The coop has a door

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The coop has reached another milestone. It has a door.

For a reminder, this spot in the barn foundation used to be a window. Part of the wall under the window collapsed in 2018, so anticipating the coop I had our mason reconstruct the wall into a door. He tacked some plywood over the opening, and that’s how it stayed for the past 6 years. Bananas that it’s been that long.

Collapsed barn foundation

Now that the coop is finally on track, I needed a proper door. Especially now that new coop wall is up, I don’t have an easy way to get into this part of the barn.

I wanted to reuse the door of the old coop. The wood is amazing. This beautiful weathered grey. And huuuuuuge boards. Just two boards make the whole door. One is about 16 inches wide. The door was close to the size we needed and relatively sturdy. Plus you know I love the symbolism of using a piece of the old coop in the new one.

But after thinking it over (and lifting it in and out of the doorway multiple times), I decided it wasn’t close or sturdy enough. A lot of the nail holes have expanded over the years, so it has a wiggle that would have needed reinforcing. I also would have had to extend the height. All of that felt like it would take away from the character of the old door–which is what I loved.

The deciding factor was the hinges. From the wear patterns on the wood, the hinges have been on there for a long time. But they were crooked, and I didn’t feel like dealing with that on top of the other issues.

So I took some of the leftover siding and built a new door. (The old door will find a spot some day.)

I was a bit intimidated about framing the opening and building the door. Growing up with my Dad, a professional contractor, he had two types of projects that always required extra figuring: stairs and doors. So I had that in my mind as I was working.

I framed the opening and the door at the same time, so I made everything to the exact dimensions I wanted. It took me a couple of tries to figure out how I wanted to build the jamb, but now it is sturdy and plumb. I made the door bigger than the opening and then carefully cut it down–after measuring many more times than twice.

I installed the hinges so they’re square and when it came time to hang the door, everything went together smoothly.

Ellie selected the best spot for the handle and latch and she screwed them into place. Then she modeled the new door in action for photos. I’m glad I’ve been able to include her in so many parts of this project.

I also did a little more clean up around the outside. I had one spot covered with a tarp for most of the summer. This is my preferred method to kill the weeds and grass so that I can then see what’s lying on the ground.

As you can see below, the tarp revealed mostly rocks and sticks. But there were also 5 1/2 fence posts (one wrapped in wire), a hunk of metal and a length of wire fence. None of this I want to mow, so in a mystery area, clearing the weeds, picking up the mess and leveling the ground is my preferred technique.

I have now slid the tarp over to cover a new spot.

While I had my rake, shovel and tractor, I laid some patio slabs in front of the door to make a little landing area. I spread some dirt around the stones to hold them in place and even sprinkled some grass seed. I might be a little late on the seed, but I’m hoping to keep this spot from getting too muddy as I continue to work on the coop.

Every step on this project feels like another milestone and gives me more motivation to keep building. I’m very proud of the door. Proud of the coop. Proud of myself.

Have you every hung a door? How about building a door? Are there any DIY projects that intimidate you? Anyone else doing clean up around your property?

Odds & sods

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Fall has come to the farm. The colours on the trees are spectacular, and it’s been lovely to hike around the farm and spend time outside.

The fall fair is an important tradition in rural communities. Ellie planned for the past year to enter a cake in the baking competition. We baked. We decorated. We competed… We won! (Ours was the only cake entered.) Our girl was so, so excited to see the first-prize ribbon on her cake, and she now has the ribbon proudly displayed in her room.

Here are some other highlights from the past month.

“There comes a time in every chicken coop’s life when you’ve got to be finished.” Good wisdom from Beau Miles. (I also have plans to use some scrap metal we have hanging around.)

This ranch home is so full of personality. I love the powder room vanity and living room fabrics

“Every day we get to make a choice between trying to do something for what might be the last time or not trying at all. That’s what it is to age. I might never be able to do again what I did yesterday, but I’m going to keep trying… Time matters most when time is running out.”

Outsider by Brett Popplewell

We are finishing off the month with, of course, Halloween. Ellie is going to be a witch and she is very, very excited.

How was October for you? What’s fall been like in your area? Have you won anything lately?

Thankful

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Over the last week, there have been three car accidents around the farm. We’ve come home to flashing lights and closed roads. Less than a week ago, we watched from the dining room window as a helicopter landed on the road to airlift someone to the hospital.

Today, Thanksgiving, I am thankful to be here. To be healthy. To be with my family.

This is what matters.

Hold your loved ones close. Take time to be with them. Take care as you go through the world. Care for yourself and for others. Care for your physical well-being as well as your mental and emotional wellness.

