Sick as a Dog

Everyone in the house has had a varying degree of sickness for over a week. The little one had it the worst. I would say the Mrs. was a close second. For me, it was severe chest cold, complete with coughing up bloody chunks of goo, a fever, delerium and nightmares. Good times.

I managed to make it through Ash Wednesday. The early service was tiny (four in attendance), but I almost passed out midway through. The evening service was much larger, and the folks were very understanding and appreciative that I refused to touch the bread, having a lay person distribute it in my place. During the elevation, I just lifted the whole paten. Bad liturgical form? Maybe…but it beats giving my folks the plague. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. My sermon is part Gospel of Mark and part Where the Wild Things Are.

I was supposed to go to a gun show today, but didn’t. Too tired, plus it was raining.

Why go to a gun show, you ask? I am always looking for a bargain. I am not sure I have anything in mind in particular, but would like to pick up an old SKS and modify it for deer season. You just get better deals this way, especially if you aren’t dealing with the overhead of a fancy retail location.

Speaking of which, I have two gun posts brewing. One on the renewal of the assault weapons ban, and one of the “gun show loophole.”

Subdivision Rant

I hate being in a subdivision. HATE IT! I hate asking permission from my overlords at the HOA to do anything. I hate living so close to my neighbors. I hate the fact that I can’t get a few chickens for my backyard. Hell, I hate looking out my window and seeing another house at all. Not to mention the damn idiots who drive through here at night with their bass thumping so loud it shakes my windows. And with the housing market being what it is, I am probably stuck here for YEARS!!!

I have no desire to drop out of civilization, I really don’t. Even in the county where I live, which is just 20 minutes away from a major metro area, there are still expanses of farmland. There is a part of me that wishes we would have waited to buy something so that we could have found something with some property and space to breathe.

Hear endeth my rant.

Learn About and Fight the NAIS

Start here.

Then go here.

Bottom line: this is an agri-business ploy that will lead to the further erosion of small, family farms, and won’t actually do anything to improve food safety.

Mistaken Premise

I keep thinking I am going to have more time to blog. I am not really sure how it is that I managed to write (at times) most every day at Idle Ramblings. But with the demands of family life, parish life, and getting ready for the growing season, time in front of the computer is relegated to work on the very quick interactions allowed by Facebook. I can catch up with folks there quickly, and have even found myself sending links there rather than here. Who is to say that this won’t just eventually die and be replaced entirely by FB until some newer and better format comes along?

Anyway, until that time I guess I could update you on what has been happening.

1. I ordered organic seed potatoes and received more than I can possibly plant. I have enough to plant about 75 linear feet, and b/c of the room they take up, I can’t really put them in my raised beds without wasting a huge amount of space. Any suggestions? Should I just go ahead and till up part of the yard. or is there a better way?
2. I am in the process of building four raised beds (8′x4′x16″). One is complete and the lumber is cut for the other 3. Due to time constraints and iffy weather, they haven’t been completed, though I hope to get them constructed by Friday so I can start prepping the soil. I’ll get some pics up when I can.
3. We keep getting quotes to put up a fence around our back yard, and they keep coming in at over $3000. I think I am just going to do it myself. My concern is if we don’t fence in, someone is gong to complain about the mini-farm in the backyard. I am actually surprised that – between the water barrel, the cord of firewood, the 20 containers, and now the raised beds – that no one has complained yet.  Plus, people let dogs and children run free here, and there is at least one pesky dog that gets into everything, harasses my dog, has knocked over the compost, and eats my garbage. Sometimes I hate living in a subdivision.
4. Derek has my interest all up in the possibility of aquaculture. Apparently there are folks raising tilapia and such in their yards. I really want to introduce livestock of some sort, and this may be the answer. I can’t do bees (deathly allergic), chickens are a no no in this ‘hood, and i am guessing they would frown on goats. Any other ideas?
5. Oh yeah, I am stoked that our all organic, grass fed, no-antiobiotic laden beef is at the butcher’s place and will be ready to pick up next week. We bought half a cow for about $2.49/lb, supported local agriculture, and got some clean beef that is melt in your mouth good! Now if I can just find some hogs…

until next time…

Well, Duh!

My Political Views
I am a right social libertarian
Right: 5.46, Libertarian: 7.18

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My Foreign Policy Views
Score: -2.23

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My Culture War Stance
Score: -1.29

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