Feeding the Chickens (when I’m away)

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The new feeder before installing into the coop.
The new feeder before installing into the coop.

I’m mostly happy with the chicken coop I built last summer. The biggest problem is that I made the entire top a single hinged lid. It is heavy. With 6″ of snow on top of it is really really heavy.

The feeder for the chickens is inside the coop and requires that I lift the lid every week to refill the feed. One option would be to saw the roof in half, and have a left and right side that are easier to lift individually. Or I cold build a new feeder that can be refilled from the outside.

Susanna voted for the second one. She doesn’t like the chickens, and would appreciate being able to care for them without having to hang out with them in the coop.

Today I went to the box store and for less than $20 I picked up 3″ piping and connectors to make a new feeder. It is a simple feeder, with a tube to hold the feed on the outside of the coop and a tray in the coop. Even though you can’t easily tell in the pictures, the tray does have an end – the feeder doesn’t just dump the feed into the coop.

I installed and filled the feeder today. Hopefully the birds won’t stand on it and poop in their own food. But they probably will.

Overall, this was a quick easy project. It may have worked better with 4″ piping (it would have held a lot more food – almost twice as much).  Or maybe I could have used a longer section of piping to hold more food.

Coop with the new feeder installed. I probably should paint the feeder to match the rest of the coop. Maybe later this spring.
Coop with the new feeder installed. I probably should paint the feeder to match the rest of the coop. Maybe later this spring.

Melodifestivalen 2014

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Watching the Melidofestivalen 2014 finals live from Stockholm
Watching the Melodifestivalen 2014 finals live from Stockholm

Today was the final for Melodifestivalen 2014 – Sweden’s music competition for the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest. Susanna is a huge fan of the contest.

The time zone difference means that it is a 2pm show local time. We pushed the streaming video to the house TV and the whole family watched.  Susanna and Ben both dressed up for the show. Will, Targa, Tucker and I didn’t so much. But we all enjoyed the concert. It helped that the songs we liked did well in the end.

Vacation Day at the Spa

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Today Susanna and I took a day for ourselves. My Christmas present from her was a gift certificate at the Spa at Norwich Inn – not too far down the road from us. We headed out the door shortly after the boys left for school.

Our first appointment was a yoga class (and not I am not very flexible at all… I would probably benefit from some more yoga) followed by swimming and enjoying the hot tub/sauna/steam rooms. After a wonderful lunch at the restaurant upstairs, we had an afternoon massage session, followed by more time in the hot tub/sauna/steam room.

We finished up around 5pm, with plenty of time in the day to enjoy the cold Connecticut weather.

What a perfect way to start the week! It also means a short 4 day work week.

Soccer Sunday

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This morning, Ben had a soccer game for one of the two leagues he plays on. Susanna isn’t feeling well tonight, so I figured I would try my hand at making a very short video of Ben playing.  It is at least a little more creative than watching TV. The video was made on my iPhone, and edited on OpenShot.

Ben was the goalie for the first half, and then a forward for part of the second half of the game.

 

 

Wrapping up a project…

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I finished touching up the paint in the front hallway. The hall has been cleaned (though the walls could use another wiping down after the paint fully cures). I think we can call the project finished!

Final view of the new hall ceiling and ceiling light.
Final view of the new hall ceiling and ceiling light.

The usefulness of writing things down (even if only in this blog)

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the ceiling with trim installed (and first coat of paint). Yes, I know, the walls need to be washed. And touched up.
the ceiling with trim installed (and first coat of paint). Yes, I know, the walls need to be washed. And touched up.

Over the past few years I have been trying to write down what paint color we use when we are painting rooms (or the outside of the house). It finally paid off. When painting the trim around the ceiling in the hallway, I went to the basement to search for the trim paint, “I’m sure I have some of that left over around here somewhere…”

Of course, none could be found. So a reasonably quick Google search of this blog digs up “Classic Ivory” trim paint. Voilà. A quick trip to Sherwin-Williams and we have matching trim paint.

