American Way Farm

Everything Starts Somewhere

2012-01-20T08:16:00.000-05:00

In the overall scheme of things a new desk might not be the biggest news item for our family. But since I'm the one that handles all the family's paperwork, it's a really big deal to me. I've gotten along for years using just about anything with a flat surface for a desk - from the dining room table to putting a roll out tray inside a book cabinet. Desks are, after all, expensive, and if I can make do with something just as efficient I'm all for letting one's creativity go wild. But recently I've begun to feel cramped and disorganized by the piece of particle board over a file cabinet next to a cabinet where the printer, paper and incidentals are kept. As you can see, the setup is cramped and cluttered.

So off to the furniture store I go. My, I never dreamed there were so many kinds of desks! Flattops, rolltops, large ones big enough for an office suite of the most esteemed CEO, and ones small enough for a small child's bedroom. Styles, materials, finishes and colors galore. The store copied several color catalog pages of desks so I could bring them home and live with the pictures for a few days. Sort of like bringing home paint chips and taping them to the wall to see if one grows on you. After a day or two of measuring and imagining, I finally decided on this one. Of course, now the dining/living room which also serves as my home office will have to be repainted. Can't put a new desk against old paint. And then, with that room repainted, the adjoining room will start to look like it needs a fresh look....

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Resolutions

2012-01-07T17:00:00.003-05:00

The first week of the New Year is gone, and so are my New Year's resolutions. I've heard it said that New Year's resolutions are a to-do list for the first week of January. I don't think mine made it even that far.

Like many people, the first thing on my list was that I resolved to eat healthier. I gave up trying to lose weight years ago so I figured that if I just resolved to eat healthier, the weight would take care of itself. That lasted about 4 hours until someone offered me a cookie. That led to another, and another, well, you get the picture. Before long I was stuffing my face, looking like a human version of Cookie Monster, only not blue. 2nd on the list was to get at least 15 minutes exercise every morning. Here in the frozen north of NH it's very icy this time of year so the safest way to walk is on a treadmill. I haven't even resurrected it from under the piles of stuff where it has remained buried since I got it last year. It has been of some use this past year, however, because the handles make a convenient place to hang the plastic bags for recycles. Number 3 was to bring my 2011 accounting up to date. The week is over and I'm not even 1/4 way through. Which brings us to the 4th thing on my list - to be better organized. Now where did I put that list?

What about you? What are some of your resolutions, and are you being successful?

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Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T22:29:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday, Jesus.

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Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T07:52:00.000-04:00

And it looks like a cold one this morning.

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It's Raining

2011-10-14T11:58:00.003-04:00

We're in for several days of stormy weather. But that doesn't stop the LGDs from doing their duty, that being guarding their charges from 4 legged critters that might want to dine at the American Way Cafe. A tree doesn't provide that much shelter from the storm, but I guess it'll have to do. (BTW, for those unfamiliar with LGDs, that stands for Livestock Guardian Dog. And yes, even though she seems to be sound asleep she's still on duty. Any disturbance in the force would bring her to her feet ready to do battle.)

And where, you might ask, are the goats that this faithful dog is guarding? Hiding in the barn of course!

"Ewww, it's wet. We don't do wet."

Might I make a suggestion to the dog? Perhaps it would be better to sleep in the barn with the goats where it's dry. Just sayin'.

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Autumn Splendor

2011-10-10T18:10:00.000-04:00

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New Pasture Mates

2011-10-09T15:14:00.001-04:00

We originally got Kirby, the mini donkey (aka Barack), as a pasture mate for Talon, the horse. But the goats adopted him as their Goat God. So the next plan was to get everyone to be friends. Until today every time Talon would see the goats in his pasture he'd chase them back to the barn. We went on a short overnight trip yesterday and when we came back today Talon was on the goat's side of the fence. I really have no idea how he got in there, but there they were, all grazing peacefully together. Maybe I just should have left them alone to work it out but I was always afraid he'd run over them. So here's to new friends and pasture mates.

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Hotel Canoe

2011-09-26T10:34:00.002-04:00

I would think there would be more comfortable places than the dry end of a wet canoe to check in to take a nap. Just sayin'.

"Do you mind? I'm trying to take a nap here."

"Huh? What? Who's clicking the camera?"

"What's that? There's water in the other end of this thing? Well, I'm sure it'll come in handy if I get thirsty."

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New "Government Math" Diet

2011-09-08T11:40:00.003-04:00

For those who understood using "government math" to get our new tractor free, I don't see why that same principle wouldn't work for dieting. If I eat a salad for lunch, saving 400 calories from what I could have had, that means that the 2 donuts I had for breakfast only netted 100 calories. Then if I have carrot sticks for snack, another salad for supper, I would save another 600 calories or so. If I apply that to an 800 calorie banana split that I want for dessert, then it would only be 200 calories. That means I've only had 300 calories so far for the day, meaning I can pig out on chips while watching TV without having to worry. Hey, works for me!

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Free Tractor (aka Government Economics)

2011-09-06T08:30:00.001-04:00

Our old tractor was getting, well, old. So we started looking at new tractors last summer but decided to wait due to not being able to afford a new one just then. This year I've figured out how to use the same economic principles the U.S. government uses to get a free tractor. Actually the old tractor broke down so we had to get a new one, but free ones are even better.

Basically, it works like this. If you want a $60,000 tractor but end up choosing a $30,000 tractor, the $30,000 savings is applied making the final cost $0. Then the dealer gave us $10,200 trade in value on the old one. The backhoe was about $10,000 so that means they owe us $200.

The only problem with this plan is that the finance company doesn't understand all this. I tried to tell them about how it works for the government but they're just not getting with the program. Can you imagine they're actually demanding that I make monthly payments? I'll have to start working on how I can explain about my plan to put that new roof on for free next year!

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Remote Control Cattle Roundup

2011-09-05T09:00:00.001-04:00

Every once in a while someone, somewhere, comes up with an innovative idea. This one just might have possibilities. This person is either incredibly ingenious, or has to much time on their hands. Either way, there's said to be a fine line between genius and insanity. You decide.

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The Goat God

2011-08-31T19:01:00.000-04:00

Houston, we have a problem.... Our intention was to have BK be a companion to the horse, when he gets a little older and bigger - BK that is, not the horse. But you know what they say about best laid plans! The goats have fallen in love with "their" donkey. They're never very far from him, toddling after him like love sick puppies.

So far, the goats have only gone out to graze if I've been with them. After all, they're only babies themselves, and as such, are fairly timid about being out in the big, wide world without adult supervision. Enter BK, the Goat God. If he goes out to graze, they go. If he comes into the barn they scamper right along behind.

(There is a donkey in this picture. Guess it's sort of like those hidden pictures.)

If BK lays down for a siesta, well then, it must be goat siesta time as well. I've heard that mini donkeys are like potato chips - no one can have just one.

Oh no, don't tell me we're going to have to get another one to keep the goats from screaming that their "God" is in another pasture!

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He's Here!

2011-08-29T23:46:00.002-04:00

Meet BK, that handsome redhead in the back. I'll bet you can sense a story coming about the name, and you're right! DH wants to name him Barack but I refuse to let him insult that poor donkey's intelligence. My daughter, granddaughter and I want to name him Kirby, after a favorite character in a movie. So his name is Barack Kirby, or BK because I refuse to call him Barack. Anyway, BK, aka Kirby, is a 5 month old miniature donkey, who will eventually be a pasture mate to the horse. Right now, he's hanging out with 3 goat kids and 2 Great Pyrenees livestock guardian dogs until he grows a little bigger. Making new friends is always fun.

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Pin The Name On The Donkey

2011-08-18T19:51:00.001-04:00

DH has always wanted a mini donkey and I just found a baby, pictured in front, that doesn't cost an arm, leg, and 2nd mortgage. Most of the ones I've seen are as much or more than a full-sized horse! As a baby he'll get used to the LGDs as part of his herd and, hopefully, accept them when he's grown. After all, I don't want the donkey to stomp the dogs, or the goats, or the chickens! When he gets a little bigger he'll actually be pastured with the horse as a companion. We're looking for name suggestions. He'll look very much like his mama when he grows up. DH suggested Barack, but I don't want to insult the little guy's intelligence. (I apologize to my liberal friends, but I just couldn't resist.)

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Coming to a Farm Near You

2011-08-01T08:00:00.002-04:00

The U.S. Department of Transportation has proposed a rule to reclassify all farm equipment as commercial vehicles. This proposed change would mean that anyone operating any piece of motorized farm equipment would have to have a CDL (commercial driver's licence), with all the resultant schooling, expensive licensing and insurance, and record keeping that those who drive 18 wheelers have. It would also mean that farm workers, from the farmer's 14 yr old kid who helps with baling hay, to the elderly farmer who no longer drives on public roads, could no longer operate farm equipment, even on their own property. Now just to be fair, the DOT is holding public hearings on this matter until today, August 1. But in my experience this really means they're going to do what they want but want to give the impression that they're listening to input from affected parties. However, just last week, a DOT opinion piece closed with this statement:

"Everyone in this Administration - from President Obama, Vice President Biden, and Secretary LaHood on down - is committed to the long-term success of America's agricultural industry. In many ways, agriculture is the backbone of our economy - feeding hundreds of millions of Americans and billions more around the world. As the largest user of freight transportation in the nation, the agricultural industry is also one of USDOT's most important constituents. We hope that this comment period is the start of a new and productive relationship. We may not ultimately agree on every issue, but we will always listen - and do our best to help America's farmers succeed."

If this is helping farmers to succeed I'd hate to see what damage they could do if they were actually TRYING to hurt us. It is up to not only every farmer, from those with backyard gardens to those who make it their livelihood, as well as everyone who eats, to oppose this. If you think this doesn't affect you because you don't own any farm equipment, wait till the increase in costs is reflected in the increase in prices at the grocery store. To make a comment to the DOT, visit www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments on the Federal electronic docket site. Or you can fax your comments to 1-202-493-2251. To read more about this proposed legislation see http://www.theblaze.com/stories/agenda-21-update-family-farms-are-under-attack/

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Missing Child

2011-07-28T20:44:00.002-04:00

Law enforcement has asked that this photo be shared everywhere. Celina Cass, age 11, is missing from her home in W. Stewardstown, NH, since Monday, 7/25/11, at 9pm. She is described as 5 feet, 5 inches tall, weighing about 95 pounds, with hazel eyes and waste-length brown hair. She was last seen wearing a pink shirt, a pink pullover, blue shorts and shoes. If you have ANY information at all that you feel is relevant to her disappearance or whereabouts please contact New Hampshire State Police at 603-846-3333.

Post Script: 8/1/11 - After a massive search effort by local authorities, volunteers from various places and organizations, State police from several states, Fish and Game, Border Patrol, the FBI and the Canadian Royal Mounted Police, divers discovered Celina's body this morning in the Connecticut River about 1/2 mile north of her home. Please pray for comfort for the family, friends and community that are devastated by this horrible act, and that whoever is responsible is quickly brought to justice.

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My Birthday Bouquet

2011-07-27T20:48:00.001-04:00

My birthday bouquet from my sweet hubby. He even remembered that I love yellow flowers. On the note card he said he's taking my out to my favorite restaurant Saturday night. YUM! BTW, just in case you're wondering why he told me that on the card rather than in person, it's because he's gone for work from Monday through Friday. He retires at the end of this year so we'll be able to talk face to face every day rather than over the phone and email.

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Some Days Are Just Like That....

2011-07-25T10:05:00.000-04:00

Not a great way to start the day. Just sayin'.

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Skunked

2011-07-17T08:39:00.000-04:00

In the grand scheme of things, the two things I'm thankful for this morning may seem trivial to the general populace. But you fellow homesteaders, as well as dog owners, will totally relate, I'm sure.

The first thing I'm thankful for is dogs who convinced the skunk that was heading toward the meat chickens, to change direction. They further convinced the skunk that a late night chicken dinner wasn't in its best interest. This is not an open-all-night KFC drive-thru, or in this case, walk-thru. After all, that's why we have dogs - 2 Great Pyrenees livestock guardians, and 2 English Shepherds who provide backup as needed.

I can picture the whole episode - poor skunk is out for a late night stroll, meandering across the lower pasture, and smells chickens. Oh, yummy chickens. Live chickens. Juicy chickens. Young, tender, 4 week old chickens. And in it's vast experience it realizes that these chickens are concentrated in one area - a chicken pen! What luck. To have all those live, juicy, tender, young chickens in a cage, on the ground no less, just waiting for a beautiful skunk, such as itself, to pop open a corner of the chicken wire, slip inside, and have a captive audience so to speak. Then, out of nowhere these huge white beasts come crashing up to the fence, barking and snarling, bent on eating said skunk for their late night snack. And what's even worse, there are 2 rust colored beasts right behind them, obviously with the same vicious intentions. Now really, what's a poor defenseless skunk to do? These snarling, viscous beasts can, without a doubt, run faster than the skunk, are much larger, and definitely have bigger teeth. The poor skunk has no choice, turn and spray in the direction of the beasts.

Which brings me to the second thing on my thankful list. A fence that kept the dogs away from the skunk while it was making that very wise decision to seek dinner elsewhere. The dogs obviously intercepted the skunk while it was still a suitable distance from the fence and weren't close enough to get sprayed. While my yard was very stinky for a while, it was definitely preferable to having to bathe 4 dogs in tomato juice. You might say that the skunk got skunked!

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Farewell, Old Friend

2011-07-14T05:27:00.000-04:00

"Every time I lose a dog they take a piece of my heart with them. And every new dog who comes into my life, gifts me with a piece of their heart. If I live long enough, all the components of my heart will be dog, and I will become as generous and loving as they are." ~~Author Unknown~~

I've had a very busy life. Every since I was a pup I've had lots of work to do.

I've learned lots of lots of things to take care of my family.

There were children to keep warm.....

The whole yard to patrol.....

Friends to make......

Dinner to catch.....

Dinner to eat.....

Smiles to capture.....

