Fly, Fly like a chicken!

Monday was all about adult responsibility. I built two compost bins, and finally had the gutters professionally cleaned. Since we've owned the house I have spent time careening off of over-extended ladders and inching out over the lower roof claiming that I could, of course, clean the gutters myself. Of course! Of course not. We have a varied and wildly pointy roof, and there are gutters all around it. I have a 21 foot ladder and couldn't reach the highest part on the back of the house. So I hemmed and hawed and thought that perhaps with time the gutters would clean themselves.

They did not. So I asked a friend for a recommendation and ended up with Johnstons' Inc. They unfortunately don't have a website, but according to my invoice they have offices in Woodinville and Seattle, so should be able to serve downtown as well as the Eastside. They did my gutters for a mere $250, which was less than half of what I was afraid it was going to be. They also do windows and pressure washing, but I can reach my windows! So, if you need your gutters done call 425.486.5114. They make the appointment, come to your house and give you the estimate and if you like it they do the work right away.

Since we moved in there has been an undignified vegetative heap next to the shed in the driveway. I've added on with weeds and chicken coop cleanings, and just knew there would be black gold in there if I could ever get the damn thing heated up and composting. I finally found some pallets in good shape from a machine shop in Woodinville, and on Monday cobbled them together into two 4x4 bins. After some energetic pitchforking the heap was thrown in and with the next good rain it should activate it's microbial splendor.


While I was outside working the chickens got stalked by a neighborhood cat. Gladys attacked it while Marge took flight. She not only flew, she gained serious altitude and ended up on the front porch roof! I thought it was a fear-induced flight, but after Gladys sent the cat packing up the driveway, she cool as a cucumber leapt into the air, flew 50 feet, and made a fancy left turn and dropped onto the roof next to Marge. I had no idea they could fly that high, let alone with any control.