07.19.08
The things I do for The Boss…
So we’ve been building a goat barn, right? Well, unfortunately (for me), it’s not done.
The story goes that this goat barn was supposed to be completed before the rains came in 2007. Then we ran out of funds, and the barn was (at best) a covered shelter that kept the rain off the herd (after a fashion). Then it got cold. Then the sheep were lambing; none of the lambs made it. Then the goats were kidding; none of the kids made it (no kidding).
And so it goes. Now it’s summer in 2008. The barn is still unfinished, we now have child #3 literally just about to show up (we’ve bookmarked the name Sebastian Maxwell — “Baby Max”), but at least the herd’s shrinking instead of growing.
The Boss has finally learned the hard lesson that raising livestock is not a simple, uncomplicated process. It’s hard, unforgiving and only occasionally rewarding (this coming from the guy that watches her and says, “it’s your herd, not mine!”)
Where was I? Oh yes.
The barn is the merest framework of a building. Ten uprights holding a corrugated metal roof, as well as subfloor on a split-level layout. The ramp leading into it is cobbled together. There’s a sheet of plywood on one side, masquerading as a wall. Mr. Handy was kind and tied on several huge tarps to attempt (and largely fail) to keep the weather out of the “barn” footprint.
Now, The Boss is a bit more realistic. With still no funds to really finish it the way it needs to be finished, I will ultimately put in some basic framing, then nail on some plywood siding. Windows will be roughed in, and hinged shutters will be used in the meantime to allow for ventilation (until we can actually get some windows to put in).
There’s supposedly room for a second floor that can be hung on the posts. I figure we’ll get that roughed in in the most basic way as well.
All in all, it’s a plan that doesn’t please anyone, but keeps the animals protected in the winter months to come.
Now all I have to do is make it happen.