Another Update on my Barn Repair Efforts

Well, I guess it's been about a month now since I started repairing my wind damaged barn.  So let me report on my progress.

This past week I turned my attention to constructing the covered pens at the back of the barn.  They are about 4.5 feet tall at the front and 3.5 feet tall at the back.  These will serve as covered storage for firewood, housing for small livestock, or farrowing pigs.  As I was planning this, I thought I would use 1 x 4's for the roof purlins.  But when I got to the lumber yard, I found that 2 x 4's were less expensive! A pleasant suprise.  The purlins are untreated lumber.  I thought this was best so that the screws used to hold the roof metal (and the roof metal itself) would not be subjected to the preservative chemicals in the treated lumber,

The treated boards that comprise the back wall were all recycled from a residential deck that a friend of ours removed in the course of his work as a building contractor.  I obtained a quantity of this lumber in exchange for several dozen eggs from our hens.   I love trading!  What is now the open end will be closed with a board/hog panel fence as will the balance of what was the back half of the barn.

Our son came out to "the farm" to help me Tuesday of this past week to install the back wall.  While he measured and cut the boards, I attached them with 2.5 inch screws.  His youngest daughter (4 years old) "helped" with the scrap lumber.  It was a very pleasant afternoon, unseasonably warm, and spending it with them made it very special for me.

Yesterday and last night we received the first significant rain if the year.  Today is seasonably cool, cloudy, breezy and muddy.  So, I am indoors with rhe grand-daughters as their mama and grandma both had to work today.  It is good to spend a day reviewing the work of the past weeks and anticipating the coming days.  In my anticipation, I am quick to always include "the Lord willing".  My Grandpa used to say, "Man proposes and God disposes."  So it is.