Itty Bitty Hooves

Changes of Season, Changes of Plans

Several issues come up during the course of the new year. Things like getting quotes for all types of insurance from life insurance quotes to home coverage. We usually have a beginning of the year type of meeting that is sort of like a business meeting for the farm. What we are going to strive for, how we are going to accomplish it and most important, how much it will all cost. It’s hard to think of those types of things when there is snow on the ground. This year may be different though. We might be making a big move. Warmer weather is on the agenda for sure. That will make those beginning of the year meetings much more enjoyable. It’s easier to think about all the things you want to do during the year when its bright and sunny–and warm. That is still up in the air but it should be decided and implimented by the beginning of the new year if it happens. Just in time for the discussion. The beginning of the year is a good time to move too. That way once you have chosen new insurances you don’t have to have everything changed. I do kind of dread moving in some ways. It is always such a pain. I still have unpacked boxes from the last time I moved about 7 years ago.

Pressing Issues

Wow Word Press has been having issues here this afternoon. I’ve been trying for almost an hour to make a post, or even get into the administration area here. It keep going blank, or just not moving. Finally I was able to get in but one of the items on the dashboard said ‘MySQL server has gone away’. That struck me as funny for some reason. There have been strange issues with the Word Press blog here for some time. Whenever I hit the admin button it takes forever to go to the page but once it is there it usually works fine. This was even more dramatic as it just wouldn’t go period.

That really drove home the point of how ‘connected’ I am. How impatient I am in regards to the interent. I have known for awhile (and my server knows too, lol) that the moment the internet goes down I am on the phone complaining. But just how much I expect everything to be there in an instant and working properly is really, I think, a total example of this modern internet era. We’re all used to instant gratification, instant information, instant contact… how many people actually write letters and mail them anymore? Cell phones give us constant connection, internet gives us immediate information and connection, we are a people of the NOW, more than ever.

An Eye on Security

This is the view from my front door.

As you can see there is not much around. That includes police and emergency response teams although the emergency response is faster thanks to diligent volunteers and the fact that the local hospital is only about 12 minutes away. The nearest police station is also only 12 minutes away but they are not our jurisdiction. The county and state police have this area and the state police station is 30 minutes away. While you will occasionally see patrol cars they have a lot of area to cover and when you need them they could be a minute away, or 30 minutes away, you just never know.

That’s why a good home security system is so important. Even though there are very few homes out here the rate of crime is just as high as in the big cities when judged on a per person scale.

Our security system is basically based on surveillance. We have this camera in the garage that scans the entire driveway and barn entrance. We have six similar cameras inside our barn. We have valuable show animals so it is important to us to be able to monitor what is going on inside the barn at all times, more for intruder instances than for animal situations. We also have several outdoor cameras that scan the various paddocks and fields where animals are turned out to graze. All of these cameras feed into a large monitor inside our house that also has video recording capabilities so that should we need proof for law enforcement it is available.

The one thing this system does not provide that would be much better is a outside response system. Having an outside company, or the police themselves alerted to a break in would be the real way to go. It is the best we can do at the moment though and it feels safer having an eye on what is going on at all times considering we have such a large piece of property to keep watch over.

New Pictures of Bobby and Goober

Goober is really my son Bobby and my husband’s bird. He loves them. He would spend every waking moment with them, Bobby is always around so that’s good for Goober, hubby isn’t here so much but when he is boy Goober is stuck to him like glue. I got some pictures this afternoon of Bobby and Goober just ‘hangin’.

and one of Simon on his playstand. He’s really starting to love his stand and even flies to it from my shoulder (and back again when he’s ready) which is great since I worked so hard to make it.

Historically Healthy Snacks at The Popcorn Factory

Popcorn has a very long and time honored tradition as a snack food. It has provided cheap and healthy alternatives to other sugary foods and even in the depression was a favorite because it was cheap and affordable. Popcorn can even be given credit for giving the incentive to develop those fantastic microwave ovens everyone has in their kitchen. Heating up popcorn was the first use of a microwave. For all of its history, affordability, and even scientific breakthrough advantages popcorn has one major advantage over just about every other snack food–it is good for you and in certain preparations won’t blow your calorie budget.

One of the healthiest ways to prepare popcorn is by air popping. This cuts out the use of oils to heat the kernels making it healthier. There are only about 31 calories in a whole cup of air popped popcorn. However, even oil popped popcorn is low in calories at only 55 calories per cup.

Popcorn is very satisfying too. Unlike many foods that only fuel a craving for more popcorn is filling and provides good relief from hunger and cravings. Another great health benefit to popcorn is it is very high in fiber. Fiber helps a body feel full and also moves through the system and aides in cleaning it out. If you are like many of the millions of people that love popcorn you might enjoy The Popcorn Factory website. Check out their many wonderful creations including gourmet popcorn and even get popcorn gifts for your friends and relatives on the holidays.

Simon Begs to Get Out of His Cage

Simon is a real ham and loves to play. He always wants out of his cage even though we’ve given him a HUGE place to live with lots of toys. He can occupy himself with his toys but if I am anywhere in the room all he wants it out with me. He begs to get out and tries to look really cute and appealing. Here’s a video of him begging to come out.

The Health Benefits of Fannie May Chocolate

There are some wildly creative people in this world but one of the most ingenious things I’ve ever seen is sculpting that combines my two great loves–animals and chocolate. Yes I’m a chocoholic and I admit it, but this really takes cravings to a new height:

There should be an intervention for chocolate lovers like me but really when you think about it chocolate is the perfect food–it is delicious, comes in sweet or bitter, and is an aphrodisiac. How can you get better than that? I have a hard time passing up chocolate candy at any time of the year but especially around the holidays. I remember even as a child going to the Fannie May store that was a few blocks from my house. Now that is chocolate at it’s best.

With all of the issues surrounding diets and obesity a lot of negativity gets thrown at chocolate but it wasn’t until recently that I learned chocolate actually has health BENEFITS. Yes that’s right, benefits. Chocolate for one this is a totally natural food which places it high on the list of things that have food value but not only that it contains antioxidants that can actually lower cholesterol and blood pressure along with other things. Chocolate has as much as 8 times more antioxidant properties than strawberries! Let’s hear it for candy!

I think we all know how good chocolate can make us feel. It’s a genuine feeling too because chocolate releases endorphins in our system that gives us that happy feeling. Chocolate is a natural source of serotonin which is an anti-depressant. These are some powerful reasons to love chocolate. With everything in life there needs to be balance and while no good diet is overloaded with chocolate it is certainly fair to see it as a good addition to a healthy diet in moderation.

Helping Talon

Goober just loves being a helpful soul. He even gets in on the act in my office. Sometimes just a little too helpful though.

Getting a Fresh Start

Phentermine is another one of the wonder drugs out there for weight loss. A lot of those new diet aids are so expensive that it is helpful to visit the price watch websites and see where the best deals are for them. Along with review sites that help determine which ones help the most the price watch sites make it easier to buy them with confidence. I’m watching a movie, playing with the bird, and cruising the consumer sites now trying to decide which place to buy one of the diet pills I want to try for help. The new year is a new start to my diet. It’s time to start over fresh.

Simon The Cuddly Conure

Okay you guys are probably going to get tired of me posting these but I just love making videos of this little guy. He’s so much fun. (I’m making a new one now. He’s getting better each time about not being camera shy — hating the camera. LOL)