approaching the bench

Remember when the new goat barn was built this past Spring? I quickly put together a little bench to provide cubbyholes (in a choice of sizes) for Lily's and LeShodu's kids who would be arriving soon.

I made the cubbies just one foot deep, so the mamagoats would be able to reach in and easily touch their babies.

They do that a lot.

Like this:

Campion and Azalea were newborn and barely dry in the above picture.

Not long after, here they are, sharing the smaller cubby:

When all four kids were a little older, I added a foot of depth to the bench. That way, even the bigger goats could rest on top, and the youngsters could still snuggle up underneath.

When I put the rolled flooring down last week, I had to first dismantle and remove the bench. Then I had to figure out a way to rebuild a new and improved bench without nailing anything to the floor. Putting holes though the rolled flooring would negate its purpose, which is to keep moisture away from the wood beneath.

I decided to try a series of rectangular brackets, tied to the wall. It's another 2-foot-deep bench, but a few inches higher. And it's longer this time, going all the way across one side of the barn: 114.25 inches long, to be exact:

 I was so pleased when this board fit into place!

When you trim up a 10-foot board, you really want to get it right the first time. 

Of course, I had some help with the measuring and cutting.

From Azalea and Campion:

Also Tsuga:

Once the Quality Control crew were persuaded to leave the barn, I started putting all the pieces together as quickly as I could. Which is really not quickly at all. In fact, I'm a bit of a plodder. But a cheerful plodder! Very happy to be getting on with this task.

It was coming together nicely when the sky suddenly became ominously dark, and the goats began to ask when The Staff would be opening the barn again. I attached the top and left some of the cubby "walls" for another day.

Maybe with the bigger cubbies the goats won't even need dividers? Maybe they will be peaceful neighbors?

We live in hope.

Heavy rains did come last night, and it has rained all day long today.

It is a gloomy, stuffy, mucky sort of day.

A nice day to be indoors.

I have been soaked to the skin several times.

The goats, however, have been quite cozy.

Here is a random goatcam snap:

That's Azalea and Lily and Campion atop the bench, with Vinca and Dara tucked under. (LeShodu is not in the picture because she was in the front half of the stall, eating hay and celebrating her feelings of superiority and power after pushing poor Tsuga out the door to seek shelter in the Chalet.) There has been a lot of shuffling around, and at one point I saw LeShodu laying across the front of a cubby with both her kids snugged into it, just the way she used to (try to) contain them when they were babies.

So, there's one little project nearly done and already functional! Hmmm. I think if I had a motto it would be "nearly done and already functional." If anyone can tell me how to write that in Latin, I will start working on a crest and a coat of arms. Heh.

Meanwhile, it's time for evening chores. 

Once more into the muddy, mucky breech!

~~~~~