tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16370107774363727282024-02-19T03:02:45.913-08:00The Country ExperienceThe Country Experiencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02273780434096961474noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637010777436372728.post-24182975251700805532009-07-04T18:07:00.000-07:002009-07-04T18:42:34.204-07:00Leak ResolvedThe good news is that the problem has been fixed and it could have been worse. By cutting into the water line at intervals we were able to narrow down the leak to a portion of our water line. Rather than try to find the leak and repair it, we decided to dig and place a new line for that portion. Because of property lines and geographic issues - did you know that Blount County has a lot of rock? - we couldn't do a simple straight line. A lot of trench digging (no, not manually, thank goodness!) and laying just under 300 feet of PVC pipe later, the work was completed and we had water again. Whoohoo!<br /><br />I hope everyone is enjoying their 4th of July festivities. We are taking it easy, lol.The Country Experiencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02273780434096961474noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637010777436372728.post-12165460854903268412009-06-30T17:28:00.000-07:002009-06-30T18:04:30.312-07:00Decisions, DecisionsThere is a lot of work required in food gardening without chemicals. There is a lot of work required trying to get a flock of chickens started and building them a coop. The list of projects seems never-ending so it's with some chagrin that we've now realized that there is yet another project that must go to the head of the list immediately.<br /><br />We have a water leak somewhere. Somewhere underground. Somewhere among a lot of pipe. Underground. We're not even sure of the exact route the pipe takes to get from the road to the house. Did I mention underground? As in digging is required to find it?<br /><br />We have been able to narrow the leak's location down to maybe just over half of the total amount of pipe we have; the leak stops in front of the house, so at least we know it isn't under the house or past the house. So it's between our house and the road; that sounds better until I look out the front door and realize how far it is to the road. Wow. That distance takes on a completely new dimension now.<br /><br />There are a couple of different options in such a situation. One would be to focus on finding and repairing the leak. That could take a lot of digging, especially since we aren't sure of the water line's route through the property. The second option would be to go ahead and dig a new trench and lay a new water line through the property, at least to the house. PVC is relatively cheap and, if there is a problem with the current water line in one place, it is possible that another problem will pop up eventually as it all was laid at the same time. <br /><br />Ah, decisions, decisions.The Country Experiencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02273780434096961474noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637010777436372728.post-46449009502927454032009-06-16T15:49:00.001-07:002009-06-16T16:19:17.958-07:00Fuzzbutt PicturesHere are pictures of the fuzzbutts the day they arrived:<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKhzMJ_NIeJ785xI4Z56ugWo_kVEfYJwWA5bph7qrPAFm9iGz2gcnYD7jxh2xFdrqehqiAtEuRUrtzlsa6rhcmjOXPglw0_GCGdRHFO5dmlSaJFdApS3UT4xOaA5dl9VQpZ3iu_-SfGjw-/s1600-h/100_7236.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348061766830991682" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKhzMJ_NIeJ785xI4Z56ugWo_kVEfYJwWA5bph7qrPAFm9iGz2gcnYD7jxh2xFdrqehqiAtEuRUrtzlsa6rhcmjOXPglw0_GCGdRHFO5dmlSaJFdApS3UT4xOaA5dl9VQpZ3iu_-SfGjw-/s320/100_7236.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />A tired Golden Comet falling asleep in co-worker's hand<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6OGG45lJJ_Sn1jFTVA3M7sKwkjw-YiSAI4xul_OfB7hVQjUxEmEzSeb11-cDb2uR1rh9oU_VW5ZMHuS8t_znNR0jsjMzyhO2_0lclsNcvhKX6l8a0dQ9DSc7mvPX7bvrbCdQVop20kFTB/s1600-h/100_7241.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348063080540216690" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6OGG45lJJ_Sn1jFTVA3M7sKwkjw-YiSAI4xul_OfB7hVQjUxEmEzSeb11-cDb2uR1rh9oU_VW5ZMHuS8t_znNR0jsjMzyhO2_0lclsNcvhKX6l8a0dQ9DSc7mvPX7bvrbCdQVop20kFTB/s320/100_7241.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjghZv1Zp1UL5gcfLoTEGn7qsYSLH-avYQ_pRQJroJT25C-YGuEDh5QWhAylWC_9LGXLLmPjNKHMXo1fDobvOOX4b0U1uUVz2AaGZiWjFTHUm0sM4bnVJnRraFbmhsgiK0yQNc3QDtiQwCb/s1600-h/100_7278.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348064352642286354" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjghZv1Zp1UL5gcfLoTEGn7qsYSLH-avYQ_pRQJroJT25C-YGuEDh5QWhAylWC_9LGXLLmPjNKHMXo1fDobvOOX4b0U1uUVz2AaGZiWjFTHUm0sM4bnVJnRraFbmhsgiK0yQNc3QDtiQwCb/s320/100_7278.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Learning Curve--We did see the difficulty the chicks were having reaching the food so we took the lid off the trough, after we took a picture. :) I couldn't resist. (And yes, the blur at the end of the trough on the right is a small chick who was able to fit through the feeder.)<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGqnJI2XNPzyWetk1pYI1cyWbtKsS6ugnf76uXlRjDzWbq8GjT5Mj-cIGOQpCRcmCsUmLUsj0ruZlsChUyMHv88QXPbrE8kX-8gea2pNcP56whHkMbpOqD62SmSfDdC_rGuQkP6FW7HXkh/s1600-h/100_7296.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348066158911148594" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGqnJI2XNPzyWetk1pYI1cyWbtKsS6ugnf76uXlRjDzWbq8GjT5Mj-cIGOQpCRcmCsUmLUsj0ruZlsChUyMHv88QXPbrE8kX-8gea2pNcP56whHkMbpOqD62SmSfDdC_rGuQkP6FW7HXkh/s320/100_7296.