farm weekend

When our neighbors asked me to care for their animals over Easter weekend, I jumped at the chance.  (Crazy as it might sound, we have future farming ambitions of our own . . .)  And since Nathan was 'working out'- as we sometimes refer to our off-farm jobs- it would give me a great excuse to stay at the homestead, hide my pottery business to-do list, and start a long-awaited farm project of my own.  At the neighbors barn, I bottle-fed three newborn kids at regular intervals, and fed and watered 12 angora goats, 1 draft horse, 30 chickens, two dogs, and four cats.  What fun.

Between feedings, I uncovered a stash of salvaged boards from the old collapsing dairy barn Nathan dismantled ten years ago, and began putting them to new use . . . as our chicken coop!  Everything about it was a joy, most of all knowing his work of saving these relics hadn't gone to waste, and using what we had on hand to build a structure that will bring new life and food to our home felt great.  Not to mention the fact that I get much satisfaction from swinging a hammer, and my four-legged sidekick loves having new things to climb on.  (I promise you I don't try to deliberately include Lego in every photo . . . he just likes to be quite close at all times, and as a result, simply ends up in nearly every shot.)

Oh, and just a quick editorial note . . . when my dad saw these photos, he said "so the coop is right behind the kiln shed?!"  Nope, that's just where I'm building it.  It's actually on skids so we'll be able to drag it around the fields for fresh pecking places for the hens!