Welcome to Saturday's Potluck

Submitted by studentofearth on Sat, 05/08/2021 - 5:00am

“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.”
Pablo Picasso

Today I am going to indulge in gossip/discussion about problem behaviors. A new problem showed up yesterday. A note on the front door mentioned I had two extra cattle in my field and pre-thanking for my patience, which is running thin at the moment. Yep, two young Angus heifers in the field, from the tracks they had been chased all around the buildings, various equipment and through the orchard. Some panel fencing used to protect the water pump and plastic pipes were moved to block the heifers in an area by the corral, gates had been left open in several places between various fields and several sections of fence was damaged by the heifers when jumping the fence and not clearing it completely.

The behavior problem is they are scared, easy to shift to panic behavior and need to contain them to be removed from my place. They were weaned about six weeks ago by Mom's and calves herding into a corral placing in a corral and separating. Calves were ran through a chute to be vaccinated and ear tagged. The group of 18 yearlings were hand fed by throwing hay into the pen for six weeks, before separating out these two and loading them into a trailer one evening to be dropped off in a small field within site of my place. Something scared them so bad the next morning they ran through a fence, crossed an open hay field and ended up at my place.. Not sure if they were pushed or attracted to my cattle, the only other cattle within sight.

How does this discussion fit a political blog. Well it is often mentioned as humans we are being herded into actions not in our best interest like sheep or cattle. These heifers need to be pushed into the corral or tricked into walking into it themselves and staying long enough for the gate to be closed. The techniques used while perfected in animal training are similar to ones used on humans.

________

William Campbell was author of the the first book I read on dog behaviors. His books are still my favorites and use the techniques for multiple species.

Bill’s concept of leadership, established means of being low-key with the dog, avoiding never-ending hugs and freebies, and asking the dog to do something such as sit when asked before getting some brief, upbeat attention, was designed to put both dog and owner on an even keel, to avoid those emotional extremes of excessive indulgence and it’s consequence, excessive punishment.
Bill pioneered treating behaviour problems without the use of punishment. Instead, he improved the relationship between the owner and the dog, and removed the cause of the problem. Let’s remind ourselves that this was in the 1970s. Bill was way ahead of his time.

Bill was heavily influenced by Pavlov. In this regard again he was ahead of the pack. Operant conditioning came onto the dog scene in the 1990s, thanks to Karen Pryor, but Classical Conditioning took longer. Some people still find it hard to understand.
....
Bill was always a renegade, and made himself unpopular in some quarters because he was not a fan of clicker training or training with food. I do use food rewards and teach clicker training, but I totally understand where Bill was coming from.
...
The Causative Approach

The other thing that he emphasised was what he called “the causative approach” to correcting behaviour problems. This made so much sense to me. Instead of punishing the dog, he would try to find the cause of the problem, and change that.

Bill did telephone consultations. One evening he got a call from a man whose dog was kept outside. The dog became a nuisance barker, constantly barking at the window. The man had the dog surgically de-barked. He rang Bill in desperation, saying that the dog was no longer barking, but was still driving him crazy, constantly jumping up at the window. “Well…” drawled Bill, “you could have his legs chopped off
…”
Classical Conditioning and “the Interpretive Factor"

The third thing that Bill emphasised was Classical Conditioning, and in particular “the Interpretive Factor”.

According to Bill, it was the dog owner’s responsibility to communicate to the dog how to interpret a situation. When I was in Oregon, Bill was assisting Dogs For The Deaf, who have a great training facility there. They were training rescue dogs from the pound. One lovely, medium-sized dog with a curly white coat was going through the program, but was a bit nervous and inclined to bark in some social situations. Wendy and I assisted with a classical conditioning set up. There were four “challenges” – Wendy marching along with a ghetto blaster, me appearing around the corner on crutches and two other people coming from different directions. Then we repeated the set up in different locations, to help to generalise. When we appeared, the dog handler and Bill turned on “the jolly routine”, Bill’s famous name for cavorting around in any way that will get the dog’s tail wagging, to create a happy association with the challenging people or situations.

________

Another author and lecturer I always seem to learn something new is Temple Grandin. Her insights into human autism and animal behaviors has expanded awareness how to manage behaviors and identify when someone is trying to manage me.

(3.12 min)
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OV9V-HGSEY]

(54..40 min)
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoNTr3SH0kA]

Some of her books on Amazon have significant "look Inside" sections.

Tip of the hat to QMS who had the pleasure of listening her in person.

Brought me back about 10 years ago to a hotel restaurant in Ft. Collins, CO where we watched this amazing woman give an informal interview to a news reporter next table over. She was discussing animal behavior, for the most part, but was all over the map. Fascinating. Temple Grandin.

