The Riley Factor #101

The Riley Factor
Fort Plain, NY
June 17 2011, Issue No. 101
(All the Rock Creek Farm news that's fit to print, along with unfit to print rumors, prognostications & bloviations.)

Riley -- We are experimenting with allowing Riley outside with us, untethered by leash or other tie-down.  He is about a C+/B- student.  Some days, Riley will stay within 50 yards of Susan for hours when Susan is out in the greenhouse or gardens, without wandering away at all.  Other days, he runs immediately into the pasture to chase chickens or guinea fowl back and forth, following the menace he secretly hides deep within his golden dog brain.  Overall though, he is making progress and behaving fairly well....  To be continued.

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish -- The Pond Experiment -- A little over a year ago, we put four dozen carp (think gold fish, 3-6" long) into the lower pond.  Most of the fish were orange, with a few being silver with orange and black spots, and one fish was totally black.  We did not see much of them swimming last summer and fall, but also didn't see any floaters or escapees.  The pond is about 100 feet in diameter and 12 feet deep at the center, so they can tend to get lost.  Well, we now see hundreds of one to two inch long fish swimming about, mostly black, with some orange, and also some black and orange or black and silver.  And many of the original big fish are also still swimming around.  It is peaceful to sit by the pond in early morning or early evening and toss pond fish food into the water to see the feeding frenzy.  The Riley loves to swim around when they fish are feeding, and they don't mind him much.

Planting and Plowing -- The last of the planting was done on June 6, with the final few rows of sweet corn going into the ground in the greenhouse garden.  The corn is already growing, and a few small tomatoes, cucumber and squash are showing.  The potato plants are looming large, hopefully developing subterranean crops.

Horses -- In the great heat, Lady and Rio are inclined to remain in their stalls all day.  They do consume large quantities of water, sometimes 10 gallons per day each in the barn, in addition to what they gulp from Rock Creek.  When pasturing, horses and cattle get 70% of their fluid needs satisfied from eating grass.

Herd of Three -- The cattle are content, with much mooing.  On one day of pouring rain, the herd got caught on the other side of Rock Creek.  All day, they ate grass while being rained on -- leather coats were shrunk to fit.

Mowings, Musings and the Woods -- Deer sightings are everywhere these days, mostly does with their recently born fawns.  One day, Susan came across a mother leading her newborn fawn out in the trails -- the fawn was so small that it first appeared to be a rabbit, but was really the smallest deer she has ever seen, with legs only about six inches long.  The next day, The Riley locked his radar onto a large doe and chased her back and forth around the trails.  Both were running about half speed, not really wanting to run away or catch anything.  On our way to Amsterdam one day in the pouring rain, on three separate occasions miles apart, we saw beaver waddling next to or crossing route 5S -- very peculiar-looking creatures, complete with buck teeth and wide flat tails.

Fowl Weather -- The French Guinea Fowl apparently learn nothing from seeing their brethren run down by speed demons on route 163.  Of the original batch of 16 chicks that arrived in April 2010, only three remain.  The past couple of weeks have been especially bad, with four of the Keets being hit by traffic.  I fear that the remaining trio should be placed on our endangered species list.

Visitors -- One for the record books >>> With her last appearance in Fort Plain, Stevie has visited us here in Middle-of-Nowhere every month for a year straight.  And she says in a recent e-mail, "I'm riding one horse next time I come up! Be prepared!"

Blog -- The Riley Factor has its own official blog site, 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.)

Best Lines --

     Best headline this week following Boston Bruins' Stanley Cup victory, after a 39-year hiatus from the team's last hockey championship in 1972 >>> "Out of Hibernation"

     Best headline, from the New York Post, following President Obama's harsh criticism of NY Congressman Anthony Weiner's photo sexting >>> "Obama Beats Weiner"
     Best new opening pick-up line, from movie Hall Pass  >>> "Do these bar napkins smell like chloroform to you? ...  Just kidding.  Can  buy you a drink?"

