2015, Here We Come!

As the wind blows and temps are below zero outside, our little family is cozied up by the fireplace catching up on our annual Netflix binge. This winter, it’s Parks & Rec, Scandal, and Top Gear (with the occasional episode of Grey’s Anatomy whenever I can sneak it in – even if I’ve seen them all three times – it’s practically a classic). 

We were very fortunate to have such great weather and had a very productive New Year’s weekend. We started New Year’s Day by sleeping in a bit, but once awake and moving, we went right to work and enjoyed the sunshine and warm temperatures. We hauled the remaining items out of the barn, which included plenty of rotten wood, a few good boards, miscellaneous Christmas decorations (that will make a re-appearance someday), a beautiful old dresser mirror, some fence posts we will use for grape trellises this spring, a few old gates and hand tools, miscellaneous doors and windows, and shower panels from the 1980s, which are still up for grabs if you’re interested!

We then shifted gears to begin taking out the old bunk wood very carefully so we can reinstall these pieces in the new space. We ran into a hiccup Friday morning when Preston was in ‘demolition mode’ removing the manger and smashed his foot. Once we confirmed it wasn’t a serious injury, work continued, but not after a hearty dose of our Siberian Husky Yukon’s healing kisses.

On Saturday, we began removing the floor of the hayloft. This could prove to be a more challenging task than I originally anticipated. Because the roof has been in such poor condition for years, rain has come through and damaged a good portion of the flooring, creating a number of rotten spots that pose an exciting challenge for Preston, and an anxious, worrisome afternoon for myself. I found a pitchfork downstairs and began throwing the old straw through the rotten holes as Preston geared up with his saws-all, sledge hammer, and crowbar on his 4’x8’ plywood ‘island’ to remove the rotten wood. We worked until dark before deciding to call it a day with about 30% of the floor removed. By Sunday, colder temperatures had set in and we took a day to rest and recover before heading back to our jobs on Monday.
We’re now waiting patiently for old man winter to take a break and give us some warmer temperatures to get back to work. In the meantime, stay tuned. We’re currently waiting for quotes to roof the barn that should be here any day. We’re also anxiously anticipating the launch of our Kickstarter Funding Campaign.

After a great phone conversation with one of my favorite people tonight, I have come to the conclusion that 2015 is going to be a good year. It’s our year – to do with it whatever our heart desires – to take on our world. At the end of every year in recent history, she’s said ‘Wow, this year was really your year.’ And each year she’s right, we've been blessed with weddings, graduations, and other family milestones, but they keep getting better. So bring it on 2015, we have a lot in store for you!

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