Tag: humor

Baby Huey Fights Back and Wins! (Well, sort of)

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I have been taking the babies outside for a bit of exercise, greens, and some sun.  I also want the babies and the Mommas to get used to each other.

Polly seems to be genuinely interested in the little Hueys, but the Hister Sisters aren’t so taken with them.  They hiss, stretch their necks, and wiggle their neck feathers at them.  When they do this their eyes seem to get this fixed stare to them and it is genuinely scary looking.

The Hueys don’t seem to mind so much so long as I am in view, but if they can’t find me then panic ensues!  They stretch their necks up like periscopes and swivel their heads, all the while peeping in unison, it is a frantic sounding call.

Yesterday on our little walk the Mommas came up and stood their ground, as if to say, “This is our turf, go find your own clover to nibble.  The little Hueys just hid under my skirt.  Then one of them popped out and peeped at Polly, whereupon she stretched down and bonked him on the head with her bill!

Ouch!

The little Huey sprang to action and raising himself up to full stretch he flapped his little winglets and charged her!  She, being caught off guard, tried to avoid his lunge and nearly fell backward onto her tail feathers!

I am sorry there are no pictures of this little battle, but it was such a shock, and it all happened so fast…

It was hysterical!

The Hueys have been here since May 1st, and that is only two weeks, but Oh how they have grown!  When I got them they were shipped in a little cardboard crate like this one.

This is Polly and her siblings in the box, when they first arrived in April of 2010.  They were so small!

The new baby Hueys are so inquisitive, so cute, and so B-I-G!

Can you see their white down growing up through their baby fuzz?  There are the beginnings of pin feathers in there too!

Would you believe me if I told you they used to BOTH fit in their food dish?

They do grow fast in only two weeks.  😉

~*~

UPDATE:  Here is a nice article that you might enjoy on geese from Hobby Farms  http://www.hobbyfarms.com/livestock-and-pets/raising-geese-14963.aspx

Dogs and Cats and TICKS… oh my

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The appearance of a tick on your favored pet can give you the heebies for certain.  However, finding one attached to yourself can send you over the edge!  I have on several occasions found ticks crawling on me,  and now can sense almost immediately when I feel one on my skin.  EW!  And so it is, from time to time, that I have found them attached to me.  Shudder… and they seem to prefer that soft tissue around my belt line, or the hairline of my head.

This year the authorities have been predicting a high tick season, due to the unusually warm winter and early spring.   I think they are correct, because so far this spring I have found and removed two ticks from our bed, three ticks from myself, and HORRORS, one that was attached to me yesterday.

The cats and dogs of course are flea and tick free due to monthly applications of a preventive medication.  However, this does not mean that they are not carriers of the little beasties.  I got one from the cat when I picked her up to put her outside earlier this week.  Fortunately, I saw it on my shirt and dispensed with it immediately!

So what can you do when you have been latched onto by a tick?  Well, read on, but warning… if you are squeamish then stop here.

But seriously? 

You need to know this!

How to safely remove a tick

There are many ways to remove a tick, but only one recommended and sure way to safely remove a tick.

What you will need:

  1. Alcohol wipes
  2. Tweezers with  long, smooth, pointed tips
  3. Fortitude and a steady hand

Procedure:

  1. Find the little sucker
  2. Clean the area with alcohol
  3. Grasp the little beast’s head down close to the skin… while trying not scream
  4. Now, gently but firmly pull straight out until the head and mouth parts pull free from your skin
  5. Clean the area with a fresh alcohol wipe and try not to pass out
  6. Keep an eye on the area of the bite to make sure it does not develop a redness or target shaped rash.  If so, get to the Doctor for treatment right away. 

THINGS NOT RECOMMENDED IN THE REMOVAL OF A TICK:

  1. Just wait it out.   The little sucker will get full and fall off all by itself.  This will guarantee the transmission of the spirochetes that give you Lime Disease if the tick is a carrier.  Do you feel lucky?
  2. Burn its little backside with the head of a hot match.  This is GROSS, and ineffective!
  3. Apply Vaseline.  This is not gross, but is equally ineffective.
  4. Grab the body, squeezing tightly, and pull.  This will cause the contents of the little creep to enter your bite site for certain.  GAACK!
  5. Grab the little sucker and give it a good twist and pull motion.  Do you really want to leave that head and mouth parts behind?  I don’t think so.

Yesterday, I found an infant, or nymph, sized tick along that belt line I told you about.

It was the size of the one on the right.

I used the preferred method, but unfortunately the little sucker has left me with a parting gift…  So this afternoon at 4:15PM I have an appointment with the Doc to have his little head removed.

GAACK!

Last night I told Bob that I will be ordering guinea hens.  Strangely, this time he didn’t argue with me.  🙂

Yup!  That aught-about do it!

~*~

So what is it that can make your hair stand on end?

~*~

Related articles

The History of the English Language: off topic

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If you haven’t figured it out yet, I am a wordmonger.   I love collecting and using words, stringing them together into sentences and paragraphs to tell a story, share a feeling, or convey a thought.  And although I am not entirely proficient, I do try very hard to convey my thoughts, feelings and ideas online via the written word.

When attending university in California, I was required to take a course entitled, The History of English, and I loved it!  I found knowing the roots of our language  interesting.   I thought perhaps you would too, or at the very least you will find this particular history of it amusing as it is presented here, and so I share with you a “tongue in cheek” view of…

THE HISTORY OF ENGLISH in 10 Minutes

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Q:  What do you find are the most difficult rule(s) to remember when speaking or writing in English?  (This is for you native speakers of English too, so speak up!)  😉

Whatch’a doin?

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Whatch’a doin?

A one scene play starring:

Rocket, the Squirrel

and Woody, a local woodpecker

~*~ * ~ * ~ Scene One  ~*~   _@V

Rocket:  Hey Woody whatch’a doin?

Woody:  (sarcastically) What’s it look like, Rocket?

Rocket:  Hangin’ upside down, of course!  But why?

Woody:  I’m hiding from Red!

Rocket:  You mean Big Red the Haw…

~ The End ~

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Notice:  No critters were harmed in the making of this photo play.  All photos taken here on the Farmlet via my big picture window,  hence the graininess and the bad picture quality.   😉