Sat. Eve May 2nd… The Bunny Brothel needs purlins and a metal roof and it’s done……

We worked our butts off this afternoon and finished the Bunny house before Vick’s family arrived for dinner. Take a look at the results. I believe it is suitable for a bunny to live in. What do you think?

We had a nice dinner of Julia’s corned beef and cabbage along with some honey chicken tenders and fried shrimp as appetizers. We also had several pastries and ice cream for dessert, so everyone was fed well and had a good time. We presented them with one of those new, upside down tomato growing thingies you see on TV all the time. This one is a little different, however, because it comes with a stand and pole to hang it from, so you can place it on your porch or somewhere that you do not have anyplace overhead to hang it. Both Joe and Anita are already planning to plant two tomato plants and some Basil. They’re both excited to get their plants and get it going. Happy Anniversary you Guy’s…… and Many, Many More.

Tomorrow, we will probably install the purlins on the rafters and get ready for the metal roof. Maybe we might even go pick up the metal. Who knows? If I don’t feel any better with my knees and fingers, which have broken out and cracked open with psoriasis again, I doubt that I will do too much of anything. I AM SORE………

Anyway, here are a bunch of pictures taken just today by Vicki and I as we could take them. ENJOY!!!!!!!!

Ready to put the purlins on... then the steel roof.

My Sweet Vicki, the builder!

Huey, Louie, Douie, Pooey, Tooey and Chewy, coming in to see the fight of the century......

Ol' Vick Donald and friend came to see the gladiators battle.

Even the Geese with little ones came to see the bout!

Round One...DING... and Phillip lashes out at Carlton...

Carlton ducks the attack and shows a little of his own spunk!

They're squaring off and ready to tango... as the Guinea Fowl referee watches for low blows......

They clench in a flurry of feathers...

Carlton on the attack as Tina the Turkey cheers him on...

Oh... WOW! What an upset... Carlton has Phillip on his back... What a BLOW!!!
The Italian Mafia Referee just watches......Looking for fowls





In an evasive move, Carlton ducks under Phillips attack.

Phillip comes back with a double wing spread, tootsie shove...

Next Phillip slaps Carlton up along side of the head and pokes him with a tail feather......

Fowl... FOWL, screams the Guinea hen referee... There's no fighting unless the guineas condone it!

Finally the Mafia leaders call a halt to the bout, calling it a draw! Those Guinea Fowl are tough as nails!

Oh WOW... Look at that! as soon as the referee called the fight, Phillip takes a cheap shot and Carlton barely averted a spur to the eyeball.

Never trust a Chinese Pheasant using Kung Fu!

The boys grazing...

The barn is becoming bigger and bigger......

Lookin' Good

The entire farm, almost....

Iggy, the watchdog and Bollero the fluff ball.

That lumber under the blue tarp is for the upstairs on the barn.

Iggy, looking like E. T. and Luke eating hay. Bollero is just being pretty.

Iggy is really pretty! He was abused badly and doesn't trust easily.

The Cluckin' "A" Critter Farm, LLC

Rear view of the Bunny House.

Sat. May 2nd… A good day to finish the “Bunny Brothel”……

This morning is lovely. It’s cool, clear and there is a nice breeze blowing to keep you from sweating down into your shoes. We will enjoy being out there working on the “Bunny Brothel”, being around the animals and soaking up the sunshine.

This is the time of year that is most favorable to outdoor people, because you can be comfortable, smell all the odors of spring… the flowers and earth as it warms in the mid-day sun…… the smell of the alpaca beans which now have added the pleasant fragrance of a barn and the smell of the pines as the wind softly whispers as it brushes past their needles of many. It is truly a time to behold as we try to get as much completed as possible.
It looks as though we will be able to work on the hospice gift shop exclusively, as soon as Jeff’s guys come and finish the wooden frame around the foundation. We have talked to Herman and he has offered to supply a professional and himself to completely install the rear deck roof for us. Since I won’t have to work on it at all, Vick and I can concentrate solely on the hospice house; full time. ]
We will be entertaining Joe and Anita here late this afternoon, for their wedding anniversary which was yesterday, May 1st. Rich, Rob and the kids will be here too, so we will have a nice dinner to celebrate their anniversary. We’ll work for a little while this morning, and then stop to get cleaned up and prepare for their arrival.
We’ll snap a few pictures today of the Bunny Brothel too………

Friday may 1st… What A Day…Jeese Um…We're POOPED!

