Consolidated Kansas

[chicken danz]

So after I posted last night and thought I was done for the night. DH came in and said we were ready to put concrete in the post holes. So I shoveled 6 wheel barrel loads of concrete into 6 post holes then. We were out there after dark. He mixed concrete and I shoveled it and tamped it into the holes. Today I think I can hang roosts and start installing wire on the pen to the new building. This is just one pen that is done out of four that will be attached. The building isn't finished as far as trim goes but once I get the divider in and the wire for this pen installed I should be able to move the peafowl in. I still have to have the top board installed for the fencing but that is just a matter of drilling holes, leveling and attaching bolts. As far as I am concerned the trim can wait. We don't even have it yet. We have to be in Topeka during the day time during the week to get it. He may see that differently and argue that I can't hang the fence first. But then I am paying for the thing so I should get some say so shouldn't I?
I just have to get those peafowl out of that horse trailer!! It's been too long.
I've grown lots of mint in the past but always ended up trying to kill it out because it is so invasive and when it blooms it gets so ugly and the bees and bugs swarm it. But the chocolate mint isn't quite as invasive and has prettier stems.
My back is killing me. I just can't seem to slow down these days.

 

[Hawkeye95]

So after I posted last night and thought I was done for the night. DH came in and said we were ready to put concrete in the post holes. So I shoveled 6 wheel barrel loads of concrete into 6 post holes then. We were out there after dark. He mixed concrete and I shoveled it and tamped it into the holes. Today I think I can hang roosts and start installing wire on the pen to the new building. This is just one pen that is done out of four that will be attached. The building isn't finished as far as trim goes but once I get the divider in and the wire for this pen installed I should be able to move the peafowl in. I still have to have the top board installed for the fencing but that is just a matter of drilling holes, leveling and attaching bolts. As far as I am concerned the trim can wait. We don't even have it yet. We have to be in Topeka during the day time during the week to get it. He may see that differently and argue that I can't hang the fence first. But then I am paying for the thing so I should get some say so shouldn't I?
I just have to get those peafowl out of that horse trailer!! It's been too long.
I've grown lots of mint in the past but always ended up trying to kill it out because it is so invasive and when it blooms it gets so ugly and the bees and bugs swarm it. But the chocolate mint isn't quite as invasive and has prettier stems.
My back is killing me. I just can't seem to slow down these days.

WOW, Danz! You guys were out working hard late last night! I'm so glad you have your posts up! I know you have been wanting to get on that for a while now! Fantastic news! I hope you can get it done enough that you can move your Peas, that would be so fun to see them have some room to strut. I hope my mint doesn't over whelm my garden, so far it is only 2 years old and staying on it's side of the garden. I'll have to keep an eye on it. I have a variegated kind and a regular mint-- I forget their names. If they get out of hand, I might dig them up and go buy the chocolate. Dutch's nursery here has the chocolate mint, because they tried to talk me into it when I was buying the other mints. Wish I had listened! I usually do! But I had already bought a LOAD of plants that day and just didn't want one more.

No one told me they were invasive, though. They kept that to themselves. I guess if they were worried, they'd tell me. I'm in there all the time.

Does anyone have Snowball bushes??? I wanted to buy one and Lowes has a TON of them right now. But I wanted to put it in full-sun and the tag said morning sun only so I didn't buy it. I bought a rose-of-sharon instead to put in the spot I was going to put the Snowball bush. Ah well. Those are pretty too.

Chickens don't get sick on honeysuckle, right?? I'm going to be buying a bunch of that to grow on their pen for shade.

 

[Deerfield Acres]

Hi guys! I've kept up with reading but haven't had much time or energy for replying! Really enjoyed your pics Ivy. Reminds me of Teresa's, she has such pretty landscaping. Danz, I'm remembering the greeting card I told you about!

All you field tripping types, Wednesday seems to be a good day for a field trip. How does that sound?

I'm so tired but have company coming today and a graduation party to attend tonight. I'm sure it will be fun once I get my 10th cup of coffee down my throat!

Have a good day everyone!

 

[Hawkeye95]

Hi guys! I've kept up with reading but haven't had much time or energy for replying! Really enjoyed your pics Ivy. Reminds me of Teresa's, she has such pretty landscaping. Danz, I'm remembering the greeting card I told you about!

All you field tripping types, Wednesday seems to be a good day for a field trip. How does that sound?

I'm so tired but have company coming today and a graduation party to attend tonight. I'm sure it will be fun once I get my 10th cup of coffee down my throat!

Have a good day everyone!

This coming Wednesday? About what time? Morning?? Before it gets too hot? Either way, I'm game!

I'm so envious of everyone's landscaping!! I have really nothing much at all going on out here. We are going to hire someone to come put in a front bed for us this spring/summer. But I don't have any cute pavers or rocks or anything else -- and no shade at all to speak of. Sigh. I keep working on it, though.

