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Our chickens are sick.  One of them died the week after Father's Day.  The others are skinny, so we assumed that they had a parasite, but after having their stools (that's chicken poo) examined, the vet told us that they have E. Coli.  Now, because humans have e. Coli in their intestines, I just assumed everyone had it, but I guess not.  I am told that dogs don't have it either.  I asked Tori if she had been using the backyard as a  potty and she gave me a weird look.  Speaking of weird looks, Tori was the gatherer of chicken poo for the vet.  She wore rubber gloves that almost came up to her elbows, and had several zip-lock baggies with plastic forks to do the gathering and storing of the the poo.  It was quite a sight to see.  So now Tori has to give them antibiotic pills twice a day.  A couple of the girls just peck the pills and take them, but a few of them are suspicious and we have to hide the pills in bread or grapes.  One of the girls got greedy and ate two loaded grapes before Tori could stop her.  I just hope that they get over this and get to feeling better.  They are still laying eggs, but I hate seeing them so thin.  I don't think the hot weather is helping them either.  

I had one of my recurring dreams the other night.  It's the one where I realize that I never got married and don't have any children.  In my dream, I have been so busy with my work that I haven't been dating for years and am really out of practice.  My friends keep telling me that I need to go out more.  The main feeling with that dream is that I am really lonely.  Usually, as I am waking up, I realize that I did get married and had children, but the loneliness sort of hangs on for a few days.  Dreams are weird things.  

I am supposed to be reading "Mere Christianity" by CS Lewis for bookclub, but today I bought "The Memory Keeper's Daughter" and I am looking forward to starting that tonight.  The heat is wearing me out.  It's too hot to do anything outside, like yard work or riding, and it's very tempting to just nap all day.  That's no good either.  

I have a new crush.  His name is Mark Cavendish and he is 23 yrs. old, from the Isle of Man, and won 4 stages of the Tour de France.  He is so cute and seems really smart about his bike career.  He already rode in the Giro de Italia this summer and is  on the Olympic team, but I don't know for which country.  I assume for the UK, but he is currently on the US Team Columbia in the Tour.  They need to make a poster of him with his bike.  I would buy it and hang it in Tori's room.  LOL.  It would be weird to hang it in my room, but okay in my 17 y.o. daughter's room.  He just went pro last year, which is what Mike is trying to do, probably next year.  And he is only a year older than Mike, so it gives me hope that Mike could make it.  It would be so exciting to have a pro racer for a son.  I love going to Mike's races, especially when he does well.  I am so proud of what Mike has accomplished with his racing.  

My new book is calling me, so off  I go!