Aarene’s post today was very entertaining and I couldn’t stop laughing. And while it is focused on Endurance Riding…and what NOT to do, it could also pertain to just about any equine discipline. It is also filled with lots of Haiku Farm-isms that really should be included in mainstream equine terminology. lol!
You just gotta check it out:
(Why is this photo included in this post? I dunno. This just seems like a Bad Idea to me…….Bada Boom!)
I was wanting to do a post about Saturday’s ACTHA ride, but first I have to do a post about something terrible and sad that happened here today.
One of our sweet, little chicks was slaughtered by a Bull Snake that got into our garage. I had no idea that a snake would be able to slither into our enclosed 3-car garage, slink it’s way onto the top of a folding table in the center of the garage, and sneak stealthily into the chick brooder.
I also wrongly believed the chicks were old enough and big enough to avoid a snake attack. I was wrong.
After I fed all the animals in the barn this morning, I came back down to prepare my own breakfast. I usually refill the feeder and the waterer for the chicks after I eat my breakfast, but something told me to go check on them and I even heard a strange cheeping going on…not the normal, happy peeping. But being that I was still tired, sore and hungry from yesterday‘s ACTHA CTC yesterday, I just assumed they were ok. I’m so mad at myself for ignoring my gut instinct!
A little while ago, about an hour after I finished my breakfast, Jen and I went out to the garage to take care of the chicks. I noticed that the chicks were all bunched up in the corner of their brooder and looked scared. But I lifted up the cover and reached into the brooder and picked up the waterer, just like I always do.
And as I was walking away to refill it, Jen screamed “Snake!”
My first thought was that there was a snake on the floor of the garage. Made sense to my tired brain anyway. Where else could a snake be, right?
(I took this photo last week. This little bullsnake was right outside our back door and had managed to slither up some rakes and shovels)
But no. Jen said the snake was in the brooder and was trying to eat a chick. *GASP*
**WARNING: GRAPHIC SNAKE PHOTO BELOW!
######################
######################
######################
######################
######################
(And no, I didn’t use zoom to take this photo. The snake was too focused on it’s possible meal that he didn’t care about me at all)
Right away I remembered I had just had my hand in there, mindlessly reaching for the waterer. *shudder*
I turned back to the brooder and breathed an uneasy sigh of relief to find out that it wasn’t a rattlesnake, like Fantastyk Voyager (click link for that post) discovered under a pile of hay in her barn and posted about a couple days ago.
*GAH* My barn is only about 200 ft away from her barn!
So, I’ve been extra cautious when working in my barn this week, worrying about finding a snake.
And instead I find one in my garage, in my chick brooder, attempting to devour one of my dear sweet biddies!
Shame on him! I was so angry! The greedy snake had no hope of devouring our helpless chickie. It had obviously been trying for over an hour, but the chick was just too big for him to swallow. What a waste of life when there are plenty of mice and small lizards to eat outside!
What is also very frustrating about this situation is that we believe this was the same bull snake we had allowed to live under our grill platform in our courtyard at the back of the house……only about 15 feet from our garage’s back door. We’ve always liked bull snakes because they keep the mice population down and are the only creature around here that will attack and eat a rattlesnake.
So between feeling anger, frustration, sadness, and a primal fear of snakes, I put on my big girl panties, took a shovel and scooped him and his ill-fated chick meal, that he refused to give up on, into the shovel and dumped him into an old cooler, and then had Jax slam the lid down and lock it shut. Then we drove across the road from our neighborhood, into the same empty field that Fantastyk Voyager and her son had relocated their rattlesnake last week, and we opened the cooler and released the confused bullsnake, which had finally released it’s hoped for free meal.
If this snake thing continues, I’m worried that the neighbors and the folks who drive by, might start to wonder what in the heck we’re dumping in that field.
My kidlets and I visited the New Mexico State Fair last week and we saw………………
Sand Sculptures!
And a Rattlesnake display from the Albuquerque Rattlesnake Museum (not the greatest picture since it was taken from behind the glass……but in this case….glass is good!
Check out Sunday Stills to see how others have handled this challenge, too.
(Isn’t this the most perfect song for this post? hah!)
Two weeks ago we found a very large snake skin on the gravel road coming into our neighborhood. Looks like a Bull Snake shed it’s skin. And that’s ok. We kind of like Bull Snakes around here.
And I about jumped out of my skin when I found a very large Bull Snake inside my water meter box last week.
