This Old House 2 – Page 55 – Middle aged musings from farm & hearth

Rabbit Rabbit

So a few weeks ago we brought Cloud and Harley home to the farm. There is a lot to know about bunnies, even though they look like the simplest and cuddliest of creatures. Harley is cuddly, Cloud would prefer not to be picked up , thank you very much. That’s actually typical rabbit behavior.. they can be very friendly, but most prefer not to be held.

I have been pimping the hutch a bit… it sits right next to the chicken coop and thanks to my son it also has it’s own fenced play yard. The chickens don’t quite know what to make of the bunnies yet, and as they get a little older I might let them mingle.

The bunnies, who are lop velveteen crosses, love to get out and make mad dashes around their yard, leaping for joy and nibbling at every.single.thing. That includes the wire fencing meant to hold them in. I’ve placed big and small rocks around their yard and they love jumping on them, sunning themselves, cleaning themselves too. Rabbits clean themselves just as you see a cat do it…adorable when they pull their ears down between their paws and wash their faces too. They are very curious.. inspecting and nibbling at everything in their reach. I placed two pots with honeysuckle vines in them, hoping they will crawl up the coop walls and create more shade next summer. They attrack hummingbirds too.

There are many lists on the internet regarding what is toxic to chickens and rabbits. The list is incredibly long and I don’t know that I trust it because all these plants are wild, as are birds and rabbits. According to “the lists”…There are few things I can place with the rabbits unless I want to put a spruce or fir in those pots. On some lists, honeysuckle is safe, on others, their berries aren’t great for the bunnies. I’ve decided I can move the pots if I see any signs of tummy trouble. We have rabbits in the fields and plenty of honeysuckle too.. I’m thinking it can’t be all that bad.

As you can see in the picture below.. bunnies poop A LOT! I use pine shavings in their “rooms”.. and hay in one section of the outdoor wire “rooms”. That is one day’s worth of bunny poop that you see in the picture below…which I clean daily. Unsanitary conditions can make them very sick, especially amonia if you have your rabbit living indoors where they don’t escape the fumes.

Right now while the rabbit yard has no actual cover, I only let the rabbits out

when I’m there to watch over them. Hawks circle often, and we’ve got coyote issues

again.

Sadly, my chickens are currently not free roaming and are a bit bored in their coop.

We’ve had two more casualties – Hermoine and Jenny were taken by a mangy

coyote a few days ago while I was in the house and the chickens were

out free ranging. Broke my heart to see the feathers. Took an hour to find

the other chickens, who were all hiding in shrubs in various places.

Luna and Lily were among the survivors and I hope that’s the end of

the coyote massacres, but it does present the dilemna of not letting

the girls free range, which is really the healthiest option minus the dangers.

Farm life isn’t all sunshine and light…

sometimes it’s coyote crap too. 🙁

The Shell Seeker

I’ve always been a shell seeker – spending more time looking down at the ground than up at the beautiful scenery whenever I’m at waters edge. I keep telling myself to LOOK UP! ..but my attention is inevitably drawn back down to the pebbles, shells and infrequent seaglass washed in with the tides.

While on the Vineyard, Mike and I took early morning walks down and around Edgartown light and beach, almost empty except for dog walkers at the beginning of each day. I waded into the water and looked down in search of pretty shells – my favorite part of the day, honestly.

I notcied the shells had such pretty color patterns when in the water but when dried you almost couldn’t detect their unique designs. When we returned home I went to a Michaels Crafts store and bought a display frame on sale.. and some clear spray varnish as well as crazy glue …

When I look at this display hanging in the hallway I am reminded of those peaceful mornings, the water smooth as glass, the guy and I just being quiet, taking it all in, relaxing. Rare, that.

Weary

Lately I try not to take in too much of the news, the images that flash before my eyes on the computer screen, the hysteria we call news coverage on the TV set (FOX, you are a disgrace) … nor do I engage as robustly in conversations about anything relating to current events in our world. – ok, that last line is gonna take some work, still.

I used to think that was irresponsible, the turning away.

But…my soul is weary. I feel it to my very core. There is still the need and want to do something significant that can right the ships, heal the wounded, change the negative behaviors, erase the prejudice, stop the abuses. At 49 I have not yet found a way to do so significantly, and without the ignorance of my youth I now know the limitations, feel the hopelessness that develops with time and experience. Like a wet wool blanket.. the realization that I am a drop of water with so little control or power in an ocean of turmoil.. on so many fronts!.. my soul is smothered with that cold, heavy truth. Sometimes it feels as if I am traveling with a constant undertow of frustration for things I can’t fix.

