We have 2 young cats and (fingers crossed) a puppy on the way in 2021.
So who in their right mind adds to the chaos that is looming? I do. The kitties are still young and not yet curmudgeonly... It's the perfect time to keep introducing them to new things and add to the family! Besides, winter around here is a bit on the quiet side for me. Business is slower the days are darker and I have some more time to devote to socializing, training and simply playing with my fur-babies.
When the opportunity arose to rehome 4 ladies, I jumped at it. Visions of a cute coop, fresh eggs and that delightful clucking sound made me smile.
First up, Hazel, Jade, Buttercup and Meatball (we'll give her a nickname to get around my food-pet boundary issues) needed a new house. Their current coop is great but it would be an ordeal to break it down onsite, transport and reassemble it here, while keeping the girls in some sort of transit container that long. I did some research on size and climate requirements and went with a kit that is put together in Utah and shipped with instructions that any 6 year old with a drill could follow.
The kit comes with an tool apron! Sweet!
Being the person I am, I absolutely needed to match the coop to the house and therefore set about painting all the parts with leftover house paint. I had help, obviously. Wrigley was there every step of the way to make sure no tacky paint surface was left to dry without a little cat fur imbedded... to remind the chickens who was here first.
Step two involved reworking the raised garden bed that occupied the proposed site of the chicken coop. To be fair, given what I paid and how much work I put into growing herbs and a few veggies, I was ready to call time of death on that project. Seriously, those bush beans and zucchini's were like $50/lb and for that price, I want a 4* chef plating them for me then cleaning up the kitchen when he's done!
I didn't kill the garden per se. I just replanted what was left at the end of this growing season, into a couple of containers. The tomato lives on... until it stops producing. The herbs will be coddled all the way to Thanksgiving, and will find themselves on the inside of a 20lb turkey then.
I then took 3 layers of raised bed and turned it into one platform. With a few pavers set inside to rest the frame of the coop on, I'd say that is the short version of the story. You're welcome.
Then it was time to assemble. We picked an overly hot day and got to work in the back yard. I know what you want to ask... Did I put down a painting sheet on the lawn to stop the pieces getting wet or dirty? No, silly. I realize the coop will be wet and dirty before long. And poopy too! The purpose of the plastic sheet was to catch the screws that I drop. I'm just a bit of a clutz, that's all.
And wah-lah!
The ladies arrive around Sept 18th to their new address: 285 1/4 Martin Drive, Boulder. Stay tuned for little chicken portraits and omelet pictures!
It's hard for me to get excited about a little boat on a little river so what I was most looking forward to today, was being guided by a local Native American man on a little boat in a little river. LOL
The day surprised me though!
At close to 6am I woke to a little thud. The only thud we had experienced in 6 days on this American Song had been positioning us in a lock or at a dock. I decided to investigate and what I found was the perfect morning and the perfect opportunity to experience and document, our last lock.
The boat was so quiet! One other passenger who was almost as deeply fascinated by these as I was, joined me at the bow, the stern, the bow again... As everyone else slept.
While everything was still neat and quiet, I took some boat pics for you.
This boat is 5 stories high.
Level One: The front of the boat is the dining room. The back features a little deck and is the part that pulls open and slides a walking ramp out, as needed. I think somewhere in between is where they stash the crew overnight.
Level Two: All guest staterooms.
Level Three: All guest staterooms.
Level Four: Cascade Lounge at the front, River Lounge at the back, guest rooms and the center staircase and elevator in between.
Level Five: Completely outside (partially shaded and mostly uncovered) on the top of the boat.
The front of the American Song from level 4.
The Cascade Lounge, on level 4 at the front.
The back of the boat on level 5
Looking down on the level 4 rear deck - home to the Patio Grill . (And the freezer featuring on demand ice cream snacks!)
The River Lounge is the rear end of the boat at level 4. It's where one finds early bird coffee and pastries before the dining room is open for breakfast. I may or may not have had "first breakfast" here a couple of times.
I got wind that a couple had been spotted "camping" on the upper deck and decided to check it out. Sure enough, hidden in the fort they had created out of cushions, surrounded by used glasses and empty wine bottles... A snoring guy in a sleep mask and his bride, wrapped in bedding from their state room. I was not sure what to make of it. Jealous? Judgmental? Amused? Confused? All of the above, I'd say.
And just like that, the sun was up and the day was starting. Mmmm... breakfast.
Hell's Canyon, here we come... With Michael the guide and Brett (?) the boat pilot.
There were delightful hieroglyphics along the way, but those pics are still trapped in the "big camera" and I'll update this post when I finally get around to processing them. For now, this is the attempt at capturing the amazing basalt hills that towered the river.
Years ago, one of Michaels tribal elders lost his life while saving drowning kids in this river. He plays and sings to honor the memory in this spot.
Being that this was the last afternoon I'd be aboard the American Song, this gal took some time to herself and drank in the sunshine later that afternoon. (Secretly preparing for the cocktails, wine and surf'n'turf dinner coming my way!)
Chef Micheal went out with a bang! Hor d'oeuvres and wine were followed by steak and lobster dinner served with champagne - because that was Reggie's recommendation and who am I to disagree with the sommelier?!
Why, yes... Yes, that is glitter on my crème bruleè!
Footnote: We disembarked the next morning and took a shuttle to Spokane. It was time to go home.
This had been a beautiful adventure. None of which would have been possible or as fun, without Donnie by my side.... laughing, drinking, exploring, learning and making new friends together.