Quotes of the Month --

     Any success I have ever had has come form working hard. -- Tim Thomas, goalie, Boston Bruins

     Blessed are the cheese-makers. -- Monte Python

     Job creation on main street has collapsed. -- National Federation of Independent Businesses, June 3, 2011

     Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. -- Thomas Edison

     You cannot trust Chinese companies.  You cannot build a small or large fortune in China without committing high crimes and misdemeanors.  That is their way of life.  That is why China is doomed to fail. -- Gordon Chang, Author
    
     China is a totally corrupt country, to which we have given a pass due to its economic might. -- Doug Schoen
     You did not bear the shame.  You resisted.  You bestowed an eternally vigilant symbol of change by sacrificing your impassioned lives for freedom, justice and honor. -- Memorial to the German Resistance, Berlin

     Unnecessarily restrictive gun control laws empower bungling bureaucrats, and make it harder for law abiding citizens to access guns to defend against criminals. -- Robert Farago

     Nothing is so healing as the human touch. -- in 2005, final words of Bobby Fischer, former world chess champion
Facts of the Month --

     25% of the world's food supply is lost to spoilage.

     Jobs lost during the Obama Administration: 2.5 million.  Jobs lost since the recession began in December 2007: 6.8 million.

     More people access the Internet now by smart phone than by PC. -- John Reed, CEO, Robert Half Technology

Commentary of the Month --

The High Cost of Cheap Meat

Published: June 2, 2011, New York Times

The point of factory farming is cheap meat, made possible by confining large numbers of animals in small spaces. Perhaps the greatest hidden cost is its potential effect on human health.
Small doses of antibiotics — too small to kill bacteria — are fed to factory farm animals as part of their regular diet to promote growth and offset the risks of overcrowding. What factory farms are really raising is antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which means that several classes of antibiotics no longer work the way they should in humans. We pay for cheap meat by sacrificing some of the most important drugs ever developed.
Last week, the Natural Resources Defense Council, joined by other advocacy groups, sued the Food and Drug Administration to compel it to end the nontherapeutic use of penicillin and tetracycline in farm animals. Veterinarians would still be able to treat sick animals with these drugs but could not routinely add the drugs to their diets.
For years, the F.D.A. has had the scientific studies and the authority to ban these drugs. But it has always bowed to pressure from the pharmaceutical and farm lobbies, despite the well-founded objections of groups like the American Medical Association and the World Health Organization, which support an antibiotic ban.
It is time for the F.D.A. to stop corporate factory farms from squandering valuable drugs just to promote growth among animals confined in conditions that inherently create the risk of disease. According to recent estimates, 70 percent of the antibiotics sold in this country end up in farm animals. The F.D.A. can change that by honoring its own scientific conclusions and its statutory obligation to end its approval of unsafe drug uses.

The Riley Factor #100

The Riley Factor
Fort Plain, NY
June 1, 2011, Issue No. 100
(All the Rock Creek Farm news that's fit to print, along with unfit to print rumors, prognostications & bloviations.)

Milepost -- Well, this is the 100th issue of The Riley Factor.  No idea if we have accomplished anything.  But life in Middle-of-Nowhere is still fun and interesting. 

Hail, Hail the Hail's All Here -- For 20 minutes at 8PM on May 27, we experienced a hail storm unlike any seen here (or anywhere by us) before.  Large hailstones fell nonstop torrentially by the thousands, ranging in size from the size of a normal marble to that of a small tennis ball.  Most were slightly smaller than a golf ball.  All were solid ice, making an incredible racket as they bounced off the steel roofs and vehicles.  No damage done except for a few dents in the Xterra and Silverado, and the windows in the garden cold frames, all of which were broken.

