Rat Update

 Still trying to catch rats.  They are definitely smart.  They can get around traps.  They are also fast.  Evidently, they can not swim very well.  I was checking on a bucket of water.  In the bucket floated the body of a rat.  We try not to use buckets.  Baby chicks have that same problem.   

Rain and More Chicks

 Summer is here!  Every day we are getting rain.  Even when it looks like no rain, there is rain a minute later.  My guess is we are making up for the loss of rain in April.  That is creating a new problem.  I'm worried that some of the chicks will get washed away.  The brooding chickens have not stopped.  Yesterday, I found a chick lying in the run that a broody chicken is in.  I thought it was dead.  I opened the door to the run.  The chick jumped up.  I noticed another chick.  I hope they survive.  I have seen a bunch of dead chicks.  I am letting nature take the wheel.  Getting back to the rain, it is helping the garden that I am trying to grow.  I am really putting in the effort.  I tell you, starting from a seed is a real pain in the behind.  I would say I have had a 50% success rate.  

Rats!

 Recently, I went outside to move some boxes that was on our deck.  We can not burn anything right now due to the draught we are in.  When I did, I heard a scratching noise.  I move some boxes and all of a sudden 3 rats jump out and go over the side.  Later, for some reason, I went in one of the sheds that chickens stay in.  I kicked a plastic box.  All of a sudden, rats were running everywhere.  The next night, I grabbed a BB gun and tried to shoot some.  I found it is hard to accomplish this in the dark.  I did have a phone in one hand, but could not aim and shoot with one hand.  I did get a lucky shot, but I think it only grazed or scared it.  It still ran off.  I did manage to catch one in a live trap, but that was luck.  I have to wait a day or so for rat poison.  If they stay, they will multiply.  I can't have them getting into the food or even going after the chickens.  

More Chicks

 Every day I go out, I have to watch where I walk.  New chicks are roaming the grounds.  Of course, the mothers are usually with them.  As they grow older, they get more adventurous.  One chick was in a run with other chickens and ducks.  Mother was in another run.  I chased her back to her mother.  You never know when they will attack.  Guinea fowl have been chasing them.  I know that chickens will kill a baby Guinea.  I just hope that they make it to adulthood.  The more live chickens, the more eggs we will get.   

Chicks

With egg prices skyrocketing, I am actually running low.  I go out to check for eggs everyday.  When I look at the nests, I find a chicken.  If I try to take the eggs underneath, I get pecked.  It seems that the hens are brooding.  That is when they decide to be mothers.  They will sit on a nest of eggs for 20-30 days.  They stay on the nests without leaving.  I throw food out for them.  If they need water, they need to go to the water.  Eventually, we get chicks.  Even if we have a number of chicks, I do not really count them until they reach a certain size.  When they first hatch, it seems chickens can sense issues with the chicks.  Whether it is a health issues or some other issue, they will kill the chick.  Then, you have to worry about predators.  The mothers will defend the chicks, but I have found dead hens and missing chicks.  Now we are nearing an extra 30 to 40 chickens, if they survive.  That will lead to more egg layers, I hope.  I can't tell if they are all hens or some are roosters.  I really don't need more roosters.  One goes a long way.  

Havoc

 Havoc is finally coming out!  I have been waiting for this to be released for years.  It's from the director of The Raid and Raid 2.  If you have not seen these movies, watch them.  Especially if you like martial arts movies.  This director knows how to film action on a budget.  Havoc has Tom Hardy, Forest Whitaker,  and others.  It does look like it has a lot of action.  It will be coming to Netflix on April 25!  

Epic Universe

This year, Orlando is getting a new theme park from Universal Studios.  It is called Epic Universe.  It is made up of five portals that lead to lands.  If you go on YouTube, you can see visits by influencers.  Don't be fooled by them.  They were invited and did not pay for the visit.  All that amazement might not be as real as it looks.  Sometimes it looks weird for an adult to cry looking at a person dressed as a character.  I can understand kids, but adults?  Remember, it is a teen/young adult in a foam costume.  Some could even have issues.  I keep my eye on them with my children.  Getting to the visits.  It looks like they have found a lot of ways to make money.  They have also created long ques for waiting in line.  The rides look okay for children.  Some look like other rides Universal already have, they just change the characters.  Be warned if you come this summer.  It will sell out.  Not only that, but it is hot and humid in Florida in the summer.  I can imagine wait times starting at an hour and going up from there.  That would be a waste of money to spend 4 to 5 hours waiting in line for rides.  You might be tempted to go to Disney.  They are really expensive and have the same problems with wait times.  Unless you are rich.  All the parks have made it simple for those with money.  They even go out of their way to screw the disabled to cater to the rich.  If you are looking for something fun to do in the summer, go to a regional park.  They have more rides and shorter wait times.  

