Free-Dumb

Free-Dumb

I sometimes feel that someone should post a sign on Every corner just to let others know that in this country you are expected to check your common sense at the door.

As of late, there is more and more controversy over Free Speech.

I don't think there has been any real free speech in years. I myself was threatened with Jail when I issued a profanity in public in an angry conversation with someone, because someone else heard a word I said that they didn't like.

I write this as comments of "Phil" come out and people are Outraged! Well- Piss. It is His View and Belief according to the written Law of his religion; His supposed legal right to voice his belief. But that didn't Fit with what everyone else thought should be said.

So, let me see if I got this, you can say Anything Freely as long as it Conforms to what others agree with?

Yep, that about sums it up. YELL as loud as you want as long as it passes someone else's opinion!

There also seems to be this unbelievable amount of Entitlement of people as well. Take the priest (just one example of many different things out there)  who went against the church law of his particular belief, and preformed the marriage of his gay son. Bully for him I say, EXCEPT for the fact that the priest took an oath to uphold the law of his religion. When the point and time came that the priests' views became opposing to those of the religion he was in , he should have Removed himself from that particular religion instead of trying to force his personal views upon that establishment he had previously given his allegiance to.

You see, I don't think he or others should accept a set of rules, way of life..., and then say, ok now you are going to bend the rules because I THINK THIS....  That is Not right. You should leave and find what is best for you- not try to Change what is not fitting with what you want because all of the sudden your views have changed.

Views need to change about people being able to have their own personal thoughts, likes, dislikes, opinions. It is what makes us who we are and also makes us so confused about what and who we are supposed to be, by constantly trying to make ourselves agreeable with everyone else around. Difference MAKES GOOD NEIGHBORS as well as Common ground.

Til the next thing blows up- Rafannette "Kricket" Dooley

Between Two Worlds

I am torn between two worlds. Good and Evil, you may ask? No, not that simple. Wealth and poverty. That is my dilemma.

I am an artist (poetic right?), and I see the value of time and investment of supplies needed to produce my work.

One the one hand I feel that my work should be worth dollar wise on the Very High End because of the quality of materials used and the expertise of construction and time involved. Yet, the ones who look at and appreciate the true value of my work can't afford it, and the ones who can don't appreciate it or think I am even worth it because I myself am not on the high end of life.

If I used lesser quality items to make my work more affordable it wouldn't be worth my time in doing it. I can't abide an inferior product and feel pride in construction. Yet, its mere cost of materials puts my work out of reach to those in a lesser income.

Those who have more than I do, look at me like I am confused white trash. Me, I must be confused because I don't see myself as inferior to those with means, only challenged by income not pride adn ability or talent.

Yet I feel like a traitor that I cannot afford my work to others in my exact position.

How much of a hypocrite and I that I don't want to be a "lower class" citizen yet I feel my work should be enjoyed by the very people I don't think should be able to afford it (because I feel my work is worth so much). That only the fortunate and privileged should be worthy of my work.

Is this what they call and identity crisis? Or, is it true that I just really think I am more than what I am? If so, what is wrong with wanting the best? Is it the fact that I believe the best should be afforded by ALL/ Does that lessen the statement of Best then if anyone can have it?

It is after all historically known that the best is held by the wealthy and the worst by the poor. There is no intermix.

What I want is unachievable. Maybe this is where my dilemma stems from- The Unobtainable....

Oooops Of The Day

Oooops of the day

So it seems that anytime Randy and I do anything together it is equivalent to a couple of two year olds being the full time help.

That being said, I think this thread will have Many additions to it.

Last week, Randy and I BOTH were in the garden planting Beans from seed into the row- actually I (this is important to know) was the one putting those seeds Into the row.

The VERY NEXT Day, we were out there and he said, why do we put those eggplant transplants on that next row. I agreed, and proceeded to plunk them into the ground; digging out  a nice little niche with my fingers for them to sit. I finished and went on to the Next row and had two plants in the ground when I heard a SCREAM from the other end of the garden..........

DIDN'T WE JUST PUT BEANS ON THAT ROW?????????

Oh.

Yes.

I forgot that I had just planted that row the day before.

Oooops/

So, this week we are , again, in the garden, putting out watermelon transplants and planting seeds of watermelons and peas. This is new ground so I didn't plant over anything this time around.

