Fountainhead revisited

[Brant Gaede]

You're likely a city person, Brant, and so this is something that you won't understand. Squirrels strip the fruit off of our trees. That's our food.

Raccoons kill and eat chickens... oddly not unlike people.

Greg

Oh, shoot one for me (but not a chicken-eating people)!

It sounded like target practice.

I wondered if you were a sociopath and psychotic. In which case Arizona would be too close to California and I'd have to move to Texas, at least.

--Brant

no psychotics in Texas!--all the Eloi should move there (off the record, I despise Eloi, but don't tell them that)

[moralist]

When people separate themselves from nature by the urban setting in which they immersed themselves, they don't understand the reality of what it is, and instead believe it's a Disney movie of cute furry happy anthropomorphized creatures that talk and dance. Because we live adjacent to raw open land, by direct personal experience we see the reality. Everything is ripping everything else apart to eat it.

 

So to grow your own food in this environment, you need to keep it out of the food chain long enough so that you will be able to eat it. Ants mice rats gophers moles birds squirrels raccoons... all exist to suck what you grow into their food chain and out of yours. So it's a constant war of attrition to put enough of a dent in the local animal population so that you can have food to eat. I know it sounds harsh, but that's just the way it is.

 

These are the consequences you set into motion by eating meat...

Greg

[Selene]

Greg:

It is always amusing to argue with anti hunting folks as they eat a cheeseburger.

Somewhere along the argument, I point out that they have a hired killer that puts that burger in their hands.

A...

[Brant Gaede]

I started to watch Greg's video. I had to stop for I'm going to Jack In the Box later for a delicious Sourdough Jack ($4.56 plus tax).

--Brant

redneck gourmet

[moralist]

Brant wrote:

I started to watch Greg's video. I had to stop for I'm going to Jack In the Box later for a delicious Sourdough Jack ($4.56 plus tax). --Brantredneck gourmet

I'm all for you enjoying Jack as long as you are aware of how the meat in your mouth got there. Then you're making an informed choice. :smile:Greg

[Brant Gaede]

Brant wrote:

I started to watch Greg's video. I had to stop for I'm going to Jack In the Box later for a delicious Sourdough Jack ($4.56 plus tax). --Brant redneck gourmet

I'm all for you enjoying Jack as long as you are aware of how the meat in your mouth got there. Then you're making an informed choice. Greg

Don't bother me, don't bother me, don't bother me!

--Brant

[Peter]

Moralist wrote:

I wouldn't feel safe with 150 gallons of gasoline that close to the house, because gas tanks need to be vented and are always giving off fumes, whereas propane is completely sealed.

end quote

The gentlemen who repairs my riding mower offered to refit my generator for propane and I may do that or just buy a new one. The liquid gasoline scares me too. I hate having to go and buy more gas and then ride around with a half dozen 5 gallon cans in my car or trunk. It is just too dangerous. I saw a huge propane tank, at a refill station, get hit by a truck. It did not erupt into flames but one flare shot upwards from its ‘spout’ and it lit up the sky for an hour. No one was seriously hurt and no one was burned.

[Peter]

Brant, I like your cooking show called The Redneck Gourmet. I had some Hughes’ scrapple today, and that’s no joke.

Brant wrote:

I started to watch Greg's video. I had to stop for I'm going to Jack In the Box later for a delicious Sourdough Jack ($4.56 plus tax).

end quote

I know better than to watch a video about killing anything. I remember renting an old video tape about “Faces of Death” or some such title, and another time someone left crime scene photos up on the computer, which I regret clicking through. I regret it because you don’t forget the scenes. I will just add, that if I needed to kill myself because of a really, bad, persistent cancer I would do it with . . . a less painful method.

At age 12, I remember shooting pigeons out of a “colored” lady’s barn when she asked me to. “They shit on everything.” If one fell to the ground but was not dead I would smack it’s head on the ground. She would pluck and feed the (pressure?) cooked pigeons to her little‘uns. I was a pretty good shot with a 22, and I don’t think I made any holes in her barn’s roof. But still, I remember the wounded pigeons trying to crawl away. When you are young or if you were raised on a farm, killing things is easier.