So, I figure I’ll record paint colors (as best as I know them) for the house:

New hall light.
New hall light from House of Antique Hardware.

Exterior:

  • Walls: Concord Buff (SW 7684)
  • Trim: Rookwood Dark Green (SW 2816; satin)
  • Accent: Rookwood Dark Brown (SW 2808; satin)

All interior trim is Classic Ivory (SW 0051, semi-gloss) except where noted. Ceilings are white (Sherwin-Williams ceiling paint)

  • Living Room: Mulberry Silk (SW 0001; satin)
  • Kitchen:  Copper Pot (SW 7709; satin), Empire Gold (SW 0012; satin).
  • Hallway: Majolica Green(SW 0013 -maybe )
  • Dining Room: Custom paint from Home Depot to match an unknown Sherwin-Williams paint selection (note to self, next time just go to Sherwin-Williams). Anyway, I’m not super happy with the paint colors I picked for the dining room – it would have turned out much better if I had gotten Susanna’s input before choosing a color (but she was in Sweden, and I needed to paint the room).
  • Study:   Unknown; Trim: Not repainted
  • Will’s Bedroom: Down Pour (SW 6516, satin) and Empire Gold (SW 0012; satin) – we used left over paint from the kitchen.
  • Ben’s Bedroom: Paint from Home Depot (Glidden Freshaire Choice): Northern Pear Tree and Roof Top Garden
  • Master Bedroom: Lantern Light (SW 6687)

One of the things I love about Sherwin-Williams is that all of their colors are on the Internet. And if I can’t find the colors there – they have a record of my previous paint purchases. I have been very happy with the quality of the paint and the service and will not buy paint from anywhere else.

Friday Night Minecraft

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The boys convinced Susanna to join them playing Minecraft.  I helped them set up a small server so they can all wander around the same Minecraft world.  I think Tucker is just along for the ride and warm space on the couch.  Time to “kick” them so they will go brush their teeth and go to bed.

Will, Ben, Susanna and Tucker enjoying a bit of Minecraft after our pizza/movie night.
Will, Ben, Susanna and Tucker enjoying a bit of Minecraft after our pizza/movie night.

Making a little progress…

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Installing the trim. After all the trim is installed, I will caulk the joints and paint.
Installing the trim. After all the trim is installed, I will caulk the joints and paint.

It is a beautiful day outside. The sun is out and it is 50-degrees out. So, it seems like a perfect day to work inside on the trim. I can at least look outside at the nice weather. I also get to enjoy it in small bits as I go back and forth to the workshop. Of course the beautiful weather means the boys want to play inside.

Okay, that last part isn’t totally true. They are enjoying some time outside. But the warm weather also means mud. And lots of mud. Maybe it would be better to play inside.

I am working on the trim around the ceiling. I decided to skip the traditional crown molding, and use a decorative half-round piece of trim attached on top of a 3/8″x3″ piece of trim. The trim will be painted to match the rest of the trim in the room. I have been milling the 3/8 x 3 piece from random pieces of lumber I have in the garage. I think some of it is cedar, and the rest out of maple. It will all look the same when it is painted.

I’m not quite done yet; I have two more pieces to mill and attach and a long stretch for the half-round molding.

Lounging around in the morning. Picture by Ben Curtis
Lounging around in the morning. Picture by Ben Curtis

 

Lounging Around (A Lazy Start to Saturday)

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Susanna is snuggling in bed. The boys are playing on their electronics, and I am playing on the computer. Targa and Tucker are sleeping. After breakfast we will put down the electronics, and enjoy what looks to be a beautiful day. I’ll just pretend that I’m outside when I’m sanding the ceiling in the hallway.

Will enjoying a slow Saturday morning on the couch
Will enjoying a slow Saturday morning on the couch
Ben trying to get in some game time while his iPod charges
Ben trying to get in some game time while his iPod charges