Nostr notes by donkey herder, fowl friend

@npub1cx0…rvjh oh hi, I don’t know why I’m surprised to ...

2025-01-08T19:01:50+01:00

furranium (npub1cx0…rvjh) oh hi, I don’t know why I’m surprised to hear you on Ed Zitron’s show! Glad you’ve got good company at CES this year!

I’m absolutely loving the grey clouds. California is reminding ...

2025-01-08T17:54:47+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…5zsh
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I’m absolutely loving the grey clouds. California is reminding me of why we ran, and my hometown of Memphis is looking at 4-6” of snow! Me and my depression light box, we’re just fine 😅

awww thank you for checking on me! I’m kinda back. I’m trying ...

2025-01-08T17:47:48+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…tv38
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awww thank you for checking on me! I’m kinda back. I’m trying to be back!
It wasn’t a great winter holiday season, but I’m not depressed for once and that’s awesome.

Cat attack caught on camera! Check out Beautiful Ruby’s killer ...

2024-12-17T18:43:30+01:00

Cat attack caught on camera! Check out Beautiful Ruby’s killer instincts and athletic grace!
#rabbits #cat

AI summary! “Shooting” as sportsball is a common mistake it ...

2024-12-05T05:58:49+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…l8l3
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AI summary! “Shooting” as sportsball is a common mistake it makes.

Ninja (a copper Maran) is the unquestioned Head Hen of the flock. ...

2024-12-04T18:11:44+01:00

Ninja (a copper Maran) is the unquestioned Head Hen of the flock. She’s a wee bit smaller than butterball Zelda, but Ninja has ten times the force of personality. Do you want to hear what she just made me do??
I’d fed all the critters, every single one, and I was drinking my morning furranium (npub1cx0…rvjh) BBotE iced coffee. Ninja started trumpeting for me from the porch, and I tried to ignore her. But after a few minutes, she was still there, yelling. I went outside and there she was, with only a nervous Presley for company. Everyone else was grazing in the garden.
I asked her what the hell she wanted. Had the ravens been messing with her? Maybe the rat trap went off and startled her while she was trying to lay the egg? I started walking to the barn and Ninja came with me, still complaining. We slowly walked to the barn (no new rat yet today) and I gradually realized why she was mad. Ninja likes to lay in a seed spreader, and when I unloaded the truck yesterday I stacked the feed bags beside her chosen nest *in a different way.* She was lodging a complaint with management.
🤦
I moved some tarps out of her way and added an overturned bucket as a step. She circled the area, complained for a while longer, and finally ignored my bucket to scramble up in the nest on her own. The nest itself still met with her approval and I left her there to lay the egg.
#chickens

Tonight’s chicken portraits turned out to be Honey and Zelda. ...

2024-12-04T02:12:00+01:00

Tonight’s chicken portraits turned out to be Honey and Zelda. Zelda is a photogenic orb, but Honey isn’t and she doesn’t get a lot of solo shots. But she’s just molted, so she’s looking as fine as she can here.
#chickens

It’s absolutely adorable that shy Ruby has decided the rabbits ...

2024-12-02T18:22:03+01:00

It’s absolutely adorable that shy Ruby has decided the rabbits are her friends. They play, very gently, several times a day, and of course they lounge together.

Last Friday was a big bad first anniversary for me — one year ...

2024-12-02T02:37:55+01:00

Last Friday was a big bad first anniversary for me — one year before, on 11/29/23, my mare Miss D stopped eating. I rushed her to the vet, where they figured out she’d eaten a nibble of a poisonous weed and her liver was failing. The prognosis was really bad, because there’s no antidote, just supportive therapy. She pulled through somehow, going through a huge chunk of our savings but making a complete recovery. She was in the equine hospital for, iirc, ten days.
But she made it back home to her donkey, and she adores the four meals a day routine I’ve adopted to get all of her meds and supplements in her. She’s 22 years old now, and the big poisoning definitely turned her into an old lady. But she loves to eat, and she loves to go thunder around the meadow every now and then, and I’m so grateful.
The one year mark was weirdly cathartic for me: look! She’s made it a whole year! No ticking bomb of organ failure went off. Something else may get her as soon as tomorrow, but the goddamn ragweed didn’t do her in.
And now I can cry again. I didn’t realize until this weekend, when I had a sad and cried a little and felt better, but I hadn’t cried since before the disaster. My brain has finally stopped waiting for one particular disaster, and it’s a real relief.

we adopted a bonded pair and it’s absolutely the best decision ...

