What U.S. hobby is the one that the most money spent on it per year?

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), February 12, 2002

Answers

Gardening?

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), February 12, 2002.

Golf?

-- Sherri C in Central Indiana (CeltiaSkye@aol.com), February 12, 2002.

I think gardening/lawn care.

-- Elizabeth (ekfla@aol.com), February 12, 2002.

auto repair / car restoration

-- Stan (sopal@net-port.com), February 12, 2002.

That one got whacked in a hurry with gardening being correct.

New question: What is the differance between a "wharf" and a "pier"?

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), February 12, 2002.

A wharf is parallel to the bank, A pier extends out to the water.

-- Gary in Ohio (gws@columbus.rr.com), February 12, 2002.

Correct allmost; my dictionary defines a wharf as a structure of wood that extends straight out into the water and a pier as a masonary structure that extends into the water at right angles to the shore.

New question: What is the longest word, in English that is an objects name that can be typed with the keys assigned to the right hand? Check the spelling before submiting.~

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), February 12, 2002.

Mitch, regarding your first question...I beg to differ with you but I think your information must be incorrect....I'm absolutely certain the U.S. hobby which has the most money spent on it per year HAS to be raising horses. Unless maybe it's raising goats....(VBG)

-- Lenette (kigervixen@webtv.net), February 12, 2002.

Gardening, as I understand it encompasses a much larger area that just veggies, theres ornamental plants, ground cover, fruit trees, tools, frtilizers, compost equipment, seeds, packaging, transportation of all those things. If it was just a simple veggy patch I am sure the costs would be more comparable. I ask my staff to comment but they wouldn't leafe the nest boxes!!

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), February 12, 2002.

Mitch, Likewise, horses encompass much more than just buying the horse...that's the cheap part. You have feed (hay, grain, vitamins, minerals), buckets, hay feeders, automatic waterers, water trough warmers, worm medications, fly sprays, supplements (MSM, glucosamine/chrondroitin, etc.) tack (English and Western saddles, pads, bridles, halters, lead ropes, blankets and hoods, etc.), grooming supplies (brushes, hoofpicks, hoof polish, shampoo, conditioner, show sheen etc.) barns, riding arenas, fencing, land to put it all on, a horse trailer, a new truck to pull the trailer, a camper to put on the truck for when you go somewhere with the horses, pasture, grass seed, a tractor with pasture harrow, front loader, manure spreader, posthole digger, and back blade, flat bed truck for hay hauling, bedding (straw or shavings), vet bills, medication, veterinary supplies, shoeing and trimming costs, lessons, trainers, show fees, riding club fees, riding clothes, boots, helmets, doctor & hospital bills (for the horse owner).....and that's just the tip of the iceberg. My dh used to own a plane, and it wasn't nearly as expensive as the horses.

I'm afraid we've still got the gardeners beat. (not that that's anything to brag about, LOL)

-- Lenette (kigervixen@webtv.net), February 12, 2002.

But Lenette, I have these horses and goats in my yard because I NEED all that organic fertilizer for my gardens, so my horse and goat expenses are tallied under gardening expenses.

On the other hand the horses have broke into the garden enough times that all my gardening expenses could be listed under "livestock feed."

-- Laura (Ladybugwrangler@hotmail.com), February 12, 2002.

The word saughtis lollipop and if I had a horse that costs so much, those horse steaks must be dipped in gold!!!!!

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), February 12, 2002.

Laura,

ROTFL!!! I guess this is turning into a "which comes first, the chicken or the egg?" debate, heehee. In my case, I turn my goats loose in my yard every day, so the landscaping definately falls into the livestock feed category. My in-laws used to run a landscaping/nursery business here, the horses and goats have eaten most of what was left when they shut down the business.

Question: Next year dh and I are actually going to have time to put in a garden. Obviously we will have to do some rather expensive fencing to keep out the critters. So do we list the fencing on our tax return as "horse expenses", or is this considered part of our gardening/grocery expenses?

Guess this brings us back to a question Chuck posed awhile back as to whether we would eat our pets? I'd have to say no, as Mitch mentioned, those horse steaks would be dipped in gold. On the other hand, we might have more $$ if we DID eat a few horses. ;) (JUST KIDDING, FOLKS!)

-- Lenette (kigervixen@webtv.net), February 13, 2002.

I do not remember my grandfathers plow team needing a trailor, or hoof polish, or a new truck to give them a ride, they drank at the pond, there were no front end loaders, bib overalls were riding outfits, the arena was known as the back 40, ect., ect.

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), February 13, 2002.

But my horses don't pull a plow...

You are absolutely right, Mitch. Actually, we no longer have ALL that stuff for our horses. I used to train, so a lot of this stuff was "required". I finally reached the burnout point, and decided to get back to a more natural way of owning horses (which in part led to my interest in homesteading). My burnout point was reached one winter day after I had spent most of the day body-clipping some horses for a show, and then had to double blanket them to keep them warm that night. Talk about ridiculous.

In my previous posts I was poking a little fun at myself and others in how far we humans let ourselves go to the extreme sometimes when all that is needed is a little common sense. I now have 2 breeds of horses that are kept pretty much "au natural". And I no longer train or show. However, we do own a lot of horses and the feed bill gets pretty high.

-- Lenette (kigervixen@webtv.net), February 13, 2002.