The first time I tried to change the water for the chicks and geese I realized that hubby, in his wisdom, had not show me how to prop open the lid. Its a big cage, with a lid nearly 3 feet long and 2 feet deep. He can lift the lid with one hand, hold it up AND get the waterer out. I couldn't. The lid fell several times, each time nearly decapitating me.
I tried to change the turkey's water and carefully lifted the infra-red lamp to hang it by the nail on the guinea cage as shown by hubby before his departure. This nail also holds the key to the guinea cage, and without it, I cannot unlock their door to open it to give them fresh water. In true Murphy's Law spirit, as I tried to place the lamp cord on the nail, the key fell.
As a tiny preface, let me explain that the shed is full of junk (Correction: I mean full of "things that might just come in handy one day!" according to Brian....one day being that day far in the future when dinosaurs once more roam the earth or a nuclear holocaust begins) The shed is tiny and there is very little room to move between the cages and the junk (oops -- "things that might come in handy one day"). It's a dark and scary
place! But I digress.
I could not see the key on the floor. Now, I'm not a very scientific person, but I seem to recall that the law of gravity does not allow objects to fall in curves or angles - only straight down. So why wasn't the key on the floor directly under the nail?? It's dark, it's cramped, I don't have a right knee so I am unable to bend, kneel or crouch to try to spot the key. I doubt there's enough room for me to bend or crouch anyway!
I scan the floor surface visually. Lots of guinea doo-doo. Lots of dried up grass that they've tossed out of their cage. Lots of feathers. Lots of guinea doo-doo (Yes I realize I am repeating myself but there was LOTS of guinea doo-doo!!) Lots of food pellets. No key. In despair I turn back to the turkey problem, wondering how long guineas can last without water. As I turn, I spot a tiny glitter amidst the doo-doo. The key! It has fallen, hit the edge of the cardboard under the guinea cage and bounced on the floor about two feet under the cage.
But how to retrieve it? I can't kneel, and my arms aren't long enough to reach it. I finally hit on the idea of using the pond net to scoop it out. After several sweating and cursing tries, I end up with the key, pieces of dead flies, bees and wasps, lots of mouse dirt (Hanta Virus springs to my mind!), and enough guinea doo-doo to fertilize a garden 10 acres in size!
Sweating, I find a new home for the key and turn back to the turkey cage to open their lid to refill their waterer. That's when I discovered I couldn't reach it. Their cage is set so that I can only get to the narrow end, and hubby, who is 6'4" tall with correspondingly long arms,had put the waterer W A Y at the back. I couldn't reach it. There was no way to get to any other place of entry other than where I was. The turkeys kept nudging at my hand and arm as I tried to stretch to my limit and beyond. Gotta wash another pair of gloves!
Finally I hit on the idea of getting a tiny stool so I could stand up and reach further back! Eureka! Another few lives saved.
...continued in Part 3
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