new aviary

the aviary plot, before

Charlie says he knew it was necessary after our first batch of chickens got killed. I held out through a few more brutal slayings, but now have come to realize that if we are to have poultry it can't be free range. And since we have two adolescent turkeys in the kitchen who are almost big enough to live outside, it has to be built soon.

Today was a lovely sunny day and Charlie helped me clear the plot of land for the new aviary. I wanted to be able to see the chickens from the house, and have them be close enough that they didn't feel isolated out in the woods. We picked a spot right next to the driveway. Once it's built, you'll be able to see the chickens from the living room, dining room, and our bedroom windows. And the front porch, of course. The location seems to get some nice sun, and there are enough trees on three sides to provide a bit of a wind- and rain-break.

bunyan action

There were only three major botanical obstacles: a big but scraggly pine tree, a scrawny rhododendron, and a big bushy azalea. We've got so many of those things all around the yard that I wasn't too pained about digging them up. Charlie channeled his inner paul bunyan and eschewed the chainsaw in favor of the axe. He felled the big pine tree and then we both stripped the branches off and dragged everything over behind the shed and into the ravine ("nature's compost bin").

the aviary plot, mostly cleared

Then we just had to rip up a bunch of brambles and one gigantic fern and it was cleared. Gladys hung out with us the entire time. At one point she decided to dig a hole next to where Charlie had laid the axe and have a furious dust bath.

dirt flies!

what are you looking at? I'm just sitting here.

Now that Charlie has finished the preliminary design sketch, I have to figure out how to build the thing. The ground isn't perfectly level, so if any of you out there have experience with pouring concrete to set posts, I would love help with how to build the foundation frame. Hopefully I'll be done within a month, before we leave for Australia.