It's a ......

                 ..........Goblin Shark!!!

Goblin Shark
Appearance: A pinky-grey 5 gilled shark with a bizarre snout and rounded fins.
Habitat: Deep waters globally, but seem to be especially plentiful in the Pacific.
Conservation Status: Least Concern (LC)
Size: Up to 3.4 metres in length.
Genus: Mitsukurina
Species M. owstoni
Most Famous for: Having a wacky snout.
Discovered in Japan, the common name for the Goblin Shark in Japanese is Tenguzame – which, in Japanese folk lore, is the name of a goblin-like creature with a humungous nose. Goblin Sharks lives in the depths of the world’s oceans. They generally live a quarter of a kilometre or so below the surface, but, are suspected venture into depths of over a kilometre.
Their muscles are soft and mushy in texture – which suggests that they are not overly active and prefer to not to overly exert themselves. They also have odd skin – it is slightly transparent, so it looks pink in colour, as all the tiny blood vessels under their skin can be seen clearly. So, it’s no wonder that Goblin Sharks bruise like a peach.
Unlike most deep water sharks, the beady little eyes of Goblin sharks have irises – the part of their eye that lets in light – that can open and close. This means that even though they live in the depths, their eyes are sensitive to light produced by other animals. Many prey animals, including squid and fish, produce light through bacteria or chemical reactions, so, having working irises allows them to detect their ‘flashy’ prey more easily.
Little of known of their eating habits – however, they are suspected to dine on animals that dwell on the ocean floor, such as crabs, squid and bony fish. Their front teeth are made for grasping and their back teeth are designed for grinding and crushing. Their jaws are also high protrusible – which means they can rapidly eject them to grasp their prey.

Today's funny :0)

      


                                                      


                                                                        Now I got 'ya!   



                                       

Musical Chairs......

After I let Charlie and Goldie out to eat first, Ethel, Lucy, Oscar and Nina come out for their breakfast. When they are all done I keep Charlie and Goldie in the pen and put the others in the run and close the gate. Now I let Amos and Andy out of the hutch and into the pen with Charlie and Goldie so they can eat too. Goldie chases them around a little bit but doesn't hurt them. I guess they still remember they are still brothers.


I'll keep doing this for a few days before I let Amos and Andy join the wolf pack.
                                                         

  

                                                   

 

It's a little bit of extra work, but maybe, just maybe it will all work out in the long run. I really want to keep all of them. 

(Oh, by the way, Hubby is still shaking his head)  

                                               

Friday Night Steam.....

                                                                      

Grab a cuppa & enjoy - she's a real beauty!      

                                               The Santa Fe 3751

                                                                                4-8-4

                                                                   

Bio

Santa Fe (ATSF) No. 3751 is a type of 4-8-4 'Northern', steam locomotive which was built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1927.

ATSF 3751 in 1999.

Uploaded by HenryDuckFan

History

Santa Fe 3751 hauled passenger trains toward the End of the Steam Era in the US in 1957 with the rest of its 4-8-4 "brothers" and remained preserved on static display until 1989, when the San Bernardino Railroad Historical Society decided to rebuild and restore 3751 after being in such poor condition and suffering lack of maintenance and vandalism from the park it was originally displayed in. (Similar to SP 4449's dilemma.)
In 1991, 3751 returned to the rails with preservationists efforts as well as with the help of the Santa Fe. It's first excursion was pulling a mixed train of passenger and freight cars, which served as its "trial run" (or test run) to demonstrate or prove 3751's operating capabilities. Yet because of "his" age, 3751 stalled towards the end of its run, thus the need for having diesel locomotives assist the aging steam locomotive was actually necessary. Thus, a week after its first test run, 3751 was hauling its very first passenger excursion train; the California Limited; for the first time in many years with the help of 2 Santa Fe "Warbonnet" painted FP45's repainted and renumbered for excursion service with 3751.
Today, when on long distance excursion, 3751 is typically seen with one or more Amtrak P42DC type locomotives following. The diesel assitance is necessary for three reasons: protection, power, and dynamic braking. Protection against 3751 failing en route and tying up a mainline, providing HEP power for any following passenger cars, and utilizing the diesel locomotive's dynamic braking when going down steep grades.

Trivia/Facts

In August 2002, the locomotive went to Williams, AZ, for the annual NRHS convention.
3751 also doubleheaded with GCRY (Grand Canyon Railway) 4960 to pull a special charter train to the Grand Canyon and back.
In April 1995, Santa Fe 3751's original 5-Chime Freight whistle was replaced with it's new 6-Chime Passenger whistle, just 5 months before the BNSF merger.
Later in August 2002, Santa Fe #3751 and Grand Canyon #4960 triple headed with Grand Canyon #18.

Today's funny :o)

One of my favorites!

They All Do It.....

