Our week

Man, we have had quite a week, actually 9 days and counting. It all started last Monday when Sophia came home after school with a fever and chills. She stayed home with that fever till yesterday, which was, count 'em, 8 days. We took her to the Dr twice, neither time with a diagnosis. They said it wasn't the flu (according to the test) but in every sense of the word, every symptom that could be experienced, it was the flu. Maybe it was a super-bug, a new version of the flu that hasn't made it to diagnosis yet, who knows. Anyways, this picture was taken of Sophia on her 8th birthday. We had no party, no cake, no meal. She went from sleeping on the porch to laying on the couch and back and forth all day. She has had no appetite and has lost at least 4 pounds. Thankfully, today her fever has stayed away. Her appetite is returning, and soon she will be eating birthday cake. She may even get to go to school tomorrow!
Meanwhile, with our animal family, the midnight marauder has been coming around. It was getting into our chicken feed, got around our first solution (a container with a locking lid) - we brought the food up onto the porch and locked it up. Sunday night, it pulled the fencing back from the frame of the babies' chicken cage and got ahold of Sissy. Here she is, the poor baby. Her toes on her left foot were all torn off at the 2nd "knuckle" - one is still hanging by a thread, and I am afraid to take it off the rest of the way. I will let nature take its course and let it fall off on its own. The varmint also got her right wing - she only has about a half inch of wing left. Luckily, no skin was broken on her body (besides the wing and foot) so, systemically she is healthy still. Her wing and foot are healing nicely, and she is eating and peeing and pooping. She also thinks that we are her mommy as we have held her in our hands since yesterday when we found her. She even got a warm bath in the sink, healing ointment on her wounds, and lots of TLC and snuggling.
We have set traps out on many occasions, but this doggone critter has been smart enough to eat the bait and not set the trap off. Last night, we tied a few bones to the inside rear panel of the cage and it worked! Here is the pesky raccoon in its defeat. My dear neighbor, Tony, picked him up a little while ago to release somewhere far, far away.
My goodness, he is so cute. Too bad he's such a trouble maker.

We are looking forward to having a better week, what with Sophia on the mend and the raccoon gone. Maybe we'll even get some sleep tonight!

Love to all...