Mostly about my backyard chickens. (Boring, I know), but there are a lot of us out here. Mine are only kept as pampered pets. I could eat a neighbor's chicken, but not MINE. There may be a comment on current events only if I get riled up enough. And there will always be a cartoon or a joke to cheer us. I promise to try my very best to respond to comments. Now I have to figure out how this blogger thingy works....
...... remember being allowed to stay up late one night a year to listen to:
Should Old Acquaintance be forgot,
and never thought upon;
The flames of Love extinguished,
and fully past and gone:
Is thy sweet Heart now grown so cold,
that loving Breast of thine;
That thou canst never once reflect
On Old long syne.
CHORUS:
On Old long syne my Jo,
On Old long syne,
That thou canst never once reflect,
On Old long syne.
King
Ozymandias of Assyria was running low on cash after years of war
with the Hittites. His last great possession was the Star of the
Euphrates, the most valuable diamond in the ancient world.
Desperate, he went to Croesus, the pawnbroker, to ask for a
loan.
Croesus
said, "I'll give you 100,000 dinars for it."
"But
I paid a million dinars for it," the King protested. "Don't you
know who I am? I am the king!"
Croesus replied, "When you wish to pawn a Star, makes no difference who
you are."
..... a wee bit crooked - must have done something to my back when we were unloading the wood at younger son's place on Monday. Getting too old for that kind of work - plus I had spent a couple of hours cleaning up and around the coop!
So...I didn't do much outside yesterday - just let them run around for an hour. Was too cold out anyway. We turned the light on in the coop for the gang as the water in there was starting to freeze.
I did get two eggs, though! Shirley's egg on the left and Laverne's on the right!
Later on we'll go in to town and get the fixings for the lasagna. It will just be the two of us for dinner this time. No house full of people and no big mess of dishes to clean up. Yippie!
Cold out - had to bundle up, but I am so tired of staying in the house cooking and cleaning! Hubby and I took a truck load of firewood up to youngest son's house early in the morning and when we came back I let the gang out:
Cleaned the coop, pen and run. Raked up all around the the area. Took me a bit more than two hours to do everything! Nice & clean!
Took a walk around the property and found this under one of the trees:
Watched Hubby move some machinery around:
Charlie heard another rooster calling and he answered:
Ole, Lars and Sven had been going to the Sons
of Norway hall meeting as long as there had been a hall. And
every month, wouldn't ya know it, they didn't win a prize in
the monthly drawing.
That is until the last meeting. Sven was the first one of the
three to get his name drawn. He won two pounds of spaghetti
sauce, four boxes of noodles, and three pounds of Swedish
meatballs.
Ole had his name drawn next. He got himself round trip tickets
to Duluth, a nights stay at the Dew Drop Inn and a pair of
tickets to see the Inger triplets Polka Ensemble. Ole thought
that he had died and gone to heaven.
Lars was the last one to have his name drawn, he won a toilet
brush.
At the next monthly meeting, they sat down together to check
out how they had fared for the past month. Sven said "Uff da,
I had dat pasghetti for tree days. It was so good, and Helga
didn't have to buy food for them dere tree days."
Ole said "Lena was so happy vhen I brought home dem tickets.
The trip up to Duluth was nice, we got to ride da Greyhound,
and you know, they got a built in outhouse on dat dere bus.
And the Inger Triplets, if I didn't know better, I would swear
dey were sisters."
Then Ole turned to Lars, and asked him how his prize worked
out. Lars looks at them both and says, "Dat dere toilet brush
is nice, but I tink I'll go back to using paper."
When the bells all ring
And the horns all blow
And the couples we know
Are fondly kissing
Will I be with you
Or will I be among the missing
Maybe it's much too early in the game
Oh, but I thought I'd ask you just the same.
What are you doing New Year's... New Year's eve?
Wonder whose arms will hold you good and tight
When it's exactly twelve o'clock that night?
Welcoming in the New Year... New Year's eve
Maybe I'm crazy to suppose
I'd ever be the one you chose ...
Out of the thousand invitations you'll received ?
But in case I stand one little chance,
Here comes the jackpot question in advance...
What are you doing New Year's... New Year's Eve?
Out of the thousand invitations you'll received ?
Oh, but in case I stand one little chance,
Here comes the jackpot question in advance...
What are you doing New Year's... New Year's Eve?