                           

Occasionally your chickens may exhibit symptoms that seem unusual, or may lead you to believe your chicken is ill. Before you over react and run your chicken to the local veterinarian, check to see if maybe your chicken may just be exuding the usual signs of molting.
Chickens go through a common process called molting. This process involves the “shedding” or loss of feathers. This may make your chicken appear to be going bald, when in fact your young chicken is just shedding the old feathers to make room for new. This process is important in allowing the chicken to develop its strong, new feathers fully.
It is important to realize that sometimes your flock may act a bit out of the ordinary if they are molting. They may not lay eggs for a little bit, or may pick at themselves with their beaks. These symptoms are normal and are not to be worried about. If your chickens are still acting normal then your flock is most likely molting. It may be a good idea to be sure your flock isn’t all the same age to reduce the risk that all molt at the same time.
This molting process may last for a good bit of time. A typical feather takes about 7 to 9 weeks to fully grow. The entire molting process may last as little as 2 months, and sometimes as long as 4 months. It is important to keep chickens comfortable during this time as their skin will be very itchy. Do not try to pull feathers from your chicken to “help” the molting process as this may cause harm to your chicken, and may irritate their skin further. Keep your chicken coop clean and comfortable to ensure a quick molt process.
Young chickens, around one year of age, will begin to experience this process as they shed their baby feathers for their adult ones. There are a few things one can do to help speed the process along. Increasing nutrients in their diet can help their digestive systems and move the molting process along quicker. Ask your vet for any suggestions they may have to help aid this process along, or any feeding instructions they may have to help your chickens body go through the molting quicker.
Make sure once your chicken begins going through this process that you provide your flock with plenty of fresh water, and proper food. Your chicken may be more susceptible to infection during this time, so maintaining a clean chicken coop and environment for your flock is important. Remove feathers quickly from the coop in order to avoid a large buildup as once the feathers begin to molt there will be a lot of them flying around. If any of your chickens going through the molting process exhibit any symptoms that may point to an illness, separate this chicken immediately and contact your veterinarian. Be sure to monitor the remainder of the flock to ensure their health.

Whet Your....

                                       ........ whistle!

                               



                                 My Dad whistled all the time - I miss hearing it...

Today's funny :0)

                   

 khkuhih

                                                                   

                            

So Far....

                                                               

.... Goldie and Charlie are holding their own with the others. They are almost the same size as Oscar.

He still goes after them, but they are a lot faster and can usually run away. Evil Ethel and Lucy are bigger though and spend most of the day annoying them.  Little Nina joins in when Ethel is not biting her.

                                                             
                                                       


Amos and Andy are still in the hutch and are only let out when the others are in the yard. They are so darn cute, but I don't know if I will be able to keep them all together all the time. Right now it is not too much work to keep them  separated. 

This was very, very poor planning on my part.... I still have a lot to learn.

Remember these?

The History of Jukeboxes in Americana

How the world turned on a dime Weren't jukeboxes always with us? Like rocks and air? It's hard to imagine America without them. Before iPod playlists, before boomboxes, before mix tapes, even before band t-shirts, it was the jukebox that helped us express who we are. You chose B-17 to say, "This is how I rock. This is how I roll." It was heady stuff. A little intimidating at first to walk into the neon green and red aura, to touch the sleek chrome reminiscent of every cool car you ever wanted. For a dime (three plays for a quarter), this behemoth of music taste would do your bidding, using your song to tell the world how you feel. In 1927 the Automatic Musical Instrument Company debuted a public coin-operated record player. Juke joints that survived on dance music couldn't always afford an orchestra, but they could sure afford a nickel. Jukeboxes fit where bands couldn't, and they kept their mouths shut during Prohibition.

Into the light

Wurlitzer, makers of grand, dramatic pipe organs, put the drama in jukeboxes in the 1930s. They knew the value of eye-popping lights and chrome, and incorporated bubble lights and neon tubes to hypnotize you out of your spare change.

Rock-Ola ran with the idea in the 1940s, dazzling patrons with its complicated mechanics. And it had the perfect name--an irony, because it was the given name of the company's founder, David Rockola, who had no music background whatsoever. His expertise was in coin-operated vending machines.

Music was brought to the diner by Seeburg, who invented the little tabletop jukebox that let you select songs right from your booth, with greasy cheeseburger fingers.

Neon: the universal color

Juke joints thrived. Diners blossomed, co-opting the neon and chrome designs for their storefronts. But perhaps the people who benefited the most from the rise of the jukebox were the likes of Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Carl Perkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis, musicians whose music was deemed unfit for radio, but was chosen over and over by the fingertips of the people. As it turned out, the gleaming neon jukebox was colorblind.

The jukebox today

We haven't changed. Let us choose our music, and give us our dazzling displays, and top it with a dollop of root beer float memories. Today's jukeboxes are history in a box, playing everything from LP vinyl records to CDs to MP3s straight from the Internet. USB turntables transfer your old records to your computer. But you still get to pick the song you think the world needs to hear.

