wood shed door

 I really had plans to work on the wood shed at some later date.  It needs a couple of windows, a front door and  a dormer window installed plus some new siding on the South side.  This is hands down a do last kinda project.  Unfortunately, we purchased a new mower on Saturday.  My normal storage spot (anywhere outside in the weather) will not do for the new machine.  I attempted to get into the wood shed with the mower but you must turn 90 degrees once inside and the mower is too long.

If you look closely into the dark hole you will see the wall
that was obstructing my mower.  I added a couple of new
2x4s to stiffen the top and ripped out the wall.

So I spent most of today ripping out the boards that were obstructing our straight in entrance.  Wanting to reuse the boards meant being careful while taking them down and removing all nails (which I put in a bucket so they can be disposed of in the metal recycle pile).  So I built another door.  I found some neat old wood when I was removing it off of the wall, someone had carved in their initials and a little house and various other marks.  I put the initials at eye level on the door so you would see it upon entering the wood shed.  I installed another wooden rail slide locking mechanism.  This one was much easier than the one I did on the outhouse.  I knew what I was doing this time.  I am still concerned that the door may shake in the wind and the vibration will open the slider. I think I am going to hang an old hinge behind the lock so gravity keeps it down and when you want to open the door you just lift one side of the hinge.  The only real problem with this is if someone locks you in it will not be possible to get out.

Almost completed door.  It is hung and the latch cutout is made
so the door will stay shut.  I just need to install a stop on the
non-hinge side, a door handle and the slide locking hinge.

I of course need to still cleanup.  I carried down a few too many 2x4s from the chicken house (wood storage area) (vs the chicken coop which is near the house).

We had one of the ewes we picked up in November give birth.  I only know this because I saw afterbirth hanging out of her this morning.  I went out but could not find the lamb and of course it frosted.  She is only about 10 months old.  Our other pair of young ewes miscarried their first lambs also.  We are not sure if it is a size thing or because they ate some pine needles and blue spruce needles.  It is a consequence of running the sheep with the ram all year around.  So Annmarie was right and I need to lock the sheep up every night, even if it is only in the barn lot.  This will make a whole lot less ground to cover if there are any baby questions.

I had to throw the baby chicks out into their grassy yard today.  They just did not want to leave the coop, but they are getting too big for that space and are starting to peck bald spots on each other.  At first they just hunkered down and did not move around, but after a couple of hours they started roaming the grass and having a good time.  Of course only two of them could figure out how to get back into the coop.  Which meant I had to catch each one and put them back in the coop for tonight.  It froze this morning, so I don't want to leave them out yet.