What are you doing New Year's Eve
Here's my story, it's sad but true
It's about a girl that I once knew
She took my love then ran around
With every single guy in town
I should have known it from the very start
This girl will leave me with a broken heart
Now listen people what I'm telling you
keep away from-a Runaround Sue, yeah
I might miss her lips and the smile on her face
The touch of her hand and this girl's warm embrace
So if you don't wanna cry like I do
keep away from-a Runaround Sue
She likes to travel around, yeah
She'll love you and she'll put you down
Now people let me put you wise
Sue goes out with other guys
Here's the moral and the story from the guy who knows
I fell in love and my love still grows
Ask any fool that she ever knew, they'll say
keep away from-a Runaround Sue
Yeah, keep away from this girl
I know, know what she'll do
Keep away from Sue
She likes to travel around, yeah
She'll love you and she'll put you down
Now people let me put you wise
she goes out with other guys
Here's the moral and the story from the guy who knows
I fell in love and my love still grows
Ask any fool that she ever knew, they'll say
keep away from-a Runaround Sue, yeah
Stay away from that girl
Don't you know what to do now
Keep away from that girl
Don't you know what to do now
A pile driver is a mechanical device used to drive piles (poles) into soil to provide foundation support for buildings or other structures. The term is also used in reference to members of the construction crew that work with pile-driving rigs.
One traditional type of pile driver includes a heavy weight placed between guides so that it is able to freely slide up and down in a single line. It is placed upon a pile. The weight is raised, which may involve the use of hydraulics, steam, diesel, or manual labor. When the weight reaches its highest point it is then released and smashes on to the pile in order to drive it into the ground.
To learn more about pile drivers please see below link:
Didn't let the gang out yesterday- poor things had to stay in the pen and the run. It was just too muddy and wet in the yard. (I really didn't want to stay out in the rain to watch them). I felt bad about it, but had so much work to do in the house. They did get a special treat to make up for it, though.
More rain is on the way - no white Christmas for us this year. (Sniff) Temps should be in the 50's today with thunderstorms. The mild weather won't last, so I really shouldn't complain, right?
With most of us having to replace light-bulbs every few months,
it’s amazing that the Centennial Light-Bulb at Fire Station No. 6 in
Livermore, California, has been burning continuously ever since 1901.
The
exact date the centennial bulb was turned on is unknown, although its
birthday is usually celebrated on June 18. However, we do know that it
has been alight 24 hours a day since then, shining a dim light over the
fire engines. Apart from the few power outages it has faced in the last
113 years, the unbreakable light-bulb has only had two breaks – one in
1976, when it was moved from one fire station and installed in another,
and one in 2013, when it was off for 9 3.4 hours. When the bulb was
moved, almost 40 years ago, people were so cautious not to break it that
they severed the cord, instead of unscrewing it, and transferred it
with a full police and fire truck escort. The whole business lasted just
22 minutes, after which it was back to business as usual.
The impressive light-bulb is apparently an improved hand-blown
incandescent lamp with carbon filament. Debora Katz, a physicist at the
US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., has conducted extensive research on
the centennial light-bulb and what makes it so special, using a vintage
light bulb from Shelby Electric Co. that is a near replica of the
Livermore lamp. “The Livermore light bulb differs from a contemporary
incandescent bulb in two ways,” says Katz. “First its filament is about
eight times thicker than a contemporary bulb. Second, the filament is a
semiconductor, most likely made of carbon. When a conductor gets hotter,
its ability to conduct electricity goes down. When the Shelby bulb gets
hotter, it becomes a better conductor of electricity.”
Friday morning I was in the dinning room looking out the patio doors and saw this little feller
on the deck:
There were splatters of blood and he wasn't moving. I put on my gloves and picked him up. He struggled for a bit then settled down. I check him over and looked for broken wings or legs. The only damage was on his head. He must have flown into the sliding doors and knocked himself silly! I brought him into the house to warm up a bit and he rested in my warm gloves for about five minutes. Took him back outside and he flew to the railing, walked around a bit and then flew off.
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire,
Jack Frost nipping at your nose,
yuletide carols being sung by a choir,
and folks dressed up like Eskimos.
Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe
help to make the season bright.
Tiny little tots with their eyes all aglow
will find it hard to sleep tonight.
They know that Santa’s on his way.
He’s loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh.
And every mother’s child is gonna spy
to see if reindeer really know how to fly.
And so I’m offering this simple phrase
to kids from one to ninety-two,
although its been said many times, many ways:
Merry Christmas to you!
Merry Christmas, Darling and a Happy New Year too
I am so happy just being here with you
Your present I will cherish
The wonderful gift of you
Moonlight shining, snow is falling down
Here we are together, true love we have found
Darling, let's make a resolution
Not for just a New Year, but for a lifetime
Let's always be together, come what might
And, Darling, let's stay together always, as we are tonight
Merry Christmas, Darling and a Happy New Year too
I am so happy just being here with you
So I give you my present, I love you
Merry Christmas, Darling, and all my love
But that good old sunshine stayed for most of the day Yippie!
Was good to get outside although it was breezy and Hubby & I had to bundle up.
Charlie and the girls didn't wander around the yard today - they stayed by the deck. That's unusual for them as they like to scratch in the leaves by the rock wall in the front.
