Got back from going to town with D&L: 25 bales of grass hay for their horses and one bale of straw for Landlady’s chickens. Getting that stuff stacked just so would be a helluva job for the two of them, he’s around 70 and she’s not far behind and doesn’t weight much more than one of the bales. In that group I’m the youngster at 61, though I’ve racked up a lot more body and frame damage that I’m paying for now. But between the three of us we get an assembly line working: She gets them off the trailer and into position for the hand truck, I hook them onto the handtruck and wheel them into the hayroom, and he stacks them just exactly so. I think they work harder than I do in the process, but since we can only do it one bale at a time each of them has a minute to breathe while I shuttle the handtruck back and forth. And anyway, it goes pretty quick.
Then to Landlady’s to put her new straw in the Big Chickenhouse, which she cleaned out while I was gone. Then home for a bite of lunch, and to give the Red Ladies their new roof. 
Off with the raggedy old cargo parachute, on with the new camo net! It’s even the right width, though it could have been another foot or two longer. Probably I’ll fill in over the coop with some landscape cloth I have in the powershed.
Told Landlady this morning over coffee – you guys have me so domestic and style conscious now, with the cabin all sided and the contrasting trim paint, I may actually have to paint the ugly powershed to match. What next? Doilies?
Yes! Doilies to go with your throw pillows!! LOL
Coasters. Don’t forget the coasters. No ugly condensation rings on the table. We have standards, y’know.
OMG! Are cloth napkins on the agenda too?
An outside door mat that says WELCOME
Oh LMAO
Look for the box.
Polka dot curtains with ruffles
And new throw rugs to pull it all together!
You guys are harsh.
Hey, Joel! Your comment form has been loading on my machine for a couple weeks now. It’s sporadic – sometimes a mini-comment form with no ‘submit’ button – but this eve it’s there in full size and looks like it’ll work.
Structural paint – no matter what color/s suits you – is firmly rooted in the practical. Don’t fret about the doilies and frou-frau yet. Besides – the chickens and hounds probably won’t appreciate them.
I find that the comment form “opens up” the moment I “click” in the posting box.
Question, Joel: The ‘chute was semi-water-repellent, right? The net is obviously not. Is this a consideration?
It is, Kentucky, as a feature rather than a bug. The parachute was just water-resistant enough to hold rain and snow and freeze solid, then get so heavy it pulled down and whacked me in the head or dumped a load down my neck when I was unwary. The roofing material is supposed to stop raptors and filter sunlight; rain won’t hurt the hens.