Eva’s Friends

[Evadig]

Wow, what a busy week you had!

Glad to hear Delores recovered so quickly, and speaking of quickly, it didn't take long for massive destruction in the dog kennel, did it?

My blind rescue dog is a "collector," who likes to pick up items and carry them into the library. Yesterday, as I was walking past the doorway, I noticed a pair of brand-new shoes were neatly lined up in front of one of the bookshelves. Fortunately, he rarely chews his "treasures," and they were fine.

I know the teaching position wasn't your ideal job, so if you don't get it, it leaves you free to look for another one. If you do get it, you might find that you like it more than you thought you would. Even at my worst jobs -- and I've had several -- I've learned something useful.

Coyotes are the main reason I rarely get a full night's sleep. They are all around in the fields, where they sing loudly enough to wake up the collector dog. He barks and wakes up the other dog, who sleeps upstairs with me, and I wake up and usually run outside to scare off the predators.

I've been looking after a family of stray cats, and on July 1, I ignored the barking. That morning, I got up to find only two of the six kittens. I was heartbroken. The next morning, two of the missing kittens showed up, and three or four days later, a fifth. Little Binx never came back, and now I NEVER ignore middle-of-the-night barking.

As always, I loved your photos -- both Winston Churchill's determined expression and Patience's pose made me chuckle.

I’m sorry about Little Binx.
It’s good your dogs wake you up!

That’s funny about the lined up shoes! My mom has lost at least five pairs of slippers now - parts of them are scattered all over the floor.

 

[Callender Girl]

Okay, I think the lack of sleep is affecting my memory more than I thought. I had clearly ALREADY told you about coyotes and missing kittens.

I'm sorry your mom's slippers keep getting destroyed. I have to remind myself to put my shoes (as well as visitors') and slippers on top of a bench as soon as I take them off so George doesn't grab them.

Eartha Kitt-en (they were born on Earth Day), Raina, Skeeter and Romy went off to their new homes. I had planned to bring the remaining kitten indoors (who has to be renamed because I guessed wrong on her gender). But after the others left, she and her mom were inseparable. So, I have to trust that Calypso will keep her safe. I will still be leaping out of bed whenever I hear middle-of-the-night barking, I guess.

 

[Evadig]

Not much has happened since Sunday. It's sure a lot quieter without the geese!

I applied for a 911 dispatch trainee position. Haven't heard from them either. It is so frustrating because I'm 23 and have never held a job before in my life, so even though I have a bachelor's (in three weeks), I still am practically at McDonald's level of work. I'm not qualified for anything above that because I don't have any experience...and I'm not really willing to waste the next three years gaining some for a job I probably don't even want (teaching comes to mind).

I filled out the application for the Air Force but held off submitting it at the last second. The Air Force is not my first choice, but the Coast Guard is racked with scandal right now...don't really want to get myself into that mess. The AF isn't a whole lot better, but...there are benefits (not the ones they try to sell you on).

I am thinking about going back to school (tech college) to get my EMT certificate. But I would have to pay for it out of pocket. I simply do not know what to do. I suppose a chicken forum is not the place to rant about my personal difficulties. But it is nice to rant anonymously to someone. There is no one else.

There really isn't anything to say about the birds, either. Everyone has been behaving and coexisting in the very large pen I made out of multi-purpose netting. I love that netting; it is fairly strong yet cheap. It also gets caught on everything (then I don't love it quite as much).

I guess I'll end here. It's late. I thought I was done with Communications class, but then the professor revealed that there was a final exam. Well, I'll be finished tomorrow then!

Honor

Dolores helping herself to the feed

Mother deer and baby

Random Picture: Looking down on Chattanooga from Lookout Mountain

 

[Callender Girl]

Being able to rant anonymously can be really beneficial. And, you didn't ask for any advice, but sometimes I just can't help offering it.

Before I retired, I held several jobs where I hired employees. Often, at the newspaper, I hired people who had just graduated from college and had no related work experience. So, here goes my unsolicited advice.

Among the most important traits I was looking for in an employee was a sense of responsibility (would this person show up on time and be there every day -- barring illness or injury?) and a willingness to accept direction and, when needed, constructive criticism (journalism school graduates often believe they've learned everything they need to know; in the real world, NONE of us have).

Take whatever experience you've had -- regardless of it not being a paid position -- and show how that experience would translate into being a responsible and eager employee. In my mind, volunteer "work" is still work. For example, did you teach Sunday school? Employers can't ask about your religious affiliation or lack thereof, but you can voluntarily explain how you were able to organize lesson plans and successfully interact with the kids in class. Offer up anything you might have learned when, presumably, you did some student teaching while you were in college. Show them the ways you can and are willing to do the job they have available.

While McDonald's is far from what you want to do, there are things you can learn at entry-level jobs that will give you skills employers value later on. And, NO, I'm not saying you should work at McDonald's.

Unlike many people -- and I will admit I wasn't as driven as many folks to find my "perfect" job -- I worked at a whole lot of jobs that I didn't find inspiring but that paid the bills, sometimes, just barely, and as many as one full-time and two part-time jobs at once. Eventually, I was a newspaper managing editor, but it was far from a straight line to the top.

Okay, I'm off my soapbox now. I just wanted to offer a bit of, hopefully, helpful advice. Feel free to read and ignore it! I won't be offended at all. Actually, I won't even know, will I?

Mostly, I just want to say, don't be discouraged. From all I know about you, you are a talented and interesting person -- and some employer is going to discover and appreciate that!

 

[Evadig]

Being able to rant anonymously can be really beneficial. And, you didn't ask for any advice, but sometimes I just can't help offering it.