There were a lot of crows chasing hawks. Maybe Charlie was heeding their warning calls.!
The local weather guru is predicting nice, sunny weather for the next couple of days - I sure hope so!
But, no - another yucky day. So Hubby and I took a trip to Wally World just to get out for a while.
People there are crazy by the way - (I should have had my camera with me) the place was packed, but at least a lot of the registers were open. We just bought some silly stocking stuffers and games to play when the family gets together this Christmas.
It had started to drizzle when we left, although it stopped by the time we got home. I let the gang out and cleaned the pen. They came walking back for their afternoon treats.
I just can't stand the all the excitement sometimes........
Another day, another animal given a new lease on life thanks to 3D
printing. This time it’s Derby, a dog born with deformed legs who, with
the help of some folks at 3DSystems,
now runs alongside his owners with gleeful abandon. Derby’s front legs
have been augmented with two blade-like attachments that
Who’s-a-Good-Boy uses to run and scamper.
Derby was placed into a foster home by The Peace And Paws Rescue
and ended up with a 3DSystems employee, Tara Anderson. Two designers
and Derrick Campana, an animal orthotist, scanned Derby’s legs and made
cradles and blades that fit him perfectly.
While this footage, like the footage of 3D-printed ducks before it,
is designed primarily to melt our poor widdle hearts, it’s wonderful to
see a dog so happy and all thanks to rapid prototyping. While these
sorts of things were possible for decades, the work required to sculpt
legs like these was prohibitive, especially for an animal. Now, however,
you could feasibly design these once and scale them up and down for
various animals, inviting in the Age of the Bionic Hamster or the Era of
the Cyber-Ermine. Or, simply, the Hour of Sweet, Lovable Derby.
“This is what 3D printing is all about,” said Anderson. “To be able
to help anybody – a dog, a person – to have a better life? There’s just
no better thing to be involved in.” via 3Ders
Imagine what they will be able to do to help our Wounded Warriors!
All the inmates were standing in the courtyard
singing "Ave Maria" and singing it beautifully. Oddly, each of
them was holding a red apple in one hand and tapping it
rhythmically with a pencil.
A visitor
listened in wonderment to the performance and then approached
the choir director. "I am a retired choir director," he said.
"This is one of the best choirs I have ever heard."
Yes, I'm very
proud of them," said the director.
"You should take
them on tour!" said the visitor. "What are they
called"?
"Surely that
must be obvious," replied the director.....
What to get for the man (or woman) who has everything? Watch!
AeroMobil. Beautiful flying car. Beautifully integrated.
Transforms in seconds from an automobile to an airplane. Gives you
freedom to move.
AeroMobil is a flying car that perfectly makes use of
existing infrastructure created for automobiles and planes, and opens
doors to real door-to-door travel. As a car it fits into any standard
parking space, uses regular gasoline, and can be used in road traffic
just like any other car. As a plane it can use any airport in the world,
but can also take off and land using any grass strip or paved surface
just a few hundred meters long.
The current flying car prototype AeroMobil 3.0 incorporates
significant improvements and upgrades to the previous pre-prototype
AeroMobil 2.5.
It is now finalised and has been in regular
flight-testing program in real flight conditions since October 2014.
The AeroMobil 3.0 is predominantly built from advanced
composite material. That includes its body shell, wings, and wheels. It
also contains all the main features that are likely to be incorporated
into the final product, such as avionics equipment, autopilot and an
advanced parachute deployment system.
AeroMobil 3.0 also implements a number of other advanced
technologies, such as a variable angle of attack of the wings that
significantly shortens the take-off requirements, and sturdy suspension
that enables it to take-off and land even at relatively rough terrain.
Lots more info here:
AeroMobil. Beautiful flying car. Beautifully integrated.
Transforms in seconds from an automobile to an airplane. Gives you
freedom to move.
AeroMobil is a flying car that perfectly makes use of
existing infrastructure created for automobiles and planes, and opens
doors to real door-to-door travel. As a car it fits into any standard
parking space, uses regular gasoline, and can be used in road traffic
just like any other car. As a plane it can use any airport in the world,
but can also take off and land using any grass strip or paved surface
just a few hundred meters long.
The current flying car prototype AeroMobil 3.0 incorporates
significant improvements and upgrades to the previous pre-prototype
AeroMobil 2.5.
It is now finalised and has been in regular
flight-testing program in real flight conditions since October 2014.
The AeroMobil 3.0 is predominantly built from advanced
composite material. That includes its body shell, wings, and wheels. It
also contains all the main features that are likely to be incorporated
into the final product, such as avionics equipment, autopilot and an
advanced parachute deployment system.
AeroMobil 3.0 also implements a number of other advanced
technologies, such as a variable angle of attack of the wings that
significantly shortens the take-off requirements, and sturdy suspension
that enables it to take-off and land even at relatively rough terrain.