   

Today's funny :o)

                                                                                Nah!


                                                             

          

Chicken Poop....

 Warning!!  Picture of poop (Lots of it) !!

 It really is an important topic and this blog is mostly about learning the hard way about having backyard chickens!

A friend asked about the difference between a healthy chicken's poop and a sick chicken's poop.

She was concerned because her hens made funny shaped poopies.

I referred her to the page below. 

I know it must seem gross to some, but you should always check their droppings. Sometimes this is the only way you will be able to tell if they are sick and/or have worms (which can kill your hens).

Making sure your girls are healthy is your responsibility. If you are squeamish about poo, I would suggest you find another hobby to enjoy. They do poop a lot - all day and all night.

Taking care of chickens or any other animal IS a lot of work. They must have a clean place to live and sleep, good food, clean water and be free from danger. Some people think that all they have to do is throw 'em some feed in the morning and leave a dish of water for them to drink out of. When their chickens get sick and die, they'll wonder why.

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The Poultry Help Forum
Chickens, Ducks and other Poultry - Advice & Help

Normal

 

Picture taken by Catsmuvva

These last three pictures have shed intestinal lining in them - quite normal, not a cause for concern.


Coral coloured Urates



These are frequently deposited overnight and are quite normal

Oily and Foamy



The range of "Normal" is huge  :shock:

Ceacal

 

These are produced from the caecum of the chicken and are mustard to dark brown froth. They are expelled every 8 to 10 droppings.

Fly Maggots


(picture curtesy of Vember)

Flies will lay their eggs on moist chicken poo and in warm weather they will very quickly hatch into small maggots.

Watery



Watery droppings can be produced by hens which are too hot.  It can be a way for them to cool down by drinking a lot and losing some of their heat in frequent wet droppings.  It can also be a sign that the hens are not eating enough too.

Abnormal poos



Coccidiosis produces blood in faeces.



The hen who produced this specimen was an older bird who became very thirsty.
She is producing a large amount of watery urates the cause of which is unknown, but could possibly be a kidney problem.



The hen who produced this specimen was about 25 weeks old. She went off her food and ate so little she became underweight. She held her tail down and was tired. She may have had worms and/or egg peritonitis.


Worms


picture taken by smiler43                                                      picture taken by Lindeggs


Broody Poo


Thanks to ANHBUC for this picture

Broody's poos are huge and very smelly !


Sulphur yellow, foamy dropping can be a sign of Blackhead (Histamonosis) which is caused by a protozoan parasite infecting the gut.  It is however rare in back yard hens !
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Since you have to clean up anyway, just take a minute and check to make sure your hens are not having problems, especially in  areas where it is damp all the time. Throw down some sand on those wet spots - especially if it's been raining for a few days. And if you really can't stand the smell, just put a little dab of Vick's under your nose. To me, they are worth it!

Hey, Guys.....

...... you know those old coffee cans filled with odds and ends of car parts that are taking up room on your workbench? Look what you can make with 'em!

                                                      

Today's funny :0)

 

                                          

 

                                                                   

Amos Ain't....

.... working out very well in the pen. The next one to try is Charlie. Sweet, sweet little Charlie!

I take him out of hutch and put him in the pen. I take Goldie out of the coop and put him in the pen.

Oscar, Ethel, Lucy and Nina start squawking because they are still  inside. Amos and Andy are fed in the hutch. Charlie and Goldie finish eating so I let the rest out. Oscar sees Charlie and goes for him.
But I am still faster than he is and grab Charlie and Goldie and put them in the run.

                                                       


 The rest finish eating. Later in the afternoon, I unlock the run gate and naturally there is fighting and feathers flying, but I keep them together all. day. long.

At dusk, they all go into the coop. More fighting, but it soon quiets down. Amos and Andy spend the night in the hutch again. I just don't know what I am going to do with those two. Ethel, Lucy, Nina and Oscar hate them.....

                                                          

Good Music and...

..... good dancing are always in style!!

The Next Time....

..... I try to put Amos in, it is pouring rain.  Usually I always clean the pen and the run after the chickens go in for the night. The night before the rain I didn't. This is what I get for being lazy - the oozing, poopy, slippery kind of mud is all over. (I call this wonderful mixture "Moop") And it smells. Yuck!
                                                                      
                                                   




Now I have to clean the pen before everyone can come out to eat. This moop mixture is heavy, so I drag the poop cart as close to the pen gate as  I can get it. Even though there is a roof (sort of) on the pen, the rain still gets in. I put fresh hay down and fill the feeder, and put in fresh water. Amos goes in the pen an starts to eat.  I let the others out. Same thing happens again.  Amos goes back to the hutch. I go back to the house dripping wet.

Maybe I should get a dog instead.......