"Assumptions are the termites of relationships." - Henry Winkler

USAToday had a headline: "15 things you should never put in the washing machine." Only 15? I can easily think of at least twice that many.
Pipe wrench, tomatoes, cats....

The county inspector showed up about lunchtime, a day early. He said they're so jammed up because of yesterday's holiday that he was in the area and thought he'd stop in. Works for me! Now I don't have to hang around tomorrow waiting for him to come check the wood stove installation.
I have to add another smoke detector before I can get the"final" but he said if I did that and emailed him a pic that would do the trick.
"You'll get your pic tomorrow."
We'll go for pizza tonight and get a smoke detector at the Ace Hdw in Veneta.

I don't have a favorite piece of music in the same way I don't have a favorite Bible verse. Too many that are too good. But after hearing it on the radio again this morning the Overture and almost anything else from Tannhauser is at least top five.

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The very sad news today:
Eclair took his 7 a.m. bottle just fine and was jumping around when Pam went up to visit the weaning pen at about 9 a.m. By 10:00 Blakeley, his "roommate" was crying loudly so I went up to see what was wrong and found Eclair laying on the ground unable or unwilling to get up. I held him on my lap for awhile and he fell asleep. Called Marta and she suggested taking his temp. It was 95.3, well below the normal 102. I laid him on the straw in the shed where he whimpered in obvious pain and was dead when I went to check on him after lunch.
This is almost exactly what happened with Asante a year ago. He was 7 weeks old and Eclair would be six weeks tomorrow.
When I talked to her on the phone earlier Marta said that if he died we should have a necropsy done at OSU in Corvallis. She's concerned it might be a genetic issue. (They have different dams but the same sire.) She's headed that way tomorrow so when she stops by on her way home from town she'll pick him up to deliver to them tomorrow. (OSU has a huge ag school and does this for a very reduced rate as part of their students' learning experience.)
Eclair's belly is distended but he showed no indication of sensitivity when I pressed on any part of his body.
"What lives, dies."
That doesn't make it easier, nicer, or anything else except sad. But if you're going to raise animals this is what you have to accept from time to time. The key is to find out why and, if possible, eliminate it from happening again. So though it will make Marta feel terrible (it's her sire) I hope they can find a genetic cause. That way we'll know how to eliminate the chance this will happen a third time.

We should get necropsy results Monday.

Added: one of our eight hens didn't show up at the coop this evening. Somewhere there's a well fed hawk.

Not a good day.