2024-12-02T02:13:26+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…c4ua
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we adopted a bonded pair and it’s absolutely the best decision we made. I honestly can’t figure out who ranks higher - they both initiate mutual grooming and they try to steal treats from each others’ mouths. But they seem to have it settled! I wouldn’t dream of trying to add a third wheel!

A new level of relaxation has been unlocked! The buns are often ...

2024-12-02T02:11:04+01:00

A new level of relaxation has been unlocked! The buns are often slippers or loaves, and recently black Sebby has taken to flinging himself down beside me. But this elaborate theatrical sprawl from grey Haze was new for me! They’re such charmers. #rabbits

Operation Y’all Quit That continues. Tonight I quelled Bey with ...

2024-12-02T02:05:38+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…ys27
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Operation Y’all Quit That continues. Tonight I quelled Bey with a pointed finger, but Lance decided I didn’t mean him too and started pecking his sister Contra. It took a few tries but when I nailed Lance with a bit of gravel he had the usual reaction: “oh my god, how did you touch me from over there?” After that they both listened to me.
Contra thinks she deserves to sleep in the coop with the other hens, but apparently she hasn’t earned enough rank yet. The Large (and high ranking) Ladies Ninja and Zelda stand in the coop doorway acting as bouncers until the undesirable jailbirds go to jail. Contra slipped past them tonight, but she got pecked on the way in, she got pecked by whoever was on the perch, and she got pecked again by them on the way back out. 😂 Then she gave up and went to jail, but at least I didn’t let her stupid brother peck her.
#chickens

Is it still #caturday somewhere? Asking for Beautiful Ruby ...

2024-12-01T19:06:34+01:00

Is it still #caturday somewhere? Asking for Beautiful Ruby

I do stand up for Bey too!Just this morning I threw a beet and ...

2024-12-01T19:02:10+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…ys27
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I do stand up for Bey too!Just this morning I threw a beet and then a feed scoop at Presley when Presley attacked Bey. #chickens

I’ve taken to pacifying the jailbirds at dusk by threatening to ...

2024-12-01T19:00:49+01:00

I’ve taken to pacifying the jailbirds at dusk by threatening to throw gravel at any chicken (Bey) that sidles over to another chicken and starts pecking it. Go to sleep! No war but class war! (Yes, I do yell both of those things.)
#chickens

nooooope, no chickens for you. If you don’t have a sturdy coop ...

2024-11-28T06:05:00+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…sl0f
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nooooope, no chickens for you. If you don’t have a sturdy coop you’ll lose them all within a week. If you do build them a sturdy coop you gotta go buy 40# bags of feed for them. You are doing the forest, not the farm.

yay! Look at that good boy (being led by another good boy?)

2024-11-28T01:02:49+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…ac60
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yay! Look at that good boy (being led by another good boy?)

stilt legs are a really underrated adaption. That little one is ...

2024-11-28T01:01:28+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…0cx4
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stilt legs are a really underrated adaption. That little one is hella cute!

wow! I’d love to hear his story if he decides to share it.

2024-11-27T07:38:02+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…6s49
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wow! I’d love to hear his story if he decides to share it.

I jacked up my finger but it’s mostly back to normal now! So I ...

2024-11-26T18:12:20+01:00

I jacked up my finger but it’s mostly back to normal now! So I return, willing to type long alt texts, with fresh pictures of the #chickens.
Y’all gardeners know how if it’s fun to grow a plant, it’s even *more* fun to grow a dwarf version and a giant version too? I’ve managed that with this year’s chicks, all in one batch! It’s so fun!

I had jury duty in my small county earlier this year. I was the ...

2024-11-25T20:08:42+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…l4cs
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I had jury duty in my small county earlier this year. I was the only one masked.

I stole the mean, good broody hen’s eggs and let her raise nice ...

2024-11-21T19:32:17+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…exu2
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I stole the mean, good broody hen’s eggs and let her raise nice hens’ chicks 😅 but if I got stew somebody I will!

and sweet too! I hate to give my chickens the chop-chop, but I ...

2024-11-21T19:19:42+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…rsfv
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and sweet too! I hate to give my chickens the chop-chop, but I won’t put up with mean roosters. I’m so glad he’s stayed so sweet.

Good morning from my #chickens! I managed to get a shot that ...

2024-11-21T18:46:08+01:00

Good morning from my #chickens! I managed to get a shot that shows off Legs’ amazing colors, plus a shot that shows how big he is compared to his half-sister Contra. I think they hatched in July, so they’re about four months old.

or with landslides! Or an ice storm! This was definitely a big ...

