FW: Sweet Pea Farm update

 

 

---

From: Stacy Murphy [mailto:hppsco@optonline.net]
Sent: Monday, December 03, 2007 8:39 PM
To: Abbie Zuidema; alwhitedot@optonline.net; Amy Ferraro; Andrea Hutter; Anne and Luke Williams (burntcove@verizon.net); Anne Davis (annekdavis@hotmail.com); ashby@ashbysedibles.com; Barbera Curry (bcurryjames@optonline.net); Billsmwct@aol.com; Brenda Fries
Subject: Sweet Pea Farm update

 

It’s December folks – and the countdown is on for all of you who are doing Christmas!

 

I think I’ll play “Grinch” this year, and just celebrate my house, farm and animals!

 

Lots of work still being done here – currently I am building the walk in aviary for my finches, parakeets and canary. Well, potential canary anyway, unfortunately my beloved Harold 3^rd  passed away a week ago, he was very old for a birdie – 8 years to be exact, and finally got sick. He was a champ to the very end – as he continued to sing until 3 days before he passed away. I cried, my little Harold was one of my favorites. My house is much quieter without him in my life….. Maybe Santa will bring me a new one, but so far “the elves” haven’t been able to find a singing “Harold the 4^th” anywhere – the sources seem to have “dried up”.

 

For those of you who are familiar with my “bird room and walk in aviary” – you will recognize the work being done. For those of you who have never seen my bird habitat –as that is what it becomes – it is a work in progress. The entire room incorporates birds, their natural environment, and a peaceful sanctuary. The work is extensive, and the cage alone takes close to 2 weeks to construct.

 

The room has to be cleaned and readied. I mount lights on the ceiling, branches with leaves, and make sure all the leaves are sprayed green. This year I used oak saplings that I found. Morroccan lights are mounted to the ceiling as well. Twinkle lights are then strung throughout the entire room, also filling all the Morroccan lights.

 

The cage pieces are 8 feet long by 6 feet tall, and they never go where you want them to go as they are flexible and sharp. All the pieces have to be zip tied with electrical ties, reinforced and pieced together. Then sheets of plexiglass have to be fitted into the cage, and those have to be secured to the sides of the cage. Trees have to be cut down – Mountain Laurel to be exact as they have interesting shapes – (don’t worry I use dead ones) those will be trimmed to fit. The trees have to be secured and tied. Baskets, lights, straw, feeding and watering cups all have to be secured and placed inside. Marsh reeds will be cut, crammed into the back of my truck, and then cut to size, and placed into the cage.  When all these things are complete, cedar shavings are put into the floor of the cage. Then, my precious birdies are brought down, and released into their new (and old) familiar home!

 

It is a labor of love, and a complete thrill to see them playing in the grass, flying back and forth, and in utter bliss in their happy home!

 

Please enjoy the photos, as they show the progress I have been making for the little ones. I should hopefully be completed in a week!

 

You are all welcome to come up and enjoy the view!

 

Oxoxo

Stacy