Well, it has come down to this…

I have decided to cease writing posts on this blog.  When I started this blog it was only supposed to be related to the happenings on the farm, but I cannot seem to avoid commenting on political and news stories.  As previously posted, I gave in a while back and created Facebook and Twitter accounts; in short, all of my future social networking will not include a blog.

I have a Facebook page (Jacob Phillips) which will include my opinions/comments as well as miscellaneous activities of my personal life.  I have a business Facebook page (Liberty Pastures) and Twitter page which will focus on our farm operation.  As a note, you will need a account to view my Facebook pages, but you do not need an account to follow us on Twitter. 

If you happen to be technically challenged [anybody over the age of 50, specifically my parents  :-) ] or are intimidated by Facebook/Twitter, you don’t need to be; if you want assistance on getting it all set-up just let me know and I’ll walk you through it.  You can even have the updates sent directly to your e-mail or cell phone.

- lets go fly a kite

- a family ride

One of the many beauties of educating our children at home:

For PE (physical education) we don’t send them out to an asphalt lot to play dodge-ball; instead our whole family heads to the local mountain bike park. In this case we went to Wapahani Trail which is only about 5 miles from our home. The park is maintained by the city of Bloomington and has a total of 9 miles of trail. Most of these trails are a little too much for a family ride, but there is a 0.6 mile loop around the lake/pond that is fairly mellow. The children thoroughly enjoyed their time of exercise although I am hoping we can get them to the point where they can ride more than 6 laps.

- home on the range

I have always said that it is a good thing any time I get paid to be around weapons or explosions.  A couple of weeks ago, I had the privilege of being the Range Safety Officer and Marksmanship Instructor for DET2, ELMACO while they were conducting their annual rifle qualifications at Camp Atterbury.  Good Stuff.

- hunting

I met a buddy and went turkey hunting for a couple hours this evening at another's buddy's farm.  We saw a couple hens, but no toms to shoot.  Oh well, a bad day hunting is better than a good day working.

- i gave in, big time

Well, as the title states; I gave in...  The Marine Corps motto is Semper Fidelis (Latin for Always Faithful) one of our "unofficial" mottos is Semper Gumby (always remain flexible and open to change).

Despite my consistent protests against them, I decided to go ahead and create a Twitter account and a Facebook page (you do need to have your own Titter/Facebook accounts).  Sometimes I tweet/post a few times each day about the simple things that I am doing around the farm and sometimes I won't post anything for several days.  Much like the blog, I hope that these additions will allow our family and friends to feel more connected and have a better idea of what we are doing.  Oh yeah, I also hope it will bring in a few customers and keep us connected with our existing customers.

What can I say?  I am a stubborn man, but I am not afraid to make changes when necessary.  I also have to admit that I am having a little fun with the new pages, I look forward to hearing from some of you via Twitter or FB.

- grass or grass?

For those of you who happen to be lacking in street knowledge (not a bad thing), the first bag is full of Cannabis, Marijuana, Mary Jane, Mota, Grass etc… and it is not the tame low percentage THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) that Clinton smoked when he was younger; it is the modern version that is much more powerful, addictive, and destructive.

But I digress.  The only bags of grass I dealt with when I was “the man” were the ones I got off of the knucklehead parolees I stopped.  I never imagined I would be packing my own baggies of grass someday.  The only difference is that I packed my baggies full of the various grasses from my pastures.

I took numerous samples from our property and cut them into 2-3 inch pieces then mixed them up and stuffed them into a quart size bag.  After sitting in my freezer for a couple days, I mailed them off to Dairy One laboratory for a detailed analysis.  In the next few days, I should know the exact mineral, protein, etc… of our forage.

As previously stated, I never even thought I would own goats – let alone be testing my grass to ensure my goats stay healthy.  I love how my life has changed and am constantly excited about our new experiences.

- corpse or Corps?

The mainstream media did not really cover it much; certainly not like they would have if “W” had made the gaff, in fact most Americans probably never heard of this little incident in which our president showed what a buffoon he really is.  Now that I think about it, most Americans have been so poorly educated that they would probably make the same mistake that Barry did.  I guess you sort of have to feel sorry for Mr. Soetero, he doesn’t ever really know what he is saying; he just gets up there and reads from his teleprompters.

I know this story has been talked about before, but it obviously hits a nerve with me. Being a Marine, I would like to think my Commander-in-Chief would at least know the name of my military organization, but I guess that is simply to much to ask these days. Additionally, I want to know how a guy can graduate from an Ivy League school without know the difference between a corpse and a corps.

