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| First tentative steps |
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| A little shaky |
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| So tired.. |
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| Gotta try again |
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| What happened to my legs?? |
Sunday, April 22, 2012
New life on the farm
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Earthday musings
I just came across an article on the Earth Day Network. The article was bemoaning the fact that President Obama has on the one hand declared there should be more "green schools", and on the other hand, has cut the budget for environmental budget programs. They want everyone to write and demand more funding.
More funding? Do these people live in the real world? I believe strongly that we need to be good stewards to the earth, but we need to do it on our own, without government interference and further collapse of our fiat currency.
As for global warming, they need to do more homework. Climate change is cyclical, it has nothing to do with mankind's use of petroleum products. Archeological and geological data indicate that global warming and cooling has occurred every 200 - 500 years, In addition, the greenhouse effect promotes plant growth. On the other hand, droughts, tornadoes, and hurricanes in diverse places can be traced to manipulation of the weather by several governments. This, is turn, helps to manipulate people.
With regard to planting more trees, here in the Northeast, we have lost acres and acres of farmland to builders and overgrown pasture and production land. There are more trees now than there were 50 years ago, but nowhere to plant. Trees are important, but food is vital.
We need to conserve water, take care of ourselves by planting crops--even container gardening can yield a good part of our food; clean up our own trash; treat the earth like a cherished mother; and recycle and reuse wherever possible. This needs to be done on an individual basis, without the coercion of government and the imposition of taxes and fines. Let's bring some sanity and common sense back to the environmental movement. Government is NOT our friend. When we truly take responsibility for ourselves, we have no need to control others. That's the way life used to be, the way life ought to be.
More funding? Do these people live in the real world? I believe strongly that we need to be good stewards to the earth, but we need to do it on our own, without government interference and further collapse of our fiat currency.
As for global warming, they need to do more homework. Climate change is cyclical, it has nothing to do with mankind's use of petroleum products. Archeological and geological data indicate that global warming and cooling has occurred every 200 - 500 years, In addition, the greenhouse effect promotes plant growth. On the other hand, droughts, tornadoes, and hurricanes in diverse places can be traced to manipulation of the weather by several governments. This, is turn, helps to manipulate people.
With regard to planting more trees, here in the Northeast, we have lost acres and acres of farmland to builders and overgrown pasture and production land. There are more trees now than there were 50 years ago, but nowhere to plant. Trees are important, but food is vital.
We need to conserve water, take care of ourselves by planting crops--even container gardening can yield a good part of our food; clean up our own trash; treat the earth like a cherished mother; and recycle and reuse wherever possible. This needs to be done on an individual basis, without the coercion of government and the imposition of taxes and fines. Let's bring some sanity and common sense back to the environmental movement. Government is NOT our friend. When we truly take responsibility for ourselves, we have no need to control others. That's the way life used to be, the way life ought to be.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Verbal Tics and Awful Spelling or There is no such word as "alot"
I admit it, small things bother me, such as repetitive, unnecessary words, incorrectly pronounced words, and awful spelling. I want to just grab the person and shake him! or her. Actually, when I grew up, the correct way to say this was "and shake him", as it was understood that he/him was understood to include both male and female. However, back in the--was it the 70's? 80's? somewhere around there--a bunch of vocal feminists displayed their ignorance by demanding that it was BAD FORM and INSULTING TO WOMEN to use the masculine pronoun. For a long time we struggled with he/she, him/her, and finally settled on the plural form, "they, their", etcetera.
Obviously, these vocal reformers didn't speak foreign languages, because they'd have realized that several languages throw around masculine, feminine, and neuter terms and no one gets upset about it.
For example, in German, the word for girl is "das Mädchen". Das is neuter, and no one thinks they are insulting young girls. In French, the word for table is "la table". Do they think all tables are female? Hardly. It's just grammatically a feminine noun.
