Honda Elements are Awesome

So when you need to haul something and a pickup really won't do. You really need a small moving van. Hey just use the Element. Oh and by the way, we got two alpacas.

The one with the soft fuzzy fleece walked to the car and got in without a fight. The straight wavy haired one gave a fight the whole way. We had a small rodeo a few times. They aren't that strong so I could control it. We tied their heads on a short lead to the bars in the floor that normally secure the rear seats. As soon as the car started moving they laid down and were almost falling asleep by the time we got home. Of course the one that fought all the way to and into the car, wouldn't get out of the car.

They are very interesting critters. Their personality is different than any other. They are very cautious. They can make a variety of noises; alarm, mad, content, etc. We don't know a ton about them so we will be reading lots.

We got them for a smoking deal and they have pretty good fleece. They are about ready for a shearing so that will be interesting. I have the goat shearing pretty well figured out. These new miniature giraffe's might be a little challenging.

The goslings are doing good and growing. We are keeping them close so they will imprint on us and hopefully by nice to us. The funniest thing is that they will follow you around. The other thing they do is stretch their head forward and low and run holding their little wings out.

Things just keep getting more interesting around the Paul farm. DMP

A New Experience in Animal Husbandry

Saw some of these at the farm store awhile back and got to thinking. They are goslings. You know, baby geese. They are supposed to be a pair. I can see really large eggs in my future.

The funnest thing to do with baby water fowl is let them have a bath/swim. They dive under and do the whole show. We had baby ducks before and they were fun to watch dive. Geese have some serious propulsion. We had water all over the kitchen after a few dives.

These guys are a lot more interactive with the humans. We let them on the kitchen floor to dry off. Have to be careful as the bird dog has a thing for birds. It is a bad thing. It should be interesting raising a new kind of critter.

I'll have to start patroling the place after dark again. Every time we get lazy and don't shut in the fowl, their numbers diminish. I never thought we would have such a high mortality rate! DMP

Fuel Price Report:
Car diesel $4.15 per gallon
Gasoline $3.35-3.39 per gallon (regular unleaded)

Spring has Sprung


On Friday I scraped the ice off of the car windows before driving to work. On Saturday it was 70 degrees. The goats have been itching to have a hair cut but it has been too cold. So the rolly polly goats were transformed into skinny funny looking critters.

This is Double-Stuff after a hair cut. The really funny thing is they act all goofy to go along with the new look. They make weird noises in their throats and have their tongues hanging out and butt heads a ton.

The spring shearing is the most dramatic change. It is nice to have warm weather but the blood is a bit thick for the big change to occur in a day.

Youngest son spotted an inexpensive snow board toy and had to get it. We drove up Larch Mountain to see if there is any snow left. There is plenty! The dogs loved it too. DMP

We've Embraced Communism

It is interesting how the United States can go from abhorring Communism to depending on it for a majority of our products. The cheapest price and the quickest buck. It is the American way.

We have lost nearly all of our heavy industry to foreign producers because they do it so much cheaper. I wonder what the environmental cost to the earth is so we get these lower costs? I work eveyday with Engineers from India. I am learning how India was the low cost option for quite awhile but the country was a mess. Only now are they starting to clean up the pollution output, etc. This comes at a cost. The cost of products and labor out of India is gradually rising.

The same will happen with China. The people will desire Western things and a Western lifestyle and gradually things won't be so cheap anymore. They will want clean air and water so the low cost to produce eveything will go away.

Where will the United States be then? All of the industrial infastructure will be gone and the cheap imports will not exist any more. The competitive business culture will be turned upside-down. I am no prophet or economist but it seems rather obvious.

Another thing that is interesting is the crazy price of fuel. We are starting to have to pay what a lot of the world has been paying for years. Hmmmm. DMP

If Only I had Known

Most of you know I have a thing for the firearms. When I was young and single and didn't have much money, I would save up to buy a new gun for like a year or more. I remember that Uzi carbines were $435 dollars for several years. Several years later, in college, I shot one in 9 mm with cast round nose bullets and that thing was super accurrate. You could hit rock chuck sized targets all day long at 100 yards. This was with the 16" barrel. If only I had known...

Another gun of note that I had pondered over was this modern looking pistol called a Bren Ten. The 10 mm cartridge was introduced in this gun. At that time the 10 mm ballistics matched a full house 357 mag load. Those pistols are worth thousands now... If only I had known.

Some bemoan certain automobiles. Others property or homes. At the beginning of this post I mentioned being single and not having much money. Now I am middle aged, married and still don't have much money... Problem now is I have up and coming shooters that need outfitted. DMP