What did you do in the garden today?

[Pensmaster]

@Pensmaster Y'all please stay alert and be safe. Had a friend lose his home in a wildfire in Malibu. Luckily everyone there, including animals, all safe.

Thanks. I really try to watch closely this time of year. We unfortunately live at the end of a road. There is another road out but it's through a neighbors yard through a gate. I figure I would not be trying to unlock it but just drive though it if it came to that.
Was it recent? We've had several close calls here in past years. One took out a friends dads barn. Had all their antiques in it. Fortunately no one was hurt through it all but 4 houses and several outbuildings were destroyed.
Another one a neighbor was scraping grass for fire break. Air tankers on that one flew right over our house. Felt like I could have touched it with a long pole. Actually blocked the sun for few seconds. They painted his house pink with the retardant. Man that's some slippery stuff.

 

[NorthTexasWink]

Yes, it was just last week or so his house burned. Sad.

Please: Get you a lock/bolt cutter to keep handy. Maybe prepack some things you can't bear to lose (family heirlooms, pictures) and copies of important papers, a change of clothing, basic supplies like you'd take on a long road trip. Keep vehicles gassed up. The less time you have to spend getting out, the more time to get away. I've had to bug out from flooding. Trust me when I say there's never enough time.

I'll be keeping you and everyone out that way in my thoughts.

 

[CapricornFarm]

We just missed having a big thunderstorm today, passed just south of us. We really didn't need any more rain. I have been designing a chicken coop, and i figured about $600 for an 8x10 coop with a floor. Seems excessive to me. I will have to see what the husband thinks. I need a few chickens to go with my guinea keets, but with minimums and shipping and everything it is just crazy. Maybe i can find a few chicks here in VA. My pumpkin seeds have sprouted!

 

[NorthTexasWink]

@CapricornFarm Grats on the pumpkins! And grats on avoiding more rain too! I didn't get any more this evening, yet. Still got a chance at it. I sure don't need it now, and no way to store more rainwater.

About cutting costs on a coop and run, have you looked for building supplies on Craig's List, Habitat for Humanity ReHome stores, salvage yards, or such? Around here, we see all kinds of free or really cheap building materials, doghouses, sheds, and such that can be repurposed or torn apart for building materials. Sometimes it just takes a little imagination. I'm making some windows and vents from old solid wood picture frames with hardware cloth stretched over them. Got the frames free and cheap from garage sales, curbside giveaways.

I also have to tell you a great "secret" source of good supplies and materials. Check to see if you have any local auctions of abandoned storage units or containers. Like that show "Storage Wars", but now mostly online. I've been flipping the items from those units for many years myself. If you need something specific, you often can find it in a cheap unit if you just wait and watch. Construction materials (except tools) often go really cheap. I've got a few tricks I use, but honestly it's not rocket science and anyone can do at least as well as I did my first few times. Just be sure you read the conditions and rules before you bid, bring a broom to clean up after, and wear gloves!

 

[CapricornFarm]

@CapricornFarm Grats on the pumpkins! And grats on avoiding more rain too! I didn't get any more this evening, yet. Still got a chance at it. I sure don't need it now, and no way to store more rainwater.

About cutting costs on a coop and run, have you looked for building supplies on Craig's List, Habitat for Humanity ReHome stores, salvage yards, or such? Around here, we see all kinds of free or really cheap building materials, doghouses, sheds, and such that can be repurposed or torn apart for building materials. Sometimes it just takes a little imagination. I'm making some windows and vents from old solid wood picture frames with hardware cloth stretched over them. Got the frames free and cheap from garage sales, curbside giveaways.

I also have to tell you a great "secret" source of good supplies and materials. Check to see if you have any local auctions of abandoned storage units or containers. Like that show "Storage Wars", but now mostly online. I've been flipping the items from those units for many years myself. If you need something specific, you often can find it in a cheap unit if you just wait and watch. Construction materials (except tools) often go really cheap. I've got a few tricks I use, but honestly it's not rocket science and anyone can do at least as well as I did my first few times. Just be sure you read the conditions and rules before you bid, bring a broom to clean up after, and wear gloves!

The problem here is that we are in the middle of no where so lots of sources would cost a lot to go get in gas. I do have dog runs for the chicken and guinea runs. And i can probably get a lot of pallets, but they take time and energy to pull apart and it is easy to break the boards. One bonus, i do have some sheets of plywood we brought along and two pieces of metal roofing i bought for bunny cages i can use. Maybe if i only buy so much lumber at a time he won't notice how much i spend? I am hoping to use our existing door for the coop once we find a door with a window to replace the solid door we have. I suppose if i were stronger i could build a mini log cabin since we have so much timber here!

 

[karenerwin]

The other day when I was cutting grass I saw a no box turtle laying eggs by the turkey run fence! I gave her a wide berth so i didn't disturb her. I hope they hatch! I love turtles. Today I butchered 3 meat chickens. I'm not very fast at it, so all I got done in the garden was planting my sunflower seeds

 

[CapricornFarm]

The other day when I was cutting grass I saw a no box turtle laying eggs by the turkey run fence! I gave her a wide berth so i didn't disturb her. I hope they hatch! I love turtles. Today I butchered 3 meat chickens. I'm not very fast at it, so all I got done in the garden was planting my sunflower seeds

 

[CapricornFarm]

Ooh, you planted sunflower? The race is on! Did you plant all of them or only part? Tomorrow i need to cut the one piece of wood left to finish my brooder and get it painted. My wheel barrow is full of soggy soil, so maybe i can dig a trench to put it in and plant more of my sunflowers! Or, i may be pounding in t posts, you never know.

 

[Pensmaster]

Ooh, you planted sunflower? The race is on! Did you plant all of them or only part? Tomorrow i need to cut the one piece of wood left to finish my brooder and get it painted. My wheel barrow is full of soggy soil, so maybe i can dig a trench to put it in and plant more of my sunflowers! Or, i may be pounding in t posts, you never know.

We planted two packets. Kinda like set all eggs some may not hatch. Huh chicken math!!!!
I do have a person in the area on Craig's list that has about 10 varieties of English Orpingtons may pay her a visit this weekend if I get my pens organized. Some culling to do on my Altsterier so that I have two roosters and several hens. I already have Lavender Orpingtons and wanted a different line added.

 

[Pensmaster]

The other day when I was cutting grass I saw a no box turtle laying eggs by the turkey run fence! I gave her a wide berth so i didn't disturb her. I hope they hatch! I love turtles. Today I butchered 3 meat chickens. I'm not very fast at it, so all I got done in the garden was planting my sunflower seeds

Our neighbors had a slider turtle lay eggs. They did hatch but not before she did some helping. Her son mentioned that they should have hatched already when she said they are not hatching. On inspecting the nest they found the ground had hardened like concrete after breaking the crust they found several dead but some that were still trying to get out. So some saved.
Glad you got sunflower seeds planted ours are decorative varieties the seed pack had several kinds in it.