Big horn sheep and dog rant

On our way out to Two Peaks to look at a house for sale, we were blessed to see a herd of big horn sheep grazing near the Taos Gorge bridge. We've seen them before, but never so many. It was amazing.

The house in Two peaks is a no go. The roads still make me angry and the running dogs are intolerable. One actually jumped on our moving car, leaving some nice scratches. I'm not sure why people think their dogs have rights over people. I hate NM for that. I long to take a walk without being accosted by dogs. Even here, just across the border in Colorado, our neighbors let their dogs run. The dogs across the street have taken to jumping our fence to fight with my dogs, which are, thankfully, behind another 6ft high fence. Somehow this has made having a relationship with our neighbors very tense, and they often say they'd come by, except for the dog issue. Here's the issue folks...contain your F'n dogs on your property. Is that too hard???? I know both Costilla county (where we live) and Taos county have dog leash laws, which mean that dogs are to be leashed when not fenced on an owner's property. Is that too difficult to understand?

Now, I can't take my kids or my dogs for walks without the fear of encountering other dogs. Tell me, what do I do with fighting dogs and two developmentally challenged kids? Not worth the risk. Too bad. I love to go for walks. So do the dogs and kids. For some reason people seem to believe other people have no rights to enjoy community spaces or even their own property, in our case. Not everyone likes dogs folks. And even if we like dogs, we don't like other dogs in our space or threatening us on walks. And, I've heard it over and over...."My dog is so sweet, he would never hurt anyone." But what if he does? The dogs that jump the fence and fight with my dogs...I don't find them sweet by any means. I find them a nuisance. Maybe I should get a gun, except I don't believe in guns, and really, it's the owners who need a good spanking, isn't it?

When I tell owners we visit, who let their dogs run, that my autistic daughter has some issues with animals, that she tends to annoy them and they don't seem to like her, you know what these people with sweet dogs say? Well, "Watch her around my dog, because he/she hasn't really been around kids and I'm not sure what he/she will do." Hmmmm....seems like the dogs might indeed pose a threat to people, doesn't it? I can watch my kids. I can even keep them from going to "dog" houses if need be, but do I have to keep my kids locked in the house because other people don't want to fence or leash their dogs? Is it fair to us to not be able to go for walks, or even enjoy our own yard without the fear of dogs threatening my kids and my dogs? My dogs are always leashed and fenced. I have the decency to do that for the sake of others enjoying simple human rights. I notice most of my neighbors go for walks...with their running dogs.

Okay, rant over.

Today is the 6th day of my water fast. I feel pretty good, although I have not had any epiphanies. It's difficult trying to abstain from food while feeding a family. I don't recommend it. If you want to fast, you should go away and spend some quality time alone where there will be no temptations. But, that said, I continue on for as long as I can. I'm fairly confident I will make it to day seven.

No farm news. The same old, same old. It's cold. The animals are all surviving. The chickens, bless them, are laying many eggs a day. We even had one day where all ten laid, and then they laid six more the next day. Pretty amazing. I love the Buffs.

Fasting for clarity

The freezing fog is back. Depressing. And cold.

This week I am doing a water fast. I am on day three. This is my second water fast. I did one last year for seven days, I think it was. But, this time, I hope to go longer. I will be happy if I make it through the end of day three really, and see what happens from there.

Why the fast? Well, I have been feeling pretty unhealthy. I went gluten free about two weeks ago and felt better for a few days, but then my issues were back. My stomach has been hurting daily and I have been having a lot of intestinal cramping and bloating. Even when I eat an apple, and only an apple. So, I figured I needed a major cleanse. That's why I'm doing the fast. I hope to go longer than I ever have, and get the major benefits from a long water fast, including the cleanse, maybe some weight loss, and especially ridding my body of toxins and things that just don't belong. If I have any diseases brewing inside anywhere, a long water fast should take care of it.

Today I am feeling really motivated and a little less hungry. I am inspired to continue onward!

Another reason for the fast is to gain some clarity in my mind and in my life. Let's say I'm also fasting for spiritual reasons, hoping to reach that point where I am in communication with my higher self and at one with all that is. I am hoping to be able to figure out what direction to pursue in our quest for a sustainable life. If I can get all of the obstacles out of the way and simply listen to spirit, I am hoping I will come to some reasonable decision about what to do next...where to go, what needs to be involved as I try to figure out how best to be of service to others.

