We don’t have any snow falling yet but we are waiting for a major winter storm to begin here in Michigan. Steve was scheduled to have a colonoscopy tomorrow afternoon in Saginaw, which is an hour’s drive in good weather. Before he downed those lovely little pills that would empty him out we decided to cancel. He got to eat today. I just don’t think I want to be driving tomorrow.
My son Jeremy and his family were up on Thanksgiving. We cooked our lovely big turkey - she was almost 30 lbs and Jeremy had to help me get it out of the pan. I had rubbed her with butter that I had seeped fresh sage and garlic in and it tasted wonderful. Steve couldn’t eat any red meat this weekend so he has had plenty of turkey. Of course we had all the other good trimmings to go with the home grown bird. God was gracious to allow us this lovely meal with the family.
I had another homegrown item on the table too. A beautiful yellow rose from the tree rose Sunsprite, that I am overwintering on the porch. It smells so wonderful. If this one doesn’t make it through the winter I will certainly buy another one. My tuberous begonias are still blooming on the porch as are the lantanas and geraniums.
The sun shone here yesterday, a gift from nature and God before the storm. I cleaned out the horse stall and built a shelter for the duck out by where I have been feeding him. I can’t get him to come into the pasture up by the barn this year. He seems to be sheltering on the north bank of the pond in the bushes. I worry that he will be able to get through deep snow back to this side but there is nothing I can do. Maybe if he does he will use the shelter I made and stay on this side.
I must say I have much to be grateful for this year. My first published book, enough money to pay our bills, enough health to live comfortably.
I'm prepared for the snow so let it come!
Living the dream
Visiting grandmas farm.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Man Trampled to death at Walmart
I have to comment on a news happening. I haven't seen or heard any big newspapers or channels commenting on this in the last couple days. A man was trampled to death in a Walmart by shoppers trying to get into the store for a good deal. Or shall I say greedy animals trying to get into a store? Having worked in retail and having seen some of this mentality I can’t say I am surprised. I’m surprised that it hasn’t happened before. I used to have nightmares about a fire breaking out in the store and customers refusing to leave until someone rang up their sales. I have no doubt it would happen.
In the Kmart that I worked in we had a gentleman have a heart attack in an aisle. He was laying on the floor with some of us trying to help him and people kept trying to go around us with their shopping carts. I got up and closed off the aisle, only to have people complain about having to go around.
During one of our famous blue light specials another worker and I came from the stockroom with a flatbed of wrapping paper they were advertising and were attacked by a crowd at the door. My friend was actually knocked down but I managed to help her up. We stood back and let them rip the boxes open with their bare hands, the paper was gone in seconds and people were entering the stockroom looking for more. I refused to help with those super specials after that.
What really ticks me is that the shooting at another store in California is still getting news coverage but the Walmart death, which I think is far more disturbing, has vanished from the news. I have no doubt that Walmarts ability to control vast advertising markets has something to do with that. The news channels don’t want to anger them.
Is it Walmarts fault? To some extent, yes. They have the right to advertise sales, that’s a good thing for everyone. But when you see huge crowds building up outside the store hours before opening you better do some quick security planning. I think maybe all cities should ban crowds from assembling outside stores like this unless the store agrees to hire off duty armed policemen to control them. A couple of snarling police dogs at the entrance of that store may have kept the other animals in line. But then you have pushing from behind etc. so maybe the crowds should just be dispersed.
Certainly when they break through the door and trample people to death they shouldn’t be rewarded by allowing them to have the items they were after. Walmart actually allowed those animals to purchase things before they closed the store- when the police got there and demanded they close. I bet some people left bragging that they “ Had to kill someone to get this!” How horrible! If I was an employee at that store I would have refused to wait on anyone that pushed through those doors and probably would have went home.
To make matters worse that store actually re-opened the same afternoon. What poorly paid Walmart employee had to wash the blood off the floor? A horrific death occurred and yet money making prevailed, the store couldn’t be closed for a day to let other employees get over their shock and to show some respect for the employee who died in the line of duty. They should have closed and paid employees for the day. It’s a sad day when people are so afraid of losing a low paying job that they would actually go to work that day.
Even though it was caught on security cameras police say they will have a hard time charging anyone. Bull. Take everyone who paid by check or credit card from the time the incident happened to the time the police closed the store and charge them with at least accessory to murder. If they weren’t repelled enough to leave after what happened then they are more than likely the ones who didn’t care about stomping on a man on the ground. They have cameras at the check outs too, so ID all those who thought a life was worth getting a good deal.