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I wanna see the babies! He is so maternal, he really wanted to love on them. He LOVES babies. Baby dogs, baby cats, baby chicks, doesn't matter. He loves and protects them all.The Country Experiencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02273780434096961474noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637010777436372728.post-24740311155956338852009-06-03T20:00:00.000-07:002009-06-03T20:09:42.231-07:00We Have Fuzzbutts!All is quiet on the TCE front because 1) I had to finish this riveting series I'd been reading and could not make myself put down and 2) we have fuzzbutts!!! We got a delivery of chicks Monday and have been in chick nirvana with the soft down and sometimes soft (sometimes loud) peeping and cheeping. Now they're pretty happy so the cheeping isn't that loud anymore. <br /><br />Their cute little faces and bodies aren't turning out very well in photographs. The majority of the chicks we got are black, and I've noticed our black dog's pictures don't turn out well either. I'll keep working on it, though, maybe I'll get a lucky shot. <br /><br />They hatched Saturday so by the time they reached us they were 2 days old. Now they are 4 days old and they still seem so little--but they are perky and are busy eating, drinking, and sleeping. <br /><br />There isn't quite anything like healthy, happy little chickies to perk up a mood!The Country Experiencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02273780434096961474noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637010777436372728.post-13138566353056278432009-05-24T13:27:00.000-07:002009-05-24T14:52:14.887-07:00Properly Named Wildlife<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHKZkFKIrffpz2CEUDqocn9ThUVBkYTfGdhxd6S0dgScxP26k2vTRZZySODJxUiUT6wmrF4jvJdACC9dZr-8oFL5RkJaWR3IfExd2FPUmvt5ksUdfaa3lUYDdQc5ifr4D4CAQgFib8IB2M/s1600-h/Snapping_Turtle.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339497017756189730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHKZkFKIrffpz2CEUDqocn9ThUVBkYTfGdhxd6S0dgScxP26k2vTRZZySODJxUiUT6wmrF4jvJdACC9dZr-8oFL5RkJaWR3IfExd2FPUmvt5ksUdfaa3lUYDdQc5ifr4D4CAQgFib8IB2M/s320/Snapping_Turtle.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />A few weeks ago I saw a woman who had stopped her car and was using a piece of cardboard box to push a turtle to the side of the road. Now I know a reason why that is a good idea.<br /><br />Today we saw a large turtle in the middle of our side of the road. It was very large. Naively I got out of the car and picked up its hefty self with both hands, holding it at the mid-point of its shell. Turtles are harmless creatures that simply hide in their shell when they feel threatened, right? There is nothing to be afraid of.<br /><br />Ha!<br /><br />Was I ever startled when the turtle in one quick motion launched its long neck and tried to bite me! Fortunately I had only lifted it about 6 inches off the ground at this point so it didn't have far to fall when I dropped it in shock. WTH? Did it just try to bite me with that big beak? The "snap" I heard when its mouth slammed shut brought to mind the phrase "snapping turtle." Oh. It continued to extend its neck an impressive amount while it repeatedly snapped its curved beak at me to make sure that I didn't miss its meaning. It was clearly in a "bite first, ask questions later" mode. This is their standard mode, I have now read. It's a result of being too big to hide in its shell so it is a very defensive creature when it's not in the water.<br /><br />Okay, so I realized I wasn't picking up the big beast and carrying it to the roadside. What to do? We had a fan still in the box in the back of the vehicle so hubby used the box to encourage (nudge) the turtle across the road--in the direction in which it was trying to go, of course, so it wouldn't be trying to cross the road again. It kept snapping at the cardboard and at one point had such a hold on it that it wouldn't let go. It had long claws that it was using to grab on to the gravel in the road, as if that would anchor it to the ground so we couldn't pick it up again. As if that ever crossed our minds!<br /><br />Eventually my husband was able to figure out that if he kept the box a few inches behind the turtle it would stop trying to bite and would start heading away. In turtle speed it was moving quickly. It reached the edge of the road and started crawling down to the creek. Due to the angle of the ground, it ended up rolling down the bank, rolling over and over much of the descent, and landed on its back in the creek. Oh crap. I started looking for a long branch to use to turn it over. But wait--his long neck stretched out and he used his head to push off the ground and flip himself upright. That is a very strong neck because he was not a small turtle! Then he continued along in the creek, happily back in the water he knows best.<br /><br />So Mr. (or Ms.) Snapping Turtle made it safely across the road, I learned that not all turtles retreat into their shells when they feel threatened, and I was glad that I still had all ten fingers attached to my hands. All in all, it was a good morning. <br /><br />(I did not take the above picture, it came from an informational site.)The Country Experiencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02273780434096961474noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637010777436372728.post-90321827061051576062009-05-24T05:03:00.001-07:002009-05-24T05:13:15.078-07:00Here Comes the Rain AgainThe sound of thunder started this Eurythmics song going through my head. It's appropriate. It's slightly vexing because the garden plants seem to be screaming, "Enough!" and showing signs from overwatering, but I wouldn't mind if the rain washed away some of this pollen. We worked outside yesterday and both of us are sniffly. Correction: he's sniffly, I'm miserable. Neti pot, here I come!The Country Experiencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02273780434096961474noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637010777436372728.post-83312998817406342582009-05-18T18:41:00.000-07:002009-05-18T18:51:49.226-07:00Murder