Funny Web Site

THE TOUGHEST DECISION: SHOULD MY LOVED ONE
BE PLACED IN AN ASSISTED COMPUTING FACILITY?


Dumb Signs

University of Saskatchewan, in Saskatoon
Pedestrian Tunnel. No admittance (Pedestrian tunnels planned to link all the buildings of the school, but the project ran out of funding before they could be completed)

McDonald's in Johnson City, NY
Parking for drive-thru service only

Lime Kiln Park, Grafton, WI
Soccer not allowed. Soccer may only be played in archery range.

Freeway near San Diego, CA
Cruise ships use airport exit

Ranting About The Bank and more

I got a banking account at the local bank (small town only one)when I first moved in the area, because well, it was a local bank. You know excellent customer service and all that stuff. No lines, no hassle and so on. They were bought out from another bank and now their hours are what is called Bankers Hours. The hours are from 9 am to 3 pm and they are no longer opened on Saturday. That leaves no time before work or after work for me to go into the bank.

They have online banking service but for some reason, maybe because of the sercurity, my password has gotten messed up. I called them the other day (at work time because you have to call the bank during regular hours) to reset my password. They wanted my first 12 number user ID and password that they gave to start your account months ago when setting up the account. Like I can remember that. I, of course, had gone in to the web site after getting the account to change the 12 numbers to a user name I could remember and put in my own password. Luckily I had written down the old user name and passwork in my day planner book because, guess what, I would have to go in person to change the password it I did not know it and getting out of work during that time is nearly impossible right now because we do not have a substitute to come in during the day.

Then I came home to a notice in the mail that they are charging for services and charging more for some.

I just think I will be looking for a new bank this weekend that has convenient hours and is on the way to work.

Sometimes I am a little fustrated by the lack of growth inhtis town. The old pepole seem to want to keep it as it is but then fuss because their children move to the large cities to get JOBS. The town is making some progress with a new housing area. The area with the dirt is the new housing area.

Slow, Slow

Today it is very slow. I put up picture this moring of the tornado damage at our place. I was having a hard time connecting to the internet yesterday and finaly got thorough around 0100. I do not think we will be able to put the roof back on the shed and will like have to rebuild the roof again it again. I am not sure the pole loafing barn can be put back up even a smaller size. When I have time I will go out to figure it out. It will be a spring project if I rebuild it anyways. I might rebuild it in another spot so it is closer to the well. If I can salavage some of the cedar I might be able to make poles for it.

Nietzsche Quotes

"You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist."


"There are no facts, only interpretations."

"Love is a state in which a man sees things most decidedly as they are not."


Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche
(1844-1900) German Philosopher, Poet

Cedar Grove Tornato Damage

Aftet the Tornato hit the shet and barn it hit the cedar grove and took out part of it. We will need to go in their this weekend to see what we can savage for fencing poles.

Tornato Damaged Shed

This used to be the chicken coop last year but we made it into a garden shed. It is a good thing there were no animals in it.

Tornato Damage

When we checked out our property on Monday we found out a loafing barn was distroyed

Winter Car Supplies

Woe is me! I am not ready for winter driving yet. Well the car is all up to date with oil change and all the usual stuff but I usually have supplies in my car for driving in winter weather. I suppose when I stop to get supplies for the goats bandaging I should get some supplies. I already have the cables, tow rope, first aid kit, wool blanket( I had cleaned it last month) and scraper I keep them all winter. I carry a flashlight in my purse. I usually keep a pair of boot in my car at all times during the winter. I have tow pairs and I usually keep my hiking boots int there in case I get stuck and need to walk becasue my shoes I wear to work will not work trying to walk in snow. I am also thinking of getting another small down blanket to put in the back seat. I have one on my chair and it is so nice to warp around you during the cold evenings. I have one of those fold up military type shovels that will work if you have to use it but the handle is very short making it hard to work with. I had to use it last year a couple of times. I suggest some ice melt too just in case you get to an area with too much ice.


