Now that Fort Knox (that's what I'm calling my chicken coop/yard DH built since NOTHING will be able to get in there, when the chickens and guineas are shut in, due to his engineering and design. They will free range during the day though.) is complete, we're tackling other projects.
DH did put up some expanded metal on the 2 windows so now we just keep those open unless it gets super cold
Showed this photo to a friend of ours and he said it was so nice that he'd live in it
So I then sent him this shot and told him we were installing a sun shade in his new yard and that room service would be available, but sporadic.
We had another dumpster delivered and filled it quickly with the dismantled old chicken coop, old pipe, and old wire and fence.
DH trimmed and thinned out trees in the back yard and we grubbed out all of the cactus - that took a couple of days.
Eventually, we'll replace the chain link fence as we're not fans, but that'll be a future project. The previous owners had it for their dogs. We'll also do some terracing and maybe build a retaining wall to discourage erosion since it's pretty steep. I don't see us spending any time in the back as it doesn't get any better than the view from the deck, but we still want it to be nice. It took 5 loads to clean things up
We took somewhat of a break over one weekend for the Southern New Mexico Safari Club Banquet. It is a 2 night event and DH is on the board so we actually work it. We were so busy that I only snapped one picture, but it was a full house with all 500 seats occupied. I tell folks it's the 1 weekend a year that we socialize. Such a great group, but it just wears us out.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch 😉, DH shod horses one morning while I mucked out the stall that the old chicken coop had been in. I shoveled and hauled no less than 15 heavy wheel barrow loads out. It was mostly packed dirt and it took me 3 hours and I was smoked. It takes me longer as I have to mind my knee and go slower, but I got it done.
No plans for surgery as of now. It just aches and swells up when I tackle physically demanding tasks and then I just take some Advil and ice it once in a while. I have a pair of really good, supportive hiking boots (they are from a company called Shnee and I bought them 10 years ago when we went to Zimbabwe. I almost cried spending that much money on a pair of shoes, but they have been absolutely worth every penny). They help SO much so I've learned to reach for those even though I automatically want to just slip my feet into a pair of Sloggers I have, to run outside for a minute.
Then I spent another afternoon taking down old wire fencing and rope that the previous owner had put up in the horse runs. DH had taken it down in one of the other runs.
It was such a pretty day that it made a not so fun job enjoyable
Then we cleaned up all the odds and ends that were in the area that had previously been designated for the chicken yard.
With Skeet's assistance, we replaced 1 1/2 miles of pipe
(not so easy in mountain terrain)
and have restored spring water to the property
Next up: the orchard and garden spot. DH is researching trees on the computer as I'm working on a quilt binding, providing input when requested 😉
