I Love To Go A Gardening
Growing Our Life in Northern Michigan
Enchanting Forest Critters
JJ has made several unsuccessful attempts to drive in to the college to buy his books (the bookstore was closed for the holidays), but yesterday he tried again and was finally able to get his books before his new classes start. He wanted company so I went with him. We always have a friendly debate over who will drive. I said, “Your errand, you drive.” It is so beautiful here that I like to be the passenger and take photos. I can’t do that if I drive.
Today we are expecting several inches of new snow. Then the snow will switch to rain, which will make driving dangerous when the temps drop towards evening and the rain freezes. We also could get high winds up to 60 mph which could cause trees to fall and power outages. I’m really praying EJ gets home before the weather gets nasty. Fortunately, JJ doesn’t have to work today.
Although winter has its challenges, there is also a lot of magical delight to the season. It’s absolutely gorgeous to watch the snow falling. And I love to watch the wildlife. During the summer the birds and other animals tend to stay hidden in the forest. However, in the winter when the bears are hibernating, I am able to put out my bird feeders which draws the birds out where I can see and enjoy them. Mostly we get chickadees, nuthatches, goldfinches, and four different types of woodpeckers. Occasionally we see blue jays and very rarely we see a cardinal. All year we see crows and ravens flying overhead, and once in a while they visit the feeders.
Word gets around and other critters are attracted to our feeders as well. We occasionally get flocks of turkeys–sometimes as many as 25.
Just recently the deer have been visiting the bird feeders. They really love eating the seed mix that I put out for the birds. A couple of times I have put out a carrot as a special treat for them. Every evening at least one, most of the time at least two, and as many as six deer come to our feeders. A couple of them are quite young and visit with their Mamas.
It’s really a delight to watch them. They are quite skittish so just before I expect them to start arriving, I sit on the couch where I have a good view of the feeders through the windows. When I see them, I quietly lift my camera and zoom in to take photos or videos. Some of the deer are very curious and come right up to the windows to peer in at us. One cute little deer played a game of “peek-a-boo” with us. It makes me wonder if we are observing them or they are observing us.
This next video is of a Mama trying to reach the seed in the tray feeder just outside the window while her baby watches. Just as she walked away, my battery died and the camera turned itself off:
You can see other videos at my Youtube page. (I hope this link to my Youtube page works!)
Here is a collection of photos I’ve taken over the last few days:
I really love watching the wildlife here. It’s so magical and enchanting. I love living here!
Hanukkah and the Tin Dog
This morning dawned in quiet, snow-covered beauty. I’m still getting used to the challenges of harsher winters, but I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. It is so beautiful.
Danny wanted outside as EJ was leaving for work. I went out with him and refilled the bird feeders for any birds, squirrels, turkeys, or deer who decide to visit. I know many people try to keep the squirrels from their feeders, but I honestly enjoy every critter who shows up. They are all fun to watch.
Hanukkah ended last weekend, but I have been pondering some thoughts I thought during Hanukkah but was too busy to write about. For those who are unfamiliar with it, Hanukkah is a holiday based on the story and tradition of the Jewish people’s defeat of the Seleucid Empire (Syrian-Greeks) in the Holy Land. In the 2nd century BC a small army of Jews called the “Maccabees” staged a rebellion against the Seleucids during their attempts to Hellenize the Jewish people and Land of Israel. You can read more about it here: Hanukkah. The message of Hanukkah is, basically, about not letting the darkness of the world overcome our light. Yeshua (Jesus) celebrated it (John 10:22) and it’s something that, as a believer, I can celebrate as well.
During Hanukkah, my thoughts dwell on not letting our lights be overcome by darkness and not being conformed to this world.
Many people loudly declare that they are standing against wrong when in reality they are succumbing to it–they are part of the darkness, not the light. Trying to silence those who have a different opinion, beating up people for voting differently, ambushing and murdering police, hating someone because of their color (whether black or white), rape, abuse…these are evil actions no matter who does them. It’s not wrong if one group does it and ok if another does it.
I don’t believe that we can heroically and courageously stand against major evils in our world unless we are making small everyday choices to stand firm.
I really enjoy the Doctor Who series. When my work is done and I want to relax, I watch Doctor Who. I was re-watching the series during Hanukkah and the combination has resulted in an interesting line of thought.
For those who are unfamiliar with Doctor Who (Gasp), the Doctor is a time-traveling Time Lord who take a variety of companions with him to share in his adventures. Every now and then he “regenerates”–he’s the same doctor, the same character, but he’s played by a different actor. The series originally ran from 1963 to 1989. There was an unsuccessful attempt to revive regular production in 1996, and then it was relaunched in 2005 with the ninth regeneration of the Doctor. I began watching the series with the most modern episodes.
The modern series began in 2005 with the ninth Doctor who had a companion named Rose Tyler. When she ran off with the Doctor she left behind her boyfriend, Mickey Smith. The Doctor didn’t respect Mickey much, often deliberately mispronouncing his name, calling him “Mickey the Idiot,” and valuing him only when he was useful to them. Rose didn’t seem to give much thought to Mickey except on her occasional visits home. Mickey, meanwhile, wasn’t much for adventure–which is fine, not everyone is an adrenaline junkie–but he never moved on with his life. His life was on hold while he kept waiting for Rose to return….until one day he had a pivotal moment that changed everything.
It occurred in an episode called “School Reunion,” in which the tenth Doctor reconnected with a previous companion, Sarah Jane Smith, who first appeared in the series in 1973. With her was K-9, the Doctor’s robot dog who he had left with her when she ceased traveling with him. Sarah Jane met the Doctor’s new companions and in a conversation with Mickey, she said, “The Doctor likes traveling with an entourage. Sometimes they’re human, sometimes they’re aliens and sometimes they’re tin dogs. What about you? Where do you fit in the picture?” Mickey Smith replied, “Me? I’m their man in Havana. I’m their technical support. I’m…Oh my god. I’m the tin dog!”
This realization that he was merely the “tin dog,” set aside until needed, was the pivotal moment that changed his life. At that point, he decided that he would no longer be the tin dog. He began traveling with the Doctor, he became active rather than passive in his life, and he began to transform into a warrior who courageously fought against evil.
I do not blame victims for abuse. The blame belongs to the abusers who are extremely skilled at confusing their victims, at gaslighting their victims so that they second-guess and blame themselves, at exploiting their victims’ compassion, while they destroy their victims’ boundaries, self-confidence, and identity. However, one day a victim wakes up, begins to understand what has been happening, and at that pivotal point he (or she) decides that he has had enough and will tolerate no more. It begins with a realization, a shift in thinking, a decision, and a step as the victim begins to say, “ENOUGH; NO MORE.” He begins transformation from a confused victim to a survivor who encourages and helps other victims, from a tin dog into a warrior–becoming a Maccabee who courageously stands against evil.
I’ve shared portions of my story before. I was raised–both in the family and in the church–without a real understanding of boundaries. I was taught to be loyal to family/church, to be respectful of others, to be unconditionally loving and forgiving no matter what a person did, to not confront. When I KNEW that an action was right or wrong, I could/would stand firm, but I could be manipulated if I was unsure. Most of these characteristics aren’t bad…so what’s wrong with them? Just as fire can be used for good purposes or bad–to warm a person and cook a meal or to destroy homes–abusive people twist these things to gain control. So “loyalty to family” can be twisted into a group pressure to conform to the demands of the group and into a dysfunctional “code of silence” that hides and defends abuse. “Unconditional love and forgiveness” without requiring a change of behavior can be twisted into a refusal to confront evil, which empowers the unrepentant abuser. And so on.
