For several reasons, our girls moved to one of our empty bedrooms today. We put them in a box, cleaned out their tub, and moved them to their new "Big girl room". The accumulation of dust in our bedroom when we are both trying to get over this cold, the constant morse code pecking at night, the bags of pine shavings, food, and scratch that took up so much space, and the red bordello light that's been on in our room 24/7 for the last two weeks were the deciding factors. They are starting to get little combs at the bridge of their beaks, they all have more feathers and one of them occasionally tries to "cluck" instead of "peep". (We can't figure out who.) They are 2 weeks old now and have about another 3 weeks before they go out to their coop. I know we aren't going to be done by then. We still have to reside the back of the barn, paint it, build the run (a task that is huge even though I described it with only 3 words) and put the finishing touches on the inside of the coop.
NOTE! I have had several people request pictures and I will post some soon!
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Saturday, March 20, 2010 The chicken door
Our new fancy chicken door came in the mail Friday, and today was the day to install it! Now the reason it is so special is it works electrically on a timer. Once installed and set up, it will open and close automatically at whatever times we set. So we don't have to hurry home or get up a half hour earlier to open or close the coop!!! An ingenius invention...that is easy enough I'm sure I could have made one. But I don't have the patience or time for something like that right now, so I bought one online.
We headed down to the barn in Dixie with our load of wood, another ladder, the chicken door, some snacks and the dogs. It didn't take us long to get all set up and pick up where we had left off. P with her bad ass tool belt. Me with my dumb fisher price one. Surprisingly, the chicken door took only about an hour...AND when we plugged it in, it even worked!!! So we moved on to the rest of the back of the barn. There were several 2x4s that had been chewed by the previous owners horses that had to be replaced, and some posts that were suppose to support the whole barn, yet no longer touched the concrete floor anymore. So we installed new posts with some brackets. (I think brackets are the answer to everything and Patty thinks I'm ridiculous. Whatever your problem is...there is a bracket for it!) We also created some cross supports for the back of the barn, (using more brackets). Since we are both still sick our energy was wiped out early and we cleaned up. What's next? We need to put the bottom 3 pieces of plywood on the barn, cover the back of the barn with Tyvek wrap and then install the T1-11!
We headed down to the barn in Dixie with our load of wood, another ladder, the chicken door, some snacks and the dogs. It didn't take us long to get all set up and pick up where we had left off. P with her bad ass tool belt. Me with my dumb fisher price one. Surprisingly, the chicken door took only about an hour...AND when we plugged it in, it even worked!!! So we moved on to the rest of the back of the barn. There were several 2x4s that had been chewed by the previous owners horses that had to be replaced, and some posts that were suppose to support the whole barn, yet no longer touched the concrete floor anymore. So we installed new posts with some brackets. (I think brackets are the answer to everything and Patty thinks I'm ridiculous. Whatever your problem is...there is a bracket for it!) We also created some cross supports for the back of the barn, (using more brackets). Since we are both still sick our energy was wiped out early and we cleaned up. What's next? We need to put the bottom 3 pieces of plywood on the barn, cover the back of the barn with Tyvek wrap and then install the T1-11!
Friday, March 19, 2010 Breaking the law...
I left work early to run home and get the farm truck Dixie. We had plans on running to Home Depot and Costco after work, and she is the only vehicle that could do it all...
We went to Home Depot and were wandering aisles....what do we need for the next steps for the chicken coop? We knew we needed T1-11 to side the back of the barn, so Patty went to find a flat bed cart and I went looking for the siding. I heard her whistle from the other end of the aisle, at least 200 feet away. I looked and she was coming with the cart. We were the only ones in the aisle...so I thought I would be funny and lifted my shirt up over my head and flashed her my bra. She did the same back, and we headed toward eachother to meet in the middle. We stopped laughing when we noticed the huge "eye in the sky" camera at the center of the aisle. Great...now we would have most wanted posters in the corporate home depot office...or even worse a you tube video. They would probably post us on "The people of home depot" like they have "The people of Walmart". (Which you should look at if you've never seen it...it's absolutely hilarious.)
We weren't sure if someone was going to come talk to us about our behavior, so we hurried and gathered our 11 sheets of T1-11, a handful (or two) of 2x4s and 2x6s, and left the store. :)
We then headed to Costco. We have a plan to try to be more frugal...to cook all of our meals, and avoid going out. Our friend Jenny Craig was great but an expensive date...so we figured Costco would be a great place to start to get some basic staples that go into tons of meals. So we bought enough food for a month, (at least). And there was no flashing in Costco...we didn't want to start an indecent exposure spree....
So we went to pack it all into Dixie...Almost 2 carts full of food on top of our treasures from home depot.
