Today started innocently enough. True, Scott had to go in to Wichita to work instead of the usual work at home, but that was fine. Arthur and I had a rather easy morning. I lounged around, finally got chores done, got a shower . . .and all of a sudden, it was noon.
My big plan today was to go get paint to get my new coop remodeled. Well, it happened to be lunchtime. Arthur wanted to go to McDonald's (which, besides being fake food, is 30 miles away in the wrong direction). I said NO. Repeatedly. So, we compromised. He wanted a cheeseburger, so we went to the Wagon Wheel Express here in Marion. Truly awesome burgers made by some truly awesome folks. If you're in the mood for ribs, I think they do them on Saturday. Getcha some. If they're as good as the burgers, you'll be in heaven.
For those of you without children, eating a meal in public with kids can be an adventure. A 4 year old BOY makes it truly epic. I'm a stickler for manners (chew with your mouth closed, keep your elbows off the table, and use indoor voices), all of which my son seems to be hard-wired against. Anyway, we managed to survive lunch. If the food hadn't been that good, I doubt I would have made it.
Then we went to get paint. The Bennetts (the folks we bought our farm from) had a rather eclectic taste in painting outbuildings, but it works. Forest green, brick red, and mustard yellow adorn the outhouse (no longer used), mower shed, and even some places indoors. So, for my new coop, I wanted to paint the framework green, plus use red and yellow to accent the panels on the door and nestbox lid.
I hunted for paint. I knew I'd seen it around here somewhere. Finally I found a can of what looked like the right color and brought it along on the adventure today. Maybe it was my bad that I didn't go into a major store like Home Depot or Lowe's. I just didn't feel like driving that far. So, I went into our local hardware store and tried to find a match.
Folks, I used to do color matching for a living. It boggled my mind that I couldn't find ONE shade of paint that looked like what I was holding in my hand. Of course, it didn't help that Arthur was constantly yammering at me . . .PLUS being a BOY in a HARDWARE store. (Gotta touch everything, Mom!) I finally found something relatively close, but the guy told me he didn't have the formula to mix it in exterior paint because it was "too bright." Luckily, he got around it and mixed it for me anyway. You should have seen his face when I asked him to add a few shots of black to darken it. Come on, I'm a pro at this! Just trust me! I DO know what I'm doing!
Arthur got a big kick out of watching the mix being made, and watching the agitator mix the paint. He had to do his own imitation, which was actually very cute. Then we had to go through the rest of the store so he could look at everything. And touch it. YEESH. Thank goodness they had a "store cat" who was very friendly and distracted little man until I could pay for my paint.
Arthur had been very vocal about wanting to help paint. I DID NOT want to clean up that kind of mess. Luckily, he solved the problem for me by promptly falling asleep on the couch after we got home. YAY! So, I headed out to paint the coop.
Folks, it was COLD. Cloudy, with a brisk breeze and a thermometer temp of less than 50F is not ideal weather. I was out there slapping paint on as fast as I could dip it. Yes, my barn jacket has some nice new green spots. I'd finish one side then come in to thaw out my hands and the paint. It still needs a second coat, but I'm pretty happy with it. I still wish I would have had the guy add another few shots of black. Eh, well, it's a coop. No, you can't see pictures yet. I'll post them when it's done and in place. Waiting is therapeutic. (wicked laugh)
The day ended well with a hot homemade turkey pot pie for supper, the kids not being COMPLETE terrors, and me knowing that my coop is almost ready for my gorgeous Yokohamas. When I went out to cover their cage tonight, Maki had his wing over Sushi. (I tried to get a pic of that one, but by the time I got the camera, he'd moved) I really hope they'll like their new coop. Stay tuned for finished pics!
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