Slaters' Funny Farm

Fall is upon us and the beautiful Autumn leaves are so pretty to look at but it also reminds me that winter is not far away. It seems as Denver is getting snow today and weather forecasters are saying a winter storm. I do not look forward to those days and I do not look forward to cold, snowy days except for the opportunity to build a fire in the new wood stove that we purchased last week to replace the one that we had. The stove that we had done a wonderful job of heating the front of the home and it was such a blessing last winter in helping to keep the heat bills under control. However, it was not big enough to heat the entire home and we knew that it would be nicer to have a larger one that would heat the entire house. The new one will do just that. We live in a wooded area and so we do not have to buy wood, which is an added blessing for us. I am thankful that God gives us the natural resources to heat our home without having to pay the outrageous prices that the electric and gas ...

About 50 exotic animals were apparently turned loose last night in rural Eastern Ohio by their owner who subsequently shot himself. Owner, Terry Thompson, was found dead in his home and the animal cages were opened and fences around the property left open for these animals to roam free. Unfortunately, officials are saying that about 30-35 of these animals have been killed due to their danger to the public. It seems so unfair to these animals after being held in cages by this gentleman that they are suffering for doing nothing wrong except roaming as their natural instinct guides them to do. Yes, I realize that lions, tigers, grizzly bears, and black bears are a risk to the public, but I also think that there could be ways to subdue these animals other than killing them and relocating them to zoos or other nature preserves to be cared for. I am not sure of how long these animals have been in the possession of this gentleman, but they are scared and unsure of what is happening. Residents...

Living here on the funny farm, you just never know what the day will bring. As a home school family, I believe that every day can be a learning experience and kids do not just learn by studying a book. I believe that every day experiences can teach them more than most books can. If they are seeing it in person, then they know it is factual because they are living it. I also believe that learning things as a family can be more rewarding than just two of us sitting in a classroom type setting and studying it. Friday was one of those days that we took our learning outside for a little while and although we were sidetracked from our book work, we learned something together. We have been losing chickens and ducks and thought that coyotes were the culprits. However, my husband thought that he would set some smaller animal non kill traps that might allow us to find out if the issue was something else. After catching three cats and one of the puppies and a chicken, he finally caught a culprit....