BUT, I asked if Randy wanted me to carry the bag of peas along while he planted, and as he turned to look towards me, he let go of the hand held planter and it fell over- Yes, it was FULL of peas. All over the freshly tilled sandy ground that as you try to pick them up they only get buried deeper and deeper.

At last I just picked up handfuls of dirt and peas and then sifted them back out again.

And this isn't anything new for us- these Oooops, things.

A couple of years ago we were in the feed store looking for some insect control as we were invaded with more insects than we had ever seen and ones we had Never seen before even- ravaging our garden before we could even get over it with our eyes.

So, off to the feed store, found some foul smelling stuff to put on the walk ways between the rows and then found it in a bigger container Right behind and Cheaper even. We BOTH, looked at it and agreed to get that bigger bottle at the better deal. Got home, Randy mixed it up, thought the smell was a little light and different, but didn't think more about it, put it out. LATER that Very day we went out to the garden to check and the plants looked Very sick and wilty. Went back and looked at the bottle again and in Very Plain writing, with Big Letters, it said- WEED KILLER.

Oooops.

Senseless Waste

WHY would someone want to just kill and let lay an animal that was doing no harm much less not even on that persons property??

The culprit? A "Kid". BUT- the parents reaction to such actions of that child, nothing- nada- zip/ Not One Word of concern, apologies, no comment.

How I ask you can I possibly hold the "kid" responsible to understand what a horrible thing he did, when the parents won't even accept any part of responsibility of it.

I am outraged not just over this but the overall lack of compassion and consideration of LIFE and Personal, Private Property of another person.

It is inexcusable to say the least. What does this say to a young person to be able to do this deed, this seemingly small meaningless thing as to kill some roosters of a neighbors? So what? It was just a rooster. Well, maybe they will think BACK on this, probably not at all though, when that same youth decides to take a watch from someone at school because they like it and wanted it? Huh? Or what about if they wanted a soda or candy bar from the store and just take it, because they deserved it and the price was too high? Or when the take out a player on the opposing teams football team because he was too good and the other team was winning with that player in the game?

Lines become way too blurred way to quickly these days.

And just ignoring someone doesn't make them go away either; Or what they have done. Whether they are a "neighbor" you have to pass by everyday or someone you have seen only one time.

Time

I think that in this day and age people have lost the concept of time. Yes, I realize you know what time it is, probably every second of every day. That is not what I am talking about. That is part of the problem even. You see, we are so busy running to get here and there and this done and not enough time to get around to it all we make ourselves worn out and frazzled. We have lost the ability to assess, manage and Appreciate time. People who don't do a certain task don't understand what it takes to do that task, whether it is in an office or out on the farm- a task is a task. That is why I want to explain and educate people as to what it Takes to farm/dairy. It isn't an on again off again take it up when you want to thing. It is every, EVERY day- even if you don't want to or don't feel like it! And it takes TIME to grow things. We are used to going to the store/market and just picking up what we want/need when we want without thought of what it took to get there because we don't have to.

Our concept of time is : what time do we get up, time to get to work or get kids to school or time to get work/chores done around the house, make lunch/supper, time the TV show/news comes on, time for bed............

We think of time we spend with our families, friends, pets and or lack of it.

I am here to let you know about time it takes to Grow. Mothers it is an easy equation for you to think of the amount of time it took to "grow" your baby. It happened in stages.

Once the farm has things in place we can have "continual" crops- that is one finishes and another is ready so that there isn't much "without" time. But we still have to have Time for things to grow and get ready for harvesting.

We plant seeds, about a week later they sprout up and you see leaves; but it takes on short things a MONTH and others Two to THREE MONTHS before you can enjoy them. Think about your Last three months, what has been going on and try to imagine not having a particular veggie for that amount of time.

Now during that time, we don't just forget about it and  wait til it is ready to pick. We have to take care of it- water and feed! Yes, you have to "feed" your plants. You also have to make sure you keep pests and bugs away or you will have nothing there. That takes a lot of time and care.

People will remark about pricing and how you don't or shouldn't expect to get paid for your time- especially when it comes to a "craft" project- and although you really can't put an hourly rate on things like this, your time is what took these plants to grow and survive and come to your plate.

So, back to that last three months you have had. Think about what you did, what went on and if you were hurried during that time to get anything done.

Now- imagine taking care of something like a plant for that same three months and getting NOTHING at All out of it during that time, only Giving YOUR time to It no matter what else was going on, still having to take care of it because it depends on you for everything ( of course, it is a PLANT ; it can't do things for itself  ).