Keep emergency supplies kit in vehicle, especially during winter.
Flashlight, extra batteries
Blanket or sleeping bag
First aid kit
Extra warm clothing
Sack of sand or kitty litter (for traction if stuck in snow)
Shovel
Windshield scraper and brush
Extra washer fluid
Tow rope
Booster cables
Chains

Updated Blog

Today I added my library thing link to this blog. I do not have all of the books to this site but will in the near feature. I should have them all by the end of December. I added about 30 last night and this morning. I also add a link so you can search this blog.

Winter came in like a lion Sunday and we have some snow on the ground. At least in the Fort Riley area. At my home it was all clear and I was very surprised at the winter weather when I got closer to work. I went by a cemetery and they had trees that were broken in the middle. Darn, when I have a good picture I do not have my camera with me. One of the buildings was also looked like it was totaled. I am hearing about damage to housing around here but have not seen any edvidence yet.

It was windy last night but not too bad but we had a tornado warning that was sited west of us and then all of sudden the direction of the wind changed and it was very strong and it got very dark. Things started blowing around the house and then it stared hailing. It seems that the storm changed directions and went to the other side of Highway 77. I have never got used to these storms in Kansas. Well, California had earthquakes but I could deal with that. It is every once in a while and not a number of times per year.

What is the Difference Between a Sweetpotato and a Yam?

This question was asked the other day and they are really difference plants. The moist-fleshed potatoes are often called "yams," but this is a misnomer: The true yam (botanical family Dioscoreaceae) is a large (up to 100 pounds) root vegetable grown in Africa and Asia and rarely seen in the western world. However, common usage has made the term "yams" acceptable when referring to sweet potatoes. The African word nyami was adopted in its English form, yam. This web page has a chart of the difference.

What is the Difference Between a Sweetpotato and a Yam?

Sunday 27, 2005

This morning was a trip to Topeka to pick up a vent for the stove and other shopping. We of course went to IHOP's again and I ordered the Chicken Fried steak with potatoes, pancakes and scrambled eggs. They good thing about the meal is I am not hungry again until the evening. The bad thing is it is high in fat.

After IHOP's the we went to the book store and we all go some new books. I got Life Management for Busy Women. I have the authors other book "A Woman After God's Own Heart" and decided to get this one. I like to look at the reduced section of the book stores to see if I can find anything interesting. I found a sort of cookbook, sort of facts about chickens, sort of coffee table picture book called Chicken Chicken Chicken by Laurence and Gilles Laurendon. It has some interesting facts and also some weird jokes. I guess you would call it that. Most of the recipes are French with others added in and they are all chicken recipes. Here is one under the Broody Hen chapter

Conversation between a Confucian hen and a Taoist hen
In the East, hens sometimes have conversations that would make our philosophical birds green with envy. Like this one between a Confucian hen and a Taoist hen.

One day a Confucian hen expressed surprise at the small size of the eggs laid by her neighbor, the Taoist hen.
"How do you expect to earn your living g with such small eggs? Look, they're half the size of mine. You won't get much for a dozen of those, believe me!"

The Taoist hen, who was busy being wooed by a cockerel, looked at the Confucian hen, then at her giant eggs, and replies:

"If you think, my dear, that for a few pence more I'm going to kill myself squeezing out those sort of eggs, you've got another think coming!"




Well, we got back from Topeka before the storm hit. FiFi, the goat, had somehow gotten the bandage wrap off here head so we had to redo it. Went back inside the house and when four came we had to redo the bandages again and give them their pain killer injections. Joy, oh, joy. FiFi had messed up the bandage again so we added an ace bandage wrap on top and hopefully it will stay. Her surgery looks good and has already stated scabing up but Jasper, the other goat, was still bleeding. At least it can off easier today and we just had to use a little bit of water on one side. I ran out of the bandage stuff after doing his so I will have to stop after work to get more.

Side Garden Raking and chicken -leaf compost

I raked the leaf out of the side garden today and the lawn. I put them into the chicken coop for them to break up and create compost for the gardens.