Children to keep clean.

Under my watchful care children flourished, a family was kept safe, and a home was filled with my love.

Indy - (Gunmettle's Independence Day) 5/4/98-7/13/11.

You will be loved and remembered forever. Well done, faithful friend.

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Taking Time

2011-06-24T10:15:00.000-04:00

It's amazing how life gets away from you. One day melts into the next and before you know it time passes you by. Sometimes life passes in a headlong rush to no where. I've often heard the expression "Take time to smell the roses." I don't know about flowers, but I did notice this beautiful butterfly specimen just sitting on my work bench. He had died there with perfect wings spread open, a picture of beauty to remind me to take time to appreciate the small things in life.

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Window Garden

2011-04-09T13:23:00.000-04:00

A few months ago I decided to see what would grow in the winter months in my south facing windows. I also decided to try hydroponic gardening rather than take up room with soil containers. I completely automated the system since I was leaving for a week for vacation. The nutrient solution pumps in the top, drains out the bottom and is on a timer to come on for 15 minutes, 3 times a day. The growing medium is 4 parts perlite, 1 part peat. As you can see, I came home to a jungle! I'm really amazed at the growth from hydroponics using just natural light in the windows. I didn't take a picture of the strawberries but they're looking just as good and are starting to blossom. And I've been eating snow peas for weeks now.

Beet greens growing in a window box.

Buttercrunch lettuce in a 20 oz. plastic Dixie drink cup.

Summer Squash - note the blossom on the left. If you look closely you'll see loads of buds.

Cherry tomato in a 1 gallon bucket. Buds are starting to appear.

Kale and Swiss Chard. The cabbage on the left looks like it just might form a head.

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The Visitor

2011-03-09T21:02:00.002-05:00

This is Nicky. He's visiting for a few weeks while his family is on vacation. Nicky is actually a half-brother to my 2 English Shepherds, Roxie and Jack. After the initial introductions, which were less than favorable about a new dog being added to the group, Nicky has been trying to make friends. It hasn't been going well. At times it's downright ugly.

"Maybe the old guy, Indy, wants to play." "Sure kid, as soon as I finish my nap."

"Hey, Roxie, how about you? Want to play?" "Get lost, brat!"

"Hey, Jack, want to....." "Bug off, squirt!"

"I said NO!"

"What part of 'no' don't you understand. Now GET LOST!"

"He's still sleeping? Is he even alive? Well, at least he's not snarling at me."

"Somebody, please play with me!"

"Not fair. They finally aren't snarling and I'm hooked on a chain. C'mon, lemme go so I can pounce on 'em."

Folks are amazed that I currently have 4 dogs in the house. They ask me how I do that. Well, for starters, you have to like dogs, have a good sense of humor, especially when squabbles occur, and have a really, really good vacuum cleaner! At least I don't have 4 toddlers in the house. You can't put them in respective crates!

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He's Quick!

2011-03-09T15:11:00.001-05:00

I needed a new bale of hay brought into the barn. These aren't just ordinary bales mind you, they're the big round ones wrapped in white plastic, look like giant marshmallows and weight a bazillion pounds. The only way to move them is with the tractor and a chain. Not a hard task, but definitely "man work". I reminded GS (grandson) yesterday that he needed to move a bale into the barn for me and suggested he do it during daylight. I had enough hay for last night but definitely needed that bale for morning feeding. He insisted that he'd do it this morning. Well, this morning came and he was having tractor problems. It seems that one of the front tractor wheels freezes up overnight and won't turn until it thaws out. Apparently this isn't the first time it's happened so it shouldn't have come as a surprise. He then made the crazy suggestion that, instead of moving the bale into the barn, I open it outside and just take hay off it, then cover it with a tarp, or move it myself later when the wheel thawed. I mentioned that perhaps he should have moved it yesterday when I asked, informed him that I was NOT going to be taking hay off it outside or move it myself, and he'd better figure a way to get the tractor problems solved quickly so the horse could be fed. He was in a hurry to go snowboarding with a friend, hence the suggestion that I just take hay off it outside, then move it myself later on. I then commented that with 2 menfolk in the house there were certain things that I shouldn't have to be concerning myself with, and #1 on that list was tractor problems, #2 was working with a big bale of hay myself. I then posed the question "If I have to do it myself then why do I keep menfolk around?" Now here's where he was quick on the draw. Without hesitation he answered, "to blame things on when things go wrong." Yup, he's learning.

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Planning

2011-03-08T22:01:00.000-05:00

We had a big storm over the weekend. Saturday the temps were way above freezing and it rained all day. The snow went down about 2', which is good considering what happened Sunday. The weather forecast predicted falling temps on Sunday with lots of snow expected. Since the weather was fairly warm on Saturday, with cold weather and snow returning for Sunday and Monday, it would have been a good day to make sure the tractor was fueled up and the extra gas can filled with diesel. But that wouldn't have been very exciting, and certainly wouldn't have been blog worthy. I mean, what would the post look like? Hmmmm..... "Saturday - since the weather was fairly warm, although steady rain, DH and GS (grandson) spent the day filling the tractor and making sure the diesel can was also full. Sunday and Monday - they plowed periodically to keep ahead of the 2 1/2 feet of snow that fell over the 2 days." That was about as boring as my old high school diary.

This is what actually happened: Saturday - DH and GS spent the day doing various things, then DH settled down for his afternoon nap. In the evening DH took GS to work then picked him up later. DH and I watched a movie in the evening. Sunday - DH and GS went to church, I stayed home because I was still sick with the tail end of the flu that hit me the week before. DH took GS to work and picked him up later. Then DH and I watched another movie in the evening. All day we watched the snow fall. Monday - GS starts to plow the driveway, informs DH that the gas tank has only 2 bars of fuel. DH hunts for gas can that is buried under the snow somewhere. GS gets a path plowed so DH can drive the truck out and trek to town to get diesel. Meanwhile, GS continues to plow, stopping when the fuel gets to 1 bar as we've been informed that we shouldn't let the tractor actually run out of gas. DH gets home and sees the tractor just sitting there, gets mad because more plowing wasn't done. I inform him that he was the one who told us not to let the tractor run dry and GS had just come into the house a few minutes before, while waiting for more fuel. DH stomps out of the house, puts the gas in the tractor, and continues to plow the driveway. GS stomps off to room and bangs on drums. DH plowed for several hours, GS banged on drums for several hours. I made lunch. The snow continued to fall. Later in the day DH took GS to work and picked him up after.

This morning the driveway needed plowing again as we got another 6" of snow. Before he left for work, DH went into town and filled up the diesel can again. I'd like to think he was doing some advance planning but more likely it's because DH needed to take the truck with him this week, which left me with his car. Diesel cans don't do well on the carpeting in the trunk of a small car.

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Ouch!

2011-02-07T21:31:00.007-05:00

I had an appointment with an ear, nose, throat doctor today to investigate some weird thing I have happening with some stupid gland in the back of my ~~throat,~~ ~~jaw,~~ ~~tongue~~, I don't know, someplace in there. Don't ask me to explain the weird thing because it's one of those things you just can't seem to adequately describe. The doctor said he was going to anesthetize my nasal canal so he could put a small scope up my nose and down my throat to take a look. I suggested he might want to use the left nostril because my right one was prone to nosebleeds, particularly in winter. He asked me if this happened recently and I told him how I had donated a pint of blood to the toilet yesterday while a bad nosebleed that I woke up with gushed for about 15 minutes. He asked me if I wanted him to cauterize it while I was there. So, innocently, I said "Oh, sure. Why not?"

R-I-G-H-T!!!

Now, to be honest, I've had my nose cauterized before. In fact, several times over the course of my life. No big deal. It seems to work for a few years, then I start with the nosebleeds again. But this doctor was VERY thorough. It seems he wasn't taking any chances on any stray blood vessels lurking in folds of tissue hiding out anywhere in my nose. He put a piece of gauze in my nostril that had been saturated with whatever local anesthetic he deemed fit. My whole face felt like an epileptic dentist had gone crazy with a Novocain needle. Even my eye and the top of my head went numb. I didn't think I had to worry about feeling the cauterizing, and quite possibly wouldn't feel anything else either for at least 3 months. After a few minutes, he removed the gauze, used a little tool to spread open the nostril, located his target area, dipped his Q-tip into whatever cauterizing chemical he was using, and mashed that Q-tip into the intended area. Then he did it again, several more times! When he was done he had used the equivalent of at least a 1 ton truckload of chemical and 15 thousand Q-tips! But I still didn't feel anything. I wondered if I'd ever feel anything ever again.

The doctor said it would be a little uncomfortable when the anesthetic wore off. About an hour later sensation started to return to the top of my head, then my eye, then move down until it finally reached my nose. OUCH! I know tomorrow will be better, but right now I've got a pounding headache, my right eye is twitching, my left nostril is running like Niagara Falls, it feels like there's a booger about the size of a mouse in my right nostril, and it burns right up into my eye socket!

So this is what I need from you all. The next time some doctor somewhere offers to take care of some little thing while I'm there anyway - TALK ME OUT OF IT!

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Free Vacation!

2011-02-05T14:35:00.000-05:00

DH and I are taking a vacation to Williamsburg VA 3/26-4/2. Not only is Williamsburg a great historic place but it's only a few hours from DC and that's cherry blossom time. We have a friend's 2 bedroom time-share with all the amenities and we're only using 1 bedroom. The other bedroom, plus a pull out couch for 2, is available, so we have room for 2 adults and 2 kids, well-behaved only please. Adults should be well-behaved as well. :) I hate to see it go to waste. Anyone interested in occupying it? You wouldn't actually be vacationing with us as we'll be doing our own thing, but here's an opportunity to get free lodging. This is first-come so let me know quickly if you want it.

P.S. - If anyone is reading this and thinks "They're going to be away on vacation. I'll just go rob their house", you can forget such thoughts. We have a house sitter so house will be occupied. And our house sitter is armed!

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Redneck Truck Cap

2011-01-31T09:11:00.001-05:00

Hey, don't laugh. And yes, it's mine. We needed a way to transport just a few animals, like sheep, goats or pigs, without having to hook up the 2 horse trailer each time. And an actual truck cap is very expensive. So we built this wooden box to the size of the truck bed and strap it down with ratchet straps. It's made from a frame of 2x4s with barn siding covering it. The back swings up just like a regular, bona fide truck cap would. But hey, it works. Farmers are very inventive people when the need arises. I guess that makes me a redneck with a New Hampshire accent. But I'm OK with that - a-yup.

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Dang, It's Cold!

2011-01-17T15:46:00.001-05:00

You know it's cold when.... Sounds like the beginning of a list of one-liners. The horse had icicles hanging from his whiskers this morning as the moisture from his breath froze on them. The dogs were very anxious to get into the barn for breakfast, and the chickens didn't move until at least 7:00. The thermometer registered -17 F. Yes, you read that correctly - that's 17 below. Actually, I think that's kind of a heat wave for this time of year when temps can dip to -40 for weeks, reaching a daytime high of -20. So we're having a mild winter comparatively speaking.

Of course any time we hit a cold spell folks always remember a time when.... take your pick of things from their life's experiences that happened at one time or another. My memory goes to a time when it was -40. I was in my bathrobe and slippers, opened the back door and stepped out to put a bag of trash in the garbage can. The door closed behind me. I hadn't turned the little doohickey on the inside that unlocks the door. So I was locked out. In the -40 cold. In my bathrobe and slippers.

A number of things went through my mind which were quickly dismissed - like walking to my neighbors house 1/2 mile away, like hotwiring the truck to drive to my neighbor's house 1/2 mile away, like breaking a window to get inside. That last idea seemed to be the only viable solution, although I envisioned hours spent cleaning up the broken glass, sealing up the window so all the heat wasn't sucked out of the house, and taking the door off in the spring to have the window repaired, not to mention the expense of a double pane thermal door window. I knew I wouldn't last long out in that cold so I hurried to the workshop, retrieved a hammer, and just before smashing out the window I looked heavenward and pleaded with the almighty, "OK, I'm about to break a window. If you have any better ideas please let me know now." In an instant a voice inside my head said, "Hit the door handle." "OK," I thought, "can't hurt to try."

Do you have any idea what metal is like at -40? It smashed into a hundred pieces with the first hit. The second hit popped out the latch. And voila! I was inside. I don't think I've had many times in my life that I was so appreciative of warmth, or of divine inspiration. And all it cost was a door handle.

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Goodbye Kisses

2011-01-09T17:45:00.005-05:00

The day began like any other. Get up and dressed, let dogs out, get fire going in stove, put on multiple layers of clothing, head out to barn. Give hay to horse, give hay to goats, feed chickens, feed dogs, get water for everyone, collect eggs, wash eggs, take off multiple layers of clothing, get human breakfast. Then about 11 o'clock we hitched up the horse trailer and loaded the does (that's female goats for you non-goat people) to transport them to their new home. When we arrived there and got them settled in their new digs, I knelt down to say my goodbyes. They all gave me kisses and hugs, as only goats can do. They all tried to get in my face at once. Some nibbled on my hair while others gently tugged on my jacket. They all tugged on my heart. I miss them already. But.... I will be getting 3 of their babies back next summer so we can keep the brush trimmed. Without them I fear all our land clearing will be quickly overgrown. So goodbye for now goaties, but since I'm addicted to goats, it'll only be a short while till I get some new friends.

Meanwhile, I still have to sell the buck who is moaning pitifully because his ladies are gone.

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In Stitches

2011-01-03T20:50:00.003-05:00

DH has been very busy lately. He's sent 5 goats and 2 pigs to freezer camp. Finishing up the last pig he was tired and in a hurry to get the job done before dark. That's a recipe for disaster. I was in the barn finishing up cleaning the chicken coop and worming goats. The recent mild temperatures thawed the month long litter on the coop floor allowing for easy cleaning. I was just about done when I heard a loud "AHHHHH" from DH who was out in the driveway working on the last pig. I knew instantly that it wasn't the kind of "ahhhhh" that announced he'd dropped his knife and now had to clean it off, or even that he'd dropped the hose and it had squirted him in the face, but rather the kind of "AHHHHH" he would make if he dropped a cement block on his foot, smashed his finger with a hammer, or cut himself. So I listened up, but didn't hear the thud of a body collapsing in the driveway so that meant he was still standing at least. Next thing I know he's coming in the barn, his finger wrapped in a rag, and asked "Can you take a look at this and tell me if you think I'm going to need stitches?"

