So we live in a temperate rainforest.  We have a creek and multiple springs on our property.  The water table is high – TS has hit water just a few feet below ground in several places.  When we get several days of rain in a row like we did about a week ago, things get really wet and mushy.  Our creek turned into a rushing river that reached within a few feet of the barn.  (Why, oh why, did the original owners build the barn on the LOWEST spot of the property?)  Thankfully the creek/river didn’t wash the outer wall of the barn away, but the run-off from the hill on the other side turned it into quite a swamp.  TS did a little digging and rockwork to redirect the water around the barn.  It sure was a mess and made us start thinking again about building a new barn.  We really want to make do with the existing barn for as long as possible.  It is such a large barn with a ton of space for our current and future livestock.  Most of the roof is good, though the walls have a lot of missing/rotten boards.  We’ve been patching and “tarping” as needed, but the fact that the barn is basically in a flood plain is not something we can fix.

The rabbits’ side of the barn stayed dry and they are in elevated cages anyway.  The chickens didn’t seem to mind getting a little wet thought they had dry ground in the mini coop as well.  This is my beautiful Lavender Orpington rooster.  He was eaten by the neighbors’ dogs the next day 😦  We’ve been having issues with their dogs and this was the last straw.  The neighbors have been warned that the dogs will be shot on sight if we find them on our property again but we hope it does not come to that!

Speaking of water, TS built a pond! Around here that pretty much just consists of digging a hole.  It was full of water even before we had 3 days of rain.  TS wants Koi, I want ducks.  Our neighbors up the street have offered us some of their Muscovy ducks which are great for both meat and eggs.  But Koi are so beautiful and perhaps we could breed and sell them.  TS and I both really miss the beautiful goldfish pond he built at the Auburn house.  Maybe we could have Koi AND ducks.  I guess we’ll figure it out when it’s done!  Photos later.