FiFi

We had to make the goat area smaller when we made the cicken coop larger but it should be fine for these two goats. They seem to be doing well but it was not fun to change their bandages today.

Chicken Coop Expanded

We made the chicken coop larger in the barn . It is now 12 feet x 12 feet when before it was 4 feet x 8 feet. They seem to like it better and it is much easier to give them food and water and collect eggs.

Black Friday

My day started out with a flood. That is a flooded bathroom after the toilet overflowed again. This is when I need to get the goats to the vet in the morning. So I found a bunch of towels to saok up the water and will clean it later. Yes, I got here before the Vet did and got the goats all settled in.

I got them there okay for their scheluded procedure and then went back home. I started watching TV but soon was bored with that after about 30 minutes. So I started looking at recipes again to decide which ones to post on my other blog. I decided to post a sugar cookie recipe that you can make into different variations.

I called the vet and asked if the goats were out of surgery. The person on the phone said can't you hear them but I though it was a cat. So I went and got them. Poor think all wrapped up. Jasper I am sure is sore front and back and I do not know which area hurts the worse. The Vet handed me some pain killers in injection form asking if I have every given shots before. Yecch, I guess there is a first think for everything. The vet said to just inject them in the thigh. My daughters assured me that they knew how because they learned how to in school with horses. Oh, boy I can see Saturday will be a fun day. They were rather drowsy when I picked them up but seem to be doing good and are even eating to my surprise. In the picture Jasper is in the blue bandage and FiFi is pink. He did not get bandage for his private parts. They look like they have little helmets on.




It got warmer, about 50 degrees so I decided to cut more of the back pasture for hay in the afternoon. I got some more cut and now I am now letting it dry. I also piled up some that was cut but got rained one since it is now dry again and will put into the barn Saturday.

We had leftovers tonight and I am already tiring of them.

Look Into My Eyes

You look into my eyes,
like you really care
But I'm not really sure,
true feelings are really there.

I wake up in the middle of the night,
wishing you were by my side
I want to hold you tight,
and for you to be mine

But most likely you are gone,
which makes it so very hard not to cry
We will never achieve a bond,
love each other until one dies







We are really very different you see,
with too many barriers for it to be
I still want you here with me,
but GET OVER IT and MOVE ON is the life I should lead

Raimi Enjoying Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving 4

 
 

GIVING THANKS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

GIVING THANKS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

God is great, God is good
We thank Him for our food
By His hand we all are fed.
Thank you, Lord, for our daily bread
----------Traditional, America

“Oh God, who makes a thousand flowers to blow,
Who makes both grains and fruits to grow,
Hear our prayer,
Bless this food
And bring us peace”
-----------Traditional, Netherlands

“Thank you for the wind and rain
And sun and pleasant weather,
Thank you for this our food
And that we are together.”
----------Mennonite Blessing

“This ritual is One
The food is One
We who offer the food are One
The fire of hunger is also One
All action is One
We who understand this are One”
--------Hindu Blessings

“All life is your own,
All fruits of the earth
All fruits of your womb,
Your union, your dance,
Lady and Lord
We thank you for blessing and abundance.
Join with us, feast with us, enjoy with us!
-----------Native American

“Let us in peace eat the food that God has provided for us.
Praise be to God, for all his gifts”
----------Armenian Apostolic Church

“Make yourself a light”
----------Buddha

“Oh God, make us able
For all that’s on the table”

----------Traditional, Ireland

“Oh you, who feed the little bird, bless our food, Oh lord.”
---------Traditional Norway


“Mohalo e ke Akua no na pomaika’i apau I loa’a mai ia oe mai.
Ho’onami ka Makua, ke Keiki, ka ‘Uhane Hemolele amene”
(Thank You , God, for all the blessings recievef from You.
Praise Father, Son and Holy Gprit, amen)
------------From Hawaiian language kumu
William Kalikilehua Panui

Tip of the Day!

