The First Fortnight of Freedom: Friends, Family & Fluff

OK, sorry about the title; I'm a geek & can't help it.  I read too many books that used the word "fortnight" as a kid--what can I say?

After having to hold myself back from writing endless posts during that last month of work while I was so anxiously awaiting this transition, I now find myself struggling to find a quiet hour to devote to an update!  That, and I've had a bunch of visitors which always come before the computer if I can help it.  Thanks to everyone who traveled either from near or far to stop by over the last week, particularly the fam.  The term "blessed" makes me a fairly uncomfortable, but if I am blessed by anything it is most certainly by a family with whom I am truly at home and at peace--I am a lucky, lucky person.  Come back anytime and stay awhile.... 

The outdoor run for the babies is progressing nicely, and the girls are loving their excursions outside.  After a bunch of reading and a bit of contemplation, I came up with a very basic design, and my sister Christiana & I built the main structure and attached the mesh sides while she was visiting.  Broke three drill bits, but whatev.  We also chose the hottest days possible for the manual labor, which was...well...really freaking hot, what can I say?  I've worked outside for a living a few times, and I always forget how exhausting heat can be.  Thank you, Chippewa Falls, for Leinie's Summer Shandy!  (Not to plug a particular beverage, but have you had one?  They are the unofficial brewski of the Hanna-Goeglein Camp this summer, and I'm beginning to think they have a cult following--everyone seems to know & love the Shandy.)

Only the door left to do!

Anyway, the design of the run is simple:  I used  2' x 4's and made the dimensions 8' x 4' x 2'.  The top and sides are made of hardware cloth  with a 1/2 inch mesh rather than "chicken wire" which has larger holes--not good for keeping chicks in or raccoon paws out.  In order to keep the ladies doubly safe from strong predators, we used washers and screws to secure the hardware cloth to the frame; they are the rivets that you can see in the picture above.  Since Christiana went home, I've continued on alone (sniff-sniff!), attaching the shorter crossbeam for stability and for hanging the food/water as the girls get taller, and adding the hardware cloth to the top so my active little ones can't literally fly the coop...

...which happens now, if the food and water are out of their tub and allow more room for a runway!  Fledging babies, flapping wings--good grief!  This new restless behavior has been pushing me to finish the run.  I want them to be able to spend the majority of their day outside as soon as possible.  The last thing left to do is build and attach the door on the top; if I am lucky I will get that done tomorrow after the farmer's market in the morning.

Busy Roxie, with her new back feathers

So, how did the girls do with the new pen?  Oh, my--they immediately changed from little peeps to busy, adult chickens, trapped in fluffy chick bodies.  As soon as their feet touched the grass,they were consumed with a plethora of important chicken responsibilities:  pecking all sorts of invisible critters in the grass, freezing simultaneously at a plane overhead until it was determined that the danger had passed and pecking & peeping could resume, scratching away at the turf in one corner of the pen that seems to have been designated as the spot for their dust bowl.  Chickens like to powder their butts and ruffle their wings in dust as a strategy against various bugs and parasites--and this is absolutely an instinctual thing, apparently!  All of the scratching results in a great deal of wiggling behinds and shimmying hips--I swear they look as though they are practicing some sort of hips-loose-knees-bent Spanish rumba with serious faces and great deliberation.  Christiana and I laughed and laughed and gasped--and had to sigh at how grown up all of this behavior seems! 

"Chervena Chushka" heirloom peppers

Once all of my company left, I was faced with a daunting catch-up list; the pen, a jungle of a garden and pathetic dying tomato plants begging for water and some fish emulsion as a Hot August boost-- not to mention the kitchen counter tops covered in tomatoes perilously close to passing their due date.  The pole beans have organized a sneak attack:  tricky little bastards are adept at hiding among the dense leaves, and I keep finding enormous swollen pods that can only be dried for planting next year.  Tomorrow, I swear, I will get out the stock pot and start blanching and freezing them.  If the bounty continues, I'd like to attempt the spicy pickled green beans we used to get in Bloody Mary's in Savannah and New Orleans.  Any recipes, people?

I did manage to clear the counter top and have three quart sized freezer bags of a many-veggied spaghetti sauce that I know from experience is a beautiful thing over pasta in February (not to mention a quick meal and insanely cheap!)  It is always a good feeling to look in a pot and realize that everything in there came from either my own garden or that of one of the friendly people at our farmers' market.  I saw a fabulous deal on peaches at the farmers' market last week ($1/lb for 25lbs!), and if it is still going tomorrow I want to lug home my 25lbs to either freeze or can...I've done the first several times but never the last.  Maybe it is time to learn something new.  :)  Oooh.  I have the food dehydrator too.  Mmm.  Homemade granola with dried peaches?  Yes, I think so.

The bean & squash jungle

Feeling pretty settled and really excited and ready to tackle this urban homestead...and absolutely loving this time for myself and our place. 

In the next few weeks I:
-need to get the actual coop figured out for Ramona, Roxanne, Fern, and Betty
-have probably tragically overdue fall crops to plant unless we have the mother of all late falls this year--and
-have an outdoor brick oven to build, if I can keep within a reasonable budget. Big plans!

[Oh, and I really want to convert a trash can into a rain barrel for the garden, routing the water from the garage roof.  That's it, I swear.]