The Riley Factor
Fort Plain, NY
October 24, 2014, Issue No. 134
(All the Rock Creek Farm news that's fit to print, along with unfit-to-print rumors, prognostications & bloviations.)
Riley and the Littles -- The Riley loves his daily runs and swims. He has become a proficient fisherman, err fisher-dog, and often snaps-up a goldfish or two during his daily swims in each pond. Riley is a catch-and-release fisher, unless his canine jaws inadvertently snap the fish in half during the catch. The cats are, well, cats. They lie-around all day suspiciously eyeing anyone or anything giving them more than a quick glance. The cats expect everyone else to feed them, entertain them and support them - I call them the Democats. Recently, Riley skulked into the mostly dark house at about 10PM and slipped into one of his favorite chairs He was unusually quiet for an hour or so, so I checked-on him. He had a nose and mouth full of porcupine needles. After several minutes of pulling, he was relieved of his unwanted passengers, without any lasting harm.
Plowing and Planting -- Not much plowing and planting going on. But, we fertilized 20 acres of hay fields and put the grain combine on the acres of barley and wheat. Both crops were a terrific golden brown with virtually no weeds in the fields. On June 30, we put 1,345 bales of first-cutting hay in the barn, gathered from about 24 acres of hay fields. And on July 26, we combined over 5,000 pounds of wheat, from about 2 acres of planting. And baled 68 bales of straw. A good year. Just after Labor Day, we planted four acres of winter wheat, which will grow a bit until hard frost, and then lie dormant until the spring thaw.
And They're Off -- Rio and Blondie each love rolling around on their backs with legs kicking high in the pasture. Looks so odd. Allegedly, perfectly normal behavior.
The Herd of Four -- Lily, Abraham, Isaac and Abby are all growing, each now about 1,000 pounds. All but Lily, the queen of the pasture, are a year and a half old and getting to that point where butchering is optimal. Always tough, but we have not yet made any decisions - we usually butcher the steer in December. We may butcher Abraham, Isaac and Abby, sell Lily, and take the winter off from cattle ranching. Still up int he air.
Mowings, Musings and the Woods -- We continue to cut down and cut-up wood for the winter fires. Late last fall and through the winter, we left a lot of hard-wood trees felled, bucked and ready for pick-up and splitting, which we have been getting to from time to time. Great exercise and actually fun. As of mid-October, we have 12 cords of wood cut and stacked for use this winter, including five cords stacked in the basement. Most days, we either retrieve another cord or so from the woods or split and stack it in the wood shed for the 2015-2016 winter. Great exercise. We have also been spending time reclaiming and rehabbing some of the old logging trails int the woods. Woods are becoming more clear and navigable.
Fowl Weather -- A couple more turkey chicks were hatched in mid-July in the incubator, and were immediately, within one day, accepted for nurturing under a willing mother turkey hen. Hilarious to watch them walk around the yard, each weighing all of an ounce or two and "standing" about three inches tall, usually under the legs of a 20+ pound mother or 30+ pound father, all guarding the health and prosperity of the little offspring. As of mid-October, we have eight full grown turkeys ready for Thanksgiving, and another five chicks of about 4-5 pounds or so, for next year. The lead Tom Turkey, who we have named McSnood, owing to his large dangling snood (runs from the crown of his forehead to much below his beak tip). McSnood runs about 35-40 pounds and is very intolerant of (human) males, believing they/we are seeking to mate with his harem of hen turkeys. We have a long list of friends who have signed up to volunteer to butcher McSnood when the time comes. We may have to hold a lottery to select the winning butcher.
Visitors -- Mostly quiet. The one, the only, Jackson Christopher Douglas Bentley, was baptized in Webster, MA, on Sunday, July 20, 2014. Jackson and Stevie visited us at Rock Creek Farm several times this summer and early fall. Jax recently hit the 12-pound milestone. And he is in great health. CJ has also visited a few times, with Andie Johnson, Samir Goncalves, and also solo.
Blog -- The Riley Factor's official blog site is located at http://the-riley-factor.blogspot.com/. It contains all issues to date. (If you actually spend the time and search through our Internet site, you may need more help with your life than we are able offer.... But we digress.)
