What a day...What a week...How was yours? Vent here and feel the love!

[CABINHOLLOWNC]

So...I know I'm not alone in in the world...there have to be others who have stressful jobs, stressful family life or just need to vent and move on!?

My little feathered babies are such great little stress relievers! When I've had a bad day or week (right now it's been 3 weeks...but I'll get to that later when I go first). I call my chicken therapy "Chickens & Coctails". I make them a snack (tonight it was roasted pumpkin and puréed apples). Then I pour myself a glass of wine or grab a cold beer and head out to the AWESOME chicken coop my FANTASTIC husband built for me! I put the snacks out in the attached run for the babies and I pull down the comfphy wood chair I have hanging on the wall and take a seat! I sit and watch them eat and coo and chirp. They all come in to hang out with me and see what I'm up to. I'm busy chopping up the organic marigolds I grow for them along with rosemary, thyme and sage. We talk to each other and just hang out...what can I say...it works for me!

If you do this too or have other great ideas to decompress...feel free to share!

On to my need for stress relief...long story short (I'll try to keep it short)...I work in a busy high stress Information Technology job. For the last three weeks I've had to manage a team of 13 techs (I'm not in management and have no want need or desire to be)! But the perfect storm happened and due to circumstances beyond anyone's control the supervisor and the other lead tech both had personal emergencies and we were already short staffed with two huge projects at critical points. So for three weeks, I've been the manager. There were days that were rough...but my babies were there each evening to greet me and relieve the stress! I'm extremely happy to report that both projects were completed successfully, all of the employees needs were met and nobody died by my hand or otherwise...LOL! Come Monday, the other lead will be back to take over the acting supervisor duties! So YAY ME...I survived...and my babies deserve some recognition for taking care of their momma (as does my husband of course)! Here are some pictures of the therapy sessions. Ok...who is next??

They love their herbs and marigolds!!

...and last but not least a sweet goodnight from my sweet babies...

 

[CapricornFarm]

Hey neighbor! I live in Southwest Virginia. I built my own coop but its going slow because there are so many other projects going on. Right now i am out in the pasture babysitting the fire. We are clearing brush for the new goat shed we are having built. But no rain in the last 2 weeks so here i am with the hose , tending the fire.
My stress is mostly health problems but sometimes frustration with DH. We see everything from very different perspectives.
Here is my coop: still working on the siding on this side.
And here is the area we have been working to clear for 3 days and nights.

 

[Rickba]

It looks like your husband did a really nice job on the coops, tell him I said hi and well done. Here's my story and I'm stickin' to it. . I retired from the military 2 years a go after being wounded in A'stan. I was going to retire soon anyways after a life in the military, this tour just cut a few years off. After the government and the military finally settled up we now have enough income so my wife could retire also, so she did. Just as she retired her mother was diagnosed with cancer so she is taking care of her mother now. Before I was wounded my hobby was I was a builder of fine flintlock rifles and muskets. I can't build guns any more so my chickens are now my, I don't like to say hobby, family. When I feel down and miss my wonderful wife I like to sit in the run and let my chickens jump all over me while I hand feet 'em meal worms and cut up acorns that have fallen from the oak tree behind the run. Here's a couple pic's. One of a gun I built and a few other stuffs. Now I make long bows, American Indian Bows and arrows. The last pic is me at a French and Indian War Re-enactment with a North West Trade Gun I made. God Bless.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Thank

It looks like your husband did a really nice job on the coops, tell him I said hi and well done. Here's my story and I'm stickin' to it. . I retired from the military 2 years a go after being wounded in A'stan. I was going to retire soon anyways after a life in the military, this tour just cut a few years off. After the government and the military finally settled up we now have enough income so my wife could retire also, so she did. Just as she retired her mother was diagnosed with cancer so she is taking care of her mother now. Before I was wounded my hobby was I was a builder of fine flintlock rifles and muskets. I can't build guns any more so my chickens are now my, I don't like to say hobby, family. When I feel down and miss my wonderful wife I like to sit in the run and let my chickens jump all over me while I hand feet 'em meal worms and cut up acorns that have fallen from the oak tree behind the run. Here's a couple pic's. One of a gun I built and a few other stuffs. Now I make long bows, American Indian Bows and arrows. The last pic is me at a French and Indian War Re-enactment with a North West Trade Gun I made. God Bless.
View attachment 1148457
View attachment 1148458
View attachment 1148460View attachment 1148464

Thank you for your service, Rickba! You are appreciated. Nice guns, amazing what you can build. Looks like a good set up for your chickens. Do you have any other pets or livestock?

