The Riley Factor #96

The Riley Factor Fort Plain, NY
April 21, 2011, Issue No. 96
(All the Rock Creek Farm news that's fit to print, along with unfit to print rumors, prognostications & bloviations.)

The Rains -- Really not much weather to report.  In typical Upstate NY fashion, it was sunny and 65 degrees yesterday and this morning it is in the 30s and snowing/sleeting.  Eli, Michael and Raphael were screaming like little girls today because their morning hay was put out in the open and not next to the barn under the run-in overhang.  Rio was wandering the pasture toughing it out.

Auction Season -- We went to a farm auction on Lattimer Hill Road in Ames, NY, where an old time farmer had decided to reture.  Benuel Fisher Auctions ran the affair, and about 400 people were there on Friday, April 15, including a number of equipment dealers from around the country.  There was a huge selection of small farm stuff, too much, too arcane and too inane to list.  And there were also the requisite half dozen hay wagons, a couple of tractors, several hay rakes, hay mowers, hay balers, a hay elevator, a couple of feed wagons, hay feeders, bush hogs, buckets of all shapes and sizes, shovels, and a manure spreader (which had as one of its sale conditions that the buyer leave it behind for four weeks so the farmer could continue to spread the manure produced daily by the remaining dairy cows).  My favorite item was a "1,500 unit" bull semen tank -- thankfully it was empty, however they did sell separately several dozen doses of semen, complete with donor description, age, etc. (but no photos).  My two favorite lines from Benuel Fisher, the auctioneer, during the event were both uttered when some electrical device or another was being held up for the crowd to see and bid on.  The first line occurred when Benuel asked the farmer if the device worked -- after a long pause, the farmer yelled back, "It used to".  And the number one line of the day was when some other electric device was being auctioned.  Benuel was taking bids and paused and asked his helper what the tag said that was hanging on the device.  The helper paused, read the tag, and shouted back, "It says 'Might walk, but definitely does not run'".

Visitors -- Stevie was here the past couple of days, along with her sidekick Bruin, the Black Lab/Bluetick Coonhound/Beagle puppy mix.  Keith MacGregor stopped-in to do a little plumbing and spend most of the morning postulating with us on the current down-trending economy in America.  Late yesterday, Stevie, Riley and I went over to Chris King's to visit Lady.  Her training is coming-along very well.  Chris has asked us several times if we want to sell her, commenting on what a great carriage horse she would make.  Our current plan is to keep her from making the English to Amish conversion.

Planting and Plowing -- We decided to double-stack the raised beds this year, so we have 15 beds that are 14" high instead of twice-as-many boxes that are half-as-high.  We roto-tilled the freed-up ground, future use to be determined, probably cucumbers, several types of squash, green beans, peas, carrots, parsnips, cabbage, peppers, radishes, some melons and rowed onions.  Yesterday, Susan planted 150 strawberry plants in six rows of 25 -- who knew that you can't allow strawberry plants to produce fruit their first year?  This allows strengthening of the root runners.  The garden area above the greenhouse will be mostly potatoes, with some kidney beans, pinto beans and who knows what else.  The remaining raised beds will likely be used for various herbs, lettuce & spring greens, cabbage, eggplant, broccoli and some experiments.  On April 15, Susan planted 400 large candy onion sets, the first official in-ground planting of the season, in five of the raised beds.  Candy onions are a big favorite of the Amish -- they are large and sweet, and may be harvested at various sizes over a couple of months.  Except for their large round shape, they are similar to Vidalia onions.  We plan to place hinged glass windows on some of the raised beds, which enable earlier-in-the-year planting and also allow vegetables to be harvested later in the year.  Here, the average date of last frost is May 20 -- last year, we had an overnight hard frost of 25 degrees on May 27, which killed many plants that gardeners and farmers had put int he ground early -- it also killed a great percentage of apple and pear blossoms, resulting in greatly diminished fruit crops in 2010 in this area.

Riley --Happy this spring, still much the puppy at only a year and a half years old.  At his recent annual physical, he weighed-in at 86 pounds, destined to be his forever weight.  His favorite past time is "greeting" the many visitors who grace our doorstep daily.  If you are of slight build, in the five foot, hundred pound neighborhood, The Riley Pounce may knock you back a bit.  All told, The Riley is becoming very well behaved.  Although when it comes to the chickens, Riley can't help himself and chases them like toys put out for his enjoyment -- not a good thing.  The French Guinea Fowl, those loud little soldiers who travel around in tight formation, do not stand for any of Riley's antics, and he has realized that they are not to be trifled with.

Horses -- Lady has been spending her days and nights at Chris King's farm, on Clark Road in Danube, Herkimer County, about 15 miles away.  Chris King took her on April 12 to convert her from green-broke into a bona fide riding horse.  Everyone who sees Lady remarks on her good looks; it's that cross-breed of Morgan and American Saddlebred which give her such a prominent profile as she poses and prances, which she often does.  She is very calm thees days, and even puts her head on top of Susan's head, when they are walking no less.  It is interesting that the King family was the first Amish family to settle in this area, done back about five years ago (followed soon after by Melvin Miller and his extended family and the large John Fisher extended family).  Now, there are about 500 Amish families in the area (Fort Plain, Minden, Palatine Bridge, Canajoharie, Nelliston, Little Falls, St. Johnsville, Danube, Herkimer).  Rio is definitely missing Lady, jumping around and making a lot of horse noises, where he has generally been quiet and peaceful since his December arrival art Rock Creek Farm.  We have visited Lady ar the King Farm, where she shares a new small barn with 4-5 other horses.  She has her own stall, and seems to get along great with the other horses, one of which is a 10-year old Morgan that has won many awards.  Lady and the other horses also share the pasture with a dozen working mules, which pull various farming implements at the dairy farm.  The Kings milk 66 cows and have another 30-40 heifers and other head of cattle, along with producing their own hay and growing 37 acres of corn for feed.  Chris King, 21, is the second eldest of 11 King children, 10 of which are boys, all living at the King Farm.  His brother, John, is a dog lover, and has a dozen dogs running around the place (all very friendly and a big hit with The Riley when he visits).

The Herd of Three -- Eli, Michael and Raphael are happy that the pasture grass is growing and also for the reprieve from being chased around by Lady, the Prairie Boss(ette).

Fowl Weather -- We moved a rooster and three hens into Lady's stall to attempt some chicken breeding.  A chicken will lay a few eggs, say 3 to 6, and then sit on them for 21 days until hatching -- gestation period measured from start of sitting, not day of laying.  We are using the turkey hutches that Israel Kanagy built, for the chickens to use to sit on their egg clutches.  The turkey hutches are large and mobile, vs. the chicken hutches which are a bit smaller and mounted on the walls of the chicken coop.  The chickens use these chicken hutches for laying their daily egg quotas.  Believe it or not, one may actually purchase little chicken necklaces with sequential numbers on them so a true egg farmer can number each chicken and observe and make notes as to which hens are laying eggs and which hens should should be scheduled for the broiler -- thankfully, we have not devolved to this practice.  On April 15, one of our hen turkeys began sitting on a clutch of eggs -- a combination of 4 turkey eggs and 4 chicken eggs -- it is probably a bit too cold for true breeding and brooding to occur.

Mowings, Musings and The Woods -- All quiet in the Shire.  We did acquire a new heavy-duty wood splitter to allow for producing 15-20 cords of firewood for use next winter.  One of our goals is to heat as much of the house as possible with wood.

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 94 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 I digress.)

Quotes of the Month --

     In my many years, I have come to a conclusion that one useless man is a shame, two useless men are a law firm, and three or more useless men are a congress.  --  John Adams

     The government who robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.  --  George Bernard Shaw   If you take from Peter to pay Paul, you will always have the full support of Paul.  Obama has it figured out ... in the United States, there are more Pauls than Peters.  --  Bernard Goldberg

The Riley Factor #95

The Riley Factor Fort Plain, NY
April 13, 2011, Issue No. 95
(All the Rock Creek Farm news that's fit to print, along with unfit to print rumors, prognostications & bloviations.)

