Sunday, June 17, 2007

Father's Day on and off the "farm"

After Rick got home from his usual early Sunday morning meeting, we decided to go out for a late breakfast for Father's Day. Tried a new restaurant, and while the food didn't wow us, the children's menu was a hoot. (It was the lunch menu, but they brought it so Brian could color.) At the top was the "Well Behaved Children's Menu;" for $3.95 a selection you could choose from a small hamburger with chips, macaroni and cheese, peanut butter and jelly sandwich and fruit, grilled cheese sandwich and chips, a fresh fruit bowl, and steamed chicken with rice and vegetable. Under this was the "Poorly Behaved Children's Menu;" for $14.50 per selection you could have boiled octopus tentacles, brussels sprouts and dandelion greens, fried liver and onions, tofu and mushroom sauté, or broiled haggis and chicken feet. Ha!

After breakfast Rick had to check a couple horses and take care of one emergency, so he and Brian didn't get home until late afternoon. So it was later still when we got to work on my "project of the day," quarantine quarters for the new lambs I'm bringing home Friday. Turned out to be a bigger project than I had envisioned!

A little 8'x8' building has sat unused in our middle pasture since we moved here. We have moved fences around it and put a new roof on it, but haven't really utilized it for anything. The former owner sheltered her pygmy goats in it; we thought we might use it as a chicken coop some day. I thought it would make the perfect quarantine home for the new lambs with the addition of a little "yard" out front, and Rick agreed. But while I thought it could be used in place, Rick has always wanted to move it from its awkward location to somewhere else, so he decided NOW was the time to do that.

So up it went on 6x8s, held in place with 2x4 "bumpers," braced with a tow strap. Then he used the tractor to drag it most of the way to its new location near the sheep pasture. From there, he had to inch it into its spot with a tow strap anchored to a tree. (Where's a pulley when you need one?) As you can see, it was dark by the time Rick finished "Phase 1." Its position still needs to be tweaked, concrete blocks need to be set for a "foundation," the skids need to be removed, that bale of straw needs to be added, and a "yard" needs to be set up. It will be nice when it's finished . . . hopefully in time for its temporary occupants!
That's it for now at . . .

6 comments:

Lauren Dorsee Dillon said...

Wow, that's a lot of work but I have to admit it looks nicer in its new location. The sheep will appreciate the shade and shelter after living in their old home in the desert.

Michelle said...

It WAS a lot of work (mostly for Rick), and it's still not done! If left to my own devices, it would be done and ready, albeit "jury-rigged" and in its old spot. Now I'm worried that we've started something we can't finish, given Rick's limited time home, before I pick up the lambies Friday. I am also worried that they might get SADD kept in the shade like that, after being used to Arizona sunshine. Heaven knows that affects a lot of people in the Pacific NW!

melanie said...

The new quarters look very nice! I think the new lambies will love it. Don't worry about not having it finished before they arrive - that's the way all good hobby farmers do it....(*grin*)

Kathy said...

The sheep will love not being in the hot Arizona sun, so don't worry about that! :)

All you now need is a few hog-panels linked together in a square around it and you'll be all set!

Franna said...

What a nice little sheep shelter! and the price is right, too.
Hog panels and baling twine and you're good to go.
...Shaul's and Sheepy Hollow will have some nifty nice sheep panels at BSG.... ;-)
- Franna

shepherdchik said...

OOh, haggis on the menu. Don't let the sheep hear you say that!