Avon Calling Again

I posted a note on my family's private Facebook page that I'll be selling Avon products and all my (girl) cousins are going bat wild! I've got 6 confirmed orders and have yet to get my starter package... and I thought of the whole thing a more or less a joke. At best, they wouldn't all laugh at me but it seems I may actually make a dollar or three with this. Once I get my starter pack I'll post on open Facebook and run with it. I started the joke of my being "the ugliest and hairiest Avon lady" so the  phrase just may catch on!

That said, I'm still planning on getting my realtor's license and selling homes in the area. The study guide is a regulation textbook over an inch thick so once I register for the online class it'll still take some time to complete that and get my license. But as an old friend of mine said, "make a dime while you wait for a dollar".

That said, I'm looking into selling Amway as well more or less just to get my name out there. And with the popularity of the TV show, Duck Dynasty, Uncle Si and his blue Tupperware tea cup I'll look into that venue as well. People are always telling me I look like Si with my beard and all so why not buy his lookalike cup from his lookalike?

I've not abandoned my greenhouse business, Merlin's Garden either. I'm looking at the big picture. That being not depending on my job at the grocery as my main source of income.

When I get my realtor's license I have a plan for every home I show. I know what the inspector looked for in my home. Ergo, I know what needs to be priority getting fixed. As a rather handy fella myself I can offer painting, minor electrical repairs, etc to the seller to up or keep the sale price.
Once the sale is made I'll leave a housewarming gift/offer package to the buyer. This will have a potted plant (from Merlin's Garden), cards and brochures from Avon, Amway, Tupperware and any other "dime on a dollar" sides I have going on.

Many years back in Colorado a buddy of mine launched a successful lawn care/handyman service with only a rundown pickup truck, push mower and string trimmer. When I lived in the trailerhood I was making decent side money mowing and such. Why not put my skills (such as they are) to work after a sale? I have a rundown Nissan pickup and 2 wheel hand cart to help move in. I can mow (some don't own a mower and some just don't want to mow). I can do minor repairs and build raised bed gardens. I have my ducks & geese and hear my neighbor's roosters crow every morning. I made my own bird yard and shed so I can do that for anyone else who wants birds.
I raised rabbits a while back (mostly to feed my pythons but that's another story altogether) so I know how to build a small pole barn and hutches if anybody wants to have bunnies. According to the local county Facebook yard sale posts, quite a few have them.

My goal is to have real estate sales become my primary source of income followed by Merlin's Garden. I'll stay on part time at the grocery (just enough hours to keep my medical insurance).
The "side sales" will be just a little padding that I can put into an account to help others less fortunate out. I'd love to be able to have a pocketful of $100 shopping cards to give away to people. Sometimes I see people struggle to buy diapers & such for their babes while others use EBT cards to buy steaks & shrimp and it hurts my heart.

I know God has put each and every one of us here to do something. Something to help our fellow man, woman and child... not to hurt them. It is way past time that I start doing what He sent me here to do. Not make money for me but to help others.

I didn't mean to preach here at the end but I'm speaking from my heart.

Businesses & Ducklings Update

Last night at work I was talking to Robert about my taking the first steps to leaving the grocery business. Those being getting my realtor's license and starting my home business, Merlin's Garden. He seemed somewhat taken aback by my actually starting to walk the walk instead of merely talking the talk. I deemed it needless to mention my Avon endeavor at the time but will spring that on him at a later date.
There are several more business ops that some may label "pyramid schemes" that I'll explore in due time to see if any seem worthy of my time and attention. My older brother tried getting into one years back but couldn't sign up anyone willing to be under him so he dropped that like a hot potato.

My primary objective is to make enough selling real estate that working 40 hours a week at the store is no longer my main source of income so I can cut back on my hours there. Second is to make enough w/ Merlin's Garden to make it more than pay for tax preparation!

