*Liz and Nick*
*Socializing the puppies*
*Alan and Lark, who now lives in New Mexico and is a therapy dog*
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Friday, January 12, 2007
Taxpayer revolt
Sarpy Sam has a post today that will hit very close to the hearts of many overburdened tax payers. He calls it Perverse Pleasure. It resonated with me in a big way. I have partaken of many such delights myself over the years.
One of my favorites was when Gael gave birth to Nick and seven other little Border collie hellions about eight years ago. The advent of eight extra BCs into a home that already has two on site cow biting, sheep herding, toilet paper wrangling, shoe mangling, tongue dangling, hyper active, smarter than the average bear, little black dogs on hand is not an experience for the faint of heart.
Anyhow, as soon as the pups' eyes opened and they discovered the purpose of those appendages that stuck out of each corner of their sausage-shaped bodies, the floor wars began. We had an appliance box in the dining room to provide safe, secure housing for them.
It failed totally, miserably, early and often. The alarm clock languished, unused and unappreciated, as everyone awakened every morning to the thunder of 32 paws, accompanied by the worried click of poor Gael's claws as she tried, unsuccessfully, to keep them in order. There is not a box made that can contain a determined Border collie, let alone what often seemed like a dozen of them.
Of course with eight, (count 'em, eight) little puddle jumpers piddling enthusiastically during every escape escapade, we went through a lot of newspapers.
Reams.
Rafts.
Rooms full.
In self defense and to preserve the withered shreds of my tattered sanity, I took deep delight in choosing my least favorite politicians' photos to protect my floors.
Face up. I would even fold the paper just so, in order to give them star billing so to speak.
Sarpy Sam's post reminded me of that and I thank him.
One of my favorites was when Gael gave birth to Nick and seven other little Border collie hellions about eight years ago. The advent of eight extra BCs into a home that already has two on site cow biting, sheep herding, toilet paper wrangling, shoe mangling, tongue dangling, hyper active, smarter than the average bear, little black dogs on hand is not an experience for the faint of heart.
Anyhow, as soon as the pups' eyes opened and they discovered the purpose of those appendages that stuck out of each corner of their sausage-shaped bodies, the floor wars began. We had an appliance box in the dining room to provide safe, secure housing for them.
It failed totally, miserably, early and often. The alarm clock languished, unused and unappreciated, as everyone awakened every morning to the thunder of 32 paws, accompanied by the worried click of poor Gael's claws as she tried, unsuccessfully, to keep them in order. There is not a box made that can contain a determined Border collie, let alone what often seemed like a dozen of them.
Of course with eight, (count 'em, eight) little puddle jumpers piddling enthusiastically during every escape escapade, we went through a lot of newspapers.
Reams.
Rafts.
Rooms full.
In self defense and to preserve the withered shreds of my tattered sanity, I took deep delight in choosing my least favorite politicians' photos to protect my floors.
Face up. I would even fold the paper just so, in order to give them star billing so to speak.
Sarpy Sam's post reminded me of that and I thank him.
Patrick Hooker named Commissioner of Agriculture
This is from an Ag and Markets press release I received this morning;
Patrick M. Hooker is being nominated to serve as Commissioner of
Agriculture and Markets.
Mr. Hooker currently serves as the Director of the Public Policy at the
New York Farm Bureau, a position which he has held since 1999.
Previously, Mr. Hooker was the Deputy Director of
Governmental Relations at the New York Farm Bureau
from 1990 to 1999.From 1987 to 1990, he served as
Director of the New York State Senate Agriculture Committee.
He was also a Rural Affairs Advisor to the New York State Assembly in the Office of the Minority Leader from 1985 to1987.
Mr. Hooker received his B.S. from Cornell University
and his A.A.S. from the State University of New York at Morrisville.
I think this is really good news for New York farmers. Pat is a fair and decent guy with an outstanding knowledge of the industry.
Patrick M. Hooker is being nominated to serve as Commissioner of
Agriculture and Markets.