It's a good thing I'm not the squeamish kind. He unwrapped his finger and there was a large gaping cut going all the way to the bone. "Ah, yup," I said, "that's gonna need stitches all right." (Sorry I didn't take a picture of it but you probably wouldn't have wanted to see it anyway.) I quickly finished up worming the last few goats, then just dumped a bag of shavings in the middle of the coop floor. Grandson came out to help get the pig loaded into the back of the truck with the rest of the dead bodies of the day. And off to the hospital we went.

Now here's the difference between men and women. I would have taken the time to change my clothes first. He was wet, covered in various bits of meat, blood, and entrails, with little bits of pig fat clinging here and there like gobs of dandruff, and his boots looked like he'd been sloshing through a vat of hamburg. Yuck! Heck, I might have even taken a shower and washed my hair. I'd probably have to be unconscious before I'd go anywhere looking (and smelling) like that. I can only imagine what the hospital staff must have thought before he explained that he'd cut himself while gutting a pig. They were probably wondering what the other guy looked like. Even after the explanation, the female staff were probably thinking "well, he could have at least changed his shoes!"

Fortunately he missed the tendon and didn't do any serious damage. And it was also fortunate he was using a very sharp knife. It was a nice clean cut. 3 stitches, a tetanus shot, and a prescription for antibiotics later, and we were on our way home via the drugstore. We delivered the dead bodies to the butcher later in the evening.

Now here's my thoughts: I could have cleaned that cut out with saline then stitched it right up for him. Horse tail hair makes great stitching. I've stitched up sheep and they didn't complain - well, not much. I even have tetanus vaccine here. OK, so it's a CDT combination but look at it this way - he'd never get any form of entertoxemia caused by Clostridium perfringens types C & D either. (If you don't know what that is then you're not a sheep, goat or cow person. Perfringens is also called over-eating disease. I figure he could maybe use that one.) As for the antibiotic I've got a choice of either long-acting penicillin, LA200, or Nuflor. My needles are a little large for human comfort but they'd do the job just fine I imagine. And I could tell he didn't damage the tendon because his finger wasn't drooping. Funny thing though - he opted for the hospital ER and the co-pay. Imagine that?! The doctor told him to come back in 10 days to have the stitches removed. What? Do people really go to the doctor for that? I've always taken out my own, and taken my own casts off too. Don't you?

BTW, when I got home the chickens had spread that big pile of shavings pretty evenly over their coop floor. Such nice, helpful girls.

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And The Story Continues...

2010-11-18T11:21:00.002-05:00

You may remember the story about the fire that happened at the farm where I just bought 3 new goats. If not, refresh your memory here
http://americanwayfarm.blogspot.com/2010/10/im-thankful-for-small-things.html

I was thinking that this family is trying to rebuild their business as well as their lives and lost quite a few goats in the fire. So I contacted them to see if they wanted to buy some of my goats, since I had purchased 5 of my does from their farm (the 3 new ones and 2 others that are currently milking). So I whipped off an email to them. I got a call 1st thing the next morning. Whether you believe in God, or a higher power, or just the alignment of the stars, you have to admit this is just way beyond mere coincidence. Personally, I'm going with God! They want all 7 of my does.

Ok, so now I've got goosebumps just thinking about all the "coincidences" that had to be orchestrated to bring this all about. Originally I was looking to buy just 2 new does and I wanted ones that were of breeding age. I called this lady because I had gotten goats there before and were pleased with them. I sent her a check for 2 of the 3 she had available, then called her back a week later to say I'd take the 3rd one, and I didn't know why at the time. I had decided to sell 2 of my other goats and the woman who had wanted to buy them never sent me a deposit and now I can't get in touch with her to ask if she still wants them. Then I was supposed to pick the new ones up at the end of October but for some reason, which rarely happens in my profession as a massage therapist, all of my appointments on a certain day rescheduled, leaving me with an unexpected, rare, and unplanned day off. So all things considered I have 7 does available that will help this family get back in the cheese business. And to add to that, my email went to her spam folder. She said she never checks there but for some reason found herself in there that night.

Somehow, knowing that I'm helping God help this family eases the heartache of parting with these loud, obnoxious, opinionated creatures that have totally enchanted my heart. And I know they'll be well cared for and totally loved in their new (well, old for some of them) home. I'm not sure exactly when they'll be leaving as the family has to make room in their replacement barn for 7 more. But in the meantime I get to continue to enjoy their company, and, of course, that yummy milk!

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A Page Turns, A Chapter Ends, But The Book Isn't Finished

2010-11-15T20:50:00.001-05:00

Things change, sometimes with dizzying speed. Life throws you a curve, you duck, and find yourself headed in the opposite direction. So it is with me these days. After much painful thought, and many, many shed tears, it is with great sadness that I announce the end of my small homestead farm.

One of the problems with small homesteading, as I'm sure those of you who have animals can relate to, is the serious lack of freedom to get away. And it's very expensive to hire someone to "farm-sit" while you're away - like $60 a day expensive. The cost of care and feeding alone is expensive, let alone adding that kind of expense to the equation. Both people have to be totally committed to the lifestyle of self-sufficiency to make it work, willing to give up travel freedom to spend long hours of drudgery for little monetary reward. To those of us who are farmers in our core being, it's a labor of love. I had grand plans to have a small commercial kitchen finished and inspected by next spring and begin a cheese making endeavor as a retirement business. But, as the saying goes, life is what happens while you're making other plans.

But have no fear, farming is in my blood, in my DNA, and I'm hardwired to it, it's part of who I am. So, like a duck is drawn to water, I may yet resurface in the distant, or not too distant, future with another homestead, obnoxious goats and all! When the time is right. But for now the tears fall with each contact I make to sell my very loved animals. And whoever buys them better be prepared to have a very lonely ex-farmer visit.

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Trick or Treat?

2010-10-31T09:08:00.001-04:00

I guess Mother Nature didn't think the treat was good enough so we awoke to this Halloween trick. (P.S. -This reminds me that I need to change the date on my camera. Today is the 31st.)

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The Chicken Murderers

2010-10-21T10:25:00.008-04:00

Jim is the tall guy in the center.

My husband Jim and 5 other people from our NH Small and Beginning Farmers group processed 50 broiler chickens for the family that had the farm fire last week (click here for that story), coming from as far as 3 hours away. They fondly referred to themselves as "The Chicken Murderers". Since there was no water or electricity at the burned out farm, the chickens were taken to a nearby farm and processed there.

There are several mobile processing units throughout NH which consist of all the necessary slaughter equipment, cones/scalder/plucker etc., in a small trailer. Members of the group can rent it for a nominal fee, but my guess is that this time was a freebie. The one for that area arrived about 9:30 AM. The stars of the show, the chickens, arrived in a horse trailer around 10. It took a little bit to get the initial equipment set up and water starting to heat. At this time of year, COLD well water requires a LOT longer to heat. While the water heated, the equipment was set up to everyone's liking for the day and everyone visited. There were some great discussions on LGDs (livestock guardian dogs), farm processes, and products. Finally, at 2:30 everything was ready to begin the "dirty deed".

Chicken drying/packaging rack.

Things went very smoothly. Everyone picked out the tasks where they felt comfortable, learning from each other and picking up various "tricks of the trade" in chicken processing. One person brought along his neat chicken drying rack. This is very simple to make - a 2x6 board as long as you need it, sufficient number of short sections (a foot or so) of PVC pipe fastened vertically to the sides and there you go! Bags slip easily over the chickens for packaging. You can bet we'll be making one!

The dispatching/scalding/plucking steps went so smoothly that the eviscerators couldn't keep up. Luckily there were sufficient chill tanks and the weather was cool. By 5:00 the processing was done and clean up began. By 6:00 the equipment was clean, repacked in the trailer and everyone left for their long drives home. Very productive day indeed - 50 chickens were all packed in ice and awaiting pickup by the owner.

Every day we hear in the media about the horrible things happening in the world, but most people are just good folk. Farmers and homesteaders are some of the most helping, caring and compassionate folks I know, always willing to help a neighbor in need. I'm proud to be numbered among them.

BTW, if anyone would like to donate to help this family, just follow this link. Even if you aren't close enough to donate needed items, you can always send a paypal donation to their email address (listed at the link).

Photos courtesy of Lisa Richards

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I'm Thankful for Small Things

2010-10-15T11:12:00.010-04:00

I had bought 3 new Saanen does and was due to pick them up the end of October. For some unknown reason I had an unexpected day off last Tuesday so I called the lady I was buying them from Monday afternoon and asked if I could pick them up the next day. We made the arrangements for her to expect me between noon and 1:00. I drove down there with a friend and no one was there. We waited, and waited, went out to lunch, then waited some more. Given that it's a 7 hour round trip we decided that waiting was more practical than coming home without them and having to go back at the end of October as originally planned. After all, we figured they'd have to be home sometime to do the evening milking.

About 3:45 they showed up in a big van with all their kids they'd picked up from school. The lady forgot I was coming! In her defense, they had a new foster child arrive a bit unexpectedly Monday night so I'm sure things were crazy trying to get the new kid registered in school etc. Anyway, we get the goats and leave, arriving home way past dark. I'm glad my friend was with me because I get very sleepy when I drive, especially when the sun starts to go down.

Now here's the part where I'm really thankful and reminded that God is mindful of even the small things in our lives. Yesterday the farm where I got the goats had a fire that leveled their barn and damaged the house. (Click here for the full story.) Most of the goats, all of their sheep and chickens died. My goats, since they're young and not milking yet, were in a part of the barn that they definitely wouldn't have survived. This morning I gave those 3 new does a big hug and some extra grain as I'm reminded that God was mindful of them as well.

Please join me in prayers of comfort and support for the family that lost their home and business. And take a look at your life and tell me what you're most thankful for, even the small things.

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Nice Ride!

2010-10-11T14:53:00.000-04:00

It's a beautiful, sunny day here in northern NH. One of those breezy fall days when you can smell the apples that have dropped on the ground, feel the crisp coolness creeping into the air and bask in the warmth of the autumn sun. A great day for a buggy ride. Talon thought so too. Until.....

We were out about a mile and passing a dairy farm. One of the cows had escaped her pasture and was wandering about in the middle of the road. Talon screeched to a halt, ears and eyes on the road monster up ahead that was surely going to sprout wings and fangs, fly over to him and consume him in one gulp, then pick it's teeth with his bones! I got out of the cart and tried to lead him past the cow. I tried to calm him and told him I'd protect him, there was nothing to worry about, it was only a silly old cow. No deal. He wasn't buying it. He was convinced that monster would consume us both! So we turned around. It took a while to get him settled down to the point I could get back in the cart and head for home. We do need to work on the cow issues but that's best saved for a day when he's not hooked up to the buggy.

BTW, if you're wondering why there's no picture of the cow - well, I was kind of busy. Sorry. There are times when living to see another day is more important than taking a picture.

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The New Girls

2010-10-08T16:52:00.002-04:00

"We know when we arrived a few days ago we were very frightened. And we do realize we weren't much better yesterday, preferring to hide in the corner. But this morning we're feeling much better about things in general, and we're ready to make friends with our new family and especially you, our new Mom who feeds us. And by the way, can you tell us what time breakfast is served because this feeder seems to be quite empty? We sort of got hungry in the middle of the night and, well, we kind of ate everything there was. Some hay would be nice, and maybe a little grain if you could manage it. And then after breakfast, we think we might be ready to join the others we've been seeing on the other side of the fence."

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Getting Ready for Winter

2010-10-06T22:09:00.001-04:00

Fall is a busy time of year. Winter will make its appearance right on schedule, sometimes ahead of schedule, ready or not. The remains of the garden have been harvested with the plant stocks pulled and fed to the pigs. The rest of the hay has been gathered and looks like giant marshmallows lining the driveway. Sort of makes me think about roasting hot dogs and marshmallows over a campfire on a chilly night. Now it's on to putting the broiler chickens, ducks and meat goats in the freezer, yard cleaning and organizing, putting all the tractor implements in their proper places, and tightening up the barn. We'll begin moving the pig fence over a bit at a time so they'll be at their winter area by the time the ground freezes (you can't change fencing after a hard freeze since you can't push in fence posts). The last thing on the agenda will be putting the snow blade on the tractor. I never got around to putting my summer tires on the truck so instead of fighting the rush at the tire store to have my tires changed over, I'm way ahead of winter driving preparations.

We're installing a wood fired hot air furnace this year. The furnace and chimney materials were delivered today. Jim will need to pour a cement base for it, install the chimney, and put in ductwork. We wanted to get all the materials purchased by year's end however, to take advantage of the tax credit. And with any luck we'll even have it operational by the end of the year. Central heating, with a thermostat.... what a concept! Although I really enjoy my wood stove and will still run it when I want some extra warmth, or just the wonderful smell from it, we'll be able to heat the finished areas of the basement with ducts installed down there. Due to the amazing (and sometimes inconvenient) concept of heat rising we've had to have gas heaters to heat the downstairs rooms. It'll be nice to have them part of the whole heating system.

I'll be ordering sleigh runners for the horse buggy so we can enjoy sleigh rides. Talon will have to get used to bells on his harness. You can't have a sleigh ride without sleigh bells, now can you? That just wouldn't be right. I don't think he'll mind, he seems to take most everything in stride. Except fly spraying - he's convinced that sprayer is evil. Fortunately there are no bugs in the winter so he'll have a reprieve. We'll continue the spray battle next summer.

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Sponsor A Cheese, Save A Dairy!