Robert did seemed impressed when I told him that I was already keeping a logbook recording mileage for "windshield time" in regards to both real estate and MG. Perhaps soon I'll be logging miles for other business ventures. He's mentioned on several occasions getting his auctioneer's license and having me help out there. If and when he does I'll gladly assist if I have the time. If nothing else I can take some of my junk over and let him sell it for me.

Meanwhile the ducklings grow by leaps and bounds. I can see their growth daily it seems. They're already starting to grow feathers and try to quack

Avon Calling!

I got a call yesterday from my AVON lady, Robin saying my order of Skin So Soft was ready for pickup. Remember, this is for Vlad's raw butt and not my raspy old hide.
Anyway, I asked her if she knew of any straight redneck males selling AVON and she said the only she knew of were husband & wife teams.  Long story short, she said she thought I could sell AVON ... "just be yourself".
She said it only costs $15.00 to get started so I'm in for that. I told my Mom and my best friend, Gail so even before I've signed up I've already sold 2 bottles of Skin So Soft!  Robin also said that my working at a grocery I do meet a lot of people so I can pass out price lists, etc to all I meet. And my Mom is quite active in the local seniors' community so I feel confident I'll at least make my $15 investment back PDQ. I'll post on Facebook as the ugliest & hairiest AVON lady around and see how much attention that draws!

Dragon Egg Failure But 1st Step To Realtor's License

Of the 27 or so eggs my bearded dragon laid only 5 developed to the hatching stage. Of those none survived coming out of their shells. It's disappointing to say the least but I really wasn't expecting her to lay eggs at all. With cooler weather approaching I doubt she'll lay any more any time soon but will be checking the adult dragons' tank more closely same time next year.

Yesterday I went to the HQ of the Mississippi Realtor Institute and bought my text book for the course. My friend, Lisa took her course online and suggested I do the same with the book as a reference guide. I'll spend a little time reading through the glossary mostly to get to know all the terms and such before registering in the online class.
I'm not worried in the least about investing around $1000 in my future. I'm seeing this as my way to be able to spend more time making myself and other people happier. Next year I should have some  baby cacti and other plants available for sale from my greenhouse/nursery business, Merlin's Garden which would make nice housewarming gifts to any who buy a house from me.

Years back I did a bit of lawn mowing just for extra cash and was fairly successful until I allowed the laziest man in the word to "help" me. I'm thinking if any yards need a little extra TLC before a sale I can do that for the sellers... cash up front, of course. And I worked part time in Colorado as a handy man... painting, minor carpentry, etc and I worked several years as an electrician so I'm seeing putting those skills to work either before or after the sale. A few repairs on my old truck and I could even pimp myself out to help with moving in, out and clearing out crap. I may even see a dollar selling scrap and/or salvage. Who knows? Perhaps I'll meet enough people buying new houses who don't like mowing I'll get back into the lawn care business!

Baby Dragon & Neighbor's Chickens

Yesterday I came home from work and found one baby dragon had hatched. Sadly the wee one did not survive. I still have four eggs that I'll give a few more days and see can I hatch any before calling this adventure a bust.

While sitting out with the ducklings I thought I heard a once familiar sound that I had not heard in what seemed ages. I sat a while longer and it came again more clearly. The crowing of a rooster! It appears I am not the only backyard poultry enthusiast in my neighborhood. I've yet to track down the chicken owners as I'm really not that damned curious but it is nice to know someone else nearby has birds. In time either I'll locate them by their cock's crowing or they will me by my gander's "singing".

I work some nights with a lady named Debbie who at one point lived in New Mexico and raised exotic birds and shipped chicks all across the USA. She seemingly was more into the pheasant & quail families whereas I am into the web foots but we do have a common bond, the love of feathered friends. Each week I show her a short video and maybe a few stills of the ducklings which she enjoys greatly (or at least acts like she does). We're both seemingly blown away by how fast my ducklings are growing.  It seems each day I can see growth in the wee ones. Hey, they're already starting to try to sprout butt feathers!