My eyes began to be opened when I resisted my Mom’s attempt to seize control of my marriage, which I felt was wrong. Still, for most of our marriage, EJ and I tried to reconcile with my family–until it finally became clear to us that my family wasn’t interested in reconciliation. They wanted abusive power and control. At that point, we chose to stop being the tin dog and we began to resist evil, which abusers often disguise as love. We chose to have No Contact with my family.
Slightly off topic, but still relating to it: Just today I ran across an article at Facebook about a woman who forgave the drunk driver who almost killed her. I didn’t read the article because I’ve read many such articles in the past and usually know how they continue. This article could be different, but I doubted it. “Forgiveness” in such stories usually means that there is no attempt to confront an offender, to hold him accountable, or to bring him to justice. If the drunk driver is “forgiven” without any consequences for his actions he is free to continue driving while drunk and somewhere, sometime, he will likely not merely “almost kill” another person. So how is it loving to “forgive” a drunk driver for almost killing you and thereby setting him free to perhaps kill someone else? EJ told me he had once worked with a guy who stated that he was heading into 90 days in jail for drunk driving. This was his TWELVETH arrest. Drunk drivers, like many others with addictions, tend to not just stop. Likewise, “Unconditionally forgiving” a molester might sound loving but it allows the molester the freedom to go on to harm others, and provides no justice for the victims whose lives are forever affected by his actions. These days people seem to view repentance and justice as negative, hateful, revengeful–and it can be twisted to be so–but they actually protect the innocent by preventing evil from continuing to do harm. It’s part of “resisting evil.”
Anyway….EJ and I have always deeply respected the rights and boundaries of others, but we have not understood that we also have the right to have our rights and boundaries respected. Setting healthy boundaries is one way that we can oppose evil. When we oppose evil in small ways–by saying “no”–we strengthen ourselves to oppose evil in “bigger” ways. We move from being tin dogs to being warriors and in doing so, we become the defenders and protectors of others. If we let evil in, the innocent, our loved ones, can be hurt.
Some of the abuse sites recommend writing a personal list of “rights” or boundaries. I thought I’d write a list of the boundaries we have set in place for ourselves. These are healthy boundaries based on mutual respect that allow relationships to thrive. A boundary is not a punishment but it defines where “you” end and “I” begin and enables people to live together in peace. A counselor once told us that a healthy person is willing to accept and respect others’ boundaries while a toxic person will become angered by them.
When we moved north, we decided that we would no longer be tin dogs who tolerate abusive behavior. Here are the boundaries we are setting in place:
- We respect the freedom, right, and authority, of people to make decisions for themselves and their own families whether or not we agree with them. We expect the same. We do NOT give anyone the freedom, right, or authority to make decisions for OUR family. We do not operate our family by committee. Our decisions for our family aren’t open to debate and second-guessing. Others are not part of our decision-making process and do not have veto power. They are responsible for THEIR own families, not for ours.
- We might sometimes explain our reasons for decisions we make, but we are not obligated to do so. We don’t have to explain, justify, or defend our choices and decisions to anyone. Neither do we need approval or permission from others.
- We have a right to our own beliefs, opinions, preferences, traditions, choices, and decisions. We do not expect everyone to agree with them but we do insist on our right to have/do them.
- We will NEVER submit to any pressure that violates our beliefs, principles, values, or decisions. We will not submit to a “group-think” or “mob” mentality that “punishes” us for not obeying the group.
- We will never tolerate any abuse of any kind, including insults, belittling, and so on.
- Although we have deep love and commitment to people we care about, we refuse to engage in “blind loyalty.” Our loyalty is to God and we pursue His ways. He and His ways will always supersede all other loyalties, including family.
- Unacceptable behavior is unacceptable whether done by a stranger, friend, or relative. We will never stand with anyone, no matter who it is, who engages in evil, abusive, and/or predatory behavior.
- We have the right to choose who we will allow into our lives. In particular, no toxic, unsafe, or abusive person will remain in our lives. Period.
- We have the right to keep our family safe from anyone that we considered to be unsafe, toxic, abusive.
- We consider those who choose to support, defend, justify, or excuse an abusive person to be an ally of the abuser and to share in his guilt.
The Worst Is Yet To Come…
Early this morning it began to snow, and snow, and snow. And the wind began to blow, blow, blow. The wind swirled the snow around like snow-nadoes. We are under a Winter Storm Warning through Thursday…with more snow on the way for the weekend.
Danny and I walked down to the mailbox for the mail about 1 p.m. I could barely see where the driveway was.
When Danny and I got back to the house, I warmed up for a bit before headed out to snowblow the driveway. I waited until early afternoon–about 1:30 p.m.–because I didn’t want more snow to accumulate before EJ got home from work and make it difficult for him to time getting up the driveway.
It took me several hours to snowblow the driveway. I did the bottom part near the road and then JJ took a turn but he had to quit because ever since he had cancer, he gets winded very quickly. Chemotherapy can damage the lungs. So I took over snowblowing again. I finished up at 3:45 p.m. I was tired and cold when I finally put the snowblower in the garage. I was glad to come inside to warm up.
I was going to head out to take care of the ducks and chickens for the night when I glance out the window and saw that we had beautiful guests at our birdfeeders: three deer. One was very small and had a cute snow-covered face. When I later showed EJ my photos, he remarked that the littlest one was a baby–the smallest deer he’s ever seen that didn’t have fawn spots.
When EJ got home from work, he said that about 4 miles from home it began snowing so hard that he couldn’t really see at all, so hard that he was surprised we weren’t getting thundersnow. Our area tends to get the heaviest lake effect snow. He said he couldn’t even tell that I had snowblowed the driveway. Bummer.
The National Weather Service shared at Facebook that the heaviest snow will fall tonight through Thursday–so despite all the snow we got today, it’s going to get worse. I’m wondering if EJ will even be able to get out of the driveway tomorrow!
I still love winter in Northern Michigan. It’s very beautiful.
What We Did During The Holidays
HAPPY 2017!!
I’m a bit late in wishing you a Happy New Year, but my wishes are heartfelt. I hope your holidays were awesome and that this year is one of joy and blessing for you.
EJ returned to work this Monday after enjoying a week off. We had a very enjoyable and satisfying week.
We really enjoyed lighting the candles each night for Hanukkah. They are so beautiful.
Because of freezing rain, we didn’t go to the theater on Christmas day to see Rogue One, the latest Star Wars movie, as originally planned but we did finally get there a couple of days after Christmas–on Tuesday afternoon (December 27). We were surprised that the popcorn was free that day, which was a gift. I didn’t know anything about the movie until we watched it. JJ told me that some people didn’t enjoy it because it was a bit sad, but we felt that the sad parts were a necessary part of the movie that added realism to the story. As JJ declared, he hates “plot armor” in which nothing bad ever happens to the main characters. We loved the movie–much better than last year’s The Force Awakens, which was too much of a copy of A New Hope, the original Star Wars movie.
