Jest Another Day in Pear-A-Dice - Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm in Alberta

[CanuckBock]

So what did Lacy give Emmy for her big B-Day??

Revenge...typical conduct of the female gender...revenge is even sweeter if fed cold...hee hee.

Recall this pouncing Ninja from February?


REVENGE IS MINE!​

Well defiant to the very end...Emmy sticks her tongue out even tho she is about to be POUNCED upon....​

And for any thinking this in any way stopped the girls from playing nicely...har har...

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All's fair in love and relationships...​

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Nice play er not...

They are a pair...yah gotta love that about them...

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Yeh, IN the two toy boxes...​

One's in for a penny...

Stolen tennies are by far the sweetest of prizes!

Two's in for the pounding...


Quote:
Originally Posted by drumstick diva

Those must be very young hoo doos, judging by their size. Do they throw down some limestone and the rain makes them flourish ?

I would figure we have both makers in play in Calgary...the frost and the water.

Lots of cattle dog stuff at zazzle.com they have a Canadian site but, prices are high and discounts are much lower than USA. I know ,my sister accidentally got me a gift certificate for Canada and I couldn't use it in USA- plus I had to order a certain amount and all kinds of red tape. Really got a raw deal. How she ended up with the Canadian site - I have no idea.

We often end up on a US site...and when our dollar was stronger, it was a better deal...whee hee.

Never heard of zazzle and yeh, there are hundreds of pages...I suspect you can name any canine breed and get the logo put on innumerous items...hee hee.

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada

 

[Amberjem]

 

[drumstick diva]

you can also customize almost every item and it is at no extra charge. They will use your photos, text etc. They are way too expensive but, every day or so something is offered at 50% off. Between Thanksgiving and Xmas you can find 60-65-70 and even 75 % off - that's when I really pounce and get stuff for the rest of the year. I usually check through the 9 million pages (not possible, they cut you off at a certain point, so that you can't check too many) decide what I want and wait for the big sales. The way to get around that is put something specific in search box like "cattle dog address labels (I have a blue and a red set)

In US at least, you can try their free shp. 30.days. If you like it's 9.95 a year which is great since their shp. charges are HIGH. Thing is they seem to forget to tell you, your 30 days are up and automatically sign you up for the year at price. I didn't care because I buy very frequently. Right now I just got 2 Cocker (Used to breed & show them) mouse pads, that were 50% off.

I could just see "Rat Ranch" etc. on t-shirts, etc. Or a photo of NINJA Cattle dogs.

I love your photos especially the obvious resolution of conflict. They pounce and bite and next photo they are happily laying next to each other with their toy. Kinda like human sisters, although my sibling and I never bit each other.

 

[CanuckBock]

Yeh...tis coffee time and 'puter too...

you can also customize almost every item and it is at no extra charge. They will use your photos, text etc. They are way too expensive but, every day or so something is offered at 50% off. Between Thanksgiving and Xmas you can find 60-65-70 and even 75 % off - that's when I really pounce and get stuff for the rest of the year. I usually check through the 9 million pages (not possible, they cut you off at a certain point, so that you can't check too many) decide what I want and wait for the big sales. The way to get around that is put something specific in search box like "cattle dog address labels (I have a blue and a red set)

In US at least, you can try their free shp. 30.days. If you like it's 9.95 a year which is great since their shp. charges are HIGH. Thing is they seem to forget to tell you, your 30 days are up and automatically sign you up for the year at price. I didn't care because I buy very frequently. Right now I just got 2 Cocker (Used to breed & show them) mouse pads, that were 50% off.

I could just see "Rat Ranch" etc. on t-shirts, etc. Or a photo of NINJA Cattle dogs.

I love your photos especially the obvious resolution of conflict. They pounce and bite and next photo they are happily laying next to each other with their toy. Kinda like human sisters, although my sibling and I never bit each other.

Not so sure I could choose one click...too many...sigh!

Well at least these siblings, if'n they BITE are utd on RABIES, eh!

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Ah yes, the Prairies...where there are the tumbling, tumble weeds...indeed!

Rollin', rollin', romp! (er is that tromp?)​

Them Boobird family, it so looks like they will be staying and using one of the nests...hurrah!

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I think I dun posted this quick and simple fill yer guts recipe but jest in case...here it may be repeated for your dining pleasures...