There was only one little problem...it was now after 8, and dark. We both know from last Fall that Dixie's dashboard lights don't work...at all. Her dash is pitch black at night. No idea how much gas we have...or how fast we're going. (It's not the fuse, we've checked that...we just normally don't drive her at night.) So we headed home, Patty driving, and me looking into the bed frequently to make sure our Costco stash wasn't flying all over the freeway. Patty was doing great, occasionally checking her speed with the light from her cell phone. Some guy pulled right up behind us, flashed his brights and sped past. I looked to see if something was coming loose in the bed and Patty yelled, "I'm going the &$^%#!* speedlimit you &$^%#!* *#$hole!!!" I didn't see anything budging in the back so we kept on going home. We had to take a back road due to highway construction at night out where we live...me constantly checking the back, P occasionally shining her phone on the dark dash. When we got closer home, I asked her if we had enough gas to get home, (Dixie gets about 8 miles to the gallon when empty, and we had her quite loaded down.) She checked with her phone, and sure enough we didn't. So she stopped for gas and rechecked our load.
At this point we were both pooped. The thought of unloading all the food from the truck exhausted us even more. So we got back on the road to head home the last 10 miles.
Now out where we live it's pitch black....we don't have sidewalks, or street lights. As a matter of fact we only have 2 traffic lights in our whole little town. So when we went through an intersection and our headlights reflected off the red and blue rack of a car waiting at the stop sign, we knew it was a cop. Patty checked her speed again to be on the safe side, and we continued home. The cop turned out behind us and we maintained our speed...They flipped their brights on and started riding our ass...I told Patty to pull into the old red barn pub up ahead so the cop could pass. She did, and the cop followed us in and flipped their pretty red and blues on....Great...
I figured something was flapping around in back we couldn't see. I knew we were doing the speed limit...and we even had the red flags hanging from our wood that extended out over the back of the bed. I silently prayed as the cop came up to the window that they wouldn't notice the dash lights out...and that we weren't going to be arrested for indecent exposure in home depot...what would I tell my mom??
The cop was a female, and she asked for Patty's driver's license. She then informed us that our tail lights didn't work...at all. The whole back of our truck was pitch black and we had no idea. Patty insisted we had no idea and that it would be fixed the next day, and I had to open my big mouth and insist we didn't drive this vehicle very often... The cop then asked if the emergency blinkers worked. Do trucks this old even have emergency blinkers?! Patty asked me if I knew where they were, (we really don't drive it that often) and the cop even shined her flashlight on the steering wheel console so we could look (since the cab of our truck was dark because of a lack of dashlights!) We found the flashers and they worked. She made a sweep of the truck bed with her flash light and commented that she could tell we had just been to Costco. She then let us off as long as we road the rest of the way home with our flashers on(no pun intended)....not even noticing the darkened dash. I told P that it explained the guy she unloaded her tourettes on and she agreed. We headed home considering ourselves lucky, unloaded the food, and headed to bed. Once again evading my "one phone call" I would of had to make...to my mom. :)
We went to Home Depot and were wandering aisles....what do we need for the next steps for the chicken coop? We knew we needed T1-11 to side the back of the barn, so Patty went to find a flat bed cart and I went looking for the siding. I heard her whistle from the other end of the aisle, at least 200 feet away. I looked and she was coming with the cart. We were the only ones in the aisle...so I thought I would be funny and lifted my shirt up over my head and flashed her my bra. She did the same back, and we headed toward eachother to meet in the middle. We stopped laughing when we noticed the huge "eye in the sky" camera at the center of the aisle. Great...now we would have most wanted posters in the corporate home depot office...or even worse a you tube video. They would probably post us on "The people of home depot" like they have "The people of Walmart". (Which you should look at if you've never seen it...it's absolutely hilarious.)
We weren't sure if someone was going to come talk to us about our behavior, so we hurried and gathered our 11 sheets of T1-11, a handful (or two) of 2x4s and 2x6s, and left the store. :)
We then headed to Costco. We have a plan to try to be more frugal...to cook all of our meals, and avoid going out. Our friend Jenny Craig was great but an expensive date...so we figured Costco would be a great place to start to get some basic staples that go into tons of meals. So we bought enough food for a month, (at least). And there was no flashing in Costco...we didn't want to start an indecent exposure spree....
So we went to pack it all into Dixie...Almost 2 carts full of food on top of our treasures from home depot.
