Coyote Radio

We have a very important piece of hi-tech equipment outside, on our front porch. It is one weapon in our arsenal of equipment (along with a night vision scope and 1 million power spot light) used to spy on and alert us to attack. It is the all powerful, baby monitor!

Because we are raising tasty snacks like goats, chickens and Guinea hens, we are constantly watchful for foxes, owls, hawks, stray dogs, weasels, fisher cats, bears!, racoons, 'possums and last but NOT least, Mr. Coyote.

For those who have not heard the "call" of the Eastern Coyote, I can only describe it as blood curdling. It isn't at all like that of the Western Coyote..more like a combination of screaming cat being eaten by a laughing hyena. They are bigger too..like a small German Shepherd. And they are very vocal..screeching loudly at 2:00 in the morning..."here we come to eat something, ha ha ha...catch us if you can."

Usually a quick dash onto the porch with the spotlight aimed at them is enough to scatter them off for a few hours...they are too smart to double back and will just wait until another time. But then back to bed I go and lie awake, waiting to hear the monitor broadcast another screech or scream.

All of this has led me to the murky world of late night AM radio. To calm my nerves and get back to sleep I eavesdrop in on the likes of Coast to Coast AM or Michael Savage (although he is as bad as the coyotes for my nerves), WBZ out of Boston, or WLS Chicago. Last night, coincidentally, I learned that a coyote!!! was rescued from the icy waters of Lake Michigan. Coincidence or conspirancy?

On late night radio I learn about alien invasion and abductions, all sorts of information on ghostly occurances, out of body experiences, mind travel, government AND anti-government plots, everything I ever wanted to know trivia wise, how to survive a nuclear attack (I already learned how to do this in 2nd grade..does that date me?), and of course minute by minute updates on the end of the world 12/21/12! I get the latest news?? on politics, religion, right wing, left wing doings and find out where I can buy prepackaged survival food and gear. whew. And, if that does not interest me,there are enough religious broadcasts that if , so inclined, I could get saved, damned, or doomed.

What I like is the idea that there are sooooo many people awake, listening and participating in this whole midnight culture. I feel like I am eavesdropping on some other world inhabited by a lot of people that look and act perfectly normal by day but let it all go after dark. I'm glad they are there to calm my jangled nerves after my encounter with the real predators in life.

I think I'll tune into my Coyote Radio again tonight.

Bullies

I've been thinking about bullies a lot lately...maybe because it is in the news so much.

The interesting thing is that you are never really free of bullies. No matter how old (or young) you are there is always some insecure, narcissistic individual lurking out there who needs to feed his or her own failures by degrading someone else. They are destructive time wasters..a co-worker, boss even siblings.

There are even bullies in the animal world. I watch the goats and chickens settle their disputes and there is always one individual that lives to push the less aggressive around - or even kill them in extreme cases. Of course, as their caretakers, we intervene to make sure the bullied animal gets protection, or even get rid of the bully altogether.

When I was 7 years old, I was bullied ruthlessly by an older kid. Got to the point where I refused to go to school. My mother turned into a tiger and went on a serious mission on my behalf. The bullying stopped and my relationship with and admiration for my mom went to a new level. But the process taught me a lot. I was never bullied again and I never will be.

Sometimes it does no good to stand up to a bully...especially if they have alliances or are bigger or can actually do you physical harm, but there are lots of ways to creatively deflate them. And, of course, sooner or later they will run into a bully themselves.

Bullies are always more scared than you are. But they are scared of different stuff, like authority figures, rejection, failure and loss of control. They really do need to be in control of people, situations and emotions. They walk a fragile line of fear...like a trapped animal. More to be pitied than feared.

The old adage of standing up to a bully does work...just be sure he isn't holding a weapon when you make your stand. But for kids, getting an authority figure involved, school, police officer, parent, really does work.

Bullies prey on the lone animal..the kid or individual that doesn't have a support group or supportive siblings. Children should be encouraged to join church groups, scouts, 4H, or other social network groups that make them feel less vulnerable to bullying. Kids aren't often quick to tell their parents..but they may tell their friends.

