Taxes

Taxes.  That inevitable force in life, right next to death.  Funny, we seem to avoid both, don't we?  If you ask me, too much of either isn't very healthy.  Taxes have come up two of my classes the past couple of weeks.  First was in my Business Plan Developement Class.  If you have a business, you really can't legally avoid taxes.  If anyone knows a way around that without running into the risk of liability, let me know.  The other class that has prompted ponderings is my U.S. History class.  We are studying the events leading up to the American Revolution.  I shan't get into details, but apperently taxes had something to do with it.  It was something about the British raising taxes to pay for things that America neither wanted nor needed, and America not having a say in things like the rest of England. I guess I'd be pretty irritated too, if my government was taking my hard earned cash and using it to pay for things that I didn't think it should be paying for.  Especially if I was loosing out in other ways.  What would really bug me would be if I knew that the majority voted one way and the government still insisted on doing things another way.
Now, I do know that taxes are in many ways a necissary evil.  After all, taxes pay for things like roads and these community college classes I'm taking.  But it seems like that money goes for many things that I really don't see the benefit of, too.  Such as bike trails that people drive their SUVs to to get exercise.  I could probably go on all night.  But when it comes down to it, grandpa says it best.  This is a video clip from one of my favorite movies, You Can't Take it With You.

And the rain rain rain came down down down....

in rushing, rising rivets.  Yes, it is raining in Minnesota.  Lightly, right now.  Sometime in the last 48 hours we have gotten over 5 1/2 inches of rain here at the farm.  We don't know how much, because the rain gauge overflowed.  Up here, that's the worst of it.  From what I've heard, there is rain lots of other places doing more damage.  Long story short, it's wet here.

In other news....

Our last puppy will be gone on Saturday.  We will miss Rex, but we're happy he will be going to a great home in Washington State. I won't cry, honest....(sniff sniff)

Amy, our last milk cow's only daughter, is going to be calving soon.  We can't wait!  In addition to the fun of a new "baby" around, I'm looking forward to fresh milk for drinking and cooking and cheese making. I hope I will have time to make some mozzarella soon!  Fresh cheese is sooooooo yummy, especially on homemade pizza. Another reason we can't WAIT to see this new calf is it's parentage.  Amy is a Jersey milk cow, and the bull was a Belted Galloway/Angus cross.  If you have never seen Belted Galloways, they look like Oreo cookies.  What the Jersey will do to the unique color pattern, I daren't hazard a guess.  I do know that as long as he/she has the Jersey eyes, it will be cute.

Also new on the farm are 20 muscovy ducklings and 5 Khaki Campbell crosses.  We have had muscovies in the past, and I love them.  They really are a must on any farm, and would also fit nicely into most backyards.  They don't need a pond, because they can't really swim- they sink.  They eat flies and mosquitos, and who doesn't need fewer of those pests??? And, as a bonus, they don't quack.  Not that quaking is a bad thing, but if you are in town, quite pets are probably better received by the neighbors.  It's also better for those who raise large numbers for their lean, beef-like meat.  They do make some noise.  The drakes hiss, and the females kind of peep.

Last on the list of newcomers are the chickens, but there are quite a few of them.  We are currently experimenting with our meat birds.  Instead of our usual cornish-crosses, which don't graze very well, we're raising out a batch of Freedom Ranger chicks.  They are a colored meat bird, and are bred for their grazing.  We can already see a big difference in their activity compared to the cornish-cross-- they are constantly running around and scratching for feed.  We do expect them to eat a little more than the others, but we are also hoping for a superior meat from them.  Hopefully it will turn out well.
We also have some new laying hens.  We are trying to convert our current flock mixed variety chickens to about four different breeds.  Our beginning of this endeavor has resulted in the purchase of 2 Americauna hens (blue egg layers,) two Blue Cochin hens (brown egg layers) and a rooster, and two Silkie Bantam hens and a rooster.

Well, that's life on this rainy Thursday. If I don't post again soon, assume I floated away or was eaten by my homework.