Dirt Roads

I found this old story of Paul Harvey's at the following website. I really like it but wish it was still true. On our dirt roads we do have drugs and drugs dealers, now. We do have tailgating and inconsiderate drivers. We have people running stop signs including the police and sherrif, and animal control. When we have rain people complain about the mud and expect county road crews to clean it up. But hopefully we don't have as many problems on our dirt road as people have in the cities on their paved roads. http://famguardian.org/Subjects/FamilyIssues/Articles/DirtRoads/DirtRoads.htm

Phewwwww

We grow watermelons this year. More than we have ever grown before. Last year we tried but they were still green when we had an early freeze and never finished ripening. This year we have had all the watermelon we could eat - and the neighbors, too. And it sure has been good. They have tasted a lot better than the ones we buy from the store. A lot more taste or flavor and oh, so, sweet. Of course that goes for the tomatoes and cucumbers, and squash we have grown, too. I joke with the neighbors saying it is because I fertilize them with horse poop.
And that brings up the thought of if horses like watermelon. I had always heard that they did. So I took some out to the horses. I was pretty sure none of them had ever had any before, and I must have been right. Each horse would smell it like it might taste good. Then he/she would reach out gingerly with their long lips and do a little nibble-nibble on the edge of the melon. You could see the wheels turning in their mind. It looked like they were thinking "Not to bad". So he/she would nibble a bit more - and it was at about this point that they would get a real taste of the melon. Then each and every one of my 5 horse would give me a disgusting look and spit at the melon with a "ppphhhewwww" sound. Which would make me laugh. The horse would look even more disgusted and turn and walk off. I got them impression that they thought I was making fun of them for not liking the watermelon. No I haven't offered them any more.
But they do beg for their other treats like horse cookies, carrots, apples, what few grass clippings we get from the scattered clumps of grass in the yard, and their favorites gingersnaps, animal crackers, and their very best favorite peppermint candies.

Political Comercials Harassment

I think I'll quite watching TV on our local channels until after the election. I get so tired of seeing the same commercials over and over and over. And all those commercials do is tell what the other politication has done that is worng. They never seem to say what they will do to correct the problems. At least they aren't on the Direct TV channels. I don't watch a lot of TV but I do like to watch a few things when I sit down to rest. But having to see and listen to those political commercials is really getting to me.
And it isn't only the TV. Their bad in the newspapers, and then there is the mailings. But worst of all are the phone calls from people with India accents wanting to do a survey on my political thoughts. No one needs to know how I feel about the candidates or how I plan to vote. If my ballet is to be secret why should people from another country call to ask how I will vote? It is none of their business or anyone elses. And those calls can't be stopped as they do not fall under the "do not call" listing rules as they arn't asking you to buy anything. And when you ask to be put on a 'do not call' list they hang up on you. If a politicial really wants my vote he or she might find a way to stop this politial telephone harassment.

Deer

Here is the photo of both deer watching me as I was watching them.

The other day we went and started our fall woodcutting trips to the Jemez Mountains. The last few times we have been there we haven't seen any deer or elk. This time we saw 3 deer. The first one ran across the road in front of us on the way to where we wanted to check for wood. We got to where we wanted to go and spent several hours going from one fallen log to another using the chainsaw to cut it up and then stacking it on the pickup. We moved the truck again, not taking any precautions to not scare any animals that might be in the area as by now we assumed they would all be in hiding or long gone somewere else. Just as lee got out the chainsaw again I turned and there was a deer not more than 200 yards from us. We spent several minutes watching her. I assumed it was a her as it didn't have any antlers. But instead of watching us she seemed more interested in looking off to our left. She walked off in that direction when I got this photo of her. As I followered her she let me get even closer. Then I saw another one. It, too, seemed to be a doe as there were no antlers. I was able to get with in about 50 yards of them, then they would walk off a few feet. Finally they and I got tired of the game and they took off. I have never had deer do this with me before. It was very unusuall. I do hope they learn that humans can be dangerous as hunting season is near, and there are many hunters that will shot a doe even though it is against the law.

Gourd in Tree

the morning glories weren't the only vine that grew up into a tree. I had a gourd vine grow up into one of my redbud trees. I knew the vine was growing up the tree but hadn't seen any gourd on it. The tree leaves hid the little gourds so well I didn't see them until they were quite large. About a foot tall. I hope the tree can handle the weight. They look like odd decorations hanging in the tree - about 5 in all. And I have about 20 more growing on the ground where they belong.

