Animals

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Attack of the Blood Suckers!!!

Today we joined up with the Chens once again for a fun field trip to Ithaca’s Childrens Science Center.  This is the last week of an exhibit all about ticks and mesquitos and other blood sucking insects.  We enjoyed a lovely lunch upon arrival and then ran off some of those calories in the playground.  Once a little energy was burnt off from the long car ride, we entered into the exhibits and had lots of fun exploring everything.

We had a ton of fun!  There was lots of fun stuff to get our hands on.  The perfect location for highly distractable boys!  I hope the next exhibit is just as fun.  I am totally getting my monies worth for this Boonshoft Membership!!

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Syracuse Zoo Visit

Yesterday, the 29th, we finished up our lessons after a rocky start and picked up our dear friends, the Chens, for a day at the Zoo.  An hour drive is tough for the little ones, but they made it all the way.  The syracuse Zoo is bigger than our RossPark Zoo, but not by too much.  We had a yummy GFCF lunch I made for the boys and.  I brought a lot of snacks and so did Leigh.  We were prepared!!  We both are GF, but for different reasons.

I am totally loving my Boonshaft Museam Membership!  I get in so many places with this membership; Zoos, Museums, Childrens Museums and  Science Museums!

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Ross Park Zoo, Binghamton, NY

Yesterday, we went to the Local Zoo, Ross Park Zoo, after we picked up B. from Shakespeare rehearsal.  It was over 90 degrees out and the path is mostly shaded, but mostly up hill(really steep hill).  We has water and how camera, so off we went to explore the zoo.  They are building many new structures for the animals and some new animals.  I was very happy to see all the construction.  This Zoo has been a special needs case for a while.  I am thrilled to think that they are recieving funds to really update and care for it properly.

We were fortunate that we only ran into a few other visitors while touring the grounds, so it was quiet and peaceful.  The animals were all very cooperative with my camera.  I didn’t even try to enter the greenhouse/bird house.  It was just too hot.  I couldn’t even imagine how muggy it would have been in there.

After our hour long hike and animal viewing I realized I had given myself Heat Stroke and flew home to rest and chug water as much as possible.  It was a hard evening.  But totally worth it.

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New Family Member!

This is Sadie!  She is an elder dog, that had been rescued a few years ago from a poor situation by a caring woman whom lives nearby.  She has had an increase her time commitments and cannot care for Sadie properly, so had been looking for  a new home her.  With no one willing to take an elder dog with no training, I offered my home.  Surprisingly, she agreed.

So this sweet old gal is with us and we love her dearly.  She is gentle and calm.  She is also a bed hog. LOL  Now I have three animals on my bed not including S. and I. 😀

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Baby Chicks Update

It has been a little while since we obtained our Comet chicks and they are starting to look funny with all their pin feathers coming out.  They are easily quadrupel the size if not more.  I have m oved them out of my bathroom and into a large wooden container box from S.’s work and placed them on the porch.  Much better!!  I hate the dust chicks produce, it gets everywhere and stinks up the house.  They are eating like crazy!!!  These are fast growers and I can see why.  Ravenous!

Here are tons of pics for your entertainment.

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Happy Ostara!!!!

The first day of Spring!!  For us Pagan folk we celebrate the Vernal Equinox also called Ostara.

I woke this morning to find my boys following the trail of Hare Poo (jelly beans) from their rooms to the baskets found on the couch.  Each basket was brimming with all sorts of fun goodies.  T. found some personalized items in his which consisted of a coyote pendant necklace and a wooden croaking frog.  B. found a custom made leather cuff with a Celtic clasp.  They both received exploding frogs and candy covered marshmallows, both found on Etsy, btw.  Each had a cake in the shape of a frog with green frosting and much more.  Everything was fun!  We ran outside(it is very cold today) and threw poppers on the ground to help wake the earth.

After basket raiding and making our morning Ostara calls to family, we headed out side again to Hunt for eggs!  B. finished finding his 16 in record time. S. helped T. find his 16.  After exploring the sweets found in the eggs it was time to get some kind of substance in our bellies.  Off to Denny’s for breakfast. Haven’t been there in years, but it fufilled my need for them to have some kind of substance to thier breakfast without me having to cook. 😛

Now, the rest of the day is ours to make of it what we want.  We will watch “Peter Cottontail” and yesterday we watched “Nausicaa, Valley of the Wind” for our spring themed movies.  If it were warmer I would love to take a short hike and gte some outside time, but I think we will have to find alternatives for today.

We were very blessed today, in that, S. had today off from work so he could join us in celebrating the first day of Spring.   I wonder what today will bring!

You will also notice that we are all wearing the same shirt.  We purchased these colorful, most entertaining, evilish, shirts from Woot.com to celebrate this day.  LOL  The title of the shirt is, “You outta try this.”  I love the expressions of the horrified little bunnies staring at the oblivious carnivorous bunny!  Hysterical in my, I Love Gross boys, way!  LOL LOL  Too funny!!!

