!

The mother bluebird is sitting tight on those eggs. We'll know before too long if the cold snap hurt them.

Gotta fly
The parrots are clamoring for their breakfast and it's time to refill the wild bird feeders. 'Til next time, be well, be safe, and be happy!

Cold snap :(

Brrr....
We had a cold front move in late last week and it took a terrible toll on our gardens. The Japanese magnolia, crape myrtle, fig tree, butterfly bush, elephant ears and assorted flowers like the cannas, all froze! The once beautiful, lush green leaves and shoots are now destroyed, black, sick-looking waste. My heart hurts. But all is not lost: I'd brought the hanging baskets and potted plants in from the porch, so they're all safe.

Chilled eggs?
My biggest fear is that the bluebird eggs may have gotten chilled. The female is still staying inside the box much of the time, but she also flies out whenever something startles her. I hope she didn't leave the nest long enough for the eggs to get too cool.

Hummingbirds
The little hummingbirds are just active as they were when the temps were high! Night before last, our temperatures dropped into the twenties, but the hummingbird food didn't freeze. I'm guessing that might be because the feeder is hanging in a protected place on the porch (?). At any rate, the hummingbirds buzzed the feeder all day and are out again early this morning. They must be a lot tougher than they look!

Blogger's Choice Award!
My lovely friend Dawno nominated this blog for a Blogger's Choice award--Best Animal Blog! Thank you, Dawno. I'm speechless, and that rarely happens. Be sure to drop by her blog. You'll be glad you did!

Happy Easter!
I hope you all had a wonderful, blessed Easter!

Brown-headed Cowbirds

They're here....
I've recently seen a male and several female Brown-headed Cowbirds on the feeder. The male is really pretty; he has a chocolate-brown head and neck, and a glossy black body. The females, bless their hearts, are a nondescript brownish color and resemble large dark sparrows. There are a lot of cowbirds around here, but this is the first time I've seen so many at the feeder.

Cowbirds are interesting critters. They're parasitic brooders, which means that they don't build their own nests, but lay their eggs in the nests of other birds. Then they blithely fly away, leaving their egg and subsequent baby for another bird to care for. That's just not nice.

Bathing Beauties
I noticed Darby (the beagle) perched on the back of the couch this morning, staring out the window. I went to see what was so fascinating and spotted two Mourning Doves splashing around in the bird bath. They looked so funny with their feathers sticking out every which way and water dripping everywhere. I didn't realize until last year what enthusiastic bathers they are. They used the bird bath more than anybody else.

They do a good job cleaning up around the feeder post, too, picking up all the dropped seeds and corn. I love to listen to them coo to each other. Their voices are very soothing.

Parrot News
My daughter entered pictures of the parrots in an online photo contest and Pancho won! Well, actually my granddaughter won--she got some free entries in another contest because Pancho was technically her entry. Or something. I don't understand these things. But I do know that Pancho's cute little face got lots of votes.

Until next time, take care, y'all!

Egg-citement

The bluebird couple is on eggs. Yay!
We checked the box yesterday and saw two eggs cozily snuggled together inside the nest. And what a nest it is--the female carried in enough materials to build a nest the size of a baseball glove. She's spending a lot of time in the birdhouse now and the male frequently brings her juicy worms and other delicacies. This is so cool.

Hummingbirds are here!
Our first hummingbird arrived March 27, just in time for my birthday last Thursday! That was mightly thoughtful. As I sat typing this, one buzzed the feeder and guzzled a bit of sugar water, but it sped away before I could see whether it was a male or female.

I hope all the hummers are staying warm. We've had a cold snap and the temps dropped quite a bit. But at least the little birds won't go hungry. All the flowering shrubs and fruit trees are in bloom, as well as many flowers.

Gold and black
The male American goldfinches are shedding their drab winter feathers and replacing them with the sunny yellow that is so gorgeous. Right now, the little guys look rather shabby. There are bright yellow patches all over their bodies and black spots where their black caps are coming in; they look sort of like bag-birds. But soon enough, they'll be dressed in their stunning summer outfits of brilliant yellow and shiny black, and will be pigging out at the feeder and on the grasses in the field. I love these birds!

Parrot news
Both parrots are doing great. Rio turns 21 this year! He's in wonderful condition, healthy and happy. And Pancho has been busily learning new sounds. We got a beagle puppy back in October and Pancho picked up some of his vocalizations. *sigh* Actually, I don't mind. I'm always thrilled when one of them displays a new trick.