Sometimes when EJ has a vacation, we enjoy going off on fun adventures, but other than going to the Star Wars movie, we preferred this time to stay home and get projects done. EJ got a lot done. He said he crossed off at least 20 tasks from his To-Do list. I’m not sure of everything he did, but I know he worked on the Xterra, he put in a small window in the chicken/duck coop, he put up an additional shelf in our entrance hallway, he worked some more on organizing his garage–there is still a lot to do, but I noticed great improvement. Late last summer he had had to tear open a wall in our master bedroom to repair a leak in the master bathroom shower. Over the months, in between other tasks, he tiled the shower, and then had to put up new wallboard. Last week he finished mudding the drywall and then Sunday he painted the bedroom wall. Yay!
EJ also gave us all haircuts. His method of cutting my hair is a bit unorthodox, but I love the way it turns out. This time he tried to cut it so that it curled inward. He said he might not try it again because the strands of my hair are so fine that he had trouble with it. All the time he was cutting my hair he muttered, “Your hair is so fine. I have never seen anyone with hair as fine with yours. I can’t believe how fine your hair is….”
The brakes on the Suburban were going bad so we took it in to get fixed on Friday morning. I had to drive the Xterra to the auto repair place so we could drop off the Sub and return home–and after the repairs were finished EJ drove the Sub home while I drove the Xterra. I hate going down our long, steep driveway in the winter because I’m afraid of sliding into the snow and getting stuck. Worse, since Christmas day we’ve had days of warm temperatures alternating with days of cooler temps. The warm temperatures melted some of the snow and the cooler temperatures froze the puddles into ice, making our driveway quite slippery. I always pray a “Please don’t let me slide and get stuck” prayer whenever I drive on the driveway. The driveway is not fun to drive on, but it is tons of fun to sled down. I sled down it whenever I go get the mail.
I had hoped to get the kitchen painted last week, but my back ached and I didn’t sleep well so I felt very tired and unmotivated all week. I mostly just did my regular tasks. Downstate JJ had a single bed, but we set up EJ’s great-grandmother’s bed for him when we moved up here and we stored his single mattress in our pantry/storage. After one particularly back-aching night, we remembered the single mattress and set it on top of our queen-sized box-springs. We sleep better–but only one of us can sleep on it at a time. Last week I slept on the mattress while EJ slept on the floor but since he has to work this week and his back is hurting, this week he is sleeping on the mattress and I’m sleeping on the couch. I am so counting the days for our new mattress to arrive.
My friend had bought me a beautiful map of Michigan puzzle for my birthday in October but I didn’t want to begin it until after the new windows were installed. My puzzle table is near the windows and I didn’t want to risk the pieces getting lost or ruined while the windows were being put in. I didn’t expect it to take as long to install the windows as it did. During our vacation, I finally started working on my puzzle. I don’t think I have ever enjoyed a puzzle as much as this one. It is filled with locations that I am familiar with and enjoy. I love it! This is a puzzle I will never part with.
Yesterday I went with JJ to the college so he could buy his books. Only he found out that the college isn’t open until today. I did suggest that he call before we went. Oh, well. He was hungry for Chinese food anyway and I needed to stop at the farm store, so the trip wasn’t wasted–and we did have fun.
Last night EJ decided to move the pretty gas/propane fireplace, which had been in our bedroom unhooked up, into the living room where the secretary desk was. EJ plans to hook up the fireplace to the propane so if the power goes out, all we have to do is turn the fireplace on. We moved the secretary desk into our bedroom where the fireplace had been. When I was in high school, I bought the dilapidated secretary desk at a yard sale. It was such a mess that everyone who saw it said it wasn’t worth the $5 I paid for it and they recommended throwing it out or burning it. I refinished it instead and it became a beautiful keepsake. When I married EJ, he said that he “always wanted a secretary” so he named it “Ms. Pennyweather.” Ha ha. The name stuck and we always refer to the secretary as Ms. Pennyweather.
Today I have been happily getting out more of my photos and arranging them on the fireplace, dresser, walls, and Ms. Pennyweather. I was preparing to hang a photo on our bedroom wall when I happened to glance out of the window and spotted a rooster sitting on the gate dividing the chicken pen from the duck pen. I quickly got on my coat and boots and ran outside to shoo him off the gate. Only instead of going back into his pen, the rooster flew up onto the roof of the shed. From there he could easily jump onto the roof of the house. I got him off the shed by standing on a lawn chair and throwing snowballs at him. I never hit him hard, but he wasn’t impressed and swore loudly at me while he flew off the roof into his pen. The escapee was Bat-roo, which I thought was appropriate since Batman always seems to enjoy high places. The chickens and ducks keep my life interesting.
After I got Bat-roo off the roof, I dragged one of the 10′ x 10′ panels of the dog cage into the pen and set it up as the dividing fence/gate. I dismantled the other shorter gate. Hopefully the taller fencing will discourage the chickens from flying to the top. EJ will need to fix the dog panel more permanently so I can swing it open to get from one side to the other.
We have a winter storm warning out for the next few days. Starting early tomorrow morning, forecasters predict total snow accumulations of 6 to 12 inches with locally higher amounts possible. Gusty winds will lead to blowing snow with significant reductions in visibility at times. Fun. After an enjoyable reprieve, it looks like I will be back to snowblowing our driveway.
When the Trees Get Angry
I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas and Hanukkah!
Because of the ice storm that was forecasted to hit yesterday, we decided to stay home on Christmas/Hanukkah. We probably could have gone to the matinée showing of the newest Star Wars movie because the storm wasn’t suppose to hit until later in the day, but we didn’t want to risk getting caught in bad weather. We had a wonderfully quiet day at home. We actually got a lot done. While EJ puttered in his garage, I did a bunch of my regular chores and then together we shoveled the straw out of the garage where the chickens and ducks had been and dismantled their cage. EJ now has his whole garage back. EJ and JJ also worked on the Buggy which had muffler problems. Later I made popcorn and we watched the movie A Christmas Story. We loved it.
During last night it rained, thundered, and iced. I was somewhat aware of the storm but I didn’t fully wake. EJ got up and unplugged our computers and stuff. JJ slept in total unawareness of the storm.
Everything was frozen this morning but the temperatures quickly warmed up–going as high as 50+ degrees. We heard that the temps were going to abruptly drop about mid-afternoon and we didn’t want to risk getting caught out on icy roads so EJ and I decided that it would be best to stay home even though we had errands to run. I wasn’t sure that we even would make it down the driveway if it was icy. We enjoyed a leisurely morning of drinking coffee and enjoying the wild birds flittering outside the window. I looked out the window at one point and saw three squirrels eating the seeds that had fallen from the birdfeeders. The squirrels were three different colors: red, black, and gray.
I also noticed that the warm temperatures had killed all my snow Daleks. But that’s ok because every year the BBC has a Doctor Who Christmas Special in which the world faces an overwhelming alien enemy–like the Daleks–who seeks to destroy the earth. And every Christmas the Doctor and his companions defeat the alien enemy. So even though I wished they could have lasted longer, building Daleks at Christmas and then having them destroyed is totally appropriate.
When I went out to check on my ducks and chickens later this morning, I noticed how very warm it was and observed that the snow was all punky so we decided on a quick trip to the Emerald City. If we were fast, we could make it home again before everything froze up.