Most FowlI'm not a happy camper. Something managed to get into our chicken coop and killed all 9 of our chickens. We had to bury 8 of them; there wasn't anything left of the ninth but feathers. <br /><br />We have seen where we can make improvements to the coop. I'd also put in a very high roost, as the low one was knocked down but the higher one wasn't high enough to keep them safe. <br /><br />All the time and energy and socializing we put into them--gone. It's hard to believe.The Country Experiencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02273780434096961474noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637010777436372728.post-17515281003005560902009-05-17T10:09:00.000-07:002009-05-17T11:13:48.344-07:00Stripped*In a little over a week, this flowering bush went from this:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmudrcgNmAsMyXG-2qF7YLH6O09y0zRgIWAd6B0ouZBDE0IhZrvnOYbyl8m-q2hCDEPpKrRS7EE8ck0AZDEP5Vj8TGAKOZOSiC1zweBlGtnCaQ8Ax3wik1KuQSLlqjX104ch0ly90SIODN/s1600-h/100_6538.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336842486723078434" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmudrcgNmAsMyXG-2qF7YLH6O09y0zRgIWAd6B0ouZBDE0IhZrvnOYbyl8m-q2hCDEPpKrRS7EE8ck0AZDEP5Vj8TGAKOZOSiC1zweBlGtnCaQ8Ax3wik1KuQSLlqjX104ch0ly90SIODN/s320/100_6538.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />to this<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFjPBsWCOfWhAnm8cjguwX3OaSmevOsXplL-iqku73i65_jUR8RLUKZ9THX54JF89kETXN_hp7qbHX-jul5qP6QNk_cqn0tXprg0ZXIsKXxY2Ugh_k_4eTH9FKspQ_BTwaFmxBfY4TpYCl/s1600-h/100_6846_01.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336843051764343842" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFjPBsWCOfWhAnm8cjguwX3OaSmevOsXplL-iqku73i65_jUR8RLUKZ9THX54JF89kETXN_hp7qbHX-jul5qP6QNk_cqn0tXprg0ZXIsKXxY2Ugh_k_4eTH9FKspQ_BTwaFmxBfY4TpYCl/s320/100_6846_01.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />thanks to the caterpillar-like stage of some sort of sawfly. I haven't found an image on the web of the exact one I found on this bush, but I can tell it definitely isn't a true caterpillar (as in a creature that will turn into a butterfly) because it has too many legs. <br /><br />There are many different kinds of sawflies, apparently, and they are quite a pest. There are birch sawflies, rose sawflies, cedar sawflies, pine sawflies, and many more. They can be controlled organically by hand-picking or by using a soap and water mixture. I went for the hand-picking method this morning and picked many of them off this bush, despite the recent rain that probably knocked some to the ground. I also was able to spot many of them on the ground and on the grass, as well as finding them on our grapevine. This afternoon I'll have to go check on some of our other trees and bushes in an effort to stop this pest. <br /><br />I think the bush is a cherokee rose. If you think otherwise, let me know, as it is a tentative ID and I'd like to know for sure what it is. Hopefully it will recover from being completely stripped. The little bit of green in the bush on the picture's lower right-hand side is a volunteer oak. So far they are (were) crawling all over it but haven't been eating it. <br /><br />*The title of the post is a song by Christina Aguilera, in a nod to Annie of Edifice Rex and her post naming method.The Country Experiencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02273780434096961474noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637010777436372728.post-30376423614964026892009-05-12T18:22:00.000-07:002009-05-12T18:56:26.220-07:00MemeCountrypeapie, my answers aren't very interesting but here goes: <br /><br /><strong>What are your current obsessions? </strong> Privet eradication, plotting poison ivy assassination, genealogy, trying to figure out where to plant what, trying to come up with a cheap coop idea for the roosters' bachelor pad.<br /><br /><strong>Which item from your wardrobe do you wear most often?</strong> My favorite pair of p.j.'s. <br /><br /><strong>What's for dinner?</strong> Spaghetti.<br /><br /><strong>What are you listening to?</strong> TV.<br /><br /><strong>If you were a goddess what would you be? </strong>Limitless.<br /><br /><strong>What are you reading right now?</strong> "The Memory Keeper's Daughter" by Kim Edwards. I hate it. The only reason I'm trying so hard to finish it is because I keep waiting for it to be "good" like all the reviews swear it is. I do not agree with them so far.<br /><br /><strong>Who or what makes you laugh?</strong> My husband and pets.<br /><br /><strong>What is your favourite spring thing to do?</strong> Look at the plant growth.<br /><br /><strong>Where are you planning to travel next?</strong> To bed. <br /><br /><strong>What is the best thing you ate or drank lately?</strong> My husband's birthday cake was awesome. <br /><br /><strong>When was the last time you were tipsy?</strong> So long ago I can't even tell you.<br /><br /><strong>What is your favourite ever film?</strong> "A Christmas Story." It's more of a tradition than a favorite, maybe, but that is the closest I can think of.<br /><br /><strong>What song can't you get out of your head?</strong> There are two right now. One is Lily Allen's "Never Gonna Happen." And the other is the highbrow classic, Saturday Night Live's "D**** in a Box" from the Justin Timberlake-Andy Samberg skit. I don't even like Justin Timberlake and the skit wasn't even funny, but the tune was catchy.<br /><br /><strong>What book do you know you should read but refuse to?</strong> I can't think of any.<strong> </strong><br /><br /><strong>What is your favourite colour?</strong> It depends on the thing.The Country Experiencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02273780434096961474noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637010777436372728.post-8558945399547212722009-05-04T19:00:00.000-07:002009-05-04T19:31:28.274-07:00Dinner<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN0FyLBBubiPwBx_h15gt5BuBNSkb1VIbDQ1NbiHFgUFwJ6ujb_u2y2QG22bUEF3ZD2ht-auTfoKt9hn9fR-1GSKCBmOFk2m9VtaXyy5sLxTlStu_AsMUnvHKvUb_O3Vh5ysZZFX9CP2cg/s1600-h/100_6046.