New Babies

When I first came home I set out a few hanging plants, for some reason a bird decided to make her nest in one of them. Now just a few days before going back to the boat I find we have three new baby birds in the nest. We also have a dive bomber of a MaMa when every we go out to water the plants. As you can see from the photos all the babies are fine ( total of three ) and as long as MaMa stays safe all should turn out fine. I just wish I could stay and watch the day to day development. But then again I will also miss the food from the garden, it too will start to give food when I am back on the boat. Just the way it is with my type of job.

Back to School we go...

Once again I have been sent off for more training. This time for Fire fighting refresher, first Aid and HUET.

Sunday the 7th it begins with being picked up at home to go to the airport, driver gets lost and we have to meet at the Shell Station at a major intersection. Scheduled for a 1pm pickup , got into the car at 1:30 and off we go. Was not worried about the 30 min. my flight was not scheduled to leave until 4:55 pm and the drive was a max of two hours. Made it to the airport at 2:45 pm and checked in. Did the normal airport thing... walked around, played on the computer, and walked around some more. Once on the flight we departed on time and made it to New Orleans as scheduled. Went to baggage pick up got my bag and was met by a fellow student and the driver that took us to our home ( hotel ) for the next week. Driver kept us entertained with the history of the south during the ride. Checked into the hotel, went to the local Wal Mart within easy walking distance, had dinner and that ends day one.

Monday the 8th was a full day of nothing but classroom instruction on firefighting and different ways to fight a fire, depending on the type of fire you are facing. Test at the end of the day when the mind felt like mush, and back to the hotel for the night. Once again went to Wal Mart for food to have for dinner, do not like eating alone in restaurants. So ends the day..

Photo below is my impression of a tea pot.. After all I am about to get boiled.

Tuesday the 9th had us in the classroom for the first half of the day getting more instructions on firefighting. Then after lunch we went out into 95 degree heat and put on full firefighting gear to put out four different types of fires. First was a galley fire, second a paint locker, third was open pit, and the last one was the open pit using foam.

Day three was once again all classroom, first aid, CPR and PSSR. We all know what first aid and CPR is all about so will not bore anyone. PSSR is about not tossing things into the water and why ( mostly ) was not a very exciting day but it is over. Thursday and Friday will be spent mostly in the water doing HUET escape stuff..

Day four June 11th 2009. Today was the water torture, we spent from 11:45 am until 3:30 pm in the water. Did water survival training, then had to do the helicopter escape four times. See video for what I am talking about. I was exhausted at the end of the day.. But it was fun until just before the end when I got a lot of water up my nose.

Last day of school, YES!!!!!!! Today was cold water survival, almost the same as yesterday except it was about using immersion suits ( gumbey suit ) in cold water areas. Took a test and out at 2pm.. Easy day.. Tomorrow I head back home for two weeks before going back to the boat.

New Blood

Well I drove to Sequin Texas today, about 300 miles one way from Wills Point. I had been looking at the Web page for the last month and just had to go look in person.

As you can see from the photos, we have two more members of the farm, that makes eight goats, six chickens, two dogs, one cat, and two humans..

Felt like the old truck driving days doing 600 miles in one day, glad I do not do it often, it is exhausting....

Once the new ones were released in the pen with the others it became obvious that BIG Mama did not like the company. She kept chasing the new ones around until I had to separate them into different sections... Hope this changes with time. If it does not change then we will have a problem breading them, and will have to rethink the matter.

The little Mama does not seem to have any issue with them so time will tell...