Fathermouth basically consumes zero news and is not on the internet AT ALL, zero, nada, and he's representative of the vast majority of people I've interacted with in his approximate age group (75+). The only news he consumes, when he watches it at all, is local affiliate channels and MSNBC. He has explicitly stated for many years that "I'm old and retired and have no obligation to keep up with what's going on in the world anymore," which is perfectly fine, except that he DOES pick up these little fractional things and form opinions around them, like thinking QAnon is this widespread bizarro thing that most Republicans believe in because he probably heard this ONCE, from ONE very biased source, and wasn't sufficiently interested in investigating it at all because it largely doesn't affect him one way or the other.
Brothermouth and I watch and read a lot of news, especially independent stuff, and Dad is absolutely nothing if not open-minded, so he will watch or listen to anything we show him. He has absolutely come around to a lot of stuff in just the past few weeks; he even loved watching a few Fireside Chats with Dennis Prager without realizing Prager's political affiliation at all.
Even at his most misinformed dad would never and has never wanted to deprive anyone of their rights. He was never a Covidian, just more scared of COVID than we were, and now he's not even that.
I honestly don't find it hard at all. His hearing difficulties test my patience a little but we're working on a better hearing aid, and the other stuff is just keeping an eye out for him needing help getting around or using tech around the house or cooking meals, and I don't mind that stuff. It is an utter gift to both of us to have this time together and I cherish it. If I had to spend the rest of my life caring for him even at a greater level than this but still be able to interact with him it wouldn't bother me at all.
When he fully recovers and goes back to his home in NC I think we will have both considered this a very good time in our lives, notwithstanding the medical nightmare we both had to endure.
It was actually the wind loosening a wooden door on our 125-year old barn that sits adjacent to the pasture. We didn't think the cow would fit through that door, let alone find a way out onto the property from the adjoining hay room. By the time we found him grazing next to the highway on the other side of the field he had obviously gotten himself lost and was very eager to be guided home. It just took a long time and was freezing cold.
We ended up nailing cattle grid over the door until we can deal with it when it's warmer and everything sucks less.
The struggle is real - chasing ornery cattle anywhere, then having to fix the cause of their means of escape (even moreso in horrible weather) is always good reason to be surly. Coffee definitely helps. The nap probably helped more. Can totally relate. I'm also assuming you had to chase on foot? Even worse.
I once had to chase down 2 heifers that jumped the wall at the sale barn in the middle of summer on foot. All the rest of the assholes there just watching, not lifting a finger. Surly doesn't begin to describe my attitude at the end of that fiasco.
Makes me happier with my own situation of low energy quasi boredom.
I have three nightmare scenarios: One: Raptor in pigpen after rain and ice - chasing down feed bowl they have nose to the opposite side of their pen and woops - slip, fall. All that is left of me is muckboots and overall suspender latches. Two: Seals. Three: Not animal related, but work and human related - so far worse.
I like how WEF drops all this stuff on their actual WEBSITE from time to time, but somehow it is still a conspiracy. Good stuff. There is an apparently very low bar to cross these days to get the masses to play along. And as an aside, the fact that this cow and fathermouth part of the story seems to be based on real events makes this so much better.
Oh, dad has always had fanatically pro-free-range-kid views. I was raised VERY strongly on the principle of being tough and self-reliant and entertaining myself- not as a matter of laziness or indifference but specifically to build character. (Fathermouth used the word "character" a lot growing up.)
I ran around forests, deserts, and swamps all over this country by myself way before I was old enough to know better.
“Fathermouth: I don’t know who that is.”
How I envy your dear father.
Fathermouth basically consumes zero news and is not on the internet AT ALL, zero, nada, and he's representative of the vast majority of people I've interacted with in his approximate age group (75+). The only news he consumes, when he watches it at all, is local affiliate channels and MSNBC. He has explicitly stated for many years that "I'm old and retired and have no obligation to keep up with what's going on in the world anymore," which is perfectly fine, except that he DOES pick up these little fractional things and form opinions around them, like thinking QAnon is this widespread bizarro thing that most Republicans believe in because he probably heard this ONCE, from ONE very biased source, and wasn't sufficiently interested in investigating it at all because it largely doesn't affect him one way or the other.