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332154313306530946" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN0FyLBBubiPwBx_h15gt5BuBNSkb1VIbDQ1NbiHFgUFwJ6ujb_u2y2QG22bUEF3ZD2ht-auTfoKt9hn9fR-1GSKCBmOFk2m9VtaXyy5sLxTlStu_AsMUnvHKvUb_O3Vh5ysZZFX9CP2cg/s320/100_6046.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>This is Dinner. Here he is about 6 weeks old. Part of his beakiness is fear, I think, as it was worse when I didn't know about approaching him with my hands from the underside. However, no matter what way my hubby approaches him, he doesn't nip, peck or bite him--I guess he isn't all dumb, since hubby is the one who feeds him the most. </div><div> </div><div>I've been carrying him around with me as I walk sometimes, setting him in the crook of my arm. He doesn't seem to hate it and I start to feel all soft and sentimental towards him when he makes his soft "cheep"ing noise. Of course, the next time he doesn't want me to pick him up and he pecks at me that soft, sentimental, warm feeling goes completely out the window and I wonder if he will make it to maturity before I decide to have him for dinner. It is definitely a like-hate relationship. </div><div> </div><div>I remind myself that I don't have to make a pet out of every animal, but I like to be able to handle any animal in my care. What if he is injured and I have to grab him? </div><div> </div><div>It's a guess at this point but, if he were injured, I dare say I wouldn't be grabbing him. </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div>The Country Experiencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02273780434096961474noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637010777436372728.post-57658296819327589212009-05-03T18:19:00.000-07:002009-05-04T18:19:08.605-07:00Invigorating RainWe have had quite a lot of rain in the past few days. Everything is growing quickly. The iris have been blooming and I love them dearly. I've never had an established stand of them before and am enjoying them. The wild blackberry bushes are flowering, enabling me to try to learn to tell the difference between them and poison ivy. Eradicating the poison ivy is one of my projects to begin this year.<br /><br />Today on a walk I saw young dragonflies and saw a very young praying mantis not far from an egg case. I watched blue birds bring nesting materials to one of the boxes that are out for them. I saw and smelled a lot of blooming honeysuckle.<br /><br />One of my older tea roses is still alive, I was thrilled to discover. It has been growing in a 5-gallon bucket for 7 years yet has flourished and its blooms have increased in size each year. When it was slow to come back this spring I was concerned--for no reason, as it turns out. I will plant it in the ground in the next few weeks.<br /><br />We've been growing an apple tree in a garbage can for a few years, knowing we were hoping to move and take it with us. This is the first time it has produced little fruits, although most of them blew off in the recent storms. Still it's good to know that it will fruit and it also will be planted in the ground, although we may hold off on that until it goes dormant again. It's interesting that it fruited despite the limitations of growing in a garbage can.<br /><br />The garden is growing rapidly and loving all the recent rain. In it we have planted cucumbers, sunflowers, purple hull peas, butterbeans, okra, pole beans, tomatoes, peppers, corn, and potatoes. There is more to be planted one of these weekends. The broccoli was a little disappointing in that a couple of the plants went to flower before producing a head but it's been suggested we try another variety next year. It wasn't a complete dud, though. The cauliflower is growing. It's too soon for it to be harvested. Hubby is impatient for it and can't wait to pickle it.<br /><br />That's the latest on our happenings. It doesn't sound like a lot when I write it all down but it sure has kept us busy. We're loving it, though.The Country Experiencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02273780434096961474noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637010777436372728.post-78139968866215615112009-04-21T17:26:00.000-07:002009-04-21T18:06:33.255-07:00Did Someone Say, "Chicken Fingers"?Tonight we went to check on the chickies in their new 'luxe digs. (They were moved to the outdoor coop over the weekend.) I talk to them as I approach to let them know it's me and not a predator. I petted them some, much to their dismay. "Just hand the food over!", they said non-verbally. Not one to be a pushover I continued to pet them. One of the three white chicks decided s/he would show me: s/he bit me! The surprise hurt more than the chick's grip but, as I reassured my husband that it didn't hurt, the little bugger kept on biting me and grabbed on really hard to pinch my finger. Okay, now that hurt!<br /><br />Quickly I grabbed some crumbles in my other hand and the other chicks gathered around. The Biter realized s/he was missing out and ran to join the feasters. My standard routine is to feed them with one hand while petting them with the other in order to get them more used to human contact. Apparently the Biter was still riled up because s/he resumed nipping me! When I held my arm up so it couldn't reach it, it started going for my leg. Okay, now that does it!<br /><br />I searched my mind for the appropriate response to a misbehaving chick and came up with a big goose (pardon the pun) egg. Nada. Grasping for the worst chick punishment I could think of, I told my husband, "Its name is Dinner!"