This morning when I arrived at work I found this article in my box. With a tip of the day. Highlighted was dog walkers lost an average of 14.5 pounds but they end of a yearlong study. I am pondering who and why someone put this in my box. For one thing I have lost 15 pounds over the last 6 months by just eating less and now weight 140 pounds. So being 5'8" that is not too bad. Now, wonder, WHO and WHY!

After Work

After work I had an typical annual appointment. I got there 15 minutes before appointment time and filled out all forms, returned them and then sat down and waited. As I sat there clients came and went and 15 minutes later I got call for the typical blood pressure check and weighting. The blood pressure device went one time, then deflated and then went another time ,this time with more pressure. Okay I was thinking this is not too bad. It deflated again and then started inflating again and this time it was getting rather tight and I was beginning to get somewhat worried and I looked at the nurse and she was giving a very perplex look and then saying we might have to use the other arm. Luckily this time it got a reading. It was 124/74 which is not too bad especially for me in a medical clinic with the device trying to be a tourniquet.

Then she had me go back to the waiting area and I waited and waited and soon I was the only one there, then the receptionists started leaving. I looked in that direction and the person who took by blood pressure asked. "Are you still waiting for your appointment? This is the time you feel like saying sometime like "No I just love hanging around medical clinics to see what I can catch?" But I would never do that and just said "yes".

She took off and then the PA came and called me in. I wonder if they even have Doctors anymore here? She asked me "What was the hold up"? Boy, like I knew.

Last time I went to get my tetanus the shot record part was missing. Just my luck. I still need to get my copy up their to update it now. Last appointment I was talking about one last test taken in October last year and it's missing. Why me?

This time the PA started saying Oh, I am so sorry you HAD SARS. What, are you sure you have the correct records? Man, I wish I had other medical insurance. This place drives me crazy.

Then my cell phone went off. I told them not to call. I thought I will call later. Then it went off again and then I again so I answered it. Oh, mom I accidenlty left your turkey roaster at school.

So I finally got out of their very late. I think almost all of the employees had left before me because the parking lot was just about empty. Then I had to go shopping for last minutes food and of course, a turkey roasting pan. Got some chicken there and it is always too salty and the potato salad has too much mustard. Oh well, end of a great day.

YAHOO!

Got some back pay today!

I WOULD RATHER ..............THAN SHOP THE DAY AFTER THANKSGIVING

WHAT I WOULD RATHER DO ON BLACK FRIDAY IS..............

Run with the Bulls in Spain. It is most likely safer anyways.

Squeeze a pink plastic piggy that is wiggly and grinning and squealing......."The average North American consumes five times more than a Mexican, ten times more than a Chinese person and thirty times more than a person from India."

Bless for Less. Christmas is not about shopping anyways.


What I most likely will do.......

Go for a walk on the River Walk Trail with one or two of the dogs. After I drop the goats at the Vet at 8am , that by the way did not think I wanted to get an appointment that day because everyone wants to go shopping.

Have a "Great Give-Away" party and pass on everything I don't use.

Sunday

It was a overcast day today. When I went out side to start the smoked turkey it was wet outside. It had rained last night. Out the window goes any plans to do hay or firewood.
I had things I could do inside so I started the turkey and it would not burn blue,. I ended up taking apart the flame adjustment to get cobwebs out. Spiders are everywhere here in Kansas. I got that done got the fire going, put he turkey on. It was doing great until I notice after cooking about half of the time there was no flame again. Ops, I ran out of propane with this cylinder. Well this means a trip to the workshop to get the other one. Got it going again and finally finished the turkey.
Lakenvelderfoodblog

Since I was going to be inside today I cooked one pumpkin to make muffins and made the tea for the Horehound candy. Will need to get some more brown sugar to make the candy.

The chickens got out and we had to get them back in again or the big bad coyote will have another treat.

Then I had to run into town to get some poultry feed and pick up my daughters at my son's apartment. I think his wife was thinking they would help clean up the house and they must of had other plans. They were playing darts when I got there.

Made roast beef for dinner and that about made my day.

