Building Things

I've had my eye on play structure kits for a few years now.

Mister I-Can-Build-Anything-With-My-Bare-Hands was a mite skeptical about any set that came as a kit, and vowed that he would design and build it himself.

Then he started pricing out slides ala carte.

Holy Canoli, are they expensive all by themselves!

So, one day early this Spring, while on a family outing to Costco, we spotted a set on display, which the Farmboy was able to inspect for quality.

It passed muster, and so did the smoking sale price (only a puppy and a half!).

With me reading plans and gathering hardware while he did the muscle work, dodging rain showers and even one snow flurry, it took three weekends to finish.

The absolute delight that shone on our kids faces when they finally got to climb up and play was well worth the effort and expense.

Not to mention the hours of dedicated time the Mama and Daddy got to spend together working toward a common goal.

Don't you think we deserve a date night soon? I do.

Move-in Day is Near

Over the weekend, 3 of the 5 "dog boxes" (for lack of a better description) were completed. Here's Bailey, our 8 year old Chocolate Lab, trying one out for sizing, before the dividers went up.


He and the kids had a grand time hanging out in the kennel... we are wondering how Bailey will respond when the 6 new dogs move in. Will he still want to sleep in the mud room every night? Or will he want to move in with his new family? He is such a social dog, seeking out the company of any dog (or cat) he can find.

Each dog box will have its own closing door to the outside, which we will be able to lock down in stormy weather.

They will also have a hinged door on the inside of the kennel so that we can easily let them out to meet visitors or go for a romp in the woods. The top of their boxes will have an inset door for feeding, but will also hinge at the wall, so the entire top can be lifted up for cleaning or to assist when a Mama is giving birth. There will be 4 portable puppy corrals that will push right up next to the outside of the Mama's box, for extra room to romp, and for visitors to have better viewing of their antics. A pretty ingenious set-up, if you ask me.

We are hopeful that President's Day will be Move-in day.

And Then it Snowed

The day after Christmas, we were given a lovely dusting of snow.

Do you think that kept my determined husband from starting a little building project outside? Nosirree! (What can it be that he is building? Stay tuned...)

A few days later, the skies opened up and 8 inches of snow fell overnight.


Do you think that kept the Mister from making his way to work? Of course not. Mountain boys aren't afraid of a little snow.

And then the skies cleared, and the temperatures fell, and it remains a snowy, white, powder-filled landscape to this day.





We like living in the Snow Zone!



Of course, the 4-wheel drive decided to go out in my Explorer, so we are now driving a rental while it is in the shop. I don't mind so much though, since the rental is about 15 years newer and much shinier.

Oh, and because I know you will ask, I didn't make the super-cute hat that I'm wearing... it was a Christmas present, which my friend bought for me from this etsy seller.

Building a Chicken RV

We have kept chickens for several years now. Not only do they produce an almost endless supply of eggs for our consumption, but they also make some of the best garden fertilizer you can get.

But we are surrounded not just by country on all sides, but Forested country. This means our poor flock of chickens have a larger assortment of predators than your average bird, and this last year was the worst we have experienced. Between the coyotes, a bobcat or two, racoons, and even the neighbor's dog, we lost 25 of our 26 laying hens over the course of about 6 months. Our one remaining hen, who still faithfully gifts us with a single egg a day must have the Gift of Escape.

Obviously it is time to do something about the play-yard on the forest side of the barn. And no longer can I harbor visions of a chicken utopia, letting my little flock roam free.

Our solution? A so-called Chicken RV, also known as a Chicken Tractor... a play-yard with attached house that can be pulled about with a tractor, allowing for the chickens to browse and graze on grass and bugs and worms, with a fresh patch of ground every few days. The result will hopefully be happy "free-ranging" chickens that will also be kept safe on all sides from wild and not-so-wild predators.

Matt has spent quite some time browsing online for ideas, and of course has come up with his own design (Innovators-R-Us), which will house our new and quickly-growing flock of chicks (easily doubled in size since these photos were taken)...


In between rain showers last weekend, the framework was built...

the nesting/sleeping-house-on-stilts was begun...

and a tin roof was put in place...

We are hopeful that our forecasted sunny weekend will allow for the completion, and that my next post will be all about move-in day!