Not terribly much going on at the Robin's nest today. I didn't sleep last night so I didn't trust myself to drive. Instead I sent the kids on a walk (six blocks) down to the store and they picked up cheese and milk and tater tots (I know, I know!) Tater tots are the one potato product I have not figured out how to make from scratch and since the store carries one brand of potato products that is Feingold safe for my son's allergies, I do get them from time to time.
We put down some more hay for the chickens on the ground since it is so cold for them outside right now. They have been a little less than enthused about coming out of the coop in the morning and have headed in before dark for the last couple of weeks. They know where their heat lamp is. It got all the way up to 41 degrees F today. I keep waiting for it to snow because the pullets have never seen it before and there is nothing more hilarious than a chicken's first experience with snow.
If our new place ends up being large enough to keep chickens, I definitely want to locate the coop next to a spicket. Dealing with frozen water buckets and carrying water from any distance is a royal pain. Either near the coop or put in one of those miniature wells, the name of which escapes me, but they have kits for doing it yourself. The water table is pretty high at the farm we are looking at and for garden and livestock use, it wouldn't have to be driven too deep.
I keep trying not to get ahead of myself, but I do have to admit that that farm would be a fantastic place to live. DS asked if we did get a place like that if he could have a dog. My answer to that question has always been no. With our allergies, I don't want an animal in the house. But with almost seven acres...well, I told him I'd talk to his dad about it. Maybe a border collie. Something that would help guard chickens and rabbits from predators. And then there's always the much needed barn cats.
I've always been kind of anti-pet as an adult because I didn't want to be tied down, and I didn't want to ever have to kennel an animal for vacation and it was hard enough taking care of two small kids with my disability without adding pets into the mix. But my kids are older now and there are pet sitters/house sitters, and I bet I could find one willing to take care of a dog, a couple of cats, some bunnies and a few chickens when we want to go away. And if not, well FIL and MIL are just five minutes away.
Honestly, I need to stop dreaming ahead. Until our house sells there is no guarantee that any house available today will be available then and even if it is, it would have to pass an inspection. Especially since our house still needs the final coat of paint, the rugs replaced and the new doors installed before it can even be put on the market. It looks like things will be done by March, but I am not holding my breath. I've seen houses sit on the market for years out there.
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I added $8.51 to the coin jar today. And that's all she wrote.
Dreaming Too Much, I Suppose
January 22nd, 2013 at 12:56 am
January 22nd, 2013 at 02:28 am 1358821684
January 22nd, 2013 at 02:44 am 1358822696
January 22nd, 2013 at 03:47 am 1358826448
January 22nd, 2013 at 01:14 pm 1358860453
January 22nd, 2013 at 03:32 pm 1358868722
January 23rd, 2013 at 12:14 pm 1358943242