(Thank goodness my friends Renee and her husband Greg were here…..or I might have ran a few miles down the road screaming from fright!)
But it didn’t bother me at all that Greg scooped up the Bull Snake and released him into a nearby shrub. As long as the snake left me alone, I was happy to leave it alone, too. (That’s rust, not blood on that pole)
Recently my neighbor’s two miniature collies were barking up a storm, which is unusual for them. So I went over to investigate, since I knew my neighbors weren’t home and I wanted to make sure their dogs were safe.
Immediately I discovered the source of their barking: a Bull Snake who was holding his ground and not wanting to leave, even though he was being cussed out by a pint-sized fluffy pooch.
And even though the Bull Snake seemed to be coming after me, I knew he was just trying to escape, and I was ok with that.
Live and Let Live.
Like I said before, we like Bull Snakes around here. They are the rattlesnake’s main predator, and we don’t want rattlesnakes around our homes. Folks around here have been known to relocate a bunch of Bull Snakes to their property just to control the rattlesnake population.
We haven’t had to do that…..yet.
In the three years we’ve lived here we’ve never seen a rattlesnake anywhere near our house or land.
But all that changed on Sunday night.
On the same gravel road that we found the snake skin recently, we were driving home at night and I saw too late that a snake was on the road. After driving over it, I backed up and immediately knew that the snake looked different than our resident Bull Snakes.
The tail didn’t look pointy and the head looked triangular. And it was a different color and shape, too.
Unfortunately, I had driven right over the middle of it’s body and it was crushed and suffering. So I backed up and centered my tire over it’s head and ended the creature’s suffering as I drove forward.
The next day, I took a walk up the road with my camera just to have a look and be sure of what I saw the night before.
(What kind of rattlesnake is this? It is only about 18”-20” long and it doesn’t have a ‘coon tail’, so I don’t think it’s a Diamondback. I’m guessing it’s a Northern Mojave, or a Prairie Rattlesnake. What do you think?)
(Internet photo of a Northern Mojave Rattlesnake)
I was kind of hoping it was a Bull Snake, even though I’d never kill one because they are so useful, and of course, aren’t venomous. But if I had driven over a rattlesnake, even if it was now dead, that meant that rattlers had moved into our neighborhood.
And that isn’t good news.
As much as I respect nature and understand that all living things have a place in the ecosystem and they deserve to live……I just can’t accept rattlesnakes living and hunting around my home, with my kidlets and animals outside, too.
(Watch this video of a Prairie Rattlesnake…..**Warning!** You might require a change of panties afterwards!!!!)
I’m just not as noble and as brave as Mikey and Linda are, to capture and relocate rattlesnakes they find on their property.
I don’t mind it when a Bull Snake claims our front porch as his own and defends it loudly. But a rattler is just not welcome on our front porch…ever.
So, hopefully this dead rattlesnake is the last one we ever see out here………..
That’s not too much to ask, right?
Saturday evening a small group of us, including Deb, Colleen, her granddaughter, T, Matt, Callie, and myself decided to head out for a trail ride after dinner.
With my riding partner, Apache, still sore from Saturday morning’s ride, Colleen invited me to ride my dear equine friend, Rosie. If y’all remember, Rosie was the steady-eddie horse that helped rebuild my self-confidence this Spring, after being hurt by my first horse Baby Doll. I was happy to be able to ride on Rosie’s broad, strong back once again. She is built a lot like my Apache, so I was able to use my own saddle on her, too, which I love because it fits me perfectly and is so comfortable.
I must admit I was actually surprised at how much taller Rosie is than Apache, though. The first time I ever rode her back in February, I actually thought she was small, well she was, at least compared to my 15.3hh Baby Doll. I would guess that Rosie is 15hh, while Apache must only be 14.2hh. Apache is also built more petite, while Rosie is very stocky and built like a weight lifter. I hope that in time, I can help Apache become more muscled, too.
Anyway, I definitely needed a mounting block to get up on Rosie. At the camp, I used Colleen’s mounting steps, while out on the trail, during potty/snack breaks, I used a perfectly sized boulder or a large stump.
On Saturday evening, the skies threatened rain, but not long after we got out on the trails around Dragonwycke Ranch, the clouds moved on and the sky was bright, blue and sunny as it dipped lower towards the western horizon.
When I rode past the field where Apache was, she gave me a peculiar look and then walked beside Rosie and I as I rode along the fence line, talking to her. Maybe I’m anthropomorphizing, but it really did seem like she wasn’t too happy about me riding Rosie and not her.
