The Naming of the Chicken Coop
The naming of the chicken coop has occurred. But first, a few miscellaneous photos from Chickadee Gardens in April just to get caught up.
Not the best shot (through a window) but a pileated woodpecker has been visiting us and I had to share. Later this same day he flew right over my head and I must admit it was startling how large he is.
The next day I spotted a ring-neck pheasant hanging around the chicken coop. Fast forward to later in the day and he decided to hang out on our deck, currently under re-construction.
Literally out our bedroom window. We wonder why he chose this spot. FM was lucky and scored a few good shots of our special visitor.
Speaking of deck under construction, we went to sand and refinish the deck last summer and discovered it was rotten in places. This spring's big project for FM has been replacing it, although the weather has not been helpful. Here he is removing the old wood.
Here it is with all the wood removed. The cats insist it's still here and use the narrow beams to make their way to and from the deck door. Thanks, kitties. FM is working on staining and sealing the new lumber and will hopefully have it in place before our open garden. Stay tuned for pics when it's complete.
While waiting for the weather to dry and warm up a little so I can plant the rest of the veggie garden, I continue to harvest billions of radishes.
OK, now for the chicken coop sign. Last summer Facilities Manager completed a new chicken coop. It is version 2.0, a fancy pants version to match our corrugated metal house. We pondered a good name for it and FM gave me the task of producing a sign to grace the entrance. We toyed with so many names - cluckingham palace, something Lord of the Rings/Shire related and dozens of others but nothing clicked. Then FM realized Frida, one of our hens, really is the star of the show and we should name it after her. Plus the current Frida Kahlo exhibit at the Portland Art Museum was inspiration.
So I went to work mapping it out. The face is funky here but just go with me on this.
The roughly 30 x 48" board was primed and then painted a background black color. I used chalk to sketch it out.
Getting there.
Laying in the big colors
And the sky
Ha ha ha...I wanted to make her eyes wonky for a moment...
OK, I fixed it. She's not wonky eyed any more.
Some lettering and Frida Kahlo eyebrow treatment.
Final details and a coat or two of varnish to seal it from the elements.
Here FM prepares the hardware to hang it
And here she is in place. I'm going to paint the door a red color to match the lettering. Voila, the hen house is officially named La Casa de Frida à la Frida Kahlo, and of course our fabulous hen Frida:
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Here she is! The one and only Frida the speckled Sussex hen. She's the sassiest of them all and we love her!
On a final note, here's a selection of plants we donated to the House of Dreams Cat Shelter plant and vegan bake sale. It's happening Saturday, May 7, from 10 - 3 in Portland. The address is 7634 SE Morrison. Stop by and grab some cheap plants and vegan baked goods - and if you have any plants or baked goods to donate, they are in great need. It's a wonderful organization and cat shelter, one we hold near and dear to our hearts.
That's a wrap for this week at Chickadee Gardens. Next couple of posts will be all about the Miller Botanical Garden in Seattle. There are hundreds of photos to go through so it will take some time. Until next time, happy gardening and thank you for reading!
La Casa de Frida is prefect. I love your art. Frida is beautiful!
ReplyDeleteGosh, thank you so much! Frida is a good model ;)
DeleteSo fabulous. LOVE it.
ReplyDeleteThank you Patricia! You are too sweet. xo
DeleteI knew you were an artist in the garden, Tamara, but I didn't know you painted too - well done! Much as I enjoyed the prospective name, cluckingham palace, I think you made the right choice of name. Frida, long may she reign!
ReplyDeleteAw, thank you Kris. I suppose my art background has to serve me somehow....ha ha....anyhow, Frida is the queen, indeed - long may she reign! xo
DeleteLove it. You are a woman of many talents.
ReplyDeleteThank you luv2garden, that is mighty kind of you.
DeleteYou have big things going on! The deck project - massive. Frida's sign - as fabulous as she is.
ReplyDeleteWe do, Barbara, we do!! Always a project around here! Thank you for the compliment....I tried to do Frida justice. :)
DeleteThe sign is fabulous and so much larger than I thought it was with your process photos, well done!
ReplyDeleteWell, thank you Danger! She's a big one, a big sign for a big chicken.
DeleteLove the Chicken coop and the great name. You are truly an artist!
ReplyDeleteThank you Gail! You are too kind. Cheers!
DeleteWow, so much going on at the farm! Inspiring how much progress there is all the time. Love to watch you guys work! Lol. I'll call it armchair working (!).
ReplyDeleteI love your painting!
We've been rebuilding our deck. Well, Joe has been doing the engineering and the carpentry (including the entirely-less-fun retrofitting). But my job of designing, code researching and supplies ordering--that's a lot too. We were "awakened" by the price of materials. You too?
So much progress....so much to do as you well know yourselves! Armchair working...hee hee...thanks for your kind words, Alyse.
DeleteRebuilding the deck too - yes, FM had to take on a job last fall just to raise enough money for the timber! Ha! I kid you not. So yes, we are a bit shocked at the price of materials, for sure. We try to reuse what we have here and not buy a bunch of new stuff but you can't scrimp on a deck.
It sounds like you are putting in your share of hard work on your project too, Alyse. Look forward to seeing pics when it's done!
You did a perfect job recreating the feathers of the speckled Sussex hen.
ReplyDeleteWhat an unusual bird the ring-neck pheasant is... I wonder if it'll start calling your garden "home".
Thank you! It sounds as if you are familiar with them (speckled Sussex)! Fun chickens, Frida is my pal. Yes, the pheasant...I hope it does start calling our garden home, that would be great! We've had quail in the past and lots of birds of prey among a plethora of others but never a pheasant so it's a special treat.
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