Mid May Update...

There is a chance we might get to take a vacation this summer, and we could really use the break.

Chris and I have been busting our tails for the past few weeks, trying to get the house ready for the carpet installation. (In fact, we worked so hard last week, that I entirely forgot to watch the finals of the Jeopardy Tournament of the Decades!) When we scheduled the install, we thought we would have plenty of time to get everything done, but as things piled up for Chris at work and life happened like it always does around here, we knew we were cutting it close.

The incredible part of this whole process is that when we need it most, people come to help. If the painting seems overwhelming, or there is a ton of trim to install, or some doors and frames need to be fabricated from scratch, or whatever, the right friend or family member shows up and things happen.

With help and tips from Chris's friend Gabe, it didn't take long for the trim to go up.

Posts I wrapped in oak are ready for the upstairs railing.

Ralph, carpenter extraordinaire, built the handrail.

As I watched Ralph build the handrail, I thought maybe we should engrave his name on the side, or make up a little plaque to honor his work. We could have little plaques all over the house with the names of all the people that freely gave of their time and talent. Or one big plaque. Or maybe a monument in the front yard that people will see when they pull up to the house. Something that will communicate how much I appreciate them and everything they've done... 

So anyway, as we speak, there is a crew out in the house putting in some carpet, and I am taking it easy for change. 

Move in date is still a ways away. There is still a lot of work to do. (Hardwood, cabinets, HVAC, electrical, the list goes on and on.)

In other news, Zivah made it through Kindergarten, and "graduated" on Friday. She received an award for being the kindest student in her class, and that made me very proud.

 Joe and Finley have school the rest of this week, and then summer break will really begin.

Another predator has been ravaging our chicken flock again. I've lost five of my new birds, and Finley lost two of her chicks. Some evil raccoon must be the culprit this time. We thought at least Finley's birds would be safe in their pen, with the 2x4 welded wire over the gate, but, instead of using the perch I built in the pen, the chicks took to perching on the gate with their heads sticking through or wedged up against the wire.

Even though the birds can't squeeze though the fencing on their own, it looks like a raccoon reached in and pulled a Polish chick right through and ate it right there. Finley's favorite, a little black silkie, must have been perched near the bottom where the chicken wire kept it from getting pulled through. It was found dead right inside the gate with a leg missing. Extra measures are being put in place to ensure the safety of the remaining bird, and traps are set up in hopes that we can rid ourselves of this new threat.

Busy as Bees

It's been over a week since I cut and fit all the tile for the downstairs bathrooms, and the tile is waiting patiently for Chris to help me lay it.

 He has had other priorities, though. The trim upstairs is 99% finished and the floor has been sanded and cleaned of all the chunks of drywall mud. I have a couple posts to wrap in oak and the trim to paint, and all will ready upstairs for the carpet.

While Chris was busy with the trim, I took some time to get some things in order around the farm. Mom came over one Saturday and helped tear down some chain link fencing that needed to go before we dig the trench for the electric line from the pole to the house.

The chicks I bought the beginning of March needed to be moved out of their pen to make room for Finley's 4-H chicks. I used the top rail of the fence to make a perch for the chickens. I thought they would like it since that was where the older chickens would typically roost if we accidentally locked them out of the coop. The young birds didn't seem to like it, though, choosing to roost on the thin, wire fence I use to try keep them penned up instead, so I guess I need to come up with another idea. A predator broke in one night and killed 3 of the birds one night, so we set up a trap to try to catch the culprit, but I don't think the murderer has been back since.

Finley bought some seeds to plant a garden this year. So although I had abandoned all ambitions for a garden this year in order to finish the house, I figured I'd better come up with something. So I popped some holes in an old watering trough, filled it with some dirt and compost, and we planted spinach, carrots, radishes, and beets in a little "square-foot-garden" format.

 And then I tilled up a 20 x 20 foot section of ground against our new field fence and put some black plastic down in hopes I could kill off the evil Bermuda grass before I planted anything. It has only been down for a week or two, though, and I was just gifted with a beautiful flat of tomatoes that my brother started. They need to be put in the ground soon. I guess I'll just peel back a side, get as much Bermuda root out as I can, and put down a couple of layers of paper around the plants to help keep the weeds at bay.

Over the weekend, I abandoned the family to spend some time with a good friend of mine that had flown into town. Friday night, my brother and sister-in-law took us to listen to an interview with Wendell Berry. Full of wit and wisdom as he is, it was quite the delight and privilege.

Sunday, we spent the afternoon at Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art. I love this place. One of the current installations is a work by Patrick Dougherty. I think I need to build one of these on the farm.