Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Cows with Guns

We have a really cool radio station nearby, KPIG, with real-live DJ's who play whatever they want, uncontrolled by a corporate manager. I don't recall their history with a lot of accuracy, but I do remember that when I first moved to Santa Cruz from Los Angeles (in 1976), their call letters were KFAT. That station was apparently sold, but the rebel DJs couldn't be controlled. They left and started another station. Our favorite DJ, Ramblin' Ror, plays a lot of really funny stuff and our favorite anti-Bush songs. The station is supported by advertising, but they also include a humorous fake ads between tunes. If you don't live in the central coast of California, click the link to KPIG and try them out.

I first heard the song, "Cows with Guns" on KPIG, but I hadn't seen the video until D.K. told me about it. I already loved the song, but the video makes it even better. (Thanks D.K.)

Spoiler alert! I love that in the end the chickens come to rescue the Cows. I'm hand-raising two Rhode Island Red hens and each has a unique personality.

Isis earned her name by having Eqyptian-style eye markings when she was a little chick. Those markings have disappeared now, but she still deserves her name because of her regal bearing. Until recently she carried a "don't touch me" attitude, but lately she has allowed us to "pet" her. The first time she allowed me to stroke her feathers, she hunkered down, spread her wings a little bit and rapidly stamped her feet. It was funny and and cute.

Her companion, Gabby, got her name because as a chick she "talked" more than Isis. Later that changed too. Gabby is a calm and friendly gal, who approaches me and squats to allow me to pet her. She never runs away.

The two hens have started laying eggs recently and their eggs are better than the store-bought free range eggs we had in the fridge. The Reds lay eggs with thicker shells and rich orange yolks (we feed them organic grains).

Brodie, our kitty who gets no respect from the other kitties, seems to be fascinated by the chickens. Initially when he tried to play with them, they didn't like his predator-style games of chase and when he tried to touch his nose to a beak, he got pecked, but he gets dissed all the time by the other cats and doesn't seem to mind. He likes to hang out with the chickens even though they mostly ignore him.

On the same topic (animals), I received the following from Suzanne Ayers and have been planning to share it:

Hunting animals over the internet. Where have I been? This is new to me.... and so sad How much of a lazy worthless piece of ^#$%^&^ do you have to be... to find this kind of "sport" any kind of "sport" at all. You might as well shoot an animal thats locked in a cage! O wait.. thats legal in Texas.

I'm wishing for cows with guns and chickens with helicopters. (I tried to upload pictures of our chickies and Brodie but Blogger just won't do it.)