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.

In like a lion, out like a lamb

It is the last day of March, hopefully no more snow. In fact, Thursday's forecast is for 68 degrees. Today, the excavators dug out the Storm Water Management System (SWMS). What a boondoggle! Here are pictures of the 25' x 50' hole in the ground plus piping (2.5' in diameter). The hole BTW, is larger than what we'll have for the pool, and just about the footprint of the barn. This thing could probably meet the needs of four apartment buildings, not just one small barn. Oh, well, it is what it is. All this and we have less than 3% impervious cover. The stones you see are one large dumptruck load of stone. We'll need 5 truckloads before they can "cover" the stone base with the black tarp, and then fill in the rest of the way with about 3/4 of the dirt they removed from the hole. The best news - once covered and planted with grass, we'll likely never know it is there.

Last Day of Winter

Well, Pop Pop has been remiss in not keeping track of the barn's progress for the past three weeks. Tomorrow is the first day of spring, so guess what - another snow storm to close out winter. We are expecting an added 4" to 6" - nothing like Boston, but nothing like the Cayman Islands either. De De and Pop Pop had some visitors out the sunroom window. Actually, there were four or five deer that ran off when we caught them moseying toward the cherry laural that we planted just last summer. A few minutes later, a fox ran by, but he escaped the camera (more later). After a cancelled paddle match, Pop Pop decided to have a walk in the snow, to see tracks, etc. First, here are views of the barn - from below the pond, and from the road. We are making progress. On the snowy walk were views of the bird feeders, two hooded mergansers in the pond, and tracks of the fox as he (or she) jumped the fence to our neighbor's yard. The following pictures are from the stream and trails through the woods. I liked the brown beech leaves still on the trees from last fall. And finally, from our hill, you can see down to a neighbor's driveway across the street.

Going inside for the first time

Today is Saturday (last day of February). No workers to interrupt today, so today's pictures are of and from the inside of the barn. First is a picture looking through the barn from the road, and then a pic showing in more detail the view through the barn. In the first floor (below) you can see the size of the beams supporting the barn. The second view is from the ladder going to the top floor. Once above, here are views looking out to the road, and then out to the pond. Looks like a good layout. And finally, here are three views of the top floor room from two of the corners. Yeah! It really is moving forward.

Making progress

Carpenters can be funny. I asked one today if I could get them anything (thinking coffee or tea to fend off some of the cold). He answered, "Do you know of a mud and ice removal company?" They are making progress: Especially with the 3rd pic, it is obvious the "upper room" will be spacious (big wheels, anyone).