Tin and stone

Today was a big day for the barn construction - the tin roof was started, and laying the stone wall around the barn "courtyard" was also started. Here are pictures: A couple of the roofers/carpenters look like wrestlers from Manheim Township, or at Franklin and Marshall College (maybe 165 pound class). De De requested a pose - she still likes the wrestler look. Beautiful day - 74 and sunny.

High jinks

Today's work was "up on the roof," to quote the Drifters. They were fixing the molding on the roof-line, and they have started to work on the cupola. Here are pictures: We also reviewed with the builder ideas for finishing the first floor, the walls and fences around the barn, and lighting options. Lots of decisions to tumble down in the next month or two.

The work advances: top and bottom

Yesterday was clear, as is today. So work continued on the 1st level floor and the roof. The workers are on the pond side of the roof now, perhaps they will cover the road side roof this afternoon. Here are pictures: We were fortunate - the cherry blossoms were not all knocked off by the rain. It is not often we have the blossoms and daffodils at the same time. Spring has sprung!

Cherry blossom time

Because the barn construction is so interesting (at least to us) we have focused on that recently. However, no work on the week-end, but Mother Nature never takes a day off. The cherry blossoms come out once a year, but rarely last a week. Since we will have hard rain tomorrow, who knows, the petals may be gone. Pictures are first, from the tree by the pond - the first picture yesterday, Saturday, and the other two from today. It is hard to beat this kind of view. The last picture is from out front, by our little stream. This is the best this tree has looked since we planted it almost 25 years ago. No matter how hard we work, we're not going to match these spring "bursting" days.

Final insulation touches and SWMS intake

This post is really from today - Friday the 17th. Pictures from today include the re-wrapping of the barn sides, completion of insulation for the roof, and scraping off insulation that got on the roof joists, rather than between them. The excavators are also here - putting the storm water management intake box (all 5,000 pounds of it) in place. Good day today - Monday may see rain. It comes, it goes. As you might surmise from the pictures, it gets pretty gooey and messy if it rains hard.

Two days later - wow

In just two days, all the sides have been insulated, and new lattice work covers the insulation (to get ready for the outer board and batten siding). Work is underway digging a trench for water from our well, and stones for the barn have been delivered. Lots of change is in the air. When the weather is sunny - things move quickly.

Moving Day

They call Saturday at the Masters "Moving Day." We had our own moving day on Monday, the 13th. Here are pictures of wood, windows, and cupola being unloaded for the barn. On another front, the process of spraying on insulation started. Here is a picture of the framework prior to insulation, and then two views of one of the sides being sprayed. We are off for a few days minding some of the grandchildren, so it will be interesting to see what has changed when we return.

No joke

Sunny, dry, and 52 degrees - this is no joke! Both front and back, the workers are "making hay" while the sun shines. The excavators are fillling in the SWMS and the carpenters are finishing the roof on the side facing the road. Here are pictures of today's activity. Not sure what tomorrow brings, but perhaps more "filling in" around the barn exterior. We still have large piles of dirt waiting to be moved to their ultimate site.