If you have a child or friend that is being bullied you really do need to rally to their defense and be determined about it. Don't trust others to do the job...see it through yourself. Don't be afraid to wade into the situation and get help from any authority figure you need, teacher, police, parent, whatever to conquer the bully. Don't yield and don't back down until the job is done and the bully has moved on and your child, friend, parent is safe and happy and their self-esteem is back on track.

In my life I have had to cope with several bullies and find that now I look forward to the challenge of deflating them. Learn to be a Bully Buster!

How to Trap a Monkey

I am a collector of useful, yet useless knowledge. It has been a great benefit to me and made for great party chit chat. It also drives my husband nuts. And yet, some of it is downright helpful. For instance, knowing how to trap a monkey.

Monkeys are smart, inquisitive and totally self-serving...or just plain greedy..whatever. Sound like someone you might know? Coincidence. We all have those people in our lives.

Back to the trap...so you get some food treat that the monkey is crazy for. Then you get a log, or board and place a hole in it that is big enough for the monkey to put his paw through, but smaller than the food item. Place the food behind the board, beyond the hole so that Mr. Monkey can see it. Monkey reaches through the hole, grasps the food in his fist and tries to pull it through the hole..but alas the hand and food are now too large to fit through the hole.

The monkey, because he IS a monkey, but also incredibly greedy will scream and yell and throw a fit, tug at the board....but not let go. Greed. He is unable to do the one thing that will set him free, drop the food. Trapped.

You, of course, see where I am going with this. Greed'll get ya in the end. Always has, always will. Whenever I have to cope with a greedy individual, or animal (I apologize to the animals) I think of the monkey trap and let them trip over their own greed. The goats are totally greedy...but for them it is reality based in the need to survive. As a prey animal the best fed, healthiest is the one that will survive. So there is no altruism in the goat world. Chickens I have found to be a bit more considerate. Roosters put a great deal of effort into watching over the hens and hens over the chicks.

So what do you do if you have a greedy person in your life? Not much, except avoid them like the plague. Greed is a choice, not a disease and to my mind, anyone who has chosen to be greedy will also be jealous, devious and mean. It takes a lot of everything and everyone to feed greed. You can't talk someone out of being greedy; you can't shame them; you can't reason with them. They create havoc and sadness wherever they go. Pretty awful.

Charles Dickens tried like the dickens (sorry, I couldn't resist) to bring greed to light in "The Christmas Carol" and Scrooge was cured...gosh I wish it were so in real life. Take heart. If you are bedeviled by someone who's greed overruns common sense or decency, be assured that out there in the world , waiting somewhere for them is a monkey trap. You can be sure it will get them.

Trust

Our summer has been really rough, dry, dry and glaring heat. We lost a lot of pasture, trees and bushes to the drought. It finally rained a little and things have greened somewhat, but I have had to take the goats on our walks, farther and farther from the house.

This requires a great deal of trust on their part. Because the farther we go from their home the more vulnerable they are to danger and the more they have to rely on me to keep them safe. Some dangers ARE really bad, like predators, and some, (as with humans too) are things only goats can envision in their imagination. Now I have seen them deal calmly with howling wind and crashing thunder & lightning then practically have a heart attack over a blowing leaf. Horses will do this too. I'm sure it has something to do with being a prey animal and instinctive reflexes that kick the flee response into overdrive.

Which makes it all the more remarkable that they trust me to lead them out of their pen and off into the wild twice a day. I appreciate it and am flattered. This was no easy trust to win. When they came to me as babies, they had not had a lot of human interaction. They were whisked away from mama, stabbed with hypodermic needles and stashed in the back of my car and then put into a pasture where nothing was recognizable. They huddled together and glared at me...and ran from me...and screamed bloody murder when I tried to pick them up- no joke if you haven't heard a kid goat cry out in fright or pain, you haven't heard anything. It is heart wrenching - They ran as if I was a goat eating tiger.

