We have chicks! They were hatched at the end of February, so they're about 2.5 weeks old.
Like everything else, I had researched the heck out of chickens. After much googling, we finally landed on our plan: buy four chicks: two buff orpingtons and two barred plymouth rocks. I was going to check the two farm stores in town and if neither had the birds we wanted, I was going to mail order them.
On a Friday afternoon, Todd and I scoped out one farm store. Jackpot. They had what we were after. But, I wanted to see what the other store would have since store #1 had a six chick minimum. We took the boys and checked out store #2 on Saturday and it was a bust--mostly straight-run chicks (this means they haven't determined if they are male or female) and also a six chick minimum. By this point, T suggested we just go to store #1 and get some chicks. Since I had researched the heck out chickens, I knew what we needed to get, I though: why not?
When we got to store #1, we found out that the were all sold out of barred rock chicks (because, obviously, they are the best. That's the breed I picked out.) They still had the buff orpingtons which I've sold the boys on, so there was really no turning back. Also, since they have the six chick minimum it wasn't an option to buy a few buffs and go back later for the rocks. So...on the fly I picked out some ameraucanas because they lay blue eggs.
That's the story of how we ended up with six chicks instead of four and with ameraucanas instead of barred rocks. Oh well. Best laid plans...mumble mumble...
In my ten days as a chick watcher, I've learned these things:
1. Chick are little peckers. They peck everything and anything but especially each other. In fact, I was so concerned about their abusive behavior that I googled too much and found out that chickens really will peck each other to death if they get the taste of blood. I mean, I guess I should have known this from cock fighting, but I thought that might be more nurture than nature. Anyhow, we've still got the original six, and they are mostly sort of grooming-pecking one another for now. For now. Peckers.
2. Chicks act like middle schoolers. They huddle together most of the time. No one wants to be the first to try anything and then once one person likes something they all like something. In the last two days, they've been showing off for one another by seeing who can fly to the top of the feeder. They try to take cool things from one another--like particularly cool pieces of pine bedding. (Also, see number one.)
3. Chicks poop at a rate of approximately one poop per chicken every 18 minutes and they don't mind walking in it or pecking at it or laying in it.
4. Chicks prefer arugula to spinach. Picky peckers. In the last couple of days, when I offer a veggie treat, they form this mob which would be sort of alarming if not for their inefficiencies. They can only get a bite if they peck off some, but not too much. If it falls to the ground, it is dead to them (which seems reasonable, given #3). They eat plenty though, and I can visibly see them getting bigger and growing more feathers everyday. I only hope their brooder box (aka rubbermade tote) is big enough for them until they can go into the yet-unbuilt coop.
5. This is really the most important observation: chicks look ridiculously dead when they are sleeping. They fall down quickly and sprawl in a way you've seen every dead bird in your life sprawl. I spent a lot of time poking the chicks the first few days to make sure they were alive. (Yes, yes, that makes me a pecker poker. Ha ha.)
Speaking of coops...this week was my spring break. I was going to do nine million home projects including building the cutest darn mobile coop you've ever seen. And then I got the stomach flu. I haven't done a SINGLE thing I wanted to. On the upside, no one else in the family has got the bug yet and I still have four more days. Maybe I can get to one or two things now that I'm upright again, eating, and wearing pants.
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
CLOSET: THE GOOD, BAD, AND SMELLY
One thing we liked about this house was the closet in the master bedroom. (Actually, it connects to the master bathroom, but who's keeping score?) To us, it is huge--4 feet by 12 feet. I don't know if we've ever shared a closet before. If we did, it was more than ten years ago. And, now, we both fit in the closet. It's amazing.
However, the closet, as it was, was a little rustic and didn't optimize the 48 square feet. There was one long 11+ foot pipe for hanging clothes, and some long shelves. There were a million tie/belt holders. And, there was some ugly, old carpet. The walls are a chipboard cedar.
So, for my birthday, I asked for a closet system and I got one. We bought parts from the ALGOT system from Ikea. And here's how it's looking now.
