Rain, class, habits

For the first time in many weeks, we have rain in the forecast. A little today and a lot over the weekend into the next week. If we get all the amounts that have been listed as predicted totals, we will get almost five inches. We will wait and see how that plays out. That rain, falling in amounts forecast to be about an inch per day over the next six days, it is the best outcome we could ask for in dealing with our present drought conditions. It will take many weeks to refill out ponds and creeks, but things are looking more hopeful than we have seen for a good while. It would have been nice to have some of this rain before I had to dig a grave for Samson. I could have done a better job in softer ground, but that was not the case.

With rain in our potential future, I spent a couple hours working on the larger duck pen yesterday evening so I could clean up the area and put my tools away in the shop. I am now using wood I took from the pallets I disassembled. With the rails of those pallets being made from two by fours and the planks made from half inch pine, the eight pallets gave me a good bit of wood to work with. It is not prime material, but it should last a few more years especially since most of the wood is under a roof. I still have a long way to go which will require more dimension lumber to be purchased, but the pen is slowly taking shape. Mama and I are hoping to move our three large ducks into the pen in a couple weeks. The current pen is too small for them and gets nastied up quickly because they have a tendency to get everything wet. Plus, they are Giant Pekin ducks, and they are already larger than most breeds of ducks.

What is funny is that the ducks will not leave the pen even if we leave the door open. They scurry about when Mama or I enter the pen to give them clean water or to feed them. Always doing their best to stay as far from us as they are able in the cramped enclosure, but they will not, under any circumstances, go through the door even when it is open. It is entertaining to watch as they flee about as though they are terrified of us yet will not cross that line. Like they hit an invisible barrier at the doorway and recoil in sheer panic. That at least takes much of the worry from Mama and I of losing them should they get out of the pen. Something we have been careful to avoid since we got them.

I have been scheduled for morning classes – as a participant – from yesterday through Friday. Those morning sessions will continue through next week. Tomorrow however, I am teaching the attendees for the four hours we are spending together. It will be the first time I have presented a class in several weeks. Since I began struggling with my voice a month ago, my coworkers have been very careful to take the longer classes and let me rest. Tomorrow’s presentation, a four-hour class, will be a good test of how much I have recovered. Since I have these meeting every morning next week, all the classes for that week have been reassigned to others. My hope is that by the end of next week, I will be much better.

As for maintaining a strict diet, I have kept to the regimen of sixty carbs or less for only two days and already it seems a drudgery. Fortunately, we have options available to me that suffice to meet the restrictions and Mama is careful to try to expand those options. I have avoided all carbs at breakfast so far. I had very few carbs for diner last night (less than 4) and will repeat that tonight. For lunch I allow myself up to forty carbs which still requires the main course to be a salad made of green leafy vegetables with a measured amount of dressing. I use jalapeños to add some spice and a spoonful of macaroni salad (which I finished up today) to give some texture difference. No crackers. No chips. No bread.

I keep reminding myself that I am eating to live not living to eat. How long can I keep that diet up? As long as it is important to me. As long as my health matters more than my cravings. I believe that the longer I can follow through, the more it will become a habit. Once this food focus becomes a habit, cravings will shift, and behaviors will be set in place that will help maintain that focus. How long will that take? I do not even want to guess, but I am told that if you do something routinely for twenty-one days, it will become a habit. We will see. For now, I am rather enjoying the experiment. Admittedly there is one area that I am truly struggling. Snacks. All the snacks I am accustomed to eating are not off-limits to me if I am to follow this diet. I am now able to see just how often I was snacking in the past.

Mama and I will tackle that challenge next.