Mr. Hooker currently serves as the Director of the Public Policy at the
New York Farm Bureau, a position which he has held since 1999.
Previously, Mr. Hooker was the Deputy Director of
Governmental Relations at the New York Farm Bureau
from 1990 to 1999.From 1987 to 1990, he served as
Director of the New York State Senate Agriculture Committee.
He was also a Rural Affairs Advisor to the New York State Assembly in the Office of the Minority Leader from 1985 to1987.
Mr. Hooker received his B.S. from Cornell University
and his A.A.S. from the State University of New York at Morrisville.
I think this is really good news for New York farmers. Pat is a fair and decent guy with an outstanding knowledge of the industry.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Organic farming and the hidden corporate agenda
The meeting on activist influence on agriculture in general and milk pricing in particular that I mentioned last month took place today. The main topic was the damage that is done to the image of regular milk by claims by organic companies that their milk lacks something that ordinary moo juice has…in this case antibiotics (strictly illegal) hormones (all milk has ‘em), pesticides, (not legal either) and yucky stuff (not a very scientific term and kind of hard to prove). These claims, made on cartons and in store displays as well as on buckets and buckets of Internet sites are illegal.
They constitute false advertising.
Organic, BST-free, and plain old store brand milk are chemically indistinguishable.
These claims make regular milk seem unhealthy and encourage consumers to either spend much more money than there is any reason to or to give up drinking milk altogether.
I was fascinated to hear that many of the massive anti-“factory” farming campaigns that reach public eyes are funded directly or indirectly by organic food giants such as Horizon and Organic Valley. (On that note, our speaker told us that some folks consider herds of over fifty cows to constitute a factory farm. Guess that makes Northview assembly line all the way. We happen to have just a couple more than that.) I always wondered what spawned such passionate dedication to a food and farming ideal that is actually not nearly as popular as attention by the mainstream media might suggest.
Getting paid for that rabid activism explains a lot.
Interestingly one of the entries in the blogroll, Milk is Milk, was mentioned.
Although the meeting was sponsored by Monsanto, the company which sells Posilac, so the speaker wasn’t exactly unbiased, he reiterated many points on activism that I have belabored for years in the Farm Side.
And here on Northview as far as that goes.
I’m glad I was able to attend. The speaker was so good at his job that two hours went by as if they were nanoseconds, the subject was captivating, and I will probably get a column out of it for next week.
Plus we got a nice lunch and a chance to catch up with other farmers who don’t get out any more than we do.
All in all, a valuable morning.
They constitute false advertising.
Organic, BST-free, and plain old store brand milk are chemically indistinguishable.
These claims make regular milk seem unhealthy and encourage consumers to either spend much more money than there is any reason to or to give up drinking milk altogether.
I was fascinated to hear that many of the massive anti-“factory” farming campaigns that reach public eyes are funded directly or indirectly by organic food giants such as Horizon and Organic Valley. (On that note, our speaker told us that some folks consider herds of over fifty cows to constitute a factory farm. Guess that makes Northview assembly line all the way. We happen to have just a couple more than that.) I always wondered what spawned such passionate dedication to a food and farming ideal that is actually not nearly as popular as attention by the mainstream media might suggest.
Getting paid for that rabid activism explains a lot.
Interestingly one of the entries in the blogroll, Milk is Milk, was mentioned.
Although the meeting was sponsored by Monsanto, the company which sells Posilac, so the speaker wasn’t exactly unbiased, he reiterated many points on activism that I have belabored for years in the Farm Side.
And here on Northview as far as that goes.
I’m glad I was able to attend. The speaker was so good at his job that two hours went by as if they were nanoseconds, the subject was captivating, and I will probably get a column out of it for next week.
Plus we got a nice lunch and a chance to catch up with other farmers who don’t get out any more than we do.
All in all, a valuable morning.