________

What is on your mind today?

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Submitted by ovals49 on Sat, 05/08/2021 - 5:39am

Ecocidal Human Behaviors

Catlin Johnstone absolutely hits it out of the park on this takedown of the notion that we can escape our collapsing ecosystem by colonizing other distant orbs of our vast universe. Cutting and pasting snippets of this brilliant piece or writing will not do.

Please, just READ IT ALL!

—

“ …and when we destroy nature, we diminish our capacity to sense the divine,and understand who God is, and what our own potential is and duties are as human beings.- RFK jr. 8/26/2024

Submitted by studentofearth on Sat, 05/08/2021 - 1:03pm

Musk, Gates and Bezos are the current public face for a class

@ovals49 @ovals49 of people who believe the deaths of others are expendable to fulfill their personal dreams and beliefs. As individuals and communities we need to decide if we are going to continue to actively support their actions, stop participating or actively engage in stopping them. Most I have met who call for a revolution plan on being in the audience, cheering squad or in command center planning but not participating in risky behavior. Another class group who believe the deaths of others are expendable to fulfill their personal dreams and beliefs.

Musk could also be discussing his self driving cars on our public roads instead of travel to Mars.

"Honestly, a bunch of people will probably die in the beginning," barefoot SpaceX founder Elon Musk told XPrize founder Peter Diamandis in a recent interview about the first crewed missions to Mars.

SpaceX has had its sights set on Mars since Musk formed the company in 2002. And for years, Musk, who became a tech billionaire before launch SpaceX's, has been very candid about the risks that come with the territory of human spaceflight to the Red Planet. In fact, in 2017, Musk said at the International Astronautical Congress that the first humans to journey to Mars should be "prepared to die."

"Going to Mars reads like that ad book for [explorer Ernest] Shackleton going to the Antarctic," Musk told Diamandis in the interview, which streamed live for over an hour and 19 minutes on YouTube on Thursday (April 22), referencing early 20th-century British Explorer Ernest Shackleton whose ad for a crew of explorers read "Men wanted for hazardous journey."

"It's dangerous, it's uncomfortable, it's a long journey. You might not come back alive. But it's a glorious adventure, and it'll be an amazing experience," he said. "You might die ... and you probably won't have good food and all these things. It's an arduous and dangerous journey where you may not come back alive, but it's a glorious adventure," Musk said.

edited - added missing link

—

Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

Submitted by MinuteMan on Sat, 05/08/2021 - 5:48pm

Choose wisely

@ovals49

the notion that we can escape our collapsing ecosystem by colonizing other distant orbs of our vast universe.

It could work with a judicious selection of colonists and the fools would pay for the chance. Only the pikers would buy a hideaway in New Zealand.

Submitted by TheOtherMaven on Sun, 05/09/2021 - 9:18am

Hah. Colonizing has historically been risky on Earth

@MinuteMan

The Roanoke colony failed so completely that no trace of it or the colonists has ever been found.

The Jamestown colony almost failed three separate times, the first being the worst in 1609-10 (the "Starving Time"). The few survivors had actually decided to pack it in and go away, when they were met en route by a timely (armed) supply flotilla.

The Plimoth colony didn't fare much better, but Jamestown's example showed that it could work, so they hung in there.

But there still were other colonizing schemes that failed, or came to nothing. Arguably the most significant was the Scottish attempt to set up a colony in Panama, the so-called "Darien colony". It failed disastrously within a year, and the knock-on effects included Scotland's final surrender to English rule via the 1707 Act of Union.

—

There is no justice. There can be no peace.

Submitted by eyo on Sat, 05/08/2021 - 8:02am

Hug Machine

Saved the videos for later viewing, I like cows, and rambunctious calves. The fish factory was on a 600 cattle ranch. cowsay moo Loved reading Temple Grandin's autobiography years ago, still want to build that hug machine she invented, I still neeed that hug machine. LOL right on

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hug_machine

A hug machine, also known as a hug box, a squeeze machine, or a squeeze box, is a deep-pressure device designed to calm hypersensitive persons, usually individuals with autism spectrum disorders. The therapeutic, stress-relieving device was invented by Temple Grandin while she was attending college.[1][2]

Squeeze Box - The Who
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pW3PSKJ-Bik width:420]
question mark goes here

--- red yarn leads to housing density convo on HackerNews

California Population Declines for First Time in More Than a Century
That's a link to WSJ article, the comments on HackerNews is what I read and they were all over the place. From "too many people" to "build for 100 million why not!". Fascinating, I think:
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27081754