Last night I walked with my daughter and two of our dogs down a little country lane to the docks where we took in the scene – a serene cove dotted with little cottages, boats bobbing in the water, gulls overhead, the setting sun splaying it’s golden rays over all of it and us – I breathed deep and stepped in the water, letting the salty air cleanse.. and heal… accept..and let go.

I’m not giving up on the idea of helping where I can, and having the big mouth that I do, I doubt I will shut up all together when I feel I need to say something, do something – but from here on out I am going to try like hell to leave the baggage at the door. I don’t have to argue every single cause or injustice just because the opportunity presents itself. Sometimes it’s OK to just let stupid people be stupid.

None of us knows how much longer we’ve got on this earth, which is in all it’s frailties and dangers, still a wonderful place to be. This drop of water is going to do the best she can to sail through the changing oceans tides with the best of intentions and hopefully a little less stress.

This morning as I type this I’m listening to one of my favorite songs – brings tears to my eyes damn-near every time I hear it… One of my favorites by Stevie Nicks, and now in my middle middle age, it’s my anthem. – Landslide –

Lyrics below

I took my love and took it down
I climbed a mountain and I turned around
And I saw my reflection in the snow-covered hills
Till the landslide brought me down

Oh, mirror in the sky, what is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?

Well, I’ve been afraid of changing
‘Cause I’ve built my life around you
But time makes you bolder
Even children get older
And I’m getting older too

Well, I’ve been afraid of changing
‘Cause I’ve built my life around you
But time makes you bolder
Even children get older
And I’m getting older too
Oh, I’m getting older too

I take my love, take it down
I climb a mountain and turn around
And if you see my reflection in the snow-covered hills
Will the landslide bring you down
And if you see my reflection in the snow-covered hills
Will the landslide bring you down, oh, oh
The landslide bring you down

It’s a new day, all – I hope you’re able to get out there and make the best of it. Thank you, as always, for stopping by This Old House 2 now and again and being a part of my conversations.

It’s not Black & White

Let me start this post with a clear and honest statement. I believe strongly that I am not a racist. Racism in this day and age disgusts me. By now we should know better. We’ve got a long, ugly history behind us that tells us just how WRONG it is. It is my opinion, and perhaps with arrogance I believe it should be everyones opinion, that we are all human beings who deserve our life on this earth to begin and play out without prejudice and judgement that many still base on our ethnicity. If you are a religious person and you don’t agree, then you are at the very least, a hypocrite. God created all equally, right? He loves all his children? You believe everything on this planet is his creation, correct? Explain your view, please, if you are a racist but you believe in God. I’m not being sarcastic here.. I want to try to understand you, because I have trouble getting past that particularly irony.

All that being said, I’m bullsh*tting you if I don’t come clean and say that if you’re a big person wearing baggy gangsta style clothes that might or might not be concealing a weapon, with your pants half way down your ass, you’re staring me down with a dead look and a swagger that says –get out of my way, b*tch – as we walk toward each other on a deserted street, I’m getting out of your way, quickly. If that’s how you are presenting yourself, it’s reasonable to assume fear is what you’re trying to provoke, aggression and bullying is your MO, so you’ll get the reaction you were asking for. Notice I didn’t say, though, whether you are black or white. A big white dude presenting himself in the same way is going to get the same reaction from me. Maybe even a small white dude. Am I prejudice against big or small dudes dressed gangsta-like with attitude? No.. I’m cautious around someone exuding negative aggression, because I’d be stupid not to be.

We all read about the Trayv*n Martin case, and now the Micha*L Brown story. Both losses are tragic. Neither young men were armed. I don’t believe we will ever know the exact sequence of events, emotions, knee-jerk reaction? responses – appropriate or inappropriate that occurred in either of those stories. We have to rely on eye-witness accounts that are tainted with emotions, with prejudices of their own. If it was all clear in a video surveillance camera, we wouldn’t have to trust an eye witness. But most often we don’t have that clarity and so those other factors come in to play… emotion… prejudice, fear.

Regarding this newest case – This is what we know for sure. MB was a young black man. He was unarmed. He had just acted like a bully and shoved a convenience store clerk around with threatening behavior as he robbed him of a $50 box of cigars. Then he ambled down a public street, blocking traffic, which is what prompted the officer to approach him. Another bully behavior. Clearly his mindset at that time was that of defiance and aggression. Did he deserve to die because of it? Absolutely not.