Quotes of the Month --
Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do. -- John Wooden
In the United States, politicians will keep blowing hot air, because you will listen. -- Gene Simmons
Barack Obama is seeking to turn the United States into a banana republic ruled by one party, by putting the Republican Party out of business. -- Dick Morris
After spending yesterday at the beach, Obama said, “This has been fun, but I should really get back...to the golf course." -- Jimmy Fallon
The duty of a patriot is to protect his country from its government. -- Thomas Paine
Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is important. -- Stephen Covey
It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark. -- Warren Buffett
The secret of freedom lies in educating people, while the secret of tyranny lies in keeping them ignorant. -- Maximilien Robespierre
The reward is the journey. -- Amish Proverb
To be assured of having enough money to fund a comfortable retirement, you should save a total of 22 times the annual income you want to earn when you retire. -- Jason Zweig, WSJ
Regret of neglected opportunity is the worst hell that a living soul can inhabit. -- Raphael Sabatini
I never attempt to make money on the stock market. I buy on the assumption that they could close the market the next day and not reopen it for five years. Only buy something that you'd be perfectly happy to hold if the market shut down for 10 years. -- Warren Buffett
We maintain the peace through out strength; weakness only invites aggression. -- Ronald Reagan
-- He Said It, while Looking You Right in the Eyes -- Barack Obama Quotes --
"Obamacare will reduce health premiums.
I will create shovel-ready jobs.
If you like your health plan, you can keep your health plan.
If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor.
You didn't build that.
I will close Guantanamo Bay.
I didn't know about the NSA spying.
Benghazi was caused by a U-Tube video.
Obamacare won't add one penny to the deficit.
I didn't know the IRS was targeting conservative groups.
I never said that if you like your plan, you can keep your plan.
I didn't set a red line on Syria.
Bill Ayers was just a guy in the neighborhood.
The private sector is doing fine."
Facts of the Month --
Mexico -- Annually, the U.S. does more business with Mexico than we do with Brazil, Russia, India and China combined. -- FOX NEWS
Guns -- In the past 30 years, 1982-2012, in the U.S. 1,007 people were shot in mass shootings, for an average of 30 people shot per year. In 2012, on one year, in Chicago, which has some of the strongest gun control laws in the Country, 2,670 people were shot. -- Mother Jones
Thought of the Month --
Those people who want Hillary Clinton elected president, so that we could have our first woman president, seemed to have learned absolutely nothing from the current disaster of choosing a president on the basis of demographics and symbolism.
Thomas Sowell, Heartland Institute
Bumper Stickers of the Month -- 5 Great Ones --
THE ESSENCE OF GOVERNMENT IS THEFT
SNEAKING INTO THE COUNTRY DOESN'T MAKE YO ANY MORE OF AN IMMIGRANT
THAN BREAKING INTO A HOUSE MAKES YOU A MEMBER OF THE FAMILY
LIBERALISM: MOOCHERS ELECTING LOOTERS TO STEAL FROM PRODUCERS
IF GUN CONTROLS WORK, EXPLAIN CHICAGO
NOT A LIBERAL
And then There's This ...
And then, there is also this ...
Feds Report Historically High Proportion Of U.S. Population Is Now On Welfare
The most recent completed year for which HHS has compiled statistics is 2011. HHS has been keeping track of the welfare-receiving proportion of the overall population since 1993.The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released its annual report to Congress on Welfare Indicators and Risk Factors, and in its 165 pages is the revelation that more people, as a percentage of the population, are now on welfare than at any time since the department began tracking the figure.
A number of entitlements combine to form the government benefits HHS recognizes as “welfare,” including foods stamps (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP), short-term supplemental family income (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, or TANF) and low-income stipends (Supplemental Security Income, or SSI).
In 2011, nearly one-fourth of the U.S. population received one or more of these benefits.
Here’s how HHS explains the figure:
In 2011, 23.1 percent of the total population received or lived with a family member who received a benefit of any amount from TANF, SNAP, or SSI at some point during the year (see Table SUM 1). While falling steadily between 1993 – 2000, this annual recipiency rate began to increase after 2000, and increased more rapidly during and in the immediate aftermath of the “Great Recession.” The 2011 rate is slightly higher than the 2010 rate, reflecting increased participation in the SNAP and SSI programs.
HHS goes on to blame the economy, noting the post-2000 increase correlates “with worsening economic conditions.”
The food stamp program in particular has seen an enormous expansion. “Average monthly SNAP participation was 44.7 million persons in fiscal year 2011, excluding the participants in Puerto Rico’s block grant,” HHS reported. “This represents a significant increase over the fiscal year 2000 record-low average of 17.2 million participants and exceeds the previous peak of 27.5 million recipients in fiscal year 1994.”
In addition, there are far more children on food stamps than any other age demographic. In 2000, 19.8 percent of children age 5 or younger were on food stamps. By 2011, that figure had nearly doubled, rising to 38 percent.
