What Does the Fox Say?

One enjoyable attribute of living on a farm is that you get to see a lot of wildlife up close.  About a month ago we discovered there was a family of foxes living underneath / inside of a stack of irrigation pipe in the barnyard.  At times we would see an adult fox and a couple of pups run for cover as soon as they were spotted.  Then, as the pups got a little bigger the vixen would leave them to go out into the fields to find food.  While she was gone the pups would come out of the pipe and run around and play (the cutest thing on earth).  They would still run for cover as soon as they saw a human approaching, but if we were on a tractor or 4-wheeler we could get a lot closer than if we were on foot.  A couple weeks after we started seeing these foxes, we discovered how many there actually were.  At first, the most pups anyone had seen was 4.  Once they started getting a little more brave, we started seeing all 7 of them out at once.  That's 8 foxes living not just on the farm, but in the barnyard.

They are fun to watch.  Baby foxes behave just like puppies, chasing, wrestling, playing, and teasing each other.  Their agility is impressive.  They can climb to the top of the straw stack in about 3 seconds, run full speed and dive into an 8 inch pipe, and jump 4 to 5 feet straight up in the air from a standing position.

These foxes have managed to reduce the population of wild bunnies (who feast on our garden).  We have also seen evidence that they have eliminated a few rock-chucks.  That is where the benefit to their presence stops.  A few days ago, the vixen discovered our gopher traps out in the field.  We went out to check our traps, only to find an number of them had been pulled up and robbed of the gophers we had caught.  Even some of the traps that were not set off yet had been pulled out of the holes.  On June 13th they stole 4 gophers in one day.  Some of the traps also started to disappear altogether.  A couple of them we recovered just outside the gated pipe where they live, but 3 of our traps are still missing.  Also, we haven't seen our cat for about 2 weeks, and all of the ducklings on the irrigation pond are also missing.

On June 15th, the kids went out to check the live animal trap they set two days before to try and catch a bunny, and to their surprise the smallest of the fox pups had gotten caught instead!  Who knew they liked watermelon and carrots? The kids were as excited as when they see what Santa brings them on Christmas morning.

One boy wanted to keep the fox and train it so he can put it in the zoo he is putting together (that's why they were trying to catch a bunny.  So far their exhibits consist of a jar full of baby grasshoppers).  The other boy wanted to shoot it, because the foxes have stolen a lot of gophers, and they stole his trap that was staked into the ground.  The girls were just excited to see the baby fox up close.  It was about the size of a cat, although its long fluffy hair made it seem larger.  The kids ran up to tell the grandparents, who were dragged down to see the fox in person.  After admiring the sly creature for a while, Grandpa opened the door on the trap and released it.  The fox ran away about 50 feet, then stopped and looked back at the kids for almost a full minute.  Then it went back to its hiding place inside the irrigation pipe.  This action was not received well, because G. still wanted it for a pet, R. still wanted to shoot it, and the girls still wanted to look at it.

Foxes are cute, but we are hoping they will move away soon.  A pack of 8 grown foxes can pose a significant threat to livestock, pets, and other wildlife.    

Since we've been living in such close proximity to 8 foxes in the last month, my kids can now answer the question posed by the Ylvis song: "What Does the Fox Say?"  Foxes are actually pretty noisy.

The Most Dangerous Gun

Whether you love them or hate them, guns are a part of our lives in America.  Since before the founding of our country guns have been used to fight for freedom and progress and to defend against those who wish to take it away.  I am not going to advocate for or against firearms here.  My intent is to stress the importance of teaching gun safety.

Accidents involving firearms are nothing new.  In the days of the pioneers accidental injuries and deaths from guns were a regular occurrence.  A loaded rifle bouncing along in the back of a wagon bumps up against something and gets jarred in just the right way to cock and release the hammer, firing it off blindly into whatever unlucky thing was in its path.  Another thing that happened often was someone would grab and pull out a gun that was half buried in a wagon box.  The hammer would get hung up on something and when it was pulled free it would snap back into its uncocked position, firing the round in the barrel.  While the exact number of injuries and deaths by gun accidents on the Oregon and California Trails is unknown, we do know that like today, gun accidents happened much too often and many innocent people were hurt or killed that shouldn't have been.

Today, reports of gun accidents almost have a regular slot on the evening news.    If more adults and children would become knowledgeable on safe gun handling techniques, as well as where and how to safely store firearms in a home, the occurrence of these tragedies could be greatly reduced.