We rode around for a little over an hour, just the 6 of us and our horses. It was very relaxing and peaceful…….well…….at least until a rattlesnake crossed our path! GAH!
(Deb, riding her gelding, Guinness, with Matt, riding his horse, Jasper, behind. Bella’s head on the right with Callie riding her.)
Deb was riding out in front and all of a sudden she started screaming, and her moving her horse Guinness quickly forward away from something. At first I thought she saw a mountain lion, but surprisingly neither I nor Rosie was overly worried. We just stopped and looked all around. Then I heard Colleen say, “Rattlesnake! Move up on top of the rocks!!!” I guided Rosie up on top of these huge slabs of granite and then I looked over onto the trail and saw the biggest rattlesnake ever, slithering in our direction! Eeeek! It’s rattling tail was at least as long as my middle finger, and it was rattling like crazy!
Thankfully, the rattlesnake slithered down into a hole before it reached our granite slab, and we all beat a hasty retreat!
(T, Colleen’s granddaughter, riding Bandit, a recent rescue from WNCR. T, is a talented rider. She lives and breathes horses.)
We then rode down to Deb and her husband’s cabin between the Pre-Cambrian Granite Boulders. What a magical place! She showed us her beautiful chicken coop and lovely chickens, too. Then we rode in between the ginormous boulders on narrow aspen tree-lined trails. A few times I had to lay across Rosie’s neck because of the low branches and I was grateful for my helmet. But it was so much fun!
We got back into camp and Colleen asked our small group if anyone wanted to do some cantering. I had already dismounted and was planning on getting a shower, so I passed, but I did take some video of the four of them cantering.
And after putting Rosie away for the night, I checked on Apache. I brought her an apple, like I often do at home, and she refused to take even one piece of it from me. Even when I bit off a small piece and pushed it up under her mouth. Weird. She also seemed….unhappy with me, like she was trying to ignore me. It was in her eyes. There was a hardness to them and a tenseness in her body.
So, I gave a few pieces to Etta Bay, who was standing nearby, and then I stopped and decided to try something different with my girl. I needed to apologize and make things right. I needed her to forgive me for not taking her out on the trails.
I stood beside her and just spoke softly to her, like I often do, and I stroked her withers, her neck, her back, and massaged her sore shoulder. I scratched the special itchy spots on her belly and I sprawled myself across her back and gave her my gentle hugs, and then I rubbed her ears and cheeks. I told her I was sorry and that I just wanted her to heal and be stronger.
And do you know what happened next?
She lifted her beautiful head from her pile of hay, turned around to look at me, wrapped me in a horse hug, and then nuzzled the hand that was still holding the apple I brought for her. She forgave me.
I know to some people that sounds crazy because horses live in the moment. They don’t hold grudges, right? And they never turn their noses up at treats, no matter what.
But I know that my Apache wasn’t happy with me…but after I loved on her and asked for understanding, she forgave me. I know in my heart that it’s true.
While I was feeding her bites of apple, several other horses came over to see if I’d share with them, too. But I was spending time with my girl and wasn’t going to be interrupted, so I chased them away, while my sweet mare stood behind me. I think it was a relief for Apache that she didn’t need to guard her hay or apple. She seemed very relaxed and her eyes were very soft.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After spending time with my Apache girl, I went over to Deb’s lodge and took a hot shower. Felt so good! Then I came back to the camp for some drinks and snacks, and joined everyone in a few rousing rounds of Equine Trivial Pursuit, until my eyes grew heavy and the yawns kept coming. The ebony sky was filled with sparkling, twinkling stars as I closed my eyes, dreaming about that day’s wonderful, adventurous rides, and feeling eager for tomorrow to arrive so we could head out into the Carson National Forest again.
(Warning! This post started off short, but morphed into a much longer post. Visit the potty and grab some refreshments before reading)
Whoooeee! Have I been busy! Forgive me for not stopping by your blogs to visit, I’ve barely had time to even log onto my computer the last week, what with John not being here and all the extra work for me, the goat milk test I attended on Friday, the trail horse clinic I audited on Saturday, getting all three of my kidlets ready for baseball and softball starting up next week, and preparing and packing my twinlings for their annual homeschool camp down in Capitan, NM this week.