I really like it. We had a couple of install issues though. First, we couldn't figure out how to put the brackets in. (You have to remove the plastic first.) And, then, there was the time I tried to move my shelves and hanging rods up to the top spot on the wall support and the whole thing crashed down on me. (So, FYI, you cannot use the top slot in the wall support if you've used the horizontal hanging bars.) But, after lots of moving bits around to get it just right, we were able to fit everything back in and then some. I'm really pleased with it and only somewhat terrified that it will fall on me again.
As you can see, we pulled up the carpet and found a plywood subfloor. We thought, "Oh, cool. We'll just paint that, throw a rug down, and call it done." The subfloor was clean and smooth. It's a closet--who needs a fancy floor. Well...that was before we spent ten hours in the closet and we discovered that the floor was just plain stanky (stinky + skanky). I can't describe the smell exactly but it's leathery, sweaty, and metallic. Todd thinks it smells like feet. It's awful. (See the candle in the picture above? We were trying to de-stink the place.)
So, the next day I primed the floor hoping that it would seal in any odors. It didn't.
Today I bought some closet deodorizers. I really hope that helps. I think our next options are to put another floor down--maybe laminate? or a sheet of vinyl? Or, we've got to pry up that stinky plywood and hope that the wood floor underneath that is solid and non-smelly. Or, put down a new subfloor. I don't like these options. Stay tuned.
However, the closet, as it was, was a little rustic and didn't optimize the 48 square feet. There was one long 11+ foot pipe for hanging clothes, and some long shelves. There were a million tie/belt holders. And, there was some ugly, old carpet. The walls are a chipboard cedar.
 |
| ugly carpet |
 |
| looooong pipe for hanging |
 |
| shelves |
 |
| shoe shelves, tie racks |
So, for my birthday, I asked for a closet system and I got one. We bought parts from the ALGOT system from Ikea. And here's how it's looking now.
I really like it. We had a couple of install issues though. First, we couldn't figure out how to put the brackets in. (You have to remove the plastic first.) And, then, there was the time I tried to move my shelves and hanging rods up to the top spot on the wall support and the whole thing crashed down on me. (So, FYI, you cannot use the top slot in the wall support if you've used the horizontal hanging bars.) But, after lots of moving bits around to get it just right, we were able to fit everything back in and then some. I'm really pleased with it and only somewhat terrified that it will fall on me again.
As you can see, we pulled up the carpet and found a plywood subfloor. We thought, "Oh, cool. We'll just paint that, throw a rug down, and call it done." The subfloor was clean and smooth. It's a closet--who needs a fancy floor. Well...that was before we spent ten hours in the closet and we discovered that the floor was just plain stanky (stinky + skanky). I can't describe the smell exactly but it's leathery, sweaty, and metallic. Todd thinks it smells like feet. It's awful. (See the candle in the picture above? We were trying to de-stink the place.)
So, the next day I primed the floor hoping that it would seal in any odors. It didn't.
Today I bought some closet deodorizers. I really hope that helps. I think our next options are to put another floor down--maybe laminate? or a sheet of vinyl? Or, we've got to pry up that stinky plywood and hope that the wood floor underneath that is solid and non-smelly. Or, put down a new subfloor. I don't like these options. Stay tuned.
STITCHED
So, let me begin by noting that B is 8 1/2 and S is 6 1/2 and neither have had a stitch, break, or sprain...until now. So, that's a combined 15 years of parenting. Not too shabby, right?
One morning last week, B stepped out of the car for school and slipped immediately on the ice. His feet went back and he went forward. His hands went down, but not fast enough. He banged his chin and broke it open.
So, we started our day at the ER. B was a champ. The doc put in three stitches and then cut one out--I believe this still counts as three stitches--and B didn't make a peep. So brave! (Someone--I won't name names--nearly passed out and maybe, just maybe, ran into a post in the parking lot at the hospital that morning. Whoops!)
One morning last week, B stepped out of the car for school and slipped immediately on the ice. His feet went back and he went forward. His hands went down, but not fast enough. He banged his chin and broke it open.
So, we started our day at the ER. B was a champ. The doc put in three stitches and then cut one out--I believe this still counts as three stitches--and B didn't make a peep. So brave! (Someone--I won't name names--nearly passed out and maybe, just maybe, ran into a post in the parking lot at the hospital that morning. Whoops!)