This morning we got up early, let the dogs out, made my coffee, boxed the eggs and swapped the ice packs from the cooler, let all the animals out and fed the alpacas. I then gathered up all the loose wood lying around and placed it into the wagon ready to send to the wood pile later. With that all accomplished, I headed for the house to write the morning blog and sip my coffee. NOT TO BE!!! As soon as I entered the house, Vick called down to tell me that Isabelle was on her way in a half an hour with two barn cats and would give, or help give the boys (the alpacas) their monthly shot of Ivermectin. Soooooo, off we went to make ready for Isabelle’s arrival. We no sooner reached the barn that we noticed a vehicle pull into the driveway. It was Jeff, our contractor friend, checking on the progression of the foundation pad preparation I had done so far. As we were discussing the necessary preparations still needing completed, Isabelle pulled in with a cat in tow in a carrier. We discussed making everything ready for the cats before releasing them in the barn loft. Isabelle said to take our time plugging openings between the beams where the cat could escape to the downstairs area of the barn and she would just leave the carrier with us until she came back with the second mouser later, when they caught it. She then went on to give Luke, Iggy and Bollero their shot. She did Iggy and Luke, then had Vick do Bollero. After the shots were all done, Isabelle left and within a minute, another car pulled into the drive way with a couple from Tennessee who wanted to see the barn and buy some eggs. They had been at the Two Kids Bakery and picked up one of our cards. Those folks looked all around the farm and remarked about the beauty of everything, before leaving for relatives in Westerlo.
Once they bid us farewell, we took off for Middle Field Lumber to pick up our forty 2x4’s and the 2x6 roof rafters we needed. Upon returning, we started cutting and installing the roof rafters on the "Bunny Brothel" and in just a few moments, in pulled Isabelle again with the other cat for the barn. She brought Allison, her neighbor that helps her exercise her horses and helps take care of her alpacas too. After they left the second time, we worked for another fifteen minutes and decided we had better knock it off for the day. We had to go to the Price Chopper to pick up groceries for Vick’s parent’s anniversary dinner tomorrow afternoon. By the time we got home, it was just dark enough to put all the animals away and feed them for the night. I was gonna give you an excuse for not posting a morning blog entry again, but I know you all know and trust that we were probably too busy to blog or we would have, so I guess I won’t offer an excuse.

Thurs. April 30th… The last day… Tomorrow Starts a New Month…

Good evening from the Cluckin’ “A” Critter Farm… The home of many happy, contented and SPOILED critters! We have been extremely busy today trying to finish up the boards and Battens on the “Bunny Brothel” extension to the barn.
First off, I must apologize to all you loyal readers for not blogging this morning, but I hit the bunny brothel early and as soon as Vick got up, she joined me and became the measurer, cutter, trimmer, operator of the DeWalt saw lady and I called out the numbers, placed boards and used the air nail gun with ring nails to hold the boards in place. As you can see below, we did finish, except for the gable end, which I wanted to leave until we can set the roof rafters and then we’ll finish it.
We are now awaiting the darkness to usher the animals into the buildings, so we can close up and head for Paul’s to have dinner. We worked our butts off today and we’re ready to have some chow now.
The knot heads that were scheduled to come and put our new pool liner in didn’t bother to show up today…… nor did they bother to call to tell us that they would not be coming. Of course when Vicki told him we were expecting him he got an attitude. I really don’t like the Ass anyway, because he put the make on a visitor we had here the last time he was here, which we didn’t care for either. He’s one of those guys who likes to undress women with his eyes or talk to their breasts, as if they will answer. He’s just a pretty boy, low life and I try my damndest to keep quiet, but this time I may not. (if he acts up) I know Vick will set him straight if he says anything out of line to her, but she shouldn’t have to say anything, because he should keep his mouth shut and install the pool liner and then leave.
Tomorrow we’ll be back to our regular blogging routine of morning and evening. See you all then.

Side of the Brothel seen from the road

Front end... Looks like an old west Brothel.

Turned out really nice.

Plumb, Level and Square as can be!

All the ducks and the Guinea hens are gonna vote on it.

Ol Vick Donald had a farm......

I love the smile! It's always a million dollar smile... and it's all mine!

Wed. April 29… We Did Good… But it Just Never Suits Me… Never……

We got a bunch of work accomplished today, ate at the Two Kids Bakery at lunch time, finished with the foundation work on the hospice gift shop, as far as I could and then went to the bunny house where we finished the framing and have an eight foot wall already covered in boards. Tomorrow we will pick up with the board and batten again. I think we’ll take the DeWalt portable circular saw and I can cut battens while Vick measures and cuts the 10” boards. That way, I can install both the boards and the battens at one time, rather than doing it a separate, second time. It’s 8:00 PM and we’ve been at it since this morning, so we just hung it up until tomorrow. We’re going to Frank’s Greene Hill Café for dinner, but must wait for the critters to go in at dark. Once it gets dark enough that you can no longer see, they will march right into their quarters without hesitation. Try putting them away before dark and you better have all the National Guard and the other branches of the service to help too, because they just won’t go in!!!!!
With everything we did get done… we didn’t get the ridge board made, glued, clamped and nailed, so it would be ready for the day Herman shows up to put the roof up. I would have liked to have Jeff here with the crew to put the front on the foundation and the upper tier of 2x6’s so I could finish the stone work with the haunch too. See, we really never get enough done……………………

We've started the board covering.

Luke was watching us all afternoon

Rear side toward the alpaca's pasture.

Front side of the new bunny house.

End view and exit doorway

Hospice gift shop foundation

Doesn't it seem like nature works against us from the very beginning?

A view of the haunch around the perimeter

Around the drain tile

Vicki walking Timmy and Tina home for the evening.

Down over the fence and out into the swamp.......

This is where all our spring peepers reside... Click on this picture to enlarge it. It's a beautiful wetland...

Who do ya think we should blame for this one??

End view of the new bunny house from the pasture.











Ya gotta go slow with Timmy after he was aflicted with that lungworm. We think it is a chronic condition of leasions in the lungs or some kind of severe respiratory damage.