If we made no change other than to stop growing the almonds that we export overseas, that alone would free up enough water to accommodate about 20 new San Franciscos:

motherjones

huh
---
Also seen on HN was link to LA Times article. Editorial: There is no drought
but I didn't read the comments. We are under a Red Flag Warning and the neighbor's wind chimes have been jamming all night long, still going. Only slept a few hours and forgot to batten down my one blind but it survived flopping around without breaking anything while I dozed. /lucky /nervous

A Red Flag Warning and Wind Advisory have been issued by the National Weather Service includes parts of northeast Sonoma County from Friday, May 7, 2021 at 11:00 PM through Monday, May 10, 2021 at 6:00 AM.

Dry conditions make for easier fire starts and potential for rapid spread of fire.

A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now, or will shortly. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior.

May 8th seems a little early but, yeah. The climes they are a changin'. sry

Happy Saturday!
Peace and Hugs
there is no spoon

Submitted by studentofearth on Sat, 05/08/2021 - 1:28pm

What was old is new again only with a technological twist

@eyo Weighted blankets are all rage to use for reducing anxiety and insomnia. Lots of products available on the market where a light weight blanket has weights added for therapeutic reasons. They are about the weight of some antique quilts with cotton batting and wool blankets in the linen closet used by my Grandparents. Temple's Hug Box is a bit more intense, blankets can be used as a quick substitute, an old technique called swaddling, new term burrito wrap.

It could be a long fire season. It is very dry here and gusty winds. Any rain received will be perfect timing for grass growth, which simply helps fire move faster.

Thanks for the water links - high water use perennial crops are expanding in California.

Saved the videos for later viewing, I like cows, and rambunctious calves. The fish factory was on a 600 cattle ranch. cowsay moo Loved reading Temple Grandin's autobiography years ago, still want to build that hug machine she invented, I still neeed that hug machine. LOL right on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hug_machine A hug machine, also known as a hug box, a squeeze machine, or a squeeze box, is a deep-pressure device designed to calm hypersensitive persons, usually individuals with autism spectrum disorders. The therapeutic, stress-relieving device was invented by Temple Grandin while she was attending college.[1][2] Squeeze Box - The Who [video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pW3PSKJ-Bik width:420] question mark goes here --- red yarn leads to housing density convo on HackerNews California Population Declines for First Time in More Than a Century That's a link to WSJ article, the comments on HackerNews is what I read and they were all over the place. From "too many people" to "build for 100 million why not!". Fascinating, I think: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27081754 If we made no change other than to stop growing the almonds that we export overseas, that alone would free up enough water to accommodate about 20 new San Franciscos: huh --- Also seen on HN was link to LA Times article. Editorial: There is no drought but I didn't read the comments. We are under a Red Flag Warning and the neighbor's wind chimes have been jamming all night long, still going. Only slept a few hours and forgot to batten down my one blind but it survived flopping around without breaking anything while I dozed. /lucky /nervous A Red Flag Warning and Wind Advisory have been issued by the National Weather Service includes parts of northeast Sonoma County from Friday, May 7, 2021 at 11:00 PM through Monday, May 10, 2021 at 6:00 AM. Dry conditions make for easier fire starts and potential for rapid spread of fire. A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now, or will shortly. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior. May 8th seems a little early but, yeah. The climes they are a changin'. sry Happy Saturday! Peace and Hugs there is no spoon

—

Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

Submitted by Granma on Sat, 05/08/2021 - 8:24pm

Yes. And they are planning to supply

@studentofearth people with gray water in their taps so someone can use all the water to grow crops for export. Shaking my head. Makes 0 sense.

Submitted by QMS on Sat, 05/08/2021 - 8:38am

Great writing SOE

If children on the spectrum can be understood better by applying animal behaviors
perhaps this new development in mental development indicates a return to lower brain
dominance / function?

My spouse cleaned up my memory of the Temple Grandin interview.
She was actually talking to one of the Deans at CSU. oops

Thanks for the OT!

—

question everything

Submitted by studentofearth on Sat, 05/08/2021 - 4:43pm

Differences in interpreting various sensory

@QMS information seems to be part of the issue for individuals on the autism spectrum, not upper or lower brain function. Debate is currently going on if Sensory Processing Disorder is unique and separate from Autism.

Those sensory sensitivities were believed to be hallmarks of autism for decades, until new research began to reveal that sensory processing disorder (SPD) may be a condition all its own.

One of the strengths of studying and working with animal behavior is it doesn't get labeled as quickly as a disorder to be fixed. The animals we bring into our live we do not expect to react to the world as we do and make adjustments for those differences. In the process we can develop deeper understanding of those differences.

Spouses and sibling have a habit of "correcting" our stories, enjoyed both descriptions. My chance of listening her in-person was disrupted by a business client emergency requiring a cross country flight.

—

Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

Submitted by mhagle on Sat, 05/08/2021 - 9:10am

Interesting essay as usual

Sorry about the heifer mess! I can't imagine neighbors coming on to our property and chasing cattle.

Caitlyn is on the money as usual.

Eyo . . . great comment. Hope the wind calms down. The almond thing is terrible.

I haven't commented on anything for quite a while. My sister died easter morning. She was 68. I think I wrote about her in a dyslexia essay years ago. She lived alone on the family farm. She was profoundly dyslexic and a genius but also had schizophrenia. The symptoms of schizophrenia greatly wane in women as they get older, so she mostly managed OK. My brothers lived close enough to visit and help out often. They could see her health was failing, but she wouldn't go to the doctor. One brother visited the week before and found her on the floor. Ended up in Mayo Clinic where they discovered she had breast cancer that had spread to her lungs and bones. Some folks may have been critical of us for allowing her to live on her own. We just wanted to respect her wishes despite the consequences. Most of our cousins agreed with our decision. It was a merciful passing actually. When I spoke to her on the phone at New Years, she asked me to write snail mail letters to her. She was unable to do technology of any kind. So I did. Every week until the winter storm we sent a letter on pretty stationary and a page of pictures. 5 letters in all. Didn't know at the time, but it was my goodbye. She is at peace now I believe.

Otherwise, things are well here on the farm. Chickens hatched 3 baby chicks. Young Nigerian Dwarf goats with mamas and papa are so tame and fun. Last Sunday we were given a pot belly piglet. My daughter named him Eugene. He is extremely smart and delightful. Someone dumped a couple of cats a few weeks ago, now Serafina and Bernard, so the number is up to a dozen now. Dogs are the same.

Last fall I bought 8 4x6 round bales and conditioned them. Not everything grows well in them but most plants do. I have been eating radishes, green peas, lettuce, and Russian kale. Good looking cuccuza, beets, tomatoes, onions, Jenny Lind cantelope, Armenian cucumbers, eggplant, butternut squash, watermelon, and peppers. The green beans and potatoes don't look as good, but I think I'll get a couple of meals out of them. Since the plants are four feet in the air, the wind beats them up some.

Hope you all are well and content. All the best to you and yours!

—

Marilyn

"Make dirt, not war." eyo

Submitted by studentofearth on Sat, 05/08/2021 - 6:41pm

It is hard to simply let a loved one live the life they choose

@mhagle I am sorry for your lose and celebrate the cycle of life on the small farm you have created. No matter what choice one makes regarding the care of another there will be critics. Life is not a fairy tale with a good or bad choice, sometimes there is no good choice. If you had changed your sister's living situation she would have moved into a facility with COVID restrictions and possibly have a hard time adjusting, or simply catch COVID and experience life threatening complications. She would not have time in her own home. She probably is at peace.

Meddlers need to quit judging us.

Sorry about the heifer mess! I can't imagine neighbors coming on to our property and chasing cattle. Caitlyn is on the money as usual. Eyo . . . great comment. Hope the wind calms down. The almond thing is terrible. I haven't commented on anything for quite a while. My sister died easter morning. She was 68. I think I wrote about her in a dyslexia essay years ago. She lived alone on the family farm. She was profoundly dyslexic and a genius but also had schizophrenia. The symptoms of schizophrenia greatly wane in women as they get older, so she mostly managed OK. My brothers lived close enough to visit and help out often. They could see her health was failing, but she wouldn't go to the doctor. One brother visited the week before and found her on the floor. Ended up in Mayo Clinic where they discovered she had breast cancer that had spread to her lungs and bones. Some folks may have been critical of us for allowing her to live on her own. We just wanted to respect her wishes despite the consequences. Most of our cousins agreed with our decision. It was a merciful passing actually. When I spoke to her on the phone at New Years, she asked me to write snail mail letters to her. She was unable to do technology of any kind. So I did. Every week until the winter storm we sent a letter on pretty stationary and a page of pictures. 5 letters in all. Didn't know at the time, but it was my goodbye. She is at peace now I believe. Otherwise, things are well here on the farm. Chickens hatched 3 baby chicks. Young Nigerian Dwarf goats with mamas and papa are so tame and fun. Last Sunday we were given a pot belly piglet. My daughter named him Eugene. He is extremely smart and delightful. Someone dumped a couple of cats a few weeks ago, now Serafina and Bernard, so the number is up to a dozen now. Dogs are the same. Last fall I bought 8 4x6 round bales and conditioned them. Not everything grows well in them but most plants do. I have been eating radishes, green peas, lettuce, and Russian kale. Good looking cuccuza, beets, tomatoes, onions, Jenny Lind cantelope, Armenian cucumbers, eggplant, butternut squash, watermelon, and peppers. The green beans and potatoes don't look as good, but I think I'll get a couple of meals out of them. Since the plants are four feet in the air, the wind beats them up some. Hope you all are well and content. All the best to you and yours!

—

Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

Submitted by mhagle on Sun, 05/09/2021 - 10:58am

Thanks . . .

@studentofearth

for your kind words of comfort.

—

Marilyn

"Make dirt, not war." eyo

Submitted by on the cusp on Sat, 05/08/2021 - 8:17pm

Marylin, you were simply wonderful

@mhagle @mhagle with the way you accommodated your sister's life and circumstances.
I was tasked with telling doctors to pull the plug TWICE. My late husband and my Dad. They asked me. I decided the surgeries, or, no surgeries. It went on for years with husband, a couple of months with Dad.
All I could do was assess the information I received from the attending physicians, ask them questions, put it into the context of my knowledge of what these two wanted out of life, and then make the decision. Nothing infuriated me more than my step-daughter quizzing me. Especially since she soon quizzed me about when she could expect to move onto the property and my damn house.
My late husband was a paraplegic, so I took any further diminution of his mobility into consideration. With my Dad, he was 91, had tremendous brain damage from a disastrous fall.
Never second guess yourself, and pay no attention to anyone who didn't step up to the plate for your sister as you did.

Sorry about the heifer mess! I can't imagine neighbors coming on to our property and chasing cattle. Caitlyn is on the money as usual. Eyo . . . great comment. Hope the wind calms down. The almond thing is terrible. I haven't commented on anything for quite a while. My sister died easter morning. She was 68. I think I wrote about her in a dyslexia essay years ago. She lived alone on the family farm. She was profoundly dyslexic and a genius but also had schizophrenia. The symptoms of schizophrenia greatly wane in women as they get older, so she mostly managed OK. My brothers lived close enough to visit and help out often. They could see her health was failing, but she wouldn't go to the doctor. One brother visited the week before and found her on the floor. Ended up in Mayo Clinic where they discovered she had breast cancer that had spread to her lungs and bones. Some folks may have been critical of us for allowing her to live on her own. We just wanted to respect her wishes despite the consequences. Most of our cousins agreed with our decision. It was a merciful passing actually. When I spoke to her on the phone at New Years, she asked me to write snail mail letters to her. She was unable to do technology of any kind. So I did. Every week until the winter storm we sent a letter on pretty stationary and a page of pictures. 5 letters in all. Didn't know at the time, but it was my goodbye. She is at peace now I believe. Otherwise, things are well here on the farm. Chickens hatched 3 baby chicks. Young Nigerian Dwarf goats with mamas and papa are so tame and fun. Last Sunday we were given a pot belly piglet. My daughter named him Eugene. He is extremely smart and delightful. Someone dumped a couple of cats a few weeks ago, now Serafina and Bernard, so the number is up to a dozen now. Dogs are the same. Last fall I bought 8 4x6 round bales and conditioned them. Not everything grows well in them but most plants do. I have been eating radishes, green peas, lettuce, and Russian kale. Good looking cuccuza, beets, tomatoes, onions, Jenny Lind cantelope, Armenian cucumbers, eggplant, butternut squash, watermelon, and peppers. The green beans and potatoes don't look as good, but I think I'll get a couple of meals out of them. Since the plants are four feet in the air, the wind beats them up some. Hope you all are well and content. All the best to you and yours!

—

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Submitted by mhagle on Sun, 05/09/2021 - 11:06am

OMG

@on the cusp

I can't even imagine what you have been through. I am a thousand miles away, so my two brothers made all of those decisions. But only for a week, not years.

I hope you look back and feel peace that you did the best for them. That was great love.

—

Marilyn

"Make dirt, not war." eyo

Submitted by eyo on Sat, 05/08/2021 - 11:21pm

Great thing you did for your sister

@mhagle hi, I'm glad you wrote to her, glad your brother was nearby too. Easter. {hugs}

Your hay bales are awesome, keep growing. Wind finally died down here and it is cooling off. Aphids still chewing young veggies, despite lack of ants. My house neighbors ordered a pallet of sod and installed a lawn in the back yard today. It looks marvelous. I don't know what kind of punctuation to use here, !?.

Peace and Love

Sorry about the heifer mess! I can't imagine neighbors coming on to our property and chasing cattle. Caitlyn is on the money as usual. Eyo . . . great comment. Hope the wind calms down. The almond thing is terrible. I haven't commented on anything for quite a while. My sister died easter morning. She was 68. I think I wrote about her in a dyslexia essay years ago. She lived alone on the family farm. She was profoundly dyslexic and a genius but also had schizophrenia. The symptoms of schizophrenia greatly wane in women as they get older, so she mostly managed OK. My brothers lived close enough to visit and help out often. They could see her health was failing, but she wouldn't go to the doctor. One brother visited the week before and found her on the floor. Ended up in Mayo Clinic where they discovered she had breast cancer that had spread to her lungs and bones. Some folks may have been critical of us for allowing her to live on her own. We just wanted to respect her wishes despite the consequences. Most of our cousins agreed with our decision. It was a merciful passing actually. When I spoke to her on the phone at New Years, she asked me to write snail mail letters to her. She was unable to do technology of any kind. So I did. Every week until the winter storm we sent a letter on pretty stationary and a page of pictures. 5 letters in all. Didn't know at the time, but it was my goodbye. She is at peace now I believe. Otherwise, things are well here on the farm. Chickens hatched 3 baby chicks. Young Nigerian Dwarf goats with mamas and papa are so tame and fun. Last Sunday we were given a pot belly piglet. My daughter named him Eugene. He is extremely smart and delightful. Someone dumped a couple of cats a few weeks ago, now Serafina and Bernard, so the number is up to a dozen now. Dogs are the same. Last fall I bought 8 4x6 round bales and conditioned them. Not everything grows well in them but most plants do. I have been eating radishes, green peas, lettuce, and Russian kale. Good looking cuccuza, beets, tomatoes, onions, Jenny Lind cantelope, Armenian cucumbers, eggplant, butternut squash, watermelon, and peppers. The green beans and potatoes don't look as good, but I think I'll get a couple of meals out of them. Since the plants are four feet in the air, the wind beats them up some. Hope you all are well and content. All the best to you and yours!

Submitted by mhagle on Sun, 05/09/2021 - 11:15am

Do ants eat aphids?

@eyo

We have some friendly ants here, but mostly fire ants. They will sting the heck out of you! The plants on the bales are twice the size now of the pics you saw.

My daughter just stepped in here holding a rat snake she took from the chicken house. She has removed this same snake 3 times now. She follows the young snake breeder woman from Wisconsin. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnIrLy19cFV50Eai8Xj-ArA

Have a great day!

—

Marilyn

"Make dirt, not war." eyo

Submitted by eyo on Sun, 05/09/2021 - 10:36pm

Ants herd aphids

@mhagle they herd them like little cows, and feed from the nectar the aphids secrete. They are symbiotic, I am not.

Now I must go look up rat snake, Thanks. It's been a good day, nothing caught fire.

Happy Mothers Day
Peace and Love

Submitted by randtntx on Sat, 05/08/2021 - 10:33am

I just saw this

about puppies and meditation. It's 'kinda' on topic and, for me, it is absolutely true! https://www.ianwelsh.net

Temple Grandin is so cool thanks for highlighting her and for the very interesting OT. I'm taking a very quick break in my day but hope to come back in the evening to read more.

Submitted by studentofearth on Sat, 05/08/2021 - 6:46pm

Wish I had know about puppy meditation long ago

@randtntx It is perfect. It took a long time and many tries to realize mediation is not as complicated as it is portrayed by most experts.

Imagine that you are hugging a puppy. (Kitten if you prefer.) Imagine your arms holding it against your chest, it’s warmth, it licking your face, and its tail wagging.

Now, just keep imagining holding the puppy, and intend to notice when you are doing something else: when you start thinking or feeling something other than puppy holding.

When you do, pat yourself on the back, pet the puppy and go back to holding the puppy.

Thanks for sharing.

—

Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

Submitted by magiamma on Sat, 05/08/2021 - 11:08am

morning soe

Cyberattack forces major US fuel pipeline to shut down

https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/08/politics/colonial-pipeline-cybersecurity-...

A cyberattack forced the temporary shut down of one of the US' largest pipelines Friday, highlighting already heightened concerns over the vulnerabilities in the nation's critical infrastructure.

The operator, Colonial Pipeline, which transports more than 100 million gallons of gasoline and other fuel daily from Houston to the New York Harbor, according to its website, said it learned of the cyberattack on Friday, causing them to pause operations.

Bring it down. Bet it gets blamed on russia/china. Have a good one

—

Stop Climate Change Silence - Start the Conversation

Hot Air Website, Twitter, Facebook

Submitted by CB on Sat, 05/08/2021 - 4:07pm

Feds Warn Colonial Pipeline Is At Risk;

@magiamma

https://www.wfae.org/energy-environment/2021-04-16/feds-warn-colonial-pi...
Company Says Leak Is Deeper Than Reported
Published April 16, 2021

New mapping shows gasoline contamination from a spill on the Colonial Pipeline north of Charlotte last summer goes deeper into the soil than previously reported. That news comes as federal officials warn that similar leaks could happen elsewhere along the 5,500-mile pipeline from Texas to New Jersey.

At least 1.2 million gallons of gasoline spilled last August from a broken section of the pipeline east of downtown Huntersville. The leak was discovered by two teens who were riding all-terrain vehicles in the Oehler Nature Preserve, off Huntersville-Concord Road. It's the largest spill of its kind in North Carolina and one of the largest in the nation.

Colonial has blamed the spill on a crack in a previous repair in the pipe wall. Federal regulators said the problem is that the same type of repair, known as a "Type A sleeve," is found all along the pipeline — and has failed repeatedly.
...
“It is unacceptable that for eight months Colonial Pipeline has been unable to provide a reliable accounting of the amount of gasoline released into this community,” Delli-Gatti said. “We will take all necessary steps and exercise all available authority to hold Colonial Pipeline accountable for what has become one of the largest gasoline spills in the country.”

In its latest update Friday, Colonial said it has removed about 85% of the estimated 1.2 million gallons spilled. But NCDEQ said the company has reported that it is continuing to remove 3,000 to 5,000 gallons a day from wells on the site. That suggests the 1.2 million gallon estimate may be too low, said DEQ.
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Submitted by studentofearth on Sat, 05/08/2021 - 8:11pm

hmm with the cyberattack does all the pipline

@CB information become a National Security risk and subject to becoming classified information. Colonial Pipeline has been doing a good job of pushing out responsibility for addressing the leak problem.

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Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

Submitted by studentofearth on Sat, 05/08/2021 - 7:15pm

Ransome criminals keep going after bigger

@magiamma targets.

The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is "engaged with the company and our interagency partners regarding the situation," Eric Goldstein, the executive assistant director of CISA's cybersecurity division, said in a statement Saturday.

"This underscores the threat that ransomware poses to organizations regardless of size or sector," he said. "We encourage every organization to take action to strengthen their cybersecurity posture to reduce their exposure to these types of threats."
...
Ransomware attacks have worsened over the years, with recent targets as varied as state and local governments, hospitals and police departments. The cyber attacks involve a type of malicious software that locks up a victim's computer and renders it unusable until the victim pays off the attacker, frequently in Bitcoin.

The article creates the impression extortion was involved. So maybe our government will try and blame North Korea, Iran or Venezuela all countries with extensive financial sanctions damage.

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Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

Submitted by Lookout on Sat, 05/08/2021 - 11:25am

A late good morning...

already been out to trade day and the grocery this AM.

Sounds like your neighbors need a herding dog. Sure is amazing to watch them work.
1.5 min
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDQw21ntR64]

Here's a 3 min on the ground view
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3vCHgFBw4g]

One dog can out herd several people.

Hope your escapees are rounded up soon.
Enjoyed Temple. Thanks for her and the OT!

Have a great weekend!

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Submitted by studentofearth on Sat, 05/08/2021 - 7:46pm

the last couple of days missed having a good herding dog

@Lookout at my side.

The owner and I worked out a plan today. He asked if we could do some trading and keep the heifers in my pasture until he recovered from his hip replacement surgery scheduled Wednesday. By that time we both expect them to be incorporated into my herd, used to the site of me and be much calmer. It was not him or the person with the rented pasture who pushed them onto my place, over several fences and left the gates open. They first spotted them by the corral. He had moved two fence panels to prevent them from getting around the buildings. His surprise was genuine when I mentioned all the tracks around buildings and damage from jumping fences. No experienced livestock person leaves gates open, it is worse than running with shoelaces untied.

The two heifers are already not immediately switching to a panic mode when they see me. In fact this afternoon they were lying down near a young steer, none of them could even be bothered to turn their heads in my direction. I am so boring.

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Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

Submitted by mimi on Sun, 05/09/2021 - 2:53am

So, who is the best human herding dog and

@Lookout
who trains them to become a human herding dog?

Good Morning from Germany. We have the first real warm spring day and lots of sunshine for a couple of hours. I will enjoy doing nothing today.