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Sorry, new computer
Sooner or later I will get it all set up and have time to sit down and write. At least yesterday I found the missing registration key for my copy of Microsoft Word, so after five years of using an outdated word processor I can type with the fancy "new" (eh, okay, after that long in the box, languishing unused, it isn't really all that new but still...) one I bought so long ago.
While I am downloading firewalls and Internet answering machines and fixing display properties and attempting to write the Farm Side with an unfamiliar keyboard and word processing program I invite you to enjoy bloggers who are posting frequently.
Liz, although she is still coughing and we are now thinking maybe it's whooping cough, is writing every day at BuckinJunction.
Hurricane Teen who keeps The Minorcan Factor fascinating, has been posting pictures of secret lizards, fiery peppers and luxuriant citrus fruit lately.
Swen, A Coyote at the Dogshow, is on the road in Texas and thereabouts. He has a real good post about fair chase in hunting that is worth a read.
A new face in the blogroll, My Piece of Heaven is posting pictures of just what winter can do when it wants to (just in case all us spoiled Northeasterners have forgotten this year). They are lovely and chilling all at the same time.
Heck, when I have time I just read right down the blogroll, Pure Florida, Sarpy Sam, Upstream, another new face the Poodle and Dog Blog all offer good reading and update nearly every day.
Have a good time reading........
While I am downloading firewalls and Internet answering machines and fixing display properties and attempting to write the Farm Side with an unfamiliar keyboard and word processing program I invite you to enjoy bloggers who are posting frequently.
Liz, although she is still coughing and we are now thinking maybe it's whooping cough, is writing every day at BuckinJunction.
Hurricane Teen who keeps The Minorcan Factor fascinating, has been posting pictures of secret lizards, fiery peppers and luxuriant citrus fruit lately.
Swen, A Coyote at the Dogshow, is on the road in Texas and thereabouts. He has a real good post about fair chase in hunting that is worth a read.
A new face in the blogroll, My Piece of Heaven is posting pictures of just what winter can do when it wants to (just in case all us spoiled Northeasterners have forgotten this year). They are lovely and chilling all at the same time.
Heck, when I have time I just read right down the blogroll, Pure Florida, Sarpy Sam, Upstream, another new face the Poodle and Dog Blog all offer good reading and update nearly every day.
Have a good time reading........
Sunday, January 07, 2007
Trust
We spent almost the whole day trying to get a couple of different Wal*Mart stores to honor a perfectly legal, state sanctified and certified, nicely printed and filled in correctly farmer sales tax exemption form.
Because we had to get a computer.
Because the one I do the books and cow records on (which runs Windows 98) is croaking. (Latest thing is the display has turned all pink and funky around the edges and the windows are cut off on the edge. It already won't start without a lot of messing around because it can't find all its files.)
It was time.
The folks at the first store looked at us as if we had just landed our spaceship in the parking lot among the carts. "Farmer? Tax exempt? Never seen one of these before. We can't honor this! No, no, way..." This after we had stood in line and waited for people to ask other people how to handle the usually uncomplicated transaction for somewhere in the neighborhood of two and a half hours. (I LOVE to shop.)
So the boss called a different Wal*Mart in another county where there are more farms and they said, "Sure, as long as you have a certificate we will honor it, c'mon down."
So we went. It still took a while, but we finally got the darned thing. I am too tired to even take it out of the box.
The big thing is, while we were gone the whole herd of milk cows had to be fed. So Alan fed them.
A cow named River had a heifer calf while we were away too. (When we left she wasn't giving a single sign of what she was up to. An hour later there was a baby.) It needed to be cleaned off, put in a calf coat, fed colostrum and made warm and dry. Its mother needed a bottle of calcium and to be hand milked so the baby could have the bottle.
Liz did the cleaning, milking, medicine delivery, navel dipping and all the other stuff that attends birthing, while Becky gophered and Alan helped as needed.
It was good to come home to most of the chores done and the calf and cow cared for as they needed.
It is even better to be able to trust the kids to handle all that stuff and not even think about it.