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Scarface Kitty

Have you ever had a seemingly indestructible cat?  I seem to have.  I picked up a cat for mouser duties several years ago.  This cat was soon in our hearts.  He is the kind of cat when you pick him up, he turns in to a puddle of mud.  Melts into your hands and would slide right out if you didn’t hold him up.  Totally trusting and relaxed big fluff ball.

About a year in to owning this incredible cat, we had a visit to our door from a stranger.  The stranger cared enough to stop and come to our door to ask if we had a white and orange cat, that he thinks has just bounced off the tires of his car.  I thought for sure we were never going to see that cat again.  Oddly enough he was back in action three days later.  Just with a few extra kinks in his tail and slight limp.  When we were able to pick him up again we discovered a large rack of ribs were missing from his side.  Doesn’t seem to bother him.  huh?  Weird.

One day upon entering our barn.  Cat/Meoweth was in the rafters, apparently trying to catch the little birds.  I must have spooked him when opening a stall door.  He fell straight down.  Landed on a ladder sitting on it side, with his hips.  He quickly gathered himself before I could even take one step in his direction and slinked off.  Again, I was for sure I would never see that cat again.  Oddly enough, he was on our porch that very eveing as if nothing happened, but with a little funk to his walk.

Lots of stuffle could be heard all night on the porch.  Cats growling, our dogs in the house getting anxious.  I thought must be a strange cat or dog in our yard eating the cats food.  I took out my garbage in the morning, only to find a large oppossum in my garbage can sleeping.  I freaked!  No one would help me get it removed, so I covered the can quickly and waited for S. to come home to take care of it.  Didn’t see Cat all day.  Next day he shows up with a large bump right at the base of his tail.  It was very sore to the touch.  Oh dear!  The oppossum must have scratched him or something and it was infected.  The huge hard puss pocket stayed with him for about a month, until it was all healed.  Phew!

One fine day, early this winter, I noticed Cat growling at all the kittens when ever they approached him as he waited at the door for me to let him in.  Then I noticed….a huge bite mark on his hiney!  His ear was bent and puffed up like a Sopaipillas.  He was in pain.  A lot of pain!  He wanted to be loved by us but no one else was to touch him or even look at him.  He followed me everywhere I went when outside, growling at any dark area or movement as if protecting me from whatever got him.  Of course at this time, I had finally arranged for him to be neutered, so that had to be put off.  He took a long time to heal from this and I was worried that he would get rabies from such a bite.  After lots of discussion with animal professionals, we figured it was a coyote that had got him.  I waited and waited for a sign that his personality had changed or was getting ill from the infection developing in the bite.  I waited for a long time and watched the bite puss, scab, and reappear as stupid Cat kept trying to clean it.  But oddly enough he came out of it just fine.  A small spot on his butt with less hair than the rest but in no shape worse than before.

Now, he returns home from a night of marauding about with two big gashes across his face.  These I will not worry about.  I have obviously seen worse on this cat.  But I am not talking about little scratches here.  These are gashes!  What does my cat do to get in so much trouble?!  How many lives does this cat have left to live?  I wonder, can he die?!  Do I have “supercat”?  Nothing seems to keep him down no matter how bad.  I love my cat.  His new name Scarface.

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4-H Fun!

Saturday morning we slept in very late. So when we all awoke it was time to get out and start our day! We had breakfast with Santa at the 4-H building hosted by the TAG 4-H group. It was yummy pancakes and sausage. Very relaxed and Santa was great to chat with.
santa-2008

4-H Dog group gathered Saturday to make Dog biscuits and fill baskets for three of the local dog shelters in our area. After completing the messy task of doggie biscuits and the fun filling baskets with collars, treats, shampoos, etc… we adjourned to a conference room to view the dog trials from the 4-H State Fair from this summer. It was fun to watch the dogs parade around with people dressed up for different themes and music.
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Wanna see what I was up to this evening….?

We had a friend butcher our chickens a couple weeks ago and when we picked them up, he notified us that he was butchering two lambs the next weekend and asked us if I wanted the skins that have full fleeces upon them.  YEAH!!!!!!

I got them last weekend and salted one skin and saw that the other fleece was unusable for me.  I let it sit outside for a week while it was too cold to pull the fleece for long periods of time.  Until today!! A miracle heat wave is hitting my area after much freezing rain.  This evening whilst S. was cooking dinner, I got to work.  My hands are a little sore, but this fleece is beautiful and free!!!!  I separated it into lightly dirty and heavily dirty piles.  I am so excited to have that finished.  Was thinking on tanning it in the spring.  It is small so manageable for a first project of tanning.  Will take off the last icky stomach crud fleece tomorrow that I couldn’t get off tonight before dinner.

Here are some pictures of me in the process.  I can’t wait to see how this cleans up and spins up!  I wish I knew what kind of lamb it was.  The crimp on the hair is just beautiful!!