During the chaos Walmart probably lost as much money to shoplifters as they would have if they immediately shut down all cash registers. Were they afraid for their lives? Then maybe its time to re-think security for these events. No parking lot line ups for more than ten minutes before opening. Actually close the lots off and chase out anyone walking into the lot before that. When the lots are opened people have to park and get out so it would disperse some of the crowd. Armed guards at the door might be another idea. Give some of the local police officers overtime pay [ paid by the store] to stand at the entrance and control crowds.
If this kind of melee happens again maybe its time to charge the store with something- inciting a riot? Believe me, these stores love to create excitement, people fighting over what they perceive are scarce items make other people anxious to grab things too. It’s about money- about sales figures. So it is up to them to make sure that no one gets hurt in the process, particularly the employees.
I am also angry at the liberal news media who have backed off this story. They should be chastising all the idiots out there who are willing to take a life to get a good deal on some gadget they probably don’t need anyway. Idiots who are too afraid of their own kids who can’t tell them “we can’t afford that”. Morons who value things over anyone’s life. The liberal media are probably kowtowing to Walmart when it tells them it wants this out of the news. After all aren’t we supposed to be promoting spending to help the economy?
This is one reason I never, ever shop on the Friday after Thanksgiving. The deals aren’t worth watching people turn into animals. Black Friday sure lives up to its name.
In the Kmart that I worked in we had a gentleman have a heart attack in an aisle. He was laying on the floor with some of us trying to help him and people kept trying to go around us with their shopping carts. I got up and closed off the aisle, only to have people complain about having to go around.
During one of our famous blue light specials another worker and I came from the stockroom with a flatbed of wrapping paper they were advertising and were attacked by a crowd at the door. My friend was actually knocked down but I managed to help her up. We stood back and let them rip the boxes open with their bare hands, the paper was gone in seconds and people were entering the stockroom looking for more. I refused to help with those super specials after that.
What really ticks me is that the shooting at another store in California is still getting news coverage but the Walmart death, which I think is far more disturbing, has vanished from the news. I have no doubt that Walmarts ability to control vast advertising markets has something to do with that. The news channels don’t want to anger them.
Is it Walmarts fault? To some extent, yes. They have the right to advertise sales, that’s a good thing for everyone. But when you see huge crowds building up outside the store hours before opening you better do some quick security planning. I think maybe all cities should ban crowds from assembling outside stores like this unless the store agrees to hire off duty armed policemen to control them. A couple of snarling police dogs at the entrance of that store may have kept the other animals in line. But then you have pushing from behind etc. so maybe the crowds should just be dispersed.
Certainly when they break through the door and trample people to death they shouldn’t be rewarded by allowing them to have the items they were after. Walmart actually allowed those animals to purchase things before they closed the store- when the police got there and demanded they close. I bet some people left bragging that they “ Had to kill someone to get this!” How horrible! If I was an employee at that store I would have refused to wait on anyone that pushed through those doors and probably would have went home.
To make matters worse that store actually re-opened the same afternoon. What poorly paid Walmart employee had to wash the blood off the floor? A horrific death occurred and yet money making prevailed, the store couldn’t be closed for a day to let other employees get over their shock and to show some respect for the employee who died in the line of duty. They should have closed and paid employees for the day. It’s a sad day when people are so afraid of losing a low paying job that they would actually go to work that day.
Even though it was caught on security cameras police say they will have a hard time charging anyone. Bull. Take everyone who paid by check or credit card from the time the incident happened to the time the police closed the store and charge them with at least accessory to murder. If they weren’t repelled enough to leave after what happened then they are more than likely the ones who didn’t care about stomping on a man on the ground. They have cameras at the check outs too, so ID all those who thought a life was worth getting a good deal.
During the chaos Walmart probably lost as much money to shoplifters as they would have if they immediately shut down all cash registers. Were they afraid for their lives? Then maybe its time to re-think security for these events. No parking lot line ups for more than ten minutes before opening. Actually close the lots off and chase out anyone walking into the lot before that. When the lots are opened people have to park and get out so it would disperse some of the crowd. Armed guards at the door might be another idea. Give some of the local police officers overtime pay [ paid by the store] to stand at the entrance and control crowds.
If this kind of melee happens again maybe its time to charge the store with something- inciting a riot? Believe me, these stores love to create excitement, people fighting over what they perceive are scarce items make other people anxious to grab things too. It’s about money- about sales figures. So it is up to them to make sure that no one gets hurt in the process, particularly the employees.
