The Coop de Jardin

Or, from the looks of these photos... a very time consuming jungle gym.

Matt began hauling logs from our woods... a few too many to call firewood... and then he disappeared into his timber shed every weekend for quite some time.

And I knew he had plans...

When one Saturday in June, the old chicken coop was torn down and burned, I knew what those plans were.

(Not only were the beams made with precision and skill, to fit within one another, but Matt had to make the pins too.)

Please take special note of Judah's work boots... or what is left of them.

(It is NOT MY FAULT.  It is hard to convince Newman menfolk to throw comfortable, though worn out, things away.)

Yes Judah.  What a great idea!  Run on the roof boards in duct taped shoes!

(Here's Judah, holding the storm clouds at bay until the work was done for the day.)

Now that Andrew is a hard-working roofer (who gets PAID for his work!), and spends half his Saturdays taking EMT classes, he is not around as much for free slave labor.  

He was able to help out a few times though.

(roofing goes on.  The most expensive part of these projects.)

Then the siding boards and WINDOWS!

(The windows were free from a neighbor... I only had to store them for 10 years or so in my granary, that's all.)

(Isn't the inside beautiful?  I love the beams.)

The handy fellow, himself.  I love him, too.

And then the door goes on!

And then a wall is put up. dividing the shed into two portions... one part garden shed, one part chicken coop.

Or saphouse.

Chickens were the original objective but the saphouse makes more sense, given that Matt has wanted a saphouse for many years (and will, no doubt, want to build one if this one doesn't suffice) and of course, that he has no great love of chickens.

(Waiting on baited breathe for Matt to decide!)

But this part here, for SURE, is the garden shed.

Hopefully, it will be enough space to house my two shovels, a hand trowel, and a wheelbarrow.

he he.

I kid, I kid.

It's beautiful and amazing.

And then the snow flies, and it just kinda takes your breath away.

(I'll share pictures of the inside someday when it is finished.)