Yesterday after milking and chores and the school run we drove to the city and I dropped the cooking oil car off with the mechanic. It was a two and a half hour round trip just to get there and back. The mechanic is my new best friend. He totally ignored my accent, and my smile. He did not stare wide-eyed at me while I spoke, then ask me to repeat myself. He was just blown away that I had driven a manual, diesel Volkswagon Golf into his garage. Not every day you see one of these he laughed as he practically ran me down getting to the little car to give it a pat and check its fetlocks for heat.
Though he had to jog after me as I left because he had forgotton to get me to sign a piece of paper. Then bless him he stood holding the sheet of paper looking longingly at my car and said “Do you need a ride anywhere. Can I drive you somewhere?” 
My Mother in law pulled impatiently forward in her big black dark faced jeep. He saw me see her, nodded sadly and backed back into the shadow of his workshop.
On the way home we looked and looked for an old fashioned chicken coop. The Matriarch spoke of how even in town her mother and aunts had smaller versions of them. Always facing south she said. To catch the sun. Every farm used to have one. All sizes. A long slanted roof that started low to the ground, rose up then dropped and then a flat face full of windows that faced the sun. Like an N but without the last stroke upwards stroke of the pen. I will have to draw you another picture I think. 
Maximum light gives maximum eggs. We only found one in that whole drive.
On a very old farm that someone has forgotton to knock down and bury. I tried knocking on the door but no-one was home. Everything was original. It was almost magical. With the owner absent I could not take any closer shots. And this is not exactly what I am looking for. It is nothing like the N and it has a little extra built out to the South. But I am getting closer. And you get the beginnings of the idea.
You can’t put my Mom in a chicken coop laughed John. But he agrees that the shape of the structure will blend with the collection of old buildings we already have.
Something brand new will make the rest look old. You know what I mean? We have to be careful of that. These old hen houses used to be everywhere so to introduce one back into the landscape will not make too big a mark.
Good morning. John’s friend has told me of two cribs (I will take a shot of a crib for you, it is a little barn with a tunnel right through it where they stored corn ) that are being torn down. Soon I shall find them and begin to salvage wood for the interiors. Now that really will be a dangerous job.
OK it is 6am. Time for work. You have a lovely day.
celi
On this day last year – more wine less whine . Some nice shots of the grapes before my macro extension got stuck onto this lens with its other end gripping my camera body. It took me three days to get off the camera so naturally I am not risking putting it back in. Anyone know how to get an extension off a lens after the pins have sheered?
The Kitchen's Garden 
79 responses to ““You can’t put my Mom in a chicken coop!””
I beg to differ. Six o’clock is time to roll over to the side of the bed facing away from the window in order to maximize sleep. So, as lovely as your smile is, it does not approach a VW Golf? That is sad, in some small way. 🙂 Now days you can get a chicken coop with windows that look like a house. http://chickencoop.maxupdates.tv/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/BEST-CHICKEN-COOP-EVER.jpg
that design is actually remarkably close to what I want to build. That asymmetrical look is often found in farm buildings out here.. thank you Bill!
Your new Matriarch’s house sounds fabulous Celi! It’s wonderful to be a part of it’s planning and then, soon, it’s building. Your mother-in-law must be thrilled too!!! xo
She is still at the eyebrows raised stage I think! .. c
Exciting find! Do be careful. The shots of the barn with light finding its way in is beautiful.
J
It is my favourite time of the day, early morning milking in that low lovely light.. c
I drive a 2002 Manual VW Golf 4, albeit petrol (lead free). Your mechanic would be in heaven in SA – the cars are popular here. I surely hope that you won’t be tearing down the cribs on your own! Enjoy your day. Laura
I think your link to last years post may be broken – not working here? Laura
If your browser works the same way as mine when you click the link a new page comes up to say ‘not found’. If you look in the address bar at the top, the link is faulty. All you need to do is add a colon after the http so it reads http:// not http//. 🙂
That’s a very young Golf! My son wrote mine off a long time ago, but it was much older than yours. My first car was a 1933 Austin 7, 4 years older than me.
