Well three walls are framed up and two of them even have tiedowns on them. I felt these were called for as even using 75mm batten screws I didnt really feel that there was sufficient grip to ensure the roof stays on in a gale. Shadow has been supervising closely, and will hopefully continue to remain enthralled for the next few days.

Tomorrow, being Monday is of course the last day I can work on this for a couple of days, so that will leave me with Thursday and Friday before i start stressing about chickens arriving. I will check the long-range forecast so that I can make an informed decision about going to quilting as per normal.

You will have noticed that the side walls suggest a structure significantly smaller than the slab will accommodate. I agree. But when your neighbour is having daily hysterics about the apparent threat your chooks cause to her (yet to be developed) vegetable beds, what's a girl to do? The sloping roof should deter birds from perching on it and causing further hysterical outbursts, and the nesting boxes that I was originally planning to put to either side, will probably still go at the back, but with really steep roofs. They will be a later addition as the priority right now is finding safe haven for the hen, should she produce any chickens.

Rastus and one of his lesser wives came over to inspect before I knocked off. And i have been supervised by the entire flock for much of the day, with regular visits to inspect progress.

I was working away on the back wall when I noticed Shadow responding to someone in the yard, so I peered around the woodshed and discovered yet another strange man peering in the back door tentatively. I yelled out and we met half way. It was Jean's other son, delivering the roll bale that is now safely ensconced in the back yard, half way between the vege patch and the chook run. I peeled off the webbing and rolled it onto a stick as it seems to me it will be quite useful bird-netting for fruit trees and the vege patch. Apparently there are about 9 more where that one came from and they will be delivered as I use up each one - talk about pressure!! Now i have to build garden beds to use it on!!

It will, of course, also be incredibly useful as nesting material and floor-covers for the chooks (with liberal sprinklings of louse powder to discourage colonies in hollow stems).

So a pretty productive day today - though not as productive as it would have been if I had not had to make countless treks back to the house to recut angles, shorten studs and so forth. I guess i still have quite a bit to learn about measuring things ...