Patiently Waiting for Ruby

Sour Cherries for Eggs

Our neighbors had sour cherries. We had eggs. Now they have omlets and we have pie. It's all still in the hood though. Bartering am good.

Brood XIV of the 17 Year Locust

Meet an insect that is seventeen years old and about to die. This is another big brood year for these creatures. This is a story of pretty incredible biology when you think about it.

Eighty-Eight

Eighty eight aint no Tyewhoppity.
But Tyewhoppity aint no Black Gnat.

If you ask me that is.

Splash Pad

Whiskey barrels loosen up if they dry out. I had this one inside as a table while it was waiting for it's day in the rain. I had to fill it up to let it soak and I had to pound the rings back toward the middle with a wood block and a mallet. It leaked like a sieve at first but it didn't take long for it to swell tight again. Don't give up on it quick. In a day or two a barrel should hold tight again.

Didn't want a mud hole under the tap (which isn't in yet in this picture) and needed a flat place to put a watering can while it filled. I made these concrete stepping stones years ago when I lived in Florida. They're easy. Just place a bunch of bricks on an old piece of plywood to make a form and fill it with concrete mixed a little too wet. Drift in the junk and let it sit. That's pretty much it.

Addicted to Rain

After seeing how much rain I could gather off the chicken coop roof I got to thinking how much roof I own. And, defacto, how much water I might be able to gather. I admit to feeling a bit greedy. Now I'm addicted to rain barrels and have an idea for an above ground concrete cistern.

While that idea kicks around like Ruby in the womb here's a picture of our latest water gathering station. I like the way the whiskey barrel looks with the house. Better, visually, than the plastic variety. With this is old Four Roses barrel I now have just more than 100 gallon storage capacity.

The vine by the barrel tank is hops, a relative of both the mulberry tree and pot. I love the foliage of hops and you can train the vines to go where you would like. In this case, an arch of green from the post to the back door. I heard that pillows filled with dried hop buds promotes deeper sleep.

Next post I'll let you know how I hook into the gutter supply. I just went up on the roof and found out my gutter is full of detritus. Gotta go deal with that.

Catchin Rain off the Coop

I have been meaning to put in a rain barrel to catch water off the back of the chicken coop for some time now but a big pile of broken bricks has been holding me back. On Sunday, the first real dry day in some time, I put the neighbor boys to work helping me load all those bricks in the back of the truck to haul off. John and William are 10 so their help is minimal but well intentioned. I also hung an old kitchen sink that Barbara and Andy gave me some time back off the back fence. It will be my garden sink. Mike Ratterman gave me the rain barrel and an old 4x4 that used to be a fence post to build the rain barrel platform out of. Today I hung the gutter off the back of the coop and got everything set to catch the rain. I used heating vent filter material to let the water in but keep any mosquitos out.

It feels good to be able to provide your own food and water. Now when I water the hens my source is right by the coop and Louisville Water Company is out of the picture. At least as far as the chickens are concerned. I didn't think I'd be saying this after such a wet spring but I'm kind of anxious for it to rain now. I want to see how much rain it takes to fill the thing. It's fun feeling like a farmer living in the city.