CarlArt

Painting of Carl by my friend Terri Vogl. 

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Carl stamp

Just happened to get an email from stamps.com today reminding me of a holiday sale they had going on for custom photo stamps.  Decided I would order a few sheets in honor of Carl.  Not really worth it to me to try and market these, so if anyone wants some - just copy the image on the left and save it to a folder on your computer and you can go to stamps.com to order some of your own.

In donkey news:  Blue Boy aka Jesse James (got hit by a car earlier this year and was rescued by some locals) is getting some new therapy on his bad leg and seems to be showing progress.
https://www.facebook.com/farabee1/media_set?set=a.602877159748835.1073741976.100000796684942&type=1
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pulled the plug...

No Carl Jr's....it just wasn't meant to be.  Rather than his failure to perform - I prefer to think that he was just too much of a gentleman.  As long as I have all the gear - will order some fertile eggs from his breed next spring to try out.  I really want to see hatching happen since I've never seen it before.

Had a mouse run in my open door just before the big cold swooped in on us.  Decided to just let him live it up for awhile while he could.  Even put out some food and water for him.  Had enough just before bedtime last night of his waking me up in the middle of the night, gnawing on papers under my counter.  Rigged a ramp to a large Rubbermaid storage tub with some sunflower seeds in it.  Turned out the lights and within 5 minutes I heard him "plop" in.  Put the lid on and let him spend the night in there.  Set him free by the barn once it warmed up this morning.  He's on his own now.  42,51,34,0,B,0

The Gospel According To Carl

When I wrote about Carl's demise a couple of days ago - I referred to him being dead as a doornail.  After posting that, I decided to look up where that phrase comes from.  Apparently, a very long time ago nails where used to fasten thick boards together to make doors.  The pointed end sticking out one side was bent over to hold the nails in place...rendering the nail useless or "dead" from now on.  The search also listed this phrase from a Middle English allegorical narrative poem The Vision of William Concerning Piers The Plowman written by William Langland around 1362..."Faith without works is feebler than nothing and dead as a doornail".  Two things occurred to me.  1-That sounds like scripture. 2 - If it is scripture, why is a writer from the 14th century quoting it at a time in history when few had access to the Bible (none at the time had been printed in English) other than what the Popes doled out to control the uneducated.  This was pre-reformation and although Langland was a contemporary of John Wycliffe (one of the earliest opponents of papal authority influencing secular power), it is unclear if he was aware of the movement that was about to start which would ultimately topple the early Roman Catholic Church's control of the masses.  A brief summery of Langland's epic would suggest that he had an inkling..."an intense quest for the true Christian life from the perspective of medieval Catholicism".

So....this is Carl's message:

James 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe , and tremble . 20 But wilt thou know , O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

James 1:23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way , and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was . 25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

2 Peter 1:5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. 8 For if these things be in you, and abound , they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off , and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. 10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall : 11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

RIP Carl

Let Carl and the girls out just like I do every morning.  Late this afternoon, the hens were around but no sign of Carl.  Checked the coop and there he was - dead as a doornail.  Since I have no idea how old he was and there were no apparent signs of truama - perhaps he just died of old age....or too much love.  75,82,57,0,B,0

Sandalday

Nice Saturday.  Figured out I don't have to train Carl not to attack me if I'm wearing shorts....I just put him in the pen with the girls.  He hangs out all day near them anyway and doesn't seem to mind being in with them.  Now I can try out different outfits to test him with while he is behind bars - he really hates sandals with socks.  90,103,58,0,C,0

This just in...Canvasman34 has another one of his micro mini furnaces available on Ebay...bidding ends Sunday night.  These things are great if you want to play with fire.  http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290917396316

Animal Psychology

Interesting turn of events today.  A picture of Carl and a bunny will have to suffice.   Did an Alpine run for feed and supplies.  Got home around 3 and it was getting hot finally...up to 93° inside the hut (I think Pepino II season starts tomorrow).  Decided it was time to put on shorts and sandals.  Went out to do chores around the grounds and Carl came after me just like he does with all my visitors.  He was relentless no matter what I said to him.  Put my jeans and boots back on and....nothing - he was my buddy again.  This could definitely be a problem as summer rolls in.  Now I have to train Carl to accept my bare legs - maybe they are just too white.  Perhaps I will try shorts and boots tomorrow to ease him into it.  83,102,57,0,B,0  

melding...

Carl has been feeling neglected, so we spent

some quality time together today.  82,98,72,0,B,0

no one in here but us chickens...

Full crappy weather day....but I think the blazing summer heat is just around the corner.  Ran errands down south.  Did the GrubShack for lunch - they had the wood stove going all day.  Spent countless hours this afternoon working on the Benita Tshirt design - almost ready to go to press.  My stickam friend Adrienne got this screen grab for me just before I pitched Carl outside for the night.  40,46,37,0,W