Tags
This year we are bringing in the New Year pretty low key compared to our Big City days. However, the year of 2017 is going to be full of excitement for us. Continue reading
31 Saturday Dec 2016
Posted Uncategorized
inTags
This year we are bringing in the New Year pretty low key compared to our Big City days. However, the year of 2017 is going to be full of excitement for us. Continue reading
29 Thursday Dec 2016
Posted Animals, DIY, Uncategorized
inTags
barn, Building, construction, DIY, horse stall, setting posts, sheep pen, stall door, stalls, woodworking
We finally added some stalls to our goat barn. Kate came up with the basic design and I sort of pieced it together in late October. It’s two stalls and a corral, built with treated 4x6s and 2x8s for the sides. I’d say both stalls are big enough for a horse, although one is pushing the limits. It’d be fine for a large horse that’s lame and needs to be rested for a few days, but long term it might be cramped.
The sheep currently occupy the stalls and buying a horse is certainly not on our to-do list, so I think they’ll serve us well. Goats or pigs are more likely tenants than horses for now. I’m not sure this really requires a step-by-step. It’s two squares framed off of the barn walls so everyone’s would be slightly different depending on the dimensions of your pole barn. But here’s a few tips and “how I did-its.”
The labor was intensive… I set the posts using a hand auger. It went through the gravel bottom OK, but after drilling over 10 of them, I’ll admit I was pooped.
Things got a little tricky because of the concrete foundation, so I did get a little creative in a few spots. Personally, I’m most proud of the gates, which I built from scratch out of 2x4s. I used deck screws in pocket holes to frame them out and covered with 2x6s. They’re surprising light and function well. If I can find the photos, I will do a step-by-step on the gates. The design would work for fences, decks, etc.
I really enjoyed this project, as I always do when I get to try my hand at carpentry. I kick myself I didn’t pursue carpentry as a career, I enjoy it more than anything else in the world. Maybe someday. Luckily there is plenty of it to do around here for now. I finished the two 10’x10′ stalls and will finish the smaller pens this spring/summer. But for now, here is a glance at our new stalls and happy sheep!
23 Friday Dec 2016
Posted Animals, farming, Uncategorized
inTags
antlers, Christmas, christmas bloopers, christmas card, Dog, funny, Humor, santa, sheep
Every year I try to do a Christmas card that is a bit wacky and fun, since that’s what I consider us to be. It started with the first year we lived here with the chickens. I tried desperately to get tiny Santa hats on the chickens for their photo shoot, but as you can imagine, that did not go well. I managed to get one on and they just thought chasing that chicken around to pull the hat off was the best game ever. So I resorted to some very unskilled Photoshop and came up with the card below. It was a hit. Continue reading
20 Tuesday Dec 2016
Posted DIY, Frugal Living, Uncategorized
inHow to install a toilet. While this is not the most pleasant DIY task, it’s not quite as nasty as I expected, especially since one of the reasons I was replacing the toilet was lingering odors.
The second reason was hard water had essentially ruined the old one, as explained in the water softener post. The other, most significant reason is that the wax ring was clearly shot even when we bought the house and the previous owner put tile around the toilet instead of under it – a big no-no. So, replacing the floor AND toilet were both required.
I went with a cheap but decent looking vinyl floor because I don’t know how permanent it will be. We would like to start from scratch on that bathroom in a few years’ time.
So, how to install a toilet.
10 Saturday Dec 2016
Posted DIY, Uncategorized
inTags
I’ve never met anyone who liked soft water, myself included. Growing up the Chicago suburbs we always had “high quality H2O” for most of my life. I was a young lad when we started receiving water from Lake Michigan, which was not naturally hard and rather good tasting.
01 Thursday Dec 2016
Posted Animals, Uncategorized
inSheep are the same as goats except their tails point down instead of up right…? Pretty close and as most of the illnesses and basic care of the two animals are the same, there is one hidden danger that sheep owners need to be aware of. Continue reading