Beauty in the Morning

Each morning the beauty of the morning glories help me get started on another day. I have about 4 different areas where there is hundreds of blossoms each day. Sadly they are all gone by evening but I know another group of them will be there to greet me the next morning. I love this blue color but also have other shades of blue and some purple. Morning glories have always been one of my favorite flowers not only because of their beauty but because they are so easy to grow. They are an anual and do have to be replanted each spring but grow fast, with little fertilizer and not as much water as a lot of other flowers. One group decided to grow up into my Bradford Pear tree. A Bradford pear is an ornimental pear meaning it has beautiful white flowers in the spring but no fruit.

Goathead Weeds

these weeds are going to just cover me up and every thing else on the place. All kinds of weeds - tumbleweeds, goatheads, ragweed, and a dozen others that I don't even know the names of. I sort of half way tolerate anything that doesn't have stickers on it. Except the ragweed - well it sort of has a sticker - or at least it has some kind of very fine, hairlike thing that likes to stick in my skin if I'm not using gloves. And it sure does make the me sneese and caugh, and sniffle. Yucky allergies.
but worst of all are the goatheads. In the southwest we have these horid, visious, monsters that are better know as a weed. If you've never seen one, it grows in a sort of circle, flat on the ground, with tiny yellow flowers that make the moster goathead sticker seed pod. It is a roundish seed pod with horns on it, hence the name goathead. The so called horns can penatrate the toughest skin and even tires on a car. Traveling on tires seems to be the favorite way of goatheads for getting from one place to another. I could have swore several times that I had them gone from my yard and then there they would be again. I see them on my car tires. I have learned to reconize them as soon as they pop out of the ground. But with all the weeds we have growing right now the goatheads are very good at hiding in amoung the other weeds so that they can get very huge with lots of stickers before I find them. You would think they actually have a mind and can think what they are doing when they hide among the other weeds that don't seem to care if they are providing shelter for a monster. Some have been at least 2 feet across when I found them. Their little yellow flowers can be a dead give away. Yes, dead, because when I find them I stop what ever else I am doing and pull them, making sure to put them in the trash rather than to leave them lay as I do lots of the other weeds. And the poor puppies and kitties when they get one in their feet. I have known 2 people who have had to have the stickers removed by doctors. One person let his get infected before going to the doctor and almost lost his foot. I try and keep them gone but most of my neighbors don't fight them at all.
I can't figure out how they can live with a lawn of goathead stickers. If anyone knows of a good organic way to get rid of the goathead mosters please let me know.

House for Sale

For those looking to buy a home, there is a house for sale in Rio Rancho, NM. It is a nice 2 bedroom, 1 bath, with a big addition that could be used as a family room, master bedroom, den, or office. If interested leave a comment with an email and I will get back to you.

Lazy, Dirty People

I have been helping a friend clean one of her rental houses. I have helped before and know the situation. The renters don't want to pay as much as the owner wants, which isn't enough to make a profit after the mortgage on the house is paid each month, plus, the insurance, and taxes. The renters are all so nice and friendly and act like they will be more than glad to keep the place clean, both inside and out. But when they have been there for a few months the owner starts seeing signs of not cleaning and little bits of destruction to the property. This gets worse and worse as well as non-payment of rent until the renters have to be asked to leave. Sometimes they do, sometimes a simple eviction notice is enough, other times it takes a court order and the police to get them out.
My friend though buying a few properites and renting them would be an easy way to make some money. Not so. Every renter is required to pay a large damage deposit and asked to give 30 days notice before they move out. She has never had a renter give notice they were moving. They might call and say their gone, or come give her the keys and say they are out, or as in this case just be gone when she went to collect the rent. The renters cell phone isn't working any more, and she has left her job. None of the renters have ever made an effert to clean when they move out and most make sure to leave lots of holes in the walls, dirt on the floors, carpets, cabinets, and filty bathrooms. They never make any effert to clean the yards at all. I have heard of the city complaining about the weeds in the yards, and the owner having to request renters leave because they won't keep the weeds down, let alone think about keeping a lawn mowed, although it was stated that they would in their contract, and they agreed to it.
It makes me realize just how lazy and dirty the average person is.
Let me say right now that I know there are lots of people who rent and live up to the requirements of their contract. I know I usually left a rental house in better shape that it was when I moved in when I was having to rent. And I agree that a lot of people do the same. But around here it seems to be the normal thing to try to destroy as much of the house as you can or at the very least make it dirty and lots of work for the owner to clean up.
With this house the owner is going to have to have the house repainted again, new carpet put in, new tile in the kitchen and bathroom, one new door that was broken, a new door frame for the front door and around the area where the washer and dryer went. There is a large drawing/picture on the door going into the garage that looks like gang sign. If it can't be painted over the door will have to be replaced and it is one of the heavy metal safety doors. For safety the locks on the door will have to be changed. At least this time there is no sign of drugs yet, just lots of beer cans, and cigerate butts in the back yard. These renters couldn't even put their trash in the trashcan and put it at the curb on trashday even though the home owner paid the garabe bill. We figure there is about $5000 to have the house made livable for someone else again. We will do as much as we can so that other workers don't have to be called in. And this time the house is to be sold. My friend is getting out of the rental business. Everyone that we know that owns rental houses or apartments is doing the same. Where do these kinds of irresponsable people think they are going to live when their credit is shot because they were to lazy and liked living in filt, and all the rental owners get out of the business?