2024-11-21T18:28:34+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…5a2c
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or with landslides! Or an ice storm!
This was definitely a big storm, but it was still *just one disaster.* Humans are pretty good at handling one disaster at a time.

yay new pump!!

2024-11-21T18:26:13+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…75g9
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yay new pump!!

oh no! Sending “well” wishes indeed!

2024-11-21T04:40:51+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…3a5w
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oh no! Sending “well” wishes indeed!

Decided to copy a masterpiece. ...

2024-11-21T04:39:32+01:00

Decided to copy a masterpiece.

a good stick is our most fundamental tool!

2024-11-20T18:14:50+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…8ze9
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a good stick is our most fundamental tool!

hello, I have another unsolicited success story I’d like to ...

2024-11-20T18:14:20+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…v840
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hello, I have another unsolicited success story I’d like to share 😉
Last winter was my worst by far, with a solid six weeks of wave after wave of passive suicidal ideation. (The ocean is right there! I could just walk into the waves like Ophelia!) I got a new psych and, like Lee, started treating my adhd too. Summer was fine, then in the fall I started to come unglued again. I got with my psych and we upped the dose of one antidepressant and it’s like a fundamental switch has flipped. The ocean is cold and final, why would I ever want to walk into it? Trump got elected again and I’m just like, welp, here we go again. The sun sets at 4:27 today and that thought doesn’t even make me want to cry!
Find a good psych and get real introspective about your brain symptoms. You really can feel better.

oooh, a good branch! I got a good branch from the meadow in the ...

2024-11-20T18:06:12+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…andl
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oooh, a good branch! I got a good branch from the meadow in the last storm - Doug fir, ten feet or so and wide enough at the base to make a good chicken perch. Thanks, trees!

I felt a little of that when we left the redwoods. God, what a ...

2024-11-20T18:04:45+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…6pg7
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I felt a little of that when we left the redwoods. God, what a magical community in such a magical place! But we weren’t meant to live there — and honestly, it was logged by the worst of white men, then turned into a vacation town by more of the worst of white men. Fifty years of hippie love can’t erase that.
The indigenous Californians didn’t ever live in the redwoods. Redwoods aren’t for people to live in! To hunt and forage, sure, but to build a house there is fighting against the land in so many ways.
I hope y’all find a place that’s more welcoming to humans, too 🫂

omg yes! Send me a postcard and I’ll send you a doodle! omg no, ...

2024-11-20T17:58:47+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…wpfp
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omg yes! Send me a postcard and I’ll send you a doodle!
omg no, Kes, that’s not what the leash is for! You’ll both get the big thud!

fuck that’s hard to watch, even if it’s exactly what they ...

2024-11-20T17:45:56+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…ly2c
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fuck that’s hard to watch, even if it’s exactly what they voted for. Yeah, the dry parts of Colorado really need to be depopulated, but this is an unnecessary tragedy.

we doubled my Wellbutrin in October and I’m having, internally, ...

2024-11-20T17:42:58+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…n55v
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we doubled my Wellbutrin in October and I’m having, internally, the best autumn of my life. I know it’s entirely due to the drugs because, fuck, look around? But I’m the least depressed I’ve *ever* been in November!
I still can’t tell them apart, but I still have raven friends. They’re hilariously stoked to eat half-burritos and freshly trapped rats but they still love eggs and kibble too! Three of the chicks made it to teenager-hood: contra the pullet, lance the mostly black little rooster, and legs the mostly red MONSTER CHILD rooster. The kid and I are still working at homeschooling, but since I’m me, we have different priorities than most. I’m much more interested in teaching him how to learn than in getting him to memorize anything, you know?
How are y’all doing?

over here at the tip of the kitsap peninsula it was just another ...

2024-11-20T17:15:11+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…c093
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over here at the tip of the kitsap peninsula it was just another moderately windy storm! I don’t think we even lost any new branches and our power stayed on.

but how are the gutters?! That’s what’s really important 😉

2024-11-20T17:09:11+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…y0sn
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but how are the gutters?! That’s what’s really important 😉

I had the feeling, just from the lack of alarm with which you’d ...

2024-11-20T16:35:38+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…5xc3
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I had the feeling, just from the lack of alarm with which you’d announce Mother was coming to visit you, that y’all had a relationship built more on good regard and affection than on familial obligation. Y’all are so lucky! I hope to remain as cherished by my kid as I am today, and seeing relationships like y’all’s gives me hope.
Also: wtf, why won’t that woman even admit to breakfast for dinner? wtf? People are so weird.

a disappointment but not a surprise. It looks like it’ll be ...