Bless him 😆 Sounds like he's picking up the important stuff from you, anyway.
Brothermouth and I watch and read a lot of news, especially independent stuff, and Dad is absolutely nothing if not open-minded, so he will watch or listen to anything we show him. He has absolutely come around to a lot of stuff in just the past few weeks; he even loved watching a few Fireside Chats with Dennis Prager without realizing Prager's political affiliation at all.
Even at his most misinformed dad would never and has never wanted to deprive anyone of their rights. He was never a Covidian, just more scared of COVID than we were, and now he's not even that.
*lol* Sweet. As hard as it is to care for him, having this precious time with your father is a gift.
I honestly don't find it hard at all. His hearing difficulties test my patience a little but we're working on a better hearing aid, and the other stuff is just keeping an eye out for him needing help getting around or using tech around the house or cooking meals, and I don't mind that stuff. It is an utter gift to both of us to have this time together and I cherish it. If I had to spend the rest of my life caring for him even at a greater level than this but still be able to interact with him it wouldn't bother me at all.
When he fully recovers and goes back to his home in NC I think we will have both considered this a very good time in our lives, notwithstanding the medical nightmare we both had to endure.
💯🤗
Doin lots of wrangling of wild acting beasts lately. At least they are now both safely tucked into the barn.
Enjoy your dad.
Don't sneak any reds. You may end up thinking the hoofed thing in the barn is QANON.
Lock the damn gate Guttermouth.
It was actually the wind loosening a wooden door on our 125-year old barn that sits adjacent to the pasture. We didn't think the cow would fit through that door, let alone find a way out onto the property from the adjoining hay room. By the time we found him grazing next to the highway on the other side of the field he had obviously gotten himself lost and was very eager to be guided home. It just took a long time and was freezing cold.
We ended up nailing cattle grid over the door until we can deal with it when it's warmer and everything sucks less.
The struggle is real - chasing ornery cattle anywhere, then having to fix the cause of their means of escape (even moreso in horrible weather) is always good reason to be surly. Coffee definitely helps. The nap probably helped more. Can totally relate. I'm also assuming you had to chase on foot? Even worse.
I once had to chase down 2 heifers that jumped the wall at the sale barn in the middle of summer on foot. All the rest of the assholes there just watching, not lifting a finger. Surly doesn't begin to describe my attitude at the end of that fiasco.
Makes me happier with my own situation of low energy quasi boredom.
I have three nightmare scenarios: One: Raptor in pigpen after rain and ice - chasing down feed bowl they have nose to the opposite side of their pen and woops - slip, fall. All that is left of me is muckboots and overall suspender latches. Two: Seals. Three: Not animal related, but work and human related - so far worse.
I'm not sure if I'm disappointed to find out you didn't mean small humans....
Great trailer! But will it end in "dong?"
I like how WEF drops all this stuff on their actual WEBSITE from time to time, but somehow it is still a conspiracy. Good stuff. There is an apparently very low bar to cross these days to get the masses to play along. And as an aside, the fact that this cow and fathermouth part of the story seems to be based on real events makes this so much better.
As a general rule my accounts of "this happened IRL" are honest, and I'll usually specify if I'm exaggerating to make a humorous point.
Fathermouth curses a LOT and exclaims things. He is absolutely where Guttermouth came from.
I'd love to hear your dad's take on this:
https://coloradosun.com/2022/02/18/child-abuse-neglect-play-outside/
Oh, dad has always had fanatically pro-free-range-kid views. I was raised VERY strongly on the principle of being tough and self-reliant and entertaining myself- not as a matter of laziness or indifference but specifically to build character. (Fathermouth used the word "character" a lot growing up.)
I ran around forests, deserts, and swamps all over this country by myself way before I was old enough to know better.
I'm at my Dad's house now. I shared the news with him that it won't be a crime to be a kid. He's very impressed we needed this to be a law. (sarcasm)
"old enough to know better" ha! :)
My kids spent the whole lockdown in our state playing by our creek, building tee-pees and such. Good times.