Make Way for Ducklings -- A pair of Mallards paddled around the lower pond for a day in early April, before winging their way on to parts unknown.  Only to be replaced a day later by the return of the great blue heron, now here for his fourth year.  In spite of our many sightings of this peculiar creature, I can never help thinking, "there is no way that that bird should be able to fly".  It is the size of a small person and stands peculiarly still in the shallows, or this time in the orchard, before jumping up and flapping its giant wings as it slowly takes-off, rising about a foot per second until it manages to get 15-20 feet above the ground and flies away.  And at dusk last night, as I was taking a short walk around the place with The Riley, four Canada Geese lined-up over the pasture and came-in to the lower pond like they were landing on an aircraft carrier.

The Snows -- Finally done.  Although we did get a bit of snow on March 31 and April 1 - only an inch or two, and quickly melted.

Auction Season -- Continued on April 2 with the annual spring equipment auction at Springfield Tractor in Ridgefield Springs.  A host of tractors, gators, mowers and other farm equipment, and about 500 people, twice what the auction brought a year ago.  We bought a new 74" tiller, needed since we annually rototill all the fields and gardens before planting, anywhere from 5 to 15 acres, depending on what we are up to, and our original tilling machine is beginning to show its wear.  Ephraim Blank welded the old tiller twice last year, and it still drips a bit of gear oil now and then.

Visitors -- Lo, it can be a lonely life here in Middle-of-Nowhere.  Nary a visitor from the civilized world in over a month.  Although Susan has made several pilgrimages to Hopkinton in recent weeks.

Solar Project -- Pretty much a fait accompli.  Except on the darkest of gloomy days, the photo-voltaic panels charge the batteries to 100% by day's end, which is enough power to run everything for over 48 hours with zero additional light from the sun.  And even those dark, cloudy, stormy days provide some light for charging the batteries.  Finally, with all the calibrations final and adjustments made, the back-up generator is being engaged only rarely.  And when it does kick-on, an hour-and-a-half running charges the batteries and power the house and barns for an entire day and night.

Planting and Plowing -- Still a bit muddy out in the fields, but yesterday, Susan tilled-in the manure that had been spread on the fields over the winter in the first field and in the garden area around the greenhouse.  So the 2011 farming has begun.

Riley -- For some unknown reason, the Golden Boy has taken to chewing paper.  Not all paper, but he is especially fond of napkins, tissues and the like.  When so occupied, Riley is impossible for one human to apprehend, and the two of us frequently chase him around the house like maniacs, until capture is achieved.  Who here is really running the asylum?

Horses -- Two days in a row, both horses escaped from the pasture - first times ever.  On March 30, they pushed through the lower 16-foot gate, which had been damaged a bit over the winter and was not latched tightly.  We saw Lady and Rio wandering around the back of the pasture fence and on the south circuit trails rolling in the still remaining snow.  A capture was accomplished by calling them calmly and shaking a bit of grain in their direction.  The cows were not amused at the horses being rewarded with mid-day grain for misbehaving, and the Herd of Three chased me around the field in search of some of their own feed.  (Editor's note: Always remember that time-tested, very wise, fundamental rule of the cattleman -- 'Never turn your back on a bull.')  Next day, March 31, we walked outside to run some errand, and saw both horses calmly grazing in the backyard near the fire pit, like it was perfectly normal.  Again, shaking some grain in a feed scoop called them back into their pasture.  This time, they had barged right through the four-foot upper people-gate and broke the wooden piece holding the latch.  (It must be admitted that some errant tractor operator snapped off two of the nearby fence posts over the winter while plowing snow off the roadway, and perhaps damaged the latch, so there may have been some human culpability involved.  But this has never been proven.).  (We asked Aaron Miller from E&A Fence to return and repair the two gates, which he has done.)  And then on April 3, Lady ducked-out of the pasture behind me when I left the pasture in the UTV, and I had to spend 10 minutes coaxing her back to within my reach as she pranced back and forth on the roadway in front of the pasture and down around the pond.  Finally, a carrot in one hand and a horse-lead in the other did the trick.  I hope she didn't learn anything.  All followed by a bit of melancholy on April 12, as Chris King came to take-away Lady for a month of horse/riding training -- to convert her from green-broke to rider-ready.  Last weekend, we put saddles on both Lady and Rio, without incident, and rode Rio a bit, and decided that it was time to train Lady to be ridden.  She should be back home in about a month.  Unlike her arrival last December, she got into and out of the horse trailer without incident, after only a few minutes of coaxing.  But it is amusing to see a horse stand still, a foot from the trailer door, and refuse to move an inch for ten minutes, despite the best efforts of all involved.  She stood firm, looking calmly from side-to-side, letting everyone know who outweighed whom, and who was really in charge.  Finally, apparently when satisfied that everyone knew she was the boss, she walked up and into the trailer.

The Herd of Three -- Cattle live a simple life.  Theirs is to seek and ingest food.  Grass preferred, hay a close second and, if offered, grain a close third.  Our three steer, Eli, Michael and Raphael, are now each over 1,000 pounds, and are perfectly comfortable throwing their weight around.  But they are very gentle.  They do not, however, like the horses very much, and Lady is especially vexing to them, running the steer off of their hay each morning until she has had her fill.  Even with hay distributed in two or three locations in the pasture, Lady still keeps the steer away from all hay until she is ready to allow them to feed -- Dances with Cattle (and Horses, but no Wolves).

Fowl Weather -- Egg production is increasing fast as the temperatures warm.  Now the 36 hens are laying about two dozen eggs per day, soon to be three dozen.  I have no idea what the two roosters do all day, but they do manage to run around the yard and fields and crow once in a while.  The five remaining hen turkeys are kept in the outdoor pen now (no great torture, since it is plenty big enough) and they can roam back into their coop if they desire.  We borrowed a Wild Palm tom turkey from friends to use for breeding, so the turkey hens could mate and produce some turkey chicks.  That experiment worked-out well -- for about three hours.  The tom turkey mated several times with one hen or another (who can keep track?).  But when we returned to the turkey coop at day's end, one of the hens had the tom's neck tightly grasped in her beak, so hard that the tom's neck was bleeding.  He must have committed some great turkey breeding infraction.  (And thus he learned that time-tested axiom, that there is no scorn so great as that of a jealous girlfriend).  Well, in any event, we had to return the tom turkey to its owner before he became a homicide victim at the hands/claws of one or more of his lady friends.  In other news, the nine French Guinea Fowl (known as Keets to their close friends, so I call them French Guinea Fowl) go wherever they want, whenever they want, squawking as loud as they want, as often as they want.  To date, they have always returned to the barn each evening.

Mowings, Musings and The Woods -- Still too wet to get up back to the woods much, but we do occasionally make a ride around the perimeter of the place.  A few trees fell over the winter, but no real damage done anywhere.  Plenty of wild turkey sightings, but the deer are still in hiding -- it is birthing season, so the fawns will soon be wandering the place with mother does close by.

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 94 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 I digress.) 

Quotes of the Month --

     Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in.  Aim at earth and you will get neither.  --  C.S. Lewis
     Aim small.  Miss small.  --  Benjamin Martin, The Patriot
    

     It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million cannot replace 555 people who stand convicted, by present facts, of incompetence and irresponsibility.  --  Charley Reese

     It is a rare problem that is so great or so grave that it can not be diminished by a good cup of tea.  --  Miss Jones, NCIS LA
     I don't live in fear of life or of death, but I do I live in fear of having to go five minutes without talking about myself.  --  Don Imus

     On average, the human foot sweats a cup of fluid per day.  --  P.J.  Thyne, Bones
     A man's reach should exceed his grasp.  --  Robert Browning
     A government bureau is the nearest thing we'll ever see to eternal life here on earth.  --  Ronald Reagan    

     I am Obama's worst nightmare.  --  Donald Trump (April 12, 2011)

Facts of the Month --

     Most people know that 75% of the earth's surface is covered with water.  But of the earth's total mass, or weight, only 0.06% comes from water.

     And, this just in -- If a billiard ball were enlarged to the size of the earth, its surface would be more mountainous and cavernous than the earth itself is.

The Riley Factor #94

The Riley Factor Fort Plain, NY
March 29, 2011
(All the Rock Creek Farm news that's fit to print, along with unfit to print rumors, prognostications & bloviations.)

Blog -- The Riley Factor has entered the 21st century, and now has its own official blog site.  Go to http://the-riley-factor.blogspot.com/ and you can see all 93 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.) 