There was only one little problem...it was now after 8, and dark. We both know from last Fall that Dixie's dashboard lights don't work...at all. Her dash is pitch black at night. No idea how much gas we have...or how fast we're going. (It's not the fuse, we've checked that...we just normally don't drive her at night.) So we headed home, Patty driving, and me looking into the bed frequently to make sure our Costco stash wasn't flying all over the freeway. Patty was doing great, occasionally checking her speed with the light from her cell phone. Some guy pulled right up behind us, flashed his brights and sped past. I looked to see if something was coming loose in the bed and Patty yelled, "I'm going the &$^%#!* speedlimit you &$^%#!* *#$hole!!!" I didn't see anything budging in the back so we kept on going home. We had to take a back road due to highway construction at night out where we live...me constantly checking the back, P occasionally shining her phone on the dark dash. When we got closer home, I asked her if we had enough gas to get home, (Dixie gets about 8 miles to the gallon when empty, and we had her quite loaded down.) She checked with her phone, and sure enough we didn't. So she stopped for gas and rechecked our load.
At this point we were both pooped. The thought of unloading all the food from the truck exhausted us even more. So we got back on the road to head home the last 10 miles.
Now out where we live it's pitch black....we don't have sidewalks, or street lights. As a matter of fact we only have 2 traffic lights in our whole little town. So when we went through an intersection and our headlights reflected off the red and blue rack of a car waiting at the stop sign, we knew it was a cop. Patty checked her speed again to be on the safe side, and we continued home. The cop turned out behind us and we maintained our speed...They flipped their brights on and started riding our ass...I told Patty to pull into the old red barn pub up ahead so the cop could pass. She did, and the cop followed us in and flipped their pretty red and blues on....Great...
I figured something was flapping around in back we couldn't see. I knew we were doing the speed limit...and we even had the red flags hanging from our wood that extended out over the back of the bed. I silently prayed as the cop came up to the window that they wouldn't notice the dash lights out...and that we weren't going to be arrested for indecent exposure in home depot...what would I tell my mom??
The cop was a female, and she asked for Patty's driver's license. She then informed us that our tail lights didn't work...at all. The whole back of our truck was pitch black and we had no idea. Patty insisted we had no idea and that it would be fixed the next day, and I had to open my big mouth and insist we didn't drive this vehicle very often... The cop then asked if the emergency blinkers worked. Do trucks this old even have emergency blinkers?! Patty asked me if I knew where they were, (we really don't drive it that often) and the cop even shined her flashlight on the steering wheel console so we could look (since the cab of our truck was dark because of a lack of dashlights!) We found the flashers and they worked. She made a sweep of the truck bed with her flash light and commented that she could tell we had just been to Costco. She then let us off as long as we road the rest of the way home with our flashers on(no pun intended)....not even noticing the darkened dash. I told P that it explained the guy she unloaded her tourettes on and she agreed. We headed home considering ourselves lucky, unloaded the food, and headed to bed. Once again evading my "one phone call" I would of had to make...to my mom. :)
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Almost two weeks old...
The babies will be 2 weeks old this Friday, and everyone is still doing great! We still are sleeping with earplugs, (I brought a new supply home from work,) and at night they are happy and we are sleeping.
At about 3 days they started getting their little wing feathers, and after about 7 days their tail feathers. At a week old they also started flying. Across the tub and also up toward the top. We knew we had to avoid what was coming. So we ran down to Ace and picked up a roll of rabbit fencing. We put it down over the top, and weighed it down at the corners with some of Patty's fat forensics murder mysteries. The chicks don't like it very much, but it's for their own good.
Their little individual personalities are definitely starting to come through. We have named the 2 Rhode Island Reds Lucy and Ethel. And the 3 Buff Orpingtons are little stinkers. They run around together and love to peck at our silver rings and bracelets. They are Peanut, Butter and Jelly. Almost all of the chicks will jump into our hands to eat feed we have, and a few of them jump up on the edge to see us when the screen is lifted. A lot of them look alike and we keep looking at the hatchery website to see which chicks are going to look like which adult hens.
The other night Patty tore a piece of lettuce and dropped it down to them. One of them grabbed it and took off running. It looked like a tiny football team trying to catch the quarterback. Then another would grab it away and start running. None of them actually tried to eat it, but their game of keep away kept us entertained for about 15 minutes.
So far no crowing....
At about 3 days they started getting their little wing feathers, and after about 7 days their tail feathers. At a week old they also started flying. Across the tub and also up toward the top. We knew we had to avoid what was coming. So we ran down to Ace and picked up a roll of rabbit fencing. We put it down over the top, and weighed it down at the corners with some of Patty's fat forensics murder mysteries. The chicks don't like it very much, but it's for their own good.
Their little individual personalities are definitely starting to come through. We have named the 2 Rhode Island Reds Lucy and Ethel. And the 3 Buff Orpingtons are little stinkers. They run around together and love to peck at our silver rings and bracelets. They are Peanut, Butter and Jelly. Almost all of the chicks will jump into our hands to eat feed we have, and a few of them jump up on the edge to see us when the screen is lifted. A lot of them look alike and we keep looking at the hatchery website to see which chicks are going to look like which adult hens.
