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The two stories on the left of the old 1868 house
will be gone by late fall...we hope.
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It remains super busy here and I am looking forward to our first big snow day where we have good excuses to work INSIDE. Between garden produce management, livestock chores, demo duties, junk in the trunk events to sell more items we no longer need, and family...we are in a run-run-run-state. I also recently decided to go back to school for my MFA, but I'll blog about that later.
It's an insane decision, I'll say that.
For now our main outdoor focus continues to be on the tearing down of the 1868 house in order to salvage enough wood to build up the new barn. Keith has toiled long and hard in between working his regular 40 hr a week job and our farm responsibilities. He has removed one porch and the sole bathroom plus torn the kitchen part down to the studs. This past week he's focused on removing the roof.
Our plan remains to demolish the south side of the house, both stories (probably added on between 1900 and 1950 in bits and bobs) but to keep the original 1868 house (just four small rooms) as storage until all the loft storage is built in the new barn. It is our hope to have the south side of the house gone by late fall this year.
Keith's approach to tearing off the roof is one I love safety wise. Working from inside the house, standing on ceiling joists, he is able to avoid actually getting up on top of the roof.
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| Look closely in the trees and you'll see Keith |
Each day he gets in a couple hours where he rips off old boards with their layers and layers of tar shingles, and slides them down the roof and onto the ground.
My job is then clean-up. After he leaves for work I'll pick up the shingles and get them in the dumpster via the tractor. I will also separate the wood we can hopefully recycle from the wood that must be burned. Some of it goes directly on the burn pile while smaller pieces is piled up for use in our rocket mass stove for this winter.
The days have been hot, high 80's, and humid, but the nights have cooled off enough for good sleep. Summer just keeps hanging on here in Central Illinois. By Sunday though we expect rain and cooler days. Looking forward to it.
Busy, busy, busy, and going back to school? Don't feel bad about not blogging. I haven't been either. Where do you two get all your energy? -Jenn
ReplyDeleteFrankly, I've lost 45 pounds this year and increased energy has been one of the best "side effects"!
DeleteThose old ceiling joists and rafters look like they have some useful life left in them. Are they full dimension lumber?
ReplyDeleteBTW - don't think I have commented before, so hello and how-do-you do.
cheers, Wilma
Hello back! Yes the wood is full dimension and much will be reused as walls and floors in our new barn we started building last summer and perhaps...(see Cro's comments below) for new flooring in the old house should we choose to keep some of it.
DeleteMasters?? Talk to me sister!
ReplyDeleteYes, I'm an idiot for school. Started the app process this week. We shall see.
DeleteSometimes we all need a snow day. You are making good progress on the old house project. I am proud for you on your decision to go back to school for your MFA.
ReplyDeleteThe way I figure it, I'll graduate with my MFA about the time I can start collecting Social Security. At this rate I'll have my PhD in writing by the time I'm 80. Going to age anyway!
DeleteIt still looks part-saveable to me. Couldn't you keep just a part of it? It looks so nice sitting there.
ReplyDeleteFunny you should ask that. Keith came to me yesterday asking the same thing. So we sketched out a primitive plan to connect the Loony bin via a glass walkway to the most original part of the 1868 house. Using it (perhaps) as a large dining room and extra bedroom. Moot point since there is no money for such but since we're not tearing down the oldest part of the 1868 house this year, we've got time to buy more lottery tickets.
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ReplyDeleteI think it's wonderful that you're going back for your MFA!!! Life is sure busy for you guys!
ReplyDeleteWell, I've started the application process. Lets see who's brave enough to admit me, and then there are scholarships to apply for and I need new school shoes too.
DeleteLOL...actually when I woke up this morning, it was so cold and rainy, I jumped in the hot shower and I had that deja-vu of the days when I was in school...all that was missing was cream of wheat on the breakfast table!
DeleteYou're going to go back to school! That's big news! Will we ever hear from you then???
ReplyDeleteYou will. Very few have been able to shut me up. Just ask my family.
DeleteThat old house is certainly proving quite useful, Donna, but what a lot of work is going into the salvage operation. I know you will be looking forward to a few snow days and cooler weather. We finally are having fall-like temps this weekend and autumn arrived on Saturday...yeah!
ReplyDeleteAnd yet we really don't want lots of cold, ice or snow too early until we have recovered the floor boards in the house. No roof means damage to them is more likely with ill behaved weather. They will serve as the new (and yet quite old) floor boards in the barn.
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