build-a-barn ~ rapid change

Two weeks into our barn project and already so much has changed...

birds eye view

Below is a short 360 degree video of the big picture. It starts at the barn. The house will be where the snow covered hay is spread out (near bottom of screen, about 18 seconds into video) then you'll see our neighbors barn & house in the distance through the trees, the field where the outdoor arena will eventually be, and end back at the barn.

you won't be able to see through the barn for long
unless the doors are open

view through the peak

things were starting to warm up & melt
it made for great reflections

we opted to forgo a dumpster to cut costs
and dispose of building materials ourselves

For the first time in years, we didn't travel for Valentines Day. It's one of my favorite holidays. It's gotten a bad rap. For me, it is not a holiday created by Hallmark for couples to spend money proving their love. To me it's a day to celebrate love, of all kinds. A day to do whatever it is that you love doing. Brad & I don't gift each other anything. Instead we spend time together. This year we stayed home in part because of the barn, but mostly because he had a work commitment the following two days. Darn work gets in the way of everything, but it also helps fulfill dreams.

Week three:

walls & ceiling are done on storage side

it's all about the horse side now

working on the walls

looks like we are going to have to crawl
to get through that human door on the right ;)

a wide path will be made in this tree line
for the horses to come in from the pasture
(where I am standing)

putting up tongue & groove boards

The barn changed rapidly during the third week. It won't be long before the builders are finished with their part of the build...

off-topic
day 45/365 ~ photo challenge

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first outdoor ride of the year

If you told me we would be riding outside in t-shirts on February 22 in 68F degree weather in Wisconsin, I would have laughed. I did, but in a different way. We have been hitting record high temps most of this week. Yesterday we rode outside, late afternoon in the outdoor arena, in beautiful unseasonably warm weather!!

What a difference being outside makes! Especially for Mr. Nemo. The problems Brad was having with him in the indoor disappeared. They had made progress, but it was back to the beginning the following week.

Koda watching Nemo

I always wonder what the first "spring" ride will bring...I did get some ears. So silly, considering the pasture our horses have been turned out in for years borders the arena. Apparently everything looks different when you are on the other side of the fence! 

I failed to bring my phone on my outdoor ride, so no pics :( instead enjoy a few pasture shots from a few days ago.

celebrate
day 49/365 ~ photo challenge

Cierra

pasture buddies
L-R Charlie (not our horse) Cierra & Koda

portrait 
day 51/365 ~ photo challenge

Our fling with spring is over for now, but it will return soon for all of us. Hope your weather finds you outside riding sooner then later!!

build-a-barn ~ making progress

The builders continued making good progress on the barn. It was interesting to see what they chose to work on. Much was dictated by the weather. The snow, cold & ice prevented them from working a couple days, now the wind picked up. They worked through it, but the second half of the roof had to wait. 

when the wind finally calmed down
it took four guys to maneuver the long metal sheets

we are putting six stalls along the west side
and one double stall with a removable partition
on the interior wall for injury recovery/foaling

36x40 stall windows

The photo below shows several noteworthy things, besides the ratchet "traps" that seems to have made it into almost every interior photo in some way shape or form!! Notice the "crack" along the center line of the roof? The two sides of the roof intentionally do not connect for optimum airflow. It does get covered with a ridge vent.

At the far end are giant rolls of insulation. The builders will insulate the horse side of the barn walls. To save on cost, we are insulating the storage walls & the entire roof. 

To the right of the rolls of insulation is another framed square window. Any guesses what that window is for?? Nope, not the double stall. That will be on the same side but complete opposite end of the barn. From about the end, to the second wall post ;) ha ha

The window is for a small room, for us - and it will have a BATHROOM!!!!!!! I've been telling anyone, it's the one thing I am the most excited about! Even more then the house. Having a bathroom, IN the barn!! SO happy about this! People look at me like I am really weird, but I mean it. Wholeheartedly. Yes, it's one more bathroom to clean - but, it will be small and worth it!

A girls gotta shoot for the sky, so I threw the bathroom idea into the mix of possibilities. Right away, it got shot down as unnecessary. I pick & choose my battles wisely, and made my reasons known. They start and end with, do you know how often I have to pee?! After more thought, Brad realized it really was a good idea. It won't be anything fancy, but it will be nearby! 

