ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! Warning - Not A Pleasant Post

I am furious.  I hope everybody in this country watched the story on ABC News today about the disgusting treatment of cows in the slaughter house in California.

The thing is - this happens in every slaughter house EVERY SINGLE DAY!  It is standard operating procedure.  Few slaughter houses are "compromised" by under cover animal welfare groups because they don't want anybody to know what really happens.

People need to know how meat gets to their table.  All meat animals commercially raised are bred, grown,  transported and killed under cruel conditions.

Calves are pulled away from their mothers at two days of age so the mother's milk can be used for human consumption.  Oh, and their tails are cut off because they get in the way of the milking machines. When the cows are no longer producing enough milk to be profitable, they are shipped for slaughter.  Like the poor cow seen today, they still produce milk and they aren't milked once the fate has been decided.  So not only is she tortured during transport, she is already in incredible pain from having a hugely engorged udder.  They are transported for many hours and then herded into a holding area...still producing milk.  Try to imagine her pain.

I could write a post two pages long but won't.  Let me tell you though, that cows are not properly stunned before going down the line.  First their horns are cut off, then their ears, legs and tails.  When they get to the hide puller, THEY ARE STILL ALIVE.  If yo don't believe me, Google some facts.

Pigs are subjected to the same treatment as are other meat animals and worse.  Slaughter houses run 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  People that work on the line get bored and devise methods which are unspeakable to entertain themselves.  Again, if you don't believe me - Google it or take a look at a few pages of the book titled Slaughter house.  It is full of interviews with said people.

And do you know where Premarin comes from?  Pregnant Mares Urine.  Mares are kept in narrow iron stalls and impregnated.  Hooked up to catheters 24/7 so their estrogen-rich urine is "harvested".  They stand on concrete, unable to move during their entire pregnancy.  Guess where their foals go?  To Europe for food.

Wake up people - any animal that humans can profit from, will be.  GREED.

Not many people even stop by this blog but just like Facebook, blogging can be a powerful tool that can be used for other things besides entertainment.  If enough people would speak up, the methods in which our food is produced WILL BE CHANGED.

It is completely unnecessary for any cruelty to take place.  Animals can still be raised as a food source, but can AND SHOULD be treated humanely throughout the entire process.

The American Indian knew how to treat the earth and all its' creatures.  They took only what they could use, used all of it, and gave back to the earth.  We should all take those beliefs and traits and do the same thing.
 But then, look what we did to the American Indian.

Short But Sweet - Part 2

After I drove through the bridge-tunnel, I had about an hour to go before reaching Hartley's home.  She lives in a small township called Modest Town.  I've never researched how the name came to be but bet it is a quaint story.

This is farming country and in spite of a dry summer, some of the crops looked beautiful.  Of course, the farmers have enormous irrigation systems.

I finally reached her road, which is named after their farm.

See that red roof at the end of the road?  That is the house that Pete grew up in.  It's for sale and vacant now.  If I could, I would buy it and turn it into a bed and breakfast.  I have the entire thing planned but I just can't come up with the financial piece of it. 

Beyond those trees on the left is Hopeland Farm, where my dear friend lives with her hard working farmer hubby, Pete.

This is some of Pete's corn

...and soybeans

...and beautiful Hopeland Farm.

 Two of the horses were in the corner of the pasture near the driveway, but I didn't get a good shot of them.  I was really anxious to see Hartley.  It's been a long time!

Hurray - I have arrived!!

Short But Sweet - Part 1

I haven't seen my dearest friend in at least three years. My previous car had so many issues that I was afraid to drive very far away. But now that I have a safe and solid car, I took a little road trip to see her.

The Eastern Shore of Virginia is where I lived when my daughters were born. I never wanted to leave but was married and my then husband took a job in another state. He just about literally dragged me away. Hartley has remained my friend for about 35 years now.

To get to the Eastern Shore, I drove through the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel - an engineering marvel. It's 20 miles long and spans the lower Chesapeake Bay. It has two tunnels that run under the bay to allow tankers and big ships to enter the bay from the ocean. Here's an aerial shot I got from the web. It's really quite amazing!.

Here is another shot from the web that shows a tanker crossing one of the tunnels. Just think - there are lots of cars driving underneath it!

Here I go onto the bridge...

There are always tankers entering or leaving the bay.

