Killin My Critters and UPS sucks

I was staying inside yesterday because of the intense heatwave, and thought I'd catch up on some light blog reading before getting down to cleaning the kitchen, moving boxes, and writing a little.

Came across a farmer's vid of butching and cleaning chickens.

Nope. Can't do it.

Can't imagine taking my friend, Henny Penny, or one other baby chicks we're raising from day-olds and cutting their heads off. Draining the blood. Cleaning, boiling the feathers off, and gutting them to find eggs that will never have a chance to be expelled.

Nope. Can't do it.

We'll continue to raise our quail and chickens, but they will be used to produce eggs for our protein consumption. And the rabbit will be used to produce fiber for spinning and candle-wax. And the goaties will give us milk.

I don't begrudge anyone for raising animals for meat. Heck... I don't intend to give up meat, especially beef and bacon. But I just can't kill my friends.

Trade, anyone?

= = = =

Well, I got a delivery of LIVE PLANTS yesterday. I stayed at home all day, without even walking out to the barn to check on the animals or out back to water plants. Hubby comes home at 5:15 p.m. and tells me that there are two boxes by the front door. Front door? In this 96 degree heat? In full-sun?

This is NOT the first time that UPS has delivered to this address and not run the doorbell or knocked or even honked as he/she drove away.

We brought the boxes in and I called UPS, which tells me that the plants were delivered to our garage. B.S. Then I asked to talk to a local. I got Ms. Howie, a supervisor at UPS, who said she wouldn't give me any information about who it was that delivered the boxes, just that it was a fill-in driver. Wouldn't look up to see if there was any reason why delivery people aren't ringing our doorbell. Wouldn't e-mail a summary of our conversation or anything. Just told me to look on the website and it has all of the information. Very abrupt.

Then Hubby called them back. Asked to speak to a district manager. Got another agent instead who promptly hung up on him. Now, you don't know my husband, but trust me, that was the exact opposite thing to do. He called that number again, got a different person, and hopefully will get a call back, as promised, from someone in charge of this route.

UPS sucks.

I can't believe my brother-in-law works for them. Although, he too is a j*** ... ok, maybe I shouldn't say that.

Can you tell I'm ticked?

If these plants don't grow, we have to call Starks Brothers, send these back, have them send more, and THEY have to file the claim for reimbursement by UPS.

More wasted time.

Delay in enjoying berries.

Sucks.

Absolutely Sucks