JULY 17 2016

-- I AM UP WORKING AT MY DESK USUALLY  BY 4AM -- I TIP TOE GETTING MY COFFEE SO AS NOT TO WAKE ANYONE.. HOWEVER.... MY BASIC NEIGHBORHOOD PROBLEMS START WITH SOMEONE WHO HAS A SPRING ON THEIR  SCREEN DOOR..- COULD BE SOMEONE -- OFTEN-- HAS TO CATCH AN EARLY FLIGHT FROM LOGAN AND AT VERY NEARLY 4:15 PUTS THEIR THINGS IN THE CAR ( DOOR SLAM,  CAR DOOR THUMP)THEN  THEY GO BACK IN BECAUSE THEY FORGOT TO KISS THIER SPOUSE GOODBYE  ( THUMP, SLAM...SLAM THUMP) THEN THEY RUN BACK TO LEAVE THEIR POCKET KNIFE HOME BECAUSE OF SECURITY ( THUMP, SLAM ... SLAM.,THUMP) AND OFF THEY GO TO LOGAN. LEAVING BEHIND A VERY LAZY BUNCH OF GREAT DANES WHO CAN SLEEP THRU ALOT, BUT DOOR NOISES ARE ANOTHER THING... SO THEY MAKE COMMENTS BY BARKING...  BEFORE GOING BACK TO SLEEP...UNTIL....   THE VOLUNTEERS AND STAFF BEGIN TO ARRIVE SHORTLY AFTER 6AM- BECAUSE  ANOTHER NEIGHBOR  WAS SO ADAMANT THAT I NOT DRIVE UP AND DOWN MY SECOND DRIVEWAY (#45)  WHEN I HAD USED MY OTHER DRIVEWAY(#37)  PERFECTLY WELL FOR 30 YEARS., ... SO,  I CARVED A THIRD PARKING AREA AND TO ACCESS IT FROM #37 AT GREAT EXPENSE ($6700) FORMED A RAMP TO IT.  SEVERAL OF OUR VOLUNTEERS HAVE DANES.. AND BRING THEM TO WORK.. SO AT 7:00 THE  DANES HERE ARE READY  TO HAVE THIER SIBLINGS ARRVE AND SHARE A FUN BREAKFAST. SO---- I AM SURROUNDED BY DOOR BANGING, TERRITORIAL, INSOMNIACS   WHO MOVED IN AFTER  I WAS WELL ESTABLISHED WITH 150 ANIMALS ON PROPERTY.  IF THEY HAVE A COMPLAINT  THEY SHOULD TAKE IT UP WITH THE REALTOR WHO SOLD THEM THE PROPERTY NEXT TO ME WITH NO WARNING.  I HAVE SIGNS UP ABOUT FARMING. AND I HAVE PAID TAXES ON THE WHOLE PLACE  FOR 30 YEARS... BOTH DRIVEWAYS ARE CLEARLY MINE LEGALLY. YOU CAN'T  MOVE TO NEW YORK CITY AND COMPLAIN ABOUT THE  TAXI NOISE. *** I HAVE BEEN UP FOR  HOURS AND AM READY FOR LUNCH AT 7AM... FOR LOTS OF REASONS - FROM A MOTHER WHO GOT UP AT DAWN.... TO FARMING WHERE YOU HAVE WORK TO DO TO  GET DONE BY 6  PM...I HAVE NEVER SLEPT TIL 7AM. NOR HAVE MY CHILDREN... IT RUNS IN THE FAMILY. I REMEMBER.....   BEFORE SERVICE DOG PROJECT....HAVING THE GUEST HOUSE  WAS AN INVITATION TO A COLLECTION OF NEWLY GRADUATED COLLEGE KIDS TO LIVE THERE UNTIL THEY "FOUND THIER CALLING"- I HAD RULES THEN AS I DO NOW... SINCE  I AM UP AT 7AM- EVERYBODY  IN THE GUEST HOUSE IS  UP AT 7AM- AND IF YOU WERE HUNG OVER, YOU WERE STILL ON YOUR FEET - LEANING ON A TREE, BUT YOU WERE  UP.  ******* SINCE THE DEVELOPEMENT , I HAVE MADE  ALL SORTS OF ACCOMODATIONS...  THEY REALLY MIGHT HAVE HAD A PROBLEM IF I HAD NOT BEEN FORCED TO  CHANGE FROM MY PEACOCK PHASE..  BEFORE THE  15 ACRES  NEXT DOOR WAS CLEARCUT,  I HAD  ?MAYBE 30 DONKEYS AND...PEACOCKS--  I KEPT THE PEAHENS IN  A SLIGHTLY SMALLER SHAPE AVIARY THAN THE GIRAFFE TENT-- AND THE MALES STAYED AROUND-- OFTEN IN FULL FLIGHT LIKE A DRUNKEN 747, THEY WERE BEAUTIFUL WITH THEIR  FULL TAILS.... THEY WERE LOUD...SOUNDING LIKE A WOMAN SCREAMING  "HELP"  FROM 80 FEET UP IN SOME TREE... MANY TIMES .. NIGHT AND DAY... *** FYI  -----IF YOU NEED TO CATCH A PEACOCK AND YOU GRAB TEH AREA AT THE TOP OF THAT TAIL, THE WHOLE THING DROPS OFF AND A SILLY LOOKING LITTLE CHICKEN LIKE THING FLYS AWAY. YOU WILL HAVE NOT ONLY THOSE BEAUTIFUL 4' LONG FEATHERS  BUT 4 BUSHELS OF   TINY DOWN FEATHERS THAT GET STUCK IN YOU NOSE. ANOTHER  FYI..... THEY LOOSE THOSE LONG FEATHERS EVRY AUGUST  BUT IF YOU TRY AND SELL THEM THE PEOPLE  WHO WORRY ABOUT ANIMALS  WILL SWOOP DOWN ON YOU AND CALL YOU ALL KINDS OF BAD NAMES WHEN ALL YOU DID WAS TO  PICK THEM UP OUR OF MUD PUDDLES AND TAKE THEM IN THE SHOWER WITH YOU..  STEM UP  AND A LITTLE SHAMPOO, THEY WERE PERFECT AGAIN.. HOWEVER.... ***** NATURE STUDIES?? ..  WHEN POCKETS WAS BRAND NEW.. WE HAD RATS..  WE SAW THEM ON CAMERA AT NIGHT..  THEN THE  BABY OWLS STARTED LIVING UP BY THE GUEST HOUSE.. AND WE NO LONGER HAD RATS ON CAMERA.. ? DO OWLS HUNTING CAUSE DOGS TO BARK? ---PROBABLY... NOW THE OWLS HAVE FLOWN  AWAY, WE ARE BACK TO HAVING RATS-- NOT AS MANY.. BUT SOME... ? CONNECTED? HOPEFULLY NATURE WILL BALANCE THAT .. IF  TOO MANY RATS DEVELOPE, MAYBE TEH OWLS WILL FIND IT GOOD HUNTING GROUND-- WHICH COULD CAUSE BARKING TOO. GUINNEA HENS-- DROPPED OFF IN WILLODALE- STARTED LIVING WITH US--  I CAN NOT BELIEVE THEY EAT THAT MANY TICKS,   BUT WE HAVE NOT PULLED MANY SO FAR THIS YEAR (AND IT IS JULY) SO I MIGH CONCLUDE THAT GUINNEA  FOWL HAS AN AFFECT ON THE BUG POPULATION... **** JERI AND STEVE ARE HERE-- CAMPED OUT SOMEWHERE-- ALONG WITH A FEW OTHERS...WITH THE HELP OF THE BARKER DOG BEDS , WE MANAGE...  THOSE ARE STILL THE MOST COMFORTABEL FOAM ON WHICH OT SLEEP.