 

[chicken danz]

Honeysuckle should be fine for chickens. It is one of those plants you don't want close to the house because of bees and bugs but it would be great to shade your pens. and it smells so good. I've got all these grape vines I bought but am afraid to set them out for fear the chickens will eat them. The whole idea was to have fruit and be able to shade the chicken pens too.
I 'm not anxious to get out today. It's going to be a chilly day. Yesterday was perfect. Not too hot and not too cool and the wind wasn't blowing 100 mph. I should just stay in and get this awful house cleaned but I really really want to get this pen done.
I wish my energy and my budget would hold up to my visual plans. I would have such an awesome place then! But then wouldn't we all.
My dad can't maintain a garden but they've always had one. I think next week I'll go buy him a potted tomato just so he can step out on the deck and pick one every now and then. My best friend works at a commercial greenhouse and she can help me find the best plant for him.
So what does every one else have planned for today?

 

[JosieChick]

I wish my energy and my budget would hold up to my visual plans. I would have such an awesome place then! But then wouldn't we all.

Ditto to that!!!!

I have got to stay in and get this house cleaned so when the MIL comes up tomorrow she doesn't spend a grand amount of time complaining about my housekeeping inadequacies. Hopefully after that I can get out to clear some more brush for the dogs fencing. The puppy is going crazy in the garage, she is so wild with energy with all the cool air! I guess she isn't too uncomfortable after her surgery!

 

[Mandilynn]

Everyone is so busy! I should be ashamed of how lazy I have been. I love the idea of honeysuckle for shade, I have TONS of the stuff growing on the tree line. Does anyone know how hard it is to replant? Danz is right about trying to keep it a little bit away from the house, mine is wild and right outside my back door. The bees are ridiculous, we have tried cutting it out a few times but it comes back just as crazy. I think we are just used to it now, and it does smell wonderful. This is most likely a dumb question but do chickens hold their own with bees? I didn't know if they would be getting stung with honeysuckle so near.

I feel you on the MIL visit Josie. Mine lives very close and has habit of randomly dropping in and just has that look when she sees the house. I am a stay at home mom and have no real excuse for the dishes in the sink or dust on the tv, but my kids are so small right now I would rather take them places or do outside things with them. When they start school I will have plenty of time to wash baseboards or dust ceiling fans, right?

 

[Chickies-duckies-etc]

Everyone is so busy! I should be ashamed of how lazy I have been. I love the idea of honeysuckle for shade, I have TONS of the stuff growing on the tree line. Does anyone know how hard it is to replant? Danz is right about trying to keep it a little bit away from the house, mine is wild and right outside my back door. The bees are ridiculous, we have tried cutting it out a few times but it comes back just as crazy. I think we are just used to it now, and it does smell wonderful. This is most likely a dumb question but do chickens hold their own with bees? I didn't know if they would be getting stung with honeysuckle so near.

I feel you on the MIL visit Josie. Mine lives very close and has habit of randomly dropping in and just has that look when she sees the house. I am a stay at home mom and have no real excuse for the dishes in the sink or dust on the tv, but my kids are so small right now I would rather take them places or do outside things with them. When they start school I will have plenty of time to wash baseboards or dust ceiling fans, right?

I am no expert on the honeysuckle, but I would assume that you would only need to dig a new shoot with some roots and replant it where you want it. I had some in town and it was beginning to take over the whole yard.

Babies and house work. I think there is a poem out there somewhere about that. But. in reality, kids are little for such a short while and they need all the attention you can give them. The dust bunnies and cobwebs will patiently wait their turn. Enjoy your kids while they are little, middle size and big.

 

[Trish44]

Danz, that's so great you're getting your pen built for your peacocks! I've got to get on building my grow-out pen for my chicks, but I had to put that on hold to work on the rabbit hutch & now it has become a lot more of a project than I had envisioned. Isn't that how it usually goes?

I noticed yesterday that one of my red sex link hens went missing & it would have had to have been in the middle of the day since they're shut up at night. I found feathers out at the edge of the woods, so I'm suspecting the darned fox that has plagued my next door neighbors. I guess my pups aren't paying attention in the daytime. I know I hear them at night after things, but during the day they're mostly laying around sleeping. Darned predators anyway, that was one of my best layers. I noticed my RIR rooster is missing most of his tail feathers so I don't know if he tried to defend the hen & lost his tail for it or what. He's usually a pretty good rooster & watches over his hens.

I finished up my hatch last night & I did lose quite a few eggs from that debacle with the hovabator, they just didn't make it. I figured that would happen when I had to use that incubator. Well at least I don't have to deal with that now since I have this GQF cabinet incubator. Oh & for some reason the 2nd little Welsummer chick died during the night. I had thought it was doing better when I went to bed, but I guess not good enough. Well maybe these eggs I'm getting from my friend will do better, at least they won't have to be shipped & stressed that way. It's just hard to get a really good hatch it seems when you have eggs shipped, they just get shaken up too much I think.

It's pretty cool today here, I hope to get some more done on the rabbit hutch today. It's going to take me awhile to take all of those darned screws out of that top board so I can replace it.

Oh & on the field trip thing to Karen's, it will be in the afternoon some time, not sure of time yet.

 

[chicken danz]

I'd let the mother in law clean the house if she has a problem with it. It is your home...not hers.

I haven't really cleaned my house since the funeral. I think cleaning is depressing and I just can't motivate myself. I would just die if anyone came here and saw this mess! A phone call from my kids works just fine!!! That way I don't have to worry about it.