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PEGGY'S
LITTLE
CORNER
The Barn
An old smokehouse gets repurposed as a useful hay barn
October 8, 2014

In spring 2012 we had started to talk about building a barn. We were considering a useful building that would house lawn equipment. My husband had his idea of how the barn should look, and I had mine, neither of which coincided with the other.

So in late June of that year a storm ripped through our area that the meteorologists referred to as a Derecho. When the storm was over it had blown an enormous sugar maple over onto the old smoke house on my families farm. The old 1803 building was still intact just the roof had collapsed and it had been pushed from it’s foundation. My mother not knowing how to get the wreckage cleaned up opted for chaining it to the tractor and pulling it out from under the tree and burning it.

The thought of that process made me sick! The very thought of those hand hewn red hickory beams with the hand forged meat hooks still attached, or the 16 inch red hickory wall boards going up in flames, I just couldn’t let that happen. So i volunteered myself and family to clean up the mess if I could have the old smoke house, my mother agreed.

The next morning armed with a chainsaw, crow bars, shovels, and hammers, My husband, daughter, son, faithful pooch, and me began demolition. The first thing that had to be done was a large limb had to be removed from the roof before we could begin dismantling the building.

As my husband cut away one branch at a time whilst slipping and sliding on the old tin roof I held my breath because each limb snapped back like a catapult. Next we took the old tin roof off, then removed the wall boards.

The last to be removed was the old hickory beams. Oh my, we left the heaviest for the last. Each beam weighed 300 pounds and with the hooks still in place it was a dangerous and arduous task, at one point one of the hooks caught my son’s shirt and almost gutted him like a fish.

Night had set in and lightning cracking all around us we had everything of value loaded onto the trucks and headed home with our soon to be barn.

It was late and storming when we arrived home but we all needed a shower. The many people who frequented the pond, and pool at my mothers farm left their many bags of trash and the beautiful heart shaped cut out on the door had long since been missing the screen and the raccoons and bats had pooped everywhere on the second floor, needless to say the building had fallen into disrepair. So with thunder and lightning cracking all around my daughter and I took the upstairs bathroom, my son and husband took the downstairs bathroom and then Dobby my faithful pooch got his bath and we all crawled into bed exhausted.

The next day my husband took the old tin to the recycling center and got enough money to buy a couple dozen sweetcorn at a roadside market. Then we laid out each piece of wood so they could be washed of all the poop. When the wood was dry we stacked it according to size, covered it with a tarp and gave ourselves some time to think about where and how we wanted it to look.

A month later with the location chosen I came up with a plan to recreate the existing smoke house as it was and add two wings on each side. But just as we got started my husbands employer increased production so that meant overtime hours for him and meant me and my kids had to start production on the barn without him.

So my son single handedley moved all the bank run gravel to the top of the hill by himself. Then he and my husband set the posts and beams and I became very skilled with a table saw and crosscut saw. Later my daughter and I painted and stained in some of the hottest and driest weather we had that summer. Sometimes It would be so lonely working by myself but my little chickens, Biddy, Kitty, and Lily that I had raised that spring kept me company, my little barn buddies as I affectionately referred to them. There silly antics of clucking loudly everytime they found a worm, as if to say mommy look what we found, or when they needed a rest they would roost on the bottom rung of my latter, and Dobby always by my side watching over me and protecting me, I didn’t have to be worried about lonely for long. The added bonus of many tomatoes for a snack made this long project more enjoyable.

As the weather started to get cold we were putting the finishing touches on our new barn. I decided to go with old tin lighting so it would have a primitive feel and the heart shaped opening on the door I made a tin punch panel of tulips to lend an acknowledgement to the German family who were the first family to own our farm and who crafted the smoke house. The last thing to be completed was the floor. I wanted to do a red brick floor but it was already the first week in November and we were running out of time before really cold weather hit, so we went with a cement floor and so I could still have the red brick look I chose three different earth toned paints and a large sponge and stamped out a brick pattern. It turned out pretty good, visitors to the barn at first glance think it is a real brick floor, I’ll take that as a compliment. Now the barn houses the sheeps hay and a few wee mice. Many years later we all look back on that difficult day with fondness because we really enjoy our little barn, it’s a great place to sit and ponder, and the dogs love to lay their bellies on the cool cement floor between the air flow of the front and back door.

