Hand Painted Thank You Notes

On May 21, 2019 By CarynIn Craft

When you have a child with special needs there are many people at school who help and interact with her daily. I love that my daughter wants to get them all a present, but making that many things is hard for her, so we come up with things we can do in steps. For this year’s thank you cards, she picked a bold outline font from a filtered list, and I printed them on card stock. We then set her up with watercolors and turned her loose painting! Because the print is bold and water colors are light, they came out readable every time. She started out trying to color carefully, then quickly moved to broad strokes. All of them came out lovely, and unique!

To write in each note, we will do a few at a time so it isn’t overwhelming (for either of us!!)

Rain barrel

On May 20, 2019 By CarynIn Garden

For Mother’s Day I received a rain barrel rock. I set it up just before the rain came, and now it is full!

Let me tell you that it was a pain to get set up right. Everything was going well, I leveled a space, put a layer of sand, leveled again, set brick, followed all the instructions on measuring (even measuring thrice), cut and installed the diverter, tested by running water on the roof… nuts. The tube was about 1/2″ too high on the barrel side. I had to remove and reset the brick three times to get it to the right level. Ugh. But, when we had an inch and a half rain fall, it filled my 80 gallon barrel all the way up! So it was worth making it right.

I even used a 4’ level to check my work!!

Now I can use the water for my old garden (not the failed garden in the chicken run). I have strawberries, carrots, and rosemary that I’m sure will appreciate it!

Toad home

On May 19, 2019 By CarynIn Coop, Wildlife

To keep the rush of water from flooding the chicken runs, I’m working on swales around the perimeter. I dug down in front of the door and put in a step, like a little bridge. The original step was slapped together in a heavy rain from scrap. Because of the way it was constructed (fast and sloppy), it was getting more and more unstable. So I made a new step. Still out of scrap wood, but with planning and measured cuts.

New step. Still working on path and swales.

The previous step was also adopted by a toad as his home. I placed him up in toad home on the hill while I set the step, so I didn’t squish him. He must have been getting dried out because he was absolutely calm when I transported him. He will probably move back later. It is a dark damp place under the step!

Insulated waterer

On May 18, 2019 By CarynIn chickens

I had a great find at the feed store today! An insulated chicken waterer!

So I can put ice in the waterer and hopefully have cool water for the chicks for a little longer as we dive into our summer heat. Of course they have to figure out how to use the water nipples…

Rearranging

On May 17, 2019May 15, 2019 By CarynIn Coop

Again. These poor chicks. It is for their benefit, and they don’t seem to mind. I do try and introduce small changes in increments so it doesn’t blow their little birdie minds completely.

This time I changed the food hanger into a roost. A couple chicks were flying up there anyway, so I hung the food and water over a little bit (that didn’t phase them long), and then lowered the 2x4s down to about 18″. The next project is to build a proper roost, with a method for collecting droppings. The real roost will go in the same place, and only be a little higher, so should ease that transition.

Critters and Craft

Month: May 2019