Thanks guys, guess we'll keep you after all.
**Update, while we were milking that night Alan moved the older computers to their new homes, set the new one up and got it running, and cleaned up all the dust that gathers around such electronic devices. It was nice to come in and have all that bull work done and everything ready to start setting up software and moving programs. I sort of conned him into it when he asked if he could do it for me, by telling him it was too complicated and he would lose stuff and all....of course he rose to the challenge.
Because we had to get a computer.
Because the one I do the books and cow records on (which runs Windows 98) is croaking. (Latest thing is the display has turned all pink and funky around the edges and the windows are cut off on the edge. It already won't start without a lot of messing around because it can't find all its files.)
It was time.
The folks at the first store looked at us as if we had just landed our spaceship in the parking lot among the carts. "Farmer? Tax exempt? Never seen one of these before. We can't honor this! No, no, way..." This after we had stood in line and waited for people to ask other people how to handle the usually uncomplicated transaction for somewhere in the neighborhood of two and a half hours. (I LOVE to shop.)
So the boss called a different Wal*Mart in another county where there are more farms and they said, "Sure, as long as you have a certificate we will honor it, c'mon down."
So we went. It still took a while, but we finally got the darned thing. I am too tired to even take it out of the box.
The big thing is, while we were gone the whole herd of milk cows had to be fed. So Alan fed them.
A cow named River had a heifer calf while we were away too. (When we left she wasn't giving a single sign of what she was up to. An hour later there was a baby.) It needed to be cleaned off, put in a calf coat, fed colostrum and made warm and dry. Its mother needed a bottle of calcium and to be hand milked so the baby could have the bottle.
Liz did the cleaning, milking, medicine delivery, navel dipping and all the other stuff that attends birthing, while Becky gophered and Alan helped as needed.
It was good to come home to most of the chores done and the calf and cow cared for as they needed.
It is even better to be able to trust the kids to handle all that stuff and not even think about it.
Thanks guys, guess we'll keep you after all.
**Update, while we were milking that night Alan moved the older computers to their new homes, set the new one up and got it running, and cleaned up all the dust that gathers around such electronic devices. It was nice to come in and have all that bull work done and everything ready to start setting up software and moving programs. I sort of conned him into it when he asked if he could do it for me, by telling him it was too complicated and he would lose stuff and all....of course he rose to the challenge.
Down home cookin'
Our lovely Liz cooked all day yesterday...homemade bread, brownies, blondies, a rice casserole for dinner. She has pictures......
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Too bad about the power lines.....
*Although I do love the way the electricity makes all my toys work so nicely*
**In the comments I discovered that I had been tagged by Matthew Didier..answers on the View at Northview.
Rain sounds
Across the valley a freight train is slowly gathering speed as it heads west along the tracks. Its mournful whistle sounds as if it was chugging across the side lawn.
It could even be right under the old swing set where I hang my many birdfeeders.
It demands that I hear it and notice out loud.
When I was filling the stove just before this miserable storm, it sounded as if the boss was using some large, unfamiliar, piece of machinery over in the barnyard. I wondered what it could be, since after all these years I am familiar with the different pitches of the engines of every tractor we have. Then he appeared right behind me to help me toss in logs. It took me the rest of the day to figure out that the east wind was making the sound of the Interstate echo off the L-shaped side of the cow barn….it was as loud as if there really were a tractor there.
Walking to the barn later, in the half darkness of a bleak winter rain, I heard, as clear as if it were right beside me, the chug-clack of the couplers between a pair of cars as a different train started and stopped. It was idling on the siding, awaiting a turn on the bustling westbound track. I could hear each distinct click of the various metal connector parts and the shuddering bang of the cars as if I was standing right beside the tracks, a mile and a river away.