Now I can move on to verbal tics. Like, like, like, like, like! Arrgh! "Like, I was walking down the street, and, like, I saw this dog, and he was, like, barking at nothing!" I admit it, I have interrupted someone mid-sentence to tell them I have no idea what they're saying, and do they really like things that much? Was it "like you were walking down the street" or were you actually doing it?
And then they'll end with " D'yknow what I'm saying? And, like, d'y'know what I'm saying?" "NO,"m I reply, "I'm completely ignorant. I have no idea what you're saying. Perhaps I'm deaf, d'y'know what I'm saying?" This has limited success, because the poor soul usually doesn't understand that I'm being ironic until we've gone through it about three times or possibly four. At that point, shock registers, and they exclaim, "Wow! I never knew I said that so much!" Exactly. Verbal tic.
How about "enthused"? Do you know there's no such word? The word is "enthusiastic", but enthused seems to have found a niche in Americana. I guess I'll have to live with that one. Sigh.
Ah, yes, now we get to the latest spelling gaff that drives me right up a wall. I refer to "alot". Folks, there is no such word as "alot". It's two words. a lot, and could you have enough love for the language to at least know what you're saying? "A lot" is "a quantity" or "a large amount". I love the way one The Urban Dictionary definition put it: 1. Illiterate spelling of a lot. 2. Broken keyboard way of spelling a lot. There are several more that are hilarious; do take time to check them out.
Another pet peeve: nuclear, pronounced NEW CLEE AR not NEW QUE LER. I had a college professor who was, of all things, a nuclear physicist, and yet even he couldn't pronounce it correctly. I could only sit there and shake my head, wondering how such a brilliant man (for he was) couldn't pronounce the field in which he had earned a Ph.D.
There are more: mischievous (three syllables, please, not four, and accent on the first syllable); zoology is "ZO ology" not "ZOO ology" as I learned early on from a college roommate who was majoring is Zoology, and drummed it into our heads; realtor has one a, and it's before the t. (reel tor or real tor, not reel a tor, please); and finally (for now) exquisite, which has the emphasis on the FIRST syllable, not the second.
Speaking of poor pronunciations, I think Maeve Maddox says it as well as any in her column http://www.dailywritingtips.com/50-incorrect-pronunciations-that-you-should-avoid.
Rant over. I feel better already.
Obviously, these vocal reformers didn't speak foreign languages, because they'd have realized that several languages throw around masculine, feminine, and neuter terms and no one gets upset about it.
For example, in German, the word for girl is "das Mädchen". Das is neuter, and no one thinks they are insulting young girls. In French, the word for table is "la table". Do they think all tables are female? Hardly. It's just grammatically a feminine noun.
Now I can move on to verbal tics. Like, like, like, like, like! Arrgh! "Like, I was walking down the street, and, like, I saw this dog, and he was, like, barking at nothing!" I admit it, I have interrupted someone mid-sentence to tell them I have no idea what they're saying, and do they really like things that much? Was it "like you were walking down the street" or were you actually doing it?
And then they'll end with " D'yknow what I'm saying? And, like, d'y'know what I'm saying?" "NO,"m I reply, "I'm completely ignorant. I have no idea what you're saying. Perhaps I'm deaf, d'y'know what I'm saying?" This has limited success, because the poor soul usually doesn't understand that I'm being ironic until we've gone through it about three times or possibly four. At that point, shock registers, and they exclaim, "Wow! I never knew I said that so much!" Exactly. Verbal tic.
How about "enthused"? Do you know there's no such word? The word is "enthusiastic", but enthused seems to have found a niche in Americana. I guess I'll have to live with that one. Sigh.
Ah, yes, now we get to the latest spelling gaff that drives me right up a wall. I refer to "alot". Folks, there is no such word as "alot". It's two words. a lot, and could you have enough love for the language to at least know what you're saying? "A lot" is "a quantity" or "a large amount". I love the way one The Urban Dictionary definition put it: 1. Illiterate spelling of a lot. 2. Broken keyboard way of spelling a lot. There are several more that are hilarious; do take time to check them out.
