"Country" Life

We have some property behind our house.  Most of it is weeds but we are trying to tame it!  This year we installed an elaborate pressure irrigation system trying to grow grass hay for Denie's alpacas.  We also built a chicken coop you see is not in the first picture from last year.  There were two sheds out here that we tore down because they were unsafe and unsightly.  But they were on good solid cement pads the smaller of which we put the coop on the larger we added on to and plan to build a garage on.  Unfortunately tearing something down is one thing but having the money and time to build is another thing altogether.  The coop still needs a bigger & enclosed chicken yard, nesting boxes and a larger roosting area inside.  It is kinda funny to look in at them at dusk and see them vying for a spot on the roost.  I've seen 11 sit on it but it is impossible for all 12 to fit.  I don't know for sure where the ducks sleep.  I just know they drink all the water!  Once they get to it they sound like little machine guns sucking it up!

Last year's vegetable garden.  Notice how close to the back fence it is.

This year we moved it into the field about 9 feet and added a sturdier fence.  I planted a LOT of black plastic but didn't get as many plants in as I wanted.  The pole will have strings down from it a few feet out with peas and beans on it next year.  But I do have corn, cucumber, broccoli, hot banana peppers and two sweet peppers. 

Ignore the button weeds...  Potatoes, onions, carrots, tomatoes, sunflowers.

Cute Sunflower--it's actually a flower growing off of the main stem.

The chicken coop.  It's still a work in progress...  Built from the ground up this year using a lot of reclaimed materials.

Duck #1  "Jill"

Our dozen black sex link hens and Indian Runner Duck #2 "Jack".  I'm sure Tommy has names for the hens but I can't tell them apart!