2024-11-20T05:55:40+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…ypfq
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a disappointment but not a surprise. It looks like it’ll be gorgeous with a finish. Is it very fine grained?

does the wood still smell amazing? Bay laurels are some of my ...

2024-11-20T04:37:55+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…636e
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does the wood still smell amazing? Bay laurels are some of my favorite trees!

oh who’s the chicken guy?

2024-11-20T03:02:47+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…9xyj
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oh who’s the chicken guy?

looks fine, especially with the light colors!

2024-11-20T01:43:35+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…ln75
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looks fine, especially with the light colors!

I just got back from a social media vacation! Glad to see you ...

2024-11-20T01:31:43+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…nwlq
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I just got back from a social media vacation! Glad to see you again too, friend!

oooh, are you free handing those cunts?

2024-11-20T00:54:24+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…zg9u
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oooh, are you free handing those cunts?

inside you there are two geese

2024-11-19T17:33:19+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…nurj
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inside you there are two geese

purple crystal cake for me pls ...

2024-11-19T05:40:37+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…5yyk
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purple crystal cake for me pls

are you fucking high? If it’s green it’s bird flu! Don’t ...

2024-11-19T05:34:34+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…6ecn
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are you fucking high? If it’s green it’s bird flu! Don’t try it out to see if it’s actually cake, that was like, twentygayteen shit

mine will be group chats on signal I think. Someone outside of my ...

2024-11-19T05:18:31+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…yd2q
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mine will be group chats on signal I think. Someone outside of my house has got to appreciate my funny little stories, stunningly cropped pics, etc. 😅

so is bird flu the really green bud? Does purple crystally weed ...

2024-11-19T05:09:29+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…6kt8
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so is bird flu the really green bud? Does purple crystally weed nullify it?

oooh, sucks for yall! We really seem to be at the calm spot for ...

2024-11-19T05:07:43+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…thc7
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oooh, sucks for yall! We really seem to be at the calm spot for the first storm system at least - our forecast is still “just” 30-35 mph gusts. And a peaceful inch of rain!
Still too much for the chickens who sleep in jail though. I’m gonna try to make some partially enclosed sleeping boxes for them, but they’ll probably end up in their emergency crates in the garage again.
I know all the fallacies my ADHD creates in my brain, but I inevitably fall for them over and over again. What the fuck, why didn’t I winterize the jail last month? It’s so cold now! And rainy, and windy, but who could have foreseen this?? 😅

🫡 godspeed

2024-11-18T17:49:03+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…95rz
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🫡 godspeed

there’s a third checkbox called that What’s that (😂)

2024-11-18T17:40:41+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…fscf
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there’s a third checkbox called that
What’s that
(😂)

what a gorgeous little piece of the classic California Dream. ...

2024-11-18T17:34:27+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…x655
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what a gorgeous little piece of the classic California Dream. 😍

!!! 1) birds do it, bees do it, even educated mites do it 2) how ...

2024-11-18T17:18:05+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…ucw0
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!!!
1) birds do it, bees do it, even educated mites do it
2) how do the other mites get it done without penises

what’s that

2024-11-18T17:14:45+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…krk2
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what’s that

but not a Taurus

2024-11-18T17:10:08+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…d57m
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but not a Taurus

I’m so glad you’re getting settled in the new place! I ...

2024-11-18T02:02:35+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…nvht
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I’m so glad you’re getting settled in the new place! I thought about you a few times last month and sent good wishes!

so true. If there’s nowhere to park on the first pass, I will ...

2024-11-18T02:00:43+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…d3r2
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so true. If there’s nowhere to park on the first pass, I will definitely lose sanity points for shopping there that day.

this weather is only good for naps so that’s what I’m about ...

2024-11-17T22:44:38+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…ksp7
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this weather is only good for naps so that’s what I’m about to do!

I learned about our boy von braun when I went to UAH for a couple ...

2024-11-17T20:09:35+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…w4r5
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I learned about our boy von braun when I went to UAH for a couple of years. That big fucking rocket on the side of the highway is such a contrast to the general Alabama-ness all around it, and I just had to figure out how rockets got to Huntsville. This was like, 98? The internet barely existed, but I dug up the tea on Operation Paperclip somehow.

woah, great pic! You look peaceful, and so much glorious hair.

2024-11-17T20:04:53+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…j28a
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woah, great pic! You look peaceful, and so much glorious hair.

