Maine

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Longhorn IS really great! I'd travel a good distance, just to give them my business. (It's about 30 miles, round trip, now.)

Most everything that I need is 10- 20 miles from me. Longhorn is about 11 miles from me. Both jobs are at the 20 mile mark. So I really try to combine errands so I only have to make one trip.

 

[lazy gardener]

I have a hard time trying to work up words of sympathy when a city dweller complains about driving across town to take advantage of a sale. The one that really takes the cake is a woman who wouldn't come to visit me after the first time because it was too far for her to drive from her house to my house. Some how, the distance was less when I drove to her house. And I never did hear the end of the complaining about the fact that we didn't have street lights... Hard to expect that, when you live on a dirt road! Ok, rant over.

 

[buckabucka]

I think Longhorn is more than 75 miles from my house, but I've still gone there for chicks. Portland has plenty around to make for a day of errands. I like that Longhorn lets you preorder specific breeds, although I see they dropped the Welsummers this year.

I spent the morning battling water in the chicken run. First I shoveled out some of the old shavings from the coop and dispersed them in the run (thank you, whoever it was on here that shared that idea). I also added some leaves.

There is a low point along the side of the run where a deep puddle forms, so I started baling it out. I had one of those large (gallon and a half?) black rubber feed dishes that I was filling with water and hauling out of the run. I dumped 15 full bowls of water outside, and there was only a tiny puddle left.

The skiing was great today so I headed off, and when I returned later in the afternoon, the puddle was bigger than ever. 25 more bowls-full were hauled away. It is pouring in from an enormous snow bank. Next year, I need to trench the outside and add some new sand to build up the soil level in there.

 

[Widget]

I have a hard time trying to work up words of sympathy when a city dweller complains about driving across town to take advantage of a sale. The one that really takes the cake is a woman who wouldn't come to visit me after the first time because it was too far for her to drive from her house to my house. Some how, the distance was less when I drove to her house. And I never did hear the end of the complaining about the fact that we didn't have street lights... Hard to expect that, when you live on a dirt road! Ok, rant over.

Love that there are no street lights on my road. On a clear night the stars are so brilliant. And it is so peaceful. Well not so peaceful when the coyotes get howling but even that is eerily cool to hear.

I grew up in Westbrook but we had a large corner lot so it was not that claustrophobic. I just can not fathom how people like to live so close to others. No privacy. All the city noise and smells. No farm animals. Oh great. Now I have the theme to Green Acres stuck in my head.

 

[Widget]

I think I will get mail delivered again in about a month or maybe even two. I still have a mailbox but it is buried and I have given up clearing out in front of it. Too much ice and heavy wet snow for the snow blower to touch and I refuse to throw my back out by shoveling it out. The driveway is not much better. I still had about half of it left to clear today and made a futile attempt with the snow blower. Where I needed to clear snow is also the low spot where water collects. Under the snow was about three inches of water. I quickly gave up and just used the truck to squash the snow down. Had no choice since I needed to get a round bale of hay in with the horses which meant driving over that part of the driveway.

The birds were happy though. Plenty of warm sun. Water to play in for the ducks. A person for two of the chickens to perch on while I tried to feed them. (At least they are friendly so I can not complain too much). Then there was the one goat who still insists on jumping out of her pen to see what is going on.

 

[CoopChick719]

The coop is here! Moving it has been interesting, but it's still an exciting day. The kids are pumped.

Hooray! So exciting!! Thank goodness for good neighbors.

I spent the morning battling water in the chicken run. First I shoveled out some of the old shavings from the coop and dispersed them in the run (thank you, whoever it was on here that shared that idea). I also added some leaves.

I did that very same thing this afternoon. My puddle is right in front of the pen door. I was slip sliding away when I stepped in this morning to feed. Good part is the snow bank that was in front of the door is gone but now replaced with a lovely mud/poo mixture.

Love that there are no street lights on my road. On a clear night the stars are so brilliant. And it is so peaceful. Well not so peaceful when the coyotes get howling but even that is eerily cool to hear. I grew up in Westbrook but we had a large corner lot so it was not that claustrophobic. I just can not fathom how people like to live so close to others. No privacy. All the city noise and smells. No farm animals. Oh great. Now I have the theme to Green Acres stuck in my head.

I grew up in the big city of Gardiner but was always drawn to my grandparents 40 acres in W. Gardiner. BTW Green Acres was one of Gramp's favorite shows. Our camp road has no street lights and the stars are gorgeous up there in the County!! Who knows maybe some day we'll move up there.

 

[froggiesheins]

This is about the fight of a 5yr old girl to keep her beloved silkie roo Dallas in a tiny farm/agriculteral UN-incorperated town in Dufur, OR.

OK ALL YOU MAINE PEEPS...PLEASE READ THIS AND SIGN THE PETITION .
I AM THE SELF APPOINTED CHEERLEADER FOR THIS CAUSE!.

AFTER YOU READ AND SIGN PLEASE SEND IT TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS.

EVEN BETTER; SEND AN EMAIL TO DUFUR CITY COUNCIL!

.LETS LET THIS TINY TOWN OF DUFUR, OR. KNOW THAT AMERICA IS WATCHING THEM!

Thank you kindly......

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/974/870/400/saving-dallas-the-rooster/

https://www.facebook.com/savingdallastherooster

 

[IZZYBELLA]

We have an old bird house out back on a cedar tree that really should come down. Last fall, I started banging on it to see if there was any one in residence... out popped some baby flying squirrels. so the bird house got to stay for an other season. Today, I decided it was time for it to come down, so started whacking it with a 2 x 4... out popped some MORE baby flying squirrels. Do those things ever quit??? They are just so cute, that I can't destroy their abode. However, reds... or greys.... different story!

They NEVER stop!! We had flying squirrels in our attic this fall (as well bats, snakes and mice). The flying squirrels were by far the worst, though... they sounded like a highway!

We don't have street lights on our road, either, and I love it. I really missed seeing the stars when I lived in cities.

 

[Widget]

My vent of the day. Thanks to Mother Nature and very poor planning by every store in existence there is a shortage of wood pellets. I do not have any other source of heat to heat the house and was down to my last two bags. I did manage to get four bags from Ace Hardware who naturally charges an arm and a leg for a bag but I did not have much choice. So now I have enough pellets to get me through to next Saturday. After that I guess I will just be cold until the temperatures rise again. I am so tired of this stupid cold and snowy winter. Enough is enough. We do not need any more snow. We do not need temperatures well below freezing.

I spent half my day trying to keep the goat in her pen. Had to steal fencing from the chicken pen that is not in use since there is four feet of snow in it. Kept breaking through the crust and sinking up to my hips in cold, wet snow. Plus the driveway has plenty of standing water to soak through boots and socks. But I did manage to raise the sides of half the goat pen but the little monster can still get out where the fence is lower. And I have no more fence that I can easily access until the snow melts. Of course once the snow melts I will not need to raise the fence.

 

[buckabucka]

Sorry for your troubles, Widget! I hope pellets will be back in stock soon (like, by Saturday would be nice).

I went to the Augusta TSC the other day hoping to pick up wood shavings. The employee told me they were all out and that there was a shortage all over New England, due to all the wood going into pellets. Apparently, that shortage did not affect Waterville, so I bought the shavings there. You may have some luck if you call around.