From The Universe Today

Encouraged by a comment from my friend John ...

If you knew how much you have in common with every single person now living in time and space Bill - in terms of your greatest hopes and dreams, and your deepest fears and worries - you'd wonder how I manage to tell you all apart.

And from this day forward you'd likely think of every single one of them as "dearest," just as I do.

Tallyho,
The Universe

Extension Dominant Ewes

A few years ago, I was part of a group of four Canadians who imported semen from the UK. The rams were stunning! They turned out to NOT be what they appeared due to Extension Dominance, but they were still stunning ... and better than what was available to me at the time. I still have 19 straws left to use.

Extension dominance masks all pattern in sheep so that the animal appears to be a solid colour. My favourite of the sires is Todhill Glayva. Glayva appears to be Aa/Aa ... but in reality is Ab/Ab (homozygous katmoget). That makes him pretty easy to deal with. It means that if I use those straws on ewes that are Aa/Aa, then every lamb that is katmoget ... will not have ED. Those that appear to be solid will have to be bred to double patterned rams and then all patterned lambs from them will be ED free.

Below is one of Glayva's ED daughters. She is Ab/Aa. Her britch is creeping up and she has more wispy-ness than I like ... but her numbers still allow me keep her for another year ... AFD - 23.4 ... SD - 6.4 ... CV - 27.1. Those numbers are for her fourth fleece. She is bred to Juliann's Greyson, who is At/Ag ... so only lambs with a pattern are free of ED.

This ewe is second generation Extention Dominant. Her granddam was Awt/Aa and her grandsire, Todhill Hornblower (who appeared to be Aa/Aa black) was Awt/Aa. This ewe's dam was either Awt/Aa, or Awt/Awt. This ewe's sire was Ab/At. The possibilities excite me ... Awt ... Ab ... At ... Ag. This ewe is also bred to Greyson so any lamb without pattern must be ED. Numbers from her second fleece are ... AFD - 26.5 ... SD - 5.0 ... CV - 18.9.

Would I have rather the rams that we imported were as they seemed and not ED? OF COURSE! Would I be import semen from another ED ram who met all of my other requirements? YOU BET I WOULD!

I LOVE my ED sheep and all that I have learned from them. And the Canadian registry doesn't seem to have a problem with them ... :-)

Life is good!

Calves

This is Mary. She is a mid-November calf. If she continues to mature as she is, I'll keep her as my fourth cow. She is such a gentle and playful soul ... :-)

This is Mr. Chuck Roast. He is an early September calf that is now a steer. The plan is that he'll eventually become a resident of my freezer. He is becoming quite tame, which may or may not be a good thing ... :-)

I bred both of my cows, Millie and Madge to a red bull this Fall. I'd LOVE a red heifer calf ... but that would have me at FIVE cows once they mature ... *sigh*

Life is good ... :-)

Marvin ... Soon to be invited For Dinner ... :-)

Marvin with Millie ...

Marvin, showing his 'steaks' ... with Chuck Roast in the background. Both are growing well ... :-).

Marjori and Bonnie

It is a VERY strange friendship ... but it is genuine. They are almost inseparable!

I think that they'll have to stay together once Marjori can go back with the other cows.
I don't think Bonnie will mind ... as long as the other cattle are as accepting ... :-)

I Wrote This a Long Time Ago ... but it still says what I feel in my heart

Philosophy of Education

I am a teacher.

Sometimes I wonder why.

I look into the eyes of a child and I see resentment;

Resentment because I have two cars, a hot tub, and my own computer;

Resentment because I have a family that I can tell funny stories about; and a job.

I look into the eyes of a child and I see frustration;

Frustration at feeling he’ll never be as tall, or as strong, or as good looking, or as able as his friends;

Frustration at not learning to run, or to read, or to think, or to do things the way that others do.

I look into the eyes of a child and I see anger;

Anger at a world that he cannot control and a life that he does not understand;

Anger at parents, and at teachers, and at a system, for not keeping up as he has changed.

I am a teacher.

Sometimes I wonder why.

I look into the eyes of a child and I see doubt;

Doubt that any of this matters; to his life; to his future; at all;

Doubt that he can achieve; doubt that he even cares.

And I remember that what I teach that child is far less important than what that child learns about learning; and about himself.

