Additions to the farm hardscape

We put in an outdoor sink yesterday. It is made from all throw away stuff. A couple of old saw horses, a table top that Fred Meyer was going to toss out, a sink my contractor got on another job site, and a few new fittings from the plumbing supply house. It drains into plastic buckets so that water can be used on the garden. Why waste what you can re-use! Cold water only so no usage of natural gas to fuel hot water. It is going to be a great place to clean and top vegetables when the time comes. No mucking up the kitchen! I like that. It will also be a handy place to set up as a bar for parties. We can fill the sink with plastic and ice and put cups and bottles on it. Double duty is another good thing about living green. We won't need a bar! The chicks brooder can now become a tub for beer and sodas!

The other great thing that happened yesterday was the chickens first time out in the run. Jenn had to use a broom to get them out of their comfy digs, but once out in the sunshine they explored every little nook and cranny. They found worms and fought over them. They scratched, and pecked, and poked around for quite a long time. Because of their size, they cannot be left out unsupervised. Beefcake and Pig Bitch are trying to find a way to be there at the right moment when one of the girls sticks her head out of the wire. I think they would bite it off if they could. Jenn had the best time digging up worms for them. They really love the squirmy little things. Shirley, the littlest girl, loves them the most. Seems Dolly and Laverne have no interest in them yet.

Everything is coming along so well. Now, we move on to the patio and awning portion of the design. I did my first grilling of the season last night and it would have been nice to have the patio completed before hand. Guess the call of the grill will be incentive to do the project, once my surgery is over and I can at least direct the work of constructing the crushed stone patio and arbors.

It takes a lot longer to tend this farm than it did any garden I've ever put in, but I love my time in the early morning light with the plants and the hens. It is the best way for me to start my day.