New run: a never-ending story

As I promised in this post from October 31st , we are building new run for our chickens so they have access to the green grass outside of their current run. This is a progress report.

To start with conclusion:

New run is not completed yet. But we're approaching the finish line. 

Considering that the pledge was made 6 weeks ago, we're progressing at very slow pace. But everything has a reason. This post is mostly a collection of excuses why the finish line has not been crossed yet.

Building new run basically means building a new fence. This sounds like an easy thing to do, and indeed it is not difficult, but it requires quite a lot of time and, preferably, two pairs of hands rather than one (which limits available time to weekends.)

Progress proof: Wire mesh attached to wooden stakes. Now it at least looks like a fence.

Putting up new fence consists of several activities:
1. Design - Where exactly will the fence be? Where will the door(s) be? How will the chickens get from their coop to new run?
2. Calculation: What materials do we need and how much of each? (And how much will they cost?)
3. Shopping for materials - stakes, wire mesh, timber, nails, hinges. This is done in several rounds. Recently I visit home centers more often than a grocery store.
4. Hammering wooden stakes to the ground.
5. Attaching wire mesh to the stakes.
6. Building door (3 doors) and installing them in their respective places in the fence.
7. Trying to predict all possible escape routes from chickens' perspective and take measures to block them.
8. Let chickens play in the new run. (Repeat No. 7 if necessary.)

Current status: Simultaneously working on steps 5 and 6 (about 80 % completed.)

Second door in making (Sunday December 6, 2015).
It was cold and grey day, hence my not-so-happy expression.

Second door installed (=the wire mesh in the front of the picture).
Nobuo in the background: Yay, we can go home now!

Now the list of excuses why it took us 6 weeks and the fence is still not ready.
Excuse 1: a lot of rainy weekends in November.
Excuse 2: some weekend trips. Absolutely necessary and of the utmost importance.
Excuse 3: a few overslept mornings.

Excuse 2.

This sounds like a solid alibi to me. But that doesn't change the fact that chickens are waiting.

Meanwhile, Christine the Explorer continues her daily adventures. We gave up trying to stop her. Neighbors keep giving us reports of her journeys. Our reputation is ruined but Christine is happy.

Morning stroll (December 6, 2015).

Christine exhibiting interest in the scent of sasanqua flowers.
(December 6, 2015)

And the fence... Let's make a realistic prediction for once: The never-ending story will hopefully end before the end of the year.