'Til next time, be well and keep an eye out for the feathered creatures in your area. They put on some of the best shows on Earth!

Nesting in Progress

The bluebird couple is working on their nest!
This morning we sat on the front porch and watched the female carry numerous bundles of dried pine straw into the box. She looked so comical, almost like she had a big handlebar moustache, when she turned to look at us with straw sticking out both sides of her beak. After she completed a few trips, we saw the neatest thing. The male joined her on top of the house and offered her a big, juicy bug. She accepted it graciously (after all, she is the one doing all the work) and they sat side by side for a bit. Such a gorgeous sight; I just love watching them and listening to their warbling conversations.

Hawk Dance
While we were watching all the birdly activity in the yard, we noticed several Red-tailed hawks soaring overhead. We could hear their vocalizations, which were very different from the usual shrill whistling cries; these calls sounded more like screams. Occasionally one would tuck its wings to its body and dive toward the earth; then, just as suddenly, it would pull out of the dive and soar upward again. Their feathers were so beautiful against the blue sky! I noticed that one of the hawks had a gap in its left wing feathers. That'll help me positively identify it if it comes by again, at least until the missing feather grows back.

Chickadee Update
Chickadees are spending lots of time going in and out of the little house in the tree. I can see if from my desk and often grab my ever-present binoculars to sneak a peek at the activity. I haven't seen any nesting material being carted in yet, but then again, I'm supposed to be working and can't watch them every minute. Those fascinating little feathered things make concentrating on my work so difficult!

Pollen...achooo....
The trees are in bloom, flowers and shrubs are covered with buds, and there is pollen everywhere! But you know what? I can't stay indoors! No matter how sick my allergies make me, it's worth it to be able to spend time outside. Until next time, stay well, stay safe, and try to watch a bird or two!

Housewarming gifts and red wasps

I made a housewarming gift for all the soon-to-be nesting wild birds! Yesterday I stuffed a handful of unscented dryer lint and a bunch of yarn clippings (none longer than 3" in length; don't want any birdies getting tangled up) into a suet cage and hung it from one of the arms of the garden birdfeeder. I'm dying to see one of them taking some of the offerings, but no luck. They're wiley, those feathered ones; every time I check on the nesting materials, the cage is swinging wildly and whatever bird was there is long gone. Maybe next time!

On an annoying and potentially dangerous note, I saw several red wasps going in and out of the garden birdhouse--the one the bluebird couple is interested in. The female chased away a couple of them yesterday and went about her business of sitting on top of the house and spending time inside doing who-knows-what. But this morning, I saw her stick her head inside and then hop on top of the house. Seconds later a big wasp exited the house. She chased another out, too, but I'm afraid the wasps are going to try to set up housekeeping. If things look the same tomorrow, I'll open up the box and try to do something to repel them. Natural, chemical-free remedies are most welcome, if anyone wants to suggest something.

Got to do a bit of gardening this morning! I trimmed all the dead stuff from the butterfly bush and was pleased to see how full of new growth it is and the fresh leaves sprouting all over it. If all goes well, I'll be mulching and trimming and working much more in the garden soon.

Be well, everyone!

Spring is Springing!

Or it is in Alabama, anyway.

The air was full of birdsong this morning! The music overpowered all other sounds and I stopped just to listen. There were the warbling calls of bluebirds, mockingbirds and brown thrashers competed with each other to see who could come up with the most imitations, Carolina chickadees scolded the dog, and there were so many other voices it was impossible to sort them all out. I can't think of a more gorgeous, absolutely perfect soundtrack for my day.

For the last couple of weeks, the wild birds have been busily scoping out the birdhouses we have scattered around the place. The box used by last year's bluebird couple is being checked out by another pair of bluebirds (or it might be the same pair that used it last year, dunno) and my husband saw a tufted titmouse sitting on top of it with a couple of sprigs of grass in its beak. A wren has poked its head in the door once or twice, too. So we'll see who ends up renting that unit.

A pair of Eastern bluebirds (I'm inclined to think it's the same pair mentioned above) is also constantly going in and out of a birdhouse in the garden. One day I saw the female messing around inside the house with a feather. She would poke her head out the door, feather in beak, look around, and then go back inside. Maybe she was doing a little spring cleaning. The couple has been busy around that house again today and they're also actively chasing other birds away from it.

Last Saturday, we hung a new house in a tree outside my office window. Already tufted titmice and Carolina chickadees are chasing each other away from it. That afternoon I noticed an Eastern bluebird, a cardinal, big sparrow of some sort, numerous chickadees and titmice, and a lone wren checking it out.