Beautiful creatures, beautiful place

You may not be able to see them very well (woe is my pathetic camera) but, that is a herd of elk in the photo above. There must have been a couple hundred of them out in that field. This was up near Ft Garland, Colorado last week.

These beauties were part of a larger herd of maybe twelve wild horses. We saw them closer to home, on the road of the church I have been interested in buying, here in the south western end of the San Luis Valley.

We are certainly blessed to live in such a beautiful place, no matter how cold it is. The views are amazing and the wildlife astounding.

These remarkable creatures give me pause as I wade through my day to day. This planet we live on is a wonderful place, full of life and beauty. If only we (humanity) were not so narrow minded and severely focused on destroying it all for resources to keep our current and destructive ways of life moving along. It makes me sad. These creatures we had the joy of seeing this past week may no longer be here when my little children grow up....but then, my little children may be the last (or next to the last) generation of the human race as well.

Ah well....enjoy it while you can, I guess.

Farm News

Buff Orpington

It is still cold here. I think I have to resolve myself to the fact that my 50 F winter days are just not going to happen here. On a warm day, we might get up to freezing, but mostly we stay in the 20's. No new snow either...just the same old snow from way back in November.

But, the chickens are laying pretty good again. The light in their coop must have done it. We have more eggs than we know what to do with in our fridge, backing up. Sometimes we trade eggs with folks in town for other things we might need, but we are only getting to Taos once every two weeks now, so the egg supply is building.

The three ducks have been living with the rabbits and turkeys in the passive solar coop for a couple of weeks now. One less light in one less coop. Richard has been storing hay in the old chicken coop. It's the one that was here when we moved in. I think they had pigs in the building. It's really drafty, but with the new roof Richard put on way back when we got here, it doesn't leak. A rat had moved under the tarped hay behind the turkey house, so Richard moved the hay, hoping the rat would move on.

And, Richard finished the milking parlor in the goat barn, and put in a section for the chickens who like to lay eggs in the barn. He put up nest boxes too, but they won't have anything to do with them. They either lay in their little coop, the middle of the barn floor, or in the milking parlor behind the feed storage can. One silly old hen was back there, trying desperately to roll a stuck egg back into the nest under her. Except the "egg" was a rock, half buried in the ground. I removed the rock. I hope she's not out in the field, trying to figure out how to roll that rock all the way back to the nest. There are a lot of rocks out there.

The poultry on our farmstead does not appear to be big in the brains department. The turkeys are so freaked out when anyone enters their coop, they fly into the walls and rabbit cages, trying to escape. Richard has a method to get in and out, which involves stopping and playing statue with each step he takes, so the crazy birds can maneuver around him without breaking their necks. I don't know that game.

We are trying to downsize our goat herd too. Those girls eat a lot of hay. Plus the billy, Molet, just creeps me out. I guess he's okay for a male goat, but still, he can move on to greener pastures now. We think we can get ample milk from four goats, and are trying to re-home three....Pinky, her daughter, Aspen, and Jewell, the large Alpine. Plus Molet. That's a nice size goat herd for anyone wanting to get started in milk goats. Plus, those girls may all be pregnant, and if not, Molet can take care of it.

Found out Alfonso, the white alpaca, is really Alonzo, but still the same white alpaca. No wonder he won't come when we call. Actually, all of the camelids avoid human contact if at all possible, so Alonzo is in keeping with his character. He did find offense when we let Molet out to visit with the female goats, and chased him, trying to bite at his ears. I thought he was protecting his herd, and maybe he is, but it turns out he might be a little too fond of the female goats. Now, when Molet is out, Alonzo is in Molet's pen.

The male rabbit chewed through his plastic water bottle. (What is it with males?) We have been trying to find glass bottles that will fit the tops of the rabbit water bottles.

And, we are still searching for a warmer place to go, but my hopes diminish with each passing cold day. Winter sure brings on a depressive mood for me. I feel like I just have to get away from this cold! I feel trapped in it. But, is there any safe, clean, warm, affordable place to go? I feel the sticky fingers of doubt reaching for my warm fantasies of land and a bigger house. I am so done with winter. Only 3 and a half months to go.