Protecting The Ducklings

With the passing of wee Elsa, the one Blue Swedish I now have but 9 ducklings. Five are Pekin, 2 Rouen and 2 Khaki Campbell. Yesterday I found some old 2 x 4's that I'd tossed aside to burn as they were too full of nails for me to bother with pulling nails and trying to salvage. I took my pickax and semi leveled the ground inside the fence and laid these on the ground and covered them with a couple sacks of topsoil.
Last night I recalled that mothballs are said to be a grand deterrent for most unwanted pests and other critters and when my neighbor's dog dug up an apple tree I'd planted a good dose of ground red pepper kept his nose away from it when I replanted!

When I was moving into my home the privacy fence in place was a total wreck so my Mom hooked me up with a company who had done work for her in the past. They wanted an extra $500 to take down the old fence so I decided to save the bucks and do it myself. Keep in mind I weigh less than 140 pounds on most days. I not only kicked or sledge hammered out all the slats and 2 x 4 beams but actually broke most of the 4 x 4 posts. When the guys came to do my new fence we agreed to bring the fence line in about a foot so that's more than ample room for my skinny self to go between my and my next door neighbor's fence and access the back side of my back fence. My neighbors there have about 6 feet (including the foot that belongs to me) that's a jungle of overgrown hedge, shrubbery, wisteria & assorted weeds and briars. I almost never have seen them out in their back yard so I'm certain they didn't see me in my black work britches and camo shirt I usually wear as I dumped a 1 pound box of mothballs and 3 jars (2.25 oz each) of ground red pepper along the fence line.
Should the stench of mothballs not deter any varmints I'm sure a snot locker full of ground red pepper will send them packing.

Loss Of A Duckling, Etc.

Last night some predator took my one Blue Swedish duckling who was actually my favorite of the peepers. She was in fact the only one I had given a name, Elsa. There is a slight low spot in the dirt by the back fence where she was taken, same as the little Runner duck. All that was left of wee Elsa was one leg where the varmint was dragging her under the fence and her foot caught in between the slats. I'm guessing it's probably just a cat but  later today I'll pack all the gaps with a few bags of topsoil and toss a few fresh dog turds over the fence  to hopefully deter any more unwanted critter visits. Dog poop should ward off  cats and just to repel any less domesticated vermin like raccoons or opossums I'll "Redneck treat" the fence with my own urine. Yes, it sounds gross to city folk but anyone who has spent time in the woods knows most wild animals will shy away from that particular odor.

As I may have mentioned before Vlad, my boy dog is terribly sensitive to fleas. Before he passed away my dad told me his Boston Terrier is also and someone told him AVON Skin So Soft  made her butt feel better and she quit chewing it raw. Yesterday while checking the sales groups on Face Book lo and behold was a lady selling AVON products. I'm to meet her shortly to order 2 bottles. I'll keep y'all posted on how well it works on "dog raw butt".

Also yesterday I talked with my friend, Lisa about getting my realtor's license. Tuesday I'm planning to go get enrolled and embark on my new career. It's not going to be cheap, though. All told it'll cost close to $1000.00 (American). For a minute I thought, "Can I afford to gamble a grand?" Then I thought, "Can I not afford to invest a grand?"  That's how I have to look at this. Not as a gamble, inferring that I can fail but as an investment where with work I cannot fail. Once I get my license I'll get some cards printed up. Everybody I meet will be greeted with, "Hey! Want to buy a house?"
If they say they have one I'll ask, "Want to sell it?"
One of my 2 friends at work, Robert said people will start calling me "that obnoxious bastard that sells houses". I said, "Yeah. That sells houses!"
Please wish me blessings on this endeavor as I can't keep doing manual labor 40 hours a week forever and if you're ever looking for a home in the Rankin County Mississippi area be sure to look me up!

Employment Change Options

My 40 hour a week job has recently become much more difficult to bear due to a change in lower "management". It's truly quite the unpleasant work environment now and I see no chance for change any time soon. Therefore I am exploring my options...