The other night Patty tore a piece of lettuce and dropped it down to them. One of them grabbed it and took off running. It looked like a tiny football team trying to catch the quarterback. Then another would grab it away and start running. None of them actually tried to eat it, but their game of keep away kept us entertained for about 15 minutes.
So far no crowing....
March 9, 2010 The Little Darlings
You know what it is like when you bring a new baby home, and they are up crying all night? Try that times 26! We didn't get much sleep. I know they have no concept of day and night...but this was something we weren't ready for! We checked their water and their food, and even tried singing to them. We were both weary and looked at the alarm clock knowing we had to get up in about an hour or two for work. We scrambled for the pile of ear plugs that we knew existed under the bed, (thanks to our cats). Both coming up with a mismatched and slightly used pair, we put them in knowing the babies were ok.
The rest of the night we slept wonderfully.
The rest of the night we slept wonderfully.
Sunday, March 7, 2010 The Barn Whisperer
After we woke from our nap, we checked on the babies again and watched them for awhile.
Later in the afternoon "The Barn Whisperer" came. He is a buddy of mine from work named Mike. He is from good ol' Kentucky and when he lived there he was a barn straightener. I'm not sure how you put that on a business card, but I have a barn, and some of it's sagging, so I figured a visit from my friend Mike wouldn't hurt! So Mike showed up around noon with his wife Cheryl, and 5 year old daughter AB. I immediately showed them our new children, and AB just loved them! She started moving her arms in the air and said she was teaching them to fly. :)
We drove down to the back of the property and I gave them a brief tour...What needs to be fenced, the pasture, the creek, where the raised beds are going to go, yes that little colosseum over there is really a firepit, and last but not least, my quaint little barn. Cheryl and AB went to check out the huge trampoline that My Mariah no longer finds cool, (there is no where for her to plug in her ipod or cell phone), and Mike and I toured the barn. Now he didn't actually whisper to it...didn't caress the old boards and listen to their story....He kind of put his hands on his hips in a Mike kind of way and layed it out matter of factly. He told me that it was a lot better off than he thought...good...good...and that the tack room P and I were turning into the chicken coop would be perfect for them. He pointed out a few places that would be ideal for extra post support and that I needed to move the dirt away from the base of the barn to keep the wood from rotting again. We then walked around the side and he looked at the roof. Now I've worked with Mike for about 4 years now, off and on, and I know that look he got on his face. The sag in the roof wasn't good. He told me that if I got another 2 feet of snowfall like I did in the winter of '08, the barn may not hold up. So he proceeded to instruct me on how to fix it. Pull off those 2x4s, replace them with 2x6s, make supports every 4 feet instead of about every 8...jack it up if necessary...etc. I looked Mike square in the eye and said, "Be straight with me Mike, is this something Patty and I can fix, or do I need to hire someone?" He replied we could do it without a doubt...(Mike could never lie, and I knew he would have told me it was beyond my means if he thought it was.)
Cheryl and AB came back from the trampoline, and Mike took AB to check out the abandoned loft while Cheryl and I reflected about how sweet life and it's mysterious and not so mysterious blessings are. I then gave them a tour of the future goat pen, and showed them one of my favorite trees on the property. It blew over several years ago, and the whole root base now extends toward the sky. We then walked the creek and it was time to head back up to the house.
I showed them my other prized treasure...My 1953 GMC pickup. It's not running right now...but she's a beauty and I have big plans for her...(when life slows down a little.) We came to the conclusion that when she is all fixed up and painted cherry red, I am going to drive her in the local parade with Mike, Cheryl and AB in back!
One more look in on the chicks and my company had to go...
Thanks again Mike, Cheryl and AB! Come back again real soon!!!