And……I’ve been able to squeeze in some time to organize and clean the barn, trade out my Abetta cordura stirrup leathers with my Henry Miller Plantation Saddle’s nice leather ones, that are already permanently, perfectly turned for the comfort and safety of my feet and knees.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
I also did some letterboxing in Albuquerque, with and without my kidlets. I always have fun on letterboxing adventures. Like this past weekend, when I was down by myself hiking the Rio Grande Bosque, and I discovered this snake blocking my path to the letterbox.
(He may not look big in this picture, but I’d wager that he was at least 4ft long, maybe even 5ft!)
I realized that I had probably walked right beside him when I was following the clues and trying to find the letterbox location.
Scared me. But I was relieved to discover he had no rattles and was just a ‘friendly’ Bull Snake. But I still didn’t want to turn my back to it, so I went back around to the main trail and trekked along for a little while to give the snake some time to move on, and then when I came back I realized that now I didn’t know in which direction the blasted snake went, so I grabbed a big stick and pushed it through the leaf litter as I walked to the letterbox location, and made sure to stomp my feet so any snakes in the vicinity would know to get out of my way. Whew!
Oh and check out the backyard of this house that was right alongside the path to the main trail. They’ve already got their pool set up for summer! Wow.
When I left my house that morning, there were a few snowflakes blowing around and I was wearing a thick fleece jacket! And by the time I was hiking that trail, it was in the 80’s and I had shed my fleece and was wearing a t-shirt. It always surprises me at how different our weather is up here in the mountains above Albuquerque, just 25 minutes away.
~~~~~~~~~~
Another scary encounter I had to endure was my visit to the mall last week, too. Well technically I never stepped foot into the mall, but the Boot Barn is actually attached to the mall. Have I ever mentioned how much I dislike malls? I’ve not been in one for years.
Anyway, I had to go exchange the Ariat boots that Ranchman John bought me last month. Actually those were the first exchange because the first pair ended up being too big (a size 9.5 mens). And, the second pair rubbed my heels raw and caused my knees and legs to be sore because they were too heavy, and I figured out that men’s ankles must be wider than mine. So I decided to take that second pair back, too.
I tried on a women’s pair of Ariat Terrain boots in a size 10 and was amazed to discover that they fit perfectly! And they cost less than the boots that Ranchman John picked out for me, too! So, I traded in the boots that didn't fit for them AND with the extra refunded money, I bought a new cowgirl hat, to boot! (pun intended!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oh and I had my farrier out to trim Apache last week, as well. She did great and was super well-behaved. My farrier made me laugh because I think he was smitten with Apache along with her size and demeanor. He admired her stocky build and sturdy feet and said that with time, especially up here in our rocky, hilly, rugged mountains (and not the soft, flat grassy valley where she came from) her feet will become even stronger and her frogs will grow healthier. He also said that he suspects that Apache may have some mustang in her bloodlines, too. I never considered that before, and find it interesting.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Anyway, as mentioned earlier, (and the main subject for this post) this past weekend I attended a Milk Test over at my friend Lora’s place, Prairie Wood Ranch. It was set up through our local organization, the Southwest Nigerian Goat Club, of which Lora is the President and my friend, Deanna at Cornerstone Nigerians is the Vice President, and who also is a Certified Milk Tester. Thanks to Deanna, and her talents, I am planning on having another give-a-way very soon, too.
In the meantime, I wanted to share a few photos of some of the cuteness that was overflowing on Prairie Wood Ranch during my visit.
What we Mothers have to endure, eh? That’s one patient goat mama, don’t you think?
“Wanted: Circus Job under the Big Top”
She was smiling at me, in a Mona Lisa sort of way, don’t you think?
The late afternoon sun was blinding me, but isn’t this tiny doe kid the cutest thing ever?!
I think his name should be Gizmo. He’s just a little bit freaky, don’t you think?
Rattlesnake (behind glass) inside the Resources Building at the State Fair last week.
(Photo taken with my Canon PowerShot SX110 IS)
Check out Macro Monday to see some more close-up photography!
It seemed only appropriate, after the craziness I’ve been dealing with in Blogland recently, that we had this visitor on our front porch last night. (By the way, Is the moon full? Is the earth’s gravitational pull causing havoc on the human population?)
Some of my readers may have noticed that I recently removed the option to comment on my blog and maybe even wondered why, or not. Some of you may have even noticed my Dream Catcher Avatar over on my sidebar, or not. Some may even be familiar with the Native American Dream Catcher legend and have an idea why I added it there. It may even seem cheesy to some, but that’s ok. I like it, and that’s all that matters.
