Hammock was hung and tested! This was a personal favorite of mine. I've never had a real rope hammock of my own to just go out to and use whenever I'd like, so having one now is an absolute treat!
Rabbit colony built! The rabbit colony has been kicking around in my head for years, ever since we had one before. I LOVED watching the rabbits do their own thing, interacting, establishing a group hierarchy, burrowing, playing. I could happily sit and watch them for hours. They're more soothing to watch than a fish tank, I swear. We used a couple cattle panels and a couple rolls of chicken wire, lots of cinder blocks and a couple clips for the gate. The finishing touches still need to be completed, but with the basics done, the rabbits were put in so they could start sorting out who was in charge.
Rabbitry dismantled! With all the meat type rabbits in the colony, that left just a trio of Dwarf Hotots that could now be put in their own giant cages, and remain, with some minor modifications, secured under the deck. They were given their own back wall, roof, and individual cage lights, so they have plenty of shelter from the elements, and the oversize cages (4'x30"x2') give these little cuties plenty of room to play. The spare cages, framework and everything else were removed to the front yard temporarily, so that it can all be sorted and dealt with as we have further time to do so.
Dog kennel established! The dogs have a dog door into the house; with the rabbitry dismantled (with the exception of just 3 Dwarf Hotot cages), this is now their kennel area. They have a clear view into the front and side yard, and their kennel area will make it much easier to clean up after them.
Chicken coop acquired! With the Farm Barter Faire coming up on Sunday 10th, I've been busy listing items and livestock available for trade, and coordinated to get a good sized chicken coop for our future flock of hens - sorry roosters, not interested at this time! Hens only, because I've been sorely missing having farm eggs readily available. Hubby decreed no more chickens until we had an honest to goodness coop (the Bielefelder flock was making do in our modified plastic shed), so this quickly became a priority. It will be delivered in the next couple of weeks, and then after we modify it to suit our needs, we can begin stocking it with hens to fill our household egg requirements.
Eggs and produce incoming! Until we get our flock of hens going, I'm buying or trading for eggs from farming friends, and I've also made trades to get lots of fresh produce coming in from local farmers. Our own little garden started quite late, so I don't expect anything from it, though I'm deeply enjoying the rich lush green it has added to our side yard.
Pigs incoming?! This isn't a certainty yet; we MIGHT be getting a pair of kunekunes from friends, initially to help dig up the roots of the brambles all along our property line, but they'll stay on and become breeding stock here on our tiny farm.
Throughout these outdoor projects, I've been working on deep cleaning the house, establishing the craft room, and doing homeschool lessons and experiments. It's been really busy, but fun and well worth all the hard work.