<br /><br />So, pretty white chickie, they name is Dinner, and you had best be hoping that we don't run out of chicken fingers any time soon.The Country Experiencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02273780434096961474noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637010777436372728.post-6201794587765536612009-04-19T12:02:00.000-07:002009-04-19T18:49:59.307-07:00Deluxe AccomodationsWith spring we have been so busy that I haven't been able to keep up with posting about the chicks' growth. This is a post I've been working on and have downloaded the accompanying pictures.<br /><br />April 7th:<br />We expanded the cardboard box accommodations to a second cardboard box by cutting a doorway connecting the two. In this picture hubby is trying to coax the chicks out of the corner with some food.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjilv_dABqysMyx2SmsoI-MSpqSmd_ekrBHCbai8mXOPKzQDhMH9ULEpJ6MAZXzr_YhSZYqLDEZohv41hqB_VbUj1MR6Bl8ULA6fE6GG68SnJ0IlbPu6GoiIRVEUiEGo7aQp2qiR6Y-CSDQ/s1600-h/100_4614.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326476251219177298" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjilv_dABqysMyx2SmsoI-MSpqSmd_ekrBHCbai8mXOPKzQDhMH9ULEpJ6MAZXzr_YhSZYqLDEZohv41hqB_VbUj1MR6Bl8ULA6fE6GG68SnJ0IlbPu6GoiIRVEUiEGo7aQp2qiR6Y-CSDQ/s320/100_4614.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Finally the chicks begin to wander over toward the open doorway. This one looks in but doesn't want to be the first to walk in.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuIN8NeS_qd1o2qY4A7B3qh1XSaKLA4icMpshjywgcMOC9W0i5WV0N9Db6uZOY3puvOMpSZh0IcN1gVZXz9XiVzvvdifHicA3_Aq1MO_I7qIJycliueWPzFibBzukM0MCaWcFH_45aNn5B/s1600-h/100_4617.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326476624848852642" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuIN8NeS_qd1o2qY4A7B3qh1XSaKLA4icMpshjywgcMOC9W0i5WV0N9Db6uZOY3puvOMpSZh0IcN1gVZXz9XiVzvvdifHicA3_Aq1MO_I7qIJycliueWPzFibBzukM0MCaWcFH_45aNn5B/s320/100_4617.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />One of the three suspected leghorns is the first to go into the new room. (Excuse the shredded paper in the water tray. We had dumped shredded paper into the box in an effort to quickly fill it before the chicks went in the open doorway. Little did we know they would have to be coaxed! )<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHM9wuJAPRjdQnxswBvavNU-1LjaJsVoJPGO_vtqMSf41LXU_7ZcWw5eMe0j-OwRrEoOf6uwuqoVzFzpAmBr34qrZlQWd2RvdUMndQ_3NdvgE-74ORf26yNJwlPk3-RCgw72b3EVhAjndl/s1600-h/100_4623.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326476938017477698" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHM9wuJAPRjdQnxswBvavNU-1LjaJsVoJPGO_vtqMSf41LXU_7ZcWw5eMe0j-OwRrEoOf6uwuqoVzFzpAmBr34qrZlQWd2RvdUMndQ_3NdvgE-74ORf26yNJwlPk3-RCgw72b3EVhAjndl/s320/100_4623.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><div><br /></div><div></div><div>The picture below was taken April 10th. The chicks mostly run back into the original box when we come to see them. This one does not. Look at those long feathers at its tail. Is it going to be a rooster? </div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7J40te5Rhi84HfCaXG2ckj55g2E6-iTLs-re1eKKpNgxv73S5N3Wt00ib6cezcn9GJgkRP9Lh487hwJ03p9dgCHoyZWAyc7HjVfPbOaeePnLdjP-1azbddWI3uCxhT7LA4bV3InYlRrJP/s1600-h/100_4636.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326477611110935314" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7J40te5Rhi84HfCaXG2ckj55g2E6-iTLs-re1eKKpNgxv73S5N3Wt00ib6cezcn9GJgkRP9Lh487hwJ03p9dgCHoyZWAyc7HjVfPbOaeePnLdjP-1azbddWI3uCxhT7LA4bV3InYlRrJP/s320/100_4636.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />For size reference, that is a quart jar being used in the waterer. They are growing so quickly. We still have no idea how many of the 9 chicks are hens and how many are cockerels. Anticipation is mounting as we care for them without knowing how many will become our egg layers.<br /></div></div>The Country Experiencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02273780434096961474noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637010777436372728.post-3418323159684505322009-04-14T17:46:00.000-07:002009-04-14T18:15:49.553-07:00The FlushI'll bet you're wondering what this post could be about with a title like that. Actually I was wondering too, since I had saved the title and subject on Sunday as a reminder to myself of what I wanted to write.<br /><br />One of our dogs is a beautiful runner. To watch her run is to see poetry in motion, and the absolute joy on her face when she runs is beautiful to behold. I think I enjoy watching her run as much as she enjoys the activity of running. When she is finished she comes back to me and is so happy, both for the run and for the praise she knows she is going to get for returning to me.<br /><br />So where does the flush come in? This weekend I took her out for a run (remember, she does the running, I merely watch) and she took off. She disappeared into a grove of trees and I admired the beauty of nature while waiting. Suddenly something moved out of the trees and I was stunned. It was a very large white-tailed deer! Molly had flushed out a deer! It happened so quickly I couldn't even get the camera out of my pocket. Molly's white head popped up over the (rather high) grass and she looked at me as if to say, "Do you see that?? What in the heck is that??!! Can you believe that??!"<br /><br />No, I couldn't believe it. I don't know how many hours my husband spent out there "hunting", aka waiting for a deer to cross his path. All he needed the whole time was to take Miss Molly with him and let her run. She'd flush out any deer, lol.The Country Experiencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02273780434096961474noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637010777436372728.post-47134865308035735512009-04-12T09:36:00.000-07:002009-04-12T09:39:31.403-07:00Organ Pipe Mud DauberI've been cleaning out a shed and have taken down a number of old mud dauber nests. They don't cause any harm so normally I'd leave the nests alone but I'm trying to clean out the shed to turn it into a chicken coop. The nests have always been interesting to me because of their shape, and they are even more so now that I have seen what they look like from the back.