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Gina |
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 news |
05/20/12
Jim put the center wall up yesterday and framed the
door. It will not be long now! Got to do some indoor
chores today! Laundry is calling!
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05/17/12
Progress on the chicken house is progressing. I hope to
be able to get my birds in their new home by the end of
the month. I am so proud that we have constructed this
building from mostly reclaimed materials. The exterior
walls are office cubical walls that Jim has had leaning
on the back of the shop for years. We both remarked that
they look like canvases ready for a coat of primer and
paint. So many ideas are running through my head!
The chickens are more than ready to move in to their new
home. Poor Barbara is totally annoyed by being in such
close quarters with all of the others. She is my oldest
girl, 6 years. Jim gave me money to get some new girls.
I was lucky to get some babies that had been at the feed
store for awhile, so they are almost completely fledged.
I shop for my feed and all things farm at
Country Farm & Home in Pittsboro. They are great
folks and the prices are the best in the county.
I got 3 Plymouth Barred Rock, 3 New Hampshire, and 3
Rhode Island Reds. One of my guineas is sitting a nest
right now. I am not sure where, just know she is missing
and it is the right time of the year for it. I hope that
she is successful, but I am taking no chances. At the
end of the month the feed store will have guinea keets
and I plan to get some. The ticks have been bad, since
the winter was so mild. I really need more tick eaters!
I can not do any chores without spending at least half
of the time kicking the ball! My little buddy sure has
grown.
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05/05/12
Last year, I bought tomato plants from this guy. They
are heirloom varieties and in great health. Don't buy
your plants from Lowes! Buy local and better quality
from Deep Chatham Farms!
Visit his site and find out more! |
04/28 & 29/12
As I was showering this morning I heard Jim's tractor
arrive and by the time I was dry and dressed he had
already moved the old chicken house out of the way and
was setting up his outdoor saw mill. As you can see the
old chicken shelter was in need of an upgrade. We had to
prop one leg and nail a board on one side to keep it
from falling over. It had been leaning on the side of
the barn. It has served it's purpose well, but after 6
years weather and insects had taken their toll. I have a
sentimental feeling about the old house. Jim and David
helped me build it. I am still racking my brain for a
new purpose for it. I know that the old kennel is going
to be my new mushroom garden. I will put chicken wire
all over it to keep the squirrels out.
I started a bonfire, burning wormy, bug filled wood that
had served as the legs of my nursery box (pictured in
the center) while Steve used the dingo (seen next to the
tractor) to drill the holes for the supporting beams.
Then they extended the existing roof, using the wood
from Jim's old deck. I painted the door and window
frames that I got at the
Habitat for Humanity Thrift Store.
They worked all day, but still had
to return on Sunday to put the roof on.
Hopefully, they can get the walls up by
next weekend. It can not be too soon for
the chickens that are temporarily housed
in the dog kennel in the barn.
I grilled hot dogs and chicken. We sang
Happy Birthday to Steve and had cake
then enjoyed the fire and a beer. Thank
you so much Jim and Steve! I am so lucky
to have you in my life! You are so good
to me! |
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04/26/12
Getting the materials together for my chicken house
project has been my primary focus for the last several
days. I have planned a weekend of family bonding over
the project. Hooray for the
Habitat for Humanity Thrift Store! |
04/24/12
Spring came in January this year, so of course the
flowers have bloomed early and we planted our gardens
only to have winter roll in the last couple of days.
Last night I went out and covered all of my tender baby
plants and I will do that again tonight. It snowed in
West Virginia yesterday. That must have been a shock. I
hope that my friends there have not planted tomatoes
yet.
My family is coming here this weekend to help build a
new chicken house. I plan to let the boys destroy the
old house on Friday night and make a bonfire of it. We
will cook out all weekend and by Sunday the chickens
will have a new home. I have been working for the last
several days preparing for the destruction and
construction. The chickens are all sequestered in a
holding pen in the barn. They seem to be comfortable
although a little confused. I had to evict two of my
broodiest hens from a nest they had been sitting for
weeks. There were over 40 eggs in it, because all of the
other girls were laying there, leaving these two to sit
all of the eggs alone. I knew that it was time to give
up hope that they would actually hatch any of the eggs
when the 21 days had passed. There was also a smell that
spelled rotten eggs. It was not easy. They were
determined to continue their vigil. Of course, I found
it profoundly sad. They were so dedicated. Hopefully
they will try again in the new house, where I will be
sure to make it easier for them.
I am looking forward to a visit from my dear friends
Abra and Ariel Sitler. They will be coming in a couple
weeks after Abra graduates from WVU and classes end for
Ariel. We are going to have a great time with art
projects and long talks about the future. We are going
to make paper. I have been saving drier lint for years
now and separated them by color. I hope that Ariel
brings her guitar! |
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