Chicken Run Repair

I had hoped to finish the run today but I spent a lot of time painting the bottom panels. I had to prime them and then apply two coats of paint. I tried out a shade of blue I'm considering for the house. It looks alarmingly royal while it's wet but it should darken to a more flinty color as it dries.


I thought that I had enough plywood to cut all the pieces but I didn't so I also cut up this old door that used to be my back door. It's been leaning up against the back of the house forever so I'm glad to finally make use of it.


I got the door of the run done as the sun went down. Doors always take me forever because I end up fiddling with them to make them fit openings that aren't quite square. This one feels reassuringly solid.


If you missed the supervisor in the last shot, here's a close up.

Chicken Run Repair Helper

Fancy is a companionable cat. He came up to hang out with me as I was working on the chicken run and treated the run framing as a jungle gym. It was also a good vantage to have a staring contest with the turkeys. Fancy was pretending disinterest but they were clearly fascinated by him.


Fancy also turned his disinterested gaze on me as if to ask "what's taking you so long?" Although maybe that was just the dialogue in my own head.

Permaculture Embassador

Alex has slowly been wooing a stray cat, Little Prince and Fox style. He was skittish at first, but once food was involved he couldn't pretend to be aloof anymore.


He also proved defenseless against stick waved in front of his face.


It wasn't long before he was in the house.


Then he was judging me from outside the window when I wouldn't let him in.

Although that doesn't happen very often.

He sleeps in a bed as if he was born to it.


A couch is acceptable too.


I'm happy to let him relax. He's been working hard. I'm going to assume that he killed this rat up in the chicken coop. I've been leaving the coop open since it's empty, hoping that the cat would prowl around in there and scare them away. I think it's working. I haven't seen or heard any in a while.


In the beginning I didn't really have anything against the rats. I think that they were just living up on the hill and became opportunists when the chicken food arrived. I wouldn't have begrudged them a little food but they make such a mess. They go to the bathroom everywhere and shred everything that isn't too hard for them to chew. It seems worth it to have a four footed deterrent around. The cat is like organic vermicide, like a silent cog in the permaculture machine.


We call him Fancy Face. He has a rather unfortunate arrangement of features. One eye is a little squinty and the vet says he has a cleft lip. I thought he had just been in a rumble and had his lip torn but he doesn't seem to mind it, even when his tongue and tooth stick out. As long as he can pounce effectively that's all I care about. OK, maybe I like it when he sits on my lap and purrs too.