Framing

Tom and I spent most of the weekend framing the chicken run. This is the outside structure that will house the flock, the coop, the food and water.

As you may remember, we bought our plans from The Garden Coop, and last weekend we dug the trench, since we thought that would be the most tedious part. Dad obtained our redwood from the mill (what a gift, thanks Dad!) and Tom bought some supplies at the hardware store that he'd never really needed before, like sawhorses. Cutting the wood to size was no big deal, that took Tom one morning of math and measuring.

While he was doing the hardware runs and cutting, I was doing a big garden clean up around the rest of the yard. I figure we're done with frost for this winter, at least the heavy stuff, and so I cut out a bunch of dead branches and pulled up old dead flowers. Then I felt free to spread native annual wildflower seeds, so I did that. The vegetable garden is going gangbusters; I just have to remember to water regularly since we've had absolutely no rain in January.

Then we were both done with our respective jobs and it was time to frame. We got a little stuck on the 'nail' issue. Should we use a nail gun, or hammer by hand? I went to Ace Hardware and talked with an awesome old guy named Tony who really knew his stuff. He showed me the correct kind of hammer for framing, a much larger and heavier hammer with a bumpy head. Both Tom and I were worried about driving a nail perfectly, as funny as that sounds. Tony also told me it would take twice as long with a hammer.

Then we talked nail guns. I didn't know that most nail guns are powered by an air compressor. You can get battery-powered ones too, but it sounded like Tony thought the air guns were better. To buy something like that would run about $300. So he suggested renting, which we had thought of, but our local Cresco wasn't open on weekends. Tony suggested Home Depot. The closest HD that rents equipment is in Oakland, nearly to Alameda, so I called and talked to them first and they had what we needed.

But meanwhile I started thinking about everyone we knew that built something or was handy. My dad, woodworker extraordinaire, would never dream of using a nail gun. He'd probably dovetail the coop together. :) My friend Bob built his coop with a hammer, because he's excellent, so no gun there. We have a neighbor who built an extension on to his house, but he borrowed a gun from yet another neighbor that we don't know, and  I didn't think I should just show up at his door, introduce myself, and ask to borrow expensive equipment. Then I called a neighbor who built a coop last year and yahoo! he had a nail gun and compressor we could borrow. Plus, we got to take a good look at his coop and chicken system. I gave him a jar of honey to thank him for the equipment loan, and we started setting stuff up.

But there was a wrinkle: Matt's nail gun is a 'finish' nail gun, which means we can use it for the siding on the coop, but not for the framing. So we ended up renting a framing nail gun from Home Depot after all, which cost $29 for the day without the compressor. Not bad. Throw in a box of framing nails, and it was a cheap day at the hardware store. Just two long trips to the far side of Oakland.

This thing scared us, at first.

The frames were not hard, but we still made plenty of mistakes. There was a distinct learning curve. Here's a question for you: How on earth do you remove a nail that has been placed with a nail gun? Let's just say our hack saw got a lot of use during this stage of construction. But an afternoon later, we had our four wall frames, and then we set them all up and bolted them together with deck screws.

Next, we needed to dig holes for the cinder block 'piers,' on which the frame rests. This required leveling, then filling, then leveling, then digging some more, all of which was fun, believe it or not. It took three days for Tom and I to get into a good working rhythm, and by today, we were finally enjoying ourselves. It always takes us a while to give up our own power struggles. We both very much like to be right, and unfortunately we can't BOTH be right all the time.

Once the piers were in and leveled, we could move the framed structure over, which we did with the help of two teenage boys. I thought this would be the easiest part of the weekend, but in fact it was quite difficult. This structure is heavy, and at the moment, we have an obstacle course of sprinkler heads, dirt piles, and tarps to maneuver around.

Tom and I are so proud of ourselves. We've never done anything like this, and are not likely to again, but it's a skill that we both wish we could practice more now. Well, we have plenty more to do, the roof will go on next weekend, hopefully with the help of my dad, as there is some precise sawing that needs to be done.

