It’s not fun being a number

March 27, 2021Columns, Odds and ends, Susansusanmanzke

Every time you turn around a company is affixing a number to you. We are not people. We are numbers: phone numbers, credit card numbers, account numbers.

This reading is how I felt when treated like a number.

Things have not gotten better over the years. We continue to be numbers.

I revolt against being a number. What about you?

To the rescue

March 25, 2021animals, walksusanmanzke

I wrote about taking a walk along my road and picking up garbage left by inconsiderate motorists. Today was different.

This time I walked after a rain, and yes, there was garbage (ugh) but there was something else. Traveling out of the grass ditch were worms.

Too bad for these worms they ventured out of their natural area and onto the shoulder and blacktop. There they would die except for my rescue.

I only walked about a mile in total and saved twenty worms and two nightcrawlers. In the grand picture, that wasn’t many but at least those few were happy not to die.

If I had been thinking about fishing, these guys might have met a different fate, that being used as bait. But fishing is far from my adventures right now so they were safe.

I felt good that I could help out a few worms today. They benefit the soil.

Bob could never relax

March 24, 2021Bob, Columns, worksusanmanzke

It was January, Bob had no farm work and he was on vacation from the canning company. Of course, he couldn’t sit still. There had to be a project that needed doing. Housework didn’t count.

He found a window that needed fixing. I was drafted to drive tractor and … Well you’ll have to listen and find out what Bob had me doing.

Lifting Bob in a tractor bucket wasn’t fun, but somehow he found chores that needed me driving and raising him up.

I always held my breath doing this kind of work with Bob. I also had my fingers crossed.

First steps outside

March 23, 2021Chickens, funsusanmanzke

My four hens took their first steps outside yesterday.

The day before I opened the coop door but they didn’t go into the yard. They were afraid.

This time they made it all the way to the front porch. There they checked to see if the cats had left any food.

Chickens have good memories. First, they were afraid to go outside, thinking the coyotes might be lurking nearby. Second, they remembered about the cat food.

Each day I will weigh if it is nice enough to let them roam the yard or to stay inside. Wisconsin weather can be fickled and if snow happens to return, the hens will stay inside. They hate putting their feet in the cold snow.