Then yesterday I spotted a chickadee going in and out of that house. It climbed beneath it to check out the bottom; next the little guy examined the back of the house. Guess he/she wanted to make sure everything is in good shape. Later, there were two chickadees looking it over. I think one of them was the one who was there earlier, determined the house was okay, and then went after its mate. ("Oh, Honey, you just have to see this house! It's in a good neighborhood, has lots of room for the kids, and access to water and a well stocked grocery store.") We'll see what happens from here.

Garden note: My Japanese magnolia is covered with beautiful purple flowers! These trees look strange with their bare, leafless branches all decked out in flowers, but I love them! They smell nice, too.

I'm still here!

Wow. I remembered my password. And it still works! Does anybody remember me?

Looks like I have some catching up to do. I'll get busy and try to learn the new stuff and be back soon to update this thing. Hope to see everyone around!

Attention, Absolute Write Fans!

Hi, everyone! For various reasons, I've failed to update my blog in a looooong time. So, without further ado, here are a few brief tidbits: the bluebirds fledged and the parents are already anxious to start another family (but they have to wait until the birdhouse is dried and hung back up on the post--I cleaned it this morning), my roses and gardenias are blooming (yay!), I've had tons of work to do (deadlines next week, a real biggie the following week, and then on to new projects and assignments--woohoo!), and spending time with my lovely family. On the homefront and work front, all is well.

As for my beloved Absolute Write, not so good. I've been so upset I haven't even posted anything! So many others have, though, and they have done such wonderful jobs that anything I could say would pale in comparison. If you're interested in finding out what's what, check out the following sites.

Jenna Glatzer, owner of Absolute Write, blogs about it. So does Dawno, and she has a whole bunch of links that pretty much cover everything. Scroll down through her blog and check it out--don't miss her links to the relevant posts on Making Light and Miss Snark's blog. If you were a member of Absolute Write and haven't yet found it, Roger Carlson has graciously set up a gathering place for our displaced folks.

I apologize for the brevity of my remarks, but if you check out the above links, you'll find plenty of information, tons of other links, and updates on the situation. Hang in there, Absolute Writers!

*Donate* Want to donate to the cause? Here are two easy ways:

Go read Jenna's post about it. Or:

Click the button:

*Flash* Get your copy of The Street Smart Writer written by Jenna Glatzer and Daniel Steven and support AW, too! Just click the button for info.

A Few Pictures

Here's a nice shot of the male bluebird as he prepares to enter the box. Isn't he dressed in a beautiful shade of blue?



Here's our brand new car port. Now all we have to do is put in the gravel and then plant flowers and stuff around the sides. And best of all, the bluebird couple wasn't the least bit disturbed by all the hustle and bustle! The nest building is progressing smoothly.



It's a good thing noise and activity doesn't bother them. I had company later that afternoon and it sure wasn't quiet around here! The kids love to play outside when they're here and our big up-and-down front yard keeps them busy.

Hills are made for little boys to roll down...



and for little girls to run up!



I hope you all had a lovely Easter weekend!

Gardening Bluebirds

Writes With Feathers has been gardening! Last weekend we started a lovely flower garden in front of the house. I say started because I don't know if we'll ever finish—we keep thinking of other things we'd like to stick in there.

So far, we have a hybrid tea rose (Blue Girl, which is actually a very pretty shade of lavender), a butterfly bush, a hydrangea that is already bushing out like you wouldn't believe, and a 'Mystery' gardenia. Then there are the three maples we planted last year, and a couple of new dwarf Alberta spruce trees; we put one at each end of the garden. We'll decide what else will go in this plot later.

The other flower beds run along the front porch and a week or so ago I planted some cannas (The President, which is a vibrant shade of deep red) and two colors of bearded iris (Full Tide, an absolutely gorgeous shade of blue, and Cherub's Smile, a delicate shade of pink) in them. The cannas are doing well, but the irises haven't broken the ground yet. I'm trying to resist the urge to dig them up to see what's going on. (Roots yet? Well, why not??) Oh, yes, and we also planted some 'sticks' a friend gave us. They're going to be Angel Trumpets if they ever put out any leaves or anything. At least, I'm sure they're rooted (I looked). And at this point, the deer are leaving the shrubs in those beds alone—after they ate all the leaves and pruned every one of them nearly to the ground a few weeks ago!

