The Learning Umbrella

We needed a new chicken coop, and it was going to be a joint project between DH and myself to build one.  But we just couldn’t seem to work together on the day we started, and so it became my project.  I called my brother when I couldn’t figure out how to take the safety off our chop saw, and he laughed at me when I told him I was building the coop by myself.  Laughed!

Well, that was IT.  I was irritated and I was going to SHOW THEM ALL that I could build something all by myself!  I’ve been around plenty of building projects, and I’ve even built a few things mostly by myself with some help from my dad.  But my usual role is the assistant.  I hold things in place while others drill or hammer or saw.  I listen and nod while others conceptualize building plans.  I sweep up after, and run errands, and hand tools as they are needed.

But this project was all me.  I found some pictures with a few directions on the internet - Thank you for posting your project!  But that was all the plans I had to work from.  I made a list of what I needed, and we made several trips to Home Depot to get it all.  I was also able to find wood in our garage that I worked the plan around.  Some old shelves were cut up and reused, and the cuts DH had started when he started to build a train table were used as the doors of the coop.

Carbon was my assistant as I worked, and he was the only one who got to help me.  When I got to this stage, I thought I might actually be able to pull this thing off.

The best part of doing this with Carbon was that I was once again modeling learning for him, AND I was modeling women using power tools.  He was a pretty eager assistant, and I gave him all the scrap wood to practice hammering nails into and “building” all sorts of strange things.  We talked a lot about what I was doing, and he helped me with measurements.  And when I was proud of myself, he seemed kind of proud too. 

It had to wait while I was sick, but as soon as I felt strong enough to lift a drill again, I went out and finished the darn thing.  DH and SIL carried it into our chicken run for me, and the ladies are seemingly very happy in it.  I still need to put some smaller laying boxes inside, but it’s good for them for now.

Here’s the babies, not looking like such babies anymore.  I can’t put Wicked Witch (our ancient hen who somehow still lays eggs - she’s over 10 years old!) in with them because she is too mean, so we’re still using our old coop also.  I hope when they’re bigger they will be able to stand up to her and work out a decent pecking order so they can all live together.