Autumn

This is progress through Thanksgiving time. We hope to have some more updates after the holidays!

Grand progress!

I believe it can be proclaimed that we have seen the greatest single-day visual change of the project... TRUSSES!! That's right, we officially look like a barn :)

The first truss...















Getting there...















Lance enjoying the Lull...




















Brave new heights...




















Just a few more to go...















Spectacular!...




















And, while we've still got some hours left on the rented equipment...















...let's get a few more things done...

"Slow and steady wins the race..."

If there was one sentiment that could sum up recent progress it would be: "Slow and steady wins the race..." It feels like progress remains slow, but, as you can see, it is happening. But we knew ahead of time that things would be slow when you only can dedicate a few hours a week to such an undertaking. Weather, pre- scheduled events, and last-minute obligations (i.e., life!) continue to be major factors in time spent. But still, we trudge on. We are certainly grateful for the friends who have stepped up to the plate for these major tasks (concrete & beams). We continue to plan for the steps ahead and have been having fun along the way hunting bargains & deals (as they come into play, we'll be sure to show you the steals :) We continue to thank God for our relationship as this could be a nightmare for many, but its been a great experience for us as a team. We hope you enjoy this update....


A late Friday night finishing section 1 of the slab...















Section 2 of the slab (a week late thanks to a tropical system)...




















Finished slab - not the prettiest, but a great amatuer job, indeed....















Getting the posts back to level in prep for the beams...















Two gallons of wood glue: $32















Twenty pounds of nails: $30




















A big guy to help put them up (instead of Tara): $Priceless
















We're going vertical...




















With every step, it feels more and more official!...

June & July

June was kinda slow, quite a few delays due to equipment and stuff trying to get the pad built. But we finally accomplished that by hiring a local guy with a dozer to come do it right. And once we got that level mound of dirt like we liked it, things have really started to take off.... As Tara types right now, Lance and some recruited help are levelling gravel to prepare for concrete to be poured this weekend! Here are the pics:


Pad finally completed:















Setting batter boards to get corners set (proved to be easier said than done):















Fortunately we did have an auger (again, though, easier said than done)















Our first corner post:




















Our lumber delivered - actually quite a violent methodology:















Our four corner posts:















All of our outside posts:















All of our posts & gravel ready to be spread:















Our trusses:















A recent beautiful sunset :) (We've worked some late evenings...)

May in a nutshell

Well, first, our apologies for not updating this as often as we originally promised. It seems as though weeks have flown by without really grasping how long it has been. So, how about May in a nutshell?....

1. We have gotten the old tractor out of the chicken house… and, the big news is, thanks to Lance’s dad, brother, and a family friend…. IT RUNS! In the meantime, we have also gotten Lance’s great-grandfather’s tractor up here to help out.
2. We have officially broken ground on our pad area where we will construct “The Barnartment”. It’s progressing a little slower than hoped due to some equipment difficulties, but we’re getting there and hoping to have the concrete pad poured and posts set in the next few weeks.
3. We have hauled our first load of scrap metal from the chicken house: a bunch of roof tin, a washer & dryer, old heater, and other misc. pieces = over 3000lbs!!. A BIG thanks to Tara’s parents for their help during their Memorial Day weekend visit.
4. We we referred by a neighbor to a local guy who will come cut and bale our fields for hay for his horses. This is a win-win for us and him - he, obviously, gets the hay and we don't have to purchase a bush hog right now nor spend the time keeping the fields cut. And... he has said Lance can borrow his bulldozer (which we hope to use to finish the pad & take care of a few other things)!
   

And for your favorite part of the update, we know…. A picture says a thousand words (and saves me from having to figure out more to say :P)


The tractor finally uncovered:















Loading it... the right rear brake was locked up, so we had to literally drag it about 50yards with the truck then onto the trailer with Lance using the manual wench on the trailer... we called it a day from there.















Thankfully his dad had another tractor to get it off the trailer:















Our 'new' tractor - a 1950's Ford 600: (She thinks his tractor's sexy :))















First attempts at the pad... with a Dingo and a tractor & plow:















Second attempts to level the pad with a rented bobcat and friend operating:















Tara's family helping at the chicken house: (Thanks a ton and a half! -literally)















Our first profits:

Slow going

Well, this past weekend wasn't the best working conditions...it had rained in the prior days so everything was soaked and it was overcast and misty on Saturday. We did work some, but not a whole lot that would be picture worthy... and we had temporarily misplaced the camera, but at least it happened on a slow weekend.
So we thought we would post some additional pics of the place to tide you over:

Lance in the old chicken house looking at the old tractor:















The old tractor... we don't know its rehab potential:















Its a Dirty Job... hey, maybe we should call Mike Rowe for some help:




















Inside the old barn... is some old hay:















Inside the old house:















Some other random stuff on the place - a.k.a. "cha-ching" (scrap metal):




















Hauling water from the creek: