The 2012 Presidential Race

Might as well jump back into the commentary fray by addressing one of, if not *the* biggest topic of the year.....right?  Progressives and liberals, feel free to click on out, you won't like the contents. For the voluntarianist, the Constitutionalist, the libertarian, and the Republican-read at your own risk ;)

First let me preface this by saying that my political views are a process of evolution. That said, I have voted (in my younger years) strictly the party ticket.....Republican all the way, baby, with not much thought given as to why I was voting the way I did. 

Around 30 years ago, roughly, I began paying attention to local politics, and became aware of how decisions made in Washington effected the company I worked for in a big way. That's not to say I had some sort of epiphany, or a moment of enlightenment, or anything of that nature. It was more an accretion of new ideas that were discussed and they, well, basically stuck. I have not missed a primary nor a regular election since I was old enough to vote, and I'm proud of that. I feel strongly that it is your duty as a citizen, to express your opinion via the ballot box, every single time. 

Being in a small area, and working where I do, I have met a number of local politicians over the years. Some good, some bad, some incompetent, and some just outright nuts. But even a newb like me could see, that what happened down south, made its way onto the Anchorage and state books, with the Valley not far behind in every case. Eventually I figured out that in order to know what was coming, I had to look to Washington. During the Bush campaign, I began following the "media" and national politics more closely. And after 9-11, and the succeeding events, I found myself firmly hooked on the swamp on the Potomac, period.

I watched in outraged dismay as the current Imperialist in Chief was swept into office, without vetting. And I listened with deep unrest as our freedoms were stripped away, one act at a time. I mean, who could even imagine we'd have Czars and a ruler who decreed by executive fiat, at night on a weekend?  I surely didn't. This is most assuredly not the American way I learned about in school....which, by the way, is not even taught any longer.

I'm a fairly logical person, and often describe myself as a "practical realist". I read, and listened, and learned about how the state GOP treated the changing of the guard, and how they treated Ron Paul supporters locally. For shame, Alaska Republican Party, for shame. Instead of welcoming these activists into your fold, you have served to alienate them. For this, you might even hand over the Presidency to our Imposter in Chief. How foolish can you get, and what, exactly, did you fear? Well, whatever the motivating factor, Randy Reudrich should be ashamed of his actions, and so should everyone who supports him. Where will the next generation of Republicans come from, if not the passionate activist?  

.......more to come ;)

Odds and ends galore

One the "little of this, a little of that" side of living, here's a partial recap-in no particular order:

The vegetable starting thing went pretty well, over all. I produced 247 flats. Yes, even I am astounded I managed to do that on my own. The original plan was to attend a local market on a weekend, and to that end I started quite a lot of tomatoes and peppers. As it turned out, no market was held and I was left with a bajillion (okay, not really a bajillion, but it sure seemed like it!) extra peppers and tomatoes to find homes for. I eventually placed them all, with the last being stuffed into my nieces' car on the sly ;)  

Weather was not especially cooperative and I got into my greenhouse pretty late, according to my schedule. Everything I start has to be timed correctly to be of a certain size by a certain date....and it was very cold for several weeks longer than normal this spring. But, despite the setbacks, I was able to provide what was needed.  Like normal, I had a few busts, and a few "oh my gosh, would you look at that!" items, and on the whole, I am satisfied with the results. We also invested in a new ballast and bulb for the main light, and having the newer bulb made a huge difference in growth. I also invested into a different type of organic fertilizer, and was pleased with the results there too. 

This spring, the chicken yard was blessed with six new chicks-replacement layers for the older hens. The rooster went to "freezer camp", and now it's pretty quiet up there. Also early this summer, I lost both my turkey hens. One, I am positive, went to go set on a clutch, and the other...all we found were feathers at her nest out in the woods. The two boys remain, and they still stay within a couple feet of each other. I did find three replacement poults, and luckily one of those is a hen too. So, I am in a quandary-I know I should butcher the two boys, but my heart just isn't in it. Just a few weeks ago, I ordered in a quantity of meat birds and they're up at the barn, proving every day why they are known as "super poopers"  Egads, they are awful. I am thinking that in about week or so, I will be able to remove their feed 12 hours a day and maybe that will cut down on the volume a little bit. We've rigged up a pen for them, which we will be expanding this week, to make sure they get to walking as much as possible. 

The two dogs enjoyed spending the summer home with my son, and I have enjoyed having peace and quiet here at work, lol  We have a family member staying with us right now, so the dogs are being entertained and spoiled, and soon enough it will be back to bringing them to work every day. The two house cats are thrilled it's summer, and we've even seen Belle out on the grass!  You have to know that this cat does not do "outside", she bolts across the ground like her feet are on fire if you carry her out, lol  She's a great hunter when she wants to be, but grass, and dirt, and stuff is just not her thing. Which is to sleep in the laundry basket between meals, near as I can tell. 

The old man is doing pretty well.  We've been turning him loose to graze when we're able to keep an eye on him, and he is slowly working his way through the abundant grasses around the property. Last week he figured out he could just walk in the barn and was caught red handed (er, muzzle down) in a grain can. Needless to say, the barn entrance is now paneled off so he can't wander in and make a mess, checking all the cans for goodies. He was just like a little child caught with a hand in the cookie jar too, horse owners know exactly the expression I mean, lol  Sometime the end of the coming month I'll be getting my winter supply of alfie hay in, and I need to stock up on straw too, before the snow flies.

Speaking of stocking up, I have been doing what I can to get poultry feed in, before the major price hikes arrive here in Alaska. I've been reading online, what's been happening with the price of that, and have taken the warnings about the drought to heart. It's not a very convenient time of year to be doing this, but every extra bag I put away will help get us through the price increases, I hope. Yet another reason to butcher the two adult turkeys, right?

And in the same theme, this spring I ordered in mangel wurzel seeds. Yeah, I know, you're thinking-um, wut?  The mangel wurzel (or Mangel beet) is a common crop in some European countries, and is still grown in some areas of the US as well. They are not a sugar beet, nor a "red beet you eat" but are known as a "fodder beet". The variety I chose is suitable for humans, and most small livestock-not just the roots, but the top greens are edible too. Naturally, the reasons I looked into alternate fodder was, of course, our food security here. With that in mind, I shared seeds, with the hopes that others would try growing them also. For myself, I started them maybe two weeks too late, and got them planted sometime the first week of June-again, too late but who knew? I didn't. As it is, they are doing best in the best soils of course. I pulled one up  on the weekend and measured it. Fully ten inches long, the bulbous root (pictured with this entry today) weighs in at just over three pounds. Mangels are reputed to grow as large as 20 pounds, in optimum growing conditions. And they are also supposed to store well in the "pile" method, not needing specific humidity or temperature like seed potatoes. 

I'm back.............!

I've been thinking about taking up blogging again, the first time after reading the "watch words list" published on line. You know, the one that lists all the words that trigger automatic data collection by various US agencies?  I read the list and realized I had typed out just about every single word on that list, over the past five years on line. Ayep, I am a marked blogger already. But you knew that, right?

I thought about it a lot, as the current administration accomplished one destructive act after another. Pretty lengthy list over the past year, isn't it?

I thought about it as I watched our state officials fumble through resource development, and crashing fisheries, and as the feds tied up even more lands forever.

I thought about it as discussions ensued on Facebook, where discourse is disjointed, easily misconstrued, and fleeting indeed.

I thought about it as I worked my way through a very challenging growing season, and other events that touched myself, and my family. 

So.......back into the fray I go, one entry at a time. I hope that this time around, people will feel free to comment here. I do not censor any comment, do not block anyone from posting their opinions, and I do welcome all discussions-even opposing views.  

The reports of my blog demise are in error......

A couple months back, roughly, I composed and sent registered mail, a letter to the Alaska Mini Goat Cache. In it, I asked them to resolve the outstanding judgment, or I would be forced to proceed with the legal mechanism to seize the judgment from the organization.

As usual, President Rayna Fritcher did not respond at all. In fact, no one from the club, nor anyone who admitted to being a member, would respond. I decided to wait past my stated deadline, due to the very real possibility that they'd probably need two meetings to get anything done-even if the issue should have remained on their "Old Business" list on all agendas. I can only suppose that my statement about asking for attorney's fees, process fees, postage, and so forth, probably was the deciding factor. After all, it's one thing to win a judgment, and something else entirely to collect. 

Luckily, the Alaska Court system provides a means to collect if necessary. It is a rather complicated process and could have easily stretched things out another six months. It's not cheap to collect here in Alaska, when process server fees can top $100.00, and they stood a very good chance of having these additional costs tacked onto the judgment as well. 

So, while it took them over 180 days to satisfy the judgment, it did arrive:

"It's dead, Jim"

So saith the intrepid Captain James Tiberius Kirk of the starship Enterprise......

And so too, is this blog. 

I enjoyed having a platform to share my views, like hopping onto the soapbox about political or social issues. I've also enjoyed sharing successes and failures, and I've taken advantage of the opportunity to expose serious shortcomings on various topics. If you've read here occasionally, you also know I have a knack for sarcasm, and can employ story telling in amusing ways. 

Ahem.

Enough about that. The reason this blog is dead, is the host (Google's Blogger) is now going to be archiving every blog post, and happily sharing it with TPTB. Since I am probably on several dozen lists, and have probably been singled out by numerous agencies by exercising my right to free speech.....I'm done handing them more ammunition in their war against dissent.

So, for the benefit of whichever agency is collating all this data (DHS, FBI, etc):

I DO NOT CONSENT.  You are doing so in direct violation of the US Constitution. 

Period. 

But I will not make your job easier by feeding it to you on a silver platter, courtesy of Blogger. 

Those that know me, can find me on Facebook. Su Valley Farm is on there as well :)

The growing season commences

Despite the miserably cold winter we're having with many days below zero and an embarrassment of snow, planting has commenced. Alaska gardeners have to be the most optimistic people in the world. Who else eagerly orders their seeds before the Christmas tree has been put away? Who else readies the indoor lights and planting media when there's barely six hours of daylight? 

This explains the shamble in the garage and pantry, as everything gets shuffled around to make room for the planting racks, and to accommodate good air flow. In just a few weeks, I will have every rack filled and the overhead lighting system running 15 hours a day, with a completely jam packed table underneath it. Which is why, as I look at the varieties of seeds on hand, I find myself dreaming about having a couple more racks, and another track light-lunacy and want can make a person goofy this time of year ;)

Oh heck, if I am dreaming big, I'll just include the big greenhouse, up and waiting for me to light the heat and fill it with starts......that can't come soon enough for me, but without it, I will be (as every year) beyond cramped for space!  With increasing sales come increasing needs-a challenge to be faced and overcome. I have faith we'll manage :)

The New Year

has arrived, at long last!

Goodbye, 2011...and don't let the door smack you on the way out :)

In 2011, I discovered on several fronts, just how wrong my definition of friends, acquaintances, and opponents was.....people I thought were "friends" were users and abusers, people I thought were just "folks I know" turned out to be of both magnitudes better (and worse) character and I learned that opponents (or enemies, if you prefer) will sink to any depth to wound and maim. Boy, that's a mouthful, isn't it? Setting aside a few hours for true reflection every year is not a bad thing.  I'll probably be a little more cautious in the future. A little less trusting. And heaven knows I will try to be a better communicator because that will serve me best, no matter what comes :)

So instead of dwelling on the negative, I resolve to look into the year to come with anticipation.  And really, there is a lot to look forward to if I allow myself. In no particular order then......

First, I am still working. Yeah for me! I may end up laid off for a couple months shortly, but after the initial shock wore off, I am confident I can handle it emotionally and financially. 

Secondly, health is much better. Last year I finally got the diagnosis of excema and chronic bronchial allergies. Thankfully, modern medicine provides relief and I am still learning how to cope with these two conditions. That said, I am oh so happy not to have a constantly runny nose and cough :)  

Third, my son and husband remain the light and the rock of my life. Without their help and love, my life would be a joyless wasteland of struggle and heartbreak. 

Fourth, my tiny business looks to be expanding. Not sure how much it will grow, but grow it will.

Fifth, the barn and how I view it has changed. I don't own Reba any longer (big long fight on my Facebook page about that, but in the end, I sent them a bill of sale) and I've moved into having some turkeys.  The two broad breasted white birds are finally in the freezer-at 17 and 38 pounds dressed, mind you-and the four baby Sweetgrass birds are not really "babies" any longer. I like them, and with luck we'll have some turkey chicks this coming spring to sell. Since I made the firm decision not to board any more horses for any reason, I can work on making the critter foot print up there smaller-and give back some space to my husband too.

Sixth, the Alaska Goat Association. Something positive from the ashes of the Mini Goat Cache!  I am move "involved" than I care to be in some aspects, but I am delighted just the same.  The future is bright and the first clinic of the year is this coming weekend.  It's amazing to me, that all these people came together and made it happen because they knew it would be a good thing. And it is.

Like all of us, I have some big plans, and small ones, for this coming year. I'll be growing plenty of vegetables as usual, work too hard potting up and putting in the gardens, and work at adding to the hard scape here with more edible plants.  As always, my growing son and loving husband will pitch in, just because that's what they do.  (Ok, so my son is drug along for muscle, lol)  

I am sure there will be strife, and disappointment, and fears realized and all that-but I don't expect the world to end on December 21st ;)