My father just e-mailed me this image… I love it. It should be a bit funny to all (unless you happen to be a Obama-maniac), but if you are a Marine or at least know of R. Lee Ermey it should be even more humorous because you can probably remember/imagine being talked to this way at some point.

- a great man tried to warn us

Just like so many others - he tried to warn us, but we have proven to be too stupid to heed their warnings.  I said after the election, we deserve whatever evil/stupidity we get; we brought it upon ourselves.  It is we who have allowed the brainwashing of our children in schools and the ever increasing dependency on the government.  As the old Toyota slogan stated "You asked for it, You got it".

Reagan on Socialized Medicine from Douglas Phillips on Vimeo

- twitter

I finally gave in and jumped on the band wagon, one of them anyway.  I created a Twitter account and am updating it regularly.  As you will discover, I will "tweet" about each new blog post, but I will also send brief messages throughout the day simply telling what we are doing at Liberty Pastures.

I think it is great (especially for distant family members) who feel out of touch; if you want to know what we are doing all you need to do is create your own Twitter account and enter your e-mail or cell phone number; it is very simple.  If you need help just give me a call and I will walk you through it.

- I am still holding out and refuse to join Facebook or Myspace   :-)

- my other career

If you follow the blog or know anything about me you know that I a reservist in the Marine Corps.  In addition to my required Marine Corps duties, I have taken to volunteering for many different opportunities, some of these take me around the country, but most of them involve military funeral details.  I just thought I’d share a few pictures my life when I am not working in the fields.

- woodworking

In my constant (and constantly unsuccessful) effort to get organized, I decided to make a little “tool box” to store my hoof trimming gear.  It would also allow me to easily transport  my stuff  and not have to throw it into a 5 gallon bucket or milk crate on the back of the tractor.

I did not really have a plan (like most projects of mine), but I had a vision of what I wanted.  I bought some sanded pine from Lowes and assembled a box that was 8” tall, 6” wide, and 14” long.  I wanted to ensure that it was just large enough to hold my shears, file, knife, etc…  The edges even got sanded/rounded to make splinters less likely.  I also opted to make a little divider to hold my bottle of Iodine; that stuff makes a horrible mess if it spills. 

Anyway, I was so happy with the way it turned out that I decided to make a few more.  They are not as pretty or sturdy as my dear friend would make, but for my level of woodworking skill, they are perfect.  I am sure that if you wanted a nice one with your family or farm name engraved on it, Jim could make you one; he can make just about anything.     :-)

-1,2,3,4, I love the Marine Corps

This video is so motivating, it makes me want to join all over again!!!  OOHRAHHH!!!!

- processing turkey

Last week my son and I went to our friend's home (Maple Valley Farm) to help them process the last of their turkeys.  We were glad to help, but it was also an excellent learning opportunity for us.

The process began with inserting the turkey into the killing cone and slitting an artery in their throat.  After the bird was dead, it was dunked in the scalder to make the feather plucking easier.  After a few dunks in the hot water and getting plucked clean, it was time to do some more dirty work.  I did the majority of the gutting and cleaning, but Justin insisted that he have a turn as well.  It was amazing for me to see my [then] 9 year old son so eager to help in any way possible, even if it meant sticking his hand in a still warm turkey and pulling out its intestines.  It was an excellent bonding time for father and son.

"green" hypocrisy

...The supposedly green Barack Obama had a St Louis chef flown 850 miles just to make pizza at the White House...

Hypocrisy is the vice we find hardest to forgive, but it’s also the one we most enjoy discovering in others. And nothing piques our interest more than eco-hypocrisy as practiced by the “green” celebrities who have been spouting green virtue but spewing out hundreds of tons of carbon from their private jets or multiple holiday homes around the globe.

There was Sheryl Crow, who had called upon the public to refrain from using more than one square of toilet paper per visit (“except on those pesky occasions when two or three are required”) and who was leading a Stop Global Warming concert tour across America. It was revealed that while Crow traveled in a bio-diesel tour bus, her 30-person entourage followed in a fleet of 13 gas-guzzling vehicles.

John Travolta notoriously encouraged the British public to do its bit to fight global warming — after flying into London on one of his five, yes, five private jets (one of which is a Boeing 707). In 2006 his piloting hobby produced an estimated 800 tons of carbon emissions, more than a hundred times the output of the average Briton, according to the Carbon Trust.

It is less well known that Tom Cruise — who has campaigned for the LA-based environmental group Earth Communications Office — also has an air fleet and a license to pilot his five planes, including a top-of-the-line customized Gulfstream jet he bought for his wife, Katie Holmes.

Harrison Ford, who is vice-chairman on the board of Conservation International, voices public-service messages for an environmental federation called EarthShare, and once shaved his chest hair to illustrate the effects of deforestation, is another hobby pilot. He once owned a Gulfstream but now makes do with a smaller Cessna Citation Sovereign eight-seater jet, four propeller planes and a helicopter.

Oprah Winfrey, who preaches eco-virtue from her TV pulpit, traveled in a 13-seat Gulfstream IV private jet for years — the preferred model for celebrities and the super-rich. (She has replaced it with a faster Bombardier Global Express.) The public first became aware of her private-jet habit when her plane had to make a forced landing in California in 2005; it was reminded of it this year after one of her stewardesses was fired for allegedly having sex with the pilot while Oprah and other passengers were asleep.

Jennifer Aniston told reporters that to save the Earth’s precious water resources she brushes her teeth while in the shower. But she also flew a hairdresser to Europe to accompany her on a recent publicity tour for the film Marley & Me.

There are endless other examples of hypocrisy by green politicos. David Cameron was once photographed virtuously riding his bike to the House of Commons, with his official car behind him, carrying his suit and briefcase. Ken Livingstone, who swore he would make London the world’s greenest city when he was mayor, made scores of arguably unnecessary flights to foreign destinations.  

At the end of the film An Inconvenient Truth, the unbearably earnest former presidential candidate Al Gore asked his audience: “Are you ready to change the way you live?” His own huge Nashville mansion consumed over 20 times the electricity of an average American home. Indeed, according to the Tennessee Center for Policy Research, it burnt twice as much power in the month of August 2006 than most American homes do in an entire year. Another inconvenient truth revealed that the former senator spent $500 a month just to heat the indoor swimming pool in his lavish domestic establishment. The 100ft houseboat he bought in 2008, on the other hand, was said to be powered by bio-diesel.  Gore gave the usual response of the green celebrity caught not practicing what they preach. He said he made up for his consumption of electricity and production of carbon dioxide by buying carbon offsets — some from his own offset company.

The Copenhagen summit next week will generate vast quantities of hot air. It will see 16,500 people coming in from 192 countries. That amounts to 41,000 tons of carbon dioxide, roughly the same as the carbon emissions of Morocco in 2006. Also, the organizers will lay 900 kilometers of computer cable and 50,000 square miles of carpet. More than 200,000 meals will be served and visitors will drink 200,000 cups of coffee — at least that will be organic...

There is something annoying about the way “ordinary” people are being told they must give up their “addiction” to cheap travel, when no leading Hollywood star — not even Leonardo DiCaprio, who often flies commercial — can bring themselves to relinquish the private jet.

[me... While I completely disagree with the idea of man-made global warming, I can at least respect the people who are truly living their lives according to their publicly expressed beliefs.  It seems however, that all of the people who get the public's attention are full of torro cacca and are the worst hypocrites in our society.  As I have stated before, I believe in the Lord our God and that He created the earth and its creatures for us to use.  That being said, I also believe that we need to be more responsible and respectful of the creation that God has given us.  True conservatives and true liberals have more in common than most people think.]

taken from: Taking the private jet to Copenhagen (timesUKonline) see full article here

this says it all

My wife sent this to me and I had to laugh.  In all seriousness, it is a sad, but true statement of what our country has become.  Guys like me do not have the liberty to act and think as our Founding Fathers intended while our enemies basically have the liberty to shoot us, blow us up, and then have excuses made for their actions.

http://imgsrv.gocomics.com/dim/?fh=e8547cf5de95497f8221e8cffc056202&w=550.0

moooving cattle

Yesterday, I got a call from my buddy at Maple Valley Farm; Larry asked me to come over and help him "sort" his new cattle.  I have been around cattle, but have never worked with them or really done anything other than look at them.  Despite my lack of experience, I figured that if he was asking for my help then he probably really needed help and I would see what I could do.

I have to admit that I was sort of hoping he would call me and tell me it was off due to the rain, but that didn't happen and I arrived ready for work this morning at 0900.  I am glad that it did not get postponed and that he allowed me to assist him in the adventure because I learned quite a lot (this is not the first time I have gained experience with something new by helping Larry and I doubt it will be the last) and I always enjoy spending time with my friend.

The task was seemingly simple; to sort the two young male calves from the herd of larger females.  The task was further complicated by Larry's desire to avoid stressing the cattle; a philosophy with which I agree, but makes working with animals a bit more difficult and stressful for us.  It was not easy, but we got the two little guys separated and into their own paddock.  Next came the real hard part; we needed to get the herd of ladies out of their new paddock, down the hill and to the back of the property where the sheep were (about a ½ mile away).  This too was not easy, but we eventually got them where Larry wanted them. 

All-in-all, I would have to say that I enjoyed it a bit and learned that while there are some similarities when herding different animals there are some BIG differences too.  Who knows maybe we will end up with some cattle of our own in the future.

one less goat on the farm

For several months now, Loppy has not been "right".  The children named her Loppy due to her being lopsided; one of her ears was longer than the other.  She was not a particularly friendly goat, nor did she look real good, but never-the-less she was a part of our family and she had a special place in our hearts mainly due to our sympathy for her.  Despite her seemingly normal goat activities, she had scours (goat diarrhea) for over a month.  We initially tried all types of natural supplements to nurse her back to health, but finally gave up after spending a bunch of money with no effect.  After one of my recent trips I came home to find Loppy pooping normal for a change; I thanked the Lord and assumed she was finally getting healthy, but she never seemed to gain weight and always just looked sickly.

She ate and drank just as much as the other goats, she moved around just fine, but she obviously still had some problems.  Just before I left again on Wednesday the children and I moved the goats to fresh pasture, as we began the process, we saw that Loppy was lying down.  That in itself would not be a problem, but I noticed the dominant doe, Blanchet (and yes every goat has a name), head butting her.  The goats hit each other fairly regularly, but Loppy was on her side and Blanchet seemed to be trying to make her roll over.  As we prepared the new paddocks for the goats, I continued to monitor Loppy who laid on her side for almost an hour; I noticed her trying to get up at times and other times she just laid there with her eyes closed.  I knew this was a very bad sign and I knew what I had to do.

We moved the goats to their new field and took down the old fencing, all the while Loppy laid on her side with her legs sort of sticking up in the air.  I have no problem killing things, but I hate to see animals suffer and I told my children what I had to do.  They both knew what I was going to say before I said it, but my daughter took the news real hard and cried quite a lot.  I asked them if they wanted to go inside while I killed Loppy; my son was sad, but opted to continue working while my daughter headed for the house.  Just as we finished this conversation we saw Loppy up and walking around like nothing ever happened.  There was a ray of hope at the apparent reprieve of execution, but I knew it was only a matter of time and I felt I needed to continue with my original plan.

One thing we decided,  from day one, was that our animals would be raised on all natural foods, without any anti-biotics, growth hormones, de-wormers, etc...   We knew this would make raising the animals more difficult, but it just was not an option for us.  We also had to accept the fact that we may have a higher mortality rate with our animals than other farmers might have, but I never really thought about me having to kill them.  I guess I figured they would get sick and quickly die on their own.  Our first goat death (due to illness) occurred about two months ago while I was away for 4 weeks.  Fern (not sure where she got that name) got sick soon after I left and struggled for a couple weeks.  Eventually my wife and children found her dead and had to deal with the carcass; I felt bad at the time knowing that Fern was dying and not being home to put her out of her misery.  We have come a long way, but I cannot expect my wife to put a gun to a goat’s head nor am I willing to spend $100+ for a veterinarian to euthanize a $50 goat.

Anyway, as I previously stated, I knew that Loppy needed to be put down; my thoughts were confirmed when she was again unable to stand up later.  I got the leash, loaded her onto the rear platform on my tractor, and hauled her down to the lower pasture near the creek where my wife had dumped Fern after she died.  This area is far enough away from the house and our animals that I have no concerns about the Coyotes, Vultures and other scavengers that would be coming back around.  I felt like an executioner leading her to the execution room, only she had no idea what was going on.

After I shot her, I sat there and watched life leave her body.  I didn't cry or feel that type of loss, but I didn't feel real good either.  I had hard time as I drove back up toward the house and met with my daughter,  who came to me and hugged me as she cried.  I cannot imagine what she felt and thought as she heard the gun shots.  I confirmed with her that she understood why I had done it and that she was not angry with me.  She was sad for a while, but a few hours later she was laughing and running around like nothing had happened.

 As I type this I wonder if I will ever be able to kill an animal like that without feeling some remorse... I hope not.  I have hunted turkeys, slaughtered chickens, shot rabbits and had no problems with any of it, but having to kill an animal out of mercy is quite a bit different; the act seems to add a type of human quality to it that makes it more difficult.  I am also fascinated by the fact that I was more effected by my dead goat (and my daughter’s pet chicken that I had to kill) than all of the dead humans that I have seen.

I didn't intend to turn this post into a morbid look into my psyche, but I guess part of the reason I have this blog is to simply get my thoughts out of my head sometimes.  My family has learned a lot about life in the past year since we moved here; not all of it has been easy, but I know that it has all been good and it has given us all a greater appreciation for the lives we have been blessed with.

the look of a terrorist?

Ok, well here I go again with another post that has absolutely nothing to do with farming or our life on the farm...  (I wrote this while sitting in the airport on Friday and am publishing it this morning)

To the left is the Official Photo I had taken a couple days ago; I am wearing the same uniform as I am traveling today.  I am sitting in the airport in New Orleans waiting to catch my flight home and I am stewing about the ridiculous process I just went through with TSA and airport "security".  I know that we need to be more secure and I am all for having a screening processes, but the system we have now is a complete joke.

I correctly guessed that my uniform would set off the metal detector, but I was not anticipating having to stand in the glass cubicle for 10 minutes waiting for the schlub from TSA to come over and further scrutinize me via a full  "pat-down".   As I stood there watching people walk by, who would fit a terrorist profile if we had the fortitude to do what was necessary rather than what was politically correct, I began to grow very angry.  Watching the overweight, sloppy TSA screeners walk around with their ghetto tattoos I grew more angry...  I found myself wondering what they actually had to go through to get their security clearance and what made them "qualified" to screen me.

I have had a security clearance through the Marine Corps for the past 17 years and have been in some of the most secure locations in our nation.  As a former police officer, I have the right to carry a firearm anywhere in our nation and I know that I have had several more thorough background-checks than the TSA screeners.  I have spent my whole adult life as someone who has been willing to run toward gunfire and risk my life to protect people, but when it come to traveling at the airport I am treated as if I am more untrustworthy than the average person.

I am constantly frustrated that I walk around on a daily basis as a Sheepdog willing to protect the Sheep of society from the Wolves; when I get on an airplane, I am forced to give up my status as a protector and become just another potential victim.  In addition to having to take my shoes off, I am regularly pulled aside at the gate to be "randomly" screened again.  My Marine Corps dog tags, official orders, official passport, I.D. card mean absolutely nothing to the people who went from flipping burgers to being in charge of our nations security with air-travel.

I simply don’t understand why we (as a society) are unwilling to be effective rather than politically correct.  I also do not understand why the FAA, TSA, FBI, or any of the lettered agencies do not offer a course for people like me that would allow us to travel as a protector rather than a potential victim.  I would be willing to pay to get another background check and put myself through an air marshal academy, but that would simply be too logical for those bureaucrats running things.

Oh well, I guess I should be accustomed to this by now, but I hope I never get complacent and accept the stupidity of the world.  For those of you that know me, you can count on me to protect you whenever we are together, unless we are flying... then I will still attempt to protect you, but I will have to use the plastic spoon I got from the stewardess rather my gun or knife.

Semper Fidelis

Applebee's & Veteran's Day

Well, I guess I was kidding myself in thinking that I could have a blog that was dedicated only to our farm and our new mid-western lifestyle.  I still intend to keep my original focus, but my convictions will force me to occasionally comment on other topics which will probably have to do with the military in some regard.

This evening, I read an article at Military.com which I felt warranted further promotion...  Veteran's Eat Free at Applebee's: First I must admit that I am not a huge fan of this restaurant, but their apparent support of our nations warriors compelled me to let you know of their corporate patriotism.  While I think that our veterans should get regular discounts at all establishments (instead of students and senior citizens who have done nothing to earn them) I love to see any type of outward support of those who are mostly forgotten in our society.

Provided that veterans can prove their honorable service, Applebee's will allow them to choose from one of  6 specific dinner entrees (my choice would be the Fiesta Lime Chicken) available for free on November 11th (Veteran's Day).

To the "suits" at Applebee's, I would simply like to say "thank you" and Semper Fidelis.