With the words of Sophie Scholl, who was was born today 74 years ago and is covered extensively in the German news

Such a fine, sunny day, and I have to go... What does my death matter, I say if through us, thousands of people are awakened and stirred to action? Fritz Hartnagel (me: Sophia Scholl's fiance) was evacuated from Stalingrad in January 1943, but did not return to Germany before Sophie was executed

Hans Scholl's (Sophia's brother) last words before being executed:
"Long live Freedom" ...

I can agree with his words.

Have a wonderful Sunday, all.

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https://www.euronews.com/live

Submitted by enhydra lutris on Sat, 05/08/2021 - 12:22pm

Good morning soe et. al. Just back from farmers' market.

Normally we would work in the yard all day today, but we did that thursday and got a lot done, so this is a relaxed tempo day. Perhaps I'll work on stuff in the shop instead, but keep on top of plantings.

Spotted a newly fledged titmouse in the patio yesterday, which is always good to see,

Red Flag warning here, as with eyo, probably most of the state for most of the summer or more. Not sure why they bother with all the idiots who think that a) gender reveal parties are cool and b) gender reveal parties should always involve fireworks, flares, or explosives, or similar idiocy. They already had a sizable chunk of the desert just south of Earthquake Valley burn. Just how you set the desert on fire is anybody's guess, but unlikely to be 100% natural by any means.

A bunch of new vendors at farmeres' market today, I guess fair to hot weather is here to stay for a while now. It's maybe double the size it was 3 weeks ago.

be well and have a good one.

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Submitted by studentofearth on Sat, 05/08/2021 - 8:01pm

Our Farmer's Market season is just opening

@enhydra lutris a few start this month, the rest in June. This week the irrigation system should be completely up for the season.

Thanks for stopping by and take care.

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Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

Submitted by on the cusp on Sat, 05/08/2021 - 7:53pm

Dad had a mixed breed herd, as I did.

If a cow got out of the pasture, it was sure to be the Angus. I had an Angus cow that I watched walk over a cattle guard!
I found the horse training tips of Linda Tellington Jones to be extremely helpful. I watched her do a one day clinic, bought her book, used her techniques for a couple of decades.
Her "thing" was The Tellington Touch, a mini-massage with your finger tips, and it was also used on dogs and cats. The focus was often ears, neck, and spine. It would put a horse or a dog to sleep during 4th of July fireworks. It worked on humans, as well. I tried it!
Such a nice OT, and I do intend to check out Temple Grandin, whom it seems everyone knows about but me!
I and my beloved just returned from a week in Florida and Alabama. Seems I have found a condo in Texas that pretty much replicates the beach condo we enjoyed at Gulf Shores, Alabama. I am probably going to book it for 3 nights in July. Maybe 4, once I check my court schedule.
I think we need beach sights and sounds more than we realized.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Submitted by studentofearth on Sat, 05/08/2021 - 8:50pm

The owner had raised

@on the cusp Shorthorn, Simmental and Red Angus for years. He bought a few Black Angus cows last year and these heifers were last years calves. When he said he had not seen this kind of behavior, I simply replied it was typical black Angus behavior. My Dad had a mixed herd, primarily Black Angus and a few leftover Jersey cross dairy cows. We were always fixing fences, thought it was normal, eventually just maintained electric fence lines inside the woven wire fences.

Will take a look at Linda Tellington Jones training info. Saw one video using a leash set-up for dogs similar to one I figured out to address some leash pulling issues. Read information on the T-Touch in some general massage articles. - Thanks

—

Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

Submitted by on the cusp on Sat, 05/08/2021 - 11:52pm

My errant Angus experience of my ranching life

@studentofearth @studentofearth was black Angus.
We had Charlais, Brahmas, Santa Gertrudis, and I had some Long Horns, and dairy cows to be on stand by for rejected newborns.
But those black Angus were the ones we watched like a hawk.
I think the de-horn got so labor intensive and dangerous, people started looking for breeds that didn't pose that problem.
I had a vet tell me the whole Angus Beef thing was just bogus. Beef is beef. Just marketing.
I will say my Dad was the first to introduce the FI around here, and this is so cool: Dad gave 2 F1s to some black family back in the late 50s, early 60s. The family was incredulous a white guy did that.
Their teen aged son ranched, ranches to this day, now in his 70s.
He was my first client when I got my law license. He attended Dad's funeral.
He is as successful rancher as anyone around here, because Dad.
I see him around town, and we tell stories. I have also represented 2 of his son. I will be giving a eulogy at his funeral, he will be a pall bearer at mine.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981