Published: October 01, 2009 11:56 am      

Angie showers her girls with chicken love

After resuming construction on my chickens’ pen this weekend, I had an epiphany that I should change the wording on my personalized license plate to CHIKNLUV. Unfortunately, you can only have six letters at the most and a number. Too bad, after what my dad I went through on Saturday and Sunday, that would have been perfect.

Phase two of my girls’ outside play area got under way early Saturday morning. This next stage of construction focused primarily on framing the pen with chicken wire. As we found out, it’s not as easy as you might think. I discovered two things that day. One, I never want to work with wire again and two, poultry nails are hard to nail in after you’ve smashed a few fingers too many times. Don’t worry, my reactions were all PG rated for the kids.

Anyway, our first plan of attack was to frame in the top. How hard could this be? Well, let’s just say that my dad’s plan of building chicken pens on the side was dismissed in a hurry. We laid the wire across the top 2-by-4s carefully and nailed in each side.

As I was nailing in my side of the wire, I started to feel something flying around in my pant leg. Then, I started to hear a buzzing noise, which seemed to be getting louder and louder. I looked at my dad and said, “I think there’s something in my pants. Yeah, there is REALLY SOMETHING IN MY PANTS!” At that point, I jumped off the ladder and stretched open my running pants to take a look. My plan of staying calm and rational flew out the door when a black wasp flew out. So, naturally I had to scream. Well, what else did you expect me to do?

After that, my day just kept getting better. I started to feel really sorry for my dad as time wore on. I started to feel as handy as Lucy Ricardo. I managed to clip part of the pen’s doorway with my ladder. And would you believe it, that ladder had the nerve to bounce back and smack me on the forehead. My dad looked at me and said, “that’ll leave a mark.” Gee, thanks dad.

By the time 4:30 p.m. rolled around, my dad made an executive decision to stop for the day. Let me tell you, my fingers weren’t going to complain. We managed, without killing ourselves, to frame in everything except the sides at the top, the door and some edges.

Sunday proved to be a better day. Like Rhett Butler told Scarlett O’Hara, “Tomorrow is another day.” My dad worried most of his Saturday night away thinking about how he was going to finish the pen’s door. In the end, his worries were all for nothing. The door, believe it or not, was the easiest thing we did. I don’t think I have ever seen him so overjoyed. For a moment there, I thought he was going to start jumping up and down.

As we neared completion, two wire rods were placed across the chicken wire on the top and bottom of the door for support. After we had framed in the door, we tried to shut it. However, with all the pounding we had been doing the door had shifted a little bit and didn’t close properly. Then, would you believe it, my dad had an epiphany of his own. Since he didn’t have a planer to smooth down the area that was out of whack, he started hammering on one side of the door. He then tried to shut the door again and you know what all of his Saturday’s watching “This Old House” paid off. The door slid in place like butter. I swear, I thought he was going to kiss that door.

Since my dad and I are going to root for the Hawkeyes on Saturday in Iowa City, Sunday will mark our last day of construction. We will be cutting out a door on the chicken house for my girls to finally come out and see the world; I can hardly wait.

Since I love taking care of my chickens so much, I am toying around with the idea of expanding my family to include a goat. Let’s see, I could go out in the morning and milk my goat and gather the eggs. Doesn’t that sound like fun? Just call me Laura Ingalls.



Angie Bicker is the Lifestyles Editor for the Clinton Herald. She can be reached at angiebicker@clintonherald.com.