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Good-bye doors
The farmhouse kitchen is ugly. The wallpaper, the carpet, the cabinets--all drab & dreary. When we moved in I wanted to remove this row of cupboards that visually cut off the prep area from the seating area. I decided we need the cabinets for storage, so we did the next best thing: we took off the doors. It does help bring light into the prep area. I don't know if it is any prettier!
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| BEFORE |
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| AFTER |
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| AFTER (Note the moving boxes! So many boxes!) |
Month One: Beginning Projects
It's hard to believe we've almost been in the farmhouse for 4 weeks already. To be honest, it's been mostly about survival. As I mentioned, we moved in a day before the coldest weather in two decades and a big snow storm that caused schools to be closed for the boys for a week. Since then, it has been snowing on and off with periods of bitter cold. Schools were canceled/delayed again for a couple days this week for cold.
We were feeling grateful to be warm and toasty in the farmhouse until we learned that we burned through almost a half-tank of propane in 3 weeks, that there was a nationwide shortage, and that the cost per gallon had skyrocketed. We had to turn down our central heat & use the baseboard heat more. Since we don't have electric heat in all of the rooms, some of the rooms are chilly. (Upside is that we don't really have furniture in those rooms yet anyway.) So, it's been hard. I think we'll get a little more propane tomorrow and pay a million dollars for it (a slight exaggeration) which hopefully can last us until prices go back closer to normal. The things you learn!
But, we've made great progress on unpacking. We are pretty much box free in all of the living spaces. We have one room upstairs, that will probably become my craft room, which is housing a few boxes and Todd is sorting through boxes still in his office (in the "parlor").
We have a washer and dryer now, which is a huge relief. We did a little demo on the laundry/mudroom before they were installed since it would be hard to do after. Then we stalled out on that project a bit. We have some decisions to make about how to proceed/how that room should function that we need to puzzle out before we continue.
I've been able to do three small projects. The first was to replace one piece of ugly in the master bath. The master bath has issues. It is partially divided into two rooms--one with sinks and one with the toilet and bath. There's a bunch of wallpaper and a bunch of brass--not our thing. One of the brass things was a standing toilet paper holder. I found this cool alternative at PB; I liked how it would hold extra rolls--we have no storage anywhere near the toilet. It would be majorly awkward to go the bathroom and find out there was no paper...I've left a little space for you to imagine that. But I didn't want to spend $50 on a TP holder, so I found a basket at TJ Maxx for $10, a dowel at Meijer for $3, and made my own.
According to the internets, I need to wax/oil this if I want to use it for food prep, which I think I will now. After sanding off all the old guck and washing with peroxide & dish soap, I think it's food worthy again.
Finally, I had to set up what the folks o' pinterest are now calling "command centers." I call it control-the-paper-crap-before-it-makes-you-nuts. Same thing, really. I located it in the room without a name...I guess it's another mudroom which is connected to the master bath, dining room, kitchen, family room, basement, and laundry/mudroom. Maybe it is the room of six doors? It used to house an antique stove that we had moved out before we moved in. (It was cool, but not for us.)
Anywho, the room is the spot where backpacks come in & get thrown on the floor now. It needs new paint badly, but I needed to get our paper piles in order sooner rather than later. Thus, I hung up some items we had at the last house in different rooms: wire wall baskets, dry erase calendar, and small cork boards. We now have a dedicated spot for spelling lists, class calendars, mail/bills, our family calendar, and other school papers. (I swear to god we get about 50 pages home each week for each kid.) I like that it isn't in the kitchen--or anywhere else you might lounge about--because I don't even like looking at contained paper clutter.
Well, I think that's it. Small projects that are close to essential needs: TP, clean counters, and keeping up with bills and homework.
Next month, I hope to get a wallpaper steamer and get started on what is sure to be a loooooong process of de-wallpapering the house.
We were feeling grateful to be warm and toasty in the farmhouse until we learned that we burned through almost a half-tank of propane in 3 weeks, that there was a nationwide shortage, and that the cost per gallon had skyrocketed. We had to turn down our central heat & use the baseboard heat more. Since we don't have electric heat in all of the rooms, some of the rooms are chilly. (Upside is that we don't really have furniture in those rooms yet anyway.) So, it's been hard. I think we'll get a little more propane tomorrow and pay a million dollars for it (a slight exaggeration) which hopefully can last us until prices go back closer to normal. The things you learn!
