The Little Red Barn Reno Progress...new pix 8-6-16

[fergusnc]

I had the roof and posts replaced on "the little red barn" in July in the midst of the major remodel of the house on the new farm. We were finally able to move into the house in October, and we sold our original house amazingly fast...multiple offers in 12 hours and a closing in just three weeks. That meant I was able to get started on the next stage of TLRB...yay!

I am so blessed to have run into some great new folks...neighbors actually...who have lots of experience and who have actually hayed our place in the distant past. The fellow doing the grading and block work (current stage) has been an incredible wealth of info regarding the pastures, buildings, etc etc etc. I also have a contractor lined up...a distant neighbor it turns out...who will be working on The Little Gray Barn when it's time...more structural in nature for those changes. And the plumber who did our house reno will do the barn...lives a few houses up the road. Only non-neigbor is our electrician, but he did the house reno so he isn't a stranger. I feel very cared for by these folks...their recommendations all reflect safety and function for the horses, while analyzing cost and benefit. Many times, both gentleman have made comments about certain ideas that "just aren't something worth spending your money on" and they then explain other, simpler options, and why they make sense. A very few times I have given the Horse Mom logic and they agree, but most times they are keeping my bill down with their experience and their concern for my dwindling bank account.

I had a lot of trouble with posting pix this AM, so will try splitting up in a few messages. Here is The Little Red Barn when we first bought the place in April...

[fergusnc]

Front view progression...

[fergusnc]

Side view progression...

[fergusnc]

Back stall area progression....

[Suzon]

NIce! So jealous. We haven't even completely figured out where to put our barn!

[KathyK]

It looks great!

[fergusnc]

Suzon, part of me wishes I was still trying to decide where to put a barn. The downside to these buildings is where the original owner placed them...down hill. So, we are spending a lot of time and effort making sure all this work is for barns that will stay dry!

Thanks KathyK...the hard part now is waiting out this rain and mud for more progress to happen.

[Canyon]

I love the character of old barns; I am glad you were able to renovate TLRB! What a nice job.

Do you have a date in mind to bring Fergus home to his new digs?

And, I would like to see photos of how your house turned out (hint, hint).

[fergusnc]

Thanks Canyon. The whole property, including TLRB a and TLGB is really me...I'm not a big house or million dollar barn girl...I like cozy and homey...which is good since that is in my price range LOL

I really do plan to post before and after pix of the house. And since the house is relatively clean for the holidays, that may be a possibility soon. I promise I haven't for gotten.

I'm scared to guess at a move in date, especially since we are about under water for the last week with more on the horizon. I think it might be reasonable to say this summer is an option, but it all depends on weather and schedules I guess?

[fergusnc]

The rain finally quit and we had a week for some drying out...though we need more drying time, a lot more! But conditions were good enough for a little more work on The Little Red Barn. The Little Gray my get some more dirt and grading tomorrow, maybe. So at the end of the day, this is where we are today...

[fergusnc]

And another angle...

[Spotted at X]

Looks great!

[fergusnc]

Thanks Spotted! The grading guy is due in about an hour with the hopes of finishing up around both barns. Then it's time for DH and I to build TLRB back up with stalls and tackroom. The Little Gray Barn needs a contractor to come fix roof and support structures so it can be used for storage, and we need somebody to poor us a wash pit slab. We have a plumbe and electrician vaguely on deck. Once the weather is on our side, the grading guy has a very big gray water ditch to fill in, which will give us a clean slate for fenceline placement.

[fergusnc]

And just now at 9:00pm, the grading guys finished 'brushing" the concrete slab and I was able to put initials, date and paw prints in my WASH BAY!!!!! Yay!!! Who knew you could get so excited about a big slab of concrete?!
And the guys and their wives (who came to see the final product)...remember these fellows are also our neighbors...were laughing and smiling over what a little kid I was being about my concrete.

WooHoo!

[fergusnc]

My DH who works full time in I.T. is wonderfully handy and an absolute life saver in this Fixer Upper Farm journey of ours. I took some photos today of his progress with extending the roof to make a run in area attached to The Little Red Barn...and realized how long it has been since I updated! You've heard of developments in other threads about my boys, but I have been negligent about TLRB.

With the unexpected need to move Fergus home in February, and find him a buddy (enter Dallas The Rescue Pony in March), all plans and timelines were scattered to the four winds. We'd think we had things under control and then issues would pop up...water getting into the barn, tree issues, etc, etc etc and one project would be paused to put out a fire thus leading to the start of another project. It has been non-stop, and will be for quite awhile before we get to "maintain mode", but the barn works and is safe, and the horses are happy. As of last week I have a yard hydrant at the barn area, so no more need for 250' of connected garden hoses from the well head, and schlepping small buckets from a water trough to fill bigger buckets hanging in stalls. We have a 12x24' stall with two doors that belongs to His Majesty, that also doubles as a run in at all times other than meals. Dallas has a 12x18' stall that is perpendicular to Fergus' stall. If needed, Fergus' stall could easily become two stalls for the addition of a third buddy, but I am sure he'd object. Plumbing is all set and waiting for a hot water heater, once the tack room is built and we can give the heater a place to live. The wash pit is DH's "lumber yard" at the moment, but is ready to serve upon completion of tack room and install of water heater. We still have only the breaker box, 1 outlet and 2 lights that we needed to pass electrical inspection, but once we have the barn more built out, the electrician will come back to add the outlets and lights and such to finish it all off. We still need to add the inner stall walls to finish off the stalls, but with as little time as they are inside, and as respectful as they are about their rooms, it's been working out just fine with the ways the outer walls/studs sandwich in the perimeter of their stalls. Someday we will replace the old, less than sea worthy old wood siding, and when we do we will open up some spaces to add windows to get more light and air. But being that DH is pretty much a one man show, it is amazing to me the talents he is hiding.

[redsoxluvr]

Hopefully Mr. Fergus enjoys doing the work as much as you enjoy the results!

[fergusnc]

Well.....DH likes the challenges and gets a kick out of the problem solving and the finished products, but poor guy is tired of the never ending list of major projects...wouldn't mind one or two a year but it's never ending with an old property. I am happy to pay people when I can, but it's not easy to find folks who can do the work well, or have time to fit us in during the state of 911 that sometimes dictates things need to happen NOW. And of course then DH says, "you know I can just do that for free..." I have started putting my foot down to try to give the guy a break. He is amazing.

[Suzon]

Ooh I'm so envious! Can't wait until our major project gets started.

[fergusnc]

It's exhausting...and awesome! And really fun to figure out/solve problems as they come up.

Yesterday i went to meet a new horse person nearby, and pick her brain about the arenas she had put in as she built her place. Lovely, lovely place, set up to be a boarding barn. Driving home I realized that despite all the work left to do, and all the repairs needing to be made, and the lack of pristine concrete aisles and gleaming wood, The Little Red Barn is "nicer" in my life...for me and for my horses...it fits our personalities. And our farm/land too, despite being half the size. I have had several horse friends comment on how they just feel so calm and happy when they pull in the driveway, that they just love it out here...which is how I feel too. Even the people who come out for some repairs or jobs that haven't been here yet, or a covering UPS driver, often comment on how much they like the place. Which means a lot because it is NOT fancy...so it's all about the energy/feel/spirit/mojo IMHO.