My ups and downs of Normal and unusual...

The new coop is up! Went with all wood and a metal corrugated roof. Cord wood will just have to be next time. Still have some things to add (like a sign which will read in black letters"Garden Coop" and some other trim touch ups and window painting.) I am planting Hosta's around the outside perimeter and adding a hanging basket hook for summer use.

Yeah..I know it looks crooked-it's on a slight hill slope. We built the structure on Panda's garden (the flattest spot in the area) and will be doing a slight lift with soil and rock left over from the solar pit job.

(Don't mind the mess- Things were moved out of the way while I painted and were not put back before pic time). I put the nest box's on the outside and still have the side covers to put on- hence the hillbilly air conditioning remark. I am actually happy with it. I used a lemon basil yellow color for paint.

Of course a door will come before the cold hits.

The wood was either free or less then $2 (as in the plywood) from the cull lumber cart at the hardware store. I think paint included, we spent $30. The windows were given to me from friends. The corrugated metal roof was also given to us from a friend.

I have been sick off and on lately. Headache, stomach issue. You name it. Not sure what is going on but I am not one to get headaches like this or even sick like this for that matter.

The pit is finally dry! Did the soil check this afternoon and it is ready. So I dug the footer and getting that cement in. I will not get excited until the block is being laid.

It took 6 months just to get to this point so my excitement will not kick in until close to completion. As you can see in the pic Panda demanded to take, it is hard tiring work. I still have the back and one side of the footer to lay, but the sun will be shining tomorrow.

I have the garden to put to rest since I gave up on it awhile back. Sure stuff is still growing....

So are the weeds. But the production seemed more a waste of time. Barely any harvest worth the time so I let it go. 80% of tomatoes were split or did so once they were picked. The beans did O.K. Nothing to write about though.The squash? Nothing much to say there. But the Long Pie pumpkins gave us over 20 to store for winter.Looks like the theme for many winter night sweets will involve pumpkin.

As every gardener knows -Next year will be better.
I ran over 3 of my grapevines with our ghetto mower. Yep. The gold rim painted tires decided not to turn when I wanted & whacked them down.... So not only am I down to 2 blueberry bushes (Thank lil' Man for weed whacking those things which were surrounded by a circle of fence for protection- lol) now I am down to 3 grape vines. All 3 different varieties at that. I wonder if they will come back next year.

I have paint to clean up and tools to collect before dark. A pen to rake and organize plus a silkie rooster to release since he likes to get me while I painted. And to think everyone says how docile they are...

Sweet Dreams,

Tammie