Well, it only took us two months to get a bit clearer on our path from the city and into a whole new way of living, but clearer it is…which means projects we’ve been putting off have to be taken care, no matter what the weather, time or energy allows for.
While the Urban Farm hasn’t sold, we have found some renters for it who will move in on December 1st who will hopefully call it their home for a long time (they’re officially signing a 1 year lease), This is a huge weight off of our shoulders and frees up some mental space and a little money which will hopefully translate into a bit less stress around this whole crazy move of ours!
However, in waiting to see what might happen with the Urban Farm, we left the 4 remaining chickens and their coop there in the hope that either the new owners or renters might want to take care of them. Since our renters haven’t a clue about chickens, we decided to bring them out to the Hacienda as well as tear down the Chicken Mansion and bring it out for all the Ladies to cozy into over the winter and finally be released from their tiny transitional housing.
You know that saying about the best laid plans?
We’d planned to dismantle and move the chicken coop last Sunday, but then I got sick and that silly cold front that’s attacking the country made it’s way into our neck of the woods! So, Kim went out on Saturday afternoon and got started on it all. Then, on Sunday, we all headed to the Urban Farm and my oldest daughter met us there to help out with Sprout while Kim and I took down the rest of the coop in the snow. Deciding it was too cold and wet out (and too dangerous on the highway for my oldest daughter to travel on in her little car), we brought the pieces of the coop our to the new house and piled it all up in the backyard. On Monday afternoon, my daughter came out to the house and watched Sprout for a couple of hours so we could finish the coop, but then our drill died and we ran out of sunlight. So, finally, on Tuesday morning, at the crack of dawn, we got outside again (while Sprout sat in her stroller at the kitchen door and watched a cat video as well as our comical selves) and got it about 95% done!
What a process!
The remaining pieces will be finalized next weekend. You know, barring any unforeseen changes to the plans!
So, what still needs to be done?
- The metal sheeting on the roof needs to be replaced to guard against moisture
- We need to fill in all the random gaps with some insulation
- We want to set up a new food and watering system
- One end of the coop needs to be properly secured, probably by turning it into a door instead of a fixed side
- We need to add in some straw and some wood shavings to cozy it up a bit
- We need to build a new ladder for the Ladies to get up and down from the coop part of their coop to the run part of their coop (the portion underneath that is fenced in/open air)
That’s it! Easy peasy, right? Here’s hoping!
Also, not directly related to the coop, but kind of…Our backyard is a hot mess! I know it’s cold out and maybe we won’t be out there often to enjoy it, but man…some tidying up would make me feel much better about the state of things in general 😉
Whew!
Hope you’re having a productive week, whatever it is you’re up to!
xoxo,
M
It will all get done eventually! Don’t worry, my backyard is a hot mess too, but I don’t have an excuse like a recent move to blame. I blame goats.
Heather Jackson recently posted…How to Make Goat Cheese
Funny how weather interferes with our plans time and again lol. Good on you for getting it all started.
That last picture is classic. She’s like, WTF?
Kris @ Attainable Sustainable recently posted…Homemade Holiday: Supermarket Products You Can Make at Home
Even if it isn’t perfectly completed yet, it sure does feel good to check something off the list, doesn’t it! Good job at improvising to get the job done!
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