Heartland Share Pick-up

I got my Heartland Share. I started to defrost the turkey to smoke Sunday.
Part of Hearthland Share is doing some volunteer service. I have been sewing some bags for MCC kits. Here is a picture of two School kit bags and two sewing kit/Health kit bags. I still need to go get the items to fill some of them.
MCC Kits

Garlic -Planting and Growing

Spanish Roja and Music Garlic put in the rows and ready to be covered with soil.

Planted and Covered with straw taken out of a chicken coop.


Garlic likes sandy loam soil but will grow in well drained, slightly aridic soil,ferlie soil. Purpare your bed by terning over and adding compost and avoid planing in any beds you have planted garlic or onions in the last 3 years.

Plant the garlic clove root end down. Plant in rows spaced 18 " apart and 4 to 6" apart. Cover with 2" (northern areas 3-4") of soil. Mulch with a light mulch or in northern areas 8" of mulch. I covered mine with at least 6 inches of straw from the chicken coop.

Savage Chickens

I like going to this website and reading his daily posting. These are some of my favorites.

Irrational Fear #5

Irrational Fear #6

Irrational Fear #7

Laugh Riot

Glass Houses

What Is Aloha?

What Is Aloha?

Aloha is a promise that the sun will shine again.
Bringing fresh hopes and dreams with
each new day that begins.
Aloha is the sunlight shining through the darkness.


Giving strength, to all we do.
Aloha is his grace walking in the sunlight.

Feeling the beauty of life. Aloha is his helping hand,
his warm and comforting voice. It is peace.

May it be with you forever and always.

Aloha is the mind, the heart, in perfect harmony.


It's tenderness and love, deep in the heart of Hawai'i.

Aloha is Hawai'i, Hawai'i is aloha.
Hawai'i is aloha ia 'oe, I love you -
Aloha ia 'oe hawai'i, I love you.

Written By:
Pilahi Park & Jay Larrin

Peace in the World

Peace in the World

If there is light in the soul,
There will be beauty in the person.
If there is beauty in the person,
There will be harmony in the house.
If there is harmony in the house,
There will be order in the nation.
If there is order in the nation,
There will be peace in the world.

Chinese Proverb

Ants eat away woman's eye in hospital

I guess you want to make sure you have major medical insurance for any trips to India. From what I understand their are good doctors but the system is so overloaded.

Ants eat away woman's eye in hospital

Squeaky

 
 

Eating

 
 

Queen of the Block

 
 

Looking Around

 
 

Goats

I have a feeling I am going to learn a whole lot about goats in the following months. It is another learning curve. I have already tried to explain to the girls not to feed them too many "treats". When I was in the pen last night one of the girls had a bunch of carrots. I have a terrible feeling I am going to learn all about bloat very quickly. I have heard of it and read about it but never experienced it with any animals. i hope I never do but.............time will tell.

ARE WE LOSING TOUCH WITH THE WORLD WHILE LIVING IN THE WORLD THROUGH THE INTERNET.

Heinrich Arnold puts it like this:

"In every person lives undreamed of possibilities of becoming a true man or woman in the image of God. We are too easily satisfied with our work, with sleeping, eating, drinking… Something lives in you with possibilities of endless depths, something of which you are as yet perhaps quite unaware."

A poor peasant set out early one morning to plow, taking with him for his breakfast a crust of bread. He got his plow ready, wrapped the bread in his coat, put it under a bush, and set to work. After a while when his horse was tired and he was hungry, the peasant fixed the plow, let the horse loose to graze and went to get his coat and his breakfast

He lifted the coat, but the bread was gone! He looked and looked, turned the coat over, shook it out – but the bread was gone. The peasant could not make this out at all.

“That’s strange,” thought he; “I saw no one, but all the same some one has been here and has taken the bread!”

It was an imp who had stolen the bread while the peasant was plowing, and at that moment he was sitting behind the bush, waiting to hear the peasant swear and call on the Devil.

The peasant was sorry to lose his breakfast, but “It can’t be helped,” said he. “After all, I shan’t die of hunger! No doubt whoever took the bread needed it. May it do him good!”

