It’s a million degrees here. Well…I exaggerate. But anyhoo, it’s too warm to be inside my office, and yet I had to be here to take care of a couple of administrative details. Then I suddenly decided to post and say Hi and get Seth Meyers off my main page. (He’s the subject of my last post)
It’s supposed to reach 98 degrees (36.7 C) today, tomorrow, and the next day. Our goal is to have the chickens in their new home by tonight. We’ve been working as late as we can each night, to finish it up. Those little girls will suffer so much in this temperature. I put ice in their homemade swamp cooler, and ice in their water dish, and hopefully that will help. I’ll do that the next two days.
I stepped out this morning at 7am and took the photo at the top. Those sunflowers are just so pretty. They take over my garden, but I really love them. Pedro began digging post holes at 7 am, then managed to finish the fence by noon. I began painting, taping, painting. I have all the trim done now, and most of the painter’s tape torn back off. When it’s a million degrees out, paint dries pretty fast.
The new people access to the chicken pen at the back is going to be through the door at the back of the green house. We couldn’t even access that door until three days ago. I’ve been working hard to clean up the greenhouse. Now we can move that white PVC pen (you can see it through the plastic walls, slanted, because there is a hill back there). Currently, when the girls come to the end of their tunnel, that tiny pen is the only space they have. They have enough room to turn around and go back. Now without the little pen, we will let the chickens just roam in that whole area.
Bonus: I get to use my greenhouse as a greenhouse now!
Second bonus: When we move the girls into their new home, we will use their old home for tool storage, and all the tools you see, resting against the wall on the left above, will also go to a new and better home.
Tanner came through Portland on his way to pick up my nephew from Tanner’s parents house in southern Oregon. He stopped here long enough to have dinner and catch up a little. Of course we gave him a tour of the property. Pedro’s shop, my office, and the chicken pen are all brand new from when he was here, only a year ago!
I’m feeling anxious in the face of anticipating being overwhelmed. There’s a lot on my calendar and it makes me nervous. I need to start the next Cherokee newsletter so that I can get it done in time and published by the first of September, to have time to prepare for teaching in Annapolis in September. I don’t know for sure if I’m teaching yet, and if so I don’t know my topic yet. The compressed time frame is uncomfortable.
In the meantime, I’m doing the two-day Portland-to-Coast race with the Belle Brigade. Before that, Pedro and I are hosting a young, energetic family flying in from Washington, D.C. – one of our Belles, is Jezel, who is still active duty in the Coast Guard. Jezel and their wife have two little boys and I think it will be a shift in the typical dynamics of our home, ha ha. Also, you know all the usual things: a couple of irrigation specialists will be stopping by to give an estimate for work here, I’m going to an evening Sound Symphony with some Cherokee ladies, and probably more I’m forgetting.
Every single year at this time is madness. Every single year I get through it. I will this time too. Love you all! Wish me cool breezes.
Conscious Engagement 
I am exhausted.Everything looks so good. the chooks will be ever so happy. I hope Pedro isn’t too worn out
He is feeling a bit relieved to have the chickens in the new place. He said the unfinished project was bothering him. It’s mostly done now. Pedro still wants to build the fences higher to discourage escapees. Other than that, they are all set.
Try telling chooks that, though. They are very uneasy with the new place and knocked down the wall three times trying to get back to their tunnel. I finally gave in and moved the blocking wall (it was temporary because I wanted them to stay put for a little while), and now four of my girls are back in the old spot, panting in the heat with their little wings held out for air. I keep trying to tempt them back to the trees and shade, but they keep going back.
I told my kid that I guess chickens are liked an amplified version of humans: would rather be miserable than try something new.
Those chooks are quite set in their ways. I don’t know what you could do.
I had 6 foot chicken wire fences to keep my chooks in. Must agree with Pedro that an unfinished job does play on the mind but more so when there are others who rely on being comfortable.
You certainly do have a full calendar. But it all sounds fun!
I took a mediation class back in my twenties and learned for the first time that even fun things introduce a level of stress. It was a revelation. As long as its temporary, and as long as I make sure to go easy on myself, I’ll get through.
Great work all round. Your million degrees is reminiscent of Jackie’s increase of all numbers as in even “half an hour” for five minutes
Jackie is exactly right! I’m sure it takes an hour for the water to warm up at the hot water spigot, and half an hour to heat cool coffee in the microwave. It’s important to note that Jackie and I are actually “more” accurate, because we are not simply noting the time, but describing the level of inconvenience and irritation that accompanied the amount of time. If I said, “I had to heat my coffee for 40 seconds!” it would not at all convey the emotional toll. Therefore, half an hour is appropriate to say.
Like minds – so accurate, my friend
Accuracy is key
Wishing you and me both some cool breezes, Crystal. It’s 42.5C (108F) as I’m typing this comment. This heatwave doesn’t look like it will move on any time soon. Really hope cooler weather is on your horizon. Kudos to you and Pedro for still getting a lot done, despite the heat. What a joy it must be to have your greenhouse cleared out. Your place looks fantastic.
Oh goodness, yes, you need them as well. We reached 100 yesterday. Our forecasters adjusted and put it up to 101 today and 100 again tomorrow. Then, thank the gods, it will go back down to the 80s. I’m sorry you can’t easily look ahead to cooler days. I hope that stone home helps.
I was thinking of you when I cleaned out the greenhouse. It had been a goal of mine in the spring, but i had given up on it till we had a new goal of moving the chickens. I knew that was something that had caught your attention and I knew you would share my pleasure at having the space back. 🙂
Stone houses, unlike popular belief suck up all the heat, and then slowly radiate it out during those hot summer months, and never warms up during winter. They are horrible in terms of comfort (at least in my experience), but oh so gorgeous! Perhaps it is just because ours is so small and it is different for a big building.
Enjoy the cooler weather when it arrives and having your greenhouse space back. And good luck for all the other tasks and prep for teaching.
Thank you for setting me straight on this, Jolandi. It sounds like the worst possible walls during this awful heat wave. How do you keep your spirits up? It would be oppressive.