It was 30 degrees outside today but it was 109.7 degrees inside.

Houses should be build like this....well, kinda.  Free heat, lots of it.  Yet in summer it will be as cool as under the shade of a tree (Reflective insulated covering).  Inside, the coop will be even cooler with free "air conditioning".               (30F = -1C,... 109.7F = 43C)

This is the first winter for my new aviary addition. The Chickens and Pigeons love it. It's safe, dry and warm. They love to take dirt baths and they lounge around laying in the warm sun like tourists on a beach. They're free to go outside, but prefer inside.

Whenever the aviary is over 50 degrees a thermostat turns on a fan to draw surplus heat inside to the insulated coop to warm it so the coop will remain warm all night long (free). The pigeon nests near the top are the warmest...the sand floor (about 85F degrees, 30C ) acts a bit like a heat sync during the day so at night the aviary is always about 10-15 degrees warmer than ambient, the inside coop remains well above freezing. It's all free heat. Even on cloudy days it's about 15-20 degrees above ambient.  On those minus 40 degree nights a tiny elec heater (40w hair curler) keeps the coop above freezing. The elec bill for all winter is less than $5. 

  
For more information click on Coop Design (temporarily disabled)

This is my favorite light bulb, we've been together for decades.

So what's so special about it ??? At my farm this 300 watt bulb was in the granary (My garage) for many years of daily service, shinning brightly. When we bought a house in town 10 years ago I brought the bulb with me and it's been in my garage here now, still burning brightly... now nearly 30 years old.
? Why is that ? There is nothing special about it. No name on it, it's just another bulb. Maybe it likes me?
(Almost All my other light bulbs are LEDs, but I just can't part with my favorite 300 watt bulb).

Picture Perfect - Three - Birds

Practicing to be Nursing home therapy birds (soon).
This is Mary at a seniors apartment where my Mother lives. She was delighted with the birds and still talks about them. I gave Mary a copy of this and she has it framed and proudly displays it on her wall.
I took my German Shepherd therapy dog, Diesel, to nursing homes to cheer up the residents until he himself became too old..... now it's the birds turn. Seems they are off to a good start.  It's a good feeling to see the residents smile and that makes me smile too.
(A Silky Chicken and two Ringneck Doves)

July 7, 2005 - March 1, 2011 R.I.P. Betty

They were the same age... Betty and Bert. When I came home I found Bert huddling over her trying to keep her warm.  Bert would not leave her side.   All the others had gone into the warm coop like they always do, but Bert and Betty had stayed behind in the Chicken shelter...it was dark and freezing cold.. But it was too late. Betty had just died a very short time before I found them.
 I took her inside because it seemed she may still be breathing, but...too late. She was special... she would come to me for affection. She loved to be held in my arms. She would close her eyes while I petted her.
     Betty at 3 months.
She had not been well for several weeks. I've kept her inside and I've been giving her antibiotics daily. She seemed to be getting better. Today was the first day she seemed more perky. It was warmer today (40+) so I put her outside...I hope she enjoyed her last day.



Betty just a few days ago staying warm by the fireplace.

A 100 foot tall Oak tree fell on my cabin.

Fortunately we were not in it... that's the loft bedroom area.  Tree is about 2'+ at base, multiple trunks, only the top 35 feet hit the cabin.  The main trunk just missed by about 5 feet. In video you can see main trunk on the ground feet from the cabin. That would have totally crushed it. The impact knocked everything inside to the floor.

Seems I now have another project.

Before building the cabin I cut down the trees I considered to be a threat, but I never guessed one to the South so far away was a threat.

A few years ago a tornado ripped the top half off of a huge oak and dropped it just a few feet in front of the cabin.  A cabin in the woods is nice, but not woods in the cabin.

Tree misses cabin

Rock climbing - Broken hip, ribs and shoulder.

We went to the rock climbing part of St Croix River NE of Minneapolis Minnesota When we arrived there was an ambulance.

We walked on a very rocky rugged trail over jagged refrigerator size nasty boulders to get to the cliff and then learned that a girl climber (25ish?) fell and broke her hip, ribs and shoulder while walking on the very trail that we just used. Yes the trail was rough, but not that bad (unless you fall).

This is the trail to one of the many climbing areas.

It's a very popular area for rock climbing (we watched), nothing else like it for hundreds of miles, so they come here.

Nothing like being prepared.

My cabin was built shortly after Wisconsin became a state in 1848

Page 1 of big thick abstract (Note date on Abstract and transfer from United States to the very first buyer). 

We still use the rustic solar powered cabin winter and summer, I've owned it for a few decades.  It will be around for another 150 years. It's been a fruit farm for over 100 years... apples, pears, cherries, plums, acres of grapes, etc... and still has apples, grapes, and acres of blackberries. asparagus and flowers grow wild all over. It's near Bayfield WI on the tallest piece of land (600') for 100 miles around, great view of Lake Superior and the Apostle Islands.


(Click to enlarge any pic)
It was first purchased by Mr Rice directly from the US Government in 1856.   The abstract reads like a novel... including some serious financial fraud. Originally the land sold for $1.35 per acre (now worth about $15,000 per acre?).

View of foyer, kitchen, living room, dining room, family room, and bedroom.
The upstairs is currently only used for storage (boat, garden tractor, bicycles, tools, etc).



The entire field changes colors as various flowers bloom.






               
Shoveling Garage roof - 4-1/2 feet of snow.

More of Bayfield  = http://bertthemensachicken.multiply.com/journal/item/30/Snow_storm_at_75_degrees.