Tossing Pebbles in the Stream: 04/01/2006

More Livestock

Our instant flock. We bought six hens and a rooster from a neighbour to keep us smiling and in eggs until we can raise a laying flock from day old chicks. Here are the rooster and five of the hens exploring their new home.

Here is hen number six getting down to work. Laying our first egg.

Three and later a fourth on the first day. Not bad for some old hens in a new home. The small on is green. We aspire to a flock of brown egg layers. Rhode Island Reds and Plymouth Bard Rock hens.

Ben is a little bewildered at the new "chicks" in the yard.

Thoughts of Chernobyl

Abandoned equipment used to contain the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

Among the images of Chernobyl I find the acres of equipment left behind because it is too contaminated with radioactivity to be moved from the site, among the most unsettling. It will have rusted away to nothing before human beings will be able to live once again in the Dead Zone. It may be 900 years before it is save for human beings. Radioactive contamination will be present for 48,000 years.

For those who think nuclear energy is a safe and clean source of energy they need to examine the aftermath of this disasters. There will be more accidents and more places on our planet made dead to human habitation.

And for those who think nuclear weapons are necessary, one can only wonder at their sanity. If the memory of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is not enough, we need to examine Chernobyl. It was an accident ten times worse.

I encourage everyone to read about Elena's journey through the exclusion zone. http://www.kiddofspeed.com/chernobyl-land-of-the-wolves/author.html Her pictures are compelling. The lesson is there for all to seem. In the next disaster will there be those willing to die in fighting to contain it ? The World owes the Soviet heros who died in this disaster, our gratitude. And, to all those who have paid with their health and lives we need to pledge our commitment to see that it cannot happen again.

Our First Livestock

"Our new master's look cool!"

Just Some Random Photos

Snow in April
"Come on Dad lets toss a little ball!"

We had a few of my friends over for dinner after the kitchen got straightened a little. They were all drunk. Damn it is hard always being the non drinker. I was glad they left. It was a lovely meal but it would have been a better evening without the guests.

Mark Twain's House in Hartford.

Twain lived here in style and did some of his best writing here on the third floor. He married well as his in-laws built him this house. An example of how the well off lived in style in the 19th century.

Me and cousin Jennifer. She was a gracious and generous host while we were in Connecticut. I feel so privileged to have her care about me.

Settling In

My cookstove with it new crown of pans. One of the first things I had to install. Now to teach the fair Floridian some woodstove cookery.

I had every intention of blogging daily during my trip to Florida and back. But alas! it proved to be to difficult using other peoples computers and besides I seemed pretty distracted most of the time trying to process the new views, human activity and problem solving. It has been years since I participated in the usual hubbub of urban living and Interstate travel. Well, that is my excuse for not keeping up my blog !!!

At the end of our trek,(4000 miles) the flu got a grip on us. I am now only fully recovered. My home is being tranformed (most would say for the better).

As one who is used to Spartan living and minimalism it is a shock to find myself surrounded by 'things'. There is part of me that wants to throw out all this junk. Another part of me feels it is sinful to have so much stuff when so many have so little. I stay quiet for the most part, trying to recognize what few things were once mine to keep me rooted in reality. My main concern is that Veronica is happy. She is nest building and enjoying in. The kitchen will be her creation (perhaps, I can preserve a corner of the library for me. Books are the only excess I have.) I do have the attic where I have hundreds of plant growing under grow lights to be ready for planting in 6 weeks or so.

With enough stuff to supply a commercial kitchen and the theme of chickens on everything I may have to build some more cabinets as my subtle suggestions of storing some of it away in boxes does not even elicit a response.

Maybe opening a restaurant is in our future. . . ."Robinson's Roadhouse" has a nice ring! Or maybe we could advertise to rent some "kids" (the human not barnyard kind) to care and cook for! Ideas! I am just full of them!!!

Stay tuned. I hope to blog on more regularly now I am settling in, in the new reality.

Tossing Pebbles in the Stream

Sunday, April 30, 2006

Friday, April 28, 2006

Thursday, April 27, 2006

Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

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