Sunday, April 12, 2009

To List or Not to List

Where does all the time gone?

I am not one who usually makes to-do lists. When I do make them, I often misplace them, or forget that I made them, and then find them a year later and wonder why I took the time to make that list. (Ruth is great at making lists and then actually getting everything accomplished. If you ask her, she'll make you a complete itinerary for two weeks in Paris, complete with walking tours!) However, with that being said, I must get on with making a to-do list for this spring and summer.

First, I need to explain why I feel the need to create a to-do list. Our daughter is getting married on our little farm on August 1st! That is a pretty good reason to get after things in an orderly manner. Secondly, I have some vegetable gardening goals. Third, I have over 100 chickens and turkeys who all need to be cared and planned for.

Hmmm, I am starting to feel a little overwhelmed!

This is where the wedding ceremony will take place. I am planting several hundred sunflowers as an additional backdrop. The Yucca is moving. Any takers?

Wedding to-do list: (not in order of priority, Ruth will do that in a minute)

1) painting: studio roof, corn crib roof, deck rails, trim three outbuildings, stairway in the house
2) plant 2000 sunflowers
3) plant black pepper plants, coleus and other various flowers for decorations and bouquets
4) plant 20 pounds of wildflower seeds
5) lay new linoleum floor in downstairs bathroom
6) talk to neighbors on both sides about parking
7) finalize plans for the specially brewed beer for the reception
8) finish patio between the shed and the studio
9) tidy all the buildings
10) power wash the house
11) refinish the deck
12) scrape and paint the front porch floor and rails

Vegetable Garden List:

1) remove existing grass from proposed veg patch
2) till the ground thoroughly
3) build 6 raised beds
4) fill beds with nice garden soil and compost
5) start seedlings indoors
6) plan and install watering system
7) build fence and three gates
8) remove perennial bed from the "Three Sisters" circle
9) plant seeds
10)construct cold frames
11) plant seedlings at appropriate times
12) etc.

Poultry List:

1) build another brooder
2) prepare the middle barn room as another coop (build 3 doors, three walls, install chicken wire, move two lights, etc.)
3) other things I can't think of right now

What am I doing with over 100 birds?

Original Flock: 25 Hens
1 Rooster (Khan)
Broody's Babies: 7 (hatched on January 13, gendering still incomplete at this time)
Science Project 22 (hatched on February 13, gendering still incomplete)
Red Broilers 30 (freezer date: early June)
White Broilers 15 (ten for nephew, 5 for donation to food bank)
New Pullets 7 (2 aracaunas, 5 welsummers)
Turkeys 7 (3 bronze giants, 4 white giants, Thanksgiving for various families)

Science Fair hatchlings. The white ones are Light Brahmas, Rhode Island Reds and a Black Sex Link, from Eagle Nest Poultry.

Three or four of the as-of-yet non-gendered roosters are destined for new homes, (people have asked me for a rooster or two). All other rooster will head to the Amish butcher sometime in June. So, by mid-June, I will be down to 7 turkeys, 1 rooster, and between 40 and fifty layers.

If you are still reading this, thank you, but I am sorry for the tediousness.

This list will be much more difficult to lose!

My niece holding and adoring Jinx, a red broiler. (no. I didn't tell her!)

20 comments:

Hana_Caena said...

Hi, just found this blog, and read that you haven't sexed the chicks yet..
I saw River Cottage (one of the series, can't remember which one) that they used the chape of the neckfeathers to determine which sex the chicks had..
.. wow..

I also want a 100 hens!!but living in a city puts som limits to what I want..

Susan said...

Don, you are going to be verrry busy this spring and summer! If we lived close by, I would come and help you out. I'm sure with all your careful planning and list making everything will come out perfectly.

Lanny said...

A very ambitious list for sure! Maybe you should put it on your side bar so it doesn't get buried and become just an "old post." (I'm a constant list maker-loser!) Then we can cheer you on as you proudly (yet humbly and gracefully so as not to hurt us lazier list-less folk) mark those off! Go Don Go! I'll just sip a mint julep and watch!

