… is a joy forever. Last night, I had to carry the chickens into the new coop and they were not happy about being there. This morning, they wouldn't come out! They were busy pecking at everything, finding ants in the straw…
And, of course, the minute I turned off the camera and started to walk away, they all three flew out of the coop like they'd been chased! Didn't walk down the nice brand-new walkway… flew, one right after the other. Very unexpected sight. I wonder if they'll know to go back in there tonight. (I know you are wondering, too. I will keep you posted!)
6pm UPDATE: I went out to put the chickens in the coop and feed them and guess where they were? IN THE COOP. All by themselves, all snuggled up in the boxes on the shelves. Yep, like I said, I have some smart chickens. I, however, am not so smart. Hal figures our first egg will have cost about $500. Breakeven should be around 2012.
I must admit that is a really nice design! I hear that $500 eggs are especially delicious. I bought a scooter a few years ago here and figure it cost me $400 per trip to EPA. I hope I have sold it this morning. I wont drive it anymore.It is like driving a two wheeled riding lawn mower with a target on it!
Ahhh but wonderful eggs they will be! Maybe they will be really prolific layers and your breakeven will come at 2011 instead. 🙂
Hey Scott – they better be delicious! Hal bought a scooter, TWO in fact… that story is coming up. A burst of youthful adventure. I made him tell me where all the money is.
Going for five more chickens now, Robin. I”m going to need to go into the egg business!
Hi there, saratika, long time no talk! have been giving thought to San Miguel de Allende sing my son came back from CR…he loves it there…and wants me to retire there in 11 months…still trying to decide. Will be tring to do it on 1200. a month!!! Good grief! Anyway had always wanted to own some Bantings and live on their lovely eggs…so your living my dream lady. Engangered breeds are being sold to chicken people like yourself…have you looked into it? Alberta University, is one of them I think. Would be fun to have the special breeds clucking out there. Have skype now in case you do….it’s wright416
Since, trying and endangered….my apologies for all those typo’s….dealing with a new notebook and for the life of me, I CAN’T TYPE ON IT.
Hey Sharon, you should come down and check it out. Have you been to San Miguel? My mom loves that place, lived there for two years once. I think Mexico might be cheaper than Costa Rica. $1200 is doable but just barely: no car probably, but you can get a 1br for $300 outside the immediate San JosĂ© area, then food and transport. Will you have Medicare? I think you’ll have to go back to the states for care, but at least you’ll have that. Keep me posted! Love hearing how it goes… pura vida!
It’s a beautiful thang! In New Jersey you would have had to obtain building permits and if allowed, your property tax would increase after the home was re-assessed.
It never occurred to me to ask permission. Ahhhh, freedom.
This was in our paper. Scary!Love your coop!
Thursday, January 14, 2010
GV couple charged with fraud extradited from Costa Rica
By Liz Kellar
Staff Writer
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Lin Bartee, 65, and his wife, Christine Wenger-Bartee, 51, made an appearance in Federal Court in Sacramento Monday after being extradited from Costa Rica on charges of bankruptcy fraud and tax evasion.
The couple was returned to Sacramento by U.S. Marshals on Sunday.
The couple, originally from Grass Valley, are the subjects of a grand jury indictment on conspiracy to avoid paying federal taxes, making false statements in a bankruptcy case and concealing property in a bankruptcy case, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip Ferrari, who is prosecuting the case.
Lin Bartee also was charged individually with evading the payment of federal income taxes.
The indictment states the defendants failed to file a tax return in 2001, and then after earning a “substantial” sum of money in 2002, also failed to file a tax return for that year. At the same time, they allegedly transferred approximately $240,000 to Christine Bartee’s
parents, who transferred about half of that amount to a bank in Costa Rica.
In 2003, the couple declared bankruptcy without naming the Internal Revenue Service as a creditor and without identifying money they received the year earlier, according to the release.
The bankruptcy court denied the discharge of the Bartees’ debt in winter 2004, and soon after the couple moved to a remote area of Costa Rica.
The case was investigated by the IRS, which got an indictment in May and began extradition proceedings. The couple was arrested in Costa Rica on May 14, 2009, but fought extradition.
The maximum statutory penalty the Bartees face is five years in federal imprisonment.
To contact Staff Writer Liz Kellar, e-mail lkellar@theunion.com or call (530) 477-4229.
Yep, you gotta file. We didn’t file for five years thinking we didn’t have to, then found out we did (www.losthorizons.com) and filed immediately. The laws are almost impossible to understand… by design? Sign me suspicious!
Feel bad for those guys. Putting people in jail for not paying taxes makes no sense at all. Why not allow them to work and pay the money they owe? But, no, the IRS has it all set up so taxpayers spend 100s of $1000s to support someone in jail, rather than try to get the money. Why? Only one answer I can see: to terrorize the rest of us to comply without asking questions. They are thugs. Like the DEA, jailing pot smokers. Land of the free. Don’t get me started…