Fowl Weather - LIVE REPORT

Nacho Grande and the girls were on Here & Now this evening. Post television appearance they share their story with Humskoogeei.

Humskoogeei: You guys made the news tonight. That's pretty exciting for some woods chickens.
Nacho Grande: I just want to say one thing. I am a rooster. I was trying to keep the girls calm. But...
Penney: I thought the sky was falling! I didn't mean to cause a panic!
Nacho Grande: Once Penney started running the girls followed. I didn't think the sky was falling per se.
Flossie: I was in the coop. Sitting on my egg. I missed being on the news. That egg had better hatch.
Humskoogeei: How do you feel about showing such...well...cowardly behaviour?
Nacho Grande: I might be a chicken but I was not chicken. Get my drift?
Mudder: I just thought everyone was coming to see my baby, Onesie. Onesie is so cute it would cause a riot.
Millie: Its about time we got some real attention. Since that Onesie hatched and those five New Harbour chicks showed up its been nothing but look at the babies. Babies. Cluck cluck cluck. I lay green eggs for Shell's sake.
Humskoogeei: Okay well we don't mean to ruffle your feathers with all the questions. We will leave you to roost. Thanks for making the fowl weather of today a little bit funny...and thanks for not crossing the road. This is Humskoogeei reporting live...from The Compound Chicken Headquarters.

Busy Days

Lately I have been doing much digging. Last summer was such a bust the vegetable gardens were a state. Holy mother nature. Weed and weeds and more weeds. But after a week at it, it is getting there.
I've put in spuds, carrot, beet, beans, peas, onions and Swiss Chard so far. I have a few more onions to plant and I will probably plant some more beans and some lettuce. And I'll get some tomatoes from the lady in South River.
This year I actually counted the distance from the well to the gardens. Because there is no hose on The Compound for watering. I throw my bucket down in the outdoor well and fill up my one for each hand two-gallon watering cans. Then 65 paces to the garden, water and then back again. And so on until everything has a drink.
While I'm at it I fill up all the chickens water containers. They love the water straight from the well. Those chickens. So funny. And now that there are toddler chickens and adult chickens and momma and Onesie its even better.
I've had lots of visitors lately too. Which is awesome. The weather had been so nice its been perfect for outdoor activities and people dropping by. And not just people. Rabbits are here everyday. The ravens stop by. A couple gulls have been dropping by too which doesn't happen very often. And warblers and blue jays and junkos and chickadees and gray jays and robins and gold finches and purple finches and sparrows.
The French Open starts today and that's good for knitting...and the weather won't always be so good the next fortnight.

Many a Good Thing

Happy birthday, Vicky. Its Monday of the long weekend and it appears to be a wonderful weather day again. At first blush it looks like its going to be a wicked summer.
I had sooooo many visitors this weekend. There will probably be more today...hopefully. More than rabbits anyways.
Susan Furneaux dropped by and had a cuppa tea with me. She brought me a baby oak tree. I need to decide where to plant it. I love oak trees. I wonder did it come with a dryad?
Mom and Dad stopped in on their travels. They and everyone else who stopped in saw the baby chickens. Onesie is a hit...and the other older chicks. They went off with a few currant buns.
I had two little boy youngsters knock on the door. They "heard" that I had green eggs. It was funny. A couple stopped by to ask about the cabin for sale...they didn't read the fine print on the for sale sign...Eggs Green & Brown. Also funny.
Yesterday my friends Joanne and her husband Charlie and their friends stopped by. Charlie brought me a copy of his first novel. The Newfoundland Vampire was published in April and I have been wanting to read it...and I did last night. It was a fun read. I got a grand kick out of the fact that the main character is an animal rights supporter and vegetarian. (Maybe because I have been having such a fun time lately getting slammed by the anti-seal hunt and animal rights activists on Twitter). Its worth buying! And while I bought a paper copy...you know me and books....its also available for Kindle etc on Amazon for $2.99 so there is no excuse not to read it!
In between visitors....Onesie got stuck in the wall of the outside coop. Momma hen went into crazy mode. Nothing like an attacking chicken when you are only trying to save her baby. As I was fending off kungfu chicken...Onesie squirted out the other side of the wall...into to outside outdoors. Holy Hannah...if there was a baby chick sprint in the Olympics...Onesie would win. What a time. But safely caught and back to momma.
Mom and Dad and Uncle Larry dropped by....with a perfectly processed beeyooteeful harp seal skin. Uncle Larry...you are the bomb! I am going to make footwear for myself. It was an awesome weekend so far...

