Barns, Pins and Knots

When we moved to the JustB, we were really excited that there was a barn.

I put together a moving plan that involved three staging areas: some boxes going into the house, some to the shed, and some to the barn.  I was going to take my time unpacking without the clutter of moving boxes surrounding us.  But the day we moved, for some reason the grand plan was nixed, and all the boxes went into the house.

Then it rained.  

Then we discovered why the Realtor looked like a dear in the headlights

when we asked to see inside the barn the second time we looked at the property, 

and it was raining.  

Perhaps that's why she didn't have the key ... ?

The barn roof wasn't finished, which we knew.  

The wooden roof decking was up, but not the tin.   

What we didn't know was that when it rained, water poured down inside the barn.  

It was about as good as no roof at all.  Ultimately I was really thankful we hadn't 

put any moving boxes in there ... everything would've been a wet mess for sure.

The first thing LtDan did was finish the barn roof.  Which was scary fun, since he was up there about three stories high on a very steep roof.  I'll never forget the day he finished nailing down the very last piece and I had to help guide his foot down, over the edge, onto the ladder.  Failure was definitely not an option.

We loved that barn. 

We had puppies in that barn.  

We had kittens in that barn.  

We had baby birds nest in that barn.  

It was a beloved barn. 

But one spring day in 2011, a terrific storm blew through Texas.  

No tornadoes for us, thank the Lord, but great, great winds, coming directly from the west.  

And naturally, as the winds picked up, we went outside on the porch to watch the storm blow in ... 

because that's what you do when the weather gets bad, you go outside.   

Doesn't everyone do that?

As we stood on the porch, the big trees were whipping and bending like we've never seen them do.  Something made me look to the north, and I watched the barn simply ... lay ... down.

Sigh.

All that time (before we moved here) with the water pouring through it 

had severely compromised the entire structure.  

And when the winds blew so strongly straight into it ... 

well, it was a sad day.

But if a barn can fall down, a barn can be built!

When we decided to go forward with building in December, you can bet I was on Pinterest looking at barns and pinning ideas to my barn board.  You can bet the girls had some ideas for that barn.  I think it was about the time when I suggested something so marvelously practical as oh ... I don't know ... more windows ... that LtDan informed me that it was to be a functional barn.

That's when I realized perhaps his and hers barns would be a better idea :o)

Even so, it didn't take much convincing that we really should go ahead and put the balcony off the second floor ... because, really, weren't we planning to do that with the old barn anyway?

I did get to choose suggest the paint color ... and I also got to pick the outside lights.  

 There are a few things yet to be done, but the dogs and cats are again eating in a barn, 

not on the back porch,

and LtDan is moving his tools in and building his work bench.

And it's all just in time.

Because if you've been on Pinterest, you know the best use of a barn is for a wedding.

(image source:  the frosted petticoat)

Here's our nephew and his cute little girlfriend ... 

 They'll be tying the knot in the new barn come June 1st.

I guess all that Pinterest research is going to pay off after all :o)