Spaghetti (the cheater kind) and beef steak...I was craving protein and carbs and we got it! ​

Put a pot on with water to boil, add a small dash of oil to inhibit the spaghetti from sticking, bring to boil and add spaghetti...then while that goes along...yer multitasking, eh.

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Slice and dice an onion and center of a celery...

Meanwhile brown some burger in your fry pan, if really fatty, you drain some of that ick off...otherwise, add the onion and celery...

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Then when she's cooked up nice...plop in two cans of cream of mush soup, some milk which you simmer on down (reduce to the consistency you figure the sauce needs to be) and that be your cheater spaghetti sauce part completed.

You drain yer spaghetti...haul the parmesan outta the fridge for sprinklings.

Do yer steaks to yer likings...add a sweet tea and voila...

Num! My eyes were bigger than my stomach so had some leftovers to add the next day

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Dinner done quick and simple and one of those in yer guts, comfort suppers--so necessary this time of year. Food glorious FOODS!


My craving for calories is from the work being done...well OK, work being that it is me playing but still labours...more of

than toils...

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Many trips...fill this cart, dump and rake it out, waddle back maybe with a load of ornaments from storage in the greenhouse, put them out, waddle over to run I am doing, and fork and shovel cart fulla again. Repeat, repeat and repeat...till your mind goes to mush, yer legs and arms feel like foreign attachments and yeh...Rick comments that my pants have dog hair to strategically compliment that any hope or chance of having a runway model's bod has long ago flocked off like the birds... So I did flip him the bird, after setting the full cart down, to readjust my outfit and glare at him that I simply dunna care in the confines of my own plot of land that I am NOT dressed for success past hauling manure... Case in point, deliver and till in contents to make good dirt...good enough already. Nobody ever said we had to be pretty to look at too. Plants are gonna be pretty, get ready for looking at them...

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Dogs in tow but even they get tired and bored of the repeat, repeat, repeat...

So a game of bob for the floatable water Kong (nfi) is in order... makes me roar with laughter at the different styles the girls use.

Emmy dives head first in with success​

In order not to get too bored...break up the monotony, a good bob for the toy makes me laugh! Now that's conserving your energy for positive feedback!

Lacy's got the hang of it, you paddle it with your paw​

Oft times I like to have a genetic's problem to think about when pitching poo. Gets your mind off your woMANly work and helps you forget yer old and maybe should be hanging up the pitchfork fur good. But not yet...not dead yet...

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Maybe it is the back and forth that wears you down, maybe that you are digging a hole in one place and filling another some place else...hee hee hee... A job with purpose...

I do know the dogs think I am right quite daft. So waz new, eh?

There will be twelve loads of turkey bedding...three loads of chicken and oat straw mix...gonna top with more used oat straw bedding
Till her up good and maybe be in a good way for a few years​

On Wednesday I hauled this water tank to place it where it will contain warmed water for the new bean plot. Raised up and resting on some round bale pallets...should be able to gravity feed and water. Kinda

Rick says he has to get me a decent tap, we were given this tank, as is where is and needs a little TLC and be good as new.

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I figure it is located in a good spot...not just to get warmed water for watering but also for hose length versus distance.

Not too far from the corn and tater patch where we already run hose to feed soaker hoses...should be good!

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When we moved here, I planted three peonies...in what was my veg garden...well I guess over the many years, the plants have grown up tall and buried these flowers...so time to rescue them--poor things, pretty pathetic looking.

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So gonna need to dig these out and put them some place. That being the issue.

Had a bad discovery yesterday...frustrating beyond belief. I weed when I can, noted the old raspberry plot needed a going over and well, yeh. Last year on the schedule of duties done...I did a revamp of this bed and took all the canes out and refluffed and added to the established dirt. So I begin to pull grasses and dandies and well, I begin to see carnage...raspberries that are dead, pulled out, root and cane and all...what the??? Yeh...**** stray useless C@T... now I don't like felines on a good day, that fact is certain. Catz kill for the sheer pleasure of killing and while that be rodents like mice...it also means squirrels, and song birds and...yeh...even seen them kill bats (why...because a bat is worth a million cats...for the bugs they consume) that were accessible because they chose a bad spot to roost in the day and the feline just harvested them...grrr.... Not a cat person.