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April 21, 2021

Crazy weather, the greenhouse is packed and flourishing, Easter happiness, and waiting for the arrival of new baby chicks.

February 17, 2021

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November 9, 2020

November begins with cool weather and blustery days. The seasons change and Harry enjoys the days.

November 2, 2020

Once again the coop needs some attention and some much needed safety additions. My joints just can't take the bend to feeders anymore!

October 31, 2020

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October 20, 2020

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October 19, 2020

A hearty one pot soup for all the leftovers or just in anticipation of Thanksgiving

October 12, 2020

Cool days give a taste of fall weather. I spend some time in the greenhouse and muse over the animals enjoying the day

Spring bulbs arrive for next year and Harry discovers a toad

I begin the porch project with some early painting and decorate for the season

Non-native problems continue but I tarry on with the season all the same.

Anniversaries can never just run smoothly, can they?

I start looking towards the holidays with an old fashioned recipe, and I look backwards as I transplant some wildflowers

The old yew bushes are removed to make way for a porch face-lift, and I attend to some inside repairs

Some late season planting, ordering bulbs for the coming year, and tackling a new antique project

August 17, 2020

Where has time gone? Visiting a familiar old house that has gone to ruin.

July 12, 2020

The stars and moon align to make a magical Fourth of July

July 3, 2020

The weather has switched to summer heat and it is searing. Time for the garden to explode with weeds and produce.

June 27, 2020

It's my birthday again. Strawberries are in season, and I spend some time hauling rocks . . . again.

June 20, 2020

I do some late season gardening and try some greener products again, this time, with sheep milk

June 13, 2020

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The package saga continues, and some early summer sounds kick into high gear

May 31, 2020

Some cat trouble ensues and the weather plays havoc with the garden

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May 16, 2020

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May 2, 2020

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April 25, 2020

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April 11, 2020

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April 4, 2020

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March 28, 2020

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February 22, 2020

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February 15, 2020

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February 8, 2020

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January 31, 2020

A new phase of the Little Corner begins with the beginning of a wildlife habitat and expanded sheep field

January 25, 2020

It is already time to think about the garden and time to think about getting cuttings from my salvaged fall pots

January 19, 2020

Our snow for 2020 looks like it is going to remain a bit spotty, but Harry still gets some time to play, and I tackle cutting the petunia trees

January 13, 2020

I begin the New Year with spring cleaning, a repair inventory, and some Moses Eaton styled floor cloths

January 6, 2020

This year the flower color palette for the Vienna New Year’s Day concert was in shades of pink and yellow. ... View Article

December 31, 2019

I end a busy 2019 sharing my best wishes to everyone and a wish for the 'quiet life'

December 25, 2019

The season marches forward with Christmas bakes, and I try a few experiments on some old favorites

December 7, 2019

With Christmas on its way, I take a look at the 400+ seedlings in the basement, and Harry helps . . . or so he thinks.

November 30, 2019

I substitute an old favorite in our rarely altered traditional meal, and my family and I head to the tree farm again

November 24, 2019

My daughter's birthday inspires some unicorn decorations and the sky seems to join in the fun

November 17, 2019

After so much heat, and still so much green hanging on the trees, an early snow surprises us all

November 9, 2019

I get my husband to make a late season alteration to our coop, which will hopefully help my bones this winter

October 31, 2019

I make some last minute adjustments to the yard, just in time to catch the last of the warm weather

October 20, 2019

The frost finally shows up and autumn activities accelerate to match the change in weather

October 13, 2019

I scurry around gathering seed tops and cuttings for spring 2020

October 6, 2019

When we should be thinking of hot drinks, the weather keeps summer barreling into fall, which makes late season gardening miserable

September 30, 2019

As we wind down the year towards the fall season, another repair presents itself, this time our refrigerator

September 22, 2019

Following a recipe mishap years ago, I attempt use up some of our pear bounty and make a tasty chutney