Favorite places

There are places, and then there are PLACES! Some places are just there, some have a specific purpose like the supermarket, some are places where you can find your favorite pizza, and then there are places where you can renew your soul and take a break from the world. For Ollie, our English Shepherd, his favorite place is laying across my husband's lap while he's reading in his chair. But dogs are simple. We humans have a bit more complicated needs. I have a favorite tree in the backyard. Sitting under its protective branches which shade the hot sun, I can breath in the healing aroma of Mother Earth, the wonderful scent of damp moss, listen to the sounds of the bullfrogs at the pond bellowing their low serenade, and blank out the noise of life. In this hectic, non-stop life it's more important than ever to take a mini-vacation from the world to renew your energies and return rested in body and strengthened in soul. 

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Opened the chicken coop door this morning and chickens all raced toward the wide open spaces, as usual. Usually looks like a cattle stampede, 150 chickens all trying to get out an 18" wide opening that is only 8" high. But this morning was a bit different. The first ones to the door saw the snow and came to a screeching halt. This caused the ones behind them to crash into their backsides, sort of like a 150 car pileup on the highway! First ones couldn't turn around because of the ones crowding in behind and the ones in the back had no idea why they couldn't get out. So the philosophy was to just push ahead, someone will move. Welcome to black Monday at the Davis farm!

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Great Website!

Ever get frustrated looking around the internet for blogs that would be interesting? Here's a great site that lists blogs sorted by categories or countries. If I count correctly there are 36 categories in 77 countries. That should cover just about anything you're interested in. Our blog is listed in All, Daily Life, Land/Sea/Skyscapes, Pets/Livestock, Photography and the United States. There's even a category for "Unusual". Fortunately we're not listed under that, but I'm definitely going to have to check out that category! So check them out at http://sitehoundsniffs.com/

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God's Artistry

New England in the fall is always beautiful. Warm, sunny days, cool nights perfect for sleeping, the humidity of the summer has become a distant memory, mosquitoes and deer flies have died off, and the foliage turns from green to brilliant golds and reds.

This year, however, God has gone all out with his decorating and the foliage is the most brilliant I've ever seen. Sunlit trees look like they're on fire and other look like they've been touched by King Midas himself. All in all, it's just breathtaking!

Soon the maples, birches and poplars will be devoid of leaves and the tamaracks will be turning gold. All in preparation for a long winter's nap. But for now, the beauty of God's artistry is something definitely worth remembering long after the earth is covered with a blanket of beautiful, glistening snow and fires in the wood stove warm our hearts and hands.

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Apparently they don't understand!

Phone rings. Me: Hello.
Caller: Hello. Could I speak to Mr. or Mrs. Davis?
Me: This is Mrs. Davis.
Caller: Good morning, Mrs. Davis. I'm calling from Sears & Roebuck. How are you this morning?
Me: I'm fine. But I need to tell you that I don't accept any unsolicited or telemarketing calls.
Caller: Oh, this isn't a telemarketing call. I'm calling to tell you that your warranty on your freezer you purchased from us is about to expire.
Me: Well, thank you for telling me that. Good bye.
Caller: Oh, wait. Well, I'm calling to offer you an extended warranty.
Me: So, I didn't ask you to call AND you're trying to sell me something? That qualifies as both an unsolicited AND a telemarketing call. Take my number off your list and don't call again.
Caller: Wait, wait..... 
Me: (click)

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Visitors

They're not mine. Only visiting for the summer to mow a pasture that the goats won't eat. It's a fallacy that goats will eat anything. They're actually rather picky, especially when it comes to grazing. They're browsers by nature but will graze grass if there's no trees to destroy. This particular pasture has what we call swamp grass, which has fairly sharp edges when it matures. Horses don't seem to care - "if it's green, it's keen" is their motto. They do make lovely ornaments, don't they?

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Spring

Ah, spring is in the air. Grass is starting to turn green here in the north country, trees are budding, birds are singing, robins have been back for weeks searching the warming earth for worms, geese and ducks can be seen on the ponds and rivers. Spring rains give that wonderfully earthy smell to the air. Goats have kidded, new chicks are growing fast. Yes, spring is in the air. So what's up with what I woke up to this morning? OK, Mother Nature, this is not funny. I've long since tired of taking pictures of the beautiful snow. So enough already!

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As Much Fun As A Puppy!

What's as much fun as a puppy? Vern is!

Vern's mama rejected him so he's come to live with us. I know, who could reject that face, right? Since he's only 2 weeks old, has no mama to protect him and keep him warm, he's a house goat till he gets bigger and the weather gets warmer. Meanwhile, he's making himself at home in the rooms with no rugs, making friends with the dogs, nibbling everything in sight, and being a kid (the goat kind). Yup, just as much fun as a puppy!

Vern is a Boer goat and will be next year's baby daddy. I know, hard to believe he'll be old enough to breed next fall. But they do grow up fast.

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The Shooting Tree

You've heard of The Giving Tree, well, we have a shooting tree - or at least had one. There's been one particular tree that everyone has stapled targets to for shooting practice. It made a nice gun range since it was a lone tree in a small field with nothing but woods behind it. Over the years it must have stopped thousands of bullets. But even a big tree has its limits. A wind storm came up and blew it over. Since this was the only tree to topple, I can only assume it wasn't a big wind, but just enough to finally do in a weakened trunk.

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Becoming a Couch Potato

Remy's hair is sparse this year. We usually clip the Pyrs each spring and their hair begins to grow back within a few weeks. Remy was no exception in the past, with the exception being this year. After clipping her this past spring she just didn't grow the undercoat as quickly, or as thickly, as she needs for our northern winters. And she has several bald spots, a large one on each side, and a smaller one directly over her withers. After a VERY expensive vet visit to do skin tests, a complete blood panel, plus a thyroid test, it has been determined that she's in perfect health. The vet did suggest several supplements to help with her coat, but meanwhile she just doesn't have the protection from the cold. So she's a house dog for the winter. Although she's a bit bored and misses the excitement of patrolling the fence line and barking at every leaf that might be a threat, she has discovered there are a few amenities that make passing the long, cold winter inside bearable. One of her discoveries is the couch! Being a Pyr, she doesn't know how to take "no" for an answer so her humans just gave up and let her do her thing. Also, if she's going to be a house dog, she has to put up with being brushed regularly and going to the groomer. That also involves going for a ride, which is a pleasure she discovered long ago and thoroughly enjoys. Then there's the kitchen which is full of wonderful smells to investigate, and dishes to be prewashed before going into the dishwasher. All in all, she figures the house isn't such a bad place, and although there are drawbacks like being a bit bored, the perks make it all worthwhile. The problem is returning her to the outdoors after her hair grows back sufficiently. Wait, did I just see her with the trimmers making more bald spots?

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