The Riley Factor #79

The Riley Factor August 30 , 2010
(All the Rock Creek Farm news that's fit to print, along with unfit to print rumors, prognostications & bloviations.)

FORT PLAIN NY, August 30  --

Goodbye, Farewell, It's time to Say Adieu ... to Pauline and The Donald Michaud.  Thursday night, family members and friends gathered at Pheasant Hill in Agawam to wish success and happiness to Pauline and Don, who have decided to pick-up and move to Tuscon.  Bags are packed, vehicles are loaded, and the train pulls out of the New England station for all points west on Sunday morning, August 29.  All the best go out to the happy couple about to embark on life's next big journey.

Planting and Plowing -- A bit of mowing, some plowing, some disking and the fall farm work has begun.  Not long before it will be over for another year.  Still have potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and tobacco to harvest.  And winter wheat to plant.  And the final hay cutting of the year to make.

Riley -- If you really want a taste of the experience of Life with Riley, see the movie Marley & Me (2008, Twentieth Century Fox, Owen Wilson, Jennifer Anniston, currently running on HBO).  Although Marley is a Yellow Lab and Riley is a Golden, the two breeds are very similar, and Marley and Riley have the same, let's say, zest for life.  This Hollywood blockbuster (well, perhaps straight to video B- flick) film captures the entire essence of Life with Riley.  Chewed stuff not meant to be chewed, diving into pools of water where no one should swim, jumping up on people who don't fully appreciate the excitement of a 90-pound dog meeting a new acquaintance head-on at 20 mph, "I didn't notice that he chewed through the leash" episodes one after another, etc.  A good time is had by all; well, at least is had by Marley and Riley.

The Herd of Five -- Cutest photo op of the week was Zeke, our 300-pound bull calf, napping under the overhang near the barn, with two of the red chickens standing on top of him -- all three at peace.

Fowl Weather -- The French Guinea Fowls declining numbers continue, with nine of the squawking prowlers remaining.  Eventually, one hopes that they get the idea that in the game of Car Versus Bird, car wins.  On the positive front, Queen Susan has trained 23 two-month old turkeys to come when called.  They follow her around like Red Sox fans follow Big Papi.

Mowings, Musings and The Woods -- Ponds are still overfull and streams are still flowing heavily from last Sunday's torrential rains.  But the basement is now empty of its six-inches of water and the town's fire alarm has stopped going-off every hour.

Quote of the Week -- "An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last." -- Winston Churchill