Oh Deer -- Recently, we have been seeing deer all around the place.  Susan came-upon a small doe lying down under a small tree in the second field.  Lloyd was with her in the Ute and they drove to within 10 feet and the deer didn't move, just lied there looking at them.  After a couple of minutes, they drove on and the deer just watched them leave.  A few minutes later they found another doe out on the back trails, which also simply stood still and watched them from about 25 feet away, also unstartled and not moving.  The next day, Stevie, Susan and I saw two deer standing still in the orchard, just surveying the situation, only about 100 yards from the house.

Riley -- The Golden One is still working on conquering his irrational fear of Amish men and boys dressed in traditional black suits and straw hats.  For no good reason, they bring out the bark in Riley, as he hides behind Susan or me upon the arrival of any Amish men or boys.  Five minutes later, he is their best friend.

Planting and Plowing -- On May 25, the final major field planting was completed ... two acres of oats in the third field.  In the ground we now have about four acres of oats, five acres of wheat and 1/8 of an acre of barley.  We also just planted about eight rows of corn, each with about 100 plantings, in the first field near the road.  Also planted some transferred watermelon plants and sunflower seeds.  The average date of last frost here is May 20, but to be safe, one really needs to wait until June 1 to plant anything that frost would damage or kill.  Last year, on May 27, we had an overnight temperature of 25 degrees, which killed about 80% of the upstate NY apple crop and necessitated replanting thousands of acres to replace any corn that had been in the ground long enough to be up out of the soil.  Grains, really a form of grass, are immune to the effects of frost.  So are the underground crops such as potatoes, carrots, onions, parsnips and the like.  Tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, eggplants and other warmer weather plants are not.  This year, spring has been so wet that the NY Farm Bureau has advised dairy farmers who usually plant feed corn to plant instead barley for feed.  This represents dozens to a few hundred acres of crops for each/most dairy farmers.

Horses -- Given the warm weather, one evening we left the top half of the outer stall doors open, and Susan snuck-up on Rio around dusk and caught him trying to open his stall and let himself out into the pasture.  Lady was standing-by taking notes, keenly observing her mate's activities.  When Susan pounced, Rio looked extremely guilty and immediately stopped.

Herd of Three -- The bovines are content and growing.  At two years of age, both Dexters are tipping the scales around a thousand pounds, their fully-grown weight.  Eli the Holstein is about 1,200 pounds at 18 months old, and well on his way to a ton.

Mowings, Musings and the Woods -- At about midnight on May 26, we had a severe thunderstorm, complete with a tornado watch.  Two large trees on the edge of the woods were snapped in half, and a 55-gallon barrel was blown into the middle of the back yard, but otherwise, no damage done.  The storm did open three of the four gates in the pasture, but Susan closed the potential escape routes early morning while out riding the fences.  A nearly hundred-pound wooden storage box from an old sawmill was picked-up from the garden shed porch and hurled 30 feet into the blueberry patch.

Fowl Weather -- Recently, we had a three night stay in the chicken coop (not a good thing) by a weasel, nasty little creatures that kill chickens and other small animals by chewing on their necks and sucking-out their blood.  We learned that a four ounce weasel can kill a four pound bird or other animal.  Fortunately, after three nights and five dead chickens, the weasel has apparently vanished.  If he returns, it will be shotgun time.

Visitors -- Stevie and Scotty rolled-in to the compound for Memorial Day weekend, along with canine accomplices Bruin and Dexter.  Riley and the two puppies had great fun running around the place and swimming in the pond.  Also, Barbara and Barbara Jean dropped-in from Western Massachusetts for a visit on May 28 for the day.

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 --

     Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose.  And nothin' don't mean nothin' hon if it ain't free. -- Janis Joplin

     Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren.  America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. -- Senator Barack Obama, 2006.  We must raise the debt ceiling immediately. -- President Barack Obama, 2011


Facts of the Month --

     Relying on the Government - For the first time in history, the U.S. is paying-out more in entitlements ($2.3 trillion) than it is collecting in tax revenue ($2.2 trillion).  Leading the entitlement spending is Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, about tied, with unemployment compensation and the myriad of economic subsidies following right behind.  By 2050, without changes, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid spending alone will surpass total tax revenue.  --  FOX Business Channel, May 23, 2011
    
      Cash - Nearly half of Americans couldn't get their hands on $2,000 within a month, for unexpected expenses. -- National Bureau of Economic Research

     Jobs - The federal government is the only place in this country where jobs have been created in the last two years. -- Charles Payne, FOX Business Channel


Commentary of the Month --

     Foreign aid - I believe in self-sufficiency, and generosity to those who support our values. -- Doug Schoen, Democrat Party Consultant

     Which side of the fence? 

