MONDAY= HANGING LOOSE DAY....WE MADE IT THRU THE WEEKEND..-- OVERHANGING DEAD TREES GOT LOWERED ( NOT REMOVED) BY AN EXPERT ROPE TYER/ FLIPPER---WHIFFLE BAR IS ON IT'S 5 WOBBLY FEET AGAIN.... CHICKENS PERFORMED PROMPTLY PICKING THE SHATUPON WINNERS ..DEBBIE ( AND OTHERS) DROVE TEH TRACTOR AND PLAYED WITH THE SAND PILE WITHOUT HITTING ANYTHING... A VERY NICE FAMILY FROM ANDOVER SHOWED UP,NEEDING A DANE FIX HAVING LOST THEIR DANE 2 WEEKS AGO... AND MINDY LOVED THE MOTHER- SO SHE HAS GONE FOR AN OVERNIGHT TO SEE IF SHE COULD BE ANOTHER STASHED FEMALE WITHIN THE 10 MILE RADIUS...
TAKING THOSE ACCOMPLISHMENTS ONE AT A TIME...
I WAS FASCINATED WITH THE TREE GUY'S ROPE HANDLING-- ALONG WITH GETTING ROPES HIGH INTREES TO BEGIN WITH... AND CUTTING OFF A BIG LIMB WHICH WAS TIED TO A ROPE UPA DN OVER A GISMO... SO THE 500 POUND LIMB DID NOT MAKE THE 200 POUND GUY AT THE OTHER END OF THE ROPE GO UP AS IT CAME DOWN--- WAS INTERESTING... AS WAS TEH AMAZING COLLECTION OF THINGS ATTACHED TO HIS BELT AS HE CLIMBED-- BUT MOST OF ALL..... WITH ONE HAND OCCUPIED WITH HEEPING HIM IN THE TREE, HE COULD FLIP A ROPE AROUND A TREE LIMB AND HAV E IT COME AROUND AND UP TO BE GRABBED BY HIS ONE AVAILABLE HAND... WAS AMAZING... JUST ONE OF THOSE SKILLS ONE NEVER SEES AS CRITICAL , UNTIL YOU CAN'T... IF HE COUD NOT DO THAT I AM NOT SURE HE COULD EVEN ATTEMPT BEING A TREE CUTTER DOWNER...
****SORT OF LIKE THE PARKINSON PATIENT WHO WANTS/ NEEDS TO GO TO THE SUPERMARKET TO BUY THE FOOD FOR THANKSGIVING DINNER, BUT CAN'T STEP UP THE CURB OUT OF THE PARKING LOT.
DETAILS DETAILS...
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AAAHHHHH --- THE WHIFFLE BAR-- THE ROOF HAS BEEN SITTTING ON THE GROUND FOR MONTHS JUST WAITING FOR SOME BRAVE SOULS TO RIGHT IT AGAIN ON IT'S WOBBLY LEGS-- AND WITH A GREAT DEAL OF EFFORE AND MULTIPLE HANDS ( I.E. 2 PER 6 PEOPLE) GOT IT UP AND SOME TRIANGLES THAT WILL HELP... I FER THAT UNTIL WE GET IT ANCHORED DOWN , IT MIGHT STILL HAVE THE ABILITY TO SAIL OFF INTO THE NEIGHBORS YARD IN A STIFF BREEZE-- I CAN HERE HIM NOW.... INSTEAD OF COMPLAING ABOUT THE DOGS, HE COULD CALL THE BUILDING INSPECTOR-- WITH A " YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT THAT CRAZY OUTFIT HAS DONE NOW..". E DO HAVE A STORM COMING TODAY.. AND WE DO HAVE A SMALL COLLECTION OF CONCREETE BLOCKS.. SO MAYBE......