I've been recommended a place to purchase the chickens. The farm is called Dare 2 Dream Farms, and they sell chicks, coop-ready older chicks, and pullets. They have many breeds. I've written to them asking about birds that would be good for both our summer heat and winter frosts, who are friendly and good layers. I like Buff Orpingtons, Wyandottes, Rhode Island Reds, Barred Rocks, and maybe Australorps or Easter Eggers. I'm hoping the farm will suggest what would be best for me. I think we'll get six coop-ready birds, and hopefully they'll be laying by summer.

A Special Day

January 15 is a special day in our house. On this day in 2004, our son Adam (two years old at the time) was sent to the hospital with a possible diagnosis (later confirmed) of Acute Lymphblastic Leukemia (ALL). It was a nightmare day which blurred into a truly horrifying night.

Adam in his hospital bed that first weekend.

By January 16, a plan was in place, and we had a strange sense of relief at having some sort of protocol to follow, some way to work our way back to 'normal.' Adam would undergo a year of very intense chemotherapy, with two years additional moderate chemo after that. He had a subcutaneous port put under the skin of his chest, with a line directly to his heart. He had chemo orally, in IV form, intramuscularly, and in his spinal fluid. He had weekly spinal taps, two bone marrow draws, three transfusions, four hospital stays, untold amounts of vomit, constipation, and diarrhea. He had numerous side effects from the medications. He had constant skin rashes and infections. He had low immunity through a lot of it, and had to be isolated frequently.

It was hard.

Almost immediately, we joined a support group for parents of children with cancer, and hooked up with Camp Okizu, which provided us with family weekends at camp, and as the kids grew older, summer camps by themselves. We had great doctors and nurses and met all kinds of folks at the hospital and clinic.

And one thing became very clear: Although what we were going through was as hard as anything we could imagine, there were families going through even harder circumstances. Our focus began to shift from 'nothing could be worse' to 'we have a good chance of getting through this.'

You put blinders on, when you go through an experience like this. You make yourself see only this moment, only today. You can't plan for the future. You don't dare look three years ahead to the end of treatment, because three years seems like a slog from hell. You just appreciate what is now. You make yourself extremely present.

This was a great gift to me, personally, from cancer. I had always been the kind of person who wanted to know what was next - rushing to the next project - finding something new to clutch on to - running from my problems. I'm still like this in many ways, you may see that from the amount of projects I give myself even now! But cancer really made me focus on what was happening, right then. I'm so fortunate to have learned that lesson, and it has stayed with me ever since.

In honor of that, I took a little hike with Joe this morning in one of my favorite places in Shell Ridge Open Space, the Fossil Trail and the quarry. I wanted to be present in my memories of cancer, and of this day eleven years ago. It was particularly magical this morning, with mist hanging about, the fog clinging to the hills.

The quarry is full of fossils, from a time when this range was underwater.

There's new growth everywhere, and soon there will be wild blooms of California Poppy, California Penstemon, and Tidy Tips. Right now, the dried, dead stalks of fennel, buckwheat, and tarweed litter the meadow.

I found some Coyote Bush blooming, as well as some Milkweed seed pods. And lots and lots of moss and lichen.

The mist and fog worked on my memory and my heart, and I took courage at the thought that this area will be bright with flowers in a month or two.

We've come a long way from the days of sickness and despair, and what a pleasure to look at Adam today - a healthy, smart, kind, tall, handsome boy with long thick hair that he refuses to cut.

We are thankful.

Breaking Ground

We've begun our Chicken Coop and Run project. Tom and I measured out an area in our back yard, raked the mulch back, and started digging (Tom has done most of the digging so far, bless him!). We need to create a foot-deep trench around the area of the coop. This trench will hold a foot of hardware cloth, to prevent predators digging under the run. We have plenty of raccoons, skunks, opossums, and even the stray coyote hanging around our neighborhood, and chickens would be an easy and tasty prey. (Recently there have been several Cougar sitings about a block from here, so that's a possibility too, I suppose.) You'd think they'd be satisfied with all the wild turkeys, but we hear horrifying stories of backyard chicken slaughter by predators. Our neighbors with ducks have had several grisly decapitations and use a lock and key on their run. We'll do the same. (Though I wouldn't put it past raccoons to figure out a key.)