And he went to the well, had a drink of water, and rested a bit. Then he caught his horse, harnessed it, and began plowing again.

The imp was crestfallen at not having made the peasant sin, and he went to report what had happened to the Devil, his master.

He came to the Devil and told how he had taken the peasant’s bread, and how the peasant instead of cursing had said, “May it do him good!”

The Devil was angry, and replied: “If the man got the better of you, it was your own fault – you don’t understand your business! If the peasants, and their wives after them, take to that sort of thing, it will be all up with us. The matter can’t be left like that! Go back at once,” said he, “and put things right. If in three years you don’t get the better of that peasant, I’ll have you ducked in holy water!”

The imp was frightened. He scampered back to earth, thinking how he could redeem his fault. He thought and thought, and at last hit upon a good plan.

He turned himself into a laboring man, and went and took service with the poor peasant. The first year he advised the peasant to sow corn in a marshy place. The peasant took his advice, and sowed in the marsh. The year turned out a very dry one, and the crops of the other peasants were all scorched by the sun, but the poor peasant’s corn grew thick and tall and full-eared. Not only had he grain enough to last him for the whole year, but he had much left over besides.

The next year the imp advised the peasant to sow on the hill; and it turned out a wet summer. Other people’s corn was beaten down and rotted and the ears did not fill; but the peasant’s crop, up on the hill, was a fine one. He had more grain left over than before, so that he did not know what to do with it all.

Then the imp showed the peasant how he could mash the grain and distill spirit from it; and the peasant made strong drink, and began to drink it himself and to give it to his friends.

So the imp went to the Devil, his master, and boasted that he had made up for his failure. The Devil said that he would come and see for himself how the case stood.

He came to the peasant’s house, and saw that the peasant had invited his well-to-do neighbors and was treating them to drink. His wife was offering the drink to the guests, and as she handed it round she tumbled against the table and spilt a glassful.

The peasant was angry, and scolded his wife: “What do you mean, you slut? Do you think it’s ditchwater, you cripple, that you must go pouring good stuff like that over the floor?”

The imp nudged the Devil, his master, with his elbow: “See,” said he, “that’s the man who did not grudge his last crust!”

The peasant, still railing at his wife, began to carry the drink round himself. Just then a poor peasant returning from work came in uninvited. He greeted the company, sat down, and saw that they were drinking. Tired with his day’s work he felt that he too would like a drop. He sat and sat, and his mouth kept watering, but the host instead of offering him any only muttered: “I can’t find drink for every one who comes along.”

This pleased the Devil; but the imp chuckled and said, “Wait a bit, there’s more to come yet!”

The rich peasants drank, and their host drank too. And they began to make false, oily speeches to one another.

The Devil listened and listened, and praised the imp.

“If,” said he, “the drink makes them so foxy that they begin to cheat each other, they will soon all be in our hands.”

“Wait for what’s coming,” said the imp. “Let them have another glass all round. Now they are like foxes, wagging their tails and trying to get round one another; but presently you will see them like savage wolves.”

The peasants had another glass each, and their talk became wilder and rougher. Instead of oily speeches they began to abuse and snarl at one another. Soon they took to fighting, and punched one another’s noses. And the host joined in the fight, and he too got well beaten.

The Devil looked on and was much pleased at all this.

“This is first-rate!” said he.

But the imp replied: “Wait a bit – the best is yet to come. Wait till they have had a third glass. Now they are raging like wolves, but let them have one more glass, and they will be like swine.”

The peasants had their third glass, and became quite like brutes. They muttered and shouted, not knowing why, and not listening to one another.

Then the party began to break up. Some went alone, some in twos, and some in threes, all staggering down the street. The host went out to speed his guests, but he fell on his nose into a puddle, smeared himself from top to toe, and lay there grunting like a hog.

This pleased the Devil still more.

“Well,” said he, “you have hit on a first-rate drink, and have quite made up for your blunder about the bread. But now tell me how this drink is made. You must first have put in fox’s blood: that was what made the peasants sly as foxes. Then, I suppose, you added wolf’s blood: that is what made them fierce like wolves. And you must have finished off with swine’s blood, to make them behave like swine.”

