Breakneck Barnraising

ProfessorRoush knows almost nothing about building large structures or even Lego houses, but if there's one thing I do know about construction, it is that cement walls get built fast.  A week ago on Friday, there was only a big dirt hole and a foundation when they suddenly began setting up concrete forms for the walls. 






By Monday, the forms were up and the walls had been poured.  It was not impressive to look at since, to me, it just looked like a giant steel fish tank from the top and sides. 





On Wednesday, the forms were down and I was beginning to see the building it would become.  The small door on the left is a walk-in entrance, and the three large openings to the front are garage-bay doors.  All of the latter are going to be manually-operated since I'll probably just open them once on any given work day and I don't feel like robbing the planet for the materials and energy consumed by three more garage door openers.


Yesterday, they poured the floor for the 35' X 20' space and they laid the foundation drains and filled in the back.  Now it just needs a roof to be a functional shelter for the new tractor and implements.

Eventually, the front and about half of the sides gets bricked like the house. You may notice the pipe standing up against the far (north) wall.  There are 4 of these spaced around that third bay and their purpose is to anchor some gates, fencing, and cattle feeding troughs to separate it off from the rest of the space.  This spring, I'll connect that area with the pasture and then, by early Autumn, there are a couple of bred, tame, Angus heifers in my future.  After thirty years of apartment living or backyard horticulture, ProfessorRoush needs some Zen time with a couple of quiet, loving, 800 lb pets.  Stay tuned this fall and we'll have a naming contest for my new girls.