I remember that I must talk with and listen to his parents, other teachers, the community; to him.

I remember that I cannot predict his future, only prepare him to meet it with a spark, as a lifelong learner.

I look into the eyes of a child and I see worry;

Worry that none of us care, know his interests, see his abilities, understand his background;

Worry that the world will be too different; worry that we’ll not understand what he will need.

And I remember that he is the centre of what I do and that I must know him, reassure him, guide him, toward a world that I do not know.

I remember that I care, that I nurture, that I provide an environment where he is safe to grow.

I remember too, that I must grow, must evolve, as my world, as the entire world, explodes with change.

I look into the eyes of a child and I see potential;

Potential for kindness, for politeness, for calmness, for irrationality, for explosion;

Potential for contributing through greatness; potential for harming through crime.

And I remember that if I assume the best, expect his best, give my best, accept only our best, then he will be his best.

I remember to be firm, to be fair, to be as non-confrontational with him as I expect him to be with me.

I remember that I am an example, and that through my example, I have influence.

I am a teacher.

Sometimes I wonder why.

I look into the eyes of a child and I see trust;

Trust that we will understand that what he shows us is not always the way that he is;

Trust that we will run his school to meet his needs and not force him to mold to ours.

I look into the eyes of a child and I see hope;

Hope that he will be right - for his friends, for his parents, for me; with his life;

Hope that he will please, and be pleased.

I look into the eyes of a child and I see a future.

A future bright with his energy; bright with his enthusiasm, bright with his desire;

A future waiting for him to be finished; with me; by me.

I am a teacher.

Sometimes I wonder why.

I look into the eyes of a child and I see so much.

But when I look into the eyes of that child with my heart,

I see that child’s heart.

And I let him see mine.

And without words, between our hearts,

We both know why ...

I am a teacher.

I have been trying to post very few of my daily messages from the Universe as I have heard that a few folk are 'worried that I'm going 'funny' '. ... hehehe GOING ... I've been this way for years ... ;-)

Today's message is too good not to share though ...

Expecting "end results" - such as wealth and abundance, health and harmony, friends and laughter - in broad brush strokes, is part of the secret formula, Bill, for manifesting the life of your dreams.

Expecting your path to follow a certain route - such as writing a bestseller to accumulate wealth, having a particular someone fall in love with you, or insisting upon this idea, that diet, or the other invention to be your deliverance - is just plain messing with the cursed hows and severely limits my options... (I hate when that happens.)

Cool?
The Universe

Zoo Fun!

What an AWESOME day at the Zoo today! ... Grandpa, his friend Pete, his son Chris ... and two amazing grandchildren ... :-)

We all had a blast ... as did these turtles *blush*

Life is good!

Princess of the World

We'll let her first teacher be the one to break the news that she is just the Princess of Grandpa's world.

Life is good!

The View Out My Back Door ... Life Is Good!

Cows ... and Bonnie wondering where her breakfast is ...

sheep at one of the bales ...

Andrew ... having words with Bonnie ... :-)

Thursday, January 7th ... Message from The Universe

I understand, Bill, that you must wonder, sometimes to the point of bewilderment, at what you're truly capable of doing. Yet, therein lies the "problem," because living the life of your dreams is far more about what I'm capable of doing.

Surrender -
The Universe

New Stove ... Comfort Furniture

I have a new pellet/grain stove and I LOVE it! It heats my space beautifully, can be controlled by a thermostat, and best of all, it has a 6 inch side clearance. This means that I have been able to add some furniture that has sentimental value to me ... stuff that just makes me feel ... comfortable ... :-)

Life is good!

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!

Well ... I bought myself a new toy for Christmas ... :-)

My neighbours helped me fit it to the tractor this morning ... THANK YOU Bosleys!

Now ... I wait for the snow ... ;-)

Life is good!

Friday, Januart 10, 2010

I want you to know, Bill, that I've ordered up another year for you.

Think I'll call it 2010.

I'm going to put most of the same people of 2009 in it, since you all think so much alike. But there'll also be a few new, very cool cats coming to play - give them some time to grow up though.

And I'm going to have things start off pretty much exactly where they left off in 2009, for continuity's sake. Flips folks out too much when I don't.

All in all, 365 more days in paradise... and only one request of you:

DREAM BIGGER.

Coolio?

Let's do this,
The Universe