If you ever wondered which side of the fence you sit on, this is a great test!

If a Conservative doesn't like guns, he doesn’t buy one.
If a Liberal doesn't like guns, he wants all guns outlawed.  

If a Conservative is a vegetarian, he doesn’t eat meat.
If a Liberal is a vegetarian, he wants all meat products banned for everyone.  

If a Conservative is homosexual, he quietly leads his life.
If a Liberal is homosexual, he demands legislated respect.  

If a Conservative is down-and-out, he thinks about how to better his situation.
A Liberal wonders who is going to take care of him.  

If a Conservative doesn't like a talk show host, he switches channels.
Liberals demand that those they don't like be shut down.  

If a Conservative is a non-believer, he doesn't go to church.
A Liberal non-believer wants any mention of God and religion silenced.

If a Conservative decides he needs health care, he goes about shopping for it, or may choose a job that provides it.  A Liberal demands that the rest of us pay for his.  

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.

The Riley Factor #98

The Riley Factor
Fort Plain, NY
May 17, 2011, Issue No. 98
(All the Rock Creek Farm news that's fit to print, along with unfit to print rumors, prognostications & bloviations.)

Riley -- As wired and happy as always.  When he meets new visitors, he is beside himself with excitement, jumping up, running in circles, even barking at times (barking is a Riley rarity).  He is getting very comfortable riding in the front passenger seat of the pick-up -- looks like he's been there his whole life.  When we leave him in the vehicle, even if only for a minute, when we return, he is always sitting in the driver's seat.  Fortunately, he has neither a driver's license nor feet long enough to reach the pedals.  (And the whole lack-of-opposable-thumbs thing makes starting the ignition a tough task for Riley.  Plus, he has no pockets to carry the keys in.)

Planting and Plowing -- Lately, much has gone into the ground.  Only cold-loving vegetable plants outside (spinach, broccoli, onions, cauliflower, potatoes).  Inside the greenhouse, the tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, melons, peppers, squash and various herbs started from seed await their fate to be transplanted.  Susan also put-in a wide selection of green beans, navy beans, kidney beans and lima beans, outside near the greenhouse.  Out in the fields, we have about five acres of hard red winter wheat and semolina planted from last fall (most wheat is planted in the fall and harvested mid-summer the next year).  Also, on May 11, we planted two acres of oats, and expect to plant another two acres soon.  And, we put-in a small patch (less than a quarter acre) of barley.  Only corn planting remains for this year's field crops, plus the final few vegetables in the garden.

Horses -- Rio longed for the return of Lady, while she was sway being trained.  Fortunately, she took to being ridden very well, and returned on May 16, after being away for only a month.  At the King Farm in Danube, Lady shared a new small barn with four stablemates, including two other Morgans, one of which was a yearling.  They had a view of the pasture where the dozen working mules called home when not hitched to a wagon or some farming implement.  Trainer Chris King rode her almost every day, usually on saddle but occasionally bareback.  We visited her once or twice a week.  Now, she is back in our pasture with Rio and the bovines.

The Herd of Three -- A new favorite snack of Eli, Michael and Raph is grass cut from the lawn.  As soon as a mower starts-up, the Herd comes running and mooing for the grass buffet.  Susan routinely accommodates, at the expense of adding grass cuttings to the soil in the garden beds.  One experiment that went terribly awry was letting the steer out the lower gate to munch the longer grass, untethered and unconstrained by fencing.  "I thought they were trustworthy", commented Susan the CEO.  I retorted, "Those little bastards will run for the hills".  Needless to say, we spent the afternoon wandering the south woods and trails first locating and then coaxing each half-ton-plus behemoth back through the gate.  At days end, Susan summed it up, "Well, we had our first rodeo."  "Yeah", I said, "but the steers took home all the trophies."

