The Hobbit Hole III - Journey to the Cross-roads!

[HairOfTheDog]

Welcome to The Hobbit Hole!

Journey to the Cross-roads
The Two Towers Edition

Come on! Come in! -if you would like to have some seedcakes and a pint and relax a while. (If it is a special occasion, we still have a few bottles of the old wineyards left!)

Our first thread ( New Zealander builds Hobbit hole ) reached 4,100 posts, and we thought that was big. Our second thread (The New Hobbit Hole ) held us for over 48,000 posts, and we loved it dearly. We talked about moving to a new thread for the last 38,000 posts, but we are really slow to muster! Finally, the time has come. Tomorrow (at 12:01 am, to be precise!) The Two Towers comes out, and we start a new chapter.

[Corin Stormhands]

IHOP spam

[Lil'freeper]

Hubby loves the breed, and fortunately these two aren't all that young. The female is 8, she is retiring from breeding and needs a home, the male is 2. So hopefully we won't have to go through the puppy stage. But we'll have a big yard and a master who'll be home with them all day. Should work out ok.

[RosieCotton]

Trust me, you aren't missing much. IHOP is best for breakfast after a long night of adult beverage consumption...

Heh...doesn't sound like I'd have much use for one, then.

But mentioning the local diners made me hungry. Bacon...sausage...french toast...WANT!

[Corin Stormhands]

95% of those on the religious forum are there, looking for a fight, an argument...

I know. But it's sorta like a train wreck. You don't want to look, but you just can't help it. When I first went there I was foolish enough to believe I could learn there.

Silly me.

[Lil'freeper]

Drove out to FL from AZ once. Hopped from IHOP to IHOP- cheap eatin'.

[RMDupree]

IHOP charges for extra bacon. Couldn't do that to my Dwarves!

[Sam Cree]

Thdy don't sound very much like what I think of as spiritual folks.

I've not been to the religious discussions, but when I've met a few of those folks around FR, it was a revelation to me too. Not a pleasant one, very much.

[carton253]

Me too... and whereas their behavior does not effect them, it effected me (not for the better).

Anyone who goes to a train wreck seldom walks away a better person.

Yesterday's incidence just reconfirmed that I made the right decision when I said no more.

I lurk (rarely)... but I am not going to post again. (I won't say never...)

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

95% of those on the religious forum are there, looking for a fight, an argument, a chance to prove that they are theologically sound and, worse, that they have a revelation from God that no other has.

I hope you all take this the right way. I know I am new on this thread and I have been under the impression that religion was taboo here, and this was just a place to have nice talks about things of interest between posters. But 1) I have to disagee with you on this, and 2) I'm not sure it is all that right for you to come over here and talk about these people like this. Seems to me this should be discussed here in private.

I have learned more from the Religion Forum than I can say. Yes things get nasty over there, yes there are those who are hateful, in fact, everyone over there has moments. But this thread does not seem the place to discuss it, and it bothers me to see it discussed like this here.

I am not trying to start a heated debate here, just letting you know that I for one have been surprised to see this type of thing here.

I hope this has come out right, I don't mean to be offensive, but since I do participate in the Religion Forum I feel I can/should politley respond to how this sounds here.

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

Well, you could borrow my pony.... she runs them off!

I would consider more deterrent and behavior changing-type solutions than g'nad probably would. To me, the problem isn't two coyotes, the problem is a great easy meal that is attracting the coyotes. In my mind, there is not much justice in attracting the critters to your place and then being offended when they come (and that is not a slam at all, just my take on the natural instinct to want to kill them for trespassing).

I would do as much as you can to make the place less of an attraction... consider a dog-proof perimeter, barking dogs, places the chickens can escape to at night, and obnoxiously scaring any that you see.

When I see them here, it is only because Gidget is inside. If I let her out and she can see them, she goes ape and they *disappear*. and I will often take her out there immediately on a line so she can bark and carry on and leave her scent everywhere. I have no intention of shooting them if they remain shy enough that they would disappear if they slip up and let themselves be seen, and as long as they remain wary of coming any closer. They are doing a reasonable thing by being there, with the rabbits being everywhere.

And I look at it this way too: These animals are territorial, and if you can lay clear boundaries that your resident coyotes understand and avoid, through dogs, noise and other deterrents, then you have trained those resident coyotes there is no easy meal at your place and it is off limits. If you shoot them, new coyotes can move into that area and you go through it again and again. If you change the behavior of the pack that is here, if they only have bad experiences, and they never get away with free chickens, they will avoid you, but their presence nearby guards against new coyotes too.

[carton253]

Here's the rub... they believe thier behavior (name calling, insults, et al) proves that they are spiritual....

The forum could have served a useful purpose and been a place of learning...

Instead it's one of flesh, of pride, of anger, of bitterness.

I didn't stay above it much to my shame. When I tried (in my naivity) to tell them how they were perceived by those they weren't fighting with (to the usual suspects, all that animosity is great fun)... I was called censorious and sanctimonious, and told to go away.

So, I did. They don't miss me, and I don't miss them.

[Fire-Breathing_Freeper]

I know, I could'nt find the thread. :D

[HairOfTheDog]

LOL!

[HairOfTheDog]

I agree with you on the new point.... It might be a good idea to be careful about venting too much about outside battles here, we all have done it, but it is risky. Not only might those people see it and come to the thread to protest, as our group grows we never know if there are other friendships here that might get offended.

[Corin Stormhands]

I'm not sure it is all that right for you to come over here and talk about these people like this.

Because I've appreciated Tolkien for over 30 years, I fled the religion wars and found safe haven here. This is my family. And they accept the fact that I sometimes go over the edge and wander back into the wars. (in fact that's one of the things that endears me to them...)

Out of mutual respect, we pretty much try to limit contentious discussions here (like lembas being Vanilla Wafers...), but no subject is taboo.

carton and I met on the religion threads, not here. And we happen to disagree on our theologies. But we respect each other. That rarely happens on the religion threads.

But we aren't discussing "religion" we're discussing the professional religionists.

We have never shied from calling a troll a troll.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

The chicken are in a safe place at night. It is during the morning when they come off their roost that the coyotoes are showing up. I only have chckens to help keep ticks down, they couldn't do that penned up all day. Dogs seem to be the best bet. Because shooting them will be hard, because they do slip away so quick. LOL...I just don't want another dog. That is why I thought shooting one, and hanging it might deter others. I don't particularly like shooting wild life, I'm not a hunter, neither is Mack. But as I said I think part of the problem now is overpopulation. Hunters don't come here anymore because it has gotten more populated. So I am seeing lots more coyotes, and deer.

Becky

[carton253]

You are certainly welcome to your opinion. And you are certainly welcome to post and tell us that you disagree with us and call us on behavior that you feel is inappropriate.

However, (and I lose this debate everytime) the Hobbit Hole is a thread on Free Republic... it is not a private sanctuary with its own rules. As long as I post within JimRob's rules, then I am posting correctly even though you may like the subjects I chose.

If you feel that we are out of place, then I will take your feelings into consideration... I will ask for your forgiveness if I have offended you.

I want you to know there is nothing heated in my reply. So, please accept my apology.

And since these little "posting" debates only erupt when I post... once more... I will refrain from posting further on the Hobbit Hole. I am not going away mad... stomping off in anger (so to speak)... but I resent being reprimanded practically everytime I post because I've broken the "rules"...

Again, please accept my apology.

[Overtaxed]

like lembas being Vanilla Wafers.

It's a crisp cake.

[RosieCotton]

Springerle.

[RMDupree]

cuban pastelitos