Chickens. Also bancos, slick coats, woodwork, and a $500 match on offer. Shares needed.

Photo copyright Aji, 2017; all rights reserved.

So the big news from here today isn't the house; it's chickens. Today was the day we sprang the little girls from their safe space in the gallery building (thank all that's holy; now I can work in there again without chick-feed residue all over everything, including my lungs). They've been in the coop since mid-morning, and they already think they own the joint. No, seriously. Twice Dahlia's been up on top of the feed can squawking like a cartoon housewife holding up her skirts and shrieking at a mouse. Now, this evening? All the big girls are huddled up together in a corner by the gate, while twenty tiny girls have the run of the place. One of the Americaunas took a run at the big girls just to let 'em know she'd defend her sisters, and one of the 'lorps actually pecked one of the big reds. 

Apart from that, it's been a busy day on the construction front.

Photo copyright Aji, 2017; all rights reserved.

Sherm had his full crew, which  is to say, Miguel and Ervin, so they got the scratch coat on the bancos. In a few days, they'll put the slick coat on. Yes, I asked specifically for the backrests and the risers at the center; Wings absolutely loves it. They also did this:

Photo copyright Aji, 2017; all rights reserved.

Hard to tell with the late-afternoon lighting, but that's the back (north) wall of the kitchen. It's relatively sizeable, which meant that they had to do it all in one go, so they didn't even break for lunch until around 1:30, I think. They got a little further around, too, but there's still quite a way to go. 

Meanwhile, Tony and Reynaldo are doing woodwork upstairs:

Photo copyright Aji, 2017; all rights reserved.

Staining the interior windows and moldings, preparatory to adding the trim around the windows and door in the refuge "room," and putting the moldings up (baseboards are getting stained, but will have to wait for flooring). They'll also be making the frames for the interior doors.

More expense, natch.

If I'd known 20 months ago what this would entail, I'd never have had the courage (or the foolhardiness) to start it. But we're in it now, and there's no going back, especially when we're so close (and when I have literal doubts about our ability to survive another winter in this tin can). My beloved Yasuragi has posted a diary on our behalf tonight at the GOS, and she announced that there's a $500 match on offer. At the moment, we're almost halfway there, with $239 raised. Please T&R and share, because you never know who'll want to kick in on it. Also, all the rest of it:

• First, to donate, the PayPal link is here. 
• Second, for sales (which we really need to make, and I'll be highlighting some of his high-end stuff on the site this week), the link to Wings's site (preferably with a testimonial, if you have some of his work), because sales are gonna keep this thing rolling. 
• And finally, the link to our wishlist (which badly needs updating), with an emphasis on the Lowe's gift cards, because those are what will help us pay for all the stuff that will make this place liveable, like a water heater and flooring and so forth. A note here: I really do dislike Home Depot, but they have a terrific tile that would work for pretty much the entire downstairs (except the bathroom) that's less than a third of the price of a lot of what's comparable from Lowe's. It's the kind of thing that we can't rationalize spending so much more on, given the differential, and so I'll be adding Home Depot gift cards to the wishlist, too, much as it pains me. [Okay, so I just checked; you can only buy Home Depot gift cards through their own company site, so they're not going to be on the Amazon wishlist. Think of it as a virtual virtual wishlist.]

As always lately, I have more work this evening, and I have to get on it. Many thanks and much love to everyone.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2017; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.