The Snows -- Have ended, we hope.  We received 7-8 feet of snow this year.  The biggest single snow fall of the winter fell on March 6-7, when we unexpectedly received 15 inches overnight of heavy wet snow, following several days of temps in the 40s.  Nearly impossible to snow plow, since the underlying ground was mushy and muddy in many places.  But man and machine eventually conquered nature, yet again.

Auction Season -- Spring auction season began on March 26, with the annual Amish spring consignment auction at Mohawk Valley Produce Center, on Fordsbush Road in Fort Plain.  Several hundred people were in attendence, with three auctioneers running concurrently.  We bought a few small things, but nothing too significant.  Equipment auctions loom for the next few Saturdays.  Always fun.

Visitors -- On March 19, those effervescent twins, Barbara and Betty, stopped-in with Nancy for a visit.  We had a late St. Patrick's Day corned beef and cabbage repast, and they were back on their way before sunset (for some reason or another, a departure deadline).

Solar Project -- The switch was flipped at 7:45 PM on March 4 and we are officially off the grid, being powered completely by 30 photo-voltaic panels on the south side of garage roof and two wind turbines mounted on the east end of the garage.  We are still adjusting the controllers and such, but so far so good.

Planting and Plowing -- Plowing continues its dormancy.  Manure continues its spreading.

Riley -- We took Riley for a hike after the early March snow storm and he ran off the trails further and further as Susan and I trudged along behind.  At one point, Riley got into a drift that got deeper and deeper.  As he struggled along, finally he needed a rest and took a seat.  The snow was up to the top of his front shoulders and all we could see was his head, looking like someone had placed it atop the snow.  When he did a reversal and began walking out, following the trail he had made walking in, all we could see was an occasional fluff of golden fur as he walked along.

Horses -- Lady stepped on Riley's front paw one morning and he yelped like he was being murdered, after which he sulked back to the Utility Vehicle and lied down on the floor.  I feel his pain, since Lady has planted her 1,500 pound frame on my own foot three times.  I think Riley was faking, because a few minutes later, he walked limp-free.  On March 29, when we were in the barn for the routine morning feeding of the animals, followed by the normal daily release of the herds into the pasture, we saw a red chicken standing on Rio's back, as he ate his grain.  After a minute or so, the chicken sat down and settled-in for a ride or a nap.  When we let Rio out, the chicken stayed on, riding bareback, until Rio accelerated into a trot, then full-on run, at which time the chicken went flying (both figuratively and literally).

The Herd of Three -- Eli, Michael and Raphael, each topping a half-ton, are finally beginning to get accustomed to Lady and Rio.  Apparently, only we humans realize that each day we place enough hay in the pasture for all three steer and both horses to fill their considerable bellies -- so they chase each other back and forth attempting to gain control of the two or three fresh hay bales.  On one of the first great weather spring days, Raphael took great pleasure in chasing our lone tom turkey around the barn, as the tom waffled between protecting his flock of five hen turkeys and running for his life.  We have decided that that tom turkey is the slowest of all the animals at Rock Creek Farm.

Fowl Weather -- Confined to a two month breeding season annually, the turkeys have started to do their thing.  You haven't lived until you have seen a 25-pound tom turkey walking up and down on the back of a 15-pound hen turkey.  I don't think our tom actually knows what the heck he is doing, but the hens seem to enjoy the spa treatment.  It is unclear if any actual breeding has taken place.  This month, we built 10 nesting boxes, five for the turkeys and five for the chickens, which were placed in the coops for the mother birds to lie in and sit on their eggs.  More to come on this grand experiment.  There will be no film at 11.  (Editor's note: late last week, the big tom turkey was hit by a car as he was protecting his hens, and had to be put down.  :-(  Now the hens are each trying to mate with one another.  Again, there will be no film at 11). 

Mowings, Musings and The Woods -- For much of January and February, we could not even get out back to the woods, owing to drifting snow on the main trail that gets to four or five feet deep when only a foot or foot-and-a-half of snow actually falls.  Occasionally, we were able to collect a load or two of firewood, which we cut into 18" lengths last fall and left in piles out back in the woods to season some -- mostly chestnut, with some oak and beech.  For a brief period, we got to the woods, but with the spring thaw, we are back to waiting for firm, dry ground on which to travel to the back.

Quotes of the Month --
     Federal spending has to be trimmed with a buzz saw, not with a scalpel. -- Elizabeth MacDonald, FOX Business Channel

     An error doesn't have to become a mistake, unless you refuse to correct it. -- John F. Kennedy

     The worst addiction that this nation faces is the belief that there are simple solutions to complex problems. -- Morris Chafetz MD

     With Socialism, eventually you run out of other people's money. -- Stuart Varney, FOX Business Channel

     Global Thermonuclear War.  A strange game.  The only way to win is not to play. -- WOPR, War Games

     The real reason that we can't have the Ten Commandments posted in a courthouse is this: You cannot post 'Thou Shalt Not Steal,' 'Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery,' and 'Thou Shall Not Lie' in a building full of lawyers, judges and politicians.  It creates a hostile work environment. -- Maxine

     Two little mice fell into a pitcher of cream.  One soon gave up hope and quickly drowned.  The second mouse swam around and around like mad, so furiously that eventually the cream turned to butter, and then he walked out of the pitcher. -- Frank Abagnale Jr.


Facts of the Month --

     Gasoline -- The highest ever national average retail price for regular unleaded gasoline was $4.11, which occurred in the summer of 2008.  We may get back there again late this spring, but only time will tell.  As of the beginning of March, the average retail price per gallon across the nation was $3.70.

     Federal Government Spending -- The True Facts -- A Troubling Imbalance
Right off the top there is some sobering math to consider. The U.S. government spent $4.3 trillion in 2010.  That stands in stark contrast to the $2.2 trillion in government revenues (which included $1.7 billion in personal income and payroll taxes). Interesting to note is that corporate taxes were $180 billion in 2010, up from $130 billion in 2009 (and down from the peak of $367 billion in 2007), but a small percentage of the total.
So, U.S. government posted a $1.3 trillion deficit in 2010, down slightly from the $1.4 trillion deficit of 2009.  (Changes in actuarial assumptions related to benefits, expenses, and obligations for veterans, military and civilian employees and government-sponsored enterprises reduce the deficit from the simple math of revenue minus expenses).
          Where the Money Went

• DefenseThe U.S. government spent more money on the Department of Defense than anything else in 2010. Net Defense spending totaled $889 billion in 2010, or more than 20% of the government's total spending.
• Social SecuritySocial Security accounted for $754 billion in 2010, up 2% from the level of spending in 2009 and almost 18% of 2010 spending. Medicare was likewise a huge expense - in excess of $500 billion for the year - while Medicaid spending topped $300 billion and the two combined for nearly 20% of U.S. spending.
• InterestAlthough much is made of what the U.S. pays in interest every year, it amounted to $215 billion in 2010, or only 5% of the total.
• The Department of LaborThe Department of Labor (DOL) also accounted for a sizable chunk of spending in 2010.  Federal unemployment benefits flow through this department, so the $179 billion spending in 2010 (up from $140 billion in 2009) is not altogether unexpected. Along similar lines, much of the $134 billion that went to the Department of Agriculture went to food assistance programs, while farm subsidies amounted to $14 billion and food safety initiatives a little more than $1 billion.
• Department of TransportationOther odds and ends of note include $80 billion to the Department of Transportation, more than half of which goes to the Federal Highway Administration, along with sizable allocations to the FAA and the Federal Transit Administration, which provides money to a variety of public transit systems. The Department of Education got slightly more, nearly $90 billion, while Homeland Security got by on $50 billion, or more than double the amount allocated to NASA.

      o  The Rest
          The remaining 45% of 2010 spending went to all those other but smaller governmental programs.

The Riley Factor #93

The Riley Factor Fort Plain, NY
March 1, 2011
(All the Rock Creek Farm news that's fit to print, along with unfit to print rumors, prognostications & bloviations.)

