The Riley Factor #85

The Riley Factor Fort Plain, NY
October 27, 2010
(All the Rock Creek Farm news that's fit to print, along with unfit to print rumors, prognostications & bloviations.)

Visitors -- Many of you remember Moritz, our German Italian foreign exchange student from 1999-2000.  Well, his parents, Uschi & Achem, made a long-awaited visit to Middle-of-Nowhere on the tail-end of a whirlwind tour around America that began a few weeks ago at a NATO pilots reunion in San Diego (Achem flew fighters for NATO for 20 years, before retiring in the 1990's in favor of painting and drinking red wine and German beer).  After Susan toured Uschi and Achem around New England for a few days, the threesome arrived in Fort Plain for a few days relaxation before Uschi and Achem flew back to Sardinia.  A good time was had by all.

Planting and Plowing -- We found one last farming thing to do before the snow flies -- on Oct. 20, we fertilized the newest hay field, six acres in the lower half of Field No. 3.  Got the John Deere tractor stuck in the mud in the middle of the nearby rye field, while getting rid of the last of the fertilizer, and had to walk back a half mile to get another tractor and pull the Deere out with chains.  Some fun, while Susan was away touring with the Gottschalks.

Riley -- His energy geometrically increases with his age.  I soon see Riley becoming a nuclear power.  If he survives the day.

The Herd of Five -- Mooing on.  A simple group.  Content.  They refused to come into the barn one night.  I went down to their stalls for a final check around midnight and found the five-some all laying down in a tight circle right outside the barn door.  They were mooing, not moving, and declined to get up.  So I declined to waste any more time on their evening comfort.  All was fine by morning.
 
Fowl Weather -- The turkeys have taken to roosting on our Jeep, a ridiculous sight, covering almost all of the horizontal surfaces.  The Jeep barely accommodates the 20 of them.  But I have evidence.  Trust me though, you don't want to see it.

Mowings, Musings and The Woods -- Hawks abound over the upper fields and edge of the woods.  With an occasional vulture or two.  Great to watch them soaring.  And the deer sightings are picking-up, no doubt before the hiding begins with the opening of deer hunting season in mid-November.  The wild turkeys have not yet exhaled, since their hunting season runs from October 1 to November 19.

Quotes of the Week -- Our Forefathers Speak

   The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not. - Thomas Jefferson

   Laws that forbid the carrying of arms..disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes. Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed one." - Thomas Jefferson

   The jaws of power are always open to devour, and her arm is always stretched out, if possible, to destroy the freedom of thinking, speaking, and writing. - John Adams

   To contract new debts is not the way to pay old ones. - George Washington

   There is nothing so likely to produce peace as to be well prepared to meet an enemy. - George Washington

   I appeal to you again to constantly bear in mind that with you, and not with politicians, not with Presidents, not with office-seekers, but with you, is the question, "Shall the Union and shall the liberties of this country be preserved to the latest generation?" - Abraham Lincoln

The Pledge to America -- The New Republican Agenda -- America is more than a country.  America is an idea – an idea that free people can govern themselves, that government’s powers are derived from the consent of the governed, that each of us is endowed by their Creator with the unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. America is the belief that any man or woman can – given economic, political, and religious liberty – advance themselves, their families, and the common good.   America is an inspiration to those who yearn to be free and have the ability and the dignity to determine their own destiny.  Whenever the agenda of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to institute a new governing agenda and set a different course.

The Riley Factor #84

The Riley Factor Fort Plain, NY
October 19 , 2010
(All the Rock Creek Farm news that's fit to print, along with unfit to print rumors, prognostications & bloviations.)

Planting and Plowing -- Done for the year.  Equipment is in the barn.  Some oiling, greasing and painting in process.

Riley -- The Golden Boy is running and still swimming daily.  He still chases the turkeys and chickens within an inch of their lives, but it is a love/hate relationship.  When the birds run (that's right, run not fly) away, they move about five feet -- not exactly fleeing for their lives.  And Riley runs about four feet, not exactly chasing down his dinner.

The Herd of Five -- Word on the pasture is that one or more of the herd may be heading for the butcher this fall.  Makes for a nervous barn.  All are doing well, with Gabe and Eli each near 1,000 pounds, and the Dexter brothers not far behind.  Zeke the Bull is still a waif, at under 400 pounds, including horns.
 