Rick suggested I put a black cloth behind to shelter this site more, upping the heat value which raspberries like
Now to put chook wire on this panel structure and up the barrier factor even more
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There is a cat that was dumped off here and it has taken up resident much to my concerns. It craps IN my raspberry patch (costs us a small fortune to deworm the dogs regular because the cat crap harbours major nasties for the doggettes). Add in that we have not had lots of snow this year, not much rain and drier conditions and in the meantime I am going about doing my spring cleanup and getting ready for the growing season to find my old raspberry patch is half missing... So out come the big guns (like I need yet another job, eh)...got some old chicken wire stashed away (useless at even keeping chickens in but it is there in stock to be used if needed) so hauling that out (found where I stashed all my tomato cages and hauled them out too...now to bring them to the greenhouse for using) and gonna need to cat proof the old raspberry patch...dang it all. Make it an UN toilet place...sheesh...you shoulda heard Rick groan..."REALLY,,,get out?"

Also need to think of the newest raspberry patch, and think how to keep cats outta that new one too. I gotta work extra diligent to keep cats out of my planter areas and we don't even like or OWN a cat....

Aug 7 2014​

I guess we get to laugh on this because this incident of realization means I get to "kill two cats with one stone." Birds will get into the raspberries, so need to bird proof it and well, cat proofing does bird proof it too...sigh...yeh whatever, eh. Truly funny cause we always did get a good raspberry harvest from the old patch, so not sure the birds here even eat this kinda fruit.

I was OK last year with knowing the harvest would be limited with the disturbance I did in the bed revamp but now another set back from a cat...yeh--two years now we'll not be getting delicious raspberries to snack upon. Oh well, I guess in the scope of things, not over the top terrible, a minor irritation that will get fixed because I gotta step up and roster a bit more work...

Should be glad I guess for the more traditional spring Alberta weather...again -4C last night...so no temptations to put my chitted taters out and planted. Too cold, so I guess celebrate I do have time, a window to continue working the new tater patch, clearing out bird runs (spring time cleanings) and relishing I can till that all in and not have potatoes over the top ready to go in the ground.

June first is not yet upon us so on it goes.

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada

 

[perchie.girl]

why not trap the cat and send it to the pound...

stupid people

deb

 

[CanuckBock]

why not trap the cat and send it to the pound...

stupid people

deb

We run with a perpetually loaded c@t trap...live trap baited with a perfectly nice cat food tin in it. I know where it goes because we've watched it in the early evening making its rounds on video camera...

Kitties from this town drop off, think there were five in this "let's move them to the country--sure they will jest LOVE living in the country" as we caught three (Rick took them one by one...BACK to where they came from--BTW the drop off at the pound which is 100K away = kill shelter and well, not sure why WE are the ones that have to do that since it was not our problem that created the kitties in the first place--pound IS certain death and it don't matter you weren't the one that created them...you pay $ to drop them off. The one poor thing was not able to adapt and died from malnutrition (dang I hate stoopid people too Deb!). It was so starved I walked right up to it and picked it up. Was late, on my last rounds for the evening, so I put it in a crate with cat food and water. When I went to see if we were going to a vet the next morning, it died in my arms when I took it out...lovely seeing what neglect and shirking your responsibilities equals.

My parents kept cats so I grew up around them--I am not about to even begin to think I like their natural instincts but I do have a heart, just not my fav creature and ponder why we who openly say we don't like their natural habits, that we are left making the life or death decisions for them--sorta like not keeping a dog and having them poop on your lawn...no bonus of dog ownership, just the "clean up aisle nine" duties. I don't like killing things any better than the useless tits that allowed them to happen. Responsibility to spay & neuter begins with the people that acquire the catz. Dumping is not proper birth control measures...but hey, that might make logical sense and well, we know the ball got dropped to begin from the get go.

So this last of the kitties that is left of that drop off...is live trap smart and obviously has adapted very well to residing here much to my annoyances.

I don't have any good answers to deal with a live trap savvy cat...so gotta step up and now I guess I get to cat proof our place...guess if we ever DID get a cat, we're ready already?

 

[Teila]

Tara, as you know, while I do not say much, I read your posts and thoroughly enjoy them.

I am a cat lover and have two. Reading about people dropping off unwanted cats “in the country” makes me so angry and my fingers start dancing on the keyboard.

We quite often get woken during the night by cat fights in our yard from neighbours’ cats and free range for the gals [bantams] is always supervised because of the risk of cat attack.