 We have had a few family meetings focused on gun safety.  Those meetings included discussion on handling firearms, parts of a gun, what to do if you find a gun, and more.  We even played a hide and seek game where I would hide a "gun" somewhere in the house, then they had to find it and demonstrate the proper procedure for what to do if you find a gun.  More recently, we have taken the family out to shoot at targets and do a little hands on learning with guns.

All of our safety discussions and training began with the following question: What is the most dangerous kind of gun?

Answer: An unloaded gun.

A staggering number of people are hurt or killed by guns thought to be 'unloaded' every year.  In recent years, my wife and I have both personally known people who have died from accidental shootings.  So, without exception, every gun is handled as if it is ready to fire.

I am not fanatical about guns, nor am I against them.  But, whether or not you own a gun, they will continue to be a part of the lives of Americans. It is important that we all know how to be safe around them.  Everyone can agree that the most effective way to be safe around guns is to know how to handle and behave around them. Safe gun handling prevents injuries and saves lives.

The Upcoming Struggle of American Agriculture

With the average age of the American farmer getting close to 60 years old, there is growing concern for the future of agriculture in the United States.  There are numerous theories as to why fewer young people are going into farming.  These theories range from young people having no interest in farming, to it being too difficult to make a living on a family farm.

There has never been a time where it was more exciting to be involved in agriculture.  Advances in technology and new farming techniques have made crop and livestock production more efficient than ever before.  The reason why young people are not getting into agriculture is because it is not financially possible.  A new farmer cannot get started without a significant financial investment.  The financial barriers to entry can be insurmountable.  The only young people who are earning a living on farms today have been given a leg up by their parents.  They are either taking over their family farm, expanding the family farm, or branching out on their own and utilizing resources from the family farm to get themselves started.

I am a 6^th generation farmer.  For a few years I did run my own farming operation, and because I was able to rent equipment from my parents, I did turn a profit.  As everyone knows, in 2008 the economy took a nosedive.  Not long after that the land I was leasing was sold and I was suddenly without anything to farm.  Since I was a child all I ever wanted was to be a farmer like my Dad and Grandpa.  In order to do that I got an accounting degree and have to work in town to save money so that someday I might be able to buy an acre or two to call my own.  Expert agriculture analysts say fewer young people have an interest in a career in farming, but the truth is that unless parents have an operation they can hand over to their children, there is no way for them to get started.  

Every millennial I know who farms for a living is either an employee working for their parents, or they are starting their own operation by using resources on their parents farms.  Since young people cannot afford to buy the required land and equipment needed to run a farm, the future of agriculture in the United States will continue to consolidate into large corporate operations.

Young farmers are out there looking for a chance to jump into the drivers seat of production agriculture.  All we need is an opportunity.

Snowed in Sunday

The snow continues to fall.  It measures 16 inches deep in our yard.  In a lot of places that much snow is no big deal, but around here that is a record.  The roads are terrible, school kids have had more than a week of snow days, and roofs all over the valley are collapsing under the weight of the snow.  Aside from that, the snow is great blessing.

The view from my office on Jan 4th

With many roads impassible and quite a few people unable to get out of their driveways, Sunday January 8th, 2017 was one of those rare days when church was cancelled.  Every ward in Southwest Idaho and Eastern Oregon was cancelled and people were advised to stay home.  Naturally, when I heard this I was a little excited.  Getting to stay home from church and not feeling guilty about it is something that almost never happens.  My kids had other ideas, though.  They love going to church and were disappointed we did not get to go.  As soon as we finished telling them that there would be no church meetings, G threw his hands up in the air and proclaimed:
"Let's have our own church meeting here!"

I should have expected that.

Sunday morning bright and early both boys prepared lessons and activities to do at our church meeting.  The meeting was even staged with a lectern and a pretend microphone.  Church started promptly at 9:00 am.  I was assigned to be the 'bishop' and conduct the meeting.  They had an opening song and prayer, then each of them taught their lessons.  After they were done, A had a few closing remarks for the meeting.  From start to finish the meeting took about 35 minutes.  Once it was over, we moved to the kitchen and did the activities that had been prepared.  It actually turned out to be pretty fun.

G leading the opening hymn, accompanied by R

R using visuals during his lesson

G teaching his lesson

A giving her 'closing remarks'

This turned out to be a lesson for the parents, taught by the kids.  Church may get cancelled, but the spiritual experiences that occur on Sundays don't have to be.  In this meeting organized by children, the spirit was strong, their lessons were great, and the joy and excitement that radiated from them was contagious.  It is easy to see why religious texts call for followers of Christ to have the faith of a child.  Their faith is simple, honest, and pure.