Some weeks we have to prioritize DIY projects that need done. And that was the focus for this week. Measure, cut, and nail.
Labor Day Weekend
But before all the work on this building project began, we took some time off from our endless to-do list to picnic at my husband’s family camp and then take a trip through the hills and valleys to my mom’s farm in the east hills before Johnstown.
At the camp, we smoked some ribs, chicken legs, and potatoes. Now, we literally got this smoker a week before, so at this time we are relatively new at smoking meats. My husband and I took a 4-wheeler ride through the woods and hills. And us kids had some find using an old sink as a target.
In J-town, we loaded up the 4-wheeler to ride some of those trails that my pap’s brother use to ride back in the day with his jeep. Totally my husband’s favorite past-time. I could avoid rocks, tree limbs, and jaggers!
Building our DIY Dog Kennel
This was the week of evenings and a weekend to work on the dog kennel. With the cement finally being placed and then dried at the end of August, it was time to use this nice weather in the evenings to place the plywood on the walls to begin the process of sealing up the building.
The process isn’t too bad, but it does take time and patience. It takes knowing when to work on it and when to continue and knowing when to stop for the night. It always seems that at dusk there is time for one more piece, when in reality there is only enough time to clean up the tools and prepare for the possibility of rain, aka the rain that doesn’t show up.
The dogs, especially Ruger, can watch the whole process from their fence. If only he knew how to use a tape measure and a hammer to make the process of his new home a little bit quicker!
Oh, the Dahlias!
This was the last monthly bouquet for one of my subscribers. With building the dog kennel in the evenings, I made the decision once my daytime job started again, I was only focusing on my flower subscribers this September.
I love dahlias, but I don’t grow the number needed to sell multiple bouquets. I made time one evening to harvest all the dahlias that looked like it could belong in a sunset.
A Trip to Rural King
My husband needed something here at Rural King for the building, as well as taking a trip to the local Lowe’s with the trailer for the two doors for the dog kennel. I just love tagging along to Rural King to see the chicks, the ducklings, and the rabbits, as well as coming home with multiple comfortable country girl t-shirts.
A Saturday Workday
After the whole week slowly working on the dog kennel, we kept up the work on Saturday with some extra help to install the doors.
And oh my! Lowe’s did not have the doors I was thinking about. I love doors with the panes on the inside of the window. So, it was such a trial in choosing what doors to use. We ended up buying a double door for the front, since the front of the kennel has an A-symmetrical design. For the side door that will lead into the dog fence, we chose a door with 6 small windowpanes near the top. Merging the two styles of together felt right.
By Saturday evening nighttime, we had both doors fully functioning with handles and locks. All the plywood was applied and covered with wrap.
Reflections of the Kennel
I think my favorite part of the building process is transitioning my homemaking skills. Placing the house wrap- my thing. It felt like working large amount of fabric, but instead of a thread and needle, I got to use my staple gun- totally worth the purchase compared to one of those construction handheld staplers.
Build a Farmette Life
As I’m writing these life on the farmette posts, it feels like I’m writing about all these projects and no farming . . .
But here’s the thing. I grew up in the country, going to my family’s farm. I remember seeing my grandfather feeding the cows every day, morning and evening, but I also remember the DIY projects and the stories of things that they built.
The same can be said with my husband’s family farms on both sides.
Living the farm life isn’t just about the farming. It’s about the time you spend with family, the infrastructure you do yourself, and Creation on the farm with the flowers and the wildlife.
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