Chickens

After months of planning, building and studying we finally did it! You can call us chicken farmers if you want, because we have our very own backyard coop set up and stocked with adorable little chicks. There are currently 11 of these little creatures running around, so many because they are too young to sex. Once we know which ones are hens and which are roosters we will bring the number down to 6.


Liam was extremely excited when we put them in the coop. He couldn't stop grinning, and pointing to them. We chose to do chicks because we want them to be hand tame, and used to having us around. They are already quite friendly, despite the fact that the farmer we got them from didn't exactly sit out in the coop and hand feed them.


We chose two different breeds, Americanas (which will be regular sized chickens that lay blue eggs) and Silkies, which are a bantam (smaller breed) that were recommended to me as a very friendly breed. So in an ideal situation we will end up with four Americana hens and two Silkie hens.


Here is a picture of the coop Jake made us. Its not quite finished yet, it needs the roof to be completed, and eventually we will paint the hardy board to match our house (when we paint the outside of our house). I'll will post more pictures of the coop when it is finished, but let me say that this picture does not do it justice. Jake did an amazing job on this thing, its all cedar with two nesting boxes and a good size run.

Summer...

Have I really not posted since August 8th? That is crazy. Especially since I still don't have the kitchen done (still waiting on two cupboard doors to be hung, and the crown on the cabinets) and the family room, which I take full responsibility for. I only have one of the pillows finished, and I bought the materials for the art work, but still have to actually put it together.

Even though not much really changes in the fall, I am still looking forward to September in an odd way. It's not like Liam goes to school or anything (thankfully) but I still feel like it will bring a bit of order to this place. Maybe once it starts to rain a bit I will actually get to my ever growing projects list. Maybe. In the mean time it just keeps growing and not much gets done.

The basement is coming along really nicely now too, as I type I can smell the primer wafting through the house. Which is not really a nice smell but it means progress!

Plus two friends with muscles happened to stop by this evening, and moved the chicken coop to the backyard with Jake. It only took a lot of grunting and literally chopping down a tree to get it there. Yup, that is right, chicken coop. I will post pictures soon, but Jake built this beauty a few months ago, and we just now have it in our backyard! Liam and I are pretty excited.

A little of this and that...

Here is a brief glimpse of what we have been up to lately:

Lots of big trucks have come to our place, which Liam gets very excited about. We have also been camping, to the fair, sushi picnics in the park (LOVE IT) and about a thousand other exciting things.

I also have a really long list of projects that I either have started, or am wanting to start really badly. We don't have a basement yet (that will be ready in the fall) so that makes it a little difficult. Jake isn't really a fan of my sewing stuff spread out all over the table (understandably so) but he is being very good about it. And my tools are all still buried in the garage, and its going to take a good week just to find them. But considering it is summer, I'm not getting as much time to work on my stuff as I normally would, and am really not complaining. Its just nice to be outside most of the time.

This week I hope to dig out my chalkboard paint, more fabric and (hopefully) find a working rotary dial telephone. (I have been looking for MONTHS now and it seems no one wants to drop theirs off at the thrift store. Seriously, if you know of one just sitting around calling my name I would love to hear from you). This is all just for the family room. I'll post with more details when I'm finished, until then sorry you'll just have to wonder what I could possibly be doing :) (okay your probably not as excited about it as I am)...

We're also making some good progress on the yard as well. By we I mean Jake, but I have every intention on starting some weeding tomorrow so I feel like I can count myself in on that. Intention is 90% of it anyway.

So that is the most recent update! Hopefully the kitchen will be completely finished this week so that I can post some pictures, it is 95% there, just a few little things left.