I'm A Scary Hermit

  I really shouldn't be left alone for long periods of time. Because I start doing really weird, awesome hermit stuff. Well, I call it "awesome" anyway...

  Today's been a pretty fun day, but I think there's a possibility that I'm either loopy, or suffering from too much caffeine from this morning's coffee. I got a FULL NIGHT'S SLEEP last night and oh glory was it warm. I very muchly did not want to get up, but Lavender (the mama cat who keeps her kittens in the loft) wouldn't let me sleep in. Ah nuts. Oh well. Between the full night's sleep, and a large mug of strong coffee, and getting the ENTIRE morning off of work, well -- I'm feeling quite chipper. Hehehe. I got the morning off because my host family left early for a camping trip; so the wife did the barn chores before I got down for breakfast, and I've got the next few days pretty darn easy.

 So yep, I've been left to my own devices to stay occupied. This could be dangerous. What does a Caity do all by herself on a beautiful spring day? Everything she can think of. From putting vases of daffodils everywhere in the loft (I think I've got 8 or 9 up there right now? And I ain't done!), to cleaning out and filling up her fish tanks that were just given to her so that she can keep all the frogs, toads, snakes, salamanders, lizards, turtles, and fish she wants, to filling out paperwork to foster a parrot from a local avian rescue (c'mon... there's no one else in that loft! Why not keep a rowdy bird for a few weeks!?), to twirling around an empty house in time to rap music. 

 Like I said. I'm either loopy today, or the coffee was a wee bit too strong. Or both. 

  Back on the subject of the fish tanks... I mentioned to my host family that I was wanting some fish tanks to keep critters in and was told that the husband's parents were trying to get rid of a gazillion aquariums (there could be a very slight exaggeration on the number of tanks), and I could have as many as I want!!! I am so STOKED. I got three this morning; just a 5-gallon, 10-gallon, and 20-gallon. They've got a 50-gallon tank that I want next though. Why? Oh just for my bearded dragons. *innocent look* 

 What? Don't give me that look! No one here cares if I get them, and I've been wanting a dragon since I was fourteen years old. And now that I've just been bequeathed a bunch of aquariums, why not get the long-coveted reptile? These lizards are fantastic pets; friendly, active, gentle, and even trainable. I want a male so I can name him 'Toothless'. ;) Hey, it could be worse. Be glad I'm not eyeing a Savannah Monitor, which Petco also sells for a very decent price. Those carnivorous beasts top out at 5 feet in length. I love reptiles, but even that's a bit much for me... I'll stick with a 2' long beastie that looks like it's smiling. 

  I'll admit that the parrot thing is kinda' out-of-the-blue. The idea came to me this morning. A loud, rowdy parrot is another thing I've always wanted but could never have. And while it won't work for me to keep one for very long, there's a local rescue that will let me "foster" (that term sounds so weird and yuppy... I kind of cringe saying it) a bird over the summer and then give it back. Basically, they provide the cage, food, and everything, and it's my job to make the bird friendly and adoptable. No cost for me, and I get a neat loft companion. I think this idea came about because I was trying to come up with a good challenge for myself... I have to have some sort of really good mental challenge to keep me from getting bored. I was originally hoping to get back into horses and do some training and rodeos over the summer, but I have been implored by those around me to not do it because of the danger levels. I have to agree with them there... If I get back into horses, then it will only be a matter of time before I start riding bareback and/or bridleless. Actually, my goal was to do a barrel race in the county fair rodeo this summer, but do it bridless; just use a slim string around my mount's neck. Reckless? Foolish? Uh yeah. Duh. It takes training and trust to do that feat. It's totally doable though. But again, my dare-devil habits with equines makes others nervous, so for their sake I've decided to look at a different challenge. Thus the birds. No, the challenge is nowhere near the same. But it's something at least.

    The whole "twirling to rap music" thing isn't that abnormal for me. If there's no one around, then I have no qualms with jiving to whatever I'm listening to. Don't deny that you do it too. Although, you might not do it to rap. And that's fine. To each their own. I was listening to a bouncy song by Lecrae called 'I Used To Do It Too', and the beat/tune really is quite catchy. In fact, if you're into that style of music, then here's the song itself:

  I used to not like rap simply because you never could tell what on earth the singers were saying. But then I was introduced to Christian rap (namely Lecrae) and I've been enjoying this stuff. I find that with normal contemporary Christian music I tend to just listen to the instruments and melody and not so much the lyrics. With the rap though, the lyrics are what is being showcased. It's not about the beat (although the bass is awesome, and yes I turn it up), it's not about the melody ('cause there usually ain't a really strong one), it's the WORDS that you hear. In a modern form of poetry, the words rhyme, catch your ear, and you're not swamped by all those extra things like too many instruments. I realize that most folks don't like rap, and I'm not trying to convince you otherwise; I'm just explaining why this conservatively-raised country girl is now listening to, and enjoying, such a genre. I like the simplicity of it, and the fact that I can hear the lyrics so strongly. I have gotten more out of one song by Lecrae then by all the songs in a hymnal. I can't even count how many times I've been upset and have listened to 'Far Away', or 'Background', or some other song, and felt better afterwards. The message in those songs is amazing. Today's song 'I Used To Do It Too' is a good one too. It's like getting a mini sermon in lyric form. And I have a gut feeling that Jesus has no qualms with rap music. My conviction concerning music is that if your heart's in the right place, and you're singing to glorify Him, then the style don't matter. Acappella or heavy metal; classical or rap. I think we humans are the ones who do the judging, when in all honesty -- that ain't our job!

