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.  

Duck Eggs

 We have had ducks for over a year.  There has been no activity.  I thought they were all males.  This weekend, we discovered there are some females.  One started laying eggs.  I saw a brown duck in a structure I set up for the chickens to lay.  Some use it, but not always.  I had my wife check the cubby the other day.  There were 4 eggs.  On top of that, we saw one duck trying to make baby ducks.  We can say we have at least 2 females.  

Don't Say Gay!

 From that title, you probably know I live in Florida, if you did not already know.  The other day, I found out that Hungary had a similar law in their country.  Wonder if our wannabe authoritarian used their law to fuel it.  Wouldn't surprise me.  Like all good authoritarians, he is punishing Disney for speaking out against his hateful law.  Also, he says you accept pedophile groomers if you do not like his law.  Only, he seems to have a bunch of people in his inner circle that have had issues with sex trafficking.  

Gym Etiquette

 During these days of  COVID, you'd think people would automatically give space.  Yesterday, I went to the gym.  I went to the treadmill.  I gave two machines between myself and another person.  Things were going great, then, I notice movement to my left.  I look and a person is on the treadmill next to the other person.  I had one between us.  Then, her male friend got on that one.  How rude!

It was like when I go to a movie theater, in the old days.  You would walk in and if the theater was empty, take a seat in the center.  For me, the next customer either sits in front of me or even close.  We have an empty theater.  There are plenty of seats.  Why do you need to sit near me?

I got of the treadmill and went to another piece of equipment.  Luckily I had already been walking for 15 minutes.  

Sourdough Bread

 I made 3 loaves this weekend.  It was great.  Who knew a bread that only takes flour and water would taste so good.  I did miss adding salt, but I do not miss it.  I have started using our chicken eggs and slices of sourdough bread to make breakfast sandwiches.  Right now, the hens are in a laying frenzy.  Eat them while you have them.  Now, with bird flu, we have to keep wild bird away from our birds.  

Old House Owner

 The other day, my wife got a call from the previous owner.  She's in her 90's and might have dementia.  She wants to come over and dig up a plant.  Thinking it was just a small section, she said okay.  Grant it that we have owned the house for about a year.  She comes over and digs up a big section out of our porch area.  My wife gets home and sees a big hole in the porch area.  I think we are going to put our foot down on any other plant gatherings.  We'll just have to remind her that she no longer owns the house.  

Sourdough Starter

 I finally made sourdough bread.  It took 2 weeks.  It is a process of mixing 1/4 cup of flour and 1/2 cup of water in a jar.  I am using a mason jar.  You mix it and cover it with plastic wrap.  You do this for 7 days.  A fermentation process will begin.  It is using the natural yeast in the flour.  On the first try, it worked for a couple of days and then nothing.  It even had a dark liquid form.  It is called hooch.  It can be poured off.  It smells.  At the end of 7 days, I tried and it did not work.  No rising and it was a block of cooked flour.  The pigs had no problem eating it.  The second time, I did not get the hooch.  The starter started to rise after a couple of days.  After 7 days, I looked up a recipe.  I found it is kind of a labor intensive process.  I waited another week.  I even had to split the starter in 2 jars.  Then I made the bread.  It takes a little starter, flour and water.  Mix and let sit for 1 hour.  Then work the dough and place it in a bowl.  Cover it with a damp cloth and let sit for 10+ hours.  Once done, work the dough into a ball and place it in your cooking pan.  I used a Dutch oven.  Let it sit for 1-2 hours.  Then it is time to cook.  It turned out.  Only problem is I used wax paper instead of parchment paper.  It ended up sticking to the bottom of the crust.  I will not make that mistake again.  

Watching Older Movies

 With a glut of poor movies, I have started looking back at past movies that I have either watched or missed.  What stands out is the acting, storylines and special effects.  I watched the Incredible Shrinking Man.  It was filmed in 1957.  The effects rival some of the computer effects of today.  That is a sad thing.  You'd think in this day and age the effects would be top notch.  One thing is an over reliance on Computer effects.  I read that when they filmed the Thing prequel, they used practical effects.  When the film company saw the movie they took out all the practical effects and replaced them with CGI.  It was terrible.   Another thing I like about older movies is catching actors/actresses who are not stars of the films.  This may be their first movie.  They might play secondary background characters.  

Thrill Rides

 We live near Orlando.  A heartbreaking incident happened at a theme park.  A 14 year old  boy fell to his death out of a drop tower.  It goes way up in the air and you free fall.  Only when the breaks applied, this boy fell through.  One thing we see a lot of around here is that teens to to be the ride operators.  If you ever go on a thrill ride double and triple check your safety devices.  Do not take their word for it.  In this case, I do not even think they checked his harness.  There was not a seat belt.  In a video that was posted, you can hear people ask a teen if he checked the harness.  He keeps saying that the light was on.  To me, that says, he did not physically check the harness.  Even after it happened, they did not seem prepared for such an event.  Maybe it was shock.  

Goats

 We have some baby goats.  They wear diapers in the house.  We will eventually transition them outside.  We introduced them outside recently.  It ran into a little trouble.  Our dogs found them to be very interesting.  The goats freaked out.  They did not know what was going on.  I tried to pull the dogs away.  They can be really stubborn.  Usually, when I am out to feed the animals, they tend to be overly playful.  They will run into you.  They even jump on your back.  Got to have them.  Since we have had them, we have not lost any animals to predators.  Remember, if you are starting to raise chickens, either have farm dogs or secure your coop/run.  They are everywhere.  We started with chickens in a residential community.  Raccoons killed two of four chickens we had.  We also had bears that liked to visit our front yard.  

X the Movie

 I saw this preview recently.  It looked like Texas Chainsaw Massacre meets The Visit.  It is about a group of young adults that rent a building to shoot a porn in rural Texas.  This location is owned by an older couple.  The husband even warns them that his wife is a little off.  Something happens and all hell breaks loose.  I can't wait to see this.  If you do, I hear you need to sit through the credits.  No, it is not a Marvel film.  If you stay, you will be rewarded.  

Hungry Chickens

 When we feed the hens in the morning, they act like they are starving.  We feed them everyday.  They also can dig for bugs.  As you approach, they will gather to one side.  Some tend to get a little restless.  They will stomp on the heads of others.  Others will fly up, like they are going to take it all.  I usually give them about 3 big scopes of layer crumble/cracked corn.  They will fight over it.  One thing that happens is a chicken acts like they have a broken leg.  I will go in the run to check on them.  They will slowly get up or just lay there.  By the next day, that chicken will be dead.  I just don't get it.  Maybe there are too many in one run.  Also, the other chickens could care less.  They will walk right over them, even when they are alive.  

One duo is a hen and a rooster.  They have been together for around a year or so.  If you ever decided to raise chickens, you only need roosters for one thing: Procreation.  Hens will lay eggs without the assistance of a rooster.  Only difference is that if you decided to incubate or you have a brooding chicken, a chick will form.  

Brooding?  Brooding is something that a hen will go through.  Her motherly instinct to sit on an egg kicks in.  They will shut down and sit on any egg that is near them.  I do not think they even get up much.  This will last for about 20 or so days.  When our hen was brooding, she tried sitting on her own egg and that of another that was with her.  I rushed over to the coop with the rooster and hen.  Luckily, she had an egg.  I placed that under her.  Sure enough, it hatched.  The other eggs were disregarded by the hen after no hatching.