The first three rooms are complete - the posts, beams and floor joists. Charles has to come in to town to get more lumber in order to continue, but next is the beams that will support the upper floor over these three rooms and the exterior walls. The upper floor beams will greatly stabilize the structure, so we can remove the diagonal bracing you can see in all the pictures after the wall structures are in place.
(The picture are down the side there, I've put them in order from top to bottom for now, but the next photos will just be added on top.)
We're working together pretty well, as a team. We put posts and beams in place in the late afternoon when I come home from work. Then Charles puts the floor joists in place during the day. My Uncle Paul comes down to help lift the posts in to place, because it needs three of us, especially for the 16-foot tall posts.
If we didn't have to do anything else, the main structure of the house would probably be complete in a month, but it just doesn't work that way. Our males need new pasture, the female goats are next, then the female sheep and donkeys (together). Plus I'm still putting in the vegetable garden - I need to get that finished this weekend.
Next week we're expecting delivery of a mechanical post driver that goes on the back of the tractor. Charles is almost as excited as one of our friends, Scott Uzzle, who is looking forward to borrowing it. We have a couple thousand feet of permanent cross fencing to put up in the month of June in order to complete a state cost-share contract. And we received a small amount of funding to deal with damage to our fences from the ice storm in January, and we have about 30 days to use that money up, as well.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
One corner is up - and it's almost as big as a house!
Finally we have what so many people have been waiting for so long to see - we have lumber standing on our house site!!! When the first post went into place, I nearly cried with relief. Four posts went up yesterday, as well as the floor beams that connect them at the base and braces to hold everything exactly where we want it. Charles is putting in the floor joists and sub-floor in place for that one section today, and if that goes smoothly, he'll get started fabricating two exterior wall sections to put into place when I get home. And weather permitting, we'll put up a couple more posts this evening. It's nice to finally have progress.
The weather was horrible over the weekend - what else can you expect from a federal holiday. I took Friday off to haul in hay, which we finished before the rain came in Friday night. We still have more to cut and haul, which we hope to do this weekend, into next week. However the weather man is predicting unsettled weather early next week, so maybe not.
The garden was tilled on Sunday morning - sure do love that big tiller on the tractor. Then it rained all afternoon on Sunday. I planted seeds out into the wet garden, hoping it's warm enough to dry out and not let the seeds rot in place. I'll start putting out seedlings this week, too. I don't feel too bad about being behind with my garden, we still have some farmers out planting corn for the first time - nearly a month late.
We filled the rest of the rainy weekend with a project I've been ready to do for about 2 years - paint the bathroom. This is the upstairs bathroom in my dad's house, and it was never really intended for continuous use. We scrubbed the walls and ceiling, repaired damaged dry wall, and painted with mildew-proof paint. Much nicer - bring on the hot showers!
The weather was horrible over the weekend - what else can you expect from a federal holiday. I took Friday off to haul in hay, which we finished before the rain came in Friday night. We still have more to cut and haul, which we hope to do this weekend, into next week. However the weather man is predicting unsettled weather early next week, so maybe not.
The garden was tilled on Sunday morning - sure do love that big tiller on the tractor. Then it rained all afternoon on Sunday. I planted seeds out into the wet garden, hoping it's warm enough to dry out and not let the seeds rot in place. I'll start putting out seedlings this week, too. I don't feel too bad about being behind with my garden, we still have some farmers out planting corn for the first time - nearly a month late.
We filled the rest of the rainy weekend with a project I've been ready to do for about 2 years - paint the bathroom. This is the upstairs bathroom in my dad's house, and it was never really intended for continuous use. We scrubbed the walls and ceiling, repaired damaged dry wall, and painted with mildew-proof paint. Much nicer - bring on the hot showers!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
It's been a busy week, folks. Charles and I went to Tennessee last weekend to visit my mother and celebrate her graduation from Austin Peay State Univerisity with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Professional Studies (basically management with a liberal arts twist). She's been working very hard for the last two years to complete her degree, and was very glad to be finished. So we met a couple of their friends, Brian and Patty, and went to see Elton John and Billy Joel in concert. Talk about a show! Both were terrific pianists and showmen, but for me, Billy Joel stole the show. When he sang "I Love You Just the Way You Are" I almost cried!
