Grilled and Fried

I love this picture of my chickens Grilled and Fried. Yes, I really named my chickens Baked, Fried and Grilled.

Snake Kills Baby

Update: The cage was secured with a blanket and some rope. He will probably be charged with child endangerment because that is an accident just waiting to happen. But this isn't Darnell's first lost of a child, his own daughter died five years ago of spinal meningitis. It is a tragic story.

Usually you just have to worry about your boyfriend shaking your baby to death, now you have to worry about the pets they keep. Shaiunna Hare,2 was in her bed sleeping when the 8 1/2ft long pet python of her mother's (Jaren Hare,19) boyfriend, escaped it's cage, wrapped itself around the girl, and squeezed until the little girl was dead. Charles Darnell,32 woke up the next morning to find the snake missing and started searching for it.

Lt. Bobby Caruthers of Sumter County Sheriff's Department made the following statement:

"Wednesday morning he wakes up and discovers the snake missing from its container," said Caruthers. "He went straight to the infant's room and he described it as seeing the snake on the baby. He also described a bite mark on her forehead. He started stabbing the snake and removed the child from the room."

Despite this tragedy, the fact that an exotic snake killed a baby, means a criminal investigation is underway for owning and keeping such a dangerous pet in the home with the baby girl. "We're going to be interviewing (Darnell) and the mother further at the Sheriff's Office," Caruthers says. "They were very upset at the scene and that's all we got out of them."

In my opinion he either knew it was dangerous to keep a snake that size in the house with a baby, or there is something fishy with the story. Why else would he immediately start searching for the snake in the baby's room.

Florida Fish & Game is also investigating because Darnell didn't have a permit for the snake. Pythons are classified Reptiles of Concern because they escape or are released into the wild where they displace local wildlife.

Favorite Posts of 2008- Buying Chickens

If you want to buy baby chick or ducklings, don't do it this week. Their price, and that of rabbits, go up the week before Easter. And they don't make good gifts, baby chicks die really easily, and they poop so much. The dying part is the worst. You've spent your time explaining to a child that Jesus rose from the dead, then you have to explain why the baby duck can't do it. Wait to get the fuzzy baby bird until they have forgotten about the Resurrection.

I Hate Pit Bulls

My neighbor's dog broke through the boards on our fence last night, and attacked one our chickens. One was killed.
They are the reason I don't bike to the store a couple of miles away, or go for walks in my neighborhood. Too many ghetto dogs running loose.Ten years ago there were almost no pit bulls in my neighborhood, now they are everywhere.
Update: The neighbor repaired the fence. I didn't really have a problem with my neighbor's dog until he broke through the fence, he didn't seem mean. He's a dog, if a bunch a juicy chickens lived next door to me I would try to get one too. The neighbor was truly sorry. And the dog will be kept on a chain. Poor thing, but it is a very long chain. My problem is that at least twice a week I see a pit bull running loose. And a couple of years ago a pack of them chased my grandmother into my garage. Luckily she got the door down quickly enough. It's so bad that I have the number to animal control stored in my phone.
And I'm not much of a dog person. My oldest son had his head ripped open all the way to the skull by a neighbor's dog, turns out her son had been abusing the dog. But the kicker was the police were going to fine her when they found out that she beat the dog of him with the broom. So I am hyper aware of dogs running loose.

Buying Chickens

If you want to buy baby chick or ducklings, don't do it this week. Their price, and the price of rabbits, go up the week before Easter. And they don't make good gifts, baby chicks die really easily, and they poop so much. The dying part is the worst. You've spent your time explaining to a child that Jesus rose from the dead, then you have to explain why the baby duck can't do it. Wait to get the fuzzy baby bird until they have forgotten about the Resurrection.

Which Came First

After several hours of annoying clucking, one of our chickens finally laid an egg. Of course she laid it on one of the patio chairs, but it was an egg. Now I just need three more to fill up my little carton. So I guess we won't be having free range chicken for dinner.

(And the ugly bedding belongs to my 89 year old grandmother, because I can't control everything)