Ungh! Yeah!

The barrel-carrying hand truck arrived Thursday evening. Bright red, four wheels, safety strap and kickstand, this mighty dolly is welded metal and rated for a thousand (!) pounds. This thing is so bad@ss it'll survive a direct "newkular" strike. It will still be around after humans evolve out of existence and there's nothing left but the cockroaches. Yeah baby, that's what I'm talkin' 'bout!

[Actually, it's for hauling around the barrel that contains soiled goose pool water, but it never hurts to over-engineer.]

Scooooore!

I have to do these things when Spouse is not around. It reminds him too much of his father, a good-natured man who has no problem poking, prodding, and asking questions of complete strangers. Can't have that, quelle embarrassment! If we're together, I'll warn him ahead of time, "go elsewhere for a minute, as I'm about to do something embarrassing, okay?" and he'll go.

So: there's a commercial building under construction on the commute to/from work, about 15 minutes from the house. Just looking at the amount of wood in the scrap piles while driving past made my mouth water. Finally had the time to stop by yesterday and do That Embarrassing Thing I Do. "Is it okay if I take some of this scrap lumber?" "Ask the general manager."... "Hi, I'm in the process of building a chicken coop and just can't see buying new wood for it. Would it be okay to salvage some of your scrap?" "Sure, help yourself! Another guy came buy earlier in the week, salvaging as well." Booyah! Score!

I was able to get large pieces of outdoor-quality sheet plywood, short and long pressure-treated posts, the usual 2x4's, some large trim pieces, some really nice solid wood 2x12 pieces (should make terrific guestroom & outdoor side tables), and bestest of all: two small roof trusses, just the right size for the coop. There was plenty more I could have picked up, but something inside said "eh, don't be greedy, leave some for others." I packed everything into the trusty Subaru, and made my way home.

[Still need to obtain for the new & improved coop: second hand windows & door, more hardware cloth, and an actual plan.]

This was only my second time salvaging scrap lumber, but it's clear that an in-car toolkit should be put together to help in case I run into such bounty again. I already have bungee cords, netting and rope. Thinking I'll need to add gloves, claw hammer, pry/wonder bar, staplegun (so I can staple a red flag over the longest piece of salvage sticking out the back), fix-a-flat in case I run over a nail... anything else? Being this embarrassing could become a successful side career!

[p.s. Spouse isn't mortally embarrassed by his dad or me, but the forthrightness with strangers does make him a little squeamish. On the other hand, he sure did admire the haul, and wondered why I didn't get more lumber while it was available.]

Book Review: The Book of Geese, by Dennis Holderread

If you want information about raising chickens at home, there's a boatload available on the Internet. If you want information about raising geese at home, the info is much harder to find. Geese are literally tough birds - healthy, hardy, and adaptable - but they do have needs that differ from chickens. The Book of Geese: a Complete Guide to Raising the Home Flock by Dave Holderread packs a huge amount of information into a small, 209 page book (including index).

Chapter titles: Why Geese?, Some Points to Consider, External Features, Behavior, Selecting a Breed, Acquiring Stock, Incubation, Rearing Goslings, Managing Adult Geese, Sexing, Health and Physical Problems, Butchering.

Appendices: Formulating Goose Rations, Symptoms of Vitamen and Mineral Deficiencies, Predators, Goose Recipes, Using Feathers and Down, Using Geese as Weeders, Show Time, Goose Breeders and Hatchery Guide, Sources of Supplies and Equipment, Suggested Reading, Organization...
...and a whole bunch of illustrations, photos, and tables that provide organized info on the above subjects.

From birth to death, from rearing to slaughtering, he covers it all. I love this book, and even though I've read through it once already, I find some new nugget every time I pick it up.

Interested in a copy? Feathersite says

"I would suggest ordering this directly from Holderread's Waterfowl Farm and Preservation Center, PO Box 492, Corvallis, OR 97339; 541-929-5338. You'll get it much quicker."

I also found new copies on-line at Sheepmagazine.com for $18.95. Do a Google Search for other on-line purveyors of the book if you like, or order through your local bookstore. On the other hand, if you don't mind paying $32.00 and up for a used (used!!) copy through Alibris or Amazon, go right ahead. And when you're done, I have a deal on a timeshare I'd like to tell you about...

UPDATE: Found out the Farm has a web site, but you must order the book through their catalog. $18.95. They have books on ducks, too, which farm mom from Children in the Corn recommends!

[pic: another "I can has shoelace?" moment]

Dirty Photos

Another "too pooped to post" entry. Today's pic feature: our dirty, dirty critters:


A day of light rain last week - less than a quarter inch - and the dogs somehow manage to look like they've wallowed in the biggest mud puddle they could find. GP coats shed dirt quickly, however, so they didn't look this way for long...



After chewing open a thick paper bag of charcoal (thankfully, just plain ol' burned wood charcoal, and not the chemical-laden briquette type stuff), the geese decide to do a taste test. Can't decide whether they look more like chimney sweeps or modern goths. At least the photos show them in their more usual state: mouths open and squawking.

Don't mess with the 'Meg

She's the only chicken molting this Fall, and she is none too happy about it. Nutmeg, our little Cubalaya chicken-dog and pecking order enforcer, is cranky and uncomfortable. She does not want to socialize, be picked up or otherwise touched thankyouverymuch. I miss having her birdy company on my lap or shoulder, but heck, if my hair was falling out like that, I might not feel very sociable, either.

Sly Lady Grey has been trying to take advantage of Nutmeg's discomfort to upset the pecking order. Grey is over a third larger and twice heavier than Nutmeg, so you'd think it'd be an easy win. Don't count on it. Nutmeg is laying the holy smack-down on any attempts at usurpation. I've seen her go into the air with Grey, neck feathers (well, what's left of them) puffed out and claws extended. Spouse saw Nutmeg not only smack-down Grey, but chase her halfway across the yard to make sure Grey understood the lesson:

Respect the Frau, and don't mess with the 'Meg.

[pic #1: Nutmeg. She's lost all her tailfeathers, too! Pic #2: Lady Grey. Pretty girl, determined, but ultimately doomed to failure.]