On the farm, the weather finally came good, and we were able to cut hay on Monday afternoon. It was raked yesterday, and will be raked again today to turn over the grass for better drying. Tomorrow afternoon, after all threat of rain is gone, we will start baling and hauling. This is just about the hardest single job on the farm. Not only do we have to wait until just the right weather, we have to be rush to make sure it's all done before any more rain. Even a shower on the finished bales will help mould grow, making the hay almost useless.
On Monday, we took our first goat to be processed into meat. It was hard to do, but just like the vegetables we raise, we raise goats (and sheep) for their meat. He had a really good life with us - no fence could keep him in, he was completely free-range - and he will help to meet our goal of sustainability. We should get him back tomorrow.
Tuesday was our final Girl Scout meeting of the school year, so we had a big celebration dinner, prepared by everyone in the troop. Miss Anna and Katelyn made mozzarella cheese to go on the foccacia Molly made. Charles and Ashley made Salade Nicoise. Sarah made sangria punch, then worked with Molly to make calamari. Ashley made butterscotch Congo bars for dessert, and Kelsi potted up some impatiens for table decorations. On Saturday, Molly graduates from high school, but tonight she will be presented with three local scholarships for college and our troop is giving her a lifetime membership to Girl Scouts.
Tomorrow (Friday) is a busy day for us, so I'm taking off work to try to get as much as we can done. We have our first delivery of lumber for the house, a delivery of fencing materials and hay hauling. Then in our spare time - as if! - we'll start cutting ice storm debris off a section of boundary fence line that is due for replacement. I also want to get my vegetable garden planted and our bathroom painted this weekend. Sshhhew!
It'll take me four months to recover from this four day weekend!
On the farm, the weather finally came good, and we were able to cut hay on Monday afternoon. It was raked yesterday, and will be raked again today to turn over the grass for better drying. Tomorrow afternoon, after all threat of rain is gone, we will start baling and hauling. This is just about the hardest single job on the farm. Not only do we have to wait until just the right weather, we have to be rush to make sure it's all done before any more rain. Even a shower on the finished bales will help mould grow, making the hay almost useless.
On Monday, we took our first goat to be processed into meat. It was hard to do, but just like the vegetables we raise, we raise goats (and sheep) for their meat. He had a really good life with us - no fence could keep him in, he was completely free-range - and he will help to meet our goal of sustainability. We should get him back tomorrow.
Tuesday was our final Girl Scout meeting of the school year, so we had a big celebration dinner, prepared by everyone in the troop. Miss Anna and Katelyn made mozzarella cheese to go on the foccacia Molly made. Charles and Ashley made Salade Nicoise. Sarah made sangria punch, then worked with Molly to make calamari. Ashley made butterscotch Congo bars for dessert, and Kelsi potted up some impatiens for table decorations. On Saturday, Molly graduates from high school, but tonight she will be presented with three local scholarships for college and our troop is giving her a lifetime membership to Girl Scouts.
Tomorrow (Friday) is a busy day for us, so I'm taking off work to try to get as much as we can done. We have our first delivery of lumber for the house, a delivery of fencing materials and hay hauling. Then in our spare time - as if! - we'll start cutting ice storm debris off a section of boundary fence line that is due for replacement. I also want to get my vegetable garden planted and our bathroom painted this weekend. Sshhhew!
It'll take me four months to recover from this four day weekend!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Welcome: Arthur "Two Sheds" Jackson!
Yesterday we brought home a new member of our farm - Arthur "Two Sheds" Jackson, the miniature donkey. He is the son of our other mini donkey, Shrek. We'll call him Two Sheds, for short. This morning, as I took these pictures of Two Sheds, Shrek brayed just to remind me that he hadn't been fed breakfast yet, and Two Sheds stood to attention, ears straight up, and brayed back.