<br /><br />From the front:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-fkKHWHyKcFuriVDbBisKwQTWmKkbaZkzL8GzYkEhmXRHbf7ptd9CLi1xWYdw2wPlV4TZZWPdIVEOzcowwaHwqbLLJCVIoKj0CrzmnTkgPZiDziGDSuOfz7d-c8RBf1cjCpAbNZO1Qb5e/s1600-h/100_4814+cropped.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323840754542544786" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-fkKHWHyKcFuriVDbBisKwQTWmKkbaZkzL8GzYkEhmXRHbf7ptd9CLi1xWYdw2wPlV4TZZWPdIVEOzcowwaHwqbLLJCVIoKj0CrzmnTkgPZiDziGDSuOfz7d-c8RBf1cjCpAbNZO1Qb5e/s320/100_4814+cropped.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />These are called pipe organ mud daubers because of the shape of their nests. There are other types of mud daubers, I have learned, and their nests do not look like this. (This picture is actually not from the shed because I'd already knocked them down. We have the nests all over the place so I was able to find another one to photograph for this post.)<br /><br />From the back:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisxfZjUxxN_7rCol0DnptLWOmSiH6Y80vmediM9R_RJDF4A9CXhhtCLLc-7iakxSYuhvsXVfrpN5g3tGGxtcZWnG2EMJmmvGTSjl2JM47TZcQn3I8gyi3Jn5bhEyJfoM-CsPRSMyudbcUr/s1600-h/100_4160.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323567280556868882" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisxfZjUxxN_7rCol0DnptLWOmSiH6Y80vmediM9R_RJDF4A9CXhhtCLLc-7iakxSYuhvsXVfrpN5g3tGGxtcZWnG2EMJmmvGTSjl2JM47TZcQn3I8gyi3Jn5bhEyJfoM-CsPRSMyudbcUr/s320/100_4160.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The individual cases look like black capsules.<br /><br />Below is what the capsules look like after they have been released from the nest. Okay, they looked like black capsules once I got over the initial, "Where did the scat come from? It wasn't here a minute ago" reaction, lol. I'm breaking it down and changing the order of the pics for this post. One minute the nests were on the wall, the next they were on the ground and I saw what looked like scat. How had I not noticed that in the shed before now? Then I looked for the source of the scat/capsules and slowly broke open another nest. Understanding dawned.<br /><br />The unbroken one must not have hatched. Pretty neat, huh?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj08_84vYqF7Re_Qrc8MROVm0fa4zTYgArEmnx75JY7SULWASpUybAagxQ2sVzZupQGiD0iW2avIChs6an-k2G8dYCZ8iKOn2lLIZ9agQZkyGj6vI4hp365CWRzxPRj6wLSPU8fgPILEECS/s1600-h/100_4159.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323568411440269330" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj08_84vYqF7Re_Qrc8MROVm0fa4zTYgArEmnx75JY7SULWASpUybAagxQ2sVzZupQGiD0iW2avIChs6an-k2G8dYCZ8iKOn2lLIZ9agQZkyGj6vI4hp365CWRzxPRj6wLSPU8fgPILEECS/s320/100_4159.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />It's fun not having to go to a museum to learn this kind of information. Science 101 in my backyard!The Country Experiencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02273780434096961474noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637010777436372728.post-22454779549629721962009-04-11T20:19:00.001-07:002009-04-11T20:29:34.230-07:00Learning the Hard WayThis is our first spring in the country so we are learning a lot. Sometimes we are learning the hard way. The recent freeze after planting some of the garden is one example. <br /><br />We knew the freeze was coming so I hit the thrift stores and bought sheets in preparation. We covered the plants and anchored the sheets with bricks. We were good to go, right? <br /><br />Not quite.<br /><br />The weight of the sheets appears to have been too much for the young plants. Apparently we needed to put something out to keep the weight of the sheets off the plants. Oops. Next time we will put something out to support the plants. Lesson learned.The Country Experiencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02273780434096961474noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637010777436372728.post-60312100500224560142009-04-10T19:42:00.000-07:002009-04-10T21:03:33.797-07:00Found Another Praying Mantis Egg Case<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEKw-aV_Nl1eCHLX1Gw_jEJjFaqnV6Ns9unK0MEp3wYofxUlv3w-VpffJzA47e4tT6zM0jWk01nJ374IXEjZHPtilfZaasNnPeSPM4vekOlX-lVnlFGMluTUL-Igq1FVG9RdcKawp5OmIh/s1600-h/100_4571.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEKw-aV_Nl1eCHLX1Gw_jEJjFaqnV6Ns9unK0MEp3wYofxUlv3w-VpffJzA47e4tT6zM0jWk01nJ374IXEjZHPtilfZaasNnPeSPM4vekOlX-lVnlFGMluTUL-Igq1FVG9RdcKawp5OmIh/s320/100_4571.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322888664837368610" /></a><br /><br />Whenever I'm walking around now I am usually scanning for more praying mantis egg cases. It is becoming more difficult to find them because the trees have leafed out but I found this one last weekend. In reading about praying mantis on the internet, I have learned some interesting facts. A single egg case can hold anywhere from 50 to 200 nymphs(young). They cannot distinguish between beneficial and harmful insects; they see all of them as prey. They also will eat other praying mantis. They have two compound eyes, and then three smaller single eyes between their antenna. They are certainly interesting creatures.The Country Experiencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02273780434096961474noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637010777436372728.post-74674783278724674072009-04-08T19:39:00.000-07:002009-04-08T19:46:06.231-07:00"Monk" Much?Tonight my husband asked me in a serious tone: "I wonder if the cat has OCD. She licks herself three times every time." <br /><br />My serious reply, "But if she doesn't know how to count, how does she know it's three times?" <br /><br />His next question was, "Is that a requirement?" and then we burst out laughing. <br /><br />Clearly we have watched "Monk" a few too many times.The Country Experiencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02273780434096961474noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637010777436372728.post-21650774134498260172009-04-02T18:37:00.000-07:002009-04-02T19:02:12.351-07:00The Feline Face of Pleading<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRPxFdkMBQa4zDJ0O9V80hn7ijE4dqbOsxx50CZva9U7smZe0G8lvEmqwUgYrj42iRz85O3T-L62sWKK2kMUlqDk9ZQGyCfjoBNfIns8ky2airXLNKTREx-sCgHUYBVGBi1sspnRuA92w8/s1600-h/100_2956.