Fowl Weather -- The chickens are hitting their stride laying eggs, producing almost three dozen per day.  The two roosters constantly chase the hens seeking to mate.  Best pick-up line overheard to date is ... "I say, I say, hey you cute chick, haven't I seen you here before?  Of course, I could be wrong since all you hens look the same."  We now have 35 laying hens, and they set a record on May 9, leaving 40 eggs.  On the dark side, we have a weasel that has tunneled into the barn, killing five of the chickens over a three night period.  Weasels are nefarious ... one as small as four ounces can kill an animal weighing four pounds.  More to follow on this topic.

Mowings, Musings and The Woods -- On a recent sunny day ride over to horse trainer Chris King's to visit Lady, we saw a wind farm on the northern horizon across the NYS Thruway and Erie Canal.  We saw more wind mills than we have ever seen before, here in the east.  As I sped along Clark Road in Herkimer County (all the back roads in NY have 55 mph speed limits), Susan counted 45 of the giant spinners.  It is fairly common here in upstate NY to see from one to dozen commercial wind mills in a grouping, usually atop some hill or small mountain.

 

Visitors -- CJ and a friend spent the May 13-15 weekend here in Middle-of-Nowhere.  We went to Robert Hancock's auction at Glimmerglass Pools, where they were selling everything from a 12'x24' log cabin to a circa 1900 lower half ladies lingerie form.  Susan bought a table and a couple of crocks, while CJ's friend bought an old sled.

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 --

     Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.  It must be fought for, protected, and handed on , or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States when men were free. -- Ronald Reagan

     The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. Government can’t pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government’s reckless fiscal policies. … Increasing America’s debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that the buck stops here. Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better. -- Sen. Barack Obama, March 20, 2006

     It remains to be seen whether Barack Obama will be a worse president than Jimmy Carter. -- Michael Reagan

     Working is fine for killing time, but a shaky way to make a living. -- Brett Maverick

Fact of the Month --

     We have reached the tipping point - Now, more than 50% of all American households pay absolutely no federal income tax. -- The Wall Street Journal (51% pay no tax, according to a just-completed Congressional study of 2009 income tax returns)

     The 15 highest-taxed counties in the United States are located in ... New York State, north of New York City.

     The world is currently burning four barrels of oil for every one barrel of oil that is being discovered.

     20% of working-age men in America do not work at all (the highest percentage for any country in the developed world).  8.2 million Americans receive payments for being on permanent disability.


Commentary of the Month --

                              

                        555 PEOPLE   by Charlie Reese, in the Orlando Sentinel

Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.  Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, Why do we have deficits?  Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, Why do we have inflation and high taxes?

You and I don't propose a federal budget. The President does.  You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations.  The House of Representatives does.  You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.  You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.  You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.

One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one President, and nine Supreme Court justices equates to 555 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.  I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank.

I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason.  They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a President to do one cotton-picking thing.  I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash.  The politician has the power to accept or reject it.  No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes. 

Those 555 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.

What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits.  The President can only propose a budget.  He cannot force the Congress to accept it.

The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes.  Who was the speaker of the House?  Nancy Pelosi.  She was the leader of the majority party.  She and fellow House members, not the President, can approve any budget they want.  If the President vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.

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.  I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 555 people.  When you fully grasp the plain truth that 555 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.

If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.  If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red.  If the Army & Marines are in Iraq and Afghanistan it's because they want them in Iraq and Afghanistan.  If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.

There are no insoluble government problems.

Do not let these 555 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power.  Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like "the economy," "inflation," or "politics" that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do. Those 555 people, and they alone, are responsible.  They, and they alone, have the power.

