Well, so we’ve been working on our chicken coop for the last two days. I’m trying to make it as predator-proof as I can…I’m trying to bury wire, use concrete blocks and bricks and hardware cloth to keep little buggers out. Hopefully it will be the Fort Knox of the chicken world!
This was a chicken coop at one time, but went into a major state of disrepair. It was covered on top with wire, and the weight of about a million pine needles caused it to collapse in on itself. Plus it didn’t help that the 4×4 posts were untreated and rotted at the ground!. anyway, we had to rip out all of the old chicken wire (I fell about a zillion times all over myself) and then I started reinforcing all of the exterior walls against critters that would love to munch on my future chickens.
I’m sure I made a sight of myself, with my old crappy 7 year old Old Navy sweatshirt, a hot pink doorag, and covered in dirt up to my elbows when I went back into town for something, lol. Oh well!
So yesterday, in the same garb described as above, with the exception that I had on a ‘safety orange’ doorag, we went down to Maydelle, TX and had lunch at a place called Big Bertha’s. If you have never gone, you are in for a treat! Yesterday, we had the all-u-can-eat catfish platter. Comes with homemade hushpuppies, homemade slaw, pintos, tartar sauce. The platter itself is a whole mess of cornmeal crusted, perfectly salty catfish and a huge wad of fries. Let me put it this way; when she sat the platters in front of us, there was so much food on it, my husband just said (out loud), “Oh my God.”. Now THAT’S a lot of food! And let me tell you this, too. The other day we went down there and I got a chicken fried steak. Now, there’s nothing I hate more than one of those crappy chicken fried steak McNugget patties that came from Ben E. Keith or wherever. Our waitress assured me that Bertha (well, I’m assuming that’s who’s doing the cooking) hand breads them herself right then and there. Let me tell you, it was excellent! A REAL honest-to-God tenderized round steak with a perfectly crispy coating, just the way that God intended a CFS to be. It was slathered in cream gravy and I got french fries to go with that. Also, the coffee is free and hot. (you can make a donation in the Coffee Kitty if you so choose) Big Bertha’s is right at the intersection of Farm to Market 2138 and Highway 84 in the heart of Maydelle. Right next door is the Maydelle Store and Ol’ Tom’s Bar-B-Que shack which is also EXCELLENT, and I am picky about the quality of my food. Tom makes briskets, burgers, sausages and perfectly smoked boudin, and the best doggone BBQ tater I have ever had the pleasure of stuffing down my throat. Unfortunately, the taters are only available on Saturdays. Ol’ Tom’s is located in a tiny portable log cabin-like building right next to the Maydelle Store. If you’re like me and you like to ride around the countryside, stop on in for lunch sometime. While you’re at it, take a peek into the Maydelle store and you’ll see a true General store. They have everything from knives to fishing poles to baking powder. I do mean one of EVERYTHING. The only bad thing is that the ‘regulars’ smoke in the store, which I’m allergic to, but I still like to run down there and buy stuff.
Well, there’s my report for today. At least we’re having some decent, though very windy, weather today. Highs in the 70s, although will be disappearing tomorrow!
My Little Country 