“No,” said the imp, “that was not the way I did it. All I did was to see that the peasant had more corn than he needed. The blood of the beasts is always in man; but as long as he has only enough corn for his needs, it is kept in bounds. While that was the case, the peasant did not grudge his last crust. But when he had corn left over, he looked for ways of getting pleasure out of it. And I showed him a pleasure – drinking! And when he began to turn God’s good gifts into spirits for his own pleasure – the fox’s, wolf’s and swine’s blood in him all came out. If only he goes on drinking, he will always be a beast!”

The Devil praised the imp, forgave him for his former blunder, and advanced him to a post of high honor.

1886

Reprinted from www.bruderhof.com

Winter Twilight On The Victory Highway

Winter Twilight On The Victory HighwayThe mellow concave of the sky rests its pale apricot brim
On the brown edges of the Kansas prairie.
Venus and Jupiter, two distant crumbs of light,
Cling to its cerulean surface.
Twilight smudges the nearer fields
Where snow lies white in patches.
The dry cornstalks solemnly mark time
In long rustling rows
Up and over the curve of the hill
In the west seven acres.

The little house and the big barn
Draw closer together in the dusk.
Things are happening in the house
And in the barn: cosy, comfortable things
That have to do with pails and frying pans and cradles
And whatever leads to supper and an early bedtime.

Along the highway, between drifts of snow,
Leviathans with gleaming eyes
Glide ceaselessly
To the city___from the city___
From the city___to the city.

Sometimes the little house and the big barn
Delegate someone to go to the city,
Someone who is told to come back
Before it gets dark.
You see, there are so many things going on at home,
Happy duties that no one should miss.

Two wires are strung between the little house and the big barn.
From the lower one limp garments dangle:
Aprons, and heavy blue drill shirts,
And a baby's pink gingham rompers.
(It hadn't been quite cold enough to freeze them dry.)
On the upper wire there is nothing___nothing that anyone can see.
Like a fishing net of a single strand
It reaches out into the wide ocean of the air
And gathers in a harvest of messages:
Market reports and recipes, sermons and solos,
The weather, bedtime stories, and music,
Music from Los Angeles, Hawaii, and Edgewater Beach.

So busy is every living creature
In the little house and in the big barn
That not one of them cares a flip about Jurgen,
Or the marriage problem,
Or life at Deauville,
Or the tendencies of modern fiction,
Or "Sweeney among the nightingales."
,Nor would they care, even if they knew about such tiresome things,
For here at home,
New things are always going to happen,
Really intoxicating things.
They are going to get a new car, maybe, and a washing machine;
And Lady will have another Jersey calf.
Soon they will have to move the old baby into the crib
And make the cradle ready for the new baby.
They will plow the west seven acres, and get more stock;
They will buy new dishes, and a rug for the front room,
And get a loud speaker. And nothing will stop them___nothing___
Unless the day comes too soon to join a slow procession
Along the Victory highway, (Leviathans then must wait,)
Up to the little churchyard on the crest of the hill,
To add another stone to those sturdily keeping faith there now.

But in the little house they have not yet had time
To think of the slow procession.
They are young and very strong.
There is good food in the pantry, and plenty of sweet hay in tho
big barn.
In the spring the redbud will blossom;
The pasture will be green again.
The fields must be harrowed and planted.
They will plant potatoes and beans, and put new shingles on the
house.
The meadow lark will whistle in the stillness,
And in the barnyard
Buff Orpingtons will clatter over their yellow corn.