I have been lurking on twitter, where my feed is at least 50% ...

2024-11-17T19:03:41+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…8map
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I have been lurking on twitter, where my feed is at least 50% cute animal videos and autistic-catnip industrial videos. But that’s just self-soothing — mastodon is where I talk to real people. I’ve got extra Wellbutrin in my brain and I’m back, baby!

good morning to my favorite wheat farmer 😘

2024-11-17T18:45:00+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…d48k
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good morning to my favorite wheat farmer 😘

in the beginning I was just tweaking my brain meds, but by ...

2024-11-17T17:58:20+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…vfk3
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in the beginning I was just tweaking my brain meds, but by mid-October I really didn’t want to hear about it, you know? The best thing, though, is how good my brain feels. I’m well aware of how megafucked everything still is, yet I’m the least depressed I’ve *ever* been in November. Yesterday I took the day off: texted friends, read up on fruit tree grafting, weed and jigsaw puzzles, etc. And you know what? *I didn’t feel guilty about it.* Completely unprecedented for me to take a day off from chores without fighting back the “I really shoulds.” I’m not even taking anything new, we just upped the Wellbutrin. Critical support to the pharmaceutical industrial complex, y’all.

damn, those are really cool!

2024-11-17T17:48:44+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…hk6z
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damn, those are really cool!

Good morning from the #chickens, who continue to lead dramatic ...

2024-11-17T17:45:54+01:00

Good morning from the #chickens, who continue to lead dramatic lives.
We finished out this year’s clutch with three surviving teenagers: pullet Contra and cocklets Legs and Lance. (Cocklet Flasher was lost to his own fatal curiosity when he snuck into the paddock and the hawk got him in there. I gave the equines the “what the fuck, you just *stood* there” speech but it never helps. At least I didn’t lose Contra.)
Contra and Lance are out of Easter egger eggs (Easter eggerers?). Contra is still the smallest chicken, but she’s gonna pass bantam Beyoncé pretty soon, and she’s already got thicker leg bones than the Sicilians (my perfect, fine-boned ladies). She’s got a perfect head, with a small pouf on top and a full beard under her beak, and she’s black with just a bit of gold on her neck feathers.
Kiddo saved Bey last week! He heard a commotion and ran outside to see one of the Cooper’s hawks with Bey in their talons, trying to fly away with him! The bad bird dropped Bey, who was somehow totally unharmed and spent the rest of the day hiding in a holly bush.

this is such a good articulation!

2024-11-17T05:39:37+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…zg2l
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this is such a good articulation!

brains are so confusing. I’m glad you’re still here 🫂

2024-11-16T23:03:42+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…5q33
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brains are so confusing. I’m glad you’re still here 🫂

nahhh just wasn’t around! ;) I’ve been shamefully slacking on ...

2024-11-16T22:42:08+01:00

In reply to nevent1q…m9jm
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nahhh just wasn’t around! ;)
I’ve been shamefully slacking on chicken pictures and I don’t have any newer than ten days ago, but I’ll fix that next time I go out. Instead here’s a Very Reflective backpack I made for my kid?

Hello again friends! I’m dipping my toes back into posting on ...

2024-11-16T22:22:19+01:00

Hello again friends! I’m dipping my toes back into posting on social media. I spent the election season looking at funny and or cute animal videos and not talking to anyone about politics and it was nice! But I miss yall and I miss having a place to tell my chicken stories so I’m back. I’m gonna try to reframe my relationship with scrolling, too — I may end up turning off boosts for a lot of my mutuals, just to reduce how many unreads are waiting for me when I open this app.
So what’s new in y’all’s lives?

I didn’t let myself get excited until I saw aurora pics from ...

2024-10-11T18:01:56+02:00

In reply to nevent1q…w08n
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I didn’t let myself get excited until I saw aurora pics from Santa Cruz, especially since we were forecast to have clouds all night! I think the right word to describe my feelings this morning is chuffed, but I’m not quite sure if I’m using that correctly 😅

We had an entirely satisfactory #aurora experience last night! ...

2024-10-11T17:46:26+02:00

We had an entirely satisfactory #aurora experience last night! Only the faintest hints to the visible eye, but the phone got amazing shots and the clouds held back. We got all the colors! Pouslbo, WA, from 8 pm to 3 am.

Bunny! Bunny, no! Stop that! #houseRabbit #bunny ...

2024-10-10T20:55:46+02:00

Bunny! Bunny, no! Stop that! #houseRabbit #bunny

#raven news! My raven friend is starting to imitate the sounds I ...

