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Oct 19, 2009
Relocating family and farm, we moved 225 miles in late fall of 2000. The month was November and winter knocked at our door. A vast, sprawling barn that once housed dairy cattle needed immediate attention. One exterior wall had to be rebuilt and space converted to suitable shelter for the horse, sheep and farm dogs. Snow swirled overhead as the last board was nailed in place. With everything safely out of the elements, we settled into a new routine and put the remaining necessary repairs on hold until spring.
Two enormous willow trees flanked the tri-level house, inspiring the name Twin Willows Farm. The same trees caused considerable damage to the roof shingles. With each snowfall pieces of shingle would slide off into the deep drifts below. Roof repair hit the top of our home improvement project list. We prayed it would stay sound enough until spring. It did. The roofing crew arrived on the first weather permitting day. They stripped and shingled the entire roof, all three levels, in one day. Mission accomplished!
Spring brought not only rain, but layers of melting snow. The driveway, we discovered, lacked gravel. It lacked gravel so much that our little car sank halfway to it's axles during one particularly heavy downpour. Home improvement project #2 presented itself. The paving crew arrived shortly after the roofing crew left.
The sound of metal ringing against metal filled our weekends for the next month. Metal posts driven into the rocky, uncooperative ground as the base for new fence to be stretched. Horse fence consisted of three strands of electrified wire and went up quickly. Sheep need more protection from coyotes and roaming dogs. Woven wire requires more posts and must be stretched and clamped to each one. Electric wires, both above and close to the ground inside the woven wire, are also needed to keep coyotes from going over or digging under the fence. During the summer our pastures took shape.
In the following years our little farm has continued to improve. One project at a time, it's becoming the place we want it to be. From killing thistles to patching barn roof holes to fixing gates, it's a never ending job. We keep a dozen or so Border Leicester sheep, a dozen or so Silver Fox rabbits, three horses, three dogs, a couple of cats and one geriatric duck named Herb. Life is good.
Two enormous willow trees flanked the tri-level house, inspiring the name Twin Willows Farm. The same trees caused considerable damage to the roof shingles. With each snowfall pieces of shingle would slide off into the deep drifts below. Roof repair hit the top of our home improvement project list. We prayed it would stay sound enough until spring. It did. The roofing crew arrived on the first weather permitting day. They stripped and shingled the entire roof, all three levels, in one day. Mission accomplished!
Spring brought not only rain, but layers of melting snow. The driveway, we discovered, lacked gravel. It lacked gravel so much that our little car sank halfway to it's axles during one particularly heavy downpour. Home improvement project #2 presented itself. The paving crew arrived shortly after the roofing crew left.
The sound of metal ringing against metal filled our weekends for the next month. Metal posts driven into the rocky, uncooperative ground as the base for new fence to be stretched. Horse fence consisted of three strands of electrified wire and went up quickly. Sheep need more protection from coyotes and roaming dogs. Woven wire requires more posts and must be stretched and clamped to each one. Electric wires, both above and close to the ground inside the woven wire, are also needed to keep coyotes from going over or digging under the fence. During the summer our pastures took shape.
In the following years our little farm has continued to improve. One project at a time, it's becoming the place we want it to be. From killing thistles to patching barn roof holes to fixing gates, it's a never ending job. We keep a dozen or so Border Leicester sheep, a dozen or so Silver Fox rabbits, three horses, three dogs, a couple of cats and one geriatric duck named Herb. Life is good.
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1 comments:
Ah, the joys of farm life! And I mean that both sarcastically and otherwise. ;) By the by, I love willow trees, and Twin Willows Farm is a great name. Anne Shirley would approve!
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