"How often misused words generate misleading thoughts." - Herbert Spencer

Last night Marta emailed me a copy of the necropsy report.

"Gross findings: 
Duodenum and jejunum: Marked diffuse congestion and hemorrhage.
The intestines are hemorrhagic and this could be due to a peracute bacterial infection and bacteriologic testing is underway and will be reported as soon as it is complete."

Translation: Eclair's small intestines were significantly compacted and bleeding at the point where they leave the stomach. That could be due to a severe (peracute) bacterial infection but we won't know that until that testing is complete.

Marta and I agree that it could not have been an infection for a couple of reasons. His temp was six degrees below normal for a goat and would have been elevated with an infection. Also, he went from jumping around with great energy to dead in less than three hours. That's not the progression of a severe infection. So we fully expect the bacterial testing to come back negative.

And that means it was either a fluke or a congenital defect in his intestines that showed up once his diet included enough solid food to produce the blockage. Kids make that transition on their own, which is why you make alfalfa hay available to them from about 3 weeks old. They'll nibble at first and then gradually start eating more as they get older. At three months you take them away from momma and forcibly wean them, but they're fully ready for that. So it seems likely that Eclair finally ate enough alfalfa that a defect in his duodenum led to a blockage.

This one bothered me a lot more than when Asante died. Marta suggested that may have been because then I still had Burrito to bottle feed and in this case Eclair was our only bottle baby. Could well be. Whatever the reason I was pretty bummed for the first 36 hours or so. That's why I didn't post last night. I did lots of tasks to keep my mind busy. It's a lot better today but I still sure wish it hadn't happened.
It helps a lot to know it was nothing I did wrong, but just one of those things that happens in nature.
I told Marta that when I see Adam I'm going to punch him in the nose. Hard.

I got an email from Joe this morning that included a summary of a conversation the Recife pastors had regarding my time there...and changes that could be made to improve my next visit. :)
I agree - the addition of a Q&A time at the end of each session would be helpful.
The plan is to have me teach OT Into and NT Intro.

I did a bunch of misc. chores today and went to the gym this afternoon (burpees!). When I got home I installed....

When Ford started sending the early Mustangs to Europe they got complaints about how the car handled on their uneven, bumpy, often cobblestone roads. The cars were very unstable. So they came up with a brace that more tightly connected the front end assembly, specifically the two shock towers.  All cars sent oversees came with this heavier bracing. Hence the name export brace.

I ordered a reproduction export brace a couple of months ago but all the issues with the carb and distributor pushed installation back until those issues were solved. Today after the gym I began what was supposed to be a one-hour procedure.

Here's the before. The two black pieces coming out from the firewall to the two shock towers are very lightweight metal and not connected with each other at the firewall. Hence, excessive flex.

Alas, one of the bolts was bad and the replacement that came with the new brace was the wrong size and the wrong shape. Add an hour  to re-shape the bolt - grinding it to the proper shape - and alter the shock tower - enlarging the hole. Also, something they predicted: over the last 52 years the car has flexed and shifted out of its original shape. So add time spent getting it back into alignment so the new brace would fit.

Here's the new one. It's a one-piece design that's connected at the firewall and is a lot thicker metal. It keeps the two shock towers in proper alignment and prevents them from moving or shifting relative to each other as the car goes down the road.

I also get what's called a Monte Carlo brace (no idea where that name came from) that goes from one shock tower across to the other, thus forming a tight triangle. But I'll have to get a smaller air cleaner before I can install that. Shouldn't be a big deal.

And here's a pic of Eclair's siblings, the two doelings Cannoli and Donut. Sundae is raising them and doing a good job. As you can see they're well on their way to solid food. They love them some alfalfa! They're putting on weight nicely and show no signs of any problems. I'm really hoping nothing similar happens to either of these girls.