John Duffy

This whole thread made me feel really good. My success story is, I have been able to get 4 people involved in vermicomposting and my neighbor's chickens are happy to turn my compost pile for me...They are some big girls!

Isn't that what chocolate chip cookies and milk are for???
Ice cream???
Chocolate cake topped with ice cream??? ...That's my vote as well

Allska,
I don't profess to have vast knowledge about ducks and what to do with their manure but, I think it's a conservative guesstimate that a duck, (chicken, or goose) can input a pound of food and output 27 lbs of manure...Just my one-eyed math from raising a few. (foul, that is)
I suspect that a 5x5 pool is not going to be close to big enough for what you'd like to do. Nonetheless, best of luck with it and keep us posted...I for one would love to have 20 gallons of poopy duck water for my flower beds!

Borrowing a splitter capped it off nicely. The hydraulic splitter is seriously impressive, tackling logs that would be impossible to split by hand due to knots and twisty grain
...Michael, you are soo right. I remember the first time I used a wood splitter, (we used to do Osage Orange by hand...I was 40 years younger) A good splitter is worth its' weight in gold IMO;  Unless you're young and full of P& V, work smarter, not harder...Your back and joints will thank you when you're in your 60's...I hung up the ole Superman cape about 20 years ago...damned Kryptonite!

This thread really cracked me up. My younger daughter has a bunch of chickens and every one has a name and a unique personality. They are as affectionate as any dog or cat I've ever owned. My grand kids are totally smitten with the chooks. My grand daughter will go out to the run/coop in her jammies and "girlie" muck boots (quite the fashion statement) and snag a couple birds who just want to be snuggled...She's like a 10 year old Ellie Mae Clampett (for those of us who remember The Beverly Hillbillies Show from the 60's)
Thanks to all the contributors here. It has been quite amusing

Here you go, Jay.

Pearl, you are quite the creative finder of solutions. Well done!... a few drops of peppermint essential oil and no self respecting skeeter will come within 10 yards of you;

This has been an extremely enlightening thread for me. Thanks to all who contributed. I loved all the diverse suggestions...I have one to add... Have you tried growing Osage Orange trees?  Aside from their HATEFUL(and painful) thorns, they are an incredibly hardy and useful tree. Great shade, fast growing, beautiful yellow wood which is GREAT firewood (other than it sparks like the Fourth of July)...I hope you find all the answers you're looking for;

Hey, I brought that debris in from home,  it's special!...Heather, that cracked me up...No Dollar Tree or Goodwill debris allowed. Must be home grown...Loved it!...I will have to share your sentiments with my daughters who have their fair share of home grown debris...Keep doin what you're doin