by the Artist
The winter hasn’t been too bad so far. November started out miserably cold, we started the “Post and Beam” style barn near Bald Eagle Lake. December’s weather moderated and we ended up with little snowfall and warmer days. That helped the crew keep a good pace.
Today 50 mph winds slammed in. Thankfully the crew was working on the sunny side of the barn mostly out of the wind. We still have relatively little snow. Mostly just patches of precariously slippery rutted ice on the job site which has made for careful walking. I wanted the Carpenter to build a plank walking path to get too and from the vehicles. Don’t think that advice was heeded.
The barn project itself has had a bit of a learning curve. Challenging as we have not built from a “kit” before (Sandcreek Post and Beam). But challenging in a good way.. like working on a great big grainy puzzle! I think other then working during the winter months the crew has enjoyed it. And it is certainly turning out beautiful and is fitting perfectly with the historic home and cottage nearby. Same architectural lines. It features shed dormers on both sides, and an overhanging “hay hood” (in original barn construction, a hay hood was a projection of the roof on the end of the barn which the farmer would hoist hay up to the loft) on the right side to mirror the home and the cottage. (the cottage was part of the original property.) It is all wood. And is built so snuggly I’m sure it would withstand a tornado! Definitely not “stick frame” construction.
The homeowner will be doing renovations on the home in the future and is excited to start with this beautiful barn to enhance his property and provide much needed storage. In fact it has come to the attention of our local paper- The White Bear Press- who will be doing a feature story on the home in the near future.
So while the wind blows and the flurries fly… we move forward to complete this exciting project. Perhaps we will have a “barn raising” party to celebrate at its completion. In the summer of course… under sparkly lights and fireflies, and the quiet lapping of the lake nearby.