Those smart little goats made me work for their trust. It didn't come easy...and even now 3 1/2 years later, Bessie is a hold out..who frequently gives me the evil eye and snorts at me. It has taken it's toll on me. I have had to give up a lot for them..sleep, time, money. I have been knocked down, tripped, had to dig through 4 ft of snow, made emergency vet trips, learned to give shots, spend hours and hours giving comfort and aid...only to be snorted at and glared at and rejected.

And then one day, Fritz, my big black wether, walked up to me and rubbed his head on my leg and nibbled on my shirt sleeve and I melted. And we started taking our walks, me and 7 very interesting goats.

Every day I learn something from the animals on our farm..patience, perserverence,courage, but their trust is a gift...AND an obligation because now I have to live up to that trust. Everything in the animal world mirrors ours. We have predators after us too and problems and dangerous situations and people in our lives. We should all demand that the people we bring into our lives earn our trust and renew it daily. Just I have to do every morning and evening when I go to the goat pen and say, "Come on goats, let's go walkies!"

Prairie Madness

This morning Ed & I got up at 5:30. Not so unusual on a farm. But not something I LIKE to do.

Anyway, today was summer shearing for the goats and it needs to be done while it's still cool outside.

Did I mention that we have been dealing with temperatures in the high 90's (two days of over 102) and no rain for about 2 months now? It's not the end of the world and it's not as bad as the 4 feet of snow last winter, but it makes everything a challenge. Sure, there will be no second cutting of hay..uh...actually there is no grass. And sure, the ponds have dried up and the trees are starting to drop leaves early...but it could always be worse. Think Sahara.




Living on a farm makes you a philosopher, like it or not. You have no choice but to accept whatever is thrown at you and deal with it. Nobody but you cares if you are having a crappy day or a crappy life. No sympathy from the goats, that's for sure. Chickens could care less whether your sweating your butt off. So you are left to draw on your own resources. Doesn't mean you can't rant and rave...just that there is no one to listen or care.

I often think of the early settlers that went out to homestead in The Dakotas and Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska. Tough people. The women frequently went nuts from the ordeal. They called it Prairie Madness. I can believe it. I have driven across Kansas and it was an ordeal in a comfortable car.

Anyway, we got up and out early to shear the goats. They were up too, but just. Yawning and stretching and looking at me as if to say "whaaaa"? (they don't have a big vocabulary). But then we all got to work...us doing our job, catching goats, checking eyes & ears, trimming little cloven hooves, feeling for lumps, cuts, ticks, shearing, scissor trimming,dusting for parasites, giving worm meds, hugs and pets...and them doing their job, jumping, snorting, pretending to hate the attention and snapping up the pretzel treats being handed out. And then I saw the sun coming up behind the trees and it was beautiful and we all stopped to look. Two humans and seven goats all took a moment to breathe. And it was very very nice.

Now it is 98 degrees...the goats are all resting very quietly in the shade...I am resting quietly in the air conditioned house, all of us fending off Prairie Madness.

Why Did You Move Here? A Rant From WV

OK...so here's the question heard in every rural community in America, "If you think we're such hillbillies and living here is such a pain, why did you move here"?

A nasty rumor reached me yesterday...now the first thing I must say is that rumors abound in the country. While they are seldom entirely correct, there is always a kernal of truth lurking.

So this nasty rumor was that a neighbor, a "city feller" recently moved here, has joined ranks with some land grabbing developers and vowed to work to get rid of all the hillbillies here once and for all. I would have dismissed this rumor as it goes around periodically, but I know this neighbor well and wouldn't put it past 'im.

I wasn't born here. I was transplanted as a tween by my parents over 50 years ago and things were rough and ready here then. Our nextdoor neighbor was cooking moonshine, there was no indoor plumbing in our house, a tweaky coal furnace, woodstove in the kitchen and questionable electricity here and there. No phone, no TV.