The Snows -- Snow falls, snow piles up, snow melts, as snow has done for countless millennia.  Still, each storm is reported by local and national media as the disaster of the decade, a 100-year storm.  We have survived five 100-year storms in the past three years.  We have been advised ad nauseum to stay off the roads, driving is treacherous, plows are working 24/7 to clear the mess.  Who is working 24/7 to clear this media madness?  (Which is what we really need).  The first melting of any sort this winter began on Valentine's Day, and lasted for five days, with sun and a 60 degree temp reached on Feb 18.  A week later, on Feb 25, 13 inches of snow fell in Middle-of-Nowhere.  Five more inches fell on Feb. 26, and now it's a party.  Total snow fall here so far this winter -- six feet.

Visitors -- Stephanie stopped-in for a few days during school vacation week with new puppy Bruin in tow.  The Riley and Bruin were up non-stop for almost 72 hours before collapsing.

Solar Project -- In February, we had enough sunny, dry and warm weather to progress further on the grand solarization of Rock Creek Farm.  Solar panels were wired on Feb. 17.  Installation of inverters, charge controllers, and control panel was completed on Feb. 24.  Still to come - final in-barn and in-house wiring, and disconnection of the electric meter to achieve off-the-grid status.  Today, much of this is being worked-on by three of the Empire Solar engineers and electricians.  And then finally will come The Throwing of the Switch.

Planting and Plowing -- Plowing continues its dormancy.  Manure continues its spreading.

Riley -- Inexplicably, the Golden One has been napping more and more during the day, as the earth tilts its northern axis toward the sun and daylight expands and temperatures warm.  He has been consistently getting-in his twice daily two-mile runs.  Many days, we find scattered remains of a fresh overnight kill out on the trails, probably the result of a fast coyote meeting-up with a slow rabbit.  The Riley feels obligated to fully investigate each of these findings.

Horses -- Lady and Rio are becoming more comfortable in their new surroundings.  Especially Lady, who kisses Riley regularly and likes to place her considerable head on Susan's shoulder.  She also brings one or the other of her giant eyes to within an inch or two of my eyes and stares intently, as if she is trying to see my brain (good luck with that; better try a magnifier).  Rio continues on, never stirring-up the animal or human masses, and he has started giving Susan daily kisses.

The Herd of Three -- As the snow gets low, bovine heaven of green pastures gets closer and closer.  The three 1,000-pounders are still a bit too scared of Lady, who prances and gallops her 1,500-pound frame liberally close to the Herd of Three and thereby gets more than her fair share of the daily hay allotments.

Fowl Weather -- Currently confined to their coops and outdoor pen, the birds are antsy to get back to their wide-spread wandering around the fields and lawn.  We need to see wide-spread bona fide green before that occurs.

Mowings, Musings and The Woods -- A few snowmobiles have scatted around the upper two pastures, not welcomed and trespassing in spite of well posted borders and some discussions with some of the locals.  No damage done, primarily owing to the foot-plus of snow covering everything.

Quotes of the Month --

     Where we go one, we go all.  --  on the bell of The Albatross, lost at sea, 1960

     Every great movement begins with a single voice.  --  Ben Franklin

     The buffalo who runs against the herd reaches only his own demise.  --  Chief Crazy Horse

     The government cannot make you change your behavior.  Government subsidies do not work.  They do not make you get out of your car and ride the trains.  They do not make you buy environmentally friendly cars.  --  John Stossel

     Those who risk nothing, do nothing, achieve nothing, become nothing.  --  Anonymous

     Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.  --  Napoleon Bonaparte

     We're all on running clocks; you can't slow them down, or pause them.  --  Ryan Bingham (George Clooney character in Up in the Air)

     I have seen enough to know now that I have seen it all.  --  David Lander (baseball stadium announcer in A League of Their Own; better known for his Happy Days character Squiggy)

     President Obama is a miserable failure.  America deserves better than this. -- Sean Hannity

     Today, President Obama said that his budget as submitted provides for annual revenue and expenditure break-even by the middle of this decade.  His own budget numbers show one billion-plus dollar deficits each year for this year, next year and the year after, and no less than a $600 billion deficit in any single year from 2014 through 2020.  Which is it Mr. President, are you hopelessly incompetent or are you lying?  --  Glenn Beck

     You can't walk around saying that what you want to do is cut the deficit, and then have everything you do increase the deficit.  The President is being disingenuous.  --  Florida Congressman Connie Mack

     Hold on everyone.  We have a blind date with destiny, and it looks like she's ordered the lobster.  --  William H. Macy, in Mystery Men    
     The rule of law is a mess in America.  --  Judge Andrew Napolitano

     Drink won't fix it. -- Matt Dillon, Gunsmoke


Facts of the Month --

     o  Muslims & Jews -- There are 1.2 billion Muslims in the world (which represents 20% of the world's population), and there are 14 million Jewish people in the world.  Since the awarding of Nobel Prizes commenced in the early 1900s, Muslims have been awarded 7 Nobel Prizes.  Jews have been awarded 129.   Nobel Prize categories include literature, physics, medicine, economics and peace.

     o  Other People -- There are more Irish in New York City, than in Dublin; more Italians in NYC than in Rome; & more Jews in NYC than in Tel Aviv.

     o  Unions -- in 1981, 21% of American workers were in a union, broken-down to 19% of private sector workers and 34% of public sector (government) workers.  In 2010, 12% of American workers are unionized, with the break-down being 7% of private sector workers and 36% of government workers.  Editorial & Analysis -- Allowing government employees to unionize makes no sense for two fundamental reasons: (1) If a private company's employee unions force wages and benefits to an artificially high level, the consumer has the choice of refusing to pay the resultant higher prices and go elsewhere for products and services.  This option does not exist with respect to government employees, since if they perform poorly or are over-hired and over-paid driving up costs, the taxpayer is not allowed not to pay the taxes which fund the government, so people are forced to pay for too-high government employee salaries and benefits.  And (2) Unions collect dues from members, aggregate funds and use those funds to support primarily Democrat political candidates through campaign contributions and by urging members to get out and vote, and vote primarily Democrat.  Then, after the elections, the unions sit across the tables from the elected Democrats that the unions helped put into office and negotiate new union contracts -- can you say 'conflict-of-interests'?

And then, there's this ...

* If you plant honesty, you will reap trust
* If you plant goodness, you will reap friends
* If you plant humility, you will reap greatness
* If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment
* If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective
* If you plant hard work, you will reap success
* If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation

So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will reap later.
Think about this for a minute.... 

If I happened to show up on your door step crying, would you care?
If I called you and asked you to pick me up because something happened, would you come?
If I had one day left to live my life, would you be part of that last day?

If I needed a shoulder to cry on, would you give me yours?
This is a test to see who your real
friends are or if you are just someone to talk to you  when they are bored.
Do you know what the relationship is between your two eyes?
They blink together, they move together, they cry together, they see things together, and they sleep together,
but they never see each other;

...That's what friendship is ...

Your aspiration is your motivation, your motivation is your belief, your belief is your peace,

Your peace is your target, your target is heaven, and life is like hard core torture without it.

The Riley Factor #92

The Riley Factor Fort Plain, NY
February 6, 2011
(All the Rock Creek Farm news that's fit to print, along with unfit to print rumors, prognostications & bloviations.)

The Snows -- More snow on Feb. 1-2 added another 14" to the foot already on the ground.  Trails remain open, but only barely in a couple of spots.  A few more inches fell on Feb. 5-6.

Solar Project -- Sunday Jan. 30 saw the solar engineers scrambling around the three-quarters of an inch ice coating on the garage barn roof, beginning the attachment of the 30 solar panels to the roof.  Next day, the solar panel and wind turbine installations were all completed.  Next up: running the wiring, installing the inverters and charge controllers, connecting the batteries, installing the monitors and building the control room enclosure.  Need some sunny and above-freezing weather to proceed further.

Planting and Plowing -- Plowing continues its dormancy.  Manure continues its spreading.

Riley -- The Golden Boy's newest favorite pastime is trotting around fluffy snow with his nose buried in and shoveling up the white stuff.  He always comes up with a face covered in it.  And near the end of his twice-daily two-mile runs, he now just stops and drops in the deep stuff, and spends a minute or two eating unflavored snow cones.

Horses -- Rio and Lady are becoming more and more affectionate, especially to Susan.  Lady frequently places her chin on Susan's shoulder, probably seeking some carrot, apple or grain treat.  It seems as if they are not as scary to the steer as they once were perceived to be, but this is a human, not bovine, interpretation.