Before we left, I called Sears. Ever since we moved here, our mattress has grown increasingly more uncomfortable until it became absolutely torturous. We surmised that either our bed or our mattress had been affected by the move up here. Over the last year, we have problem-solved and tweaked, starting with the most minor and least expensive possibility and then trying different and more extreme measures. First we bought new box springs. We had to leave the other one at the old house because it wouldn’t fit down the stairs. Then we bought a foam topper. Then EJ built a platform. Our tweaking sometimes seemed to help for a bit, but not enough and not permanently. Christmas eve we dragged the mattress out to the living room and slept on it. We felt that if we slept well on just the mattress, we would know the problem was the bed. We didn’t sleep well and woke up in agony so we finally concluded that the problem was definitely the mattress. We really didn’t want to have to spend more money right now, but we can’t continue enduring little sleep and aching bodies so we figure a new mattress is an absolutely necessity. We would have gone to get the new mattress today so we could sleep on it tonight, but Sears said they don’t keep any in stock and that we must order one. So I ordered a mattress and it will be delivered on January 12th. Meanwhile, I am sleeping on the couch and EJ slept last night in his chair.
We crossed “going to Sears to buy a mattress” off our list. Next we drove into the Emerald City. We totally enjoyed the beautiful drive. The water of the bay was a beautiful emerald green.
Our first stop was at the college bookstore so JJ could buy his books for next semester. However, the college is completely shut down this week, so he will have to buy them next week.
We stopped at Joann Fabrics because I needed to buy a few skeins of yarn. They were having terrific sales so I was able to buy four instead of one. Yay! Next we went to EJ’s company so we could throw the terrible awful no good torture device of a mattress in the dumpster. One of the perks of working at this company is that employees can dump their trash, etc., in the dumpster for free. Yay! Our last stop was at a store where EJ used the gift card that JJ had given him for Christmas/Hanukkah. I spent mine for books at Amazon. Every day when I walk down the driveway for the mail, I stop to see if they have magically appeared in the Magic Box.
We made it home long before the temperature dropped and the roads froze. As we drove up the driveway, we encountered a small flock of turkeys walking up the driveway. We didn’t want to scare or injure them so EJ slowly drove behind them…while I videoed them. We really enjoy the turkeys.
EJ went out to putter in his garage and JJ went to his computer while I fixed supper. I made steak, latkes (in honor of Hanukkah), and french style green beans. After we ate, I went to settle the chickens and ducks in for the night.
That’s when I noticed how strong the wind was blowing. I could hear it moaning around the house “WHOOOooooooo!” It swayed the trees from side to side so that they looked like angry Ents marching to Isengard. EJ said his garage creaked like an old sailing ship. Every now and then we heard the crack and crash of a tree crashing to the ground. One fell right across the big rocks in our front yard. Fortunately, it missed the house. It even missed the bird feeders. EJ and JJ parked the Buggy at the bottom of the driveway safely away from large trees and so we can get out if a tree falls across the driveway.
We can’t see anything outside the windows now that it is dark so not long ago EJ and I took our flashlights and walked around the house to see if we could see any fallen trees. None were visible in our yard, but I’m sure there are some in the forest. The stars were out, crisp and clear, wind howled and moaned and tore at our coats, the trees swayed and creaked. It was wildly exciting, but I’ll be glad when the wind stops. To be honest, it’s a little bit scary to live in a forest when the wind howls and the trees get angry.
A Dalek Holiday
This year Christmas and Hanukkah occur at the same time. We wish you all a Merry Christmas or a Happy Hanukkah, filled with love and laughter!
EJ is off work for the holidays until after the new year. JJ had to work until 6 p.m. today and then he doesn’t have to go to work until Thursday.
This afternoon I built a lot of Dalek snowmen because, you know, it’s Christmas time. Daleks are one of the nasty aliens in Doctor Who. Last year I had built one Dalek but this year I built seven of them to surprise JJ went he came home from work. To build the Daleks, I used a garage can, a large mixing bowl, and a cupcake pan for molds. I had only one small toilet plunger (used for stopped up sinks, not toilets) so I used a variety of kitchen utensils for the “hands.”
Since JJ was coming home after dark, I inserted a flashlight in the “eyestalk” that sicks out from the “head.” Then EJ thought of putting flashlights on the other Daleks. We had enough for all but one.
When it was time for JJ to arrive home, we turned on the flashlights, turned off all the lights in the house, and waited in the dark on the front porch. We watched JJ drive up the driveway, slow down as he neared the Daleks, and then completely stop in front of the Daleks. He sat there for quite some time. We saw the flash of the camera on his phone as he took photos. He said it was awesome to drive up and see them! It was a hoot for us to watch him.
We celebrate Hanukkah, so after we all came into the house laughing about the Daleks, we said the blessings and lit the candles on the menorah (called a Hanukkiah). Then we played the dreidel game with Hershey Kisses and Hugs. Afterwards I made yummy latkes with homemade applesauce.
Tomorrow we had planned to go to the theater to watch the latest Star Wars movie, but meteorologists are forecasting an ice storm so we decided we’d stay safely at home. Hopefully we won’t lose our power, but at least we have a propane heater so we won’t freeze or anything. I’m glad my guys don’t have to go to work!
The Midnight Journey to the Magic Box
My supply of pillow forms was getting low, so I recently ordered more. A pillow form is an uncovered or plainly decorated pillow that is used in home decor and crafts projects. I use pillow forms to make the decorative pillows, such as the one below, that I sell at my Etsy store.
My order was supposed to arrive yesterday via UPS. I suddenly realized late last night that no UPS truck had driven up my driveway to deliver my package so I checked my emails and found a notification that my package had been delivered. I got on my coat, hat, boots, and mittens and went out into the dark frigid night to look for it. I did not find it on or near our porch. So I came back inside and went to the UPS website and talked to one of their people through Live Chat. The UPS “agent” said that the package had been delivered to our “UPS Box.” Huh?
The only “box” we have is at the very bottom of our long, long driveway. The previous owner of our house used to put his trash in to keep it safe from bears until it was time to put the trash near the road for pickup. The box is sturdy, empty and, after all these years, not smelly or nasty. It’s actually a good place to put packages if UPS or FEDEX couldn’t make it up our driveway in the winter. In fact, when we first moved here I thought that was the purpose of the box. I called it the “Magic Box” because I expected to find packages there. Only I never did.
The Magic Box was the only “UPS Box” I could think of where the package could have been left. Only…the box was covered in about two feet of snow and I didn’t think the UPS man would have taken the time to shovel a path to the Box and clear the snow off the lid. I had meant to do it, but by the time I finished snowblowing the driveway, I was always too tired and cold.
I didn’t like the idea of walking down the long, steep driveway through the brutal cold in the dark night, but I thought I had better go check to see if the package was there. The box can be seen from the road and we were expecting 50 mph winds so I couldn’t risk the pillows being stolen or blown away overnight. I didn’t want to go alone so I asked JJ if he wanted to go on a Midnight Journey to the Magic Box with me. He agreed. We put on our warm coats, hats, mittens, and boots, and took along flashlights to light our path.
We found my package tossed on the top of the snow-covered Magic Box. I wasn’t happy about that–not in the least. I muttered a little as JJ carried the package up the driveway for me. He had worn his Santa hat, which he bought last year to wear at work during the Christmas season. He looked so Santa Clause-ish carrying my package that I asked him to lend me his smart phone so I could take a photo of him. I hadn’t thought to bring along my camera.
Although I good-naturedly muttered about my package being left in the snow, the delivery men had suggested leaving our packages in the Magic Box several times–both last year and this year–but they had never left any there. They always brought then up to the house. I didn’t realize that the UPS man had actually told EJ a few weeks ago that he was absolutely not going to drive up our driveway during the winter. If I had known that, I would have made sure to clear off the Magic Box, tired or not.
