Oct. 13-19, 2019 Chicken Coop Work, Garden Pix, Seed Harvesting, First Frost

Oct. 13-19, 2019

Chicken Coop Work, Seed Harvesting, First Frost, Sick Chesapeake, healed Brenda, Bible Study

Hello Friends,
I was feeling a little sickish this week.  The weather is changing so quickly now and our sunshine levels have dive-bombed.  I've been doing my Bible study with not one, but TWO sunlamps!  They are especially for seasonal affect disorder and are extra bright and encouraging.  I had two days of headache/migraine this week, better than the four days of trouble I had the week before!  I always struggle a little at the seasonal transitions, especially when I lose sunshine.

Chicken Coop:

As I had to turn on the heat inside our home on Monday, I realized I better get on winterizing the chicken coop asap!  We have the first section outside that the chickens go through, a living room sized room, on their way outside to sit under their umbrella.  I call that 'room' the "inner sanctum" as it was built with security in mind.  It has a heavy gaged wire roof, sides, and the ground is up and over the wire base.  The only way a raccoon or fox could get in that space is if I left the door open!  Last year I encased the room in plastic and the chickens really appreciated having a second room to hang out in during the long winter season.  This year I worked for two days and got the whole area closed-in again!  The only downside is I used a black tarp for the roof and that has made the room a little too dark.  I'm so glad to get this major fall chore done before the snow arrives.  The chickens can go 'outside' and not have any snow to deal with; this way they will out of the wind and snow.

Dirt:

I've been filling up buckets of new dirt, gravel, and sand and re-filling up the inner sanctum with it.  The chickens live on a hill and they manage to scratch and dig enough to make holes often.  I also wanted to make sure I had an air-tight connection between the new plastic and the ground by sealing that line with new dirt.  I have been trying to pace myself with this as after 16 buckets I can't walk the next day!  Toting heavy buckets really is hard; especially when you have to lug them far.  I will keep adding a few buckets every few days.

Seed Gathering:

Normally I am all about collecting seeds, but I just didn't get around to it yet this year.  I don't have a lot of green beans sorted away for next year but I hope the ones I have still on the vines will dry out soon.  This week I took down my morning glories, marigold, cone-flower, orange cosmos, and other various blooms/seeds.  

Hydrangeas:

When we moved here, I was so excited to find two medium-sized hydrangeas planted by the pool.  I quickly realized this area, being surrounded by lots of concrete, is a very hot and dry location that doesn't cater to the needs of our water-loving hydrangea's.  I'd been wanting to move them for years and finally did so this year!  I looked online and it said to wait until November, but since it can get so snowy so fast I decided to go ahead and do it a few weeks early and hope for the best.  I've been watering them often to help.

Winter Clothes:

I'm still going through my winter clothes boxes.  I only managed a few summer clothes boxes though.  I guess I just have a lot more 'winter' clothes than summer.  I have been feeling very overwhelmed with having too many clothes so I just picked out my favorite sweaters and put 90% of my winter clothes back up in the attic.  My closet is about one-tenth the size of the one I had in Indiana and I just don't have the room to have anything but my favorite things out.  I guess that isn't a bad thing, just different for me.

Chickens:

Chesapeake still sick.  She has diarrhea and low energy.  I kept her in the chicken tractor in the garage for some quite time to heal for a few days and then let her go back with the flock.  Luckily, Brenda the Buff Orpington that had a fly-strike was accepted right back into the flock. It was very interesting to see how she stood up for herself when a few hens tried to dominate her and she wasn't having it!!!  I was impressed!  I was so busy this week I didn't get the chickens out as often as I had been, but they did get out to free-range a few times.

Garden:

I picked green beans twice again this week; possibly for the last time!  I've been mowing lots and trying to fill our compost with as many leaves and grass as possible.  I got quite a lot done, on this front, this week.  It was nice to have no rain for two days in a row so I could mow.  I also dumped a lot of the mix on our flower gardens and especially the newly moved hydrangeas that might appreciate some insulation in their new home.

Dh:

Dh working extra at work.  He has numerous procedures due and not enough time during the day to get them done so the problem compounds.  It was a really difficult week for him.  He came home late a few times this week.  He did seem excited to work on his tree stand ideas and bought new wood and oil paint.  He made two new ladders and painted them in the various dark paint in a camo- style.  

Home Improvements:

I managed to spend all day and night on Friday peeling wallpaper from the basement stairwell.  This wallpaper is really odd; almost a plastic coated one that you might find in a kitchen and has been the most challenging wall paper removal project I've ever encountered.  It is just incredibly slow-going!!!

Bible Study:

This fall I signed up for TWO different Bible study groups.  One is with the church I've been attending since June (Ada Bible) and the second is with Bible Study Fellowship (BSF).  I am really digging in and learning a LOT!  Besides learning more about the book of Acts (both studies are on Acts), I was hoping for fellowship.  So far the BSF is quite focused on the study and not much sharing, but the Thrive/Ada one has been very personable and friendly.  I really feel my cup being filled after each class with these kind ladies.  The book we are using at Ada is:

An Unexplainable Life: Recovering the Wonder and Devotion of the Early Church ( Acts 1-12) by Erica Wiggenhorn

Dd's Week:

Dd had her second date with Seth this week.  She continues to grow more and more independent.  I appreciated her going to church with me again on Sunday.  Between working on her homework, her job at the pizza shop, and texting Seth and her friends I don't see her much...sad to say!  As each week goes by I see her less and less.  Last week she was sick and she seems to be doing a little better this week.  

Dd's Academic's This Week:

Grace Co-op School Schedule:

Science: Anatomy/Physiology (Apologia)

Art: Painting Studio

History: The American Civil War

Writing/English: Analytical Writing for Essays and Research Paper

Math Tutor:

Algebra 2

Pizza Shop:

Dd is really enjoying working at the pizza shop!

Next Week:

More fall chores and Bible Study

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