Pumpkin Police and My First Mask Flip Out

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Today's show of humanity's foibles.

1. I go for a walk. I can walk over a path that goes into a woody reserved area. So I waddle down the path towards the creek and its bridge. There is road that parallels the path for a bit before the path turns into the woods. A guy stops his Benz by the creek and opens the back and takes about a big pumpkin. He is an old, fat fart (ahem) and waddles towards the creek with the pumpkin. But what should appear a pickup marked from the County park authority. Said truck driver gives the pumpkin dude, the "Look". Pumpkin picks up the pumpkin (he had put it down as it was too much for a straight carry to the creek). Puts in back and drives off. The County guy makes a u=turn. He passes me and I give him a thumbs up. He says, he is mildly annoyed with those who throw things in the creek. He feels like throwing stuff on the guy's lawn.

2. Time to go to the supermarket. Mask up, get my cart. Well, at the self-check out there is a rumpus. There is a skinny woman with a bandana around her neck, totally open face - have a fit. Screaming at people and running towards them. I'm at a distance and said to myself - why let's go down this lane and get some distance. The young male staff is closing on her and holding her arm to lead her out.

I continue to distance myself.

Later I ask the check out young lady, what happened. She said, that someone gave the United Way $5.00 at the self-check, slowing down the lane, this freaked out the maskless wonder - she pulled hers off to scream, it seemed.

I gave the United Way $5.00 and they entered me in a raffle for $150. If I win I can buy a box of 9mm.

[TheNewbie]

While a pumpkin is not the worst thing that can be thrown in a creek, I still don't get why people just don't throw away stuff properly. The worst was seeing old lawn mowers in creeks. How much of a low life do you have to be to throw a lawn mower into a creek?

[flyrodr]

While a pumpkin is not the worst thing that can be thrown in a creek, I still don't get why people just don't throw away stuff properly. The worst was seeing old lawn mowers in creeks. How much of a low life do you have to be to throw a lawn mower into a creek?

Back when I was a kid, in the southern Appalachian Mountains (OK, western NC), people, including I think local governments, used to dispose of their junk cars on the outside of a stream bend. "Stream bank stabilization." But then, I was also told that the "government" imported kudzu to use as an erosion control measure. [Actually, if one Googles the origin of kudzu in the US, one of the first hits says it was imported as an ornamental and forage crop - - - and then used for erosion control.]

Such mistakes, of course, aren't made today . . .

[UNK]

While a pumpkin is not the worst thing that can be thrown in a creek, I still don't get why people just don't throw away stuff properly. The worst was seeing old lawn mowers in creeks. How much of a low life do you have to be to throw a lawn mower into a creek?

Probably related to the people who cant be bothered to put their carts away correctly in the parking lot at the grocery store.

[Casual Friday]

Pumpkins are easy to dispose of. Find someone who has chickens and give them to them. They love them. Cut them in half and watch them devour the innerds until there is nothing left but a paper thin layer of the outer shell. It's quite impressive really, similar to watching them absolutely destroy a mouse that wanders into their space.

[BehindBlueI's]

Pumpkin picks up the pumpkin (he had put it down as it was too much for a straight carry to the creek).

I think this should be "bumpkin with a pumpkin", but you do you. :D

[DMF13]

=Glenn E. Meyer;1144412
I gave the United Way $5.00 and they entered me in a raffle for $150. If I win I can buy a box of 9mm.Who sells 10 round boxes of 9mm? ;)

[whomever]

FWIW, we bust up the neighborhood's leftover jack-o-lanterns and put them in our woods ... the deer love them.

[Ichiban]

Probably related to the people who cant be bothered to put their carts away correctly in the parking lot at the grocery store.

Shopping Cart Theory: the ultimate test of whether someone is a d*ck or a decent person

https://thechive.com/2020/05/11/shopping-cart-theory-the-ultimate-test-of-whether-someone-is-a-dck-or-a-decent-person/

[BobM]

It's quite impressive really, similar to watching them absolutely destroy a mouse that wanders into their space.

I watched that happen last summer at the farm where I buy eggs. I had no idea chickens would do that.

[UNK]

I watched that happen last summer at the farm where I buy eggs. I had no idea chickens would do that.

They will eat anything. Including to my surprise walnut hulls.

[BN]

They will eat anything. Including to my surprise walnut hulls.

Is that why some egg shells are harder to crack?

[Borderland]

Pumpkins are easy to dispose of. Find someone who has chickens and give them to them. They love them. Cut them in half and watch them devour the innerds until there is nothing left but a paper thin layer of the outer shell. It's quite impressive really, similar to watching them absolutely destroy a mouse that wanders into their space.

My neighbor has chickens. They're going to have a Thanksgiving feast.

[UNK]

Is that why some egg shells are harder to crack?

Sorry I dont raise them but knew a guy who does. He showed me a video of them destroying a wheelbarrow load of hulls.

[Casual Friday]

Is that why some egg shells are harder to crack?

Quite possibly. In the spring, summer and fall when they're eating a lot bugs and whatever else they find on the ground, the eggs are tougher to crack. In the winter when they stay snuggled up in the coop out of the cold and are eating a lot of sack feed the shells are thinner.

Another thing they love is oyster shells, they're rich in calcium and they love them.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

There are chickens raised near by. A few months ago, they made a break for it, down the same path I described. I only saw a duck family quacking in the pond yesterday. We do have lots of big geese honking around. The guy could have just walked a few yards into the woods and dropped the pumpkin. Lots of deer, racoons, etc. would have had a Thanksgiving.