You know I took all my daughter's Yuccas because Dirt and I had yucca fries at an Argentinian restaurant and they were delicious, but I think I'll just go back to the restaurant! But Chuck has enjoyed leaning over the fence and chomping the top out of them! Probably when he discovered he could just hop on over into my Barn Garden. But now it is hot and he is staying put!

Have a great week!

Woody said...

Man...that's a list! What a great motivation you've got driving you though.
peace

Paula said...

Goodness Don...just thinking about getting a list like that done before August makes my head spin!
The chickens keep you busy enough I'm sure, but with everything else? WHEW!
Congrats to your daughter!

Anne Marie said...

Well Don, I could take the 'load off' by purchasing some of your birds....let's figure out how to get them shipped here and do it!!

no joke

VioletSky said...

am seriously intrigued by #7

Good luck with draft work order!

jen's farmily said...

I love the idea of getting married surrounded by flowers! Beautiful! :)

I'm a big list maker too... sometimes it helps me get things done and sometimes I just forget about them!

A Bite of Country Cupcakes said...

It does seem overwhelming but there is great satisfaction in acheiving and ticking lists.
You alos need to prioritise the list making to what HAS to be done ASAP.
what needs to be done,as it gets done,
And what can wait til it can be done.
Life has a natural rhythum and you will get it all done...Just see...
Watch this space:)
All the best...Lots of hard work ahead of you!
The last photo is just darling!

Paige said...

That is a fabulous list. I agree with Lanny, you should post it in the sidebar (maybe under the egg count!) and keep up with it that way.

A wedding, how exciting. I will be wanting to see pictures of how all the flowers are progressing by the green barn backdrop. I'll be sipping a strawberry daquiri and hoping to paint the lovely sunflower picture(s) you post!

Also, did you name the hen yet?

Country Girl said...

Cute pic of your niece and HOLY list. Sounds like my house. I am a list maker but not nearly as organized as Ruth. We have TONS to do here. We will be having a pig roast at the end of June for my brother's 40th so we have a little pressure there. Nothing in comparison to a wedding.

Anonymous said...

Don, sounds like you need project management,Mrs C,is an expert in that field,we could always jet over in the(chucks r us) company jet and give you a hand.chicken J OUT ......

Unknown said...

way to go, list-maker!! i definitely inherited that trait from mom, i am SUCH a crazy list-maker. that is quite a list, and i am so grateful for all the work you and mom are doing in preparation for our BIG DAY! the farm is going to look absolutely amazing. i can't WAIT! wish i could fly there every weekend to help. :)

Kayley is so adorable with the chick!

sandy said...

Love the photo of your niece. Don, we have had three weddings here and I can so recall the to do lists we had to do. The first one was the hardest, as we only had six weeks to completely clean up a huge renovation project including a new roof with mounds of old roofing materiall building up like mountains (there was over
6000 square feet of roof to do)...and with the way our property was situated, we couldn't get a big dumpster even remotely close to the house..It all had to be hard carted to the dumpster down at the end of a long driveway. Our trees prevented any equipment even coming close.

We had trenches from where they had to break through our tile patio to run a new plumbing pipe from the back of the house around to hook into the septic..It was unbelievable the stress we felt under, including new landscaping and planting, building a gazebo and bridge..I really FEEL for you but of course you know it will all be worth it in the end.

Bob Johnson said...

Wow, I should get Ruth to make me up a to do list for China,lol.
My wife used to make me up to do lists all the time, I think she gave up around 20 years ago, I lost them as well, like to go with the flow, and the reason she is in charge of my daughters wedding in June.

Carole@Fowl Visions said...

You are going to be extremely busy but I am sure the results will be spectacular. I cannot wait to see the outcome of the barns and the sunflowers. It is going to be beautiful!

Dave King said...

If ever I got into that business, I always seemed to end up with lists of lists. Very discouraging.

Ginnie Hart said...

And I thought I was bad with all the things I try to do at the same time, Don! YOU TAKE THE CAKE, hands down. I hope you don't grow too weary and have the fun sapped out of you!

TxFarmhouse said...

Just came over to visit your blog..your green barn caught my eye. We just built our house and it's modeled after our barn with a green roof.
RiverBend Farm
Texas

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