Just a walk in the park!

So the little project, that always takes more time than planned for.

I am building a little 20×24 foot hoophouse for the local blacksmith/welder.  He raises quail and pheasants and this will be another brood house.  He says the little quail are about the size of your thumbnail when they hatch and they all hatch about the same time-like popcorn popping!

I have been working on and off on this for a few weeks and find all the aches and pains that are developing.  I am wondering some days how much of this farming stuff I will actually be able to do. It seems like every time I have to climb a ladder the next few days I can hardly walk and sometimes I can’t.  The last Dr. I saw told me that I had tendinitis. That it would be okay in 5 or 6 weeks. Well the work keeps the knees working more than that so-live with it!

I am also raking out the drive, where we put down a couple truckloads of gravel.  The first load was kind of early so it was a bit clumpy.  He did a much better job of spreading the dump on the second load.  But all this is taking time. I use the garden weasel (as seen on TV) to break up the top inch or so and then rake it down into the low spots.  This is taking about an hour a day but I have a week’s worth of days into it and it looks like it could only be half done.

I have tried many ways to move the pile of wood chips. I pitched them with a fork and they were a bit small for that.  Then I took the walk behind snow blower and blew some of them. Now down in the pile I find just enough of the bigger pieces of wood to jam the blower.  Finally, the regular garden rake seems to move it well enough. Not too hard to pull gets just the right amount to seem productive and when I have to it gets enough built up in a new area that they will spread from there. 

This is also the pile that when I was working on it the other day was sending off steam-it is wet enough to compost! Great thing as we need plenty of added fiber for the very sandy soils here on the farm. I think I’ve decided to just let the biggest part of the pile cook in place and will find out a spot for the rest of it to be spread.  I’ll put a bit on the outside of the hoophouse where the carrots are on the inside and see if that will stop the carrot ground from freezing.  Might have to put a bit of insulation board down on the ground first and then cover with the chips.

Still working on the door, hoops and other little things inside of the hoophouse to prepare for the winter/spring crops. Fertilizers,   minerals, and who knows what else will be beneficial.

Speaking of beneficial-the worms are doing terrific-I think! They seem to be converting anything I can put in there. Not sure about their numbers but they are working like, well, like worms!

One of the twins is up for a couple days. I am going to try to Huck Finn him into a job or two. No painting to do right now but I could use some rototilling inside the hoop and in the new starter house.

Of course all of this is taking time away from planning, estimating and working on the new little house. I had a friend who mentioned the possibility of using them for interns or for family and friends visits. That still appeals to me and so I am going to go ahead with these. I really like building buildings, houses, and tiny houses.  The end of the page is here so, Be well; peace…dan

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