Workshop Weekend

I must shout out from the mountain top (and how cool that I have my own mountain that I can do it from) that my sister-in-law Cindy is amazing. This was the fourth weekend she has given up doing her own thing to WORK at the farm. Helping to make it a cleaner and safer place for my kids to live and play. First it was the attic. Then the field and demolition. Another weekend of the field. And this weekend, the workshop. My father-in-law had built a huge out building and divided it into three sections, one being his woodworking shop. After a bad car accident, he was for the most part home bound. He still did projects outside, but no more shop. So the workshop sat unused for about 13 years. Over time, more 'stuff' was likley thrown in there, however, not a drop of work was done in the workshop.

The roof started to leak.

The walls are rotting and falling in.

The dirt floor, covered in vinyl flooring with supports in a few spots, is caving in.

The mice, snakes, and family of flying squirrels have made themselves at home.

Eww.

Ghon would like to see the place cleaned up and use it. He's talked about saving framework of the structure, but residing and roofing it. But cleaning it out? Yeah, there's grass to cut or a seed to plant, or a chili cookoff to be at. I haven't seen Ghon do any of those tasks. Hmmm. For as scared as I am of the creatures that lurk about, I wonder why I keep geeting stuck doing them while he is off somewhere else. Love ya babe, but really, where ya at?

As I've mentioned before, Cindy is perfect for this job. She is focused and organized, goes in with a game plan and I follow her lead. She protects me from the creepy crawlies and slithers. Except well, for one part of this weekend that deserved it's own special post. If you missed the special Friday edition, you can read all about it here.

I don't think I can blog about that or post pictures of that again.

Regardless, Cindy and I dove into the workshop midday Friday. We worked for a couple hours, then stopped for lunch. Then back to the farm and kept at it. We were calling for a big storm on Friday afternoon, and sure enough, after the snakisode, I opted to help Ghon with the chicken relocation as it started pouring. I don't think I have ever been so wet while fully clothed. EVERYTHING was soaked. It took my hat a full 24 hours to dry. My sneakers even more. I was drenched, my shirt sripping and sticking to me. But hey, the chickens had a new place to hangout.

Chicken relocation - picture obviously taken the next morning.

There are no pictures of soaked adults. I kind of did want to take a picture, but I feared completely ruining the camera from the monsoon. I'm already having lens issues from all the dust and dirt!

Saturday Ghon left for a chili cookoff, and after breakfast, Cindy, the kids and I headed to the farm. I really didn't want to go back into the workshop. I did it, but admit, I was very cautious after. It's hard to say why, since the snake was outside, but regardless, I'm convinced we woke it up and made it angry and it was going to come back.

I was only able to work for a half hour or so before I loaded the truck up with trash (load #2 for the weekend) and took Jonathan to t-ball. Cindy worked away, so the kids and I brought her back some lunch, and got back to work in the early afternoon.

The kids are doing better finding things to amuse themselves with. One of the sections of the builing had some tumbling mats that we have renamed "jumping mats", we've found some random balls, and then there is always the back of my truck.

Sleeping Bugs

Or nature.

Jonathan's personal climbing tree.

On Sunday, Ghon and Cindy got an early start. Ghon had to work that afternoon and into the night, and Cindy was scheduled for her normal noon departure. The kids and I had breakfast, then I made the two of them sandwiches and headed out.

Ghon had already been using the tractor for tilling, but it made it's mowing debut this weekend.

Ghon mowing the front yard for the first time.



View from the corner of the street and driveway.

Typical Ghon face.

In an attempt to keep the kids busy for a bit, Ghon decided to take them for a ride while he mowed. I really should have taken video of him singing Old MacDonald.

Ghon hooked up the wagon and took the kids off through the field to mow the grass.



Off to the orchard!



Can't say we've found too much exciting in the building. Bonsues have been sentimental things like Ghon's father's buck knife. However, if you enjoy screws and nails, please, come see my workshop. I have enough to last, well, forever. And a day. Or two.

At this point, you are just dying to know what the workshop looked like, aren't you? Here they are, the before and after photos.

Workshop - Friday morning. Before #1

Workshop - Sunday afternoon. After #1

Workshop - Friday morning. Before #2



Workshop - Sunday afternoon. After #2
The counter was cleaned off. I threw the containers away, but Cindy wants to save them, so they came back in.

  


Genevieve came in to help, found a broom and got to work.

 

Jonathan was in charge of moving wood from a pile to a box so it could be carried out.

There is still some work to do in there. The good news is that most of the stuff stacked on the right has been sorted and organized. The right wall doesn't seem to leak as bad as the left, so it was a good place to keep things. You can see the holes in the floor down the center, and the table top Cindy laid down to cover several holes to give us a place to walk.

In the end, I took four loads of trash to our transfer station. All metal stays onsite for the scrapyard and all wood stays for burning. Cindy took a load of old paints and odd sized items that can't go to our transfer station with her to dispose of at her landfill. I have a load today in my truck to do the same. That's six loads and more to go in the workshop. We will have one more large area to clean out after the workshop, but that might have to wait until we get a dumpster and/or fall, when the creepies go away.

  



Workshop - Friday morning. Before #3

Workshop - Sunday afternoon. After #3

 

I love the look of a freshly cut lawn. After loading up my last load of trash, I stopped to take a picture of the house. So far to go, but so much potential!