Our driveway is so steep and long that it becomes the topic of conversation whenever anyone comes to our house. Everyone mentions how steep it is and how terrible it must be to drive on during the winter. Although I love sledding down the hill, I’m actually quite anxious about trying to drive up/down it in the winter months. When EJ or JJ go anywhere, I pray that they won’t get stuck. When I ride with EJ and JJ, I keep my eyes closed so I don’t have to see if we start sliding towards the ditch. So I can’t really blame the delivery men for not wanting to risk driving on the driveway in their big delivery van. I’m not particularly overjoyed that the package was left in the snow, even so. But at least I was able to safely retrieve it.
This morning I sledded down the hill with a shovel to the Magic Box. I shoveled a path to it and then I shoveled off the top so that the lid could be easily lifted. EJ and I have discussed whether the Magic Box is “ours” and perhaps moving it eventually so it can’t be seen from the road.
Eleven Days
We have had eleven days of snow. Most days we got a few inches of snow. Some days we got more.
Yesterday afternoon the weather cleared and we actually had a bit of blue skies and sunshine. It’s been so long since we’ve seen the sun that it actually hurt my eyes. Ok, maybe not…but almost.
It’s been very cold because of a north wind blowing arctic cold into our region. The clear skies caused the temps to plummet even lower. EJ said that when he got up this morning it was 9 degrees. The wind chills make it feel even colder. More arctic cold is headed our way, along with 50 mph winds and more snow. Brrrrr.
We have to keep the driveway cleared so the snow doesn’t build up. It’s a lot easier to snowblow a couple inches of snow than it is to snowblow a foot or more. Plus, accumulations of snow on the driveway increase our likelihood of getting stuck. I have been doing most of the snowblowing. It’s actually sort of fun but it’s also very exhausting. Last Saturday we decided to take a break and rest (it was, after all, Shabbat) since we had only gotten a couple inches of snow. However, when JJ left for work he got stuck at the end of the driveway where the snow from the county snowplows had piled up. EJ drove JJ to work in the Suburban and then began to work on getting the Xterra unstuck. Our neighbor on the hill across the road came over and pulled him out with his tractor and then plowed away the snow at the end of the driveway. This was the first time we (meaning EJ) had met this neighbor. They had a nice chat. The guy also has chickens. Apparently, he hopes to give us some stuff for our chickens before he goes off to Florida for several months.
After EJ got the Xterra up the driveway and parked in its spot in front of the garage, I snowblowed the rest of the driveway. As I’ve said, we can’t let the snow pile up. EJ took the time to put another vent in the shed coop so the moisture doesn’t build up inside and make the birds sick. So much for a restful Shabbat.
Today JJ took a turn at clearing the driveway. I was glad for his help because it was COLD.
Despite the challenges, I still like living in the North.
Yesterday evening at about dusk, Danny wanted to go outside to “do his business.” While I was waiting for him, I heard a loud “flappity flap.” I looked up and saw a large bird landing high in a tree behind the house. It was a turkey. Living in town all my life, my only encounters with turkeys were seeing them in fields as we drove through the countryside. I didn’t know all that much about them and thought very little about them. I didn’t realize until we moved to our enchanted forest that turkeys can fly and that they roost in trees. I–and EJ–thought they roosted in the lower branches of trees. I didn’t realize that they flew high up into the trees until I saw them in the tree tops a couple of days ago. Amazing.
The turkey was still in the tree this morning. I took one photo and was hoping to take more–and a video–but my camera turned itself off because its battery was low. Bummer! However, I’m going to make sure I look at the trees at dusk and in the early mornings to see if I can spot turkeys roosting…or other interesting critters in the tree tops.
The first birds that arrived at our feeders when I put them out a couple of weeks ago were chickadees and nuthatches. Then the various woodpeckers arrived. In the last day or two gold finches and blue jays have appeared. Blue jays, cardinals, and sparrows were extremely common at our house downstate, but up here I don’t see many blue jays, I’ve only seen a couple cardinals–last winter–and so far I haven’t seen any sparrows at my feeders.
I wasn’t able to get a photo of the blue jays, but here are some of the gold finches. My new camera allows me to get more detail when I zoom in. If you click on the photos to enlarge them, you can see seeds in the birds’ beaks.
This morning I noticed a bunch of deer tracks all over the yard. Some were right up to the house–as if the deer came up to peek in the windows. I thought that was cool.
Let It Snow….
I sort of woke at 5 a.m. this morning and then Danny wanted me to take him outside. He is the most considerate dog I’ve ever encountered. He waits until he knows I’m awake before he asks to go out. He also waits until he believes I’m not busy. The amazing thing is that I can be working in the kitchen and he doesn’t ask to go out until he sees me sit down. However, if I’m sitting on the couch doing something, he will wait until I get up before asking to go out. So it’s not just me always sitting down or me always standing up that alerts him that I’m not busy. He can somehow figure it out. He’s amazing.
Although I wasn’t thrilled about going outside so early, I didn’t mind taking Danny out today. He’s really struggled with constipation this week, poor dog. I was beginning to get concerned about him and was wondering if I should take him to the vet, but several people–and the Internet–said that giving him pumpkin can help him. So I gave him some pumpkin and that did the trick. I think he must have eaten something he shouldn’t have. Or else he “held it” because with the deep snow, he couldn’t get to his regular pooping place. He always goes in the same area. I didn’t teach him to do this, he just decided to choose his “bathroom area.”
Once it grew light outside, I tended to the ducks and chickens. When the outside temperature had warmed to 15 degrees, I went out and snowblowed the driveway. We are expecting 11 to 15+ more inches of snow this weekend, so I wanted to clear the driveway before the additional snow fell. By the time I finished, I was cold to the bones and very tired. It took me a long, long time to get warm again.
I spent a few hours today working on two sunflower pillows someone ordered from my Etsy. I think these pillows are very pretty.
A flock of 25 turkeys showed up this afternoon to eat the seeds that had fallen from the bird feeders. They stayed for several hours. I think they might have been eating as much as they could before the storm arrived. It’s always fun watching the turkeys. I took lots of photos and videos. I think that I probably take too many, but I find the birds/wildlife interesting and amazing and I can’t help myself.
As JJ was getting ready to leave for work, the turkeys hunkered down behind his Buggy. JJ asked, “What am I supposed to do?” I said, “Well, I supposed your company won’t be impressed if you tell them you can’t make it to work because of turkeys.” I took a video of JJ leaving for work and all the turkeys running down the driveway.
JJ told me later that he followed the turkeys all the way down the driveway. After a while, they came back up the driveway again. As they came up the driveway, I saw two crows in a tree on the top of the hill. I didn’t really pay much attention to them because we have lots of crows around here. But then one of the “crows” flew down and joined the turkeys and I realized that it wasn’t a crow at all. I quickly took a picture of the other turkey in the tree. I knew that turkeys fly and that they roost in trees, but I though they kept to the lower branches. I didn’t realize they flew so high.
We were getting low on groceries so when EJ got home from work, we had a quick bite to eat and them went to the store (where JJ works) to stock up on groceries before the newest storm hits. We figured we might as well get them before the weather gets nasty. Now we can sing “Let it snow, let is snow, let is snow…” while we hunker down safe and warm. Well, except for JJ, who has to go to work. At least he doesn’t have far to go.
Life on the Planet Hoth
We survived last weekend with its heavy Lake Effect snow.
