Well the new construction season is about to begin. Roger stopped by today to get measurements of the roof and check the rotten beam in the northwest corner. Those two things you can see a lot of in the last few days of the last season. Roger was wondering when I thought he should start. I told him that I didn't care if he didn't show up for 2 or 3 weeks. There is still some frost in the ground and it's still very muddy. Besides that, it started raining while talking to Roger.
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| North wall in the mud |
Two highlights of the photo are, all the water and mud, and the big gap between the barn and the barn grade. This is the gap that was mentioned in an earlier day. There will be some reinforcing put in place before dirt is put in to back fill the space. Then it will be sculpted to meet the barn and give access to the second floor.
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| West wall |
The west wall will be torn out in a few weeks. I put the photo in because I like the 'stair step' effect the light, through the cracks in the block, makes. It also tells a bit of the story as to why the wall needs fixing.
The roof will be important part of the next phase. Plans call for a metal roof with solar electrical panels mounted on top to provide some of the electrical needs of the farm. Our daughter, Liesl Clark, and her consulting firm, 5 Lakes Energy, are providing possibilities for the roof mounted solar electrical panels.
