Saturday, September 7, 2019

Starting to Look Like a Real Barn

There was a fog over the land Saturday morning. It's been so dry that the morning dew is probably the only thing keeping the grass alive. Pretty to look at, too.


Despite Shane's resistance, I insisted on going to TKD. A train blocked our path. If it happens again, I'll know to take a different route in the future.


For someone who didn't want to go, Shane looked like he was having fun in class.


We did a quick drive by of our our old house and went by Dick's Sporting Goods on the way home. Shane's cleats disappeared somewhere. He was resistant about going to practice Thursday, but Shane thought new cleats were a "very good idea."


We stopped by Wegmans to get a $7 large cheese (coupon!) and a few groceries. Wegman's was celebrating something about their pharmacy that I missed. We didn't miss that they were handing out free cake.


Shane and I got home, changed, ate pizza, and played with Loki.


Work on the barn continued unabated in our absence. Kyle delivered the first load of hay. Carrie was thrilled that the person who Kyle supplies the hay from has "the good stuff" and named his dog Thor (after having an Allura from Voltron).


Carrie was hanging signs and busy at work when I checked in with her.


She'd spent most of Friday painting the tack room and finished today.


It was a beast. There were so many edges she had to do everything by hand rather than roller. I asked "Can't you just roll over the edges?"


I was told it "wouldn't look right," and bowed to her superior knowledge of painting. I would have used the rollers and wouldn't have cared if it didn't look right, but maybe that's why I'm not a barn manager.


The wash stall isn't done yet, but it's coming together (Future note: After we hit 97+ degrees on day and the metal barn heats up against the hay, Carrie and Kyle decide to install dry wall to prevent the chance of a barn fire).


The electric fence is up, but not hot.


Shane and I contributed by assembling cabinets. Shane did not want to help at first, but I "persuaded" him.


These were not the highest quality cabinets. I've never seen parts come on a sprue before.


I keep telling Shane's he's "old enough to help." He learned a valuable lesson about not putting his finger between parts that are supposed to be pushed together.


And he played hide and seek!


Within minutes of the work crews leaving for the day, the jumps were delivered.


We didn't have the manpower to unload, so we had to improvise.


Eric, the builder, cinched down all the jumps while his son, Henry, and Shane 'helped.'


Henry actually helped while Shane talked and played help-adjacent.


Carrie used the truck to pull the jumps forward until the edge hit the ground. Then Eric pulled his rig forward and the jumps plopped in a neat pile on the driveway.


Henry and Shane hit it off.


Shane brought Loki out and begged for Henry to come inside to play.


We didn't mind visitors and Eric okayed it. We'll need to have another playday at some point in the future!


Shane and I went back to cabinet assembly after Henry left.


I think it's neat that Shane got to lend a hand and make a mark in the construction. I hope he feels the same way.


I said it in the title and I'll say it again: We're starting to look like a real barn.


Not that everything went to plan. There are always spills along the way, but you have to clean up and keep going!


Loki got to come down with us to the barn later on. The barn was deemed "safe enough" to prevent future accidents.


Carrie had hoped to have horses on property by the 6th, but the new date she's shooting for is the 10th.

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