Fri. March 12th... What is Going On Here??? Why Is This Happening?????

This Morning, I said To Myself... Myself... (Cause that's what I always call myself)
What the hell is going on here? Being myself, I wasn't exactly sure how I should answer myself, so I said to myself, Well...I just don't really know, but as the story goes.....
I was sitting at the computer this morning shortly after dawn, when I noticed movement on the steps, just outside the window. I thought it was probably one of the cats, but it abruptly fell and rolled down the steps. I immediately figured that if it was one of the cats, they were hurt or in some condition of distress to be falling down steps, so I jumped up and pulled the curtain aside quickly enough to see a Raccoon regaining its feet and ambling toward the rear door at the kitchen. I thought perhaps it was heading for the food bowl at the door, belonging to the cats. What if a cat is there eating? Will there be a confrontation? Why is this Raccoon out in the daylight anyway? (Raccoons are as nocturnal as Coyotes) why did it fall down the steps??????????? Too many questions! I quickly headed for the back door to ensure there were no cats there or to avert a fight if there were a cat there. The coast was clear, but as I stood inside the Dutch door looking out at the feed bowl, the coon came into view. I opened the top section of the door and pushed the outside screen door open carefully. It looked at me and just stood there wobbling around, as if drunk. I said "What are you doing here?"
It immediately jumped toward me and as I closed the screen door, it crashed into the door, and then just stood there wobbly. I carefully and slowly pushed the door open and it stood there, as if blind. I said "Hey", and again it wanted to attack. I then pushed the door open briskly, hitting it and rolled it off the stoop, onto the porch floor, where it struggled to stand again. I thought, aw man... not a rabid coon! This is the second sick animal in a week's time. I continued to watch this critter as it regained its feet and started walking toward the gate to the side yard. It climbed up onto the 2x4 railing and walked to the post holding the new roof up over the deck. After almost falling off of the railing twice, it climbed up the post unto the upper structure of the roof, where it almost fell three times, hanging upside down twice. I decided to go get the .22 and do away with this strange critter too. Not worth taking the chance with the farm animals and dogs. It is now gone and buried on the rear lot. Possibly animal #2 with rabies... Who knows?
All I know is that I don't want to kill these animals, but I won't take a chance on loosing our own animals to sick wildlife, so act normal animals. SO......If you're nocturnal, don't be running around here in the daylight, not trying to vamoose immediately when confronted or you're a goner!

Now then, a hint of what's goin' on around here right now!!

We have a fiber picker coming right now and when it arrives, we will have video and pictures of me and Vick processing alpaca, angora and sheep's wool in the picker, on the carding machine and finally on the spinning wheel.
We will also have more of us doing the weaving on the loom and other things we're doing for the hospice program.
We will be working in the building soon, installing boxes and wiring, all the stuff we need to do before installing the tongue and groove wall boards in various designs and textures. This we are doing as we have the money to complete it.
Thus far, every cost or bill incurred during the construction of the building has come out of our own pocket. The following five people or businesses gave us help as follows:
-Jeff Brush donated time in labor in doing the cement work for the foundation.
-The Door Jamb of Shokan, NY gave us highly discounted windows and a door.
-Middle Field Lumber gave us good prices for cutting custom lumber
-True Cut Lumber gave us good prices for cutting custom lumber
-James Jones of Tannersville volunteered a day's labor in carpentry building.
All five have earned a brass plaque in the finished building.
We will have the grand opening as soon as we can complete the building, hopefully by summer.



We have placed all our farm business on the website at:
http://www.cluckinacritterfarm.com/cluckin%20a%20critter%20farm_018.htm
Here, people can buy raw fiber, processed and dyed fibers or simply a scarf, hat or combination set that has been made exclusively here on the farm. Somehow it's a real treat to own a scarf and hat, knowing that the materials for it came from an animal you can see and you can talk to the people who made it. Our spinning, weaving, knitting, and the raw fibers are available, Vick's watercolor and stained glass artwork are available along with my eBooks, biographies and poetry books and picture disc's.
This summer, we will sell chicken, duck and turkey peeps along with full grown meat chickens and Turkeys for Thanksgiving and then Christmas. As always, we will be selling eggs too. © Cluckin' "A" Critter Farm, LLC