Working on my new barn

I couldn't sleep half the night - I was so excited. Saturday we were going to do our first day of work at our new home! Who would believe how excited I could be about the first day of hard work!?

My man brought along his measuring stick. He wanted to get the dimensions of the house to see whether our furniture would fit. I said, "Can we go to the barn now? I want to WORK!"

It was pouring rain but I was just so excited, Mr. S and Joerg joined me in the barn. We knew what the task of the day would be. We'd have to tear down this dividing wall that someone had built right in the middle of the stall. (The barn is so small, it's only 3X4 meters, so it's basically a stall.)


I didn't know how hard it would be. I couldn't have done it alone.

Mr. S brought out two electric concrete eating machines, and tried that. I shook my head, I knew getting that wall down would be a matter of correctly placed wedges and heavy hammers. In the end, we used every tool in the book. (Abandoning the power tools under a layer of concrete powder!)

The wedge/hammer idea worked, as did my big ax. A rubber mallet worked once the mortar was chipped enough to allow the blocks to budge. I think the men enjoyed it secretly - what man does not enjoy destroying things with heavy tools?

I was a total wimp in comparison, I just don't have the strength needed. If I'm ever in jail, I'm probably stuck there.

Carrying away the blocks and stacking them by size, I saw a huge spider on one of them as I carried it. I screamed and Mr. S looked at Joerg. I could tell what he was thinking, "She's bought a farm and she's scared of spiders??" Er, yes, and, basically, all insects. Gotta get therapy. OR! maybe living at such a place will automatically cure me? We'll see.

I was so proud when that wall lay in chunks on the barn floor. MY barn floor. It was so cozy in there as the rain blasted the walls. Good test - all day long it rained, and none leaked in.

Mrs. S stuck her head out the house door occasionally to check on us. I could tell she was terribly bored inside, wishing we'd all come in and drink more tea with her. She'd yell things like, "You're gonna get sick out there!" and "Don't complain when you can't move tomorrow!" trying to protect her husband, who really imparted some damage when he swung that sledgehammer. He had told me he's too old for a farm now, but I got a little worried he'd change his mind when I saw him tearing down that wall.


I hugged them both afterwards. Then we started discussing what to do about the front wall, which is just a wire mesh with a grape vine growing on it. I like it, actually, and I think it's OK to have a mostly open wall in a barn. But the lower half at least has to be sheilded cuz a horse can get a foot in that mesh. Mr. S suggests we buy some mortar and build a half-wall out of brick. Yes, there are tons of bricks, as you can see in the earlier photos.

But why buy mortar and learn to lay bricks when I can just nail some boards to the lower part of the wall over the bricks that are already mortarted there at the bottom? Easy, and no bricklaying involved! We have the wood too. My man said, "You're gonna post a pic on your blog and ask your bloggy friends what they would do, aren't you?" Hrm, well...

I pointed out a few nails sticking out of the wall and told my man how horses love to find anything sharp and cut themselves. My man picked up a hammer and started banging those nails down. I was so touched, I got a picture: )

In the end I swept and had a big pile of concrete chunks. I put them in the wheelbarrow and rolled it down the hill to the gate by the ponds. I dumped the stuff in the slick spot by the gate. I felt strangely empowered, making this decision and my first mud-fighting effort. Yah, right, it's not enough, but what else would you do with concrete crumbs? There will be a lot more rock going in over them soon: )

Tomorrow I want to build that wall - so...suggestions? Brick, wood, or both?

OH, one more thing - there are some wires on the walls and outlets and light switches where the horse can reach. Obviously the barn was not designed with a horse in mind. What does one do about that? What is the best way to guard wires and switches?

Thanks in advance, I'm new at this!