Be kind. Careful. Polite. Patient. Respectful. In the store, at work, around the dinner table, on the road and online.

Be thankful. Life is precious.

Coop exterior progress

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I am back with another coop update. This is becoming a monthly thing. It feels so good to be making progress.

The progress this time has been happening outside the barn.

We have runs! I hired out the fencing, and I’m very glad I did. Our ground is quite stony and making sure all the posts were secure was not something I wanted to tackle myself. Plus pulling the actual fence taut did not feel like a one-woman job.

The contractor I hired was exactly the right man for the job. I had picked up some used fencing from my Mom’s neighbour, so I needed someone who was willing to deal with that. He was not only willing. He went through his own yard to see what other leftover materials he had, so he could make things as affordable as possible for us. He found most of the gates, top rails and a few other pieces, which was a huge help.

We have three runs, which will correspond with three pens inside the barn. Each run has a gate to the outside. There are also gates between each section, so I have the option of giving one group of birds double the outdoor space if the neighbouring area is vacant.

I plan to add mesh over the top and around the bottom edge, so the runs are as secure as possible.

I popped the plywood off the doorway, started to frame in the opening (it’s taken a couple of tries, and I’m not quite happy with it yet) and am working on building the door. These handprints are on the doorsill. Anyone remember when we made these? (The 2018 might give it away. I’ve obviously been planning this coop for a long time.) I love that Matt is part of it.

My cousin helped me move the leftover siding into the barn, and I added battens to the wood siding. This covers the gaps and eliminates the drafts.

The final progress is courtesy of Matt’s Dad who came out last week and trimmed a few trees for us. There were two small dead trees between the coop and the row of pines. Getting rid of them is another step on my quest to tidy the ground around the coop and mow through here.

I will be shifting the blue tarp over and picking up the rocks and rubble that are underneath it.

Progress is happening faster now, but this coop is a journey not just of this year, but of most of my life.

I look back to 2018 when Matt’s Dad cleared the brush from this side of the barn, and I’m so grateful that he’s still hauling his chainsaws around and helping us. I think about building that doorway, mashing our hands in cement, and how Matt, Ellie and I are together still.

I go back to (I think) 1988 when I went on my first real job with my Dad. We installed a chainlink fence just like this one. Working with my Dad gave me the knowledge, skills and confidence to do things like build a coop (even if I didn’t feel like doing the fencing this time). Or I think of 1985 when my Dad got our first flock of chickens and gave me such memorable experiences that I now want to share with Ellie.

I love looking for the meaning within moments. This project, this place, the people. They come together in such a special way.

Odds & sods

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September has felt like a really long month to me. As I’m writing this update, I’m amazed with everything that has happened.

Ellie started school (a new school with a bus ride and lots of new experiences, including an awesome ice cream shop up the road, which means we’ve become regulars on Friday afternoons). I started school (second year teaching, so I’m enjoying making the courses more my own and seeing if the changes I’ve made are working for the students. First assignments came in last week, and I’m impressed with what they’ve done. So far, so good).

Cigo met a porcupine and a skunk. Ellie fell off her bike and broke her arm (2 1/2 weeks to go until the cast comes off).

I celebrated my birthday (met up with some friends, had a lunch with Matt’s Dad, two of his aunts and one cousin, and had a dinner with my family too). We went to Ellie’s first concert, a local cider house, our favourite playground and a treetop adventure course.

I’m also working away on the coop and the barn cleanout (donned a mask and tackled a big squirrel nest last week, which is as much fun as you might guess… and smells like you might guess too).

Whew.

Life is very full. But life is good. Ellie is enjoying school, thriving with the lessons, and has made friends. She has done so well with her arm and multiple visits to the hospital. She is a confident, capable, caring person, and it’s so special to see her grow. I feel confident in what I’m doing (teaching, parenting, DIYing, householding). Cigo rolls with it all and makes things fun (mostly). It’s a juggle, but we do our best to find the balance that works for us and take time to just be, just us.

Here are some of the other things that have filled this month for us.

This barn/house blew me away. The reclaimed elements, the space, the nooks, the balconies, the beams. What an amazing space.

I’ve done a good amount of sewing this summer, including two skirts based on my go-to skirt pattern. I’ve probably sewed this pattern at least a dozen times. It’s easily customizable with lining, pockets, side zipper, bias fabric, wider waistband, pegged skirt, gathers… pretty much whatever you can dream up.

Julia Turshen is a new-to-me chef. I checked every one of her cookbooks out of the library and made something from each of them. My Mom bought me this one for my birthday, so I can have it in my own collection. I love cookbooks. I love Julia’s messages around social justice and consciousness. Bonus points for her name.