Falling Stars

I love to sit out side after dark and watch for falling stars or meteor. There is supposed to be more than usual this week. The most were to be seen early on the morning of the 12th but I didn't hear about it until today. Should still be more than normal again tonight if you want to watch for them. more information at http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/22jul_perseiddawn.htm

Sunflowers

Adopt PMU Foals

For those that want to help the PMU foals there are several sites that offer information on adopting PMU foals. I can't recommend one over another as I have had no direct connection with any as I can't afford another horse. But it is a good way to get a horse that is in desperate need of a home. You can google adopt PMU foal where there is a lot of sites.

Warning about PMU Websites

A warning to those of you that deside to research the PMU mares and horse slaughterhouse websites. They can be very graphic and very destressful. I can't go back to them anymore.

PMU Mares

Do YOU want to take a medicine made from Mare's Urine?
I went to the doctor the other day for a checkup and to get my prescriptions renewed. The doctor seemed very distracted and didn’t seem to be listening to me, and the same with the rest of his staff. For starters I was trying to make them understand that I don’t have medical insurance anymore. When my husband retired, my medical insurance that had been almost free became $400 dollars a month, plus co-pays. There was no way we could afford that. Neither can we afford any other good insurance on the market right now. (He still has full coverage for free.) As I don’t have anything that doctors seem to be able to take care of I just haven’t bothered to get any. The doctor agreed to renew my prescription for my high blood pressure medicine and the pain meds I need to keep my legs, back, and feet from hurting so much. Then I talked to him about my night sweats and hot flashes and mood swings. Yes I am in menopause. It seems that menopause is still a taboo subject even with doctors. Most women and men don’t want to talk about it, or even think about it. My doctor agreed to put me on an estrogen. Now let me say that I have been on estrogen before for several years, and when the scare came out that they might not be good for you I went off and haven’t taken any for about 2 years now. But my hot flashes and night sweats are getting worse and worse. I may be smiling and happy one minute and crying for no reason the next. It becomes a quality of life situation. And I knew that the kind of estrogen I had taken before was one of the $4 dollar meds at Wal-Mart as is my high blood pressure med. So I told the doctor what I had taken before. He mumbled something about giving me something else. I was dumb for not pushing the situation. At the pharmacy I was told the prescription was for Premarin, (or they thought it was, as it took 3 of them to figure out his handwriting), and would cost me about $130 a month. I nearly came unglued at that. Then I thought to ask if it was the stuff that had mare’s urine in it. The answer was yes. I thanked them nicely, said I couldn’t afford it. They gave me a list of what was on the $4 list of estrogen meds. I called the doctors office the next day and asked for something different. Again I explained to the doctor’s nurse why I didn’t want the Premarin. She said she would talk to the doctor. Finally 2 days later she called back and said he didn’t want me to have the other stuff and since I had insurance I wouldn’t be paying anything but the copay. I almost screamed at her, and explained again (for about the tenth time) why I didn’t have insurance and that I wouldn’t take Premarin even if I did have insurance. She will talk to the doctor again.

