I am pooped. Just got back from an overnight trip; I headed up the hill Friday with the dogs and the first wave of my flock. No, I don't have water yet, but these are all brooder chicks, except for Kate the gosling and Gwen, an almost-House Chicken Porcelain D'Uccle who I just haven't put outside yet. Easy enough to keep watered with the five gallon bucket trip from the hose attached to my neighbor's spigot.
Y'see, I was gifted with some chicks in return for a kindness I provided someone last year. She asked me if I would like some of her Buff Brahma chicks... Oh, you betcha! So she shipped them and I picked them up at the post office Friday morning at 7:30 a.m. The package was a day late and two of the 14 chicks were dead. She sent Buff Brahmas, Dark Brahmas and Lavender Orpingtons.
Kate the gosling is getting far too big to stay in the biggest Rubbermaid tub with her Packing Peanuts contingent of mostly cockerels. (There are actually two pullets in the group!)
So, 'round about noon-ish, I repackaged the gift chicks in their shipping carton, put Gwen the D'Uccle in a very small pet carrier, found a box for the 10 Packing Peanuts and another, taller box to contain Kate and loaded everybody into the car. The dogs refused to stay home and every time I opened a car door, both of them would jump in. I'd shoo them out, they'd circle the car and jump in again. Okay, fine, you're going.
Kate whistled the entire way. She got a bit more brave on the trip and began to poke her head up over the top of the tall box to look around.
I did not stop for anything.
The kiddie pool I bought recently for brooding and eventual goose splashing received some pine shavings and I set up an EcoGlow brooder in it, and another in a parakeet flight cage for the newest arrivals. I just let Gwen out of the pet carrier. She scooted around on the hardwood floor checking everybody out.
Here's Zorro, my totally reformed chicken killer, trying to find chick feed to eat.
Here's Gwen IN the kiddie pool with Kate and the Packing Peanuts. Those little chicks were SO funny - they'd get on the edge, jump down onto the floor, then panic and flap their ways back up to the rim and back into the kiddie pool. Kate didn't try to get out of it at all, but then again it's larger than the Rubbermaid bin from which I removed them.
John the contractor has finished the electrical work in the coop, has run PVC pipe for water and created a two-faucet outlet for me just inside and to the side of the coop door. However, no water yet. So he's leaving the trenches open until he can test everything under pressure. (I will take pictures of that stuff tomorrow and post them on Monday evening.)
The pump guy completed the flow test Friday, too, and called me with the news, "You got a good well, there! Maintains an 18 gpm flow. I'm on my way back to the office to work up costs to get water to your house - will you be growing a garden, so I know what horsepower pump you need?"
Yessiree, Bob! Err, Joe... And his costs, including the flow test, total
just over half of the LOWEST estimate of drilling the house's original well deeper.
All the babies are safely ensconced in the second bedroom; because John completed securing the coop today, they'll all go into it tomorrow upon my return. He mortared over the split in the foundation and covered all other small gaps - possible chick escape points - with solid wood pieces screwed into place. I applied a last coat of primer and gooped paint into all the siding whatever-they're-called so there is NO opening for rainwater to get into that new wall. Tomorrow I will paint it green. Later this week the contractor will install the light-sensor fixture on a corner of the coop at the head of one half of my driveway. It's a lovely carriage type lamp, not at all "utilitarian" in appearance.
And the fence is complete and gorgeous. The lodge poles look pleasant at each of the three gates, and the rest of the No-Climb wire spans almost disappear from view, so the yard is visible and my security perimeter does not shout "FENCE! KEEP OUT!" It fits. Looks great. I'm very happy with it.
Lowe's delivered my appliances this afternoon. The driver said he [thinks he] "took the long way there." He may very well have done so, because the route - the correct one - is Highway 16 for the entire distance, but changes street names three times. If you aren't paying attention, you could THINK you were lost and take a wrong turn trying to correct something that is perfectly fine.
Pictures of the appliance next update. They're so pretty! I mean, for a washing machine, dryer and oven range.
There is every good chance I will have running water by this time next weekend.