2010-09-28T10:18:00.003-04:00

I'm sharing this very important information via The Never Done Farm. Let's all stand together to protect our consumer rights to choose our own food.

One of our members over at the Homesteading Today forums is currently under attack for selling raw milk cheese. Now mind you they have been doing so for 30 years, have never had a case of illness from their cheese and have a substantial client base that is happy with their product. Here is a news article on their story. You can follow their saga on their blog here. One of the members over at HT came up with the idea to "Sponsor a Cheese" to help out Morningland Dairy and to help show that people are willing to stand up for our family farms. Here is her idea:

Sponsor A Cheese, Save A Dairy!

I'll assume most of us are aware of the assault against Morningland Dairy that began back in August, and has resulted in anti-raw milk pencil pushers (and toadies of corporate dairy concerns) demanding that the dairy destroy all their cheese in stock (SIX MONTHS WORTH OF PRODUCT!) -- despite the fact that all FDA testing done at the dairy proved that there is absolutely NO contamination of their healthy food.

So... I had an idea. Here's what I am going to do, and if you'd like to do the same, I certainly encourage you to join the Un-Cheese Party!

Here's the low down:

If Morningland can't sell the cheese because the Missouri Milk Board and the FDA are against wholesome food, they may well lose their family business of THIRTY YEARS. (And through all those years they are able to boast the NO ONE has EVER been made ill by their cheese!)

I'm not going to let that happen if I can help it.

I'm going to "sponsor" a few pounds of that embargoed cheese. I invite anyone else who is interested to join me in our

CYPER-SPACE UN-CHEESE PARTY!

There are 50,000 pounds of cheese slated for destruction. This is not counting the cheese destroyed due to the recall.

Here's how to SPONSOR A CHEESE:

The average price per pound is $5. You can paypal a donation to

morningland@centurytel.net

Or, you can send your sponsorship checks or money orders directly to the dairy. Just let them know what the money is for, and a note of encouragement would certainly be appreciated.

Morningland Dairy

6248 County Road 2980

Mountain View, MO 65548

Now, folks, this is a PARTY, so INVITE YOUR FRIENDS, your neighbors, your mere acquaintances to join us!

Plaster the message on other boards you frequent, put it on your Facebook Status, make a YouTube video and hey! maybe it'll go viral!

We have to stand together as raw milk consumers and producers, or we WILL see the day where we can't even grow food for our own consumption!

(see the thread, "Another threat against raw milk" [at http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/] for sample letters to write to your politicians to make an even bigger impact.)

Let's get Morningland back on its feet-

SAVE THE CHEESE!!!

We'll be sponsoring some cheese, how about you? If we, as small farmers and consumers, don't stand firmly together, it isn't just Morningland Dairy that looses, we ALL do! Below are some links that you may well find interesting and informative. The government, FDA, CDC, DHHS and others, have no business tellling you what you can consume and what you can't, but if SB510 passes that is exactly what will happen. Please call your Senators and let them know what you think and ask that they vote "NO" to SB510. There are proposals to ask for an amendment but IMHO this bill needs to be killed completely. I've even called our Governor asking that "if" this bill passes that they block it with state law. Remember it's your freedom of choice that is at stake and all because of the GREED and CONTROL of Big Industry!

http://usfoodtrace.com/information/political/sb510

Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund

Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance

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Farewell to Melvin

2010-09-27T21:51:00.001-04:00

Melvin's baby picture.

We had a bear climb into the pig pasture to see if there were any leftovers on the ground, which there usually are. After all, we're talking about pigs here. They don't exactly have the best table manners. The bear came in after dark when everyone was sleeping. Now imagine you're a pig, sound asleep, dreaming of the slop fairy. You hear a noise and think "Wow, there's really is a slop fairy, and I actually hear her." You open a sleepy eye expecting to actually discover her, only to see a bear just a few feet from you. You can imagine the ruckus that ensued. Squealing piglets (and I use that term loosely because they're about 100 pounds now, but still only about 3 months old) running everywhere, mama pig attacking the bear, dogs barking, human mama (that'd be me) running from the house, spotlight in hand, screaming at the top of her lungs, did I mention the barking, and charging, dogs? At this point your sympathies have to be with the poor bear. All he (or she) was doing was trying to quietly scoff a few leftover morsels, the bear equivalent of raiding the refrigerator at midnight. Before making a getaway over the perimeter fence, the bear struck out with one paw and swatted the closest pig which happened to be Melvin, the only spotted pig in the litter, who went sailing through the air, landing on a pile of brush. After everyone calmed down a bit I was able to assess the injuries to Melvin. There wasn't a mark on him but you could tell he was injured. We took him to the barn for the night but in the morning it was determined he must have internal injuries so Melvin was given a one-way ticket to freezer camp. Farewell Melvin. May you rest eternally in slop heaven.

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Talon's Graduation

2010-09-19T18:13:00.001-04:00

Grandson Nate in the driver's seat!

Talon graduated from driving school today. He even got a diploma! Our trainer did a fantastic, super-duper job. Now it's time to enjoy all he's learned - and we've even got some beautiful fall weather left. I'm going to have to search out sleigh runners for the cart for this winter. Oh, the adventures we're going to have!

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Sheep Wrangling

2010-09-12T08:18:00.013-04:00

I went to a friend's house to help worm her sheep. Problem is, my friend doesn't have a catch pen, which, by the way, is next on my list of things to help her with. Yes, sheep are dumb, arguably the dumbest creatures on earth. But for all their stupidity they sure can run fast if they sense danger. Let's see - stranger in the pasture who's intent on catching them, could be to eat them? That smells like danger. The first sheep wasn't too hard to catch as it was raised as a bottle baby. But it was all downhill from there. You can only trick them for so long before they finally decide "No way am I going to let this strange person with that dangerous looking drench gun anywhere near me! I may be dumb, but I'm not stupid!" The last sheep to be wormed was a very large, hairy beast with a definite attitude. She decided after watching me with the first sheep that it was infinitely safer to be on the other side of the pasture from wherever I was. If I was at one corner, she was at the other. Where ever I moved, she moved opposite. Finally I got a bucket of grain and threw some down at my feet. Ahhh, the stomach of a sheep wins over their common sense every time. As the other sheep, who had forgiven me by this time, gathered around stuffing their faces, this big girl came closer and closer, all the while watching me. I just stood there gently dropping grain on the ground, not daring to move. She edged closer, closer, closer... until she was right at my feet, pushing her greedy nose into the middle of the flock to get her share. When the time was right I sprang into action. Simultaneously dropping the grain bucket and launching myself into the air, I grabbed the fleece at her neck with both hands. The awesome speed with which I landed on her back took her by surprise. It also spooked the rest of the flock who frantically ran in every direction. She zigged, then zagged, then took off at a dead run for what seemed like 3 miles, then suddenly collapsed in a heap. When the dust cleared I was still attached and laying on top of her. Did I mention she was a very large sheep? It was like doing a 5 point restraint on a Shetland pony! My friend, who I think was selling tickets to the event and her daughter was selling popcorn, ran over with a looped rope, slipped it over her neck, and said "OK, I've got her, you can get off now." Yeah, right. I'm 62 years old. I have an iffy back, a bum knee and 40 lbs too much in the middle. I just wrestled a bucking bronco and now I'm laying on top of a hairy mountain. Sure, I'll get right on that. I did finally get upright, although I'm sure it wasn't graceful. We got the sheep up, wormed her and took the rope off her neck. What did she do next? She just stood there looking up at me. "Hey lady, that was kind of fun. Can we have another go round?"

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8/28 Restoring Honor Rally

2010-08-28T20:57:00.002-04:00

The media initially reported that there were over a thousand people who attended the rally. If you look at the picture I'd say that was an understatement! They did later keep upping their estimates but I'm not sure they even came close to how many people were there. The reflecting pool area holds 200,000 people. Another field holds between 250,000 to 300,000 people. Those were full, as were the areas behind the memorial and people were filling up across the street and filling in around the Washington Monument. My husband, his son with wife and daughter, another grandson, my daughter and her 2 children with her uncle and aunt, are all in that crowd somewhere, looking like ants at a family reunion picnic. In DH's very eloquent words "It's AWESOME!" I can't wait to see all the pictures he took and hear about it in more detail, but in the meantime I got this picture from Glenn Beck's website. For those who want to watch a great video about this incredible event click on this C-SPAN link.

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Camera-less

2010-08-26T22:29:00.001-04:00

I'm without a camera for 2 weeks. DH left Monday for work as usual, bringing both my camera and my video recorder with him, which is not usual. He's traveling to DC this weekend for the 8/28 Restoring Honor Rally. He'll be back at work Monday but won't be home till next weekend. The only method of taking a picture for these 2 weeks would be my cell phone. Being extremely technologically challenged, I have no idea how to get a picture into my computer from the cell. Even my computer savvy grandson says he has no idea. He's the person I always turn to for seemingly simple things such as programming the DVD player or learning to work the new cordless phone with additional wireless handsets, intercom, 2 gazillion number speed dial, remote message retrieval, and so many other features I'll die of old age before I figure them all out. When he tells me he hasn't got a clue how to get a picture from the cell into the computer I know I'm in big trouble. Now in his defense, he doesn't have a cell phone because they don't work out here in the boonies. Since he doesn't use one he has virtually no experience with them. Ahhh, the progress of country life. So if any one knows anything about that, please, please, please impart that knowledge to me. Not that anything that crucially interesting would happen that I'd miss a once-in-a-lifetime photo, but you just never know.

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Bored Kids

2010-08-24T19:09:00.001-04:00

Ahh, the dog days of summer. Those hot August days at the end of the summer when kids are bored and create interesting and fun ways to try to kill themselves, or at least injure and maim. And this isn't the first time that Nathanael, my grandson, and his friends Roger and Michael have used their heads, literally, to wreck havoc on a poor grandmother's nerves. (Click here for the ceiling demolition story, or here for the car wreck story.) Do boys ever grow up? Only if they live long enough!

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Sheep Withdrawal

2010-08-20T23:15:00.001-04:00

It's been a bit of a rough week. I've been a little tired and stressed, with an underlying, low-level headache just behind the eyes. You know the kind - not really bad, but bad enough that you're aware of it and just enough to make you edgy and irritable. I went into the feed store today and the owner, Doug, addressed me with the usual greeting, "Hi there. How're you doing today?" I commented that I'd been out of sorts all week. He replied, "See, I knew you'd miss those sheep. I've heard about 'sheep withdrawal' but I've never actually seen a case of it. I'll bet this is it!" Somehow the laughter instantly made my headache go away. Today I'm grateful for good natured store owners with a sense of humor.

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No More Sheep!

2010-08-17T15:59:00.000-04:00

"See, I told you they wanted to eat us!"

I sold the last of the sheep yesterday. We got the animals as a way to manage the land. The goats clear out the brush and kill the smaller trees by stripping the bark off. The pigs dig up all but the largest stumps. The sheep kept the new pastures mowed. Last year I got a horse which eats the same vegetation as the sheep. Since we don't have enough pasture for both, I had to make a choice between the horse and the sheep. Let's see - you can't ride a sheep or harness it up to a buggy and take the grandkids out for an afternoon drive. On the other hand you can't eat a horse (well, I suppose you could but most people, including me, wouldn't). Hmmm..... the horse is eminently more fun, so.... bye bye sheepies.

"Who us? Cute? You betcha!"

Some say I'm a masochist for keeping goats over sheep. Personally, I prefer goat personalities. Sheep are afraid of everything. Even though I feed them every day and give them yummy treats, they act like today is the day I'm going to eat them. It must be tough to live life in constant fear of being the main course. The goats on the other hand, are inquisitive, mischievous, bold, and stubborn, getting themselves in trouble more often than not. Sort of like me I guess. Plus, I don't think you can get much cuter than goat kids. And you can't get much more fun than a horse.

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Obituary

2010-08-16T13:13:00.001-04:00

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as: Knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm, life isn't always fair, and maybe it really was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate, teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch, and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses and criminals received better treatment than their victims. He took a further beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault. Common Sense finally gave up the will to live after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust, by his wife, Discretion, by his daughter, Responsibility, and by his son, Reason. He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers: I Know My Rights, I Want It Now, Someone Else Is To Blame, and I'm A Victim.

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on.

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Sccool?

2010-08-13T20:58:00.002-04:00

I found this just over the border into Vermont. I think the painters need to attend the nearby school for spelling lessons. Now this brings a question to mind - when you misspell a word on the road do you use black-out to correct it? Apparently this road crew didn't have any so they just painted over it, probably hoping no one would notice.

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SUCCESS!!!!!

2010-08-08T14:28:00.001-04:00

Ahhh, the sweet smell of success. Talon has been in training for about 2 1/2 months to learn to drive (no, not as in driving a car, as in pulling a cart). His training has been a bit slower than expected because he is so "sensitive" (click here for that story). But a few days ago he was not only hitched up to the cart, the trainer got in and drove him. I heard him mutter under his breath, "Well, it's about time you stop fooling around and actually get in that thing! I can't believe you thought I was serious with all the protesting I've done about other stuff." Like fly spray. "That feels like a million bugs landing on me." And plastic bags. "Hey, those things can eat you, you know!" And trying to hide behind the trainer when he was put in a paddock with other horses. "They threatened me over the fence and made faces at me." And putting the bit in his mouth for the first time. "Yeah? You try having that thing in your mouth, then we'll talk. You could have at least put some sugar on it." But being hitched up to the cart has been no problem. "Hey, that's what I was born and bred to do. All that other stuff is just beneath me! I mean, really, I didn't see why I had to learn about a lunge line. Couldn't we have just cut to the chase and started with the cart?"

