Friday, September 5, 2014

Today's Update - 5 Sep 2014

Boy has it been busy here at Chicken Coop 1.  Geez Louise!  And wouldn't you know it, today on the concrete pour it starts raining.  ARGH!!  Well, now that I've had my nervous breakdown why don't I just show you what we've been doing.

 
 
The above picture shows where we stared framing the concrete pad in.  That was no small task because the elevation change is about a foot drop from the barn side to the opposite side.  Next picture is where we brought in dirt and where I was complaining about taking three loads of dirt.


 
The next three pictures are where we had to smooth the dirt out.
 




Next comes the visqueen and mesh.



 


It is hard to tell from the pictures but those are hand dug footers that are at least 12 x  12.  Then the rebar had to be bent to go around the corners to tie all four sides/footers together.  And because of how high the side opposite the barn is because of the elevation change we had to have an apron (drive up) that was 12 feet long in addition to the 26 feet deep the pad is already so on that side it is 38 feet from one corner to the point you start driving up the concrete.

Well it turns out we need a fourth load of dirt because you can't see it properly in the pictures but that 38 foot side also stands almost two feet high above the ground and we have to do some creative engineering to prevent the concrete from getting washed out underneath.  We also need to add some dirt in front of the apron so that the edge doesn't crack when we drive up into it and we need to fix the ruts in the yard where the large dump trucks and concrete pumpers drove back and compacted things.  I'm just hoping it isn't another two loads instead of just the one.

I've been working my tail feathers off.  Two of the kids started soccer as well and all of their other activities too now that school has kicked back off.  Plus we homeschool so that means that I'm the teacher on top of it all. 

Which is my excuse of the day for being gone longer than I expected from posting.  But hey!  Today's rain gave me a chance to catch up and here are the stories that have new additions:

And the Geek Shall Inherit the Earth
http://geekinherittheearth.blogspot.com/

Zombies Aren't Real ... Are They?!
http://zombiesarentrealarethey.blogspot.com/ 

Up On Hartford Ridge
http://uponhartfordridge.blogspot.com/

Larkspur in Eden
http://larkspurineden.blogspot.com/

There Is No Such Thing As A Thornless Garden
http://thornlessgarden.blogspot.com/

When All Doors Close
http://whenalldoorsclose.blogspot.com/

A Bunch of Wild Thyme
http://bunchofwildthyme.blogspot.com/

Enduring on the Lake
http://enduringonthelake.blogspot.com/

Mother Hen's Recipes
http://motherhensrecipes.blogspot.com/

MJOTZY
http://mjoyzy.blogspot.com/
I finally got BlogSpot to stop heaving and let me post the first part for May:  Misunderstandings and Mourning.  I'll try and get the next part up tonight or finish it up tomorrow.

The other stories are waiting in line (rather impatiently) to get edited and posted.  Hubby is going to be gone for about two weeks this month and I'm hoping during that time I can get a couple of the older stories completed.  If nothing else I really would like to get Linderhall Legacy finished and maybe one or two more.  Depends on how demented the business gets.  Anyone want to come over and help me clean out some closets?  That's one of the must-do's to get done while he is out of town as well.

By the way, Darth Molly's pal Pippin sends his hello.  Lunatic cat.  He likes the rain but hates the pool and when I say he is Molly's pal that means that he hasn't eaten the dog yet because she is useful for blaming when things get knocked over and broken when they are tromping through the house like a couple of flaming horses. 

 

Guess how much a bag of 50 pounds of raw peanuts cost at the flea market?  $55.  Want to know how I know that?  Because for some reason my husband got a wild hair and bought a fifty-pound mesh bag of them.  So in addition to everything else I've been doing I've been canning peanuts.  Yep, I said canning peanuts.  The following video from youtube pretty much explains how.  Simple written directions can also be found here:  http://www.pickyourown.org/BoiledPeanuts.htm  Enjoy!







6 comments:

  1. Oh my goodness, all that work and now having to can peanuts, OY.

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    1. Hubby didn't realize how quickly green peanuts spoil. It was a project I had planned to do, just not until I got some other stuff knocked off the to do list. But I won't fuss at the bounty. His heart was in the right place and who knows when I will get another chance like this.

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  2. I will clean out closets, I will sweep floors, I will polish the silver and help you can (ew) peanuts if it gets me more stories more quickly! Just point me to the scrub brushes and you sit down at the 'puter. Put your feet up. Have a coke. Here's some brownies, don't look at me scrubbing, look at the keyboard.

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    1. Dangerous offer Blue. I might take you up on it. LOL

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  3. Wow you are getting so much accomplished. Its looking great Kathy! If I lived anywhere near, Id come over with blue and help can. Peanuts!!!! Iv never seen a peanut plant and I didn't ever think about canning them.

    I am into pumpkin and squash canning now. I did relish and pickles last year and still have plenty. My herbs are doing fantastic, so Im doing a lot of drying this summer for spices. Trying to add a new spice or two each year and dream of one day having a huge culinary and medicinal herb garden.

    I'm really enjoying your blog Kathy, and not just for the stories anymore. Its like a nice place to visit each day and see what folks are doing. Kathy's coffee and tea stop. Sit down for a few minutes, chat while you drink coffee or tea, great reading material while we visit as well. I like the addition of the vids. Its just a nice place you are building here. Thankyou for the stories of course, but also for the nice, pleasant atmosphere. Have a great rest of the day to all.

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    1. Thanks! I'm having fun as well. It is kinda like an act of accountability for me. I have this long list of things that I need to do but like everyone else I get tired or want to spin off and not do anything to get ahead. I consider sometimes playing getting ahead ... everyone needs to know how to play and it is actually really constructive. But then there are days when I might be in a tizzy and coming unglued ... well thinking about what I'm going to post on the blog helps me think linearly and not just jump all over the place. My hubby is fond of saying "whatever it takes" and the same thing applies here in my opinion. The blog is my "whatever it takes." LOL!

      I'd love to have some pumpkin and squash to do ... I'm out of pumpkin butter for one and I want to try a winter squash butter for another. I also like having dried pumpkin on hand and/or pumpkin chips. Yummmmm.

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