Rant

I'm in a pissed-off mood today, stemming from many things, not the least of which is a pounding headache that I suspect is from the sulfites in the wine I had last night.

So I'm reading all my favorite blogs, and I come across one of a woman who has moved to my old hometown from somewhere in the midwest. She and her husband are really fixing up their place, and are very industrious, and watching all that they do kind of kicks me in the butt. They're off in the country, building their homestead, raising goats.

One night, they hear a horrible screaming sound. And they're pretty shaken up by it. The goats are fine, so they wait until morning. They go on a little walk to where they heard the sound that tore them from their beds in the middle of the night, and they've found two burrows or dens (I can't tell which from the photos.) Now, having grown up here all my life, I have come to the conclusion that it was probably coyotes grabbing a rabbit. If you've never heard a rabbit scream, it's truly amazing that such a sound can come from a small creature. I can't tell if the rabbits are on the property, or if the coyotes are. Doesn't really matter to me.

What does matter to me is their response to the wild animals. Tear down all the woods, and develop the land. Kill the wild animals or drive them out. This is the 21st century, people! Protect your livestock with fencing and leave the coyotes alone.

We had coyotes in the woods behind our house, until one evening we heard gunshots, and no more coyotes. Ever since we have been overrun with rabbits, rats, moles, voles, and any number of other rodents. Thanks a lot, whoever killed the coyotes. Did you bother to take into account my vegetable garden? My food source?

So what I didn't mention, is that the blogger I was reading is one of those over-the-top religious types. Normally I stay away from that kind of thing, but the combination of homesteading, my hometown, and they're starting from scratch kind of grabbed me. Is this kill all the animals thing religious hickdom? I thought they were supposed to take care of God's creatures?

Which brings me to my other rant. My over-the-top religious neighbors put up a sign that says "Pray to end abortion". Great. My personal feelings aside, is this really appropriate for a dead-end street with tons of young children on it? I don't think so. Who, except for us and a busload of elementary students is going to see it? Do they think God appreciates it? Do they honestly think they're going to convert a handful of people sticking a sign up in their yard? Sorry. It makes me even more against the right-wing lunatics, and more firm in my beliefs.