I am also angry at the liberal news media who have backed off this story. They should be chastising all the idiots out there who are willing to take a life to get a good deal on some gadget they probably don’t need anyway. Idiots who are too afraid of their own kids who can’t tell them “we can’t afford that”. Morons who value things over anyone’s life. The liberal media are probably kowtowing to Walmart when it tells them it wants this out of the news. After all aren’t we supposed to be promoting spending to help the economy?
This is one reason I never, ever shop on the Friday after Thanksgiving. The deals aren’t worth watching people turn into animals. Black Friday sure lives up to its name.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Abandoned pets
Well the farm has a new resident. Hopefully, a temporary one. A woman brought a rabbit into our office this week that she found in her yard. It walked right up to her and wanted to be picked up. It’s a tortoise shell Rex rabbit, that means its gray and orange mottled, with short plush fur. He is very tame and was obviously a pet.
The woman put the rabbit in her pole barn, loose on the floor, while she asked neighbors if they lost it. After a few days it became obvious no one was going to claim it and her beagles were circling the barn and howling. So she brought it to the Extension office.
I tried to get everyone else to take it home but to no avail. I used to raise rabbits and show them but I soon remembered why I decided to get rid of all my rabbits. I am very allergic to them. I forgot how allergic I was getting- it was about ten years ago- but my body remembered like it was yesterday. Soon my eyes were red, itchy and swollen, stupid me was cuddling the bunny several times as it sat in a box by my desk. I drove home with it and luckily Steve had found one of our old cages and set it up for him in the barn so all I had to do was pop him in it.
He seems fairly happy there- he was too hot in the office, but every time I go near him he wants me to pet him and I can’t. My eyes start itching even when I feed him. He needs a new home quick. I am too soft hearted. I think I will call him Riley.
People are dropping animals off all over, a sign of bad economy. They think a farm will take them in or like in the case of the rabbit, that they will be able to just take care of themselves. But farms can’t take everyone’s pets in, and pet animals don’t do well in the wild, with the exception of cats maybe. Even a lot of cats die trying to adjust to wild conditions. I saw a Siamese cat sitting by the road in a very remote location. It may have come from a nearby home although I couldn’t see any homes nearby, but my guess it was dumped. After a few days they will seldom let you catch them. This one ran off as soon as I stopped.
People need to be responsible and take their pets to a shelter and surrender them or have them put down humanely if they can’t keep them. You have to admit you can’t care for them and it’s hard. It’s harder than just leaving them or turning them loose but when you get a pet it’s your responsibility to do the hard things too. Besides it’s illegal and cruel to abandon them.
I know that when people lose their homes or hard times come the pets become a lesser concern to some, but there are organizations and shelters that will help. Don’t kid yourself that a farm wants your pet or that country homes will let it hang around. And they won’t learn to take care of their self in the wild either. Man up and do the right thing. And for God’s sake if things look shaky for you don’t get new pets or let yours breed.
I wish I could help all the homeless animals but I am realistic enough to know my limits. I can’t take in any more dogs for example. I don’t want more cats but they seem to find us. We feed what comes along. The bunny is ok because we had the cage and the barn space and he doesn’t eat much but he needs a home somewhere else too. I might consider other farm animals if they were tame, but that’s my limit.
The woman put the rabbit in her pole barn, loose on the floor, while she asked neighbors if they lost it. After a few days it became obvious no one was going to claim it and her beagles were circling the barn and howling. So she brought it to the Extension office.
I tried to get everyone else to take it home but to no avail. I used to raise rabbits and show them but I soon remembered why I decided to get rid of all my rabbits. I am very allergic to them. I forgot how allergic I was getting- it was about ten years ago- but my body remembered like it was yesterday. Soon my eyes were red, itchy and swollen, stupid me was cuddling the bunny several times as it sat in a box by my desk. I drove home with it and luckily Steve had found one of our old cages and set it up for him in the barn so all I had to do was pop him in it.
He seems fairly happy there- he was too hot in the office, but every time I go near him he wants me to pet him and I can’t. My eyes start itching even when I feed him. He needs a new home quick. I am too soft hearted. I think I will call him Riley.
People are dropping animals off all over, a sign of bad economy. They think a farm will take them in or like in the case of the rabbit, that they will be able to just take care of themselves. But farms can’t take everyone’s pets in, and pet animals don’t do well in the wild, with the exception of cats maybe. Even a lot of cats die trying to adjust to wild conditions. I saw a Siamese cat sitting by the road in a very remote location. It may have come from a nearby home although I couldn’t see any homes nearby, but my guess it was dumped. After a few days they will seldom let you catch them. This one ran off as soon as I stopped.