Later in the afternoon "The Barn Whisperer" came. He is a buddy of mine from work named Mike. He is from good ol' Kentucky and when he lived there he was a barn straightener. I'm not sure how you put that on a business card, but I have a barn, and some of it's sagging, so I figured a visit from my friend Mike wouldn't hurt! So Mike showed up around noon with his wife Cheryl, and 5 year old daughter AB. I immediately showed them our new children, and AB just loved them! She started moving her arms in the air and said she was teaching them to fly. :)
We drove down to the back of the property and I gave them a brief tour...What needs to be fenced, the pasture, the creek, where the raised beds are going to go, yes that little colosseum over there is really a firepit, and last but not least, my quaint little barn. Cheryl and AB went to check out the huge trampoline that My Mariah no longer finds cool, (there is no where for her to plug in her ipod or cell phone), and Mike and I toured the barn. Now he didn't actually whisper to it...didn't caress the old boards and listen to their story....He kind of put his hands on his hips in a Mike kind of way and layed it out matter of factly. He told me that it was a lot better off than he thought...good...good...and that the tack room P and I were turning into the chicken coop would be perfect for them. He pointed out a few places that would be ideal for extra post support and that I needed to move the dirt away from the base of the barn to keep the wood from rotting again. We then walked around the side and he looked at the roof. Now I've worked with Mike for about 4 years now, off and on, and I know that look he got on his face. The sag in the roof wasn't good. He told me that if I got another 2 feet of snowfall like I did in the winter of '08, the barn may not hold up. So he proceeded to instruct me on how to fix it. Pull off those 2x4s, replace them with 2x6s, make supports every 4 feet instead of about every 8...jack it up if necessary...etc. I looked Mike square in the eye and said, "Be straight with me Mike, is this something Patty and I can fix, or do I need to hire someone?" He replied we could do it without a doubt...(Mike could never lie, and I knew he would have told me it was beyond my means if he thought it was.)
Cheryl and AB came back from the trampoline, and Mike took AB to check out the abandoned loft while Cheryl and I reflected about how sweet life and it's mysterious and not so mysterious blessings are. I then gave them a tour of the future goat pen, and showed them one of my favorite trees on the property. It blew over several years ago, and the whole root base now extends toward the sky. We then walked the creek and it was time to head back up to the house.
I showed them my other prized treasure...My 1953 GMC pickup. It's not running right now...but she's a beauty and I have big plans for her...(when life slows down a little.) We came to the conclusion that when she is all fixed up and painted cherry red, I am going to drive her in the local parade with Mike, Cheryl and AB in back!
One more look in on the chicks and my company had to go...
Thanks again Mike, Cheryl and AB! Come back again real soon!!!
Friday, March 12, 2010
Sunday, March 7, 2010 4:51 am
We couldn't sleep. We knew the chicks had hatched on Friday and had been shipped on Saturday. I had contacted the main dispatch center an hour and a half away on Friday to let them know we were expecting a shipment of chicks and to call us immediately when they came in. The longer it takes for the chicks to make it to their final destination, the higher chance there may be some casualties along the way. We couldn't handle that. The dispatch lady let me know that they occasionally came in at 2 in the morning and wanted to know if we wanted a call. I told her absolutely...So that's why we couldn't sleep. We knew the call could have come at any hour.
Between 15 and 30 minute cat naps, I awoke at 4:51 am. I couldn't believe we hadn't got a phone call yet. So I called them. I knew the little guys had to be there, and that the dispatch center was manned 24 hours a day. A nice old guy named Mr. Peacock answered the phone. I explained to him about my chicks, and he said there was a box of chicks and he went to see if they were mine. They were! I asked him if we could come get them, and he said sure. The dispatch center was an hour and a half away. We were on the road by 5am. I know we had clothes on...but I can't guarantee teeth were brushed or hair was untangled...
P slept on the way there, and I tried to watch my speed while I watched the sun come up. Starbucks had to be passed...they weren't open at 5am on a Sunday.
When we got there I was glad it was fairly light enough outside, and the parking lot wasn't deserted. There was a phone by a door that could only be accessed with a badge. I picked it up, and it connected me to Mr. Peacock. He asked me what door I was at, and then he laughed at me when I said, "The locked one with the phone." He said someone would bring me my chicks and we hung up and waited. We were in our sweats and slippers and waited for what seemed like 15 minutes, although I am sure it was less than 3. We even giggled about trying our work badges on the scanners to see if we could get in.
An older lady carried a tiny box to the door. She handed it to Patty and mentioned how cute they were. We could hear the faint peep peep and P lifted a corner of the tiny box. They were so tiny. 26 little fluff balls in a tiny little box. They also stunk like 26 little bodies that had been crammed in a small space. I herded P and the little box to the Tahoe and we climbed in. I was so nervous they hadn't all made it. She opened the box lid all the way and we looked in. It was impossible to count them accurately in such a cramped space, but we did verify they were all alive! I got back on the road for the drive home, and P began cooing to them that she was their mother, and that they would love her the most!!! I knew I should have made her drive!!! I called to them that I loved them too, and that I too was their mother... Well everytime we opened the lid they started pecking eachother...P was mortified and tapped one on the head for pecking her sister. I explained to her that's what they do, and she closed the lid for the rest of the ride home.
