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Every once in a while there is an effort launched somewhere locally by one group or another to repeal the bylaws  that forbid backyard chickens, almost always unsuccessfully. The argument is always centred around egg production, which I think is a foolish angle to pursue, they would do much better if they were presented as pets. Compare the noise and manure output of a few hens with that of a full sized dog or two.... and you can't used doggie waste in the garden!
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Starlings do eat a lot of insects, though. And a murmuration on an autumn evening is a sight to behold.

Sparrows I agree are unbelievably noisy - you'd have thought something that size would have more sense than to make itself so obtrusive. I have a family in the garden who've got used to me and are very entertaining. Freddy Feather (identified by a sort of a cowlick in his right wing flight feathers) gets a lot of backchat from one of his male offspring; he's still winning so far, and keeping his grip on power as represented by the right to occupy the old sunflower stem I propped up in the flower bed for them, and to decide whose turn it is to use the birdbath. I think of them as my mini-chickens, though without the egg production bonus obviously. I miss my ladies terribly.
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That's funny about the parakeets CM. I personally would be happy if some fools had never imported the starling or the house sparrow to the New World, they are not even pretty, just noisy and messy.
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I remember the first time I saw ring-necked parakeets out of my kitchen window. Brilliant green flashes zooming past, and the most unbelievable screeching racket going on. This was 20 years ago, and I couldn't for the life of me think what such exotic birds were doing in a small, drab suburb of North West London on a spring morning - tourists?

Nope, immigrants. They love it here, apparently, and there are now thriving colonies all over the place. It's driving everyone nuts!

Finished watching my entire boxed set of the US 'House of Cards' series last night. This morning I am feeling grumpy about the serious plot flaws. What ambitious, public-spirited lawyer would ever pass up a place on the Supreme Court for the sake of a dodgy stab at the presidency? A lifetime of unchallengeable judicial oversight versus eight years max - and that not even a racing certainty - in the White House. It wouldn't happen. Not In A Million Years. I'd already swallowed actual hands-on murder, shenanigans with the chauffeur, and a sudden politically suicidal public commitment to gay rights far above and beyond the call of duty (not to mention common sense diplomacy). I hate having my willing suspension of disbelief stretched past breaking point.

Good watch, though, and some super acting.
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There's a flock of wild parrots that squawk and poop every evening and every morning - I wish they'd bugger off
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While driving, I only did this once and never again.... honked at geese as they are flying over. Oops.
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Hence, the Hazmat team?
Don't know what they would be doing, except to stand around and watch Mickey, Minnie, and Donald clean up the poo.
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Geese are quite big.

Rofl!
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Happy Canada Day to my friends in Canada!
There is Gershun, Cwillie, and a few others.
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Send, the geese were probably flinging hurtful poo...........!!!!! :)
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A f l o c k of g e e s e flew over Disneyland (anaheim)
during the full moon, 9 p.m. Friday.

A hazmat team was called because they pooped on a crowd of people. This really happened in So. California.

I feel funny about it.
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Thanks, Send! I'm looking forward to it, and feeling far more calm about this trip than I have in the past. I've had time to prepare and get things done ahead of time, and that's never been the case in the past. That's not to say I won't be running around like the proverbial headless chicken tomorrow, but I've made quite a bit of progress.
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Susan,
Have a wonderful time, you deserve it!
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Thank you Labs4me , I don't know if I ever thanked you for your answer. I didn't mean to sound greedy, I'm not ,I volunteered to pay for my beloved sons funeral. I was devastated. I was just wondering.

And thanks to you BarbBrooklyn, for the wonderful comment. I'm trying hard to cope with his death. As I practically grew up with my kids and he was my baby.
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Thanks Gershun!
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You've always sounded like such a super productive person Susan. Please, see if you can send some of that my way. Have a great trip!
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Thanks, Guestshop!

Also constructed a doggie ramp today using an instructable I found online. Thank goodness for the internet. Dog will use it, but is a little wary of it - understandable, since he's never used one, and it gives a little under his weight. (It's extremely sturdy, but there is a slight amount of flex when he steps on it.) It's fairly lightweight, covered in durable indoor/outdoor carpet, and works well for our minivan from the side doors or the back. :-)
$46 as opposed to $120 for a commercially-made ramp that weighs far more than this one. I'll take it.
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Super and safe trip Susan. I think it's the ability to do schedule and actually do when WE want instead of others needs. Have fun.
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Good job on the appointment, Send!

I'm a whirling dervish of productivity these past couple of days. Hope I don't crash anytime soon, because I have too much to do. I have a trip coming up at the end of the week, so there's a lot of prepping for that going on.

Yesterday I didn't get much done as far as the trip goes, but it was an incredibly busy day.
Left home at 8:30am for birthday trip to a local petting zoo & orchard for GS.
Picked up pizza for bday dinner for GS.
Dropped DD off to her part time job.
Took GS' home and fed them their pizza, got older GS off to his therapy appt and younger GS down for a nap.
Cleaned house like a white tornado for the duration of the nap.
GS woke up just in time to go pick DD up from job.
Back home to change quickly and head for nephew's graduation ceremony.
Then a couple of quick stops to gas up the vehicle, pick up some last minute items for the trip and return pop bottles for deposit and cash in a bunch of change from my piggy bank to help with trip expenses. $47 - not too shabby.
Then back home to do client work for a few hours before I got a shower (to get the sand out of my hair from the semi that blasted me in passing) and collapsed into bed around 11pm.

Tell you what...I haven't had a day like that in a long time. It was tiring, but it was all good stuff, and the schedule worked out without a hitch, which always makes me happy. I'm probably too stuck on schedules, but I like when things fall into place the way they should.

Today was vehicle prep day - washed, vacuumed, shampooed a stain off the carpeting, set up my emergency travel kit in a new carrier ($7 at the local overstock store, love it) and stowed that in the back, tested the back of the vehicle to be sure dog crate will fit (fits like a dream with room to spare!), and even put new air fresheners in the vents. LOL
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Good For You Send...You deserve a HUGE bowl of chocolate ice cream tonight!
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Where'd everybody go?
Even though I dislike Mondays,
Even though I have r u l e s about doctor appts. on Mondays,
off I go......unprepared for an important appt. that I have waited months for....but it's okay.....
I AM going!
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There are others up....is there anymore champagne?

You are not going to believe this....I had to put my ice water bottle on my head, at the temple for a few minutes.
Think my brain froze.

Welcome to June 1st!
Goodnight everyone!
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Just showed my dH the kitty in the fridge...seconds before Gershun changed her avatar.

Are you home from hoca MsMadge?

Who did anything worthwhile today? I know I didn't, yet.

Clink!  My glass is half full.
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Gershun,
Does Canada have Ben & Jerry's?
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I had wheat thins and jarlsburg before my chocolate cherry Garcia
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We have popcorn, yum.
There should be some cheese and crackers....
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Just me and my chocolate cherry Garcia
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A celebration! Thanks Gershun! You, MsMadge,and I may be the only ones up? Is that Champagne?
Cheers back at you!
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There Send, changed my avatar just for you! Cheers!
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Yeah.............!!!!!! Good for you Send! Here's to at least two or three good days in a row!
Picture two champagne glasses clinking. :)
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