We hear trains and traffic every day. Although there are many scenic, special, secret places in the woods and fields here at Northview, you can never forget for one second that you are just a few miles from the state capital. It is never quiet. The sky is never empty of at least a half a dozen jet trails and a propeller plane or two. When a thick storm or unusual cloud formation blows in, the noise is even more pronounced, because sounds are amplified by the clouds and seem to throw themselves around like a perverse sort of ventriloquist. As far as I am concerned it can clear off any time now, so I can sink back into blissful oblivion and stop looking under the swing set for errant trains.
It could even be right under the old swing set where I hang my many birdfeeders.
It demands that I hear it and notice out loud.
When I was filling the stove just before this miserable storm, it sounded as if the boss was using some large, unfamiliar, piece of machinery over in the barnyard. I wondered what it could be, since after all these years I am familiar with the different pitches of the engines of every tractor we have. Then he appeared right behind me to help me toss in logs. It took me the rest of the day to figure out that the east wind was making the sound of the Interstate echo off the L-shaped side of the cow barn….it was as loud as if there really were a tractor there.
Walking to the barn later, in the half darkness of a bleak winter rain, I heard, as clear as if it were right beside me, the chug-clack of the couplers between a pair of cars as a different train started and stopped. It was idling on the siding, awaiting a turn on the bustling westbound track. I could hear each distinct click of the various metal connector parts and the shuddering bang of the cars as if I was standing right beside the tracks, a mile and a river away.
We hear trains and traffic every day. Although there are many scenic, special, secret places in the woods and fields here at Northview, you can never forget for one second that you are just a few miles from the state capital. It is never quiet. The sky is never empty of at least a half a dozen jet trails and a propeller plane or two. When a thick storm or unusual cloud formation blows in, the noise is even more pronounced, because sounds are amplified by the clouds and seem to throw themselves around like a perverse sort of ventriloquist. As far as I am concerned it can clear off any time now, so I can sink back into blissful oblivion and stop looking under the swing set for errant trains.
Friday, January 05, 2007
Colorado snowstorm act of God
..or so says PeTA, so tough luck for Western cattle and wildlife...
If you have a minute, listen to these short MP3 clips of an interview session with Colorado Governor Bill Owens, Denver radio station KRFX and a representative of the reprehensible animal rights organization. Just in case you ever thought that they gave a damn, you will see for sure that their agenda doesn't include real kindness for real animals.
If you have a minute, listen to these short MP3 clips of an interview session with Colorado Governor Bill Owens, Denver radio station KRFX and a representative of the reprehensible animal rights organization. Just in case you ever thought that they gave a damn, you will see for sure that their agenda doesn't include real kindness for real animals.
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Leftovers...
*Leftover berry canes*I found plenty of leftovers though and posted more pictures of them over on my other blog, the View at Northview.
*Leftover wild rose hips*Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Hawk Day
I think this must have been hawk day. First, in the half light of dawn, a Coopers hawk hurtled out of the gloom beside the heifer barn, hot on the tail of something medium-sized and dark...either a starling or the lone male brown-headed cow bird that has been hanging around. Don't know if he caught him, but they sure weren't picking any berries.
Then when I took the dogs out for a run this afternoon I heard the distinctive cry of a red-tailed hawk. Whenever you hear a hawk or eagle cry on television it is usually the call of the red-tail that is used. I looked up over the old orchard in the horse pasture and the pair that nests here was sailing in lazy circles, just above the trees and calling out to one another. Beautiful!
Then when I took the dogs out for a run this afternoon I heard the distinctive cry of a red-tailed hawk. Whenever you hear a hawk or eagle cry on television it is usually the call of the red-tail that is used. I looked up over the old orchard in the horse pasture and the pair that nests here was sailing in lazy circles, just above the trees and calling out to one another. Beautiful!
Monday, January 01, 2007
Happy New Year
Baby lettuce seedlings. Planted about four days ago, in a Styrofoam cooler and set in the living room window. We buy Pinetree lettuce mix from Pinetree Garden Seed company. So many kinds of wonderful of lettuce all in one package...just delightful. They also have a winter mix that is outstanding for fall planting. We had lettuce long past frost until deer came right up on the back steps where I have container gardens and wiped it all out.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Friday, December 29, 2006
Tagged, oh Heavens....
