Baby it's **** outside

We don't use the "C" word here.

Well, not this morning anyways - it only makes it hurt more! Seriously, the weather monkeys were predicting a 4-day cold snap and for once (ô miracle) they were right. We're on Day Three now, good god will it ever end? Everything was frozen in the barn this morning, no water or anything!

I kid you not, we woke up to this:

Luckily Vegas has a super-duper winter coat to keep him toasty when walking the dogs in the morning but the dogs don't have anything to guard against "cold foot", they fall on their sides until their feet get numb enough to walk again. It only lasts a few seconds, but still!

Yes even "siberia dogs" think it's too bleddy cold!

Meanwhile, inside the house, I've been battling with a tough situation the past four days. My only little black silkie hen, Sookie, suddenly fell ill last week and I still have no clue what's wrong with her. She has grown very weak, is not eating or drinking on her own and has lost the use of her legs. She cannot stand nor sit and spends most of her time laying on her side, panting from a nonstop rapid heartbeat.

If I prop her up she looks like this:

Then she looses her balance, flaps her wings to try and right herself and topples over, exhausted. It's so pitiful to see. She's lost a lot of weight despite me hand-feeding her every few hours the past four days, her food is expelled mostly undigested and I'm at my wit's end.

I can't find any information online that fit her symptoms and I've never seen anything like it. She is trying to fight it, she's not ready to die and I can't give up on my little sweetheart, yet this situation isn't tenable.

If you have a spare good thought, prayer or joojoo to send it would be much appreciated...

We need a miracle here to save my little girl.

Wishing you all a happy Monday (I know, it's an oxymoron!) -

/end of Save Sookie post/