If you plan to keep reading, you might want to grab some refreshments and visit the bathroom first. This one’s gonna be long.
I don’t blog, or at least I didn’t start blogging, as a way to build up readership, or as a popularity contest. I may have let myself get carried away with it for a little while because it was fun, and Blogger seems to encourage that. But really what is a blog? It’s many different things to all the people who choose to blog, but our little bloggy web homes belong to none of us, and in a single blip could all disappear. I began blogging as a way to journal about me and my family’s daily lives and to spark my creative side. And sharing that with far-away friends and family was a nice benefit, too.
When people started commenting on my blog posts, it was a little strange but oddly exciting, eventually leading toward Comment Addiction. Kind of like feeding the monster. It never seems satisfied and wants more. Then there are those Follower gadgets to attract even more readers and potential comments. It’s a crazy cycle. And it seems rather impersonal when you sit back and think about it.
I mean, how can anyone 'Follow' a hundred or more blogs on a regular basis anyway? I can't and I don't think it's fair to other bloggers if I just stick my photo on their Followers gadget just to get them to sign up for mine. I’ve been spreading myself too thin for a long time anyway. I have 3 children whom I homeschool, a husband, a small ranch with lots of animals to care for, a house that requires cleaning and maintenance sometimes, a bum knee, friends and family that like to see me outside having fun, and I have loads of other interests and hobbies.
I found it fascinating when one of my readers commented not long ago and asked why I don’t spin or knit anymore. Well I do! Just because I don’t blog about it doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen! hah!
Our blogs are not our entire lives. They are just a small facet, a small window, a tiny peek, if you will, into our lives. Not the whole enchilada!
And then there are some bloggers who believe that someone’s personal blog is an appropriate place to debate and argue over that blogger’s words, or to force their opinions and agendas. Not cool. There are some blogs that welcome that, like maybe Fugly, but most bloggers with personal blogs don’t appreciate that type of criticism.
I know I don’t. And as another one of my readers told me the other day after leaving me a rather snarky, opinionated comment, I have thin-skin and am too sensitive. I agree whole-heartedly. I consider myself a kind-hearted, gentle, thoughtful person who can easily get their feelings hurt. I’m not ashamed of that and I don’t think it’s a terrible trait to have. What I am ashamed of is that I let mean people and their actions upset me.
Shoooeeee, I’m 43 this year. I’m not in high school anymore, where the big mean bullies have any control over me. Even though Blogland can feel a little bit like that at times.
I bet I will step on some toes when I say this, but I’m going to say it anyway. I’m blogging for me.
There I said it.
I’m not blogging to garner followers or to become popular. All of that is just silly. Really! If other bloggers stop by to visit and enjoy what I write or the photos I post that’s great and I’m glad. When they leave comments, that’s just the icing on the cake.
But the snarkiness, rudeness, and just plain mean-spiritedness makes the icing taste, like what I imagine chicken shit tastes like. Not good, and entirely unpleasant. Actually just down-right awful.
When a blogger spends an hour uploading photos, videos and gathering their thoughts to type it all out in a blog post, and they don’t receive positive, uplifting comments, it can be very disappointing. And for a photographer to share their little pride & joys showcasing the time spent behind the camera, perched in often uncomfortable locations and positions just to capture a creative and beautiful photo, only to have people not notice or even appreciate those photos, is quite a sad moment.
I recently had a blogger leave a nit-picky comment on a blog post that showcased my friend’s adorable, beautiful spunky little foal. She complained about people who didn’t give their foals ‘real’ registered names that could be used, and instead gave their horses barn names that were different then their registered names. Did she temper that comment with something gushing and positive about the precious little foal or even my photography? nah.
And another blogger commented on a post recently that took me hours to organize and prepare after taking umpteen photos watching for the perfect action shots. Did she say, wow! Great photos? Or, how the horses looked beautiful in action? nah.
What she did say, was “Is it just me, or does everyone else see the train-wreck about to happen?”
Nice.
I left one of my rare replies and stated that all activities surrounding 1000lb animals have the potential for danger.
And this is how Miss Katharine Swan replied,
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Laughing Orca Ranch said: “Life can be dangerous, though. Should we just sit around covered in bubble wrap, knitting socks in a closet?
Or should we take a few risks and grab life by the horns and be free while enjoying life? “
Does that mean you've given up being scared of Baby Doll, and have decided to keep her?