Fowl Weather -- Although only 20 weeks old, some of the Jersey Giant chickens have laid their first few eggs.  A few of the roosters, at about 6-8 pounds, recently made a trip to the butcher, and (presumably) are enjoying their new life n the freezer..  That leaves about 25 hens to lay eggs and a couple of roosters to organize and patrol the hen house.  The 17 remaining RI Red/Cornish Hen crossbreeds are each still happily laying an egg a day.

Mowings, Musings and The Woods -- Leaves have changed colors.  Many have fallen.  Scenery is beautiful.

Quote of the Week -- .
                             Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men.                                                                  President John F. Kennedy

The Riley Factor #83

The Riley Factor Fort Plain, NY
October 4, 2010
(All the Rock Creek Farm news that's fit to print, along with unfit to print rumors, prognostications & bloviations.)

Planting and Plowing -- Susan spent Monday and Tuesday rototilling the first field and planting the winter wheat -- two acres of white semolina and an acre and a half of hard red.  Added 400 pounds of triple-15 fertilizer per acre, so the wheat will require virtually no attention until it is ready for combining next August.  Result next summer should be three to four tons of wheat.  We took this year's wheat to a grain house down the road and they cleaned the wheat and put it in stiched 60-pound bags - now all stacked in the barn for use.  We also put down 100 pounds per acre of the fertilizer on the 15 acres of hay fields, so those are all set for winter.

Riley -- Riley made a new friend this past weekend with Paisley, a year-and-a-half old Jack Russell Terrier/Beagle mix, owned by Samantha, one of CJ's friends.  CJ and peeps, James, Brooksie, Samantha and Alex, were in town for a 3k warrier road race that had a dozen or so obstacles on the cross country course, including were such stations such as running through fire, crossing a 5-foot deep water hole, crawling in mud under barbed wire, etc.  All survived and finished the course.  This weekend through tomorrow, the identical twins, Barbara and Betty, along with Betty's 84 year old 'boyfriend' Larry, are spending a few days visiting.

The Herd of Five -- The steers have a new habit -- they have refined their palates and when they leave the barn in the morning they stop, look up at the second floor hay door and moo until Susan drops a bale of the recently baled second cutting hay.

Fowl Weather -- Inexplicably, one of the 23 turkeys was found dead in the coop last Saturday morning.  We rounded-up the usual suspects and threatened the rubber hose treatment, but concluded natural causes was the culprit.  The remaining 22 Narragansetts are roaming free along with the 17 red RI/Cornish hens and the 31 black Jersey Giant chickens.  The turkeys have become accustomed to heights, spending time each day in the workshop over the garage and in the rafters over the top floor in the barn.  Plenty of turkey pooping is involved.  The Jersey Giants, now about four months old, are just starting to lay eggs.  Late breaking story: one turkey took-on a vehicle on route.  Result: now 21 turkeys are roaming freely ...

Mowings, Musings and The Woods -- Susan and her friend Annie canned 13 gallons of grape juice on Wednesday -- made from three bushels of concord grapes.

Quotes of the Week -- All from the late, great Vince Lombardi (1913-1970), over the years --

  Fatigue makes cowards of us all.

  I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious.

  If it doesn't matter who wins or loses, then why do they keep score?

  If you can accept losing, you can't win.

  It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up.

  Leaders are made, they are not born. They are made by hard effort, which is the price which all of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile.

  Once you learn to quit, it becomes a habit.

  Show me a good loser, and I'll show you a loser.

  The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.

  The greatest accomplishment is not in never falling, but in rising again after you fall.

  The measure of who we are is what we do with what we have.

  The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.

  The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.

  Winning isn't everything, but the will to win is everything.

NFL Update -- The Packers are back where they rightfully should be, in first place (tied with Da Bears) in the NFC Central Division.  The Patriots are no doubt heading for a train wreck in Miami, on tonight's Monday Night Football.  This just in -- Aaron Rodgers is certainly one of the top three quarterbacks in the NFL -- no room for Peytonn Manning, Tom Brady and Drew Brees to join Rodgers in that Exclusive Club -- you pick the other two.