Holidays and cold days

We made it past the consumerist holidays...almost. New Years is still on the way, but I look forward to leaving this cold year behind and moving into the next. Spring will be coming with the new year, and warmth with it.

I think it is getting easier each year to not participate in Christmas. I have less guilt now, which I believe is just a carry over from cultural programming. Of course most of my extended family is still not happy with our decision not to participate in a holiday we don't believe in. I'm not sure why, but that's how it is. Our little kids are young enough, it doesn't seem to matter anyway. It's just another day. Of course, when you don't participate, you realize just how much the nonsense has saturated the American culture. As if everyone in the country has to be a part of it, by default. It's on the radio, on Pandora commercials, I get ads from my banks, not to mention the decorations everywhere. Silliness really. All (mostly) in support of a consumerist culture. Funny, my family and I spend time together every day, showing each other how much we love each other with our words and actions. Every day is about sharing the love, isn't it?

We didn't do anything alternative to celebrate. The Solstice came and went with a subtle acknowledgement of longer days to come. It is just too cold here to be motivated to do much of anything. It's too cold to process a turkey outside. I don't want to go out into the woods to look for sticks, or build a pyramid in the yard, I just want to stay warm and have the temperature rise enough for the snow to melt. Being warm is all that matters.

The animals are hanging in there. The goats wander out in the yard to stand in the sun during the day. The chickens are laying again, thanks to the light we put in their coop and the few days of above freezing temps we got. Mostly our highs hover around the high 20's. When we get up in the morning the temperature is always nearer to 0 than not.

We did find a home for our older hens. A nice man came up from Hondo to pick them up. It might be just enough warmer down that way that the chickens will lay some eggs for him.

I was looking toward Las Vegas, NM as a possible relocation, but it turns out there is no water there and the wells are drying up. There are beautiful trees close in, which means more potential for forest fires, plus, they have a recorded lowest temp of -28 F. That isn't any better than here, is it?

Fowler, CO is warmer, has a bit more water in the way of annual precipitation, and is closer to a big city. And, come to find out, they are on a fast track to becoming sustainable, removing themselves from the grid, as a town, and working hard to make their community resilient in the face of things to come. Interesting, and fits most of the criteria Richard has outlined for a better place to relocate. Of course we still have to find a suitable place and a way to finance it. That doesn't change, no matter where we look.

Eggs and Ospreys

We have eggs!

The temperature has reached 42 F today, although with the wind, it sure doesn't feel like it.

We found two eggs yesterday, when we were out milking the goats. Not much, but we felt so lucky to have them. Every time I opened the fridge and saw those two eggs, I wondered what we could utilize them for. Two egg omelette....french toast.....chocolate chip cookies.....brownies....one egg each for Richard and I for breakfast? I never decided. Richard decided to make zucchini bread with one of the eggs and egg re-placer, mixed with chia seed "eggs." The kids can't really have eggs, but they love zucchini bread.

And today....two more eggs!! Now we have a surplus of three. What could I do with three eggs, I wonder?

And on another note:

The SLV, or San Luis Valley is an interesting place, supposedly well known for UFO sightings. I have not seen any alien craft, but I have seen many aircraft of a military nature. We have helicopters (haven't seen any black ones out here), the C-130's that buzz our house, sometimes at night, waking everyone up in fear, and we have that other long, weird looking jet thing,  kind of like an SR-71, but not, and today there was this crazy looking plane thing, that may be an Osprey. Here's a link to what we just saw flying over our farm house. Here's another. Very odd. I'm learning all about military aircraft out here in the SLV--a true plane watchers paradise.

Long time, no eggs

We have had warmer temperatures the past few days...almost up to freezing...but not quite.

I'm afraid we may not see eggs from our chickens until spring. Chickens need 40 F days in order to lay. They aren't getting that here. We have decided to give away our older flock of hens and have someone coming to pick up the 16 chickens in the big coop. We are hoping to save a few dollars without having to feed them. Organic chicken feed is expensive, especially when they aren't laying any eggs for us to sell. We could build them a better coop with windows and passive solar gain, but that's more money and we need to spend time and money on the big barn before the goats start kidding.

