Farmer Adrian and the Sheepie Pigs

I like writing this blog.  It's the perfect format for me.  Twitter and Facebook posts are too short for my stories, and full hardcover books are too long.  So for me, having a blog is perfect for my short story format.  But there was one other thing that I was interested in writing.  That would be a kid's storybook.  They are mostly 30-60 pages, and have wonderful artwork.  That kind of falls into my format that I already been producing for 350 blogs. 

So now.  What do I write about?  An idea came to me when I was talking to my former girlfriend Roxy (not her real name.)  We had adopted a Guinea pig together, and shared a love for the adorable creatures. 

So one night when I was doing my usual weird thoughts/ storytelling I started telling about how there was once a really great guy by the name of Farmer Adrian.  He raised Sheepie Pigs.  Which lead to the question, "What's a sheepie pig?" 

Well, it's a giant guinea pig the size of a sheep, and has the white fluffy coat of a sheep.  Farmer Adrian would raise them, and in the springtime shave their exotic wool for money and goods.  Anyway, I got the, "Awwwww!!!!" from Roxy.  And think about it, sheepie pigs would be a great idea.  Half guinea pig/ half sheep/ 200% cuteness.  Everyone would love sheepie pigs, and they would be great at petting zoos.

Then I learned something great.  There are giant guinea pigs in real life.  They are called Capybaras.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capybara

 

When they are adults, they can weight from 75 to 150 pounds.  They like to live in groups so they would be great for having in herds. 

So think about this.  If we take the cuteness of a guinea pig/ capybara....

Plus the hairiness, and overall cuteness of a sheep....

 

You get the double cuteness of a sheepie pig!

 

But then comes the next part of the book.  What is the story about?  All kids books should have a lesson, so what should the lesson be about?  I was thinking something about hard work, since working on a farm is hard work.  But do most kids even know about farms and farm work these days?  It might be good in one way to tell them about farm work since they don't know about it, but then it could also make the book a little bit unrelateable and unclear. 

 

But the funny thing about children's books is that, there are quite a few of them.  In fact, remember when it was en vogue for all the celebrities to write a children's book?  Heck, even Madonna got in on the act.  So, I know I would have to view it as a hobby, and not really get my hopes up about getting it published.  It would have to be a fun side project.

 

At least it's fun to think about.  It's also a fun tale to tell small children when they request a story.  In the end it's a fun and more importantly, G-rated story for kids.





Vacation Highlights - 2009

Vacation is a time for memories.  However, some of us have weirder memories that others.  If you are really lucky you have a video camera in which you can share these memories to unsuspecting friends and relatives.  Or if you're like me, you share them with strangers on your blog.

In this clip, I have just gotten back from an antique shop.  I was (no joke) verbally assaulted by a fat man with no shirt on.  You hear me ask the question, "Was he a Yankee?  Was he a carnie?"  See what my answers were.

In the next video you can hear me discuss what a "mud walla" is.  You may also see a 50 pound catfish jump in the mud walla.

In this third clip, you can see a fox eating mashed potatoes.  That's right.  Don't believe me?  Watch and see.  My Grandmother put some leftover food out for the wild animals, and boy did they come in.  This fox goes nuts for the mashed potatoes. 

The fox stayed there so long, I was able to get a few pictures of it with my regular camera.

After thinking about it, I have to admit.  Grandma does make some pretty good mashed potatoes.

Fuzzy Memories With Durice D. Long

Back when I was on vacation, I had a chance to talk to an older relative of mine.  His name was Durice D. Long, and he was filled with all sorts of great information.  Due to the new program I bought, I am finally able to move these videos over to an Mpeg format. 

In this video, Durice talks about farming.  You can tell he's done a lot of farming in his life.

In this one, Durice is asked about plowing.  However what he actually talks about is something a little different.

Durice has since passed away which is sad.  He was always a great person to talk to.  I'll have to see if I have any more videos of him hanging around.