 And just because I can, here's Lecrae's song 'Far Away'. Love this one! ^_^  God's not far away! He's always right here for us! I love that this song starts out despairing (usually the way I am when I listen to it), and then it finishes strong. Yussss...

  Now... What shall I do next? Hmm... Methinks I might go finish the lunch dishes real quick, and then maybe go swing outside for awhile. We'll see what happens.

Don't Try This At Home

  Today's adventure: Trying to duck under a strand of electric fence while standing barefoot in knee-deep creek water.

  You see where this is going?

  Yeah.

  Now, I've ducked under that wire before. Did just fine. Didn't think it'd be a problem this time; there's no way to get around that wire, so I'm in the habit of just goin' under it. Today however... I didn't duck *quite* low enough, and my spine brushed that thin little wire.

  That fence has a really powerful charge on it. Really, really powerful. And when you're barefoot, in water, that power gets magnified many times over. I got shocked by a different fence yesterday, and the power was enough to make me jump and shout a quick, "OW!" Today was a different story though. All I remember is screaming, and just going down. It was like being momentarily paralyzed; I couldn't move, couldn't think, couldn't do anything! Just boom. Down. Apparently I was grabbed and hauled out, but I honestly don't remember that. My memory starts kicking in again once I was out of the water and on my feet. Oh everything hurt, I was wet, and I wanted to cry. 

  I still hurt, but not quite so much. My back and chest are sore, and methinks it'll be that way for a few days. In the meantime though, I think I'll start hunting for a new route around that fence... I have no desire to ever repeat that experience.

  Folks, don't try this at home.

FYI

  Canoeing in a giant puddle during a deluge is more fun than it should be.

  It really is.

  And it makes for an awesome redneck date. ;) 

  Just thought you'd like to know.

  If you ever have a flash flood in your area, and find a ginormous puddle on your property, by all means grab a canoe and another person. And a camera. I'd love to see photo evidence. *cough cough* :) 

Darth Pooh... Wait, Wha?

   If you've ever wondered what Darth Vader would sound like if he had the voice of Winnie The Pooh, well... Here's your chance to find out. I just about died watching this. ;)

Girl vs. Snapping Turtle

   Everyone has their moments. And by moments, I mean when you seem to lose all logic and sense. You know, the most basic logic that every human being possesses? I had that moment today.

  Call me an idiot, folks, but this crazy country girl tried picking up a snapping turtle today.

  Yeah.

  It was dumb of me.

  I was originally in the midst of bringing the cows back up to the barn, when right at the pond's edge I saw it: 12 inches in diameter, and looking like some prehistoric monster that should have died during the Great Flood, that turtle glared at me from the other side of the electric fence. 

  I'm a fool when it comes to reptiles and amphibians. In Oregon, I never had to worry about any dangerous or poisonous creatures, so I got in the habit of picking up everything that came my way. That same habit is a bit of a death wish here in Missouri.

  I was originally going to just leave it alone. Honest. Cross my heart. He looked mean, and he was a downright whopper! But the reckless part of me couldn't resist. I hopped the fence, tiptoed over to the ugly beast and cautiously put my hands on each side of his big shell; trying to keep them as far from his head as possible. I got him about two inches off the ground before he erupted in all his snapping fury. HOLY SMOKES!! You wouldn't believe what a long neck those things have! That ornery critter whipped his head around and did his very best to take a finger or three off of me.

   "FALL BACK! RETREAT! EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF!!"

  I totally panicked. Like, I dropped that turtle, screamed, scurried over that fence, and didn't stop running until I got back up the hill and reached the cows (I didn't want to find out how fast snapping turtles moved on the ground). I laugh now, thinking about how ridiculous I must have looked (and sounded... Screaming like a little girl, I was!), but at the time I was freaking out enough that a passerby might have thought I had found a skeleton.

  I got home safe and unscathed. I still have all eight fingers (oh wait -- I mean ten. Don't worry, Mom), and the snapping turtle didn't follow me up the path in an angry rampage. But one thing's for sure: I am never, ever, EVER dipping one toe in that pond. That demon might want revenge.

  I got bested by a turtle. This is kind of humiliating...