620 Bricks on the Ground

For the past two days all I've pretty much done (except for the few hours I've spent sending out resumes) is load bricks, unload bricks, and lay out bricks.

See, the town about 20 miles away that I grew up in has always had a bricked main street.

But that's all about to change. They're ripping up all the bricks and paving the road smooth.

The good news, for me at least, is that they are giving away the bricks for free. I'm trying to take advantage of all the free bricks and finish my landscaping project I started this spring, documented here.

This meant I had to pull up all the bricks I already laid because they didn't match, but it's worth it. I think I'll use those bricks for the porch up by the house. The larger, redder bricks don't have quite as much character as the old fireplace bricks, but they are free, and there are plenty of them, so I'll be able to take this path all the way around to behind my horse shelters and even use them to pave the tie-area, so I'll have a nice place to groom and tack up my horses.

Of course I'll need to set them in properly eventually, but for now I am just laying them out to make sure I'm picking up enough. I also have to run electricity to the shelters before I set the bricks in.

One more project I'll be doing is creating a white trellis with a seat to put right under that tree (between the trunk and the light pole) facing the horse pens, so on nice evenings I can relax and watch the horses eat. I'll move some of the trumpet vine to that trellis so it won't hurt anything, and then I'll plant some shade-loving hedge behind it, sectioning off that part of the back yard so it will make for a neat little private area.

I also managed, with Dad's help on Sunday, to get some of the fencing put up by the horse shelters. I haven't ordered gates yet so I had to put a regular panel up, plus we need to order a lot more fencing for the posts in the foreground.

But at least it is set up so the horses can get to their shelters now. Thankfully we haven't had much in the way of rain or storms so they've been doing well with the windbreaks. Now they can finally have their proper shelter back.

The horses all enjoyed inspecting the area once I turned them out.

Then the turkeys felt they needed to inspect, or perhaps supervise the unloading of the bricks.

I swear they think they are "helping."

What they really do is stand on the bricks I'm trying to move, see their reflection in the glass and start peeping to themselves.

They really are the oddest, funniest creatures.

They remind me of family....

A storm came through and interrupted my work.

I wouldn't complain, but it didn't rain a single drop, so I fully intend to complain, dern it.

The chickens knew it wasn't going to rain. They stayed out doing what chickens do....

In this case, going through my compost pile looking for insects.

The chickens have also figured out that the horses drop all sorts of goodies from the grain buckets after feeding time.

I think Bambi can spare a few crumbs for her feathered friends....

By the way, I announced on Facebook and Twitter, but in case you missed it, Bambi ultra-sounded in foal to Almighty! One single, perfect embryo--crystal-clear on the screen, too. Vet estimated her at 22 days which would make her due date April 22, 2012. I'll get her checked at 60 days as well, just to make sure she doesn't absorb.

Lots done, lots to do, and lots to look forward to!

~J