The Herd of Three -- Eli, Michael and Raphael, each now tipping the scales at around 1,000 pounds, are beginning to feel their oats (or in their specific case, it is actually wheat, but I digress).  They wander in and out of the barn on their schedule, not ours, mooing and and thinking nothing of tossing us a head butt or two on their way in, out, or for no apparent reason (best decision we made was to de-horn them at an early age -- too many stories from the locals of farmers being gored by bulls, never with a happy ending).  The Herd of Three has decided that they like last year's second cutting of hay better than any of the other hays, and they complain, moo, bang into walls and stomp around when we try to feed them anything but the best dried-up old grasses, sometimes going on a hunger strike.  Although they don't have any real teeth, and wouldn't ever bite anyway, at half a ton each, we do give them the utmost of respect, and stay out of the way of their hooves, lowered foreheads and running frames.  And at half a ton each, they aren't exactly starving.

Fowl Weather -- Both the red and black chickens have been laying eggs like it is still summer - eight or ten dozen per week.  If you need some eggs, stop in and take some.  Please.

Mowings, Musings and The Woods -- We have managed to keep the main trails clear of deep snow, enabling daily circuits on the ATVs or UTV with The Riley running alongside.  Recently, the colder nights seem to bring packs of coyotes or coy-dogs out of the woods and in fairly close to the orchard and barns, maybe 100 yards from the house, probably in search of rabbits or other unlucky quarry, a corpse of which we occasionally find in a trail near to the house.

Quotes of the Month --

     You cannot strengthen the weak, by weakening the strong. -- Abraham Lincoln

     All that you can do is decide what to do with the time that has been given to you. -- Gandolf the Gray (Fellowship of the Ring)

     Beer is proof that God loves man, and wants us to be happy. -- Ben Franklin

     Some women is lookers, and lookers must be looked at. -- Festus Hagen (Gunsmoke)

     They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security. -- Ben Franklin

   To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he believes and abhors is sinful and tyrannical. -- Thomas Jefferson

      It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds. -- Sam Adams

    
Facts of the Month --

     57% of the dollars spent by the federal government are spent on entitlement programs.

     Currently, for each dollar the federal government takes in, it/they spend $1.66.


Superbowl Report -- February 6, from Dallas ...

     Green Bay Packers  31
    Pittsburgh Steelers  25

    Green Bay Packers win their 13th NFL Championship -- more than any other team.
    Aaron Rodgers is the Superbowl MVP and is the best quarterback currently playing in the NFL.
    All is right with the world.
Oh Boy --

The Sierra Club and the U.S. Forest Service were presenting an alternative to the Wyoming ranchers for controlling the coyote population. It seems that after years of the ranchers using the tried and true method of shooting or trapping the predators, the Sierra Club had a "more humane" solution to this issue. What they were proposing was for the animals to be captured alive. The males would then be castrated and let loose again. This was ACTUALLY proposed by the Sierra Club and by the U.S. Forest Service. All of the ranchers thought about this amazing idea for a couple of minutes. Finally an old fellow wearing a big cowboy hat in the back of the conference room stood up, tipped his hat back and said; "Son, I don't think you understand our problem here... these coyotes ain't screwing our sheep... they're eatin' 'em!" The meeting never really got back to order. . .

 

The Riley Factor #91

The Riley Factor Fort Plain, NY
January, 2011
(All the Rock Creek Farm news that's fit to print, along with unfit to print rumors, prognostications & bloviations.)

Happy New Year

Christmas and New Year in Middle-of-Nowhere -- As usual, the Rock Creek Farm Christmas tree went up right after Thanksgiving.  The annual Christmas Eve Slate Family Party was at Richie Crowley's in Southwick - again an excellent affair.  And CJ, Stevie & Scott stopped-in to visit us in NY for a few days over the holidays.  Stevie and Scott were here three times between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  During the Christmas visit, they ventured further west to just past Utica and picked-up a new addition to their family, a 12-week old male puppy, a mix: Beagle, Black Lab & Bluetick Coonhound.  Named 'Bruin', he is all black and extremely cute, 15 pounds now, and should grow to about 40 pounds when mature - both his parents are that size.  Bruin is half the size of the 12-week-old version of The Riley.  Between Christmas and New Years, Susan spent few days back in Hopkinton.  She and Stevie got into the time machine and went to one of CJ's indoor soccer games (Susan was the only mother in the audience) and she and Stevie also visited Scott at his office at Fidelity in Smithfield, RI.

The Snows -- So far, a benign winter.  Although it snows almost nightly in Middle-of-Nowhere, it is generally lake-effect snow that amounts to less than a half-inch per day - just enough to keep everything white.  While the Christmas weekend storm piled 18 inches of snow on Albany, 60 miles to the east of Middle-of-Nowhere, and piled 20 inches in New York City, 150 miles to the south, the snow blew past us completely, with barely a trace of the white stuff.  Blew past at high speed, with 25-40 mph winds and below-zero wind chill factors.  The horses and steer stay in the barn with wind chills that low, which makes them a bit restless but keeps them warm, as they self-heat the first floor of the barn to about 30 degrees - animal cozy.  Unfortunately, animal through-put does not diminish when they are held captive indoors.

Solar Project -- Batteries and roof rails were delivered just before Christmas.  Empire Solar was here scrambling around the barn roof the weeks afterward installing the rails and Photo-Voltaic panels on the roof, facing the true solar south.  A complex computer calculation and monitoring of the sky establishes a solar score for a given solar application -- perfect score is 120 and our site scored a 115, which means that as little as two hours of full sun will fully charge the batteries.  Even on a dark, cloudy, snowy mid-winter day, with 20-30% available light, the solar panels get enough solar input from the sky in a day to fully serve our house and barn electrical needs plus fully charge the batteries.  In addition, we are installing two wind turbines, which produce up to a kilowatt of power per hour for use or charging day or night, when the wind is blowing.  Of course, nothing is actually functioning yet, as batteries, inverters, transformers, switches, wiring et al are all in various states of in-process.

Planting and Plowing -- Ground is frozen solid.  There'll be no plowing here for a while.  But the ATVs run fast over the frozen tundra.  We did just put manure and hay around each of the 80 fruit trees and 30 grape vines.

Riley -- The Golden Boy has taken renewed interest in torturing the three cats at every opportunity.  Stryder, Arwen and AJ, each have a love/hate relationship with their favorite member of the canine world.  Although the cats sometimes actually nap with the dog, Riley still can't resist pouncing on them and licking them to within an inch or two of their nine lives.  He has also been known to try to pick them up by their spines and carry them around the place.  Cats do not like this.

Horses -- Rio and Lady are doing well.  Lady is still the challenge, and prefers to keep prancing and dancing around the stall, barn, pasture; wherever she finds herself; a typical female.  While Rio is much more the calm, sensible one; a typical male.  Both love their grain, and also apples, carrots and the famous molasses-flavored horse treats (which The Riley also readily gobbles when he is in the area).  The horses are not averse to chasing the steer around in order to steal their hay or grain.  The steer push back, but their hearts are not in it.  By day's end though, everyone has had enough feed to maintain their girlish 1,000-pound-plus figures.

The Herd of Three -- Surprisingly, the steer have easily adjusted to their new herd size, at 60% of their former numbers.  With the dominant one, Gabe, no longer in the mix, each member of the remaining herd of three has begun to flex their type A personalities.  There is no doubt that each of the steer is (or, technically, was) male  (Susan would say 'bossy and pushy'.  I would say 'manly and comfortably aggressive'.).

Fowl Weather -- As long as they don't freeze solid, thankfully a rare occurrence, the cold-blooded fowl don't mind winter.  Most days, both turkeys and chickens stay inside in their coops doing bird things and laying the occasional egg.  Chicken egg production falls from an egg per day each in spring, summer and fall to about an egg every other day in the winter.  The Jersey Giants have finally calmed to the point where they can be approached and picked-up.  Their feathers are so soft, Susan grabs one or two by the legs and uses them to dust the feed & tack room.

Mowings, Musings and The Woods -- Still hear a gun shot or two on a daily basis from the woods - rifles and shotguns.  Does not appear to relate to any hunting season that actually may be in season.  We are keeping orange and low.

