Reading nook 📖

Thanks to a previous post, we kind of re-created one of the barns on a budget and changed the design a little for our needs. Instead of gaps between the pallets, we just went ahead and filled it in. We used the pool noodles to help cover the tops of the t-posts to keep the tarp from getting nick'd in heavy winds. And finally, we had wind straps, the three-inch wide by 150' long that we used on our greenhouse to keep the plastic from flapping in the wind and holding tight against the framing. We decided to keep that same extra precaution for the tarp in order to keep it tight against the cattle panels. The footprint is 10'x20'. Using the following: 12 pallets 24 T-posts 5 cattle panels 24 u--bolts 1 tarp (16x20) 1 package of heavy duty zipties 3 pool noodles Total cost was just under $400. We had 2x2's we used from our previous setup and tied them to the cattle panels. These will be for the rosting and sleeping off the ground. You can see them in the last photo if you zoom in a little. It's not quite done, yet. We are adding our roll-away nesting boxes to one of the walls. Edit: in NO-WAY was this an advertisement for Lowe's! 🤣 I only realized the bucket in the front is their version of the 5-gallon "everything" bucket. Edit again: new photo showing the wind straps.

At the age of 67, Emma Rowena Gatewood informed her adult children that she was going out for a walk. Little did they know that her “walk” would make history. Gatewood became the first woman to hike the entire 2,168-mile Appalachian Trail solo and in one season, starting from Mount Oglethorpe in Georgia and ending at Mount Katahdin in Maine. Gatewood, often called "Grandma Gatewood," was a farmer’s wife from Ohio and a mother to 11 children, who in turn gave her 24 grandchildren. Her remarkable journey was not only a testament to her physical endurance but also to her indomitable spirit. She survived a marriage marked by severe domestic violence, escaping her abusive husband after many years. Her trek on the Appalachian Trail was a form of liberation and healing. Gatewood's first thru-hike in 1955 was done with minimal gear: she wore Keds sneakers, carried a homemade denim bag, and relied on her knowledge of foraging and the kindness of strangers along the way. She completed the trail again in 1960 and section-hiked it in 1963, becoming an enduring symbol of perseverance and adventure. Her journey brought significant attention to the Appalachian Trail and inspired future generations of hikers. Emma Gatewood's legacy lives on, not only in the hiking community but also as a powerful story of resilience and the enduring human spirit.

Fire Pit Setting On A Budget

FAHRENHEIT 451 (1966) Amazon removed all books promoting “Holocaust denial” in 2021 after meeting with the World Jewish Congress and Board of Deputies: “We are grateful to have been able to work together with our colleagues at the WJC to help ensure the removal of these works. However, there is still more to be done; Amazon have made it clear that they are happy to work with us to discuss the removal of further similar publications, as well as how to effectively identify and remove such works themselves.  We look forward to continuing to work together in the future to combat Holocaust denial and ensure that antisemites cannot spread their lies with impunity on the websites of the world’s largest bookseller. We would call on other publishers, booksellers and distributors to follow this example.”

The Secret Covenant Audiobook

FAHRENHEIT 451 (Ray Bradbury | 1953) AUDIOBOOK Fahrenheit 451 is a 1953 dystopian novel by American writer Ray Bradbury. Often regarded as one of his best works, Fahrenheit 451 presents an American society where books have been personified and outlawed and "firemen" burn any that are found. The novel follows Guy Montag, a fireman who becomes disillusioned with his role of censoring literature and destroying knowledge, eventually quitting his job and committing himself to the preservation of literary and cultural writings