The Riley Factor #86

The Riley Factor Fort Plain, NY
November 3, 2010
(All the Rock Creek Farm news that's fit to print, along with unfit to print rumors, prognostications & bloviations.)

Election Recap -- Best summed-up by one of the CNN late election night pundits ... "We wondered if the Obama election in 2008 was the beginning of a movement.  Now we know it was only a moment."

Visitors -- Uschi & Achem, visitors for the last week of October, have departed for warmer climes - a week in London to be spent with son Moritz, and then on to Sardinia to resume life on the Mediterranean.  Upon her arrival in Middle-of-Nowhere, Uschi announced that she was very afraid of cows and did not want to get near them or get near the turkeys or chickens either.  "I am afraid of these things".  Upon leaving, she said she was surprised and she liked them, and loved Eli the best, because he gave her kisses.  "They are like big dogs, very friendly".  Achem, a painter (an exhibited artist), took hundreds of photos.  He said, "I have inspiration to paint.  I have never seen trees with leaves so yellow.  The old farms - they are so beautiful".  Uschi and Achem met our friend Annie Kanagy, and they spoke high German to one another for much of a morning.

Planting and Plowing -- The only remaining planting to do before the snow flies is to prepare the soil in a raised bed or two and plant the garlic.  With little additional work, the cloves will be ready for harvesting next August.

Riley -- The daily Riley swims are diminishing in frequency, inversely proportional to the temperature at time of each daily run.  Uschi and Achem loved Riley, saying he is such a good dog, and very gentle.  Uschi does think that Riley could benefit from a Dog Whisperer.  (At times, I think Riley could benefit from a Dog Screamer, and I occasionally fill the role).

The Herd of Five -- The steers are mooing, growing, and eating lots of hay.  December 8 is B-Day (Butchering Day) - starting line-up and size of roster to be determined.
 
Fowl Weather -- Having arrived in mid-May-June, the black Jersey Giant chickens are beginning to lay eggs.  (No, the eggs are not black).  Some of the roosters are truly giants, approaching 15 pounds.  They haven't got the morning crowing down right yet -- frequently crowing at noon, dusk and whenever-the-hell-they-want.  Lefty, the turkey who needed to have a foot amputated last month, is doing fine, spending his days contentedly in his own stall, with occasional visits from one or two of the red chickens or a turkey or two.

Mowings, Musings and The Woods -- We have a new resident at the compound - a ground hog has been wandering around inside the garage and driveway, not really bothering anyone or anything, nor being bothered by anyone or anything.  Impact and resolution, if any, to be determined.  Susan's foot is finally returning to normal - I inadvertently dropped a log on it when we were splitting logs on October 13 and she has been shoeless ever since, along with being colored black-and-blue and experiencing the accompanying toe throbbing - perhaps a broken little toe.

Quotes of the Week --

   "Twenty-two months from Messiah to pariah". -- Dennis Miller, Fox News Channel

   "We have done things you don't know about." -- Barack Obama, to John Stewart, on The Daily Show, October 27, 2010

                                                  (Well, unfortunately, now we can only guess.  But we will find out, and correct them all.)

   "He will go out the same way he came in ... without any class." -- JFK, in 1960 speaking of Richard Nixon.  Soon to be applicable to Barack Obama.

   "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." -- Hebrews 4:16