Unfortunately, the camellias didn't fare so well. Right after they started to bloom, we had a serious freeze and the flowers that had already bloomed dropped off. The buds I was so optimistic about never opened. Oh, well. When I fed the other shrubs and flowers, I made sure to give them some, too and now they're sporting lots of new growth. They'll be fine I'm sure (fingers crossed). Oh, and the cypress trees we set out last year are growing like gangbusters. I love those things.

I have Eastern bluebird news!! There's a pair setting up housekeeping in a box near the end of our 32' front porch. They've been busily carrying nesting materials into the box. The male just can't seem to get it right; often the female removes what he takes in! I can just hear her: "What do you think you're doing? I'm not having that in my nest!"

Here's where the bluebird gardening comes in: we mulched the new flower garden yesterday. Today I see the female poking around in the mulch and taking shreds of something into the box. Apparently, some of the stuff in the mulch is of a consistency that strikes her fancy! I did see the male emerge from the box with some of it, though. He brought it to a porch rail where he spent several minutes poking, stretching, and pulling at it. When he finished, the female fluttered over to check it out, gave her approval, and took it into the birdhouse.

But there may be a hitch on the bluebird front. We've having a carport installed today and it's going up only about 18' from their box. I'll know by late this afternoon if they've been spooked away.

Pictures of the gardens and bluebirds will follow soon. Be well!

Parrot Foot-itis

Dear Friends and Neighbors:

There's a little known affliction spreading among parrot fanciers (okay, among two parrot fanciers as far as I can confirm, and one of them doesn't even have a parrot) that I fear may become epidemic. Are you at risk? Answer this brief questionnaire to evaluate your susceptibility:

1. Have you recently discovered at least one parrot feather among your possessions?
2. Are there tiny parrot-shaped beauty marks covering your feet and ankles?
3. Do you feel an unusually strong urge to consume *green bean casserole, even when it's not a holiday?
4. Do you read this blog?

If you answered 'yes' to any of the questions, then I'm afraid you may be high-risk for infection. I'm sorry to say that there is no cure. The best advice I can offer is to find other parrot people and hang out with them. It may not make the problem go away, but at least nobody will gawk at you (not much, anyway; they'll be careful not to be obvious).

I myself suffer from Parrot Foot-itis. The photograph below shows how extensive it is at this point. I must warn you, the picture is quite graphic. Do not view if you suffer from nervousness, sleeplessness, or crankiness. If you've just eaten, wait at least 30 minutes before viewing or it could cause cramps.

Scroll...

Down....

I'm trying to protect the innocent...

Ready??



So I missed April Fool's day by a few hours - Happy April 3rd!

*Green bean casserole - inside joke! I just might post my favorite recipe one of these days - so long as Dawno posts hers, too. :D

More Rio :)

Here's a picture of Rio I meant to post with the others and forgot. I'd ordered some toys from Sonoran Parrots for the birds and here he is browsing through the smaller ones. He finally chose the little green airplane and in a matter of minutes, reduced it to teensy bits of chewed-up plastic. Good times.

I don't know if the pose gives you any idea of his size, but he's perched on my arm. Of course, my arm isn't terribly big so I don't suppose that's a real good gauge of measurement. *grin* Think of it like this: his beak is almost the size of a budgie's (parakeet's) head. He looks quite huge beside Sun conures or cockatiels. But then I look at him next to Pancho and think how small he is! (Pancho's a big fella.)

And Rio insisted that I repost the computer picture - it seems I didn't make it clear who that was busily working his little talons off. That's Rio at the keyboard, not Pancho. Rio got his beak quite out of joint with me over that. Sheesh. Prima donna. At least I didn't mention that my biggest concern when he's working is poop between the keys, and not any typos he might make. Yeah, good thing I didn't mention that.



Oh, you people are gonna be so sorry you asked about the birds. Bwahahahah! There's more to come!

Meet the Parrots!

At long last, here are my guys. See, I really do have parrots!

Pancho is an Orange-winged Amazon who has been with me since 1991. He's a real love. Someday I'll tell you how we came to be a family. It's a great story.

Rio is a Blue-crowned conure and the ruler of the world. Just ask him. He's been with me for nearly 20 years and is as much a part of me as my right arm.

Pancho, as you see, is very photogenic. He often appears alongside my magazine articles. Rio isn't too shabby himself; he's been on the cover of a book! Enjoy.

This is one of Pancho's favorite toys, from Sonoran Parrots.