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Grandson's Eagle Scout Project

2010-08-07T22:08:00.000-04:00

Click to enlarge so you can read it:

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Farm Hands

2010-08-04T21:55:00.003-04:00

Mornings are full of chores, as any homesteader knows. Feeding, watering, cleaning pens, collecting and washing eggs, milking... and the list goes on. It's always nice to have willing farm hands to give assistance. 17 year old grandson is off to feed the pigs with English Shepherds Roxie and Jack giving a hand. When he gets to the feeding area the dogs will keep the pigs at a distance until the feed is dumped into the bucket. It's no fun being knocked over by hungry hogs. And they'll also keep the buck at a safe distance while traveling through "his" pasture. During milking time the dogs will stand guard to be sure each goat proceeds in an orderly fashion from her holding pen to the milk stand and back. Once, a goat decided to try to make a break for the other side of the barn. Roxie said "not on my watch!" and quickly convinced her that she should never again try to deviate from the usual routine. After feeding time the dogs can clear the barn of all animals in 20 seconds flat. "I said out! NOW!" The dogs haven't mastered the art of collecting eggs though. It seems they like to sample them rather than put them in the egg basket. But they do make sure no chickens escape to unapproved areas. Good help is really hard to find, and worth their weight in.... dog food.

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July 27, 1948 - A Very Important Date in History

2010-07-27T08:07:00.001-04:00

July 27, 1948 - a very, very important day in history. Although there don't seem to be many events associated with this day in 1948, there are a few notable births:

1) Peggy Fleming (Olympic Hall of Famer: gold medalist: figure skater [1968]; Ice Follies, Holiday on Ice, ABC sports commentator; International Women’s Sports Hall of Famer).

2) Betty Thomas (Emmy Award-winning director: For Peter’s Sake [1992-1993], Dream On [1992-1993], actress: Hill Street Blues [1984-1985]; The Seventh Sign, When Your Lover Leaves, Troop Beverly Hills).

3) ME!!!!!

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3 Bean Salad

2010-07-26T14:26:00.001-04:00

The garden is making a comeback after it suffered "death by goat" over the July 4th weekend. (Click here for a refresher on that story.) The squash and cucumbers have loads of blossoms, beans and peas are coming along nicely, the replanted broccoli and cauliflower are starting to look like I just might get something before frost, the tomatoes which weren't actually eaten but got trampled by hooves that were frantically trying to exit the garden ahead of the barking and snarling English Shepherds ("You don't belong in Mom's garden! Get out NOW! Do you hear me? I said, NOW!"), have loads of blossoms and tomatoes about the size of small plums. Now, promise you won't laugh. This is the first of the vegies to be picked - 3 green beans. I guess that means I can literally have a "3 bean salad" for lunch!

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Enter to win a Trekker 72-hour kit

2010-07-25T08:25:00.001-04:00

Over at A Homesteading Neophyte you can enter to win a Trekker 72 hour kit from Emergency Essentials. You can also pledge to blog for 24 hours straight to raise money to help the Downed Bikers Association. It's for a good cause so take a click over there and check it out. The contest ends 7/31 at midnight.

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Talon Looks "Official"

2010-07-16T19:26:00.000-04:00

Talon's harness got delivered this week. Now he looks "official". After a slow start because he was so "sensitive", he's now actually ground driving. I'm visiting tomorrow and bringing his cart with me. Maybe he'll be ready for it in another week. I'm so looking forward to learning how to drive myself. Now doesn't he look like he's an old pro at this driving thing? Blinders on, reins up over his rump and everything. I'm so impressed!

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Now That Gets My Goat!

2010-07-05T20:10:00.001-04:00

Why is it that on a farm that has goats, most of the things that really get your goat actually involve goats? Anyone who doesn't have goats just can't even begin to appreciate the way they seem to outsmart you almost constantly.

Saturday they broke into my garden. I heard the dogs barking like crazy and went out on the deck to see what all the brouhaha was about. There, in the garden where there should have been peas, broccoli, cauliflower, corn, and such, were the goats. The only things they didn't eat were the tomatoes, summer squash, zucchini and radishes. I made a trip to the farm store this morning to see if, by some miracle, they had any plants left. Well it seems that if you wait long enough everything is just about free. I got an entire flat of veges for $5! Pumpkin plants were free and now that I have less in my garden I actually have room for some. I just spent one of the hottest days of the summer replanting the garden. I'm not sure if there's time for everything to mature before frost, which is usually about the 1st week in September, but if we have a very warm summer, and if I fertilize like crazy, and if I can keep the goats out of there......

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You Might Be A Redneck If......

2010-07-03T19:18:00.003-04:00

Now where's my camera when I need it?!!! Obviously not with me, or you would have been able to see this for yourself. I was in town today to do some errands and happened to drive down the street where all the parade floats awaited the start of the 4th of July parade. There were the usual patriotic floats, the fire department engines, the school king and queen, the high school band, and the local boy scout troop. All the usual floats and groups you'd expect. But the float that really caught my eye, and I have no idea what company or organization it represented, had some folks dressed in denim coveralls, a few guys with guitars and an outhouse on the back. It had only the lower 1/2 of the walls and inside, I swear I'm not making this up, was a guy sitting there reading what looked like an old Sears catalog! I can only hope he wasn't going to throw Tootsie Rolls at the crowd! Yup, you might be a redneck if you ride in the outhouse of a parade float, no matter that it's in northern NH.

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Caution: Don't Do This With Your Head!

2010-06-30T12:56:00.000-04:00

I really wonder if these boys will ever make it to adulthood without killing themselves. This is just one more example of why parents pray for the safety of their children every day. Grandson Nate is demolishing his bedroom ceiling so we can replace it. His friend Roger was visiting and decided to help him. I really think using a hammer would be ever so much more effective - and safer. Perhaps we need a warning label on the ceiling "Caution: Don't demolish ceiling with your head!"

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Talon's Summer School Adventure

2010-06-25T21:49:00.002-04:00

Talon, my 3 yr old Gypsy Cob (aka Gypsy Vanner) gelding is away for the summer being taught how to drive. He's being trained by Melody Madison of Shamel Arabians, who has loads more patience than I would have, but then, that's what trainers are for. He got a bit of a slow start as he seems to be very "sensitive", as she called it. It seems he's very timid of the other horses. When the trainer tried to integrate him into a paddock with two others he hid behind her. When she left he tried to hide behind a rock. Now here's another instance where the trainer is better than I am. I would have had a rolling-on-the-ground, peeing-my-pants laughing fit! Then one of the horses bit him - three times! "Sensitive" isn't the word that comes to my mind. "Wimp" is closer to what I'm thinking. And the other horses know one when they see one. Well, at home he lives with a goat so maybe he would feel safer with shorter horses.

Then there was the matter of him being willing to work to the left, but not to the right. But one day the light turned on and he said "Oh! Is that what you want me to do? Well, I sort of knew that all along. (Clears throat.)" Notice the picture is taken while he's working to the right! Woo-Hoo!

A little girl at our church wanted to come over one Sunday to visit Talon. DH explained that he was away for the summer at school. When she got over her skepticism about horses going to school he then told her that Talon was learning to drive. She exclaimed "Horses can't drive cars!" Probably not, but he might be better at it than my grandson! (Click here for the story on that one).

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A Pig Happy Family

2010-06-23T14:56:00.001-04:00

Now that the piglets are getting bigger mama Chloe has let daddy Larry back into the family. All were snuggled together in their rain shelter for an afternoon siesta. Just after I took this picture one of the piglets squealed and Chloe jumped to her feet, sniffing all around. I think she was counting them because she put her nose under Larry's behind and shoved him over about 2' to see if one was stuck under him. Being a typical guy, he didn't even wake up. Then she saw one sleeping over by the edge of the tent and settled down to nurse.

I have to admit that piglets are cuter than cute. Pigs have always been DH's favorite farm animal, and my least favorite. But they've put their cuteness spell on me and I have to confess I'm actually starting to like them. But don't tell DH. (Honey, when you read this you will go into a d-e-e-p trance, completely relaxed, able to empty your mind of all thoughts, deeper and deeper into relaxation. You will not remember that I said I'm starting to like the pigs. When I count to 3 you will be wide awake, feeling relaxed, feeling refreshed, but will not remember any of this post. 1 - 2 - 3 - wide awake now.)

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9 New Additions

2010-06-18T09:35:00.002-04:00

We have 9 new additions to our family. I found them sleeping under a tree this morning so I have no idea when they were born. But I did find Remi, our female Great Pyrenees LGD in that area a few days ago. She's never jumped the electric fence before and I thought it was strange that she was in that pasture. I thought perhaps a predator was threatening that area and she braved the fence. Maybe she just wanted to be the midwife. This morning I wisely waited till mama was off foraging before I crept in to take baby pics.

Meanwhile, I found poor daddy banished to another area of the woods.

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I'm Cheap!

2010-06-17T11:17:00.001-04:00

I admit it - I'm cheap. In some higher class circles folks call that "frugal". But I'm just a country bumpkin so I'm not really concerned about euphemisms. And I'm not embarrassed about being cheap either. "Waste not, want not" is the saying that comes to mind. Just how cheap am I? Here's an example:

A friend of mine took out her dishwasher (because it was broken), leaving a hole where it had been removed that made the kitchen look like someone's smile with a front tooth missing. She installed a cabinet in that hole. I know what you're thinking, because it's the same thing I'm thinking - why didn't she just buy a new dishwasher? I asked her that same question. She told me she never used it anyway. OK, 2 things here - How did she know it was broken if she never used it? And not use a dishwasher? A dishwasher is almost as essential as a cook stove, or indoor plumbing, or a washing a machine, or - but I digress.

Now I'm getting to the cheap part. She had 4 large boxes of Cascade Complete dishwasher soap in her pantry that she was no longer going to use and asked me if I would like them. Well, of course! Because she never (or I'd have to say rarely) used her dishwasher, and because it had been broken for a long time, the soap was old - very old. It had, in fact, become a solid mass in the box. But because I'm cheap, and dishwasher soap is expensive, and I'm cheap, and I hated to just throw it out, and, did I mention I'm cheap - I figured I could still use the soap if I could turn it back to powder. Enter the all-purpose, handy dandy, one of the most useful inventions of all time, cheese grater. You get the picture.

So now I've told you how cheap I am, let me know some of the ways you're cheap, uh-mmmm frugal, by telling all in the comments section. (You don't have to have a blog to leave a comment, anyone can do it. Try it, it's fun!)

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Roxie Flunks!

2010-06-14T22:08:00.003-04:00

We took Roxie, our 2 year old English Shepherd, to a herding clinic, which is a class to evaluate a herding dog and get pointers from a trainer, on Saturday. She flunked! She had no desire to move the sheep around, but she was very upset by a trained border collie that was there to keep the sheep from scattering while each dog attending took a turn to evaluate their herding instincts. The only thing Roxie herded was the herding dog! She placed herself between the border collie and the sheep and demonstrated some fantastic maneuvers to keep that dog from reaching the sheep, even to the point of running over its head. In just a few minutes she had figured out the nuances of the border collie's body language and was able to anticipate its every move. The border collie, to say the least, was not impressed and had a somewhat confused look on its face. I was very impressed that the dog was able to work with that kind of distraction and maintain its focus. The instructor commented that's the first time she's ever seen anything like that in all the years she's been working with herding training. And I was impressed that the instructor didn't just tell me to give up, but gave me lots of useful information to help my wonder dog understand that she's supposed to herd the sheep, not the other dog, and further impressed that she didn't roll on the ground laughing. Yup, Roxie's unique all right. Where was my video camera? In the truck 1/4 mile away, with my husband who was smart enough to stay out of the pouring rain.

Now here's something you don't see everyday - One of the other dogs attending was defending his owner from the sheep so the instructor had her put the dog up on one of them so he would see they weren't killer sheep. Now that's the first time I've ever seen THAT - and someone did get a picture.This is Palmer and her dog Shep, with Becky the instructor. Sorry, I don't know the name of the sheep, but she looks less than thrilled about the whole idea of training for a new circus act.

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Beautiful Afternoon, Beautiful Bride

2010-05-16T07:42:00.001-04:00

My oldest daughter, Erin, got married this afternoon. It was a picture perfect day, a beautiful bride, and a very happy family. And, of course, a very happy Mom.

My new son-in-law, Nick, not only married my daughter, but her 3 children as well. Left to right is 17 year old Nate, 14 year old Emily, Erin and Nick, and 12 year old Christopher. What else can I say, the picture says it all.

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I Might Be Short, But I'm Smart!

2010-05-11T09:22:00.003-04:00

The bigger does practically climb the trees to get to the juiciest branches, but the kids can't reach. When you're short you just have to be inventive. This goat kid figured out a way to get to the choicest browse.

Lambing/kidding season is over for the year. It was a good year all in all. Everyone's healthy and strong, young'uns are growing like weeds, spring is upon us (although it did snow yesterday), and summer is just around the corner. Here in the north country we have 4 seasons - almost winter, dead of winter, still winter, and better get prepared because another winter is coming up fast. Summers are all too short. Perhaps that just makes them more precious.

My son, who lives in southern IL, called on Mother's Day and mentioned that he's been mowing his lawn for at least 2 months. Ours is maybe 2" tall at best. Almost time to let the sheep/goats out to mow it. Hey, no blade of grass goes to waste here.

We're preparing for a busy summer season - we have more fences to put up, more trees and brush to clear to open up more pasture, and the ongoing work of finishing the barn - like putting hot and cold running water in the milk room and working on the barn kitchen so I can get inspected to sell goat cheese. Talon (bratty 3 yr old horse) is leaving in a few weeks to go to the trainer's for the summer for driving training. He's decided he doesn't want his mane and tail brushed so they'll address that little issue as well. I expect he'll be learning a lot over the summer as well as having a great time running with horsey type friends. Right now his only companion is the buck who always seems to have a few strands of horse tail hair wrapped in his horns. Don't worry - the buck will have the ram to keep him company as he has to leave his ladies June 1st. I'm just not a fan of mid-winter lambs!

Oh, and by the way, our internet bandwidth has lowered below the percentage required so Nate gets to survive a little longer. With any luck he just might make it to his 18th birthday!

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Did You Ever Feel Like Killing a Teenager?