For those of you that don’t know let me explain. For Premarin mare’s (a female horse) urine is collected and made into the medicine. To collect it a pregnant mare is made to stand in a tiny 8 foot long by 3-foot wide stall for 6 months and never allowed to lay down or move more than a few steps. They have a machine attached to them to collect the urine in that is never completely removed. Mind you they are pregnant and kept overweight, never allowed to exercise for those 6 months and not allowed enough water so that their urine is higher in the estrogen. They are feed well and kept overweight so that when their usefulness is over they can be sent to a slaughterhouse to be killed and eaten as a meat delicacy in other countries. (Japan, France, Belgium) As soon as she gives birth the mare is allowed out in the pasture for a few months to raise her foal that is usually sent to slaughter, also. (about 40,000 PMU foals are born each year) The mare is breed again on her first heat cycle after foaling so the whole cruel process can start again.

Do you want to be taking a medicine that has mare’s urine in it from a mare that is enduring such a cruel, painful life when there are other medicines on the market that don’t have mare’s urine that are just as good and a lot cheaper.

If you think I am making this up as I was once told by a co-worker, please go to a couple of the websites that are trying to get this stopped. I had heard about it a long time ago and though it was on the decrease, but find that the PMU farms are still going and creeping into the United States. Most are in Canada. Canada, on the whole is a good country to visit and see but they don’t advertise about their PMU mares and horse slaughterhouse. Neither does Mexico. Nether does the United States. At least the US did shut down the slaughterhouses but have not stopped the auction buyers from buying horses from auction and sending them across the borders to Canada and Mexico.
Here are some of the websites. You can access others by googlleing PNM mares.
http://www.premarin.com/ http://www.prempro.com/ and this is one of the companies that makes medicines from mare’s urine. www.StopWyeth.org
I found this one very informative.
http://friendsofanimals.org/programs/domestic-feral/horses/pmu.html
And this one is on You Tube and dated for Jan. 2008 I couldn't watch all of it.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2I-IWYOIx7Ug

Zucchini

My zucchini crop looks to be good this year. I have had a few squarsh bugs but not to many and the couple of heavy rains we have had seem to have washed the few we had away out behind the garden into the open space of desert behind us. I have already pigged out on several plate fulls of fried zucchini which I really love. Now I am looking at making zucchini bread and a cassarole or two.
The tomatos are just starting to turn pink, so should be ripe in a week or so. Now I won't have to worry about buying or not buying tomatoes from the store.
I have 2 pumpkins coming on and 1 watermelon.
do hope the garden does a bit better than that but it is a small garden. I have found that usually I have one type of veggie or fruit that does better than all the others each year. One year was cherries, one year it was plums, one year or maybe a few more than one, we had tons of tomatoes. so it looks as if it will be zucchini this year.

More Fly Control

As I was reminded ants and birds will eat your fly predators if your not careful. Fly predators are noturnal (come our at night) so should be turned loose at dusk. That can help protect them from ants and birds, too.
Now don't get me wrong, ants and birds are good fly control, too. Ants that find fly in the pupa stage will move them to their nest to be eaten by the young ants. Birds will dig through the horse manure and eat the fly pupa. So will different kinds of beatles.
but the flies can usually out breed and out populate all the insects and birds that want to eat them. We have to continue to protect the good insects so they can help destroy the bad.

comments on electronics

thanks for the comments on electronics - yes I know and will pass on the info that it is best to destroy the hard drive in computers you are recycling as some people will pull your personal info out and you have identity thieft . It is best to break up the hard drive. And on a cell phone get rid of all info and phone numbers.

Adoption

I got this poem in an email and thought I would share it with everyone. It is so true, and sad, and wonderful at the same time. You can change the word dog to horse, cat, or other animal that is adopted by those that love and care for them.

> From Susan Renick at Second Chance Animal Rescue What a great poem, dedicated to those who rescue and adopt the little forgotten souls from the pounds. >

> I adopted your dog today
The one you left at the pound
The one you had for seven years
and no longer wanted around.
> I adopted your dog today
Do you know he's lost weight?
Do you know he's scared and depressed
and has lost all faith?
> I adopted your dog today.
he had fleas and a cold,
but don't worry none.
You've unburdened your load.
> I adopted your dog today.
Were you having a baby or moving away?
Did you suddenly develop allergies or was
there no reason he couldn't stay?
> I adopted your dog today.
he doesn't play or eat much
He's very depressed, but
he will learn again to trust.
> I adopted your dog today.
And here he will stay.
He's found his forever home
and a warm bed on which to lay.
> I adopted your dog today.
And I will give him all that he could need.
Patience, love, security, and understanding.
Hopefully he will forget your selfish deed.
> -Author Unknown>

Fly Control

For more information on fly control and fly predators please go to
www.spalding-labs.com
This is another step for me in not using pesticides. I prefer to go organic as much as possible.