But, we've made great progress on unpacking. We are pretty much box free in all of the living spaces. We have one room upstairs, that will probably become my craft room, which is housing a few boxes and Todd is sorting through boxes still in his office (in the "parlor").
We have a washer and dryer now, which is a huge relief. We did a little demo on the laundry/mudroom before they were installed since it would be hard to do after. Then we stalled out on that project a bit. We have some decisions to make about how to proceed/how that room should function that we need to puzzle out before we continue.
I've been able to do three small projects. The first was to replace one piece of ugly in the master bath. The master bath has issues. It is partially divided into two rooms--one with sinks and one with the toilet and bath. There's a bunch of wallpaper and a bunch of brass--not our thing. One of the brass things was a standing toilet paper holder. I found this cool alternative at PB; I liked how it would hold extra rolls--we have no storage anywhere near the toilet. It would be majorly awkward to go the bathroom and find out there was no paper...I've left a little space for you to imagine that. But I didn't want to spend $50 on a TP holder, so I found a basket at TJ Maxx for $10, a dowel at Meijer for $3, and made my own.
I was quite happy with how it turned out. B was less impressed. He said: "That's not a toilet paper holder. That's a basket with a pole in it." Hard to impress, that one.
Next up was the butcher block in the kitchen. It's a small section of countertop next to the stove. It was NASTY. Like, I didn't even want to put a pot on it, nasty. Inspired by the ever awesome Nicole Curtis, I decided to sand it down and see what it could be. Turns out, it could be pretty nice. I think it is maple, but I'm not a good wood identifier.
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| Before (OK, I sanded a little before I remembered to take a before picture!) |
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| Before (please admire that wallpaper, will you?) |
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| After |
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| After--do you think this is maple? |
Finally, I had to set up what the folks o' pinterest are now calling "command centers." I call it control-the-paper-crap-before-it-makes-you-nuts. Same thing, really. I located it in the room without a name...I guess it's another mudroom which is connected to the master bath, dining room, kitchen, family room, basement, and laundry/mudroom. Maybe it is the room of six doors? It used to house an antique stove that we had moved out before we moved in. (It was cool, but not for us.)
Anywho, the room is the spot where backpacks come in & get thrown on the floor now. It needs new paint badly, but I needed to get our paper piles in order sooner rather than later. Thus, I hung up some items we had at the last house in different rooms: wire wall baskets, dry erase calendar, and small cork boards. We now have a dedicated spot for spelling lists, class calendars, mail/bills, our family calendar, and other school papers. (I swear to god we get about 50 pages home each week for each kid.) I like that it isn't in the kitchen--or anywhere else you might lounge about--because I don't even like looking at contained paper clutter.
Well, I think that's it. Small projects that are close to essential needs: TP, clean counters, and keeping up with bills and homework.
Next month, I hope to get a wallpaper steamer and get started on what is sure to be a loooooong process of de-wallpapering the house.
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Moving in!
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| The farmhouse |
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| The big barn |
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| The party barn |
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| The small barn |
We sold our house in town in 3 days for more than asking price.
Then, we tried to buy a farm. That's when it all got complicated. Negotiating a price? Complicated. Negotiating repairs? Complicated. Moving into storage, patching together a hotel + in-law stay over the holidays before getting possession of the farm? Very complicated. Moving into the house two days before the coldest weather in two decades (polar vortex, baby!) and a snow storm? Complicated. Getting TV, internet, garbage, propane, and mail service established? Complicated. Finding someone to plow us out of said storm? Complicated. The boys not having school all week (while we didn't have furniture or TV or internet or laundry) while we were starting our semester? Very complicated.
But look at us now: We have a farm. We have TV, internet, garbage, mail, propane, and furniture. We have children back in school and parents back at work. We have repairs happening on the farmhouse. We even have lots of boxes unpacked and everyone sleeping on real mattresses again in our own rooms. We have a plan for our first room to rehab.
I'm sure it will be complicated. But, complicated is familiar. We can do complicated.
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