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OUR CHICKENS ARE REALLY MOST PROFESSIONAL AT THE PROMPT SELECTION OF SHATUPON WINNERS... SLIGHT PROBLEM WITH THE FLYING PURPLE EGG GETTING LODGED BEFORE FALLIN G ONTO THE BOARD... IT WAS EASILY DISLODGED BY THE SECOND EGG- AND EVERYONE WAS VERY PLEASED... GO AHEAD AND LAUGH... AS WE TAKE OUR $20,000 / MONEHT TO THE BANK SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO DONATE DOGS...IT HAS TOBE THE WORLDS MOST RIDICULOUS PROJECT.. BUT IF IT WORKS...... DON'T FIX IT.
.... HOWEVER..... BETWEEN BREAKING TOO SOON AND NOT BREAKING AT ALL, WE MUST BE MORE SCIENTIFIC ABOUT THE BOILING OF THE EGG IN PURPLE DYE.. FOR 1 MINUTE 45 SECONDS..
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THAT TRACTOR HAS TO BE ONE OF THE EASIEST THINGS TO USE -- ONE LEVER ,MOVES TEH BUCHET UP... AND DOWN MOVE IT BACK AND FORTH AND IT SCOOPS OR DUMPS--- TO DRIVE, PUSH THE LEVER WITH YOUR TOE AND IT CRAWLS FORWARD... SAME LEVER WITH YOUR HEEL AND IT CRAWLS BACKWARD.. THE ONLY PROBLEM CAN BE IS... IF YOU ASK IT TO BACK UP AND A CAR IS IN THE WAY, IT WILL BACK UP ANYWAY...PUSHING THAT CAR AS IF IT WAS NOT EVEN THERE. FOR A SMALL MACHINE IT HAS INCREDIBLE POWER... AND HYDRAULICS ARE WONDERFUL, BUT UNFORGIVING... MADE POSSIBLE BECAUSE YOU CAN NOT COMPRESS FLUIDS- DEBBIE AND FAMILY EACH TOOK TURNS TURNING OVER THE SAND PILE... - THAT WAS PRACTICE... NOW IF I AM LUCKY , I CAN GET THEM TO DO SOMETHING USEFUL TODAY..... LIKE TURN OVER THE MANURE PILE AND ADD LIME AT THE SAME TIME... THESE YOUNG MALE PEOPLE JUST LOVE TO DRIVE THINGS...
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THERE WAS MORE TO THE POSSIBLE MINDY RELOCATION THAN MEETS THE EYE... MINDY DID SEEM TO GRAVITAT TO THE FAMILY...AND THEN I FOUND OUT THE FAMILY "BUSINESS" WAS IN TEH DELIVERY OF FOOD ITEMS TO SUPERMARKETS-- AND HAVING THE ABILITY TO PRODUCE... WITH NO PROBLEM 50 POUNDS OF CARROTS. AS I CONSIDERED THAT....THE POSIBILITIES WERE ENDLESS-- BETWEEN MINDY'S REACTION TO THEM AND THE 50 POUNDS OF CARROTS, I DECIDED IT WAS GOLDIE IN ACTION AGAIN, AND SUGGESTED AN OVERNIGHT. I AWAIT THE REPORT..... WHO KNOWS... MAYBE HE CAN GET US A CARTON OF BLACK RASSBERRY YOGURT BARS...AND MINDY WOULD BE HAPPIER...