Luckily the local bear hasn't been seen lately. Probably read about his compadre who was shot in 2018 for walking down a street too many times.

[Norville]

Something (raccoon most likely) broke into neighbors pumpkin. Then the red squirrels moved in. They had over watch set up in the tree and active miners inside. They held off all comers for three days and consumed the whole thing.

[farscott]

Is that why some egg shells are harder to crack?

Chickens need calcium in the diet to produce hard shells. Some feeds have more calcium.

We give our chickens pumpkins as the fiber is a natural wormer. The only thing left is the rind. Cornbread with cayenne pepper is also a good wormer. In the summer, we toss watermelons out to them. Keeps them hydrated and a bit cooler.

We do not waste much food as what we do not eat the chickens typically do. The gristle from steaks, leftover veggies, extra biscuits -- it all goes to the chickens as supplements to their usual feed. The eggs we get have very hard shells and the yolks are a deep orange, not a pale yellow.

[BN]

.
We do not waste much food as what we do not eat the chickens typically do. The gristle from steaks, leftover veggies, extra biscuits -- it all goes to the chickens as supplements to their usual feed. The eggs we get have very hard shells and the yolks are a deep orange, not a pale yellow.

We put our leftovers on a big rock down near the edge of the front yard and feed the wildlife. My wife watched a Bobcat run up and grab a whole chicken carcass and run off with it. :) We also have racoon, possum, skunk, fox and others. Not many vegetarians though. Lettuce etc just sits there and rots. ;)

[DDTSGM]

The eggs we get have very hard shells and the yolks are a deep orange, not a pale yellow.

I wouldn't call common store bought yolks yellow, but I've noticed that my son's chickens put out eggs with darker yolks. I just thought it was because they ran around the yard instead of being in a barn with thousands of others.

According to this, also better for you: https://healthyeating.sfgate.com/nutritional-values-commercial-eggs-vs-naturalraised-eggs-1163.html

[NEPAKevin]

Chickens need calcium in the diet to produce hard shells.


When I was a kid, my older brother was into horticulture and stuff and had converted the shed and the back yard to a chicken coop. When they had a problem with soft egg shells IIRC calcium deficiency was the reason and I believe part of the remedy was to let them eat egg shells. Then he got interested in cars and girls and my mom and dad wound up taking care of the chickens. Then one of the roosters kicked my mom and we ate rubbery chicken for about a week.

[peterb]

Another thing they love is oyster shells, they're rich in calcium and they love them.

In Maine we were told that chickens are often given lobster shells, and that the extra calcium produces harder egg shells. Don’t know if it’s true or a tourist story.

[Rex G]

Chickens crave anything with calcium in it, so that would logically include lobster shells. I never gave mine egg shells, as it was taught that if they associated chicken eggs with being a source of calcium, they might start eating their own eggs as soon as they laid them. (That is how I remember it, anyway. I have forgotten much, as I have not had chickens since the Nineties.)

[Casual Friday]

Chickens crave anything with calcium in it, so that would logically include lobster shells. I never gave mine egg shells, as it was taught that if they associated chicken eggs with being a source of calcium, they might start eating their own eggs as soon as they laid them. (That is how I remember it, anyway. I have forgotten much, as I have not had chickens since the Nineties.)

If you crush them up and mix them in with other stuff they don't make the connection.

We have one hen that will randomly peck at and crack open her eggs, but not very often, like once a month or something. She's kind of a bitch anyway so she may just be doing it to be ornery.

[farscott]

A lot of good commercial chicken feeds have calcium added in the form of oyster shells. Ours "free range" in the fenced backyard as well as get commercial feed.

[HeavyDuty]

I always thought the oranger yolks you see in UK eggs was from adding marigold seed to their feed. I guess there are a lot of things that affect egg properties.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Talk about thread drift. No one cares about the second thing I mentioned. Anyone seen a store mask flip out. BTW, the local market sells duck eggs. Never tried them.

[HeavyDuty]

Talk about thread drift. No one cares about the second thing I mentioned. Anyone seen a store mask flip out. BTW, the local market sells duck eggs. Never tried them.

I saw one at MDW a month or so ago. Dude ended up cuffed and dragged off, not because of the lack of a mask but because he took a swing at the cop who told him to put on his fucking mask.

[Rex G]

Talk about thread drift. No one cares about the second thing I mentioned. Anyone seen a store mask flip out. BTW, the local market sells duck eggs. Never tried them.

I have yet to flip out, regarding masks, so, have nothing to report. ;)

[Joe S]

Anyone seen a store mask flip out.

I've not had any flip outs, but I've personally addressed/spoke to a few reluctant folks, and had one couple refuse to enter the business I manage because of the mask requirement. I'm not going to publicly speak about it in entirety, but would try to answer any questions people might have. I've also seen a few interactions on the subway, but am trying very hard to not be involved, per my lady's request.

[luckyman]

Chickens need calcium in the diet to produce hard shells. Some feeds have more calcium.

We give our chickens pumpkins as the fiber is a natural wormer. The only thing left is the rind. Cornbread with cayenne pepper is also a good wormer. In the summer, we toss watermelons out to them. Keeps them hydrated and a bit cooler.

We do not waste much food as what we do not eat the chickens typically do. The gristle from steaks, leftover veggies, extra biscuits -- it all goes to the chickens as supplements to their usual feed. The eggs we get have very hard shells and the yolks are a deep orange, not a pale yellow.

Cornbread and watermelon? Dang I need to get in the chicken food diet then. I never remember having any leftover cornbread to feed to any of the animals on my uncle’s farm.