We've laid out the tarps to capture the dirt, for several reasons. We'll need to backfill the trench with what we've taken out, and I also don't want the dirt mixing with the mulch. The tarps make everything easier and cleaner. When it rains, we can also fold over the tarps to protect the dirt from becoming mud.

This is the area that we sheet mulched during Thanksgiving break. Our excavation has provided us some clues about how this process is working. First of all, the grass is dead. Main goal, accomplished. The cardboard has not broken down at all, yet, and we've been digging through it, which adds an extra layer of pain to this chore. Then there's the clay underneath, which is hell itself.

Dead grass, cardboard, and the ubiquitous clods of clay

However, earthworms abound. Long and fat, they are everywhere here. They are attracted to the decaying grass, and the layer of compost above the cardboard. Also quite evident - layers of mycelium, the network of fungi that helps decompose all this organic matter. Things are cooking underground, which is good. 

Our plan is to finish the trench today, then dig the foundation piers next weekend and start framing the structure. We also have plans in the works for two new compost bins, made from pallets. I'll need a place to compost the sawdust/straw/chicken poop from the run, and these seem like a simple, inexpensive option.

It's fun to picture the coop, finished, with busy hens inside eating bugs and scraps from the garden, and several raised beds clustering around it, filled with summer produce. There's a lot of work to do, first.

Handcrafted

Lately, I've had some wonderful experiences with folks who are artisans, craftsmen, or who're just really amazing at what they do, taking time and care to make things perfect, and I find it really inspiring.

First up, there's my dad. Tim Killen has been making furniture for nearly 50 years. He's made all the furniture in his house, my house, and my brother's house. He teaches woodworking to whomever is interested in learning. He blogs at Fine Woodworking about using Google SketchUp for design planning, even with period furniture (and he was possibly the first person to use SketchUp for this purpose - he was certainly a pioneer with this new application). The amount of time and care he puts in to each piece is incredible.

Right now, he is making us a new bed. It's been in process for a month or so. It's made of primarily Sugar Pine, though I got a note from Dad today saying that the interior slats (the part no one will see but us) is being made of "straight-grained fir that was milled from an old tree at a winery." Pretty incredible stuff. Here is the bed in progress. I can't wait to show you what it looks like when it's finished (Dad does a pretty amazing job of finishing his pieces, too).

I asked for a simple style, and Dad came up with this interesting headboard that 'floats' where it joins the frame (I'm sure I'm saying that wrong) so that temperature fluctuations will allow it to expand or contract. He also decided on the pencil posts, which I love.  Dad's an artist; he's practicing a skill that very few people use any more. We appreciate it so much - each piece of furniture is a work of art.

Then there is our own work in progress - the chicken coop. We downloaded plans from The Garden Coop, and they are just really thought-out and well done. Tom has done a lot of work figuring out parts and supplies, while my dad has already ordered the redwood from the lumber mill. First up, we have to dig the foundation and the trench where the hardware cloth will be sunk (to deter predators). I anticipate starting that on Saturday, and it will be back-breaking. But it will be worth the effort, to have such a well-made coop and run.

Another shout-out: To Passmore Ranch, located southeast of Sacramento. They farm sustainable fish such as sturgeon and trout. I read an article about them in Sunset magazine, all about how they provide fish for the famous chefs in San Francisco. I contacted them about making a sort of CSA for fish, for my parents for Christmas. The folks there were incredibly helpful, and worked to make something just for me. Today my parents got their first box of fish, which included recipes and a small jar of salt from Oregon.

Mom said the fish had been overnighted in ice, which I expected, but that the wrapping was lovely as well. Passmore Ranch didn't have to make it pretty, but they did. Also, they charged me less than they said they would, and didn't charge me until they knew my folks were satisfied. Now, that kind of care and attention is going to make me a customer for life. Meanwhile, my parents will get a different kind of sustainable fish each month, even caviar when it's in season!

I've also been thinking a lot about a question that my brother asked me when we were taking a tour of my garden. He asked, "Do you have enough salad greens growing to have a salad every day?" And I waffled, because I was thinking that we have enough growing for EACH of us to have a salad every day (though really only Tom and I are having them that frequently). And as I was waffling that answer through, I realized that I had planned it that way, and I was pleased with myself for having the result I planned for months ago. I planted just enough. All that thinking and calculating and yes, even worrying, paid off!

