Last fall I spread Texas wild flower seeds (the Lady Bird Johnson mix), and I think we have a blue bonnet growing!
It was hidden in among the dead leaves, but it looks like blue bonnet leaves. After walking the meadow, I only found the one. I am hoping that it is just early. Having a field of blue bonnets would be very Texas. It is a Texas tradition to take pictures in the blue bonnets every year; it would be neat to have a nice patch on the property.
Our weather continues to vacillate between winter and spring. This week I was able to use one of the warmer days to start making the people sized doors for the coop.
I measured the size of the door frame and subtracted 1/4″ on the width (to allow 1/8″ on each side), and subtracted 1 3/8″ from the height (our threshhold will be 1 1/8″ high plus the 1/8″ easement). I used standard 2×4 lumber and made double rabbet connections at the corners and for the cross brace. My bandsaw worked well to cut the rabbets on the ends of the boards, but for the rabbets in the middle of the board I used a handsaw and chiseled out the material.
I then glued the joints and used 1 1/4″ screws to secure the frame, making sure that the corners were square.
The door fits well! (The gap on the top will eventually be a gap on the bottom for the threshold.)
And here is the front door:
This one was a little more temperamental, but it might be because it was about 33 degrees out when I finished it. I kept the garage door closed as long as possible, but to get enough light to chisel, I needed to open it! Cold! So I probably worked with a little more haste. Still, it is fun when the grain lines up with the dado and a few chisel strikes excise a nice chunk of wood.
We really don’t get ice here often, but growing up in the midwest I still carry an ice scraper in my vehicle. It came in handy this morning! Yesterday was beautiful until the front came through and we dropped 30 degrees. I’ll be waiting to see what plants made it through. It wasn’t a heavy frost, but there were some very sad daffodils on our way out the door this morning.
The “catnip” that grew yesterday wanted outside, felt the cold, and immediately changed her mind and came back inside where it is warm. Temperamental plants.
It must be spring. There are calves and baby bunnies; buds on the trees and daffodils. Although I have to admit that the daffodil bulbs I planted in the fall did not surface, so this is a picture of full grown plants that I bought at the store. Maybe they will come back next year.
The iris and day lilies that went into the ground last year are coming up. There is hope.
And chalk. It was nice out and the box of chalks was calling…
