mopinko
mopinko's Journaldamn this puppy is getting big.
ok, here he is at 10 weeks, with his sister the boxer.
now here he is at 11 weeks
here is today- 13 weeks
and just for those not dead from the cute-
really great little fellow. so good, so sweet, so smart.
bullies rule.
"hot manure" and composting paper
so, i am planning to get some chickens. a fair number, maybe 2 dozen. i am looking forward to all that free fertilizer, but i know you cannot use it right away. it is too "hot". now, i am not sure exactly what that means. is it ammonia? or what? can you neutralize it with anything? wood ash? (always looking for good ways to use my fireplace ash. soil is already too high ph)
i do some vermiculture already, and they recommend starting beds of newspaper. i use the poopie paper from the birdcages. (have several birds, including a little flock of budgies) the worms love this stuff.
so, my thought is that if i use newspaper in the chicken coop, it would compost up pretty quickly, with or without worms. back in the day there were all sorts of heavy metals and all in ink. it is my understanding that osha regs changed that.
thoughts?
urban farming in chicago
well, had a long chat with the land use guy at my alderman's office yesterday. it was quite interesting.
regarding my own situation- i can't be a farm because that is a business and i am in a residential neighborhood. i would need business zoning and from the look on his face, i knew it was not something they wanted to see. ok, cool. i'm not really thinking of taking it to that level anyway.
typically, there is a big dose of stupid here- i want to build a garage. you can't build a garage on a vacant lot. i need water service. you can't get water service on a vacant lot. you need a building. mmmmmkay. i will need to get a special use permit from the zoning dept. lather rinse repeat.
it will be a hassle, but it is doable. i will have their support, and i don't see any of the neighbors objecting. anyone who does will be plied with free eggs.
worse comes to worse, there is considerably more leeway for community gardens, and i have been asked about this by about every third person that i talk to about this. it is not my first choice, as what i really want is solitude. but i do also love people and the right group might make it great fun.
the good news is this- there is no prohibition on the keeping of chickens in the city. as long as i don't violate any other ordinances like noise, and as long as they are properly cared for.
but the neatest thing is that the city is, right now, reviewing existing laws and writing new ones to make it easier to farm in chicago. it will be considered a regular business, and doable on any commercially zoned property, including roofs.
there are already a few farms here, but they had to slog through a bunch of hurdles meant for business that are nothing like farms.
it's nice to live in a green city.
CEO says he’s “embarrassed” to live in Illinois
After obtaining $6 million state tax cut, CEO says he’s “embarrassed” to live in Illinois.
CBOE Holdings Inc. CEO Bill Brodsky derided the State of Illinois for financial problems, such as underfunding of state pensions, just weeks after the state passed a new law that will reduce the taxes that his Chicago-based options exchange pays.
“I’m embarrassed to live here,” Mr. Brodsky said in answer to a reporter’s question at an annual CBOE media lunch Tuesday. His remark was in reference to a bond-rating downgrade by Moody’s Investors Service Inc. last week to A2, that agency’s lowest for any state. “We need people to come together and recognize the gravity of the situation and work together to a solution.”
http://capitolfax.com/2012/01/11/after-obtaining-6-million-state-tax-cut-ceo-says-hes-embarrassed-to-live-in-illinois/
what a dick.
woohoo get to see the man today!!!
Dear Friends & Supporters,
We look forward to seeing you at our concert and reception with President Obama hosted by special guest Hill Harper and a performance by Grammy-nominated recording artist Janelle Monáe. If you have purchased multiple tickets, please make sure your guests receive this information as well. Please read this message carefully as we want to make your experience as stress free as possible.
WHAT: Concert and Reception with President Obama, Hill Harper and performance by Janelle Monáe
WHERE: UIC Forum |725 W. Roosevelt Rd | Chicago, IL
**Please enter on the Roosevelt Rd. side**
WHEN: Wednesday, January 11, 2012
buy dog toys now.
xmas themed treats and toys, and pretty much anything fru-fru is marked way down. ie- $20 giant raw hide bone for $3/change.
all pups need toys.
i think my old suburban would make a fine chicken coop.
i have a beat up old truck that has been my good friend for 15 years. it has been sitting at my mechanic waiting for him to get around to a 'can this truck be saved' assessment. he and DH have their minds made up already. they have good reason, but, well, i will miss the old girl.
i saw a pic of a chicken coop in an old school bus, and was inspired. i am thinking we could strip the drive train, etc, but keep the interior. seems to me those old seats will make fine shelves for boxes, and places to roost. it can zip up pretty tight in the cold. i can attach one of those cyclone fence dog runs to it and have a $100 chicken tractor.
am i missing something?
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Member since: Tue Oct 28, 2003, 08:34 PMNumber of posts: 70,077