Another pet peeve: nuclear, pronounced NEW CLEE AR not NEW QUE LER. I had a college professor who was, of all things, a nuclear physicist, and yet even he couldn't pronounce it correctly. I could only sit there and shake my head, wondering how such a brilliant man (for he was) couldn't pronounce the field in which he had earned a Ph.D.
There are more: mischievous (three syllables, please, not four, and accent on the first syllable); zoology is "ZO ology" not "ZOO ology" as I learned early on from a college roommate who was majoring is Zoology, and drummed it into our heads; realtor has one a, and it's before the t. (reel tor or real tor, not reel a tor, please); and finally (for now) exquisite, which has the emphasis on the FIRST syllable, not the second.
Speaking of poor pronunciations, I think Maeve Maddox says it as well as any in her column http://www.dailywritingtips.com/50-incorrect-pronunciations-that-you-should-avoid.
Rant over. I feel better already.
Friday, March 9, 2012
The trouble with auroras
Several years ago, I spent three weeks in Anchorage, from mid February to early March. The night before I flew in, there was a spectacular display. The night after I flew out, there was another. While I was there, not one single auroral event. I've always consoled myself by tellng myself it was just Alaska's way of telling me I had to come back. I'll make it one day, mid-winter, in time to see both the aurora and the Iditorod--which, btw, took place the day after I left. Sigh. It was a business trip and I really had little control over the timing.
Now I live in midcoast Maine, and for the life of me, it's always either cloudy or full moon when the aurora comes this far south. I received an aurora alert yesterday telling of a CME (coronal mass ejection) that would guarantee aurora sightings even farther south than Maine. No fair! It's happened again, and this time it's both cloudy and a full moon!
However, I'm ever hopeful, and full moon or not, cloudy or not, I will arise early and hope I can see something in the sky. It's been a long drought. I love seeing the aurora, and the weather and moon are bound to cooperate eventually. The eleven year solar cycle should be at its peak, though it seems to be rather late this time around. At any rate, the future looks promising for seeing the aurora this year.
Oh...and just as an aside to the "climate changes are caused by mankind" crowd, do take time to look at this link. There's correlation between auroral activity and climate changes, since at least 1640. This scientific paper, of course, is only one of many which obviates the spurious "consensus" argument promulgated by Al Gore, corporatist extraordinaire, but of special interest to me since it concerns the aurora.
Now I live in midcoast Maine, and for the life of me, it's always either cloudy or full moon when the aurora comes this far south. I received an aurora alert yesterday telling of a CME (coronal mass ejection) that would guarantee aurora sightings even farther south than Maine. No fair! It's happened again, and this time it's both cloudy and a full moon!
However, I'm ever hopeful, and full moon or not, cloudy or not, I will arise early and hope I can see something in the sky. It's been a long drought. I love seeing the aurora, and the weather and moon are bound to cooperate eventually. The eleven year solar cycle should be at its peak, though it seems to be rather late this time around. At any rate, the future looks promising for seeing the aurora this year.
Oh...and just as an aside to the "climate changes are caused by mankind" crowd, do take time to look at this link. There's correlation between auroral activity and climate changes, since at least 1640. This scientific paper, of course, is only one of many which obviates the spurious "consensus" argument promulgated by Al Gore, corporatist extraordinaire, but of special interest to me since it concerns the aurora.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
In the doghouse
I hate being angry with Zoë. She's cute, and fun, and warms my heart. Today, though, we went out in the car and I made two stops. The first was Wentworth's, the local grocery store. I picked up a few vegetables for dinner, and at the last minute grabbed a package of four chocolate chip cookies, and ate one when I returned to the car. A few minutes later, I stopped at a neighbor's house and was there about 10 minutes. In the meantime, Zoë was scarfing down the other three cookies--and then returned to the back seat by the time I got back.
I realized as soon as I got in that something was out of whack. Cookies! Right! Where are they? No sign of them...and then I saw the empty container. Oh, no! This was not good. Chocolate can be poisonous to dogs, and I didn't know what the limit would be for an 18 lb dog. I was so angry, I smacked Zoë on the rump and told her in no uncertain terms that she was a BAD DOG!