I've been tagged for a meme-type thing! Thanks, Moonmeadow Farm
The Rules:
Each player of this game starts with "6 weird things about you". Each person who gets tagged needs to write a blog post of their own 6 weird things as well as clearly state this rule. After you state your 6 weird things, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave a comment that says "you're tagged" in their comments and tell them to read your blog for information as to what it means.
I won't tag anyone, instead, feel free to do 'er on your own if you want to! Leave a link or list weird things in comments if you wish.
I will start at the bottom of the list...just because of personal weirdness.
6. I can call myself Colonel threecollie because I graduated from Missouri Auction School back in 1984. Although I ended up with a respectable score in our class, I am shyish in public and have never called a single bid. The boss, on the other hand, is a real humdinger of an auctioneer and only dairy farming keeps him from doing it seriously.
5. I grew up in a used bookstore, reading the merchandise out of sheer boredom. Tarzan, the original, Tom Swift, the Hardy Boys and Roy Chapman Andrews were favorite childhood companions. From my chair in the window at Tryon County Books, I tramped Africa behind Osa and Martin Johnson and tore down the beer can wall with Mrs. Feely, Miss Tinkham and Mrs. Rasmussen. I may have missed out on basketball and cheerleading, but I sure had interesting friends.
4. I started life hating cows. Hated them for quite a while too. I like them now. Most days.
3. The china closet still contains lots of my toy horses, from when I was a horse crazy kid and couldn't have a real one. I still buy them sometimes...toy ones that is, although we have a couple of real ones now too.
2. I gave up painting to write, because when you have a passel of kids you need a hobby you can stop and start...OFTEN! Thank God for being able to hit "Save" when a crisis hits.
1. My husband of over twenty years lived about a mile down the road from where I spent the happiest years of my childhood, and would have ridden our school bus (except that he walked to school) but we never met until he was 34 and I was just a tad younger.
The Rules:
Each player of this game starts with "6 weird things about you". Each person who gets tagged needs to write a blog post of their own 6 weird things as well as clearly state this rule. After you state your 6 weird things, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave a comment that says "you're tagged" in their comments and tell them to read your blog for information as to what it means.
I won't tag anyone, instead, feel free to do 'er on your own if you want to! Leave a link or list weird things in comments if you wish.
I will start at the bottom of the list...just because of personal weirdness.
6. I can call myself Colonel threecollie because I graduated from Missouri Auction School back in 1984. Although I ended up with a respectable score in our class, I am shyish in public and have never called a single bid. The boss, on the other hand, is a real humdinger of an auctioneer and only dairy farming keeps him from doing it seriously.
5. I grew up in a used bookstore, reading the merchandise out of sheer boredom. Tarzan, the original, Tom Swift, the Hardy Boys and Roy Chapman Andrews were favorite childhood companions. From my chair in the window at Tryon County Books, I tramped Africa behind Osa and Martin Johnson and tore down the beer can wall with Mrs. Feely, Miss Tinkham and Mrs. Rasmussen. I may have missed out on basketball and cheerleading, but I sure had interesting friends.
4. I started life hating cows. Hated them for quite a while too. I like them now. Most days.
3. The china closet still contains lots of my toy horses, from when I was a horse crazy kid and couldn't have a real one. I still buy them sometimes...toy ones that is, although we have a couple of real ones now too.
2. I gave up painting to write, because when you have a passel of kids you need a hobby you can stop and start...OFTEN! Thank God for being able to hit "Save" when a crisis hits.
1. My husband of over twenty years lived about a mile down the road from where I spent the happiest years of my childhood, and would have ridden our school bus (except that he walked to school) but we never met until he was 34 and I was just a tad younger.