 

[CABINHOLLOWNC]

Hey neighbor! I live in Southwest Virginia. I built my own coop but its going slow because there are so many other projects going on. Right now i am out in the pasture babysitting the fire. We are clearing brush for the new goat shed we are having built. But no rain in the last 2 weeks so here i am with the hose , tending the fire.
My stress is mostly health problems but sometimes frustration with DH. We see everything from very different perspectives.
Here is my coop:View attachment 1148463 View attachment 1148463 still working on the siding on this side.
And here is the area we have been working to clear for 3 days and nights.View attachment 1148465

Hey neighbor!! That coop is cute as a bugs ear! I know how you feel about project...there just isn't enough daylight to get it all done! We have a lot of clearing to do to...but have decided to wait till nature dies it back some and its cooler and less bugs! Do you already have goats or are you getting ready to get some?

 

[CABINHOLLOWNC]

It looks like your husband did a really nice job on the coops, tell him I said hi and well done. Here's my story and I'm stickin' to it. . I retired from the military 2 years a go after being wounded in A'stan. I was going to retire soon anyways after a life in the military, this tour just cut a few years off. After the government and the military finally settled up we now have enough income so my wife could retire also, so she did. Just as she retired her mother was diagnosed with cancer so she is taking care of her mother now. Before I was wounded my hobby was I was a builder of fine flintlock rifles and muskets. I can't build guns any more so my chickens are now my, I don't like to say hobby, family. When I feel down and miss my wonderful wife I like to sit in the run and let my chickens jump all over me while I hand feet 'em meal worms and cut up acorns that have fallen from the oak tree behind the run. Here's a couple pic's. One of a gun I built and a few other stuffs. Now I make long bows, American Indian Bows and arrows. The last pic is me at a French and Indian War Re-enactment with a North West Trade Gun I made. God Bless.
View attachment 1148457
View attachment 1148458
View attachment 1148460View attachment 1148464

First and foremost, thank you for your service!! I'm sorry to hear about your mother in law. I'm sure it's a stressful time for both you and your wife and I'll keep you both in my thoughts and prayers. I'm sure you miss her...I know I would miss my husband if we were separated! But on the up side, you have your feathered therapists! People think I'm nuts when I talk about how much fun my chickens are and how much joy they bring me!!

As for your weapon making...WOW!!! What a talent!! It is a piece of art!!!

Take care of yourself and stop by this thread and let us know how you and your family are doing!

 

[CapricornFarm]

Hey neighbor!! That coop is cute as a bugs ear! I know how you feel about project...there just isn't enough daylight to get it all done! We have a lot of clearing to do to...but have decided to wait till nature dies it back some and its cooler and less bugs! Do you already have goats or are you getting ready to get some?

I used to have 100 goats when i lived in TN! But we sold all the livestock to move back to FL because parents needed help. Now that is settled and we found our retirement home, a log cabin on the Pigg River. I made the coop look that way so it resembles the house. We don't have goats yet, we have a lot of fencing to do and no shelter for them. We have 14 freeloading guineas who refuse to go forage for bugs, 2 EE pullets that live with them and 12 each of Speckled Sussex and Polish youngsters. A German Shepherd, a Papillon and two Siamese cats. I want to get Nigerian Dwarf goats.

 

[CABINHOLLOWNC]

Oh...and here is the outside of the coop...he really did out do himself!!

 

[CapricornFarm]

Just beautiful, i love it!

 

[CABINHOLLOWNC]

I used to have 100 goats when i lived in TN! But we sold all the livestock to move back to FL because parents needed help. Now that is settled and we found our retirement home, a log cabin on the Pigg River. I made the coop look that way so it resembles the house. We don't have goats yet, we have a lot of fencing to do and no shelter for them. We have 14 freeloading guineas who refuse to go forage for bugs, 2 EE pullets that live with them and 12 each of Speckled Sussex and Polish youngsters. A German Shepherd, a Papillon and two Siamese cats. I want to get Nigerian Dwarf goats.

We have a log cabin too!! We love it! We have one horse (a Belgian/Quarter horse Mix), a dog (Akita), two cats (one that was given to me and one that just showed up and stayed) and 19 chickens (2 Marans, 6 Faverolles, 2 Olive Eggers, 2 Easter Eggers, 3 ISA Browns, 3 California Whites and 1 Ameraucana). I want to get a Highland Cow next year...but we'll see how it goes!