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TODAY'S MAJOR JOBS--
** MONITOR THE HEAVY RAIN W/R/T THE 4" DRAIN PIPE WE PUT IN THE DONKEY VIEWING AREA
**PUT TOGETHER ONE PIECE OF THE ROOF- AND CHECK IT FOR PATERN-- I HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO GET THESE ROOF ANGLES EXACT-- A CARPENTER SHOWED ME ONCE-- BUT HE WENT TOO FAST AND I HAVE NEVER GOT IT RIGHT. IT DOES NOT SOUND VERY HARD.... WHERE THE 2 ROOF RAFTERS MEET THE ANGLE HAS TO E 90 DEGREES TO THE GROUND ( LEVEL) WHICH MEANS WHERE IT SITS ON THE WALLS, YOU NEED THAT SAME ANGLE AND ONE AT RIGHT ANGLE TO IT... IT IS ALL HIGH SCHOOL GEOMETRY--
PLUS AN ACCURACY LONG MISSING IN MY "ALMOST-- CLOSE ENOUGH " MENTALITY. IN NEW ENGLAND .. WE ARE TALKING "SNOW LOAD" AND THIS "ALMOST" CAN GET INTO TROUBLE WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT "SUPPORT"
**WHILE THAT IS GOING ON... WE NEED TO MOVE ALL THE LUMBER TO THE AREA OF THE "SHED THAT IS BEING REBUILT" BECAUSE IT ID TIGHT IN THAT DRIVEWYA AND I COULD NOT GET IT DELIVERED THERE... MANY TRACTOR TRIPS COMPLICATED BY THE FACT THAT THE PARKING PIT HAS 2 TREES 9 FEET APART JUST TO KEEP YOU AHONEST........ A CAR/TRACTOR CAN EASILY GET THRU, BUT NOT WHILE CARRYING 12 LUMBER AND STUFF. NEXT BIG QUESTON... THE BLUE PICKUP-- I KNOW DOES NOT HAVE AN 8' BED... BUT IF IT HAS A 6' BED... CAN WE BALANCE THE 12 ' LUMBER WITH THE JUDICIOUS USE OF A FEW CONCRETE BLOCKS.?
THAT WHOLE THING OUGHT TO GIVE THESE YOUNG "EAGER TO DRIVE ANYTHING " MALES SOMETHING TO DO... AND TO FIGURE OUT.... IT WILL REQUIRE DEVELOPING A TEAM EFFORT...
I HAVE DECIDED A LOT OF THINGS... ONE OF THEM BEING ONE REASON WE HAVE SUCH SUCCESSFUL BUNCH OF TEENS IS THAT I GIVE THEM JOBS AND DON'T TELL THEM WHAT TO DO... JUST GET IT DONE... FORCING THEM TO THINK.. THE KIDS WHO HAVE BEEN HERE FOR A WHILE ARE SUPER ! YOU MAY THINK IT A FANTASTIC WAY TO TEACH KIDS.. WHAN ACTUALLY IT IS MY ABILITY TO FORGET WHAT I WAS DONG ANYWAY,,
BUT IF IT WORKS ... DON;T FIX IT... AND OUR TEENS ARE TERRIFIC... AND I HAVE A PERFECT EXCUSE FOR BEING LAZY...
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TODAY ASHER AND I RETURNED TO THE SERVICE DOG PROJECT FOR THE DAY TO UNWIND FROM OUR BUSY WEEK AND JOIN IN THE FUN FOR OUR FIRST IN-PERSON SHATTING SUNDAY! IT WAS SO NICE TO BE BACK AT THE FARM TO SEE OUR FRIENDS AND TO MEET SOME PEOPLE I MISSED DURING TRAINING. ALWAYS FUN TO BE CAUGHT ON THE EXPLORE.ORG CAMERAS, TOO! ASHER WAS SO HAPPY AND EXCITED ALL DAY TO SAY HI TO HIS DOG AND HUMAN FRIENDS - HE GOT TO ROAM AROUND ON HIS OWN FOR MOST OF THE DAY AND GO FOR A GOOD RUN WITH RUBY, BUT HE WAS ALWAYS HAPPY TO RUN BACK TO ME AT MY EVERY CALL! WE'VE HAD SUCH A WONDERFUL MONTH TOGETHER AND I WAS THRILLED TO REALLY SEE HOW WE'VE BONDED FOLLOWING OUR INITIAL TRAINING AT THE FARM. ASHER KNOWS WHO HIS PERSON IS, EVEN ON HIS HOME TURF! IT WAS SUCH A WONDERFUL DAY SPENT AWAY FROM WORK AND SCHOOL AT A PLACE WE BOTH LOVE. WE CAN'T WAIT TO BE BACK AT CRAZY ACRES AGAIN SOON!