More Bits and Pieces

Lots of things to talk about... and to explain why there was no post last night.

Our modem has been getting hot, and then stops sending and receiving.  Yes, we still have Hughesnet... and they can't "diagnose" our problem unless we call them at the minute it overheats.  We are unplugging it at night now when we go to bed and during the day, while we are at work.  Anyway, we could not get it to boot back up last night, so I gave up finally and hit the hay.

Here is something that my friend Theresa gave me the other day when we went to lunch.  Theresa is a former co-worker and dear friend, who has been so very kind to me.  I was absolutely floored at this gift, because it showed so much forethought and effort.  It truly is an example of Theresa's thoughtfulness.

Yes, that's a lovely little locket with our Hannah's picture in it!  I can't believe it!

Theresa asked me for a picture of Hannah in early February, but never told me why.  This kindness just amazed me, and I was so happy to wear this locket on "jeans day" at work yesterday.  It makes me feel good to have Hannah near my heart again.

Now, about Pinterest.... I have really been enjoying "pinning" things I found around the web and on other blogs to Pinterest.  However, Saturday night... while blog-hopping... I read a piece on a blog... and no, I stupidly did not make it a favorite, so will have to go find it again...written by the blogger, who was also an attorney.  She had read that there were artists and photographers protesting their work being posted on Pinterest sites.  She did some research, and found that the Pinterest agreement states that Pinterest will be "defended" by the individual posting the content in case of a dispute, in other words... US.  Pinterest did what they did to protect themselves. She likened it to the dispute over content with Napster, and reminded everyone that a twelve-year old girl was even sued.  She was taking her Pinterest boards down... even though she loved it.  I have not pinned a lot, but was really getting into it.  I'm going to take some time this weekend, however, taking down my boards.

It has been in the low 80's these last three days here.

As you can see from this picture, the chickens are loving it!

And WE (Daddy, cover your ears up there in heaven!) have had to turn on the AIR CONDITIONING in MARCH.  Our house was very humid, and we have pugs, who suffer so in the heat.  I have to ask what July will be like.

Saturday is the first of the two bi-annual poultry auctions in Gardner, Kansas.  I am going at 6:30 AM, so I can get there, get parked, and look at all the cages offered (usually over a thousand in the spring) to try to find some hens to bring home.  My plan is to be out of there by noon. I hope to find 6 to 10 nice standard hens, if possible, who can lay for another year or two.  I have been commissioned to find some Bourbon red turkeys for a friend, so will try to do that.  By auction time, the birds have been there for a day and a night (since they are checked in on Friday)... they are all stressed out, especially the gamebirds, and it no longer fascinates me to see them all.  I take along a bucket of feed and some water jugs and go through and try to at least give some of the ducks some water.  Keith will be here at home, ready to open the cages, which are normally made so that they require some force to open.  I would LOVE to find some adult porcelains or millies, but so would everyone else.  The only other thing I really want is a couple of OEG hens for my little Speedy.

Speaking of roosters, I am thinking the big boys in the little henhouse may have to go after all, the Rock and the Welsummer.  They are beating the small hens up, and I'm beginning to think they are going to have to make the ride down to Roxanne's, so she can sell them to her friends.  There is a crossbred in there from last spring (who has still never crowed) who will have to go, too... leaving only Handsome, the partridge cochin. 

We talk occasionally about doing our own butchering, but two years ago Keith became very ill from eating uncooked chicken... and almost died.  It put us off chicken, so we don't eat it very often.  Roxanne's friends regularly butcher their own birds, and we made the decision that we don't want them to come here to get the birds.  They can have a good life at Roxanne's until they are chosen.  I wish we could keep everyone, but we can't, even though I love roosters.

Gratuitous picture of Bessie, who eats in the bathroom where the pugs can't get her.  She lays in the door and barks when she's ready for dinner!

See the destruction the cats did to the doorpost? More about those posts later!

One last word about my little sister.

She is coming home tomorrow, after being in the hospital for 19 days.  She will have palliative care for as long as it takes, but she is at peace and is not in terrible pain right now.  I was able to spend some time with her this afternoon, for which I was very grateful.  We are so different, she and I.  She would cry if she got manure anywhere near when we were kids at our grandmother's, and she has never kept pets the way I have.  She doesn't understand, really, how you can get so attached to a dog or cat.  She laughs when I talk about the chickens and the llamas.  But we are still sisters and love each other, and I would give anything for her not to be so ill.

Weston, Missouri

A few weeks ago while the weather was still very balmy, my friend Theresa and I made a day trip to Weston, Missouri.  This was during the time I did not have a camera, so I bought a plastic Kodak, and had to send the film away to be developed.  I finally have gotten it back.

Weston is a very historic town, full of pre-Civil War homes, and is built on a series of hills and valleys.  It's very busy on Saturdays, as it is full of small boutiques and restaurants.  Theresa and I shopped... well, Theresa shopped... and we had lunch at one of the restaurants located in an old house. 

Weston, a river town, was a hub for tobacco sales.  You don't associate heavy tobacco production with this part of the country, but northwestern Missouri was a huge tobacco-producing area, and the drying barns still dot the countryside up highway 29. 

This is the Weston Burley House, the auction barn, where auctions are still held.  It was the hub for tobacco sales.

You can see the lovely old historical buildings. And the tourists.

This is a B and B, but also an example of the wonderful old architecture abounding in the town. They have a candlelight tour in early December, but there is one thing about Weston that scares me into NOT driving to it at night.  Highway 45 abounds in rutting deer crossing the road constantly... and the road is very, very dark, narrow, and hilly.  Uh-HUH.

A scene from a very upscale home furnishings store which will remain anonymous.  People, do you see what I see?

YES.

Those are two baby black bears, stuffed, and being sold as home accessories.  They weren't the only ones.

Pardon Theresa's grin, but the idea of the brown bear's holding the fall wreath was ludicrous. 

I have to say that other than the stuffed animals, I really liked what this store carried, but I don't think my conscience would let me buy anything here.  It wasn't just bears... it was a lynx, many birds, and some standard deer head mounts.  But the animals... surely they didn't die to festoon someone's den!

Other than this store, there are many fine things to buy here, and many good places to eat.  We had a good day, got worn out in a good way, and were happy we went.  If you have time, look up the history of this wonderful old town, and I think you'll find it interesting.  There WAS a mini-horse in one of the stores, but alas, the Kodak point and shoot plastic camera did NOT get a good picture.  I guess these folks bring their mini in and keep it in a stall in a back "fairy forest" room for kids and adults to pet.  Strange.

I managed to not buy anything except lunch and a serving of some of the best hand-mixed limeade I've ever had in my life.  I would go back again just for that!   I guess I'm at the stage in life there "stuff" doesn't matter as much to me anymore, but it was sure fun window-shopping!