2024-10-08T18:02:48+02:00

#raven news! My raven friend is starting to imitate the sounds I make!
I can’t make any of the wonderful raven vocalizations, but I can yell “kek-kek-kek” and I can cluck my tongue. One of the ravens in the family is much more intrigued by me than the others, and that one has started chatting with me. If Chatty Raven notices me in the yard, ze flies my way at top speed, yelling kek-kek-kek to get my attention. And the neat part is that Chatty isn’t making the *raven* vocalization, ze is obviously imitating my human version. I don’t have the same cadence, and when Chatty Raven is calling me, ze uses my cadence, not the slower native raven one. And it’s not as resonant, somehow?
Plus, for a few days now, ze has parked their self near the house and made a peculiar, less-watery version of the lovely burble-click noise ravens make. Y’all! It’s the raven’s version of my tongue-cluck! Of course every time I hear them, I run outside with a treat 😂
And best of all, my raven friend even took a swipe at one of the Cooper’s hawks the other day!

Oh yes, I love the not-quite-straight ancestor stories too! ...

2024-09-29T22:59:34+02:00

In reply to nevent1q…8r7d
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Oh yes, I love the not-quite-straight ancestor stories too!
Here’s one from my dad, who gave me all the family gossip as a kid. He has two older half brothers and a younger full brother, and once I asked if that wasn’t unusual for the time, that his mom had been married twice. It turns out grandmother married Mr V and had two boys with him and then he disappeared — the scandalous rumor is that he ran off to be gay somewhere else. Then grandmother married my grandfather, Mr F, and had two more boys with him. Mr F was a great dad to all four of his boys at a time when that wasn’t too common! He was quite a bit older than she was, and apparently it was a relief that Mr F wasn’t going to be a confirmed bachelor 🙄 And this story came from my dad, who’d probably say he’s pansexual if anyone ever managed to explain our labels to him 😂
Closet bisexuality runs in the family for generations!

I’m very curious about something and I feel like this is my ...

2024-09-19T00:03:41+02:00

I’m very curious about something and I feel like this is my best platform to get nuanced answers. This question probably sounds rude but it’s just the autism being direct about getting to the point, so please offer me some grace.
What is going on in the headspace of people who struggle to get their drivers license? It seems really common in the UK, and increasingly common in the US, for people to have a lot of anxiety about it.
My background is relevant: I got my beginners permit, then license, at 15. I lived in Mississippi in the mid 1990s, and the most excruciating part of the process was waiting for hours at the DMV, even in the shorter “new license” line. The written portion was 20 multiple choice questions, and the practical was me driving an examiner around the block and back to the DMV without crashing. I had one immense, unstated advantage that day, because I’m white and so was the DMV examiner — I have absolutely no idea if that guy made black teens do a much harder practical.
I do remember that a few years after I got my license, the whole nation drastically revised the age limits, and I think a lot of states have complicated tiers of driving licenses.
But in the US, once you’ve got it, it’s relatively easy to stay licensed (assuming you’re not breaking traffic laws and shit). I’ve gone through the “I have a license but it’s from another state” process six times, and it’s different in every state but never hard. Nevada had a serious eye exam!
So I’m not sure if Kids Today are anxious about actually driving (reasonable, especially in the UK), anxious about all the testing, or just getting mired down in doing all the steps.
Before the bike people get mad at me 😉 I know that plenty of people choose not to drive, for lots of very good reasons. I’m curious about the people who DO want to drive but struggled with the process for some reason.
Boosts welcome, I’d love to hear what the DMV is like for newbies these days!

Check out my splendid corn harvest! Here’s the seed ...

2024-09-13T01:38:34+02:00

Check out my splendid corn harvest!
Here’s the seed description: https://www.adaptiveseeds.com/product/vegetables/corn/flour-corn-purple-mountains-organic/
This was one 2 oz packet, planted in dense clumps on really rich soil, in a patch about 8’ x 16’. I harvested now because our summer temps are probably done and the ears will only start to mold or get eaten by the chickens, who are spending a lot of time in the hawk-proof tangle of lodged stalks. The ears look so much nicer than I hoped for!
Now I’m consumed with worry that whatever rodents roam the garage will mutilate my beautiful grain overnight. I can’t dry them inside where the rabbits will eat them, which only leaves the bedrooms or my husband’s office. If I could figure out what to use for a rack, maybe I could pile them in our bathtub? We take showers, and there’s already a dehumidifier in there. Hmm.
This is some serious praxis about the addictive and consuming nature of possessing things, lmao. While the plants were growing, I had a slight parental feeling about them — good luck, little dudes! But then I harvested those ears and now the corn has become mine! I must defend it!
#gardening #corn

my free range chickens will occasionally go hard at the horse ...