Brad walking through the service door
into the horse side

our ice skating rink aka storage side
will have six matching windows for natural light
and potential stall expansion

back of barn looked like this
for what seemed like a long time

front of barn didn't change for a while either
(see our stack of boxed windows)

at the end of the very next day
the storage outside wall looked like this!

inside storage wall
will need insulation & finishing

father-son barn talk
one of my favorite inside storage views

I really really wanted to photograph the cupolas being set...but I just couldn't make it up to the land earlier in the day. Sigh. The next best thing was seeing them with my hubby & son for the first time!!

close-up 

we have two cupolas

share the love
Day 42/365 ~ photo challenge

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build-a-barn ~ the fun continues

If you read my previous post on trusses, you've picked up on the fact that I am a tad bit obsessed with them. I mean, just look at what they create...the shapes, the shadows, the unlimited possibilities, and you can SEE between them!! Not to mention their real purpose. 

close-up of the peak 

inside the barn, looking straight up the center
bonus points if you spot the crescent moon

The only person more excited about building the barn then me, is Brad. He was out there twice a day in the am & pm, on every possible work day. Checking on progress and keeping a watchful eye. The first week warranted daily visits for me, after that the building changes were less obvious so I didn't go as often.

looking out the horse side of the barn

base of dividing interior wall

Many conversations were had in the open barn that included things like "the _____ will be from about here to here". Of course we did the floor plans together, but I am terrible with full scale dimensions! I just can't visualize large scale things. I'm a details gal. Brad did a lot of explaining and answering questions. To add to my learning curve, support wood was constantly being put up and taken down. I asked a lot of "why is that there?" I have no idea how the builders knew what went where and just when to move what. I am just glad they did, and so efficiently! It must be like assembling a barn sized jigsaw puzzle, where you also configure the pieces.

the ultimate inspector (Brad)
is someone in a related trade

ratchet tie-downs

The builders had strategically anchored ratchet tie-downs. They looked a bit like booby-traps. See that twisted stick? I'm pretty sure if you hit one just wrong you either lose an eye, or it scoops your feet up and you find yourself hanging upside down from the trusses! Ha haa!! Either that, or if you trip the tie-downs the whole barn comes toppling down! That would not be a fun game of pick up sticks!! I was very careful around them.

strategically placed wood

the first pole wall that went up
is still straight as ever

looking up at the center peak

We ran into a few days with less then ideal building weather. Some snow, some rain then ice. Needless to say, the barn site got very slippery! The next time I saw the barn it was dark, and they were framing.

center dividing wall
(iphone pic)

they started putting the metal on
the roof, soffits & sliding door frames

the dividing wall was the first one covered
you can see the sun setting through the door,
and future square stall window

the stall side faces west

 Do you see what I see?
An exposed truss!!!

The front of our barn has an over hang entry. After a lot of thought, we decided it was worth the extra expense. We think it will be an area we use a lot, for pure enjoyment. We wanted some place we could just hang out, near our horses. To take a break from chores or whatever, outside with a cool beverage of choice. Without having to go into the house. We plan to put a couple chairs on the porch, or maybe a bench or...who knows. We haven't gotten that far, still in the dreaming stage...

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build-a-barn ~ raising the roof

The excitement at our barn reached sky high proportions on day 3! It was time to set the trusses, with a huge 75 ton crane!!

before I realized I was too close for the long lens on my camera,
they had lifted and were placing the first truss

the back truss got placed first 

or not

why are they bringing it back? 

something isn't right

Brad walking through the barn to fill me in

the reach to the back was a little short

the crane is now parked inside the barn

perspective really changes the appearance of the truss

resetting the first truss 

view from behind the barn
makes the truss looks huge

observance
day 33/365 ~ photo challenge
the fearless builders climbed up the barn like it was a jungle gym

the crane was moved back out of the barn
to pick up the second truss 

flying trusses 

setting truss two

the crane holds the trusses in place
until the builders secure it

the builders use a lift to climb onto the rest of the trusses

all trusses are set by the end of the day

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