Inside :: Outside :: Around

Besides schools, and Geoff's work, everything around the Bird House is revolving around finishing our screened porch. There's a pretty long list of things yet to be done, like painting, waiting on the screen doors, adding baseboards, refinishing our old wood table... and the list of things already accomplished is even longer, so we are actually feeling good, motivated, and eager to see this through. Yesterday, Alex jumped into the big job of refinishing our outdoor dining table. It's suffered from long exposure to sun, rain, and more sun, so Alex took a belt sander to it, and basically took an 1/8th of an inch of the top. William and Alex inspected the boards we've been attaching, and reattaching, and they seem to be holding up, so far, but we need to fill the cracked boards, and the cracks between boards... which introduces the Bondo and paint vs. Resin, Stain, and Seal debate. Although, maybe it's not a debate, because last night we bought Bondo and paint. Natural wood is beautiful, but this table may have seen a little too much nature.

No one knows for sure what the chickens make of all this activity, but we are thankful that they are happy and healthy, and moving back into full time egg production. Only Little Debbie and Kamen are in laying retirement. Kamen is four years old this week! That's not a record in chicken years, but it's pretty old, especially when we recall the savage bobcat attack she survived. She's definitely been a miraculous hen... what pluck! Little Debbie has six months to go to reach her fourth hatch-day

Last night's dinner was one of those that raised doubt, and suspicion, in my mind, even as I was cooking it. My first thought was to serve scrambled eggs and potatoes for dinner, but then a creative bee got in my bonnet, and I foraged in our garden for some Swiss chard, salvaged a leek from the refrigerator, and tested a new soy-free, vegetarian breakfast sausage, for a frittata. I think it was the sausage that threw it off course... it smelled strongly of maple, but had a distinctly not special flavor. The potatoes, steamed, then roasted with herbs and olive oil, were delicious. The frittata was edible, and there were no actual complaints, but farm fresh eggs and garden chard deserve better... no more "Field Roast," grain meat brekkie sausages, thank you.

While we ate dinner Max shared his vision for his next birthday {August} and it sounds pretty awesome... it involves chocolate donuts, and a long, long drive {destination to be determined.} Alex's birthday is the next one we will celebrate and he debated possible themes. Naturally, Maria thought about her birthday, too! Celebrations have been on our minds a lot, lately, because we are so eager to share the porch, and take maximum advantage of all the new possibilities. But before we pick a theme, send out invitations... I need to sand battered chairs, clear out cupboards, and move a lot of things around, inside and outside.