Ellie became obsessed with playing cards this summer, and she shows no signs of stopping. Bicycle cards has been a great source of new games for us to try. (And for playing cards with kids, the skills of one game build for another. Ellie is now up to Euchre and Blackjack. Great lessons for strategy, memory, math, winning, losing and so much more. Plus a great way to fill the time during long waits at the hospital. Thank goodness for kind staff who will track down a deck of cards late on a Friday night.)

I don’t know much about Emily Carr, so this book was illuminating (and I want to see more of her art). The Indigenous peoples’ experience described was an even more powerful story than Emily’s journey.

“It’s a dying culture anyway.” He spit over the rail, as if to dismiss her and her purpose and the poles.
“No, it’s being killed. Hacked to pieces. There’s a difference,” she retorted.

The Forest Lover by Susan Vreeland

We have one day left of September, and I’m hoping to max it out with Matt’s Dad, his chainsaw, some more coop work and maybe even check a couple of things off my fall to-do list.

How has September been for you? Did the month feel long, short, regular? What highs or lows have you had? (Hopefully no broken bones, porcupines or skunks.)

Fall to-do list

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Fall officially arrived yesterday morning. That means I’m thinking about the things I have to do to prepare for winter.

Most of my fall to-do list is the usual maintenance things. I’m not adding any big tasks or special projects. My priorities for the last few months have been the coop and the barn cleanout, and I really want to continue with them. If I can wrap them up by the end of the year, I will be very happy.

But along with the coop and the cleanout, there are a few things I have to do. Sharing them here is a good way to get them out of my head and hold myself accountable.

Put away outdoor furniture – Warm weather is hanging around, and Ellie and I had breakfast, lunch, dinner and Monopoly outside over the weekend. We’ll max out the patio as long as we can, but if someone shows up who can give me a lift our big table is going into the barn. (Friends and family are used to being recruited to help with various tasks when they come to visit.)

Clean eavestroughs – I clean the gutters several times a year due to the number of trees around our house. Once the leaves are off the trees, I will do it again.

Pump out septic tank – We have the septic pumped every 2-3 years. It’s been 3 years since our last pump out, so it’s time to have it done again.

Sweep the chimney – Never mind. I did this on the weekend.

Clean heat pump filter – Like most HVAC, our heat pump is happier with a clean filter. I like to power wash it twice a year to make sure it’s really clean and then I’ll vacuum it through the winter. The power washing should happen before I turn on the heat–and before I turn off the outdoor water.

Turn off outdoor water – Turn off the water, drain the pipes, put the hoses away.

Mulch brush – I’ll be putting our chipper to work again to clean up two brush piles so that they don’t become multi-year mountains, like we’ve had in the past.

Little tasks (including one already done), but they are all important and they all take time. I will be tackling each of these throughout the next few months, and hopefully by the time colder temperatures arrive we’ll be ready to light the fire and relax (a bit) in our cozy house.

What’s on your fall to-do list? Do you have any big projects you’re trying to wrap up? Or are you tackling a bunch of little tasks too?

Spiral spice garden update

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Our spiral herb garden is the highlight of this year’s gardening. You may recall that last year, we built an herb garden at one end of our new patio. The garden did well in year one, so I was curious how it would make out this year.

At the start of the season, pretty much everything was in good shape. Most of the plants came back, even the parsley. The flat leaf parsley had bolted early in the season last year, so it self seeded and gave us lots of plants this year. The curly parsley held on through our mild winter, but we discovered its roots weren’t very sturdy when a close encounter with the hose in the spring knocked it off its stem. My Mom bought us a new parsley. Fitting, since the start of the garden last year was a planter she bought me for Mother’s Day.

She also replaced our basil. This was not a surprise, as it doesn’t survive in our climate. I cut it all off last fall and made it into pesto. The other nonperennial herb for us is rosemary. I’d tried to overwinter it in the house, but was unsuccessful, so I bought a new plant in the spring.

The chives, sage, lemon balm, chamomile, echinacea, milkweed, thyme, oregano and mint all came back happily in the spring and have thrived all summer. Our echinacea has been a bit sleepy since my friend gave it to us, but this year it finally started to spread.

In the case of the mint, it came back too strongly (again, not a surprise), so I dug it up, put it in a pot, and buried the pot in the garden. I did the same when I added another variety of mint that I got from my brother later this summer.

Another new addition this year is dill. I had gathered some seeds from Matt’s Dad’s dill last fall, and a sprinkle in the spring led to a happy clump this summer. I am hoping it will self seed and we will have a bigger clump next year.