When I left, Shrek was running back and forth along the side of the barn where Two Sheds is in the infirmary. He was braying and kicking up his heels. This evening Two Sheds will be able to go out to the field with his dad.
Two Sheds is only about 8 months old, but is already almost full height and weighs about 200 pounds. He was very well behaved during capture, transport and castration, but he hasn't been handled much, and certainly isn't halter broken. He'll need a little work to get ready for visitors, but he's young and will learn fast.
For those of you who don't know (and a probably better off that way), Arthur "Two Sheds" Jackson is a reference to a Monty Python sketch about a serious musician being interviewed by a man who is only interested in finding out about his two sheds. I'm sure if you really wanted to, you could find it on YouTube. It was Charles's choice - officially the donkeys are his birthday and Christmas presents.
When I left, Shrek was running back and forth along the side of the barn where Two Sheds is in the infirmary. He was braying and kicking up his heels. This evening Two Sheds will be able to go out to the field with his dad.
Two Sheds is only about 8 months old, but is already almost full height and weighs about 200 pounds. He was very well behaved during capture, transport and castration, but he hasn't been handled much, and certainly isn't halter broken. He'll need a little work to get ready for visitors, but he's young and will learn fast.
For those of you who don't know (and a probably better off that way), Arthur "Two Sheds" Jackson is a reference to a Monty Python sketch about a serious musician being interviewed by a man who is only interested in finding out about his two sheds. I'm sure if you really wanted to, you could find it on YouTube. It was Charles's choice - officially the donkeys are his birthday and Christmas presents.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Beautiful Spring Morning
I picked up the Sunday paper from the mailbox this morning and walked back thinking what a beautiful place I have to live in. After almost 6 weeks of unusually wet weather, this morning is all blue skies, sunshine, and mild temperature. The animals were quiet (after already being fed) and bees were starting to visit the creeping thyme flowers in my new front lawn. If only I didn't have to spend the morning dealing with two broody, moody, mean hens who need to be booted our of their nest boxes.
I've been arguing with these two girls for about a week now, and with one of them for almost two weeks. I've got a wire cage to put them into, to cool their tail feathers off, but it's been so rainy, I hated to take them out of their usual cozy coop. But today's the day. It might take two of us.
Charles will probably spend most of the day on the tractor, mowing the fields that will make our next paddocks. The only good thing about the wet, mild weather is that the grass is definitely growing. But it's too wet to cut and cure hay, so we just have to wait to do anything about it.
Our last goat kid of the year, Lily, has already had a hard life. She got bitten on one ear by our miniature donkey, Shrek, when she was only 10 days old, and now more than three-quarters of that ear has fallen off. Then I noticed she received another nip from him on her back. I'm sure he doesn't mean to hury her, but he plays too rough. I've just ordered a muzzle for Shrek that will allow him to eat and graze, but will stop the biting. We're picking up Shrek's son on Tuesday to bring him home, and hopefully that will give Shrek someone close to his own size to play with.
I've been arguing with these two girls for about a week now, and with one of them for almost two weeks. I've got a wire cage to put them into, to cool their tail feathers off, but it's been so rainy, I hated to take them out of their usual cozy coop. But today's the day. It might take two of us.
Charles will probably spend most of the day on the tractor, mowing the fields that will make our next paddocks. The only good thing about the wet, mild weather is that the grass is definitely growing. But it's too wet to cut and cure hay, so we just have to wait to do anything about it.
Our last goat kid of the year, Lily, has already had a hard life. She got bitten on one ear by our miniature donkey, Shrek, when she was only 10 days old, and now more than three-quarters of that ear has fallen off. Then I noticed she received another nip from him on her back. I'm sure he doesn't mean to hury her, but he plays too rough. I've just ordered a muzzle for Shrek that will allow him to eat and graze, but will stop the biting. We're picking up Shrek's son on Tuesday to bring him home, and hopefully that will give Shrek someone close to his own size to play with.
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