Lets talk about the police officer, who now has the terrible burden of knowing he shot and killed a young unarmed man. The guy had a solid six year record, no disciplinary issues. What we know for sure – the young man in question was acting defiantly. He was behaving in the way that dangerous and armed people typically behave… with arrogance, breaking the law. Given this scenario, the officer is now on high alert for any other signs of something about to go wrong. He is trained to do so. Experience has taught him that things can go horribly wrong in an instant. The officer says the young man, when questioned and asked to stop walking down the center of the road, blocking traffic, tried to grab his gun. If this is true, really really stupid move on the young mans part. I call that extreme aggression and the officer had a right to assume the young man was going to try to shoot him with his own gun. The officers life is just as valuable as the young mans and he has a right to protect it. If it’s not true, and the officer was attempting to pull the kid into his car – (friend of victim, eyewitness claim)… and then the young man just backed up and was shot at repeatedly as his hands were up…. then the officers response was grossly -wrong-.

Why do we assume the outcome of this tussle would have been different if the young man was white? Or the officer was black? Well, statics show that this type of shooting death by an officer occurs much more often when the perp is black. Is it because there are more blacks doing these type of crimes or does racism play a roll? I keep wanting to take the color out of the question. Seems that simple to me.. just take the color out of the question. But I am a white woman who has not had to warn her children that the color of their skin might make them targets of unwarranted bigotry and hate. That reality exists.

What makes sense to you? In this case – Why would the officer pull the young man INTO his car window and start shooting…and then keep shooting as the victim backs away. Keep in mind.. at this time the officer had no idea he was looking at the guy who had just robbed the store. His reaction was based on however that young man presented himself at that very moment. Just backing away with hands up??? The eyewitness to all this was the victims friend… and accomplice in the robbery at the convenience store earlier. He’s not going to defend the cop’s judgement and betray his dead friend and implicate himself for that matter in threatening behavior. But… there stands his statement that the kid was just walking along innocently, the officer in question stopped to question him and then just opened fire as he put his hands up, killing him with repeated shots. I find that last scenario very had to believe. And it’s not because the young man was black. When analyzing this picture… it should have nothing to do with his color. It has everything to do with his known behavior and state of mind before this tragedy occurred. The officers reputation has to count for something too.

Regardless of what anyone believes, it’s a horrible tragedy all around. The pain and loss MBs family is suffering should never have come to be. A young man is dead who may have needed some discipline but did not deserve to die, and a police officer has killed someone and will have to live with that outcome for the rest of his natural life. I can’t tell you whether racism played a roll. You can’t either. But as long as we all keep fueling that fire, it’s going to burn long and strong. The people of Fergus*n who are looting among the protesters are only adding more fuel to that fire.

-Just sayin

Sometimes Sucking Up is Wise

… like when it’s Hay Day here at the farm. Nothing more pleasant than unloading scratchy 70 lb. hay bales – 200 of them- into a hot hayloft on a beautiful summer day. My guys look forward to it every year! The excitement builds as the day comes closer and spirits just soar at the prospect!

NOT.

Allergies soar at the prospect, and I do a happy dance because my loft will be full with good quality second cut hay that will last me an entire year. That’s about the extent of the excitement.

So, because I know my guy is going to cough up the money for this deal and the labor as well, I figure I better make it worth his while. There are two ways to do this… let’s talk about the secret to entering a mans heart is through his stomach. Yeah.. THAT ONE.

One word – Lasagna.

Death of a Salesman

Of all the people in all the world, I would not have guessed that Robin Williams could ever take his own life. I think it’s safe to assume most of us considered him a brilliant comedian with many faces, none of which betrayed the apparent pain of the man beneath the masks. Exuberent, a real zest for life, hilarious!, spontaneous, genius, brutally honest, a family man as well as one of the most talented and creative actors of our time. These are words I would use to describe him. He sold us on what appeared to be one very funny man hooked on life.

So we’re left with the obvious question…. How could a man in possession of so much that is good.. choose to end it all in such a tragic way? He leaves behind a family who loved him… he had to know this choice would scar his family and leave them with painful unanswered questions forever.

I thank my stars frequently that I do not suffer from depression in the ways that torment so many. It must be a tremendous cross to bear. We all experience bouts of depression at some point in our lives for various reasons, but that type of depression is a different animal all together. From what I can gather, there isn’t a rhyme or reason for clinical depression, only the crushing sadness and despair. Ironic that some of the funniest men have fallen victim to the disease …Chris Farley, John Belushi, Freddie Prinz, Richard Prior… often turning to substance abuse and sometimes suicide to deal with or end the emotional pain. Did their comic genius have something to do with their depression? Perhaps a way to survive was to nurture the extreme opposite. Sad irony – that he was so good at getting us all to laugh and forget our own troubles for a while…but it wasn’t enough to save himself.