People need to be responsible and take their pets to a shelter and surrender them or have them put down humanely if they can’t keep them. You have to admit you can’t care for them and it’s hard. It’s harder than just leaving them or turning them loose but when you get a pet it’s your responsibility to do the hard things too. Besides it’s illegal and cruel to abandon them.
I know that when people lose their homes or hard times come the pets become a lesser concern to some, but there are organizations and shelters that will help. Don’t kid yourself that a farm wants your pet or that country homes will let it hang around. And they won’t learn to take care of their self in the wild either. Man up and do the right thing. And for God’s sake if things look shaky for you don’t get new pets or let yours breed.
I wish I could help all the homeless animals but I am realistic enough to know my limits. I can’t take in any more dogs for example. I don’t want more cats but they seem to find us. We feed what comes along. The bunny is ok because we had the cage and the barn space and he doesn’t eat much but he needs a home somewhere else too. I might consider other farm animals if they were tame, but that’s my limit.
Friday, November 14, 2008
nearly winter
My book is published! You can find it on Amazon - The Complete Idiots Guide to Country Living- It's getting good reviews too.
It’s a cold and wet November day, rather mild in the 50’s but just miserable. I just came back from the barn, feeding time. It was getting dark and the hen turkeys were all inside, but the stupid tom was sitting on the ridge of the barn roof in the rain. Ain’t that just like a male? Next week on Thursday evening the big white hen goes to see the butcher. It’s the closest appointment I could get to Thanksgiving. She will have to sit in the frig for a week or maybe I will freeze her - I don’t know.
I have stopped letting the horses out into the larger pasture. It’s not much good anymore and the weather has been nasty. They are getting all the hay they can eat. I haven’t been able to walk Charlie as much as he needs. He’s getting big, I let the brow band out on his halter but we may need to buy him a bigger one soon. I was able to contact our horse farm neighbor to get farrier information. She is going to send him over to our place on Monday when he comes to hers.
It’s my granddaughters 13th birthday on Sunday. She’s having a big family party. I told her I would bake the cake and asked her how she wanted it to be decorated. She wants pink and white. Of course everything is red and green now - but I did manage to find some pink decorations. The cake will be cherry chip. It’s amazing how fast time flies. Our oldest granddaughter will be 17 in January. The thought that I could be a great grandmother in a few years scares me. My next oldest sister has yet to have her first grandchild, although a younger sister has quite a few young grandchildren.
Deer firearm season starts tomorrow here. The gunshots have been going off around here for weeks, now it will be legal. We saw all the “hunters” in the grocery store today loading up on beer and canned chili. I hope they kill a lot of them, we sure need herd reduction around here.
I still have petunias blooming in the old grill up by the barn. Some sweet alyssum and snapdragons are blooming under the oak tree. The grass is still very green in the yard. I like global warming so far. We are supposed to get snow here in a couple of days though.
I need some winter weather so I can buckle down and write my nest book.
It’s a cold and wet November day, rather mild in the 50’s but just miserable. I just came back from the barn, feeding time. It was getting dark and the hen turkeys were all inside, but the stupid tom was sitting on the ridge of the barn roof in the rain. Ain’t that just like a male? Next week on Thursday evening the big white hen goes to see the butcher. It’s the closest appointment I could get to Thanksgiving. She will have to sit in the frig for a week or maybe I will freeze her - I don’t know.
I have stopped letting the horses out into the larger pasture. It’s not much good anymore and the weather has been nasty. They are getting all the hay they can eat. I haven’t been able to walk Charlie as much as he needs. He’s getting big, I let the brow band out on his halter but we may need to buy him a bigger one soon. I was able to contact our horse farm neighbor to get farrier information. She is going to send him over to our place on Monday when he comes to hers.
It’s my granddaughters 13th birthday on Sunday. She’s having a big family party. I told her I would bake the cake and asked her how she wanted it to be decorated. She wants pink and white. Of course everything is red and green now - but I did manage to find some pink decorations. The cake will be cherry chip. It’s amazing how fast time flies. Our oldest granddaughter will be 17 in January. The thought that I could be a great grandmother in a few years scares me. My next oldest sister has yet to have her first grandchild, although a younger sister has quite a few young grandchildren.
Deer firearm season starts tomorrow here. The gunshots have been going off around here for weeks, now it will be legal. We saw all the “hunters” in the grocery store today loading up on beer and canned chili. I hope they kill a lot of them, we sure need herd reduction around here.
I still have petunias blooming in the old grill up by the barn. Some sweet alyssum and snapdragons are blooming under the oak tree. The grass is still very green in the yard. I like global warming so far. We are supposed to get snow here in a couple of days though.
I need some winter weather so I can buckle down and write my nest book.
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