We have two indoor cats who have an outdoor run; they are neutered, vaccinated, microchipped, lead trained, do not wander, do not annoy the neighbours etc. This is not only for the wildlife’s protection but also their own. They have no experience with cars [except from the inside when trips to the Vet are required] and the big world outside. They do, however, like to sit at the windows, in their run or at the front and back doors to watch the world go by. They have never tried to bolt out the doors when you open them.

I consider myself to be a responsible cat owner. Sadly I can not say the same for others in the neighbourhood.

Across the road’s cat, Versace was only recently neutered and he wanders the neighbourhood, stalks the chickens, lays in our front garden, driveway etc taunting our cats Syba and Chimee.

One evening, after ensuring the girls went to roost OK, I open the front door to walk in and Chimee bolts out the door and towards the car in the carport. I did not know that Versace was sitting under our car. I tried to call Chimee back and when Versace spotted me he raced up the driveway, across the road and into his driveway, Chimee followed him!

When she got to the other side of the road, having no experience with cars up close, when a car came towards her, she panicked and ran back across the road, right in front of another car coming the other way! It just missed her!

Hubby and son came running out to my calls of panic and we found her hiding behind next door’s water tank .. when she saw her Dad, she came out and was safe and sound, back in the house quickly.

I still can not get the vision of how close I came to losing her out of my head! I am so grateful to the driver of the car who I think saw her and a panicked me and reacted in time.

Across the road should also be grateful because I swear if I had watched my sweet little girl be run over I would not be surprised if I punched them! I am still tempted every day to go over there and tell them to keep their cat under control and out of our yard. If I had confronted them, even with all the steps we have taken to protect our cats, it would probably still be our fault because Chimee chased Versace

So while we have taken all the steps we can to ensure our cats have the best life we can give them, sadly, in this neighbourhood, we are the exception to the rule and Versace is just one of many cats whose owners love them [supersized dose of sarcasm] and allow them to wander at will. Now we have to ensure that Syba or Chimee are not sitting at one of the doors when we open them and if they are, someone inside is called to come and move them in case there is a cat on the property. Or, if our two are sitting at one of the doors, we walk around the house and go in the other door just in case they do have eyes on a cat somewhere in the yard. Not sure what we are going to do if one is sitting at the front door and one at the back door and no one is inside to move them .. stay outside a bit longer I guess

lol

I have the coop and run as secure as I can but still worry that I am going to go out there one day and find that a cat has got in overnight. That is so wrong and should not be the case. If it does happen, you can rest assured that I will be doing a letter drop in the neighbourhood with pictures of what one of their loved cats has done to my chickens on my property.

I have no idea where I am trying to go with this except may be to say that as a cat lover, I apologise on behalf of those idiots who I would like to meet up with some day!

 

[perchie.girl]

I have to say this about my comment.... the shelters here are all no kill. There are also non profit organizations that "rescue" cats. It didnt occur to me that other places are still using the old systme

I dont have a place in my life for cats because i understand their needs, and I cant give it to them.

deb

 

[drumstick diva]

Let's just say I am NOT fond of cats, especially after they kill song birds and use my raised flower beds to crap in. I have tried moth balls and sprinkling cayenne pepper over the dirt and they don't care.

 

[CanuckBock]

Heel low:

Tilled up the tater patch...

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This is the start of it...

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This is where it is at for now...unsure if I should add used straw bedding, er not...hmmm...dunno...jest dunno...

May 11, 2015 - not even got the fence up yet...sheesh...beginnings, eh ​

Hard to believe that this was it last year...jest started...

"Dad ran us..." Here's them panty girls!

Rick swung by and ran the snot outta the girls while I tilled.

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I like that I don't have to worry about the girls heeling the tiller...oh yeah and Lacy will...she walks the fence at times making mouthing movements...yeh...

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See, what happens when I open up the gate to move the tiller out...lets in all the riff raff, samplers, inspectors...yeh...

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Them girls, them gotta get in the thick of it gals.

So this is the tater bed as of last night...do more or say good nuff...

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Rick took the 22 foot trailer in this morn to have it inspected, make sure the brakes and it is all good.

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Got four ton of bagged feed rations to pick up next Thursday so wanna check and be safe. Love that Hero...keeping the show on the road and the safety of us foremost...even when goofing around and having Fun!

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No worries on the dealing with c@tz ... easy peasy. Now to add dirt and some peat and that one area is hopefully toilet using proofed...I just wrapped it with chicken wire and will get to it better in a bit.