The realtor who sold me my home is a long time friend as well so I called her up the other day. She's going to help me get my license. I know as the newest real estate agent in the state I'll start off getting the castoffs no other agent wants but I'll make a dime while waiting on a dollar! I remember how happy I was after signing and I walked out with my house keys in my hand. If I can make a few bucks making other people feel that happy, it's a good day.

Merlin's Garden, my greenhouse/ pet & plant nursery business. I've already gotten my LLC paperwork done making me a legit business. Last week I went to the bank and opened a checking account under the name of "Merlin's Garden" and should have checks, credit/debit card shortly. Next steps will be getting credit cards at the local bulk sales club & home improvement stores, erecting my greenhouse (as weather allows) and having business cards printed. A friend of mine is a budding artist so she'll be doing my logo for me.

If I can't get a transfer to another department within the store where I work I'll try for another store with the same company. If that doesn't happen I can try our competition, other retail businesses or something totally different. There are other options I'm weighing but for now I'll play those cards close to my vest.
Meanwhile I have only a little less than 2 years to make 10 years where I now work. At that point I qualify for a pittance of a "retirement" check at age 65. I'm praying hard that at that point (the 10 year mark) I'll be making enough between real estate, Merlin's Garden and a couple other side deals to be able to at least go part time. As much as part of me wants to totally quit, another part of me wants to be there a few hours a week just to watch the bastards suffer. I realize that's not a very Christian way of thinking but unless I hit a jackpot and can know I'll be financially secure I'll just have to ask God to forgive me for that.

Rain, Skeeters & Fleas

The weather has been quite odd even by Mississippi standards as of late. Practically every afternoon and/or evening, we've had rain. Enough rain has fallen that we're now officially out of our drought conditions and now have an excess.  It's not as bad as the flooding in Louisiana but we are saturated. 

Every morning and afternoon I sit with my ducklings while they eat and the skeeters suck a blood meal out of me. I slap the skeeters until I look as though I've taken a load of bird shot from a shotgun with all the blood splatters but otherwise enjoy my time spent watching my "peepers" grow. I do keep buckets & such around the eaves of the house to catch rainwater to use where the rain doesn't reach. These I have to monitor closely to keep them from becoming mosquito breeding pools.

My tomatoes were rather dismal this year, putting on lots of leaves and flowers but few fruit. Root crops and corn were a total bust and peas only produced about enough to replace the seeds I planted. Okra, squash and gourds were all  flops as well. I did manage a few assorted chili peppers and cucumbers made enough to share a few with my Mom. I may manage to get a few melons before all is said and done. My best crop this year has been sunflowers. I'll have enough seeds to roast a pound or so of seeds, save a few to plant next year and use the small ones as bird food.

Vlad, my Jack Russell terrier is sorely allergic to flea bites. One flea will drive the boy crazy. Well, he'd been chewing on his butt so I went to the vet the other day and got him and Bella some chewable flea killer medicine. Dr. Gail didn't have to stuff we'd been using in stock but instead had some other stuff that's supposed to be even better. A 3 month supply for the 2 dogs was not cheap but it made my kids feel better almost right away so it was money well spent.

A Too Smart Goose & Growing Ducklings

One of my female geese has shown an amazing (to me) puzzle solving ability. The fence of their and the ducks' enclosure is a 6' wooden fence on 2 sides and 3' wire on the others. They've eaten all the greenery in their yard so I give them any grass clippings from mowing and any weeds I pull up.
In their yard is a chunk of petrified wood about as big around as a human head and 1.5 times as long. This was only a short distance from the wire fence. Miss Smarty Goose figured out that with a running start, a leap onto the rock and a few flaps of her wings she could clear the 3' wire fence.
Naturally I was not looking forward to chasing a goose around an about 90' x 50' yard minus structures. Again she showed her intelligence. I'd left my push mower parked a foot & a half or so from this side of the wire fence... A short running start and she used the mower as a launching pad to propel herself back where she belonged!