And here he is wearing a toy on his head. Hey, I never said he was serious all the time!




I may have mentioned that I wrote a book about conures. Well, here's who really wrote it:



Rio worked very hard on this project! Here's the finished product:



The Conure Handbook is available at Amazon.com (lots of other places, too).

I hope you've enjoyed meeting the parrots. There's more to come; just stay tuned! Until then, be well, be happy, and be healthy.

My First Camellia of 2006!

Isn't it beautiful? Fat buds cover that entire little tree and they will soon be exploding into lovely snow-white flowers just like this one. There are buds covering the other camellia, too, but it always blooms later. Those flowers will be a gorgeous deep scarlet, a color that always stuns me, even though I've seen it before.

I hope to catch up with everyone's blogs soon. I've been busily writing with the feathers, churning out work for several different publications and a book publisher. One new pub (new to me, anyway) is interested in the possibility of monthly pet articles from me! That will be fun.

I hope everyone is well, healthy, and as busy as you want to be! The parrots are impatiently waiting to make their entrance into the blogisphere and I've promised them it will happen…SOON! So stay tuned.

More Diabetes Stuff (but parrots on the way!)

Here I am, a couple of days later, to add something to my previous post that will hopefully make my situation be a bit simpler to understand--I am a 'brittle' diabetic. Here's a link to an article that explains brittle diabetes very clearly: Brittle Diabetes .

Once I spent 30 days in the hospital so that doctors could try to determine why my diabetes is so hard to control. Every bite of food I took, every step of exercise I did (and we had regular exercise twice a day), my sleep, emotions, blood sugars, everything, was recorded and analyzed. The result? Nothing they tried regulated my glucose levels, my blood sugars swung merrily from pillar to post, and I earned the spiffy label of brittle diabetic.

This means that my blood sugars don't respond to treatment as expected, no matter what I do, no matter how hard I try. For instance, I may have a normal blood sugar reading one minute, then twenty minutes later be in the 400s, then half an hour later, my glucose levels might drop to the twenties. I can go for days and be in fairly good control, then boom! Things go haywire, and who knows why? It's aggravating, dangerous, sometimes kind of funny, and never, ever boring. Diabetes, my friends, ain't for wimps. I just thank God that my daughter's diabetes responds well to traditional treatment.

And now, what you've all been waiting for (well, Mac, anyway *grin*), parrot stuff is on the way! Stay tuned for all you ever wanted to know about the feathered maniacs who provide me with boundless inspiration, spread seed hulls, poop and good cheer throughout my office, and cheerily scream their little heads off when the telephone rings. Pictures and information are on the way! 'Til then, take it easy, be happy, and be good to yourselves.

My Treadmill Hates Me

Well, I guess it doesn't really hate ME, I think it has a problem with my diabetes.

See, I bought this really cool treadmill last month. It's a spiffy model—it features a variable incline and speed, counts the calories you've burned and measures the miles you've walked, tells you what your heart rate is, counts your steps, there's even a workout fan in the console. Lot of good that does me; I'm so short the air just barely ruffles the top of my hair. Sill, it's a pretty neat machine and I like it. It, however, does not like me.

Which brings me back to the diabetes thing. No matter what I try, I just can't get my blood sugars to cooperate with my walking plan! I've tried walking after lunch; insulin reaction. I tried eating a big sugar-laden snack before walking, thinking that maybe if I drive my blood sugar up, the exercise will bring it down to a reasonable level and everything will even out; insulin reaction. One day I thought I had managed to avoid any problems, but no. The reaction hit at 2:30 in the morning. There's just something unfair about being awakened from a dead sleep and having to drag yourself into the kitchen to get something to eat. But when your blood sugar tests something cute like 47, you have no choice.

On a related note, my daughter has the same trouble with her exercise routine. She's also insulin dependent (don't let anybody tell you that diabetes 'skips a generation.' That's a big, fat lie.). She doesn't have a treadmill, but likes to do Pilates. She ends up with the same insulin reaction annoyances that hit me. Or course, she also has three kids that keep her hopping, so that may have something to do with her blood sugars.

Anyway, I guess this is really just a rant about one of the aggravations of living with insulin dependent diabetes. Diabetics should get some form of regular exercise. It helps keep us in shape, helps control blood sugars, and is a low-impact exercise that almost anyone can do. I just wish somebody would tell our (MY) blood sugars that this is for our own good.

My next blog entry will be more cheerful, I promise. 'Til next time, be happy, be safe, be healthy!