The final move

The entertainment center/TV cabinet that gave my back muscles a workout this weekend.

I can't believe that we were successful...but we did it! We finally got the big, heavy, solid hardwood, TV cabinet/entertainment center out of the apartment and into the basement of our house. We'd left it at the apartment because it would not fit in our new living room. We were trying to sell it on craigslist, but got no takers. We both agreed that if we couldn't get at least $500 for it, we'd figure out a way to keep it. It's a beautiful piece of NC custom crafted handiwork. We paid a lot of money for it 4 years ago, and I just couldn't see parting with it for less than half of what it is worth.

So we made another attempt at moving it today. We removed all the doors and the drawers and made it just light enough that I could lift it (sort of). We then were able to get it down the cement stairs at the apartment complex, into the bed of the farm truck, and then to our house. From there, we had some issues. We have no place in the house for it, so we agreed that we'd put it in the basement. If nothing else, we'll save it until we have a home where it will fit (if that ever happens). It would NOT fit down the basement stairs. Not only would we have to take off the railing, we'd not be able to make the turn at the bottom...there just wasn't enough room. Our other option was the 'mechanics pit'...or the big hole in the garage floor that is connected to the main room of the basement. We figured out a way of lowering it into this hole (it just fit) and then moving it to the basement from there. It was a major feat of engineering! tomorrow, I'll turn in the keys to the apartment and we'll finally be done with the place.

Once we got the cabinet in the basement (and while our lifting muscles were still warm), we decided it was time to move the chicken coop again. We moved all the chicks into one of our dog crates, emptied the coop of the feeders and waterers, and then moved it to fresh grass. I think that if we move it every week, we should be able to keep the chicks in fresh grass and keep from killing the grass it rests on. In honor of their 6 week birthday - here are our chicks. We are pretty sure that we have two roosters in the group...

Aruacanas and white leghorns getting a drink. The chicken on the far right is Bonny, the two 'roosters' are Bruno and Joe and the little aruacana on the left is Maple. The other one has no name yet.

This Rhode Island Red is named Seven (it's the hen-pecked one - like we think that George Costanza's kid would be...)

This is Bruno - utilizing one of the interior perches.

A few of the birds cozying up together on a chilly morning.

After all the moving, we wanted some less physical labor. We both grabbed big bowls and headed out to harvest more blackberries. In about an hour, we managed to clear all the ripe ones off our cultivated berries - and filled both bowls to over flowing. I'd say we just picked about 6-8 quarts of berries again!! I see more crisp on the menu for later this week. I'm also going to freeze a bunch of these. I just need to figure out how, because our freezer is jam packed full of milk right now! Lastly, I have a recipe for blackberry pie - so I'll give that a shot as well. Yum!