As soon as I got home, I put her in "her spot" (her bed) and called the vet. . Thankfully, the quantity she ate wasn't enough to seriously harm her, just give her a bad case of diarrhea. Even so, I wanted to make an impression on her. Every time she tried to leave her bed, I ordered her back there, telling her sternly that she should STAY. Poor Zoë, she slunk back to her bed on a couple of occasions, on too many more, I dragged her back by the collar. You STAY, you BAD, BAD dog. Finally, after two hours, I let her come downstairs. I don't know if it will help, if she'll connect my anger with her eating the cookies. I hope so. I don't want to lose my Zoë to chocolate, raisins, grapes, or any of the other things that can prove toxic to dogs.
Fox Terriers are normally pretty active little dogs, but her energy level tonight was higher than normal. Shawn took her outside and threw the squeaky ball for her until she was exhausted. As I write, she's crashed out on the floor. I'll have to keep an ear open during the night to let her out if she needs me to, but that's a minor inconvenience. I'm just very thankful tonight that Zoë is okay. I've made myself and her a promise: No temptation left in the car when she's along.
I realized as soon as I got in that something was out of whack. Cookies! Right! Where are they? No sign of them...and then I saw the empty container. Oh, no! This was not good. Chocolate can be poisonous to dogs, and I didn't know what the limit would be for an 18 lb dog. I was so angry, I smacked Zoë on the rump and told her in no uncertain terms that she was a BAD DOG!
As soon as I got home, I put her in "her spot" (her bed) and called the vet. . Thankfully, the quantity she ate wasn't enough to seriously harm her, just give her a bad case of diarrhea. Even so, I wanted to make an impression on her. Every time she tried to leave her bed, I ordered her back there, telling her sternly that she should STAY. Poor Zoë, she slunk back to her bed on a couple of occasions, on too many more, I dragged her back by the collar. You STAY, you BAD, BAD dog. Finally, after two hours, I let her come downstairs. I don't know if it will help, if she'll connect my anger with her eating the cookies. I hope so. I don't want to lose my Zoë to chocolate, raisins, grapes, or any of the other things that can prove toxic to dogs.
Fox Terriers are normally pretty active little dogs, but her energy level tonight was higher than normal. Shawn took her outside and threw the squeaky ball for her until she was exhausted. As I write, she's crashed out on the floor. I'll have to keep an ear open during the night to let her out if she needs me to, but that's a minor inconvenience. I'm just very thankful tonight that Zoë is okay. I've made myself and her a promise: No temptation left in the car when she's along.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Full Circle, or A trip around the block.
Ever get the idea that you're just not supposed to do something? Yeh, me, too, and it must be that these two goats are supposed to be here, at least for now.
A few days after I sold them, I got a phone call asking if I'd take them back. These two does are CAE positive, but pretty healthy for all that, and I sold them with full disclosure. The buyer was okay with it at first, but was scheduled to have surgery just about the time Leah was due to kid. Too much in too short a time, and second thoughts about the CAE.
So, they're back, and I'm in milk again. Hooray! I might not let Sanuba go again. I had second and third thoughts about it, and though she will never give me any registerable kids, I could breed her to a Boer and have meat goats.
Leah, bless her pea-pickin' little heart, still has an udder that I don't like, but until I find the perfect home for her, she's here to stay, and keeping Violet company. They were SO glad to see each other! Once in their stall together, they immediately butted heads, again, and again, and again! Bam! Bam! BAM! Then they cuddled up together for the night, and they've been hanging out together even more than before Leah left. Goats are so strange. Or maybe, absence makes the heart grow fonder?
Beatrice is CAE+, too, but she's not going anywhere. Too good of a milker, bloodlines too good to let go of, and a wonderful udder. CAE+? Fine, I just pull the kids and feed the pasteurized milk. I started that last year and was surprised to find it wasn't a hassle at all. Feeding was more of a hassle than pasteurization.
