A Duck in a Truck

Crashed the whole weekend. While I attempt to get back on track, enjoy this cute video recommended by @virgotex about a trucker and his pet duck. The cuteness, it burns!!

Small Farm Livestock Owners - Comment on NAIS

This entry is for those of us who raise and maintain our own small population of livestock, whether as pets, for milk and eggs, or for meat. Those of us who also like to eat local and purchase such things from small sustainable farms, please read as well. Many thanks!

Not familiar with the government's proposed NAIS program? Please read this: http://nonais.org/but-what-is-nais/ Then if you feel moved, please read below on how to comment on the Federal Register during this window of allowed public input. Further below is one woman's submission.

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Karen writes:

I submitted my comments to the Federal Register for the new proposed NAIS regulation. I will copy and paste them below as an example of what one might write. I encourage EVERYONE to comment on this proposed rule, even if you do not own the livestock currently proposed to be affected (this opens the door to the rest) AND even if you will never own any livestock. If you like to eat local foods, this WILL affect you. To comment, click on this link: http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS-2007-0096
The first entry is the regulation itself. To comment, click on the yellow balloon next to that document:

I would also suggest taking the time to read the many other excellent comments for ideas. Remember that it sometimes takes a few days before your comments appear.

Go to this link to read Karen's (not related to Auntie Karen) comments to the proposal.

Goose Punditry

We're not sure which part of the political spectrum they fall upon, but they definitely have opinions:

"Can't They Do That At The Vet?"

Not specifically farm related, but...

Spouse and I were at the hematologist yesterday as part of pre-surgery preparations. I was told I'd need Spouse (or myself) to administer subcutaneous shots twice daily for a week, post-operation, to ensure there'd be no dangerous clotting issues. Blanching from being informed of his required help with my shots, Spouse blurted "isn't this something the nearby vet could do for you?"

*blink-blink*...

I about fell over laughing.

[pic: Spouse with Red. And, uh, Spouse? "NO."]

Dude, Where's My Laptop?

Oh, that's right, I left it at home this evening. I didn't mean to leave it there. I met with friends "in town" in the late afternoon for dinner. Dinner turned into hanging out, hanging out turned into going over to someone's house, then a second glass of wine and one bowl of stupendously amazing ice-cream later, it was too late to go home and regroup for work. So I did what any self-respecting Gen-X slacker geek would do: crashed on the couch at work until it was time to punch in for the evening. A long explanation to say no laptop, no animal pics this post.

In the meantime, I'm reading (well, not tonight, because I left that at home as well) Temple Grandin's book "Animals in Translation" (thanks Mom K!). Only a few short chapters into the book, but already I understand why our geese think the color yellow is evil, and why Spouse and I see household dirt differently. More on the book, and the farm, once I get my @ss and head going in the same direction*.

Now, where's that coffee?


[*Don't hold your breath. This could take awhile.]