They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses.

The Riley Factor #97

The Riley Factor Fort Plain, NY
May 1, 2011, Issue No. 97
(All the Rock Creek Farm news that's fit to print, along with unfit to print rumors, prognostications & bloviations.)

Auction Season -- This year's spring auction season ended on April 30 with the annual Armitstead Farm Equipment auction, held a mile from our house in Canajoharie, at the intersection of Clinton Road and Cherry Valley Road.  Perfect weather for the thousand or so attendees.  You could buy anything at the auction from a large tractor or hay wagon to a lot of 400 pairs of tweezers or a lot of five gallon buckets filled with empty coffee cans.  Who on earth accumulates this stuff and then brings it to auctions ... one of life's great mysteries.  We saw many folks we know and bought only a couple of small items.   A great day of relaxation.

Oh Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy.  And Cattle -- First, a brief primer on "cows".  Although we all call cows, well cows, in fact, the proper generic term for these dairy or beef bovines is "cattle".  A "cow" is a female that has borne at least one calf.  A "calf" is of either gender, less than one year old.  Male bovines are "bulls" and neutered males are "steers".  A female over a year old that has not delivered a calf is called a "heifer".  Why all this tutorial?  Because Susan just bought a heifer, named Lily, from our friend Bradley Chadwick.  Lily is a two-year-old Jersey (the iconic white and black patched breed) and will be artificially inseminated (AI) in July.  There will be no video.  We plan to take possession of Lily in August, and watch her pregnancy "blossom".  Nine months down the road, sometime next April of so, the plan is for Lily to deliver a calf.  At that time, Lily will become a dairy cow, producing milk for many months, and we will also have a heifer calf or a bull calf.  No doubt, more to come.

Visitors -- Stevie was the most recent visitor to Middle-of-Nowhere, on April 19-20, and Susan spent a long Easter weekend in Hopkinton.

Planting and Plowing -- Rains have come and finally gone, with enough falling to jump start the growing season.  Here in Middle-of-Nowhere, this spring has been a wet one, delaying any field plowing or planting.  Around town, many a mud-stuck farmer's tractor has needed to be rescued by another bigger better tractor and pulled-out of the mud field to stand and wait for better times.  Even Lloyd across the street, a 50+ year farmer, buried his new Kubota mower to the axles in his front lawn.  Our greenhouse is in operation with a few hundred seedlings springing-up in pots and trays, having been meticulously planted seed-by-seed and watered by Susan, in anticipation of being transferred outdoors into the ground beginning about June 1, comfortably after the likely last hard frost of the year.  Currently leading the field in the indoor growing competition are tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, eggplants, peppers, squash and melons.

Riley -- On April 20, The Riley took his first big swim of the year, with his new best friend, Bruin, Stevie & Scott's Black Lab/Bluetick Coonhound/Beagle Mix.  Riley paddled his way around the lower pond, staying within 5 feet or so of the shore, while six-month-old Bruin was petrified of the water and had to be tossed-in several times by Stevie to prove that he wouldn't sink (which he didn't).  A week later at the pond, Susan and friend Annie saw dozens of newly born goldfish/carp swimming in the shallow waters, along with their six-inch long parents who were standing (swimming) watch.

Horses -- Lady is still away on holiday, not yet back from her month-long experience being trained to ride under saddle.  She is calmer than ever and "very sweet", according to CEO Susan.

The Herd of Three -- Becoming more vocal, mooing their little (well, actually fairly large, no doubt) hearts out.  Normally, they are seeking guess what?  Yeah, more food -- hay or grain will do.  Lately, in the wet weather, they have preferred to stay in the barn and be hand-fed by Susan.  One day, when the sun had miraculously shown itself after yet another rain-soaking night and morning, we went to the barn to let the herd outside for the afternoon, and found the trio napping in their stall and not interested even in standing to see the great outdoors.  Actually, Raphael was sound asleep on his feet, standing next to one wall, eyes wide shut.