2010-04-16T14:25:00.001-04:00

Ok, so you wouldn't actually do it. But, be honest, you've felt like it, right? Here's what happened:

My 17 yr. old grandson, Nate, has built himself a new computer. He spent hours deciding what kind of computer he needed - how much ram, operating system, all those things computer junkies and teenagers can't live without. Then he spent hours on my computer researching components, comparing prices and checking compatibility. Then came time to purchase. He used my credit card (with my permission) to order all the items and waited somewhat patiently for his order to arrive. He then set about assembling it and installing the operating software. And, not to worry, he paid me back for everything he's spent. Made me proud to be his Grandma.

Now comes the part where I'm tempted to end his life. Of course, being a new computer, he had no games on it. And we all know teenagers can't live without their games. He bought his favorite, the name of which escapes me at the moment, put in the disk, and the computer whirred and sprung into action doing it's computer thing. The message on the screen told him it was installing but that it needed to download some information from the internet. What it didn't tell him was that apparently the disk was just to initialize it and it would proceed to download the entire game from the internet. He left it installing and went to bed.

The next morning it was still downloading! It took nearly all day to download all the information to install the game. Which used up all my bandwidth, putting me in violation of the terms with my internet provider, Wildblue. They, in turn, lowered my internet access to near dial-up speed until such time as my usage average drops below that allowed during a 30-day period.

I can get online in the morning to check e-mail, even though the connection is slow. But I can't get online at all during peak hours. Forget downloading anything anyone sends me, or watching a news video, or checking anything out on YouTube. So until the usage drops, and my full internet access is restored, Nate is on my hit list.

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Hello World!

2010-03-30T13:36:00.001-04:00

After a bit of a rough time getting here, having gotten stuck on the way and needing to get pulled out, the first kid of the spring season is finally here. She arrived yesterday afternoon, a single birth from a first-time mom, weighing 9.4 lbs. Now it's time to investigate the world.

Hey, Mom, whatca eatin'?

That smelled interesting but I think I'd rather have what's under here!

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The Great Reneger

2010-03-29T17:51:00.000-04:00

YouTube has been giving a lot of error messages lately. Just keep trying, or use this link.

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Lamb.... It's What's for Dinner!

2010-03-26T07:26:00.001-04:00

These 2 lambs have taken up residence in the hay feeder. Good thing sheep are vegetarians or they might think this is the new item on the menu. BTW, the chicken in the foreground isn't really as big as it looks. It's just, well... in the foreground, which makes it look like Godzillachicken. And the lambs really aren't midgets.

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CNN Speaks Out Against White House

2010-03-23T08:16:00.005-04:00

Never thought I'd see the day....

Hmmm.... some folks seem to be getting an error message. If you do, use this link to view it directly from YouTube.

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Survival Seeds

2010-03-12T09:05:00.007-05:00

DH and I have talked a lot over recent years about growing, and storing, non-hybrid vegetables. As hybrids and GMO crops take over the market it seems like a really smart thing to do. I know you've probably thought about it too, or maybe you're already doing it. We've searched websites and found various prices, some of which we could pay off our mortgage with what they're charging. But we recently came across this company, Hometown Seeds, that sells a package of about 1 1/2 lbs. of 16 different vegetable seeds, all sealed for long term storage, complete with instructions for planting and/or storing, and at a very reasonable price. They've even got a sale going on right now. And it's also nice to find a company that's pleasant to deal with. Joni sent out my order and I received it in about 4 days! Now that's service! Now I just have to wait for spring so I can start growing my new non-GMO, non-hybrid seeds. And the best part is I can harvest the seeds from this years crop for next years garden! How cool is that? (And before you ask, no that's not my garden in the picture. I got that from Hometown Seeds website as an inspiration to what my garden is "supposed" to look like. Mine is always far from that but perhaps this will give me incentive. Or maybe I can put the picture on a post in the garden to inspire it to grow properly - and without weeds!)

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My New Friend, Carol

2010-02-26T10:52:00.002-05:00

Carol left me a comment on my last post so I decided to check out her blog. Carol, you put me to shame! She has several wonderful blogs - 1) Curly Willows Ranch where you're likely to find anything from great craft ideas to political views (it's always nice to hear from someone who agrees with me); 2) Altered Shots which has some great photography and graphics, all free to use; 3) In The Kitchen which has great recipes, kitchen tips and trivia; 4) Strange, Unusual, and Interesting - the name says it all! Now how does one woman find time to keep up with that many blogs? Carol, you're amazing, not to mention politically savvy, and smart - she knew that my horse is a Gypsy Cob, also known as Gypsy Vanner. Nice to meet you Carol.

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News in the World of Science

2010-02-09T21:03:00.000-05:00

Heaviest Element Yet Known to Science Discovered

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California has now identified with certainty the heaviest element known to science. The new element, Pelosium (PL), has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312. These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons.

Pelosium is inert, and has no charge and no magnetism. Nevertheless, it can be detected because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. A tiny amount of Pelosium can cause a reaction that would normally take less than a second, to take from 4 days to 4 years to complete.

Pelosium has a normal half-life of 2 years. It does not decay, but instead undergoes a biennial reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places. Pelosium mass will increase over time, since each reorganization will promote many morons to become isodopes. This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists to believe that Pelosium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as critical morass.

When catalyzed with money, Pelosium becomes Senatorium, an element that radiates just as much energy as Pelosium since it has half as many peons but twice as many morons.

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Hey, How About Some Hay?

2010-02-05T23:17:00.000-05:00

Wouldn't the world be a much nicer place if we all got along as well as animals do?

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Building Stairs

2010-02-04T21:22:00.000-05:00

Although I'm a pretty good carpenter I've never tried building stairs before. So I started where anyone would if you were trying to find information on building just about anything - I googled it. I found plenty of sites with detailed instructions but, even after reading them many times, just scratched my head - it just didn't make any sense. Then I found some YouTube videos, and one particularly informative one from lowes.com/videos. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. In this case a video is worth not only that, but a thousand more. Armed with the information, I figured, measured and cut the stringers. Got 2 of them up today and will continue tomorrow with the 3rd. I might even get some treads on tomorrow. Of course there's no 2nd floor at this point, just the beam that the stairs attach to. On the 2nd floor of our house we have a "door to nowhere" - we just haven't gotten around to putting the balcony on yet. So I thought it only fitting that in the barn we'll have the "stairs to nowhere" until the 2nd floor gets built.

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Road Salt

2010-01-30T12:09:00.001-05:00

Ever wonder why vehicles that come from the southern states don't have much, if any, rust? Or, to put that in reverse, why vehicles that come from the northern states do rust? Here's why - road salt! On days when the roads are wet from the salt melting the snow, it splashes up onto the vehicle. On days when the roads are dry, the salt dust swirls in the air like fog as it gets kicked up from traffic. I did a Home Depot run in Littleton yesterday, which is about a 3 hour round trip. Besides coming home with my truck loaded with materials to continue the barn building, it looks like I picked up enough salt to keep my whole yard clear for the rest of the winter!

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Scott Brown Is Just The Beginning....

2010-01-20T08:19:00.000-05:00

I didn't vote for Obama but this video is still appropriate to how I feel, whether you be Democrat or Republican. Scott Brown is just the beginning! Let's remind our elected officials who they're working for and TAKE OUR COUNTRY BACK!!!

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Death Metal Rooster

2010-01-15T08:03:00.003-05:00

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Start the Tractor for Me, Please!

2010-01-12T10:24:00.009-05:00

Honey, would you go start the tractor for me and de-ice the windows and everything so I can plow the driveway? I'll make you breakfast and have some nice hot chocolate for you when you come in.

Linda Chappell photo

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Sunset

2010-01-09T23:05:00.004-05:00

Tonight's sunset through snow laden trees.

Feathered Trees

2010-01-06T14:17:00.008-05:00

It's been snowing for about the past week here in northern NH. Yesterday the weather turned to a fine freezing rain, sort of a freezing mist actually, despite the temperatures holding in the teens. This morning the trees were just covered with icy snow which made them look like they were covered with white feathers. One tree looked like it was made from white pipe cleaners. Mother Nature sure knows how to decorate in breathtaking white.

Barn Building Continues

2010-01-05T08:59:00.006-05:00

If you've been following our barn building project you may remember that last year we were able to get the 2nd section of the barn completed. (If you want to refresh your memory you can see that project here.) Over the summer we built the center section of the roof and this past weekend we were able to enclose the center of the barn on the west end, connecting the 2 sides. We worked right through the snow storm - it was in the high 20's, gently falling snow, no wind. In short, very pleasant working conditions, especially for this time of year. Next weekend we enclose the east side, weather permitting. After it's completely enclosed the temporary center walls come down which then opens it up into one big barn instead of 2 smaller ones.

Also, thought I'd mention here, that the reason some of the siding is a different color is that I had the bright idea of painting the panels before we put them up. Great idea in theory. However, right in the middle of that project we had tons of rain and I couldn't get them all pre-painted. We could put them up in the rain, but not paint them. So.... some of them went up painted, some weren't. The final color will be the dark brown to match the house. Although the checkerboard effect is very avant-garde, don't you think?

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Red Wilde's Cat

2010-01-02T00:01:00.003-05:00

Here's yet another great story by my friend Jesse Taylor II. If you like his stories please let him know by leaving a comment in, of all places, the comment section.

--Guest post by Jesse Taylor II

I've never felt any real sense of shame when telling folks that my Daddy was a heavy drinker. That's just the plain truth. I grew up with it and accepted it as part of his nature. He wasn't a "mean drunk". If anything, drinking brought out the entertainer in him. It was the times when he was drunk that he most often turned to his music and story telling talents and enjoyed the laughter it brought from his friends. Having said that, let me tell you a little more about the man.

Daddy was a heavy construction worker. That's what he liked. He would rather work on a bridge building crew, a road crew, or with a crew that dug ditches than to operate some factory machine. Of course, back in "his time", many of the construction crews quit for the winter. Cold weather takes a heavy toll on machinery, materials and men. It can be dangerous...much better to wait for better weather.

During lay-offs, there wasn't much to do except sit around the house, which Daddy couldn't stand. He didn't have any real hobbies, except for drinking, and he craved the company of his pals. Even so, there's only just so much time anyone can spend at the local VFW, or anywhere else with a fine selection of bar stools. The mind can only enjoy as much as the seat of the pants can endure. So, it wasn't unusual for men of Daddy's kind to "take the show on the road", so to speak. They'd get a "pint or a fifth" and a cold six pack and drive around to see the sights. Yes, yes, I know...drinking and driving is a terrible thing. It was back then, too, but it wasn't the huge crime it is now days. It was more socially accepted and that's just the way it was.

Of course, you realize this is all leading up to a story. So, having "set the stage", here it is.

It was a few days before Christmas. It had been real cold and the snow was heavy and deep. Daddy was laid-off from his job, so he was pursuing his favorite hobby...we'll call it "socializing".

As it so happened, Daddy was socializing with a workmate named, Russel Wilde. Folks called him "Red", because of his bright red hair and full, red beard. Red was another "old drunk", for lack of a better description. He made good money, but like most of his kind, he kept it all "drunk up". He lived as poor as a church mouse. The old house he rented was sparsely furnished and was heated by a single "pot-bellied" stove. His wife did have an electric cook stove.

Oh yes, he was married. Poor old girl, she was a good wife and mother who struggled along and endured Red's ways for the sake of her family. As I recall, she wasn't much to look at, but that's neither here nor there. Time is seldom a friend to a woman's beauty and that's especially true for a woman who has a drunk for a husband.

I went to school with Red's daughters. I'll never forget their names...Kathy, Lootie, and Vondretta. They were all healthy and happy little girls, even if they didn't have all the "niceties" denied them by Red's over indulgence. As I mentioned, their Mom was a very good mother and she saw that they were well fed and had clean clothes to wear, even if they weren't of the latest fashion.

Still, every once in awhile, she'd pack the girls up and leave Red to stay with her mother. It never seemed to worry Red. He knew she'd come back. He just went along with business, or lack there of, as usual. Lord only knows why, but Red was the love of her life. They say a woman marries a man hoping he'll change, but he seldom does...and a man marries a woman hoping she won't change, but she always does. Such is life, but to continue...

When we left our "heroes", it was about 2:30 or 3:00 am and Daddy and Red were driving around the countryside when Red says, "You getting hungry, Willard?"

Daddy maintained that he could go for a bite. So, Red suggested they go to his house where he'd "get the old woman up out of bed and have her fix us some 'tatters and eggs". So, that was the plan.

When they got to Red's house it was almost as cold inside as it was outside. The fire had gone out in the old pot-bellied stove and there wasn't anyone around to re-stoke it. A note on the kitchen table told the whole story. The wife had packed up the kids and ran back to her mother's to spend Christmas "in a decent family fashion". This didn't bother Red. He just told Daddy to pull up a seat while he kindled up a fire and they'd fry up their own 'taters and eggs right on top of the old stove.

Now, you didn't really want to sit down on Red's upholstered furniture, or what was left of it. You see, Red loved cats and he had about 20 of them in and around the place. So, always being fashion conscious and with an eye to keeping cat hair off his clothes, Daddy pulled an old, hard-backed chair in from the kitchen and sat down in front of the stove. Beer in hand, legs crossed and his foot nervously twitching, partly to provide a little warming exercise, Daddy sat there, observing Red's fire building skills.

Red had a rather unusual way of building a fire. First, he put a couple of large, split pieces in the stove, followed by a liberal covering of kindling, followed by an armload of wadded up newspaper. Over this, he poured a large "soup can" full of kerosene. Then, he grabbed up another section of newspaper and began twisting it into a torch, which he would throw into the stove to ignite the kerosene. He was having some difficulty getting his old "Zippo" lighter to work, but finally got a spark and was turning the torch over and over so as to insure enough flame for positive ignition when it was applied to the combustion chamber.