I get the heebie-jeebies when I enter the tunnels and try not to think about where I actually am driving and just try to hurry along with the traffic, happy to get out at the other end.

I did this twice but I didn't take pictures of the second tunnel.

Hello Eastern Shore!

I drove Friday and spent Saturday with her - then drove back home Sunday. A short but sweet trip.

Rain!

Hooray for rain! It didn't last long yesterday but we'll take whatever we can get these days.

It's dark out now and thundering. Somebody is getting a storm but not me.

A New Trailer and Kitties

A few weeks ago when my daughter and son-in-law visited, Aaron was telling me that I needed a pickup truck.  "Yes", I told him, "but I can't afford two vehicles".  Then he told me I needed a utility trailer.  "Yes", I said, "it's on my wish list but I've done without this long, it can wait".   Well the next thing I knew, I was informed that I was the owner of a pull behind utility trailer and I would get a call when they were ready to install the trailer hitch on my little car. 
 

 

Was I ever surprised.  I'll get a lot of use out of this little thing and now I won't have to beg neighbors to borrow their trucks!  I'm not used to pulling it yet though, and don't even ask me about backing up with this thing.  I need to practice!

Now jumping subjects...here is Topaz acting like a vulture like Snoopy does on the Charlie Brown specials.

Here's a picture of Topaz and Smudge all cozy under the mattress I still haven't put away since I had company!

Speaking of matresses...I'm exhausted and ready to hit mine.  Poor Princess had me up at about 3:00 a.m. this morning.  Bless her little heart.  She's getting so old and crotchedy and can't make it through the night without going outside once or twice.  It's like having a newborn baby all over again!

You Really Shouldnt' Be Doing That

This is Blanche.  She is a gold laced wyandotte hen.

Blanche is roosting for the night but not where she should be roosting.  You see, this is the nesting box and hens should be discouraged from roosting on or near the nesting boxes.  Why you ask?

Because they poop all night long and the nesting boxes turn into a toilet!  Every morning I have to scoop poop out of the boxes so they can lay their eggs.  That's after I've already scooped litter boxes in the house and scooping poop from under the "real" perching place.

I wonder how you toilet train a chicken?

A Little Finish

I've missed sewing.  I've had the urge to get back to making things for a while now but I've been spending a lot of time watering plants and animals or doing not much of anything.  I'm not a hot weather gal and prefer gray, cloudy days - especially if it's cool outside.  But after having a couple of weeks of 100+ temps, 95 seems more bearable to me now.

We've had a few showers and that's perked up the plants...and my poor chickens,  so I've uncovered my little sewing machine and started playing again.

The first thing I did was finish a little doll quilt for Alissa.  It's nothing fancy at all, but she was so pleased with it when she opened it.  And it felt really good to actually complete a project, no matter how small it was.

A few weeks ago I was in a little shop in town and saw some gorgeous hand painted pillows that a talented woman had made.  I loved all of them and was so inspired by her work that I attempted to make one for myself.  It isn't nearly as good as hers but it's good enough for me.  Mine is slightly different though.  After it was finished, I somehow got paint in one corner so I covered it up with a doily.

I'd like to make some more of these...maybe to give as Christmas gifts.

Speaking of Christmas gifts....I started work on something for my sister yesterday.  I can't show pictures of it but I'm really happy with the way it's coming along.  It sure feels good to be doing something fun again.

I hope you're all getting rain if you need it, and sun if you don't!

Wordless Wednesday

Silent Sunday - 3 of 6

Weekend!

Oh I'm so happy the weekend is here!  Not that this week has been difficult, but I'm excited because the weather will be NORMAL!

It's been too hot and dry for too long.  This week we've had rain almost every day and what a difference it has made in my attitude.  I feel good again and actually interested in doing something.  Not to mention I have a little more time now that I don't have to stand with a hose and sprinkler in my hands filling up birdbaths, buckets and bowls!

After I do some major mowing (the weeds are knee high now), I am planning to get back to some fun things in life.  My sewing machine has been calling me and I'm beginning to think about what I'm going to make for my friends and family for Christmas.

Last weekend my #1 daughter, son-in-law and #2 granddaughter paid a quick visit.  It was so nice to have them, even for only 24 hours. I managed to cook a nice dinner for them and breakfast the next morning.  Even when it's hot, people gotta' eat!  Here are some random photos from the weekend.

