Surviving Minnesota!

[ejb3810]

Good morning to all chicken fanatics. The chickens will not be eating new green grass shoots here this morning unless they have a shovel. In God's country (Siggie is here as well) above the Minnesota Banana Belt demarcation line it has snowed and is snowing. They say it is raining in town at the bottom of the big hill, but I am unable to attest to that.

As it is now I will not be doing anything outdoors and that is quite depressing. This is supposed to be the time of year to get things accomplished. This accomplishing things has me wondering what has happened to KlopKlop ? Hope there is not something serious going on.

Layers congrats on your high jump success, and I hope your track and field adventures continue in a fun and successful way. I wish I was 16 again and knew what I know now. Life would be much different. It would be much different if I had listened to my parents and old mentors, but alas a young man seems to need to make his own mistakes.

Siggie the horses look nice. They are much more trouble and expense than chickens. If there is a way for a horse to get into trouble they will find it. As a young man I owned many over 20 at one point. I always tell people it is a 90/10 situation. 90% lose money on them and the other 10% get what the 90 lose. I do know that mine were responsible for my losing more than most people make in a lifetime. A couple for fun is good, but as a business venture it is usually not fun.

Ralphie, have you hugged all your birds today ? If not you better get cracking !

 

[duluthralphie]

Good morning to all chicken fanatics. The chickens will not be eating new green grass shoots here this morning unless they have a shovel. In God's country (Siggie is here as well) above the Minnesota Banana Belt demarcation line it has snowed and is snowing. They say it is raining in town at the bottom of the big hill, but I am unable to attest to that.

As it is now I will not be doing anything outdoors and that is quite depressing. This is supposed to be the time of year to get things accomplished. This accomplishing things has me wondering what has happened to KlopKlop ? Hope there is not something serious going on.

Layers congrats on your high jump success, and I hope your track and field adventures continue in a fun and successful way. I wish I was 16 again and knew what I know now. Life would be much different. It would be much different if I had listened to my parents and old mentors, but alas a young man seems to need to make his own mistakes.

Siggie the horses look nice. They are much more trouble and expense than chickens. If there is a way for a horse to get into trouble they will find it. As a young man I owned many over 20 at one point. I always tell people it is a 90/10 situation. 90% lose money on them and the other 10% get what the 90 lose. I do know that mine were responsible for my losing more than most people make in a lifetime. A couple for fun is good, but as a business venture it is usually not fun.

Ralphie, have you hugged all your birds today ? If not you better get cracking !

I have not hugged my chick yet today.

I can attest to 90% losing money on horses, I was one of them also. I get a foolish thought now and then to get a hayburner. Then I think about all the work they where and how hard the ground could feel when the horse decides you are done riding them.

Also my favorite horse had 2 phobia that almost killed me, The first being it hated to come to me if it thought I was going for a ride. This meant after being thrown I could walk miles back home. BUT the good thing was the horse was always there to greet me..

The other often resulted in the above walk. He was extremely paranoid of birch trees or pieces lying on the ground. I had to constantly reassure him the "dead Birch tree/stump/log) was not going to jump up and get him. He would often bolt at the sight of them. Do you know how many Birch are lying on the ground in Northern Minnesota?

The normal routine was, He sees a birch, bolts, jumps, bucks, I go flying, he runs home, I walk home....


yeah, this was my favorite horse.

 

[Siggie]

By the way, Siggie, I have major fence envy... Gorgeous, solid wood there.

LOL, thanks but it only goes for about 20 feet by the garage, just the area where I can see out my kitchen window, the rest is just 5 strands of hot wire. I want to do the entire pasture along the driveway with this fence but it took us soooo long just to dig those few holes because of the rocks! I would definitely need to rent an excavator with an auger attachment to do the rest ...don't have the funds for that right now

Living somewhere where muck boots aren't common attire in the grocery store is not my cup of tea.

EXACTLY! I used to work and live in Lincoln Park area of Chicago. I loved it but I was young.....then I almost got run over by a crazy driver while waiting for a bus....I've been inching my way north and going more remote ever since.

Thank you Siggie. Beautiful horses.

added one more for you all this morning - he was being a ham for the camera!

 

[lvie]

Ahhhha Jerryse - that is so nice. I call you an Eyore and you send buckets of sunshine this way. Hmmmm - you are the better person

 

[Siggie]

I have not hugged my chick yet today.

I can attest to 90% losing money on horses, I was one of them also. I get a foolish thought now and then to get a hayburner. Then I think about all the work they where and how hard the ground could feel when the horse decides you are done riding them.

Also my favorite horse had 2 phobia that almost killed me, The first being it hated to come to me if it thought I was going for a ride. This meant after being thrown I could walk miles back home. BUT the good thing was the horse was always there to greet me..

The other often resulted in the above walk. He was extremely paranoid of birch trees or pieces lying on the ground. I had to constantly reassure him the "dead Birch tree/stump/log) was not going to jump up and get him. He would often bolt at the sight of them. Do you know how many Birch are lying on the ground in Northern Minnesota?

The normal routine was, He sees a birch, bolts, jumps, bucks, I go flying, he runs home, I walk home....


yeah, this was my favorite horse.

ralphie you always have a good story to tell about everything!!! YES I agree with all of you! Horses are an expense and never really pay for themselves like chickens or sheep...goats, etc. But they took me through some really dark times in my past so for that I let them remain. They are more trouble than they should be sometimes and DO NOT know how big and strong they are. Hence the bruise and swollen eye I got the other day because my brat (the quarter horse) decided to bully my other boy, he whipped around to run from the brat and smacked me in the face with his head! My jaw was out of wack for a while, I had a headache to rival any migraine and I now have a black eye and nose to show off! But....I love them and they are mine.

My quarter horse is smart and will begin to go lame when you put a saddle on him...but take it off and he trots away without so much as a limp! My Andalusian is great under saddle and both are pretty much bomb proof. My Andalusian spooks in place which is really quite funny to watch...he jumps straight up and lands with all four feet spread out a little but he never bolts.

 

[lvie]

Good Morning Chickeners . . . . H m m m I did not really say that with a good, loud crow. It was more of an Eyore style. I went outside to put my crazy lil ten year old dog in his place in my car. He loves laying inside the car. Then it is nice and quiet in here because the other two do not have much to say. I was surprised to feel the drizzle on my face.

Need to make a Runnings trot. I guess I will finish the bills so I can stop by the mailbox and get that trot out of the way so when the sun comes out this afternoon I can come out with it.

 

[BantyChooks]

  ralphie you always have a good story to tell about everything!!!   YES I agree with all of you!  Horses are an expense and never really pay for themselves like chickens or sheep...goats, etc.  But they took me through some really dark times in my past so for that I let them remain.  They are more trouble than they should be sometimes and DO NOT know how big and strong they are.  Hence the bruise and swollen eye I got the other day because my brat (the quarter horse) decided to bully my other boy, he whipped around to run from the brat and smacked me in the face with his head!  My jaw was out of wack for a while, I had a headache to rival any migraine and I now have a black eye and nose to show off!  But....I love them and they are mine.    My quarter horse is smart and will begin to go lame when you put a saddle on him...but take it off and he trots away without so much as a limp!  My Andalusian is great under saddle and both are pretty much bomb proof.  My Andalusian spooks in place which is really quite funny to watch...he jumps straight up and lands with all four feet spread out a little but he never bolts.

The stinkers!

Don't own a horse, but I know someone that does, so I ride whenever I can grab the time...

Thank goodness he's gentle. Only things he spooks at are forklifts and squirrels.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Siggie. That's a great face to greet us this morning with! Love that hamming face.

Unlike you and Ed with your lovely Winter weather we have rain here today. It's cold and damp kind that gets to your bones. However chickens are out and eating green shoots. No shovels required.

Hawks circling the pot hole this morning. Two of the bass turds. The wild ducks are forever harassed by hawks and I would rather they go away from my set up around here. I stood out and did rooster predator twirls. The hawks didn't seem to like me in the yard with my buffalo plaid flannel pajamas twirling. And they flew off. Yes!

 

[Siggie]

Siggie. That's a great face to greet us this morning with! Love that hamming face.

Unlike you and Ed with your lovely Winter weather we have rain here today. It's cold and damp kind that gets to your bones. However chickens are out and eating green shoots. No shovels required.

Hawks circling the pot hole this morning. Two of the bass turds. The wild ducks are forever harassed by hawks and I would rather they go away from my set up around here. I stood out and did rooster predator twirls. The hawks didn't seem to like me in the yard with my buffalo plaid flannel pajamas twirling. And they flew off. Yes!

I know right? He can be so entertaining sometimes...but most times he's a brat! He HATES the farrier and let's her know it every chance he gets!

I now have that picture burned into my mind - "dancing crazily within a flock of chickens in buffalo plaid pajamas"

a passer by might not understand the necessity of such a performance but who cares right?!?

 

[EMorical]

Banty I'm sure your suburbia will resemble a real farm as much as possible.

People facebook me chicken sweaters, hats, flippin' leashes for chickens. Tunnels... ummm what else...? Aprons that hold 30 eggs. I block their posts and ignore them. I could be friendlier about it but that goofy shi-tola is not me. I hate it. I guarantee the chickens hate it. Plus my highest day is 5 eggs and they fit in the front pocket of my hoody or DH's pooped on Carhart jacket.

Right?!!! When I post photos on facebook of our other livestock (yes, not pets. they make us $$ or if not, they at least need to be thrifty and entertaining haha) no one sends me info on cows and horses haha... Family have started gifting me Chicken themed stuff

Ungrateful? Maybe

I don't want fake chickens, just buy me more REAL chickens! Boy when I posted a story and photo of my Conway Dumpling Soup you should have seen some of the comments... They were scandalized that I would dare to EAT a chicken... Uhhhhh.... As someone who grows food for a living, the disconnect between consumers and what and where there food comes from is S-C-A-R-Y. I think we are leaning towards opening a farm store some day