Before I retired, I held several jobs where I hired employees. Often, at the newspaper, I hired people who had just graduated from college and had no related work experience. So, here goes my unsolicited advice.

Among the most important traits I was looking for in an employee was a sense of responsibility (would this person show up on time and be there every day -- barring illness or injury?) and a willingness to accept direction and, when needed, constructive criticism (journalism school graduates often believe they've learned everything they need to know; in the real world, NONE of us have).

Take whatever experience you've had -- regardless of it not being a paid position -- and show how that experience would translate into being a responsible and eager employee. In my mind, volunteer "work" is still work. For example, did you teach Sunday school? Employers can't ask about your religious affiliation or lack thereof, but you can voluntarily explain how you were able to organize lesson plans and successfully interact with the kids in class. Offer up anything you might have learned when, presumably, you did some student teaching while you were in college. Show them the ways you can and are willing to do the job they have available.

While McDonald's is far from what you want to do, there are things you can learn at entry-level jobs that will give you skills employers value later on. And, NO, I'm not saying you should work at McDonald's.

Unlike many people -- and I will admit I wasn't as driven as many folks to find my "perfect" job -- I worked at a whole lot of jobs that I didn't find inspiring but that paid the bills, sometimes, just barely, and as many as one full-time and two part-time jobs at once. Eventually, I was a newspaper managing editor, but it was far from a straight line to the top.

Okay, I'm off my soapbox now. I just wanted to offer a bit of, hopefully, helpful advice. Feel free to read and ignore it! I won't be offended at all. Actually, I won't even know, will I?

Mostly, I just want to say, don't be discouraged. From all I know about you, you are a talented and interesting person -- and some employer is going to discover and appreciate that!

Thank you for reading through my rant, and I don’t mind the advice!
I did read through it, twice, and will keep it in mind next time I apply to some place !

 

[N F C]

Excellent advice/tips from @Callender Girl! I just want to add, don't get discouraged...just keep trying and putting yourself out there. You have a lot to offer and it just takes one person to recognize that.

 

[Evadig]

Excellent advice/tips from @Callender Girl! I just want to add, don't get discouraged...just keep trying and putting yourself out there. You have a lot to offer and it just takes one person to recognize that.

Thank you!

 

[Evadig]

Guess who crowed perfectly Friday morning?

I did not need another rooster...and Liberty might very well be a cockerel too. Honor is funny though. He's all proud of himself now that he can crow like his father (Stan) and frequently wanders around by himself. But then one of the big girls pecks him and he runs back to Jenny. You can almost hear him crying "Mommy! That big ole meanie pecked me!" And Jen's just like, "Oh, get over it." She doesn't shoo them away but she doesn't encourage them to stay near her anymore. They still sleep cuddled next to her at night.

Henry Bumpkins has been overzealous with the girls. They're loosing neck feathers. He doesn't get to free range (in the large pen) with them anymore.

Did I tell you I rehomed the geese?

So far I haven't got any jobs...I am looking at the Air National Guard.

It was hot today!

My father just saw a large snapper in the pond...after everyone told me that there weren't any and there's no reason the ducks can't go in the pond. Well, this is why!

Liberty

Philip Howard

Claire

Eva and Annabee

Charity

Random Picture: USS New Jersey docked at Camden Yards, NJ

 

[N F C]

Oops, sorry about Honor (and maybe Liberty too). It was funny reading about what a baby he still is though.

Yikes on the snapper in the pond, those things are scary.

 

[Evadig]

This Wednesday there isn't much to report.

Philip Howard is a girl. "He" quacked, loudly and consistently. I guess that's good because now Henry will have five girls on which to bestow his attentions. Winnie and Hilda are getting beat up pretty bad, so Henry went to jail. But now I don't know what to rename Philip Howard...any ideas?

The jury is still out on Liberty's gender. (S)he tried to squawk out the "egg song" but it sounded like someone was having hiccups. (S)he also has sort of long feathers coming in. He is probably just a late developing cockerel!

I guess I'll finish off the rest of the Florida story...I don't remember where I left off but I forgot to mention that when we went on this trip we brought our two parakeets and a big green frog named Monsignor Croak, along with about twenty live crickets that were the frog's dinner.

Anyway, so we left St Augustine and after navigating a lot of bad traffic eventually got down to Orlando because my sister really wanted to go to Sea World. We got in for free because my father got some sort of special pass. I don't think Sea World was that great. We petted manta rays and dolphins, and watched an orca show. And ate dinner at the cafe there. The waitress somehow found out it was my birthday and they gave me a very large piece of chocolate cake for free. It was delicious!

The next day we drove through Jacksonville on our way to Pensacola. This was one of the best parts of the trip (to me) because Pensacola is home to the Blue Angels (Navy Precision Flight Demonstration Team), and I had grown up watching them at air shows. At this point I also wanted to join the Navy so I was really excited. There is a Naval Aviation Museum that I thought was very well laid out, but I can't remember much anymore. The Blue Angels themselves were not there. The beach there was beautiful, and while the waves weren't quite as big (it being the Gulf of Mexico rather than the ocean) there also weren't quite as many people.

Then we all went home and lived happily ever after. The end . I mean, I don't know how else to end it! Oh, and there was still one cricket left in the frog container. We let him go because, well, if he survived the trip to Florida, he didn't deserve to become common fodder for the magnificent appetite of Monsignor Croak.

Closeup of Winston Churchill (he does have the worst temper but sure lets me take clear photos!)

Waiting to go for a walk

After the orca show at Sea World

Random Picture: Macaw at New Orleans Zoo