Well written piece HERE if you’re interested.

A Place Called Hope

Yesterday we visitied a bird sanctuary – A Place Called Hope. – A Place Called Hope is a Rehabilitation and Education Center for Birds of Prey. Our goal is to heal injured, orphaned, or ill birds and return them to the wild where they belong. Federal permits allow us to house and work with the birds that can not be returned to their natural world provided we share them through educational presentations. These particular birds have become ambassadors and have helped us to educate the public. They also teach all of us how to co-exist more peacefully with the wildlife in our very own backyards.

I was so impressed by the enclosures these birds are kept in, the knowledge and great care these folks provide, and always.. the inspiration, hope and good will people like this give our planet in their generous gift of caring and doing.

I do love owls… this little guy below could fit in the palm of your hand.

Up the river with two paddles

Because this ain’t sh*t’s creek 🙂

It’s a glorious summer day here in New England and we took full advantage by throwing Ruby and Torch in the back of the truck and setting out just over the bridge in the Salmon River.

My experience is that being surrounded by the beauty of nature, especially these bodies of water I’m lucky to live near, washes away the anxieties that are life. When I push out into the river and take a deep breath in, I feel the stresses leave me as the salty air refreshes, invigorates, heals.

Have you gotten your dose of natural beauty today? Step away from the chaos of the TV, the news, the papers, the computer, your phone!…. Drop your cares at the door.. go find it, drink it up, soak it in. Life is short, friends. Go live it –

Easy like Sunday Morning

I’ve got that song on my mind now, don’t ya know. Are you singing it too? HERE if you want the lyrics and song – one of my favorites from more youthful days-

ANYWAY.. that wasn’t what I was getting at. I’ve got two super easy cake recipes for you, because we could all use a little cake from our friends. I get by with a little cake from my friends... Now how many of you are humming THAT tune… another of my favorites. 🙂 Now I’m just being silly.

SO.. the easy cake recipes!

First up is a pineapple dump cake that my blog friend Sally posted. SERIOUSLY YUMMY and so freak’n easy. It was devoured in just a few hours at my house. Nothing left for the next day.

Preheat oven to 350.

Grease or spray a medium glass baking pan.

Combine one box of Angelfood Cake mix (just the mix)

and 1 large can of crushed pineapple in a bowl.

Pour into prepared glass pan and bake for approx. 25 minutes

and top is golden brown.

Let cool and top with your choice of whipped cream.

Delicious, light and easy! Perfect for summer dessert.

This next one I have not tried yet, but it looks like a winner.

One Bowl Apple Cake

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups sugar…
2 heaping teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup oil
6 medium Gala or Fuji or Honey Crisp apples
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, mix the eggs, sugar, cinnamon and oil. Peel and slice the apples and add to mixture in bowl (coating as you go to keep apples from turning brown.) Mix together the baking soda and flour and add to the ingredients in the bowl. Mix well (best with a fork) until all of the flour is absorbed by the wet ingredients. Pour mixture into a greased one 9×13 or two 9″ round pans. Bake for approximately 55 minutes.

Enjoy!

Salem Feed & Grain

So.. I brought home the two baby bunnies, Harley & Cloud… and placed them in the prepared “Nursery Chicken Coop”. We’ve got a menagerie here, as you have probably figured out.. and I try to keep my animal care expenses down to respectable levels (*ahem) and thought I could make due with bunnies in a sort-of hutch-like coop. The supposed non-animal-loving husband took one look at it and said “it’s not safe enough, go get a real rabbit hutch.”

Who am I to argue! But there-in lied the rub. I called around looking for a decent rabbit hutch. Thought in a semi- rural area like ours it would be pretty simple. Petco nearby had nothing for outdoor use, but could order one. I looked at their stuff online, and the reviews. ” Nice looking but cheaply made, wood was flimsy”. “Plastic”. “Way too small for two rabbits although it is advertised as appropriate for two.”. Ok then! On to Agway. WAY TOO EXPSENIVE and not adequate space in my opinion. SO … then I googled local.. and found a fellow who makes hutches! And they were really nice styles! But they were at minimum $799!!!!… What???…. *sigh*

Yes I know I’m married to a builder. You know the shoemaker who’s family goes without shoes….

Not that we go without housing, just not a home made hutch. Priorities and available time and all that stuff.

Then I remembered a stop we made a few months back at a feed store about 40 minutes from here. Oh, how I love that place…If you live within an hour radius, or are traveling down I-95 in CT, it is soooo worth stopping in. Salem Feed & Grain

Pictures say a thousands words here…