The Evolution Of Tie Stalls

If you've been following this blog, you know that I've devoted a lot of time and money into getting my old barn cleaned and fixed up. I finally got it almost ready for the cattle, but there were no stanchions or stalls and the old gutters had no outlet and were too close for cow comfort anyway. So more work needed to be done:

So the first order of business was to get a load of fine gravel with which to mix concrete:

I filled the gutters about two thirds full of gravel:

Once both sides were filled and tamped down, it was time to mix concrete:

We spent a sunny Sunday mixing concrete. Steve mixed and I hauled it into the barn, dumped it and troweled it:

It was a slow, laborious process:

But by the end of the day, we had made the barn floor usable and easier to clean. I hope to be able to drive the tractor down through, pushing the manure with the bucket:

And then the welder began removing some old pipes from places where they would not be used:


He removed pipes from the old tie stalls and from the former watering system. His plan was to fashion the old pipes into new ties stalls:


He fashioned dividers back at his shop and brought them to the barn:

Then he attached them, installed cross members and safely affixed the old support columns:

He made and installed two more support columns for extra safety and from which to hang two farm gates. These gates will keep the cattle in their own part of the barn. We finished on a Sunday afternoon and that was not a moment too soon because the cattle were due to arrive the following morning. But I'll post about that tomorrow:

A Look Around The House And Barn

We arrived at the farm on a glorious day in early autumn and the first thing I saw was my newly finished barn. It sure looked good:

I parked and walked over to the apple trees for a better view of the barn. I was pleased:

It wasn't just the exterior of the barn they'd fixed. Some rotting walls and sagging beams had also been rebuilt. I was getting ready for cattle:

Up in the hayloft, I had new cross-braces to keep the roof from sagging. I had two new lights with new wiring to allow use during the night:

My old seed cleaner still stood unused and unloved in the hayloft and I wondered again if I could find it a home in some museum. But I also wondered if it would fit through the hayloft door. For now, it'll just have to stay where it is:

We moved into our little farm apartment where the dogs quickly made themselves comfortable. In truth, I was still in much pain from my earlier fall at the Ausable River and wanted to rest also:

Little Clover looked like a queen on her pillow:

Wally, not one to stand on ceremony, just got onto the bed, rolled over and began snoring:

Everyone was comfy and I decided to join them. I needed a nap:

When I awoke from my nap, I let the dogs out the side door:

The tenants' dogs are goofy, rowdy, young Lab mixes and, though friendly, are quite frightening to my small, old dogs. They watched from their fenced yard as my dogs walked around the lawn:

I didn't go any place that Sunday afternoon except for a visit with the neighbors, whose children asked me how I'd gotten so very bruised and cut. The dogs and I stayed home after that, cooked dinner and went to bed early. But in spite of my sore old body, I was still planning on some sort of the hike the next day. But I'll post about that tomorrow:

The Farm In July

I'd had a long and busy Sunday, driving through the Adirondacks to get to the farm and then visiting the Hopkinton town museum. I tended to the dogs when I got back to the farm and then strolled around the yard to see what was growing. This patch of Day Lilies (I think) has odd leaves and has never bloomed before. This year, probably because the Maples have been cut down, it is covered with buds. But I knew I wouldn't be back for two weeks. Would I ever get to see them bloom? Were they some heritage variety? Well, I'd just have to check on them again on my next visit:

The wondrously named Butter-And-Eggs was blooming in with the Day Lilies. And what's that orange flower? Oddly, I didn't notice it when I snapped the photo and cannot now see enough details to figure out what it may have been:

One of the old Rugosa Roses which had lain dormant for so many years beneath the Maples had sprung to life and was blooming nicely:

The dogs watched me from their fenced yard:

The tenants and their friends had picked many quarts of raspberries from my thornless canes, but I still found a few berries to satisfy me:

The barn was looking marvelous and I noticed that the contractor had moved a lift into place. Could he finally be preparing to resume work on the roof?:

The contractor and one worker arrived the next day and began scraping, nailing and re-coating the east side of the barn roof:

There was still a pile of dirt near the septic tank which I'd never gotten spread and it had become a sort of wildflower patch in the middle of the yard with plenty of Queen Anne's Lace:

I saw what I at first thought was Spotted Knapweed growing on the mound, but then realized it was Canada Thistle:

And what must have been Red Clover, though I didn't notice the characteristic pale triangles on its leaves:

And lots of Black-Eyed Susans:

My Tall Garden Phlox were just beginning to bloom over by the apple trees. It was a lovely summer weekend up at the farm and I wanted to take some sort of hike the next day. But I'll post about that tomorrow:

Farm Photos From The Memorial Day Weekend

I returned home from hiking the Wolf Lake Loop Trail and got the dogs comfortable. Then I took my camera and walked out to the south hay field to see what was blooming. Mostly I had lots of Buttercups and Ragged Robin, though there was some Cow Vetch and other flowers scattered throughout. The yellow and pink made for a nice picture:

A bumblebee collected nectar from Ragged Robin flowers, and the whole scene was pleasant and calming:

My newly sided barn was looking good nearby:

I walked to the gardens around the house and was surprised to find a pink Columbine in bloom. I knew the former owners had grown them because I'd found a tin of home grown seeds in the kitchen. But I've never seen one growing on the property until now. I was happy to see it:

And the Mock Orange, which had previously been chopped down to the ground, was rebounding nicely and just coming into bloom:

The Bleeding Hearts were blooming beside the pond and the strawberries had already formed, looking like they were going to be tasty:

Inside my farm apartment, the dogs all snoozed comfortably:

Clover, Daphne and Fergus hopped right up on the bed but the other dogs used the floor pillows:

Just out the side door, purple and yellow Iris was blooming:

And they were quite lovely:

These pale yellow Iris looked good next to the weather beaten old beams used as edging:

Old fashioned Spirea was blooming in front of the house. Yes, everything was feeling comfortable, healthy and welcoming. But I'd have to leave for home the next morning so it was all just a visit for me. Some day I'll retire and live there permanently:

A Beautiful May Day On The Farm

When we arrived at the farm, I began by putting the dogs into their fenced yard while I unloaded the groceries, laundry, etc. from the car. I turned on my water supply and enjoyed the views:

I checked out the progress of the barn restoration and, sadly, there hadn't been any. The rafter braces were right where they'd left them:

The apple trees were blooming nicely:

And the buds were especially lovely, reminding me of picking bouquets of them as a child for my mother and teacher:

The house looked wonderful seen through apple blossoms:

The pear tree had finished blooming and I could see tiny baby pears just beginning to form:

The barn sure looked better even if the contractors hadn't accomplished anything recently:

The lilacs were sort of blooming but it wasn't going to be a good year for them. Perhaps the warm winter and early summer had not been to their liking:

The flowering crabs, likewise, were blooming - but not spectacularly:

The old fashioned Bleeding Heart, however, was blossoming nicely:

Strawberries, Dandelions and Bleeding Hearts bloomed in profusion just below the dog run. The dogs watched my every move as I walked around taking photos:

Old fashioned white Daffodils were also blooming - rather late, it seemed to me, but I was happy to see them: