Bison!

I've been on an outing with Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts.  Oh, the stories I can tell you!  lol.

Here's the first one.

We were invited to a buffalo farm for a private tour.  The tour guide knew the herd by site/name so he pointed out members of the herd and told us their names, how old they are, who their offspring are, etc.  They are a matriarchal society, so he pointed out the 'lady' in charge and told us that the 'ladies' train the bulls on how to treat 'women' by basically beating the tar out of them when they are young until they get the general idea of how to behave.  lol.

He took us out into the herd on this metal sided trailer so we were really close to them.  Some of the bulls are known for being mean so we were all instructed on what noises to NOT make, to turn off all electrical devices, etc., because they WILL protect their calves when they hear something that they don't recognize.  Judging from the dents in the trailer and truck, we believed him.

Then, though, the guide starts to complain.  He tells us how everyone calls them buffalo but they are really genus/species: bison-bison, so everyone is WRONG in calling them buffalo, just like the Scouts all did when he asked them what they were there to see. 

DUDE!  

We're all calling them buffalo because your huge sign says:  Lastname Buffalo Farm!!!  

If you want us to call them bison, change your sign!!!!!!!

I did learn a lot there and really enjoyed the tour.  For instance, I found out that it's cheaper to buy a live buffalo that's pregnant (so two for your money) than it is to buy a buffalo head mounted to go on the wall and a hide.....I know this because they sold them in their gift shop along with bison meat, HUGE geodes and various other things like soaps and candles.  

Merry Christmas!

We're having a wonderful day here and I hope that you are all having a blessed Christmas, as well.

I got two new books to read that are homesteading related and.........

TWO boxes of Tattler Reusable Canning Lids!

TWO BOXES!

Now I have to find something to can!

Only in my life

I live close to a small bank.  You can see the back of the bank from where I live.  The back is where they have the night drop box thing.  I know the guy from the pizza place and the lady from the gas station use it nightly after they close up because we've seen them there lots of times.  Some other people use it, but I don't know who they are.  The back parking lot of the bank is NOT lit.  So if you come to make a night deposit, you are using your vehicle lights to see to operate the drop.

Last night not long after it got dark I happened to look out the window and there was a vehicle parked in the back lot, backed up under the one big tree back there.  I figured they were waiting on someone or making a cell call (lots of dead areas around here) or something.  Well, about an hour later they were still there, they caught my attention because something lit up inside the car briefly, like they were lighting a cigarette or something, so I knew someone was in there.

Well, when I started to get the kids ready for bed they were still there.  This would have been almost three hours from when I first saw them.  I'm now wondering what the heck they are up to.  Are they waiting for a night drop person to come by to rob them or are they traveling and planning to sleep in their car back there or what?

So, I called the sheriff's office.  Told the nice man it wasn't an emergency, but if they would check it out on their next time by the area, I'd appreciate it.

I went about getting the kids ready for and into bed.  At some point they did go over there because the next time I looked, probably 45 minutes later, the car was gone.

A little later my phone rang.  It was the very nice dispatch person.

He just wanted to let me know they had made contact with the vehicle and driver and everything was fine.

It was a sheriff from the neighboring county!!!!!   He said he was taking his break there.  Now, that was one long break, but I was totally laughing inside and did LOL when I got off the phone after thanking him.

I called the sheriff ON a sheriff!

Thank you, honest people

I know I sometimes get REALLY sick of hearing about people who steal donation boxes, steal Christmas presents, steal decorations from yards and cemeteries, etc.

Today.

Today I was sitting here and the phone rang and it was some woman I didn't know asking if I knew a man with the name that happens to belong to my husband.

Why, yes, I do, but he's not here right now, can I take a message?

I just wanted you to know that the post office delivered a box to my house (same street number but WAAAAAYYYYYY different street name) that belongs to you and I thought it might be Christmas presents that you might need.  I was afraid if I kept it and told the post office on Monday they might take too long to come get it and get it to you.

Of course I thanked her profusely and offered to come get it right away.  It turns out that we get her mail from time to time, too, especially her out of town newspaper and a few magazines.  So I recognized her name once she said her first name.

I went to pick it up, super nice lady.  She was right, too, it was Christmas gifts my brother/SIL had ordered for the kids and had sent here.

Thank you, Mrs. V.

Kinda grumpy today

Does anyone else get sick of hearing about people who continue to make HORRIBLE choices but things keep coming up roses for them?  I know it's not nice to think about, but I'm human and hey, why can't WE catch a break like that sometimes?

I'm not talking about the generic 'them' making bad choices that you hear about........I'm talking about someone you actually know.

There is someone we know who was caught stealing money from an organization.  A non-profit organization, one that needs every single penny they can get.  During that investigation it came out that, hey, that's not actually the first time they were caught stealing money...turns out that when they told everyone they were let go at their previous job due to downsizing and the economy, what they really meant was that they were fired for stealing money.  The owners agreed to let them repay it (wonder if they ever got that money back?) instead of filing charges (as they should have, IMO) to keep things quiet and avoid gossip about the person and the company.  So........they obviously learned they could get away with it, right?  I mean, they went on to do it again, at least once.

They got probation for the non-profit org. situation and had to repay the money.  They repaid it in part by taking out everything their child had saved for college........money they'd been given for gifts, birthdays, money he earned from his part time job.  Hey, he's a minor, so they are on his account, so they can empty it.  What a lousy family he was born into.  They had a big mobile home that they were living in and had been for years, on the land of one of their parents.  So, when they got busted and word got out, they abandoned that house and bought another house, forging paperwork saying the trailer was rented out.  Their parents had to deal with the trash they left and the company that eventually came to repo. the house.  They tore their pasture up getting that thing out of there, too.

Now I've heard that they have lost the house, too.  They refinanced it into a balloon payment (yeah, I know!?!?) and of course couldn't make the payment, so they lost it.

Someone that knows their parents has rented a house to them for way below market rent to 'help them get back on their feet.'  

Fine, IF they were trying to get back on their feet.  I think this person is going to learn a hard lesson and probably lose their friendship with the parents over this, because I just don't see it ending well based on how they've lived for the last 10-20 years, you know?

So.

I'm already irritated just hearing the latest saga and then today I checked our freecycle bb want section.  We have junk around here and while I don't have time to go through everything and offer it all up, when I see a request for something, I will go dig it out if I know we have it or something that might work instead.

Today alone there are THREE requests for vehicles.  I know stuff happens, cars break and you can't afford to get them fixed if you're out of work, marriages split up and one person takes the car leaving the other stranded, etc.  I understand that.

However, I simply do NOT see how people can lack so much common sense.  

Two of those requests had specifics.  

They read pretty much like this:

Wanted:  Truck

We want a truck, 2005 or newer.  Thanks

 

SERIOUSLY???????  I'd like a new truck, too, but considering the fact that I drive a 2000 Durango (that was bought used), you wouldn't even want my personal vehicle IF I had a way to not need it and give it to you.  My personal vehicle wouldn't be good enough for you, I guess.

Then the third one read like this:

Wanted:  Van

We have four children and need a van.  We'd like a 15 passenger van.  The children won't all fit in our convertible.  Thank you.

Um....trade in the convertible and get a minivan?  Sell it and buy a used van?  SOMETHING!!!!!

Ugh!

Today

OK, who else is busy up to their eyeballs right now?

Today on top of normal laundry, feed the family, dole out medications, on and on, I have jalapenos drying in the dehydrator (they smell WONDERFUL) and we're baking double batches of cookies and canning more venison.  I still have to slice up a bunch of venison so it can marinade to be come jerky and I'm waiting for a conference call to come in, which will probably ensure at least one batch of forgotten and burned cookies.  lol.

I need to go pull the few onions that are left outside, too.

Can you believe that hubby got a doe this weekend, biggest doe this year and we forgot to take a picture?  Of course you can, you know how I am about pictures.  lol.

Oh - we did get the tree up.  It's not decorated, but it's up.  Hey, that counts for something, right?  Yeah, OK, fine, add that to the To Do List, too.  I see how you are.

Do I have five? Now ten? I've got ten, now fifteen???

Yes, it was auction time.  Cub Scout cake auction time, that is!

It was supposed to be a father/son event but it turned out to be a Mom/son event in our house due to timing of the auction and work hours.

I am so NOT talented at decorating cakes.  Or anything else for that matter!

We tried, though, that's what counts, right?

Here is what younger Scout made.

Can you tell what it's supposed to be?



Here is what older Scout made.  I was trying to get a close up picture so you could see the center was filled with bead candies but it didn't turn out too well.

 It was a lot of fun and I *think* we raised enough to pay for the supplies and food for our Blue and Gold banquet, so everyone is really happy about that.

What a ride

Sorry, folks, I've been MIA, I know.  Life's been pretty brutal lately and I just haven't had time to be online too much.

I pulled the jalapenos finally and dehydrated the last crop of them.  I still have onions in the ground, believe it or not!  I pulled one yesterday and it wasn't as big as my fist, but it wasn't far from it, either.  I have no idea what the carrots are doing under there.  There are some baby broccoli growing and my lettuce is still doing OK.  It's been raining all day and it's going to get close to freezing tonight so I went out and covered them up.

I know I'm going to have to call it done here pretty soon, but I'm enjoying seeing how far I can stretch the growing season here without hoops or a green house.

Sorry, forgot the picture!  lol