Storm Day

 I was in a meeting all day.  At the beginning, my boss said there was a tornado warning in the area.  Little did I know how close it was.  Later in the day, I was checking news headlines.  Sure enough, a tornado touched down a couple of miles from the office.  It tore up a couple of houses.  Trees were down.  As far as I know, no one was hurt!  

Comic Book Movies

 So comic book movies seem to be fading.  I can't say there is much coming out that I want to see.  Not only that, Disney has ruined Star Wars for me.  I stopped watching the shows.  For me the dialogue in these movies are going down hill.  Not only that, but they try to fit in too much, especially comic book movies.  The upcoming Superman looks like another bad example of how not to do a movie.  Too many heroes and no real villain.  Or, they put in a CG created mess as a villain.  I hope they would get better writers and directors.  One issue that is glaring in the last couple of movies is that it seems to take 10 to 20 writers to write the film.  Maybe the Endgame was the end of good comic book movies.  

Oscars

 So the Oscars were the other day.  Good to see independent movies doing well.  I saw some of them.  I will try to see some more.  Some do not interest me.  I did see Flow.  Great movie.  Here's a movie that cost less than the $100,000,000 animated films the big companies put out.  I heard it was created on an app.  They did not use stupid actor voices for the animals.  This is the kind of movie that Hollywood would buy and put in those wacky voices.  See it before Hollywood ruins it.  The Substance was a great movie.  I love Cronenberg.  It is great to see a director pick up the body horror mantle.  Her first movie Revenge is also a great movie.  When Anora comes on streaming, I will watch that.  Maybe the Culkin movie.  Check out the independent movies and really support those companies.  They are really hitting it out of the park.  

Chickens

 So, I'm back!  It has been a busy couple of months.  I would like to say things are slowing down, but as you get older, life seems to go by quicker.  Our farm is doing well.  We have lots of chickens and they are laying some eggs.  One issue we have is that the ones outside of chicken runs tend to lay where ever they want to.  Then, it is like Easter egg hunt.  When you find hidden eggs, you have a 50-50 chance of it being any good.  I found a nest of 10 eggs or so.  I tossed them to the chickens.  There were some that had a green color inside.  I built another run.  Soon, we will be able to catch a few more and have them in a secure spot.  With egg prices going crazy, I am glad we have the chickens.  I went to a farm store recently.  They had no chicks for sale.  They were all gone.  The price was 7.99 and you had to buy a minimum of 4.  One has to have a set up.  Chicks need heat until their feathers come in.  Then you have at worry about Pasty butt.  That is where a chick poops and it does not fully come off their body and dries up.  If it blocks their anus, it will kill them because they will not be able to poop.  Don't even try to introduce new chicks to older chickens.  I did that once.  I thought the mother chick would take it in.  She killed the chick.  The other thing people need to know is whether it is a rooster or a hen.  If you want eggs, you do not need a rooster.  You also have to depend on the store clerk to identify hen or rooster.  I guess there is a way to tell, but I have not looked it up.  I know when they are older.  They have their crow and if they jump on the back of a hen.  A lot of places do not want roosters.  They will crow all the time.  Not just at dawn.  If you decide to get into chickens do the research.  

Waiting on a Storm

 Florida is waiting on one of the scarier hurricanes I have been able to be present for.  Waiting can be really boring.  The news shows coverage 24 hours a day about the hurricane.  While waiting on damage to show, they bombard us with interviews from the police and politicians.  If you did care to see that kind of coverage, we have political commercials.  I'd rather be streaming to get away from the commercials.  Once the damage starts to come in, we will go to man/woman in the field stories.  Basically, they are in a raincoat being buffeted by the wind and rain.  Sometimes, if you are lucky, you see them dodge dangerous debris.  If you think you can get away and go out, you are wrong.  It usually rains in sheets.  I've had to walk a dog in a hurricane.  Not fun.  Our dog did not like being outside.  We did do the best to get the chickens put up in a safe place.  Easier said than done.  They will not stay put and let you pick them up.  Half are up and the other will have to find a safe place.  On top of all this, the hurricane is not supposed to make landfall until late in the night.  If we get a Tornado, we will not be able to see it.  We'll be crossing our fingers that we make it through the night and that our power is still on.  We've already had an internet outage.  They got it back up.  

Summer

 Summer is here.  Even if it is not, it has been hot in Florida with little rain.  It is coming.  Usually in June, we get afternoon showers.  Unlike other states, our showers are cool and then make it more humid and hot.  It's funny people flock here for the summer, especially at the parks.  The usual wait for rides is about an hour.  Some parks have ways to cool people down in lines, but it's not really that great.  The beaches?  Funny to see all the lobsters.  People who are not used to sun like ours and not really concerned with suntan lotions.  Then there is our waterways.  If the water is too warm, stay out of the water.  If you have cuts or just go under water and breath through your nose, you are risking Amoebas or other life threatening bacteria.   With our current government, you really don't know what you are swimming in.  Waste is really not their concern if their donors want to dump it.  Only when it affects tourism they throw some money to clean it up.  Forget about them going after the offenders.  They would lose campaign dollars.  I forgot about the gators.  If it is fresh water, you need to believe that there are gators and snakes in the water.  I'll stay indoors and enjoy our expensive air conditioning.  Electric companies in Florida owns the politicians.  

Upgrade

 I am a big fan on independent and original movies.  Seeing a good one is getting harder.  There are fewer companies making them.  The directors/storytellers are sticking to mind numbing unoriginal stories.  I was looking on Netflix.  I found Upgrade.  I knew a little, but not much.  I guess my main thought was that it was like Hardcore Harry.  You watch everything from his point of view like a video game.  It was not like that.  It had action and some humor.  I liked it.  Found out that the writer of Saw was the person who came up with this.  If you want something a little more original, check it out.  Also, no big name stars, so it makes it harder to tell what's going to happen.  Big name equals to happy ending.  

Feels Like Forever

It's been awhile.  Life is moving at a pace that is crazy.  My kids are growing up.  Two have left the nest and one of them is married.  Senior status is around the corner.  Yet, we still have three under 18.  Living with kids that have disabilities can be a challenge.  It also has many rewards.  My daughter's each have different personalities.  They love music.  We have even brought them to multiple concerts.  The latest being AJR.  If you have not heard of them, check them out on YouTube.  Their songs are really catchy.  One daughter can name their songs within a couple of notes.  She can even tell you the albums they come from.   

One issue that has arisen from our children's disabilities is insurance.  Florida is not big on covering children with disabilities.  If guess they think that if a child chooses to be disabled, they should have to pay for it.  Or its just our politicians just want to make it so expensive that we move to another state.  

Then there is Property insurance.  With hurricanes becoming more powerful and plentiful, we are bearing the brunt of this.  Rates are crazy in this state.  If they are not increasing to max levels, they are abandoning the state.  Our politicians are even concerned.  Guess as long as the rich can afford, then the rest can deal with it.  

Lake County Fair

 We came from North Carolina.  Every year, they do a state fair.  It is a big deal in October.  There were even sections I wish I had paid more attention to.  They had the food, the games, a big ride section, and then we have the agriculture.  They had the planters, the animals, etc.  Last night, we visited the Lake County Florida Fair.  It was like a small block at the NC Fair.  They had the food, rides, and some agriculture.  Really, there is not much space.  We did one stroll around time.  Food has really gone up in price.  The kids got to ride the Merry Go Round.  We would not let them go on any of the bigger rides.  Especially after the death of the 14 year old on the drop ride.    They did have cows, goats, rabbits, and chickens.  It was kind of pitiful.  I liked the chickens, but people were not around to answer questions.  They did not even list the kinds of chickens.  I did see some small chickens.  They were kind of neat.  It was kind of disappointing.  Guess I'll have to make my way back to NC during fair season.