2024-09-04T22:19:04+02:00

In reply to nevent1q…h7dg
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my free range chickens will occasionally go hard at the horse manure compost piles, but they don’t spend much time in the compost bin by the house that’s filled with rabbit litter and garden waste. The really good stuff is usually too far down for them to do real damage to the pile.
And they would do damage to a compost pile. A lot of the decomposition that happens is due to fungae spreading their filaments through all the cellulose. Plus the bacteria that handle the aerobic digestion need a really precise level of warmth and moisture. I don’t think there’s a good way to combine chickens with active composting (but I might be wrong!)
I find the chickens to be really useful in other ways. When I pull the old crop out of a bed, the chickens will spend a few days scratching (and pooping) in that spot, getting up the last bits of weeds and bugs. Then I can dump finished compost in there and they’ll scratch that in for me too.

good fats build big naturals!

2024-09-02T19:02:00+02:00

In reply to nevent1q…l4y0
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good fats build big naturals!

Omg decentralized social media is great until your server goes ...

2024-08-28T18:36:36+02:00

Omg decentralized social media is great until your server goes down. Glad to be back, here’s your baby bunnies for the day! Jumping on the #DailyBunnies hashtag

Everyone knows that the 1-3 day old “ball of fluff” is the ...

2024-08-25T02:10:28+02:00

Everyone knows that the 1-3 day old “ball of fluff” is the cutest stage of a chicken’s life, but did you know about the *second* cutest phase? Here’s Ninja doing her taxi impersonation. #chicks #chickens

I literally flipped over here to distract myself from how mad I ...

2024-08-22T18:34:41+02:00

In reply to nevent1q…wpdf
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I literally flipped over here to distract myself from how mad I am at sonos. I’m complaining to my husband about it RIGHT NOW. Does reinstalling the app actually help? Why won’t my goddamn airplay connect to the speakers anymore? Nothing has changed except sonos enshitting itself into nonfunctionality!

hey friend, do you have a way to cover those lovely panels if ...

2024-08-22T16:16:07+02:00

In reply to nevent1q…sn4y
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hey friend, do you have a way to cover those lovely panels if there’s a hail storm?

The swallows have gone. It hits me like a blow every year. I ...

2024-08-21T19:22:12+02:00

The swallows have gone. It hits me like a blow every year. I worry so much for them — they’re so small, and they have so far to travel to find winter bugs! Of course I project all of my pandemic fears onto them, too — don’t go near sick birds! Come back safe next spring!
Plus, we’re all going to get eaten alive by dusk mosquitoes now ☹️

That’s so cool! I tried to grow cascade gold last year but an ...

2024-08-19T00:58:49+02:00

In reply to nevent1q…98hd
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That’s so cool! I tried to grow cascade gold last year but an unfortunately open gate let the donkey eat it when it was knee high, grr! This year’s contender is https://www.adaptiveseeds.com/product/vegetables/corn/flour-corn-purple-mountains-organic/
I got a hand crank grinder in a fit of optimism the first year, but I don’t remember if I have a sheller yet. I’m not jinxing anything this year!

the problem with field corn is that 99% of the literature is ...

2024-08-18T20:17:18+02:00

In reply to nevent1q…zk4z
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the problem with field corn is that 99% of the literature is written for medium to big ag, and they’re worried about being able to use equipment to harvest. And on top of that, 99% of the field corn we plant these days is dent corn and I’m growing flour corn, a more fragile and delicious type — all popcorn is flour corn, but not all flour corn is popcorn.
But what I’ve been able to find seems to indicate that as long as the ears stay 8-12” above the soil it’ll all be fine.
I’m very grateful to Richard Rollinson (npub1fqf…ajkk) for giving me the confidence to plant that patch so densely! If it wasn’t such a jungle in there, some of the ears would be in the dirt.
I’ve been trying to grow this kind of corn in particular since 2021, when I read a truly wonderful book called The Resilient Gardener: Food Production and Self Reliance in Uncertain Times by Carole Deppe. I grabbed it because of the title, but to my delight quickly found that the author lives in west side Oregon and shares my food allergies. She’s got celiac disease and can’t tolerate wheat, and she grows loads of field corn for her grain needs. The book is very loosely organized, with incredible tidbits but not a lot of direct hand-holding, and I’ve learned a great deal about the types of corn, corn breeding, seed saving, planting density, etc - but there’s nothing much about when to harvest flour corn! Sooner than flint or dent, that’s as specific as she gets. Aghhh 😫

We had a much anticipated big storm roll through just after ...

