Greetings dear peony friends and happy spring! The spring rains have been wonderful as of late with much needed moisture adding to the excitement of the peony soldiers appearing in the next few weeks. All of the snowbanks and snow drifts are gone leaving a blanket of greyish brown hues on the fields. Activity with all the bird migrations has been an amazing display of colors and sounds. Today a flock of Northern Terns were making their way north, sand hill cranes squawking in our south fields, robins frolicking around the crab trees looking for insects and of course wild turkeys in our north fields strutting their fans trying to attract that special hen.
Don’t forget our fertilizer production team either. Elvis Lee, continues to be the proud papa as two new members have been born in the last week. Yesterday Becky was checking on a newly born heifer and there was Elvis helping mommy clean up a newly born calf. What a father! Last night he was in the barn next to the two new calves and mommies as proud as can be. We just love our Dexter cattle as they are so protective of each other.
So how have us mere humans been? Well better as of the last couple of days. On 3/6, I traveled to my first ER visit with shortness of breath and a nasty cough. After a few tests and xray, the diagnosis was made that I have pneumonia. A Covid test was administered with results testing positive on 3/9. Not to be outdone on 3/6, Becky then took me back to ER on 3/9 as my breathing was very labored and shallow. The diagnosis was then changed to Covid pneumonia. Antibiotics and steroids were now part of my daily routine. Well on 3/14, I was now going into full asthma attacks so back to the ER early that morning. Very scary times when you can’t breath and not able to stop coughing. They admitted me for observation and was able to get my breathing under control by the next afternoon. So now my diagnosis was upgraded to Covid pneumonia with advanced asthma attacks. Wow am I special or what? Antibiotics, steroids, codeine and albuterol nebulizers have been the norm every four hours since then. Thank the great Lord that on 3/22 my breathing is ok and I am now able to walk within the main floor of our home. Please pray for Becky and I as the long term diagnosis is good for no major lung damage but per our follow up Dr appointment yesterday, it could be at least a two month recovery. So how is Becky? She too came down with Covid last week but thankfully she was spared from any respiratory issues and was mainly fatigued and a head cold.
We are trying our best to keep up with all your inquiries and questions but please be patient with us as we negotiate a very trying time of this season. Thankfully we don’t need to be in the fields for a couple of months, my rotator cuff surgery on 11/19 now has more time to heal and our church family has been providing us with wonderful meals and encouragement as we continue to heal. For those of you who have and are dealing with the effects of Covid, our heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to you, your family and friends. May God’s peace prevail during these trying times. We love you all and are so thankful for you being a part of our Swenson Gardens peony family!