As this was taking place, Daddy continued his "cross-legged" vigil, sipping his beer and bouncing his foot, as was his nervous habit. As Daddy later recalled, it was about this time that Red's favorite cat, a white, long-haired cat that Red called an "Angora", took it upon itself to spring into action...no doubt coaxed into a playful venture by the dancing strings of Daddy's nervously bouncing work boot. From around the corner of the couch, it sprang onto Daddy's foot. Being startled by the unexpected attack, Daddy kicked his foot. He said the cat sailed through the open door of the stove even as Red turned and threw the flaming torch in, right behind it. Red slammed the door shut and stood over the stove, clapping and rubbing his hands together as if expecting instant heat. Daddy, somewhat bent over towards the stove, looked up at Red and said, "Red...I think I just kicked ye cat in the far (fire)!"

Red said, "You done what?"

About that time, they heard "Scritch, scritch, scritch" in the stovepipe. The cat worked the damper as it went through, rounded the elbow into the chimney and continued to "scritch" its way on up. Red, who's eyes were big as saucers as they intently followed the sounds, gave a big jerk and took off towards the front door with Daddy right behind him.

Outside, both men stood in the knee-deep snow, staring straight up at the chimney on top of that big, 2-story house. The snow was still falling fairly heavy, but they could see there wasn't any smoke coming out. Then, there was a large "poof" of black smoke, presently followed by, what looked like, an animated and independent portion of that smoke descending down the side of the chimney to the roof, where it smoked it's way along the peak, sat down on the gable end and started to lick itself.

Daddy was on his knees, laughing, but Red was not amused as he stood there, staring straight up at the smoking, black cat. Daddy said he'd just got up off his knees and was dusting the snow off his pants when Red shot him a glance and said, "Well, damn it! I hope he's got enough spit to put himself out!" Daddy hit the ground again.

Cousin Harvey

2009-12-29T10:32:00.001-05:00

--Guest post by Jesse Taylor II

My Daddy insisted this story was true. You'll have to make up your own mind about that.

My Cousin Harvey Taylor wasn't as tall as the rest of the family. He topped of at a very skinny 5-foot six. Daddy always said smoking and drinking had stunted his growth. Harv claimed to have smoked his first cigarette when he was only 5 years old. In a tobacco growing country, where "roll your owns" are common and kids will be kids, that may be true. But, one thing is true, by the time he reached 15 years of age he'd developed a healthy taste for alcohol. Boys grew up fast in the coal camps of old Kentucky. Times were hard and the poverty took its toll. When he was 16 years old, "Little Harv" lied about his age and joined the Army. Hard to believe, but it really happened. But, I digress. We're not really here to talk about Harv's younger days. Let's have a word about his hobby...and chief occupation. Namely, that of being a drunk.

Now, just because Harv was a drinker, that didn't mean he was lazy. A great many heavy drinkers are very hard workers. They know that if they quit working then the money for alcohol will disappear. Harv didn't have any trouble holding down a job. Things were very different from what they are, today.

Anyway, as it so happened, Harv's outfit had a three day weekend. This meant Harv had Thursday night, all day Friday and all day Saturday to practice his hobby. He set to the task with gusto, according to reports. When Sunday morning came, Harv woke up in the bar. Actually, he woke up on the countertop of the bar, proper. You might say he had been "over served". As bad as he felt, he knew it was Sunday. He also knew there wasn't any use in trying to call anyone to come pick him up. Them that weren't in church would be in no shape to drive, having spent their time involved in their own hobbies.

Harv claimed he had a ringing in his ears, blurred vision, stomach cramps and a headache. Also, he knew that, if he was going to get back home, he was going to have to walk. His thinking was clear enough to realize that he really didn't want to put up with the noise of passing traffic, should he take the "easy route" by walking along the highway. Unsteady as his legs were, he decided he'd be better off taking the more direct and private route, down along the river. If the birds weren't singing too loud, he thought he might be better able to stand it.

As Harv walked along the river, he heard a sound that, in his impaired condition, sounded for the world like someone shouting for help. Somebody might be drowning. This spurred Harv into action. He took off at a "lope". The route took him over a high embankment and he ran head-long into a big "baptising" service.

Now, Harv was no stranger in the community. Some of those folks recognized him and knew him well. They knew what he'd been up to and could see he wasn't "up to snuff", so to speak. Well, one of the fellows clamped Harv in a good, old fashioned, "hand shake". This involved a few hearty pats on the back and a round of "well-wishings". Its a common occurrence between friends in that part of the country. Also, its not an uncommon trait that good friends can sense a conspiracy when it comes up. The first man passed Harv off to the second man, who passed him off again, and so on and so forth. Next thing Harv knew, he was standing in the river, shaking hands with the preacher. The preacher, being no stranger himself, grabbed Harv and, promptly, dunked him under.

Harv came up spitting and slinging water. The reverend, still holding Harv by the shirt collar, shouted, "Have you found Jesus?"

Harv shouted, "No!!" So, the reverend dunked him under, again.

Harv came up blowing more water and waving his arms around. The reverend shouted, "Have you found Jesus!!?"

Harv shouted, "No!!!" Back under he went.

Harv came up spitting and clutching at the air and the reverend repeated the question, "Have you found Jesus, yet!!!?"

Harv reached out, grabbed the reverend by the shirt, drew him in close and asked, "Reverend...are you right sure this is where he went under!!?"

What Shall We Give?

2009-12-24T08:40:00.001-05:00

Let's remember the reason for the season and celebrate the birth of the Christ child. We can give him a real birthday gift by giving of ourselves to others. I pray everyone has a very, merry Christmas.

City Evangelist, Country Church

2009-12-23T14:46:00.002-05:00

--Guest Post by Jesse Taylor II

Back in the Appalachian Mountains of old Kentucky, when I was a boy, the churches were one-room, white, simple little buildings. They weren't anything fancy. Not that the size or construction of the church matters to the Lord, but our churches were simple and small because the people led simple lives and, when it came right down to it, didn't have the money to support the building and maintenance of a large church.

In fact, the day to day maintenance of the church was so simple that one man could take care of it. All that really needed to be done was dusting the pews and window ledges, sweeping the floor, and in winter, building a fire in the little "pot-bellied" stove. The outhouse might need some attention or, if the day was unusually dark or if the service was after dark, the kerosene lamps might need filling and lighting. Usually, this task was taken up by Uncle Jim Gibbons.

Uncle Jim was a simple man who lived alone in the same two-room cabin he'd grown up in. He never married, so he considered his only obligations were to his fellow man and his Lord.

I recall one Sunday morning when the whole community was "all a-buzz" because we were expecting to have a big revival, led by a big city evangelist. As luck would have it, Uncle Jim had been busy with his old mule, that morning. Seems the poor old creature wasn't feeling the best and Uncle Jim had been tending to him to the point where he clean forgot about the time. When he finally realized his mistake, Uncle Jim took off for the church in such a hurry that he didn't have time to grab himself a bite for breakfast.

Uncle Jim didn't drive, so his only way of getting to the church was to walk. He was accomplishing this with great speed that morning. He was going along at such a clip that he almost stepped on a possum. Now, Uncle Jim considered a possum to be some mighty fine eating...as did most folks around the area. Since he hadn't had any breakfast, he knew he'd be mighty hungry by the time church let out. So, never one to pass up a good meal, Uncle Jim found a stick and collected what the Good Lord had provided.

He didn't have time to run it back home, so he took it along, stopping only long enough to "field dress" it when he reached a stream crossing. He rinsed off his pocket knife and his hands and continued along to the church, freshly cleaned possum by his side.

As was mentioned, the church was a one-room, simple building. There weren't any closets...no "nooks or crannies". There wasn't anyplace to put the possum out of sight. The only place Uncle Jim could find was a ledge, just over the door, on the inside of the church. The menfolk used to put their hats on it, but that practice had ceased since someone had donated a double row of fancy, brass coat-hooks, which had been installed along the back wall. Now, there was ample room for everyone to hang their coats and hats and nobody had to strain up to reach the shelf.

So, it was up there, out of sight, that Uncle Jim decided to hide his possum. It seemed like the perfect place. After all, everyone would be in a church pew and would be paying attention to the evangelist, who would be putting on a real show from a little "riser" that ran across the front of the church. Nobody would be facing the back of the church, except for the evangelist and he would be too busy with the sermon to notice a possum tucked back up on that shelf.

The church service got underway. The evangelist was introduced and the "stage" was turned over to him. The preaching soon reached a fevered pitch. This was the old "fire and brimstone" type of preaching. These preachers believed you had to put the fear of God into your congregation. There was much pacing and jumping and stomping and waving of hands, gnashing of teeth and wailing of voices. The evangelist was putting on quite a show. As he paced back and forth, stopping every so often to bounce up and down for effect, he was laying on the gospel thicker and heavier. His voice was rising and falling. He was pounding his fist into his hands as he preached, "Every day of our lives we've got to get down on our knees and thank the Good Lord for the blessings we've received. Every day of our lives we've got to get down on our knees and thank the Good Lord for the food He puts on our table and the clothes He puts on our backs. Every day of our lives we've got to reach out our hands up to heaven, raise our eyes towards the sky and say.....Good God! What a rat!!!"

After that, Uncle Jim was always fond of saying that, "You can't hide what the Good Lord wants revealed." Bless his heart.

A Pigmas Carol

2009-12-22T10:13:00.002-05:00

Written by the sister of Jean:

Hark! the Herald Piggies squeal, here it comes, our next slop meal!
We each try to get it first, rinds of bacon and liverwurst.
Sour milk and cracked up eggs, bits of veggies and chicken legs.
Jostle the bucket, make it fall, so farmer, too, can wear it all.
Hark! The Herald Piggies squeal, here it comes, our next slop meal!

The Christmas Pageant

2009-12-21T14:22:00.002-05:00

This story was forwarded to me by a friend. You know, one of those e-mails that makes its way around to everyone's inbox. But I enjoyed this one so much I wanted to share it with you. The author is unknown but if you know who wrote it please let me know and I will be glad to give credit where credit is due for such a delightful story. I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and feels the joy of this blessed season!

My husband and I had been happily married (most of the time) for five years but hadn't been blessed with a baby. I decided to do some serious praying and promised God that if he would give us a child, I would be a perfect mother, love it with all my heart and raise it with His word as my guide. I learned never to ask God for anything unless I meant it. As a minister once told me, "If you pray for rain, make sure you carry an umbrella."

God answered my prayers and blessed us with a son. The next year God blessed us with another son. The following year, He blessed us with yet another son. The year after that we were blessed with a daughter. My husband thought we'd been blessed right into poverty. We now had four children, and the oldest was only four years old.

I began reading a few verses of the Bible to the children each day as they lay in their cribs. I was off to a good start. God had entrusted me with four children and I didn't want to disappoint Him.

I tried to be patient the day the children smashed two dozen eggs on the kitchen floor searching for baby chicks. I tried to be understanding when they started a hotel for homeless frogs in the spare bedroom, although it took me nearly two hours to catch all twenty-three frogs. When my daughter poured ketchup all over herself and rolled up in a blanket to see how it felt to be a hot dog, I tried to see the humor rather than the mess. In spite of changing over twenty-five thousand diapers, never eating a hot meal and never sleeping for more than thirty minutes at a time, I still thank God daily for my children.

While I couldn't keep my promise to be a perfect mother (I didn't even come close) I did keep my promise to raise them in the Word of God. I knew I was missing the mark just a little when I told my daughter we were going to church to worship God, and she wanted to bring a bar of soap along to "wash up" Jesus, too. Something was lost in the translation when I explained that God gave us everlasting life, and my son thought it was generous of God to give us his "last wife."

My proudest moment came during the children's Christmas pageant. My daughter was playing Mary, two of my sons were shepherds and my youngest son was a wise man. This was their moment to shine.

My five-year-old shepherd had practiced his line, "We found the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes." But he was nervous and said, "The baby was wrapped in wrinkled clothes." My four-year-old "Mary" said, "That's not 'wrinkled clothes,' silly. That's dirty, rotten clothes." A wrestling match broke out between Mary and the shepherd and was stopped by an angel, who bent her halo and lost her left wing.

I slouched a little lower in my seat when Mary dropped the doll representing baby Jesus, and it bounced down the aisle crying, "Mama-mama." Mary grabbed the doll, wrapped it back up and held it tightly as the wise men arrived.

My other son stepped forward wearing a bathrobe and a paper crown, knelt at the manger and announced, "We are the three wise men, and we are bringing gifts of gold, common sense and fur." The congregation dissolved into laughter, and the pageant got a standing ovation.

"I've never enjoyed a Christmas program as much as this one," laughed the pastor, wiping tears from his eyes. "For the rest of my life, I'll never hear the Christmas story without thinking of gold, common sense and fur."

"My children are my pride and my joy and my greatest blessing," I said as I dug through my purse for an aspirin.

Jesus had no servants, yet they called Him Master. He had no degree, yet they called Him Teacher. Had no medicines, yet they called Him Healer. Had no army, yet kings feared Him. He won no military battles, yet He conquered the world. He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him. He was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today.

I feel honored to serve such a Leader who loves us.

The Don’t-Sue-Me-Santa Clause

2009-12-18T11:03:00.005-05:00

CHRISTMAS COOKIE TRANS FAT LIABILITY AND
INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT

Santa Claus, AKA Kris Kringle, AKA Jolly Old St. Nick (hereinafter referred to as “Santa”) acknowledges receipt of Christmas cookies from ______________________ (hereinafter referred to as “Baker”).

Santa acknowledges and understands that no warranty, either express or implied, is made by Baker as to the nutritional content of cookies. This document is offered to duly warn Santa that dangerous conditions, risks, and hazards may result from over consumption of cookies. Santa is hereby informed that cookies may contain trans fats as well as any or all of the following: calories, carbohydrates, sodium (salt), fat, saturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, monounsaturated fat, nuts, sugar, caffeine, chocolate “chips” and/or “chunks,” and good cheer. Santa acknowledges that eating way too many cookies may incur risks including, but not limited to, satiation, indigestion, heartburn, laziness, holiday spirit, “food coma,” and “that bloated feeling.”