Old chicken flock

 

We are keeping the Buff Orpingtons that we got last spring. There are ten of them, which is about perfect for our egg needs. Of course, they aren't laying now either, but we are considering building another addition on the big barn, which will allow some of the solar gain heat to spill over into the goat barn.

The turkeys and rabbits have the warmest house of the bunch. It's all closed in, has a big window across the south side, and adobe bricks against the back wall.

We haven't been able to get to a city to pick up those Lexon panels for the goat barn, so Richard used some leftover plastic form his cold tunnel projects to cover the space where the panels will go. It isn't quite the same, but it does let light and some warm sun into the barn while cutting out the wind and the cold.

Plastic sheeting on goat/llama barn

Because our temperatures are so low, the snow we got at the end of November is still hanging around. It's sad when 0 F feels good, and at night when the temperatures have been falling to -10 or so, 0 is a good thing.

kids' yard

I am still fantasizing about moving to Las Vegas, NM, even though they have been having their own water problems. Wells are drying out and the reservoir has been down for a few years now. I don't understand why more people are not utilizing the legality of collecting rainwater. With 16 to 17 inches of precipitation  a year, it seems like an easy answer to many of the water concerns. But maybe not and things might be more complicated than they appear. At any rate, I found a house over that way that is wonderful, and that we can't afford right now, but staring at it on the internet keeps my spirits up.

Crazy chasing crazy

Humanity is not only insane, but we appear to be crazy, chasing crazy around in circles. How is it possible that so many people just do not get the magnitude of our climate crisis?

I have been preaching on this for years, and mostly to deaf ears, but once again, I have to say it is vitally important that we change our selfish human ways if we plan on diverting human extinction. I can't think of a thing that matters more. More oil? Nope. That's what keeps this crazy train on the tracks straight to a Hell of biblical proportions--a living Hell on earth.

It doesn't seem to matter though, does it? As individuals, we are so blinded by our own Egos that we fail to connect to the larger Whole, let alone see the bigger picture. What's on the agenda for today? (Enter sarcasm.) More for me!! Me, me, me. Cut down all the trees. Drill for more oil and gas. We can use that leftover fracking material to de-ice our city streets and country roads. No worries about disposing of it safely (is that even possible?). Me, me, and more for me. Bigger car, bigger house. Let's go shopping. Take another vacation around the world. Use more jet fuel. Keep on polluting. It's no one's problem, is it? Certainly it's not mine.

We've got poisoned food (GMO's), poisoned water, poisoned land, poisoned insects dying, animals going extinct, diseases brought on by global warming, we've got floods and famine, earthquakes (from fracking), fires and droughts from high global temperatures, epic storms, freezing winter temperatures, and we are still not done. Let's go shopping. We need more stuff! More stuff made out of petroleum that we can hoard away in our basements, in our garages next to our spare cars. More, more, more, for me, me and only me.

I'm willing to bet that our recent "conflicts" with Russia ultimately stem from the Global Bully, the good ol' US of A, wanting, needing, to get our dirty, greedy hands on the resources we believe are hidden in the Artic. I wonder if we will have another war? World domination for total control of all resources...isn't that what being an American is all about? (Exit sarcasm and enter reality.)

How about if we skip Christmas this year and instead of celebrating some dead guy's birth, let's celebrate our planet Earth, our true savior, because if we don't get our shit together fast, all of these "festivities," focused around consumerism, will be for naught as our planet dies and humanity goes with it.

As many know, (or not), my partner and I decided a few years ago not to celebrate Christmas anymore. Not being Christian, and being anti-consumerists, it seemed like a logical choice. We figured we could do a little bit to help save the planet by not participating in buying senseless gifts, thereby not contributing to more "resources" being taken from our beloved planet for cheap plastic crap, or whatever other holiday specific trinkets are being sold to the public.

No. We no longer participate in American Consumerist Holidays, and instead focus on how we can do our part to help heal our Mother Earth. Is anyone listening out there? Sadly, I think not.

Here's an article that will make you think as you gear up for the last minute shopping insanity:

http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/20463-the-arctic-is-the-first-and-possibly-last-line-of-defense-against-a-climate-transition-to-an-uninhabitable-earth

And a must see for the holiday season:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZjsJdokC0s

Happy Holidays NSA peeps!

PS: the cold makes me cranky.