Farm noises, fishing expedition, co-oping

When I did get to spend a couple hours one evening on the farm I was amazed about how much noise it generates. We have roosters in two locations in addition to the older rooster we have with the hens. There was a sort of competition going on between at least five roosters that evening. They were crowing and answering each other in longer and longer responses. I thought eventually they would all resign themselves to assign a winner, but the competition lasted until dark.


The donkeys we are now caring for also added to the mix of noises. They do not yet feel at home but they are beginning to express themselves none the less. Since there are three of them I expect the volume to go up as they acclimate, but for the moment it is a quiet, “I’m here too,” sort of braying. We are hoping to breed them because we think we may have a market open for them in West Virginia. Here, I was told last night by a friend, they just shoot the offspring because they cannot give them away.

Finally, the four dogs added to the mix. There are dogs at almost every house and farm nearby so ours were not the only ones in that mix. They all seemed to be stirred up by the approaching night and the sounds of the coyotes nearby. Although skunks do not make much noise, they certainly added their unique flavor to the evening. Tomorrow we will add pigs to the mix. That should round out the choir for the near term.

With the large tank filling up and the turtle population being thinned out we are anxious to see if there are any remaining fish in the tank. Last night after we met with some friends to look at equipment he had that we can borrow, Mama and I stopped at Wal-Mart to get a few things and I picked up some catfish bait. I am hoping Grandpa and Victoria will drop a baited line in the water and see if anything responds. I am still planning on stocking the tanks, but having mature fish there will change how I prepare for the introduction of small fish.

Catfish in probably not the best fish to have populating the waters on our farm, but in tough times they are edible and they can survive and reproduce on almost nothing. That is one reason they have been a Southern staple for generations. I suppose we could eat the turtle and gophers if times got really bad, but we will start with the more traditional fare and work our way down the food chain as the need arises.

Finding equipment is becoming problematic so I have asked around about the possibility of borrowing what we may need for once a year or once in a couple years use. One of the ladies that reports to me directed me to her husband. He has some equipment that is in surprisingly good shape for the use it has seen over the years. Some of it would come in really handy in very specific situations if Grandpa would agree to borrow it when needed. It would save us from having to buy items that would sit for months if not years after their initial use. I am hoping that works out for us. He seems genuinely sincere about allowing us to use it as needed.

I got the sense that Grandpa really liked the couple. Grandma made no bones about it. She really liked them. They are good people and I hope will be good friends over the years. I get the impression that they do not have anyone to help them when things get tight even though they both have family in the area. But I know how Grandpa dislikes borrowing things, so we sill have to see how it all works out.

I think we would do fine, but I tend to be optimistic.