We hurried into the house and took them to the bedroom. I told Patty it was her job to count while I pulled them out one at a time, dipped their beaks in water. She was so excited, she forgot that was her job several times....but we were pretty sure all 26 were there. We watched them, and pet them. They started guzzling water...and came when we called them with food..."Here chick chick chick." They all looked healthy, all though a little weary from the trip. So we made sure they had everything they needed and layed down for a nap.
Between 15 and 30 minute cat naps, I awoke at 4:51 am. I couldn't believe we hadn't got a phone call yet. So I called them. I knew the little guys had to be there, and that the dispatch center was manned 24 hours a day. A nice old guy named Mr. Peacock answered the phone. I explained to him about my chicks, and he said there was a box of chicks and he went to see if they were mine. They were! I asked him if we could come get them, and he said sure. The dispatch center was an hour and a half away. We were on the road by 5am. I know we had clothes on...but I can't guarantee teeth were brushed or hair was untangled...
P slept on the way there, and I tried to watch my speed while I watched the sun come up. Starbucks had to be passed...they weren't open at 5am on a Sunday.
When we got there I was glad it was fairly light enough outside, and the parking lot wasn't deserted. There was a phone by a door that could only be accessed with a badge. I picked it up, and it connected me to Mr. Peacock. He asked me what door I was at, and then he laughed at me when I said, "The locked one with the phone." He said someone would bring me my chicks and we hung up and waited. We were in our sweats and slippers and waited for what seemed like 15 minutes, although I am sure it was less than 3. We even giggled about trying our work badges on the scanners to see if we could get in.
An older lady carried a tiny box to the door. She handed it to Patty and mentioned how cute they were. We could hear the faint peep peep and P lifted a corner of the tiny box. They were so tiny. 26 little fluff balls in a tiny little box. They also stunk like 26 little bodies that had been crammed in a small space. I herded P and the little box to the Tahoe and we climbed in. I was so nervous they hadn't all made it. She opened the box lid all the way and we looked in. It was impossible to count them accurately in such a cramped space, but we did verify they were all alive! I got back on the road for the drive home, and P began cooing to them that she was their mother, and that they would love her the most!!! I knew I should have made her drive!!! I called to them that I loved them too, and that I too was their mother... Well everytime we opened the lid they started pecking eachother...P was mortified and tapped one on the head for pecking her sister. I explained to her that's what they do, and she closed the lid for the rest of the ride home.
We hurried into the house and took them to the bedroom. I told Patty it was her job to count while I pulled them out one at a time, dipped their beaks in water. She was so excited, she forgot that was her job several times....but we were pretty sure all 26 were there. We watched them, and pet them. They started guzzling water...and came when we called them with food..."Here chick chick chick." They all looked healthy, all though a little weary from the trip. So we made sure they had everything they needed and layed down for a nap.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
What a day! Knowing we had power to the barn, P and I got up early and started loading up the truck with all of our power tools, a ladder, an old cd player, extension cords, snacks and of course the gun in case Brutus or his family returned.
We immediately plugged in the radio and were on a mission as we unloaded the truck. I set up a folding table and we put the chop saw on it. I ran extension cords, and carried the ladder to the back of the barn while P stocked her new bad ass tool belt. She then put her old one on me... I looked like a dumb Girl Scout, standing next to Xena the warrior princess. She filled my little pockets with screws, nails, my own tape measure out of my electrical tool bag, (which is very bad ass), I got my own square pencil, (carpenter's pencil I was informed), and a hammer for the little loop thing on the side of my tool belt. I tucked some kleenex for my runny nose into my empty pouch by my tape measure, and grabbed my level out of my bad ass electrical tool bag to improve the look....not so much. Oh well. Wood work is P's thing, electrical is mine....we are both just greatful we have different talents and can get by.
Our goal for the day was to get the window into the tack room...soon to be chicken coop. The room was completely sheeted and caulked already on the inside of the room...so to do as little damage as possible, we were going to cut some studs on the outside, cut a hole in the plywood, and reframe for the window. I grabbed for the sawzall, and Patty quickly came to relieve me of it. Come on now! How hard could it be?! After much protesting, she let me make the first cut....and I did just fine! She promptly pulled out her tape measure and began taking measurements...So I pulled mine out and measured too. She pulled out her pencil and began writing down numbers...I looked for my special square pencil and couldn't find it....It must have fallen down under my kleenex...
We began framing in the window...enjoying the country music and the almost 60 degree weather. We were both very impressed with how it was coming...it looked like a real window frame job! Then we cut the hole in the plywood with the sawzall...Ok, ok...it didn't go that easy...but we did it with only 2 bent sawblades when we were done. We then installed the window....with about a quarter of an inch to spare from side to side. That sucker wasn't going anywhere! We put in the window wrap, (cause we're so freakin smart to know a window needs window wrap...), screwed the window in, and started putting the wall back together...