I know perfectly well why you posted Teila (even if you are not quite sure!

)...I came from parents that should have never been allowed the responsibility of pets period--taught me what NOT to do, eh. AGH...the moment I got my own life, I learned the proper way to do things. I left home leaving a small troupe of MY hens behind because I went on to further my education...going to post secondary school...I never did hear the end of how much "work" those hens were (and here's me thinking them fresh eggs were cherry on top of whipped cream! WRONG!)...and yet past slogging it out pitching poop, I never once think of my poultry as a job...but the very loves of my life's worth living! I guess I enjoy animal husbandry and never think of it as drudgery...

My mother would come home from working at the bar at like 3 a.m. and let the dog that followed us kids home one day, Rex out to run wild thru the neighbourhood--no witnesses, no one to know who it was and the laziness of not taking a dog for a walk blows my mind...who would not want to join a dog on its escapades? What JOY! And if it happened to be garbage day, that meant he went round dumping cans and getting into them. NO surprise that one evening us kids witness that lovely stray dog we adored and loved, go thru convulsions and seizures several times before horrifically passing away right before our innocent eyes. Thinking back, pretty sure it was anti-freeze poisoning...my Father called her and about the only regrets she had is that we did not save the bad news till after her shift--she says she had a bad day at work, eh. As kids, we thought you could have done something to save Rex...I try not to go there as it revives some pretty angry emotions on my part.

We had stray cats that we "adopted" that ran at large in the neighbourhood, harvesting songbirds, moles, bats, live rats, etc. I was not shown how to do preventatives for pets or how to properly step up as far as being a responsible pet owner. Yes, we had litters of kittens on our beds because my parents never altered the cats until something whoops happened. Don't know what happened to the rest of the litter mates but we had a series of cats descended from strays. The dogs were all males, so we never knew about any puppies...yeh, as said, better stop now before I feel too much emotions of the negative type, this is the weekend and I like them happy/happy, joy/joy.

I met what I think I remember to be, my very first red ACD at a camp ground and just gushed over the woman's adorable puppers. A live ACD in the very flesh...how marvelous! The owner was very up front about the requirements (most of us ACDers are) of having a well mannered ACD in the community and she too briefly touched on the aspect that her parents were very bad dog owners. So was it something simply done in the 60's and 70's, I am not quite sure...but sure are alot of unvaccinated, unvetted, under responsible general Public back then. I believe we as a society had to learn what was acceptable pet ownership but with that said, we also see dogs suffering with separation anxiety and having to take precautions against imported disorders like Heartworm. We know more and maybe in some aspects too much and overwhelm some persons with all the shoulda coulda stuff. Having a pet should be simple, but I guess to be responsible, it is not and when you are trying, you so vividly get broadsided by those who don't deserve or even TRY to be good owners. That in itself is frustrating and often a burden we put upon ourselves that can quickly become over bearing and unmanageable.

I guess all I want for me and mine is to be left alone to enjoy the peace, tranquility, rip roaring good times.

As the movie Babe states... "That'll do Pig. That'll do..."


A widdle patriotic rhetoric...

Got sent this and it is very, very well written about the visitations of what is now called simply in Canadian style, "The Beast."

:

Here's a quote that Peter Jennings had about the US and Canada...

Peter Charles Archibald Ewart Jennings:

Canadians have an abiding interest in surprising those Americans who have historically made little effort to learn about their neighbour to the North.​

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Richard Vincent "Rick" Mercer OC (Canadian comedian, television personality, political satirist and author. He is best known for his work on the CBC Television comedy shows This Hour Has 22 Minutes and The Rick Mercer Report).:

The Fuddle Duddle man...former Prime Minister of Canada and father to our current Prime Minister with the nice hair...good ol' Pierre says...

Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau PC CC CH QC FRSC:
So I guess many of you Yanks are cover stealers too, eh.

Unknown:

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Herbert Marshall McLuhan, CC (Canadian professor of English, philosopher of communication theory and a public intellectual. His work is viewed as one of the cornerstones of the study of media theory, as well as having practical applications in the advertising and television industries.):


Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, PC, DL, FRS, RA:

Time Magazine:

Emily Carr:

some great rugged power that you are a part of.​

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and one final giggle because I can't help myself...

Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone:
Gotta fly, tis weekend and me Hero and I have so many pleasures to pursue...CHARGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada