New hobby project in beta: Small Farm Life
I’ve had a project on the back burner for a number of years. My idea was a blog which collected the best of living on small farms and returning, or turning, to a rural lifestyle. I released a beta version over the past few weeks
Let me tell you a story about how it began.
I started blogging about my farm in a couple of venues, and most recently have consolidated my writing into this personal blog here at digitalstoryteller.com. As I blog here, I have a few regular areas of discussion: the farm life, my academic life, educational technology and everything that is left over.
Those blogging efforts, combined with my work on Powerprofs.org (with co producer Dr. Ann York) and some occasional contributions to the blog at Educause connect and TheScreenIsFlat.org, the brain child of Becky Hines, prompted me to rethink some organization to my writing.
Too many blogs, not enough time?
Probably not, but a clue to reorganize both the edit desk and the editorial board (both consisting of exactly one member) and regroup. And while I’ll still post some Boats Farms and Life updates here at Digitalstoryteller, the new project Small Farm Life, will be getting more of the small farm and living small discussion.
So check out SmallFarmLife.Com while it’s in beta. Be sure a leave a comment or two.
Pepe Le Pew meets the Havaheart
If you grew up on Warner Brothers cartoons, then Pepe Le Pew introduced you to the Hollywood anthropomorphic skunk. Who couldn’t help but like the love sick skunk who invariable falls in love with a black cat who was accidentally adorned with a stripe. (Now haven’t we all been there?)
As a defense against predators, I have a raccoon sized Havaheart live trap set near the pheasant fly pen. I’ve caught a feral cat, 4 raccoons, and a opossum and the Havaheart makes removal and disposal of the critters easy.
That is, until you catch a skunk. This morning I found a very large striped skunk in the cage. Skunk, like other fur bearing animals, are protected by game laws, but homeowners are allowed to protect their property. The challenge, with a skunk in a large cage, is how to move it without it spraying. The Havaheart web site suggests catching skunks in smaller cages (sure, makes sense to me, now tell the skunk to stay out of the bigger cage.) Their site goes on to offer this advice:
How to trap a skunk
Very carefully! Skunks spray when they are frightened.
To move a skunk in a trap, quietly drop a sheet over the trap, pick it up gently without shaking or jerking.In order to spray, skunks have to raise their tails, haunch up and aim. If the trap is low, and the skunk is unable to to raise their tail or turn their back to you, they most likely won’t spray.
I dont know about you, but I’m not sure “they most likley” qualifies as words of confidence.
