a tale of tails, tenacity, and tedium, as told by me, usually barefoot and bellowing

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

My Wonderful Barn

It began its life as a chicken house but never housed chickens.  It has been a cow barn, a hay shed, and a storage facility.

When we moved here, Beverly and I redid the barn from end to end, making it compatible for miniature horses.  We used what we had as you can see Dad's old truck rack is the sides on these two stalls.  The missing roof and the dipping roof supports are thanks to the tornado in 2008.
It is not a prize winning barn but it is ours and no monies owed.

Made by Dad, with some help, years before I can remember.  Through the red gate are two mini birthing stalls, no longer used.  The old deep freeze is where I keep halters, brushes and some feed.

This Sunday Beverly and I toured the barn with a new plan in mind.  Where were the supports no longer good, what was our purpose, what did we need to tear out, what to leave; these were just some of the questions we asked.

Since my tack is in my bedroom, a plan to make a mouse proof tack room is in the works, using one of the mini stalls that already has half walls.  We have lots of lumber that Dad milled At The Farm, trouble is, most of what we have not used is hickory and oak.  Hard timber!  Old seasoned like iron lumber but lumber none the less.  So diamond drill bits will be needed and lots of muscles and lots of time...but it possible.  Now that we have a plan, it shall come to pass.

We will also have to take a section out of the center where the rafters have been lifted and set down by the same said tornado, converting this into another entrance where we could go right to horses or left to Marcy's potting shed, goat house and storage.
I have been stacking rocks.

With all the rocks that keep turning up, I just stack them where they will not harm the horses.  There will be a purpose for them sometime.  We use everything At The Farm.

12 comments:

Nezzy (Cow Patty Surprise) said...

Great old barn, Gail. Good old bones in that structure and some great plans in the working. Ya ever notice, there's always somethin' going on At The Farm. I need some of those rocks, I need to redo the walk around my sun garden. Heeeheehe! Like we lack rocks here on the Ponderosa!!!

God bless and have a glorious day! :o)

T. Powell Coltrin said...

That all sounds very exciting. See, spring IS pulling at our hearts to get busy. It will be good to be out again to do wonderful projects like this.

I love that your dad made it.

Lori E said...

When they say they don't make things like they used to it is because they can't with the soft lumber we have today. I had a telephone worker try to drill through some of my joists to run a line and he could barely get through it with his big drill.
You guys are good farmers...growing all those rocks. Funny how they surface day after day when we are sure we have picked them all out already.

Unknown said...

I love love love it!!! I have always loved old barns and outbuildings! My daughters used to laugh at my obsession with them. We would be traveling and pick out pretty places that we would like to live and mine always had the most outbuildings! Now they have come to appreciate those things too.

We had some timber cut and sawn last year for me a "Big Girl" barn...woowoooo... and a "Big Boy" shed for the boat and all our other junk. Now just getting them built is the next obstacle!!!

Your barn is clean enough to eat off of the floors {{{smile}}}

Jo said...

Your barn is lovely. And I'm thrilled that you're planning and organizing. Spring is tugging at your heart!

lytha said...

i love your barn. and your enthusiasm is catching! i can feel it!

~lytha

Irene said...

Your barn is great, Gail. I could feel what it is like to walk around in it. It's great that you've got all that lumber to work with. My dad would have been envious of you. He was always looking for aged oak. Furniture and clock maker, you know.

Nola said...

I love the last line that you use everything! That is what made America great. Your barn is beautiful, there's just something about a structure that's withstood the elements for so long!

Laughing Orca Ranch said...

"We use everything At The Farm" Finer words could never be said. I love this.

And I think your barn is charmingly rustic. Full of character. I'd love to just hang out in it someday.


~Lisa

Rural Rambler said...

It is a wonderful barn Gail. Your plans sound great and full of promise. I love the red gate. I love farm gates of all kinds. We have one that leads to our neighbor's field and I hang a Christmas wreath on it during the holidays! CH picks up and stacks rocks too and always finds some great uses for them :)

Word ver. inguents. As opposed to outguents.

Greener Pastures--A City Girl Goes Country said...

I love old barns like that.

I've been collecting rocks too. What will we do with them? Nice fire pit?

Pat said...

I'm glad that you don't want to tear down what your father first built. Your plans sound great. How about a rock garden?

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