Glorious Goats

Today was a grand day. I had a few things to do in Bay Roberts and then the plan was to locate the Grumpy Goat Studio.
So off I went to the brew store for super yeast and a beer kit with eggs to barter. Then to the Bakery Outlet where you can get 20 loafy type items for $3 for chickens and other creatures. My two bags were filled with mostly loaves of bread and the rest in hamburger buns a lot wasn't even near expiry. The chickens are impressed. Got bug spray at Shoppers and bonus! sugar was on sale 10kg should do me this week.
Then off to Upper Island Cove. Pam and Cara are good folk. I had been meaning to visit Grumpy Goat Gallery for ages. Their new baby goatling gave me the hoof in the posterior to go. Goats are the least grumpy creature. When they bleet they have the biggest grins. And these goats have kitty kat buddies. Himself says I have goat feet so I have an affinity. The Goat Hotel is fantastic...climbing rocks and mini tire to play with and a big poof of hay hanging from the ceiling...and its got artwork hanging on the walls. Rose (big sister goat) and Sophia (baby sister goatling) are two lucky creatures. I loved it so much I didn't take any good pictures.
Inside Pam and Cara's fern green house there are so many things to see...red octopus...goat on the closet, painted lemon tree climbing up the wall. And to my surprise a friggin yes friggin SPECTACULAR sealing piece. A super cool schoonery boat with individual hand carved sealers sardined together. And off in the distance a gazillion seals...big spotted ones and wee white coats. All hand carved and then painted. Those are two talented ladies. And they have a bright yellow stand up piano outdoors!

High Horses on The Front

OMG lately I have been following #sealhunt on Twitter. And I am telling you...you would think every single sealer is a psychopathic murderer if you believed what was said.
Now I think I am a pretty sensible person. To each their own. If you want to be vegan fill yer boots. If you want to be vegetarian fill yer boots. I think people should be able to marry whoever they love...gay or straight. I think that its a woman's choice. If you want to praise Jesus go ahead. If you want to hunt...do it as long as its in season and done legally. And obviously some of these things are waaaaay more important than others.
Now I am religiously challenged. I do not believe. But I don't get on my high horse telling those who do that they shouldn't.
I eat meat and I have hunted bunnies. I have eaten bunnies. And yes bunnies are cute. They eat my vegetable garden. But I don't tell non-bunny eaters to chow down. Just like they shouldn't foist tofu on me.
Now to my original head aching point. The anti seal hunt fanatics...yes the fanatics...not the quiet ones...say sealers and their supports are bullies and thugs and murderers. Now let me just say right off the bat...yes bat...I am not a denier. Bad things happened to seals. Well they die which is bad for them but there have been incidents ( just like there have been in every industry involving creatures) that were less than humane.But there are ~9 million seals out there and most of the less than 400k quota harvested are slaughtered correctly.
Seals are not people. Ergo they cannot be murdered. People who slaughter seals are hardworking brave folk. Dads, pops, brothers and some moms and nans too probably in this day and age. If its not as profitable as it was who's fault is that. Tax dollars going towards supporting the hunt? Well my take on the anti seal hunt crowd complaining  about that...you can't salt the land and then complain nothing grows.
Am I mad? Well on one hand I am mad that people attack me for supporting the hunt. Saying if I do I shouldn't be allowed pets. That you can't love animals and support eating meat or wearing sealskin. And on and on in crazed rhetoric. On the other hand fanatics are fanatics are fanatics. Its not that I want them to give up their beliefs but mind their own business. But then I remember...it is a business.
What they don't know is that seals are important to Newfoundland. Many a youngster or oldster for that matter survived because of spring sealing. To me it makes sense to harvest seals. They can be eaten. The oil is good for you. Their fur is warm and waterproof. And its a sustainable hunt. But that's my opinion. It might not be yours. And that's fine. But if you eat hamburgers or pork chops or wear leather or a whole bunch of other stuff...well something to think about.
Anyhow...thanks for reading...I had to purge that out of my system. This was probably my longest rant and nary a picture. Kiss hug.

Wee Chicks & Deadly Bread

Yesterday evening I went on a chick pickup. Young Nelson down in New Harbour had chicks and I had been talking to him a couple times the week.
There was some remodelling needed on the hen house that Himself got busy on after he got home from work. You see we had a broody hen that had been sitting for ages and no luck with eggs. So we were going to have her adopt the little chicks who had a light bulb for a mother.
So anyway off I went. I took a detour through Dildo to waste some time because I was earlier than expected. Took a picture of their interpretation centre....if any place needs one of those its Dildo.
Then into Pitcher's Bakery for some gas and the BEST bread ever. They have cookies and treats and a super selection of diabetic baked goods too. Nelson the Chicken Guy lives across the street.
I checked out the selection of newborn and toddler chicks and he went to check the incubator. He has quail, partridge, turkeys, ducks, chickens and cows. All kinds of creatures. It was awesome. I finally got five chicks and after having a chat, started home. Now the road between New Harbour and the Veteran's Memorial is awful in places. Patchwork pavement. And there was this dude flying at least 60km down the middle of it on an ATV. As I got closer I realized it was a trike. And the backfires? Holy jumpins when he got on the shoulder I thought he was going to go arse over teakettle. But he didn't...what an ijjit.
So home to the Compound where Mudder Hen is sitting on a couple eggs Himself left her. As He starts to remove them...low and behold...an occupant is in the process of hatching. Can't wait to see if chickie made it out. The New Harbour Chicks have a light bulb for a mother again. They are content.

