Only slightly less extreme makeover

This is really wild. Bordering the unbelievable, actually. I am still amazed. Truly amazed.

As soon as ToD left (RIP, ya dinosaur) all of Christian's insistent worst fears about Dory manifested themselves within a week. There is no doubt ... Christian was dead right ... this turkey is a dude.

Poor Dory was the omega. Not a female, but a submissive, barrel-bottom male. He (and I still have a hard time with the gender pronouns) knew his place in the very small pecking order at BHF and kept it faithfully. But the day ToD left, Dory began to change.

His beard grew, his snood grew, the icky wattle curuncle thingies grew exponentially. And most obviously, though less amazing to me than the crazy appendage growth, he began to strut. A LOT. And gobble. A LOT. Dory is one bad m$^#$%-f%^%#.


Check it out.

Dory in late November





Dory yesterday




Luckily for Dory, he still has a trace of that subservience. That just might keep his manly ass alive.

Mmmmm...sandwichy

On Thursday we went down to Galveston for the grand re-opening of the Lunchbox Cafe. If you have not been there and you are able to -- you should go. I figure we drove about 80-85 miles for those sandwiches and it was worth every last foot of the haul.

The owners of the cafe, Daya and Laura are customers and official Friends of the Farm. They have had a long, tough re-build since hurricane Ike totaled their space, and we are so glad they were able to reopen and get on with their important work of feeding people real, quality food using many local, sustainable ingredients.

Rock on, you guys. We're so glad you're back. We'll be down again soon. There are a lot of things on that menu I still want to try.

OK-- Now THIS is funny

Today, FOFs John and Susan sent me this cartoon. It is rare that any of the Sunday funnies actually make me laugh. This is one of those times. Freaking hilarious, for obvious reasons.

Extreme Makeover - Farm Edition

Before









After



Yes, ToD went to freezer camp this week. Turkeys - males especially - do not make great pets. Which makes it all the more disturbing that we are pretty sure Dory is a dude, too. Sigh.

We need to talk to her old family about her fate, but this extreme makeover was prompted by numerous attacks on farm guests. Now, granted, ToD was a bird and was therefore unlikely to seriously injure anyone. But still - we just can't have that. And if Dory knows what's good for her/him, she/he will take it down a notch.

We had the dude processed by our friends and fellow farmers, the Cranks. In return, we will be giving them a male goat. A lucky, lucky boy who will grow up to be a herd sire, and not a barbequed entree. It's pretty much a win-win.

Unless you are ToD.

I feel like W. - I gave a pardon and then I revoked it.

I am drunk with power.

Life is not fair

On Sunday, a perfect storm of events shortened Daisy's tenure as house goat in a way that can only be described as supremely unfair. (If you're a house goat, that is.)

1. The Hydes came to to get their goats - including Poinsettia's playmates.
2. Lucinda became a mom (Yay, Lucy!) and -- well, you know how it goes when the new model comes out.

That day, Daisy (the name the Roussel family picked for the cute little black goat)went to the backyard fun palace to be with Poinsettia, and this little girl moved into her bedroom.



All three goats will be moving to their new homes this Saturday, so even this one's house days are numbered. She'll probably go out to play for the bulk of the day today. The weather looks good for it.

We have one more goat due this month - date unknown and then we'll get a break until mid-February. Our waiting list has shortened enough that I'll start having to advertise goats for sale soon. If you're in the market, let us know. More cuteness is on the way.

My once-a-year Saturday off

You are not going to believe this crap.

So I get super excited about my first Saturday off since May and we plan to head out of town to some new flea markets and junk shops. Our idea of fun - work with it.

We get 13 miles east of town - to the first real town on the way - and as we turn north, the power steering goes out and we coast into the parking lot of an auto parts store.

Just the day before we had picked up the car from the garage where we had a crank-case seal replaced. A bummer, but (expensive) problem solved. Except that they apparently faltered a little on putting it back together. Ahem. Christian called the garage and got lucky that the owner was in. He said he'd send a tow truck and it would be there in 30 minutes. Only it wasn't.

Here is how I spent my day off.

Bracing for a 30-minute wait.









The view from the car.








Oh, the irony.








45 minutes and counting.









Thank god for car nuts.










...and XM radio.








Christian buys 15 minutes worth of entertainment.









This stuff cleans everything.











Wow. It's brighter in here already.











The original 1998 window sticker. You can find neat things when you're stuck for over an hour and counting.











We shouldn't have stopped in bat country.









12:00 alreay?! I LOVE This American Life.








More for something to do than any great desire for corn syrup, I walk to McDonalds. This might be the first time in 15 years I've been to a McDonalds.








Eventually, when the day is totally blown, the truck comes.




View of the shop where the car is...again.... as seen from my walk home.









I can see my house from here!






Now, to be fair, Larry was very apologetic about the car. He paid for the tow and fixed it correctly. But still and all. One Saturday off a year. Larry, my friend. You are no longer my friend, my friend.

A day off from the farmers' market

Somehow the news that we would not be at the Bayou City Farmers' Market tomorrow did not make it into their newsletter this week. :(

I am posting here on the off-chance some of you are customers and will see this before you wonder where we are tomorrow.

Happy New Year - we'll be back next week.

House Goats are Like Trophy Wives

It's a sad reality when you are a house goat -- some day a younger, cuter model will come along and you will go out back with the yard goats.

To be fair, Poinsettia is having more fun playing with Judah and Macabee than she had watching the Rachel Maddow show with me, so don't feel bad for her.

But look who's watching Maddow now...