We installed the insulation, and went to put the first piece of plywood up. I have no idea how you can measure ten times, everything is level, and things just turn out how you pictured. We threw up the plywood and Patty started smacking nails into the plywood with her hammer....Now I know size doesn't matter...but her hammer was like ten times as big as mine. She had a bad ass kill somebody hammer, and I had a pussy fisher price looking hammer. She told me to assist with hammering in nails. I went to the other end of the plywood and attempted to put a nail in. After a few taps the nail went flying over my left shoulder. She laughed at me, and I defended myself insisting it was my little hammer. She let me try with her hammer with no better luck. She informed me politely and with tons of love that you don't use two hands with a hammer. Who cares?! Hammers are dumb anyway! So she continued on her side, and I tried again. This time I whaled on it and ended up smacking my finger. I immediately thought I was going to throw up. Now P had hit her thumb with the hammer earlier, and was able to recoup within about 45 seconds. I needed about a 10 minute time out...the whole time thinking I was going to throw up. We finished the sheet of plywood and stood back to admire our work...We honestly couldn't believe how straight and level the barn is... Even more straight than the house I think...
We couldn't attach the bottom piece of plywood yet because we still had to install the chicken door which we didn't have yet. (More about it later).
We checked the time on our phones. We had been at it for 5 hours.
We packed everything up, the whole time admiring our new window.
I treated P to our favorite local Mexican restaurant for dinner. We discussed the chicken run, and I tried to share my ideas. She is a visual person, and has a hard time picturing things just by description...So I tried to show her with my hands...pointing them this way and that on how I thought things should meet up. She dipped her chips in salsa and looked at me like I was an idiot...or she was staring at the sawdust in my hair...but she wasn't seeing my vision. So I grabbed our knives and laid out a couple of splenda packets. We ended up laughing hysterically... Although quite funny, she began to see my architectural epiphanys...
When we got home we set up the new home for our chicks. We were pooped and our bodies were hurting but the babies could come at any time....we had to be ready...
We immediately plugged in the radio and were on a mission as we unloaded the truck. I set up a folding table and we put the chop saw on it. I ran extension cords, and carried the ladder to the back of the barn while P stocked her new bad ass tool belt. She then put her old one on me... I looked like a dumb Girl Scout, standing next to Xena the warrior princess. She filled my little pockets with screws, nails, my own tape measure out of my electrical tool bag, (which is very bad ass), I got my own square pencil, (carpenter's pencil I was informed), and a hammer for the little loop thing on the side of my tool belt. I tucked some kleenex for my runny nose into my empty pouch by my tape measure, and grabbed my level out of my bad ass electrical tool bag to improve the look....not so much. Oh well. Wood work is P's thing, electrical is mine....we are both just greatful we have different talents and can get by.
Our goal for the day was to get the window into the tack room...soon to be chicken coop. The room was completely sheeted and caulked already on the inside of the room...so to do as little damage as possible, we were going to cut some studs on the outside, cut a hole in the plywood, and reframe for the window. I grabbed for the sawzall, and Patty quickly came to relieve me of it. Come on now! How hard could it be?! After much protesting, she let me make the first cut....and I did just fine! She promptly pulled out her tape measure and began taking measurements...So I pulled mine out and measured too. She pulled out her pencil and began writing down numbers...I looked for my special square pencil and couldn't find it....It must have fallen down under my kleenex...
We began framing in the window...enjoying the country music and the almost 60 degree weather. We were both very impressed with how it was coming...it looked like a real window frame job! Then we cut the hole in the plywood with the sawzall...Ok, ok...it didn't go that easy...but we did it with only 2 bent sawblades when we were done. We then installed the window....with about a quarter of an inch to spare from side to side. That sucker wasn't going anywhere! We put in the window wrap, (cause we're so freakin smart to know a window needs window wrap...), screwed the window in, and started putting the wall back together...
We installed the insulation, and went to put the first piece of plywood up. I have no idea how you can measure ten times, everything is level, and things just turn out how you pictured. We threw up the plywood and Patty started smacking nails into the plywood with her hammer....Now I know size doesn't matter...but her hammer was like ten times as big as mine. She had a bad ass kill somebody hammer, and I had a pussy fisher price looking hammer. She told me to assist with hammering in nails. I went to the other end of the plywood and attempted to put a nail in. After a few taps the nail went flying over my left shoulder. She laughed at me, and I defended myself insisting it was my little hammer. She let me try with her hammer with no better luck. She informed me politely and with tons of love that you don't use two hands with a hammer. Who cares?! Hammers are dumb anyway! So she continued on her side, and I tried again. This time I whaled on it and ended up smacking my finger. I immediately thought I was going to throw up. Now P had hit her thumb with the hammer earlier, and was able to recoup within about 45 seconds. I needed about a 10 minute time out...the whole time thinking I was going to throw up. We finished the sheet of plywood and stood back to admire our work...We honestly couldn't believe how straight and level the barn is... Even more straight than the house I think...