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313980626410472066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRPxFdkMBQa4zDJ0O9V80hn7ijE4dqbOsxx50CZva9U7smZe0G8lvEmqwUgYrj42iRz85O3T-L62sWKK2kMUlqDk9ZQGyCfjoBNfIns8ky2airXLNKTREx-sCgHUYBVGBi1sspnRuA92w8/s320/100_2956.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div></div></div>"Please, please, please let me investigate those peeping, cheeping creatures. I won't eat them all, not in one sitting. I promise!" <br /><br /><br />Yeah, that's what we thought too. :)<br /><br />P.S.--She has crystal blue eyes but they always show up with red eye. One of these days I'll have to learn to photoshop them out or something.The Country Experiencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02273780434096961474noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637010777436372728.post-63196719800536822792009-03-28T16:24:00.001-07:002009-03-28T16:52:07.328-07:00MMM, Good Eatin'<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlrTufD8K02WLLYqxFewrbWz0EED07BN75HOklPMnvbErnEdPjx4szJXlOO6GdtRuCMpeSLiQlpDsr1NERHMyH6Krlf6aVcf3JD9q_bcgT-ycQSM5Oqk80xGHNnqotUIRNE7NMR3DMvBnG/s1600-h/100_3553.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlrTufD8K02WLLYqxFewrbWz0EED07BN75HOklPMnvbErnEdPjx4szJXlOO6GdtRuCMpeSLiQlpDsr1NERHMyH6Krlf6aVcf3JD9q_bcgT-ycQSM5Oqk80xGHNnqotUIRNE7NMR3DMvBnG/s320/100_3553.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318383922472940722" /></a><br /><br />Looks appetizing, doesn't it? There is nothing quite like the taste of armadillo on the half shell, apparently, as far as some animal is concerned. <br /><br />My dogs had so much fun finding this and rolling all over it. It added an extra element of fun to the pasture play for them. The loving creatures that they are, they then wanted to share the joy and rub it on me. Can you say, "Ewwww"?!The Country Experiencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02273780434096961474noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637010777436372728.post-22134057205070687192009-03-26T18:07:00.000-07:002009-03-26T19:19:58.523-07:00Little Chickie PicsPic of some of the chicks at the store Saturday:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia6W-6_LPB20E-YVtLglewFF1ivkZIHc6TBzwBJ77ULAI4m5WQssQxGKduL6v2qDBoRX3Pj3bWb20c8O9z1QRBay-HXXlgxzZFbv1hEcOjdQ9eEy0ZtMeQFMxGPG58CqTzfrvqRSAehru9/s1600-h/100_3175.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317669031220638706" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia6W-6_LPB20E-YVtLglewFF1ivkZIHc6TBzwBJ77ULAI4m5WQssQxGKduL6v2qDBoRX3Pj3bWb20c8O9z1QRBay-HXXlgxzZFbv1hEcOjdQ9eEy0ZtMeQFMxGPG58CqTzfrvqRSAehru9/s320/100_3175.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We picked the minimum, six, then picked two more. We put our chicks in a box and left all the others. (I didn't show all the tubs of chicks, just the part of the one.) There was quite a crowd. We walked by again a few minutes later and saw this:<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu04MeWIDjZq8DvHt0M3M9YAi-q1shXYM5CZ3L9MYSn13v2p0n0vXLNee09Q27wy8FXmYXX30EuJlAB9irgq-SzJ1AAeTs2Bkt8XNtCmb5I5TAFSRFX9a7e2EX4ao2FljQOUgubZn971hl/s1600-h/100_3178.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317669892190677154" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu04MeWIDjZq8DvHt0M3M9YAi-q1shXYM5CZ3L9MYSn13v2p0n0vXLNee09Q27wy8FXmYXX30EuJlAB9irgq-SzJ1AAeTs2Bkt8XNtCmb5I5TAFSRFX9a7e2EX4ao2FljQOUgubZn971hl/s320/100_3178.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />One lonely, scared chick peeping for its peeps. Awwww.....<br /><br />Here are our peeps after we arrived home with them. Yes, we brought home the last lonely chick. You didn't think we could leave it, did you?<br /> <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJUV4tPR9Hq49HHtxg9PPbx4jfBu3Vwy3ahXbdCrCyCgZ1mZX52EQKludn9GJ2USva-55EvFGNIhTrfV-VEt5QVBoTq-Lgwkcc9k2q3JXUv_kANS-QVON1SaKRqMTEUKLf_4035Tb0_rk/s1600-h/100_3195.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317682930487308402" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJUV4tPR9Hq49HHtxg9PPbx4jfBu3Vwy3ahXbdCrCyCgZ1mZX52EQKludn9GJ2USva-55EvFGNIhTrfV-VEt5QVBoTq-Lgwkcc9k2q3JXUv_kANS-QVON1SaKRqMTEUKLf_4035Tb0_rk/s320/100_3195.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The food dish did not stay in the box for long. It was to tide them over until we'd washed the new feeder and water dish. The temporary water dish was removed from the box so I could get a better picture of them. It was a tad crowded in there while we were all trying to get situated. <br /><br />There are nine chicks. Anyone care to guess how many will be female, the gender we want for its eggs?The Country Experiencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02273780434096961474noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637010777436372728.post-31821310721880814712009-03-25T19:10:00.000-07:002009-03-26T16:04:02.071-07:00He Said It, Not MeI have not shared this story because mainly I prefer to live in denial. The very idea of snakes makes me shudder, so relaying that my husband and dog have seen more than one snake....Well, I believe my eyes might have rolled back in my head and caused my husband to wonder if we had any smelling salts. That or I might have set a new world record for "haulin' a##." <br /><br />We had only just moved in last year when my husband went for a walk to take in the beauty of our surroundings. He took one of our dogs with him. Man and dog walked along in silence. <br /><br />Rustling leaves intruded on my husband's thoughts. He looked around and saw it--no, saw THEM. There was not one, no, there were TWO snakes writhing on the ground intertwined. Husband stopped walking suddenly, the snakes turned their heads and looked at him, the snakes quickly scooted off, man and dog turned as one and walked away in the opposite direction. <br /><br />Your first question probably is the same as mine was: what kind of snakes were they? Fortunately they were only (a term I don't normally use with snakes of any kind other than the small green garden snakes) black racers. It was mating season, according to websites. ::shudder:: That means that they probably reproduced. Ugh. Yes, I know black racers are not dangerous. It's something I understand on a cerebral level. Instinctively, though, there isn't anything I like about snakes except a great amount of distance away from me.<br /><br />Hubby has been noticing mice at the barn recently. This is not acceptable, especially because our root cellar is there. His statement was that the snakes need to come out of hibernation and take care of the problem. Personally I would not call out the snakes for such a trifle when mouse traps could work, but he likes to live dangerously. He said it. Not me. I simply couldn't wish for snakes to come visit. <br /><br />Hoping to keep the snakes away, I have been out at the barn setting out plenty of mouse traps left over from earlier mouse adventure. I would much rather we have to throw away the dead mouse bodies than have snakes slithering around in our midst. ::shudder::The Country Experiencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02273780434096961474noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637010777436372728.post-86217477291124212932009-03-22T19:41:00.000-07:002009-03-22T18:49:42.000-07:00Warning: Viewer Discretion is Advised<div>This could get ugly. I may be in need of an intervention. It is that bad. It's shameful. I wasn't sure about revealing it here for people to read about, but I have a probem and I am adult enough to admit that.</div><br /><div>It is barely officially spring yet I start drooling just thinking about little potted plants that might be for sale at the local stores, the little packets of joy (seed) that they might have. I won't even tell you how I look through mail-order catalogs or the websites with desire in my heart. They'll sell me whatever I need, but even in my frenzied state I can tell that my wish list is far too long to be reasonable. This could be a problem. No, it is a problem and I know it. Help!</div> <br />Which in true plant addict parlance means, "Hand me the shovel, quick, so I can get these planted before my husband gets home and sees them!"The Country Experiencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02273780434096961474noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637010777436372728.post-18384000344493964282009-03-21T16:26:00.001-07:002009-03-21T16:53:24.773-07:00The Couple that Plays TogetherMy husband and I have been through life's trials together for a number of years now and know each other pretty well. There aren't too many surprises left between us any more. There is a comfort in that although maybe some people would label it as possibly boring.<br /><br />Today he was telling me about some guys at work. One co-worker is constantly looking for sex, to put it bluntly, he is a veritable chick hound. Another co-worker suggested church to him for something else but all this man had to say was, "Hey, you're right! I'll bet I could get plenty of women there!"<br /><br />I believe I did surprise hubby this afternoon when I suggested after that story, "Let's go pick up some chicks!" He had just finished telling me about the co-worker and I don't think he knew what to think when I suggested that. Was I suggesting that we go cruising for women??<br /><br />What he didn't know was that I had checked my e-mail while he was talking and learned from Rurality that Tractor Supply was selling chicks. We've been talking about wanting chickens to lay eggs. When I told him about the store selling them it was a race to see how quickly we could make it to the door.<br /><br />Because after all, the couple that plays together, stays together. :)<br /><a href="http://rurality.blogspot.com/"></a>The Country Experiencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02273780434096961474noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637010777436372728.post-20016822097264576252009-03-20T17:06:00.000-07:002009-03-21T06:06:45.693-07:00Marketing Didn't Think This ThroughWe have satellite tv. Apparently there is a free-Encore channel weekend going on to promote the premium Encore channels. I don't know that there was any kind of advertising done on it, which I would think would be counterproductive, but there could have been and I didn't see it. From my perspective all I saw was that, when scrolling through the viewing possibilities for our Friday night viewing pleasure, the Encore channels could be selected. Immediately I was excited at the idea of something new to watch and started looking through the programming for this weekend.<br /><br />I shouldn't have been so quick to be excited about it. One of the things Marketing forgot to consider was the scheduling for this weekend. It sucks. I mean, come on. Soul Man? Maybe it was cute back in the day with the cute guy in it, but that day was over 20 years ago. Big Trouble in Little China with Kurt Russell and Sylvester Stallone? It was amusing--also over 20 years ago. Hm, I guess there is a reason it's called "Encore."The Country Experiencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02273780434096961474noreply@blogger.com1