I'm also proud of myself in the kitchen lately. I'm making loads of recipes from my new cookbooks, but I'm taking care not to waste anything. For instance, I bought buttermilk for a pork recipe which we had last night, and I used the leftovers in biscuits to have with chili tonight. We had ricotta in a homemade pizza last Sunday, and I'll use the leftovers in chocolate ricotta muffins tomorrow. I'm getting better at thrift. I'm also getting better at baking. I have a 'thing' about flour on my hands. In the last week I've made homemade tortillas and biscuits, and both required a good amount of flour on my hands. I'm building my tolerance!

Overnight to the Napa Valley

Many months ago, Tom's brother Peter gave us a gift certificate for a hot air balloon ride over the Napa Valley. In anticipation of my birthday, I made a reservation - but we had a looooong time to wait. Today finally arrived! And we had an excellent time.

My folks agreed to take the kids and dog, so Tom and I left in the late afternoon on Friday and made it to Calistoga (about 20 miles north of Napa) by 5:30. We walked the streets and found a place for dinner (carnitas, yum) and strolled along window shopping on the main street. Calistoga is famous for spa treatments, such as mud baths and massages, but we had other plans.

We enjoyed our overnight stay at Christopher's Inn, though we didn't spend much time there, as we left at 6:30 in the morning in search of good coffee (found at the local roastery) and to meet our balloon pilot. He took us (and 13 other folks) to a nearby field, and released a regular standard balloon. He watched it float skyward, noting the wind patterns, and then determined that the field was a 'go' for launch. All the other people stayed in the warm vans (it was below freezing), but Tom and I stayed out with the crew and watched the whole process, asking a lot of questions and generally getting in the way ("Are you sure we can't help?"). The sun came up as the balloon inflated.

We were finally allowed to climb in, rather ungracefully. After rising, we could see the entire Napa valley to the Southeast, laid out before us. The fog was spectacular.

There were several peaks and plenty of forest to look at, but mostly we saw large estates and acre after acre of ubiquitous vineyards.

Finally looking North, we could see all the way to Healdsburg.

After about an hour, we started to descend, and thought we might have a pokey landing into grapevines. (The only safety information we got was what to do in the case of a windy landing. Thankfully, today was quite calm. However, we hadn't been told what to do when landing in vertical branches. I think we were all quite 'clenched' at that point.)

Thankfully, we landed precisely in the parking lot of a very surprised vintner, who promptly recovered and opened the doors to her tasting room, where we sampled some delicious Sauvignon Blanc (thanks, Envy Wines!). Of course we bought a bottle.

By the time we got back to our car, it was only 9:30, so we went in search of more adventure. We ended up at Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park. I recently saw this mill on an episode of A Moveable Feast - the host had visited the mill to procure cornmeal for a farm dinner. We were the only ones there for quite a while and our tour was private until the very end. What a cool place. We learned so much about how grain was milled in the 1800's. You'd think this would be a really dry subject, but it was fascinating. A good docent really makes all the difference, wouldn't you agree?

We bought four of the eight flours that they sell there. So much for grain-free eating, at least for a while!

As we were finishing up in the Mill store, one of the docents was trying her hand at flapjacks on a wood-burning oven. Suddenly we were starving. We went in search of a good farm-to-table lunch, which is pretty much like shooting fish in a barrel in Napa Valley. But we found a particularly good place, Farmstead Restaurant, which is part of Long Meadow Ranch - they have gardens, vineyards, olive groves, and grass-fed cattle and lamb, along with farm chickens, in a location several miles from the restaurant. We had some delicious food, including a cabbage and apple coleslaw that we couldn't eat fast enough, and wild mushrooms over grits with greens, a slow-cooked egg, and crispy ham. It was a wonderful lunch. We wandered around the kitchen garden afterward, though they get most of their produce from the ranch. We'll make a reservation in the future to have a tour of that, and enjoy a farm dinner on the premises. When's the next birthday???