Oh it is young, about 9 years old i think.. c
Excellent. Aren’t they darling cars. In London I drove a Fiat, they are just the right size these wee cars! Almost no-one drives a manual here. morning laura! c
OMG: read some of the dates mentioned here and suddenly feel not quite so in the outfield 😀 ! [No explanations – coy!!]
OK Coy, we shall assume that you are feeling more at home around here now.. c
Oh, felt totally ‘at home’ before, but, sheesh, it’s nice to know some of us remember the same things 🙂 !
I really want to see an example of these old coops. Just like barns, corn cribs and chicken coops vary regionally in their design.
How long til your car comes home? I’ll admit, I put-off having mine serviced to avoid having to do without it…
I think I put this off just a wee bit too long, the bill is going to be mammoth! But things like wheel bearings wear out and I have a lot of miles planned for this little car yet. She comes back on saturday so I am going to toodle off in the opposite direction on sunday and see if i can find the coop that I KNOW I have seen on ones of these back roads.. c
Love the old barn. I’ll send you an email with a picture of a wooden house that Philippe Starck designed in the 80’s. I’ve saved the pages from a Sunday Times Colour Supplement all these years and suddenly thought of it. It’s too big but it’s an amazing idea. In those days he sold the plans for £600. They came in wooden box with a hammer and a French flag.
Thank you.. see, there was a reason for you saving the pic after all! c
Is this the one? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k51MievZPCw
I think that was a very luxurious chicken coop in its past life! Good old Golfs. 🙂
It seems to have had an add on, but it was as close as I could get.. who knows what they had in there..I would love to get in and see what is in there nOW! c
Me too! If it’s not lived in surely you can go mosey? 🙂
Those barn pictures are fantastic. Couldn’t open the link to last year’s post.
Just zooming out the door to take Sid to school, have fixed the LINK! Sorry, i must remember to double check it before i publish! back soon.. c
Good morning to you, c. Yes, I know the aesthetic value of placing old with old. This is why I never stand next to slim young things wearing strapless dresses that cling to their torso like bubbles on a bar of soap.
Bubbles on a bar of soap!! morning misky! c
I love the look of old farm buildings. I know whatever you dream up will be fabulous and no doubt fit right in.
next time you go for a drive in the country take your camera, you might see just the thing! c
Good morning, Celi. I missed you yesterday: I had an overnight guest and chose to break my morning routine, not without reluctance. Now I’ve read two days in one.
Nothing like a routine you can break. I hope you had a lovely free morning.. things are so quiet on the farmy nowadays i am sure you could read two days in two minutes! c
I love reading of your developing plans!
I tend to think out loud! c
Quick, get photos of those corn cribs before they are torn down. We had one of the farm where I grew up and it is long torn down and, oh, how I wish I had a photo of it. Such a unique building.
I do have a wee collection, they are very sweet buildings.. I also feel the need to document them, they are so fast falling into disrepair, timber built and rotting. c
The old buildings are sweet. Standing all those years dutifully. They just sort of sink into themselves. It is a sad thing.
Even the traditional stone and/or masse (basically mud and straw and cow dung) houses here disintegrate if they are neglected. There is a farmhouse near here, still lived in, where there is a foot wide crack all the way down one corner – getting worse every winter, and they do nothing about it. Such a shame.
It’s true, just a little loving goes a long way! c
Driving by old farmhouses and barns that were falling down just drove my dad crazy.(farm raised)
He always pointed and said “if they would just take a minute to fix small things, then it wouldn’t get so bad it just falls down”) “Waste not, want not” was serious while we grew up.
He would also make some observation about the shiny new car in front of the neglected house.
Priorities, sense of responsibility, and attitudes towards life, I guess.
Now seeing old neglected farm buildings saddens me.
Love the way you describe your car!
She is a good wee thing, hard working like a nice old horsey.. c