No-one knows exactly when this barn was built. Or by whom, but legend has it that before Our John’s Great – Grandfather gutted it to put huge harvesting machines in there, (horrible) it used to house the draft horses that pulled the early farm implements.
Plus the house cow and a couple of hogs for the house I am sure.
Some of those old farm implements are still in the big barn over at the big farm.
These two huge badly hung doors were not part of the original design and are the bane of my life because they swing out in the wind and as the barn settles and rises in the weather the doors dig into the ground. Once they are closed for the winter I have a home-made (with kiwi ingenuity) drop bar to keep them secure and in place. Though I hate to shut the barn up too early. Cutting out the sun.
Our place was built for the farm hand who was also in charge of the farm horses. So it is pretty rudimentary and many of the farm buildings were pulled down before I got here.
The original little cottage, (which would not have been pretty – they don’t do pretty houses round here – just beautiful barns) would have been down by the root cellar. Many of the houses in those days were ordered as kits through the Sears catalogue.
Today I will pull round the truck and start pruning down the hedges around the study. The hedges are red stemmed dogwood. I let them grow high in the summer to shade my study but in the winter I want all that warming sun.
So today I begin the long prune all around the house. With my clippers. I will get Our John to attach the chipper, he inherited from his brother, to the tractor and chip all the prunings for the gardens.
The apple trees are waiting for their early winter prune too. I think it is cold enough.
We missed the rain in the forecast and today has dawned fine and clear. But cold.
Time to get the gloves and hatties out.
Winter has begun to stir.
Celi
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The Kitchen's Garden 
36 responses to “This Old Barn”
Good morning, my darling. I’m starting up a new feature called Sunday Recommendations, and with your permission I’d like to highlight this post during the month of December. Just give me a thumbs-up, and I’ll schedule it. Thanks, c!
Yes! That will be lovely! What a great idea too!
Excellent, and thanks, c!
I love the jug in the window and the depth of the landscape beyond.
It is favorite jug this one. Such a perfect shape.
Low winter sun through those red stems will be spectacular, a warming sight all by itself.
[…] It’s the animal that are stars of her blog. It is well worth following. Her post “The Old Barn” is this week’s Sunday’s Recommendation. You’ll find Cecilia at The […]
Greetings, Cecilia! I’m a friend of Misky, located in NY.
Lovely to see your site this morning. Beautiful writing as well.
Thank you for a lovely start to my Sunday, ladies!
Hello there! I have been to your site at different times (through our darling Misky) and love your work!! Great to see you here. Thank you so much for the comment!