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One month to Christmas
Chicken
This last year I have had a big project. We have always wanted to have chicken and the plan was to build a chicken coop during my parental leave. It took me a year until I started with the work.
As I usually do, I first made a digital model.
The physical work started mid-January. First, I had to move a little hill of dirt. Then the holes for the foundation was dug. Progress was slow but steady.
By February I had the foundation ready, but work slowed down a bit from then on. Other things had higher priorities.
As the fall (no we didn’t get any winter) turned to spring work continued. Somehow, I wasn’t documenting every step and suddenly I hade most of the outer boards up.
As summer came, I started insulating the house. We got some paper-based insulation as it is much nicer to work with (and more environmentally friendly).
As summer was about to end, and with it my parental leave too I got in a bit of a hurry. I painted the coop and built the enclosure. Then I got some net to keep the foxes out.
There was some more cleaning to do. All the bricks and other trash I found inside hade to be moved out.
We got notice from our friends that they wanted to get rid of their chicken, so we had to act fast. I got the net up over the enclosure. Built the “furniture” for the house and all the other small parts that were to be made. But by the end of October we were ready for our new family members to move in.
And then on a Monday morning the chicken arrived. They seem to like their new place. We got one rooster and six hens.
We are so happy this finally is done and now we are waiting for our first eggs. Most Hens don’t lay that many eggs in the late fall, but maybe we’ll get some for Christmas.
Siam, mouse-hunter master and friend.
Siam died. We are sad. He was a great and beautiful cat.
Sadly he caught something and became ill, very ill. We didn’t realise how bad things were until mid-last week when we contacted our veterinarian. They didn’t have any appointment before Monday and told us to contact some other place if he became worse. And he did. So on Saturday I went to the animal clinic in Lund to see what can be done. He was barely able to walk when we got there. Just skin and bones. The veterinarian told me she was surprised that he lived with that low of a body temperature. There were only very slim chances of him ever getting well and the best thing would be for him to die.
So he left us. Back home we gave him a nice little burial.
Hi is missed. By me, by everyone in our family. The kids got to say goodbye before we left for the animal clinic.
He came to us in the beginning of 2006. It took him a while to start to connect to us, but when he did he really enjoyed my company.
They soon started to enjoy our garden and the surroundings. Making life difficult for all the rodents and some birds too. The wild bunnies moved out of our place rather quick after one of them losing to Siam. Siam was the big hunter, but both did a great job keeping mice out of our house.
It took a while until they dared to come close to our kids. All of them have had periods when they chased them. They are also loud, and Siam didn’t like that. For the last couple of years our daughter has become a person they trusted though.
The cats didn’t sleep in our bedroom for most of the time, but came for a cuddle after we went to bed frequently.
In the end Siam was friendly with all kids; he even enjoyed being petted of all of them at the same time.
We are so happy we got this time with him. Now we will take care of Milo who has lost his brother the best we can.
It was a bit windy I guess.
Susanna is the best! 10 years!
Today we have been married for 10 years. That is the Tin-wedding-day. I’m so happy I am married to Susanna; she is a great friend, wife and companion.
There are so many things we have done together.
It was a really nice day back then. There have been many good ones since.
Here is a picture from then.
Thank you for this time Susanna and all the things you have brought into our life!
A new project at home
A new project at home
We have been dreaming about having chicken for eggs as long as we have lived here. We thought we would build a chicken coop for a while now too. As I have been on paternity-leave it was always the plan to build it during this time. We didn’t start yet though.
Now I have kind of started though. The planning started some time during the autumn. I like making models so I made one in SketchUp. It’s probably not final. I think I might widen the door a little; just 50 cm wide might be a bit narrow.
Here are two pictures of the coop.
First from the outside; I’m having it raised so that the chickens have a place in the dry when being outside.
Here a cross section; the inside is not entirely ready in the model, there is no feeding tray and water-place yet.
The first real work has started too. Because there was some old garden-waste pile there I have started to flatten the ground. I don’t know how many wheelbarrows of soil I have moved.
I’m almost done with this first part. Here the chicken coop will be placed in line with the wood-shed and all other buildings on our plot. We will fence in an area around it so that the chicken can stay outside in safety form other animals.
I’ll try to update the progress on a regular basis, but who knows how fast things will go, I just hope I’ll be done before I start to work again, I have kids to take care of too (and they want to help).
2018 in pictures
Yes, I didn’t get the year wrong. As I started looking into the pictures from 2019 I realised that I didn’t post the pictures from 2018.
I had them prepared though, I think it was done as long ago as April, but I didn’t get the last touch done. Here a little sample from the pictures.
Now I did get it done, so here they are:
Last harvest of 2019
The end of 2019 is near. It was a good year. Susanna started working again and I have been on parental leave. The children are growing. One is in school and two at home. We are keeping busy with all kinds of stuff.
The garden has given us plenty of vegetables. And will continue to give us more in the next months, we still have plenty of potatoes and onions. Today we harvested for the last time this year. Carrots, red cabbage and regular cabbage. Now only thyme, parsley and kale are left for later harvest.
Happy New Year!
May 2020 bring plenty of fun and good things!