Bird Bottle or Martin Pot
As Matt said in the comments on the previous post, the object below is a replica of a Colonial bird house or feeder. According to the package insert, the use of these dates back at least to 1700. The original of this one was excavated from the yard of the James Geddy House. The opening on the larger side is affixed to a wall or post and a perch is place through the tab and into the opening in the bottom. (Matt is correct that it was upside down in the photo.)
Early settlers were not bird watchers so much as that they valued the local avians as bug zappers and wanted to encourage their proximity. I am hoping our tame chickadees will like this addition to the ornamental bird house on the sitting porch where they nested last summer.
Thanks, nyv, for a really neat Christmas gift!
Early settlers were not bird watchers so much as that they valued the local avians as bug zappers and wanted to encourage their proximity. I am hoping our tame chickadees will like this addition to the ornamental bird house on the sitting porch where they nested last summer.
Thanks, nyv, for a really neat Christmas gift!
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Bet you are smarter than I was...
A very special person gave me this for Christmas this year. When I opened the box I was very, very puzzled. It looks like a lovely wine jug, made of shiny ceramic material, but a thirsty soul would have an awful time getting much of a drink from it. There is a hole in the little tab that sticks up and another in the body right across from the first.
I have to tell you that I NEVER would have even come close to guessing the purpose of this jug, but I can't wait to use it. Perhaps everyone but me has seen dozens of these things...we shall see.
Code inforcement and the five-day work week
Got the wildly unwelcome news yesterday. The state is planning on having towns send code enforcement officers to inspect cow barns and farm out buildings as if they were offices and stores.
Insane, just plain off the wall nuts, but what can you expect from this outpost of liberal idiocy? New York I mean. Can you imagine the cash cow that enforcing building codes on three-sided cow sheds, pig pens and chicken houses could be for municipalities? We keep our piggies in an old horse trailer. Do you suppose it has enough electrical fixtures to meet the fire and maintenance regulations? I can just hear the enforcement officer now, "Mr. Farmer-man, this structure has insufficient wiring, we will be fining you XXXX dollars a day until it is brought up to code." Actually, it doesn't have any wiring, but what the heck, money is money.
I am thinking that comparing a cow barn to an insurance office or grocery store is like comparing a water buffalo to a penguin. Different structural requirements for different uses.
Farm Bureau has managed to get the state to agree to suspend these inspections on farms, pending some negotiations on exempting farm buildings.
I am thankful that while I was enjoying a very pleasant holiday with friends and family, someone was in Albany keeping an eye on the various lurking legislative bodies. They do bear watching.
Which brings to mind just how delighted I am that the Democrats are planning to go back to a five-day work week in Congress. Although for the most part I admire a good work ethic, the more time they have to legislate, the more laws they can cook up.
And there is nothing we need less than more government intrusion into our lives…thankyouverymuch!
Insane, just plain off the wall nuts, but what can you expect from this outpost of liberal idiocy? New York I mean. Can you imagine the cash cow that enforcing building codes on three-sided cow sheds, pig pens and chicken houses could be for municipalities? We keep our piggies in an old horse trailer. Do you suppose it has enough electrical fixtures to meet the fire and maintenance regulations? I can just hear the enforcement officer now, "Mr. Farmer-man, this structure has insufficient wiring, we will be fining you XXXX dollars a day until it is brought up to code." Actually, it doesn't have any wiring, but what the heck, money is money.
I am thinking that comparing a cow barn to an insurance office or grocery store is like comparing a water buffalo to a penguin. Different structural requirements for different uses.
Farm Bureau has managed to get the state to agree to suspend these inspections on farms, pending some negotiations on exempting farm buildings.
I am thankful that while I was enjoying a very pleasant holiday with friends and family, someone was in Albany keeping an eye on the various lurking legislative bodies. They do bear watching.
Which brings to mind just how delighted I am that the Democrats are planning to go back to a five-day work week in Congress. Although for the most part I admire a good work ethic, the more time they have to legislate, the more laws they can cook up.
And there is nothing we need less than more government intrusion into our lives…thankyouverymuch!
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