Quotes of the Week --

     The difference between good and great is effort. -- on locker room walls everywhere

     Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. -- Hebrews 11:1
 
     Obama's biggest accomplishment in his first two-years of office?  He has spent more money that we don't have in less time than any other president in history.  Obama has achieved little, other than to promote volumes of onerous, burdensome regulatory legislation.  -- FOX News, 12/24/2010 (Merry Christmas)

     Who we are ... people who demonstrate integrity, respect and teaming.   People with energy, enthusiasm and the courage to lead.  People who build relationships based on doing the right thing. -- Ernst & Young

     Nobody is smarter than the market. -- Eugene Farmer

     A responsible, affordable, intelligent government is always better than the Nanny State. -- Mary Matalin, former Republican adviser

     If everybody had a gun, there would be less crime. -- Charles Payne, FOX Business

     Everyone is beginning to realize that unions are basically ruining America. -- Charles Payne

     It is a fundamental economic principle: you can have prosperity or equality, but not both. -- Anne Coulter, Author

     Only an idle man doesn't know enough to enjoy rest. -- Paladin, Have Gun - Will Travel

     Not a quote, but a fact and a thought: The combined federal and state income tax rate on corporations in the U.S. is 40%.  With Japan's recent national corporate tax rate cut from 25% to 20%, the U.S. now has the highest corporate tax rate in the world.  On average throughout the world, the corporate tax rate averages 20%.  We also have the world's highest regulatory burden.  Why would any company choose to locate in the U.S. if it has other international alternatives?

                   NFL Playoff Recap

        NFC & Seeds                              AFC & Seeds
#1 Atlanta Falcons (13-3)            #1 New England Patriots (14-2)
#2 Chicago Bears (11-5)              #2 Pittsburgh Steelers (12=4)
#3 Philadelphia Eagles (10-6)       #3 Indianapolis Colts (10-6)
#4 Seattle Seahawks (7-9)           #4 Kansas City Chiefs (10-6)
#5 New Orleans Saints (11-5)       #5 Baltimore Ravens (12-4)
#6 Green Bay Packers (10-6)       #6 New York Jets (11-5)

This Weekend's Playoff Games:
  Saints @ Seahawks, Sat. Jan. 8, 4:30PM, NBC, Saints favored by 10.5 points
  Jets @ Colts, Sat.,Jan. 8, 8PM, NBC, Colts favored by 2.5 points
  Ravens @ Chiefs, Sun., Jan. 9, 1PM, CBS, Ravens favored by 2.5 points
  Packers @ Eagles, Sun. Jan. 9, 4:30PM, FOX, Eagles favored by 1.5 points

The Riley Factor #90

The Riley Factor Fort Plain, NY
December 21, 2010
(All the Rock Creek Farm news that's fit to print, along with unfit to print rumors, prognostications & bloviations.)

Merry Christmas to All

Animals -- Just for fun, on Thanksgiving weekend, we counted the various animals wandering the place, excluding the stray raccoon, ground hog, blue heron, red  fox, deer, mice, coyotes, coy dogs, neighbors' dogs, hawks, vultures, wild turkeys and other true wildlife.  (Somewhat) under our control were 2 horses, 4 steer, one bull, 21 Jersey Giant black chickens, 16 RI/Cornish red hens, 9 French Guinea Fowl (which Susan recently learned mate for life and love hot weather such as found in Africa !? - well one-for-two's not bad), 6 Narragansett turkeys, 3 cats and The Riley.  Total of 63.  "Plus us", adds Susan.

The Snows -- Snow began flying early in the month and almost daily the Lake Effect drops some white stuff on the place.  Never too much at a time, but it adds-up.  After a week of frigid temps, Dec. 9-16, daily highs under 20 with wind chills in the 4-5 degree range, we got our first real snow overnight on Dec. 15-16, when 2-3 inches fell.  Just 10 miles away in Sharon Springs, they got 6 injches and in Cobleskill, 25 miles south, they received 8 inches that night.  The Lake Effect is inconsistent and a tough one to predict.  100 miles to the west in Syracuse, it has snowed every day in December and they have received over six feet of snow, a new record for any single month, with 10 days remaining to set more records.  Route 90, the NYS Thruway, had to be closed for a while for snow removal.

Solar Project -- Sun shines, wind blows, infrastructure still under development.  Solar panels (actually called Photo-Voltaic panels) arrived on Dec. 14.  Installation to begin soon.

Planting and Plowing -- Still dormant until spring.

Riley -- The Golden Boy ate (yet another) Christmas ornament given to us by someone who saw it at a craft show and thought it would be perfect for display in Middle-of-Nowhere.  Well, perfect for a snack, according to Riley.  He moved on, and late on Dec. 15, Riley escaped our control (his incessant objective, nay - make it his prime directive) and strolled the yard and barnyard at will.  Eventually, he strolled onto the patch of lawn in front of the farm field closest to the house and found a deer that had been struck by a vehicle the night before and lay dead on the lawn.  When we tried to pick-up the small doe the next morning, it had frozen solid to the ground and was immovable.  Oh well, there were tracks in the snow all around it and it appears that coyotes, coy-dogs and perhaps raccoons or skunks have been feasting on the carcass -- the call of the wild.

Horses -- Lady has become the Boss of the Field, chasing the others around at her will.  Although when push comes to shove, Rio steps in and takes control.  Like any good filly, she follows her male protector.  On Dec. 16, we replaced the river-rock floors in the horse stalls with stall mats, which will pamper Rio's and Lady's unshod feet while standing and sleeping in the barn.

The Herd of Five -- Cattle have one mission in life ... eating.  They prefer pasture grass, but readily migrate to hay when the grass is short or snow-covered.  They also like grain (wheat, oats, barley, corn), and in a pinch will chew on sweatshirts, jackets and jeans.  They love to sniff leather coats (presumably searching for some long-lost relative).  Oh yeah, and their through-put is legendary.  Well, on Dec. 14, we had our first butchering, a melancholy day.  Two of our steer, Gabe, our 15-month-old red & white Holstein, and Zeke, our 10-month-old Holstein bull, were butchered for beef for our own use and for sales.  We raised them as beef cattle, from very young calves only a few days old, to their 1,000 and 700 pound states.  The processed beef should be ready by New Year's Day.

Fowl Weather -- The turkeys and chickens are becoming accustomed to staying in their indoor/outdoor pen rather than wandering all over the place as the mercury drops.  Most days, they remain in their 24'x36' coop and pen that is half indoors and half outside under the barn overhang.  Most have the capacity (but not the desire) to jump-fly over the six-foot fencing that separates them from the entire outside world.  They await return of warmer weather to return to that roaming life.  The Keets, those French Guinea Fowl, have taken to pairing-up, and one of our nine is left as a bachelor (or bachelorette).  One night, he/she stayed outside roaming in search of wedded bliss in 10-degree environs.  Alack and alas, at sunrise, he/she was found leaning up against one of the stall doors waiting to be let in to return to the flock.  Apparently the rural bird bar scene had not produced the desired hook-up.

Mowings, Musings and The Woods -- Ponds are frozen, almost ready for the first ice skaters of the season.  Korey-in-the-House -- Korey the Amish Plumber, arrived on December 7 to shut-off the greenhouse water for the year.  Temps had been in the 20s for several days, so it was fortunate that we escaped any unwanted pump, tank or pipe freezing.  For no reason, Riley acted scared stiff when Korey entered the house -- may have been the boots, black pants and jacket and straw hat.  After a minute of petting and talking, Riley was back to his old self, jumping on Korey and nibbling on his hands.  On one of his daily runs, December 10, one day after deer hunting season ended, Riley flushed-out a small herd of six deer in the third field.  They ran all the way from the bottom up into the woods, six large does.   Later in the week, he spied a lone doe on the trails and chased her into and throughout the south woods.  After 15 minutes or so, he emerged doe-less and huffing and puffing, unsuccessful in his chase and no worse for the wear.  The Golden Boy would not know what to do if he ever actually got close up to a deer.

Quotes of the Week --

     Failure is not an option. -- Gene Kranz, NASA Mission Control (Apollo 13, April 1970)

     Hope is not a strategy. -- true source unknown, attributed to many different individuals

     I tried being reasonable.  I didn't like it.
     If you want a guarantee, buy a toaster.
     A good man always knows his limitations.
     We boil at different degrees.
     Go ahead, make my day.                          

