If you saw the thread on the Antique Forum where poor Robert gets blamed for everything, I shared some photos of the restoration of our barn. The soil and the location are completely perfect for my new garden. I was urged to continue to keep everyone updated on the progress. I'll start here from the beginning, to make it easier for everyone to follow:

This is the barn last winter before any work began. It has a severe lean to the right, and most of the framing is compromised in one way or another.

A company from NY did some structural work and reframing of the most seriously damaged end:

This year, we found local someone who could complete the work -- it's very difficult to find someone who can work on barns. On day one, we had the equipment operator clear the old cattle chute, the rotten fence, and tons of honeysuckle:

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The south side of the barn, right before the actual construction began:

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One week later, the men are working their way down the sides of the barn, replacing the posts and beams as they go.

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The same side, a day later, from the opposite angle:

The north side of the building, earlier this week:

Supporting the beams as they remove the old framing makes for slow, deliberate work.

Here's a close-up of the northeast corner:

The north side of the barn, as of quitting time yesterday evening. This photo was taken with a telephoto lens from the parking lot of the winery next door -- they have the best view of everything.

I see this barn as the backdrop for a wonderful rose garden, full of shrubs and many of my climbers. We don't plan to use the barn for animals . . . actually, we don't know exactly what we're going to do with it. We just know that it's been here for a long time, and it's our responsibility to put it into good enough shape so it continues to be here.

I'll use this thread as the place to keep everyone entertained as this project progresses. The construction should be finished in two or three weeks (she says, confidently) -- just in time for the spring planting time.

More photos to come (my apologies to our friends on dial-up)

Connie