I think the snowy north is awesome. I only have two–well, maybe three–concerns about the wintry weather. First I am concerned when my guys have to drive to work or school. I always feel relieved when they are safe at home. Second, I’m concerned about getting stuck in our driveway. Our driveway is incredibly fun sledding down, but I confess that I’m scared to drive up/down it in the winter. Last year, the Buggy (our Xterra) got stuck twice and we had a horrible time getting it unstuck. Third, I don’t like the power going out. However, we have a propane heater so we won’t freeze to death if it does.
I was quite anxious last Friday when the snowblower broke down when I was trying to get the driveway cleared in the midst of getting two feet of snow. The wire that propels the snowblower forward broke. When EJ got home that evening, he was able to “jerry-rig” it together so he could (mostly) clear the driveway. However, he had to pull on the wire with his left hand, while pressing down on a lever with his left elbow, while squeezing the right handle and steering with his right hand. Meanwhile, the headlight bulb had burned out so I had to walk beside him with a flashlight so he could see where to go. Then one of the blades stopped turning because a pin got sheared off. EJ stopped for the night when the controls froze.
I was worried about how we’d manage with no way to clear our driveway. But the next morning EJ was able to somehow better jerry-rig the wire and he fixed the blade. He spent several hours clearing the driveway. It was extremely difficult because he had to snowblow through at least two feet of snow. My hero!
The snowblower was fixed well enough that I was able to use it to clear the driveway on Sunday while EJ worked on other tasks. It was less difficult because we only had a few additional inches of snow. I also cleared the driveway on Monday while EJ was at work.
Once the wintry weather arrived, I put out the bird feeders. We have bears in the area and they like bird seeds and treats so we have to wait until they hibernate for the winter before we put the feeders out. I had thought that we’d see more birds when we moved to a forest, but we actually see fewer in the warmer months because they stay in the trees. However, in the cold months they are attracted to the feeders so we see more. We mostly get chickadees, nuthatches, gold finches, and four different kinds of woodpeckers: Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Downy Woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers, and the awesome Pileated Woodpecker, which is one of the biggest, most striking forest birds on the continent. It’s nearly the size of a crow. At one point today, I saw all four kinds of woodpecker at the feeders at the same time…but I didn’t get a photo of them.
Here is an awesome video I took this morning of two Pileated Woodpeckers at the feeder.
Yesterday an arctic wind blew into our area. Temperatures dropped down to 17 degrees and, of course, it snowed. Those were “perfect” conditions for JJ and his friend to set off the fireworks he had left over from Independence Day. EJ assisted with fire-starting implements and advice while I videoed it. At least we didn’t have to worry about dry conditions setting the forest on fire.
After they set off some fireworks, JJ and his friend went sledding down the driveway. There was a full moon last night which lit up the landscape so they could see where they were going.
Today it has been snowing quite hard. We are forecasted to get 4-8 inches of snow. Wind gusts of 25-35 mph cause wind chills of 5-15 below zero. EJ texted me from work that he encountered “ground blizzard conditions” on his way to work this morning–blowing snow that caused whiteout conditions. He said that we should not go anywhere but just hunker down inside. I checked on the ducks and chickens (they are doing fine). I found about a dozen eggs hidden in the straw! I thought the hens had stopped laying. I took Danny outside a few times. Poor Danny has been struggling with some gastrointestinal problems and wanted out quite a bit today. I tried to take videos outside, but my fingers quickly ached with the cold. I couldn’t help but think of Jack London’s story, To Build a Fire.
Here is a composite of the photos I took today. My new camera has a “hybrid” function in which I take still photos and it combines them into a combo video/photos. I’m still learning how to use the new function so sometimes the videos are a little jerky. I’ll get better. Also, at one point my camera was reflected in the window so it looks as if there is a large red camera in the landscape so please ignore that. Overall, though, the video shows what today looked like:
When the wind blows super hard like today, the pilot light on our water heater tends to go out. After it happened a couple of times last year, I asked EJ to teach me how to relight it again so I wouldn’t have to go all day–while he was at work–without hot water. The wind has been so strong that both yesterday and today I had to relight the water heater.
Mostly I’m staying safe and warm inside, watching the wind swirl the heavy snow into “snow-nadoes” through our new windows. The landscape reminds me of the planet Hoth in Star Wars. Brrrr.
Storm Story
Late Wednesday night it began to snow. It snowed all day Thursday, and it snowed all day Friday, and it is now Friday night and it is still snowing. We are not just talking about snow flurries. Or snow showers. We are talking about Lake Effect snow being dumped on us. This video describes Lake Effect Snow:
During this particular storm, our area was right in the middle of the worst of the snow. It’s like we had a big target over our area. EJ says he talked to people who have lived in this area all their lives who were amazed by how much snow we are getting.
This morning the snow was really piling up. I went out at 9:30 a.m. to snowblow the driveway, intending to go down the drive and back up and then letting JJ have a turn. I made it all the way down our long driveway to the road and had just turned around when the snowblower stopped moving forward. I noticed that a wire had broken. I was able to quickly determine that it was a wire that propels the snowblower forward when the handle is squeezed. I couldn’t leave the snowblower near the road, so I managed to pull on the wire with one hand to move the snowblower forward while trying to steer the snowblower with the other. It was difficult because the wire hurt my hand and the snowblower is hard to steer with just one hand. However, I was able to get the snowblower to the sandy spot at the first curve where it was out of sight of the road and also out of the driveway.
All day long I watched the snow pile up and pile up. I wasn’t sure if JJ would be able to get to work, but he cleared off his vehicle and didn’t have any problem getting to work.
Still it snowed and snowed. I wondered if EJ and JJ would make it up the driveway after work. EJ was able to get home. He is skilled at driving in snow. After a quick supper, he walked down to the snowblower.
Shortly after EJ disappeared into the night, Danny wanted outside so I took him out. After I let Danny back in, I decided that since I had my coat, hat, and boots on, I might as well walk down to see how EJ was doing. I could hear the snowblower. Well…He had placed locking vice grips on the wire so that he could hold it as a handle rather than wrap the wire around his hand. He had to hold the locking vice grips with his left hand, put his left arm on the left handle controls, and steer with his right hand as he snowblowed up the driveway. The lightbulb for the headlights had burned out, so he was snowblowing in the dark and blowing snow. Since I had a flashlight, I walked beside him and lit his path. We went up the driveway, and then back down. The snow was very deep–about two feet–and it was difficult and slow clearing the driveway. When everything is working well, snowblowing such a long driveway is tiring so I usually take a turn, but with the wire broken it was so complicated to operate the snowblower that both EJ and I knew that I couldn’t do it. I didn’t have the strength to use only one hand to steer while holding the wire with the other. In deep, deep snow. In the dark.
On our way back up the driveway, one of the blades stopped spinning. EJ said a pin had gotten sheered off. We continued up to the top of the driveway. He tried to clear JJ’s parking space in front of the garage, but then the controls got too cold and froze. So EJ put the snowblower away for the night. We could do no more.
Here are some photos of the storm:
We were exhausted and cold from working to clear the driveway for several hours. The driveway wasn’t as cleared as it would otherwise have been. I wasn’t sure JJ would make it through the uncleared drifts. However, he made it home ok. He said he just “gunned it” up the driveway. One good thing about living here in Northern Michigan is that he is getting more experienced driving in snowy conditions. Me? I don’t plan on driving until the snow all melts in the spring.
New Views
Today the guys came out to install our new windows! Yay!