And every day, from morning until midnight,
Along the highway,
Between banks of evening primroses,
Blue spiderwort, and wild verbena,
Leviathans of shining nickel and enamel
Will make their swift and ceaseless journeys
To the city___from the city___
From the city___to the city.
More and more pink rompers will hang on the sagging lower wire;
And over the upper one will come messages,
Stock reports and symphonies,
Mighty music from Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Edgewater Beach.
__Helen Rhoda Hoopes

Dusk 3

 
 

Dusk 2

 
 

Dusk

 
 

Dusk

 
 

Winter Weather

Winter is most definitely here now. It is cold outside with a little snow on the ground, not a whole lot. We put a heat lamp over the goat to help them keep warm since they are still so small especially FiFi. They both still seem to be doing good. I made a appointment for the Vet for the horns. Then we will go from there.

Our wood supply is still to low I hope we get a break in the weather to take care of that. We have had the wood stove burning most of the day now.

I will now start wearing gloves and a hat going to work. I need to make sure all the emergency supplies are in the car just in case I get stuck again in the mud or snow.

Snow

Guess what? I get ready for work and suddenly I noticed it is now snowing here. I put on this blog a link to the weather. It is showing Manhattan, Kansas right now. I will work on adding some links in the link section now that I will have more time since I will be limited to what I will be able to accomplish outside.

Hay for the Goats

Goat the goats settled in and went to start cutting the one pasture for more hay. I have to do it a little less labor intensive that using a sickle. I used the lawn mower type string weed cutter and started cutting the pasture grass. I then raked into a mound to be carted into the barn. WE got a few loads into the barn. It should dry okay in the there since we have it loosely piled. It rained last night so it will be about a week before I can get more, if it does not snow. It snowed in the north part of Kansas last night and is cold and wet here.

Goats cont'd............................................

Got the goats today. I think the person who sold them wanted to give us the McMansions Scenic Drivng route and it took almost two hours to get there from Topeka. We took our own route back and it took us only about an hour to drive back from there to Topeka. Oh, well, I saw places and towns of Kansas I have never seen before.

The goats seem nice and healthy. Got them into their pen and let them settle. Then we went to the house to cook dinner and guess what we hear. Yep, a kid that escape. So we found the two again, the one we heard ran back to the barn. We had to find the other. We then put them inside to see how they escape. Well, it took about two seconds for FiFi to just walk through the hinged part of the gate. We were back to plan two and put some extra chain length fence in the area and smaller fencing on the bottom of the cattle panel for extra measure. Went back to have dinner and we did not need to go to plan three (dog kennel) yet but we shall see tomorrow when they will have more time to find escape routes.

FiFi

 
 

Jasper

 
 

IHOP and Topeka

Went to Topeka Friday and stopped at the IHOP (International House of Pancakes). This one next to the mall is rather good and is usually very busy. As I was viewing the menu (which has changed again)I notice a insert with pancakes meals from around the United States. They had Maine Blueberry pancakes, Georgia Peach Pancakes, California lemon zest and Rottica cheese, and a couple of others I do not remember. I looked at the bottom and read a disclaimer stating something like this: The fruit may not have originated from the state stated on the product.

Goats cont'd............................................

We should be getting the goats on Saturday and we should see now it goes. I have never been a super fan of goats. The one goat they had at college would get its head stuck in the fence every day. You think it would learn but NO it would still stick its head into the fence. Goats have weird looking eyes too. Where I worked a guy used to come in with those designer contact lenses and he had some that had goat eyes. Weird.

Another thinks with goats is the bucks will spray themself with their urine. Goat perfume, huh, sort of gross, if you ask me. Some people like the smell but there are all kinds. That is what makes the world interesting. However, I do not want that smell on my furniture. I use enough heavy duty cleaners and scented products like candles already. So no Bucks, if the one I am getting did not get the knife he will soon. Who knows I might get attached to goats and want more. Kind of like my chickens, but chickens are easy and sort of funny when they run and talk to you in chicken talk. Geese are okay too and ducks are FOWL but I like them too now that I have a special area for them and they are not able to FOWL up the other animals water.

These goats are small dwarf ones so they should not be able to get away so easily. I do not think all the loose cows around here would want them around anyway. I wonder if that farmer is missing his/her herd yet? They are staying away from the road and my house so the sheriff has not been called yet.

I be traveling to Topeka today to get some things done and feed for the kids.
Have a Great Day!