Time becomes more evident, relevant and urgent even and also it becomes cherished- or should be.

We can't all or don't want to all be farmers/dairy people. But time is the same for everyone. It doesn't work for one and not another; it doesn't stop for one or give more for one or another. Even with "busy" schedules you should STOP and Consider the time you have and what you are doing in it.

Also, when you pick up that next veggie or fruit from you farmer, stop a second and think about the time it took- even ask how long- Then, give Thanks, to the earth, the plant and the farmer.

Shoot The Messenger

Yes, that is what I said, especially when the messenger can't "Get It Right".

A Bad day in El Paso/Lower New Mexico is better than a Good day here.
FINALLY someone is trying to step up and get a farmers market set in and advertise it Here in Central Texas, And they BLOW IT by BLAMING  the Producer for their (the market coordinator) lack of knowledge of How to go about setting up a market.

WHO in the hell tries to set up an open air farmers market in the LATE fall (first weekend of December), without FIRST contacting potential producers in ADVANCE, by this I mean MONTHS advance??????

WHY does this even matter? Because we farmers can't just pull plants and products out of our ass's (land) at a moments notice. We have to have Growing Time to Produce products.

Yes, we were contacted a couple of weeks ago about attending a new farmers market. Our hot house items are not ready yet, all of our ground plants have either already quit producing or didn't make with the conditions we have been in. Had we known in ADVANCE, say back in September, that this market was going to start taking place, we could have set things IN to be Ready for now- as with all the Other Producers in the area, in the same boat. Now this coordinator wants to cry over Not having people to fill market spaces with.

Well, with the government "regulations" the way they are now, you are no longer allowed to bring in "homemade" items without having a "certified kitchen"/ legal mumbo jumbo for having to shell out many dollars to get licensing to produce home cooked things from your house. So, What are we suppose to bring to this last minute market? If you don't already have a "legal" kitchen to cook in then it takes TIME And Money to set in place. If you don't have plants ready with vegetables on them, well- ya know what?- You can't "rush" them either. You already get THAT product at the store. There are only So Many people who are going to come buy eggs.

Markets are GOOD. Yes. Producers are CRITICAL. Yes. Consumers are the REASON. Yes. But, so is GOOD, REASONABLE PREPARATION.

In other words- "Get Your Ducks In Order" before asking me to Bring Mine!!!

In Despair There Is HOPE

Hello dear followers,

yes, I haven' t written in a while and it Is because of "farm Life". We have had death here and a miraculous
 happening.  Due to the drought we are in, we have not only Lost a lease place to house our animals, but we have lost our dear precious water sources- our 'tanks", some call ponds. Our water sources. They are, and have dried, to a non-existence. And the one left is only a quicksand sorta of existence. I rescued a goat, that I hold most dearest to my heart, from there only a week before; then our worst fears, a first calf heifer of ours found the same spot. She was a half jersy half holstien, BEAUTIFUL cow, just over 2 years of age. We found her. After pulling her out, haning her, feeding her- well, it was just too much for her to over come. We lost her. In the grief of it all, was her 6 month old heifer. My "K K", a 1400+ pound Reg. Jersey, had  lost her only heifer calf (400lb heifer) a couple of weeks before to a group of malicious coyotes we have been battling, so she took up with the recent orphan heifer and accepted her as her own. So good came of bad. A cow in neeed of a calf and a calf in need of a momma. I now have no milk here for myself as I have dried off my last goat thinking I had "KK" milk. Well, it was a good trade off  knowing she took in the newly orphan in need. I will have fresh milk again within a month. All is good. This drought has been hard on So many a farmer, so many an Animal; If only you could Really Understand the implications. Of course, I am , can we say- emotionally connected, right now- but all the same, everyone is So Devestated from this- Human, Animal........ Like I said before, the resounding ablity to survive- the farmer/dairyman.

That does bring me to a topic new- I have been approached by the local "government" to list myself under tax exempt status because of farm use, now I have to fill a form and disclose "WHAT" I am, do business as- The choices are ONE only, like- grow veggies, you dairy, you sell beef cattle and so on. Well, I do ALL. We are "THE ORIGINAL FAMILY FARM", so we Do It ALL. NOPE, no such category. Sad, when we HAVE To DEFINE ourselfs under a governmental "status of".Can't we just "be ourselfs" in this day and age???????? And in this case, well, we ARE,"Just, A Family Farm". Thank You, Rafannette Dooley