It was supposed to rain today, but instead the sun shone and the temps climbed up to 40 degrees–chilly, but not frigid. The windows were installed just in time because beginning tomorrow the weather is supposed to worsen with colder temps and heavy lake effect snow. Lake effect snow is when moisture from the Great Lakes is picked up and dumped on us in the form of heavy snow. We live in a “snow belt” where the snow gets dumped.
I never know what I’m supposed to do when people come to work on our house. Am I supposed to stand around and chat with them? Leave them alone to work? Make them coffee and/or cookies? Today I chatted a little and offered to make them coffee, but mostly I left them to work.
The guys installed the window in the kitchen first. I stayed out of the way in the living room, crocheting items for an Etsy order. When the guys began to work on the living room windows, I went out to look at the window they had finished in the kitchen. We had ordered windows with lattice (can’t remember what they are called) but these didn’t have them. The previous installers obviously ordered the wrong windows. They also never called to schedule the installation and never returned our calls. Lowes switched us to new installers who were awesome.
I decided to say nothing about the windows because we had had such trouble getting the work done and I was so thankful that the windows were getting installed before the bad weather. The new windows don’t match the other ones but I actually like the windows without the lattice much better. Without the lattice hindering our view, the windows look so much bigger even though they are the same size as the old ones. It feels as if nature is coming right into our house. It’s awesome. And eventually we will get the other windows replaced so everything will match. EJ and JJ also love the new windows and consider the mis-ordered windows to be a blessing.
Although we love the new windows, we all agreed that they are very spooky at night. The lattice windows were almost like bars that kept the darkness out. Without them, the darkness seems so powerfully menacing–like it’s pouring into the house. Eric actually closed the blinds for the first time ever in order to keep out the night. LOL.
Here are some photos from today:
Home Sweet Coop
Sunday EJ and I worked all day to turn the shed into a nice home for the chickens and the ducks. We began to work as soon as we had eaten breakfast, and we continued working until dusk.
Ever since we ordered the shed, I have been thinking about how to set it up. First, we moved the coops into the shed. I wasn’t sure if they would fit or were necessary, but both the chickens and the ducks seemed to love their coops so I thought I would give it a try. I figured that we could always take them out if they didn’t work. However, they looked great! (The duck coop is actually a study old dog house that the previous owners left behind.)
Next, EJ installed a vent. We had learned that good ventilation is essential because too much moisture can make the chickens sick or give them frostbite. EJ would like to install another vent, but one is good for now.
Then EJ made doors for the ducks and chickens. He made the doors out of clear Lexan (polycarbonate sheets) so some light would come through them, and he built them so they slid up and down.
While EJ was working in the shed, I built my gates. I have one gate going into the poultry compound, and I built a fence within the compound separating the chicken side from the duck side with a gate to let me go from one side to the other.
I used pieces of cattle panel for the gates because they are sturdy and inflexible. I had already attached chicken wire to the bottom half of them so that the birds couldn’t get through their large holes in the old pen. I kept the chicken wire attached to them, but I also cut some of the fence that the previous owner had used for his dog pen. It has medium-sized openings. I attached them to the fence as well to keep the poultry and predators from getting through.
Because I had to cannibalize pieces of fence from the previous pen for the new gates, I couldn’t separate the chickens and ducks in their old pen. So I shut the chickens into the new enclosure and rearranged the temporary fencing so that the ducks could go into the garage and outside pens until I was ready to move them into the new pen.
Chickens are very curious and they were fascinated by our work. They didn’t seem at all afraid of EJ’s power tools. They kept “visiting” him while he worked in the shed and often commented on what he was doing. As soon as EJ cut the hole for their door, they hopped right in, which made EJ feel good. The chickens watched me at work too.
After I finished the gates, I went into the garage and unscrewed a section of the dog pen that we had used for the birds’ inside pen. I took the section that had the door. We used it as a divider between the chicken and ducks side in the shed. The door allows me to easily access both sides. We also fastened fencing around the top of the ducks’ dog house because the chickens love to roost there.
EJ built a ramp so the ducks could get in and out of the shed. The chickens had no problem getting in and out so he didn’t build them anything.
While EJ was finishing the ramp, I went to herd the ducks into their section of the new enclosure. I used the temporary fencing to make a corridor leading the ducks into their side. Only they wanted to go everywhere except where they were supposed to. I had a horrible time getting them where I wanted them. Then they had to wait while EJ finished getting the shed ready. They weren’t particularly happy to wait. About mid-afternoon, it began to snow. It snowed and snowed, covering the ground and trees and fence. It was pretty, but we were getting chilled.
While the ducks waited, EJ attached a power strip on the wall so we can plug in the birds’ heated water dishes. The heated water dishes prevents their drinking water from freezing on cold nights. When EJ finished–ok, I was a little over-eager so before he was quite ready–I scattered straw around, moved in the food dishes, and set up their water bowls.
Finally, just as it was beginning to get a little too dark to see well, the shed was ready. We still have some “tweaking” to do, but that could wait for another time. The chickens were already nestled on their side of the shed. We herded the eager ducks up their ramp and shut the little doors with everyone snug inside. It felt very peaceful and cozy in the shed.
Finally EJ and I were able to go in the house. We were exhausted and chilled to the bones. We hadn’t eaten since breakfast so I fixed us a quick supper. We spent the rest of the evening relaxing…and groaning whenever we moved because our bodies ached.
Today I took this video of the chickens and ducks enjoying their new surroundings. The chickens spent a lot of time outside, but the ducks seem to be happy to spend most of their day inside the shed.
Floor & Fence
My body was so tired from all the work I did yesterday that I had trouble getting myself going this morning. After I drank the last cup of coffee and said goodbye to JJ, who went off to school, I managed to get myself motivated.
First, I went to the garage to get the two wooden posts for the fencing that I wanted to do later. The posts were imprisoned behind a bunch of other things that I couldn’t move, which meant I would have to pull them up to free them. I considered climbing on top of the stuff in front of the posts, but I imagined falling and seriously hurting myself so I decided against it. Then I got out the ladder, but I couldn’t position myself well enough to give myself the leverage I needed to pull the posts out. So finally I stood on a sturdy wooden box that was just high enough–but not dangerously high–to get the posts free. I knew that it would be difficult to get the posts, which is why I did it before I got too tired from other tasks.
After I freed the posts, I carried them out to the yard and then I got my paint supplies together and headed out to the shed to paint the floor. Normally I wouldn’t paint a shed floor, but I thought the paint might help protect the floor from messy ducks. Ducks are very messy.
EJ had originally suggested using paint from our supply (leftovers from previous projects) to paint the outside of the shed, but we bought paint because I didn’t think we would have enough of any one color to cover the shed and I also wanted the shed to match our house. Although EJ and I both enjoy beautiful things–like beautiful art and beautiful nature–we differ slightly when it comes to practical every day things. EJ loves to re-purpose items and he prefers function and practicality over beauty. So last weekend he dragged the old broken hot tub–which the previous owners left here and which we couldn’t figure out how to get rid of–out into the back yard to re-purpose as a raised garden. It’s not beautiful, but will be very functional. Conversely, although I like functionality, I also like things to have beauty. So I don’t want my shed to be covered in whatever color paint we happen to have; I intend to make it pretty and cute.