  -- Clint Eastwood, various movies, various points in time, each a classic

     Churchill knew the importance of peace, and he also knew the price of it. -- Rudy Giuliani

     If my kids graduate from high school, and want to become puppeteers, I'll send them to friggin' puppet college.  But for now, just teach them how to read, write and do math. -- Susan Fuchs, circa 1995, to the Hopkinton Superintendent of Schools

     What the hell is going on out there? -- Vince Lombardi
     One on my predictions for 2011 - the rich of the world, the real workers, will rise-up and unite in protest. -- Charles Payne, FOX Business Channel

     The Troubled Asset Relief Program was a complete failure.  Government spending does not create jobs. -- Steve Moore, Wall Street Journal
     The real Obama is more complex than his simplistic, outdated  'Yes We Can' mantra.  Obama's real slogans morph over time ...
          2008 Obama: Weak and Ineffective.
          2009 Obama: Dishonest and Incompetent.
          2010 Obama: a Socialist, a Liar, Hopelessly In-over-his-head. -- CF

     Good workers have choices. -- John Stossel

The Riley Factor #89

The Riley Factor Fort Plain, NY
December 5, 2010
(All the Rock Creek Farm news that's fit to print, along with unfit to print rumors, prognostications & bloviations.)

The snows -- are flying.  The lake effect has begun in Middle-of-Nowhere, NY.  Constant lake effect snow forecast for Dec. 5 - 7.  Could amount to a foot in the west by Tuesday's end, Buffalo through Syracuse.  Been snowing here for 12 hours and looks like a white two days likely.  High temp today forecast to be 24, with with chill of 13.  So, the animals are in the barn for today -- a toasty 40 degrees in there, with a wind chill of, wait for it ... 40.  Although, you do have to listen to the Keets honking in there -- maybe the cold is not so bad.  Much too early for winter to actually arrive.  It won't be long before the ATVs are being ridden and slidden across the snow -- always fun.

The Turkey Report -- Well, now that Thanksgiving is over, we can report that we sold-out of all the turkeys this year, the Narragansett heritage breed.  We received compliments from many of our customers.  One woman, Julie from Sharon Springs, who visited us a month or so ago to meet and greet the living and breathing turkeys, wrote us, "We wanted to drop you a quick note to let you know the turkey we had was WONDERFUL!  There was no fat on it, and the taste was amazing!  Also, I cooked the 10lb. bird, and it was plenty for all plus leftovers.  Everyone at the table was very impressed, and we all really appreciated knowing the turkey was raised in such a wonderful environment.  Thank you both so much for all the hard work and care in raising your animals."  It is great to hear back from folks who bought the birds. 
Solar Project -- Empire Solar has begun work on the solarization of Rock Creek Farm.  On Nov. 30, the support posts for the two wind turbines were installed on the east end of the garage barn.  Next steps calls for installation of the rotors and also 32 solar panels to be installed on the garage barn roof.  Then comes all the inverters, batteries, switches, transformers, generator hook-up and other hardware to get us off of the electric grid.  Stay tuned.  Timetable calls for a mid-winter completion.

Planting and Plowing -- Still dormant until spring.  Replacement weed-seed/grain filter screen for the combine arrived, so installation of that will transpire sometime before summer.

Riley -- It is possible, perhaps alleged, that some of Riley's recent high energy was due to his collar being too tight ... bad owners.  In any event, Susan loosened the collar one hole, and Crazy Riley became Riley the Calm.  Of sorts.  (Everything is relative).  He is still doing two two-mile runs on most days, snow or shine.

Horses -- Daily, Rio and Lady still appear to love roaming the pasture.  They graze and sprint back and forth at will, occasionally wading into Rock Creek and stopping for a splash and a drink.  Their favorite activity seems to be chasing one or more of the steers across the pasture.  Funny to watch those sprints -- frequently looks like the cattle will run right through the fence, but (so far) they have hit the brakes or veered before impact.

The Herd of Five -- The bovines are very calm and collected these days (when not running for their lives from the horses).  Still spending days in the pasture grazing, although the grass now is fairly short and sparse.  Hay is the preferred feed of the day.  And night.

Fowl Weather -- Score it French Guinea Fowl 1, Raccoons zero.  On Thanksgiving morning, a giant raccoon wandered into the barnyard, no doubt in search of a few scrambled eggs followed by a turkey or chicken dinner.  What he got was the flock of nine Keets chasing him and squawking their brains out until the raccoon trotted across route 163, back into hiding.  We did send a couple of rifle rounds over his head to give him the official human 'vamoose'.  The raccoon has not returned since.  Also, on the Friday afternoon after Thanksgiving, the great blue heron lifted from the lower pond and flew side-by-side with the Xterra as we drove down route 163 on some errand or another, staying 15-20 feet from the vehicle only a couple of feet off the ground for over a quarter mile -- looked great, but still a bit of a mystery how these creatures are able to fly.  They are about five feet tall, if stretched, with a five-foot wing span.  The blue herons always look like something would go terribly, horribly wrong if they were tossed from a helicopter door ... falling, falling, oh, the inhumanity of it all (apologies to WKRP in Cincinnati).  But herons do fly.

Mowings, Musings and The Woods -- Ice formed on the surface of the upper pond on the Friday after Thanksgiving, and on the lower pond the following Monday.  A bit on the thin side, but nevertheless totally covering the pond surfaces.  Riley has tested the ice a bit, but not yet enough for his 70-80 pound frame to walk out on it.

Rock Creek Farm Records -- CORRECTION from our last edition ... the earliest guest departure record goes to Stevie, who left one day last year at 5:30AM, easily besting Babs and Betty, who left for parts unknown at 7:50AM this year on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.

Quotes of the Week --

     The problem is that Obama's campaign slogan, "Yes We Can", has turned into, "Thought We Could." -- David Letterman

     You can have a full day if you laugh, think, and are moved to tears. -- Jim Valvano, (late) basketball coach

     Where there's a will, there's a dead body. -- Gallagher, comedian

     Now they say that if we stop paying people not to work, it will cost the economy 600,000 jobs.  What?  How could this possibly be the case?  The people running the government are, of course, liberals.  They are Marxists.   They are socialists.   They are also incredibly stupid. -- Rush Limbaugh

     You are not elected to public office to get re-elected.  You are elected to serve the people, children, grandchildren and other citizens of the country right now.  Get some courage, or get out. -- John Kasich, Governor-elect, Ohio

The Riley Factor #88

The Riley Factor Fort Plain, NY
November 24, 2010
(All the Rock Creek Farm news that's fit to print, along with unfit to print rumors, prognostications & bloviations.)

Lily -- A big welcome to Lily Johnson, who has just joined us, working at Rock Creek Farm.  She grew up in Cobleskill and now lives in Sharon Springs.  Lily is a Beef and Livestock major at SUNY-Cobleskill, and knows much about horses, cattle and the animal life. 

Planting and Plowing -- Dormant until spring.

Riley -- The French Guinea Fowl are becoming less leery of The Riley, staying in their tight band of nine and wandering ever closer to that great golden nose when he is tied-up outside.  The other day while out for his morning run, Riley came across a half dozen wild turkeys in the fourth field and began the obligatory chase (although in his still young life he has never caught more than a cold).  By the time he crossed into the third field, his quarry had grown to a bona fide flock of over 30 of the wild birds, all making their final dash in avoidance of Thanksgiving.  Eventually, the turkeys all flew into the woods and escaped, several landing in nearby trees and gawking down, mocking the Golden One.

Horses -- Rio and Lady are fitting-in more and more, no longer chasing the steers off the morning hay feed but mingling-in, almost creating a herd of seven.  During the day, the horses graze run around the pasture, frequently flipping on their backs and rolling in the grass and mud with legs in the air.  They spent some time the other day strolling back and forth in Rock Creek, stopping in the middle of the watering hole and splashing each other.

The Herd of Five -- The bovines are gathering their courage and standing firm among the horses.  For the first few days, they would scatter, especially from Lady, whenever their two new barn-mates were in close proximity.  Now, the herd is less afraid, and Gabe even wandered into Rio's stall early one morning trying to see if the newbies got better rooms in the Horse & Cow Hotel than the old tenants have.  As a welcoming gift, Gabe left Rio a warm, steaming cow-pie.