2024-08-18T17:15:18+02:00

We had a much anticipated big storm roll through just after sunset last night. The first thirty minutes of lightning were gut-clenching scary for me, but once the rain started my brain relaxed and let me enjoy the storm.
But this morning I had to survey the damage. Not too bad - the skellies fell over, and the tomato monsters have moved their tendrils to different places. The field corn took the worst hit and I’m trying to decide if I need to stand it back up or if it can just finish maturing all higglety-pigglety.
What do we think, #gardening friends? This isn’t sweet corn and it shouldn’t be harvested til it’s dry (or until the fall rains, more likely). Last night’s storm was an outlier. We haven’t had any rain for months and our rainy season won’t start til probably October. Should I crawl into the fray and try to fix this or just leave them be?
The tall weeds in with the corn are millet, I think, from feeding the chickens in this spot over the winter. I’m not planning to harvest them — the wild birds can have the seeds.

She’s made a den under the mess-o-herbs I repotted into a bed ...

2024-08-16T05:37:54+02:00

In reply to nevent1q…36ny
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She’s made a den under the mess-o-herbs I repotted into a bed last month!
Today I nonchalantly wandered by that bed and had a quick peek. There’s just the tiniest edge of a hole visible under the chives! I’ll get a picture tomorrow, and hopefully see mom again. 2/2
#rabbit

Garden bun is about to be a garden mum. #rabbit 1/2 ...

2024-08-16T05:29:40+02:00

Garden bun is about to be a garden mum. #rabbit 1/2

I cannot even sex domestic cats! I did assume this one is male ...

2024-08-09T22:30:10+02:00

In reply to nevent1q…k4cf
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I cannot even sex domestic cats! I did assume this one is male just because it’s so BIG. I don’t see any danglies but sometimes males can hide them. Do you think it’s a female? How exciting!!

@npub155x…24zs Bow, you’re my leatherworking friend, right? I ...

2024-07-31T18:05:51+02:00

Bowreality (npub155x…24zs) Bow, you’re my leatherworking friend, right? I need some help getting started with visible mending of leather, do you (or whoever sees this!) have any recommendations for where to start?
Our buns are on the shit list for this one. Six months of ignoring the couch, then one day they decided to taste test the cushions. There’s these holes in the back cushion, and a few more in the seat cushion. My husband says if I can mend the holes with visible patches, he’ll be okay with that, and I’m quite sure I have all the skills. I’m just not sure where to start with supplies or techniques! I’m looking for a niche website or a good book, plus an idea of where to get leather other than Tandy.
“Giant overstuffed leather couch” was on my husband’s home furnishing bucket list for decades. I want to fix his baby. Help?
(We rearranged the rabbit fences, so they can’t get at the couch again, inshallah)
#VisibleMending #leatherworking #leather

I don’t have any deer - I think the coyotes who usually sleep ...

2024-07-31T05:55:29+02:00

In reply to nevent1q…mak4
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I don’t have any deer - I think the coyotes who usually sleep nearby keep them away - so I’m allowed to just say awwww, deer are so cute! I hope yours don’t eat your favorite plants.

Smol bunny alert #rabbit #bunny ...

2024-07-31T03:41:51+02:00

Smol bunny alert #rabbit #bunny

I replanted the snow pea bed in beets today. I’ve been snapping ...

2024-07-01T06:05:54+02:00

I replanted the snow pea bed in beets today. I’ve been snapping off the vines and bringing them in the house for the rabbits and guinea pigs, so there were only a few more vines to grab. This bed is in a good state to try no-dig principles: the soil is rich loam, and the peas left their nitrogen fixing bacteria in the soil. I’d planted the peas in a double row, but the beets should be fine in a triple row, so I didn’t have to disturb very much. I left most of the roots undisturbed, but this one that got yanked out has the coolest nodules! I buried it, and the last bits of pea greens, in shallow trenches along the bed sides.
#gardening #bacteria #nodig

if you can get a regional gardening hashtag going, that would ...

2024-06-07T00:18:43+02:00

In reply to nevent1q…dmp6
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if you can get a regional gardening hashtag going, that would really help potential gardening group members find each other. I’m PNW, so sometimes I’ll add pnwGardening as a hashtag.