Unlike the outside of the shed, it didn’t matter to me what color the shed floor was since it will just get covered with straw and pine chips and chicken and duck poop. So I used the Floor and Porch paint from our supply. It was gray–perfect floor color. We had probably intended to use it to paint the floor of our unheated back porch in our old house. I sat on the shed floor and used a brush to paint the edges and corners of the shed. I painted up the sides of the walls about six inches or so–where I estimated the straw/pine bedding would reach up to. The November day was pleasant and peaceful and I felt extremely happy and contented as I worked. I love our new home.
After I had painted the edges and corners, I screwed a very long handle onto my roller and, beginning at the back, I painted the floor. The handle was so long that I could stand up as I painted and sort of “mop” the floor. Painting the whole floor only took me about an hour.
After I painted the floor, I put away my paint supplies, changed from my paint clothes into my work clothes, got out the post-hole digger, and put up the two posts I had taken from the garage.
I had a dilemma because I needed the tall fencing from the duck/chicken pen to complete the new pen, but I also needed to keep the ducks and chickens penned up. I finally figured out that I could replace the tall fencing in the current duck/chicken pen with shorter fencing. I took out the big staples holding the fencing to the posts, and rolled up the tall fencing while I also unrolled the shorter fencing. In this way, I was able to remove the fencing but still keep the poultry contained.
While I was setting up the short fence, the chickens found some grass under the leaves that had been outside their pen. They clucked with delight and gobbled it up. I kept the fence loose until they had eaten it all.
The chickens are so much fun. They always run to me when they see me. They are also very curious and will watch what I’m doing. In this photo, they ran up to me when I started to work on their fence.
Once I freed up the tall fencing, I could finish the new pen. This involved digging a trench so that we can bury about 1-2 feet of fencing, which will make it more difficult for predators to dig under the fence.
When I got the trench dug, I position the fence in it, and then nailed in huge staples to fasten the fence to the posts. I’m not good at hammering, but I get the job done. When the fence was fastened to the posts, I filled in the trench.
After I finished that side of the pen, I went to the other side and put in another post–which I had taken out of the current duck/chicken pen. Then I dug another trench, unwound the fencing, stapled it to the posts, and refilled the trench.
By the time I finished putting up the fence, I was really tired so I quit for the day. Next, the outside pen will have to be divided into a chicken side and a duck side. I also need a gate into the pen and another one that gives me access from one side to the other. I’m thinking of constructing temporary gates out of bits and pieces of fencing, but I’m hoping EJ can build me better ones.
Once the shed floor is dry, I can move the coops into the shed. However, I can’t do that until EJ makes little doors so that the chickens and ducks can get in and out of the shed. I want to have poultry-sized doors to protect the birds from drafts, snow, rain, which would get into the shed if we had to leave the big doors open.
When the little doors are completed and the coops are moved in, I can divide the interior of the shed to keep the ducks and chickens separated. Then I can move my birds into their new home!
After I finished working outside, I had to work on my household chores. I folded and put away a bunch of laundry that I had done yesterday, vacuumed, cleaned out the litter boxes, refilled the pets’ food and water dishes, washed the days accumulation of dishes, set up the coffee pot for tomorrow, put supper in the oven, shut the ducks and chickens in for the night…and finally I could sit down. My body is so tired that I feel practically crippled. But I feel very satisfied with all the work I did today.
When JJ came home from his class early this afternoon, he told me that his professor said that he is doing very well in the class. The lowest grade he will get (if he skipped all his remaining classes, which he won’t do) is a 3.5. JJ is also thrilled because he was able to get a loan and his next term’s classes are paid for. That takes a lot of stress off him.
EJ came home from work and showed me a memo he had gotten notifying him that a safety audit had been performed in his department on their busiest day of the month and “without a doubt” his “area is head and shoulder above any other area” that was audited. So that made EJ feel good.
We are all thriving here.
Shed & Windows
Yesterday the guy from Lowes came to build our new shed. I had never had a shed built before so I was kind of surprised that just one man came instead of a crew. He arrived a little after noon and worked on the shed until it was too dark to see. He got all of it finished yesterday except for shingling the roof. He got here early this morning to finish it up.
I love the new shed. It is big, roomy, sturdy, and pretty. We located it behind the garage. The garage will help shield it from the weather. It is also not far from the outside faucet so it will be easier to fill up water buckets and, in the summer, fill the ducks’ pool. It’s also not far from the “man-door” entrance to the garage.
Today I painted the shed. When the building date was scheduled for late November, I was concerned that the weather would be too cold to paint. However the temperature was forecasted to be in the high 50s today with clear skies (although it rained buckets last night)–just perfect for painting. I do not know if the temperatures actually reached into the 50s. However, I felt comfortable in the clothes I wear for painting. My paint clothes are a pair of old jeans, an old t-shirt, and an old sweatshirt. I don’t ever wash them so they are splattered with paint from a variety of projects–which means they are actually splattered with memories of painting this room or that item. Because it felt a little chilly when I started working, I put an old–but not paint splattered–peach-colored hoodie under my sweat shirt.
I started out painting the trim. JJ had to get a paper written for his college class, but he spared enough time to paint three sides of the shed with the roller. The roller didn’t get inside the grooves of the siding very well, so after JJ painted the large areas, I followed with a paint brush and got inside the grooves. After he left, I finished painting the trim and also the fourth side of the shed–where the doors are. That side was harder to paint so it took me awhile. I would have liked to have painted the trim a contrasting color, but we had to get the shed painted today before the weather conditions make it impossible to paint.
We got the whole shed painted except for the bottom of the shed–what I call the “foundation boards.” I didn’t have enough paint left to do that. By the time I finished for the day, I was totally exhausted and my body ached. JJ saw how tired I was so he drove to the grocery store where he works (it’s only two miles away) and bought us a taco pizza for supper. I thought that was very sweet.
Tomorrow it’s supposed to rain, but that’s ok because I’m going to be working inside the shed. I’m going to paint the floor with porch paint in an attempt to protect it from messy ducks who get water everywhere.
After the floor is painted, I will have to set up fencing to separate the ducks from the chickens. I have to figure out whether I want to divide the 10 x 12 shed side to side or front to back. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. EJ will have to make two little doors in the side of the shed so the ducks and chickens can go in and out without leaving the large doors open. I have to decide whether to put the coops inside the shed. They will take up space but will provide perching and nesting areas for the birds. If I don’t move the coops in the shed, we will need to build perches and nesting boxes. And I will have to finish the perimeter of the outside enclosure. I would like to get it all done by the weekend so the ducks and chickens can get moved in and EJ can have his garage back.
See? I am busy, busy, busy.
The shed is going well, but the window installation is not. The installers were supposed to call us around Nov. 14 to schedule a time for them to come install our windows. I waited a week, and when I didn’t hear anything from them, I called Lowes….twice–once last week and once this week. Both times Lowes contacted the installers who said they’d get back to me the same day, but they didn’t. I emailed and left voicemail messages for the Project Coordinator, but she never returned my calls. I was getting frustrated because we’ve had all these relatively warm-ish days in November when we could have gotten the windows in. The longer it takes to get the window installation scheduled, the higher the likelihood that winter’s brutality will hit before the windows are in. I really don’t want the old windows taken out (imagine no windows in the house and our house open to the elements) and the new windows put in during sub-zero temperatures and blizzardy snow. That is IF they can even get up our driveway.
I finally heard from the project coordinator late this afternoon. She said they are going to get a new installer for us. Apparently the current ones aren’t working out. She said she would keep us informed, which is really what I wanted in the first place. I mean, I am pretty understanding but I’d like to know that we haven’t been forgotten and I’d like our questions and concerns heard.
