Across the way

There is a family barn across the way (in fact I call it The Barn Across The Way) that has been rented out for many years and has just come back to the family.  Yesterday actually. And now (she says with a big grin) it is OURS. I want to write MINE (because I am the farmer after all) but for appearances sake I will write Ours. I will let Our John build the fences because there is also a decent patch  of grass!!

It is across the unbridgeable ditch so will be awkward to manage but it has such potential.

It is old, but recently painted and has a good new tin roof. 

Some of the really old fittings are still there, the stalls and feeders, and some interesting little rooms.

It has the feel of an indoor arena to it with a central walled space for the hay and a wide gallery all around this for the animals to shelter.   Part of the barn is a dirt floor and part of it has concrete which is interesting. 

With this beautiful ceiling it brings to mind a circus tent. 

The paint job is a poor attempt to disguise what will be a bit of work. Firstly many of the windows are boarded up so we will put the glass back in and get some light into the space.

Also on the property is a crib. Not like a crib that is a bach.  In the midwest a crib is where they used to store corn before the metal bins.

I will go back and look at this today, there is a very interesting mechanism for moving the corn inside this building, I need to investigate further. 

I am considering taking the fattening chickens  and a couple of roosters over to this new barn and once they are settled let them loose to do some housekeeping.  I was going to put them in the pot, but maybe I can put them to work instead. Plus I need to get some cats settled in there. There is evidence of rodents. I do not have a mouse problem in my barn here and I am sure it is because of the chickens, roosters and cats.  I will be over there every day anyway. Probably riding the Tall Teenagers Bike over there for the summer.  It would take about 5 minutes.

Later in the summer the cows will come to this barn and over winter there. I do not have room for four cows in my little barn. The barn across the way is huge in comparison.  We have just expanded. How is that for wonderful!

Have a lovely day.

Your friend on the farms

celi