Up in Arms

Boiling blood is getting to be a regular occurrence. I said a while back that Lord Voldemort...I mean, Stephen Harper was gutting the country. But I have come to realize He Who Shall Not Be Named does not consider Newfoundland and Labrador part of His country.
How much coastline and ocean does one need to have a SAR centre? We must have too much. First they yank it out....which is so stupid its unbelievable but then we find out that marine medical calls get routed to Italy! Italy?!?!?! Nova Scotia...well they are actually part of Canada and their calls were handled in Halifax. Now the Dark Lord's minions say it was an interim measure. What effing ever. It was interim only until it was found out.
Does the Canadian Coast Guard still patrol our waters? Or has that been outsourced too? Oh and has the Pope said we can borrow his helicopter if another youngster needs to be found? It would probably arrive faster than the DND.
As a friend said today its a skull ripper of a day. Yup. Yessirree.
I want to march. Protest. Have my say. I voted.
Week after week we get another smack upside the head. And again and again. Build the friggen ferries. Build Muskrat friggen Falls. Build something. Stop arguing over Twitter.
Shame on the Government of Canada.
Shame on the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador.
If only there were Harper Horcruxes.

May Day Crafty Fun

Today I drove into the metropolis of Sin Jawns to partake in May Day festivities. It was chilly but fun. I parked up at St. Thomas Church...where incidentally I was a Brownie and a Guide. That's the 1st St. John's Company or was when I was in it.
First off I went into Devon House...craft headquarters as it were...to get my passport. I also got my first stamp and watched Wendy's clay demonstration.
Next stop the NL Chocolate crowd...their mermaid was all dolled up in my fav colours and I had a chat with the lovely Christina Dove and some devine chocolate. They have a pirate line and everything!
Then to the Anna Templeton Center. They had a big sale on the go. Vicky Taylor-Hood was manning the desk bilingually. Meanwhile me mudder was wondering where I was.
I also went to Johnny Ruth where Charlotte was making a dress in the window...really in the window...dress creation. I finally met JennaofAvalon otherwise known as the Queen of Social Media Jennifer Barnable! Awesome.
So off to Rocket to see the 20 crafts people selling their wares. I really wanted the Robot dropped a stitch bowl. But alas I left my g-d Bankcard in my other jacket. What an ejit. Saw Swervy and her creatures and other folk.
I meant to get to all the stops but after downtown I only made it to Running the Goat bookmakers. I have two of their handmade books and it was cool to see where they were created.
One thing I did bring home was some tea from Brittania. Yum-my. I certainly need a vat of tea after my excursion today.

Don't Get Me $&%@ Started

I can't take it anymore. The Harper Government is gutting Canada. Its to the point one needs to just not read anything to do with them or have one's blood boileth over.
So many people in this country work hard for their money. Many of them make 10 friggen dollars an hour or even less (I know there is a minimum wage but still)
Harper and his cronies have no respect for the people of this country. They are the chosen few. They don't realize that they work for us. And they get a big FAIL.
Let's see. Harper went to a baseball game that cost $45000. He reimbursed for commercial air fares. How many people in this country ( or reading this blog) don't make that in a year? Another five of his cronies...our "buddy" Peter "Copter" McCabe was one...spent over $1 million in expenses combined in a little over a year. For what? We don't know but hopefully they had fun.
They have also changed the retirement age, gave a ton of employees the boot and tried to sell off a lot of expensive artwork they don't even own. Oh and who cares about the environment? Not them. Keep the scientists quiet and sneak changes into the budget. The budget? Are you kidding me? Oh maybe the robots made him do it.
Why is it so hard to be a good leader? Make the government save money by keeping their own house in order. Stop taking trips! There is enough work to be done here. We have our First Nations people in a health crisis of proportions I can't even explain. If Cuba can be cranking out doctors and have a pretty damn good health care system....why the hell can't we?
It sickens me that we are only one year into this round of Stephen Harper. Why do I lay it all on him? Like a captain of a ship he is responsible for those below him. If there was ever a time to batter from the political entity of Harper 2.0 otherwise known as Canada this is it.
I know I know. Newfoundland can't break away. We are a have not pro...wait a second. We have oil and gas which is great for a quick buck. We have the Newfoundland people. We have the potential to do so much more. If wishes were horses. We need the great exodus back to this land. Get everyone back here from where ever they went. Canada would collapse and we'd be all set.
And would someone please help Steve out with his lipstick application?