It’s a Game Called, “I Win.”
April 26, 2008|Comments (20)
As we pulled into the driveway last night, Josh and I realized that we had an uninvited guest snooping around the guinea pen and front yard. The Red fox had returned to finish the job on our birds after the rainstorm. Josh threw the car into park and ran in the house with flip flops clapping on the wet pavement to get his gun but the fox was long gone. My Great White Hunter was bummed.
Inclement weather is ideal weather for a fox to go hunting. Most animals have bedded down and are unsuspecting. Nighttime inclement weather is even better. (I say this like I am an expert or something… Josh told me, ok?)
This morning, we awoke to a thick fog and Josh set up camp on the front porch with binos (that’s military-man speak for binoculars), rifle, coffee, and the Bible.
He’s going to protect his babies. Don’t worry chickens: Daddy’s home.
—————————–Update on the pesky fox battle————————–
Josh discovered that the hillside is the fox suburbs (a bedroom community of poultry-munchers) and began trap construction. He killed two of them this morning and is now after the rest. Yes, they have awakened the sleeping giant: Josh, the hunter/tracker/trapper. Beware the determined man. Testosterone abounds.
Pure and Simple
April 24, 2008|Comments (22)
In the name of all things good and holy, where did our time and money go? How oft have I asked that very question? Too many times to count. Choosing a simplified life does not lengthen the day or make the world instantly bend your way. In fact, as we contemplate why the government doesn’t allow a private citizen to install their own solar-energy system and fails to regulate the excessive installation fees… we feel the ugly shadow of discouragement creep over us. Then our bank account fails to produce the necessary funds to support our other inspired ideas or the tools to complete a project. Unfailingly, it is in these moments that we are reminded that our choice to pursue this lifestyle (while not always easy or inexpensive) is morally on target. We are then given the chance to see the rewards of our labors and the lighter side of life…
Yesterday, I was busily researching how to convert a broken refrigerator into a large incubator for eggs because I have grand ideas of hatching eggs and selling chicks without spending a ghastly amount of money on an industrial incubator. (Have you priced these things? If I say any more, I’ll be spitting soap bubbles as penance.) As I scribbled notes on the usage of bathroom fans near the thermostat and the joys of tilting trays, I heard Josh walking very quickly through the house and peeked just in time to see him step out on the front porch with a gun. **Insert dueling banjos from Deliverance** He told me later that he had a sixth sense moment (if you ask me, the guinea fowl contacted him telepathically). So he grabbed his gun like a good soldier and went to save the day. I stalked him with camera in hand, hoping for action. The simple life just went from frustrating to exciting. Three of our guineas were running in circles, sometimes running smack into each other — like heated up atoms. Josh raced ahead towards the fence in the front lot.
He stopped and took aim. It was then that I saw the flash of movement through the fence coming from our yard. Josh lowered his weapon but remained on alert:
The guineas began to move past Josh and he followed them. I carefully tiptoed along behind the group making as much noise as was humanly possible (because I’m about as likely a candidate for espionage as I am for WWF training camp). Josh bent down. I prayed silently: “Oh no. Please, God, not more death!” The guineas began making horrible sounds. I glanced over in time to see the fourth guinea go racing over to the group. Josh waved me over to see:
Sixteen guinea eggs had been guarded by mother guinea against a creeping fox who managed to avoid Josh’s expert superhuman sniper powers by aligning him/herself with the neighbor’s propane tank.
And suddenly all the red tape, lack of funds, and bureaucratic male bovine fecal material vanished… the only thing in the world was my wonderful husband holding my hand as we stood over a nest of potential life. We were in awe of the boldness & bravery of our little guinea hen who protected her unborn babies from a daunting predator. Fearless in the face of overwhelming odds, she held her ground until the fox was long gone.
And this is what choosing the simple life does to you: the very moment you doubt your purpose or consider the obstacles insurmountable, some extraordinary force reins you back in. You find yourself centered and motivated. Suddenly the sacrifices seem minor and of little consequence. Making homemade soap, clothing, and bread; gardening and canning; keeping poultry and collecting eggs; knitting, spinning, quilting and darning socks; and all the million-and-one ways of simplifying life are not only worthwhile — they are vital, renewable energy for the soul.
