Oil

The term "Free" sometimes comes with a price. We have "free" natural gas for our use on our property however we are now experiencing our second oil spill. Two years ago we had a devasting 90 barrels go down our hollow. This time it is only one barrel, however that is still 55 gallons.

Money and greed tend to make people less responsible. It is a good thing that my house is up on a knob and my well away from any stream. The gas/oil lines are starting to deteriorate and developing pin holes. It is not like in MD where a whole area would be evacuated for saftey. Here the gas and oil just continues to spill until someone says something. Usually it can go on for weeks before it is noticed. There is the EPA but, if you notifiy them your local well tender will develop an attitude and make your life almost unbearable. It is in everyones best interest to work with them on a clean up first.

Our last three days have been watching them sop up oil with these rags that look like floor tiles. My creek looks like a nicely laid white floor with fluffy pillows every so often. We are much more agressive this time since last time they took too many short cuts and left us with a continual mess. These "tiles" do not absorb water, only oil. Once full they squeeze them out into a bucket and relay them down. Most of the oil in the water will come up it is the oil that seeps into the soil that causes a problem. The soil over time will slowly release the oil causing the mess. We are going to push for them to clean the soil around our pond. I do not think they will be very happy.

It is amazing what people will do when not monitored by someone in authority. Out here we are so rural that it is impossible to know all of the devasting things that can take place and simply not enough money to monitor. It is a shame. I long for the time when people will simply look for the best interest of his fellow man and not money.

Bunnies

Ok, I've heard of survival of the fitest but never seen it in action. Yesterday my girl bunny that is due any day was ripping the hair out of her sisters for a bed. Smart girl, she didn't use her own. I needed to separate them but my boy bunnies are in the other cages.

Clancy got the job of killing the boys and packing them for the freezer. He put them down on the ground and our buck "Honda" the breader man, came and started biting the poor guy. Next thing we noticed is that he castrated him!!! URGHHH It was a good thing he didnt have to endure long. Isn't that awful?? It is a shame that Honda is so nice?? I don't want to eat him because he is a great stud.


On another note.....

Collin is quite the inventor. He took remote control cars and pulled the engines. He went to radio shack and bought switches and wire and junk. We did not encourage nor help him in this project, except for the ride to the store. He has now made with popcicle sticks and glue a remote controlled boat. It can go all over the pond. Smart little guy.!!

CHILI-- He is so funny. He likes to fish with Clancy. The other day Clancy said that he wanted a fish so bad he swam out 6 feet from shore and dove down in the water to try to catch a fish. Boston Terriers are not known for water play. I was just looking at him in the crate. He collects dishes. He has the birds bowl, cat bowl and an ice cream tub that I gave to pete last night beside him as he sleeps

Rabbits and Chickens OH MY!!

A sister called us one afternoon, mind you that I ignored her call untill the next day, to let us know that her neighbor ran over a nest of rabbits and needed someone to care for them. Wild ones at that. Since Collin talks about his rabbits at the hall we were the choice that came to mind to care for them.

Collin fed them every two hours on our Mama bunny however she didn't have enough milk for them and her babies. Needless to say 4 of the 6 babies died. I got milk replacer and had to nurse the two remaining babies back to life every hour for two days. That ment all night long we got up and fed them one teaspoon of milk that took 20 mins to do. They got up to a tablespoon by day three. Now we are at 8 days and they are fat plump bunnies. The wild side is showing so they must be feeling good.

CHICKENS____ I ordered 27 mail order chicks. I really went overboard and ordered a bunch with the intent to give a few away. The morning came and I picked them up from the post office and quickly got them home into the brooding box. Very proudly I gave them food and water. I didn't count them because 27 was going to look like a lot. That evening a Brother came by and told me that I had over 50!! Aparently I got someone elses order. NOW WHAT!! My homesteader/ organic eggs are now overwhelming .

I have bunnies out the wazoo and chicks ---oh my--- if 40 of them lay eggs that is 40 a day times 7 oh myyyyyyy gooodddnesss what am I to do??

I went to mtg and a brother is going to take 10 of them. I still have way too many.

Garden

Todd moved our garden yesterday. We found out why it didn't flourish last year. We had a black walnut tree over one end of it. Nothing grows in the soil that the nuts drop in very well. Too much acid.

Now it is on top of the hill where I can get to it easy. Todd cut down 5 really big trees so that the sun will shine nicely. He even put up the electric fence to keep out deer. Terry and Lois brought us compost to help our soil out. We seem to have clay and not much topsoil where the sun shines. There is plenty of topsoil in the hard to reach areas in the shade.

I am planting ( I hope it isn't too late because it was supposed to be planted in April) lettuce, broccoli, potatoes, red onions, carrots, snap peas, bush beans, cucumbers, yellow and green squash, lots of tomatoes, maybe corn..

We also planted some large shrubs that a sister got for us from a remodel. They are 6 yr old ones. NICE!!

We are starting to look like a home and not a construction site.

Seneca rocks

We went to Seneca Rocks this past weekend. It is so beautiful there. The boys climbed the rock as far as you could without climbing gear. The water was very high at the bottom and made pretty pictures. Chili went too. He has no fear at all. Even crossed the creek up to his neck in water.