Two of my water jugs developed leaks because the expansion of the ice popped the seams on the bottom. I learned the hard way to leave a sufficient air gap when filling them with water so the ice has room to expand. So I am now doing an experiment with different plastic drinking bottles to see which ones hold up to freezing. (It just happened that I am out of water jugs, and I had a variety of plastic bottles in the car. This is not really a planned experiment, but we will make the most of what we have.)
I like freezing the gallon jugs because the ice lasts a long time, even in the Texas heat. The smaller drinking bottles won’t be frozen as long, but they will last longer than regular sized ice cubes.
Combined screen shots of the nearest weather station and pictures of the thermometer in the chicken run
I did a little data collection. The high was forecast to be 100, and at 10:30am I was quite excited that the chicken’s runs were still in the 80s even though the nearest station was reading 95 degrees. Then 4pm happened. 102 degrees in the shade. Yuck.
Styrofoam AC with melted ice packs out and frozen ice packs in
I took ice out to the chickens twice and switched out the water in the foot baths four times. Although I had the styrofoam cooler filled with ice packs and the fan running, I feel like it is these foot baths that make the biggest difference for the chickens.
The chickens love the foot baths
Another telling thing is that almost all of the chickens’ feet feathers are wet. So they are taking turns cooling their heels.
I took the kids to the zoo, and my eldest’s favorite place is the herpetarium. Saw this adorable little golden frog, who kept opening and closing his mouth, so I had to take his picture and digitally give him the proper environment.
Quick and dirty using an app on my phone (Sketchbook). Does this count as a meme? Or derivative artwork? (I wouldn’t class it as artwork, but it does make me laugh!)
Small pocket size (or no pockets at all!) in clothes drives me crazy. But finding cargo shorts, capris, or trousers in woman’s sizes that fit nice is difficult. Either they have useful pockets, or they fit nice, not the two together. Grr. I get that women usually have purses or bags, so don’t “need” pockets. I like having my phone with me, especially when the kids are in school. I also have become quite attached to my instant information (and if I don’t write something down right away, I will forget), and don’t want to walk to my purse to pull out my phone to look something up. (I’d likely forget what I wanted to look up anyway; my phone is my assistive technology.)
So I came up with a way to add a pocket. I like the mid-leg pockets because there is less stress on the phone (I’m not sitting on it!). I tried some surface pockets, but these inside pockets hold the phone better and look nicer.
To make the pocket, cut a piece of fabric about 1 1/2” wider than your phone, and twice the length plus 2”.
Measuring fabric for pocket
Iron about 3/8” up the long sides of the fabric.
Iron folds
Put on the garment and mark where you want your pocket opening. Cut a slit the width of the ironed fabric.
Cut a slit in the garment (measure twice, cut once!)
Turn the garment inside out and pin the right sides of the pocket to the right sides of the cut.
Pin the pocket to the garment
I used a whip stitch to sew the edge all the way around. Remove the pins, and turn the garment right side out and tuck in the pocket. Lay the pocket flat and adjust the pocket fabric to evenly fold around the cut (note, the garment fabric should not fold, just the pocket material).
Pocket material adjusted
I used a hidden stitch or hem stitch to attach the edges of the pocket material all away around. Make sure to add extra stitches at the ends of the cut to reinforce. Turn the garment inside out and sew the edges of the pocket closed. I used a whip stitch again. I saved this part until last because it is easier to adjust the folds with the sides of the pocket unsewn.
Sew up sides of the pocket
Yay! New functional pocket!
Added phone pocket
If you want a bit of pop, you can use a contrasting fabric.
Contrasting fabric pocket
And yes, I hand sewed the whole thing. I like hand sewing; I can stitch while sitting in my chair in the living room with my family, and I find it relaxing.
Well that is new. I’ve never had a sewing foot break in the middle of a project before. But of course it was supposed to be a quick 15 minute project, so something had to happen. Luckily it didn’t take too long to find a nice solid metal foot, but the clear one was my favorite. Sigh.
Critters and Craft 