Fowl Weather -- Alack and alas, we decided that the Narragansett Heritage Turkeys were not destined to successfully breed here at Rock Creek Farm, so we decided to butcher the final five hens for Easter and other spring events.  The flock of French Guinea Fowl is down to seven in number, having lost one of that flock to a speeding pick-up truck on Cherry Valley Road, and a second Keet who seems to have just wandered away.

Mowings, Musings and The Woods -- Now that the drying-out has begun, it is time to cut-up and move those last half dozen large trees that were cut down last fall for use as firewood.  They are lying across some of the trails, which makes dealing with them soon more important.  The woods really does need some opening-up, and this is a good start.  About 20 large chestnut trees, a large pine or two, a couple of maples, a couple of oaks and 50 or so medium-sized beech trees were taken down last fall, all on the edge of the woods and fairly close to the north side of fields 3 and 4.  The beeches and some of the other wood were cut, split, stacked and burned over the winter.

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.)

Tales from Back in the Day -- On April 26, the pick-up gas gauge read 1/2, so I stopped at Valero for a taste of diesel at $4.359 per gallon.  $76.20 and I was all set with 17.5 gallons, exactly half of the 35-gallon tank.  Yes, that extrapolates to over $150.00 for a tank of gas.  And in a related story ... Summers when I was in college and worked two jobs -- Riverside Park and Agawam Park & Recreation -- for 65 hours work over all 7 days per week, my total weekly gross wages were $130.00.  Progress.  And inflation.

Quotes of the Month --

     It is finished.  --  Jesus, on a Friday afternoon, while hanging on a cross almost 2,000 years ago; his final words

     America's reputation in the world has not been this weak since the days of Jimmy Carter in the 1970s.  --  Stuart Varney, FOX Business Channel

     President Obama has the arrogance of a third world dictator.  It is not helpful to the United States.  --  Allen West, U.S. Congressman, Republican, Florida

     A nickel ain't worth a dime anymore.  --  Yogi Berra

     Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.  --  Arthur C. Clark
 
     God helps those who help themselves. -- Ben Franklin

Facts of the Month --

     When Obama was elected in November 2009, the average retail price of a gallon of unleaded regular gasoline was $1.88 per gallon.  At that time, Obama stated, "Of necessity, energy prices are going to sky-rocket."  As of April 20, 2011, the average retail price of gasoline was $3.98, an increase of over $2.00 per gallon. -- FOX News Channel

     In the past one year, as of April 21, 2011, the price of gold has risen 30% to $1,506.00 per ounce, while silver has increased in price 146%, to $46.10 per ounce.  Bank interest rates are near all-time lows, with the average savings account paying only 0.25% interest per year to depositors.  --  FOX Business Channel

     On Gardening -- Most vegetable plants in a garden prefer require a minimum of six hours of full sunlight per day to produce healthy crops, and prefer 6-8 hours.  Even in a small home garden, crops/plants should be rotated at least every two years -- rotating annually on a four-year schedule is best.   And, over-watering damages more garden crops than under-watering.

     Oil production in the United States has declined 45% in the last 20 years.

     Ninety percent of blind people in the world live in poor areas of developing countries. Eighty percent of them could see again if they had adequate eye-care services.

     And last, and least, here is the dreaded Body Mass Index (BMI) calculation.

       The formula: (703 times weight in pounds) divided by (height in inches squared)
       Example: 200-lb. person, height 5'10"  >>> (703 x 200) / (70 x 70) = 140,600 / 4,900 = 28.7

       Now for the dreaded interpreting-the-results table ...          Centers for Disease Control and Prevention BMI Categories         BMI                Weight Status
         Below 18.5      Underweight
         18.5 - 24.9       Normal
         25.0 - 29.9       Overweight
         30.0 - 40.0       Obese
         Above 40.0       Extremely obese
         Definitions apply to all adult men and women.  Oh boy ... please pass the celery.

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.