Workshop Additions

Zachary has fully recovered from his surgery and has been busy with projects again around the house, feeling healthy and energized again. 

One of his first priorities was getting his garage workshop in order again. It was cluttered and neglected for a number of months. Tools, totes, and misc everywhere, with no workspace. Inspired by his wood magazines, he built a multi-faceted storage cabinet. With 4 swinging and nesting doors, it took care a lot of the clutter on his small tool bench.

Craving a large work table for projects, he also built a movable tool bench. Using mostly scrap lumber we have, he layered several sheets of old plywood, creating a solid and level work surface. He plans on getting a bench vise for it soon. It is a heavy sucker, but will be a great space for projects for years to come.

He still has some more organization planned for the shop, but it is nice to see the garage floor again.

Cat Grass Update

So I think I am on a 2 container growing cycle in my grass growing experiment. If I soak seeds on Saturday, plant on Sunday, by Thursday/Friday the new grass is ready to be released to the cats. Freyja likes to get on the counter the day before and taste test the new crop of course. While last weeks pot is still green, it is pretty battered and wilted and not appealing anymore to them once the fresh growth is available. It looks like I'll have to replace part of the soil each time, as the wheat puts down a heavy root system.

Cat Grass Farming

Our cats enjoy fresh grass to nibble on. I have bought the grass kits and potted grass at the pet store in the past, but it gets expensive after a while and doesn't last long. (At least with our cats)

So I bought a few cute tin containers from a yard sale for a quarter a piece and spray painted them blue and green.

I ordered a pound of hard red wheat seed from Amazon and soaked them for a day to spout before planting. I started the soaking on Sunday.

Watered a few times a day with a spray bottle.

By today, Thursday, it was ready to turn over to discerning Freyja for approval. She approved.

I am started the seed soaking process today on a second planting and might make a third pot later for the rotation, depending how quickly the cats demolish each pot between re-plantings. It was surprising how quickly and easy it was to grow with a little care. Hopefully I can get the rotation timing right, so I can keep a healthy pot out for them most of the time.

Having it around, the cats seem to leave my other house plants alone. I also believe they don't throw up as much when the grass is available to them. It is the same variety people make their wheatgrass juice drinks too, although Freyja may not want to share.

Shredder

Move along.

Freyja seems to get possessive about the paper shredder when I use it. She takes great interest in it when I am shredding and usually by the time I am done, she is on top of it, blocking it. Maybe she takes offense to something in the house called the shredder, and it is not her? She does a good job of shredding boxes, toilet paper, tissues and humans.

I am watching you, paper shredder.

Yard Sale

Yesterday we hosted our annual yard sale. Well we did it 2 years in a row now, so it is annual I guess? We had nice weather and a great turnout. I think overall we brought in a little less than last year, but we had more smaller items this year. My parents "re-habbed" a few beaten-up pieces with some paint and patience and those items sold well. I think Z and I will keep that in mind for some small projects over the coming year, and be on the lookout for some junk that needs a little tlc. Our patio chairs we repainted and recovered last year were inquired about often by our sale visitors yesterday, as we had them out front for us to sit on. The chairs in their original form were for sale at last years yard sale and no one was interested. This year, I think 8 people asked if they were for sale!

Birdhouse

Things are starting to green up, hello Spring!

This fancy handcrafted birdhouse has followed us around for maybe the last 5 years? I won it in a raffle about 5 years ago and it has been in the garage or closet ever since. I really like it but never picked a good place for it or we lived where we couldn't put it out. Zachary installed it on a post overlooking the stream today. Should be a prime spot for future feathered tenants, as the birds visit the stream often. I look forward to who moves in, it is a duplex!

Installing the birdhouse was one of Zachary's first projects in a while. He is slowly getting his strength back as he had surgery last month. He had been increasing pain for a number of months and feeling crummy and it turned out his gallbladder was the culprit, and had it removed. He is excited to be feeling much better and strong enough to work on smaller projects again. He still has to be careful not to over-exert himself, but says he feels better than he has in months.

Tiny Turtle

My dad caught a tiny turtle passing through our yard today. It was interesting to get an up close look at the intricate markings and details.

We put the turtle near the stream afterwards, jumping in for its first swim most likely.