Little girls dressed up like Princesses

 Crazy cat, Smudge trying to get into a tiny box

Silly granddog, Daisy, stuck under the couch

 
 

All the "kids" in the back seat headed for home.

I hear there's a blog party this weekend - where bloggers create.  I might have to visit some of them to get inspired!  I hope you all have a great weekend!

Happy Birthday, USA!

God Bless America and all those who have fought for our freedom!

Pete's First Adoptathon

Remember Pete - the dog I agreed to foster last fall? He was in a high kill facility in Henderson, NC where they use the gas chamber to kill the animals there. I told a gal that pulls animals from that facility that I would foster a senior dog and that's how I ended up with Pete. Pete was headed for that inhumane fate when the angel, Angie, pulled him.

Anyway, Pete looked horrible - skin and bones - and another owner surrender. It has taken months for him to put weight on and look presentable for adoptathons. Today was his first.

It was a miserably hot day. I don't know what the official temperature was but I know it was over 100 degrees. We stayed outside the store in the shade for a couple of hours but then went inside. He had some stiff competition in the form of adorable kittens - all also pulled from kill facilities. Pete did great, as I knew he would. He got lots of love and attention and was ready to walk away with every single person that stopped to pet him.

While we were inside sitting near the windows, I saw a bird suddenly appear outside on the cement.   I thought the dog trainer that was outside was giving a demo on how well his dog would stay and had tossed a stuffed bird to test the dog. Well, it was a baby dove that had literally collapsed from the heat!  It had been setting on top of the store roof with its parents (in the blazing sun) and fell off and landed on the hot cement right in front of a woman.  It was fully feathered and capable of flying but it could barely move.  I took a small saucer of water out to it and it was so afraid that it managed to run into some bushes in the shade.  I hope the little baby survived and stayed in the shade where nobody could see it. Unfortunately, it was a small patch of bushes right next to a busy parking lot.  I think if he stayed put, he would have recuperated. How distressing to see this.

 The temps here are so bad and will stay this way till Wednesday. I haven't been able to do a thing but stay inside and watch TV.   The a/c is running non stop and the house is almost 80 degrees inside, but I don't want to turn the thermostat down and make the unit work even harder.  I'd rather be hot than break the a/c altogether and be without any.  That happened to me many years ago and it was a miserable experience to go through.

Here's another picture of happy Pete. He really enjoyed being out in public today. I wonder why his previous owner threw him away? Well, he's safe now but there are so many others. Please consider saving a life the next time you look for a pet.

Time to get ready for bed. Tomorrow morning I'll head out to WalMart to do my weekly grocery shopping before the heat gets too unbearable.  Then I want to try to accomplish something.   Goodness knows, I sure didn't today!  I hope you're all surviving the heat wherever you are. Don't forget to keep the bird baths filled!

Adjusting To Change

Helloooo out there! I wonder if anybody will even notice that I'm posting.

So much time slipped by since my trip with Alissa that I didn't think I'd post again. Then I quit visiting other blogs and just stopped thinking about it altogether. I've made another trip to Maryland - this time to visit with my mom. I promised her I'd get up there before Mother's Day and I just did keep that promise. She told me that she still checks my blog from time to time to see if I've updated it so that got me thinking about it again. Now that I've adjusted to my job (just passed my one year anniversary!) and settling into more of a "normal" routine, I've been lurking on several of my favorite blogs and felt that I should start posting again.

 So this is for you, mom!

But now Blogger has changed and I've spent quite a bit of time today trying to figure out how to change my background and post something. Yikes how different everything is to use now! I don't particularly care for the way my blog looks right now but at least I've figured out some of it.

Another change that's happened is that my faithful 2000 Honda CRV finally bit the dust. It's been limping along for the last couple of years and held on long enough for me to get current with finances. Now I have a car payment and a "new" 2004 Honda CRV; this one is silver. My old one was black. I love my new little car. It's an automatic and positively purrs compared to my old car, which was a standard transmission.

It has a sun roof...I've never had one of those before.

Well, this is enough for one evening. It's past my bed time and I haven't even finished eating my nutritious dinner of Cheerios yet so will leave you with a few pictures of my gardens. They look pretty right now but will fry in the upcoming 100+ temps coming our way in 24 hours. Oh how I hate heat and humidity!

My favorite flower - Alissa Rose...