The Riley Factor #99

The Riley Factor
Fort Plain, NY
May 23, 2011, Issue No. 99
(All the Rock Creek Farm news that's fit to print, along with unfit to print rumors, prognostications & bloviations.)

Riley -- Riley has developed a phobia of Amish men and boys wearing the traditional black suits and straw hats.  He barks, whines and hides behind one of us when they enter the yard or house.  After a few minutes, he returns to normal, such as is 'normal' in Riley-World.  Riley has made two new friends, Jesse Kanagy and his nephew seven-year-old Kevin, both of whom love to take Riley on walks (in Kevin's case, Riley walks Kevin, who weighs about half of what Riley weighs, pulling him all around the yard).

Planting and Plowing -- Planting and plowing have been halted due to rain.  After 10 straight days of sun and 70-degree temps, we experienced a solid week of gray skies and rain.  When the precipitation lightens a bit, we will take a canoe out to the fields and see if anything is growing.  Susan reports hearing rumors that the barley is growing big.

Horses -- On May 18, we took our first rides on Rio and Lady.  Susan had ridden dozens of times as a child and looked completely at ease on Lady's back.  I had never been on a horse before mounting Rio, and was completely ill-at-ease.  When I was 3 minutes into my riding career, Rio walked over to peer into his stall from the outside.  Lady apparently liked the idea and walked up behind Rio to get to her stall.  Rio startled, jogged a bit toward the chicken coop and ran into the 6-foot chain-link fence.  Apparently this was an unexpected obstacle.  Rio turned right.  Lady bumped him from behind.  Rio BOLTED up the hill pass the well, where he slipped a bit in the mud, which caused him to BOLT faster and farther.  Now he was running (I suppose I should be using some special equine term, such as "paced", or "trotted", or "cantered", but I was too busy hanging on saving my considerable ass to think in terms of all that horse-people language.)  I finally got him to slow down near the main gate.  Good thing I held the saddle horn fast.  Or I could have been left behind.  (Rio does respond instantly to the reins and WHOA command.  So far.  And he is not a big fan of a rider screaming wildly.)

Last Saturday night, we went out to dinner, and left the upper stall doors open so the horses and steers could enjoy the warm evening weather.  When we returned at 9:15PM, Rio was out in the pasture grazing.  He has figured out how to open the latch on his stall and let himself out.  I checked - he has not grown opposable thumbs.  No damage was done, and the latch was completely closed when we left for dinner.  Lady, apparently not as clever, was dancing about in her stall wanting also to go out.  In the end, Susan let Lady and the Herd of Three out into the pasture for the overnight.  In the morning, all five looked hungover.

Blog -- The Riley Factor has entered the 21st century, and its own official blog site is located at http://the-riley-factor.blogspot.com/ and you can see all issues to date.  (If you actually spend the time and do this, you may need more help with your life than we are able offer.  But we digress.)

Quotes of the Month --

     You know, this used to be a hell of a good country.  Can't understand what's gone wrong with it.  --  Jack Nicholson to Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper in Easy Rider, 1970


Fact of the Month --

     From 2000-2009, the average private sector job saw wages increase 29%, while the average unionized government job worker wages increased 89%.  And all this while the country saw the unemployment rate rise to nearly 10% and remain at nearly 9% -- an unemployment that is completely within the private sector, while government workers see almost zero unemployment.  --  Matt McCall, FOX NEWS Channel

Commentary of the Month --

     Vic Ketchum recently ranked the NFL's top 15 quarterbacks.  Notable inclusions were no. 12. Mark Sanchez, 11. Eli Manning, 8. Michael Vick, 7. Matt Ryan, 6. Drew Brees, 5. Philip Rivers, 4. Ben Roethlisberger, 3. Peyton Manning, 2. Tom Brady and the No. 1 quarterback in the NFL ... Aaron Rodgers.