This post is dedicated to Rhonda Jean from Down to Earth, who asked for her readers to write about our personal ways of living simply.
Simple Living blog picks: Colours of Dawn, Applie’s Place, Nexus Farm & Alpacas, and Home-keeping Hearts. Check them out and be inspired. I am.
Nature… it’s a no red tape zone
February 14, 2008|Comments (14)
“If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things of nature have a message that you understand, rejoice, for your soul is alive.” ~Eleonora Duse
Josh found this little guy in the front yard the other day. In trying to decide just what kind of woodpecker has graced our land and posed so nicely for us, I discovered some very interesting facts about them. Did you know that woodpeckers have really long tongues (the likes of which Gene Simmons of KISS could only imagine)? Apparently, their tongues are usually as long as their bodies.
While conducting my research, I also discovered a service in Atlanta, Ga. which offers woodpecker removal and even calls their tapping a potential annoyance. Their slogan: “Don’t let urban wildlife ruin your life..” really bothered me. I admit that I don’t want certain animals wild or domesticated on our property so Josh and I take care to remove things that would attract unwanted guests. We also plan to fence our entire property and have a gated entrance — but more to keep our animals in than to keep anything out. As more and more housing takes over the natural habitats of these animals, it is little wonder that they adapt by tapping on gazebos and whatnot. Woodpeckers also use dead and decaying trees to nest in and since humans remove such trees from their neighborhoods, woodpeckers are forced to find other places to nest. While we live in a society that wants results right away, there are a few ways to discourage creatures that could be considered “annoying” without the use of harmful chemicals or a service to remove them from the home (which, by the way, was theirs long before it became ours). Here’s what I found:
- offer nesting boxes and suet in your yard — away from the area in question
- hang small cosmetic mirrors near the damage with the enlarging lens facing outward (these can be purchased at dollar stores)
- wooden or plastic hawk mobiles (wingspan of at least 22 inches) can be hung above the eaves
- sturdy pinwheels (preferrably painted black) can be placed in problem spots
- the quick repair of damage can also discourage woodpeckers
- attach hardware cloth or plastic netting under the eaves of the house
- use of construction materials that discourages insects also discourages woodpeckers
Living in harmony with nature is not always as easy as hanging a few mirrors. In May of 2007, a young viper came into the backyard and attracted the attention of Grace, Logan, and Dustin who promptly surrounded the unsuspecting snake. The dogs, no doubt, attempted to get the snake out of their yard (we saw them do this to a hog-nosed snake once before). The viper (feeling threatened) struck each dog. We were home but working in the house and heard some strange sounds from the backyard. We went out to find that our goldens looked more like shar peis due to massive swelling on their faces. I called the vet while Josh searched the yard for the snake that bit them. He found the snake and put it in a five gallon bucket with a lid in case the vet needed to know what sort of snake bite he/she was attempting to treat. Here it is:
The dogs were treated that day and by the following morning, we knew that we needed to deal with the snake. We talked about releasing it back into the wild somewhere (after all, Josh’s hero is Steve Irwin) but decided to kill the snake because there is no shortage of vipers in this area. A close inspection of the yard and considering the location of the snake when Josh found it suggested that the snake was attracted to the wood we had recently stacked in the fence corner (that wood is now the chicken coop). Had we not created the perfect environment for such a snake in a place frequented by our beloved dogs (who made a complete recovery), this crisis might have been averted. Of course, hindsight is 20/20 and we now know to stack the supplies for such projects out of the range of our pets.
The point in sharing this story is not to condone killing certain wild animals or suggest that we are rotten pet owners, but instead to point out that some of the run-ins can be prevented. Perhaps someone reading this blog entry will learn from our oversight or try some of the humane methods of discouraging wildlife from damaging property. The benefits of sharing land with wildlife and offering food & shelter for birds, bats, and other creatures far outweigh the costs.
A quick note to all: we now call the nine female chicks the Beardsleys. Thank you!
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