:::evil grin:::
Of course many things in life are dangerous, particularly anything involving a horse, but there are certain degrees of danger. I'm much less likely to be badly injured pleasure riding than being on the field with 5 other 1,000 pound animals trying to go all different directions and with airborne sticks and balls.
Nothing is foolproof when dealing with a horse, obviously, but to me comparing casual horseback riding with something like this is like comparing target practice at a firing range and Russian roulette.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And when I decided not to approve that comment, since I’ve unfortunately felt it necessary to now have my comments moderated, Miss Katharine Swan tried to post another comment,
“ Katharine Swan has left a new comment on your post "Polocrosse~Horses and Lacrosse":
Lisa, I see you didn't approve my last comment, so I guess you didn't like what I had to say. I'm sorry, but I find it inconsistent and kind of hypocritical that you would lecture your readers about anything horse-related being dangerous, when you are selling your mare -- and thereby failing to take care of her -- because you are scared of her. Where's your sentiments about not bubblewrapping ourselves in that particular choice?
I'm not sure why you've suddenly turned into a comment Nazi. Your blog was never like that before. You were always very open and welcoming, yet suddenly you are unwilling to hear viewpoints that are different than yours. I think it's too bad, because your blog used to be a site I enjoyed visiting, but that appears to be changing. What's the point of visiting a blog if it's a one-sided conversation?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wow. That stings.
Hmmm. Well I suppose I missed the official Blogger Protocol Memo that said that every blog must be a platform for readers to debate everything posted. If I would have known…..well I never would have started blogging, quite honestly.
If I thought that my blog was supposed to be open for flaming, rude, nitpicking, snarky comments, like Fugly’s, then I would have ran fast in the opposite direction.
Who’d a thunk?
I’ve been blogging for over three years, and last year I had my first negative blog experience, which was really just an unfortunate misunderstanding with a fellow blogger friend, and sadly it didn’t turn out so well, but she did teach me one thing, and that was that it’s ok to avoid people that make you unhappy, stressed, and that cause unwanted drama in your life. And I thank her for that inadvertent lesson. And I thank Blogger for giving us many options on our blogs. And one of those options involves comments, whether allowing them, or moderating them.
I made the decision to not allow any comments on my blog yesterday, and then changed it back to allowing moderated comments just for today’s Sunday Stills, because I figured, like me, most Sunday Stills bloggers like to stop in and say a few nice words about how we follow through with Ed’s challenges each week.
I was even feeling a little guilty when my sweet buddy Michelle over at Galloping Grace Youth Ranch left a comment saying that she was disappointed that she wasn’t allowed to leave her friendly comments, full of praise, on any of my past blog posts. So, I even went back and changed that, just because I do try to be nice and accommodating.
But after Miss Swan’s oh-so-lovely comments for me, I regretted that decision greatly.
And so, I’m thinking of going back to my original decision of not permitting ANY comments, except for the photo challenges. Although I do enjoy all the friendly words left for me, the mean-spirited comments hurt me too much and I’d rather not have to deal with them when moderating comments. I’ll try the moderating thing again even though it’s a chore, and it makes one person call me a ‘Comment Nazi’. (wow)
But seriously, why should we approve a mean-spirited, flaming, snarky comment? Just so the person can rejoice in seeing their words out there in all of their argumentative glory? What’s the point?
I’m not interested in providing a debate forum or a place to argue.
And it’s quite frustrating that some people feel so obligated to read my blog and then feel it necessary to leave rudely opinionated comments. It’s a free world, this Blog place, people! You don’t have to visit any blog, nor do you have to leave a comment!
In that same vein, I’ve also decided that I don't want anyone to feel obligated to come over to my blog and leave me a comment, just because I leave one on your blog. My thoughts on commenting are this: I'm dropping off a meal or treat(a comment) to you, just to be nice and sociable. I'm going to leave it (the comment)for you in a disposable dish, so that you don't have to wash and return it(the comment) to me. It's my gift from the heart, without any obligations.
I'm still planning on visiting my favorite blogger buddies (if you’ll have me) but I plan to pare down to just the blogs that make me happy, are interesting and have become more than just a 'Follower'. You all know who you are. *smile*
And with that long, drawn-out, tirade, I will now share with you Mr. Bull Snake’s own Hissy Fit.
(Turn off my playlist music at the bottom, and then turn up your volume. He gets really loud!)
