The other 99% !

Worldwide this has been a very interesting couple of weeks. First the Occupy Wall Street protests kicked off and moved into a global movement. Moammar Gadhafi was finally captured and killed. The middle east is going nuts! Bankers are going nuts the whole world is going nuts. Back to the occupy wall street movement, they have a slogan "I am the other 99%" (hence the title.) It refers to the fact that the wealthy top 1%  are the ones getting the breaks and having all the fun while the other 99% work in the trenches and get the scraps left over. I have been a 99 percenter for my whole life. I can remember friends telling me about the plans of the freemasons and illuminatti and other groups like them who wanted to be the ruling elite. I guess they never counted on the internet and the freedom of information that it provides. Back room politics don't bode well when the world is watching. The funny thing, and it was made most poignant with the second headline, is the bible talks about people being able to view the bodies of the two witnesses of revelation instantly and globally. Even with the television you couldn't do that, today however, you can.  I knew that Gadhafi was captured and killed online before I ever saw it make the news. I had footage of his body being dragged through the streets by jubilant throngs before the news ever got even the most basic of shaky 'graphic' images posted.


There Be Stairs Here!

As part of the repairs that are continuing here at the inverted cow we got sick and tired of stumbling down the rickety rotted old steps, it was decided that I should put the firewood on hold and set to building the front steps. I was going to be building them in the spring after we returned from Calgary, But since Calgary got vetoed it was  pushed to the top of the list of things to do.

The start, rickety old rotted steps. 

The building materials,
we used them to board up
the house for the trip
to Calgary that got vetoed. 

Everything all cut up
and ready to be assembled.

Midnight checking out the steps in construction.
Once everything meets his approval then we can continue on.

YIPPEE I can paint now!!!

Applying sand to the paint for added grip. 

and the spot is cleaned up
and prepared for the new steps

the old rotten stairs are torn out

New stairs finished!
 Yea they need some more paint on the edges
and they make the ratty old door look even more ratty and old
but hey they are at least finished!

Thanksgiving Dinner with the folks.

The folks went out to visit family in Saskatchewan for Thanksgiving dinner, but like all dysfunctional families there was a fight just before the day got really off to a good start. I don't know all the gory details but a few phone calls and some more hurt feelings and angry words and they were on the way home. It is about a 12 hour drive (plus or minus) from the folks home to where they were visiting. The argument happened before lunch so the folks were on the road back to our place just after noon. We had not planned any kind of supper, just the two of us. So when I found out that the folks were coming for dinner, albeit a bit later in the evening. I went into 'git-er-done mode'.

They used to say it takes a community to raise a child, well this night it took a community to feed the folks. I raided the fridge and pantry and this is how it worked out: We had deer sausage from one of the local hunters, spaghetti squash from Ken and Carolyn, garlic dill pickles from Terri, potatoes from the garden, Apple caramel crunch made from applesauce from Marianne's mom, caramel from the food bank, and apples that we bought from Walmart, (something Marianne has said she will never do again). Dinner was great, we didn't overeat as most people do on Thanksgiving, and we all had a chance to talk.  The folks crashed out for the night and after a cup of coffee and some light breakfast they were off back home.  

It is funny how for the last little while we have been holding on to much of the food, a bit was dropped off here and there as people found themselves with extra. But it was all just enough to give thanks for when it was needed.  

Hope

New Baby cat later known of as Hope,
this was the first meal this poor thing had in who knows how long.
 She would have eaten the whole bowl if we had let her.

A couple of days later with
Marianne and loads of love.
Poor Hope still has
the runs at this time.

We gained a new addition to the homestead of the inverted cow. A small, less than 1 year old kitten. She was hiding out on the yard and the poor thing was starved half to death when we saw her outside one afternoon. Marianne coaxed her in and before I knew it I had another kitten living in the house. We had her in 'isolation' for a couple of days as she ate too much too quickly and had a case of diharrea. She is well on the way to being a healthy kitten now. Both Mitza and Midnight have adopted her, even though Mitza won't admit it. (She hisses at everyone lately) We named her Hope because she came on the yard with the hope of finding the things she needed. I thought it was fitting.

Fully feeling better now taking over the dining room table.

Firewood!

The last 2 weeks I have spent as much time out in the woods cutting firewood as Marianne would let me get away with. She got the painting bug and the renovations bug so I was 'helping' her paint. I am hoping that in the next couple of days I manage to get all the wood home that I can. BEFORE it snows. Kyle came down and gave me a hand hauling a few loads out. We also talked about him getting a trail cut in on his land, but that will depend on how much time we have before winter to get done, as much as possible. His mom has had him on a fairly short leash lately.

Kyle all geared up for a new load

Loaded up and turning around to head back

on the trail back

Kitchen!
As I said Marianne was wanting to paint, the kitchen got a new coat of paint and a facelift, it looks great now.

New paint on walls 

Fixing the outsides of the doors

Painting the backside of the doors.

ALL DONE

Last thoughts. 
The next couple of weeks are looking to become busy. We have a daily growing pile of wood and I am hoping to get it all finished before it snows. This winter promises to be interesting as I am hoping to work on some inventions to make life easier for me. If things go well, I hope to be getting a new toy soon, and will be starting to fix up the old homestead next spring. Also coming up in the next year are Chickens! Yep, we are planning on taking the next tentative steps to becoming self sufficient. Getting the chicken coop and green house built and up and running by next spring. Keep your fingers crossed as the inverted cow starts to get geared up and into a forward motion now!!!

With that I say good night and talk to you next time.