As consideration for accepting Baker’s cookies, Santa indemnifies Baker from all liability for injury or other harm (including obesity) which may be caused, in whole or in part, by said “too many” cookies. Santa agrees that neither he, nor his agents or personal representatives, will sue Baker for any injury suffered, in whole or in part, as a consequence of ingesting cookies. Santa assumes full responsibility and will indemnify Baker for any damages in the event that he transfers cookies to any third party (including, but not limited to, potential claimants Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, Rudolph, Mrs. Claus, and various elves).

This indemnification includes an agreement not to haul Baker into court on the basis of:
1. Failure to provide nutrition information and a list of ingredients (the "Grandma’s secret recipe" clause).
2. Failure to caution of the potential for overeating because cookies taste "yummy" and are provided at no cost.
3. Failure to advise that walking, biking, and jogging will shed pounds, but riding around on a reindeer-powered sleigh will not.
4. Failure to warn that Christmas lights, lawn ornaments (plastic reindeer, snowmen, etc.) and other holiday decorations may constitute manipulative marketing to lure Santa into over-consumption.
5. Failure to offer "healthier" cookie alternatives (e.g., tofu bars, carob blobs, or carrot sticks).
6. Failure to affix warning label acknowledging that milk, should it be provided, must not be consumed if Santa is, or could possible be, lactose intolerant.
7. Failure to notify that eating too many cookies may lead to even greater levels of obesity for St. Nick.

SANTA HAS READ THIS DOCUMENT AND UNDERSTANDS IT. SANTA IS SIGNING IT FREELY AND VOLUNTARILY, AND PROMISES NOT TO APPEAR AS A WITNESS IN SUPPORT OF ANY PERSONS WITH LAW DEGREES WHO CANNOT OTHERWISE FIND MEANINGFUL EMPLOYMENT, AT ANY TIME IN THE FUTURE.

Santa__________________________________________ Date__________________

Provided by: The Center for Comsumer Freedom
For more information, visit ConsumerFreedom.com. To schedule an interview, contact Allison Miller at 212-463-7112.

Talon's Finally Here!

2009-12-11T14:02:00.004-05:00

After a harrowing week on a horse transport trailer, several delays due to the snow storm, the trailer being stuck in a 3' drift then plowed in by a snow plow, and the trailer unable to get up the 1st big hill on our road, Talon is finally here!

When the transport was stuck on that hill only 4 miles from home, 1/2 the town turned up for the event. A local man plowed a space in a field down hill which allowed the transport trailer to back into the field, out of the road, and to turn around. Then he borrowed someone elses 2 horse trailer and drove Talon the rest of the way, helping me unload him and getting him into his paddock, which was no easy task given it was after dark and in the middle of a nor'easter.

I showed Talon where his hay and water were in the shelter, then removed his halter. He promptly went out of the shelter into the storm and wouldn't let me anywhere near him. I can't say as I blame him after all he'd been through the past week. And there wasn't even another horse to tell his troubles to, only sheep and goats in the next pen looking at him like he was Mr. Loch Ness, and wildly barking LGDs 2 pens over that had never seen a horse before. I know he went back into the shelter after I left but wasn't taking any chances being around this human who had captured him in the great unknown.

This morning, however, was quite a different story. "Yes, I am quite ready for breakfast, thank you." I even got some kisses on the cheek. I had to have Nate come out for pictures because I couldn't get far enough away from him to take a picture of anything besides a close up of his nose. I think he was seriously thinking of eating the camera!

So this morning I am thankful for having nice, warm shelter from the storm, for Talon arriving safe and sound, and for living in a town where folks go out of their way to help a neighbor in need. And, as always, thankful to have a wonderful hubby who indulges my horse habit.

Meet Dexter!

2009-12-07T10:40:00.010-05:00

Meet Dexter, an English Shepherd puppy that's a Christmas present for my 11 year old grandson, Austin. Dexter is staying with us until Christmas.

Now meet the lamp that Dexter decided shouldn't be just sitting around on the end table. Dexter 1, lamp zip! Hey, Santa - I could use a new lamp for Christmas!

Please leave a comment. I love hearing from you.

What I'm Getting for Christmas

2009-11-24T08:34:00.011-05:00

A few weeks ago I posted about a gorgeous horse I saw and titled it "What I Want For Christmas". Well, I'm not getting him.

But here's what I am getting. In the past few weeks I've gone from "No way can I afford a horse!" to "Wow, I'm getting a horse!" And isn't he just magnificent?!

Many, many thanks to Sharon Teague at Big Sky Gypsy Horses for helping make this possible. And of course, many, many thanks to my wonderful hubby. Although he's definitely not a horse person he indulges me. Thank you honey, I love you. (Don't tell him I said this but I suspect he likes them more than he's willing to admit. Every time we're around horses they all come to him because he gives wonderful scratches. Horses know!)

Please leave a comment below so I know who's been visiting. Thanks. I love hearing from you all.

Let's Say Thanks

2009-11-19T11:16:00.002-05:00

If you go to this web site, www.LetsSayThanks.com you can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will send to a soldier that is currently serving overseas. You can't pick out who gets it, but it will go to a member of the armed services.

How amazing it would be if we could get everyone we know to send one!!! It is FREE and it only takes a second. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the soldiers received a bunch of these? Whether you are for or against the war, our soldiers over there need to know we are behind them.

This takes just 10 seconds and it's a wonderful way to say thank you. Please take the time and please also pass it on for others to do. We can never say enough thank you's.

Thanks for taking to time to support our military!

What I Want For Christmas

2009-11-12T09:49:00.011-05:00

Have you ever had the experience of seeing something that was just so beautiful you dreamed of having it? Something that spoke to your heart so much that you found yourself thinking "what if"? That hasn't happened often in my life but here's something I found that has done just that. To me he's just about the most beautiful animal I've ever seen. And ironically, his name is Romeo. Just his picture has captured my heart, it was love at first sight (now don't breath a word of this love affair to my husband). There's just no way I could ever afford him, so I'll just admire from afar and hold him in my dreams. P.S. - all donations accepted - LOL, just kidding. Don't you dare! P.P.S.S. - Just found out he's not for sale anyway. Phew, I'm safe - temporarily. There are lots of other gorgeous and captivating Gypsy Cob horses at Aisling Farm in NH.

Say Thank You!

2009-11-05T15:53:00.001-05:00

This video is an absolute must see! And please pass it along.

Thank You God!

2009-10-03T15:11:00.000-04:00

This is why parents start each day praying for the safety of their children. Car ended up upside down in the middle of the road. My 16 year old grandson Nate, who lives with me, was driving and only has some soreness in his chest from the seatbelt and some bruising and cuts on his hand from trying to punch out the window to get out. His 16 year old friend Mike was a passenger and suffered a 4" laceration on his head that went down to the skull but there wasn't even a concussion. And somewhere this morning there must a guardian angel nursing a big headache. Thank you God!

Illegal to Ground Your Kids?

2009-09-16T10:02:00.001-04:00

If you think Monday's post about being convicted of murder for shooting a middle-of-the-night burglar is scary, take a look at these two stories. They are both concerning the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). The first link is specifically about children's rights that, if passed, would take away all parental control. That could mean it would be illegal to ground your child, take away your kid's cell phone, or restrict internet content. And the second link is about abolishing all firearms worldwide. Now you think this doesn't apply to us here in America? Think again. International treaty overrides any U.S. law, even rights guaranteed by the Constitution such as the 2nd Amendment. When I read George Orwell's "1984" my thoughts at the time were that you could never have a totalitarian government. It would be against our Constitution. Well, it seems like we're almost there. The only fantasy about "1984" is the wrong date!

Please leave a comment and tell me your thoughts.

Think This Can't Happen In America?

2009-09-14T14:56:00.000-04:00

You're sound asleep when you hear a thump outside your bedroom door. Half-awake, and nearly paralyzed with fear, you hear muffled whispers. At least two people have broken into your house and are moving your way. With your heart pumping, you reach down beside your bed and pick up your shotgun. You rack a shell into the chamber, then inch toward the door and open it. In the darkness, you make out two shadows.

One holds something that looks like a crowbar. When the intruder brandishes it as if to strike, you raise the shotgun and fire. The blast knocks both thugs to the floor. One writhes and screams while the second man crawls to the front door and lurches outside. As you pick up the telephone to call police, you know you're in trouble.

In your country, most guns were outlawed years before, and the few that are privately owned are so stringently regulated as to make them useless. Yours was never registered. Police arrive and inform you that the second burglar has died. They arrest you for First Degree Murder and Illegal Possession of a Firearm. When you talk to your attorney, he tells you not to worry: authorities will probably plea the case down to manslaughter.

"What kind of sentence will I get?" you ask.

"Only ten-to-twelve years," he replies, as if that's nothing. "Behave yourself, and you'll be out in seven."

The next day, the shooting is the lead story in the local newspaper. Somehow, you're portrayed as an eccentric vigilante while the two men you shot are represented as choirboys. Their friends and relatives can't find an unkind word to say about them. Buried deep down in the article, authorities acknowledge that both "victims" have been arrested numerous times. But the next day's headline says it all: "Lovable Rogue Son Didn't Deserve to Die." The thieves have been transformed from career criminals into Robin Hood-type pranksters. As the days wear on, the story takes wings. The national media picks it up, then the international media. The surviving burglar has become a folk hero.

Your attorney says the thief is preparing to sue you, and he'll probably win. The media publishes reports that your home has been burglarized several times in the past and that you've been critical of local police for their lack of effort in apprehending the suspects. After the last break-in, you told your neighbor that you would be prepared next time. The District Attorney uses this to allege that you were lying in wait for the burglars.

A few months later, you go to trial. The charges haven't been reduced, as your lawyer had so confidently predicted. When you take the stand, your anger at the injustice of it all works against you. Prosecutors paint a picture of you as a mean, vengeful man. It doesn't take long for the jury to convict you of all charges.

The judge sentences you to life in prison.

This case really happened.

On August 22, 1999, Tony Martin of Emneth, Norfolk, England, killed one burglar and wounded a second. In April, 2000, he was convicted of murder and sentenced to a life term.

All of Martin's neighbors had been robbed numerous times, and several elderly people were severely injured in beatings by young thugs who had no fear of the consequences. Martin himself, a collector of antiques, had seen most of his collection trashed or stolen by burglars.

An appeal was considered in October 2001 by three senior judges. Submissions by the defense that Martin had fired in self defense were rejected by the appeal court. However, on this occasion the defense submitted evidence that Martin suffered paranoid personality disorder specifically directed at anyone intruding into his home. This submission was accepted by the Court of Appeal and, on the grounds of diminished responsibility, Martin's murder conviction was replaced by manslaughter carrying a five year sentence, and his ten year sentence for wounding one of the burglars was reduced to three years. These sentences were to run concurrently.

Martin was imprisoned in Highpoint Prison, Suffolk. When he became eligible for parole and early release, the Parole Board rejected his application without stating a reason. The chairman of the parole board, in an interview with The Times, described Martin as "a very dangerous man" who may still believe his action had been right. Martin challenged the decision in the High Court, where the parole board's decision was upheld. Probation officers on Martin's case said there was an "unacceptable risk" that Martin might again react with excessive force if other would-be burglars intruded on his Norfolk farm.

On 28 July 2003, Martin was released after serving three years of his five-year sentence, the maximum period for which he could be held following good behavior.

Also during 2003, the wounded burglar received an estimated £5,000 of legal aid to sue Martin for loss of earnings due to the injury he sustained. However, the case was thrown into doubt when photographs were published in The Sun suggesting that his injuries were not as serious as had been claimed. He later dropped the case when Martin agreed to drop a counter-claim.

How did it become a crime to defend one's own life in the once great British Empire?

It started with the Pistols Act of 1903. This seemingly reasonable law forbade selling pistols to minors or felons and established that handgun sales were to be made only to those who had a license. The Firearms Act of 1920 expanded licensing to include not only handguns but all firearms except shotguns.

Later laws passed in 1953 and 1967 outlawed the carrying of any weapon by private citizens and mandated the registration of all shotguns.

Momentum for total handgun confiscation began in earnest after the Hungerford mass shooting in 1987. Michael Ryan, a mentally disturbed man with a Kalashnikov rifle, walked down the streets shooting everyone he saw. When the smoke cleared, 17 people were dead.

The British public, already desensitized by eighty years of "gun control", demanded even tougher restrictions. The seizure of all privately owned handguns was the objective even though Ryan used a rifle.

Nine years later, at Dunblane, Scotland, Thomas Hamilton used a semi-automatic weapon to murder 16 children and a teacher at a public school.

For many years, the media had portrayed all gun owners as mentally unstable, or worse, criminals. Now the press had a real kook with which to beat up law-abiding gun owners. Day after day, week after week, the media gave up all pretense of objectivity and demanded a total ban on all handguns. The Dunblane Inquiry, a few months later, sealed the fate of the few sidearms still owned by private citizens.

During the years in which the British government incrementally took away most gun rights, the notion that a citizen had the right to armed self-defense came to be seen as vigilantism. Authorities refused to grant gun licenses to people who were threatened, claiming that self-defense was no longer considered a reason to own a gun. Citizens who shot burglars or robbers or rapists were charged while the real criminals were released.

Indeed, after the Martin shooting, a police spokesman was quoted as saying, "We cannot have people take the law into their own hands."

When the Dunblane Inquiry ended, citizens who owned handguns were given three months to turn them over to local authorities. Being good British subjects, most people obeyed the law. The few who didn't were visited by police and threatened with ten-year prison sentences if they didn't comply. Police later bragged that they'd taken nearly 200,000 handguns from private citizens.

How did the authorities know who had handguns? The guns had been registered and licensed. Kinda like cars.

Sound familiar?

WAKE UP AMERICA, THIS IS WHY OUR FOUNDING FATHERS PUT THE SECOND AMENDMENT IN OUR CONSTITUTION.

"..it does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds."--Samuel Adams

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