Homestead mailing list

["SISU!" <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>]

After two days of rain (4.5 inches worth), tomorrow I have to get back
to my projects.  I've been tearing down the old chicken coop, and if
anyone has ever pulled old, rusty chicken wire off old, rotten railroad
ties, well, you have an idea of what I'm doing.  I broke the freaking
sledgehammer the other day, so my only 'muscle' tool is a prybar.  It's
working well, but it's slow. I'm trying to get the wire off in whole
sections so that I can reuse it in the bottom of the raised beds I hope
to construct over the winter.  In the ones I have already made, I used
both chicken wire and hardware cloth, but now I don't have anymore
hardware cloth, so I will be folding up the chicken wire to reduce the
size of the holes.  It may not be 100% mole proof, but it should help. I
took the old roosts out, and I think I will make an outdoor roost with
them on the new coop, which still isn't finished.  Right now, my poor
birds are roaming around in the fenced garden area without much shelter.
 I am sure they are wishing we would hurry up and build them a new home
before they die of pneumonia or something.
Also on the slate of things to do tomorrow is to finish building a new
compost bin.  In the past, I have just had a million piles laying
around, and one small doghouse-like compost bin for kitchen waste.  I am
building a 3 section bin out of pallets, an easy kind of project, but it
is hard for me because I don't have a lot of hand/arm strength these
days and I will be having to hold the pallets in position and manipulate
the nailgun at the same time.  I'm not the most coordinated person in
the world and operating any kind of power tool could be dangerous,
especially something like a framing nailer. :)  I'm trying to get the
bin done because after Halloween, I'll be out scouting for hay and straw
bales to compost.  I've found that places like photography studios,
grocery stores, and even private residents will often give you their
decorative bales just for the asking.  Also, I made a deal with the
owner of the feed store in town...He'll give me the loose hay in the
tractor trailer.  All I have to do is rake it up.  In times like these,
I really miss my goats.  I never had to ask for stuff like this before.
So, anyway, I hope to complete at least one of these projects tomorrow.
 I doubt I will finish both with all the other stuff I still have to do.
   We are having our big winter star party early this year and it
happens to be this Saturday.  I have a lot of cleaning to do, inside and
outside, to get ready for the public.  If y'all see me online too much,
just slap me and tell me to get back outside and break a sweat!  And I
so wanted to go horseback riding on Thursday....<sigh>
Later....

Bev
--
BevanRon of EarthNSky Farm   NW Georgia USDA Zone 7
34.498N 85.076W    Bev is Earth, Ron is Sky