We couldn't attach the bottom piece of plywood yet because we still had to install the chicken door which we didn't have yet. (More about it later).
We checked the time on our phones. We had been at it for 5 hours.
We packed everything up, the whole time admiring our new window.
I treated P to our favorite local Mexican restaurant for dinner. We discussed the chicken run, and I tried to share my ideas. She is a visual person, and has a hard time picturing things just by description...So I tried to show her with my hands...pointing them this way and that on how I thought things should meet up. She dipped her chips in salsa and looked at me like I was an idiot...or she was staring at the sawdust in my hair...but she wasn't seeing my vision. So I grabbed our knives and laid out a couple of splenda packets. We ended up laughing hysterically... Although quite funny, she began to see my architectural epiphanys...
When we got home we set up the new home for our chicks. We were pooped and our bodies were hurting but the babies could come at any time....we had to be ready...
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Whose the loser lam-o now?!
Hooking up the power in the well house take 2! Yesterday when I got home from work...I just couldn't take it anymore...
I dropped Mariah off at the house with directions on flipping breakers for me, and headed down to the barn. The sun was going down and I grabbed my tool bag and headed for the well house. I flipped off the wood cover and went to grab the metal one when I noticed the huge slug. Freaking gross. It was about an inch and a half wide and 3 inches long. Has anyone noticed Pacific Northwest slugs look like male genitalia?? It's either a cruel joke of our Creator, or a fat coincidence. Eww...
I peered in the well house and looked for any sign of Brutus, Britney, or other family members, and quickly got to work. I pulled electrical tape and wire nuts...had Mariah flip breakers...took voltage readings...the blue wire...no the green wire...definitely not the black or white wires....Thank God I wasn't defusing a bomb...we would have all been cruising through the clouds...
It was only minutes before the mosquitos started swarming, and the frogs began serenading eachother... I looked around and my precious farm turned into the bayou. I half expected to hear the twang of a banjo and see fireflies dancing above the creek.
It was getting dark quickly and I hurried the connection of the wires while stabbing at the mosquitos with my screwdriver. Mosquitos have a thing for me and I am allergic to their bites!!!
I had Mariah flip breakers again and checked with my meter. 120 volts in both receptacles!!! I ran and checked the other receptacle I mounted on a post about 75 feet away. 120 volts. I was a bloody genius!!!
I had Mariah turn off the power and I closed everything up. When I had originally checked power with my meter, one lead read 120 volts and another read 20 volts...which was induced, but explained why the tic tracer showed that all the leads were hot. SO...to all you junior cadet electricians out there, always use your meter...do not rely on a tic tracer! I should have known better...
Anyway there is now power to the barn, and I was home in time for dinner. :)
I dropped Mariah off at the house with directions on flipping breakers for me, and headed down to the barn. The sun was going down and I grabbed my tool bag and headed for the well house. I flipped off the wood cover and went to grab the metal one when I noticed the huge slug. Freaking gross. It was about an inch and a half wide and 3 inches long. Has anyone noticed Pacific Northwest slugs look like male genitalia?? It's either a cruel joke of our Creator, or a fat coincidence. Eww...
I peered in the well house and looked for any sign of Brutus, Britney, or other family members, and quickly got to work. I pulled electrical tape and wire nuts...had Mariah flip breakers...took voltage readings...the blue wire...no the green wire...definitely not the black or white wires....Thank God I wasn't defusing a bomb...we would have all been cruising through the clouds...
It was only minutes before the mosquitos started swarming, and the frogs began serenading eachother... I looked around and my precious farm turned into the bayou. I half expected to hear the twang of a banjo and see fireflies dancing above the creek.
It was getting dark quickly and I hurried the connection of the wires while stabbing at the mosquitos with my screwdriver. Mosquitos have a thing for me and I am allergic to their bites!!!
I had Mariah flip breakers again and checked with my meter. 120 volts in both receptacles!!! I ran and checked the other receptacle I mounted on a post about 75 feet away. 120 volts. I was a bloody genius!!!
I had Mariah turn off the power and I closed everything up. When I had originally checked power with my meter, one lead read 120 volts and another read 20 volts...which was induced, but explained why the tic tracer showed that all the leads were hot. SO...to all you junior cadet electricians out there, always use your meter...do not rely on a tic tracer! I should have known better...
Anyway there is now power to the barn, and I was home in time for dinner. :)
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