[Peter]

Adam wrote:

Raccoons are aggressive nasty creatures.

end quote

I have had a few run ins with raccoons but also some fun times. One year, two obviously orphaned raccoons were eating the food I put out for a three legged deer (Southern States, goat and kid sweet pellets for 8 bucks a fifty pound sack) I went out to them and the bigger of the kitten sized raccoons stamped her feet at me. I laughed and laughed. She and her sibling had white breast fur. So I let them alone and we became pretty good friends. In about three years there were about 8 raccoons politely stealing food from the cats and deer, all of them with white breast fur. I called them my Roxies from that Beatles song. And I renamed their species “The Chesapeake Panda,” because everyone oohs and aahs at the Chinese Pandas that look closely related to the raccoon.

At the start of this year’s deer season, in November, they disappeared. As I have mentioned before I hear a lot of shots in the pitch dark and it could be someone spotlighting deer but more likely it is someone with night vision goggles.

A few years ago, on my property, a bush holding a rifle stood up and said, “Hello Mr. Taylor.” It took me a second to realize it was a young man wearing a Gilley Suit. Sheesh.

[Brant Gaede]

You needed a 410 shotgun, Peter.

--Brant

[moralist]

My neighbors have a large chain link chicken coop, and one night the raccoons discovered that they could panic the chickens, reach through the holes in the chain link as they flapped by, grab them, and pull them through piece by piece. It was literally a bloodbath.

We added a layer of chicken wire over our chain link, but they still try to get in. And when we hear any panicked chicken noises at night, my wife holds the spotlight on the predators while I take them out.

We have two ponds with fish, and the raccoons would regularly get in, tear up the plants, and eat all the fish they could grab a hold of. So I electrified the perimeter of the large pond, and set up motion sensor lights that we can see from the house for the small one. Problem solved. They haven't gotten a fish since.

None of this is in any way a complaint. It's just where and how we freely chose to live, and we wouldn't have chosen any other way. No sidewalks, no curbs, no bright street lights, no traffic, no noise, no pollution, no crime.

Greg

[Brant Gaede]

My neighbors have a large chain link chicken coop, and one night the raccoons discovered that they could panic the chickens, reach through the holes in the chain link as they flapped by, grab them, and pull them through piece by piece. It was literally a bloodbath.

We added a layer of chicken wire over our chain link, but they still try to get in. And when we hear any panicked chicken noises at night, my wife holds the spotlight on them while I take them out.

We have two ponds with fish, and the raccoons would regularly get in, tear up the plants, and eat all the fish they could grab a hold of. So I electrified the perimeter of the large pond, and set up motion sensor lights that we can see from the house for the small one. Problem solved. They haven't gotten a fish since.

None of this is in any way a complaint. It's just where and how we freely chose to live, and we wouldn't have chosen any other way. No sidewalks, no curbs, no bright street lights, no traffic, no noise, no pollution, no crime.

Greg

The elephants are coming!

--Brant

they're gonna get ya!

[moralist]

My neighbors have a large chain link chicken coop, and one night the raccoons discovered that they could panic the chickens, reach through the holes in the chain link as they flapped by, grab them, and pull them through piece by piece. It was literally a bloodbath.

We added a layer of chicken wire over our chain link, but they still try to get in. And when we hear any panicked chicken noises at night, my wife holds the spotlight on them while I take them out.

We have two ponds with fish, and the raccoons would regularly get in, tear up the plants, and eat all the fish they could grab a hold of. So I electrified the perimeter of the large pond, and set up motion sensor lights that we can see from the house for the small one. Problem solved. They haven't gotten a fish since.

None of this is in any way a complaint. It's just where and how we freely chose to live, and we wouldn't have chosen any other way. No sidewalks, no curbs, no bright street lights, no traffic, no noise, no pollution, no crime.

Greg

The elephants are coming!

--Brant

they're gonna get ya!

The implication is that these situations are imaginary when they're just a natural part of the reality of rural life. Having already known urban life which is totally devoid of darkness and silence and stillness, I happily chose an alternative where I can see the stars at night.

Greg

[Brant Gaede]

My neighbors have a large chain link chicken coop, and one night the raccoons discovered that they could panic the chickens, reach through the holes in the chain link as they flapped by, grab them, and pull them through piece by piece. It was literally a bloodbath.

We added a layer of chicken wire over our chain link, but they still try to get in. And when we hear any panicked chicken noises at night, my wife holds the spotlight on them while I take them out.

We have two ponds with fish, and the raccoons would regularly get in, tear up the plants, and eat all the fish they could grab a hold of. So I electrified the perimeter of the large pond, and set up motion sensor lights that we can see from the house for the small one. Problem solved. They haven't gotten a fish since.

None of this is in any way a complaint. It's just where and how we freely chose to live, and we wouldn't have chosen any other way. No sidewalks, no curbs, no bright street lights, no traffic, no noise, no pollution, no crime.

Greg

The elephants are coming!

--Brant

they're gonna get ya!

The implication is that these situations are imaginary when they're just a natural part of the reality of rural life. Having already known urban life which is totally devoid of darkness and silence and stillness, I happily chose an alternative where I can see the stars at night.

Greg

Camping out I've seen the Milky Way in all its glory--actually only a very small part of the galaxy--and after an hour or so I got completely bored and went to sleep.

--Brant

great memory, though!

(you might extend your understanding and use of my metaphor, not just confirm what you already know)

[Mikee]

Interesting: A recent John Batchelor show featured an interview with Paul Bogard author of "The End of Night: Searching for Natural Darkness in a world of artificial light".

http://johnbatchelorshow.com/podcasts/2014/01/16/fourth-hour

http://www.nps.gov/chcu/naturescience/darkskypark.htm

[Selene]

Interesting: A recent John Batchelor show featured an interview with Paul Bogard author of "The End of Night: Searching for Natural Darkness in a world of artificial light".

http://johnbatchelorshow.com/podcasts/2014/01/16/fourth-hour

http://www.nps.gov/chcu/naturescience/darkskypark.htm

Great interview. I am a big John Batchelor fan. One of the better interviewers ever...well prepared and smart...

[Peter]

Brant wrote:

You needed a 410 shotgun, Peter.

end quote

I agree. A few years ago I decided to shoot some mistletoe out of a tree with a 22 and it took a lot of shots.

The 410 is the best weapon for a woman, or a man, inside a house. It won’t miss, and the pellets should not go through more than one wall, sparing the innocent. I have a 410 always unloaded, up high, but within my wife’s reach, next to a box of shells.

We just got about six inches of snow and it is going down to 5 degrees above tonight. I have a bulb in my water shed for the pump and it has not burned out. There is a field mouse in there that makes a hiss like a snake though it also squeaks. It may be a “vole” or some such thing.

[Backlighting]

Brant wrote:

You needed a 410 shotgun, Peter.

end quote

I agree. A few years ago I decided to shoot some mistletoe out of a tree with a 22 and it took a lot of shots.

The 410 is the best weapon for a woman, or a man, inside a house. It won’t miss, and the pellets should not go through more than one wall, sparing the innocent. I have a 410 always unloaded, up high, but within my wife’s reach, next to a box of shells.

We just got about six inches of snow and it is going down to 5 degrees above tonight. I have a bulb in my water shed for the pump and it has not burned out. There is a field mouse in there that makes a hiss like a snake though it also squeaks. It may be a “vole” or some such thing.

A shotgun, or any rifle, for defense inside a home presents the problem of having to quickly wield it around in tight quarters; like hallways, small bedrooms, closets and bathrooms-& get it on target.

A slow moving & powerful round, like a .45 ACP or .44 Special loaded into a handgun would be a better choice imo. With practice a woman or teen can become proficient.

[moralist]

Brant wrote:

You needed a 410 shotgun, Peter.

end quote

I agree. A few years ago I decided to shoot some mistletoe out of a tree with a 22 and it took a lot of shots.

The 410 is the best weapon for a woman, or a man, inside a house. It won’t miss, and the pellets should not go through more than one wall, sparing the innocent. I have a 410 always unloaded, up high, but within my wife’s reach, next to a box of shells.

We just got about six inches of snow and it is going down to 5 degrees above tonight. I have a bulb in my water shed for the pump and it has not burned out. There is a field mouse in there that makes a hiss like a snake though it also squeaks. It may be a “vole” or some such thing.

A shotgun, or any rifle, for defense inside a home presents the problem of having to quickly wield it around in tight quarters; like hallways, small bedrooms, closets and bathrooms-& get it on target.

A slow moving & powerful round, like a .45 ACP or .44 Special loaded into a handgun would be a better choice imo. With practice a woman or teen can become proficient.

My two ready weapons are a 10/22 bullpup, and 22/45, as they're both highly maneuverable and very easy to keep on point while firing.