What we had was amazing neighbors and some of the kindest most generous, funloving,smartest people I have ever known in my life. They are my neighbors, my family, my friends and I love them dearly. They didn't care that I was a city kid. They took pity on me and laughed at me and loved me. They played jokes on me, molded me, taught me about the land and animals and farming and canning and gardening and how to laugh. They enriched my life beyond words.

Now some people take to this lifestyle and some don't. My brother, never quite made the connection. Maybe he's just not the sort of person that can let go of himself. Or maybe he just takes after my dad...more of a spectator and commentator than participant. But my mom and I dove in with whole hearts and planted our gardens, canned beans, tomatoes, made jam...the whole nine yards.

So here's the paradox...all these hardworking people, the "hillbillies" and their ancestors, made this area and land what it is. They created the whole atmosphere that the city transplants and intellectual snobs seek to make themselves whole. So the elite move here and then begin to whine and complain about the very things and people that made the place attractive to them in the first place. My neighbor wants to get rid of the hillbillies and get more people like himself here so that he can grow to dislike them and go off in search of more hillbillies to look down on and displace.

My theory is that all the overeducated, self righteous, wine snob types move here because they need someone to be better than so they won't dislike themselves so much.
Or maybe whining just comes with the territory and lifestyle of these folks. I feel so sorry for them. They are missing the core of life.

My education in anthropology tells me that this pattern is eternal. I envision the cavemen, yog and og sneering at each other's lifestyle. It is, after all, human nature, to disagree. Every two year old, in every society, thinks they are the cat's meow and few get over it.

I firmly believe in positive thinking. Although I do enjoy a good rant now and then.I often wonder why people choose to make themselves unhappy, when it is so easy not to? Why choose to live where you are not happy? Anger, is the wind that blows out the candle of the mind. Envy eats the soul. No one lives forever. Why waste the precious minutes of life fighting with people or trying to change people or get even? Why not die knowing you did the best you could and tried like hell not to harm anyone along the way? My mom died with a smile on her face. I know why.

Winter Over?

Yep...well, it's been an awful winter. Very tough on people and animals alike. As you can see, Fritz..our biggest Wether, at almost 120 lbs, is dwarfed by the snow banks.

We lost trees, fences and business because of two tough months of snow...finally, just today, washing away under torrential rain. YIPES.

The B&B business has taken a huge hit from the economy, as has most of the travel and tourism industry. It has affected us as well, but fortunately we planned for slow times and are still running the Inn and using downtime to our advantage. Besides, the animals don't care about the economy and demand just as much from us as they always have. So here is the animal update:

The goats got through winter in pretty good shape. Berta caught pneumonia in December, but a course of antibiotics, nutridrench, probiotics and B12...plus a LOT of TLC got her safely through. We battled a minor outbreak of foot scald, and some leg mange (Berta, AGAIN), but all in all the gang seems to be in good shape. Next comes the joy of shearing...ooooh nooooo. They all have long long shaggy coats ready to be shorn.

The chickens and Guinea hens did well also. We lost one Guinea to an owl. Despite the fact that we had to confine them all to their coops for 4 weeks, snowed in, they came through like troopers and are rewarding us with dozens and dozens of eggs.

The cows had a rougher time as they are pastured on an upslope and caught the worst of the snowy weather. We brought them into the barn several times, but they are not used to being confined and protested by trying to destroy the barn..ha ha. Several of the cows have gone off to market and the herd will be considerably smaller this year. Again...the economy has taken it's toll on them as well.



So THIS is what I have been doing with my time...working on Kat'z Kritterz ragdolls!
They have helped pass the time and are actually selling! So I have added them to my inventory of studio "output" and will be taking them along with me to shows this year. And yes, I have been painting, but it has been difficult with all the distractions and snow shovelling to get in any quality studio time. I do have a couple of paintings going to the Millwood VA show and have some great ideas for more work this summer.

Any Uncle Wiggly fans out there? Well, If Mr. Fungus (and you know who you are) doesn't spread and cause the little spring plants to hide under the leaves, I'll be back soon with another update!