I'll continue my CAE protocol: giving CAE nosodes monthly, giving Apis mellifica during labor to deter congestive udder, and making sure they're well mineralized and as stress-free as possible. So far my does are symptom free. I plan on them remaining that way, and if no one else wants them, so be it. As for their kids, they'll be bottle fed heat-treated milk and live in separate quarters until they're weaned or sold.
The CAE crowd is divided into two camps: those who think it's a horrible thing and goats should immediately be culled, maybe even euthanized; and those who wonder what all the fuss is about. I'm convinced that the first camp consists of those who have never had CAE in the herd, and the second is those who have. One vet called it "an economic disease", because no one wants to buy them. He wonders why it's blown so out of proportion. So do I. There are so many serious diseases to be cautious of, to really want to eradicate, like Johnes, Caseous Lymphadenitis (CL), Brucellosis, and Tuberculosis, that can wipe out a herd, or even be passed on to humans. CAE, on the other hand, becomes symptomatic in only 10% of goats that test seropositive, and often very mild symptoms at that. The worst thing it can do to humans is give them immunity to HIV. Hmm. Come to think of it, that's not such a bad thing.
A few days after I sold them, I got a phone call asking if I'd take them back. These two does are CAE positive, but pretty healthy for all that, and I sold them with full disclosure. The buyer was okay with it at first, but was scheduled to have surgery just about the time Leah was due to kid. Too much in too short a time, and second thoughts about the CAE.
So, they're back, and I'm in milk again. Hooray! I might not let Sanuba go again. I had second and third thoughts about it, and though she will never give me any registerable kids, I could breed her to a Boer and have meat goats.
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| Violet and Leah |
Beatrice is CAE+, too, but she's not going anywhere. Too good of a milker, bloodlines too good to let go of, and a wonderful udder. CAE+? Fine, I just pull the kids and feed the pasteurized milk. I started that last year and was surprised to find it wasn't a hassle at all. Feeding was more of a hassle than pasteurization.
I'll continue my CAE protocol: giving CAE nosodes monthly, giving Apis mellifica during labor to deter congestive udder, and making sure they're well mineralized and as stress-free as possible. So far my does are symptom free. I plan on them remaining that way, and if no one else wants them, so be it. As for their kids, they'll be bottle fed heat-treated milk and live in separate quarters until they're weaned or sold.
The CAE crowd is divided into two camps: those who think it's a horrible thing and goats should immediately be culled, maybe even euthanized; and those who wonder what all the fuss is about. I'm convinced that the first camp consists of those who have never had CAE in the herd, and the second is those who have. One vet called it "an economic disease", because no one wants to buy them. He wonders why it's blown so out of proportion. So do I. There are so many serious diseases to be cautious of, to really want to eradicate, like Johnes, Caseous Lymphadenitis (CL), Brucellosis, and Tuberculosis, that can wipe out a herd, or even be passed on to humans. CAE, on the other hand, becomes symptomatic in only 10% of goats that test seropositive, and often very mild symptoms at that. The worst thing it can do to humans is give them immunity to HIV. Hmm. Come to think of it, that's not such a bad thing.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
The pull of heartstrings
I sold Leah and Sanuba today. Leah is a goofy girl, who settles down and becomes mellow after freshening, but she didn't fit into my new breeding program. I'll miss her, but the strong attachment was just never there. But Sanuba--oh, how I'm going to miss Sanuba. She was my first kid. Beatrice fostered her, I watched her grow from the time she was a day old. She's become tall and queenly as she's matured. As I milked her the past couple of days, I asked myself again and again why, oh why, did I agree to sell her? Of course, the answer is that she doesn't fit into my breeding program either. But she does give the best, the absolute best milk: sweet, creamy, wonderful milk.
Time to move on, to pursue my new endeavor. Sables! I have only two does now, Beatrice, a Saanen and Violet, a Sable, both from excellent milking bloodlines. Despite the pull of heartstrings, the letting go of past joys, life is filled with new promise. I'm looking forward to kids in the spring.
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