Fowl Weather -- Alack and alas, after a month in his private suite, Lefty, our one-legged turkey, succumbed to being pecked-and-pecked by his brethren turkeys, in the ever-continuing battle for survival of the fittest in the animal kingdom.  And just before Thanksgiving, we had 11 of the turkeys and three of the roosters butchered to cover the demands of sales and requests from the family.  That leaves us with a 'flock' of one lone Tom and five hens for breeding next spring.  And lately the geese have been around overhead in record numbers - on Sunday, we saw the largest flock of geese in flight that we have ever seen, at least 100 of the Canadians honking their brains out and winging southward.

Mowings, Musings and The Woods -- We have quite a large population of wood ducks living in the back two fields and trails.  Interesting creatures, they much prefer to run away when confronted, rather than fly.  Long beaks and fast legs.  Also living out on the back trails are a few ring-necked pheasants, mostly running around here and there.  Very beautiful creatures.  Even though deer hunting season launched on November 20, we have seen more and more deer wandering the fields and trails, all does and fawns.

Rock Creek Farm Records -- A new Rock Creek Farm record was set on the day before Thanksgiving ... by those cutest of identical twins, Babs & Betts Slate, who departed for home at 7:50AM Wednesday morning, earliest departure time ever for a visiting guest.  Other existing notable Rock Creek Farm records include ...

     Briefest Visit ... Ames and Peter Slate, who stayed for one hour on one visit, summer of '09
     Most Butcherings in a Single Day ... 14 (11 turkeys, 3 chickens) on Nov. 22, 2010
     Traveled Farthest for a Visit ... Uschi & Achem Gottschalk, who came all the way from Sardinia, Italy, October 2010
     Largest Turkey ... 45 pounds, Domestic American White, butchered for Easter, 2010
     Smallest Turkey ... 6.5 pounds, Narragansett Heritage, butchered for Thanksgiving, 2010
     Best Shot ... Susan, in the barn, with a rifle, taking out a red fox that had killed 9 of our chickens over a 10-day period, May, 2010
    
Quotes of the Week --

    Google is the best resource since the wheel. -- Lily Johnson      

    Thanksgiving with Obama and his group ... now we are all sitting at the kiddie table.  The problem is that the American Dream has been in the hands of Day Dreamers for the past 22 months.  And that Pelosi, she is one bat-crazy chick - I guarantee that she sleeps hanging upside down. -- Dennis Miller

    They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -- Ben Franklin

    Terrorists are not caught by technology or by touching. -- Isaac Yeffet, former head of security, El Al Airlines
   
    Don't retreat, just reload. -- Sarah Palin   

    Money always does more good for the world when it is in the hands of individuals, than when it is in the hands of government. -- Judge Andrew Napolitano

    Obama and his administration are determined more than ever to control every aspect of our economy and of our lives. -- Rush Limbaugh

    Here's how to resolve that Korea bombing situation - Fire-up the Enola Gay and drop a little advice on those North Koreans. -- Don Imus

The Riley Factor #87

The Riley Factor Fort Plain, NY
November 15, 2010
(All the Rock Creek Farm news that's fit to print, along with unfit to print rumors, prognostications & bloviations.)

Horses -- Stop in and say hello to Rio and Lady, our two horses, who arrived at Rock Creek Farm last Saturday.  Rio is an eight-year-old gelding that rides and drives, and walks easily on a lead.  Formerly a race course trotter, he is a full-blooded Standardbred, about 15-and-a-half hands high and as gentle as they come.  He was recently owned by an older couple who rode him and also used him for a handicapped child relative to ride.  Stablemate Lady is a two-and-a-half-year-old filly, a 50/50 mix, half Morgan and half American Saddlebred.  A beautiful young horse, green-broke with plenty of energy, she runs with grace and smoothness, and frequently strikes that standard Morgan horse profile pose, which makes the breed so distinctive.  Independent minded, at times, Lady can be a bit of a challenge when on a lead.  She is slightly smaller in stature than Rio, but almost the same height at just short of 15-and-a-half hands.

Planting and Plowing -- All quiet on the western front.

Riley -- Riley has taken up a new sport - curling.  He found a two-pound round stone somewhere and has dragged it into the kitchen, where he pushes it around various obstacles with his more-than-insignificant nose.  Now if we can only teach him to pick up a broom and do some of that sweeping that accompanies the sport as we see it on TV.  He has yet to have a first hand encounter with the horses -- stay tuned.

The Herd of Five -- A day of sleet on Nov. 8, covered a few things in wintry white.  No problem for the Holsteins and the Dexters, who run hot and enjoy the cooling effect.  Late Monday afternoon, I went down to the barn to check on them in the storm and wind, and also to feed them, and we played a little game we like to play around here -- it's called Slap the Bull.  Some fun on a cold and slippery day.  Go Wild Hogs.

Fowl Weather -- Turkeys fly; or more accurately described, jump-fly.  they really don't ever fly away, but in a pinch can fly 20-30 yards five feet off the ground.  Or could fly 10-15 feet straight up into a tree.  Certainly they fly well enough to get out of our outdoor turkey coop, which has six feet tall fencing and gate.  On Tuesday, we captured each turkey and clipped the top feathers, about 20 or so, on each wing, So far, no great protests.  Some of them can actually still fly up in the air about 3-4 feet, by furiously flapping their remaining feathered wings - a bit of barnyard entertainment.  Otherwise, the birds are growing fast and furiously, still tracking Susan's every step.  Lefty, the turkey who lost his foot three weeks ago, is flourishing in his private 12'x12' stall - the most pampered turkey in America.

Mowings, Musings and The Woods -- At5 a local restaurant recently, we bumped into our friend Robert Hancock of Cobleskill.  In his spare time, when he isn't running his environmental consulting business in The City or his pool installation business in Fort Plain, he operates an animal rescue shelter of sorts at his home in Cobleskill.  He has an assortment of mostly old and/or hobbled horses, and a cow or two, in various pastures, pens and barns.  Recently he acquired a pair of horses from an elderly lady in the area, recently widowed, who could no longer care for them.  We spent Thursday afternoon with Robert's stable-girl, Lily, walking and brushing the horses.  Very relaxing, except for the one moment when something spooked one of the horses, which in turn spooked the other horse, which in turn reared up and bolted, knocking Lily to the turf.  No harm, no foul and all was back to normal in a minute.  Still, all in all, a very pleasant warm and sunny afternoon with the animals.  The horses are now in our barn and pasture.

Quotes of the Week -- Several excellent ones this week, from a few unusual sources ...

        People talk about the Haves and the Have-Nots.  What they should speak of is the Will-Works and the Will-Not-Works. -- Bill Galt, from The Galt Ranch, Last American Cowboy, Planet Green Network
        History will sum-up this (Obama) administration as weak and feckless. - John Bolton, Former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., November 8, 2010
        And if Latinos sit out the election instead of saying, we're gonna punish our enemies and we're gonna reward our friends who stand with us on issues that are important to us, if they don't see that kind of upsurge in voting in this election, then I think it's gonna be harder. -- Barack Obama, October 2010.  Of course, later corrected with the proper take on America by presumed Speaker of the House John Boehner, who reminded Obama that people who evaluate and criticize governmental and political moves and motives are not 'enemies', they are 'patriots'.

        NOW HERE IS THE QUOTE OF THE CENTURY, MAYBE EVEN THE MILLENNIUM

Some people have the vocabulary to sum up things in a way you can understand them. This quote came from the Czech Republic . Someone over there has it figured out. We have a lot of work to do.

"The danger to America is not Barack Obama, but a citizenry capable of entrusting a man like him with the Presidency.  It will be far easier to limit and undo the follies of an Obama presidency than to restore the necessary common sense and good judgment to a depraved electorate willing to have such a man for their president.  The problem is much deeper and far more serious than Mr. Obama, who is a mere symptom of what ails America.  Blaming the prince of the fools should not blind anyone to the vast confederacy of fools that made him their prince.  The Republic can survive a Barack Obama, who is, after all, merely a fool.  It is less likely to survive a multitude of fools such as those who made him their president."

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