The final change this year was some morning glories, which Ellie planted at the centre of the spiral. They’ve been a nice burst of colour in the middle of the garden.

We did have a few failures this year. Our lavender was hanging on in the spring but did not make it. I’ve also tried for several years now to transplant my grandmother’s poppies from my Mom’s house and have not had success.

I am considering removing our milkweed. We are big milkweed fans here for the monarch butterflies. But the milkweed is too tall and too aggressive (it rivals mint) for the herb garden. Due to how it spreads, it will be a chore to eradicate it from the garden, but we have it a lot of other places on the farm.

The garden has turned out to be a big success. It’s super low maintenance and doesn’t need much weeding or watering. I added a fresh layer of woodchips, though there were very few weeds even before that.

Most of the plants have had a thorough haircut at various times throughout the season, as they got so large and unruly. (Except for the massive lemon balm, which Ellie won’t let me cut.) In fact I’ve been able to split lots of them and give them as gifts to people.

I love the big bushy plants and how they drape over the rocks. When we do work in the garden or cut any herbs, they release such beautiful scents. I also love eating the herbs. Having the garden right outside the door is so convenient, so the herbs are used and enjoyed.

It’s amazing to me that this garden has come mostly from gifts, cuttings and transplants. Little sprigs have grown into huge plants, and it’s gratifying to have some gardening success.

What’s been your biggest gardening success this year? Do you have an herb garden at your house? Do you use fresh herbs in your cooking? What’s your favourite herb?

Coop update

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At the beginning of September my Mom asked me what the highlight of my summer has been. I picked three: our cottage vacation, Ellie learning to ride her bike and the coop.

Yes, the coop. Progress has been made.

Here’s where we are at. For the first time in a year and a half we have a wall! For the first time in 13 years we can mow here!

The wall is the most noticeable change, but it’s only one.

Another big task I tackled was grading the area around the coop. Behind the barn was a lumpy, bumpy mess of weeds on top of I-didn’t-know-what. I had covered it all with a tarp last fall, weighing down the tarp with a random assortment of lumber I’d saved when we demolished the old coop.

First step in cleaning up the mess was pulling all of the nails, staples, screws, mesh and chicken wire off the boards. That took a day and a bit. Once I moved all of the cleaned lumber into the barn, I could finally lift the tarp.

The tarp had killed the weeds so I could see what I was dealing with. The lumps and bumps turned out to be a pile of concrete rubble that someone had dumped behind the barn. They only missed the rock pile by about 10 metres. So Wiley the tractor and I got busy and picked up the rubble. Then I raked the ground to level it and seeded it.

This allowed me to work my way around the side of the barn to the gaping hole where the coop was going to be. First step over here was to tar the new foundation wall we’d had built in the spring. Then I laid weeping tile along the wall and backfilled. Thanks to the barn’s newly level backyard, I could drive the tractor to the dirt pile and back without looping around the whole barn.

Finally I could focus on building the wall. The wall took a bit of figuring. It was a big opening and I was building it on my own. After I managed to get the top plate in place, it was smooth sailing from there. Studs went up, then backing for the siding, then house wrap, and then the siding itself.

Fortunately, past owners left us a huge stack of barn board siding, so I was able to use that. In fact, we still have a very large quantity left. I also took the opportunity to move the siding from its original storage spot on the upper level of the barn. I am trying to store all lumber in the basement of the barn, so Wiley and I went to work again and hauled all the siding around to the side of the barn, where it will be easy to carry into the basement.

With the wall (mostly) complete the barn is finally protected from the weather. I am also protected, as pretty much the rest of the coop will be inside work.

Inside work will be starting soon. First, I want to add battens to cover the gaps in the siding. Then I need a door and then I can finally start to build some pens that might someday hold some actual birds.

I also have some professional help coming to tackle some other coop/barn related projects. So more updates to come.

But today, join me in celebrating the coop, won’t you? I am super proud because not only are we making progress, but so far I’ve done it all on my own. (Although you can see Ellie’s been involved as well.) It makes me feel capable and strong to know I can do this and see this long-held dream starting to come together.

What’s been the highlight of your summer? Anyone else working on a multi-step or large project? Do you take the opportunity to tackle other jobs (like moving siding, cleaning up rubble) while you’re working on a related project?

Our paved driveway

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Hello. Happy September. I hope you’ve had a great summer. Our summer has been wonderful and full. I have updates to share. First up is the final part of our garage/mudroom/patio makeover: the driveway. The last step of this project is finally complete. The driveway is paved.

When I started the garage renovation in 2021, I didn’t fully consider how one project leads to another. We had a great garage and mudroom inside the house, but what about the outside? The patio finished off one section and gave us steps to the living room’s sliding glass door and the mudroom entrance. But I really wanted to pave the driveway too.

A long driveway was on my initial wishlist for the farm and I love our gravel laneway with the grassy middle, so there was no way I was touching that. But a bit of asphalt closer to the house accomplished a couple of things for us.

It made plowing and shoveling easier in the winter. Gravel is not fun to shovel, and it’s even less fun to rake out of the grass once all the snow melts.

It gave Ellie a smooth place to play. Scootering, bike riding and chalk drawing all work much better on asphalt than gravel.

It lessens, somewhat, the dirt and detritus that is tracked into the house.

It stabilized the edge of the patio.

So this spring I hired some pavers (Alliance Paving for any locals). They cleaned up the gravel (so many weeds had invaded), mapped out a square driveway (the original had been dug on the fly by a skid steer with very little measurement), graded everything (more gravel on top of the 250 tonnes we added during the garage reno) and laid fresh asphalt.

I decided to pave from the spice garden to the edge of the garage. The corner where the driveway section meets the lane was a logical stopping point.

This gave us plenty of room to pull in and out of the garage. It also gives a long runway for Ellie to ride, run, roll or rain dance.

One lesson learned, we paved when the weather was very hot. We did not drive on the driveway for a full week (longer than our contractors recommended), but the asphalt still wasn’t fully set and we have some scuffs and divots in the surface already. Some are from turning the car wheels as I back out of the garage. A couple are from Ellie’s bikes. They’re minor and I’m not upset about them, but when we pave again, I’m going to wait until fall when the weather is cooler.

The surface of the driveway ended up several inches above the lawn, so our pavers recommended building up the dirt around the edge. Our farmer arranged for a truckload of topsoil (another dump truck, yay), and I spent a few days on the tractor spreading it around. Ellie followed behind with grass seed.

The grass has now sprouted. I added a doorbell (it used to be at the front door, but it kept falling off the stone). And this project–the whole garage/mudroom/patio/driveway renovation that we started 3 years ago–is complete.

(It’s also been the site of a major milestone when Ellie learned to ride her two-wheeler this summer.)

Have you had any big projects or milestones this summer? What kind of driveway do you have? Do you have any projects that continue longer than you expect?

Odds & sods

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  • Woman slalom skiing
  • Child paddling a yellow kayak on a lake surrounded by trees
  • Dog chasing a ball at a beach with a young girl

The smell of fresh cut hay filled my room on Friday night. As I lay there, I felt like the bed was rocking under me, taking me back to my hours in a boat last week during our annual cottage getaway. It was like I was in two places. My body home at the farm, yet my mind still on vacation.

It’s hard to believe we’re halfway through summer already. The cottage week with my family is the highlight of my year. All of our kids have embraced cottaging as much as my siblings and me. Watching them play together, swim and ski–and push themselves to try new things and master new skills–is so meaningful. Plus getting to ski myself, play with the kids, and hang out with my family is special too.

Writer Nicole Ziza Bauer mirrored some of my feelings about summer in the latest issue of Magnolia.

“Summer beckons us to remember. How it felt when our days stretched out in freedom–when a sense of wonder drew us outdoors and the world wasn’t something to keep up with but to create for ourselves… A few years might have passed but summer’s welcome return can be an invitation to retrace those well-worn paths.”

We’ve had lots of special moments so far this summer–both here and away, on new and well-worn paths. And we have more to come. I’m going to take a holiday from the blog for the next few weeks and focus on summer.

Here are some of the things that have been part of our summer so far.

I love fish tacos, and I finally made them at home. This recipe was tasty and easy.

This chocolate peanut butter pie was so good I made it twice this month. (Bonus it’s vegan and gluten free.)

I bought new bathing suits for the cottage (an upgrade from my 5-year-old suits). This one is my favourite. This was Ellie’s choice.

“I want to light the Olympic torch,” Ellie said as I tucked her into bed on Friday night. Watching the opening ceremonies with her was so much fun. My highlights were the light show on the Eiffel Tower, the torch run through the streets of Paris and Celine singing from the Tower.

I’m still deep in summer mode, but I’ve been saving some back to school tips from my favourite parenting account.

“Running had prepared me for this moment. It taught me to pay attention to goodness. It gave me the tools of resilience and gratitude, of awe and optimism. And even without running, these were with me. Views could still inspire me, gratitude would always fill me. The positive approach that contributed to my running was ready to strengthen any passion or pursuit.”

Let Your Mind Run by Deena Kastor

I hope that your summer is going well.

Anyone have some good summer recipes to share? What about good summer reads? Any other Olympic fans? What were your highlights from the games so far?