Needless to say I have moved all she can use as launch pads either out of their enclosure or far from the 3' wire fence.
Right now I'm rather indecisive whether I should allow all the geese to graze the main yard (supervised) or feather clip their wings. My raised bed gardens aren't producing anything impressive so I'm leaning towards letting them do my mowing and weeding for now then clip later and pen them back in.

The ducklings are doing quite well, growing like weeds and seemingly bonding with me more than my first flock. They're already at 1 week of age starting to try to grow pin feathers on their wee butts and accept me when I sit with them.
I've learned the difference between their normal happy peep and their distress peep. Now I only get a couple distress peeps when I pick one up before it becomes a happy peep.

Duckling Update & Misc.

It seems my wee ducklings were raised by Houdini himself! ANY gap in the fence not 100% covered with chicken wire is an open door to the little rascals. In a mere 3 days I've had 2 times I've had to fetch up one or more.  The first escape 3 got out and behind the main duck yard and between the chain link fence and wooden privacy fence. Escape #2 was one Pekin was out free ranging in the open part of the back yard. Luckily I was able to fetch her up before Bella got to her. The duckling was right by the fence and wanted back with her sisters so it was no major ordeal for either of us.

One of my Blue Swedish passed away. At first I thought she had just gotten wet and chilled so I wrapped her in a dishrag and held her to me until she was warm and dry before releasing her back with the group. When I went to check and found her deceased I noticed her little pooper looked swollen so I'm guessing that she had health issues even before I got her.

Everyone else is doing well here at Merlin's Garden. I've set up a 55 gallon tank should I have any bearded dragon babies hatch.

One last note. I do try my best to keep this blog as happy and positive as possible and not air any personal issues that may bring anyone else down but this is an exception...
My older brother (59 as opposed to my 56 years old) is showing some hard ass symptoms of dementia. Memory loss, confusion, repeating himself, etc.
If you pray to any God, I ask that you pray for him. We've had our differences and even fist fights over the years but I still love him dearly and just pray he'll be okay.
Thanks for reading and even more thanks for your prayers.

I love you all,
Merlin

Business Bank Account

I went to the bank today to open my business bank account for "MERLIN'S GARDEN. LLC". Lucky me, I got a guy who had never opened a business account before so it took well over an hour. But I was patient and polite,  worked with him to the best of my ability.

At any rate, I got things done as needed, paid my mortgage monthly and am back home. As Johnny Winter sang, "Every now than and then I know it's kinda hard to tell but I'm still alive and well!"

Baby Ducks & Trying To Pickle Eggs

This morning I got a call from the post office saying my baby ducks had arrived. Needless to say I was soon on the road to pick them up.

I had ordered 10 females of mixed varieties, quite unsure of what I'd be getting or if there'd be anything to clue me in. The farm did enclose a page stating in 1 or 2 letter code the ducklings shipped.
I've now, I believe, 2 Blue Swedish, 2 Khaki Campbell, 5 Pekin and 2 more Rouen. Yes, I am aware that equals 11 and not 10 as ordered but the good folks at the hatchery added one extra at no charge.
Most are considered calm breeds save the Khaki which are a nervous breed. The least prolific  layers are the Swedish at a mere 120 -180 eggs per year and the highest producers are the KC at 165 - 210. All are higher than my last remaining Fawn & White Runner at only 100 - 180 but she's still "Quack Daddy's Little Girl"!

At any rate, should half of my new hens survive to egg laying age I can reasonably expect some over 700 eggs per year. Plenty for me to eat fresh, pickle and sell some.

I do love pickled eggs even though they do make me gassy sometimes. I was channel surfing the other week and the Food Network had a show about pickling. So I got me a gallon of distilled white vinegar, one of apple cider vinegar, and am gonna try to pickle some eggs. My ducks lay an average of 1 or 2 a day so I'll try different recipes a quart at a time. First will be AC vinegar with crushed red pepper, whole black peppercorns and smashed garlic. I do love the spice! My second will be the same only with white vinegar.