I bought a property with 2 older barns ... not nice OLD barns, just older barns. One I tore down since it was falling down, the other I have spent the past 12 years fixing. The first thing I did was put on a metal roof, we get lots of snow and the snow now slides off, so I don't have to worry about the weight of the snow on the roof. My biggest problem is drainage, when it rains water runs right through the barn. Two years ago, I had the wooden floor taken out of the barn and the stalls, and crushed limestone and then stall mats out down. This year I had to install woooden platforms in the stalls because the level was too low and the stalls were getting wet in the late winter and spring. So I put wooden platforms and the stall mats on top of those ... now I don't have to worry about the donkeys getting wet. I hate the lights in my barn, they are older flourescents and don't want to work when it is too cold or too damp. One of the next big projects is to redo all the electric in the barn. I did have an electrician install electrical "whips" that hang in each stall so I can plug in my heated buckets in the winter. The previous owner used to run extension cords through the rafters ... not the safest idea, I think. I also had a frost-free spigot installed, and it's great. Never freezes. My hay is in an end section of the barn, with a wide door and great ventilation .. hay storage needs very good ventilation. I have a guy who makes small bales just for me, so I'm lucky to get those. I have a large work area for my garden nursery biz ... my donkeys are pets, so I don't really need to "work" them. I did have to cut "windows" in the sides of the stalls so the donkeys could see each other ... everyone comments about that. The stalls were built for horses who could see over them, the donkeys couldn't. They love their "windows". And then I painted the barn purple .... see pics below. Not sure if I've helped at all ... I have lots of ideas of what I would do if I could build a whole new barn ... including putting it somewhere that's on higher ground! Inside before the floors were redone ... Another before ... took the stall on the far right out .. didn't need 5 stalls for 3 donkeys, After picture ... no more wood floors ... The stall mats are great ... Frost-proof spigot Barn before paint job... Purple barn ... The farthest opening is where my hay is stored ...

Hello.. :-) Haven't seen what Christmas Tree Shops is offering, but in the mood this spring to get organized and although I don't need a bench as I have one, some kind of shed sounds good too. I've looked at the plastic ones they offer and just couldn't bear to purchase plastic. lol BTW, keeping the potting bench from always getting covered up with tons of stuff is my problem. It is right next to the garage door in the garage and everyone who enters, ends up dropping something on it. Maybe because I have too much stuff everywhere else...lol Time to get a handle on the whole work area/storage needs for everything garden related. :-) pm2

the misguided "my kid is so smart he can read HP when he is 5 so I let him" and "I don't really care what he watches as long as he is out of my hair" attitude Whoa there! Parents who let their kid read books at a high reading level because the child has an accelerated reading ability and parents who plop their kids in front of the TV to keep them out of their hair are in two VERY different categories. Not to say that there aren't parents who do both, but I'd say that those are few and far between. Kids who can read beyond their supposed reading level don't just do that on their own. Love of reading is fostered and encouraged by the parents and the parents have to give the kids access to these books. I'm not saying that no kid can read beyond his level without the help, or that parents who help are guaranteed a child who can read beyond his level. What I'm saying is that it takes a combination of both, and I'd argue that the vast majority of kids (I mean kids who are not otherwise disabled) could read at a much higher level if their parents would do the things which encourage reading. That includes reading to them at a young age and when they are older, having them read to you when they are able; visiting libraries and letting kids pick out books they are interested in; turning off the TV and video games and giving kids an opportunity to entertain themselves; discussing books they've read, and yes, challenging them to read books beyond their level. Kids who have the opportunity to read books beyond their level have a better chance to love reading because they are exposed to new and interesting words and ideas and plots which make them WANT to read more. I agree with lindac who says that it's far more likely that a child who can't read will turn to violence. And I still think most of these kids who can't read have trouble ONLY because their reading skills were not properly fostered by their parents & teachers, not because they lack the natural ability to learn. I have two boys, age 20 & 17, both of whom are avid readers and have been since they learned how to read. So I feel that I have a basis from which to speak regarding kids & reading, oh, yeah, and reading beyond their level, which both of my boys did practically from the beginning. Carla, I can't be certain, but nothing in your posts makes me believe you've read these books Yeah, I'd kinda like to know the answer to that question too. And I'd also like to know what other influences these violent kids you know have in their lives. Interesting discussion although we certainly strayed from the OP's questions. my3sons1, did you go see the movie? What was your decision in the end?

Converting an agricultural detached accessory building into residential space will require you to bring up the entire space up to modern building code. This will likley cost you as much or more than if you simply added to your existing home. In some cases, your zoning regulations may also require you to subdivide your property in order to accomdodate finishing the barn, because some zoning and subdivision ordinances prohibit more than 1 residential structure per parcel. Talk to your local authorities to see if this is possible. I'm currently dealing with an applicant who wishes to construct a detached 'carriage house' near their home in a farm community. The carriage house will be a three car garage on the main level with a 3 'bedroom', 1 bath, full kitchen suite on the upper level. This design is clearly intended to be used as a guest house. But because the 'bedrooms' are only listed as 'office' and 'storage' spaces on the building plans, they were approved as an accessory building---not a second dwelling unit---by my building department. But the Zoning department for the muncipality doesn't see it that way, and the owners are having to go through a minor subdivision in order to get permission to build. The zoning ordinance allows only 1 single family dwelling per parcel.